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Title: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1

Author: John Bunyan

Release Date: July, 2004  [EBook #6046]
[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on October 24, 2002]

Edition: 10

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN VOLUME 1 ***




This eBook was prepared by Charles Aldarondo based on a source from
www.johnbunyan.org.



THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN

WITH AN

INTRODUCTION TO EACH TREATISE, NOTES,

AND A

SKETCH OF HIS LIFE, TIMES, AND CONTEMPORARIES.

VOLUME FIRST.

EXPERIMENTAL, DOCTRINAL, AND PRACTICAL.

EDITED BY

GEORGE OFFOR, ESQ.






MEMOIR OF JOHN BUNYAN

THE FIRST PERIOD.

THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS
EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A
BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS
AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER.

'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of
the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8.

'Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the
wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow
gold.'--Psalm 68:13.

When the Philistine giant, Goliath, mocked the host of Israel,
and challenged any of their stern warriors to single combat, what
human being could have imagined that the gigantic heathen would be
successfully met in the mortal struggle by a youth 'ruddy and of
a fair countenance?' who unarmed, except with a sling and a stone,
gave the carcases of the hosts of the Philistines to the fouls of
the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth.'

Who, upon seeing an infant born in a stable, and laid in a manger,
or beholding him when a youth working with his father as a carpenter,
could have conceived that he was the manifestation of the Deity
in human form, before whom every knee should bow, and every tongue
confess Him to be THE ETERNAL?

Father Michael, a Franciscan friar, on a journey to Ancona,
having lost his way, sought direction from a wretched lad keeping
hogs--deserted, forlorn, his back smarting with severe stripes,
and his eyes suffused with tears. The poor ragged boy not only went
cheerfully with him to point out his road, but besought the monk
to take him into his convent, volunteering to fulfill the most
degrading services, in the hope of procuring a little learning,
and escaping from 'those filthy hogs.' How incredulously would the
friar have listened to anyone who could have suggested that this
desolate, tattered, dirty boy, might and would fill a greater than
an imperial throne! Yet, eventually that swine-herd was clothed
in purple and fine linen, and, under the title of Pope Sixtus V.,
became one of those mighty magicians who are described in Rogers
Italy, as


   'Setting their feet upon the necks of kings,
    And through the worlds subduing, chaining down
    The free, immortal spirit--theirs a wondrous spell.' [1]


A woman that was 'a loose and ungodly wretch' hearing a tinker lad
most awfully cursing and swearing, protested to him that 'he swore
and cursed at that most fearful rate that it made her tremble to
hear him,' 'that he was the ungodliest fellow for swearing that
ever she heard in all her life,' and 'that he was able to spoil
all the youth in a whole town, if they came in his company.' This
blow at the young reprobate made that indelible impression which all
the sermons yet he had heard had failed to make. Satan, by one of
his own slaves, wounded a conscience which had resisted all the
overtures of mercy. The youth pondered her words in his heart;
they were good seed strangely sown, and their working formed one
of those mysterious steps which led the foul-mouthed blasphemer
to bitter repentance; who, when he had received mercy and pardon,
felt impelled to bless and magnify the Divine grace with shining,
burning thoughts and words. The poor profligate, swearing tinker
became transformed into the most ardent preacher of the love of
Christ--the well-trained author of The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, or
Good News to the Vilest of Men.

How often have the Saints of God been made a most unexpected blessing
to others. The good seed of Divine truth has been many times sown
by those who did not go out to sow, but who were profitably engaged
in cultivating their own graces, enjoying the communion of Saints,
and advancing their own personal happiness! Think of a few poor,
but pious happy women, sitting in the sun one beautiful summer's
day, before one of their cottages, probably each one with her
pillow on her lap, dexterously twisting the bobbins to make lace,
the profits of which helped to maintain their children. While
they are communing on the things of God, a traveling tinker draws
near, and, over-hearing their talk, takes up a position where
he might listen to their converse while he pursued his avocation.
Their words distil into his soul; they speak the language of Canaan;
they talk of holy enjoyments, the result of being born again,
acknowledging their miserable state by nature, and how freely and
undeservedly God had visited their hearts with pardoning mercy,
and supported them while suffering the assaults and suggestions
of Satan; how they had been borne up in every dark, cloudy, stormy
day; and how they contemned, slighted, and abhorred their own
righteousness as filthy and insufficient to do them any good. The
learned discourses our tinker had heard at church had casually
passed over his mind like evanescent clouds, and left little or no
lasting impression. But these poor women, 'methought they spake as
actually did make them speak; they speak with such pleasant as of
Scripture language, and with such appearance of grace in all they
said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world, as
if they were people that dwelt alone, and were not to be reckoned
among their neighbors' (Num 23:9).

O! how little did they imagine that their pious converse was to
be the means employed by the Holy Spirit in the conversion of that
poor tinker, and that, by their agency, he was to be transformed
into one of the brightest luminaries of heaven; who, when he had
entered into rest would leave his works to follow him as spiritual
thunder to pierce the hearts of the impenitent, and as heavenly
consolation to bind up the broken-hearted; liberating the prisoners
of Giant Despair, and directing the pilgrims to the Celestial City.
Thus were blessings in rich abundance showered down upon the church
by the instrumentality, in the first instance, of a woman that was
a sinner, but most eminently by the Christian converse of a few
poor but pious women.

This poverty-stricken, ragged tinker was the son of a working
mechanic at Elstow, near Bedford. So obscure was his origin that
even the Christian name of his father is yet unknown:[2] he was
born in 1628, a year memorable as that in which the Bill of Rights
was passed. Then began the struggle against arbitrary power, which
was overthrown in 1688, the year of Bunyan's death, by the accession
of William III. Of Bunyan's parents, his infancy, and childhood,
little is recorded. All that we know is from his own account, and
that principally contained in his doctrine of the Law and Grace,
and in his extraordinary development of his spiritual life, under
the title of Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. His birth would
have shed a luster on the wealthiest mansion, and have imparted
additional grandeur to any lordly palace. Had royal or noble
gossips, and a splendid entertainment attended his christening,
it might have been pointed to with pride; but so obscure was his
birth, that it has not been discovered that he was christened at
all; while the fact of his new birth by the Holy Ghost is known
over the whole world to the vast extent that his writings have
been circulated. He entered this world in a labourer's cottage of
the humblest class, at the village of Elstow, about a mile from
Bedford.[3] His pedigree is thus narrated by himself:--'My descent
was of a low and inconsiderable generation, my father's house being
of that rank that is meanest and most despised of all the families
in the land.'[4] Bunyan alludes to this very pointedly in the preface
to A Few Sighs from Hell:--'I am thine, if thou be not ashamed to
own me, because of my low and contemptible descent in the world.'[5]
His poor and abject parentage was so notorious, that his pastor,
John Burton, apologized for it in his recommendation to The Gospel
Truths Opened:--'Be not offended because Christ holds forth the
glorious treasure of the gospel to thee in a poor earthen vessel,
by one who hath neither the greatness nor the wisdom of this world
to commend him to thee.'[6] And in his most admirable treatise, on
The Fear of God, Bunyan observes--'The poor Christian hath something
to answer them that reproach him for his ignoble pedigree, and
shortness of the glory of the wisdom of this world. True may that
man say I am taken out of the dunghill. I was born in a base and
low estate; but I fear God. This is the highest and most noble; he
hath the honour, the life, and glory that is lasting.'[7] In his
controversy with the Strict Baptists, he chides them for reviling
his ignoble pedigree:--'You closely disdain my person because of
my low descent among men, stigmatizing me as a person of THAT rank
that need not be heeded or attended unto.'[8] He inquired of his
father--'Whether we were of the Israelites or no? for, finding in
the Scripture that they were once the peculiar people of God, thought
I, if I were one of this race, my soul must needs be happy.'[9]
This somewhat justifies the conclusion that his father was a Gipsy
tinker, that occupation being then followed by the Gipsy tribe.
In the life of Bunyan appended to the forged third part of the
Pilgrim's Progress, his father is described as 'an honest poor
labouring man, who, like Adam unparadised, had all the world before
him to get his bread in; and was very careful and industrious to
maintain his family.'[10]

Happily for Bunyan, he was born in a neighbourhood in which it was
a disgrace to any parents not to have their children educated. With
gratitude he records, that 'it pleased God to put it into their
hearts to put me to school to learn both to read and to write.' In
the neighbourhood of his birthplace, a noble charity diffused the
blessings of lettered knowledge.[11] To this charity Bunyan was
for a short period indebted for the rudiments of education; but,
alas, evil associates made awful havoc of those slight unshapen
literary impressions which had been made upon a mind boisterous
and impatient of discipline. He says--'To my shame, I confess I
did soon lose that little I learned, and that almost utterly.'[12]
This fact will recur to the reader's recollection when he peruses
Israel's Hope Encouraged, in which, speaking of the all-important
doctrine of justification, he says--'It is with many that begin
with this doctrine as it is with boys that go to the Latin school;
they learn till they have learned the grounds of their grammar,
and then go home and forget all.'[13]

As soon as his strength enabled him, he devoted his whole soul and
body to licentiousness--'As for my own natural life, for the time
that I was without God in the world, it was indeed according to
the course of this world, and the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience. It was my delight to be taken captive by
the devil at his will: being filled with all unrighteousness; that
from a child I had but few equals, both for cursing, swearing,
lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God.'[14]

It has been supposed, that in delineating the early career of
Badman, 'Bunyan drew the picture of his own boyhood.'[15] But the
difference is broadly given. Badman is the child of pious parents,
who gave him a 'good education' in every sense, both moral and
secular;[16] the very reverse of Bunyan's training. His associates
would enable him to draw the awful character and conduct of Badman,
as a terrible example to deter others from the downward road to
misery and perdition.

Bunyan's parents do not appear to have checked, or attempted to
counteract, his unbridled career of wickedness. He gives no hint
of the kind; but when he notices his wife's father, he adds that he
'was counted godly'; and in his beautiful nonsectarian catechism,
there is a very touching conclusion to his instructions to children
on their behaviour to their parents:--'The Lord, if it be his will,
convert our poor parents, that they, with us, may be the children
of God.'[17] These fervent expressions may refer to his own parents;
and, connecting them with other evidence, it appears that he was
not blessed with pious example. Upon one occasion, when severely
reproved for swearing, he says--'I wished, with all my heart, that
I might be a little child again, that my father might learn me to
speak without this wicked way of swearing.'[18] In his numerous
confessions, he never expresses pain at having, by his vicious
conduct, occasioned grief to his father or mother. From this
it may be inferred, that neither his father's example nor precept
had checked this wretched propensity to swearing, and that he owed
nothing to his parents for moral training; but, on the contrary,
they had connived at, and encouraged him in, a course of life which
made him a curse to the neighbourhood in which he lived.

In the midst of all this violent depravity, the Holy Spirit began
the work of regeneration in his soul--a long, a solemn, yea, an
awful work--which was to fit this poor debauched youth for purity
of conduct--for communion with heaven--for wondrous usefulness as
a minister of the gospel--for patient endurance of sufferings for
righteousness' sake--for the writing of works which promise to be
a blessing to the Church in all ages--for his support during his
passage through the black river which has no bridge--to shine all
bright and glorious, as a star in the firmament of heaven. 'Wonders
of grace to God belong.'

During the period of his open profligacy, his conscience was ill
at ease; at times the clanking of Satan's slavish chains in which
he was hurrying to destruction, distracted him. The stern reality
of a future state clouded and embittered many of those moments
employed in gratifying his baser passions. The face of the eventful
times in which he lived was rapidly changing; the trammels were
loosened, which, with atrocious penalties, had fettered all free
inquiry into religious truth. Puritanism began to walk upright; and
as the restraints imposed upon Divine truths were taken off, in the
same proportion restraints were imposed upon impiety, profaneness,
and debauchery. A ringleader in all wickedness would not long
continue without reproof, either personally, or as seen in the holy
conduct of others. Bunyan very properly attributed to a gracious
God, those checks of conscience which he so strongly felt even while
he was apparently dead in trespasses and sins. 'The Lord, even in
my childhood, did scare and affright me with fearful dreams, and did
terrify me with dreadful visions.'[19] 'I often wished that there
had been no hell, or that I had been a devil to torment others.'
A common childish but demoniac idea. His mind was as 'the troubled
sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.'
'A while after, these terrible dreams did leave me; and with more
greediness, according to the strength of nature, I did let loose
the reins of my lusts, and delighted in all transgression against
the law of God.' 'I was the very ringleader of all the youth that
kept me company, into ALL MANNER of vice and ungodliness.'[20]

Dr. Southey and others have attempted to whiten this blackamore, but
the veil that they throw over him is so transparent that it cannot
deceive those who are in the least degree spiritually enlightened.
He alleges that Bunyan, in his mad career of vice and folly, 'was
never so given over to a reprobate mind,'[21] as to be wholly
free from compunctions of conscience. This is the case with every
depraved character; but he goes further, when he asserts that
'Bunyan's heart never was hardened.'[22] This is directly opposed
to his description of himself:--'I found within me a great desire
to take my fill of sin, still studying what sin was yet to be
committed; and I made as much haste as I could to fill my belly
with its delicates, lest I should die before I had my desire.' He
thus solemnly adds, 'In these things, I protest before God, I lie
not, neither do I feign this sort of speech; these were really,
strongly, and with all my heart, my desires; the good Lord, whose
mercy is unsearchable, forgive me my transgressions.' The whole
of his career, from childhood to manhood, was, 'According to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience'
(Eph 2:2).

These reminiscences are alluded to in the prologue of the Holy
War:--


   'When Mansoul trampled upon things Divine,
    And wallowed in filth as doth a swine,
    Then I was there, and did rejoice to see
    Diabolus and Mansoul so agree.'


The Laureate had read this, and yet considers it the language of
a heart that 'never was hardened.' He says that 'the wickedness
of the tinker has been greatly overcharged, and it is taking the
language of self-accusation too literally to pronounce of John
Bunyan, that he was at any time depraved. The worst of what he was
in his worst days is to be expressed in a single word, the full
meaning of which no circumlocution can convey; and which, though
it may hardly be deemed presentable in serious composition, I shall
use, as Bunyan himself (no mealy-mouthed writer) would have used
it, had it in his days borne the same acceptation in which it is now
universally understood;--in that word then, he had been a blackguard.


    The very head and front of his offending
    Hath this extent--no more.'[23]


The meaning of the epithet is admirably explained; but what could
Dr. Southey imagine possible to render such a character more vile
in the sight of God, or a greater pest to society? Is there any
vicious propensity, the gratification of which is not included in
that character? Bunyan's estimate of his immorality and profaneness
prior to his conversion, was not made by comparing himself with
the infinitely Holy One, but he measured his conduct by that of
his more moral neighbours. In his Jerusalem Sinner Saved, he pleads
with great sinners, the outwardly and violently profane and vicious,
that if HE had received mercy, and had become regenerated, they
surely ought not to despair, but to seek earnestly for the same
grace. He thus describes himself:--'I speak by experience; I was
one of those great sin-breeders; I infected all the youth of the
town where I was born; the neighbours counted me so, my practice
proved me so: wherefore, Christ Jesus took me first; and, taking
me first, the contagion was much allayed all the town over. When
God made me sigh, they would hearken, and inquiringly say, What's
the matter with John? When I went out to seek the bread of life,
some of them would follow, and the rest be put into a muse at home.
Some of them, perceiving that God had mercy upon me, came crying to
him for mercy too.'[24] Can any one, in the face of such language,
doubt that he was most eminently 'a brand snatched from the fire';
a pitchy burning brand, known and seen as such by all who witnessed
his conduct? He pointedly exemplified the character set forth by
James, 'the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, set on fire of
hell' (James 3:6). This was as publicly known before his conversion,
as the effects of the wondrous change were openly seen in his
Christian career afterwards. He who, when convinced of sin, strained
his eyes to see the distant shining light over the wicket-gate,
after he had gazed upon


      --'The wondrous cross
    On which the Prince of glory died,'


became a luminous beacon, to attract the vilest characters to seek
newness of life; and if there be hope for them, no one ought to
despair. Far be it from us to cloud this light, or to tarnish so
conspicuous an example. Like a Magdalene or a thief on the cross,
his case may be exhibited to encourage hope in every returning
prodigal. During this period of his childhood, while striving to
harden his heart against God, many were the glimmerings of light
which from time to time directed his unwilling eyes to a dread
eternity. In the still hours of the night 'in a dream God opened'
his ears[25]--the dreadful vision was that 'devils and wicked
spirits laboured to draw me away with them.' These thoughts must
have left a deep and alarming impression upon his mind; for he
adds, 'of which I could never be rid.'[26]

The author of his life, published in 1692, who was one of his
personal friends, gives the following account of Bunyan's profligacy,
and his checks of conscience:--'He himself hath often, since his
conversion, confessed with horror, that when he was but a child or
stripling, he had but few equals for lying, swearing, and blaspheming
God's holy name--living without God in the world; the thoughts of
which, when he, by the light of Divine grace, came to understand his
dangerous condition, drew many showers of tears from his sorrowful
eyes, and sighs from his groaning heart. The first thing that
sensibly touched him in this his unregenerate state, were fearful
dreams, and visions of the night, which often made him cry out in
his sleep, and alarm the house, as if somebody was about to murder
him, and being waked, he would start, and stare about him with
such a wildness, as if some real apparition had yet remained;
and generally those dreams were about evil spirits, in monstrous
shapes and forms, that presented themselves to him in threatening
postures, as if they would have taken him away, or torn him in
pieces. At some times they seemed to belch flame, at other times
a continuous smoke, with horrible noises and roaring. Once he
dreamed he saw the face of the heavens, as it were, all on fire;
the firmament crackling and shivering with the noise of mighty
thunders, and an archangel flew in the midst of heaven, sounding a
trumpet, and a glorious throne was seated in the east, whereon sat
one in brightness, like the morning star, upon which he, thinking
it was the end of the world, fell upon his knees, and, with uplifted
hands towards heaven, cried, O Lord God, have mercy upon me! What
shall I do, the day of judgment is come, and I am not prepared! When
immediately he heard a voice behind him, exceeding loud, saying,
Repent. At another time he dreamed that he was in a pleasant
place, jovial and rioting, banqueting and feasting his senses, when
a mighty earthquake suddenly rent the earth, and made a wide gap,
out of which came bloody flames, and the figures of men tossed
up in globes of fire, and falling down again with horrible cries,
shrieks, and execrations, whilst some devils that were mingled
with them, laughed aloud at their torments; and whilst he stood
trembling at this sight, he thought the earth sunk under him, and
a circle of flame enclosed him; but when he fancied he was just at
the point to perish, one in white shining raiment descended, and
plucked him out of that dreadful place; whilst the devils cried
after him, to leave him with them, to take the just punishment his
sins had deserved, yet he escaped the danger, and leaped for joy
when he awoke and found it was a dream.'

Such dreams as these fitted him in after life to be the glorious
dreamer of the Pilgrim's Progress, in which a dream is told which
doubtless embodies some of those which terrified him in the night
visions of his youth.

In the interpreter's house he is 'led into a chamber where there
was one rising out of bed, and as he put on his raiment he shook
and trembled. Then said Christian, Why doth this man thus tremble?
The Interpreter then bid him tell to Christian the reason of his
so doing. So he began and said, This night, as I was in my sleep
I dreamed, and behold the heavens grew exceeding black; also it
thundered and lightened in most fearful wise, that it put me into
an agony. So I looked up in my dream, and saw the clouds rack at
an unusual rate, upon which I heard a great sound of a trumpet,
and saw also a man sit upon a cloud, attended with the thousands of
heaven--they were all in flaming fire; also the heavens were in a
burning flame. I heard then a voice saying, "Arise, ye dead, and
come to judgment;" and with that the rocks rent, the graves opened,
and the dead that were therein came forth. Some of them were exceeding
glad, and looked upward; and some sought to hide themselves under
the mountains. Then I saw the man that sat upon the cloud open the
book, and bid the world draw near. Yet there was, by reason of a
fierce flame which issued out and came from before him, a convenient
distance betwixt him and them, as betwixt the judge and prisoners
at the bar. I heard it also proclaimed, "Gather together the tares,
the chaff, and stubble, and cast them into the burning lake"; and
with that the bottomless pit opened just whereabout I stood, out
of the mouth of which there came, in an abundant manner, smoke and
coals of fire, with hideous noises. It was also said, "Gather my
wheat into the garner"; and with that I saw many catched up and
carried away into the clouds, but I was left behind. I also sought
to hide myself, but I could not, for the man that sat upon the
cloud still kept his eye upon me; my sins also came into my mind,
and my conscience did accuse me on every side. Upon that I awaked
from my sleep.'

No laboured composition could have produced such a dream as this.
It flows in such dream-like order as would lead us to infer, that
the author who narrates it had, when a boy, heard the twenty-fifth
chapter of Matthew read at church, and the solemn impression
following him at night assisted in producing a dream which stands,
and perhaps will ever stand, unrivalled.

Awful as must have been these impressions upon his imagination, they
were soon thrown off, and the mad youth rushed on in his desperate
career of vice and folly. Is he then left to fill up the measure
of his iniquities? No, the Lord has a great work for him to do.
HIS hand is not shortened that he cannot save. Bunyan has to be
prepared for his work; and if terrors will not stop him, manifested
mercies in judgments are to be tried.

'God did not utterly leave me, but followed me still, not now with
convictions, but judgments; yet such as were mixed with mercy. For
once I fell into a creek of the sea, and hardly escaped drowning.
Another time I fell out of a boat into Bedford river, but mercy
yet preserved me alive. Besides, another time, being in the field
with one of my companions, it chanced that an adder passed over
the highway, so I, having a stick in my hand, struck her over the
back; and having stunned her, I forced open her mouth with my stick,
and plucked her sting out with my fingers; by which act, had not
God been merciful unto me, I might by my desperateness have brought
myself to my end.

'This also have I taken notice of, with thanksgiving. When I was a
soldier, I, with others, were drawn out to go to such a place to
besiege it; but when I was just ready to go, one of the company
desired to go in my room, to which, when I had consented, he took
my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood sentinel, he was
shot into the head with a musket bullet, and died.'[27]

In addition to these mercies recorded by his own pen, one of his
friends asserts that he acknowledged his deep obligations to Divine
mercy for being saved when he fell into an exceeding deep pit, as
he was traveling in the dark; for having been preserved in sickness;
and also for providential goodness that such a sinner was sustained
with food and raiment, even to his own admiration.

Bunyan adds, 'Here were judgments and mercy, but neither of them
did awaken my soul to righteousness'; wherefore I sinned still,
and grew more and more rebellious against God, and careless of mine
own salvation.'[28]

That such a scape-grace should enter the army can occasion no surprise.
His robust, hardy frame, used to exposure in all weathers--his
daring courage, as displayed in his perilous dealing with the
adder, bordering upon fool-hardiness--his mental depravity and
immoral habits, fitted him for all the military glory of rapine and
desolation. In his Grace Abounding he expressly states that this
took place before his marriage, while his earliest biographer places
this event some years after his marriage, and even argues upon
it, as a reason why he became a soldier, that 'when the unnatural
civil war came on, finding little or nothing to do to support
himself and small family, he, as many thousands did, betook himself
to arms.'[29] The same account states that, 'in June, 1645, being
at the siege of Leicester, he was called out to be one who was to
make a violent attack upon the town, vigorously defended by the
King's forces against the Parliamentarians, but appearing to the
officer who was to command them to be somewhat awkward in handling
his arms, another voluntarily, and as it were thrust himself into
his place, who, having the same post that was designed Mr. Bunyan,
met his fate by a carbine-shot from the wall; but this little or
nothing startled our too secure sinner at that time; for being now
in an army where wickedness abounded, he was the more hardened.'

Thus we find Bunyan engaged in military affairs. There can be no
doubt but that he was a soldier prior to his marriage, and that he
was present at the siege of Leicester; but it is somewhat strange
(if true) that he should have preferred the Parliamentary to the
Royal army. Although this is a question that cannot be positively
decided without further evidence than has yet been discovered,
there are strong reasons for thinking that so loyal a man joined
the Royal army, and not that of the Republicans.

The army into which Bunyan entered is described as being 'where
wickedness abounded,' but, according to Hume, in this year the
Republican troops were generally pious men.

Bunyan's loyalty was so remarkable as to appear to be natural to
him; for even after he had so severely suffered from the abuse of
kingly power, in interfering with the Divine prerogative of appointing
modes of worship, he, who feared the face of no man--who never
wrote a line to curry favour with any man or class of men--thus
expresses his loyal feelings--'I do confess myself one of the
old-fashioned professors, that covet to fear God, and honour the
king. I also am for blessing of them that curse me, for doing good
to them that hate me, and for praying for them that despitefully
use me and persecute me; and have had more peace in the practice of
these things than all the world are aware of.' 'Pray for the long
life of the king.' 'Pray that God would discover all plots and
conspiracies against his person and government.'[30] 'Will you rebel
against the king? is a word that shakes the world.'[31] 'Pray for
all that are in authority; reproach not the governor, he is set over
thee; all his ways are God's, either for thy help or the trial of
thy graces--this is duty, will render thee lovely to thy friends,
terrible to thine enemies, serviceable as a Christian.'[32]
'Let kings have that fear, honour, reverence, worship that is due
to their place, their office and dignity.' 'I speak it to show my
loyalty to the king, and my love to my fellow-subjects.'[33] With
such proofs of his peaceful submission to government in all things
that touched not the prerogatives of God; it would have been marvelous
indeed if he had taken up arms against his king. His infatuated
delight in swearing, and roisterous habits, were ill suited to the
religious restraints of the Parliamentarians, while they would render
him a high prize to Rupert's dragoons. Add to this, the remarkable
fact, that Leicester was besieged and stormed with terrible slaughter
by the king, but not by the army of the Parliament. The taking of
Leicester by the king in person was attended with great cruelties.
The abbey was burnt by the cavaliers. Rupert's black flag was
hoisted on the gate which had been treacherously given up. Every
Scotchman found in the town was murdered. The mace and town seals
were carried off as plunder; and, if the account given by Thoresby
in his History of Leicester is correct, the scene of carnage was
quite enough to sicken Bunyan of a military life. He knew the mode
in which plunder taken from the bodies of the slain was divided by
the conquerors:--


   'Or as the soldiers give unto
    Each man the share and lot,
    Which they by dint of sword have won,
    From their most daring foe;
    While he lies by as still as stone,
    Not knowing what they do.'[34]


'The king's forces having made their batteries, stormed Leicester;
those within made stout resistance, but some of them betrayed
one of the gates; the women of the town laboured in making up the
breaches, and in great danger. The king's forces having entered
the town, had a hot encounter in the market-place; and many of them
were slain by shot out of the windows, that they gave no quarter,
but hanged some of the committee, and cut others to pieces. Some
letters say that the kennels ran down with blood; Colonel Gray the
governor, and Captain Hacker, were wounded and taken prisoners,
and very many of the garrison were put to the sword, and the town
miserably plundered. The king's forces killed divers who prayed
quarter, and put divers women to the sword,[35] and other women
and children they turned naked into the streets, and many they
ravished. They hanged Mr. Reynor and Mr. Sawyer in cold blood; and
at Wighton they smothered Mrs. Barlowes, a minister's wife, and
her children.'[36]

Lord Clarendon admits the rapine and plunder, and that the king
regretted that some of his friends suffered with the rest.[37]
Humphrey Brown deposed that he was present when the garrison, having
surrendered upon a promise of quarter, he saw the king's soldiers
strip and wound the prisoners, and heard the king say--'cut them
more, for they are mine enemies.' A national collection was made
for the sufferers, by an ordinance bearing date the 28th October,
1645, which states that--'Whereas it is very well known what miseries
befell the inhabitants of the town and county of Leicester, when
the king's army took Leicester, by plundering the said inhabitants,
not only of their wares in their shops, but also all their household
goods, and their apparel from their backs, both of men, women,
and children, not sparing, in that kind, infants in their cradles;
and, by violent courses and tortures, compelled them to discover
whatsoever they had concealed or hid, and after all they imprisoned
their persons, to the undoing of the tradesmen, and the ruin of
many of the country.'

Can we wonder that 'the king was abused as a barbarian and a
murderer, for having put numbers to death in cold blood after the
garrison had surrendered; and for hanging the Parliament's committee,
and some Scots found in that town?' The cruelties practiced in the
king's presence were signally punished. He lost 709 men on that
occasion, and it infused new vigour into the Parliament's army. The
battle of Naseby was fought a few days after; the numbers of the
contending forces were nearly equal; the royal troops were veterans,
commanded by experienced officers; but the God of armies avenged
the innocent blood shed in Leicester, and the royal army was cut to
pieces; carriages, cannon, the king's cabinet, full of treasonable
correspondence, were taken, and from that day he made feeble fight,
and soon lost his crown and his life. The conquerors marched to
Leicester, which surrendered by capitulation. Heath, in his Chronicle,
asserts that 'no life was lost at the retaking of Leicester.' Many
of Bunyan's sayings and proverbs are strongly tinged with the spirit
of Rupert's dragoons--'as we say, blood up to the ears.'[38] 'What
can be the meaning of this (trumpeters), they neither sound boot
and saddle, nor horse and away, nor a charge?'[39] In his allegories
when he alludes to fighting, it is with the sword and not with the
musket;[40] 'rub up man, put on thy harness.'[41] 'The father's
sword in the hand of the sucking child is not able to conquer a
foe.'[42]

Considering his singular loyalty, which, during the French
Revolution, was exhibited as a pattern to Dissenters by an eminent
Baptist minister; [43] considering also his profligate character
and military sayings, it is very probable that Bunyan was in the
king's army in 1645, being about seventeen years of age. It was a
finishing school to the hardened sinner, which enabled him, in his
account of the Holy War, so well to describe every filthy lane and
dirty street in the town of Mansoul.

Whether Bunyan left the army when Charles was routed at the battle
of Naseby, or was discharged, is not known. He returned to his
native town full of military ideas, which he used to advantage in
his Holy War. He was not reformed, but hardened in sin, and, although
at times alarmed with convictions of the danger of his soul, yet in
the end, the flesh pleading powerfully, it prevailed; and he made
a resolution to indulge himself in such carnal delights and pleasures
as he was accustomed to, or that fell in his way. 'His neglecting
his business, and following gaming and sports, to put melancholy
thoughts out of his mind, which he could not always do, had rendered
him very poor and despicable.'[44]

In this forlorn and miserable state, he was induced, by the persuasion
of friends, under the invisible guidance of God, to enter into the
marriage state. Such a youth, then only twenty years of age, would
naturally be expected to marry some young woman as hardened as
himself, but he made a very different choice. His earliest biographer
says, with singular simplicity, 'his poverty, and irregular course
of life, made it very difficult for him to get a wife suitable to
his inclination; and because none that were rich would yield to
his allurements, he found himself constrained to marry one without
any fortune, though very virtuous, loving, and conformably obedient
and obliging, being born of good, honest, godly parents, who had
instructed her, as well as they were able, in the ways of truth
and saving knowledge.'[45] The idea of his seeking a rich wife is
sufficiently droll; he must have been naturally a persuasive lover,
to have gained so good a helpmate. They were not troubled with
sending cards, cake, or gloves, nor with the ceremony of receiving
the visits of their friends in state; for he says, that 'This woman
and I came together as poor as poor might be, not having so much
household stuff as a dish or spoon betwixt us both.'[46] His wife
had two books, The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven, and The Practice
of Piety; but what was of more importance than wealth or household
stuff, she had that seed sown in her heart which no thief could
steal.[47] She enticed and persuaded him to read those books. To
do this he by application 'again recovered his reading, which he
had almost lost.' His wife became an unspeakable blessing to him.
She presents a pattern to any woman, who, having neglected the
apostolic injunction not to be unequally yoked, finds herself under
the dominion of a swearing dare devil. It affords a lovely proof
of the insinuating benign favour of female influence. This was the
more surprising, as he says, 'the thoughts of religion were very
grievous to me,' and when 'books that concerned Christian piety
were read in my hearing, it was as it were a prison to me.' In spite
of all obstacles, his rugged heart was softened by her tenderness
and obedience, he 'keeping on the old course,'[48] she upon every
proper season teaching him how her father's piety secured his own
and his family's happiness. Here was no upbraiding, no snubbing,
no curtain lectures; all was affectionate, amiable mildness. At
first, he became occasionally alarmed for his soul's salvation;
then with the thought of having sinned away the day of grace, he
plunged again into sin with greediness; anon a faint hope of mercy
would fill him with fear and trembling. But this leads us to the
wondrous narrative of his new birth.

THE SECOND PERIOD.

THE INTERNAL CONFLICT, OR BUNYAN'S CONVICTIONS AND CONVERSION.

All nature is progressive; if an infant was suddenly to arrive at
manhood, how idiotic and dangerous he would be! A long training is
essential to fit the human being for the important duties of life;
and just so is it in the new birth to spiritual existence--first a
babe, then the young man; at length the full stature, and at last
the experienced Christian.

The narrative of Bunyan's progress in his conversion is, without
exception, the most astonishing of any that has been published. It
is well calculated to excite the profoundest investigation of the
Christian philosopher. Whence came those sudden suggestions, those
gloomy fears, those heavenly rays of joy? Much learning certainly
did not make him mad. The Christian dares not attribute his intense
feelings to a distempered brain. Whence came the invisible power
that struck Paul from his horse? Who was it that scared Job with
dreams, and terrified him with visions? What messenger of Satan
buffeted Paul? Who put 'a new song' into the mouth of David? We
have no space in this short memoir to attempt the drawing a line
between convictions of sin and the terrors of a distempered brain.
Bunyan's opinions upon this subject are deeply interesting, and
are fully developed in his Holy War. The capabilities of the soul
to entertain vast armies of thoughts, strong and feeble, represented
as men, women, and children, are so great as almost to perplex the
strongest understanding. All these multitudes of warriors are the
innumerable thoughts--the strife--in ONE soul. Upon such a subject
an interesting volume might be written. But we must fix our attention
upon the poor tinker who was the subject of this wondrous war.

The tender and wise efforts of Mrs. Bunyan to reclaim her husband, were
attended by the Divine blessing, and soon led to many resolutions,
on his part, to curb his sinful propensities and to promote an outward
reformation; his first effort was regularly to attend Divine worship.

He says, 'I fell in very eagerly with the religion of the times, to
wit, to go to church twice a-day, and that too with the foremost;
and there should very devoutly both say and sing as others did,
yet retaining my wicked life; but withal, I was so overrun with a
spirit of superstition, that I adored, and that with great devotion,
even all things, both the high-place, priest, clerk, vestment,
service, and what else belonging to the Church; counting all things
holy that were therein contained, and especially, the priest and
clerk most happy, and without doubt greatly blessed, because they
were the servants, as I then thought,[49] of God, and were principal
in the holy temple, to do his work therein. This conceit grew so
strong in little time upon my spirit, that had I but seen a priest,
though never so sordid and debauched in his life,[50] I should find
my spirit fall under him, reverence him, and knit unto him; yea,
I thought, for the love I did bear unto them, supposing they were
the ministers of God, I could have lain down at their feet, and
have been trampled upon by them; their name, their garb, and work
did so intoxicate and bewitch me.'

All this took place at the time when The Book of Common Prayer,
having been said to occasion 'manifold inconveniency,' was, by an
Act of Parliament, 'abolished,'[51] and by a subsequent Act[52]
prohibited, under severe penalties, from being publicly used.
The 'manifold inconveniences' to which the Act refers, arose from
differences of opinion as to the propriety of the form which had
been enforced, heightened by the enormous cruelties practiced upon
multitudes who refused to use it. Opposition to the English Liturgy
as more combined in Scotland, by a covenant entered into, June 20,
1580, by the king, lords, nobles, and people, against Popery; and
upon Archbishop Laud's attempt, in 1637, to impose the service-book
upon our northern neighbours, tumults and bloodshed ensued; until,
in 1643, a new and very solemn league and covenant was entered into,
which, in 1645, extended its influence to England, being subscribed
by thousands of our best citizens, with many of the nobility--'wherein
we all subscribe, and each with his own hands lifted up to the
Most High God, doe swear'; that being the mode of taking an oath,
instead of kissing the cover of a book, as is now practiced. To the
cruel and intemperate measures of Laud, and the zeal of Charles,
for priestly domination over conscience, may be justly attributed
the wars which desolated the country, while the solemn league and
covenant brought an overwhelming force to aid the Parliament in
redressing the grievances of the kingdom. During the Commonwealth
there was substituted, in place of the Common Prayer, A directory
for the Publique Worship of God, and the uniformity which was
enjoined in it was like that of the Presbyterians and Dissenters
of the present day. The people having assembled, and been exhorted
to reverence and humility, joined the preacher in prayer. He then
read portions of Scripture, with or without an exposition, as he
judged it necessary, but not so as to render the service tedious.
After singing a psalm, the minister prayed, leading the people
to mourn under a sense of sin, and to hunger and thirst after the
grace of God, in Jesus Christ; an outline or abstract is given of
the subject of public prayer, and similar instructions are given as
to the sermon or paraphrase. Immediately after the sermon, prayer
was again offered up, and after the outline that is given of this
devotional exercise, it is noted, 'And because the prayer which
Christ taught his disciples, is not only a pattern of prayer, but
itself a most comprehensive prayer, we recommend it also to be
used in the prayers of the Church.' This being ended, a psalm was
sung, and the minister dismissed the congregation with a solemn
blessing.[53] Some of the clergy continued the use of prayers,
contained in the liturgy, reciting, instead of reading them--a
course that was not objected to. This was the form of service which
struck Bunyan with such awe and reverence, leaving a very solemn
impression upon his mind, which the old form of common prayer had
never produced.

Bunyan was fond of athletic sports, bell-ringing, and dancing; and
in these he had indulged, so far as his worldly calling allowed.
Charles I, whether to promote Popery--to divert his subjects from
political grievances--or to punish the Puritans, had endeavoured
to drown their serious thoughts in a vortex of dissipation,
by re-publishing the Book of Sports, to be used on Sundays. That
'after Divine service our good people be not disturbed, letted, or
discouraged from dancing, either men or women; archery, leaping,
vaulting, or any other such harmless recreations; May games,
Whitsun-ales, Morris dances, May poles, and other sports.' But this
was not all, for every 'Puritan and Precisian was to be constrained
to conformity with these sports, or to leave their country.' The
same severe penalty was enforced upon every clergyman who refused to
read from his pulpit the Book of Sports, and to persuade the people
thus to desecrate the Lord's-day. 'Many hundred godly ministers
were suspended from their ministry, sequestered, driven from their
livings, excommunicated, prosecuted in the high commission court,
and forced to leave the kingdom for not publishing this declaration.'[54]
A little gleam of heavenly light falls upon those dark and gloomy
times, from the melancholy fact that nearly eight hundred conscientious
clergymen were thus wickedly persecuted. This was one of the works
of Laud, who out-bonnered Bonner himself in his dreadful career
of cruelty, while making havoc of the church of Christ. Even
transportation for refusing obedience to such diabolical laws was
not the greatest penalty; in some cases it was followed by the death
of the offender. The punishments inflicted for nonconformity were
accompanied by the most refined and barbarous cruelties. Still many
of the learned bowed their necks to this yoke with abject servility:
thus, Robert Powell, speaking of the Book of Sports, says, 'Needless
is it to argue or dispute for that which authority hath commanded,
and most insufferable insolence to speak or write against it.'[55]
These Sunday sports, published by Charles I, in 1633, had doubtless
aided in fostering Bunyan's bad conduct in his youthful days.
In 1644, when The Book of Common Prayer was abolished, an Act was
passed for the better observance of the Lord's-day; all persons
were prohibited on that day to use any wrestlings, shooting, bowing,
ringing of bells for pastime, masques, wakes, church-ales, dancing,
game, sports or pastime whatever; and that 'the Book of Sports
shall be seized, and publicly burnt.' During the civil war this
Act does not appear to have been strictly enforced; for, four years
after it was passed, we find Bunyan and his dissolute companions
worshipping the priest, clerk, and vestments on the Sunday morning,
and assembling for their Sabbath-breaking sports in the afternoon.
It was upon one of these occasions that a most extraordinary
impression was fixed upon the spirit of Bunyan. A remarkable scene
took place, worthy the pencil of the most eminent artist. This
event cannot be better described than in his own words:--

'One day, amongst all the sermons our parson made, his subject
was, to treat of the Sabbath-day, and of the evil of breaking that,
either with labour, sports, or otherwise; now I was, notwithstanding
my religion, one that took much delight in all manner of vice, and
especially that was the day that I did solace myself therewith;
wherefore I fell in my conscience under his sermons, thinking and
believing that he made that sermon on purpose to show me my evil
doing. And at that time I felt what guilt was, though never before,
that I can remember; but then I was, for the present, greatly
loaden therewith, and so went home, when the sermon was ended, with
a great burthen upon my spirit.

'This, for that instant, did benumb the sinews of my best delights,
and did imbitter my former pleasures to me; but behold it lasted
not for before I had well dined, the trouble began to go off my
mind, and my heart returned to its old course. But O! how glad was
I, that this trouble was gone from me, and that the fire was put
out, that I might sin again without control! Wherefore, when I had
satisfied nature with my food, I shook the sermon out of my mind,
and to my old custom of sports and gaming I returned with great
delight.

'But the same day, as I was in the midst of a game at cat, and
having struck it one blow from the hole, just as I was about to
strike it the second time, a voice did suddenly dart from heaven
into my soul, which said, "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to
heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?" At this I was put to an
exceeding maze; wherefore leaving my cat upon the ground, I looked
up to heaven, and was as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding,
seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being very hotly
displeased with me, and as if he did severely threaten me with some
grievous punishment for these and other my ungodly practices.

'I had no sooner thus conceived in my mind, but, suddenly, this
conclusion was fastened on my spirit, for the former hint did set
my sins again before my face, that I had been a great and grievous
sinner, and that it was now too late for me to look after heaven;
for Christ would not forgive me, nor pardon my transgressions. Then
I fell to musing upon this also; and while I was thinking on it,
and fearing lest it should be so, I felt my heart sink in despair,
concluding it was too late; and therefore I resolved in my mind I
would go on in sin: for, thought I, if the case be thus, my state
is surely miserable; miserable if I leave my sins, and but miserable
if I follow them; I can but be damned, and if I must be so, I had
as good be damned for many sins, as be damned for few.

'Thus I stood in the midst of my play, before all that then were
present: but yet I told them nothing. But I say, I having made this
conclusion, I returned desperately to my sport again; and I well
remember, that presently this kind of despair did so possess my
soul, that I was persuaded I could never attain to other comfort
than what I should get in sin; for heaven was gone already; so that
on that I must not think.'[56]

How difficult is it, when immorality has been encouraged by royal
authority, to turn the tide or to stem the torrent. For at least
four years, an Act of Parliament had prohibited these Sunday
sports. Still the supinelness of the justices, and the connivance
of the clergy, allowed the rabble youth to congregate on the Green
at Elstow, summoned by the church bells to celebrate their sports
and pastimes, as they had been in the habit of doing on the Lord's
day.[57]

This solemn warning, received in the midst of his sport, was one
of a series of convictions, by which he hardened sinner was to
be fitted to receive the messages of mercy and love. In the midst
of his companions and of the spectators, Bunyan was struck with a
sense of guilt. How rapid were his thoughts--'Wilt thou leave thy
sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?' With the
eye of his understanding he saw the Lord Jesus as 'hotly displeased.'
The tempter suggests it is 'too, too late' to seek for pardon,
and with a desperate resolution which must have cost his heart the
severest pangs, he continued his game. Still the impression remained
indelibly fixed upon his mind.

The next blow which fell upon his hardened spirit was still more
deeply felt, because it was given by one from whom he could the
least have expected it. He was standing at a neighbour's shop-window,
'belching out oaths like the madman that Solomon speaks of, who
scatters abroad firebrands, arrows, and death'[58] 'after his wonted
manner.' He exemplified the character drawn by the Psalmist. 'As
he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment: so let
it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.'
Here was a disease that set all human skill at defiance, but the
great, the Almighty Physician, cured it with strange physic. Had
any professor reproved him, it might have been passed by as a matter
of course; but it was so ordered that a woman who was notoriously
'a very loose and ungodly wretch,' protested that she trembled to
hear him swear and curse at that most fearful rate; that he was
the ungodliest fellow she had ever heard, and that he was able to
spoil all the youth in a whole town.[59] Public reproof from the
lips of such a woman was an arrow that pierced his inmost soul;
it effected a reformation marvelous to all his companions, and
bordering upon the miraculous. The walls of a fortified city were
once thrown down by a shout and the tiny blast of rams'-horns (Josh
6:20); and in this instance, the foundations of Heart Castle,
fortified by Satan, are shaken by the voice of one of his own
emissaries. Mortified and convicted, the foul-mouthed blasphemer
swore no more; an outward reformation in words and conduct took
place, but without inward spiritual life. Thus was he making vows
to God and breaking them, repenting and promising to do better next
time; so, to use his own homely phrase, he was 'feeding God with
chapters, and prayers, and promises, and vows, and a great many
more such dainty dishes, and thinks that he serveth God as well as
any man in England can, while he has only got into a cleaner way
to hell than the rest of his neighbours are in.'[60]

Such a conversion, as he himself calls it, was 'from prodigious
profaneness to something like moral life.'[61] 'Now I was, as they
said, become godly, and their words pleased me well, though as yet
I was nothing but a poor painted hypocrite.' These are hard words,
but, in the most important sense, they were true. He was pointed
out as a miracle of mercy--the great convert--a wonder to the world.
He could now suffer opprobrium and cavils--play with errors--entangle
himself and drink in flattery. No one can suppose that this outward
reform was put on hypocritically, as a disguise to attain some
sinister object; it was real, but it arose from a desire to shine
before his neighbours, from shame and from the fear of future
punishment, and not from that love to God which leads the Christian
to the fear of offending him. It did not arise from a change
of heart; the secret springs of action remained polluted; it was
outside show, and therefore he called himself a painted hypocrite.
He became less a despiser of religion, but more awfully a destroyer
of his own soul.

A new source of uneasiness now presented itself in his practice
of bell-ringing, an occupation requiring severe labour, usually
performed on the Lord's-day; and, judging from the general character
of bell-ringers, it has a most injurious effect, both with regard
to morals and religion. A circumstance had recently taken place
which was doubtless interpreted as an instance of Divine judgment
upon Sabbath-breaking. Clark, in his Looking-Glass for Saints
and Sinners, 1657, published the narrative:--'Not long since, in
Bedfordshire, a match at football being appointed on the Sabbath,
in the afternoon whilst two were in the belfry, tolling of a bell
to call the company together, there was suddenly heard a clap
of thunder, and a flash of lightning was seen by some that sat in
the church-porch coming through a dark lane, and flashing in their
faces, which must terrified them, and, passing through the porch
into the belfry, it tripped up his heels that was tolling the bell,
and struck him stark dead; and the other that was with him was so
sorely blasted therewith, that shortly after he died also.'[62] Thus
we find that the church bells ministered to the Book of Sports, to
call the company to Sabbath-breaking. The bell-ringers might come
within the same class as those upon whom the tower at Siloam fell,
still it was a most solemn warning, and accounts for the timidity
of so resolute a man as Bunyan. Although he thought it did not become
his newly-assumed religious character, yet his old propensity drew
him to the church tower. At first he ventured in, but took care to
stand under a main beam, lest the bell should fall and crush him;
afterwards he would stand in the door; then he feared the steeple might
fall; and the terrors of an untimely death, and his newly-acquired
garb of religion, eventually deterred him from this mode
of Sabbath-breaking. His next sacrifice made at the shrine of
self-righteousness was dancing: this took him one whole year to
accomplish, and then he bade farewell to these sports for the rest
of his life.[63] We are not to conclude from the example of a man
who in after-life proved so great and excellent a character, that,
under all circumstances, bell-ringing and dancing are immoral.
In those days, such sports and pastimes usually took place on the
Lord's-day; and however the Church of England might then sanction
it, and proclaim by royal authority, in all her churches, the
lawfulness of sports on that sacred day, yet it is now universally
admitted that it was commanding a desecration of the Sabbath, and
letting loose a flood of vice and profaneness. In themselves, on
days proper for recreation, such sports may be innocent; but if they
engender an unholy thought, or occupy time needed for self-examination
and devotion, they ought to be avoided as sinful hindrances to a
spiritual life.

Bunyan was now dressed in the garb of a religious professor, and had
become a brisk talker in the matters of religion, when, by Divine
mercy, he was stripped of all his good opinion of himself; his want
of holiness, and his unchanged heart, were revealed to his surprise
and wonder, by means simple and efficacious, but which no human
forethought could have devised. Being engaged in his trade at
Bedford, he overheard the conversation of some poor pious women,
and it humbled and alarmed him. 'I heard, but I understood not; for
they were far above, out of my reach. Their talk was about a new
birth, the work of God on their hearts, also how they were convinced
of their miserable state by nature; how God had visited their souls
with his love in the Lord Jesus, and with what words and promises
they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the
temptations of the devil. Moreover, they reasoned of the suggestions
and temptations of Satan in particular; and told to each other by
which they had been afflicted, and how they were borne up under his
assaults. hey also discoursed of their own wretchedness of heart,
of their unbelief; and did contemn, slight, and abhor their own
righteousness, as filthy and insufficient to do them any good. And
methought they spake as if joy did make them speak; they spake with
such pleasantness of Scripture language, and with such appearance
of grace in all they said, that they were to me as if they had found
a new world; as if they were people that dwelt alone, and were not
to be reckoned among their neighbours (Num 23:9).

'At this I felt my own heart began to shake, as mistrusting my
condition to be nought; for I saw that in all my thoughts about
religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter into my
mind; neither knew I the comfort of the Word and promise, nor the
deceitfulness and treachery of my own wicked heart. As for secret
thoughts, I took no notice of them; neither did I understand what
Satan's temptations were, nor how they were to be withstood, and
resisted.

'Thus, therefore, when I heard and considered what they said, I
left them, and went about my employment again, but their talk and
discourse went with me; also my heart would tarry with them, for
I was greatly affected with their words, both because by them I
was convinced that I wanted the true tokens of a truly godly man,
and also because by them I was convinced of the happy and blessed
condition of him that was such a one.'[64]

The brisk talker of 'talkative,' was confounded--he heard pious
godly women mourning over their worthlessness instead of vaunting
of their attainments. They exhibited, doubtless to his great surprise,
that self-distrust and humility are the beginnings of wisdom.

These humble disciples could have had no conception that the Holy
Spirit was blessing their Christian communion to the mind of the
tinker, standing near them, pursuing his occupation. The recollection
of the converse of these poor women led to solemn heart-searching
and the most painful anxiety; again and again he sought their
company, and his convictions became more deep, his solicitude more
intense. This was the commencement of an internal struggle, the
most remarkable of any upon record, excepting that of the psalmist
David.

It was the work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating and preparing
an ignorant and rebellious man for extraordinary submission to
the sacred Scriptures, and for most extensive usefulness. To those
who never experienced in any degree such feelings, they appear to
indicate religious insanity. It was so marvelous and so mysterious,
as to be mistaken by a poet laureate, who profanely calls it a
being 'shaken continually by the hot and cold fits of a spiritual
ague': 'reveries': or one of the 'frequent and contagious disorders
of the human mind,'[65] instead of considering it as wholesome but
bitter medicine for the soul, administered by the heavenly Physician.
At times he felt, like David, 'a sword in his bones,' 'tears his
meat.' God's waves and billows overwhelmed him (Psa 43). Then came
glimmerings of hope--precious promises saving him from despair--followed
by the shadow of death overspreading his soul, and involving him
in midnight darkness. He could complain in the bitterness of his
anguish, 'Thy fierce wrath goeth over me.' Bound in affliction and
iron, his 'soul was melted because of trouble.' 'Now Satan assaults
the soul with darkness, fears, frightful thoughts of apparitions;
now they sweat, pant, and struggle for life. The angels now come
(Psa 107) down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a bit of
dust and ashes to overcome principalities, and powers, and might,
and dominion.'[66] His mind was fixed on eternity, and out of the
abundance of his heart he spoke to one of his former companions;
his language was that of reproof--'Harry, why do you swear and curse
thus? what will become of you if you die in this condition?'[67]
His sermon, probably the first he had preached, was like throwing
pearls before swine--'He answered in a great chafe, what would the
devil do for company, if it were not for such as I am.'[68]

By this time he had recovered the art of reading, and its use a
little perplexed him, for he became much puzzled with the opinions
of the Ranters, as set forth in their books. It is extremely
difficult to delineate their sentiments; they were despised by all
the sects which had been connected with the government, because,
with the Quakers and Baptists, they denied any magisterial or state
authority over conscience, and refused maintenance to ministers;
but from the testimony of Bunyan, and that of the early Quakers,
they appear to have been practical Antinomians, or at least very
nearly allied to the new sect called Mormonites. Ross, who copied
from Pagitt, describes them with much bitterness--'The Ranters are
unclean beasts--their maxim is that there is nothing sin but what
a man thinks to be so--they reject the Bible--they are the merriest
of all devils--they deny all obedience to magistrates.'[69]

This temptation must have been severe. The Ranters were like the
black man with the white robe, named Flatterer, who led the pilgrims
into a net,[70] under the pretence of showing them the way to the
celestial city; or like Adam the first, who offered Faithful his
three daughters to wife[71]--the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life--if he would dwell with him in the
town of Deceit. 'These temptations,' he says, 'were suitable to my
flesh,'[72] I being but a young man, and my nature in its prime;
and, with his characteristic humility, he adds, 'God, who had, as
I hope, designed me for better things, kept me in the fear of his
name, and did not suffer me to accept such cursed principles.' Prayer
opened the door of escape; it led him to the fountain of truth.
'I began to look into the Bible with new eyes. Prayer preserved me
from Ranting errors. The Bible was precious to me in those days.'[73]
His study of the Holy Oracles now became a daily habit, and that
with intense earnestness and prayer. In the mist of the multitude
of sects with which he was on all sides surrounded, he felt the
need of a standard for the opinions which were each of them eagerly
followed by votaries, who proclaimed them to be THE TRUTH, the
way, and the life. He was like a man, feeling that if he erred
in the way, it would be attended with misery, and, but for Divine
interference, with unutterable ruin--possessed of a correct map,
but surrounded with those who, by flattery, or threats, or deceit,
and armed with all human eloquence, strove to mislead him. With an
enemy within to urge him to accept their wily guidance, that they
might lead him to perdition--inspired by Divine grace, like Christian
in his Pilgrim, he 'put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying
Life, life, eternal life.' He felt utter dependence upon Divine
guidance, leading him to most earnest prayer, and an implicit obedience
to Holy Writ, which followed him all through the remainder of his
pilgrimage. 'The Bible' he calls 'the scaffold, or stage, that
God has builded for hope to play his part upon in this world.'[74]
Hence the Word was precious in his eyes; and with so immense
a loss, or so magnificent a gain, the throne of grace was all his
hope, that he might be guided by that counsel that cannot err, and
that should eventually insure his reception to eternal glory.

While in this inquiring state, he experienced much doubt and
uncertainty arising from the apparent confidence of many professors.
In his own esteem he appeared to be thoroughly humbled; and when
he lighted on that passage--'To one is given by the spirit the word
of wisdom, to another, knowledge, and to another, faith' (1 Cor
12:8,9), his solemn inquiry was, how it happened that he possessed
so little of any of these gifts of wisdom, knowledge, or faith--more
especially of faith, that being essential to the pleasing of God.
He had read (Matt 21:21), 'If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into
the sea; it shall be done'; and (Luke 17:6), 'If ye had faith as a
grain of mustard seed, ye might say to this sycamore tree, Be thou
plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea, and it shall
obey you'; and (1 Cor 13:2), 'Though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains.' The poor tinker, considering these passages
in their literal import, imagined they were meant as tests to try
whether the believer possessed faith or not. He was a stranger to
the rules of Hebrew rhetoric; nor did he consider that they were
addressed to the apostles, who had the power to work miracles. He
had no idea that the removing a mountain, or planting a sycamore
tree in the sea, were figures of speech conveying to us the fact
that, aided by faith, mountainous difficulties might and would be
overcome. Anxious for some ocular demonstration that he had faith,
he almost determined to attempt to work a miracle--not to convert
or confirm the faith of others, but to satisfy his own mind as to
his possessing faith. He had no such magnificent idea as the removal
of a mountain, for there were none in his neighbourhood, nor to
plant a tree in the sea, for Bedfordshire is an inland county; but
it was of the humblest kind--that some puddles on the road between
Elstow and Bedford should change places with the dry ground. When
he had thought of praying for ability, his natural good sense led
him to abandon the experiment.[75] This he calls 'being in my plunge
about faith, tossed betwixt the devil and my own ignorance.'[76] All
this shows the intensity of his feelings and his earnest inquiries.

It may occasion surprise to some, that a young man of such
extraordinary powers of mind, should have indulged the thought of
working a miracle to settle or confirm his doubts; but we must take
into account, that when a boy he had no opportunity of acquiring
scriptural knowledge; no Sunday schools, no Bible class excited
his inquiries as to the meaning of the sacred language. The Bible
had been to him a sealed book until, in a state of mental agony,
he cried, What must I do to be saved? The plain text was all his
guide; and it would not have been surprising, had he been called
to bottle a cask of new wine, if he had refused to use old wine
bottles; or had he cast a loaf into the neighbouring river Ouse,
expecting to find it after many days. The astonishing fact is, that
one so unlettered should, by intense thought, by earnest prayer,
and by comparing one passage with another, arrive eventually at so
clear a view both of the external and internal meaning of the whole
Bible. The results of his researches were more deeply impressed
upon his mind by the mistakes which he had made; and his intense
study, both of the Old and New Testaments, furnished him with an
inexhaustible store of things new and old--those vivid images and
burning thoughts, those bright and striking illustrations of Divine
truth, which so shine and sparkle in all his works. What can be
more clear than his illustration of saving faith which worketh by
love, when in after-life he wrote the Pilgrim's Progress. Hopeful
was in a similar state of inquiry whether he had faith. 'Then I said,
But, Lord, what is believing?' And then I saw from that saying, He
that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me
shall never thirst, that believing and coming was all one, and that
he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after
salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ (John 6:25).[77]

In addition to his want of scriptural education, it must be remembered
that, when he thought of miraculous power being an evidence of faith,
his mind was in a most excited state--doubts spread over him like
a huge masses of thick black clouds, hiding the Sun of Righteousness
from his sight. Not only is he to be pardoned for his error, but
admired for the humility which prompted him to record so singular
a trial, and his escape from 'this delusion of the tempter.' While
'thus he was tossed betwixt the devil and his own ignorance,'[78]
the happiness of the poor women whose conversation he had heard at
Bedford, was brought to his recollection by a remarkable reverie
or day dream:--

'About this time, the state and happiness of these poor people at
Bedford was thus, in a dream or vision, represented to me. I saw
as if they were set on the sunny side of some high mountain, there
refreshing themselves with the pleasant beams of the sun, while
I was shivering and shrinking in the cold, afflicted with frost,
snow, and dark clouds. Methought also, betwixt me and them, I saw
a wall that did compass about this mountain; now through this wall
my soul did greatly desire to pass, concluding that if I could, I
would go even into the very midst of them, and there also comfort
myself with the heat of their sun.

'About this wall I thought myself to go again and again, still
prying, as I went, to see if I could find some way or passage, by
which I might enter therein; but none could I find for some time.
At the last I saw, as it were, a narrow gap, like a little doorway
in the wall, through which I attempted to pass; but the passage
being very strait and narrow, I made many efforts to get in, but
all in vain, even until I was well nigh quite beat out, by striving
to get in; at last, with great striving, methought I at first did
get in my head, and after that, by a sidling striving, my shoulders,
and my whole body; then I was exceeding glad, and went and sat down
in the midst of them, and so was comforted with the light and heat
of their sun.

'Now this mountain, and wall, was thus made out to me: The mountain
signified the church of the living God; the sun that shone thereon,
the comfortable shining of his merciful face on them that were
therein; the wall I thought was the Word, that did make separation
between the Christians and the world; and the gap which was in
this wall, I thought, was Jesus Christ, who is the way to God the
Father (John 14:6; Matt 7:14). But forasmuch as the passage was
wonderful narrow, even so narrow that I could not, but with great
difficulty, enter in thereat, it showed me, that none could enter
into life, but those that were in downright earnest, and unless
also they left this wicked world behind them; for here was only
room for body and soul, but not for body and soul and sin.[79]

'This resemblance abode upon my spirit many days; all which time
I saw myself in a forlorn and sad condition, but yet was provoked
to a vehement hunger and desire to be one of that number that did
sit in the sunshine. Now also I should pray wherever I was; whether
at home or abroad, in house or field, and should also often, with
lifting up of heart, sing that of the fifty-first Psalm, "O Lord,
consider my distress."'[80]

In this striking reverie we discover the budding forth of that great
genius which produced most beautiful flowers and delicious fruit,
when it became fully developed in his allegories.

While this trial clouded his spirits, he was called to endure
temptations which are common to most, if not all, inquiring souls,
and which frequently produce much anxiety. He plunged into the
university problems of predestination, before he had completed his
lower grammar-school exercises on faith and repentance. Am I one of
the elect? or has the day of grace been suffered to pass by never
to return? 'Although he was in a flame to find the way to heaven
and glory,' these questions afflicted and disquieted him, so that
the very strength of his body was taken away by the force and
power thereof. 'Lord, thought I, what if I should not be elected!
It may be you are not, said the tempter; it may be so, indeed
thought I. Why then, said Satan, you had as good leave off, and
strive no farther; for if indeed you should not be elected and
chosen of God, there is no talk of your being saved; "for it is
neither of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy."

'By these things I was driven to my wit's end, not knowing what to
say, or how to answer these temptations. Indeed, I little thought
that Satan had thus assaulted me, but that rather it was my own
prudence thus to start the question: for that the elect only obtained
eternal life; that I without scruple did heartily close withal;
but that myself was one of them, there lay all the question.'[81]

Thus was he for many weeks oppressed and cast down, and near
to 'giving up the ghost of all his hopes of ever attaining life,'
when a sentence fell with weight upon his spirit--'Look at the
generations of old and see; did ever any trust in the Lord and was
confounded' (Ecclesiasticus 2:10). This encouraged him to a diligent
search from Genesis to Revelation, which lasted for above a year,
and although he could not find that sentence, yet he was amply
rewarded for this diligent examination of the Holy Oracles, and
thus he obtained 'yet more experience of the love and kindness of
God.' At length he found it in the Apocrypha, and, although not the
language of inspiration, yet as it contained the sum and substance
of the promises, he took the comfort of it, and it shone before his
face for years. The fear that the day of grace had passed pressed
heavily upon him; he was humbled, and bemoaned the time that he
had wasted. Now he was confronted with that 'grim-faced one, the
Captain Past-hope, with his terrible standard,' carried by Ensign
Despair, red colours, with a hot iron and a hard heart, and
exhibited at Eye-gate.[82] At length these words broke in upon his
mind, 'compel them to come in, that my house may be filled--and yet
there is room.' This Scripture powerfully affected him with hope,
that there was room in the bosom and in the house of Jesus for his
afflicted soul.

His next temptation was to return to the world. This was that
terrible battle with Apollyon, depicted in the Pilgrim's Progress,
and it is also described at some length in the Jerusalem Sinner
Saved. Among many very graphic and varied pictures of his own
experience, he introduces the following dialogue with the tempter,
probably alluding to the trials he was now passing through. Satan
is loath to part with a great sinner. 'This day is usually attended
with much evil towards them that are asking the way to Zion, with
their faces thitherward. Now the devil has lost a sinner; there is
a captive has broke prison, and one run away from his master. Now
hell seems to be awakened from sleep, the devils are come out. They
roar, and roaring they seek to recover their runaway. Now tempt
him, threaten him, flatter him, stigmatize him, throw dust into
his eyes, poison him with error, spoil him while he is upon the
potter's wheel, anything to keep him from coming to Christ.'[83]
'What, my true servant,' quoth he, 'my old servant, wilt thou forsake
me now? Having so often sold thyself to me to work wickedness,
wilt thou forsake me now? Thou horrible wretch, dost not know,
that thou hast sinned thyself beyond the reach of grace, and dost
thou think to find mercy now? Art not thou a murderer, a thief, a
harlot, a witch, a sinner of the greatest size, and dost thou look
for mercy now? Dost thou think that Christ will foul his fingers
with thee? It is enough to make angels blush, saith Satan, to see
so vile a one knock at heaven-gates for mercy, and wilt thou be
so abominably bold to do it?' Thus Satan dealt with me, says the
great sinner, when at first I came to Jesus Christ. And what did
you reply? saith the tempted. Why, I granted the whole charge to
be true, says the other. And what, did you despair, or how? No,
saith he, I said, I am Magdalene, I am Zaccheus, I am the thief,
I am the harlot, I am the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of
Christ's murderers; yea, worse than any of these; and yet God was
so far off from rejecting of me, as I found afterwards, that there
was music and dancing in his house for me, and for joy that I was
come home unto him. O blessed be God for grace (says the other),
for then I hope there is favour for me. Yea, as I told you, such
a one is a continual spectacle in the church, for every one by to
behold God's grace and wonder by.[84] These are the 'things the
angels desire to look into' (1 Peter 1:12), or as Bunyan quaintly
says, this is the music which causes 'them that dwell in the higher
orbs to open their windows, put out their heads, and look down to
see the cause of that glory' (Lev 15:7,10).[85]

As he became less agitated with fear, and drew consolation more
frequently from the promises, with a timid hope of salvation, he
began to exhibit singular powers of conception in spiritualizing
temporal things. His first essay was to find the hidden meaning
in the division of God's creatures into clean and unclean. Chewing
the cud, and parting the hoof, he conceived to be emblematical of
our feeding upon the Word of God, and parting, if we would be saved,
with the ways of ungodly men.[86] It is not sufficient to chew the
cud like the hare--nor to part the hoof like the wine--we must do
both; that is, possess the word of faith, and that be evidenced
by parting with our outward pollutions. This spiritual meaning of
part of the Mosaic dispensation is admirably introduced into the
Pilgrim's Progress, when Christian and Faithful analyse the character
of Talkative.[87] This is the germ of that singular talent which
flourished in after-life, of exhibiting a spiritual meaning drawn
from every part of the Mosaic dispensation, and which leads one of
our most admired writers[88] to suggest, that if Bunyan had lived
and written during the early days of Christianity, he would have
been the greatest of the fathers.

Although he had received that portion of comfort which enabled him
to indulge in religious speculations, still his mind was unsettled,
and full of fears. He now became alarmed lest he had not been
effectually called to inherit the kingdom of heaven.[89] He felt
still more humbled at the weakness of human nature, and at the
poverty of wealth. Could this call have been gotten for money, and
'could I have given it; had I a whole world, it had all gone ten
thousand times over for this.' In this he was sincere, and so he
was when he said, I would not lose one promise, or have it struck
out of the Bible, if in return I could have as much gold as would
reach from London to York, piled up to the heavens. In proportion
to his soul's salvation, honour was a worthless phantom, and gold
but glittering dust. His earnest desire was to hear his Saviour's
voice calling him to his service. Like many young disciples, he
regretted not having been born when Christ was manifest in the flesh.
'Would I had been Peter or John!' their privations, sufferings,
martyrdom, was nothing in comparison to their being with, and hearing
the voice of the Son of God calling them to his service. Strange,
but general delusion! as if Christ were not the same yesterday, to
day, and for ever. Groaning for a sense of pardon, he was comforted
by Joel--'I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed,
for the Lord dwelleth in Zion' (Joel 3:21), and he was led to seek
advice and assistance from a neighbouring minister, and from pious
persons.

The poor women in Bedford, whose conversation had been blessed to
his thorough awakening, were sought for, and to them he unfolded his
sorrows. They were members of a Baptist church, under the pastoral
care of John Gifford, a godly, painstaking, and most intelligent
minister, whose history is very remarkable. In early life he had
been, like Bunyan, a thoroughly depraved character; like him had
entered the army, and had been promoted to the rank of a major
in the royal forces. Having made an abortive attempt to raise a
rebellion in his native county of Kent,[90] he and eleven others were
made prisoners, tried by martial law, and condemned to the gallows.
On the night previous to the day appointed for his execution, his
sister found access to the prison. The guards were asleep, and his
companions drowned in intoxication. She embraced the favourable
moment, and set him at liberty. He lay concealed in a ditch for
three days, till the heat of the search was over, and in disguise
escaped to London, and thence to Bedford, where, aided by some
great people who favoured the royal cause, he commenced business
as a doctor. Here his evil habits followed him, notwithstanding his
merciful deliverance. Swearing, drunkenness, gambling, and other
immoral practices, rendered him a curse to others, especially to
the Puritans, whom he bitterly persecuted. One night he lost fifteen
pounds at play, and, becoming outrageous, he cast angry reproaches
upon God. In this state he took up a book by R. Bolton--he read,
and his conscience was terror-stricken. Distress, under conviction
of sin, followed him. He searched his Bible, and found pardon
and acceptance. He now sought acquaintance with those whom before
he had persecuted, but, like Paul, when in similar circumstances,
'they were all afraid of him.' His sincerity soon became apparent;
and, uniting with eleven others, they formed a church. These men
had thrown off the fetters of education, and were, unbiased by any
sectarian feeling, being guided solely by their prayerful researches
into divine truth as revealed in the Bible. Their whole object
was to enjoy Christian communion--to extend the reign of grace--to
live to the honour of Christ--and they formed a new, and at that time
unheard-of, community. Water-baptism was to be left to individual
conviction; they were to love each other equally, whether they
advocated baptism in infancy, or in riper years. The only thing
essential to church-fellowship, in Mr. Gifford's opinion, was--'UNION
WITH CHRIST; this is the foundation of all saints' communion, and
not any judgment about externals.' To the honour of the Baptists,
these peaceable principles appear to have commenced with two or
three of their ministers, and for the last two centuries they have
been, like heavenly leaven, extending their delightful influence
over all bodies of Christians.

Such was the man to whom Bunyan was introduced for religious
advice and consolation; and he assisted in forming those enlarged
and nonsectarian principles which made his ministry blessed, and will
render his Works equally acceptable to all evangelical Christians
in every age of the church. Introduced to such a minister, and
attending social meetings for prayer and Christian converse, he felt
still more painfully his own ignorance, and the inward wretchedness
of his own heart. 'His corruptions put themselves forth, and
his desires for heaven seemed to fail.' In fact, while he compared
himself with his former self, he was a religious giant; in comparison
with these pious, long-standing Christians, he dwindled into a
pigmy; and in the presence of Christ he became, in his own view,
less than nothing, and vanity. He thus describes his feelings:--'I
began to sink--my heart laid me low as hell. I was driven as with
a tempest--my heart would be unclean--the Canaanites would dwell
in the land.'[91] He was like the child which the father brought
to Christ, who, while he was coming to Him, was thrown down by the
devil, and so rent and torn that he lay and wallowed, foaming. His
heart felt so hard, that with many a bitter sigh he cried, 'Good
Lord! break it open. Lord, break these gates of brass, and cut these
bars of iron asunder' (Psa 107:16). Little did he then think that
his bitterness of spirit was a direct answer to such prayers.
Breaking the heart was attended with anguish in proportion as it
had been hardened. During this time he was tender and sensitive
as to the least sin; 'now I durst not take a pin or a stick, my
conscience would smart at every touch.' 'O, how gingerly did I then
go in all I said or did!'[92] 'Still sin would as naturally bubble
out of my heart as water would bubble out of a fountain.' He felt
surprised when he saw professors much troubled at their losses, even
at the death of the dearest relative. His whole concern was for his
salvation. He imagined that he could bear these small afflictions
with patience; but 'a wounded spirit who can bear?'

In the midst of all these miseries, and at times regretting that he
had been endowed with an immortal spirit, liable to eternal ruin,
he was jealous of receiving comfort, lest it might be based upon
any false foundation. Still as his only hope he was constant in
his attendance upon the means of grace, and 'when comforting time
was come,' he heard one preach upon two words of a verse, which
conveyed strong consolation to his weary spirit; the words were, 'my
love' (Song 4:1). From these words the minister drew the following
conclusions:--1. That the church, and so every saved soul, is Christ's
love, even when loveless; 2. Christ's love is without a cause; 3.
They are Christ's love when hated of the world; 4. Christ's love
when under temptation and under desertion; 5. Christ's love from
first to last.[93] Now was his heart filled with comfort and hope.
'I could believe that my sins should be forgiven me'; and, in a
state of rapture, he thought that his trials were over, and that
the savour of it would go with him through life. Alas! his enjoyment
was but for a season--the preparation of his soul for future
usefulness was not yet finished. In a short time the words of our
Lord to Peter came powerfully into his mind--'Satan hath desired
to have you'; and so strong was the impression they made, that he
thought some man addressed them to him; he even turned his head to
see who it was that thus spoke to him. This was the forerunner of
a cloud and a storm that was coming upon him. It was the gathering
up of Satan's mighty strength, to have, if possible, overwhelmed
him. His narrative of this internal tempest in his soul--this last
great struggle with the powers of darkness--is very striking.

'About the space of a month after, a very great storm came down
upon me, which handled me twenty times worse than all I had met
with before; it came stealing upon me, now by one piece, then by
another. First, all my comfort was taken from me; then darkness
seized upon me; after which, whole floods of blasphemies, both
against God, Christ, and the Scriptures, were poured upon my spirit,
to my great confusion and astonishment. These blasphemous thoughts
were such as also stirred up questions in me against the very
being of God, and of his only beloved Son. As, whether there were
in truth a God or Christ, or no? And whether the Holy Scriptures
were not rather a fable, and cunning story, than the holy and pure
Word of God.

'These suggestions, with many others, which at this time I may not,
dare not utter, neither by word nor pen, did make such a seizure upon
my spirit, and did so overweigh my heart, both with their number,
continuance, and fiery force, that I felt as if there were nothing
else but these from morning to night within me, and as though indeed
there could be room for nothing else; and also concluded, that God
had, in very wrath to my soul, given me up unto them, to be carried
away with them as with a mighty whirlwind.

'Only by the distaste that they gave unto my spirit, I felt there
was something in me that refused to embrace them.'[94]

Here are the facts which are allegorized in the history of
Christian, passing through the Valley of Humiliation, and fighting
with the Prince of the power of the air. 'Then Apollyon, espying his
opportunity, began to gather up close to Christian, and wrestling
with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that Christian's
sword flew out of his hand.' This was the effect of his doubts of
the inspiration of the Scriptures--the sword of the Spirit. 'I am
sure of thee now, said Apollyon; and with that he had almost pressed
him to death, so that Christian began to despair of life; but as
God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching of his last blow,
Christian nimbly stretched out his hand for his sword, and caught
it, saying, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy, when I fall I
shall arise" (Matt 7:8), and with that gave him a deadly thrust,
which made him give back as one that had received his mortal wound.
Christian perceiving that, made at him again, saying, "Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved
us"; and with that Apollyon spread forth his dragon wings, and sped
him away.'[95] What an awful moment, when he fell unarmed before
his ferocious enemy! 'Faith now has but little time to speak to
the conscience--it is now struggling for life--it is now fighting
with angels--with infernals--all it can do now is to cry, groan,
sweat, fear, fight, and gasp for life.'[96] How desperate the
conflict--the mouth of hell yawning to swallow him--man cannot aid
the poor warrior, all his help is in God. Is it not a wonder to see
a poor creature, who in himself is weaker than the moth, to stand
against and overcome all devils--all the world--all his lusts and
corruptions; or, if he fall, is it not a wonder to see him, when
devils and guilt are upon him, to rise again, stand upon his legs,
walk with God again, and persevere in faith and holiness?[97]

This severe conflict lasted for about a year. He describes his
feelings at times as resembling the frightful pangs of one broken
on the wheel. The sources of his misery were fears that he had sinned
against the Holy Ghost; and that through his hardness of heart and
impatience in prayer--he should not persevere to the end. During
all this time, occasional visits of mercy kept him from despair;
and at some intervals filled him with transports of joy. At one
time so delightfully was his burden removed that he could not tell
how to contain himself. 'I thought I could have spoken of his love
and of his mercy to me, even to the very crows that sat upon the
ploughed lands before me, had they been capable to have understood
me.'[98] Thus his feelings were controlled by reason, very different
to the poor madman who, in olden time, is represented as preaching
to the fish. With Bunyan it was a hallowed joy--a gush of holy
gladness, in which he wished all creation to participate. his heart
was baptized in hope. 'I know that my Redeemer liveth'; and with
holy Job, he wished to perpetuate his joy by a memorial not in
rock, but in a book of resemblance. 'I would I had a pen and ink
here to write it down.' This is the first desire that he expressed
to proclaim or publish to others the great Saviour he had found:
but he was not yet prepared; he must pass through deeper depths,
and possess a living knowledge of Divine truth, burnt into his soul
by satanic fires.

Very soon after this, he was harassed with fear lest he should part
with Christ. The tempter, as he did with Christian in the Valley of
the Shadow of Death, suggested blasphemies to him, which he thought
had proceeded from his own mind. 'Satan troubled him with his
stinking breath. How many strange, hideous, and amazing blasphemies
have some that are coming to Christ had injected upon their spirits
against him.'[99] 'The devil is indeed very busy at work during
the darkness of a soul. He throws in his fiery darts to amazement,
when we are encompassed with the terrors of a dismal night; he is
bold and undaunted in his assaults, and injects with a quick and
sudden malice a thousand monstrous and abominable thoughts of God,
which seem to be the motions of our own minds, and terribly grieve
and trouble us.'[100]

What makes those arrows more penetrating and distressing is, that
Satan, with subtle art, tips them with sentences of Scripture. 'No
place for repentance'; 'rejected'; 'hath never forgiveness,' and
other passages which, by the malignant ingenuity of the fiend, are
formed by his skill as the cutting and barbed points of his shafts.
At one time Bunyan concluded that he was possessed of the devil;
then he was tempted to speak and sin against the Holy Ghost. He
thought himself alone in such a tempest, and that no one had ever
felt such misery as he did. When in prayer, his mind was distracted
with the thought that Satan was pulling his clothes; he was even
tempted to fall down and worship him. Then he would cry after God,
in awful fear that eventually Satan would overcome him. During all
this time he was struggling against the tempter; and, at length,
the dayspring visited him in these words, 'I am persuaded that
nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.'
Again he was cast down with a recollection of his former blasphemies.
What reason can I have to hope for an inheritance in eternal life?
The questions was answered with that portion of Scripture, 'If God
be for us, who can be against us?' These were visits which, like
Peter's sheet, of a sudden were caught up to heaven again.[101]
At length the Sun of Righteousness arose, and shone upon him with
healing influence. 'He hath made peace through the blood of his
cross,' came with power to his mind, followed by the consoling words
of the apostle, 'Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage' (Heb 2:14,15). This was the
key that opened every lock in Doubting Castle. The prisoner escaped
to breathe the air of hope, and joy, and peace. 'This,' said he,
'was a good day to me, I hope I shall not forget it.' 'I thought
that the glory of those words was then so weighty on me, that I
was, both once and twice, ready to swoon as I sat, not with grief
and trouble, but with solid joy and peace.'

His mind was now in a fit state to seek for church fellowship, as a
further means of advance in his knowledge of Divine love. To effect
this object, he was naturally led to the Baptist church at Bedford,
to which those pious women belonged whose Christian communion had
been blessed to him. I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford,
whose doctrine, by God's grace, was much for my stability.[102]
Although his soul was led from truth to truth, his trials were not
over--he passed through many severe exercises before he was received
into communion with the church.[103]

At length he determined to become identified with a body of
professed Christians, who were treated with great scorn by other
sects because they denied infant baptism, and he became engaged in
the religious controversies which were fashionable in those days.
We have noticed his encounter with the Ranters, and he soon had
to give battle to persons called Quakers. Before the Society of
Friends was formed, and their rules of discipline were published,
many Ranters and others, some of whom were bad characters and held
the wildest opinions, passed under the name of Quakers. Some of
these denied that the Bible was the Word of God; and asserted that
the death of Christ was not a full atonement for sin--that there
is no future resurrection, and other gross errors. The Quakers,
who were afterwards united to form the Society of Friends, from the
first denied all those errors. Their earliest apologist, Barclay,
in his theses on the Scriptures, says, 'They are the doctrines of
Christ, held forth in precious declarations, spoken and written
by the movings of God's Spirit.' Whoever it was that asserted the
heresies, to Bunyan the investigation of them, in the light of Divine
truth, was attended with great advantages. It was through 'this
narrow search of the Scriptures that he was not only enlightened,
but greatly confirmed and comforted in the truth.'[104]

He longed to compare his experience with that of some old and eminent
convert, and 'God did cast into his hand' Luther On the Galatians,
'so old that it was ready to fall piece from piece, if I did but
turn it over.'[105] The commentary of this enlightened man was
a counterpart to his own feelings. 'I found,' says Bunyan, 'my
condition, in his experience so largely and profoundly handled,
as if his book had been written out of my own heart. I prefer the
book before all others as most fit for a wounded conscience.' This
was the 'voice of a man' that Christian 'heard as going before him
in the Valley of the Shadow of Death,' and was glad that some who
feared God were in this valley as well as himself, who could say,
'I will fear no evil for thou art with me.'[106] In many things
Luther and Bunyan were men of similar temperament. Like Emmanuel's
captains, in the Holy War, they were 'very stout rough-hewn men;
men that were fit to break the ice, and to make their way by dint
of sword.'[107] They were animated by the same principles, and
fought with the same weapons; and although Luther resided in a castle
protected by princes, was furnished with profound scholastic learning,
and became a terror to Popery; yet the voice of the unlettered
tinker, issuing from a dreary prison, bids fair to be far more
extensively heard and blessed than that of this most illustrious
reformer.[108]

Bunyan's happiness was now very great; his soul, with all its
affections, clave unto Christ: but lest spiritual pride should
exalt him beyond measure, and lest he should be scared to renounce
his Saviour, by the threat of transportation and death, his heart
was again wounded, and quickly after this his 'love was tried to
purpose.'

The tempter came in upon him with a most grievous and dreadful
temptation; it was to part with Christ, to exchange him for the
things of this life; he was perpetually tormented with the words
'sell Christ.' At length, he thought that his spirit gave way
to the temptation, and a dreadful and profound state of despair
overpowered him for the dreary space of more than two years.[109]
This is the most extraordinary part of this wonderful narrative, that
he, without apparent cause, should thus be tempted, and feel the
bitterness of a supposed parting with Christ. There was, doubtless,
a cause for every pang; his heavenly Father afflicted him for
his profit. We shall soon have to follow him through fiery trials.
Before the justices, allured by their arguments, and particularly by
the sophistry of their clerk, Mr. Cobb, and then dragged from a
beloved wife and from children to whom he was most fondly attached--all
these fiery trials might be avoided, if he would but 'sell Christ.'
A cold damp dungeon was to incarcerate his body for twelve tedious
years of the prime of his life, unless he would 'sell Christ.' His
ministering brother and friend, John Child, a Bedford man, who had
joined in recommending Bunyan's Vindication of Gospel Truths,[110]
fell under this temptation, and fearing temporal ruin and imprisonment
for life, conformed, and then fell into the most awful state of
despair, suffering such agonies of conscience, that, to get rid of
present trouble, he hurried himself into eternity. Probably Bunyan
alludes to this awful instance of fell despair in his Publican
and Pharisee: 'Sin, when appearing in its monstrous shape and hue,
frighteth all mortals out of their wits, away from God; and if he
stops them not, also out of the world.'[111] To arm Bunyan against
being overcome by a fear of the lions in the way to the house
Beautiful--against giving way, under persecution--he was visited
with terrors lest he should sell or part with Christ. During these
sad years he was not wholly sunk in despair, but had at times some
glimmerings of mercy. In comparing his supposed sin with that of
Judas, he was constrained to find a difference between a deliberate
intention to sell Christ and a sudden temptation.[112] Through
all these searchings of heart and inquiries at the Word, he became
fixed in the doctrine of the final perseverance of God's saints. 'O
what love, what care, what kindness and mercy did I now see mixing
itself with the most severe and dreadful of all God's ways to his
people; he never let them fall into sin unpardonable.' 'But these
thoughts added grief and horror to me; I thought that all things
wrought for my eternal overthrow.' So ready is the tender heart to
write bitter things against itself, and as ready is the tempter to
whisper despairing thoughts. In the midst of this distress he 'saw
a glory in walking with God,' although a dismal cloud enveloped
him.

This misery was aggravated by reading the fearful estate of Francis
Spira, who had been persuaded to return to a profession of Popery,
and died in a state of awful despair.[113] 'This book' was to his
troubled spirit like salt rubbed into a fresh wound.

Bunyan now felt his body and mind shaking and tottering under the
sense of the dreadful judgment of God; and he thought his sin--of
a momentary and unwilling consent to give up Christ--was a greater
sin than all the sins of David, Solomon, Manasseh, and even than
all the sins that had been committed by all God's redeemed ones.
Was there ever a man in the world so capable of describing the
miseries of Doubting Castle, or of the Slough of Despond, as poor
John Bunyan?

He would have run from God in utter desperation; 'but, blessed
be his grace, that Scripture, in these flying sins, would call,
as running after me, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me, for I have
redeemed thee"' (Isa 44:22).Still he was haunted by that scripture,
'You know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he found no place of repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears.' Thus was he tossed and buffeted, involved in
cloudy darkness, with now and then a faint gleam of hope to save
him from despair. 'In all these,' he says, 'I was but as those
that justle against the rocks; more broken, scattered, and rent.
Oh! the unthought of imaginations, frights, fears, and terrors, that
are effected by a thorough application of guilt.'[114] 'Methought
I saw as if the sun that shineth in the heavens did grudge to give
light, and as if the very stones in the street, and tiles upon the
houses, did bend themselves against me.'[115] Here we find him in
that doleful valley, where Christian was surrounded by enemies that
'cared not for his sword,' he put it up, and places his dependence
upon the more penetrating weapon, 'All Prayer.' Depending upon
this last resource, he prayed, even when in this great darkness
and distress. To whom could he go? his case was beyond the power
of men or angels. His refuge, from a fear of having committed the
unpardonable sin, was that he had never refused to be justified by
the blood of Christ, but ardently wished it; this, in the midst of
the storm, caused a temporary clam. At length, he was led to look
prayerfully upon those scriptures that had tormented him, and to
examine their scope and tendency, and then he 'found their visage
changed, for they looked not so grimly on him as before he thought
they did.'[116] Still, after such a tempest, the sea did not at
once become a calm. Like one that had been scared with fire, every
voice was fire, fire; every little touch hurt his tender conscience.[117]

All this instructive history is pictured by a few words in the
Pilgrim's Progress. At the Interpreter's house the pilgrim is shown
'a fire burning against a wall, and one standing by it, always
casting much water upon it, to quench it; yet did the fire burn
higher and hotter.'[118] As Esau beat him down, Christ raised him
again. The threatening and the promise were like glittering swords
clashing together, but the promise must prevail.

His entire relief at last was sudden, while meditating in the field
upon the words, 'Thy righteousness is in heaven.' Hence he drew the
conclusion, that his righteousness was in Christ, at God's right
hand, ever before him, secure from all the powers of sin and
Satan. Now his chains fell off; he was loosed from his affliction
and irons; his temptation fled away. His present supply of grace
he compared to the cracked groats and fourpence half-pennies,[119]
which rich men carry in their pockets, while their treasure is safe
in their trunks at home, as his was in the store-house of heaven.

This dreary night of awful conflict lasted more than two years; but
when the day-spring from on high visited him, the promises spangled
in his eyes, and he broke out into a song, 'Praise ye the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his
power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his
excellent greatness.'[120]

Bunyan's opinion as to the cause of this bitter suffering, was his
want of watchfulness, his not coming boldly to the throne of grace,
and that he had tempted God. The advantages he considered that
he had gained by it were, that it confirmed his knowledge of the
existence of God, so that he lost all his temptations to unbelief,
blasphemy, and hardness of heart, Doubts as to the truth of the
Word, and certainty of the world to come, were gone for ever.

He found no difficulty as to the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
'Now I saw the apostles to be the elders of the city of refuge,
those that they were to receive in, were received to life, but
those that they were to shut out, were to be slain by the avenger
of blood.' Those were to enter who, with Peter, confessed to Jesus,
'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt 16:16).
This is simply an authority to proclaim salvation or condemnation
to those who receive or reject the Saviour. It is upon his shoulder
the key of the house is laid (Isa 22:22). Christ only has the key,
no MAN openeth or shutteth (Rev 1:18, 3:7). All that man can do,
as to binding or loosening, is to warn the hardened and to invite
the contrite.

By these trials, the promises, became more clear and invaluable
than ever. He never saw those heights and depths in grace, and
love, and mercy, as he saw them after this severe trial--'great
sins drew out great grace'; and the more terrible and fierce guilt
was, the more high and mighty did the mercy of God in Christ appear.
These are Bunyan's own reflections; but may we not add to them, that
while he was in God's school of trial, every groan, every bitter
pang of anguish, and every gleam of hope, were intended to fit him
for his future work as a preacher and writer? Weighed in the balances
of the sanctuary, there was not a jot too little, or an iota too
much. Every important subject which embarrasses the convert, was
most minutely investigated, especially faith, the sin against the
Holy Ghost, the divinity of Christ, and such essential truths. He
well knew every dirty lane, and nook, and corner of Mansoul, in
which the Diabolonians found shelter, and well he knew the frightful
sound of Diabolus' drum.[121] Well did his pastor, John Burton,
say of him, 'He hath through grace taken these three heavenly
degrees, to wit, union with Christ, the anointing of the Spirit,
and experience of the temptations of Satan, which do more fit
a man for that mighty work of preaching the gospel, than all the
university learning and degrees that can be had.'[122]

Preserved in Christ Jesus, and called--selected from his associates
in sin, he was taken into this school, and underwent the strictest
religious education. It was here alone that his rare talent could
be cultivated, to enable him, in two immortal allegories, to narrate
the internal discipline he underwent. It was here he attained
that habitual access to the throne of grace, and that insight into
the inspired volume, which filled his writings with those solemn
realities of the world to come; while it enabled him to reveal
the mysteries of communion with the Father of spirits, as he so
wondrously does in his treatise on prayer. To use the language of
Milton--'These are works that could not be composed by the invocation
of Dame Memory and her Siren daughters, but by devout prayer to that
eternal Spirit, who can enrich with all utterance and knowledge,
and send out his seraphim, with the hallowed fire of his altar,
to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases, without reference
to station, birth, or education.' The tent-maker and tinker, the
fisherman and publican, and even a friar or monk,[123] became the
honoured instruments of his choice.

Throughout all Bunyan's writings, he never murmurs at his want
of education, although it is often a source of humble apology. He
honoured the learned godly as Christians, but preferred the Bible
before the library of the two universities.[124] He saw, what every
pious man must see and lament, that there is much idolatry in human
learning, and that it was frequently applied to confuse and impede
the gospel. Thus he addresses the reader of his treatise on The Law
and Grace--'If thou find this book empty of fantastical expressions,
and without light, vain, whimsical, scholar-like terms, it is because
I never went to school, to Aristotle or Plato, but was brought up
at my father's house, in a very mean condition, among a company of
poor countrymen. But if thou do find a parcel of plain, yet sound,
true, and home sayings, attribute that to the Lord Jesus his gifts
and abilities, which he hath bestowed upon such a poor creature as
I am and have been.'[125] His maxim was--'Words easy to be understood
do often hit the mark, when high and learned ones do only pierce
the air. He also that speaks to the weakest may make the learned
understand him; when he that striveth to be high, is not only
of the most part understood but of a sort, but also many times is
neither understood by them nor by himself!'[126] This is one of
Bunyan's maxims, well worthy the consideration of the most profoundly
learned writers, and also of the most eloquent preachers and public
speakers.

Bunyan was one of those pioneers who are far in advance of the age
in which they live, and the narrative of his birth and education
adds to the innumerable contradictions which the history of man
opposes to the system of Mr. Owen and the Socialists, and to every
scheme for making the offspring of the poor follow in leading-strings
the course of their parents, or for rendering them blindly submissive
to the dictates of the rich, the learned, or the influential. It
incontestably proves the gospel doctrine of individuality, and,
that native talent will rise superior to all impediments. Our
forefathers struggled for the right of private judgment in matters
of faith and worship--their descendants will insist upon it,
as essential to salvation, personally to examine every doctrine
relative to the sacred objects of religion, limited only by Holy
Writ. This must be done with rigorous impartiality, throwing aside
all the prejudices of education, and be followed by prompt obedience
to Divine truth, at any risk of offending parents, or laws, or
resisting institutions, or ceremonies which he discovers to be of
human invention. All this, as we have seen in Bunyan, was attended
with great mental sufferings, with painstaking labour, with a
simple reliance upon the Word of God, and with earnest prayer. If
man impiously dares to submit his conscience to his fellow-man,
or to any body of men called a church, what perplexity must he
experience ere he can make up his mind which to choose! Instead of
relying upon the ONE standard which God has given him in his Word;
should he build his hope upon a human system he could be certain only
that man is fallible and subject to err. How striking an instance
have we, in our day, of the result of education, when the mind does
not implicitly follow the guidance of the revealed Word of God.
Two brothers, named Newman, educated at the same school, trained in
the same university, brought up under the same religious system--all
human arts exhausted to mould their minds into strict uniformity,
yet gradually receding from the same point in opposite directions,
but in equally downward roads; one to embrace the most puerile
legends of the middle ages, the other to open infidelity. Not so
with those who follow the teachings of the Word of God, by which,
and not by any church, they are to be individually judged at the great
day: no pontiff, no priest, no minister, can intervene or mediate
for them at the bar of God. There it will be said, 'I know you, by
your prayers for Divine guidance and your submission to my revealed
will'; or, 'I know you not,' for you preferred the guidance of
frail, fallible men, to me, and to my Word--a solemn consideration,
which, as it proved a source of solid happiness and extensive
usefulness to Bunyan in his pilgrimage, so it insured to him, as
it will to all who follow his course, a solid foundation on which
to stand at the great and terrible day, and thus enable them to
live as well as die in the sure and certain hope of a triumphant
entry into the celestial city.

THE THIRD PERIOD.

BUNYAN IS BAPTIZED, AND ENTERS INTO COMMUNION WITH A CHRISTIAN
CHURCH AT BEDFORD--IS SET APART TO FILL THE DEACON'S OFFICE, AND
SENT OUT AS AN ITINERANT PREACHER IN THE NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES.

Man is naturally led to seek the society of his fellow-men.
His personal progress, and the great interests of civilization,
depend upon the nature of his friendly intercourse and his proper
associations. So is it with the Christian, but in a much higher
degree. Not only does he require companions with whom he can enjoy
Christian communion--of sufferings and of pleasures--in seasons of
depressing trials, and in holy elevations--but with whom he may also
form plans to spread the genial influence of Christianity, which
has blessed and so boundlessly enriched his own soul. Christian
fellowship and communion has received the broad seal of heaven.
'The Lord hearkened,' when they that feared him spake often to one
another, 'and a book of remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the Lord' (Mal 3:16).

Bunyan possessed a soul with faculties capable of the highest
enjoyment of the communion of saints in church order. His ideas of
mutual forbearance--that 'in lowliness of mind should each esteem
others better than themselves'--he enforces with very peculiar
power, and, at the same time, with delicate sensibility. After the
pilgrims had been washed by Innocence in the Interpreter's bath,
he sealed them, which 'greatly added to their beauty,' and then
arrayed them in white raiment of fine linen; and 'when the women
were thus adorned, they seemed to be a terror one to the other, for
that they could not see that glory each one on herself which they
could see in each other. Now, therefore, they began to esteem
each other better than themselves.'[127] 'The Interpreter led them
into his garden, where was great variety of flowers. Then said he,
Behold, the flowers are diverse in stature, in quality and colour,
and smell and virtue, and some are better than some; also, where the
gardener hath set them, there they stand, and quarrel not with one
another.'[128] 'When Christians stand every one in their places,
and do their relative work, then they are like the flowers in the
garden that grow where the gardener hath planted them, and both
honour the gardener and the garden in which they are planted.'[129]
In the same treatise on Christian Behaviour, similar sentiments
are expressed in language extremely striking and beautiful. 'The
doctrine of the gospel is like the dew and the small rain that
distilleth upon the tender grass, wherewith it doth flourish and
is kept green (Deut 32:2).Christians are like the several flowers
in a garden that have upon each of them the dew of heaven, which,
being shaken with the wind, they let fall their dew at each other's
roots, whereby they are jointly nourished, and become nourishers
of one another. For Christians to commune savourly of God's matters
one with another, it is as if they opened to each other's nostrils
boxes of perfume.'[130] Similar peaceful, heavenly principles, flow
through Bunyan's Discourse of the Building, &c., of the House of
God and its inmates;[131] and blessed would it be if in all our
churches every believer was baptized into such motives of forbearance
and brotherly love. These sentiments do honour to the head and heart
of the prince of allegorists, and should be presented in letters
of gold to every candidate for church fellowship. A young man
entertaining such opinions as these, however rude his former conduct,
being born again to spiritual enjoyments, would become a treasure
to the Christian society with which he might be connected.

In ordinary cases, the minister or people who have been useful to
a young convert, lead him in his first choice of Christian associates;
but here we have no ordinary man. Bunyan, in all things pertaining
to religion, followed no human authority, but submitted himself to
the guidance of the inspired volume. Possessing a humble hope of
salvation, he would read with deep interest that 'the Lord added
to the church such as should be saved.' The question which has so
much puzzled the learned, as to a church or the church, would be
solved without difficulty by one who was as learned in the Scriptures
as he was ignorant of the subtle distinctions and niceties of the
schools. He found that there was one church at Jerusalem (Acts
8:1), another at Corinth (1 Cor 1:2), seven in Asia (Rev 1:4),
and others distributed over the world; that 'the visible church of
Christ is a (or every) congregation of faithful men.'[132] He well
knew that uniformity is a fool's paradise; that though man was
made in the image of God; it derogates not from the beauty of that
image that no two men are alike. The stars show forth God's handy
work, yet 'one star different from another star in glory' (1 Cor
15:41). Uniformity is opposed to every law of nature, for no two
leaves upon a majestic tree are alike. Who but an idiot or a maniac
would attempt to reduce the mental powers of all men to uniformity?
Every church may have its own order of public worship while the
Scriptures form the standard of truth and morals. Where differences
of opinion occur, as they most certainly will, as to the observance
of days or abstinence from meats--whether to stand, or sit, or
kneel, in prayer--whether to stand while listening to some pages
of the inspired volume, and to sit while others are publicly
read--whether to call Jude a saint, and refuse the title to Isaiah--are
questions which should bring into active exercise all the graces of
Christian charity; and, in obedience to the apostolic injunction,
they must agree to differ. 'Let every man be fully persuaded in
his own mind' (Rom 14:5). Human arts have been exhausted to prevent
that mental exercise or self-persuasion which is essential to a
Christian profession. The great object of Satan has ever been to
foster indifference, that deadly lethargy, by leading man to any
source of information rather than prayerful researches into the
Bible. Bunyan's severe discipline in Christ's school would lead
him to form a judgment for himself; he was surrounded by a host
of sects, and, with such a Bible-loving man, it is an interesting
inquiry what party he would join.

He lived in times of extraordinary excitement. England was in a
transition state. A long chain of events brought on a crisis which
involved the kingdom in tribulation. It was the struggle between
the unbridled despotism of Epsicopacy, and the sturdy liberty of
Puritanism. For although the immediate cause of the civil wars was
gross misgovernment--arbitrary taxation without the intervention
of Parliament, monopolies and patents, to the ruin of trade; in
fact, every abuse of the royal power--still, without the additional
spur of religious persecution, the spirit of the people would never
have proved invincible and overpowering. The efforts of Archbishop
Laud, aided by the queen and her popish confessor, Panzani, to
subjugate Britain to the galling yoke of Rome, signally failed,
involving in the ruin the life of the king and his archbishop, and
all the desolating calamities of intestine wars, strangely called
'civil.' In this strife many of the clergy and most of the bishops
took a very active part, aiding and abetting the king's party in their
war against the parliament--and they thus brought upon themselves
great pains and penalties. The people became suddenly released
from mental bondage; and if the man who had been born blind, when
he first received the blessing of sight, 'saw men as trees walking,'
we cannot be surprised that religious speculations were indulged in,
some of which proved to be crude and wild, requiring much vigorous
persuasive pruning before they produced good fruit. Bunyan was
surrounded by all these parties; for although the rights of conscience
were not recognized--the Papists and Episcopalians, the Baptists
and Unitarians, with the Jews, being proscribed--yet the hand of
persecution was comparatively light. Had Bunyan chosen to associate
with the Episcopalians, he would not have passed through those
severe sufferings on which are founded his lasting honours. The
Presbyterians and Independents received the patronage of the state
under the Commonwealth, and the great mass of the clergy conformed to
the directory, many of them reciting the prayers they had formerly
read; while a considerable number, whose conscience could not
submit to the system then enforced by law, did, to their honour,
resign their livings, and suffer the privations and odium of being
Dissenters. Among these were necessarily included the bishops.[133]

Of all sects that of the Baptists had been the most bitterly
written against and persecuted. Even their first cousins, the
Quakers, attacked them in language that would, in our peaceful days,
be considered outrageous. 'The Baptists used to meet in garrets,
cheese-lofts, coal-holes, and such like mice walks,'--'theses
tumultuous, blood-thirsty, covenant-breaking, government-destroying
Anabaptists.'[134] The offence that called forth these epithets
was, that in addressing Charles II on his restoration, they stated
that "they were no abettors of the Quakers." Had royal authority
possessed the slightest influence over Bunyan's religious opinions,
the question as to his joining the Baptists would have been settled
without investigation. Among other infatuations of Charles I, had
been his hatred of any sect that professed the right and duty of
man to think for himself in choosing his way to heaven. In 1639
he published his 'Declaration concerning the tumults in Scotland,'
when violence was resorted to against the introduction of the Common
Prayer in which he denounced voluntary obedience because it was not
of constraint, and called it 'damnable'; he calls the principles
of the Anabaptists, in not submitting their consciences to human
laws, 'furious frenzies,' and 'madness'; all Protestants are 'to
detest and persecute them'; 'these Anabaptists raged most in their
madness'; 'the scandal of their frenzies'; 'we are amazed at, and
aggrieved at their horrible impudence'; 'we do abhor and detest
them all as rebellious and treasonable.'[135] This whole volume
is amusingly assuming. The king claims his subjects as personal
chattels, with whose bodies and minds he had a right to do as he
pleased. Bunyan owed no spiritual submission to man, 'whose breath
is in his nostrils'; and risking all hazards, he became one of the
denounced and despised sect of Baptists. To use the language of his
pilgrim, he passed the lions, braving all the dangers of an open
profession of faith in Christ, and entered the house called Beautiful,
which 'was built by the Lord of the hill, on purpose to entertain
such pilgrims in.'[136] He first gains permission of the watchman,
or minister, and then of the inmates, or church members. This
interesting event is said to have taken place about the year
1653.[137] Mr. Doe, in The Struggler, thus refers to it, Bunyan
'took all advantages to ripen his understanding in religion, and
so he lit on the dissenting congregation of Christians at Bedford,
and was, upon confession of faith, baptized about the year 1653,'[138]
when he was in the twenty-fifth year of his age. No minutes of the
proceedings of this church, prior to the death of Mr. Gifford in
1656,[139] are extant, or they would identify the exact period when
Bunyan's baptism and admission to the church took place. The spot
where he was baptized is a creek by the river Ouse, at the end
of Duck Mill Lane. It is a natural baptistery, a proper width and
depth of water constantly fresh; pleasantly situated; sheltered
from the public highway near the High Street. The Lord's Supper was
celebrated in a large room in which the disciples met, the worship
consecrating the place.[140]

Religious feelings and conduct have at all times a tendency to
promote the comfort, and elevate the character of the poor. How
often have we seen them thus blessed; the ragged family comfortably
clothed, the hungry fed, and the inmates of a dirty miserable cottage
or hovel become a pattern of cleanly happiness. One of Bunyan's
biographers, who was an eye-witness, bears this testimony. 'By this
time his family was increased, and as that increased God increased
his stores, so that he lived now in great credit among his neighbours.'
He soon became a respectable member of civil as well as religious
society; for, by the time that he joined the church, his Christian
character was so fully established, that, notwithstanding the meanness
of his origin and employment, he was considered worthy of uniting
in a memorial to the Lord Protector. It was to recommend two
gentlemen to form part of the council, after Cromwell had dissolved
the Long Parliament. It is a curious document, very little known,
and illustrative of the peculiar style of these eventful times.

Letter from the people of Bedfordshire to the Lord Generall Cromwell,
and the Councell of the army.

May 13th, 1653.

May it please your Lordship, and the rest of the council of the
army. We (we trust) servants of Jesus Christ, inhabitants in the
county of Bedford, haveing fresh upon our hearts the sadde oppressions
we have (a long while) groan'd under from the late parlayment, and
now eyeing and owning (through grace) the good hand of God in this
great turne of providence, being persuaded that it is from the Lord
that you should be instrument in his hand at such a time as this,
for the electing of such persons whoe may goe in and out before his
people in righteousnesse, and governe these nations in judgment,
we having sought the Lord for yow, and hopeing that God will still
doe greate things by yow, understanding that it is in your hearte
through the Lord's assistance, to establish an authority consisting
of men able, loveing truth, feareing God, and hateing covetouseness;
and we having had some experience of men with us, we have judged
it our duty to God, to yow, and to the rest of his people, humbly
to present two men, viz., Nathaniell Taylor, and John Croke, now
Justices of Peace in our County, whom we judge in the Lord qualified
to manage a trust in the ensuing government. All which we humbly
referre to your serious considerations, and subscribe our names
this 13th day of May, 1653--

John Eston, Clement Berridge, Isaac Freeman, John Grewe, John
Bunyan, William Dell, John Gifford, William Baker, junr., William
Wheelar, Ja. Rush, Anth. Harrington, John Gibbs, Tho. Varrse,
Richard Spensley, John Donne, Michael Cooke, Edward Covinson, Tho.
Gibbs, John Ramsay, John Hogge, Edward White, Robert English, John
Jeffard, John Browne, John Edridge, John Ivory, John White, George
Gee, Daniell Groome, Charles Peirse, Ambrose Gregory, Luke Parratt,
Thomas Cooke, William Page, Thomas Knott, Thomas Honnor. These to
the Lord Generall Cromwell, and the rest of the councell of the
army, present.[141]

Bunyan's daughter Elizabeth was born at Elstow, April 14, 1654, and
a singular proof of his having changed his principles on baptism
appears in the church register. His daughter Mary was baptized
in 1650, but his Elizabeth in 1654 is registered as born, but no
mention is made of baptism.

The poor harassed pilgrim having been admitted into communion with
a Christian church, enjoyed fully, for a short season, his new
privileges. He thus expresses his feelings:--'After I had propounded
to the church that my desire was to walk in the order and ordinances
of Christ with them, and was also admitted by them: while I thought
of that blessed ordinance of Christ, which was his last supper
with his disciples before his death, that scriptures, "this do in
remembrance of me," was made a very precious word unto me; for by
it the Lord came down upon my conscience with the discovery of his
death for my sins: and as I then felt, did as if he plunged me in
the virtue of the same.'[142]

In this language we have an expression which furnishes a good
sample of his energetic feelings. He had been immersed in water at
his baptism, and doubtless believed it to be a figure of his death
to sin and resurrection to holiness; and when he sat at the Lord's
table he felt that he was baptized into the virtue of his Lord's
death; he is plunged into it, and feels the holy influence covering
his soul with all its powers.

His pastor, John Gifford, was a remarkably pious and sensible man,
exactly fitted to assist in maturing the mind of his young member.
Bunyan had, for a considerable time, sat under his ministry, and
had cultivated acquaintance with the members of his church; and so
prayerfully had he made up his mind as to this important choice of
a church, with which he might enter into fellowship, that, although
tempted by the most alluring prospects of greater usefulness,
popularity, and emolument, he continued his church fellowship with
these poor people through persecution and distress, imprisonment
and the threats of transportation, or an ignominious death, until
he crossed the river 'which has no bridge,' and ascended to the
celestial city, a period of nearly forty years. Of the labours of
his first pastor, John Gifford, but little is known, except that
he founded the church of Christ at Bedford, probably the first, in
modern times, which allowed to every individual freedom of judgment
as to water baptism; receiving all those who decidedly appeared
to have put on Christ, and had been received by him; but avoiding,
with godly jealousy, any mixture of the world with the church. Mr.
Gifford's race was short, consistent, and successful. Bunyan calls
him by an appellation, very probably common in his neighbourhood
and among his flock, 'holy Mr. Gifford';[143] a title infinitely
superior to all the honours of nobility, or of royalty. He was
a miracle of mercy and grace, for a very few years before he had
borne the character of an impure and licentious man--an open enemy
to the saints of God. His pastoral letter, left upon record in the
church-book, written when drawing near the end of his pilgrimage,
is most admirable; it contains an allusion to his successors, Burton
or Bunyan, and must have had a tendency in forming their views of
a gospel church. Even Mr. Southey praises this puritanic epistle
as exemplifying 'a wise and tolerant and truly Christian spirit':
and as it has not been published in any life of Bunyan, I venture
to introduce it without abridgement:--

To the Church over which God made me an overseer when I was in the
world.

I beseech you, brethren beloved, let these following words (wrote
in my love to you, and care over you, when our heavenly Father
was removing me to the kingdom of his dear Son), be read in your
church-gatherings together. I shall not now, dearly beloved, write
unto you about that which is the first, and without which all other
things are as nothing in the sight of God, viz., the keeping the
mystery of the faith in a pure conscience; I shall not, I say, write
of these things, though the greatest, having spent my labours among
you, to root you and build you up in Christ through the grace you
have received; and to press you to all manner of holiness in your
conversations, that you may be found of the Lord, without spot,
and blameless, at His coming. But the things I shall speak to you
of, are about your CHURCH AFFAIRS, which I fear have been little
considered by most of you; which things, if not mended aright,
and submitted unto, according to the will of God, will by degrees
bring you under divisions, distractions, and at last, to confusion
of that gospel order and fellowship which now, through grace, you
enjoy. Therefore, my brethren, in the first place, I would not
have any of you ignorant of this, that every one of you are as much
bound now to walk with the church in all love; and in the ordinances
of Jesus Christ our Lord, as when I was present among you: neither
have any of you liberty to join yourselves to any other society,
because your pastor is removed from you; for you were not joined
to the ministry, but to Christ, and the church; and this is and was
the will of God in Christ to all the churches of the saints, read
Acts 2:42; and compare it with Acts 1:14, 15. And I charge you
before the Lord, as you will answer it at the coming of our Lord
Jesus, that none of you be found guilty herein.

Secondly. Be constant in your church assemblies. Let all the work
which concerns the church be done faithfully among you; as admission
of members, exercising of gifts, election of officers, as need
requires, and all other things as if named, which the Scriptures
being searched, will lead you into, through the Spirit; which things,
if you do, the Lord will be with you, and you will convince others
that Christ is your head, and your dependency is not upon man; but
if you do the work of the Lord negligently, if you mind your own
things and not the things of Christ, if you grow of indifferent
spirits, whether you mind the work of the Lord in his church
or no, I fear the Lord by degrees will suffer the comfort of your
communion to be dried up, and the candlestick which is yet standing
to be broken in pieces; which God forbid.

Now, concerning your admission of members, I shall leave you to the
Lord for counsel, who hath hitherto been with you; only thus much
I think expedient to stir up your remembrance in; that after you
are satisfied in the work of grace in the party you are to join
with, the said party do solemnly declare (before some of the church
at least), That Union with Christ is the foundation of all saints'
communion; and not any ordinances of Christ, or any judgment
or opinion about externals; and the said party ought to declare,
whether a brother or sister, that through grace they will walk in
love with the church, though there should happen any difference in
judgment about other things. Concerning separation from the church
about baptism, laying on of hands, anointing with oil, psalms, or
any externals, I charge every one of you respectively, as you will
give an account for it to our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
both quick and dead at his coming, that none of you be found guilty
of this great evil; which, while some have committed, and that
through a zeal for God, yet not according to knowledge, they have
erred from the law of the love of Christ, and have made a rent from
the true church, which is but one. I exhort you, brethren, in your
comings together, Let all things be done decently, and in order,
according to the Scriptures. Let all things be done among you
without strife and envy, without self-seeking and vain-glory. Be
clothed with humility, and submit to one another in love. Let the
gifts of the church be exercised according to order. Let no gift be
concealed which is for edification; yet let those gifts be chiefly
exercised which are most for the perfecting of the saints. Let
your discourses be to build up one another in your most holy faith,
and to provoke one another to love and good works: if this be not
well-minded, much time may be spent and the church reap little or
no advantage. Let there be strong meat for the strong, and milk
for babes. In your assemblies avoid all disputes which gender to
strife, as questions about externals, and all doubtful disputations.
If any come among you who will be contentious in these things,
let it be declared that you have no such order, nor any of the
churches of God. If any come among you with any doctrine contrary
to the doctrine of Christ, you must not treat with such an one as
with a brother, or enter into dispute of the things of faith with
reasonings (for this is contrary to the Scriptures); but let such
of the brethren who are the fullest of the Spirit, and the word of
Christ, oppose such an one steadfastly face to face, and lay open
his folly to the church, from the Scriptures. If a brother through
weakness speak anything contrary to any known truth of God (though
not intended by him), some other brother of the church must
in love clear up the truth, lest many of the church be laid under
temptation. Let no respect of persons be in your comings-together;
when you are met as a church there's neither rich nor poor, bond
nor free in Christ Jesus. 'Tis not a good practice to be offering
places or seats when those who are rich come in; especially it is
a great evil to take notice of such in time of prayer, or the word;
then are bowings and civil observances at such times not of God.
Private wrongs are not presently to be brought unto the church. If
any of the brethren are troubled about externals, let some of the
church (let it not be a church business) pray for and with such
parties.

None ought to withdraw from the church if any brother should walk
disorderly, but he that walketh disorderly must bear his own burden,
according to the Scriptures. If any brother should walk disorderly,
he cannot be shut out from any ordinance before church censure.
Study among yourselves what is the nature of fellowship, as the
word,[144] prayer, and breaking of bread; which, whilst few, I
judge, seriously consider, there is much falling short of duty in
the churches of Christ. You that are most eminent in profession,
set a pattern to all the rest of the church. Let your faith, love,
and zeal, be very eminent; if any of you cast a dim light, you will
do much hurt in the church. Let there be kept up among you solemn
days of prayer and thanksgiving; and let some time be set apart, to
seek God for your seeds, which thing hath hitherto been omitted. Let
your deacons have a constant stock by them, to supply the necessity
of those who are in want. Truly, brethren, there is utterly a fault
among you that are rich, especially in this thing, 'tis not that
little which comes from you on the first day of the week that will
excuse you. I beseech you, be not found guilty of this sin any
longer. He that sows sparingly will reap sparingly. Be not backward
in your gatherings-together; let none of you willingly stay till
part of the meeting be come,[145] especially such who should be
examples to the flock. One or two things are omitted about your
comings-together, which I shall here add. I beseech you, forbear
sitting in prayer, except parties be any way disabled; 'tis not a
posture which suits with the majesty of such an ordinance. Would you
serve your prince so? In prayer, let all self-affected expressions
be avoided, and all vain repetitions. God hath not gifted, I judge,
every brother to be a mouth to the church. Let such as have most
of the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, shut up all your
comings-together, that ye may go away with your hearts comforted
and quickened.

Come together in time, and leave off orderly; for God is a God of
order among his saints. Let none of you give offence to his brethren
in indifferent things, but be subject to one another in love. Be
very careful what gifts you approve of by consent for public service.

Spend much time before the Lord, about choosing a pastor, for though
I suppose he is before you,[146] whom the Lord hath appointed, yet
it will be no disadvantage to you, I hope, if you walk a year or
two as you are before election; and then, if you be all agreed, let
him be set apart, according to the Scriptures. Salute the brethren
who walk not in fellowship with you, with the same love and name
of brother or sister as those who do.

Let the promises made to be accomplished in the latter days, be
often urged before the Lord in your comings-together; and forget
not your brethren in bonds. Love him much for the work's sake, who
labours over you in the word and doctrine. Let no man despise his
youth.[147] Muzzle not the mouth of the ox that treads out the
corn to you. Search the Scriptures; let some of them be read to
you about this thing. If your teacher at any time be laid aside,
you ought to meet together as a church, and build up one another.
If the members at such a time will go to a public ministry, it
must first be approved of by the church. Farewell; exhort, counsel,
support, reprove one another in love.

Finally, brethren, be all of one mind, walk in love one to another,
even as Christ Jesus hath loved you, and given himself for you.
Search the Scriptures for a supply of those things wherein I am
wanting. Now the God of peace, who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead, multiply his peace upon you, and preserve you to
his everlasting kingdom by Jesus Christ. Stand fast: the Lord is
at hand.

That this was written by me, I have set my name to it, in the
presence of two of the brethren of the church.

John Gifford.[148]

Bunyan was now settled under the happiest circumstances, and doubtless
looked forward to much religious enjoyment. A pious wife--peace
in his soul--a most excellent pastor, and in full communion with
a Christian church. Alas! his enjoyments were soon interrupted;
again a tempest was to agitate his mind, that he might be more deeply
humbled and prepared to become a Barnabas or son of consolation to
the spiritually distressed.

It is a remarkable fact, that upon the baptism of our Lord, after
that sublime declaration of Jehovah--'this is my beloved Son,'
'Jesus was led into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.' As
it was with their leader, so it frequently happens to his followers.
After having partaken, for the first time, of the holy enjoyments
of the Lord's table--tending to exalt and elevate them, they are
often abased and humbled in their own esteem, by the assaults of
Satan and his temptations, aided by an evil heart of unbelief. Thus
Christian having been cherished in the house called Beautiful, and
armed for the conflict, descended into the Valley of Humiliation,
encountered Apollyon in deadly combat, and walked through the Valley
of the Shadow of Death. 'For three quarters of a year, fierce and
said temptations did beset me to blasphemy, that I could never have
rest nor ease. But at last the Lord came in upon my soul with that
same scripture, by which my soul was visited before; and after that,
I have been usually very well and comfortable in the partaking of
that blessed ordinance; and have, I trust, therein discerned the
Lord's body, as broken for my sins, and that his precious blood hath
been shed for my transgressions.'[149] This is what Bunyan calls,
'the soul killing to itself its sins, its righteousness, wisdom,
resolutions, and the things which it trusted in by nature'; and
then receiving 'a most glorious, perfect, and never-fading life.'
The life of Christ in all its purity and perfections imputed to
me--'Sometimes I bless the Lord my soul hath had this life not only
imputed to me, but the very glory of it upon my soul--the Son of
God himself in his own person, now at the right hand of his Father
representing me complete before the mercy-seat in his ownself.'
'There was my righteousness just before the eyes of Divine glory.'[150]

About this period his robust hardy frame gave way under the attack
of disease, and we have to witness his feelings when the king of
terrors appeared to be beginning his deadly work. Whether the fiery
trials, the mental tempest through which he had passed, were too
severe for his bodily frame, is not recorded. His narrative is, that,
'Upon a time I was somewhat inclining to a consumption, wherewith,
about the spring I was suddenly and violently seized, with much
weakness in my outward man; insomuch that I thought I could not
live.'[151] This is slightly varied in his account of this illness
in his Law and Grace. He there says, 'having contracted guilt upon
my soul, and having some distemper of body upon me, I supposed
that death might now so seize upon, as to take me away from among
men.[152] These serious considerations led to a solemn investigation
of his hopes. His having been baptized, his union to a church, the
good opinion of his fellow-men, are not in the slightest degree
relied upon as evidences of the new birth, or of a death to sin
and resurrection to holiness.' 'Now began I afresh to give myself
up to a serious examination after my state and condition for the
future, and of my evidences for that blessed world to come: for
it hath, I bless the name of God, been my usual course, as always,
so especially in the day of affliction, to endeavour to keep my
interest in the life to come, clear before my eye.

'But I had no sooner began to recall to mind my former experience
of the goodness of God to my soul, but there came flocking into my
mind an innumerable company of my sins and transgressions: amongst
which these were at this time most to my affliction, namely,
my deadness, dullness, and coldness in holy duties; my wanderings
of heart, my wearisomeness in all good things, my want of love to
God, his ways and people, with this at the end of all, "Are these
the fruits of Christianity? Are these the tokens of a blessed man?"

'At the apprehension of these things my sickness was doubled upon
me, for now was I sick in my inward man, my soul was clogged with
guilt; now also was my former experience of God's goodness to me
quite taken out of my mind, and hid as if it had never been, nor seen.
Now was my soul greatly pinched between these two considerations,
"Live I must not, die I dare not." Now I sunk and fell in my spirit,
and was giving up all for lost; but as I was walking up and down
in my house, as a man in a most woeful state, that word of God took
hold of my heart, Ye are "justified freely by his grace, through
the redemption that is in Jesus Christ" (Rom 3:24). But O! what a
turn it made upon me!

'Now was I as one awakened out of some troublesome sleep and dream;
and listening to this heavenly sentence, I was as if I had heard
it thus expounded to me:--"Sinner, thou thinkest, that because of
thy sins and infirmities, I cannot save thy soul; but behold my Son
is by me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal with
thee according as I am pleased with him." At this I was greatly
lightened in my mind, and made to understand, that God could
justify a sinner at any time; it was but his looking upon Christ,
and imputing of his benefits to us, and the work was forthwith
done.'[153]

'Now was I got on high, I saw myself within the arms of grace and
mercy; and though I was before afraid to think of a dying hour, yet
now I cried, Let me die. Now death was lovely and beautiful in my
sight, for I saw that we shall never live indeed, till we be gone
to the other world. I saw more in those words, "Heirs of God" (Rom
8:17), than ever I shall be able to express. "Heirs of God," God
himself is the portion of his saints.'[154]

As his mental agitation subsided into this delicious calm, his bodily
health was restored; to use his own figure, Captain Consumption,
with all his men of death, were[155] routed, and his strong bodily
health trimphed over disease; or, to use the more proper language
of an eminent Puritan, 'When overwhelmed with the deepest sorrows,
and that for many doleful months, he who is Lord of nature healed
my body, and he who is the Father of mercies and God of all grace
has proclaimed liberty to the captive, and given rest to my weary
soul.'[156] Here we have a key to the most eventful picture in
the Pilgrim's Progress--The Valley of the Shadow of Death--which
is placed in the midst of the journey. When in the prime of life,
death looked at him and withdrew for a season. It was the shadow
of death that came over his spirit.

The church at Bedford having increased, Bunyan was chosen to fill
the honourable office of a deacon. No man could have been better
fitted for that office than Bunyan was. He was honesty itself, had
suffered severe privations, so as to feel for those who were pinched
with want; he had great powers of discrimination, to distinguish
between the poverty of idleness, and that distress which arises from
circumstances over which human foresight has no control, so as to
relieve with propriety the pressure of want, without encouraging
the degrading and debasing habit of depending upon alms, instead
of labouring to provide the necessaries of life. He had no fine
clothes to be spoiled by trudging down the filthiest lanes, and
entering the meanest hovels to relieve suffering humanity. The
poor--and that is the great class to whom the gospel is preached,
and by whom it is received--would hail him as a brother. Gifted in
prayer, full of sound and wholesome counsel drawn from holy writ,
he must have been a peculiar blessing to the distressed, and to all
the members who stood in need of advice and assistance. Such were
the men intended by the apostles, 'men of honest report, full
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom' (Acts 6:3), whom the church were to
select, to relieve the apostles from the duties of ministration to
the wants of the afflicted members, in the discharge of which they
had given offence.

While thus actively employed, he was again visited with a severe
illness, and again was subject to a most searching and solemn
investigation as to his fitness to appear before the judgment-seat
of God. 'All that time the tempter did beset me strongly, labouring
to hide from me my former experience of God's goodness; setting
before me the terrors of death, and the judgment of God, insomuch
that at this time, through my fear of miscarrying for ever, should
I now die, I was as one dead before death came; I thought that
there was no way but to hell I must.'[157]

'A wounded spirit who can bear.' Well might the apostle say, 'If
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable' (1 Cor 15:19). Bunyan had enjoyed holy emotions full of
glory, and now the devil was threatening him, not only with the loss
of heaven, but the terrors of hell. The Puritan, Rogers, describes
religious melancholy as 'the worst of all distempers, and those sinking
and guilty fears which it brings along with it are inexpressibly
dreadful; what anguish, what desolation! I dare not look to heaven;
there I see the greatness of God, who is against me. I dare not
look into his Word; for there I see all his threats, as so many
barbed arrows to strike me to the heart. I dare not look into the
grave; because thence I am like to have a doleful resurrection; in
this doleful night the soul hath no evidence at all of its former
grace.'[158] Bunyan's experience reminds us of the impressive
language of Job--a book full of powerful imagery and magnificent
ideas, in which Bunyan delighted, calling it 'that blessed
book.'[159] Job goes on, from step to step, describing his mental
wretchedness, until he rises to a climax, God 'runneth upon me like
a giant' (16:7-22). 'Thou huntest me as a fierce lion' (10:16).
'The arrows of the Almighty are within me; they drink up my spirit:
the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me' (6:4).
Poor Bunyan, in the depth of his distress, cried unto God, and was
heard and relieved from these soul troubles. He recollected the
joyful ascent of Lazarus from the extreme of human misery to the
height of celestial enjoyments. His spirit was sweetly revived, and
he was enabled, with delight, to hope yet in God, when that word
fell with great weight upon his mind, 'O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?' 'At this he became both well in
body and mind at once; his sickness did presently vanish, and he
again walked comfortably in his work for God.'[160] The words, 'by
grace are ye saved,' followed him through the rest of his pilgrimage.
His consolation was, that 'a little true grace will go a great way;
yea, and do more wonders than we are aware of. If we have but grace
enough to keep us groaning after God, it is not all the world that
can destroy us.'[161] He had now become deeply instructed in the
school of Christ, and was richly furnished with the weapons of
spiritual warfare; 'a scribe instructed into the kingdom of heaven,
like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out
of his treasure things new and old' (Matt 13:12). Or, as 'the man
of God, perfected, thoroughly furnished unto all good works' (2
Tim 3:17). It was powerfully impressed upon his mind that all his
inward conflicts were to be made use of in preparing him to instruct
others. All the events of his Saviour's life passed before his mind
as if he had stood by as a witness to his birth--his walking with
his disciples; his wondrous parables and stupendous miracles; his
mental and bodily sufferings; his sacrifice, burial, ascension,
intercession, and final judgment; all passed in vivid review before
the eye of his mind; and then, he says, 'as I was musing with myself
what these things should mean, methought I heard such a word in my
heart as this, I have set thee down on purpose, for I have something
more than ordinary for thee to do'; which made me the more to
marvel, saying, 'What, my Lord, such a poor wretch as I?'[162] Such
was his inward call to the ministry; and it being attended with
the three requisites usually insisted on among Dissenters--ability,
inclination, and opportunity--he was sent out as an itinerant
preacher in the surrounding villages in 1655, and laid the foundation
of many churches, which now flourish to the praise of the glory of
Divine grace. In some of these villages the gospel had never before
been preached; they were strongholds of Satan. These were fit places
for the full display of his intrepid energy.

After thus preaching and much suffering, for fifteen years, he was
appointed to the pastoral office, or eldership.[163] Can a man enter
upon the work of the ministry from a better school than this? Deeply
versed in scriptural knowledge; thoroughly humbled by the assaults
of sin and Satan; aware of his devices; with a keen perception of
the value of the soul; its greatness; and, if lost, the causes and
the unspeakable extent of its loss. Solemnly devout and fluent in
prayer; ready in conversation upon heavenly things; speaking the
truth without fear of consequences, yet avoiding unnecessary offence;
first speaking in the church-meeting, and then more extensively in
barns, or woods, or dells, to avoid the informers.[164] Such was
his training; and the result was, that, when permitted to proclaim
the gospel publicly, thousands hung upon his words with intense
feeling; numerous converts were by his means added to the church;
the proud became broken-hearted, and the lowly were raised, and
blessings abounded; the drunkards were made sober; thieves and
covetous were reclaimed; the blasphemers were made to sing the
praises of God; the desert bid fair to blossom and bring forth
fruit as a garden. But, alas! his early labours were contrary to
acts of parliament; the spirit of intolerance and persecution soon
troubled, and eventually consigned him to a prison.

Before we bid a final farewell to Bunyan's extraordinary mental
struggles with unbelief, it may be well to indulge in a few sober
reflections. Are the narratives of these mighty tempests in his
spirit plain matters of fact? No one can read the works of Bunyan
and doubt for a moment his truthfulness. His language is that of
the heart, fervent but not exaggerated, strong but a plain tale of
real feelings. He says, and he believed it, 'My sins have appeared
so big to me, that I thought one of my sins have been as big as
all the sins of all the men in the nation; ay and of other nations
too, reader; these things be not fancies, for I have smarted for
this experience. It is true that Satan has the art of making the
uttermost of every sin; he can blow it up, make it swell, make every
hair of its head as big as a cedar;[165] but yet the least stream
of the heart blood of Jesus hath vanished all away and hath made
it to fly, to the astonishment of such a poor sinner, and hath
delivered me up into sweet and heavenly peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost.'[166] Some have supposed the narrative to be exaggerated,
while others have attributed the disturbed state of his mind to
disease; my humble belief is that the whole is a plain unvarnished
account of facts; that those facts occurred while he was in full
possession of all the faculties of his mind. To ascribe such powers
to the invisible world by which we are constantly surrounded, does
not agree with the doctrines of modern philosophers. Those holy
or unholy suggestions suddenly injected, would by the world be set
down as the hallucinations of a distempered imagination. Carnal
relations attributed Christian's alarm to 'some frenzy distemper
got into his head,' and Southey, following their example, ascribes
Bunyan's hallowed feelings to his want of 'sober judgment,' 'his
brutality and extreme ignorance,' a 'stage of burning enthusiasm,'
and to 'an age in which hypocrisy was regnant, and fanaticism rampant
throughout the land.'[167] What a display of reigning hypocrisy
and rampant fanaticism was it to see the game at cat openly played
by men on Sunday, the church bells calling them to their sport!!!
Had Southey been poet-laureate to Charles II, he might with equal
truth have concealed the sensuality, open profaneness, and debauchery
of that profligate monarch and his court of concubines, and have
praised him as 'the Lord's anointed.' Bunyan was an eye-witness of
the state of the times in which he lived, and he associated with
numbers of the poor in Bedfordshire and the adjoining counties. So
truthful a man's testimony is of great value, and he proves that
no miraculous reformation of manners had taken place; no regnant
hypocrisy nor rampant fanaticism. In 1655, that being the brightest
period of the Commonwealth, he thus 'sighs' over the state of his
country:--'There are but a few places in the Bible but there are
threatenings against one sinner or another; against drunkards,
swearers, liars, proud persons, strumpets, whoremongers, covetous,
railers, extortioners, thieves, lazy persons. In a word, all manner
of sins are reproved, and there is a sore punishment to be executed
on the committers of them; and all this made mention of in the
Scriptures. But for all this, how thick, and by heaps, do these
wretches walk up and down our streets? Do but go into the ale-houses,
and you shall see almost every room besprinkled with them, so
foaming out their own shame that it is enough to make the heart of
a saint to tremble.'[168] This was a true character of the great
masses of the labouring and trading portions of the commonwealth.
Let us hear his testimony also as to the most sacred profession,
the clergy, in 1654:--

'A reason why delusions do so easily take place in the hearts of
the ignorant, is, because those that pretend to be their teachers,
do behave themselves so basely among them. And indeed I may say
of these, as our Lord said of the Pharisees in another case, the
blood of the ignorant shall be laid to their charge. They that
pretend they are sent of the Lord, and come, saying, Thus saith
the Lord; we are the servants of the Lord, our commission is from
the Lord by succession; I say, these pretending themselves to be the
preachers of truth, but are not, do, by their loose conversation,
render the doctrine of God, and his Son Jesus Christ, by whom the
saints are saved, contemptible, and do give the adversary mighty
encouragement, to cry out against the truths of our Lord Jesus
Christ, because of their wicked waling. For the most part of them,
they are the men that at this day do so harden their hearers in
their sins by giving them such ill examples, that none goeth beyond
them for impiety. As, for example, would a parishioner learn to
be proud, he or she need look no farther than to the priest, his
wife, and family; for there is a notable pattern before them. Would
the people learn to be wanton? they may also see a pattern among
their teachers. Would they learn to be drunkards? they may also have
that from some of their ministers; for indeed they are ministers
in this, to minister ill example to their congregations. Again,
would the people learn to be covetous? they need but look to
their minister, and they shall have a lively, or rather a deadly
resemblance set before them, in both riding and running after great
benefices, and parsonages by night and by day. Nay, they among
themselves will scramble for the same. I have seen, that so soon
as a man hath but departed from his benefice as he calls it, either
by death or out of covetousness of a bigger, we have had one priest
from this town, and another from that, so run, for these tithe-cocks
and handfuls of barley, as if it were their proper trade, and calling,
to hunt after the same. O wonderful impiety and ungodliness! are
you not ashamed of your doings? Read Romans 1 towards the end. As
it was with them, so, it is to be feared, it is with many of you,
who knowing the judgments of God, that they who do such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure also in
them that do them. And now you that pretend to be the teachers of
the people in verity and truth, though we know that some of you
are not, is it a small thing with you to set them such an example
as this? Were ever the Pharisees so profane; to whom Christ said,
Ye vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Doth not the
ground groan under you? surely, it will favour you no more than it
favoured your fore-runners. Certainly the wrath of God lies heavy
at your doors, it is but a very little while, and your recompense
shall be upon your own head. And as for you that are indeed of
God among them, though not of them, separate yourselves. Why should
the righteous partake of the same plagues with the wicked? O ye
children of the harlot! I cannot well tell how to have done with
you, your stain is so odious, and you are so senseless, as appears
by your practices.'[169]

The testimony of George Fox as to England's fashions in 1654, is
very pointed and extremely droll:--Men and women are carried away
with fooleries and vanities; gold and silver upon their backs,[170]
store of ribbands hanging about the waist, knees, and feet--red or
white, black or yellow; women with their gold; their spots on their
faces, noses, cheeks, foreheads; rings on their fingers, cuffs
double, like a butcher's white sleeves; ribbands about their hands,
and three or four gold laces about their clothes; men dressed like
fiddlers' boys or stage players; see them playing at bowls, or
at tables, or at shovel-board, or each one decking his horse with
bunches of ribbands on his head, as the rider hath on his own.
These are gentlemen, and brave fellows, that say pleasures are
lawful, and in their sports they should like wild asses. This is
the generation carried away with pride, arrogancy, lust, gluttony,
and uncleanness; who eat and drink and rise up to play, their eyes
full of adultery, and their bodies of the devil's adorning.[171]
Such quotations from the writings of men of undoubted veracity, and
who lived during that period, might be multiplied to fill a volume.

Is this the regnant hypocrisy and rampant fanaticism which prevailed
in England, and which Southey supposes to have influenced Bunyan
and deranged his sober judgment? It is true that the Protector
and his council discountenanced vice and folly, and that there was
more piety and virtue in the kingdom at that time than it had ever
before witnessed. But it would have been the greatest of miracles,
had the people been suddenly moralized, after having been baptized
in brutality for ages. Not a century had elapsed since the autos
da fe had blazed throughout the country, burning the most pious,
moral, and enlightened of her citizens. A century of misery to the
professors of religions had passed, in which the persecutions of
Papists and Puritans, hanging, transporting, murdering by frightful
imprisonments all those who dared to dissent from the church of
England. All this must have produced a debasing effect upon public
morals. Even among professors Bunyan discovered pride, covetousness,
impiety and uncleanness.[172]

Bunyan's religious impressions did not, as Southey states, arise
from his ignorance, brutal manners, low station, nor from the
fanaticism of the age in which he lived. Did the similar feeling of
Job or David spring from these polluted fountains? He is a stranger
to Christ's school that confounds its discipline with mental
drunkenness, or with the other depraved sources alluded to by
Southey. The luxurious imagination which ruled over him, must be
curbed and brought into subjection to Christ. He must be weaned
from a reliance upon sudden impulses to rely upon Divine truth.
The discovery of errors by scriptural investigation was putting
on armour of proof. Self-confidence was gradually swallowed up
by dependence upon the word--the result of the severest spiritual
training. Those painful exercises produced a life of holiness and
usefulness. Can the thistle produce grapes, or the noxious weeds
corn? Never! His experience came from heaven, in mercy to his
soul, and to make him a blessing to millions of his race. By this
he was made truly wise, civilized, enlightened, and elevated.
Every painful feeling was measured by Divine rule--weighed in the
sanctuary balance--not one iota too much or too little to form
his noble character. He has been compared with Lord Byron, one of
our most impassioned thinkers and writers; but the noble poet's
heart-griefs were on the wrong side. Judging of his own feelings
by those painted on his heroes--they fight for freedom only to
gratify lust, pride, and ambition, while the future appeared in
dark, dreary uncertainty. But Bunyan strives to be released from
the slavery of sin and Satan, that he might enjoy the liberty of
being a servant of Christ, whose service is perfect freedom, with a
glorious vista of eternity occasionally breaking in upon his soul.

Well may it be said of him:--Simple, enchanting man! what does not
the world owe to thee and to the great Being who could produce such
as thee? Teacher alike of the infant and of the aged; who canst
direct the first thought and remove the last doubt of man; property
alike of the peasant and the prince; welcomed by the ignorant and
honoured by the wise; thou hast translated Christianity into a new
language, and that a universal one! Thou art the prose poet of all
time!

THE FOURTH PERIOD.

BUNYAN ENTERS INTO CONTROVERSY--BECOMES AN AUTHOR--OFFENDS A
PERSECUTING MAGISTRACY, AND IS PROCEEDED AGAINST AT THE SESSIONS
UNDER AN ACT OF THE COMMONWEALTH--IS ACCUSED OF REPORTING A STRANGE
CHARGE OF WITCHCRAFT--PUBLICLY DISPUTES WITH THE QUAKERS.

In proportion as a man becomes a public character, especially if
eminent for talent and usefulness in the church, so will his enemies
increase. The envy of some and the malice of others will invent
slanders, or, what is worse, put an evil construction upon the
most innocent conduct, in the hope of throwing a shade over that
brightness which reveals their own defects. In this they are aided
by all the craft, and cunning, and power of Satan, the archenemy of
man. The purity of gospel truth carries with it the blessed fruits
of the highest order of civilization; the atmosphere in which it
lives is 'good will to man.' Salvation is a free gift, direct from
God to the penitent sinner. It cannot be obtained by human aid,
nor for all the gold in the universe. It cannot possibly be traded
in, bought, or sold, but is bestowed without money or price. Hence
the opposition of Antichrist. The cry or groan of the contrite
enters heaven and brings down blessings, while the most elegant and
elaborately-composed prayer, not springing from the heart, is read
or recited in vain. Human monarchs must be approached by petitions
drawn up in form, and which may be accepted, although the perfection
of insincerity and hypocrisy. The King of kings accepts no forms;
he knows the heart, and requires the approach of those who worship
him to be in sincerity and in truth; the heart may plead without
words, God accepteth the groans and sighs of those that fear him.
These were the notions that Bunyan had drawn from the Holy Oracles,
and his conversation soon made him a favourite with the Puritans,
while it excited feelings of great hostility among the neighbouring
clergy and magistrates.

Bunyan's conversion from being a pest to the neighbourhood to
becoming a pious man, might have been pardoned had he conformed to
the Directory; but for him to appear as a Dissenter and a public
teacher, without going through the usual course of education and
ordination, was an unpardonable offence. The opinions of man gave
him no concern; all his anxiety was to have the approbation of
his God, and then to walk accordingly, braving all the dangers,
the obloquy, and contempt that might arise from his conscientious
discharge of duties, for the performance of which he knew that he
alone must give a solemn account at the great day.

He entered upon the serious work of the ministry with fear and
trembling, with much heart-searching, earnest prayer, and the advice
of the church to which he was united, not with any pledge to abide
by their decision contrary to his own conviction, but to aid him
in his determination. His own account of these important inquiries
is very striking:--'After I had been about five or six years awakened,
and helped myself to see both the want and worth of Jesus Christ
our Lord, and also enabled to venture my soul upon him, some of
the most able among the saints with us, for judgment and holiness
of life, as they conceived, did perceive that God had counted me
worthy to understand something of his will in His holy and blessed
Word, and had given me utterance, in some measure, to express what
I saw to others for edification; therefore they desired me, and that
with much earnestness, that I would be willing at some times to
take in hand, in one of the meetings, to speak a word of exhortation
unto them. The which, though at the first it did much dash and
abash my spirit, yet being still by them desired and entreated, I
consented to their request, and did twice, at two several assemblies
in private, though with much weakness and infirmity, discover my
gift amongst them; at which they did solemnly protest, as in the
sight of the great God, they were both affected and comforted, and
gave thanks to the Father of mercies for the grace bestowed on me.

'After this, sometimes, when some of them did go into the country
to teach, they would also that I should go with them; where, though
as yet I did not, nor durst not, make use of my gift in an open
way, yet more privately, as I came amongst the good people in those
places, I did sometimes speak a word of admonition unto them also,
the which they, as the other, received with rejoicing at the mercy
of God to me-ward, professing their souls were edified thereby.

'Wherefore at last, being still desired by the church, after some
solemn prayer to the Lord, with fasting, I was more particularly
called forth, and appointed to a more ordinary and public preaching
of the word, not only to and amongst them that believed, but also
to offer the gospel to those who had not yet received the faith
thereof.'[173]

The ministry of Bunyan's pastor, whom he affectionately called
holy Mr. Gifford, must have been wonderfully blessed. In 1650 only
twelve pious men and women were formed into a Christian church,
and, although subject to fierce persecution, they had so increased
that in 1672 ten members had been solemnly set apart for the work
of the ministry, and they became a blessing to the country round
Bedford. The benighted state of the villages was a cause of earnest
prayer that men might be sent out, apt to teach, and willing to
sacrifice liberty, and even life, to promote the peaceful reign of
the Redeemer. The names of the men who were thus set apart were--John
Bunyan, Samuel Fenn, Joseph Whiteman, John Fenn, Oliver Scott, Luke
Ashwood, Thomas Cooper, Edward Dent, Edward Isaac, and Nehemiah
Coxe.[174] Four of these were permitted to fulfil their course
without notoriety; the others were severely persecuted, fined and
imprisoned, but not forsaken.

Encouraged by the opinion of the church which had been so prayerfully
formed, that it was his duty to proclaim the glad tidings of
salvation, Bunyan entered upon his important work, and was soon
encouraged by a hope that his labours were useful to his fellow-men.
'About this time,' he narrates, 'I did evidently find in my mind
a secret pricking forward thereto, though, I bless God, not for
desire of vain glory, for at that time I was most sorely afflicted
with the fiery darts of the devil concerning my eternal state. But
yet I could not be content unless I was found in the exercise of
my gift; unto which also I was greatly animated, not only by the
continual desires of the godly, but also by that saying of Paul to
the Corinthians, "I beseech you, brethren [ye know the household
of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they
have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints], that ye
submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with
us, and laboureth" (1 Cor 16:15,16).

'By this text I was made to see that the Holy Ghost never intended
that men, who have gifts and abilities, should bury them in the
earth, but rather did command and stir up such to the exercise of
their gift, and also did commend those that were apt and ready so
to do.

'Wherefore, though of myself, of all the saints the most unworthy,
yet I, but with great fear and trembling at the sight of my own
weakness, did set upon the work, and did according to my gift, and
the proportion of my faith, preach that blessed gospel that God
had showed me in the holy Word of truth; which, when the country
understood, they came in to hear the Word by hundreds, and that from
all parts. And I thank God he gave unto me some measure of bowels
and pity for their souls, which did put me forward to labour with
great diligence and earnestness, to find out such a word as might,
if God would bless it, lay hold of and awaken the conscience, in
which also the good Lord had respect to the desire of his servant;
for I had not preached long before some began to be touched, and
be greatly afflicted in their minds at the apprehension of the
greatness of their sin, and of their need of Jesus Christ.

'But I at first could not believe that God should speak by me to
the heart of any man, still counting myself unworthy; yet those
who were thus touched would love me, and have a particular respect
for me; and though I did put it from me that they should be awakened
by me, still they would confess it, and affirm it before the saints
of God. They would also bless God for me, unworthy wretch that I
am! and count me God's instrument that showed to them the way of
salvation.

'Wherefore, seeing them in both their words and deeds to be so
constant, and also in their hearts so earnestly pressing after the
knowledge of Jesus Christ, rejoicing that ever God did send me where
they were; then I began to conclude that it might be so, that God
had owned in his work such a foolish one as I; and then came that
word of God to my heart with much sweet refreshment, "The blessing
of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the
widow's heart to sing for joy" (Job 29:13).

'At this therefore I rejoiced; yea, the tears of those whom God
did awaken by my preaching would be both solace and encouragement
to me. I thought on those sayings, "Who is he that maketh me glad,
but the same that is made sorry by me" (2 Cor 2:2). And again,
"Though I be not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am unto you:
for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord" (1 Cor 9:2).
These things, therefore, were as an another argument unto me, that
God had called me to, and stood by me in this work.

'In my preaching of the Word I took special notice of this one
thing, namely, that the Lord did lead me to begin where his Word
begins with sinners; that is, to condemn all flesh, and to open
and allege, that the curse of God by the law doth belong to, and
lay hold on all men as they come into the world, because of sin.
Now this part of my work I fulfilled with great feeling, for the
terrors of the law, and guilt for my transgressions, lay heavy on
my own conscience. I preached what I felt, what I smartingly did
feel, even that under which my poor soul did groan and tremble to
astonishment. Indeed, I have been as one sent to them from the
dead; I went myself in chains to preach to them in chains; and
carried that fire in my own conscience that I persuaded them to
beware of.[175] I can truly say, that when I have been to preach,
I have gone full of guilt and terror even to the pulpit-door, and
there it hath been taken off, and I have been at liberty in my
mind until I have done my work, and then, immediately, even before
I could get down the pulpit stairs, I have been as bad as I was
before: yet God carried me on with a strong hand, for neither guilt
nor hell could take me off my work. Thus I went on for the space
of two years, crying out against men's sins, and their fearful
state because of them.'[176]

A man so much in earnest soon became a most acceptable and popular
preacher. He studied his sermons carefully, and wrote such memorandums
and notes as might refresh his memory before going into the pulpit,
although his intensity of feeling, his ready utterance, and natural
eloquence which charmed his hearers, and his extensive usefulness
as a preacher, render it quite improbable that he restricted himself
to notes while publicly engaged in sacred services. They must have
aided him when he did not enjoy liberty of utterance. 'At times
when I have begun to speak the Word with much liberty, I have been
presently so straitened in speech that I scarcely knew what I was
about, or as if my head had been in a bag.'[177] They were valuable,
also, as a proof that all he said had its exclusive reference to
the world to come, without the mixture of politics, which might
have given offence to the Government. Thus, when he was apprehended
for neglecting to attend the church service and for preaching the
gospel, in his conversation with Mr. Cobb, the magistrate's clerk,
he said 'that, to cut off all occasions of suspicion from any,
as touching the harmlessness of my doctrine, in private I would
willingly take the pains to give any one the notes of all my
sermons, for I do sincerely desire to live quietly in my country,
and to submit to the present authority.'[178] In such troublesome
times these would afford abundant proof that he was desirous of
submitting to all the political institutions of his country, while
he dared not conform to human laws affecting his faith or his mode
of worshipping God, for which he alone was to stand answerable at
the great day.

The employment of his time in earning a maintenance for his family,
and his constant engagements to preach, interfered with the proper
fulfillment of his duties as a deacon of the church. His resignation
of this important office is thus recorded in the minutes of the
church--'At a meeting held on the 27th of the 6th month, 1657, the
deacon's office was transferred from John Bunyan to John Pernie,
because he could no longer discharge its duties aright, in consequence
of his being so much employed in preaching.'

We cannot wonder that his time was incessantly employed. His was
no ordinary case. He had to recover and improve upon the little
education he had received, and lost again by dissipated habits. He
must have made every effort, by his diligent study of the Bible,
to gain that spiritual knowledge which alone could enable him
to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ, and that profound
internal converse with the throne of God which appears in all his
writings. In addition to all this, he was engaged in continual
controversy with a variety of sects, which, in his sober judgment,
opposed the simplicity of the gospel. Among these the Ranters, or
Sweet Singers, were very conspicuous. It is difficult to discover
what were their opinions, but they appear to have been nearly
like the Dutch Adamites; they were severely persecuted, by public
authority, under the Commonwealth, for blasphemy. George Fox
found some of them in prison at Coventry in 1649, and held a short
disputation with them. They claimed each one to be GOD, founding
their notion on such passages as 1 Corinthians 14:25, 'God is in
you of a truth.' Fox quaintly asked them whether it would rain the
next day; and upon their answering that they could not tell, 'Then
said I unto them, God can tell.'[179] Strange as it may appear,
the Ranters had many followers, while numerous pious people were
troubled by their impudence and perversion of Scripture, but more
especially by their being a persecuted people. Taking advantage of
the inquiries that were excited by these strange doctrines, Bunyan
determined to become an author, that he might set forth more
extensively than he could do by preaching, the truths of the gospel
in their native purity, simplicity, and beauty, as an antidote to
fanaticism. The learned and eloquent looked with contempt upon the
follies of the Ranters, Familists, and some loose Quakers, 'and
only deigned to abuse them with raillery, while the poor unlettered
tinker wrote against them.' To indite a work would be to him a
pleasant recreation, but writing a book must have been extremely
difficult, and have required extraordinary patience. This will be
better seen by a specimen of his handwriting, now in the Bedford
Library, found in Fox's Book of Martyrs, the three volumes of which
beguiled many of his tedious hours when in prison.

To write a volume, containing about twenty-five thousand words,
must have been a serious task to such a scribe.

It is interesting to trace his improvement in calligraphy while
recovering his lost education, and advancing in proficiency in an
art so essential to his constantly extending usefulness. The next
is a more useful running hand, however defective in orthography
and grammar; it is from the first page of a copy of Bishop Andrews'
sermons[180]--

The inscription in a copy of his Holy City, 1665, in Dr. Williams'
or the Dissenter's Library, Red Cross Street, is in a still more
useful hand, as good as that of most authors of that day--

The autograph in Powell's Concordance, in the library of the Baptist
Academy, Bristol, is in a fair hand--

His autograph is in possession of the Society of Antiquaries. The
document to which it is subscribed is written in a remarkably neat
hand, addressed to the Lord Protector. The signatures appear to be
written as if in the writer's best style.[181]

Signature to the deed of gift[182]--

In addition to the motives which have been noticed as inducing
him to become an author, it appears, that in the course of his
itinerating labours, he was much grieved with the general depravity
which had overspread all classes of society. Evil communications
had corrupted the great mass, and occasioned an aversion to hear
the gospel, which plunged the people into carnal security. When
roused by his preaching they too often found refuge in despair, or
in vain attempts to impose upon God their unholy self-righteousness,
endeavouring 'to earn heaven with their fingers' ends';[183]
anything rather than submit to receive salvation as the free gift
of God, and thus be led to consecrate all their powers to his glory
and the comfort of society. A few who appeared to have thought on
this solemn subject, without any change of conduct, are called by
Bunyan 'light notionists, with here and there a legalist,'[184] or
those who relied upon a creed without the fruits of righteousness,
and some of these imbibed notions of the strangest kind--that the
light within was all-sufficient, without any written revelation of
the will of God--that the account of Christ's personal appearance
on earth was a myth, to represent his residence in the persons of
believers, in whom he suffers, is crucified, buried, and raised
again to spiritual life--that such persons might do whatever their
inclinations led them to, without incurring guilt or sin; in short,
many sinned that grace might abound!! Some of them professed to
be the Almighty God manifest in the flesh. All this took place in
what was called a Christian country, upon which millions of treasure
had been spent to teach religion by systems, which had persecuted
the honest, pious professors of vital Christianity to bonds,
imprisonment, and death. This had naturally involved the kingdom
in impiety and gross immorality. The discovery of the awful state
of his country, while he was engaged in preaching in the villages
round Bedford induced him, in the humble hope of doing good, to
become an author, and with trembling anxiety he issued to the world
the first production of his pen, in 1656, under the title of Some
Gospel Truths Opened According to the Scriptures; and, as we shall
presently find, it met with a rough reception, plunging him into
controversy, which in those days was conducted with bitter acrimony.

Before it was published, he sought the approbation and protection
of Mr. John Burton, who had been united with Mr. Gifford in the
pastoral charge of the church to which Bunyan belonged. The testimony
that he gives is very interesting:--

'Here thou hast things certain and necessary to be believed, which
thou canst not too much study. Therefore pray that thou mayest
receive it, so it is according to the Scriptures, in faith and
love, not as the word of man but as the word of God, and be not
offended, because Christ holds forth the glorious treasure of the
gospel to thee in a poor earthen vessel, by one who hath neither
the greatness nor the wisdom of this world to commend him to thee;
for as the Scriptures saith, Christ, who was low and contemptible
in the world himself, ordinarily chooseth such for himself and for
the doing of his work. "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called: but God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world." This man [Bunyan] is not chosen out of an
earthly, but out of the heavenly university, the church of Christ,
furnished with the Spirit, gifts, and graces of Christ--out of
which, to the end of the world, the word of the Lord and all true
gospel ministers must proceed. And, though this man hath not the
learning or wisdom of man; yet, through grace, he hath received the
teaching of God, and the learning of the Spirit of Christ. He hath
taken these three heavenly degrees--union with Christ, the anointing
of the Spirit, and experience of the temptations of Satan--which
do more fit a man for the mighty work of preaching the gospel, than
all the university learning and degrees that can be had. I have
had experience with many other saints of this man's [Bunyan's]
soundness in the faith, his godly conversation, and his ability to
preach the gospel, not by human art, but by the Spirit of Christ,
and that with much success in the conversion of sinners. I thought
it my duty to bear witness with my brother to these glorious truths
of the Lord Jesus Christ.'[185]

Bunyan was twenty-eight years of age when he published this work,
and as he attacked the follies of his times, and what he deemed to
be heresies, were exposed to Scripture light and condemned without
mercy, it very naturally involved him in controversy. This brought
forth the remarkable resources of his mind, which was stored with
the Scriptures--his fearlessness--ready wit and keen retort, much
sanctified by an earnest desire for the salvation of his opponents.
An extraordinary man, younger than himself, full of energy and
enthusiasm, entered the lists with him; and in Edward Burrough,
very properly called a son of thunder and of consolation, Bunyan
found an able disputant. He was talented, pious, and fearless in his
Master's work, and became eminently useful in laying the foundation
of the Society of Friends. Soon after this he was numbered with the
noble army of martyrs at the age of twenty-eight, being sacrificed
in Newgate, at the shrine of religious intolerance.

At this time the Quakers were not united as a body, and consequently
there was no test of character nor rules of discipline for those
who assumed that name. They were very dissimilar men to their quiet
and unobtrusive descendants. The markets, fairs, and every public
concourse were attended by them, denouncing false weights and
measures, drunkenness and villany, with the curses of the Almighty,
calling upon the people, frequently with furious and fearful energy
and powerful eloquence, to repent, and cry unto God, that his mercy
might be extended to the salvation of their immortal souls. their
zeal led them to many breaches of good manners. They would enter
churches, and after the service, when the quiet folks were thinking
of gratifying their bodies with a substantial dinner, they were
arrested by the violent declamation of a man or woman, frequently
denouncing the priest as being the blind leading the blind.
This naturally led to a scene of riot and confusion, in which the
Quakers were in many cases handled with great barbarity. among these
disturbers were mingled persons of bad character. The violence of
sectarian feeling in the churches thus disturbed, made no discrimination
between bad and good; they were equally subjected to the roughest
treatment. Bunyan attacked those who denied that Christ had appeared
in the world as Emmanuel, God with us 'in fashion as a man,' that
by the infinite merits of his life and death imputed to believers,
they might be made holy. His attack was also directed against those
who refused obedience to the written Word, or who relied upon inward
light in contradistinction and preference to the Bible. The title
to Burrough's answer is a strange contrast to the violence of his
language--The Gospel of Peace Contended for in the Spirit of Meekness
and Love. In this spirit of meekness he calls his opponents 'crafty
fowlers preying upon the innocent'; and lovingly exclaims, 'How
long shall the righteous be a prey to your teeth, ye subtle foxes;
your dens are in darkness, and your mischief is hatched upon your
beds of secret whoredoms.' The unhallowed spirit of the age mistook
abuse for argument, and harsh epithets for faithful dealing.[186]

Bunyan replied in A Vindication of Gospel Truths, to the great
satisfaction of all his friends; and although Burrough answered
this tract also, Bunyan very wisely allowed his railing opponent to
have the last word, and applied his great powers to more important
labours than caviling with one who in reality did not differ with
him. The Quaker had been seriously misled by supposing that the
Baptist was a hireling preacher; and we must be pleased that he was
so falsely charged, because it elicited a crushing reply. Burrough,
in reply to an imputation made by Bunyan, that the Quakers were
the false prophets alluded to in Scripture, observed that 'in those
days there was not a Quaker heard of.' 'Friend,' replied Bunyan,
'thou hast rightly said, there was not a Quaker heard of indeed,
though there were many Christians heard of then. Again, to defend
thyself thou throwest the dirt in my face, saying, If we should
diligently trace thee, we should find thee in the steps of the
false prophets, through fancied words, through covetousness, making
merchandise of souls, loving the wages of unrighteousness.' To
which Bunyan replied; 'Friend, dost thou speak this as from thy
own knowledge, or did any other tell thee so? However, that spirit
that led thee out this way, is a lying spirit; for though I be poor,
and of no repute in the world as to outward things, yet through
grace I have learned, by the example of the apostle, to preach the
truth, and also to work with my hands, both for mine own living,
and for those that are with me, when I have opportunity. And I
trust that the Lord Jesus, who hath helped me to reject the wages
of unrighteousness hitherto, will also help me still, so that I
shall distribute that which God hath given me freely, and not for
filthy lucre sake.'[187] Thus had he learned of the apostle to
'make the gospel of Christ without charge' (1 Cor 9:18); and upon
this subject they strangely agreed. The same agreement existed
between them upon the necessity of inward light from the Holy
Spirit; without which they both considered the Bible to be a dead
letter. The peculiar principle which separates the Quaker from
every other Christian community, has nothing to do with the light
within. Upon that subject all evangelical sects are agreed. The
substantial difference is whether our Lord intended the work of
the ministry to be exclusively a work of benevolence, charity, and
love, binding all who are capable of using the talent intrusted
to them, to do it without worldly reward. Surely every man may be
satisfied in his own mind upon such a subject, without quarrelling
with, or anathematizing each other. Bunyan and Burrough agreed,
without knowing it, in the sentiments of their illustrious and
learned cotemporary, John Milton, as to the ministry being without
charge; and had they, when offended, followed their Master's rule,
'If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him along' (Matt 18:15), had they met, and on
their knees before the throne of grace, sought from heaven wisdom
and charity in defending Divine truth, we can easily imagine that
the approbation of God would have been manifested, by sending them
on their important work in peaceful unity. They had been immersed
in the same deep and solemn regeneration, and their ardent object
was the same--to spread the influence of the kingdom of Christ.

When Christians of various denominations meet in prayer, how it melts
down their sectarian bitterness. In this controversy, mention is
made of a total abstinence movement in the time of the commonwealth,
a germ which has put forth its mighty efforts in our more peaceful
and happy times. A cloud now hovered over Bunyan, and threatened
him with troubles of a very different kind to those of religious
controversy. It will startle many of our readers to hear that,
under the government of Cromwell, Bunyan was persecuted for his
religious opinions and practices. Mr. Jukes, in his interesting
History of Bunyan's Church, thus refers to it: 'Soon after he had
resigned the office of deacon in 1657, the hand of persecution was
raised against him; for at a meeting of the church, held on the
25th day of the twelfth month, in the same year (Feb. 1658), it
was agreed that the 3d day of the next month be set apart to seek
God in the behalf of our brother Wheeler, who hath been long ill in
body, whereby his ministry hath been hindered; and also about the
church affairs, and the affairs of the nation; and for our brother
Whitbread, who has long been ill; and also for counsel what to do
with respect to the indictment of brother Bunyan at the assizes,
for preaching at Eaton.'[188]

Although persecution for religious opinions assumed a milder form
under the Commonwealth, the great principles of religious freedom
and equality were neither known nor practiced. The savage barbarities
perpetrated upon Prynne, Bastwick, Burton, Leighton, and others,
by Charles I and his archbishop, Laud, were calculated to open the
eyes of the nation to the wickedness and inutility of sanguinary
or even any laws to govern the conscience, or interfere with Divine
worship. Alas! even those who suffered and survived became, in
their turn, persecutors. The great object of persecution was the
book of Common Prayer, the use of which was rigorously prohibited.
The clergy were placed in an extremely awkward predicament. No
sooner was the Act of Parliament passed ordering the Directory to
be used and the Prayer-book to be laid aside, than the king, by his
royal proclamation, issued from Oxford, November 13, 1645, ordered
the Directory to be set aside, and the Common Prayer to be used
in all the churches and chapels. Both these orders were under very
severe penalties.

The Act against atheistical opinions, which passed August 9, 1650,
illustrates the extraordinary state of the times. The preamble states
that, 'Divers men and women have lately discovered themselves to
be most monstrous in their opinions, and loose in all wicked and
abominable practices.' It then enacts that--'Any one, not being mad,
who pretends to be God Almighty, or who declares that unrighteousness,
uncleanness, swearing, drunkenness, and the like filthiness and
brutishness, or denying the existence of God, or who shall profess
that murder, adultery, incest, fornication, uncleanness, filthy or
lascivious speaking, are not wicked, sinful, impious, abominable,
and detestable, shall be imprisoned, and, for a second offence, be
transported.'[189]

One of the Acts that affected Bunyan was passed April 26, 1645,
cap. 52--'None may preach but ordained ministers, except such as,
intending the ministry, shall, for trial of their gifts, be allowed
by such as be appointed by both houses of Parliament.' This was
amended by 'an ordinance appointing commissioners for approbation
of public preachers,' March, 1653. In this Dr. Owen, Goodwin, Caryl,
and many others are named, who were to judge of the candidate's
fitness to preach.[190] The Act which more seriously touched Bunyan
was that of May 2, 1648, which enacts that any person saying,
'that man is bound to believe no more than by his reason he can
comprehend, or that the baptizing of infants is unlawful, or such
baptism is void, and that such persons ought to be baptized again,
and, in pursuance thereof, shall baptize any person formerly baptized,
shall be imprisoned until he gives security that he will not publish
or maintain the said error any more.'[191] It was these intolerant
proceedings that led Milton to publish a poem On the New Forcers
of Conscience, beginning with these lines--


   'Dare ye, for this, adjure the civil sword,
    To force our consciences that Christ set free.'


This last-mentioned ungracious and uncalled-for Act against the
Baptists, led some violent spirits to print a paper, entitled,
'The Second Part of England's new Chains Discovered,' this was read
in many Baptist meeting-houses, and the congregations called upon
to subscribe it: fortunately, they were peaceably disposed, and
denounced it to the House of Commons in a petition, dated April 2,
1649. Mr. Kiffin and the others were called in, when the Speaker
returned them this answer--'The House doth take notice of the good
affection to the Parliament and public you have expressed, both
in this petition and otherways. They have received satisfaction
thereby, concerning your disclaiming that pamphlet, which gave such
just offence to the Parliament, and also concerning your disposition
to live peaceably, and in submission to the civil magistracy; your
expressions whereof they account very Christian and seasonable.
That for yourselves and other Christians, walking answerable to
such professions as in this petition you make, they do assure you
of liberty and protection, so far as God shall enable them, in all
things consistent with godliness, honesty, and civil peace.'[192]
Whether it was in consequence of this good understanding having
remained between the Baptists and the Parliament, or from some
application to the Protector, or from some unknown cause, the
persecution was stayed;[193] for the indictment does not appear to
have been tried, and Bunyan is found to have been present, and to
have taken a part in the affairs of the church, until the 25th day
of the 2d Month, 1660 (April), when 'it was ordered, according to
our agreement, that our brother, John Bunyan, do prepare to speak
a word at the next church meeting and that our brother Whiteman
fail not to speak to him of it.'[194]

This invitation was very probably intended to introduce him to the
congregation, with a view to his becoming an assistant pastor, but
before it took place, he again appeared before the public as an
author. The second production of his pen is a solemn and most searching
work, founded upon the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, under
the title of A Few Sighs from Hell, or the Groans of a Damned
Soul; by that poor and contemptible Servant of Jesus Christ, John
Bunyan, 1658. His humility led him to seek the patronage of his
pastor; and Mr. Gifford, under the initials of J. G., wrote a
preface of thirty-eight pages, but he dying before it reached the
second edition, that preface was discontinued, and the title somewhat
altered. The only copy of this first edition yet discovered is in
the royal library at the British Museum. It appears to have belonged
to Charles II, who, with more wit than decorum, has bound it up,
as a supplement, to an extremely licentious book, as if it was
intended to say, 'Her house is the way to hell, going down to the
chamber of death'; or that a licentious life endeth in 'sighs from
hell.'

Mr. Gifford, in this preface, after strongly recommending the work,
speaks of the author in the most respectful and affectionate terms,
showing that his zeal, and energy, and great usefulness had excited
the envy of many who ought to have encouraged him as one taught
by the Spirit, and used in his hand to do souls good--'divers have
felt the power of the Word delivered by him; and I doubt not but
that many more may, if the Lord continues him in his work'; and he
gives this as a reason 'why the archers have shot so sorely at him';
and then scripturally proves that no objection should be made to
his valuable services from his want of human learning. As the whole
of this interesting preface is accurately reprinted with the book,
the reader is referred to it without further extracts.[195] The
Editor's introduction to these Sighs was written under very solemn
feelings, produced by reading this searching treatise. The rich
man is intended to personify those who, neglecting salvation, die
in their sins, while Lazarus personates all those who humbly receive
salvation as the gift of God; who, however they may suffer in this
world, retain their integrity to death. In this parable, a voice
is heard from the place of torment--the cry is a 'drop of water,'
the slightest relief to unutterable woes; and that a messenger may
be sent to warn his relatives, lest they should be plunged into the
same torment. The impassable gulf defies the vain request, while
the despised Christian reposes in everlasting and indescribable
enjoyment. This little volume was very popular; nine editions were
printed and sold in the author's lifetime, besides pirated copies.
Bunyan's feelings and mode of preaching are well described in the
Grace Abounding,[196] and will be felt by every attentive reader
of his Sighs from Hell:--'When I have been preaching, I thank God,
my heart hath often, with great earnestness, cried to God that
he would make the Word effectual to the salvation of the soul.
Wherefore I did labour so to speak the Word, as that thereby, if
it were possible, the sin and person guilty might be particularized
by it.'

'And when I have done the exercise, it hath gone to my heart,
to think the Word should now fall as rain on stony places; still
wishing from my heart, O! that they who have heard me speak this
day, did but see as I do, what sin, death, hell, and the curse
of God is; and also what the grace, and love, and mercy of God
is, through Christ, to men in such a case as they are who are yet
estranged from him.

'For I have been in my preaching, especially when I have been
engaged in the doctrine of life by Christ, without works, as if an
angel of God had stood by at my back to encourage me.'

Such feelings are not limited to Bunyan, but are most anxiously
felt by all our pious ministers. How fervently ought their hearers
to unite in approaches to the mercy-seat, that the Divine blessing
may make the Word fruitful.

In those days it was not an uncommon thing for the hearers, at the
close of the sermon, to put questions to the preacher, sometimes
to elicit truth, or to express a cordial union of sentiments, or
to contradict what the minister had said. Upon one occasion, Mr.
Bunyan, after his sermon, had a singular dispute with a scholar.
It is narrated by Mr. C. Doe, who was a personal friend and great
admirer of our author, and who probably heard it from his own mouth,
and will be found in the Struggler, inserted vol. iii., p. 767.

It is the common taunt of the scorner, and sometimes a stone of
stumbling to the inquirer, that, while the Christian believes in
the intensity of the Saviour's sufferings, and that God was made
flesh that he might offer himself as an atonement to redeem mankind,
yet few are saved, in comparison with those who are lost--broad is
the way that leadeth to destruction, and many walk therein, while
few attempt the narrow way to life; that four sorts of hearers
are described by the Saviour, only one receiving the truth; as if
the doleful realms of darkness and misery would be more thickly
peopled than those of light and happiness, and Satan prove stronger
than Christ. Such cavilers forget that the far greater portion of
mankind die in infancy, purified by the Saviour's sufferings, and
enter heaven in the perfection of manhood. As Mr. Toplady justly
observes, what a vista does this open to the believer through the
dreary gloom of the infidel! They forget, also, that all those who
gain the narrow path, once helped to throng the road to destruction;
and that the hearers, whose hardened deceitful hearts rejected the
gospel under one sermon, may, by mercy, have them opened to receive
it under another. And who dares to limit the Almighty? The power
that prepared the spirit of the thief, when upon the cross, even in
his last moments, for the pure enjoyments of heaven, still exists.
Is the arm of the Lord shortened that he cannot save? The myriads of
heaven will be found countless as are the sands upon the sea-shore,
and the harmony of their worship shall swell like the voice of
many waters and mighty thunderings, saying, 'Alleluja, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth.' What! Satan stronger than the Almighty
Redeemer? Perish the thought. Still how common is the question,
which one of the disciples put to his master, 'Lord, are there few
that be saved?' How striking the answer! 'Strive to enter in at the
strait gate' (Luke 13:23). Encumber not thy mind with such needless
inquiries, but look to thine own salvation.

Another very singular anecdote is related, which proves that the
use of the churches was not then limited to any one sect. 'Being
to preach in a church in a country village (before the restoration
of king Charles) in Cambridgeshire, and the people being gathered
together in the church-yard, a Cambridge scholar, and none of the
soberest of 'em neither, enquired what the meaning of that concourse
of people was, it being upon the week day, and being told, That one
Bunyan, a tinker, was to preach there, he gave a boy twopence to
hold his horse, saying, He was resolved to hear the tinker prate;
and so went into the church to hear him. But God met with him there
by his ministry, so that he came out much changed, and would, by
his good will, hear none but the tinker for a long time after, he
himself becoming a very eminent preacher in that county afterwards.
This story I know to be true, having many a time discoursed with
the man, and, therefore, I could not but set it down as a singular
instance of the power of God that accompanied his ministry.'[197]

Bunyan's veneration for the Scriptures, as the only source and
standard of religious knowledge, led him into frequent controversies.
In common with the Christian world, he wholly depended upon the
enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit to impress the Divine
truths of revelation upon the mind, and also to illustrate, open,
and apply the sacred writings to the heart of man. Unable to read
the Bible in the original languages in which it was written, he
wisely made use of every aid that might enable him to study its
contents with the greatest advantage. It was his habit to examine
the two translations then in common use. The present authorized
version, first published in 1611, is that to which he usually
refers; comparing it with the favourite Puritan version made by the
refugees at Geneva, and first printed in 1560. He sometimes quotes
the Genevan, and so familiar were the two translations, that in
several instances he mixes them in referring from memory to passages
of holy writ.

Upon one of his journeys, being upon the road near Cambridge, he
was overtaken by a scholar, who concluded that he was an itinerant
preacher, whether from having heard him, or observing his serious
deportment, or his Bible reading, does not appear, although the
latter was probably the reason. But the student determined to have
a brush with him, and said, 'How dare you preach from the Bible,
seeing you have not the original, being not a scholar?' Then said
Mr. Bunyan, 'Have you the original?' 'Yes, said the scholar.' 'Nay,
but,' said Mr. Bunyan, 'have you the very self-same original copies
that were written by the penmen of the Scriptures, prophets and
apostles?' 'No,' said the scholar, 'but we have the true copies of
these originals.' 'How do you know that?' said Mr. Bunyan. 'How?'
said the scholar. 'Why, we believe what we have is a true copy
of the original.' 'Then,' said Mr. Bunyan, 'so do I believe our
English Bible is a true copy of the original.' Then away rid the
scholar.[198] As neither persecution nor railing, nor temptations,
nor the assaults of Satan, produced any effect upon Bunyan to prevent
his preaching, but rather excited his zeal and energy, means of
a more deadly nature were resorted to, to injure or prevent his
usefulness. As Mr. Gifford said, 'The archers shot sorely at him'
by the most infamous and unfounded slanders, which he thus narrates:--

'When Satan perceived that his thus tempting and assaulting of me
would not answer his design, to wit, to overthrow my ministry, and
make it ineffectual, as to the ends thereof: then he tried another
way, which was to stir up the minds of the ignorant and malicious
to load me with slanders and reproaches. Now, therefore, I may say,
that what the devil could devise, and his instruments invent, was
whirled up and down the country against me, thinking, as I said,
that by that means they should make my ministry to be abandoned.
It began, therefore, to be rumoured up and down among the people,
that I was a witch, a Jesuit, a highwayman, and the like. To all
which, I shall only say, God knows that I am innocent. But as for
mine accusers, let them provide themselves to meet me before the
tribunal of the Son of God, there to answer for all these things,
with all the rest of their iniquities, unless God shall give them
repentance for them, for the which I pray with all my heart.

'But that which was reported with the boldest confidence, was, that
I had my misses, yea, two wives at once, and the like. Now these
slanders, with the others, I glory in, because but slanders, foolish,
or knavish lies, and falsehoods cast upon me by the devil and his
seed; and should I not be dealt with thus wickedly by the world,
I should want one sign of a saint, and a child of God. "Blessed
are ye (said the Lord Jesus) when men shall revile you and persecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in
heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

'These things therefore, upon mine own account, trouble me not. No,
though they were twenty times more than they are, I have a good
conscience; and whereas they speak evil of me, they shall be ashamed
that falsely accuse my good conversation in Christ. Therefore I
bind these lies and slanders to me as an ornament, it belongs to
my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached, and
reviled. I rejoice in reproaches for Christ's sake. My foes have
missed their mark in this their shooting at me. I am not the man.
If all the fornicators and adulterers in England were hanged by
the neck till they be dead, John Bunyan, the object of their envy,
would be still alive and well. I know not whether there be such
a thing as a woman breathing under the copes of the whole heaven,
but by their apparel, their children, or by common fame, except my
wife.

'And in this I admire the wisdom of God, that he made me shy of
women from my first conversion until now. When I have seen good men
salute those women that they have visited, I have made my objection
against it; and when they have answered, that it was but a piece of
civility, I have told them, it is not a comely sight. Some indeed
have urged the holy kiss; but then I have asked why they made baulks,
why they did salute the most handsome, and let the ill-favoured
go. Not that I have been thus kept, because of any goodness in me,
more than any other, but God has been merciful to me, and has kept
me, to whom I pray that he will keep me still, not only from this,
but every evil way and work, and preserve me to his heavenly kingdom.
Amen.'[199]

Notwithstanding all Mr. Bunyan's care to avoid the slightest
appearance of evil, yet being over-persuaded to an act of humanity
and civility to one of his female members, he was most unjustly
calumniated. The circumstances which gave rise to this slander
are narrated in James's Abstract of God's dealings with Mrs. Agnes
Beaumont, of which an abridged account will be found in a note to
the Grace Abounding.[200] It exhibits in a remarkable manner how
easily such reports are raised against the holiest men.

Another still more extraordinary and unnatural charge was made
against Bunyan. He lived at a period when witchcraft, witches,
and wizards were in the height of fashion. Any poor woman who had
outlived or had become a burden to her natural protectors, and
whose temper was soured by infirmities, especially if her language
was vulgar and her appearance repulsive, ran the risk of being
defamed as a witch. If in her neighbourhood a murrain seized the
cattle, or a disease entered a family which baffled the little
knowledge of the country practitioners--such as epilepsy, St. Vitus'
dance, or St. Anthony's fire--it was ascribed to witchcraft, and
vengeance was wreaked upon any reputed witch. In many parts of
England she was tried by a kind of Lynch law, in a very summary
manner. Her hands and feet being bound together, she was thrown
into deep water; if she sank, and was drowned, she was declared
innocent; if she swam, it was a proof of guilt, and a little form
of law condemned her to the stake or halter. In Scotland, they were
treated with greater barbarity; they were awfully tortured--thumb-screws,
the boots to crush their knees, pricking them with needles or awls
night and day, to prevent a moment's rest, were persevered in--until
a confession was extorted, to be followed by a frightful death. The
ignorance that prevailed may account for the faith of the vulgar
in witchcraft; but that learned divines, and even the enlightened
Judge Hale, should fall into the delusion, is most surprising.
The charge against Bunyan was, that he had circulated some paper
libeling a most respectable widow, a Quakeress, as a witch. This
paper cannot now be discovered; but the story is so perfectly
ridiculous as to render it quite improbable that Bunyan had any
knowledge of it. The account is contained in a rare pamphlet of
four leaves, preserved in the very curious library of the Society
of Friends at Devonshire House, Bishopsgate. It is entitled, 'A
lying wonder discovered, and the strange and terrible news from
Cambridge proved false; which false news is published in a libel,
concerning a wicked slander cast upon a Quaker; but the author
of the said libel was ashamed to subscribe his name to it. Also,
this contains an answer to John Bunion's paper, touching the said
imagined witchcraft, which he hath given forth to your wonderment,
as he saith; but it is also proved a lie and a slander by many
credible witnesses hereafter mentioned.'[201] It narrates that
Margaret Pryor, of Long Stanton, indicted, on the 28th July, 1659,
the widow Morlin, a Quaker lady, for having, on the 29th November,
1657, took her out of bed from her husband in the night, put a
bridle in her mouth, and transformed her into a bay mare, and with
a Quaker, William Allen, rode upon her to Maddenly House, a distance
of four miles; that they made her fast to the latch of the door,
while she saw them partake of a feast of mutton, rabbits, and lamb
[lamb in November!!]; that they shone like angels, and talked of
doctrine, and that she knew some of the guests; that her feet were
a little sore, but not her hands, nor was she dirty. In examining
her, the judge elicited that she made no mention of the story for
a year and three-quarters, and that her deposition then was that
some evil spirit changed her into a bay-horse; that her hands and
feet were lamentably bruised, and changed as black as a coal; that
she had her chemise on, which was all bloody, from her sides being
rent and torn with the spurs. All this was unknown to her husband;
nor had she accounted for her chemise so strangely fitting a horse
or mare. It was proved that the complainant had received money for
bringing the charge, and pretended to have burnt some of her hair
with elder-bark, as a counter-charm to prevent it happening again.
The judge summed up with observing that it was a mere dream or
phantasy, and that the complainant was the sorceress, by practicing
incantations in burning her hair and bark. The jury found a verdict
of--not guilty; and thus two innocent persons were saved by an
enlightened judge from an ignominious death. It is almost incredible
that, even after the trial, priests and magistrates who had promoted
the prosecution professed to believe that the charge was true. This
singular narrative, in defence of the poor persecuted Quakeress,
is signed James Blackley, an alderman, George Whitehead, and three
others. No one can believe that John Bunyan gave credit to such
a tale, or mentioned it to the injury of the parties accused. His
reply was, that these slanders were devised by the devil and his
instruments--'God knows that I am innocent.' The probability is,
that the pamphlet called Strange News from Cambridge had been sent
to him, and that he gave it to some Quaker to answer.

Considering the almost universal belief in witchcraft in those
days--that Baxter, Cotton Mather, Clarke, and many of our most
eminent divines, believed in it--and that Bunyan received the
Scriptures in our authorized translation with the deepest reverence,
it becomes an interesting inquiry how far he believed in witchcraft,
possessions, incantations, and charms. He was persuaded that Satan
could appear to mankind in the shape of animals, and in the human
form. Had any one doubted the possibility of these appearances, he
would at that time have been called an atheist and an unbeliever in
the existence of God and of separate spirits. Thus he argues, that
'If sin can make one who was sometimes a glorious angel in heaven
now so to abuse himself as to become, to appearance, as a filthy
frog, a toad, a rat, a cat, a fly, a mouse, or a dog, to serve its
ends upon a poor mortal, that it might gull them of everlasting
life, no marvel if the soul is so beguiled as to sell itself from
God and all good for so poor a nothing as a momentary pleasure.'[202]
When speaking of the impropriety of excluding a pious person from
the Lord's table, because of a difference of opinion as to water
baptism, he says, 'Do you more to the openly profane--yea, to all
wizards and witches in the land?'[203] In quoting Isaiah 13, he,
taught by the Puritan version, puts the key in the margin--'Wild
beasts of the desert shall be there and their houses shall be full
of doleful creatures. And owls shall dwell there, and satyrs [that
is, the hobgoblins, or devils] shall dance there.'[204] He gave no
credence to the appearance of departed spirits, except in the hour
of death; and then, while between time and eternity, he thought
that in some rare cases spiritual sight was given to see objects
otherwise invisible.[205]

He fully believed in the power of Satan to suggest evil thoughts
to the pious Christian, and to terrify and punish the wicked, even
in this life; but never hints, through all his works, at any power
of Satan to communicate to man any ability to injure his fellows.
What a contrast is there between the Pilgrim of Loretto, with
its witch and devil story, mentioned in the introduction to the
Pilgrim's Progress, and Bunyan's great allegorical work! Conjurors
and fortune-tellers, or witches and wizards, were vagabonds deserving
for their fraudulent pretensions,[206] punishment by a few months'
imprisonment to hard labour, but not a frightful death. In all these
things this great man was vastly in advance of his age. He had
studied nature from personal observation and the book of revelation.
In proportion as the laws of nature are understood, the crafty
pretensions of conjurors and witches become exposed to contempt.
Bunyan never believed that the great and unchangeable principles
which the Creator has ordained to govern nature could be disturbed
by the freaks of poor old crazy women, for purposes trifling and
insignificant. No, such a man could never have circulated a report
that a woman was turned into a bay mare, and her chemise into a
horse-cloth and saddle! Unbridled sectarian feeling perverted some
remark of his, probably made with the kindest intention, into a
most incredible slander.

Among the many singularities of that very interesting period, one
was the number of religious tournaments or disputations that were
held all over the country. The details of one of these, between
Fisher, a Jesuit, and Archbishop Laud, occupy a folio volume. In
these wordy duels the Baptists and Quakers bore a prominent part.
To write a history of them would occupy more space than our narrow
limits will allow. Bunyan entered into one of these controversies
with the Quakers at Bedford Market-cross,[207] and probably held
others in the church, those buildings being at times available under
the Protectorate for such purposes. Bunyan was met by the son of
thunder, Edward Burrough, who was also assisted by Anne Blackly, a
remarkably pious woman and an able disputant. Bunyan pressed them
with the Scriptures, and dealt such severe blows that Mrs. Blackly,
in the public assembly, bid him throw away the Scriptures. To which
he answered, 'No, for then the devil would be too hard for me.'
The great controversy was as to Christ within his saints. Bunyan
proved, by the holy oracles, that Christ had ascended, and was
at the right hand of God; to which Mrs. Blackly answered, that he
preached up an idol, and used conjuraton and witchcraft. To the
charge of spiritual conjuration and witchcraft he made no reply,
it being unworthy his notice; but called upon her to repent of her
wickedness in calling Christ an idol. With regard to his presence
in his saints, he reminded her, that if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his.[208] As a matter of course, both
parties claimed the victory; and although the hearers were puzzled,
doubtless much good was effected.

These were comparatively happy days for God's fearers--much valuable
seed was sown, and the light of divine truth penetrated into many
a benighted town and village. At length dark and portentous clouds
rolled over the horizon. The Protector had entered into rest; his
son was wholly incapable of taking the helm of public affairs.
The exiled king, Charles II, declared his determination to publish
an amnesty for all political offences; and from Breda issued his
proclamation for liberty of conscience, and the kingdom was cajoled
and sold. The king was scarcely seated on his throne, and armed
with power, when he threw off the mask. Men who had faithfully
performed very painful duties under the authority of Acts of
Parliament were put to death, others imprisoned and transported,
and uniformity in religion was re-enacted under ferocious penalties.
Bunyan was to endure a cruel imprisonment, with all the fears of an
ignominious death. 'Now,' he says, 'as Satan laboured by reproaches
and slanders, to make me vile among my countrymen, that if possible
my preaching might be made of none effect, so there was added hereto
a long and tedious imprisonment, that thereby I might be frighted
from my service for Christ, and the world terrified and made afraid
to hear me preach, of which I shall in the next place give you a
brief account.'[209]

THE FIFTH PERIOD.

BUNYAN SUFFERS PERSECUTION, AND A LONG AND DANGEROUS IMPRISONMENT,
FOR REFUSING TO ATTEND THE COMMON PRAYER SERVICE, AND FOR PREACHING.


   --'O happie he who doth possesse
    Christ for his fellow prisoner, who doth gladde
    With heavenly sunbeams, goales that are most sad.'


(Written by William Prynne, on his Prison wall, in the Tower.)

The men who arraign their fellows before any standard of orthodoxy,
or claim the right of dictating forms of belief or modes of worship
under pains or penalties, are guilty of assuming the prerogative
of the Most High, and of claiming, for their frail opinions,
infallibility. Such are guilty of high treason against the Majesty
of heaven--and all their machinations have a direct tendency to
destroy human happiness--the wealth of the nation, and that universal
good-will among men which the gospel is intended to establish. Such
men present to us the various features of antichrist, the dread
enemy of mankind.

The duty of every intelligent creature is to watch the operations
of nature, that he may be led to just perceptions of the greatness
of the Creator, and the goodness of his immutable laws. Soon he
finds his perceptions dim, and is conscious of evil propensities,
which baffle all his efforts at sinless perfection. He finds nothing
in nature to solve the solemn inquiry how sin is to be pardoned,
and evil thoughts and habits to be rooted out. The convinced sinner
then feels the necessity of a direct revelation from God; and in
the Bible alone he finds that astounding declaration, which leaves
all human philosophy at an immeasurable distance--'Ye must be
born again.' God only can effect the wondrous change--man, priest,
prophet, or magi, can do him no good--his terror-stricken conscience
drives him to his Creator, and faith in the Redeemer causes
consolation to abound.

In every kingdom of the world, the Christian inquirer is met by the
opposition of antichrist, in some form or other, attempts will
be made to limit his free-born spirit to human inventions and
mediations in seeking Divine mercy. He feels that he is bound, by
all his hopes of happiness, here and hereafter, to obey God rather
than man, in everything pertaining to spiritual religion. In his
simple obedience to the Word of God, he braves all dangers, sure
of the Divine blessing and support while encountering obloquy,
contempt, allurements, and persecution, in its varied polluted
forms and appalling cruelties.

After the decease of Oliver Cromwell, it soon became apparent that
the exiled king would be restored. In the prospect of that event,
Charles II promised a free pardon to all his subjects, excepting
only such persons as should be excepted by parliament; and 'we
do declare a liberty to tender consciences, and that no man shall
be disquieted or called in question for differences of opinion in
matters of religion, which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom.'
Who could imagine, that, in the face of this solemn declaration,
acts, the most oppressive and tyrannical, would be passed--compelling
pretended uniformity in belief and real uniformity in the mode of
public worship--driving the most pious and useful clergymen from
their pulpits and livings--preventing them from becoming tutors
or schoolmasters--and not suffering them to live within five miles
of a city or town. Ruinous penalties were inflicted, not only on
every minister, but upon every hearer, who met to worship God in
private houses or in the fields and woods. Christians, convinced
of the wickedness of such laws, strove, by every possible means,
to evade the penalties, with a stern determination to worship God
in the way that their conscience led them. They met their beloved
ministers in private places, and at the most unseasonable hours.
It is said that Bunyan, to avoid discovery, went from a friend's
house disguised as a carter; with his white frock, wide-awake cap,
and his whip in his hand, to attend a private meeting in a sheltered
field or barn. To prevent these meetings, severe and almost
arbitrary penalties were enforced, a considerable part of which
went to the informers--men of debauched habits and profligate
principles. With all their vigilance, these prohibited meetings
could not be prevented. In some cases, the persecuted disciples of
a persecuted Lord took houses adjoining each other, and, by opening
internal communications, assembled together. In some cases, the
barn or room in which they met, had a door behind the pulpit, by
which the preacher could escape. A curious letter, preserved in
the archives at Devonshire House, states, that when a Christian
assembly was held near Devonshire Square, while the minister was in
his sermon, the officers and trained bands entered the meeting-house.
The preacher immediately ceased preaching, and gave out the lines
of a hymn, which the congregation joined in singing, and the officers
waited till the devotional exercise was ended. The preacher, taking
advantage of their hesitation, made his escape by a door at the
back of the pulpit; 'thus,' says the quaint Quaker, 'he choked
the informers off with his hymn.' In the Life of Badman are some
illustrative anecdotes relating to informers and their violent ends,
with an interesting cut of a religious meeting in the fields. One
informer is in a neighbouring tree, to identify the meeters; while
in the distance, another is running for the officers, with this
verse under the print:--


   'Informer, art thou in the tree?
    Take heed, lest there thou hanged be:
    Look likewise to thy foot-hold well;
    Lest, if thou slip, thou fall to hell.'


In many cases the justices considered a field preacher to be
equally guilty with a regicide.[210] One of the informers, named W.
S., was very diligent in this business; 'he would watch a-nights,
climb trees, and range the woods a-days, if possible to find out
the meeters, for then they were forced to meet in the fields.' At
length he was stricken by the hand of God, and died a most wretched
object.[211] The cruelties that were inflicted upon Dissenters
are scarcely credible. Penn, the Quaker, gives this narrative of
facts:--The widow's mite hath not escaped their hands; they have
made her cow the forfeit of her conscience, not leaving her a bed
to lie on, nor a blanket to cover her; and what is yet more barbarous,
and helps to make up this tragedy, the poor helpless orphan's milk,
boiling over the fire, was flung away, and the skillet made part
of their prize; that, had not nature in neighbours been stronger
than cruelty in informers and officers, to open her bowels for
their relief, they must have utterly perished.[212] One of these
infamous, hard-hearted wretches in Bedford, was stricken, soon
after, with death; and such had been his notorious brutality, that
his widow could not obtain a hearse, but was obliged to carry his
body to the grave in a cart.

It is gratifying to leave these horrors--these stains upon
our national history--for a moment, to record an event which took
place about fifty years back. The Rev. S. Hillyard, the pastor of
Bunyan's church, thus writes:--'When our meeting-house was lately
repaired, we were allowed, by the Lord Lieutenant and the justices,
to carry on our public worship, for a quarter of a year in the
town-hall, where, if it had been standing in Mr. Bunyan's time,
he must have been tried and committed to jail for preaching.' How
different our position from that of our pilgrim forefathers.

The justices, if the law had allowed them, would, from the first,
have prevented Bunyan's preaching. When they had the power,
he possessed nothing to excite the cupidity of an informer: this,
with the caution of his friends, saved him, for some months, from
being apprehended; they met privately in barns, milk-houses, and
stables, or in any convenient place in which they were not likely
to be disturbed. In addition to these services, every opportunity was
embraced to visit his friends--praying with them, and administering
consolation, arming them with a steady resolve to be patient
in suffering, and to trust in God for their safety and reward. At
length an information was laid, and he was caught in the very act
of worshipping God with some pious neighbours. Bunyan's account of
this event is deeply interesting; but the want of sufficient space
prevents my giving more than an abstract of it, referring the reader
to his Grace Abounding for fuller details.

On November 12, 1660, as the winter was setting in, having been
invited to preach at Samsell, in Bedfordshire, he prepared a sermon
upon these words--'Dost thou believe in the Son of God?' (John
9:35); from which he intended 'to show the absolute need of faith
in Jesus Christ, and that it was also a thing of the highest concern
for men to inquire into, and to ask their own hearts whether they
had faith or no.'[213] He had then been a preacher of the glorious
gospel of Christ for five or six years, without any interruption;
for, although indicted, he had continued his useful career, and
through grace had received great encouragement and eminent proofs
of the Divine blessing.

Francis Wingate, a neighbouring justice of the peace, having heard
of the intended meeting, issued his warrant to bring the preacher
before him. The intention of the magistrate was whispered about,
and came to Bunyan's ears before the meeting was held, probably to
give him an opportunity of escape. His friends, becoming alarmed
for his safety, advised him to forego the opportunity. It was a
trying moment for him; he had a beloved wife to whom he had not been
long married, and four dear children, one of them blind, depending
upon his daily labour for food. If he escaped, he might continue
his stolen opportunities of doing good to the souls of men. He
hesitated but for a few minutes for private prayer; he had hitherto
shown himself hearty and courageous in preaching, and it was his
business to encourage the timid flock. 'Therefore, thought I, if I
should now run and make an escape, it will be of a very ill savour
in the country; what will my weak and newly converted brethren
think of it? If I should run, now there was a warrant out for me,
I might, by so doing, make them afraid to stand when great words
only should be spoken to them.' He retired into a close, privately,
to seek Divine direction, and came back resolved to abide the will
of God. It was the first attempt, near Bedford, to apprehend a
preacher of the gospel, and he thus argued with himself--'If God,
of his mercy, should choose me to go upon the forlorn hope, that is,
to be the first that should be opposed for the gospel, if I should
fly it might be a discouragement to the whole body that should follow
after. And I thought that the world thereby would take occasion
at my cowardliness, to have blasphemed the gospel.'[214] These
considerations brought him to the noble resolution of fulfilling his
duty, under all its difficulties and dangers. In these reasonings
the same honourable decision of mind animated him which impelled
Daniel, and the three Hebrew youths, to violate the wicked laws of
the nation in which they lived, because these laws were opposed to
the will of God. He and they, as well as the apostles, judged for
themselves, and opposed statutes or ancient customs which, in their
opinion, were contrary to the Divine law by which they were to be
judged at the solemn and great day. Nor did they, in the prospect
of the most dread personal sufferings, hesitate to follow the
convictions of their minds. Some laws are more honoured in the breach
than in the observance of them. The law of Pharaoh to destroy the
male children of the Israelites, in ancient times, and the present
Popish laws of Tuscany, that the Bible shall not be read, are laws
so contrary to common sense, and the most sacred duties of man,
that 'God dealt well' with those who broke them in Egypt, as he has
ever dealt with those who have thus honoured him. The millions of
prayers that were offered up for a blessing upon the confessors,
Madiai, have been answered. Had they perished in the prisons of
Tuscany, they would have joined the noble army of martyrs before
the throne of God, to witness his judgments upon that persecuting
church which has shed so much holy blood.

When Bunyan was advised to escape by dismissing the meeting, which
consisted of about forty persons, he replied, 'No, by no means; I
will not stir, neither will I have the meeting dismissed. Come, be
of good cheer, let us not be daunted; our cause is good, we need
not be ashamed of it; to preach God's Word is so good a work, that
we shall be well rewarded if we suffer for that.'[215] All this
took place about an hour before the officers arrived. The service
was commenced with prayer at the time appointed, the preacher and
hearers had their Bibles in their hands to read the text, when the
constable and his attendants came in, and, exhibiting the warrant,
ordered him to lave the pulpit and come down; but he mildly told
him that he was about his Master's business, and must rather obey
his Lord's voice than that of man. Then a constable was ordered
to fetch him down, who, coming up and taking hold of his coat, was
about to remove him, when Mr. Bunyan fixed his eyes steadfastly
upon him; having his Bible open in his hand, the man let go, looked
pale, and retired; upon which he said to the congregation, 'See
how this man trembles at the Word of God.' Truly did one of his
friends say, 'he had a sharp, quick eye.' But being commanded in
the king's name, he went with the officer, accompanied by some of
his friends, to the magistrate's residence. Before they left, the
constable allowed him to speak a few words to the people of counsel
and encouragement. He declared that it was a mercy when called to
suffer upon so good an account; that it was of grace that they had
been kept from crimes, which might have caused their apprehension
as thieves and murderers, or for some wickedness; but by the
blessing of God it was not so, but, as Christians, they were called
to suffer for well-doing; and that we had better be persecuted than
the persecutors. The constable took him to the justice's house, but
as he was from home, to save the expense and trouble of charging
a watch to secure his prisoner, he allowed him to go home, one of
his friends undertaking to be answerable for his appearance the
next day. On the following morning they went to the constable and
then to the justice. The celebrated Quaker, John Roberts, managed
an affair of that kind better. There was plenty of time to have
held and dismissed the meeting before the constable arrived, and
then he might have done as Roberts did--made the best of his way
to the magistrate's house, and demanded, 'Dost thou want me, old
man?' and when asked whether or not he went to church, his ready
reply was, 'Yes, sometimes I go to the church, and sometimes the
church comes to me.'[216]

When Bunyan and the constable came before Justice Wingate, he inquired
what the meeters did, and what they had with them; suspecting that
they met armed, or for treasonable practices: but when the constable
told him that they were unarmed, and merely assembled to preach and
hear the Word, he could not well tell what to say. Justice Wingate
was not the only magistrate who had felt difficulties as to the
construction of the persecuting acts of 35 Eliz. and 15 Chas. II.
Had he taken an opinion, as one of the justices at that time did,
it might have saved him from the infamy and guilt of punishing an
innocent man. The case was this:--'Two persons of insolent behaviour,
calling themselves informers, demanded, on their evidence of having
been present, without summons or hearing in presence of the accused,
that a fine of £100 should be levied; they were at the meeting and
heard no Common Prayer service.' The opinion was that there must
be evidence showing the intent, and that the meeting was held
under colour and pretence of any exercise of religion to concoct
sedition.[217] Mr. Wingate asked Bunyan why he did not follow his
calling and go to church? to which he replied, that all his intention
was to instruct and counsel people to forsake their sins, and that
he did, without confusion, both follow his calling and preach the
Word. At this the angry justice ordered his commitment to jail,
refusing bail, unless he would promise to give up preaching. While
his mittimus was preparing, he had a short controversy with an
old enemy of the truth, Dr. Lindale, and also with a persecuting
justice, Mr. Foster, who, soon after, sorely vexed the people
of God at Bedford. They tried their utmost endeavours to persuade
him to promise not to preach; a word from him might have saved his
liberty; but it was a word which would have sacrificed his religious
convictions, and these were dearer to him than life itself. This
was a trying moment, but he had been forewarned of his danger by
the extraordinary temptation to sell Christ narrated in his Grace
Abounding. His feelings, while they were conducting him to the
prison, were so cheering as to enable him to forget his sorrows;
he thus describes them--'Verily, as I was going forth of the doors
I had much ado to forbear saying to them, that I carried the peace
of God along with me; and, blessed be the Lord, I went away to
prison with God's comfort in my poor soul.'[218]

Tradition points out the place in which this eminently pious man
was confined, as an ancient prison, built with the bridge over the
river Ouse, supported on one of the piers near the middle of the
river.[219] As the bridge was only four yards and a half wide,
the prison must have been very small. Howard, the philanthropist,
visited the Bedford prison, that which was dignified as the county
jail about 1788, and thus describes it:--'The men and women felons
associate together; their night-rooms are two dungeons. Only one
court for debtors and felons; and no apartment for the jailer.'[220]
Imagination can hardly realize the miseries of fifty or sixty pious
men and women, taken from a place of public worship and incarcerated
in such dens or dungeons with felons, as was the case while Bunyan
was a prisoner. Twelve feet square was about the extent of the
walls; for it occupies but one pier between the center arches of
the bridge. How properly does the poor pilgrim call it a certain
DEN! What an abode for men and women who had been made by God kings
and priests--the heirs of heaven! The eyes of Howard, a Dissenter,
penetrated these dens, these hidden things of darkness, these abodes
of cruelty. He revealed what lay and clerical magistrates ought to
have published centuries before, that they were not fit places in
which to imprison any, even the worst of criminals. He denounced
them, humanity shuddered at the discovery, and they were razed to
their foundations. In this den God permitted his honoured servant,
John Bunyan, to be incarcerated for more than twelve years of the
prime of his life. A man, whose holy zeal for the salvation of
sinners, whose disinterested labours, whose sufferings for Christ
prove his apostolical descent much better than those who claim
descent from popes, and Wolsey or Bonner--those fiends in human
shape.

Bedford bridge was pulled down in the year 1811, when the present
handsome bridge was built. One of the workmen employed upon the
ruins found, among the rubbish, where the prison had stood, a ring
made of fine gold, bearing an inscription which affords strong
presumptive evidence that it belonged to our great allegorist. Dr.
Abbot, a neighbouring clergyman, who had daily watched the labours
of the workmen, luckily saw it, and saved it from destruction. He
constantly wore it, until, drawing near the end of his pilgrimage,
in 1817, he took it off his own finger and placed it upon that of
his friend Dr. Bower, then curate of Elstow,[221] and at present
the dean of Manchester, charging him to keep it for his sake. This
ring must have been a present from some person of property, as a
token of great respect for Bunyan's pious character, and probably
from an indignant sense of his unjust and cruel imprisonment. By
the kind permission of the dean, we are enabled to give a correct
representation of this curious relic.[222][223]

Bunyan was thirty-two years of age when taken to prison. He had
suffered the loss of his pious wife, whose conversation and portion
had been so blessed to him. It is not improbable that her peaceful
departure is pictured in Christiana's crossing the river which has
no bridge. She left him with four young children, one of whom very
naturally and most strongly excited his paternal feelings, from
the circumstance of her having been afflicted with blindness. He
had married a second time, a woman of exemplary piety and retiring
modesty; but whose spirit, when roused to seek the release of her
beloved husband, enabled her to stand unabashed, and full of energy
and presence of mind, before judges in their courts, and lords in
their mansions. When her partner was sent to jail, she was in that
peculiar state that called for all his sympathy and his tenderest
care. The shock was too severe for her delicate situation; she became
dangerously ill, and, although her life was spared, all hopes had
fled of her maternal feelings being called into exercise. Thus did
one calamity follow another; still he preserved his integrity.[224]

Bunyan was treated with all the kindness which many of his jailers
dared to show him. In his times, imprisonment and fetters were
generally companions. Thus he says--'When a felon is going to be
tried, his fetters are still making a noise on his heels.'[225] So
the prisoners in the Holy War are represented as being 'brought in
chains to the bar' for trial. 'The prisoners were handled by the
jailer so severely, and loaded so with irons, that they died in the
prison.'[226] In many cases, prisoners for conscience' sake were
treated with such brutality, before the form of trial, as to cause
their death. By Divine mercy, Bunyan was saved from these dreadful
punishments, which have ceased as civilization has progressed, and
now cloud the narratives of a darker age.

After having lain in prison about seven weeks, the session was
held at Bedford, for the county; and Bunyan was placed at the bar,
indicted for devilishly and perniciously abstaining from coming to
church to hear Divine service, and as a common upholder of several
unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance and
distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom, contrary to the
laws of our sovereign lord the king. In this indictment Bunyan
is not described as 'of Elstow' but 'of Bedford.' Probably he had
removed to Bedford soon after he joined Gifford's church. The bench
was numerous, and presided over by Justice Keelin.[227] If this was
Sergeant Kelynge who, the following year, was made Lord Chief-Justice,
he was a most arbitrary tyrant, equaled or excelled only by Judge
Jeffreys. It was before him that some persons were indicted for
attending a conventicle; but it being only proved that they had
assembled on the Lord's-day with Bibles in their hands without
prayer-books, and there being no proof that their meeting was only
under colour or pretence of religion, the jury acquitted them. Upon
this he fined each of the jury-men one hundred marks, and imprisoned
them till the fines were paid. Again, on a trial for murder, the
prisoner being under suspicion of Dissent, was one whom the judge
had a great desire to hang, he fined and imprisoned all the jury
because, contrary to his direction, they brought in a verdict
of manslaughter! Well was it said, that he was more fit to charge
the Roundheads under Prince Rupert than to charge a jury. After
a short career, he fell into utter contempt.[228] He entered into
a long argument with the poor tinker, about using the liturgy of
the Church of England, first warning him of his danger if he spake
lightly of it. Bunyan argued that prayer was purely spiritual, the
offering of the heart, and not the reading of a form. The justice
declared--'We know the Common Prayer-book hath been ever since the
apostles' time, and is lawful to be used in the church!!' It is
surprising that such a dialogue was ever entered upon; either Keling
was desirous of triumphing over the celebrated tinker, or his
countenance and personal appearance commanded respect. For some
cause he was treated with great liberality for those times; the
extent of it may be seen by one justice asking him, 'Is your God
Beelzebub?' and another declaring that he was possessed with the
devil! 'All which,' says Bunyan, 'I passed over, the Lord forgive
them!' When, however, the justice was worsted in argument, and
acknowledged that he was not well versed in Scripture, he demanded
the prisoner's plea, saying, 'Then you confess the indictment?'
'Now,' says Bunyan, 'and not till now, I saw I was indicted; and
said--"This I confess, we have had many meetings together, both to
pray to God, and to exhort one another; and that we had the sweet
comforting presence of the Lord among us for our encouragement
(blessed be his name!); therefore I confess myself guilty, and
no otherwise."' This was recorded as a plea of guilty, and Keling
resumed his natural ferocity. 'Then,' said he, 'hear your judgment.
You must be had back again to prison, and there lie for three months
following; and then, if you do not submit to go to church to hear
Divine service, and leave your preaching, you must be banished the
realm; and after that, if you shall be found in this realm without
special license from the king, you must stretch by the neck for
it. I tell you plainly'; 'and so he bid my jailer have me away.'
The hero answered--'I am at a point with you: if I were out of
prison to-day, I would preach the gospel again to-morrow, by the
help of God.'[229]

The statutes, by virtue of which this awful sentence was pronounced,
together with the legal form of recantation used by those who were
terrified into conformity, are set forth in a note to the Grace
Abounding.[230] Bunyan was, if not the first, one of the first
Dissenters who were proceeded against after the restoration of
Charles II; and his trial, if such it may be called, was followed
by a wholesale persecution. The king, as head of the Church
of England, wreaked his vengeance upon all classes of Dissenters,
excepting Roman Catholics and Jews.

The reign of Charles II was most disgraceful and disastrous to the
nation, even the king being a pensioner upon the French court. The
Dutch swept the seas, and threatened to burn London; a dreadful
plague depopulated the metropolis--the principal part of which was,
in the following year, with its cathedral, churches, and public
buildings, destroyed by fire; plots and conspiracies alarmed the
people; tyranny was triumphant; even the bodies of the illustrious
dead were exhumed, and treated with worse than savage ferocity;
while a fierce persecution raged throughout the kingdom, which
filled the jails with Dissenters.

In Scotland, the persecution raged with still more deadly violence.
Military, in addition to civil despotism, strove to enforce the
use of the Book of Common Prayer. The heroic achievements and awful
suffering of Scottish Christians saved their descendants from this
yoke of bondage.[231]

A short account of the extent of the sufferings of our pious ancestors
is given in the Introduction to the Pilgrim's Progress[232]--a
narrative which would appear incredible did it not rest upon
unimpeachable authority. It would be difficult to believe the
records of the brutal treatment which the sufferers underwent had
they not been handed down to us in the State Trials, and in public
registers, over which the persecuted had no control. Two instances
will show the extreme peril in which the most learned and pious
men held their lives. John James, the pastor of a Baptist church in
Whitechapel, was charged, upon the evidence of a perjured drunken
vagabond named Tipler, a pipe-maker's journeyman, who was not present
in the meeting, but swore that he heard him utter treasonable words.
Notwithstanding the evidence of some most respectable witnesses,
who were present during the whole service, and distinctly proved
that no such words were used, Mr. James was convicted, and sentenced
to be hung. His distracted wife saw the king, presented a petition,
and implored mercy, when the unfeeling monarch replied, 'O! Mr.
James; he is a sweet gentleman.' Again, on the following morning,
she fell at his feet, beseeching his royal clemency, when he spurned
her from him, saying, 'John James, that rogue, he shall be hanged;
yea, he shall be hanged.' And, in the presence of his weeping
friends, he ascended from the gibbet to the mansions of the blessed.
His real crime was, that he continued to preach after having been
warned not to do so by John Robinson, lieutenant of the Tower,
properly called, by Mr. Crosby,[233] a devouring wolf, upon whose
head the blood of this and other innocent Dissenters will be found.
Another Dissenting minister, learned, pious, loyal, and peaceful,
was, during Bunyan's time, marked for destruction. Thomas Rosewell
was tried before the monster Jeffreys. He was charged, upon the
evidence of two infamous informers, with having doubted the power
of the king to cure the kings' evil, and with saying that they
should overcome their enemies with rams' horns, broken platters, and
a stone in a sling. A number of most respectable witnesses deposed
to their having been present; that no such words were uttered, and
that Mr. Rosewell was eminent for loyalty and devoted attachment to
the Government. Alas! he was a Dissenting teacher of high standing,
of extensive acquirements, and of great earnestness in seeking
the salvation of sinners; and, under the direction of that brutal
judge, the venal jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to be
hung. This frightful sentence would have been executed but from a
singular interposition of Providence. Sir John Talbot was present
during the trial, and a stranger to Mr. Rosewell; but he was so
struck with the proceedings, that he hastened to the king, related
the facts, and added, 'that he had seen the life of a subject,
who appeared to be a gentleman and a scholar, in danger, upon such
evidence as he would not hang his dog on.' And added, 'Sire, if you
suffer this man to die, we are none of us safe in our own houses.'
At this moment Jeffreys came in, gloating over his prey, exulting
in the innocent blood he was about to shed, when, to his utter
confusion, the king said, 'Mr. Rosewell shall not die'; and his
pardon was issued under the great seal.[234] Every Englishman should
read the state trials of that period, recording the sufferings of
Richard Baxter, William Penn, Sir H. Vane, and many others of our
most pious forefathers; and they must feel that it was a miracle of
mercy that saved the life of Bunyan, and gave him leisure to write
not only his popular allegories, but the most valuable treatises
in the English language upon subjects of the deepest importance.

When he entered the prison, his first and prayerful object was to
levy a tax upon his affliction--to endeavour to draw honey from
the carcass of the lion. His care was to render his imprisonment
subservient to the great design of showing forth the glory of God
by patient submission to His will. Before his commitment, he had
a strong presentiment of his sufferings; his earnest prayer, for
many months, was that he might, with composure, encounter all his
trials, even to an ignominious death. This led him to the solemn
consideration of reckoning himself, his wife, children, health,
enjoyments, all as dying, and in perfect uncertainty, and to live
upon God, his invisible but ever-present Father.

Like an experienced military commander, he wisely advises every
Christian to have a reserve for Christ in case of dire emergency.
'We ought to have a reserve for Christ, to help us at a dead lift.
When profession and confession will not do; when loss of goods and
a prison will not do; when loss of country and of friends will not
do; when nothing else will do, then willingly to lay down our lives
for his name.'[235] In the midst of all these dread uncertainties,
his soul was raised to heavenly contemplations of the future
happiness of the saints of God.

It is deeply impressive to view a man, with gigantic intellect,
involved in the net which was laid to trammel his free spirit,
disregarding his own wisdom; seeking guidance from heaven in earnest
prayer, and in searching the sacred Scriptures; disentangling
himself, and calmly waiting the will of his heavenly Father. Still
he severely felt the infirmities of nature. Parting with his wife
and children, he described as 'the pulling the flesh from the bones.
I saw I was as a man who was pulling down his house upon the head
of his wife and children; yet, thought I, I must do it.'[236] His
feelings were peculiarly excited to his poor blind Mary.[237] 'O!
the thoughts of the hardships my poor blind one might go under, would
break my heart in pieces.' It is one of the governing principles
of human nature, that the most delicate or afflicted child excites
our tenderest feelings. 'I have seen men,' says Bunyan, 'take most
care of, and best provide for those of their children that have
been most infirm and helpless; and our Advocate "shall gather his
lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom."'[238] While
in this state of distress, the promise came to his relief--'Leave
thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy
widows trust in me.' He had heard of the miseries of those banished
Christians who had been sold into slavery, and perished with cold
and calamities, lying in ditches like poor, forlorn, desolate sheep.

At the end of three months he became anxious to know what the
enemies of the cross intended to do with him. His sentence was
transportation and death, unless he conformed. To give up or shrink
from his profession of Christ, by embracing the national forms and
submitting his conscience to human laws, he dared not. He resolved
to persevere even at the sacrifice of his life. To add to his distress,
doubts and fears clouded his prospects of futurity; 'Satan,' said
he, 'laid hard at me to beat me out of heart.' At length he came
to the determination to venture his eternal state with Christ,
whether he had present comfort or not. His state of mind he thus
describes--'If God doth not come in (to comfort me) I will leap
off the ladder, even blindfold, into eternity, sink or swim, come
heaven, come hell. Lord Jesus, if thou wilt catch me, do; I will
venture all for thy name.' From this time he felt a good hope and
great consolation.

The clerk of the peace, Mr. Cobb, was sent by the justices to persuade
him to conform, and had a very long and interesting conference
with him in the prison. This shows that the magistrates were well
convinced that he was a leader in nonconformity, who, if brought
over, would afford them a signal triumph. In fact, he was called,
by a beneficed clergyman, 'the most notorious schismatic in all
the county of Bedford.'[239] It is perhaps to the arguments of Cobb
that he refers in his Advice to Sufferers. 'The wife of the bosom
lies at him, saying, O do not cast thyself away; if thou takest
this course, what shall I do? Thou hast said thou lovest me; now
make it manifest by granting this my small request--Do not still
remain in thine integrity. Next to this come the children, which
are like to come to poverty, to beggary, to be undone, for want of
wherewithal to feed, and clothe, and provide for them for time to
come. Now also come kindred, and relations, and acquaintance; some
chide, some cry, some argue, some threaten, some promise, some
flatter, and some do all to befool him for so unadvised an act as
to cast away himself, and to bring his wife and children to beggary
for such a thing as religion. These are sore temptations.'[240]
It was during this period of his imprisonment that the mad attempt
was made, by Venner and his rabble, to overturn the government.
This was pressed upon Bunyan as a reason why he should not hold
meetings for religious exercises, but rely upon his more private
opportunities of exhorting his neighbours. In reply to this,
Mr. Cobb is reminded of Bunyan's well-known loyalty, which would
become useful in proportion to his public teaching. It was a
pleasing interview, which, while it did not for a moment shake his
determination, led him to thank Mr. Cobb for his civil and meek
discourse, and to ejaculate a heartfelt prayer--'O that we might
meet in heaven.'[241] The whole of it is reprinted at the end of
the Grace Abounding, and it shows that God gave him favour even with
his persecutors. It Is not surprising that such a prisoner should
have won the good opinion of his jailer, so that he was permitted
the consolation of seeing his relatives and friends, who ministered
to his comforts.

When the time arrived for the execution of the bitterest part of
his sentence, God, in his providence, interposed to save the life of
his servant. He had familiarized his mind with all the circumstances
of a premature and appalling death; the gibbet, the ladder, the
halter, had lost much of their terrors; he had even studied the
sermon he would then have preached to the concourse of spectators.
At this critical time the king's coronation took place, on April
23, 1661. To garnish this grand ceremony, the king had ordered the
release of numerous prisoners of certain classes, and within that
description of offences was that for which Bunyan was confined.
The proclamation allowed twelve months' time to sue out the pardon
under the great seal, but without this expensive process thousands
of vagabonds and thieves were set at liberty, while, alas, an
offence against the church was not to be pardoned upon such easy
terms. Bunyan and his friends were too simple, honest, and virtuous,
to understand why such a distinction should be made. The assizes
being held in August, he determined to seek his liberty by a petition
to the judges. The court sat at the Swan Inn, and as every incident
in the life of this extraordinary man excites our interest, we
are gratified to have it in our power to exhibit the state of this
celebrated inn at that time.

Having written his petition, and made some fair copies of it, his
modest, timid wife determined to present them to the judges. Her
heroic achievements--for such they deserve to be called--on behalf
of her husband, are admirably narrated by Bunyan, the whole of
which is reprinted in our first volume,[243] and deserves a most
attentive perusal. Want of space prevents us repeating it here, or
even making extracts from it. She had previously traveled to London
with a petition to the House of Lords, and entrusted it to Lord
Barkwood, who conferred with some of the peers upon it, and informed
her that they could not interfere, the king having committed the
release of the prisoners to the judges. When they came the circuit
and the assizes were held at Bedford; Bunyan in vain besought the
local authorities that he might have liberty to appear in person
and plead for his release. This reasonable request was denied,
and, as a last resource, he committed his cause to an affectionate
wife. Several times she appeared before the judges; love to her
husband, a stern sense of duty, a conviction of the gross injustice
practiced upon one to whom she was most tenderly attached, overcame
her delicate, modest, retiring habits, and forced her upon this
strange duty. Well did she support the character of an advocate.
This delicate, courageous, high-minded woman appeared before Judge
Hale, who was much affected with her earnest pleading for one so
dear to her, and whose life was so valuable to his children. It
was the triumph of love, duty, and piety, over bashful timidity.
Her energetic appeals were in vain. She returned to the prison with
a heavy heart, to inform her husband that, while felons, malefactors,
and men guilty of misdemeanours were, without any recantation or
promise of amendment, to be let loose upon society to grace the
coronation, the poor prisoners for conscience' sake were to undergo
their unjust and savage sentences. Or, in plain words, that refusing
to go to church to hear the Common Prayer was an unpardonable
crime, not to be punished in any milder mode than recantation, or
transportation, or the halter. With what bitter feelings must she
have returned to the prison, believing that it would be the tomb
of her beloved husband! How natural for the distressed, insulted
wife to have written harsh things against the judge! She could not
have conceived that, under the stately robes of Hale, there was
a heart affected by Divine love. And when the nobleman afterwards
met the despised tinker and his wife, on terms of perfect equality,
clothed in more glorious robes in the mansions of the blessed, how
inconceivable their surprise! It must have been equally so with
the learned judge, when, in the pure atmosphere of heaven, he found
that the illiterate tinker, harassed by poverty and imprisonment,
produced books, the admiration of the world. As Dr. Cheever eloquently
writes--'How little could he dream, that from that narrow cell in
Bedford jail a glory would shine out, illustrating the grace of
God, and doing more good to man, than all the prelates and judges
of the kingdom would accomplish.'[244]

Bunyan was thus left in a dreary and hopeless state of imprisonment,
in which he continued for somewhat more than twelve years, and it
becomes an interesting inquiry how he spent his time and managed to
employ his great talent in his Master's service. The first object
of his solicitude would be to provide for his family, according to
1 Timothy 5:8. How to supply his house with bare necessaries to
meet the expenses of a wife and four children, must have filled him
with anxiety. The illness, death, and burial of his first beloved
wife, had swept away any little reserve which otherwise might have
accumulated, so that, soon after his imprisonment commenced, before
he could resume any kind of labour, his wife thus pleaded with the
judge for his liberty, 'My lord, I have four small children that
cannot help themselves, of which one is blind, and have nothing
to live upon but the charity of good people.' How inscrutable are
the ways of Providence; the rich reveling in luxury while using
their wealth to corrupt mankind, while this eminent saint, with his
family, were dependent upon charity! As soon as he could get his
tools in order he set to work; and we have the following testimony
to his industry by a fellow-prisoner, Mr. Wilson, the Baptist
minister, and of Charles Doe, who visited him in prison:--'Nor did
he, while he was in prison, spend his time in a supine and careless
manner, nor eat the bread of idleness; for there have I been
witness that his own hands have ministered to his and his family's
necessities, making many hundred gross of long tagged laces, to
fill up the vacancies of his time, which he had learned to do for
that purpose, since he had been in prison. There, also, I surveyed
his library, the least, but yet the best that e'er I saw--the Bible
and the Book of Martyrs.[245] And during his imprisonment (since I
have spoken of his library), he writ several excellent and useful
treatises, particularly The Holy City, Christian Behaviour,
The Resurrection of the Dead, and Grace Abounding to the Chief of
Sinners.'[246] Besides these valuable treatises, Charles Doe states
that, of his own knowledge, in prison Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim's
Progress, the first part, and that he had this from his own mouth.[247]
In addition to the demonstration of this important fact contained
in the introduction to The Pilgrim's Progress, there ought to
have been added, Bunyan's statement made in introducing his second
part:--'Now, having taken up my lodgings in a wood about a mile
off the place': no longer in 'a den,' but sheltered, in a wood, in
a state of comparative, but not of perfect liberty, about a mile
distant from the den in which he wrote his first part. Whether this
may refer to his former cottage at Elstow, of which there is great
doubt, or to the house he occupied in Bedford after his release,
they were equally about a mile from the jail. He certainly means
that the two parts were not written in the same place, nor is
there a shadow of a doubt as to the fact that in prison the great
allegory was conceived and written. Well might Mr. Doe say, 'What
hath the devil or his agents got by putting our great gospel minister
in prison?' They prevented his preaching to a few poor pilgrims in
the villages round Bedford, and it was the means of spreading his
fame, and the knowledge of the gospel, by his writings, throughout
the world. Thus does the wrath of man praise God. In addition to the
works above enumerated, he also published some extremely valuable
tracts, several editions of a work which ought to be read by all
young Christians--A Treatise on the Covenants of the Law and of
Grace; several editions of Sighs from Hell; A Map of Salvation and
Damnation; The Four Last Things, a poem; Mount Ebal and Gerizim,
or, Redemption from the Curse, a poem; Prison Meditations, a poem:
the four last are single sheets, probably sold by his children or
friends to assist him in obtaining his livelihood: Justification
by Faith in Jesus Christ, 4to; Confession of His Faith and Reason
of His Practice. The most remarkable treatise which he published
while in confinement, is on prayer, from the words of the apostle,
'I will pray with the spirit and with the understanding also.' His
attention had been fixed on this subject when his free-born spirit
was roused by the threat of Justice Keeling, 'Take heed of speaking
irreverently of the Book of Common Prayer, for if you do you will
bring great damage upon yourself.'

Bunyan had formed his ideas of prayer from heartfelt experience;
it is the cry of the burthened, sinking sinner, 'Lord save us, we
perish'; or adoration rising from the heart to the throne of grace,
filled with hopes of pardon and immortality. In his estimation, any
form of human invention was an interference with the very nature
of prayer, and with the work of the Holy Spirit, who alone can
inspire our souls with acceptable prayer.

In expressing his views upon this all-important subject, Bunyan was
simply guided by a sense of duty. Fear of the consequences, or of
offending his enemies, never entered his mind. He felt that they
were in the hands of his heavenly Father, and that all their malice
must be over-ruled for good. Notwithstanding his solemn warning
not to speak irreverently of the book, his refusal to use which had
subjected him to severe privations and the fear of a halter, this
Christian hero was not daunted, but gives his opinion of it with
all that freedom and liberty which he considered essential to excite
in his fellow-men inquiries as to its origin and imposition.

It is not my province to enter into the controversy whether in
public worship a form of prayer ought to be used. Let every one
be persuaded in his own mind; but to pass a law denouncing those
that refuse to use a prescribed form as worthy of imprisonment,
transportation, or death, is an attack upon the first principles
of Christianity. To punish those who spoke irreverently of it, was
almost an acknowledgment that it would not bear investigation. To
speak of the book as in his serious judgment it deserved, was not
that mark of sectarianism which Romaine exhibited when he called
the beautiful hymns of Dr. Watts, which are used so much in public
worship among Dissenters, 'Watts' jingle,' and 'Watts' whims!'[248]
No answer appears to have been published to Bunyan's extremely
interesting volume until twelve years after the author's death,
when a reply appeared under the title of Liturgies Vindicated by the
Dissenters, or the Lawfulness of Forms of Prayer proved against John
Bunyan and the Dissenters. 1700. This is a very rare and curious
volume. The author, as usual in such controversies, deals wholesale
in invective, and displays all the ability of a sophist.

The Christian world is indebted to Dr. Cheever for a beautiful
picture of Bunyan's devotional exercise in his cell. 'It is evening;
he finishes his work, to be taken home by his dear blind child.
He reads a portion of Scripture, and, clasping her small hands in
his, kneels on the cold stone floor, and pours out his soul to God;
then, with a parting kiss, dismisses her to her mother. The rude
lamp glimmers on the table; with his Bible, pen, and paper, he writes
as though joy did make him write. His face is lighted as from the
radiant jasper walls of the celestial city. He clasps his hands,
looks upward, and blesses God for his goodness. The last you see
of him--is alone, kneeling on the prison floor; he is alone with
God.'

Charles Doe, who manifested most laudable anxiety to hand down the
works of Bunyan to posterity, bears honourable testimony to his
conduct while in prison. 'It was by making him a visit in prison
that I first saw him, and became acquainted with him; and I must
profess I could not but look upon him to be a man of an excellent
spirit, zealous for his master's honour, and cheerfully committing
all his own concernments unto God's disposal. When I was there,
there were about sixty Dissenters besides himself there, taken but
a little before at a religious meeting at Kaistoe, in the county
of Bedford; besides two eminent Dissenting ministers, Mr. Wheeler
and Mr. Dun (both very well known in Bedfordshire, though long since
with God[249]), by which means the prison was very much crowded;
yet, in the midst of all that hurry which so many new-comers
occasioned, I have heard Mr. Bunyan both preach and pray with that
mighty spirit of faith and plerophory of divine assistance that
has made me stand and wonder.'[250] Here they could sing, without
fear of being overheard; no informers prowling round. The world was
shut out; and, in communion with heaven, they could forget their
sorrows, and have a rich foretaste of the inconceivable glory of
the celestial city. It was under such circumstances that Bunyan
preached one of his most remarkable sermons, afterwards published
under the title of The Holy City or the New Jerusalem, 1665.
'Upon a certain first-day, being together with my brethren in
our prison-chamber, they expected that, according to our custom,
something should be spoken out of the Word for our mutual edification.
I felt myself, it being my turn to speak, so empty, spiritless, and
barren, that I thought I should not have been able to speak among
them so much as five words of truth with life and evidence. At
last I cast mine eye upon this prophecy, when, after considering
awhile, methought I perceived something of that jasper in whose light
you find this holy city descended; wherefore, having got some dim
glimmering thereof, and finding a desire to see farther thereinto,
I with a few groans did carry my meditations to the Lord Jesus for
a blessing, which he did forthwith grant, and helping me to set
before my brethren, we did all eat, and were well refreshed; and
behold, also, that while I was in the distributing of it, it so
increased in my hand, that of the fragments that we left, after we
had well dined, I gathered up this basketful. Wherefore, setting
myself to a more narrow search, through frequent prayer, what first
with doing and then with undoing, and after that with doing again,
I thus did finish it.'[251] To this singular event the religious
public are indebted for one of Bunyan's ablest treatises, full
of the striking sparkles of his extraordinary imagination. It was
a subject peculiarly adapted to display his powers--the advent of
New Jerusalem, her impregnable walls and gates of precious stones,
golden streets, water of life, temple, and the redeemed from all
nations flocking into it.[252]

In these times of severe persecution, two of the church members,
S. Fenn and J. Whiteman, were ordained joint pastors. Fenn has
just been delivered out of prison; yet they ventured to brave the
storm, and in this year, although the lions prowled before the
porch, a number were added to the church. Thus was their little
Jerusalem built 'even in troublous times.'

Bunyan's popularity and fame for wisdom and knowledge had spread
all round the country, and it naturally brought him visitors, with
their doubts, and fears, and cases of conscience. Among these a
singular instance is recorded in the Life of Badman. 'When I was
in prison,' says the narrator, 'there came a woman to me that was
under a great deal of trouble. So I asked her, she being a stranger
to me, what she had to say to me? She said she was afraid she should
be damned. I asked her the cause of those fears. She told me that
she had, some time since, lived with a shopkeeper at Wellingborough,
and had robbed his box in the shop several times of money, and pray,
says she, tell me what I shall do? I told her I would have her go
to her master, and make him satisfaction. She said she was afraid
lest he should hang her. I told her that I would intercede for her
life, and would make use of other friends to do the like; but she
told me she durst not venture that. Well, said I, shall I send
to your master, while you abide out of sight, and make your peace
with him before he sees you? and with that I asked her master's
name. But all she said in answer to this was, pray let it alone
till I come to you again. So away she went, and neither told me
her master's name nor her own; and I never saw here again.'[253]
He adds, 'I could tell you of another, that came to me with a like
relation concerning herself, and the robbing of her mistress.'

To his cruel imprisonment the world is indebted for the most
surprising narrative of a new birth that has ever appeared. It was
there that he was led to write the Grace Abounding to the Chief
of Sinners. He displays in the preface his deep interest in the
spiritual welfare of those who had been born under his ministry.
He rejoices in their happiness, even while he was 'sticking between
the teeth of the lions in the wilderness. I now again, as before
from the top of shenir and Hermon, so now from the lions' dens,
from "the mountains of the leopards," do look yet after you all,
greatly longing to see your safe arrival into the desired haven.'[254]
How natural it was that, while narrating his own experience, he
should be led to write a guide to pilgrims through time to eternity,
and that it should be dated from 'the den!'


   'And thus it was: I writing of the way
    And race of saints, in this our gospel-day,
    Fell suddenly into an allegory
    About their journey, and the way to glory.'[255]


Any one possessing powers of imagination, to whom the adventures
of Christian are familiar, would, on reading the Grace Abounding,
be continually struck with the likeness there drawn of the pilgrim--the
more he contemplates the two pictures of Christian experience, so
much the more striking is their similarity. The one is a narrative
of facts, the other contains the same facts allegorized. Thus, by
an irresistible impulse from heaven upon the mind of a prisoner for
Christ, did a light shine forth from the dungeon on Bedford bridge
which has largely contributed to enlighten the habitable globe. The
Pilgrim has been translated into most of the languages and dialects
of the world. The Caffrarian and Hottentot, the enlightened Greek
and Hindoo, the remnant of the Hebrew race, the savage Malay and
the voluptuous Chinese--all have the wondrous narrative in their
own languages. Bunyan was imprisoned by bigots and tyrants, to
prevent his being heard or known; and his voice, in consequence,
reaches to the ends of the earth. Let every wretched persecutor
contemplate this instance of God's over-ruling power. You will surely
plunge the avenging sword into your own vitals if, by persecution,
you vainly endeavour to wound the saints of the living God. You
may make hypocrites throw off their disguise. The real Christian may
be discouraged, but he perseveres. He feels the truth of Bunyan's
quaint saying, 'the persecutors are but the devil's scarecrows,
the old one himself lies quat'; while the eye of God is upon him to
save the children of Zion.[256] His otherwise dreary imprisonment
was lightened, and the time beguiled by these delightful writings. His
fellow-prisoners were benefited by hearing him read his pilgrim's
adventures. But this has been so fully displayed in the introduction
to the Pilgrim that any further notice is unnecessary.[257]

While busily occupied with his Grace Abounding and Pilgrim's Progress,
he wrote a poetical epistle in answer to the kind inquiries of his
numerous friends and visitors. After thanking them for counsel and
advice, he describes his feelings in prison. His feet stood on Mount
Zion; his body within locks and bars, while his mind was free to
study Christ, and elevated higher than the stars. Their fetters
could not tame his spirit, nor prevent his communion with God. The
more his enemies raged, the more peace he experienced. In prison
he received the visits of saints, of angels, and the Spirit of God.
'I have been able to laugh at destruction, and to fear neither the
horse nor his rider. I have had sweet sights of the forgiveness
of my sins in this place, and of my being with Jesus in another
world.'[258] If his ears were to be pierced in the pillory, it would
be only 'to hang a jewel there.' The source of his happy feelings
is well expressed in one of the stanzas:--


   'The truth and I were both here cast
        Together, and we do
    Lie arm in arm, and so hold fast
        Each other; this is true.'[259]


Yes, honest John Bunyan, the world at large now gives you credit
for the truth of that saying.

How strange must it seem to the luxurious worldling, with his bed
of down and splendid hangings, but aching heart, to hear of the
exquisite happiness of the prisoner for Christ on his straw pallet!
'When God makes the bed,' as Bunyan says, 'he must needs be easy
that is cast thereon; a blessed pillow hath that man for his head,
though to all beholders it is hard as a stone.'[260] In the whole
course of his troubles, he enjoyed the sympathy of his family and
friends. his food was brought daily, and such was the veneration
in which his memory was embalmed, that the very jug in which his
broth was taken to the prison has been preserved to this day.[261]

In the midst of all his sufferings he murmurs not nor for a moment
gives way to revenge; he leaves the persecutor in the hands of God.
Stand off, Christian; pity the poor wretch that brings down upon
himself the vengeance of God. Your pitiful arm must no strike
him--no, stand by, 'that God may have his full blow at him in his
time. Wherefore he saith avenge not yourself--"Vengeance is mine,
saith the Lord." Give place, leave such an one to be handled by
me.'[262]

'There are several degrees of suffering for righteousness--the
scourge of the tongue, the ruin of an estate, the loss of liberty,
a gaol, a gibbet, a stake, a dagger. Now answerable to these are the
comforts of the Holy Ghost, prepared like to like, part proportioned
to part, only the consolations are said to abound.'[263] The mind
of Bunyan was imbued with these sentiments; baptized into them,
and consequently elevated far above the fear of what man could do
unto him. Yes, he knew the power of God. 'He can make those things
that in themselves are most fearful and terrible to behold, the
most delightful and most desirable things. He can make a gaol more
beautiful than a palace, restraint more sweet by far than liberty,
and the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt.'[264]

The Bible, that heavenly storehouse, was opened to him: 'I
never had, in all my life, so great an inlet into the Word of God
as now.'[265] 'I have had sweet sights of forgiveness and of the
heavenly Jerusalem. I have seen here that which, while in this
world, I shall never be able to express.'

About a year before he was set at liberty he received a very popular
work, written by Edward Fowler, a Bedfordshire clergyman, who was
soon after elevated to the see of Gloucester. It was entitled The
Design of Christianity, and professed to prove that the object of
the Saviour was merely to place man in a similar position to that
of Adam before the fall. It is an extremely learned production,
full of Greek and Latin quotations; but, in Bunyan's estimation, it
aimed a deadly blow at the foundations of Christianity. To restore
man to Adam's innocency, and then to leave him to cope with Satanic
subtlety, was to cut off all hopes of salvation. It was brought
to him in February 1672, and in the very short period of forty-two
days, Fowler's theory was most completely demolished by Bunyan's
Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, 4to, dated from prison,
the 27th of the 12th Month, 1671 (27th March, 1672). This was
answered by a small 4to volume, entitled Dirt Wiped Off. Bunyan had
used some harsh epithets; but the clergyman, or his curate, beat
the tinker in abusive language. He had been by this time promoted
to the rectory of Cripplegate. For an account of this controversy,
the reader is referred to the introduction to Bunyan's work
on Justification, and to that to the Pilgrim's Progress.[266] The
impression it made upon the public mind is well expressed in a rude
rhyme, made by an anonymous author, in his Assembly of Moderate
Divines:


   'There's a moderate Doctour at Cripplegate dwells,
    Whom Smythes his curate in trimming excells;
    But Bunyan a tinker hath tickled his gills.'


The last work that he wrote in prison was the confession of his
faith, and reason of his practice as to mixed communion, not with
the world, but with saints of other denominations. As this plunged him
into a fearful controversy with his Dissenting brethren (Baptists,
Independents, and Presbyterians), a notice of it will more properly be
introduced in our account of that conflict. He had been incarcerated
nearly twelve years, and had determined to suffer to the end. Here
he found time 'to weigh, and pause, and pause again, the grounds
and foundations of those principles for which he suffered,' and
he was a Nonconformist still. 'I cannot, I dare not now revolt or
deny my principles, on pain of eternal damnation,'[267] are his
impressive words. 'Faith and holiness are my professed principles,
with an endeavour to be at peace with all men. Let they themselves be
judges, if aught they find in my writing or preaching doth render
me worthy of almost twelve years' imprisonment, or one that deserveth
to be hanged or banished for ever, according to their tremendous
sentence. If nothing will do unless I make of my conscience a
continual butchery and slaughter-shop, unless putting out my own
eyes, I commit me to the blind to lead me, I have determined, the
Almighty God being my help and shield, yet to suffer, if frail life
might continue so long, even until the moss shall grow over mine
eye-brows, rather than to violate my faith and principles.'[268]
The allusion to moss growing on his eye-brows most probably referred
to the damp state of his den or dungeon.

The continuation to the Grace Abounding, written by a friend, and
published four years after his decease, divides his imprisonment into
three periods; but as Bunyan makes it one continued imprisonment,
there can be no doubt but that it was a long, dreary confinement;
during which the testimony of his friend, Samuel Wilson, is, that
it was 'an uncomfortable and close prison, and sometimes under
cruel and oppressive jailers.' The division into three parts most
probably alludes to the severity or liberality of his jailers. He
had at times, while a prisoner, an extraordinary degree of liberty;
like Joseph in Egypt, some of his jailers committed all to his
hands. There can be little doubt but that he went from the prison
to preach in the villages or woods, and at one time went to London
to visit his admiring[269] friends; but this coming to the ears of
the justices, the humane jailer had well nigh lost his place, and
for some time he was not permitted to look out at the door. When
this had worn off, he had again opportunities of visiting his
church and preaching by stealth. It is said that many of the Baptist
congregations in Bedfordshire owe their origin to his midnight
preaching.

Upon one occasion, having been permitted to go out and visit
his family, with whom he intended to spend the night, long before
morning he felt so uneasy that at a very late hour he went back
to the prison. Information was given to a neighbouring clerical
magistrate that there was strong suspicion of Bunyan having broke
prison. At midnight, he sent a messenger to the jail, that he
might be a witness against the merciful keeper. On his arrival,
he demanded, 'Are all the prisoners safe?' the answer was, 'Yes.'
'Is John Bunyan safe?' 'Yes.' 'Let me see him.' He was called
up and confronted with the astonished witness, and all passed off
well. His kind-hearted jailer said to him, 'You may go out when
you will, for you know much better when to return than I can tell
you.'[270]

During these twelve terrible years, and particularly towards the
end of his imprisonment, the members and elders of his church at
Bedford suffered most severely, a very abridged account of which
is given in the introduction to the Pilgrim's Progress.[271] The
set time for his liberation was now drawing near, but the singular
means by which it was accomplished must be reserved for our next
chapter.

PERIOD SIXTH.

BUNYAN IS DELIVERED FROM PRISON--CONTROVERSY WITH THE CHRISTIAN
CHURCH ON THE SUBJECT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER--PUBLISHES THE PILGRIM'S
PROGRESS, AND MANY BOOKS, AND BECOMES EXTREMELY POPULAR--HIS DECEASE
AND CHARACTER.

As Charles II felt himself securely seated on his throne, his design
to establish an absolute monarchy became more and more apparent.
The adulation of his professed friends, and the noisy popularity
with which he was greeted, appear to have fostered his crafty designs
to rid himself of parliamentary government. His whole conduct was
that of a Papist, who keeps no faith with Protestants; or of a
statesman, whose religion, honour, and truthfulness, were wholly
subservient to expediency. To further his object, he formed a council
of five noblemen, two of whom were Roman Catholics, and the other
three either careless as to religion or professed infidels. The
first letter of their names formed the word CABAL. Aided by these
he sought to extinguish liberty, and extirpate the Protestant
faith.[272] To furnish himself with the means of indulging his
unbridled passions, he, like a buccaneer, seized the Dutch merchantmen
returning from India and Smyrna, without any declaration of war,
and laid his hands upon all the money borrowed of his merchants
which had been deposited in the exchequer. He then united himself
with France to destroy Holland, the stronghold of liberty. To gratify
the Roman Catholics, and conciliate the Dissenters, he issued a
declaration in favour of liberty of conscience, the seal to which
he afterwards broke with his own hands,[273] but he could not
prevent a considerable degree of religious liberty arising from
such vacillating conduct.

Bunyan, who had secured the confidence and esteem of his jailer,
now found his prison more like a lodging-house, and enjoyed great
privileges. He frequently, if not regularly, attended the church
meetings, and preached with some degree of publicity. The church at
Bedford was at this time in want of a pastor, and their eyes were
naturally fixed upon Bunyan to succeed to that important office.
There were two weighty considerations that required Divine guidance
in coming to a conclusion. One was, whether it might injuriously
affect the prisoner's comforts, and the other was, the propriety
of making choice of a Christian brother to be their ministering
elder, while incarcerated in a jail. Feeling these difficulties,
the church held several meetings on the subject, the minutes of
which are very interesting. The first was held at Hawnes, on the
24th of the eighth month (October) 1671, when 'the improvement of
the gifts of the church, and their disposal in an orderly way, were
proposed to consideration, that God might be sought for direction
therein; and a time further to consider and debate thereof, was
appointed this day seven-night, at evening, at Bedford, where the
principal brethren were desired for that purpose to come together,
at brother John Fenn's; and a church-meeting was appointed to be
there that day week. The church was also minded to seek God about
the choice of brother, Bunyan to the office of elder, that their
way in that respect may be cleared up to them.' At a meeting held
at Bedford, on the last day of the ninth month (November), there
was appointed another meeting 'to pray and consult about concluding
the affair before propounded, concerning gifts of the brethren
to be improved, and the choice of brother Bunyan to office, at
Gamlingay, on the 14th day, and at Hawnes, the 20th, and at Bedfod,
the 21st of the same instant, which it was desired might be a
general meeting.' After all this jealous care, and these fervent
applications to the throne of grace for divine guidance, the
result was most gratifying. 'At a full assembly of the church at
Bedford, the 21st of the tenth month,[274] after much seeking God
by prayer and sober conference formally had, the congregation did
at this meeting, with joynt consent, signified by solemn lifting
up of their hands, call forth and appoint our brother John Bunyan
to the pastoral office or eldership. And he accepting thereof,
gave himself up to serve Christ and his Church, in that charge, and
received of the elders the right hand of fellowship, after having
preached fifteen years.' The choice thus solemnly made, was ratified
by the abundant blessings of heavenly union and great prosperity--no
stranger or novice, but one whose preaching and writings had
proved most acceptable to them for a series of years--on that had
been owned and blessed of his God, and whom the church delighted
to honour.

At the same church meeting, 'The congregation having had long
experience of the faithfulness of brother John Fenn in his care
for the poor, did after the same manner solemnly choose him to the
honourable office of a deacon, and committed their poor and purse
to him, and he accepted thereof, and gave himself up to the Lord
and them in that service.' The church did also determine to keep
the 26th inst. as a day of fasting and prayer, both here, and
at Hawnes, and at Gamlingay, solemnly to commend to the grace of
God brother Bunyan and brother Fenn, and to entreat his gracious
assistance and presence with them in their respective works,
whereunto he hath called them.

The most extraordinary circumstance that took place at this time
was, that while Bunyan was a prisoner in a wretched dungeon for
preaching the glad tidings of salvation, or, in the mysterious
legal jargon of the period, 'holding conventicles,' he received
his Majesty's license to preach, and thus to hold conventicles--it
was one of the first that was granted. His Majesty continued to
keep him a prisoner for preaching more than six months after he
had licensed him to preach!! At the same time that the permission
to preach was granted to Bunyan, the house of Josiah Roughed,
Bedford, was licensed by his Majesty's command, for the use of such
as do not conform to the Church of England. In this John Bunyan was
authorized to teach, or in any other licensed place.[275] These
were among the first licenses that were granted. The present
highly-respected pastor of the church considers that this license
does not refer to Roughed's private dwelling, but rather to 'an
edifice or a barn, purchased of Robert Crompton, Esq., with a piece
of ground adjoining it,' in the parishes of St. Paul and Cuthbert,
for £50, in 1672, by Roughed, Bunyan, Fenn, and others, and which
was released by Fenn to Bunyan and others, November 10, 1681, two
days before Fenn's death. This building having been properly fitted
up by voluntary contribution, became permanently occupied by the
church as its place of meeting, until the old chapel was erected
in 1707. From this we may conclude that Bunyan was engaged in his
worldly occupation as a brazier, in the year that he obtained his
release from prison, and to 1681.

How utterly contemptible does any Government become when they tamper
with spiritual worship. At one period they punished Dissenters with
imprisonment, transportation, and, to use Judge Keeling's elegant
expression in his sentence on Bunyan, 'to stretch by the neck for
it'; and anon, the very same Government, under the same king, gives
them license to dissent! Human laws affecting religion can never
be the standard of morality; to read the Bible is considered to be
sin in Tuscany, and righteousness in Britain. The release of this
great and pious man from his tedious imprisonment, has been hitherto
involved in a cloud of mystery, which it will be our happiness
to disperse, while we record that event in a clear, indisputable
narrative of facts. His earlier biographer, Mr. Doe, not having
access to archives which the lapse of time has now rendered available,
attributed his release to the influence of Bishop Barlow, by the
interference of Dr. Owen. It is narrated in the life of Dr. Owen,
published in 1721:--'The doctor had some friends also among the
bishops, Dr. Barlow, formerly his tutor, then bishop of Lincoln,
who yet upon a special occasion failed him, when he might have
expected the service of his professed friendship. The case was this,
Mr. John Bunyan had been confined to a jail twelve years, upon an
excommunication for Nonconformity. Now there was a law, that if
any two persons will go to the bishop of the diocese, and offer
a cautionary bond, that the prisoner shall conform in half a year,
the bishop may release him upon that bond; whereupon a friend
of this poor man desired Dr. Owen to give him his letter to the
bishop in his behalf, which he readily granted. It was soon after
the discovery of the Popish plot, when this letter was carried to
the bishop, who having read it, desired "a little time to consider
of it, and if I can do it, you may be assured of my readiness."
He was waited upon again in about a fortnight, and his answer was,
"I would desire you to move the Lord Chancellor in the case, and,
upon his order, I will do it." To which it was replied, "this method
would be chargeable, and the man was poor, not able to expend so
much money; and, being satisfied he could do it legally, it was hoped
his Lordship would remember his promise, there being no straining
a point in the case. But he would do it upon no other terms, which
at last was done, and the poor man released." And for this we are
told that "Mr. Bunyan returned him his unfeigned thanks, and often
remembered him in his prayers, as, next to God, his deliverer."' The
whole of this story, so far as it relates to Bunyan, is not only
improbable, but utterly impossible. Bunyan was never excommunicated, and
he was certainly released from prison two or three years previous
to Dr. Barlow becoming a bishop. The critical times to which
he alludes, refer doubtless to the Popish plot, which took place
in 1678, Bunyan having been released in 1672. The probability is,
that Dr. Owen did about 1678 apply to the bishop of Lincoln for the
release of some poor prisoner under sentence of excommunication,
it being his province to release such prisoners upon their making
peace with the Church. If this person was a friend of Bunyan's,
his prayers for the bishop, and acknowledgments for this act of
kindness, are readily accounted for. That Barlow had nothing to
do with Bunyan's release is now perfectly clear; because all, even
the minutest particulars relative to it, have been discovered. This
is a very romantic history, and necessarily leads us back to the
battle of Worcester. At this battle, the republicans were numerous,
well disciplined, and led by experienced officers; the royal army
was completely routed, and its leaders, who survived the battle,
were subject to the severest privations. Charles found refuge
at Boscobel House, and, disguised as a woodcutter, was hid in an
oak. His adventures and hair-breadth escapes fill a volume:--the
parliament offered one thousand pounds reward for his apprehension.
At length, after wandering in various disguises forty days, he
arrived at Brighton, then a small fishing town, and here his friends
succeeded in hiring a fishing boat to take him to France. Numerous
histories of this extraordinary escape were published, but no two
of them agree, excepting that, to please the king, all the credit
was given to Roman Catholics. Of these narratives, that by Dr.
Lingard has the strangest blunder. When they left Shoreham, 'The
ship stood with easy sail towards the Isle of Wight, as if she were
on her way to Deal, to which port she was bound'[276]--Deal being
exactly in the contrary direction! Carte has the best account. The
vessel was bound for Poole, coal-laden; they left Shoreham at seven
a.m. under easy sail; and at five, being off the Isle of Wight, with
the wind north, she stood over to France, and returned to Poole,
no one discovering that they had been out of their course. A letter
recently discovered among the archives of the Society of Friends
at Devonshire House solves every difficulty. It is written by Ellis
Hookes to the wife of George Fox, dated January, 1670--

'Yesterday there was a friend (a quaker) wth the king, one that
is John Groves mate, he was the may yt. was mate to the master of
the fisher-boat yt carried the king away when he went from Worcester
fight, and only this friend and the master knew of it in the ship,
and the friend carried him (the king) ashoare on his shoulders.
the king knew him again, and was very friendly to him, and told
him he remembered him and of severall tings yt was done in ye ship
att the same time. the friend told him the reason why he did not
come all this while was yt he was satisfied in yt he had peace and
satisfaction in himself yt he did what he did to releiue a man in
distresse and now he desired nothing of him (the king) but that he
would sett friends at libertie who were great sufferers or to that
purpose and told the king he had a paper of 110 that were premunired
yt had lain in prison about 6 years and none can release ym but him.
Soe the king took the paper and said there was many of ym and yt
they would be in again in a monthes time and yt the country gentlemen
complained to him yt they were so troubled wth the quakers. So he
said he would release him six. but ye friend thinkes to goe to him
again, for he had not fully cleared himselfe.'

This letter is endorsed by Fox himself, 'E Hookes to M F of passages
consering Richard Carver, that cared the King of his backe.'

E. Hooke's next letter, addressed to George Fox, thus continues
the narrative--

'February, 1669-70.

'Dear G. F. As for the friend that was with the King, his love is
to thee. He has been with the King lately, and Thomas Moore was with
him, and the King was very loving to them. He had a fair and free
opportunity to open his mind to the King, and the King has promised
to do for him, but willed him to wait a month or two longer. I rest
thy faithful friend to serve thee,

'E.H.'[277]

The captain of the fisher-boat was Nicholas Tattersall, whose
grave, covered with a slab of black marble, is still to be seen in
Brighton church-yard, with a long poetical inscription, now scarcely
legible. On the Restoration, he applied for his reward, and was
made a commander in the royal navy, with an annuity to him and his
heirs for ever of £100. The family have recently become extinct.
His fisher-boat was moored for a considerable time in the Thames,
opposite Whitehall. Years had rolled on, but the Quaker mate
who had so materially assisted the flying prince--by keeping the
secret--arranging the escape with the crew, and when, in fear of
danger from a privateer, rowing the prince ashore, and in shoal
water carrying him on his shoulders to the land, near the village
of Fecamp, in Normandy, yet he had not been with the king to claim
any reward. This escape took place in 1651, and nearly twenty years
had elapsed, ten of which were after the Restoration; so that in all
probability the king, who with all his faults was not ungrateful,
was agreeably surprised with his appearance at the palace. Whatever
alteration the rough life of a sailor had made on his appearance,
the king at once recognized him. All the progress he had made as
to worldly prosperity was from being mate of a fisher-boat, under
Tattersall, to becoming mate of a West Indiaman, under Captain
Grove. His Majesty, who had passed his time more with courtiers
than with Quakers, was doubtless astonished that a poor man, having
such a claim on his bounty, should have been so many years without
seeking his recompense. On asking the reason, the Quaker nobly
answered to this effect, That the performance of his duty in saving
the life of the hunted prince, was only a moral obligation, for the
discharge of which God had amply repaid him by peace and satisfaction
in his mind and conscience. And now, Sire, I ask nothing for myself,
but that your Majesty would do the same to my friends that I did
for you--set the poor pious sufferers at liberty, that they may
bless you, and that you may have that peace and satisfaction which
always follows good and benevolent actions. The king attempted
feebly to argue, that they would soon offend again, and that they
were much complained of by the country gentlemen. How readily the
sailor might have said to his sailor king, Alter the ship's articles,
let all the crew fare alike as to their free choice in religion,
and there will be no grumbling in your noble ship; every subject
will do his duty. The king offered to release any six, and we may
imagine the sailor's blunt answer, What, six poor Quakers for a
king's ransom!! His Majesty was so pleased as to invite him to come
again, when he introduced another member of the Society of Friends,
Thomas Moore. At this period an amazing number of Friends, men and
women, were in the jails throughout the kingdom, torn from their
families, and suffering most severe privations, under which great
numbers had perished. The application for the release of the
survivors, thus happily commenced, was followed up with zeal and
energy, and crowned with great success. This narrative solves all
those difficulties which rendered that remarkable event extremely
mysterious. The question naturally arises why so debauched and
dissolute a king should prefer such tight-laced Christians to be
the peculiar objects of his mercy. The reason is perfectly obvious,
he owed his life to one of their members, who, however poor as to
this world, possessed those riches of piety which prevented his
taking any personal reward for an act of duty. Shade of the noble
sailor, thy name, Richard Carver, is worthy of all honour! And the
more so, because thy gallant bearing has been studiously concealed
in all the histories of these important transactions. Had he been
a mischief-making Jesuit, like Father Huddleston, his noble deed
would have been trumpeted forth for the admiration of the world in
all ages. His name was left to perish in oblivion, because he was
of a despised sect. It is an honour to Christianity that a labouring
man preferred the duty of saving the life of a human being, and
that of an enemy, to gaining so easily heaps of glittering gold.
And when all the resources of royalty were ready munificently to
reward him, he, like Moses, preferred the rescue of his suffering
friends to personal honours or emoluments--even to all the riches
of England!

The efforts of Carver and Moore were followed by most earnest
appeals for mercy by George Whitehead, who with Moore appeared before
the king in council several times, until at length the royal word
sanctioned this act of mercy. The Quakers were then appealed to by
sufferers of other denominations, and advised them to obtain the
permission of the king in council, that their names might be inserted
in the deed; rendering them all the assistance that was in their
power. Great difficulties were encountered in passing the cumbrous
deed through the various offices, and then in pleading it in all
parts of the country. The number of Quakers thus released from
imprisonment was 471, being about the same number as those who had
perished in the jails. The rest of the prisoners liberated by this
deed were Baptists and Independents, and among the former was JOHN
BUNYAN.

A very circumstantial narrative of these proceedings, copies of the
minutes of the privy council, and other documents, will be found
in the introduction to The Pilgrim's Progress.[278] One of these
official papers affords an interesting subject of study to an
occasional conformist. It is the return of the sheriff of Bedfordshire,
stating that ALL the sufferings of Bunyan--his privation of liberty,
sacrifice of wife, children, and temporal comforts, with the fear
of an ignominious death--were for refusing to attend his parish
church and hear the Common Prayer service.

When it is considered that Bunyan was very severe in his remarks
upon the Quakers, the event reflects no ordinary degree of honour
upon the Society of Friends, at whose sole charge, and entirely
by their own exertions, this great deed of benevolence was begun,
carried on, and completed. It is difficult to ascertain the exact
duration of this sad imprisonment, because we cannot discover any
record of the day of his release. His imprisonment commenced November
13, 1660, and his pardon under the great seal is dated September
13, 1672. As the pardon included nearly 500 sufferers, it occupied
some time to obtain official duplicates to be exhibited at the
assizes and sessions for the various counties. A letter from E. Hooks
to Mrs. Fox intimates that none were released on the 1st November
1672. Another letter shows that the Bedfordshire prisoners were
discharged before January 10, 1673;[279] confirming Bunyan's own
account, published by him in the Grace Abounding, 1680, that his
imprisonment lasted complete twelve years.[280]

During the latter period of his imprisonment, probably from the
time of his receiving the royal license to preach, May 15, 1672,
he enjoyed extraordinary liberty--visiting those who had been kind
to his family, and preaching in the surrounding counties. An entry
in the records of the city of Leicester proves that he was there,
and claimed the liberty of preaching--'John Bunyan's license bears
date the 15th of May 1672, to teach as a Congregational person,
being of that persuasion, in the house of Josias Roughed, Bedford,
or in any other place, room, or house, licensed by his Majestie's
memorand. The said Bunyan shewed his license to Mr. Mayor, Mr.
Overinge, Mr. Freeman, and Mr. Browne, being then present, the 6th
day of October, 1672, that being about two months before his final
release from jail.'[281]

His first object, upon recovering his liberty, appears to have
been the proper arrangement of his worldly business, that he might
provide for the wants of his family, a matter of little difficulty
with their frugal habits. He, at the same time, entered with all
his soul into his beloved work of preaching and writing, to set
forth the glories of Immanuel. The testimony of one who was his
'true friend and long acquaintance,' is, that one of the first
fruits of his liberation was to visit those who had assisted him
and comforted his family during his incarceration, encouraging those
who were in fear of a prison, and collecting means of assistance
to those who still remained prisoners; traveling even to remote
counties to effect these merciful objects.[282]

While the premises occupied by Mr. Roughed were being converted into
a capacious meeting-house, the pastor was indefatigable in visiting
the sick, and preaching from house to house, settling churches in
the villages, reconciling differences, and extending the sacred
influences of the gospel, so that in a very short time he attained
the appellation of Bishop Bunyan--a title much better merited by
him than by the downy prelates who sent him to jail for preaching
that which they ought to have preached.

He formed branch churches at Gamlingay, Hawnes, Cotton-end, and
Kempston, in connection with that at Bedford. When he opened the
new meeting-house, it was so thronged that many were constrained
to stay without, though it was very spacious, every one striving
to partake of his instructions. Here he lived, in much peace and
quiet of mind, contenting himself with that little God had bestowed
upon him, and sequestering himself from all secular employments to
follow that of his call to the ministry.[283] The word 'sequestering'
would lead us to conclude, that his business was continued by his
family, under his care, but so as to allow him much time for his
Christian duties, and his benevolent pursuits. His peaceful course
was interrupted by a severe controversy with the Christian world upon
the subject of communion at the Lord's Table, which had commenced
while he was in prison. He would admit none but those who, by a
godly conversation, brought forth fruits meet for repentance, nor
dared he to refuse any who were admitted to spiritual communion
with the Redeemer. Every sect which celebrated the Lord's Supper,
fenced the table round with ritual observances, except the Baptist
church at Bedford, which stood preeminent for non-sectarianism. A
singular proof of this is, that the catechism called Instruction
of the Ignorant, written and published by Bunyan, is admirably
adapted for the use, not only of his own church, but of Christians
of all denominations.

His spirit was greatly refreshed by finding that his precept and
example had been blessed to his son Thomas. On the 6th of the 11th
month, 1673, he passed the lions, and was welcomed into the house
called Beautiful, uniting in full communion with his father's
church. There doubtless was, as Mercy expresses it, 'music in the
house, music in the heart, and music also in heaven, for joy that
he was here.'[284] He afterwards became a village preacher.

Bunyan was by no means a latitudinarian. No one felt greater
decision than he did for the truths of our holy faith. When his
Lord's design in Christianity was, as he thought, perverted by a
beneficed clergyman, then he sent forth from his prison an answer
as from a son of thunder, even at the risk of his life. His love
for the pure doctrines of the gospel was as decided as his aversion
to sectarian titles. 'As for those factious titles of Anabaptists,
Independents, Presbyterians, or the like, I conclude that they
came neither from Jerusalem, nor from Antioch, but rather from hell
and Babylon, for they naturally tend to divisions.'[285] The only
title that he loved was that of Christian. 'It is strange to see
how men are wedded to their own opinions, beyond what the law of
grace and love will admit. Here is a Presbyter--here an Independent
and a Baptist, so joined each man to his own opinions, that they
cannot have that communion one with another as by the testament of
the Lord Jesus they are commanded and enjoined.'[286] The meaning
which he attached to the word 'sectarian' is very striking--Pharisees
are sectarians, they who in Divine worship turn aside from the
rule of the written Word, and in their manner do it to be seen of
men--these are sectaries.[287] Bunyan was most decided as to the
importance of baptism and the Lord's Supper. 'Do you think that
love letters are not desired between lovers? Why these, God's
ordinances, they are his love letters, and his love tokens, too.
No marvel, then, if the righteous do so desire them. "More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also
than honey, and the honey-comb." Christ made himself known to his
disciples in breaking of bread; who would not, then, that loves to
know him, be present at such an ordinance? Ofttimes the Holy Ghost,
in the comfortable influence of it, has accompanied the baptized in
the very act of administering of it.' His views of the fellowship
of the saints were equally explicit--'Church fellowship, rightly
managed, is the glory of all the world. No place, no community, no
fellowship, is adorned and bespangled with those beauties, as is
a church rightly knit together to their Head, and lovingly serving
one another.'[288] Such he admitted to the table of their common
Lord; but, in his esteem, to communicate with the profane was all
one with sacrificing to the devil.

All this liberality was accompanied by very strict notions of church
fellowship, not allowing private judgment in the withdrawing of
any member, if the church withheld its approbation. Mary Tilney
had been cruelly robbed by the persecuting Justice Porter, for not
attending the parish church. He carted away all her goods, beds,
and bedding, even to the hangings of her rooms. She was a most
benevolent widow, and was more troubled with the crying and sighing
of her poor neighbours, than with the loss of her goods. Harassed
by persecution at Bedford, she removed to London, and requested her
dismission to a church of which her son-in-law was pastor, which
was refused. As the letter announcing this to her is a good example
of Bunyan's epistolary correspondence, it is carefully extracted
from the church book.

'Our dearly-beloved sister Tilney.

'Grace, mercy, and peace be with you, by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

'I received your letter, and have presented it to the sight of the
brethren, who, after due consideration of your motion, have jointly
concluded to give you this answer. This for yourself (honoured
sister), you are of high esteem with the church of God in this
place, both because his grace hath been bestowed richly upon you,
and because of your faithful fellowship with us; for you have been
rightly a daughter of Abraham while here, not being afraid with any
amazement. Your holy and quiet behaviour, also, while with patience
and meekness, and in the gentleness of Christ, you suffered yourself
to be robbed for his sake, hath the more united our affections
to you in the bowels of Jesus Christ. Yea, it hath begotten you
reverence, also, in the hearts of them who were beholders of your
meekness and innocency while you suffered; and a stinging conviction,
as we are persuaded, in the consciences of those who made spoil
for themselves; all which will redound to the praise of God our
Father, and to your comfort and everlasting consolation by Christ,
in the day he shall come to take vengeance for his people, and to
be glorified in them that believe. Wherefore we cannot (our honoured
sister) but care for your welfare, and increase of all good in the
faith and kingdom of Christ, whose servant you are, and whose name
is written in your forehead; and do therefore pray God and our
Father, that he would direct your way, and open a door in his temple
for you, that you may eat his fat and be refreshed, and that you
may drink the pure blood of the grape. And be you assured that, with
all readiness, we will help and forward you what we can therein,
for we are not ashamed to own you before all the churches of Christ.

'But, our dearly beloved, you know that, for our safety and your
profit, it is behoofful that we commit you to such, to be fed and
governed in the Word and doctrines as, we are sufficiently persuaded,
shall be able to deliver you up with joy at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all his saints: otherwise we (that we say not
you) shall receive blushing and shame before him and you; yea, and
you also, our honoured sister, may justly charge us with want of
love, and a due respect for your eternal condition, if, for want
of care and circumspection herein, we should commit you to any
from whom you should receive damage, or by whom you should not be
succoured and fed with the sincere milk of the incorruptible Word
of God, which is able to save your soul. Wherefore we may not,
neither dare give our consent that you feed and fold with such
whose principles and practices, in matters of faith and worship,
we, as yet, are strangers to, and have not received commendations
concerning, either from works of theirs or epistles from others.
Yourself, indeed, hath declared that you are satisfied therein;
but, elect sister, seeing the act of delivering you up is an act
of ours and not yours, it is convenient, yea, very expedient, that
we, as to so weighty a matter, be well persuaded before. Wherefore
we beseech you, that, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, you
give us leave to inform ourselves yet better before we grant your
request; and that you also forbear to sit down at the table with
any without the consent of your brethren. You were, while with
us, obedient, and we trust you will not be unruly now. And for the
more quick expedition of this matter, we will propound before you
our further thoughts. 1. Either we shall consent to your sitting down
with brother Cockain, brother Griffith, brother Palmer, or other,
who, of long continuance in the city, have showed forth their faith,
their worship, and good conversation with the Word; 2. Or if you
can get a commendatory epistle from brother Owen, brother Cockain,
brother Palmer, or brother Griffith, concerning the faith and
principles of the person and people you mention, with desire to be
guided and governed by, you shall see our readiness, in the fear of
God, to commit you to the doctrine and care of that congregation.
Choose you whether of these you will consent unto, and let us hear
of your resolution. And we beseech you, for love's sake, you show,
with meekness, your fear and reverence of Christ's institution; your
love to the congregation, and regard to your future good. Finally,
we commit you to the Lord and the Word of his grace, who is able
to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are
sanctified. To God, the only wise, be glory and power everlasting.
Amen.--Your affectionate brethren, to serve you in the faith and
fellowship of the gospel.

'Sent from Bedford, the 19th of the Fourth Month, 1671.

As a farther illustration of Bunyan's sentiments on this subject,
we give the following letter to the church at Braintree:--

'The 7th of the Twelfth Month, 1676 (Feb. 1677).

'The church of Christ in and about Bedford, to the church of Christ
in and about Braintree, sendeth greeting,

'Holy and beloved--We, fellow-heirs with you of the grace of life,
having considered your request concerning our honoured and beloved
brother, Samuel Hensman: that he shall be given up to you for
your mutual edification, and his furtherance and joy of faith; and
considering also, in the capacity he now standeth by reason of
his habitation amongst you, his edification is to be from you, not
from us--he being, by God's providence (by which he disposeth the
world), placed at such a distance from us. And considering, also,
the great end of Christ our Lord, in ordaining the communion of
saints, is his glory in their edification, and that all things are
to be done by his command to the edification of the body in general,
and of every member in particular, and that this we oft (ought?)
to design in our receiving him, and giving up to other churches,
and not to please ourselves: do as before God and the elect angels,
grant and give up to you our elect brother, to be received by you
in the Lord, and to be nourished, in the church at Braintree, with
you as one that is dear to the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ;
and this we the willinger do, because, as we are informed concerning
you, beloved, you are not rigid in your principles, but are for
communion with saints as saints, and have been taught by the Word
to receive the brotherhood, because they are beloved, and received
of the Father and the Son, to whose grace we commend you, with
the brother of late a member with us, but now one of you. Grace be
with you all. Written by the appointment of the church here, and
subscribed, in her name, by your brethren, as followeth:--


    John Bunyan

    Sam. Fenn.    Oliver Stot.
    John Fenn.    Thomas Cooper.
    Luke Astwood. John Croker.


The late Mr. Kilpin of Bedford considered the whole of this letter
to be entered in the minutes in Bunyan's hand-writing.

There is also in the church book the copy of a letter, in 1674,
addressed to the 'church sometime walking with our brother Jesse,'
refusing to dismiss to them Martha Cumberland, unless they were
certified that they continued in the practice of mixed communion.
In these sentiments Bunyan lived and died. His church remains
the same to the present day. In the new, commodious, and handsome
meeting-house, opened in 1850, there is a baptistery, frequently
used. The present minister, the amiable and talented John Jukes,
baptizes infants, and receives the assistance of a neighbouring
Baptist minister to baptize adults.

Not only had Bunyan clear, well-defined, and most decided views of
the ordinances of the gospel, but also of all its doctrines. His
knowledge upon those solemn subjects was drawn exclusively from the
sacred pages; nor dared he swerve in the slightest degree from the
path of duty; still he belonged to no sect, but that of Christian,
and the same freedom which had guided him in forming his principles,
he cheerfully allowed to others. Hitherto, water baptism had been
considered a pre-requisite to the Lord's table by all parties.
The Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Independents, had denounced
the Baptists as guilty of a most serious heresy, or blasphemy, in
denying the right of infants to baptism; not only did they exclude
the Baptists from communion with their churches, but they persecuted
them with extreme rigour. When the Independents made laws for the
government of their colony in America, in 1644, one of the enactments
was, 'That if any person shall either openly condemn, or oppose the
baptizing of infants, or seduce others, or leave the congregation
during the administration of the rite, they shall be sentenced to
banishment.' The same year a poor man was tied up and whipped, for
refusing to have his child baptized. 'The Rev. J. Clarke, and Mr.
O. Holmes, of Rhode Island, for visiting a sick Baptist brother in
Massachusetts, instead of being admitted to the Lord's table, they
were arrested, fined, imprisoned, and whipped.' At this very time,
the Baptists formed their colony at Rhode Island, and the charter
concludes with these words, 'All men may walk as their consciences
persuade them, every one in the name of his God.' This is probably
the only spot in the world where persecution was never known. The
Baptists considered that immersion in water was the marriage rite
between the believer and Saviour; that to sit at the Lord's table
without it was spiritual adultery, to be abhorred and avoided, and
therefore refused to admit any person to the Lord's table who had
not been baptized in water upon a personal profession of faith
in the Saviour. This was the state of parties when Bunyan, at the
commencement of his pastorate, entered into the controversy. He had
been promised a commendation to his book by the great, the grave,
'the sober' Dr. Owen, but he withdrew his sanction. 'And perhaps it
was more for the glory of God, that truth should go naked into the
world,' said Bunyan, 'than as seconded by so weighty an armour-bearer
as he.'[289] Bunyan denied that water could form a wedding garment,
or that water baptism was a pre-requisite for the Lord's table, or
that being immersed in water was putting on our Lord's livery, by
which disciples may be known. 'Away, fond man, do you forget the
text, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another."'[290] And attempt was made to embroil
Bunyan in a public disputation in London upon this subject, which
he very wisely avoided.[291] This controversy will be found in our
second volume, and is deeply interesting, making allowance for the
esprit de corps manifested on all sides. A verse in the emblems is
very pertinent upon the violence of this dispute:--


   'Our gospel has had here a summer's day,
    But in its sunshine we, like fools, did play;
    Or else fall out, and with each other wrangle,
    And did, instead of work, not much but jangle.'[292]


After a lapse of nearly two centuries, Bunyan's peaceable principles
have greatly prevailed; so that now few churches refuse communion
on account of the mode, in which water baptism has been administered.
The Baptists are no longer deemed heretics as they formerly were.
Dr. Watts aided this kindly feeling--'A church baptized in infancy,
or in adult age, may allow communion to those that are of the contrary
practice in baptism.'[293] Robert Robinson praises Bunyan's work,
and advocates his sentiments upon the most liberal principles.
One of his remarks is very striking:--'Happy community! that can
produce a dispute of one hundred and fifty years unstained with
the blood, and unsullied with the fines, the imprisonments, and the
civil inconveniences of the disputants. As to a few coarse names,
rough compliments, foreign suppositions, and acrimonious exclamations,
they are only the harmless squeakings of men in a passion, caught
and pinched in a sort of logical trap.'[294] To this time, Bunyan
was only known as an extraordinarily talented and eloquent man,
whose retentive memory was most richly stored with the sacred
Scriptures. All his sermons and writings were drawn from his own
mental resources, aided, while in prison, only by the Bible, the
Concordance, and Fox's Book of Martyrs. Very emphatically he says,
'I am for drinking water out of my own cistern.' 'I find such
a spirit of idolatry in the learning of this world, that had I it
at command I durst not use it, but only use the light of the Word
and Spirit of God.' 'I will not take of it from a thread even to
a shoe latchet.'[295] It must not be understood that he read no
other works but his Bible and Book of Martyrs, but that he only used
those in composing his various treatises while in confinement. He
certainly had and read The Plain Man's Pathway, Practice of Piety,
Luther on the Galatians, Clarke's Looking-glass for Saints and
Sinners, Dodd on the Commandments, Andrews' Sermons, Fowler's Design
of Christianity, D'Anvers and Paul on Baptism, and doubtless all
the books which were within his reach, calculated to increase his
store of knowledge.

About this time he published a small quarto tract, in which he
scripturally treats the doctrine of eternal election and reprobation.
This rare book, published for sixpence, we were glad to purchase at
a cost of one guinea and a half, because a modern author rejected
its authenticity! It is included in every early list of Bunyan's
works, and especially in that published by himself, in 1688, to
guard his friends from deception; for he had become so popular an
author that several forgeries had been published under his initials.
These few pages on election contain a scriptural treatise upon
a very solemn subject, written by one whose mind was so imbued
by the fear of God, as to have cast out the fear of man; which so
generally embarrasses writers upon this subject. It was translated
into Welsh, and is worthy an attentive perusal, especially by those
who cannot see the difference between God's foreknowledge and his
foreordination.

A new era was now dawning upon him, which, during the last ten years
of his life, added tenfold to his popularity. For many years his
beautifully simple, but splendid allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress,
lay slumbering in his drawer.[296] Numerous had been his consultations
with his pious associates and friends, and various had been their
opinions, whether it was serious enough to be published. All of them
had a solemn sense of the impropriety of anything like trifling as
to the way of escape from destruction, and the road to the celestial
city. It appears strange to us, who have witnessed the very solemn
impressions, in all cases, made by reading that book, that there
could have been a doubt of the propriety of treating in a colloquial
manner, and even under the fashion of a dream, those most important
truths. Some said, 'John, print it'; others said, 'not so.' Some
said, 'it might do good'; others said, 'no.' The result of all
those consultations was his determination, 'I print it will,' and
it has raised an imperishable monument to his memory. Up to this
time, all Bunyan's popularity arose from his earlier works, and
his sermons. Leaving out of the question those most extraordinary
books, The Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, his other writings ought
to have handed down his name, with honour and popularity, to the
latest posterity. While the logical and ponderous works of Baxter
and Owen are well calculated to furnish instruction to those who
are determined to obtain knowledge, the works of Bunyan create that
very determination, and furnish that very knowledge, so blended
with amusement, as to fix it in the memory. Let one illustration
suffice. It is our duty to love our enemies, but it is a hard lesson;
we must learn it from the conduct of the Divine Creator--'There
is a man hates God, blasphemes his name, despises his being; yea,
says there is no God. And yet the God that he carrieth it thus
towards doth give me his breakfast, dinner, and supper; clothes him
well, and, when night comes, has him to bed, gives him good rest,
blesses his field, his corn, his cattle, his children, and raises
him to high estate; yea, and this our God doth not only once
or twice, but until these transgressors become old; his patience
is thus extended years after years, that we might learn of him to
do well.'[297] All the works of Bunyan abound with such striking
lessons, as to render them extremely valuable, especially to
Sunday-school teachers and ministers, to enliven their addresses and
sermons. But, in The Pilgrim's Progress, the world has acknowledged
one train of beauties; picture after picture, most beautifully
finished, exhibiting the road from destruction to the celestial
city; our only difficulty in such a display being to decide as to
which is the most interesting and striking piece of scenery.[298]
The editor's introduction to that extraordinary book is intended
to prove that it was written while the author was imprisoned
for refusing to submit his conscience to human laws, and that it
is a perpetual monument to the folly of persecution; the peculiar
qualifications of the author are displayed in its having been
a spontaneous effusion of his own mind, unaided by any previous
writer; an analysis is given of all prior pilgrimages, in which,
more especially in The Pilgrims, The Pylgremage of the Soule,
Grande Amoure, and in The Pilgrim of Loretto, the reader will find
a faithful picture of some of the singularities of Popery drawn by
itself; an account of the editions, forgeries, errors in printing,
versions and translations of this wonderful book; the opinions of
the learned and pious of its merits, principal scenes, and a synopsis.
It has been the source of very numerous courses of lectures by
ministers of all denominations; and has been turned into a handsome
volume of hymns, adapted for public worship, by the late Mr. Purday,
a friend of John Wesley's, and a laborious preacher for more than
half a century.

Great efforts have been made by the most popular artists to enliven the
scenes of the pilgrimage; but no colour glows like the enchanting
words of Bunyan. No figures are so true to nature, and so life-like.
Those eminent engravers, Sturt and Strut, Stothard and Martin,
with the prize efforts excited by the Art Union of England, and
the curious outlines by Mrs. M'Kenzie, the daughter of a British
admiral, have endeavoured to exhaust the scenes in this inexhaustible
work of beautiful scenery. The most elegant and correct edition is
the large-paper, sumptuous volume by Mr. Bogue, admirably illustrated
with new designs, engraved on wood in superior style--a volume
worthy the drawing-room of queens and emperors. The designs, also,
of the late David Scott, recently published at Edinburgh, are new,
and peculiarly striking. His entrance to the Valley of the Shadow
of Death is mysteriously impressive, a fit accompaniment to Bunyan's
description, which is not excelled by any thing in Dante, Spencer,
or Milton. In both parts of The Pilgrim's Progress this scene is
full of terrific sublimity. But we must be excused, if we most warmly
recommend our own offspring--the present edition--as combining
accuracy, elegance, and cheapness, with the addition of very
numerous notes, which, we trust, will prove highly illustrative
and entertaining.

The carping criticisms of Mr. Dunlop, in his History of Fiction,
and of an author in the Penny Encyclopedia, are scarcely worth
notice. The complaint is, want of benevolence in the hero of the
tale. How singular it is, and what a testimony to its excellence,
that an intelligent writer upon fictions should have been so
overpowered with this spiritual narrative, as to confound it with
temporal things. Christian leaves his wife and children, instead
of staying with them, to be involved in destruction--all this
relates to inward spiritual feelings, and to these only. Visited
by compunctions of heart, Christian strives to inspire his wife
and children with the same, but in vain; he attends solitarily to
his spiritual state, taunted by his family, while, as to temporal
things, he becomes a better husband and father than ever he
was--but this is not prominent, because it is entirely foreign to
the author's object, which is to display the inward emotions of
the new birth, the spiritual journey alone, apart from all temporal
affairs. Multitudes read it as if it was really a dream, the old
sleeping portrait confirming the idea. In the story, Christian most
mysteriously embodies all classes of men, from the prince to the
peasant--the wealthiest noble, or merchant, to the humbles mechanic
or labourer--and it illustrates the most solemn, certain truth,
that, with respect to the salvation of the soul, the poorest creature
in existence is upon perfect equality with the lordly prelate, or
magnificent emperor, with this word ringing in their ears, 'the POOR
have the gospel preached to them.' The Grace Abounding, or Life of
Bunyan, is a key to all the mysteries of The Pilgrim's Progress,
and Holy War.

Bunyan's singular powers are those of description, not of invention.
He had lived in the city of destruction--he had heard the distant
threatening of the awful storm that was shortly to swallow it up
in unutterable ruin--he had felt the load of sin, and rejoiced when
it was rolled away before a crucified Saviour--he knew every step
of the way, and before he had himself passed the black river, he
had watched prayerfully over those who were passing, and when the
gate of the city was opened to let them enter, he had strained his
eyes to see their glory.

The purifying influence of The Pilgrim's Progress may be traced in
the writings of many imaginative authors. How does it in several
parts beautify the admirable tale of Uncle Tom, and his Cabin. In
that inimitable scene, the death of the lovely Eva, the distressed
negro, watching with intense anxiety the progress of death, says,
'When that blessed child goes into the kingdom, they'll open the
door so wide, we'll all get a look in at the glory.' Whence came
this strange idea--not limited to the poor negro, but felt by
thousands who have watched over departing saints? It comes from
the entrance of Christian and Hopeful into the celestial city--'I
looked in after them, and, behold, the city shone like the sun; the
streets, also, were paved with gold, and in them they walked with
crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps
to sing praises, which, when I had seen, I wished myself among
them.'[299] How often has Bunyan's wit sparkled in sermons, and
even in speeches delivered in the senate. Recently, in a speech on
the collation ministry, the following reference was introduced:--'Mr.
Facing-both-ways, of honest John Bunyan, is not a creature mankind
can regard with any complacency; nor will they likely suffer any
one to act with one party, and reserve his principles for another.'
It has also been strangely quoted in novel writing--thus in Bell's
Villette--visiting a God-mother in a pleasant retreat, is said 'to
resemble the sojourn of Christian and Hopeful, beside the pleasant
stream, with green trees on each bank, and meadows beautified with
lilies all the year round.' It is marvelous that a picture of
nature should have been so beautifully and strikingly described
by an unlettered artisan, as to be used in embellishing an elegant
novel, written nearly two centuries after his decease.[300]

The Pilgrim was followed by a searching treatise on The Fear of God.
The value of this book led to its republication by the Tract Society,
and 4000 copies have been circulated. It is a neat and acceptable
volume, but why altered? and a psalm omitted.[301] Bunyan says,
'Your great ranting, swaggering, roysters'; this is modernized into
'Your ranting boasters.'[302] Then followed, the Come and Welcome
to Jesus Christ. This was frequently reprinted, and hundreds of
thousands have been circulated to benefit the world. His popularity
increased with his years; efforts were made, but in vain, to steal
him from his beloved charge at Bedford. 'He hath refused a more
plentiful income to keep his station,' is the language of his
surviving friend, Charles Doe. It is not surprising that he was
thus tempted to leave his poor country church, for we are told by
the same biographer, that 'When Mr. Bunyan preached in London, if
there were but one day's notice given, there would be more people
come together to hear him preach, than the meeting-house could hold.
I have seen to hear him preach, by my computation, about 1200 at
a morning lecture, by seven o'clock, on a working day, in the dark
winter time. I also computed about 3000 that came to hear him one
Lord's-day, at London, at a town's end meeting-house, so that half
were fain to go back again for want of room, and then himself was
fain at a back door to be pulled almost over people to get up stairs
to his pulpit.' This took place in a large meeting-house, erected
in Zoar Street, either on the site or near the Globe Theatre,
Southwark.[303] On this spot, the prince of dramatists amused and
corrupted crowded houses; while in the immediate vicinity were
the stews and bear garden, frequented by libertines of the lowest
caste. One Sunday, in 1582, many were killed or miserably wounded
while attending the brutal sport of bear-baiting. Here, in the heart
of Satan's empire, the prince of allegorists attracted multitudes,
to be enlightened by his natural eloquence, and to be benefited
by the fruits of his prolific and vivid imagination, at all times
curbed and directed by the holy oracles. It was a spacious building,
covering about 2000 feet of ground (50 by 40), with three galleries,
quite capable of holding the number computed by Mr. Doe. We have,
from correct drawings, furnished our subscribers with the plan
and elevation of this ancient meeting-house. Having preached with
peculiar warmth and enlargement, one of his friends took him by
the hand, and could not help observing what a sweet sermon he had
delivered; 'Ay,' said he, 'you need not remind me of that, for the
devil told me of it before I was out of the pulpit!'[304] Amongst
his hearers were to be found the learned and the illiterate. It
was well known that Dr. John Owen, when he had the opportunity,
embraced it with pleasure, and sat at the feet of the unlearned,
but eloquent tinker. Charles II, hearing of it, asked the learned
D.D., 'How a man of his great erudition could sit to hear a tinker
preach?' to which the doctor replied, 'May it please your Majesty,
if I could possess the tinker's abilities, I would gladly give in
exchange all my learning.'

He now pictured the downward road of the sinner to the realms of
death and darkness in the Life of Badman. This was published in
1680, and is written in a language which fraudulent tradesmen at
that period could not misunderstand; using terms now obsolete or
vulgar. It is full of anecdotes, which reveal the state of the times,
as superlatively immoral, and profane. He incidentally notices that
a labourer received eightpence or tenpence per day.[305] At that
time, bread and all the necessaries of life, excepting meat, were
dearer than they are at present. In fact, our days are much happier
for the poor than any preceding ones in British history. Bunyan's
notions of conscientious dealing, will make all traders who read
them--blush.[306]

November 12, 1681, Bunyan's friend and fellow-labourer Samuel Fenn,
was removed from this world, and in the following year persecution
raged severely. The church was, for a season, driven from the
meeting-house, and obliged to assemble in the fields. The Word of
the Lord was precious in those days.

In 1682, while surrounded by persecution, he prepared and published
his most profound and beautiful allegory, The Holy War, made by
Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the
World; or, The Losing and Taking again the Town of Mansoul.[307]
The frontispiece is the most accurate likeness of Bunyan that is
extant; it is engraved by White, from a drawing, also by him, now
preserved in the print department of the British Museum. From this
drawing, carefully compared with the print, we have furnished the
expressive likeness which forms the frontispiece to this volume.
It has also a correct whole-length portrait, with emblematical
devices. This exceedingly beautiful and most finished allegory has
never been so popular as The Pilgrim's Progress, for reasons which
are shown in the introduction to The Holy War.[308] The whole
narrative of this wondrous war appears to flow as naturally as
did that of the pilgrimage from the highly imaginative mind of the
author. Man, in his innocence, attracts the notice and hatred of
Apollyon. Nothing could be accomplished by force--all by
subtlety and deceit. He holds a council of war--selects his
officers--approaches--parleys, and gains admittance--then fortifies
the town against its king--Immanuel determines to recover it--vast
armies, under appropriate leaders, surround the town, and attack
every gate. The ear is garrisoned by Captain Prejudice and his deaf
men. But he who rides forth conquering and to conquer is victorious.
All the pomp, and parade, and horrors of a siege are as accurately
told, as if by one who had been at the sacking of many towns. The
author had learnt much in a little time, at the siege of Leicester.
All the sad elements of war appear, and make us shudder--masses
of armed men with their slings and battering-rams--clarions and
shouts--wounded and slain, all appear as in a panorama. The mind
becomes entranced, and when sober reflection regains her command,
we naturally inquire, Can all this have taken place in my heart?
Then the armies of Diabolus, with his thousands of Election Doubters,
and as many Vocation Doubters, and his troops of Blood-men--thousands
slain, and yet thousands start into existence. And all this in one
man! How numberless are our thoughts--how crafty the approaches of
the enemy--how hopeless and helpless is the sinner, unless Immanuel
undertakes his recovery. The Holy War is a most surprising narrative
of the fall and of the recovery of man's soul, as accurate as
it is most deeply interesting. It is one of the most perfect of
allegories.[309] There is as vast a superiority in Bunyan's Holy
War over that by Chrysostom, as there is in the sun over a rush-light.

In 1684, he completed his Pilgrim's Progress, with the Journey of
a Female Christian, her Children, and the Lovely Mercy; and now, as
his invaluable and active life drew towards its close, his labours
were redoubled. In his younger days, there appeared to have been
no presentiment on his part that the longest term of human life
would with him be shortened, but rather an expectation of living
to old age, judging from an expression in his Grace Abounding.
when he enjoyed a good hope, and bright anticipation of heavenly
felicity, 'I should often long and desire that the last days were
come. O! thought I, that I were fourscore years old now, that I
might die quickly and be gone to rest.'[310] At that time he did
not anticipate twelve years' imprisonment in a wretched jail, nor
the consequent effects it must have upon his robust frame, well
calculated to stand all weathers, but easily sapped and undermined
by a damp dungeon. Symptoms of decay, after having enjoyed his
liberty for about a year, led him to close his Affectionate Advice
to his Beloved Flock, on their Christian Behaviour; with these
words, 'Thus have I written to you, before I die, to provoke you
to faith and holiness, and to love one another, when I am deceased,
and shall be in paradise, as through grace I comfortably believe;
yet it is not there, but here, I must do you good.'[311] It
is remarkable that Bunyan escaped all the dangers of the trying
reign of James II, who, at times, was a persecutor, and at times
endeavoured, in vain, by blandishments, to win the Nonconformists.
his minions had their eyes upon our pilgrim, but were foiled in every
attempt to apprehend him; all that he suffered was the occasional
spoiling of his goods.[312] Neither violence nor allurements induced
him to deviate from his line of duty. No fear of man appeared to
agitate his breast--he richly enjoyed that 'perfect love,' which
'casteth out fear' (1 John 4:18). James did all that an unprincipled
man could do to cajole the Dissenters, that by their aid he might
pull down the walls of Protestantism, and give full sway to the
Papacy. He attempted, among many others, to bribe John Bunyan. He
knew not how well he was read in the Book of Martyrs; how well he
was aware that 'the instruments of cruelty are in their habitations,'
and that the only advantage he could have received, would have been
the same that Polypheme, the monstrous giant of Sicily, allowed to
Ulysses, that he would eat his men first, and do him the favour of
being eaten last. Mr. Doe states that 'Regulators were sent into all
cities and towns corporate to new-model the magistracy, by turning
out some, and putting in others. Against this Bunyan expressed his
zeal with great anxiety, as foreseeing the bad consequences that
would attend it, and laboured with his congregation to prevent
their being imposed on in this kind. And when a great man in those
days, coming to Bedford upon some such errand, sent for him, as it
is supposed, to give him a place of public trust, he would by no
means come at him, but sent his excuse.'[313] He knew that in his
flesh he possessed what he calls 'Adam's legacy, a conduit pipe,
through which the devil conveys his poisoned spawn and venom,'[314]
and he wisely avoided this subtle temptation. He detested the
'painted Satan, or devil in fine clothes.'[315] It was one of these
hypocritical pretences to correct evil, while really meaning to
increase it, and which Bunyan calls, 'the devil correcting vice.'
He was watchful, lest 'his inward man should catch cold,'[316] and
every attempt to entangle him failed.

This godly jealousy led him to sacrifice worldly interests to an
extent not justifiable, if all the facts appear. When told that a
very worthy citizen of London would take his son Joseph apprentice
without fee, and advance his interests, he refused, saying, 'God
did not send me to advance my family, but to preach the gospel.'

At this time he again manifested his lion heart, by writing and
preparing for the press a fearless treatise on Antichrist, and
his Ruin. In this he shows, that human interference with Divine
worship, by penal laws or constraint, is 'Antichrist'--that which
pretends to regulate thought, and thus to reduce the kingdom
of Christ to a level with the governments of this world. In this
treatise, he clearly exhibits the meaning of that passage, so
constantly quoted by the advocates of tyranny and persecution (Ezra
7:26), and shows that the laws interfered not with Divine worship,
but that they upheld to the fullest extent the principle of voluntary
obedience (v 13); so that any man putting constraint upon another
in religious affairs, would be guilty of breaking the law, and
subject him to extreme punishment. This was one of the last treatises
which Bunyan prepared for the press, as if in his dying moments he
would aim a deadly thrust at Apollyon. Reader, it is worthy your
most careful perusal, as showing the certain downfall of Antichrist,
and the means by which it must be accomplished.

Feeling the extreme uncertainty of life, and that he might be robbed
of all his worldly goods, under a pretence of fines and penalties,
he, on the 23d of December, 1685, executed a deed of gift, vesting
what little he possessed in his wife. It is a singular instrument,
especially as having been sealed with a silver twopenny piece. The
original is in the church book, at Bedford:--

'To all people to whom this present writing shall com, J. Bunyan of
the parish of St. Cuthbirt's, in the towne of Bedford, in the county
of Bedford, Brazier send greeting. Know ye, that I the said John
Bunyan as well for, and in consideration of the natural affection
and loue which I have, and bear vnto my welbeloued wife, Elizabeth
Bunyan, as also for divers other good causes and considerations, me
at this present especially moneing, have given and granted, and by
these presents, do give, grant, and conferm vnto the said Elizabeth
Bunyan, my said wife, all and singuler my goods, chattels, debts,
ready mony, plate, rings, household stuffe, aparrel, vtensills,
brass, peuter, beding, and all other my substance, whatsoever moueable
and immoueable, of what kinde, nature, quality, or condition soever
the same are or be, and in what place or places soever the same be,
shall or may be found as well in mine own custodies, possession, as
in the possession, hands, power, and custody of any other person,
or persons whatsoever. To have and to hold all and singuler the
said goods, chattels, debts, and all other, the aforesaid premises
vnto the said Elizabeth, my wife, her executors, administerators,
and assigns to her and their proper vses and behoofs, freely and
quietly without any matter of challinge, claime, or demand of me
the said John Bunyan, or of any other person, or persons, whatsoever
for me in my name, by my means cavs or procurement, and without any
mony or other thing, therefore to be yeeilded, paid or done vnto
me the said John Bunyan, my executors, administrators or assigns.
And I, the said John Bunyan, all and singular, the aforesaid goods,
chattels, and premises to the said Elizabeth my wife, her executors,
administrators, and assignes to the vse aforesaid, against all
people do warrant and forever defend by these presents. And further,
know ye, that I the said John Bunyan have put the said Elizabeth,
my wife, in peacable and quiet possession of all and singuler the
aforesaid premises, by the delivrye vnto her at the ensealing hereof
one coyned peece of silver, commonly called two pence, fixed on
the seal of these presents.[317]

'In wittnes wherof, I the said John Bunyan have herevnto set my
hand and seall this 23d day of December, in the first year of the
reigne of our soueraigne lord, King James the Second of England,
&c., in the year of our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, 1685.

John Bunyan

Sealed and delivered in the presence of vs, whos names are here
vnder written:--


    John Bardolph.    Willm Hawkes.
    Nicholas Malin.   Lewes Norman.


It appears from this deed that Bunyan continued in business as a
brazier, and it is very probable that he carried it on until his
decease. This deed secured to his wife what little he possessed,
without the trouble or expense of applying to the ecclesiastical
courts for probate of a will.

Among other opinions which then divided the Christian world, was
a very important one relative to the law of the ten commandments,
whether it was given to the world at large, or limited to the
Jews as a peculiar nation until the coming of Messiah, and whether
our Lord altered or annulled the whole or any part of that law.
This question involves the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.
An awful curse is denounced upon those who do not continue in ALL
things which are written in the book of the law to do them (Gal
3:10; Deut 27:26). When an innovation upon the almost universal
practice of infant baptism had become an object of inquiry only to
be answered from the New Testament, it is not surprising that the
serious question, why God's Sabbath-day had been altered, should
also be agitated with deep feeling. Generally, those who advocated
the restoration of the Jewish Sabbath were decidedly of opinion
that believers only were fit subjects for baptism, and that the
scriptural mode of administering it was by immersion; hence they
were called Seventh-day Baptists--Sabbatarians, or Sabbath-keepers.

Bunyan entered with very proper and temperate zeal into this
controversy. Popular feeling had no influence over him; nor could
he submit to the opinions of the ancient fathers. His storehouse
of knowledge was limited to the revealed will of God, and there
he found ample material to guide his opinion. His work upon this
subject is called, Questions about the Nature and Perpetuity of
the Seventh-day Sabbath; and proof that the First Day of the Week
is the Christian Sabbath. It is one of the smallest of his volumes,
but so weighty in argument as never to have been answered.

We now arrive at the last year of his eventful and busy life,
during which he published six important volumes, and left twelve
others in manuscript, prepared for publication. A list of these will
be found in The Struggler;[318] they are upon the most important
subjects, which are very admirably treated. We notice among these,
The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, or Good News for the Vilest of Men.
It is a specimen of preaching calculated to excite the deepest
interest, and afford the strongest consolation to a soul oppressed
with the sense of sin. Great sinner! thou art called to mercy by
name. Arise! shoulder thy way into court through any crowd,--'say,
Stand away, devil; stand away all discouragements; my Saviour calls
me to receive mercy.' In this treatise, Bunyan has repeated from
memory what he had read in some book when in prison, four and twenty
years before. It is a curious legend, which he doubtless believed
to be true, and it displays his most retentive memory.[319] His
poetry, like his prose, was not written to gain a name, but to make
a deep impression. One of his professed admirers made a strange
mistake when he called them doggerel rhymes.[320] His Caution to
Watch Against Sin is full of solemn and impressive thoughts, the
very reverse of doggerel or burlesque. his poem on the house of
God is worthy of a most careful perusal; and thousands have been
delighted and improved with his emblems. One rhyme in the Pilgrim
can never be forgotten--


   'He that is down need fear no fall;
    He that is low no pride;
    He that is humble ever shall
    Have God to be his guide,' &c.


The careful perusal of every one of his treatises, has excited in
my mind a much livelier interest than any other religious works
which, in a long life, have come under my notice. In fact, the
works of Bunyan to a country minister may be compared to a vast
storehouse, most amply replenished with all those solemn subjects
which call for his prayerful investigation; well arranged, ready of
access, striking in their simplicity, full of vivid ideas conveyed
in language that a novice may understand. They are all so admirably
composed that pious persons, whether in houses of convocation or
of parliament, or the inmates of a workhouse, may equally listen
to them with increasing delight and instruction. No man ever more
richly enjoyed the magnificent language of Job. He called it 'that
blessed book.'[321] The deep interest that he took in its scenery
may be traced through all his writings. His spirit, with its mighty
powers, grasped the wondrous truths so splendidly pourtrayed in
that most ancient book. The inspired writings, which so eminently
give wisdom to the simple, expanded his mind, while his mental
powers were strengthened and invigorated by his so deeply drinking
into the spirit of the inspired volume.

The time was drawing near when, in the midst of his usefulness, and
with little warning, he was to be summoned to his eternal rest. He
had been seriously attacked with that dangerous pestilence which,
in former years, ravaged this country, called the sweating sickness,
a malady as mysterious and fatal as the cholera has been in later
times. The disease was attended by great prostration of strength;
but, under the careful management of his affectionate wife, his
health became sufficiently restored to enable him to undertake a
work of mercy; from the fulfillment of which, as a blessed close
to his incessant earthly labour, he was to ascend to his Father and
his God to be crowned with immortality. A father had been seriously
offended with his son, and had threatened to disinherit him. To
prevent the double mischief of a father dying in anger with his
child, and the evil consequence to the child of his being cut off
from his patrimony, Bunyan again ventured, in his weak state, on
his accustomed work, to win the blessings of the peace-maker. He
made a journey on horseback to Reading, it being the only mode of
travelling at that time, and he was rewarded with success. Returning
home by way of London to impart the gratifying intelligence, he was
overtaken by excessive rains, and, in an exhausted state, he found
a kindly refuge in the house of his Christian friend Mr. Strudwick,
and was there seized with a fatal fever. His much-loved wife, who
had so powerfully pleaded for his liberty with the judges, and to
whom he had been united thirty years, was at a great distance from
him. Bedford was then two days' journey from London. Probably at
first, his friends had hopes of his speedy recovery; but when the
stroke came, all his feelings, and those of his friends, appear to
have been absorbed, by the anticipated blessings of immortality,
to such an extent, that no record is left as to whether his wife,
or any of his children, saw him cross the river of death. There is
abundant testimony of his faith and patience, and that the presence
of God was eminently with him.

He bore his trying sufferings with all the patience and fortitude
that might be expected from such a man. His resignation was most
exemplary; his only expressions were 'a desire to depart, to be
dissolved, to be with Christ.' His sufferings were short, being
limited to ten days. He enjoyed a holy frame of mind, desiring his
friends to pray with him, and uniting fervently with them in the
exercise. His last words, while struggling with death, were, 'Weep
not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who will, no doubt, through the mediation of his blessed
Son, receive me, though a sinner; where I hope we ere long shall
meet, to sing the new song, and remain everlastingly happy, world
without end. Amen.' He felt the ground solid under his feet in passing
the black river which has no bridge, and followed his pilgrim into
the celestial city in August, 1688, in the sixtieth year of his age.
There is some uncertainty as to the day of his decease: Charles
Doe, in the Struggler, 1692, has August 31, and this has been copied
in all his portraits. In the life appended to the Grace Abounding,
1692, his death-day is stated as August 12; and in the memoir
appended to the third part of the Pilgrim, also in 1692, the date
is August 17. The circumstances of his peaceful decease are well
compared by Dr. Cheever to the experience of Mr. Standfast, when he
was called to pass the river: the great calm--the firm footing--the
address to by-standers--until his countenance changed, his strong
man bowed under him, and his last words were, 'Take me, for I come
to thee.' Then the joy among the angels while they welcomed the
hero of such spiritual fights, and conducted his wandering soul to
the New Jerusalem, which he had so beautifully described as 'the
holy city'; and then his wonder and amazement to find how infinitely
short his description came to the blissful reality.

The deep affliction that his church was plunged into led to several
special meetings. Wednesday, the 4th of September, 'was kept in
prayer and humiliation for this heavy stroke upon us--the death of
dear brother Bunyan; it was appointed also, that Wednesday next be
kept in prayer and humiliation on the same account. At the meeting
held on the 11th, it was appointed that all the brethren meet
together on the 18th of this month, September, to humble themselves
for this heavy hand of God upon us, and also to pray unto the Lord
for counsel and direction what to do, in order to seek out for a
fit person to make choice of for an elder. On the 18th, when the
whole congregation met to humble themselves before God, by fasting
and prayer, for his heavy and severe stroke upon us in taking away
our honoured brother Bunyan by death, it was agreed by the whole
congregation that care be taken to seek out for one suitably qualified
to be chosen an elder among us, and that care was committed by the
whole to the brethren at Bedford.' Thus did the church manifest
that they had improved in wisdom under his ministry by flying, in
their extreme distress, to the only source of consolation.

The saddest feelings of sorrow extended to every place where he
had been known. His friend, the Rev. G. Cockayn, of London, says,
'it pleased the Lord to remove him, to the great loss and inexpressible
grief of many precious souls.' Numerous elegies, acrostics, and
poems were published on the occasion of his decease, lamenting the
loss thus sustained by his country--by the church at large, and
particularly by the church and congregation at Bedford. One of
these, 'written by a dear friend of his,' is a fair sample of the
whole:--

A SHORT ELEGY IN MEMORY OF MR. JOHN BUNYAN, WRITTEN BY A DEAR FRIEND
OF HIS.


    The pilgrim traveling the world's vast stage,
    At last does end his weary pilgrimage:
    He now in pleasant valleys does sit down,
    And, for his toil, receives a glorious crown.
    The storms are past, the terrors vanish all,
    Which in his way did so affrighting fall;
    He grieves nor sighs no more, his race is run
    Successfully, that was so well begun.
    You'll say he's dead: O no, he cannot die,
    He's only changed to immortality--
    Weep not for him, who has no cause of tears;
    Hush, then, your sighs, and calm your needless fears.
    If anything in love to him is meant,
    Tread his last steps, and of your sins repent:
    If knowledge of things here at all remains
    Beyond the grave, to please him for his pains
    And suffering in this world; live, then, upright,
    And that will be to him a grateful sight.
    Run such a race as you again may meet,
    And find your conversation far more sweet;
    When purged from dross, you shall, unmix'd, possess
    The purest essence of eternal bliss

   'He in the pulpit preached truth first, and then
    He in his practice preached it o'er again.'


His remains were interred in Bunhill Fields, in the vault of his
friend Mr. Strudwick, at whose house he died. His tomb[322] has been
visited by thousands of pilgrims, blessing God for his goodness in
raising up such a man, so signally fitted to be a blessing to the
times in which he lived. All the accounts of his decease, published
at the time, agree as to his place of burial. The words of Mr. Doe,
who probably attended the funeral, are, 'he was buried in the new
burying-place, near the artillery ground, where he sleeps to the
morning of the resurrection.'[323] His Life and Actions, 1692,
records that 'his funeral was performed with much decency, and he
was buried in the new burying-ground by Moorfields.' The Struggler
calls it 'Finsbury burying-ground, where many London Dissenting
ministers are laid.'[324] Bunhill Fields burying-ground for
Dissenters was first opened in 1666. The inscription upon the tomb
to his memory was engraven many years after his funeral. It is not
contained in the list of inscriptions published in 1717. His widow
survived him four years. He had six children by his first wife,
three of whom survived him--Thomas, Joseph, and Sarah. His son
Thomas joined his church in 1673, and was a preacher in 1692. He
appears to have been usefully employed in visiting absent members
until December 1718. My kind friend, the Rev. J. P. Lockwood,
rector of South Hackney, recently discovered entries in the register
of Kimbolton, in Huntingdonshire, probably of the descendants of
this son, Thomas. November 26, 1698, John Bonion and Mary Rogers,
married: she was buried, September 7, 1706; and he again married
Anne, and buried her in 1712, leaving a son and two daughters. His
death is not recorded. One of the descendants, Hannah Bunyan, died
in 1770, aged seventy-six years, and lies in the burial-ground by
the meeting-house at Bedford. John Bunyan's son, Joseph, settled at
Nottingham, and marrying a wealthy woman, conformed to the Church.
A lineal descendant of his was living, in 1847, at Islington, near
London, aged eighty-four, Mrs. Senegar, a fine hearty old lady, and
a Strict Baptist. She said to me, 'Sir, excuse the vanity of an old
woman, but I will show you how I sometimes spend a very pleasant
half-hour.' She took down a portrait on canvas of her great
forefather, and propped it up on the table with a writing-desk, with
a looking-glass by its side. 'There, Sir, I look at the portrait,
and then at myself, and can trace every feature; we resemble each
other like two pins.' 'Excepting the imperial and moustachios,' I
replied; to which she readily assented. It was the fact that there
was a striking family likeness between the picture and her reflection
in the looking-glass. Another descendant, from the same branch
of the family, is now living at Lincoln. He was born in 1775, and
possessed a quarto Bible, published by Barker and Bill in 1641, given
by John Bunyan to his son Joseph. This was preserved in his family
until the present year, when it came into the editor's possession,
with the following relics, which were, and I trust will yet be
preserved with the greatest care:--An iron pencase, made by Bunyan
the brazier, with some stumps of old pens, with which it is said
he wrote some of his sermons and books; the buckles worn by him,
and his two pocket-knives, one of them made before springs were
invented, and which is kept open by turning a ferrule; his apple-scoop,
curiously carved, and a seal; his pocket-box of scales and weights
for money, being stamped with the figures on each side of the coins
of James and Charles I.[325] These were given by Robert Bunyan,
in 1839, then sixty-four years of age, to a younger branch of the
family, Mr. Charles Robinson, of Wilford, near Nottingham (his
sister's son), for safe custody. He died in 1852; while his aged
uncle remains in good health, subject to the infirmities of his
seventy-eighth year. On many of the blank spaces in the Bible are
the registers of births and deaths in the family, evidently written
at the time. Those relics are deposited in a carved oak box. They
were sold with the late Mr. Robinson's effects, January, 1853, and
secured for me by my excellent friend James Dix, Esq., of Bristol,
who met with them immediately after the sale, on one of his journeys
at Nottingham. They are not worshipped as relics, nor have they
performed miracles, but as curiosities of a past age they are worthy
of high consideration. Everything that was used by him, and that
survives the ravages of time, possesses a peculiar charm; even the
chair in which he at is preserved in the vestry of the new chapel,
and is shown to those who make the pilgrimage to the shrine of
Bunyan.[326]

In the same vestry is also a curious inlaid cabinet, small, and
highly finished. It descended from Bunyan to a lady who lived to
an advanced age--Madam Bithray; from her to the Rev. Mr. Voley; and
of his widow it was purchased to ornament the vestry of Bunyan's
meeting-house.

The personal appearance and character of our pilgrim's guide,
drawn by his friend Charles Doe, will be found at the end of
his Grace Abounding; to which is appended his Dying Sayings--'of
sin--afflictions--repentance and coming to Christ--of prayer--of
the Lord's day, sermons, and week days: "Make the Lord's day the
market for thy soul"--of the love of the world--of suffering--of
death and judgment--of the joys of heaven--and the torments of
hell.'

How inscrutable are the ways of God! Had Bunyan lived a month longer,
he would have witnessed the glorious Revolution--the escape of
a great nation. The staff and hope of Protestant Europe was saved
from a subtle--a Jesuitical attempt--to introduce Popery and
arbitrary government. The time of his death, as a release from the
incumbrance of a material body, was fixed by infinite wisdom and
love at that juncture, and it ought not to be a cause of regret.
His interest in the welfare of the church ceased not with his mortal
life. How swiftly would his glorified spirit fly to see the landing
of William, and hover with joy over the flight of the besotted
James! He was now in a situation to prove the truth of that saying,
'the angels desire to look into' the truth and spread of the glad
tidings. How he would prove the reality of his opinion, expressed
in The Holy War, of the interest taken by the inhabitants of
heaven in the prosperity of the church on earth. When Mansoul was
conquered, the spirits that witnessed the victory 'shouted with
that greatness of voice, and sung with such melodious notes, that
they caused them that dwell in the highest orbs to open their
windows, and put out their heads and look down to see the cause of
that glory' (Luke 15:7-10).[327] So may we imagine that the happy,
happy, glorified spirit of Bunyan would look down rejoicing, when,
a few years after he had yielded up his pastoral cares, the seed
which he had been instrumental in sowing produced its fruit in
such numbers, that the old meeting-house was pulled down, and in
its place a large and respectable one was erected. And again, on
the 20th February, 1850, with what joy would he look down upon the
opening of a still larger, more commodious, and handsome meeting-house,
bearing his name, and capable of holding 1150 worshippers. One of
Bunyan's pungent, alarming sayings to the careless was, 'Once die,
we cannot come back and die better.'[328] If anything could tempt
him, in his angelic body, to re-visit this earth, it would be to
address the multitude at the new Bunyan Chapel with his old sermon
on The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, or Good News to the Vilest of Men.
But we have Moses and the prophets--Christ and his apostles; if
we shut our ears to them, neither should we listen to a messenger
from the New Jerusalem.

When it is recollected that Bunyan received the most imperfect
rudiments of education in a charity school when very young, which
were 'almost entirely' obliterated by bad habits--that he was a
hard-working man through life, maintaining himself, a wife, and four
children, by his severe labour as a brazier--and yet, by personal
efforts, he educated himself and wrote sixty-two valuable religious
treatises, numbering among them his inimitable allegories, The
Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, made a Concordance to the Bible,
and conducted important controversies. Preaching, while at liberty,
almost innumerable sermons on the Lord's-days and week-days, early
in the morning and late at night. Visiting his flock with pastoral
care--founding churches in the villages, and even in towns and
cities far distant from his dwelling--constantly giving advice to
promote peace and good will, and rendering benevolent aid by long
journeys! His whole life presents to us a picture of most astonishing,
energetic perseverance. Every moment of time must have been employed
as if he valued it as a precious trust, which, if once lost, could
never be regained. Who of us can compare our life with his last
thirty years, and not blush with shame!

The finest trait in Bunyan's Christian character was his deep,
heartfelt humility. This is the more extraordinary from his want
of secular education, and his unrivalled talent. The more we learn,
the greater is the field for research that opens before us, insomuch
that the wisest philosophers have most seriously felt the little
progress they have made. He acknowledged to Mr. Cockayn, who considered
him the most eminent man, and a star of the first magnitude in the
firmament of the churches,[329] that spiritual pride was his easily
besetting sin, and that he needed the thorn in the flesh, lest he
should be exalted above measure. A sense of this weakness probably
led him to peculiar watchfulness against it. His self-abasement was
neither tinctured with affectation, nor with the pride of humility.
His humble-mindedness appeared to arise form his intimate communion
with Heaven. In daily communion with God, he received a daily
lesson of deeper and deeper humility. 'I am the high and lofty One,
I inhabit eternity! verily this consideration is enough to make a
broken-hearted man creep into a mouse-hole, to hide himself from such
majesty! There is room in this man's heart for God to dwell.'[330]
'I find it one of the hardest things that I can put my soul upon,
even to come to God, when warmly sensible that I am a sinner, for
a share in grace and mercy. I cannot but with a thousand tears say,
"God be merciful to me a sinner" (Ezra 9:15).'[331]

The Revs. Messrs. Chandler and Wilson, bear the following testimony
as eye-witnesses to his character:--'His fancy and invention were
very pregnant and fertile. His wit was sharp and quick--his memory
tenacious, it being customary with him to commit his sermons
to writing after he had preached them,' a proof of extraordinary
industry. 'His understanding was large and comprehensive--his judgment
sound and deep in the fundamentals of the gospel. His experience
of Satan's temptations in the power and policy of them, and of
Christ's presence in, and by his Word and Spirit to succour and
comfort him, was more than ordinary; the grace of God was magnified
in him and by him, and a rich anointing of the Spirit was upon him;
and yet this great saint was always in his own eyes the chiefest
of sinners, and the least of saints. He was not only well furnished
with the helps and endowments of nature, beyond ordinary, but eminent
in the graces and gifts of the Spirit, and fruits of holiness. He
was from first to last established in, and ready to maintain, that
God-like principle of having communion with saints as such, without
any respect to difference in things disputable among the godly. His
carriage was condescending, affable, and meek to all, yet bold and
courageous for Christ. He was much struck at, in the lat times of
persecution; being far from any sinful compliance to save himself,
he did cheerfully bear the cross.' Such was the character given
of him by these two eminent divines, in 1693, while his memory, in
its fullest fragrance, was cherished by all the churches.

This humility peculiarly fitted him to instruct the young, of whom
he was very fond--


   'Nor do I blush, although I think some may
    Call me a baby, 'cause I with them play;
    I do 't to show them how each fingle fangle
    On which they doating are, their souls entangle;
    And, since at gravity they make a tush,
    My very beard I cast behind a bush.'[332]


He had friends among the rich as well as the poor. Of this his
solid gold ring and handsome cabinet are proofs. From a letter
in the Ellis correspondence, we learn that Bunyan had so secured
the affections of the Lord Mayor of London, as to be called his
chaplain.[333]

Among his religious friends and associates he must have been a
pleasing, entertaining, lively companion. However solemn, nay awful,
had been his experience when walking through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, yet when emerging from the darkness and enjoying
the sunshine of Divine favour, he loved social intercourse and
communion of saints. It is one of the slanders heaped upon Christianity
to call it a gloomy, melancholy theme: though 'it is better to go
to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting,' yet the
wisely pious man will endeavour, even at an elegant entertainment
or a Lord Mayor's dinner, to drop useful hints. Whenever Bunyan
describes a social party, especially a feast, he always introduces
a wholesome dish; and it is singular, in the abundance of publications,
that we have not been favoured with John Bunyan's Nuts to Crack
at Religious Entertainments, or a Collection of his Pious Riddles.
Thus, at the splendid royal feast given to Emmanuel, when he entered
Mansoul in triumph, 'he entertained the town with some curious
riddles, of secrets drawn up by his father's secretary, by the
skill and wisdom of Shaddai, the like to which there are not in any
kingdom.' 'Emmanuel also expounded unto them some of those riddles
himself, but O how were they lightened! They saw what they never
saw, they could not have thought that such rarities could have been
couched in such few and ordinary words. The lamb, the sacrifice,
the rock, the door, the way.'[334] 'The second Adam was before the
first, and the second covenant was before the first.'[335] 'Was
Adam bad before he eat the forbidden fruit?'[336] 'How can a man
say his prayers without a word being read or uttered?'[337] 'How
do men speak with their feet?' Answer, Proverbs 6:13.[338] 'Why was
the brazen laver made of the women's looking-glasses?'[339] 'How
can we comprehend that which cannot be comprehended, or know that
which passeth knowledge?'[340] 'Who was the founder of the state
or priestly domination over religion?'[341] What is meant by the
drum of Diabolus and other riddles mentioned in The Holy War?[342]
The poetical riddles in The Pilgrim's Progress are very striking--


   'A man there was, though some did count him mad,
    The more he cast away, the more he had.'

    How can 'evil make the soul from evil turn.'[343]

    Can 'sin be driven out of the world by suffering?'[344]

   'Though it may seem to some a riddle,
    We use to light our candles at the middle.'[345]

   'What men die two deaths at once?'[346]

   'Are men ever in heaven and on earth at the same time?'[347]

    'Can a beggar be worth ten thousand a-year and not know it?'[348]


He even introduced a dance upon the destruction of Despair, Mr.
Ready-to-halt, with his partner Miss Much-afraid, while Christiana
and Mercy furnished the music. 'True, he could not dance without
one crutch in his hand; but I promise you he footed it well. Also
the girl was to be commended, for she answered the music handsomely.'
Is this the gloomy fanaticism of a Puritan divine? It is true,
that promiscuous dancing, or any other amusement tending to evil,
he had given up and discountenanced, but all his writings tend to
prove that the Christian only can rationally and piously enjoy the
world that now is, while living in the delightful hope of bliss in
that which is to come.

Bunyan's personal appearance and character was drawn by his friend
Mr. Doe. 'He appeared in countenance stern and rough, but was mild
and affable; loving to reconcile differences and make friendships.
He made it his study, above all other things, not to give occasion
of offence. In his family he kept a very strict discipline in
prayer and exhortations. He had a sharp, quick eye, and an excellent
discerning of persons; of good judgment and quick wit. Tall
in stature, strong-boned; somewhat of a ruddy face with sparkling
eyes; his hair reddish, but sprinkled with gray; nose well set;
mouth moderately large; forehead something high, and his habit
always plain and modest.'

My determination in writing this memoir has been to follow the
scriptural example, by fairly recording every defect discoverable
in Bunyan's character; but what were considered by some to be
blemishes, after his conversion, appear, in my estimation, to be
beauties. His moral and religious character was irreproachable,
and his doctrinal views most scriptural; all agree in this, that
he was a bright and shining light; unrivalled for his allegories,
and for the vast amount of his usefulness. His friend, Mr. Wilson,
says, 'Though his enemies and persecutors, in his lifetime, did
what they could to vilify and reproach him, yet, being gone, he
that before had the testimony of their consciences, hath now their
actual commendation and applause.'[349] To this we may add, that
he was without sectarianism, a most decided Bible Christian. This
reveals the secret of his striking phraseology. It was in the sacred
pages of Divine truth that he learned grammar and rhetoric. Style,
and all his knowledge of the powers of language--all were derived
from the only source of his religious wisdom and learning. He lived,
and thought, and wrote under the influence of the holy oracles,
translated by the Puritans in 1560, compared with the version of
1611. This gives a charm to all his works, and suits them to every
human capacity.

Reader, the object of biography is to excite emulation. Why should
not others arise as extensively to bless the world as Bunyan did?
The storehouses of heaven from which he was replenished with holy
treasures, are inexhaustible. As he said, 'God has bags of mercy yet
unsealed.' We have the same holy oracles, and the same mercy-seat.
The time is past for merely challenging the right to personal
judgment of religious truths. In Britain the lions are securely
chained, and the cruel giants disabled. The awful crime of imprisoning
and torturing man for conscience' sake, exists only in kingdoms
where darkness reigns--


   ''Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy.'


We stand upon higher ground than our forefathers; we take our more
solemn stand upon the imperative duty of personal investigation--that
no one can claim the name of Christian, unless he has laid aside
all national, or family, or educational prejudices, and drawn from
the holy oracles alone all his scheme of salvation and rules of
conduct. All the secret of Bunyan's vast usefulness, the foundation
of all his honour, is, that the fear of God swallowed up the fear of
man; that he was baptized into the truths of revelation, and lived
to exemplify them. He was a bright and shining light in a benighted
world; and of him it may be most emphatically said, 'Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labours;
and their works do follow them.'

GEORGE OFFOR.



FOOTNOTES:

1. For a most interesting account of the rise of Sixtus V, see the
new volume of the Lounger's Common-place Book, 1807, p. 152.

2. The Rev. J. H. A. Rudd, the Vicar of Elstow, has most kindly
furnished me with an extract from the registers of all the entries
relative to Bunyan's family. The register commences in 1641, and has
been searched to 1750. It confirms the Rev. J. Juke's impression,
that soon after Bunyan joined Gifford's church he left Elstow to
live in Bedford.

Thomas Bonion, buried, Dec. 9, 1641. Margaret Bonion, wife, buried,
June 20, 1644. Margaret Bonion, b., July 24, 1644. Charles, the
son of Thos. Bunion, bapt., May 22, 1645. Charles Bunion, bur.,
May 30, 1645. Mary, the daught. of Joh. Bonion, bapt., July 20,
1650 Elizabeth, the daughter of John Bonyon, was born 14th day of
April, 1654.

Thomas Bonion of the town of Bedford, and Elizabeth _______ of
the parish of Elstow, were married, May 10, 1656. (The Christian
name of the husband, and the surname of the wife, are very much
obliterated.)

Ann Bonyonn, Widdo, was buried, 12th day of April, 1659. Thos.
Bunyan, buried, Feby. 7th, 1675. Ann Bunyon, Widdo, buried in
Woolen, September 25, 1680.

The marriage here recorded, May 10, 1656, could not be that of John
Bunyan to his second wife Elizabeth; for she declared to Judge Hale
in August, 1661, that she had 'not been married to him yet full
two years.'--Vol. i. 61.

3. This cottage has long ceased to exist, and has been replaced by
another of the poorest description. But from an old print we have
given in the Plate, p. 1, vol. i., a representation of the original,
with the shed at side often mentioned as 'The forge'; thus leading
us to believe, that to the 'tinker's' humble calling might be united
that of the 'smith,' a more manly and honourable trade.

4. Grace Abounding, No. 2.

5. Vol. iii., p. 674.

6. Vol. ii., p. 140.

7. Vol. i., p. 490.

8. Vol. ii., p. 617.

9. Grace Abounding, No. 18.

10. Extracted from the first edition in the British Museum. It was
much altered in the subsequent impressions.

11. In 1566, Sir Thomas Harper, Lord Mayor of London, gave £180
for thirteen acres and a rood of meadow land in Holborn. This was
settled, in trust, to promote the education of the poor in and
round Bedford. In 1668, it produced a yearly revenue of £99--a
considerable sum in that day, but not in any proportion to the
present rental, which amounts to upwards of £12,000 a-year.

12. Grace Abounding, No. 3.

13. Vol. i., p. 618.

14. Grace Abounding, No. 4.

15. Philip's Life of Bunyan, p. 4.

16. Vol. iii., p. 597.

17. Vol. ii., p. 564.

18. Grace Abounding, No. 27.

19. Grace Abounding, No. 5.

20. Ibid., No. 8.

21. Life, p. vii.

22. Ibid. p. viii.

23. Life, pp. xli., xlii.

24. Vol. i., p. 79.

25. Job 33:15.

26. Grace Abounding, No. 5, vol. i., p. 6.

27. Life appended to the first and second editions of the forged
third part of Pilgrim's Progress.

28. Grace Abounding, Nos. 12-14, vol. i., p. 7. How do these
hair-breadth escapes illustrate the unerring providence of God,
and the short-sightedness of even pious Christians. It is easy to
imagine the exclamations of a reflecting character when hearing
of the marvelous escapes of this wicked youth. 'Dark providences!
the good and benevolent are snatched away; but such a plague as this
has his life preserved to pester us still. Short-sighted mortal,
"shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"' No life in the
British empire was so precious in the sight and gracious purposes
of God, as that of the poor depraved lad; which was thus preserved
by the special care of Divine providence.

29. Life appended to part third of Pilgrim's Progress, 1692. This
is omitted from the third edition (1700), and all the subsequent
ones.

30. Vol. ii., p. 74.

31. Vol. i., p. 732.

32. Vol. ii., p. 738.

33. Vol. ii., p. 709; ii., p. 45; ii., 601.

34. Vol. iii., p. 727; v. 7, 8.

35. The women were remarkably active in defending the town.

36. Thoresby's Leicester, 4to, p. 128.

37. Hist. of Rebellion, edition 1712, vol. ii., p. 652.

38. Vol. i., p. 661.

39. Vol. iii., p. 357.

40. Vol. iii., p. 113, 358.

41. Vol. i., p. 726.

42. Vol. i., p. 694.

43. The Political Sentiments of John Bunyan, re-published by John
Martin, 1798.

44. Life of Bunyan, 1692, p. 12.

45. Ibid., 1692, p. 13.

46. Vol. i., p. 7.

47. The Pathway to Heaven is the work of that pious puritan Dent,
and is full of those striking illustrations which were admirably
adapted to prepare Bunyan for writing his allegories. A copy with
the name Ma Bunyann, written on the title page, has long been in
the editor's library. We give a facsimile of the writing, as it
has been supposed that of Bunyan. This is very doubtful; it appears
more like a woman's hand; but, if it is the name of Mrs. Bunyan,
then it indicates that his daughter Mary, baptized 20th July, 1650,
was called after her.

48. Life of Bunyan, 1691, p. 13.

49. This is a solemn consideration; many profess to serve God while
they are bond-slaves to sin; and many are servants in his family
who are not sons, nor heirs, of heaven. Blessed are those who are
both servants and sons.

50. Vol. i., p. 7, 8.

51. Jan. 3, 1644-5.

52. Aug. 23, 1645.

53. 4to Edit., 1644.

54. Neale, 1822, vol. ii., p. 220.

55. Life of Alfred, comparing him to Charles I. Preface. 8vo. 1634.

56. Vol. i., p. 8, 9.

57. The game of cat, tipcat, or "sly," so called by Wilson, in his
life of Bunyan [Wilson's Edition of Works, vol. i., fol. 1736], is
an ancient game well known in many parts of the kingdom. A number
of holes are made in the ground, at equal distances, in a circular
direction; a player is stationed at each hole; the opposite party
stand around; one of them throws the cat to the batsman nearest to
him; every time the cat is struck, the batsmen run from one hole
to the next, and score as many as they change positions; but if the
cat is thrown between them before reaching the hole, the batsman
is out [Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, 8vo., p. 110]. Such was the
childish game played by men on the Lord's-day.

58. Life by C. Doe, 1698.

59. Vol. i., p. 9.

60. Saved by Grace, vol. i., p. 351.

61. Vol. i., p. 9; No. 32.

62. Folio edition, pp. 595-6.

63. In the Engraving, p. 1, vol. i., is a view of part of the
village green, Elstow, with the ancient building now used as a
school-house, as seen from the church-yard. This building is older
than the time of Bunyan, and was the scene of village meetings at
the period in which he lived, and doubtless associated with his
dancing and thoughtless amusements, as the green itself was the scene
of the game of cat. A view looking towards the church is given in
Vignette to vol. i. of the Works.

64. Vol. i., p. 10.

65. Southey's Life, pp. xxv., xxxii.

66. Vol. i., p. 80.

67. Vol. i., p. 11.

68. Vol. iii., p. 607.

69. Heresiography. 4tp. 1654. p. 143.

70. Vol. iii., p. 151.

71. Vol. iii., p. 118.

72. Vol. i., p. 11.

73. Vol. i., p. 11.

74. Vol. i., p. 591.

75. The Rev. H. J. Rose, in his Biographical Dictionary, distorts
this singular affair into, 'he laid claim to a faith of such
magnitude as to work miracles!'

76. Vol. i., p. 12.

77. Vol. iii., pp. 155, 156.

78. Vol. i., p. 12.

79. It is as easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
as for a man to pass through this door with the world on his back.

80. Vol. i., p. 13.

81. Vol. i., p. 13.

82. Holy War, vol. iii., p. 342, 346.

83. Bunyan on the Throne of Grace, vol. i., p. 677.

84. Vol. i., p. 80.

85. Holy War, vol. iii., p. 297.

86. Vol. i., p. 14.

87. Vol. iii., p. 123.

88. Addison.

89. Vol. i., p. 14.

90. April 1645. About 300 discontented persons got together in
Kent, and took Sir Percival Hart's house; Colonel Blunt attacked
and dispersed them with horse and foot, regained the house, and
made the chief of them prisoners. Whitelock, folio 137.

91. Vol. i., p. 15.

92. Vol. i., p. 15; No. 82.

93. Vol. i., p. 16.

94. Vol. i., p. 17, 18.

95. Vol. iii., p. 113.

96. Bunyan's Saints' Privilege and Profit, vol. i., p. 661.

97. Bunyan's Saved by Grace, vol. i., p. 340.

98. Vol. i., p. 17.

99. Bunyan's Christ a Complete Saviour, vol. i., p. 210.

100. Rogers on Trouble of Mind. Preface. Thus temptations are suited
to the state of the inquiring soul; the learned man who studies
Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas, is filled with doubts arising from
'philosophy and vain deceit, profane and vain babblings'; the
unlettered mechanic is tried not by logic, but by infernal artillery;
the threatenings of God's Word are made to obscure the promises.
It is a struggle which, to one possessing a vivid imagination, is
attended with almost intolerable agonies--unbelief seals up the
door of mercy.

Bunyan agreed with his learned contemporary, Milton, in the invisible
agency of good and bad spirits.

'Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when
we wake and when we sleep!'

The malignant demons watch their opportunity to harass the pilgrim
with evil thoughts, injected when least expected.

101. Vol. i., p. 19.

102. Vol. i., p. 20.

103. The anxiety of this pious teacher was to press upon his
hearers to take special heed, not to receive any truth upon trust
from any man, but to pray over it and search 'the Holy Word.'
This, Mr. Southey designates, 'doctrine of a most perilous kind.'
How happy would it be for society if every religious teacher
pressed this perilous doctrine upon their hearers, that it might
bring forth the same fruit universally, as it did specially in
Bunyan. Compare Grace Abounding, No. 117, and Southey's Life, p.
27, 28.

104. Vol. i., p. 21.

105. Vol. i., p. 22.

106. Vol. iii., p. 115.

107. Vol. iii., p. 270.

108. Luther fell into the same mistake as to the Baptists, that
Bunyan did as to the Quakers. Both were keenly alive to the honour
of Christianity, and were equally misled by the loose conduct
of some unworthy professors. Luther charges the Baptists as being
'devils possessed with worse devils' [Preface to Galatians]. 'It is
all one whether he be called a Frank, a Turk, a Jew, or an Anabaptist'
[Com. Gal. iv. 8, 9]. 'Possessed with the devil, seditious, and
bloody men' [Gal. v. 19]. Even a few days before his death, he wrote
to his wife, 'Dearest Kate, we reached Halle at eight o'clock, but
could not get on to Eisleben, for there met us a great Anabaptist,
with waves and lumps of ice, which threatened us with a second
baptism.' Bunyan, in the same spirit, calls the Quakers 'a company
of loose ranters, light notionists, shaking in their principles!' [Vol.
ii., p. 133, 9, 21]. Denying the Scriptures and the resurrection
[Com. Gal. iv. 29]. These two great men went through the same
furnace of the regeneration; and Bunyan, notwithstanding Luther's
prejudices against the Baptists, most affectionately recommended
his Comment on the Galatians, as an invaluable work for binding up
the broken-hearted.

109. Vol. i., p. 23.

110. Vol. ii., p. 181.

111. Vol. ii., p. 260.

112. Vol. i., p. 25; No. 158.

113. See note in vol. i., p. 26.

114. Vol. i., p. 29.

115. Vol. i., p. 30

116. The study of those scriptures, in order that the solemn question
might be safely resolved, 'Can such a fallen sinner rise again?'
was like the investigation of the title to an estate upon which a
whole livelihood depended. Every apparent flaw must be critically
examined. Tremblingly alive to the importance of a right decision,
his prayers were most earnest; and at length, to his unspeakable
delight, the word of the law and wrath gave place to that of life
and grace.

117. Vol. i., p. 35.

118. Vol. iii., p. 100.

119. Irish sixpences, which passed for fourpence-halfpenny. See the
note on vol. i., p. 36. Since writing that note I have discovered
another proof of the contempt with which that coin was
treated:--'Christian, the wife of Robert Green, of Brexham,
Somersetshire, in 1663, is said to have made a covenant with the
devil; he pricked the fourth finger of her right hand, between the
middle and upper joints, and took two drops of her blood on his
finger, giving her a fourpence-halfpenny. Then he spake in private
with Catharine her sister, and vanished, leaving a smell of brimstone
behind!'--Turner's Remarkable Providences, folio, 1667, p. 28.

120. Vol. i., p. 36.

121. Holy War.

122. Vol. ii., p. 141.

123. Luther and Tyndale.

124. Vol. iii., p. 398.

125. Vol. i., p. 495.

126. Vol. iii., p. 398.

127. Vol. iii., p.190.

128. Vol. iii., p. 186.

129. Bunyan on Christian Behaviour, vol. ii., p. 550.

130. Vol. ii., p. 570.

131. Vol. ii., p. 585.

132. The Nineteenth Article.

133. The sufferings of the Episcopalians were severe; they drank
the bitter cup which they had shortly before administered to the
Puritans. Under suspicion of disloyalty to the Commonwealth, they
were most unjustly compelled to swallow the Covenant as a religious
test, or leave preaching and teaching. Their miseries were not
to be compared with those of the Puritans. Laud was beheaded for
treason, but none were put to death for nonconformity. It was an
age when religious liberty was almost unknown. These sufferings
were repaid by an awful retaliation and revenge, when Royalty and
Episcopacy were restored.

134. Penn's Christian Quaker.

135. Folio, p. 417.

136. Vol. iii., p. 107.

137. Vol. iii., p. 765. The author of Bunyan's Life, published in
1690, dates his baptism 'about the year 1653.'

138. Life from his Cradle to his Grave, 1700.

139. September 21.

140. In the same year, and about the same period, Oliver Cromwell
was made Lord Protector. Upon this coincidence, Mr. Carlisle uses
the following remarkable language:--'Two common men thus elevated,
putting their hats upon their heads, might exclaim, "God enable me
to be king of what lies under this! For eternities lie under it,
and infinities, and heaven also and hell! and it is as big as the
universe, this kingdom; and I am to conquer it, or be for ever
conquered by it. Now, WHILE IT IS CALLED TO-DAY!'"

141. In possession of the Society of Antiquities.

142. Vol. i., p. 39.

143. Vol. i., p. 20.

144. Reading and Preaching.

145. Not to wait for one another, each one to come in good time.

146. Alluding to Bunyan, or his co-pastor, Burton, or to both of
them.

147. Bunyan was about twenty-seven years of age.

148. This letter was copied into the church records at the time:
the original cannot be found. It was published with Ryland's Funeral
Sermon on Symonds, 1788, and in Jukes' very interesting account of
Bunyan's church, in 1849. The signature is copied from an original
in the Milton State Papers, library of the Antiquarian Society.

149. Vol. i., p. 39.

150. Vol. i., p. 545.

151. Grace Abounding, No. 255, vol. i., p. 39.

152. Vol. i., p. 545.

153. Grace Abounding, No 255-259, vol. i., p. 39.

154. Vol. i., p. 40.

155. Vol. iii., p. 655.

156. Rogers on Trouble of Mind.

157. Grace Abounding, No. 260.

158. 1st edition, p. 355.

159. Vol. ii., p. 425.

160. Vol. i., p. 40.

161. Vol. i., p. 769.

162. Vol. i., p. 549.

163. Church Book, 1671.

164. This secrecy became needful after the Restoration, as noticed
more fully afterwards, p. lix. During those years of persecution,
a frequent place of resort was a dell in Wain-wood, about three
miles from Hitchin. Of this locality the following notice will be
acceptable:--On the 19th of May, 1853, a splendidly hot day, my
pilgrimage to the shrines of Bunyan was continued at Hitchin and its
vicinity, in company with S. B. Geard, Esq. Here it was my honour
to shake hands with honest Edward Foster, whose grandfather often
entertained and sheltered John Bunyan. So singular a case I had
never met with, that three lives should connect, in a direct line,
evidence of transactions which occurred at a distance of 190 years.
His grandfather was born in 1642, and for many years was a friend
and companion of the illustrious dreamer. In 1706, when he was
sixty-four years of age, his youngest son was born, and in 1777,
when that son was seventy-one years of age, his youngest son was
born, and in 1853 he has the perfect use of limbs and faculties,
and properly executes the important office of assistant overseer
to his extensive parish. With such direct testimony, we visited
the very romantic dell, where, in the still hours of midnight, the
saints of God were wont to meet and unite in Divine worship. It
is a most romantic dell, in Wain-wood, which crowns a hill about
three miles from Hitchin. We had some difficulty in making our
way through the underwood--crushing the beautiful hyacinths and
primroses which covered the ground in the richest profusion, and
near the top of the hill came suddenly upon this singular dell--a
natural little eminence formed the pulpit, while the dell would
hold under its shade at least a thousand people--and now I must
give you the countryman's eloquent description of the meetings of
his ancestors. "Here, under the canopy of heaven, with the rigour
of winter's nipping frost, while the clouds, obscuring the moon,
have discharged their flaky treasures, they often assembled while
the highly-gifted and heavenly-minded Bunyan has broken to them the
bread of life. The word of the Lord was precious in those days. And
here over his devoted head, while uncovered in prayer, the pious
matrons warded off the driving hail and snow, by holding a shawl
over him by its four corners. In this devoted dell these plain
unpolished husbandmen, like the ancient Waldenses, in the valleys
of Piedmont, proved themselves firm defenders of the faith in its
primitive purity, and of Divine worship in its primitive style."

Their horses on which they rode, from various parts, were sheltered
in neighbouring friendly farms, while they, to avoid suspicion,
ascended the hill by scarcely visible footpaths. Could fine weather
be insured, it would form a lovely spot for a meeting to celebrate
the third jubilee of religious toleration--there listen to a Bunyan
of our age, and devise measures for religious equality. Then we
might close the service by solemnly objuring every system which
gave power to tyrannise over the rights of conscience. Here, as
in other places where Bunyan founded churches, the cause of Christ
hath spread. At Hitchin, in 1681, about thirty-five Christians
united in the following covenant:--

'We who, through the mercy of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have
obtained grace to give ourselves to the Lord, and one to another
by the will of God, to have communion with one another, as saints
in one gospel fellowship:--Do, before God our Father, and our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy angels, agree and promise to walk
together in this one gospel communion and fellowship as a church of
Jesus Christ, in love to the Lord and one to another, and endeavour
to yield sincere and hearty obedience to the laws, ordinances, and
appointments of our Lord and Lawgiver in his church. And also do
agree and promise, the Lord assisting, to follow after the things
which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another,
that so living and walking in love and peace, the God of love and
peace may be with us. Amen.'

This was probably drawn by Bunyan, and so simple and comprehensive
has it proved, that the church has flourished, and lately a spacious
and handsome place of worship has been erected, to accommodate
a thousand worshippers, at a cost of £3000, all paid for, with
a surplus fund in hand for contingencies, of £500. In addition,
there are also large and commodious chapels for the Independents,
Wesleyans, and Quakers.

165. Christ a Complete Saviour, vol. i., p. 210.

166. Law and Grace, vol. i., pp. 549, 550.

167. Life of Bunyan, p. xiv.

168. Sighs, vol. iii., p. 712.

169. Gospel Truths, vol. ii., p. 178.

170. Like the Beef-eaters, or yeomen of the guard at the present
day.

171. Journal, folio, 1694, p. 144. Is it surprising that the Quakers,
at such a time, assumed their peculiar neatness of dress?

172. Vol. ii., p. 178, 566.

173. Grace Abounding, vol. i., p. 41.

174. Nehemiah Coxe is said to have been a descendant from Dr.
Richard Coxe, preceptor to Edward VI, and Dean of Oxford. He fled
from persecution under Mary, was a troubler of his brother refugees
by his turbulent temper, and his attachment to superstitious
ceremonies. On his return, he was made Bishop of Ely, and became
a bitter persecutor. Benjamin Coxe, A.M., probably a son of
the furious bishop, was as ardently fond of rites and ceremonies.
He was cited to appear before Laud for denying the jure divino of
bishops, and the poor bishop said, "God did so bless me that I gave
him satisfaction." Mr. Coxe soon after came out as a Baptist, and
having preached at Bedford, he settled in Coventry. Here he disputed
with Mr. Baxter and the Presbyterians; and the Independents had
him imprisoned for defending adult baptism (Crosby, History of
Baptists, i. 354), a very short mode of settling the controversy.
Probably Nehemiah Coxe was his son, settled at Bedford as a
shoemaker. He was a learned man, and, when tried at Bedford assizes
for preaching the gospel, he was indicted in the usual Norman-French,
or Latin; and pleaded first in Greek, which the prosecutors not
understanding, he pleaded in Hebrew, arguing, that as his indictment
was in a foreign tongue, he was entitled to plead in any of the
learned languages. The counsel being ignorant of those languages,
and the judge glad to get rid of a vexatious indictment, dismissed
him, saying to the counselors, 'Well, this cordwainer hath wound
you all up, gentlemen.' This anecdote is handed down in a funeral
sermon by T. Sutcliff, on the death of Symonds, one of the pastors
of the church at Bedford.

Another of this little band that was set apart with Bunyan, became
so useful a preacher as to have been honoured with a record in the
annals of persecution in the reign of Charles II. John Fenn was
on Lord's-day, May 15, 1670, committed to prison for preaching in
his own house; and on Tuesday, all his goods and stock in trade
were seized and carted away, leaving his family in the most desolate
condition.

In the following week, Edward Isaac, a blacksmith, another of this
little band, having been fined, had all his stock in trade, and
even the anvil upon which he worked, seized and carted away.

Such were the severe trials which these excellent citizens were,
with their families, called to pass through, by the tyranny of the
church; but they were light, indeed, in comparison with those that
awaited the amiable and pious Bunyan.

175. If Christians recollected with what anxiety their teachers
prepared and delivered their sermons, how constant and prayerful
would be their attendance on the means of grace.

176. Grace Abounding, vol. i., p. 42. The taunts and revilings of
a poet laureate upon Bunyan's preaching and sufferings need only
a passing notice. No words could be more vile and slanderous than
those of Mr. Southey. He says, 'Peace might be on his lips, and
zeal for the salvation of others in his heart, but he was certainly,
at that time, no preacher of good will, nor of Christian charity.'
How can we judge of a preacher's good will, but by 'peace on his
lips?' and what is the criterion of Christian charity, except it
be 'zeal for the salvation of others in his heart?'

177. Grace Abounding, No. 293, vol. i., p. 44.

178. Vol. i., p. 59. Eben. Chandler thus describes Bunyan: 'His
wit was sharp and quick, his memory tenacious; it being customary
with him to commit his sermons to writing after he had preached
them.'--Chandler and Wilson's Preface to Bunyan's Works, folio,
1692. All these autographs have unaccountably disappeared.

179. Noticed in the life annexed to Pilgrim, Part III.

180. In the editor's library, folio, 1635. Orthography was little
cared for in those days. On the beautiful portrait of Andrews, is
the autograph of Annie Brokett hir Blook!

181. This document is copied on page xxvi.

182. See page lxxii.

183. Vol. ii., p. 132.

184. Vol. ii., p. 133.

185. Vol. ii., pp. 140, 141.

186. The American authors of a recent life of Burrough, (William and
Thomas Evans, Philadelphia, republished by Gilpin, London, 1851),
have given an unfair account of his controversy with Bunyan, drawn
from Burrough's works in the shape of a supposed dialogue. Such
a disputation can only be understood by reading both sides of the
question. We unite with them in admiring the character of that
young but noble martyr. They are, however, wrong in their conclusion
that 'the meekness and gentleness of Christ softened and adorned
his whole character.' He was one of those that are called in the
Holy War, 'rough hewn men fit to break the ice.' Vol. iii. p. 270

187. Vol. ii., p. 201.

188. P. 16.

189. It is difficult to describe the state of those times. James
Naylor rode into Bristol, a multitude accompanying him, strewing
their scarfs, handkerchiefs, and garments on the ground for his
horse to tread on, and singing, Hosanna in the highest; holy, holy,
holy is the Lord God of Israel. He was addressed as the everlasting
son of righteousness, and prince of peace. His brain was bewildered
with adulation. Women kissed his feet, and called him Jesus the Son
of God. To stop the tumult, he was apprehended, and had he been
simply subjected to the discipline of a mad-house, like Mr. Brothers
of a later period, his blood would soon have recovered from its
agitation. Instead of this, a grand parade was made by trying him
before a Committee of the House of Commons, and, upon a report of
the whole house, he was convicted of 'horrid blasphemy,' and it
was by the small majority of fourteen that his life was spared.
His cruel sentence was whipping, pillory, his tongue bored through
with a red hot iron, a large letter B burnt into his forehead, and
to be imprisoned during the pleasure of Parliament. By his followers
he was considered a martyr; but the infatuation soon subsided. After
his release, he was mercifully restored to his senses, and became
a useful Quaker.

190. These commissioners were called 'triers,' and, being high
Calvinists, were nick-named Dr. Absolute, chairman, Mr. Fatality,
Mr. Fri-babe, Mr. Dam-man, Mr. Narrow-grace, Mr. Indefectible,
Mr. Dubious, and others. They turned out of their livings those
clergymen who were proved to be immoral in their conduct, and others
who did not come up to the orthodox standard. Of these, Mr. Walker,
in his account of the sufferings of the clergy, gives a long list.

191. This Act or ordinance of Parliament involved some of our
excellent ancestors in trouble. Hansard Knollys, Wm. Kiffin, Mr.
Lamb, and many others, were imprisoned for short periods; Edward
Barbour for eleven months. To avoid the informers, adult baptism was
performed at midnight; for this Henry Denne suffered imprisonment.
That gracious and valuable minister, Vavasor Powel also suffered a
short imprisonment during the Protectorate; his life was afterwards
sacrificed by a tedious imprisonment in the following reign. He was
taken, with his flock, at a midnight meeting; and for safe custody
they were locked up in the parish church, and there he preached
without molestation. When conveyed to the justice's house, while
waiting his worship's leisure, he again preached. When this
magistrate arrived, he was violently enraged that his house should
have been turned into a conventicle. He would have committed them
at once to prison, but two of his daughters were so affected with
the sermon, that, at their intercession, after severe threatenings,
the preacher and his friends were set at liberty.

192. From the original, in the editor's possession.

193. Cotton Mather says that these laws were never carried to
extremity, and were soon laid entirely by. Hist. of America.

194. Jukes' History of Bunyan's Church, p. 16.

195. Works, vol. iii., p. 667; especially pp. 672, 673.

196. No. 280-317, vol. i., p. 42-46.

197. Life and Death of Mr. J. Bunyan, 1700, p. 27.

198. Vol. iii., p. 767.

199. Grace Abounding, vol. i., p. 46.

200. See Note, vol. i., p. 45.

201. 4tp. London, 1659. A MS copy is in the editor's possession.

202. Vol. i., p. 683.

203. Vol. iii., p. 445.

204. Vol. iii., p. 48.

205. Vol. ii., p. 635.

206. Vol. iii., p. 680.

207. See postscript to The True Faith of the Gospel of Peace,
British Museum.

208. Vol. ii., p. 201.

209. Vol. i., p. 46.

210. Macaulay's History of England, vol. i.

211. Life of Badman.

212. Penn's England's Interest, 4to, 1676, p. 2.

213. Vol. ii., p. 593.

214. Vol. i., p. 51.

215. Vol. i., p. 51.

216. This very interesting Memoir was published by the Society of
Friends, 1825.

217. Case and Opinion, under the head 'Conventicles,' British
Museum. There is also a rare Tract, to prove that the Persecuting
Acts expired Oct. 24th, 1670.

218. Vol. i., p. 54. How unspeakable the mercy, that the persecutor
cannot plunge his implements of torture into the spirit, nor prevent
its intercourse with heaven!

A very deeply interesting narrative of all the particulars of this
examination and form of trial, was recorded by the sufferer. See
vol. i., p. 50.

219. There were three prisons in Bedford--the county jail,
the bridewell, and the tower jail. No decisive evidence has been
discovered as to which prison Bunyan was committed. Two views of
the bridge and prison are given in the plate at p. 63, vol. i.

220. Howard's Account of Lazarettos, &c. 4to, 1789, p. 150.

221. Elstow is a perpetual curacy or vicarage, worth at that time
only £35 per annum! forming one of the discreditable anomalies of
the church, in the division of its immense revenues.

222. He has favoured us with the following description of it:--'The
ring is of fine gold, very like in colour to that which has been
brought into this country from California. The head is, I think,
engraven, but the letters have not that sharpness about them which
indicates the engraving tool; and the I. B. are undoubted indents
made after the ring was finished.' It is not the usual emblem of a
mourning gift, for that would have the cross-bones under the skull;
it was more probably given as a special mark of esteem. Three things
are certain--1st, That it so valuable a gift excited the poor man's
pride, its loss must have been a serious annoyance to one whose
family was dependent upon his daily labour. 2d, His preaching
talent must have been highly appreciated, before he was known as the
author of the Pilgrim's Progress, to have brought him so valuable
a token of respect. But the most pleasing and remarkable reflection,
is the surprising progress of good-will among men of various
denominations, that a ring, worn by a despised and persecuted
Nonconformist of a former age, is now highly prized and worn, from
respect to his memory, by a dignified clergyman of the Established
church.

223. This was not his only ring; he left, inter alia, all his rings
to his wife. See. p. lxxii.

224. After he had lain in jail five or six days, an application
was made to a liberal justice at Elstow, named Crumpton, to release
him on bail; but he declined, fearing to give offence. He, however,
so felt for this persecuted servant of Christ, as to sell him an
edifice and barn, which, upon his release, was converted into a
large meeting-house.

225. Vol. ii., p. 107.

226. Vol. iii., p. 341, 366.

227. From his autograph, in the editor's possession, he spelt his
name John Keling.

228. Lord Campbell's lives of the Chief Justices.

229. Vol. i., p. 57. This forcibly reminds us of Greatheart's reply
to Giant Maul--'I am a servant of the God of heaven; my business
is to persuade sinners to repentance; if to prevent this be thy
quarrel, let us fall to it as soon as thou wilt,' vol. iii., p. 210.
Southey attempts to vindicate the justices in condemning Bunyan,
and grossly mis-states the facts; deeming him to be unreasonable
and intolerant; that preaching was incompatible with his calling,
and that he ought not to have sacrificed his liberty in such a
cause! The poet-laureate makes these assertions, knowing the vast
benefits which sprung from the determined piety and honesty of
the persecuted preacher. Would not By-ends, Facing-both-ways, and
Save-all, have jumped to the same conclusion?

230. Vol. i., p. 56.

231. Every Christian should read the appalling account of these
sufferings, recently published under the title of Ladies of the
Covenant.

232. Vol. iii., p. 17.

233. History of Baptists, vol. ii., p. 172. Robinson was a nephew
of Archbishop Laud, and appeared to inherit his evil spirit.

234. Wilson's History of Dissenting Churches, and the Trial of
Rosewell.

235. Vol. i., p. 198; and Grace Abounding, No. 326.

236. Vol. i., p. 48.

237. Baptized at Elstow, July 20, 1650.

238. Vol. i., p. 168.

239. Vol. ii., p. 279.

240. Vol. ii., p. 733.

241. Vol. i., p. 60.

242. The cut, copied from an old drawing of the house taken before
its entire demotion, at the end of last century, exhibits its quaint
characteristics. The bridge foot is to the spectator's right; the
church tower behind is that of St. Mary's, also seen in our view
of the jail, which would, of course, be seen from the bow-windows
of the old inn, in which the Judges met.

243. Vol. i., p. 60.

244. Lectures on the Pilgrim's Progress.

245. This valuable set of books came into the possession of my old
friend Mr. Wontner, of the Minories, London; it descended at his
decease, to his widow, who resided on Camberwell Green, and from
her to a daughter, married to Mr. Parnel, an orange merchant in
Botolph Lane. He was tempted to sell it to Mr. Bohn, the bookseller,
from whom it was bought for the Bedford library.

246. Charles Doe in Heavenly Footman, 2d edition, 1700.

247. Introduction to the Pilgrim, vol. iii., p. 6, 7.

248. Psalmody Edit., 1775, p. 137. George Whitefield, in recommending
the works of Bunyan, says, 'Ministers never write or preach so well
as when under the cross; the Spirit of Christ and of glory shall
rest upon them' [Preface to Bunyan's Works, 1767]. Admiring the
courage and honesty of Bunyan, when alluding to the Prayer-Book,
we earnestly unite in his petition--'The Lord in mercy turn the
hearts of his people, to seek more after the Spirit of prayer, and,
in the strength of that, to pour out their souls before the Lord.'

249. This was published in 1698.

250. Heavenly Footman, 2d edition, 1700, p. 126.

251. Vol. iii., p. 397, 398.

252. This deeply interesting book is dedicated to four sorts of
readers--the godly, the learned, the captious, and to the mother
of harlots. To her he says, 'I have nothing here to please your
wanton eye, or voluptuous palate; no paint for thy wrinkled face,
nor crutch to support thy tottering kingdom.' It is a very amusing
preface.

253. Vol. iii., p. 610.

254. Vol. i., p. 4.

255. Author's Apology for the Pilgrim.

256. Vol. i., p. 602.

257. Vol. iii., p. 7.

258. Grace Abounding, No. 322.

259. Vol. i., p. 65.

260. Vol. i., p. 741.

261. This jug is in possession of Mrs. Hillyard, widow of the late
Mr. Hillyard, who was minister of the chapel for fifty years, and
died in 1839. One tradition says the jug was used as noted in the
text; another that his broth was brought to 'chapel' in it, for
his Sunday dinner, in the vestry.

262. Vol. ii., p. 737-739.

263. 2 Cor 1:5; vol. ii., p. 735.

264. Vol. ii., p. 700.

265. Vol. i., p. 47.

266. Vol. i., p. 278; and vol. iii., p. 13.

267. Vol. ii., p. 593.

268. Vol. ii., p. 594.--Heroic man! British Christians are most
deeply indebted to thee, and thy fellow-sufferers, for the high
privileges they now enjoy. May thy name be had in everlasting
remembrance.

269. Vol. i., p. 62.

270. It has been doubted whether he was justified in thus making
excursions from the prison. This may be answered by the question--Was
Peter justified in leaving the prison, and going to the prayer-meeting
at Mary's house? Acts 12:7-19.

271. Vol. iii., p. 19.

272. Rapin.

273. For an accurate copy of this declaration, see vol. iii., p.
21.

274. The ecclesiastical year commenced in March. The tenth month
means December.

275. For a copy of these licenses, see vol. iii., p. 24.

276. 4to, vol. vii., p. 75.

277. I am greatly indebted to J. P. Brown, Esq., James Street,
Islington, for directing my attention to these letters.

278. Vol. iii., pp. 21-29.

279. Vol. iii., p. 27.

280. Vol. i., p. 47; No. 319.

281. Jukes' History of Bunyan's Church, p. 24.

282. Continuation of Life to Grace Abounding.

283. It is generally believed at Bedford, that, after Bunyan was
imprisoned, his family removed from Elstow to Bedford, in order
that they might have more frequent access to him; and that, on his
release, he made his abode there. His humble dwelling was much like
that of his father at Elstow, most unassuming; just such a cottage
as a poor wounded sinner would feel at home in when visiting his
pastor for advice. The late Rev. J. Geard, of Hitchin, in his Diary,
says--'July 17, 1774. I preached, for the first time, at Bedford,
to the successors of good Mr. Bunyan's congregation, and the next
day called at the house where he used to live, and went into the
room that tradition reported was his study. This house, though it
had been the habitation of so truly great a man, was now let for
about 40s. per annum.' Allowing for the difference in the value of
money, Bunyan would have now paid 16s. a-year rent for his humble
abode. It will be always matter of regret, that it was not purchased
and preserved by the members of the 'Old Meeting,' when it was
offered them before its destruction; we procured, however, a drawing
of it, which is here engraved. The cottage was in the parish of
St. Cuthbert, in the street opposite the meeting-house, and here
Bunyan lived, while he was pastor, from 1681 to 1688.

284. Pilgrim, vol. iii., p. 198.

285. Vol. ii., p. 649.

286. Vol. ii., p. 538.

287. Vol. ii., p. 219.

288. Vol. i., p. 757.

289. Vol. ii., 649.

290. Vol. ii., p. 638.

291. Vol. ii., p. 641.

292. Vol. iii., p. 758.

293. Christian Church, 8vo, 1747, p. 280.

294. The General Doctrine of Toleration, applied to Free Communion,
p. 8. George Whitefield most warmly approved the communion of all
God's saints with each other. This, I must own, more particularly
endears Mr. Bunyan to my heart. He was of a catholic spirit. The
want of water (adult baptism), with this man of God, was no bar to
outward Christian communion. And I am persuaded that if, like him,
we were more deeply and experimentally baptized into the benign and
gracious influences of the blessed Spirit, we should be less baptized
into the waters of strife about circumstantials and non-essentials.
For being thereby rooted and grounded in the love of God, we should
necessarily be constrained to think and let think, bear with and
forbear one another in love, and without saying, I am of Paul,
Apollos, or Cephas; have but one grand, laudable, disinterested
strife, namely, who should live, preach, and exalt the ever-loving,
altogether-lovely Jesus most.

295. Vol. iii., p. 398.

296. He hesitated as to the propriety of publishing it, probably
from the influence of the weighty opinion of Martin Luther. 'The
people are greatly delighted with allegories and similitudes, and
therefore Christ oftentimes useth them; for they are, as it were,
certain pictures which set forth things as if they were painted
before our eyes. Paul was a marvelous cunning workman in handling
allegories, but Origen and Jerome turn plain Scriptures into
unfit and foolish allegories. Therefore, to use allegories, it is
oftentimes a very dangerous thing' [Com. on Gal. iv. 21]. Such
instructions, from one he so much venerated, curbed his exuberant
imagination, and made him doubly watchful, lest allegorizing upon
subjects of such vast importance might 'darken counsel by words
without knowledge.'

297. Vol. iii., p. 739.

298. Even Dean Swift, in his popular Letter to a Young Divine,
says, 'I have been better entertained, and more informed by a few
pages in the Pilgrim's Progress, than by a long discourse upon
the will and the intellect, and simple and complex ideas.' Nothing
short of extraordinary merit could have called for such a eulogy
from so severe a critic.

299. Vol. iii., p. 166.

300. Within the Editor's memory, polished writers hesitated to
name our incomparable allegorist, on account of his humble name
and education. Thus Cowper sang--

'I name thee not, lest so despised a name Should move a sneer at
thy deserved fame.'

Now nearly all men find it difficult to do that name sufficient
honour. One of the most splendid steam-ships in America is called
after his name. A magnificent ship, for the China trade, was built
at Aberdeen by Walter Hood & Co., which so swiftly traversed the
ocean as to have made the voyage from Canton to London in ninety-nine
days, without any aid from steam. This beautiful and grand specimen
of the perfection of naval architecture is named The John Bunyan.
Roman Catholics have printed large editions of the Pilgrim, with
slight omissions, for circulation among the young under the care of
the nuns. Our English fanatics have committed a crime that would
make a papist blush. A Rev. E. Neale has clumsily altered the
Pilgrim's Progress, that Bunyan might appear to teach the things
which Bunyan's righteous heaven-born soul abhorred. It is a piece
of matchless self-conceit to think of mending that which has been
admired by the wisest of the human race in all nations, and which
has obtained an unbounded popularity. Such an attempt to alter it
is an acknowledgment that all the boasted power of Oxford, Exeter,
and Rome, are unable to invent a tale to supersede the matchless
beauties of the work of our spiritually-minded, heavenly-assisted
brazier. If Mr. Neale should, at any time, alter a deed and the
punishment for that felony is transportation for life. A similar
forgery was committed in a recent London edition of Dr. Cheever's
Hill Difficulty. The Tractarians, doubtless, commit these scandalous
outrages upon the Fathers, and all other writers, and deserve the
contempt of every honest, upright mind.

301. Vol. i., p. 473.

302. Vol. i., p. 480.

303. Two views of this meeting-house, an exterior and interior, after
its conversion into a workshop, are given in the Plate facing page
i. of this Memoir. In the interior, part of the beams and pillars
that supported the gallery still remain.

304. Toplady's Works, vol. iv., p. 463.

305. Vol. iii., p. 637.

306. One of his anecdotes is remarkable, as exhibiting the state
of medical knowledge in his neighbourhood. A poor wretch, who had
taught his son to blaspheme, was affected with a nervous twisting
of the muscles of his chest. This was supposed to arise from
a Satanic possession. One Freeman, a more than ordinary doctor,
attempted the cure. They bound the patient to a form, with his head
hanging down over the end; set a pan of coals under his mouth, and
put something therein that made a great smoke, to fetch out the
devil. There they kept the man till he was almost smothered, but
no devil came out of him [Vol. iii., p. 605]. The death-bed scene
of the broken-hearted Mrs. Badman, is delicately and beautifully
drawn.

307. Sutcliff's History of Bunyan's Church.

308. Vol. iii., p. 245.

309. A beautiful satire is contained in the account of the
traitors--tradition, human wisdom, and man's invention. This picture
is drawn by an inimitable artist. Nor have we seen anything more
admirably adapted to the present state of our Tractarian times.
Vol. iii. 277.

310. Vol. i., p. 22, No. 128.

311. Vol. ii., p. 574.

312. Life, 1692.

313. Grace Abounding (continued), vol. i., p. 63, and Life, 1692.

314. Vol. i., p. 505.

315. Vol. i., p. 719.

316. Vol. i., p. 753.

317. Some of the wax remains, but the coin is lost.

318. Vol. iii., p. 763.

319. Vol. i., p. 81.

320. Mr. Philip, Critique on Bunyan, p. vi. and xvi.

321. Vol. ii., p. 425.

322. Vol. iii., p. 766.

323. Grace Abounding, 1692.

324. No. 25, E.; 26, W.; 26, N.; 27, S.

325. As matters of curious interest to all lovers of Bunyan, we
insert, in the accompanying page, engravings of these relics, from
drawings by Mr. Edward Offor.

326. The chair is engraved above, and it will be seen that it has
suffered some little dilapidation since the last published engraving
of it. The legs have been cut down to suit the height of one of
his successors in the ministry!! With regard to the pulpit, an old
resident in Bedford says--The celebrated John Howard presented a
new pulpit in the room of the old one, which was cut up. Of part
of the wood a table was made, which now belongs to Mrs. Hillyerd.

327. Vol. iii., p. 297.

328. Vol. i., p. 714.

329. Vol. i., p. 686.

330. Vol. i., pp. 690, 691.

331. Vol. ii., p. 261.

332. Vol. iii., p. 748.

333. It is noticed, in a letter to the Secretary for Ireland,
dated September 6, 1688--'On teusday last died the Lord Mayor Sir
J. Shorter. A few days before died Bunnian his lordship's teacher
or chaplain a man said to be gifted that way though once a cobler'
[Ellis's Cor., vol. ii., p. 161]. We can excuse the sarcasm of a
Roman Catholic, and with equal good nature, and more truth, remark,
that the great and eminent pope, Sixtus V., was once a swineherd--not
a bad school in which to study how to keep up a despotic sway over
the Papacy.

334. Vol. iii., p. 308.

335. Law and Grace, marg., vol. i., p. 524.

336. Vol. ii., p. 651.

337. Vol. i., pp. 634, 635.

338. Vol. ii., p. 653.

339. Vol. i., p. 647.

340. Vol. ii., p. 15.

341. Vol. ii., p. 497.

342. Vol. iii., p. 251.

343. Emblem xiv., vol. iii., p. 751.

344. Christ is made known by the sufferings of his saints, vol.
ii., p. 701, and note.

345. Vol. iii., p. 751, and note.

346. Vol. iii., p. 595.

347. Vol. ii., p. 22.

348. Vol. ii., p. 257.

349. Works, folio, 1693.

***

GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS:

A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN
CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN;

WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS
SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE
DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST
DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM.

Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of
the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met
with in prison. All which was written by his own hand there, and
now published for the support of the weak and tempted people of
God.

"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he
hath done for my soul."--Psalm 66:16.

London: Printed by George Larkin, 1666.

This title page was afterwards altered, and instead of what follows
the first line, he inserted,

Or a brief and faithful relation of the exceeding mercy of God in
Christ to his poor servant, John Bunyan; namely, in his taking of
him out of the dunghill, and converting of him to the faith of his
blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Here is also particularly showed, what
sight of, and what trouble he had for sin; and also what various
temptations he hath met with, and how God hath carried him through
them.

Corrected and much enlarged now by the Author, for the benefit of
the tempted and dejected Christian.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

The great utility of remarkable accounts of the ways of God in
bringing his sheep into the fold, must be admitted by all. The Bible
abounds with these manifestations of Divine grace from the gentle
voice that called Samuel, even unto the thunder which penetrated
the soul of one, who followed the church with continued malignity,
calling unto him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"--a voice
so terrible, and accompanied by such a flood of light, as to strike
the persecutor to the earth, and for a season to deprive him of
sight.

The 'Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners' is doubly interesting,
as it unfolds to us not only the return of a notorious prodigal,
but a wondrous system of education, by which a chosen man was fitted
for a wondrous work; heavenly and spiritual learning, which could
not have been obtained in all the schools and universities in the
world. It enabled a poor, vile, unlettered rebel--a blasphemous
travelling tinker, to become a most eminent preacher; one whose
native powers, sanctified by harrowing but hallowing feelings,
attracted the deep attention of the most learned and pious of his
contemporaries, while it carried conviction to the most impious and
profane. Even beyond all this, his spiritual acquirements fitted
him, without scholastic learning, to become the most popular, the
most attractive, the most useful of English authors. His works
increase remarkably in popularity. As time rolls on, they are still
read with deeper and deeper interest, while his bodily presence
and labours mingle in the records of the events of bygone ages.

Bunyan's account of his singular trials and temptations may have
excited alarm in the minds of some young Christians lest they should
be in an unconverted state, because they have not been called to
pass through a similar mode of training. Pray recollect, my dear
young Christian, that all are not called to such important public
labours as Bunyan, or Whitfield, or Wesley. All the members of
the Christian family are trained to fit them for their respective
positions in the church of Christ. It is a pleasant and profitable
exercise to look back to the day of our espousals, and trace the
operations of Divine grace in digging us from the hole of the pit;
but the important question with us all should be, not so much HOW
we became enlightened, but NOW do we love Christ? Now do we regret
our want of greater conformity to his image? If we can honestly
answer these questions in the affirmative, we are believers, and
can claim our part in that precious promise, "Whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die." Spiritual life is ours, and
eternal life is essentially connected with it, and must be our portion,
without an inquiry into the means by which we were called, whether
by the thunders and lighting of Sinai, as Paul was smitten, or by
the "still small voice" (Acts 9:3,4; 1 Kings 19:12; Job 4:16,17).

The value of such a narrative to a terror-stricken prodigal is
vividly shown by Bunyan, in his 'Jerusalem Sinner Saved,' in one
of those colloquial pieces of composition in which he eminently
shone. 'Satan is loath to part with a great sinner. "What, my true
servant," quoth he, "my old servant, wilt thou forsake me now?
Having so often sold thyself to me to work wickedness, wilt thou
forsake me now? Thou horrible wretch, dost not know, that thou hast
sinned thyself beyond the reach of grace, and dost think to find
mercy now? Art not thou a murderer, a thief, a harlot, a witch,
a sinner of the greatest size, and dost thou look for mercy now?
Dost thou think that Christ will foul his fingers with thee? It
is enough to make angels blush, saith Satan, to see so vile a one
knock at heaven-gates for mercy, and wilt thou be so abominably
bold to do it?" Thus Satan dealt with me, says the great sinner,
when at first I came to Jesus Christ. And what did you reply? Saith
the tempted. Why, I granted the whole charge to be true, says the
other. And what, did you despair, or how? No, saith he, I said, I
am Magdalene, I am Zacheus, I am the thief, I am the harlot, I am
the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of Christ's murderers; yea,
worse than any of these; and yet God was so far off from rejecting
of me, as I found afterwards, that there was music and dancing
in his house for me, and for joy that I was come home unto him. O
blessed be God for grace, says the other, for then I hope there is
favour for me.'

The 'Grace Abounding' is a part of Bunyan's prison meditations,
and strongly reminds us of the conversation between Christian and
Hopeful on the enchanted ground.

'Christian. Now then, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us
fall into good discourse.

'Hopeful. With all my heart.

'Christian. Where shall we begin?

'Hopeful. Where God began with us.'

To prevent drowsiness, to beguile the time, he looks back to his
past experience, and the prison became his Patmos--the gate of
heaven--a Bethel, in which his time was occupied in writing for
the benefit of his fellow-Christians. He looks back upon all the
wondrous way through which the Lord had led him from the City of
Destruction to Mount Zion. While writing his own spiritual pilgrimage,
his great work broke upon his imagination.


   'And thus it was: I writing of the way,
    And race of saints, in this our gospel day,
    Fell suddenly into an allegory
    About their journey, and the way to glory.'


'As you read the "Grace Abounding," you are ready to say at every
step, here is the future author of the "Pilgrim's Progress." It
is as if you stood beside some great sculptor, and watched every
movement of his chisel, having seen his design; so that at every
blow some new trait of beauty in the future statue comes clearly
into view.'[1]

A great difference of opinion has been expressed by learned men as
to whether Bunyan's account of himself is to be understood literally,
as it respects his bad conduct before his conversion, or whether
he views himself through a glass, by which his evil habits are
magnified. No one can doubt his perfect honesty. He plainly narrates
his bad, as well as his redeeming qualities; nor does his narrative
appear to be exaggerated. He was the son of a travelling tinker,
probably a gipsy, 'the meanest and most despised rank in the land';
when, alarmed at his sins, recollection that the Israelites were
once the chosen people of God, he asked his father, whether he was
of that race; as if he thought that his family were of some peculiar
people, and it was easy for such a lad to blend the Egyptians with
the Israelitish race. When he was defamed, his slanderers called
him a witch, or fortune teller, a Jesuit, a highwayman, or the like.
Brought up to his father's trade, with his evil habits unchecked, he
became a very depraved lad; and when he states his sad character,
it is with a solemn pledge that his account is strictly true. Probably,
with a view to the full gratification of his sinful propensities,
he entered the army, and served among the profligate soldiers of
Charles I at the siege of Leicester.[2]

During this time, he was ill at ease; he felt convinced of sin,
or righteousness, and of judgment, without a hope of mercy. Hence
his misery and internal conflicts, perhaps the most remarkable
of any upon record. His own Giant Despair seized him with an iron
grasp. He felt himself surrounded by invisible beings, and in the
immediate presence of a holy God. By day, he was bewildered with
tormenting visions, and by night alarming dreams presented themselves
to him upon his bed. The fictitious appeared to his terrified
imagination realities. His excited spirit became familiar with
shapeless forms and fearful powers. The sorrows of death, and the
pains of hell, got hold upon him. His internal conflict was truly
horrible, as one who thought himself under the power of demons;
they whispered in his ears--pulled his clothes; he madly fought,
striking at imaginary shades with his hands, and stamping with
his feet at the destroyer. Thoughts of the unpardonable sin beset
him, his powerful bodily frame became convulsed with agony, as if
his breast bone would split, and he burst asunder like Judas. He
possessed a most prolific mind, affording constant nourishment to
this excited state of his feelings. He thought that he should be
bereft of his wits; than a voice rushed in at the window like the
noise of wind, very pleasant, and produced a great calm in his
soul. His intervals of ease, however, were short; the recollection
of his sins, and a fear that he had sold his Saviour, haunted his
affrighted spirit. His soul became so tormented, as to suggest to
his ideas the suffering of a malefactor broken upon the wheel. The
climax of these terrors is narrated at paragraph No. 187. 'Thus was
I always sinking, whatever I did think or do. So one day I walked
to a neighbouring town, and sat down upon a settle in the street,
and fell into a very deep pause about the most fearful state my
sin had brought me to; and, after long musing, I lifted up my head,
but methought I saw as if the sun that shineth in the heavens did
grudge to give light; and as if the very stones in the street, and
tiles upon the houses, did bend themselves against me; methought
that they all combined together, to banish me out of the world; I
was abhorred of them, and unfit to dwell among them, or be a partaker
of their benefits, because I had sinned against the Saviour.' In
this deep abyss of misery, THAT love which has heights and depths
passing knowledge, laid under him the everlasting arms, and raised
him from the horrible pit in miry clay, when no human powers could
have reached his case. Dr. Cheever eloquently remarks, that 'it was
through this valley of the shadow of death, overhung by darkness,
peopled with devils, resounding with blasphemy and lamentations;
and passing amidst quagmires and pitfalls, close by the very mouth
of hell, that Bunyan journeyed to that bright and fruitful land
of Beulah, in which he sojourned during the latter days of his
pilgrimage.' The only trace which his cruel sufferings and temptations
seen to have left behind them, was an affectionate compassion for
those who were still in the state in which he had once been.

Young Christians, you must not imagine that all these terrors are
absolute prerequisites to faith in the Saviour. God, as a sovereign,
calls his children to himself by various ways. Bunyan's was a very
extraordinary case, partly from his early habits--his excitable
mind, at a period so calculated to fan a spark of such feelings
into a flame. His extraordinary inventive faculties, softened down
and hallowed by this fearful experience, became fitted for most
extensive usefulness.

To eulogize this narrative, would be like 'gilding refined gold';
but I cannot help remarking, among a multitude of deeply interesting
passages, his observations upon that honest open avowal of Christian
principles, which brought down severe persecution upon him. They
excite our tenderest sympathy; his being dragged from his home and
wife and children, he says, 'hath oft been to me, as the pulling
my flesh from my bones; my poor blind child, what sorrow art thou
like to have for thy portion in this world! thou must be beaten,
must beg, suffer hunger, cold, nakedness, and a thousand calamities,
though I cannot now endure the wind should blow upon thee. O, I saw
I was as a man who was pulling down his house upon the head of his
wife and children; yet, recollecting myself, thought I, I must
venture you all with God.' How awful must be the state of the
wretched persecutor, who occasions such sufferings to the children
of the most high God!

In this edition, the greatest care has been taken to preserve the
exact words of the author, as he first published them; where he
altered or added to the text in subsequent editions, it is marked
with an inverted comma, or inserted in the notes. Obsolete words and
customs are explained; the numbering of his sections is continued,
in addition to which, it is divided into chapters for family reading,
upon the plan of the late Rev. J. Ivimey; double inverted commas
denote quotations of Scripture.

The reader is strongly pressed to keep in his recollection
the peculiar use made of the word should, by the author in this
narrative. It is from the Saxon scealan, to be obliged. Thus, in
the Saxon gospels (Matt 27:15), "the governor should release unto
the people a prisoner"; in our version it is, "was wont to release,"
meaning that custom compelled him so to do. In Bunyan's phraseology,
the word should is used in the same sense, that is, to show that,
under peculiar circumstances, his feelings or position involuntarily
produced a certain result. Thus, in No. 6, Troubled with the thoughts
of judgment and condemnation I should tremble; and in No. 15, The
father of his wife having left her two books, in these I should
sometimes read; probably the only books he then had. It is remarkable,
that although the Saxon language had not been spoken in Bedfordshire
for many centuries, still many valuable words remained in use.

The order in which this thrilling narrative of Bunyan's religious
feelings and experience is now for the first time published, is, I.
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners--his call to the ministry,
and his imprisonment for refusing to attend the Church of England
service. II. His Relation of the Circumstances attending his
incarceration in Bedford Jail. III. The continuation of his Life
to his decease, written by one of his friends, and always printed
with Grace Abounding. IV. His Dying Thoughts. V. His Prison
Meditations--verses which were probably sold on a broadside or sheet
of paper by his children, to procure necessaries for his family.

The length of the notes may need some apology; the only one the
editor can make is his veneration for John Bunyan, and his earnest
desire to render this inestimable book more deeply interesting, by
explaining manners, customs, and words not now in use; the note on
No. 232, occupied the time of one whole day.

The errors, omissions, and additions, which existed to a most
extraordinary extent through the book, have been corrected, and the
text restored to its primitive beauty; among many hundred of these
errors, one may suffice as a specimen; it is in Bunyan's preface,
'God did not play in convincing of me, the devil did not play in
tempting of me,' this is altered in many editions to 'God did not
play in tempting of me.'

Most earnestly do I hope that this republication, now for the first
time, for nearly two hundred years, given in its native excellence
and purity, may be attended with the Divine blessing, to the comfort
of many despairing Jerusalem sinners; to the building up of the
church of Christ on earth; to the extension of pure, heart-felt,
genuine Christianity; and to the confusion of the persecutors. They
intended, by shutting the pious pilgrim up in a dungeon, to prevent
his voice from being heard to the comfort of his poor neighbours,
and by which violence, his persecutors have caused his voice to
burst the prison doors and walls, and to be heard over the whole
world. His 'Pilgrim's Progress,' which was written in prison, has
been, and now is, a guide to Christian pilgrims of all nations,
kindreds, tribes, and people, teaching them not to rest content
in any national religion, but personally to search the Scriptures,
with earnest supplications to the God of mercy and truth, that they
may be guided to Christ, as the Alpha and Omega of their salvation.

GEORGE OFFOR.

A PREFACE, OR BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE PUBLISHING OF THIS WORK, WRITTEN
BY THE AUTHOR THEREOF, AND DEDICATED TO THOSE WHOM GOD HATH COUNTED
HIM WORTHY TO BEGET TO FAITH, BY HIS MINISTRY IN THE WORD.

Children, grace be with you, Amen. I being taken from you in presence,
and so tied up, that I cannot perform that duty that from God doth
lie upon me to youward, for your further edifying and building
up in faith and holiness, &c., yet that you may see my soul hath
fatherly care and desire after your spiritual and everlasting
welfare; I now once again, as before, from the top of Shenir and
Hermon, so 'now' from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the
leopards (Song 4:8), do look yet after you all, greatly longing to
see your safe arrival into the desired haven.[3]

I thank God upon every remembrance of you; and rejoice, even while
I stick between the teeth of the lions in the wilderness, at the
grace, and mercy, and knowledge of Christ our saviour, which God
hath bestowed upon you, with abundance of faith and love. Your
hungerings and thirstings also after further acquaintance with the
Father, in his Son; your tenderness of heart, your trembling at
sin, your sober and holy deportment also, before both God and men,
is great refreshment to me; "For ye are my glory and joy" (1 Thess
2:20).

I have sent you here enclosed, a drop of that honey, that I have
taken out of the carcase of a lion (Judg 14:5-9). I have eaten
thereof myself also, and am much refreshed thereby. (Temptations,
when we meet them at first, are as the lion that roared upon Samson;
but if we overcome them, the next time we see them, we shall find
a nest of honey within them.) The Philistines understand me not. It
is 'something of' a relation of the work of God upon my own soul,
even from the very first, till now; wherein you may perceive
my castings down, and raisings up; for he woundeth, and his hands
make whole. It is written in the Scripture (Isa 38:19), "The father
to the children shall make known the truth of God." Yea, it was
for this reason I lay so long at Sinai (Deut 4:10,11), to see the
fire, and the cloud, and the darkness, that I might fear the Lord
all the days of my life upon earth, and tell of his wondrous works
to my children (Psa 78:3-5).

Moses (Num 33:1,2) writ of the journeyings of the children of
Israel, from Egypt to the land of Canaan; and commanded also, that
they did remember their forty years' travel in the wilderness.
"Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee
these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove
thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep
his commandments, or no" (Deut 8:2). Wherefore this I have endeavoured
to do; and not only so, but to publish it also; that, if God will,
others may be put in remembrance of what he hath done for their
souls, by reading his work upon me.

It is profitable for Christians to be often calling to mind the
very beginnings of grace with their souls. "It is a night to be
much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land
of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the
children of Israel in their generations" (Exo 12:42). "O my God,"
saith David (Psa 42:6), "my soul is cast down within me; therefore
will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites,
from the hill Mizar." He remembered also the lion and the bear,
when he went to fight with the giant of Gath (1 Sam 17:36,37).

It was Paul's accustomed manner (Acts 22), and that when tried for
his life (Acts 24), even to open, before his judges, the manner of
his conversion: he would think of that day, and that hour, in the
which he first did meet with grace;[4] for he found it support
unto him. When God had brought the children of Israel through the
Red Sea, far into the wilderness, yet they must turn quite about
thither again, to remember the drowning of their enemies there
(Num 14:25). For though they sang his praise before, yet "they soon
forgat his works" (Psa 106:11-13).

In this discourse of mine you may see much; much, I say, of the
grace of God towards me. I thank God I can count it much, for it
was above my sins and Satan's temptations too. I can remember my
fears, and doubts, and sad months with comfort; they are as the head
of Goliah in my hand. There was nothing to David like Goliah's
sword, even that sword that should have been sheathed in his bowels;
for the very sight and remembrance of that did preach forth God's
deliverance to him. Oh, the remembrance of my great sins, of my
great temptations, and of my great fears of perishing for ever!
They bring afresh into my mind the remembrance of my great help,
my great support from heaven, and that the great grace that God
extended to such a wretch as I.

My dear children, call to mind the former days, "and the years of
ancient times: remember also your songs in the night; and commune
with your own heart" (Psa 73:5-12). Yea, look diligently, and leave
no corner therein unsearched, for there is treasure hid, even the
treasure of your first and second experience of the grace of God
toward you. Remember, I say, the word that first laid hold upon
you; remember your terrors of conscience, and fear of death and
hell; remember also your tears and prayers to God; yea, how you
sighed under every hedge for mercy. Have you never a hill Mizar to
remember? Have you forgot the close, the milk house, the stable,
the barn, and the like, where God did visit your soul?[5] Remember
also the Word--the Word, I say, upon which the Lord hath caused
you to hope. If you have sinned against light; if you are tempted
to blaspheme; if you are down in despair; if you think God fights
against you; or if heaven is hid from your eyes, remember it was
thus with your father, but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

I could have enlarged much in this my discourse, of my temptations
and troubles for sin; as also of the merciful kindness and working
of God with my soul. I could also have stepped into a style much
higher than this in which I have here discoursed, and could have
adorned all things more than here I have seemed to do, but I dare
not. God did not play in convincing of me, the devil did not play
in tempting of me, neither did I play when I sunk as into a bottomless
pit, when the pangs of hell caught hold upon me; wherefore I may
not play in my relating of them, but be plain and simple, and lay
down the thing as it was. He that liketh it, let him receive it;
and he that does not, let him produce a better. Farewell.

My dear children, the milk and honey is beyond this wilderness. God
be merciful to you, and grant 'that' you be not slothful to go in
to possess the land.

JOHN BUNYAN.

GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS; OR, A BRIEF RELATION OF
THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST, TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN
BUNYAN.

[BUNYAN'S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF PREVIOUS TO HIS CONVERSION.]

1. In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul,
it will not be amiss, if, in the first place, I do, in a few words,
give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that
thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more
advanced and magnified before the sons of men.

2. For my descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a
low and inconsiderable generation; my father's house being of that
rank that is meanest and most despised of all the families in the
land.[6] Wherefore I have not here, as others, to boast of noble
blood, or of a high-born state, according to the flesh; though,
all things considered, I magnify the heavenly Majesty, for that by
this door he brought me into this world, to partake of the grace
and life that is in Christ by the gospel.

3. But yet, notwithstanding the meanness and inconsiderableness
of my parents, it pleased God to put it into their hearts to put
me to school, to learn both to read and write; the which I also
attained, according to the rate of other poor men's children;[7]
though, to my shame I confess, I did soon lose that little I learned,
and that even almost utterly, and that long before the Lord did
work his gracious work of conversion upon my soul.

4. As for my own natural life, for the time that I was without God
in the world, it was indeed according to the course of this world,
and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"
(Eph 2:2,3). It was my delight to be "taken captive by the devil
at his will" (2 Tim 2:26). Being filled with all unrighteousness:
the which did also so strongly work and put forth itself, both in my
heart and life, and that from a child, that I had but few equals,
especially considering my years, which were tender, being few, both
for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God.

5. Yea, so settled and rooted was I in these things, that they
became as a second nature to me; the which, as I also have with
soberness considered since, did so offend the Lord, that even
in my childhood he did scare and affright me with fearful dreams,
and did terrify me with dreadful visions; for often, after I had
spent this and the other day in sin, I have in my bed been greatly
afflicted, while asleep, with the apprehensions of devils and
wicked spirits, who still, as I then thought, laboured to draw me
away with them, of which I could never be rid.

6. Also I should, at these years, be greatly afflicted and troubled
with the thoughts of the day of judgment, and that both night and
day, and should tremble at the thoughts of the fearful torments
of hell fire; still fearing that it would be my lot to be found at
last amongst those devils and hellish fiends, who are there bound
down with the chains and bonds of eternal darkness, "unto the
judgment of the great day."

7. These things, I say, when I was but a child, 'but nine or ten
years old,' did so distress my soul, that when in the midst of my
many sports and childish vanities, amidst my vain companions, I
was often much cast down and afflicted in my mind therewith, yet
could I not let go my sins. Yea, I was 'also then' so overcome
with despair of life and heaven, that I should often wish either
that there had been no hell, or that I had been a devil--supposing
they were only tormentors; that if it must needs be that I went
thither, I might be rather a tormentor, than 'be' tormented myself.

8. A while after, these terrible dreams did leave me, which also I
soon forgot; for my pleasures did quickly cut off the remembrance
of them, as if they had never been: wherefore, with more greediness,
according to the strength of nature, I did still let loose the
reins to my lusts, and delighted in all transgression against the
law of God: so that, until I came to the state of marriage, I was
the very ringleader of all the youth that kept me company, into
all manner of vice and ungodliness.[8]

9. Yea, such prevalency had the lusts and fruits of the flesh in
this poor soul of mine, that had not a miracle of precious grace
prevented, I had not only perished by the stroke of eternal justice,
but had also laid myself open, even to the stroke of those laws,
which bring some to disgrace and open shame before the face of the
world.

10. In these days, the thoughts of religion were very grievous to
me; I could neither endure it myself, nor that any other should;
so that, when I have seen some read in those books that concerned
Christian piety, it would be as it were a prison to me. Then I
said unto God, "Depart from me, for I desire not the knowledge of
thy ways" (Job 21:14). I was now void of all good consideration,
heaven and hell were both out of sight and mind; and as for saving
and damning, they were least in my thoughts.[9] O Lord, thou knowest
my life, and my ways were not hid from thee.

11. Yet this I well remember, that though I could myself sin with the
greatest delight and ease, and also take pleasure in the vileness
of my companions; yet, even then, if I have at any time seen wicked
things, by those who professed goodness, it would make my spirit
tremble. As once, above all the rest, when I was in my height of
vanity, yet hearing one to swear that was reckoned for a religious
man, it had so great a stroke upon my spirit, that it made my heart
to ache.

12. 'But God did not utterly leave me, but followed me still, not
now with convictions, but judgments; yet such as were mixed with
mercy. For once I fell into a creek of the sea, and hardly escaped
drowning. Another time I fell out of a boat into Bedford river,
but mercy yet preserved me alive. Besides, another time, being in
the field with one of my companions, it chanced that an adder passed
over the highway; so I, having a stick in my hand, struck her over
the back; and having stunned her, I forced open her mouth with my
stick, and plucked her sting out with my fingers; by which act, had
not God been merciful unto me, I might, by my desperateness, have
brought myself to mine end.'

13. 'This also have I taken notice of with thanksgiving; when I
was a soldier, I, with others, were drawn out to go to such a place
to besiege it; but when I was just ready to go, one of the company
desired to go in my room; to which, when I had consented, he took
my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood sentinel, he was
shot into the head with a musket bullet, and died.'[10]

14. 'Here, as I said, were judgments and mercy, but neither of them
did awaken my soul to righteousness; wherefore I sinned still, and
grew more and more rebellious against God, and careless of mine
own salvation.'

15. Presently after this, I changed my condition into a married
state, and my mercy was to light upon a wife whose father was
counted godly.[11] This woman and I, though we came together as poor
as poor might be, not having so much household stuff as a dish or
spoon betwixt us both, yet this she had for her part, The Plain
Man's Pathway to Heaven, and The Practice of Piety, which her father
had left her when he died. In these two books I should sometimes
read with her, wherein I also found some things that were somewhat
pleasing to me; but all this while I met with no conviction. She
also would be often telling of me, what a godly man her father was,
and how he would reprove and correct vice, both in his house, and
amongst his neighbours; what a strict and holy life he lived in
his day, both in word and deed.

16. Wherefore these books with this relation, though they did not
reach my heart, to awaken it about my sad and sinful state, yet
they did beget within me some desires to religion: so that, because
I knew no better, I fell in very eagerly with the religion of the
times; to wit, to go to church twice a day, and that too with the
foremost; and there should very devoutly, both say and sing as others
did, yet retaining my wicked life; but withal, I was so overrun
with a spirit of superstition, that I adored, and that with great
devotion, even all things, both the high place, priest, clerk,
vestment, service, and what else belonging to the church; counting
all things holy that were therein contained, and especially the
priest and clerk most happy, and without doubt, greatly blessed,
because they were the servants, as I then thought, of God, and were
principal in the holy temple, to do his work therein.

17. This conceit grew so strong in little time upon my spirit, that
had I but seen a priest, though never so sordid and debauched in
his life, I should find my spirit fall under him, reverence him,
and knit unto him; yea, I thought for the love I did bear unto
them, supposing they were the ministers of God, I could have lain
down at their feet, and have been trampled upon by them; their
name, their garb, and work, did so intoxicate and bewitch me.

18. After I had been thus for some considerable time, another
thought came into my mind; and that was, whether we were of the
Israelites, or no? For finding in the Scriptures that they were
once the peculiar people of God, thought I, if I were one of this
race, my soul must needs be happy.[12] Now again, I found within
me a great longing to be resolved about this question, but could
not tell how I should. At last I asked my father of it; who told
me--No, we were not. Wherefore then I fell in my spirit as to the
hopes of that, and so remained.

19. But all this while, I was not sensible of the danger and evil
of sin; I was kept from considering that sin would damn me, what
religion soever I followed, unless I was found in Christ. Nay, I
never thought of him, nor whether there was one, or no. Thus man,
while blind, doth wander, but wearieth himself with vanity, for he
knoweth not the way to the city of God (Eccl 10:15).

20. But one day, amongst all the sermons our parson made, his subject
was, to treat of the Sabbath-day, and of the evil of breaking that,
either with labour, sports, or otherwise. Now I was, notwithstanding
my religion, one that took much delight in all manner of vice, and
especially that was the day that I did solace myself therewith,[13]
wherefore I fell in my conscience under his sermon, thinking and
believing that he made that sermon on purpose to show me my evil
doing; and at that time I felt what guilt was, though never before,
that I can remember; but then I was, for the present, greatly
loaden therewith, and so went home when the sermon was ended, with
a great burden upon my spirit.

21. This, for that instant, did 'benumb'[14] the sinews of my 'best'
delights, and did imbitter my former pleasures to me; but behold,
it lasted not, for before I had well dined, the trouble began to go
off my mind, and my heart returned to its old course: but oh! How
glad was I, that this trouble was gone from me, and that the fire
was put out, 'that I might sin again without control!' Wherefore,
when I had satisfied nature with my food, I shook the sermon out
of my mind, and to my old custom of sports and gaming I returned
with great delight.

22. But the same day, as I was in the midst of a game at cat,[15]
and having struck it one blow from the hole, just as I was about
to strike it the second time, a voice did suddenly dart from heaven
into my soul, which said, Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven,
or have thy sins and go to hell? At this I was put to an exceeding
maze; wherefore, leaving my cat upon the ground, I looked up to
heaven, and was, as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding,
seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being very hotly
displeased with me, and as if he did severely threaten me with some
grievous punishment for these and other my ungodly practices.

23. I had no sooner thus conceived in my mind, but suddenly this
conclusion was fastened on my spirit, for the former hint did set
my sins again before my face, that I had been a great and grievous
sinner, and that it was now too too late for me to look after heaven;
for Christ would not forgive me, nor pardon my transgressions. Then
I fell to musing upon this also; and while I was thinking on it,
and fearing lest it should be so, I felt my heart sink in despair,
concluding it was too late; and therefore I resolved in my mind I
would go on in sin: for, thought I, if the case be thus, my state
is surely miserable; miserable if I leave my sins, and but miserable
if I follow them; I can but be damned, and if I must be so, I had
as good be damned for many sins, as to be damned for few.

24. Thus I stood in the midst of my play, before all that then were
present; but yet I told them nothing: but I say, I having made this
conclusion, I returned 'desperately' to my sport again; and I well
remember, that presently this kind of despair did so possess my
soul, that I was persuaded, I could never attain to other comfort
than what I should get in sin; for heaven was gone already, so
that on that I must not think; wherefore I found within me a great
desire to take my fill of sin, still studying what sin was yet to
be committed, that I might taste the sweetness of it; and I made
as much haste as I could to fill my belly with its delicates, lest
I should die before I had my desire; for that I feared greatly. In
these things, I protest before God, I lie not, neither do I feign
this sort of speech; these were really, strongly, and with all
my heart, my desires; the good Lord, whose mercy is unsearchable,
forgive me my transgressions.

25. And I am very confident, that this temptation of the devil is
more usual amongst poor creatures than many are aware of, even to
overrun their spirits with a scurvy and seared frame of heart, and
benumbing of conscience; which frame, he stilly and slyly supplieth
with such despair, that though not much guilt attendeth the soul,
yet they continually have a secret conclusion within them, that
there is no hopes for them; for they have loved sins, "therefore
after them they will go" (Jer 2:25, 18:12).

26. Now therefore I went on in sin with great greediness of mind,
still grudging that I could not be so satisfied with it as I would.
This did continue with me about a month, or more; but one day, as
I was standing at a neighbour's shop-window, and there cursing and
swearing, and playing the madman, after my wonted manner, there
sat within, the woman of the house, and heard me, who, though she
was a very loose and ungodly wretch, yet protested that I swore and
cursed at that most fearful rate, that she was made to tremble to
hear me; and told me further, That I was the ungodliest fellow for
swearing that ever she heard in all her life; and that I, by thus
doing, was able to spoil all the youth in a whole town, if they
came but in my company.

27. At this reproof I was silenced, and put to secret shame, and
that too, as I thought, before the God of heaven; wherefore, while
I stood there, and hanging down my head, I wished with all my heart
that I might be a little child again, that my father might learn
me to speak without this wicked way of swearing;[16] for, thought
I, I am so accustomed to it, that it is in vain for me to think of
a reformation, for I thought it could never be.

28. But how it came to pass, I know not; I did from this time
forward so leave my swearing, that it was a great wonder to myself
to observe it; and whereas before, I knew not how to speak unless
I put an oath before, and another behind, to make my words have
authority; now, I could, 'without it,' speak better, and with more
pleasantness, than ever I could before. All this while I knew not
Jesus Christ, neither did I leave my sports and plays.

29. But quickly after this, I fell in company with one poor
man that made profession of religion; who, as I then thought, did
talk pleasantly of the Scriptures, and of the matters of religion;
wherefore, falling into some love and liking to what he said, I
betook me to my Bible, and began to take great pleasure in reading,
but especially with the historical part thereof; for, as for Paul's
epistles, and Scriptures of that nature, I could not away with
them, being as yet but ignorant, either of the corruptions of my
nature, or of the want and worth of Jesus Christ to save me.

30. Wherefore I fell to some outward reformation, both in my
words and life, and did set the commandments before me for my way
to heaven; which commandments I also did strive to keep, and, as
I thought, did keep them pretty well sometimes, and then I should
have comfort; yet now and then should break one, and so afflict my
conscience; but then I should repent, and say I was sorry for it,
and promise God to do better next time, and there get help again,
'for then I thought I pleased God as well as any man in England.'

31. Thus I continued about a year; all which time our neighbours
did take me to be a very godly man, a new and religious man, and
did marvel much to see such a great and famous alteration in my
life and manners; and, indeed, so it was, though yet I knew not
Christ, nor grace, nor faith, nor hope; and, truly, as I have well
seen since, had then died, my state had been most fearful; well,
this, I say, continued about a twelvemonth or more.

32. 'But, I say, my neighbours were amazed at this my great conversion,
from prodigious profaneness, to something like a moral life; and,
truly, so they well might; for this my conversion was as great, as
for Tom of Bedlam to become a sober man.[17] Now, therefore, they
began to praise, to commend, and to speak well of me, both to my
face, and behind my back. Now, I was, as they said, become godly;
now, I was become a right honest man. But, oh! When I understood
that these were their words and opinions of men, it pleased me
mighty well. For though, as yet, I was nothing but a poor painted
hypocrite, yet I loved to be talked of as one that was truly godly.
I was proud of my godliness, and, indeed, I did all I did, either
to be seen of, or to be well spoken of, by man. And thus I continued
for about a twelvemonth or more.'

33. 'Now, you must know, that before this I had taken much delight
in ringing, but my conscience beginning to be tender, I thought
such practice was but vain, and therefore forced myself to leave it,
yet my mind hankered; wherefore I should go to the steeple house,
and look on it, though I durst not ring. But I thought this did
not become religion neither, yet I forced myself, and would look
on still; but quickly after, I began to think, How, if one of the
bells should fall? Then I chose to stand under a main beam, that
lay overthwart the steeple, from side to side, thinking there I
might stand sure, but then I should think again, should the bell
fall with a swing, it might first hit the wall, and then rebounding
upon me, might kill me for all this beam. This made me stand in the
steeple door; and now, thought I, I am safe enough; for, if a bell
should then fall, I can slip out behind these thick walls, and so
be preserved notwithstanding.'

34. 'So, after this, I would yet go to see them ring, but would not
go further than the steeple door; but then it came into my head,
How, if the steeple itself should fall? And this thought, it may
fall for ought I know, when I stood and looked on, did continually
so shake my mind, that I durst not stand at the steeple door any
longer, but was forced to flee, for fear the steeple should fall
upon my head.'

35. 'Another thing was my dancing; I was a full year before I
could quite leave that; but all this while, when I thought I kept
this or that commandment, or did, by word or deed, anything that
I thought was good, I had great peace in my conscience; and should
think with myself, God cannot choose but be now pleased with me;
yea, to relate it in mine own way, I thought no man in England
could please God better than I.'

36. 'But poor wretch as I was, I was all this while ignorant of
Jesus Christ, and going about to establish my own righteousness;
and had perished therein, had not God, in mercy, showed me more of
my state of nature.'

[HIS CONVERSION AND PAINFUL EXERCISES OF MIND, PREVIOUS TO HIS
JOINING THE CHURCH AT BEDFORD.]

37. But upon a day, the good providence of God did cast me to
Bedford, to work on my calling; and in one of the streets of that
town, I came where there were three or four poor women sitting at
a door in the sun, and talking about the things of God; and being
now willing to hear them discourse, I drew near to hear what they
said, for I was now a brisk talker also myself in the matters of
religion, but now I may say, I heard, but I understood not; for
they were far above, out of my reach; for their talk was about
a new birth, the work of God on their hearts, also how they were
convinced of their miserable state by nature; they talked how God
had visited their souls with his love in the Lord Jesus, and with
what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and
supported against the temptations of the devil. Moreover, they
reasoned of the suggestions and temptations of Satan in particular;
and told to each other by which they had been afflicted, and how
they were borne up under his assaults. They also discoursed of their
own wretchedness of heart, of their unbelief; and did contemn, slight,
and abhor their own righteousness, as filthy and insufficient to
do them any good.

38. And methought they spake as if joy did make them speak; they
spake with such pleasantness of Scripture language, and with such
appearance of grace in all they said, that they were to me, as if
they had found a new world,[18] as if they were people that dwelt
alone, and were not to be reckoned among their neighbours (Num
23:9).

39. At this I felt my own heart began to shake, as mistrusting my
condition to be nought; for I saw that in all my thoughts about
religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter into my
mind, neither knew I the comfort of the Word and promise, nor the
deceitfulness and treachery of my own wicked heart. As for secret
thoughts, I took no notice of them; neither did I understand what
Satan's temptations were, nor how they were to be withstood and
resisted, &c.

40. Thus, therefore, when I had heard and considered what they
said, I left them, and went about my employment again, but their
talk and discourse went with me; also my heart would tarry with
them, for I was greatly affected with their words, both because
by them I was convinced that I wanted the true tokens of a truly
godly man, and also because by them I was convinced of the happy
and blessed condition of him that was such a one.[19]

41. Therefore I should often make it my business to be going again
and again into the company of these poor people, for I could not
stay away; and the more I went amongst them, the more did question my
condition; and as I still do remember, presently I found two things
within me, at which I did sometimes marvel, especially considering
what a blind, ignorant, sordid, and ungodly wretch but just before
I was; the one was a very great softness and tenderness of heart,
which caused me to fall under the conviction of what by Scripture
they asserted; and the other was a great bending in my mind to a
continual meditating on it, and on all other good things which at
any time I heard or read of.

42. 'By these things' my mind was now so turned, that it lay like
a horse leech at the vein, still crying out, Give, give (Prov
30:15); yea, it was so fixed on eternity, and on the things about
the kingdom of heaven, that is, so far as I knew, though as yet,
God knows, I knew but little; that neither pleasures, nor profits,
nor persuasions, nor threats, could loosen it, or make it let go
his hold; and though I may speak it with shame, yet it is in very
deed a certain truth, it would then have been as difficult for
me to have taken my mind from heaven to earth, as I have found it
often since to get it again from earth to heaven.'

43. 'One thing I may not omit: There was a young man in our town,
to whom my heart before was knit more than to any other, but he
being a most wicked creature for cursing, and swearing, and whoring,
I now shook him off, and forsook his company; but about a quarter
of a year after I had left him, I met him in a certain lane,
and asked him how he did; he, after his old swearing and mad way,
answered, He was well. But, Harry, said I, why do you swear and
curse thus? What will become of you, if you die in this condition?
He answered me in a great chafe, What would the devil do for company,
if it were not for such as I am?'

44. 'About this time I met with some Ranters' books, that were put
forth by some of our countrymen, which books were also highly in
esteem by several old professors; some of these I read, but was not
able to make a judgment about them; wherefore as I read in them,
and thought upon them, feeling myself unable to judge, I should
betake myself to hearty prayer in this manner: O Lord, I am a fool,
and not able to know the truth from error: Lord, leave me not to
my own blindness, either to approve of, or condemn this doctrine;
if it be of God, let me not despise it; if it be of the devil, let
me not embrace it. Lord, I lay my soul, in this matter, only at
thy foot; let me not be deceived, I humbly beseech thee. I had
one religious intimate companion all this while, and that was the
poor man that I spoke of before; but about this time he also turned
a most devilish Ranter,[20] and gave himself up to all manner of
filthiness, especially uncleanness: he would also deny that there
was a God, angel, or spirit; and would laugh at all exhortations
to sobriety. When I laboured to rebuke his wickedness, he would
laugh the more, and pretend that he had gone through all religions,
and could never light on the right till now. He told me also, that
in a little time I should see all professors turn to the ways of
the Ranters. Wherefore, abominating those cursed principles, I left
his company forthwith, and became to him as great a stranger, as
I had been before a familiar.'

45. 'Neither was this man only a temptation to me; but my calling
lying in the country, I happened to light into several people's
company, who, though strict in religion formerly, yet were also
swept away by these Ranters. These would also talk with me of their
ways, and condemn me as legal and dark; pretending that they only
had attained to perfection that could do what they would, and
not sin. Oh! These temptations were suitable to my flesh, I being
but a young man, and my nature in its prime; but God, who had, as
I hope, designed me for better things, kept me in the fear of his
name, and did not suffer me to accept of such cursed principles.
And blessed be God, who put it into my heart to cry to him to be
kept and directed, still distrusting mine own wisdom; for I have
since seen even the effect of that prayer, in his preserving me not
only from ranting errors, but from those also that have sprung up
since. The Bible was precious to me in those days.'

46. And now, methought, I began to look into the Bible with new
eyes, and read as I never did before; and especially the epistles
of the apostle Paul were sweet and pleasant to me; and, indeed, I
was then never out of the Bible, either by reading or meditation;
still crying out to God, that I might know the truth, and way to
heaven and glory.

47. And as I went on and read, I lighted on that passage, 'To one
is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of
knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another faith,' &c. (1 Cor
12:8,9). And though, as I have since seen, that by this Scripture
the Holy Ghost intends, in special, things extraordinary, yet
on me it did then fasten with conviction, that I did want things
ordinary, even that understanding and wisdom that other Christians
had. On this word I mused, and could not tell what to do, 'especially
this word faith put me to it, for I could not help it, but sometimes
must question, whether I had any faith or no'; for I feared that
it shut me out of all the blessings that other good people had give
them of God;[21] but I was loath to conclude I had no faith in my
soul; for if I do so, thought I, then I shall count myself a very
cast-away indeed.

48. No, said I with myself, though I am convinced that I am
an ignorant sot, and that I want those blessed gifts of knowledge
and understanding that other good people have; yet, at a venture,
I will conclude I am not altogether faithless, though I know not
what faith is. For it was showed me, and that too, as I have since
seen, by Satan, that those who conclude themselves in a faithless
state, have neither rest nor quiet in their souls; and I was loath
to fall quite into despair.

49. Wherefore, by this suggestion, I was for a while made afraid
to see my want of faith; but God would not suffer me thus to undo
and destroy my soul, but did continually, against this my blind and
sad conclusion, create still within me such suppositions, 'insomuch'
that I might in this deceive myself, that I could not rest content,
until I did now come to some certain knowledge, whether I had faith
or no; this always running in my mind, But how if you want faith
indeed? But how can you tell you have faith? 'and, besides, I saw
for certain, if I had not, I was sure to perish for ever.'

50. So that though I endeavoured at the first, to look over the
business of faith, yet in a little time, I better considering the
matter, was willing to put myself upon the trial, whether I had
faith or no. But, alas, poor wretch, so ignorant and brutish was
I, that I knew to this day no more how to do it, than I know how
to begin and accomplish that rare and curious piece of art, which
I never yet saw not considered.

51. Wherefore, while I was thus considering, and being put to my
plunge about it, for you must know, that as yet I had in this matter
broken my mind to no man, only did hear and consider, the tempter
came in with his delusion, That there was no way for me to know I
had faith, but by trying to work some miracle; urging those Scriptures
that seem to look that way, for the enforcing and strengthening
his temptation. Nay, one day as I was betwixt Elstow and Bedford,
the temptation was hot upon me, to try if I had faith, by doing of
some miracle: which miracle at that time was this, I must say to
the puddles that were in the horse pads, Be dry; and to the dry
places, Be you the puddles. And truly, one time I was agoing to
say so indeed; but just as I was about to speak, this thought came
into my mind, But go under yonder hedge and pray first, that God
would make you able. But when I had concluded to pray, this came
hot upon me, That if I prayed, and came again and tried to do it,
and yet did nothing notwithstanding, then be sure I had no faith,
but was a cast-away and lost. Nay, thought I, if it be so, I will
never try yet, but will stay a little longer.

52. So I continued at a great loss; for I thought, if they only
had faith, which could do so wonderful things, then I concluded,
that, for the present, I neither had it, nor yet, for time to come,
were ever like to have it. Thus I was tossed betwixt the devil and
my own ignorance, and so perplexed, especially at some times, that
I could not tell what to do.

53. About this time, the state and happiness of these poor people
at Bedford was thus, in a dream or vision, represented to me. I
saw, as if they were set on the sunny side of some high mountain,
there refreshing themselves with the pleasant beams of the sun,
while I was shivering and shrinking in the cold, afflicted with
frost, snow, and dark clouds. Methought, also, betwixt me and them,
I saw a wall that did compass about this mountain; now, through
this wall my soul did greatly desire to pass; concluding, that if
I could, I would go even into the very midst of them, and there
also comfort myself with the heat of their sun.

54. About this wall I thought myself, to go again and again, still
prying as I went, to see if I could find some way or passage, by
which I might enter therein; but none could I find for some time.
At the last, I saw, as it were, a narrow gap, like a little doorway
in the wall, through which I attempted to pass; but the passage
being very strait and narrow, I made many efforts to get in, but
all in vain, even until I was well nigh quite beat out, by striving
to get in; at last, with great striving, methought I at first did
get in my head, and after that, by a sidling striving, my shoulders,
and my whole body; then was I exceeding glad, and went and sat down
in the midst of them, and so was comforted with the light and heat
of their sun.

55. Now, this mountain and wall, &c., was thus made out to me--the
mountain signified the church of the living God; the sun that shone
thereon, the comfortable shining of his merciful face on them that
were therein; the wall, I thought, was the Word, that did make
separation between the Christians and the world; and the gap which
was in this wall, I thought, was Jesus Christ, who is the way to
God the Father (John 14:6; Matt 7:14). But forasmuch as the passage
was wonderful narrow, even so narrow, that I could not, but with
great difficulty, enter in thereat, it showed me that none could
enter into life, but those that were in downright earnest,[22] and
unless also they left this wicked world behind them; for here was
only room for body and soul, but not for body and soul, and sin.[23]

56. This resemblance abode upon my spirit many days; all which time,
I saw myself in a forlorn and sad condition, but yet was provoked
to a vehement hunger and desire to be one of that number that did
sit in the sunshine. Now also I should pray wherever I was, whether
at home or abroad, in house or field, and should also often, with
lifting up of heart, sing that of the 51st Psalm, O Lord, consider
my distress; for as yet I knew not where I was.

57. Neither as yet could I attain to any comfortable persuasion
that I had faith in Christ; but instead of having satisfaction,
here I began to find my soul to be assaulted with fresh doubts
about my future happiness; especially with such as these, Whether
I was elected? But how, if the day of grace should now be past and
gone?

58. By these two temptations I was very much afflicted and disquieted;
sometimes by one, and sometimes by the other of them. And first,
to speak of that about my questioning my election, I found at this
time, that though I was in a flame to find the way to heaven and
glory, and though nothing could beat me off from this, yet this
question did so offend and discourage me, that I was, especially
at some times, as if the very strength of my body also had been
taken away by the force and power thereof. This scripture did also
seem to me to trample upon all my desires, "It is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy"
(Rom 9:16).

59. With this scripture I could not tell what to do; for I evidently
saw, that unless the great God, of his infinite grace and bounty,
had voluntarily chosen me to be a vessel of mercy, though I should
desire, and long and labour until my heart did break, no good
could come of it. Therefore, this would still stick with me, How
can you tell that you are elected? And what if you should not? How
then?

60. O Lord, thought I, what if I should not, indeed? It may be you
are not, said the tempter; it may be so, indeed, thought I. Why,
then, said Satan, you had as good leave off, and strive no further;
for if, indeed, you should not be elected and chosen of God, there
is no talk of your being saved; "For it is neither of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."

61. By these things I was driven to my wits' end, not knowing
what to say, or how to answer these temptations. Indeed, I little
thought that Satan had thus assaulted me, but that rather it was
my own prudence, thus to start the question; for, that the elect
only attained eternal life, that I, without scruple, did heartily
close withal; but that myself was one of them, there lay all the
question.

62. Thus, therefore, for several days, I was greatly assaulted and
perplexed, and was often, when I have been walking, ready to sink
where I went, with faintness in my mind; but one day, after I had
been so many weeks oppressed and cast down therewith, as I was
now quite giving up the ghost of all my hopes of ever attaining
life, that sentence fell with weight upon my spirit, "Look at the
generations of old and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and
was confounded?"

63. At which I was greatly lightened and encouraged in my soul;
for thus, at that very instant, it was expounded to me, Begin at
the beginning of Genesis, and read to the end of the Revelation,
and see if you can find that there was ever any that trusted in
the Lord, and was confounded. So, coming home, I presently went to
my Bible to see if I could find that saying, not doubting but to
find it presently; for it was so fresh, and with such strength and
comfort on my spirit, that I was as if it talked with me.

64. Well, I looked, but I found it not; only it abode upon me;
then I did ask first this good man, and then another, if they knew
where it was, but they knew no such place. At this I wondered,
that such a sentence should so suddenly, and with such comfort and
strength, seize and abide upon my heart, and yet that none could
find it, for I doubted not but it was in holy Scripture.

65. Thus I continued above a year, and could not find the place;
but at last, casting my eye into the Apocrypha books, I found it
in Ecclesiasticus 2:10. This, at the first, did somewhat daunt me;
but because, by this time, I had got more experience of the love
and kindness of God, it troubled me the less; especially when
I considered, that though it was not in those texts that we call
holy and canonical, yet forasmuch as this sentence was the sum
and substance of many of the promises, it was my duty to take the
comfort of it; and I bless God for that word, for it was of God to
me: that word doth still, at times, shine before my face.

66. After this, that other doubt did come with strength upon me,
But how if the day of grace should be past and gone? How if you
have over-stood the time of mercy? Now, I remember that one day, as
I was walking into the country, I was much in the thoughts of this,
But how if the day of grace be past? And to aggravate my trouble,
the tempter presented to my mind those good people of Bedford, and
suggested thus unto me, That these being converted already, they
were all that God would save in those parts; and that I came too
late, for these had got the blessing before I came.

67. Now was I in great distress, thinking in very deed that this
might well be so; wherefore I went up and down bemoaning my sad
condition, counting myself far worse than a thousand fools, for
standing off thus long, and spending so many years in sin as I had
done; still crying out, Oh, that I had turned sooner; Oh, that I
had turned seven years ago! It made me also angry with myself, to
think that I should have no more wit, but to trifle away my time
till my soul and heaven were lost.

68. But when I had been long vexed with this fear, and was scarce
able to take one step more, just about the same place where I received
my other encouragement, these words broke in upon my mind, "Compel
them to come in, that my house may be filled"; "and yet there is
room" (Luke 14:22,23). These words, but especially them, "And yet
there is room" were sweet words to me; for, truly, I thought that
by them I saw there was place enough in heaven for me; and, moreover,
that when the Lord Jesus did speak these words, he then did think
of me; and that he knowing that the time would come that I should
be afflicted with fear that there was no place left for me in his
bosom, did before speak this word, and leave it upon record, that
I might find help thereby against this vile temptations. 'This, I
then verily believed.'

69. In the light and encouragement of this word, I went a pretty
while; and the comfort was the more, when I thought that the Lord
Jesus should think on me so long ago, and that he should speak them
words on purpose for my sake; for I did then think, verily, that
he did on purpose speak them, to encourage me withal.

70. 'But I was not without my temptations to go back again;
temptations, I say, both from Satan, mine own heart, and carnal
acquaintance; but I thank God these were outweighed by that sound
sense of death and of the day of judgment, which abode, as it were,
continually in my view; I should often also think on Nebuchadnezzar,
of whom it is said, He had given him all the kingdoms of the earth
(Dan 5:19). Yet, thought I, if this great man had all his portion
in this world, one hour in hell fire would make him forget all.
Which consideration was a great help to me.'

71. 'I was almost made, about this time, to see something concerning
the beasts that Moses counted clean and unclean. I thought those
beasts were types of men; the clean, types of them that were the
people of God; but the unclean, types of such as were the children
of the wicked one. Now, I read that the clean beasts chewed the
cud; that is, thought I, they show us we must feed upon the Word of
God. They also parted the hoof; I thought that signified we must
part, if we would be saved, with the ways of ungodly men. And also,
in further reading about them I found, that though we did chew the
cud as the hare, yet if we walked with claws like a dog, or if we
did part the hoof like the swine, yet if we did not chew the cud as
the sheep, we were still, for all that, but unclean; for I thought
the here to be a type of those that talk of the Word, yet walk
in the ways of sin; and that the swine was like him that parteth
with his outward pollutions, but still wanteth the Word of faith,
without which there could be no way of salvation, let a man be never
so devout (Deut 14).' After this I found, by reading the Word, that
those that must be glorified with Christ in another world must be
called by him here; called to the partaking of a share in his Word
and righteousness, and to the comforts and first fruits of his
spirit, and to a peculiar interest in all those heavenly things
which do indeed fore fit the soul for that rest and house of glory
which is in heaven above.

72. Here, again, I was at a very great stand, not knowing what to
do, fearing I was not called; for, thought I, if I be not called,
what then can do me good? 'None but those who are effectually
called, inherit the kingdom of heaven.' But oh! how I now loved
those words that spake of a Christian's calling! as when the Lord
said to one, "Follow me," and to another, "Come after me." And oh!
thought I, that he would say so to me too, how gladly would I run
after him!

73. I cannot now express with what longings and breakings in my soul
I cried to Christ to call me. Thus I continued for a time, all on
a flame to be converted to Jesus Christ; and did also see at that
day, such glory in a converted state, that I could not be contented
without a share therein. Gold! could it have been gotten for gold,
what could I have given for it! had I had a whole world it had all
gone ten thousand times over for this, that my soul might have been
in a converted state.

74. How lovely now was every one in my eyes that I thought to be
converted men and women! they shone, they walked like a people that
carried the broad seal of heaven about them. Oh! I saw the lot was
fallen to them in pleasant places, and they had a goodly heritage
(Psa 16:6). But that which made me sick was that of Christ, in
Mark, He went up into a mountain and called to him whom he would,
and they came unto him (Mark 3:13).

75. This scripture made me faint and fear, yet it kindled fire in
my soul. That which made me fear was this, lest Christ should have
no liking to me, for he called "whom he would." But oh! the glory
that I saw in that condition did still so engage my heart that
I could seldom read of any that Christ did call but I presently
wished, Would I had been in their clothes; would I had been born
Peter; would I had been born John; or would I had been by and had
heard him when he called them, how would I have cried, O Lord, call
me also. But oh! I feared he would not call me.

76. And truly the Lord let me go thus many months together and
showed me nothing; either that I was already, or should be called
hereafter. But at last, after much time spent, and many groans to
God, that I might be made partaker of the holy and heavenly calling,
that Word came in upon me--"I will cleanse their blood that I have
not cleansed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion" (Joel 3:21). These
words I thought were sent to encourage me to wait still upon God,
and signified unto me, that if I were not already, yet time might
come I might be in truth converted unto Christ.[24]

77. About this time I began to break my mind to those poor people
in Bedford, and to tell them my condition, which, when they had
heard, they told Mr. Gifford of me, who himself also took occasion
to talk with me, and was willing to be 'well' persuaded of me, though
I think but from little grounds: but he invited me to his house,
where I should hear him confer with others, about the dealings of
God with the soul; from all which I still received more conviction,
and from that time began to see something of the vanity and inward
wretchedness of my wicked heart, for as yet I knew no great matter
therein; but now it began to be discovered unto me, and also
to work at that rate for wickedness as it never did before. Now I
evidently found that lusts and corruptions would strongly put forth
themselves within me, in wicked thoughts and desires, which I did
not regard before; my desires also for heaven and life began to
fail. I found also, that whereas before my soul was full of longing
after God, now my heart began to hanker after every foolish vanity;
yea, my heart would not be moved to mind that that was good;
it began to be careless, both of my soul and heaven; it would now
continually hang back, both to, and in every duty; and was as a
clog on the leg of a bird to hinder her from flying.

78. Nay, thought I, now I grow worse and worse; now am I further
from conversion than ever I was before. Wherefore I began to sink
greatly in my soul, and began to entertain such discouragement in
my heart as laid me low as hell. If now I should have burned at
a stake, I could not believe that Christ had love for me; alas, I
could neither hear him, nor see him, nor feel him, nor savour any
of his things; I was driven as with a tempest, my heart would be
unclean, the Canaanites would dwell in the land.

79. Sometimes I would tell my condition to the people of God,
which, when they heard, they would pity me, and would tell me of
the promises; but they had as good have told me that I must reach
the sun with my finger as have bidden me receive or rely upon the
promise; and as soon as I should have done it, all my sense and
feeling was against me; and I saw I had a heart that would sin,
and 'that' lay under a law that would condemn.

80. These things have often made me think of that child which the
father brought to Christ, who, while he was yet a coming to him,
was thrown down by the devil, and also so rent and torn by him that
he lay and wallowed, foaming (Luke 9:42; Mark 9:20).

81. Further, in these days I should find my heart to shut itself
up against the Lord, and against his holy Word. I have found my
unbelief to set, as it were, the shoulder to the door to keep him
out, and that too even then, when I have with many a bitter sigh
cried, Good Lord, break it open; Lord, break these gates of brass,
and cut these bars of iron asunder (Psa 107:16). Yet that word
would sometimes create in my heart a peaceable pause, "I girded
thee, though thou hast not known me" (Isa 45:5).

82. But all this while as to the act of sinning, I never was more
tender than now; I durst not take a pin or a stick, though but so
big as a straw, for my conscience now was sore, and would smart at
every touch; I could not now tell how to speak my words, for fear
I should misplace them. Oh, how gingerly[25] did I then go in all
I did or said! I found myself as on a miry bog that shook if I
did but stir; and 'was' there left both of God and Christ, and the
Spirit, and all good things.

83. 'But, I observe, though I was such a great sinner before
conversion, yet God never much charged the guilt of the sins of
my ignorance upon me; only he showed me I was lost if I had not
Christ, because I had been a sinner; I saw that I wanted a perfect
righteousness to present me without fault before God, and this
righteousness was nowhere to be found, but in the person of Jesus
Christ.'

84. 'But my original and inward pollution, that, that was my plague
and my affliction; that, I say, at a dreadful rate, always putting
forth itself within me; that I had the guilt of, to amazement;
by reason of that, I was more loathsome in my own eyes than was a
toad; and I thought I was so in God's eyes too; sin and corruption,
I said, would as naturally bubble out of my heart, as water would
bubble out of a fountain. I thought now that every one had a
better heart than I had; I could have changed heart with any body;
I thought none but the devil himself could equalize me for inward
wickedness and pollution of mind. I fell, therefore, at the sight
of my own vileness, deeply into despair; for I concluded that this
condition that I was in could not stand with a state of grace. Sure,
thought I, I am forsaken of God; sure I am given up to the devil,
and to a reprobate mind; and thus I continued a long while, even
for some years together.'

85. 'While I was thus afflicted with the fears of my own damnation,
there were two things would make me wonder; the one was, when I
saw old people hunting after the things of this life, as if they
should live here always; the other was, when I found professors
much distressed and cast down, when they met with outward losses;
as of husband, wife, child, &c. Lord, thought I, what ado is here
about such little things as these! What seeking after carnal things
by some, and what grief in others for the loss of them! if they so
much labour after, and spend so many tears for the things of this
present life, how am I to be bemoaned, pitied, and prayed for!
My soul is dying, my soul is damning. Were my soul but in a good
condition, and were I but sure of it, ah! how rich should I esteem
myself, though blessed but with bread and water; I should count those
but small afflictions, and should bear them as little burdens. "A
wounded spirit who can bear?"'

86. And though I was thus troubled, and tossed, and afflicted,
with the sight and sense and terror of my own wickedness, yet I
was afraid to let this sight and sense go quite off my mind; for
I found, that unless guilt of conscience was taken off the right
way, that is, by the blood of Christ, a man grew rather worse for
the loss of his trouble of mind, than better. Wherefore, if my
guilt lay hard upon me, then I should cry that the blood of Christ
might take it off; and if it was going off without it (for the sense
of sin would be sometimes as if it would die, and go quite away),
then I would also strive to fetch it upon my heart again, by
bringing the punishment for sin in hell fire upon my spirits; and
should cry, Lord, let it not go off my heart, but the right way,
but by the blood of Christ, and by the application of thy mercy,
through him, to my soul; for that Scripture lay much upon me,
"without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb 9:22). And that
which made me the more afraid of this was, because I had seen some,
who, though when they were under wounds of conscience, then they
would cry and pray; but they seeking rather present ease from their
trouble, than pardon for their sin, cared not how they lost their
guilt, so they got it out of their mind; and, therefore, having
got it off the wrong way, it was not sanctified unto them; but they
grew harder and blinder, and more wicked after their trouble. This
made me afraid, and made me cry to God 'the more,' that it might
not be so with me.

87. And now was I sorry that God had made me a man, for I feared
I was a reprobate; I counted man as unconverted, the most doleful
of all the creatures. Thus being afflicted and tossed about my
sad condition, I counted myself alone, and above the most of men
unblessed.

88. 'Yea, I thought it impossible that ever I should attain to so
much goodness of heart, as to thank God that he had made me a man.
Man indeed is the most noble by creation, of all creatures in the
visible world; but by sin he had made himself the most ignoble.
The beasts, birds, fishes, &c., I blessed their condition, for they
had not a sinful nature, they were not obnoxious to the wrath of
God; they were not to go to hell fire after death; I could therefore
have rejoiced, had my condition been as any of theirs.'

89. In this condition I went a great while; but when comforting
time was come, I heard one preach a sermon upon those words in the
Song (4:1), "Behold thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair."
But at that time he made these two words, "My love," his chief and
subject matter; from which, after he had a little opened the text,
he observed these several conclusions: 1. That the church, and
so every saved soul, is Christ's love, when loveless. 2. Christ's
love without a cause. 3. Christ's love when hated of the world.
4. Christ's love when under temptation, and under desertion. 5.
Christ's love from first to last.

90. But I got nothing by what he said at present, only when he came
to the application of the fourth particular, this was the word he
said; If it be so, that the saved soul is Christ's love when under
temptation and desertion; then poor tempted soul, when thou art
assaulted and afflicted with temptation, and the hidings of God's
face, yet think on these two words, "My love," still.

91. So as I was a going home, these words came again into my
thoughts; and I well remember, as they came in, I said thus in my
heart, What shall I get by thinking on these two words? This thought
had no sooner passed through my heart, but the words began thus to
kindle in my spirit, "Thou art my love, thou art my love," twenty
times together; and still as they ran thus in my mind, they waxed
stronger and warmer, and began to make me look up; but being as
yet between hope and fear, I still replied in my heart, But is it
true, but is it true? At which, that sentence fell in upon me, He
"wist not that it was true which was done by the angel" (Acts 12:9).

92. Then I began to give place to the word, which, with power, did
over and over make this joyful sound within my soul, thou art my
love, thou art my love; and nothing shall separate thee from my
love; and with that (Rom 8:39) came into my mind: Now was my heart
filled full of comfort and hope, and now I could believe that my
sins should be forgiven me; 'yea, I was now so taken with the love
and mercy of God, that I remember I could not tell how to contain
till I got home; I thought I could have spoken of his love, and of
his mercy to me, even to the very crows that sat upon the ploughed
lands before me, had they been capable to have understood me';
wherefore I said in my soul, with much gladness, well, I would
I had a pen and ink here, I would write this down before I go any
further, for surely I will not forget this forty years hence; but,
alas! within less than forty days, I began to question all again;
'which made me begin to question all still.'

93. Yet still at times, I was helped to believe that it was a true
manifestation of grace unto my soul, though I had lost much of the
life and savour of it. Now about a week or fortnight after this, I
was much followed by this scripture, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan
hath desired to have you" (Luke 22:31). And sometimes it would sound
so loud within me, yea, and as it were call so strongly after me,
that once above all the rest, I turned my head over my shoulder,
thinking verily that some man had, behind me, called to me; being at
a great distance, 'methought he called so loud; it came, as I have
thought since, to have stirred me up to prayer, and to watchfulness;
it came to acquaint me that a cloud and a storm was coming down
upon me, but I understood it not.'[26]

94. 'Also, as I remember, that time that it called to me so loud,
was the last time that it sounded in mine ear; but methinks I hear
still with what a loud voice these words, Simon, Simon, sounded
in mine ears. I thought verily, as I have told you, that somebody
had called after me, that was half a mile behind me; and although
that was not my name, yet it made me suddenly look behind me,
believing that he that called so loud meant me.'

95. But so foolish was I, and ignorant, that I knew not the reason
of this sound; which, as I did both see and feel soon after, was
sent from heaven as an alarm, to awaken me to provide for what was
coming; only it would make me muse and wonder in my mind, to think
what should be the reason that this scripture, and that at this
rate, so often and so loud, should still be sounding and rattling
in mine ears; but, as I said before, I soon after perceived the
end of God therein.

96. For about the space of a month after, a very great storm came
down upon me, which handled me twenty times worse than all I had
met with before; it came stealing upon me, now by one piece, then
by another; first, all my comfort was taken from me, then darkness
seized upon me, after which, whole floods of blasphemies, both
against God, Christ, and the Scriptures, were poured upon my spirit,
to my great confusion and astonishment. These blasphemous thoughts
were such as also stirred up questions in me, against the very
being of God, and of his only beloved Son; as, whether there were,
in truth, a God, or Christ, or no? and whether the holy Scriptures
were not rather a fable, and cunning story, than the holy and pure
Word of God?

97. The tempter would also much assault me with this, how can
you tell but that the Turks had as good Scriptures to prove their
Mahomet the Saviour, as we have to prove our Jesus is? And, could I
think, that so many ten thousands, in so many countries and kingdoms,
should be without the knowledge of the right way to heaven; if
there were indeed a heaven, and that we only, who live in a corner
of the earth, should alone be blessed therewith? Every one doth
think his own religion rightest, both Jews and Moors, and Pagans!
and how if all our faith, and Christ, and Scriptures, should be
but a think-so too?

98. Sometimes I have endeavoured to argue against these suggestions,
and to set some of the sentences of blessed Paul against them;
but, alas! I quickly felt, when I thus did, such arguings as these
would return again upon me, Though we made so great a matter of Paul,
and of his words, yet how could I tell, but that in very deed, he
being a subtle and cunning man, might give himself up to deceive
with strong delusions; and also take both that pains and travel,
to undo and destroy his fellows.

99. These suggestions, with many other which at this time I may
not, nor dare not utter, neither by word nor pen, did make such a
seizure upon my spirit, and did so overweigh my heart, both with
their number, continuance, and fiery force, that I felt as if there
were nothing else but these from morning to night within me; and
as though, indeed, there could be room for nothing else; and also
concluded, that God had, in very wrath to my soul, given me up unto
them, to be carried away with them, as with a mighty whirlwind.

100. Only by the distaste that they gave unto my spirit, I felt
there was something in me, that refused to embrace them. But this
consideration I then only had, when God gave me leave to swallow
my spittle, otherwise the noise, and strength, and force of these
temptations, would drown and overflow; and as it were, bury all
such thoughts or the remembrance of any such thing. While I was
in this temptation, I should often find my mind suddenly put upon
it, to curse and swear, or to speak some grievous thing against
God, or Christ his Son, and of the Scriptures.[27]

101. Now I thought, surely I am possessed of the devil; at other
times again, I thought I should be bereft of my wits; for instead
of lauding and magnifying God the Lord with others, if I have
but heard him spoken of, presently some most horrible blasphemous
thought or other, would bolt out of my heart against him; so that
whether I did think that God was, or again did think there were
no such thing; no love, nor peace, nor gracious disposition could
I feel within me.

102. These things did sink me into very deep despair; for
I concluded, that such things could not possibly be found amongst
them that loved God. I often, when these temptations have been
with force upon me, did compare myself in the case of such a child,
whom some gipsy hath by force took up under her apron,[28] and is
carrying from friend and country; kick sometimes I did, and also
scream and cry; but yet I was as bound in the wings of the temptation,
and the wind would carry me away. I thought also of Saul, and of
the evil spirit that did possess him; and did greatly fear that my
condition was the same with that of his (1 Sam 16:14).

103. In these days, when I have heard others talk of what was the
sin against the Holy Ghost, then would the tempter so provoke me
to desire to sin that sin, that I was as if I could not, must not,
neither should be quiet until I had committed that; now, no sin
would serve but that; if it were to be committed by speaking of
such a word, then I have been as if my mouth would have spoken that
word, whether I would or no; and in so strong a measure was this
temptation upon me, that often I have been ready to clap my hand
under my chin, to hold my mouth from opening; and to that end also
I have had thoughts at other times, to leap with my head downward,
into some muck hill hole or other, to keep my mouth from speaking.

104. Now I blessed the condition of the dog and toad, and counted
the estate of everything that God had made far better than this
dreadful state of mine, and such as my companions was; yea, gladly
would I have been in the condition of dog or horse, for I knew
they had no soul to perish under the everlasting weights of hell
for sin, as mine was like to do. Nay, and though I saw this, felt
this, and was broken to pieces with it, yet that which added to
my sorrow was, that I could not find that with all my soul I did
desire deliverance. That scripture did also tear and rend my soul,
in the midst of these distractions, "The wicked are like the troubled
sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There
is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (Isa 57:20,21).

105. 'And now my heart was, at times, exceeding hard; if I would
have given a thousand pounds for a tear, I could not shed one;
no, nor sometimes scarce desire to shed one. I was much dejected
to think that this should be my lot. I saw some could mourn and
lament their sin; and others, again, could rejoice, and bless God
for Christ; and others, again, could quietly talk of, and with
gladness remember, the Word of God; while I only was in the storm
or tempest. This much sunk me; I thought my condition was alone.
I should, therefore, much bewail my hard hap; but get out of, or
get rid of, these things, I could not.'

106. While this temptation lasted, which was about a year, I could
attend upon none of the ordinances of God but with sore and great
affliction. Yea, then was I most distressed with blasphemies; if
I have been hearing the Word, then uncleanness, blasphemies, and
despair would hold me as captive there; if I have been reading,
then, sometimes, I had sudden thoughts to question all I read;
sometimes, again, my mind would be so strangely snatched away,
and possessed with other things, that I have neither known, nor
regarded, nor remembered so much as the sentence that but now I
have read.

107. In prayer, also, I have been greatly troubled at this time;
sometimes I have thought I should see the devil, nay, thought
I have felt him, behind me, pull my clothes; he would be, also,
continually at me in the time of prayer to have done; break off,
make haste, you have prayed enough, and stay no longer, still
drawing my mind away. Sometimes, also, he would cast in such
wicked thoughts as these: that I must pray to him, or for him. I
have thought sometimes of that--Fall down, or, "if thou wilt fall
down and worship me" (Matt 4:9).

108. Also, when, because I have had wandering thoughts in the time
of this duty, I have laboured to compose my mind and fix it upon
God, then, with great force, hath the tempter laboured to distract
me, and confound me, and to turn away my mind, by presenting to my
heart and fancy the form of a bush, a bull, a besom, or the like,
as if I should pray to those; to these he would, also, at some
times especially, so hold my mind that I was as if I could think
of nothing else, or pray to nothing else but to these, or such as
they.

109. Yet, at times I should have some strong and heart-affecting
apprehensions of God, and the reality of the truth of his gospel;
but, oh! how would my heart, at such times, put forth itself with
inexpressible groanings. My whole soul was then in every word; I
should cry with pangs after God that he would be merciful unto me;
but then I should be daunted again with such conceits as these; I
should think that God did mock at these, my prayers, saying, and
that in the audience of the holy angels, This poor simple wretch
doth hanker after me as if I had nothing to do with my mercy
but to bestow it on such as he. Alas, poor fool![29] how art thou
deceived! It is not for such as thee to have a favour with the
Highest.

110. Then hath the tempter come upon me, also, with such
discouragements as these--You are very hot for mercy, but I will
cool you; this frame shall not last always; many have been as hot
as you for a spirit, but I have quenched their zeal. And with this,
such and such who were fallen off would be set before mine eyes.
Then I should be afraid that I should do so too; but, thought I, I
am glad this comes into my mind. Well, I will watch, and take what
heed I can. Though you do, said Satan, I shall be too hard for you;
I will cool you insensibly, by degrees, by little and little. What
care I, saith he, though I be seven years in chilling your heart
if I can do it at last? Continual rocking will lull a crying child
asleep. I will ply it close, but I will have my end accomplished.
Though you be burning hot at present, yet, if I can pull you from
this fire, I shall have you cold before it be long.

111. These things brought me into great straits; for as I at present
could not find myself fit for present death, so I thought to live
long would make me yet more unfit; for time would make me forget
all, and wear even the remembrance of the evil of sin, the worth
of heaven, and the need I had of the blood of Christ to wash me,
both out of mind and thought; but I thank Christ Jesus these things
did not at present make me slack my crying, but rather did put me
more upon it, like her who met with the adulterer (Deut 22:27); in
which days that was a good word to me after I had suffered these
things a while: "I am persuaded that neither-height, nor depth,
nor life," &c., "shall--separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:38). And now I hoped long life should not
destroy me, nor make me miss of heaven.

112. Yet I had some supports in this temptation, though they were
then all questioned by me; that in the third of Jeremiah, at the
first, was something to me, and so was the consideration of the
fifth verse of that chapter; that though we have spoken and done
as evil things as we could, yet we should cry unto God, "My Father,
thou art the guide of my youth"; and should return unto him.

113. I had, also, once a sweet glance from that in 2 Corinthians
5:21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." I remember,
also, that one day as I was sitting in a neighbour's house, and
there very sad at the consideration of my many blasphemies, and as
I was saying in my mind, What ground have I to think that I, who
have been so vile and abominable, should ever inherit eternal life?
that word came suddenly upon me, "What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31). That,
also, was an help unto me, "Because I live, ye shall live also"
(John 14:19). But these were but hints, touches, and short visits,
though very sweet when present; only they lasted not; but, like to
Peter's sheet, of a sudden were caught up from me to heaven again
(Acts 10:16).

114. But afterwards the Lord did more fully and graciously discover
himself unto me; and, indeed, did quite, not only deliver me from
the guilt that, by these things, was laid upon my conscience, but
also from the very filth thereof; for the temptation was removed,
and I was put into my right mind again, as other Christians were.

115. I remember that one day, as I was traveling into the country
and musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my heart, and
considering of the enmity that was in me to God, that scripture
came in my mind, He hath "made peace through the blood of his cross"
(Col 1:20). By which I was made to see, both again, and again, and
again, that day, that God and my soul were friends by this blood;
yea, I saw that the justice of God and my sinful soul could embrace
and kiss each other through this blood. This was a good day to me;
I hope I shall not forget it.

116. At another time, as I sat by the fire in my house, and musing
on my wretchedness, the Lord made that also a precious word unto
me, "Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and deliver them who, through fear of death, were all
their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb 2:14,15). I thought that
the glory of these words was then so weighty on me that I was,
both once and twice, ready to swoon as I sat; yet not with grief
and trouble, but with solid joy and peace.

[BUNYAN ATTENDS THE MINISTRY OF MR. GIFFORD, AND BECOMES INTENSELY
EARNEST TO UNDERSTAND THE DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL.]

117. At this time, also, I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford,
whose doctrine, by God's grace, was much for my stability.[30] This
man made it much his business to deliver the people of God from
all those false and unsound rests that, by nature, we are prone
to take and make to our souls. He pressed us to take special heed
that we took not up any truth upon trust--as from this, or that,
or any other man or men--but to cry mightily to God that he would
convince us of the reality thereof, and set us down therein, by
his own Spirit, in the holy Word; for, said he, if you do otherwise
when temptations come, if strongly, you, not having received them
with evidence from heaven, will find you want that help and strength
now to resist as once you thought you had.

118. This was as seasonable to my soul as the former and latter
rain in their season; for I had found, and that by sad experience,
the truth of these his words; for I had felt [what] no man can say,
especially when tempted by the devil, that Jesus Christ is Lord
but by the Holy Ghost. Wherefore I found my soul, through grace,
very apt to drink in this doctrine, and to incline to pray to God
that, in nothing that pertained to God's glory and my own eternal
happiness, he would suffer me to be without the confirmation
thereof from heaven; for now I saw clearly there was an exceeding
different betwixt the notions of flesh and blood, and the revelations
of God in heaven; also, a great difference between that faith that
is feigned, and according to man's wisdom, and of that which comes
by a man's being born thereto of God (Matt 16:15-17; 1 John 5:1).

119. But, oh! now, how was my soul led from truth to truth by God!
even from the birth and cradle of the Son of God to his ascension
and second coming from heaven to judge the world.

120. Truly, I then found, upon this account, the great God was very
good unto me; for, to my remembrance, there was not anything that
I then cried unto God to make known and reveal unto me but he was
pleased to do it for me; I mean not one part of the gospel of the
Lord Jesus, but I was orderly led into it. Methought I saw with
great evidence, from the relation of the four evangelists, the
wonderful work of God, in giving Jesus Christ to save us, from
his conception and birth even to his second coming to judgment,
Methought I was as if I had seen him born, as if I had seen him grow
up, as if I had seen him walk through this world, from the cradle
to his cross; to which, also, when he came, I saw how gently he
gave himself to be hanged and nailed on it for my sins and wicked
doings. Also, as I was musing on this, his progress, that dropped
on my spirit, He was ordained for the slaughter (1 Peter 1:19,20).

121. When I have considered also the truth of his resurrection, and
have remembered that word, "Touch me not, Mary," &c., I have seen
as if he leaped at the grave's mouth for joy that he was risen
again, and had got the conquest over our dreadful foes (John 20:17).
I have also, in the spirit, seen him a man on the right hand of
God the Father for me, and have seen the manner of his coming from
heaven to judge the world with glory, and have been confirmed in
these things by these scriptures following, Acts 1:9, 10, 7:56,
10:42; Hebrews 7:24, 8:3; Revelation 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:17,
18.

122. Once I was much troubled to know whether the Lord Jesus was
both man as well as God, and God as well as man; and truly, in those
days, let men say what they would, unless I had it with evidence
from heaven, all was as nothing to me, I counted not myself set down
in any truth of God. Well, I was much troubled about this point,
and could not tell how to be resolved; at last, that in the fifth
of the Revelation came into my mind, "And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of
the elders, stood a Lamb." In the midst of the throne, 'thought
I,' there is his Godhead; in the midst of the elders, there is his
manhood; but oh! methought this did glister! it was a goodly touch,
and gave me sweet satisfaction. That other scripture also did help
me much in this, "To us a child is born, unto us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace," &c. (Isa 9:6).

123. Also, besides these teachings of God in his Word, the Lord
made use of two things to confirm me in these things; the one was
the errors of the Quakers, and the other was the guilt of sin; for
as the Quakers did oppose his truth, so God did the more confirm
me in it, by leading me into the scriptures that did wonderfully
maintain it.[31]

124. 'The errors that this people then maintained were, 1. That the
holy Scriptures were not the Word of God. 2. That every man in the
world had the spirit of Christ, grace, faith, &c. 3. That Christ
Jesus, as crucified, and dying 1600 years ago, did not satisfy
divine justice for the sins of the people. 4. That Christ's flesh
and blood was within the saints. 5. That the bodies of the good
and bad that are buried in the churchyard shall not arise again. 6.
That the resurrection is past with good men already. 7. That that
man Jesus, that was crucified between two thieves on Mount Calvary,
in the land of Canaan, by Jerusalem, was not ascended up above the
starry heavens. 8. That he should not, even the same Jesus that
died by the hands of the Jews, come again at the last day, and as
man judge all nations, &c.'

125. 'Many more vile and abominable things were in those days
fomented by them, by which I was driven to a more narrow search of
the Scriptures, and was, through their light and testimony, not
only enlightened, but greatly confirmed and comforted in the truth';
and, as I said, the guilt of sin did help me much, for still as that
would come upon me, the blood of Christ did take it off again, and
again, and again, and that too, sweetly, according to the Scriptures.
O friends! cry to God to reveal Jesus Christ unto you; there is
none teacheth like him.

126. It would be too long for me here to stay, to tell you in
particular how God did set me down in all the things of Christ,
and how he did, that he might so do, lead me into his words; yea,
and also how he did open them unto me, make them shine before me,
and cause them to dwell with me, talk with me, and comfort me over
and over, both of his own being, and the being of his Son, and
Spirit, and Word, and gospel.

127. Only this, as I said before I will say unto you again, that
in general he was pleased to take this course with me; first, to
suffer me to be afflicted with temptation concerning them, and then
reveal them to me: as sometimes I should lie under great guilt for
sin, even crushed to the ground therewith, and then the Lord would
show me the death of Christ; yea, and so sprinkle my conscience
with his blood, that I should find, and that before I was aware,
that in that conscience where but just now did reign and rage the
law, even there would rest and abide the peace and love of God
through Christ.

128. Now had I an evidence, 'as I thought, of my salvation' from
heaven, with many golden seals thereon, all hanging in my sight;
now could I remember this manifestation and the other discovery
of grace, with comfort; and should often long and desire that the
last day were come, that I might for ever be inflamed with the
sight, and joy, and communion with him whose head was crowned with
thorns, whose face was spit on, and body broken, and soul made
an offering for my sins: for whereas, before, I lay continually
trembling at the mouth of hell, now methought I was got so far
therefrom that I could not, when I looked back, scarce discern
it; and, oh! thought I, that I were fourscore years old now, that
I might die quickly, that my soul might be gone to rest.[32]

129. 'But before I had got thus far out of these my temptations,
I did greatly long to see some ancient godly man's experience, who
had writ some hundreds of years before I was born; for those who
had writ in our days, I thought, but I desire them now to pardon
me, that they had writ only that which others felt, or else had,
through the strength of their wits and parts, studied to answer such
objections as they perceived others were perplexed with, without
going down themselves into the deep. Well, after many such longings
in my mind, the God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did
cast into my hand, one day, a book of Martin Luther; it was his
comment on the Galatians--it also was so old that it was ready to
fall piece from piece if I did but turn it over. Now I was pleased
much that such an old book had fallen into my hands; the which,
when I had but a little way perused, I found my condition, in his
experience, so largely and profoundly handled, as if his book had
been written out of my heart. This made me marvel; for thus thought
I, This man could not know anything of the state of Christians now,
but must needs write and speak the experience of former days.'

130. 'Besides, he doth most gravely, also, in that book, debate
of the rise of these temptations, namely, blasphemy, desperation,
and the like; showing that the law of Moses as well as the devil,
death, and hell hath a very great hand therein, the which, at first,
was very strange to me; but considering and watching, I found it
so indeed. But of particulars here I intend nothing; only this,
methinks, I must let fall before all men, I do prefer this book of
Martin Luther upon the Galatians, excepting the Holy Bible, before
all the books that ever I have seen, as most fit for a wounded
conscience.'

131. 'And now I found, as I thought, that I loved Christ dearly;
oh! methought my soul cleaved unto him, my affections cleaved
unto him. I felt love to him as hot as fire; and now, as Job said,
I thought I should die in my nest; but I did quickly find that my
great love was but little, and that I, who had, as I thought, such
burning love to Jesus Christ, could let him go again for a very
trifle; God can tell how to abase us, and can hide pride from man.
Quickly after this my love was tried to purpose.'

132. For after the Lord had, in this manner, thus graciously
delivered me from this great and sore temptation, and had set me
down so sweetly in the faith of his holy gospel, and had given me
such strong consolation and blessed evidence from heaven touching
my interest in his love through Christ; the tempter came upon me
again, and that with a more grievous and dreadful temptation than
before.

133. And that was, To sell and part with this most blessed Christ,
to exchange him for the things of this life, for anything. The
temptation lay upon me for the space of a year, and did follow me
so continually that I was not rid of it one day in a month, no,
not sometimes one hour in many days together, unless 'when' I was
asleep.

134. And though, in my judgment, I was persuaded that those who
were once effectually in Christ, as I hoped, through his grace,
I had seen myself, could never lose him for ever--for "the land
shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine," saith God (Lev
25:23)[33]--yet it was a continual vexation to me to think that I
should have so much as one such thought within me against a Christ,
a Jesus, that had done for me as he had done; 'and yet then I had
almost none others, but such blasphemous ones.'

135. But it was neither my dislike of the thought, nor yet any
desire and endeavour to resist it that in the least did shake or
abate the continuation, or force and strength thereof; for it did
always, in almost whatever I thought, intermix itself therewith in
such sort that I could neither eat my food, stoop for a pin, chop
a stick, or cast mine eye to look on this or that, but still the
temptation would come, Sell Christ for this, or sell Christ for
that; 'sell him, sell him.'

136. Sometimes it would run in my thoughts, not so little as a
hundred times together, Sell him, sell him, sell him; against which
I may say, for whole hours together, I have been forced to stand as
continually leaning and forcing my spirit against it, least haply,
before I were aware, some wicked thought might arise in my heart
that might consent thereto; and sometimes also the tempter would
make me believe I had consented to it, then should I be as tortured
upon a rack for whole days together.

137. This temptation did put me to such scares, lest I should and
some times, I say, consent thereto, and be overcome therewith, that
by the very force of my mind, in labouring to gainsay and resist
this wickedness, my very body also would be put into action or
motion by way of pushing or thrusting 'with my hands or elbows,'
still answering as fast as the destroyer said, Sell him; I will
not, I will not, I will not, I will not; no, not for thousands,
thousands, thousands of worlds. Thus reckoning lest I should in
the midst of these assaults, set too low a value of him, even until
I scarce well knew where I was, or how to be composed began.

138. 'At these seasons he would not let me eat my food at quiet;
but, forsooth, when I was set at table at my meat, I must go hence
to pray; I must leave my food now, and just now, so counterfeit
holy also would this devil be. When I was thus tempted, I should
say in myself, Now I am at my meat, let me make an end. No, said
he, you must do it now, or you will displease God, and despised
Christ. Wherefore I was much afflicted with these things; and because
of the sinfulness of my nature, imagining that these things were
impulses from God, I should deny to do it, as if I denied God; and
then should I be as guilty, because I did not obey a temptation of
the devil, as if I had broken the law of God indeed.'

139. But to be brief, one morning, as I did lie in my bed, I was,
as at other times, most fiercely assaulted with this temptation,
to sell and part with Christ; the wicked suggestion still running
in my mind, sell him, sell him, sell him, sell him, 'sell him,' as
fast as a man could speak; against which also, in my mind, as and
other times, I answered, No, no, not for thousands, thousands,
thousands, at least twenty times together. But at last, after much
striving, even until I was almost out of breath, I felt this thought
pass through my heart, Let him go, if he will! and I thought also,
that I felt my heart 'freely' consent thereto. 'Oh, the diligence
of Satan! [34] Oh, the desperateness of man's heart!'

140. Now was the battle won, and down fell I, as a bird that is
shot from the top of a tree, into great guilt, and fearful despair.
Thus getting out of my bed, I went moping into the field; but God
knows, with as heavy a heart as mortal man, I think, could bear;
where, for the space of two hours, I was like a man bereft of life,
and as now past all recovery, and bound over to eternal punishment.

141. And withal, that scripture did seize upon my soul, "Or profane
person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat, sold his birthright;
for ye know, how that afterward, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, so
he sought it carefully with tears" (Heb 12:16,17).

142. 'Now was I as one bound, I felt myself shut out unto the
judgment to come; nothing now for two years together would abide
with me, but damnation, and an expectation of damnation; I say,
nothing now would abide with me but this, save some few moments
for relief, as in the sequel you will see.'

143. These words were to my soul like fetters of brass to my legs,
in the continual sound of which I went for several months together.
But about ten or eleven o'clock one day, as I was walking under a
hedge, full of sorrow in guilt, God knows, and bemoaning myself for
this hard hap, that such a thought should arise within me; suddenly
this sentence bolted in upon me, The blood of Christ remits all
guilt. At this I made a stand in my spirit; with that, this word
took hold upon me, begin, "The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son,
cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

144. Now I began to conceive peace in my soul, in methought I saw
as if the tempter did leer[35] and steal away from me, as being
ashamed of what he had done. At the same time also I had my sin,
and the blood of Christ thus represented to me, that my sin, when
compared to the blood of Christ, was no more to it, then this little
clot or stone before me, is to this vast and wide field that here
I see. This gave me good encouragement for the space of two or
three hours; in which time also, methought I saw, by faith, the
Son of God, as suffering for my sins; but because it tarried not,
I therefore sunk in my spirit, under exceeding guilt again.

145. 'But chiefly by the afore-mentioned scripture, concerning
Esau's selling of his birthright; for that scripture would lie all
day long, all the week long, yea, all the year long in my mind,
and hold me down, so that I could by no means lift up myself; for
when I would strive to turn me to this scripture, or that, for
relief, still that sentence would be sounding in me, "For ye know,
how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing-he
found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with
tears."'

146. Sometimes also, [36] I should have a touch from that in Luke
22:32, "I have prayed for the, that thy faith fail not"; but it
would not abide upon me; neither could I indeed, when I considered
my state, find ground to conceive in the least, that there should
be the root of that grace within me, having sinned as I had done.
Now was I tore and rent in heavy case, for many days together.

147. Then began I with sad and careful heart, to consider of the
nature and largeness of my sin, and to search in the Word of God,
if I could in any place espy a word of promise, or any encouraging
sentence by which I might take relief. Wherefore I began to consider
that third of Mark, All manner of sins and blasphemies shall be
forgiven unto the sons of men, wherewith soever they shall blaspheme.
Which place, methought, at a blush, did contain a large and glorious
promise, for the pardon of high offences; but considering the place
more fully, I thought it was rather to be understood as relating
more chiefly to those who had, while in a natural estate, committed
such things as there are mentioned; but not to me, who had not
only received light and mercy, but that had, both after, and also
contrary to that, so slighted Christ as I had done.

148. I feared therefore that this wicked sin of mine, might be that
sin unpardonable, of which he there thus speaketh. "But he they
shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but
is in danger of eternal damnation" (Mark 3:29). And I did the rather
give credit to this, because of that sentence in the Hebrews common
"For ye know, how that afterward, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance,
though he sought it carefully with tears." 'And this stuck always
with me.'

149. 'And now was I both the burden and a terror to myself, nor
did I ever so know, as now, what it was to be weary of my life,
and yet afraid to die. Oh, how gladly now would I have been anybody
but myself! Anything but a man! and in any condition but mine own!
for there was nothing did pass more frequently over my mind, than
that it was impossible for me to be forgiven my transgression, and
to be saved from wrath to come.'

150. And now began I to labour to call again time that was past;
wishing a thousand times twice told, that the day was yet to come,
when I should be tempted to such a sin! concluding with great
indignation, both against my heart, and all assaults, how I would
rather have been torn in pieces, than found a consenter thereto.
But, alas! these thoughts, and wishings, and resolvings, were now
too late to help me; the thought had passed my heart, God hath let
me go, and I am fallen. Oh! thought I, "that it was with me as in
months past, as in the days when God preserved me!" [Job 29:2]

151. Then again, being loath and unwilling to perish, I began to
compare my sin with others, to see if I could find that any of those
that were saved had done as I had done. So I considered David's
adultery and murder, and found them most heinous crimes; and those
too committed after light and grace received; but yet but considering,
I perceived that his transgressions were only such as were against
the law of Moses; from which the Lord Christ could, with the consent
of his Word, deliver him: but mine was against the gospel; yea,
against the Mediator thereof; 'I had sold my Saviour.'

152. Now again should I be as if racked upon the wheel,[37] when
I considered, that, besides the guilt that possessed me, I should
be so void of grace, so bewitched. What, thought I, must it be no
sin but this? Must it needs be the great transgression? (Psa 19:13)
Must that wicked one touch my soul? (1 John 5:18) Oh, what stings
did I find in all these sentences!

153. 'What, thought I, is there but one sin that is unpardonable?
But one sin that layeth the soul without the reach of God's mercy;
and must I be guilty of that? Must it needs be that? Is there
but one sin among so many millions of sins, for which there is no
forgiveness; and must I commit this? Oh, unhappy sin! Oh, unhappy
man! These things would so break and confound my spirit, that
I could not tell what to do; I thought, at times, they would have
broke my wits; and still, to aggravate my misery, that would run in
my mind, "Ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited
the blessing, he was rejected." Oh! none knows the terrors of those
days but myself.'

154. After this I came to consider of Peter's sin, which he committed
in denying his master; and indeed, this came nighest to mine, of
any that I could find; for he had denied his Saviour, as I, and that
after light and mercy received; yea, and that too, after warning
given him. I also considered, that he did both once and twice; and
that, after time to consider betwixt. But though I put all these
circumstances together, that, if possible, I might find help, yet
I considered again, that his was but a denial of his master, but
mine was a selling of my Saviour. Wherefore I thought with myself,
that I came nearer to Judas, than either to David or Peter.

155. Here again my torment would flame out and afflicte me; yea, it
would grind me, as it were, to powder, to discern the preservation
of God towards others, while I fell into the snare; for in my thus
considering of other men's sins, and comparing of them with my
own, I could evidently see how God preserved them, notwithstanding
their wickedness, and would not let them, as he had let me, to
become a son of perdition.

156. But oh, how did my soul, at this time, prize the preservation
that God did set about his people! Ah, how safely did I see them
walk, whom God had hedge in! They were within his care, protection,
and special providence; though they were full as bad as I by nature;
yet because he loved them, he would not suffer them to fall without
the range of mercy; but as for me, I was gone, I had done it; he
would not preserve me, nor keep me; but suffered me, because I was
a reprobate, to fall as I had done. Now, did those blessed places,
that spake of God's keeping his people, shine like the sun before
me, though not to comfort me, but to show me the blessed state and
heritage of those whom the Lord had blessed.

157. 'Now I saw, that as God had his hand in all providences and
dispensations that overtook his elect, so he had his hand in all
the temptations that they had to sin against him, not to animate
them unto wickedness, but to choose their temptations and troubles
for them; and also to leave them, for a time, to such sins only as
might not destroy, but humble them; as might not put them beyond,
but lay them in the way off the renewing of his mercy. But oh,
what love, what care, what kindness and mercy did I now see, mixing
itself with the most severe and dreadful of all God's ways to his
people! He would let David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Peter, and others
fall, but he would not let them fall into sin unpardonable, nor
into hell for sin. Oh! thought I, these be the men that God hath
loved; these be the men that God, though he chastiseth them, keeps
them in safety by him, and them whom he makes to abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. But all these thoughts added sorrow, grief,
and horror to me, as whatever I now thought on, it was killing to
me. If I thought how God kept his own, that was killing to me. If
I thought of how I was falling myself, that was killing to me. As
all things wrought together for the best, and to do good to them
that were the called, according to his purpose; so I thought that
all things wrought for my damage, and for my eternal overthrow.'

158. Then, again, I began to compare my sin with the sin of Judas,
that, if possible, I might find that mine differed from that which,
in truth, is unpardonable. And, oh! thought I, if it 'should differ
from it,' though but the breadth of an hair, what a happy condition
is my soul in! And, by considering, I found that Judas did his
intentionally, but mine was against my 'prayer and' strivings;
besides, his was committed with much deliberation, but mine in a
fearful hurry, on a sudden; 'all this while' I was tossed to and
fro, like the locusts, and driven from trouble to sorrow; hearing
always the sound of Esau's fall in mine ears, and of the dreadful
consequences thereof.

159. Yet this consideration about Judas, his sin was, for a
while, some little relief unto me; for I saw I had not, as to the
circumstances, transgressed so foully as he. But this was quickly
gone again, for, I thought with myself, there might be more ways
than one to commit the unpardonable sin; 'also I thought' that
there might be degrees of that, as well as of other transgressions;
wherefore, for ought I yet could perceive, this iniquity of mine
might be such, as might never be passed by.

160. 'I was often now ashamed, that I should be like such an ugly
man as Judas; I thought, also, how loathsome I should be unto
all the saints at the day of judgment; insomuch, that now I could
scarce see a good man, that I believed had a good conscience, but
I should feel my heart tremble at him, while I was in his presence.
Oh! now I saw a glory in walking with God, and what a mercy it was
to have a good conscience before him.'

161. 'I was much about this time tempted to content myself, by
receiving some false opinion; as that there should be no such thing
as a day of judgment, that we should not rise again, and that sin
was no such grievous thing; the tempter suggesting thus, For if
these things should indeed be true, yet to believe otherwise, would
yield you ease for the present. If you must perish, never torment
yourself so much before hand; drive the thoughts of damning out of
your mind, by possessing your mind with some such conclusions that
Atheists and Ranters do use to help themselves withal.'

162. 'But, oh! when such thoughts have led through my heart, how,
as it were, within a step, hath death and judgment been in my view!
Methought the judge stood at the door, I was as if it was come
already; so that such things could have no entertainment. But,
methinks, I see by this, that Satan will use any means to keep
the soul from Christ; he loveth not an awakened frame of spirit;
security, blindness, darkness, and error is the very kingdom and
habitation of the wicked one.'

163. 'I found it hard work now to pray to God, because despair was
swallowing me up; I thought I was, as with a tempest, driven away
from God, for always when I cried to God for mercy, this would
come in, It is too late, I am lost, God hath let me fall; not to my
correction, but condemnation; my sin is unpardonable; and I know,
concerning Esau, how that, after he had sold his birthright,
he would have received the blessing, but was rejected. About this
time, I did light on that dreadful story of that miserable mortal,
Francis Spira;[38] a book that was to my troubled spirit as salt,
when rubbed into a fresh wound; every sentence in that book, every
groan of that man, with all the rest of his actions in his dolours,
as his tears, his prayers, his gnashing of teeth, his wringing of
hands, his twining and twisting, languishing and pining away under
that mighty hand of God that was upon him, was as knives and daggers
in my soul; especially that sentence of his was frightful to me,
Man knows the beginning of sin, but who bounds the issues thereof?
Then would the former sentence, as the conclusion of all, fall
like a hot thunderbolt again upon my conscience; "for you know how
that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was
rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears."'

164. Then was I struck into a very great trembling, insomuch that
at sometimes I could, for whole days together, feel my very body, as
well as my mind, to shake and totter under the sense of the dreadful
judgment of God, that should fall on those that have sinned that
most fearful and unpardonable sin. I felt also such a clogging
and heat at my stomach, by reason of this my terror, that I was,
especially at some times, as if my breast bone would have split
in sunder; then I thought of that concerning Judas, who, by his
falling headlong, burst asunder, and all his bowels gushed out
(Acts 1:18).

165. I feared also that this was the mark that the Lord did set on
Cain, even continual fear and trembling, under the heavy load of
guilt that he had charged on him for the blood of his brother Abel.
Thus did I wind, and twine, and shrink, under the burden that was
upon me; which burden also did so oppress me, that I could neither
stand, nor go, nor lie, either at rest or quiet.

166. Yet that saying would sometimes come to my mind, He hath
received gifts for the rebellious (Psa 68:18). "The rebellious,"
thought I; why, surely they are such as once were under subjection
to their prince, even those who, after they have sworn subjection
to his government, have taken up arms against him; 'and this, thought
I, is my very condition; once I loved him, feared him, served him;
but now I am a rebel; I have sold him, I have said, Let him go if
he will; but yet he has gifts for rebels, and then why not for me?'

167. This sometimes I thought on, and should labour to take
hold thereof, that some, though small, refreshment might have been
conceived by me; but in this also I missed of my desire, I was driven
with force beyond it, 'I was' like a man that is going to the place
of execution, even by that place where he would fain creep in and
hide himself, but may not.

168. Again, after I had thus considered the sins of the saints in
particular, and found mine went beyond them, then I began to think
thus with myself: Set the case I should put all theirs together, and
mine alone against them, might I not then find some encouragement?
For if mine, though bigger than any one, yet should but be equal
to all, then there is hopes; for that blood that hath virtue enough
'in it' to wash away all theirs, hath also virtue enough in it to
do away mine, though this one be full as big, if no bigger, than
all theirs. Here, again, I should consider the sin of David, of
Solomon, of Manasseh, of Peter, and the rest of the great offenders;
and should also labour, what I might with fairness, to aggravate
and heighten their sins by several circumstances: but, alas! It
was all in vain.[39]

169. 'I should think with myself that David shed blood to cover his
adultery, and that by the sword of the children of Ammon; a work
that could not be done but by continuance and deliberate contrivance,
which was a great aggravation to his sin. But then this would turn
upon me: Ah! but these were but sins against the law, from which
there was a Jesus sent to save them; but yours is a sin against
the Saviour, and who shall save you from that?'

170. 'Then I thought on Solomon, and how he sinned in loving strange
women, in falling away to their idols, in building them temples, in
doing this after light, in his old age, after great mercy received;
but the same conclusion that cut me off in the former consideration,
cut me off as to this; namely, that all those were but sins against
the law, for which God had provided a remedy; but I had sold my
Saviour, and there now remained no more sacrifice for sin.'

171. 'I would then add to those men's sins, the sins of Manasseh,
how that he built altars for idols in the house of the Lord; he
also observed times, used enchantment, had to do with wizards, was
a wizard, had his familiar spirits, burned his children in the fire
in sacrifice to devils, and made the streets of Jerusalem run down
with the blood of innocents. These, thought I, are great sins,
sins of a bloody colour; yea, it would turn again upon me: They are
none of them of the nature of yours; you have parted with Jesus,
you have sold your Saviour.'

172. This one consideration would always kill my heart, My sin was
point blank against my Saviour; and that too, at that height, that
I had in my heart said of him, Let him go if he will. Oh! methought,
this sin was bigger than the sins of a country, of a kingdom, or
of the whole world, no one pardonable, nor all of them together,
was able to equal mine; mine outwent them every one.

173. Now I should find my mind to flee from God, as from the face
of a dreadful judge; yet this was my torment, I could not escape his
hand: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God" (Heb 10:31). But blessed be his grace, that scripture, in these
flying sins,[40] would call as running after me, "I have blotted
out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions; and, as a cloud, thy
sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee" (Isa 44:22). This,
I say, would come in upon my mind, when I was fleeing from the face
of God; for I did flee from his face, that is, my mind and spirit
fled before him; by reason of his highness, I could not endure;
then would the text cry, "Return unto me"; it would cry aloud with
a very great voice, "Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee."
Indeed, this would make me make a little stop, and, as it were,
look over my shoulder behind me, to see if I could discern that the
God of grace did follow me with a pardon in his hand, but I could
no sooner do that, but all would be clouded and darkened again by
that sentence, "For you know how that afterwards, when he would
have inherited the blessing, he found no place of repentance, though
he sought it carefully with tears." Wherefore I could not return,
but fled, though at sometimes it cried, "Return, return," as if
it did holloa after me. But I feared to close in therewith, lest
it should not come from God; for that other, as I said, was still
sounding in my conscience, "For you know how that afterwards, when
he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected," &c.

174. 'Once as I was walking to and fro in a good man's shop,
bemoaning of myself in my sad and doleful state, afflicting myself
with self-abhorrence for this wicked and ungodly thought; lamenting,
also, this hard hap of mine, for that I should commit so great a
sin, greatly fearing I should not be pardoned; praying, also, in
my heart, that if this sin of mine did differ from that against
the Holy Ghost, the Lord would show it me. And being now ready to
sink with fear, suddenly there was, as if there had rushed in at
the window, the noise of wind upon me, but very pleasant, and as
if I heard a voice speaking, Didst ever refuse to be justified by
the blood of Christ? And, withal my whole life and profession past
was, in a moment, opened to me, wherein I was made to see that
designedly I had not; so my heart answered groaningly, No. then
fell, with power, that word of God upon me, "See that ye refuse not
him that speaketh" (Heb 12:25). This made a strange seizure upon
my spirit; it brought light with it, and commanded a silence in my
heart of all those tumultuous thoughts that before did use, like
masterless hell-hounds, to roar and bellow, and make a hideous
noise within me. It showed me, also, that Jesus Christ had yet a
word of grace and mercy for me, that he had not, as I had feared,
quite forsaken and cast off my soul; yea, this was a kind of a
chide for my proneness to desperation; a kind of a threatening me
if I did not, notwithstanding my sins and the heinousness of them,
venture my salvation upon the Son of God. But as to my determining
about this strange dispensation, what it was I knew not; or from
whence it came I know not. I have not yet, in twenty years' time,
been able to make a judgment of it; I thought then what here I
shall be loath to speak. But verily, that sudden rushing wind was
as if an angel had come upon me; but both it and the salvation I
will leave until the day of judgment; only this I say, it commanded
a great calm in my soul, it persuaded me there might be hope; it
showed me, as I thought, what the sin unpardonable was, and that
my soul had yet the blessed privilege to flee to Jesus Christ for
mercy. But, I say, concerning this dispensation, I know not what
yet to say unto it; which was, also, in truth, the cause that, at
first, I did not speak of it in the book; I do now, also, leave it
to be thought on by men of sound judgment. I lay not the stress of
my salvation thereupon, but upon the Lord Jesus, in the promise;
yet, seeing I am here unfolding of my secret things, I thought it
might not be altogether inexpedient to let this also show itself,
though I cannot now relate the matter as there I did experience
it. This lasted, in the savour of it, for about three or four days,
and the I began to mistrust and to despair again.'[41]

175. 'Wherefore, still my life hung in doubt before me, not knowing
which way I should tip; only this I found my soul desire, even to
cast itself at the foot of grace, by prayer and supplication. But,
oh! it was hard for me now to bear the face to pray to this Christ
for mercy, against whom I had thus most vilely sinned; it was hard
work, I say, to offer to look him in the face against whom I had
so vilely sinned; and, indeed, I have found it as difficult to come
to God by prayer, after backsliding from him, as to do any other
thing. Oh, the shame that did now attend me! especially when I thought
I am now a-going to pray to him for mercy that I had so lightly
esteemed but a while before! I was ashamed, yea, even confounded,
because this villany had been committed by me; but I saw there was
but one way with me, I must go to him and humble myself unto him,
and beg that he, of his wonderful mercy, would show pity to me,
and have mercy upon my wretched sinful soul.'

176. 'Which, when the tempter perceived, he strongly suggested to
me, That I ought not to pray to God; for prayer was not for any in
my case, neither could it do me good, because I had rejected the
Mediator, by whom all prayer came with acceptance to God the Father,
and without whom no prayer could come into his presence. Wherefore,
now to pray is but to add sin to sin; yea, now to pray, seeing God
has cast you off, is the next way to anger and offend him more than
you ever did before.'

177. 'For God, saith he, hath been weary of you for these several
years already, because you are none of his; your bawlings in his
ears hath been no pleasant voice to him; and, therefore, he let you
sin this sin, that you might be quite cut off; and will you pray
still? This the devil urged, and set forth that, in Numbers, when
Moses said to the children of Israel, That because they would not
go up to posses the land when God would have them, therefore, for
ever after, God did bar them out from thence, though they prayed
they might, with tears (Num 14:36,37), &c.'

178. 'As it is said in another place (Exo 21:14), the man that sins
presumptuously shall be taken from God's altar, that he may die;
even as Joab was by King Solomon, when he thought to find shelter
there (1 Kings 2:28), &c. These places did pinch me very sore; yet,
my case being desperate, I thought with myself I can but die; and
if it must be so, it shall once be said, that such an one died
at the foot of Christ in prayer.[42] This I did, but with great
difficulty, God doth know; and that because, together with this,
still that saying about Esau would be set at my heart, even like a
flaming sword, to keep the way of the tree of life, lest I should
taste thereof and live. Oh! who knows how hard a thing I found it
to come to God in prayer.'

179. 'I did also desire the prayers of the people of God for
me, but I feared that God would give them no heart to do it; yea,
I trembled in my soul to think that some or other of them would
shortly tell me, that God had said those words to them that he once
did say to the prophet concerning the children of Israel, "Pray
not thou for this people," for I have rejected them (Jer 11:14).
So, pray not for him, for I have rejected him. Yea, I thought that
he had whispered this to some of them already, only they durst not
tell me so, neither durst I ask them of it, for fear, if it should
be so, it would make me quite besides myself. Man knows the beginning
of sin, said Spira, but who bounds the issues thereof?'

180. About this time I took an opportunity to break my mind to
an ancient Christian, and told him all my case; I told him, also,
that I was afraid that I had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost;
and he told me he thought so too. Here, therefore, I had but cold
comfort; but, talking a little more with him, I found him, though
a good man, a stranger to much combat with the devil. Wherefore,
I went to God again, as well as I could, for mercy still.

181. Now, also, did the tempter begin to mock me in my misery,
saying, that, seeing I had thus parted with the Lord Jesus, and
provoked him to displeasure, who would have stood between my soul
and the flame of devouring fire, there was now but one way, and
that was, to pray that God the Father would be the Mediator betwixt
his Son and me, that we might be reconciled again, and that I might
have that blessed benefit in him that his blessed saints enjoyed.

182. Then did that scripture seize upon my soul, He is of one mind,
and who can turn him? Oh! I saw it was as easy to persuade him to
make a new world, a new covenant, or new Bible, besides that we
have already, as to pray for such a thing. This was to persuade him
that what he had done already was mere folly, and persuade with him
to alter, yea, to disannul, the whole way of salvation; and then
would that saying rend my soul asunder, "Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven, given
among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

183. 'Now, the most free, and full, and gracious words of the
gospel were the greatest torment to me; yea, nothing so afflicted
me as the thoughts of Jesus Christ, the remembrance of a Saviour;
because I had cast him off, brought forth the villany of my sin,
and my loss by it to mind; nothing did twinge my conscience like
this. Every time that I thought of the Lord Jesus, of his grace,
love, goodness, kindness, gentleness, meekness, death, blood,
promises and blessed exhortations, comforts and consolations, it
went to my soul like a sword; for still, unto these my considerations
of the Lord Jesus, these thoughts would make place for themselves
in my heart; aye, this is the Jesus, the loving Saviour, the Son
of God, whom thou hast parted with, whom you slighted, despised,
and abused. This is the only Saviour, the only Redeemer, the only
one that could so love sinners as to wash them from their sins in
his own most precious blood; but you have no part nor lot in this
Jesus, you have put him from you, you have said in your heart, Let
him go if he will. Now, therefore, you are severed from him; you
have severed yourself from him. Behold, then, his goodness, but
yourself to be no partaker of it. Oh, thought I, what have I lost!
What have I parted with! What have I disinherited my poor soul of!
Oh! it is sad to be destroyed by the grace and mercy of God; to
have the Lamb, the Saviour, turn lion and destroyer (Rev 6).[43] I
also trembled, as I have said, at the sight of the saints of God,
especially at those that greatly loved him, and that made it their
business to walk continually with him in this world; for they did,
both in their words, their carriages, and all their expressions of
tenderness and fear to sin against their precious Saviour, condemn,
lay guilt upon, and also add continual affliction and shame unto
my soul. The dread of them was upon me, and I trembled at God's
Samuels (1 Sam 16:4).'

184. Now, also, the tempter began afresh to mock my soul another
way, saying that Christ, indeed, did pity my case, and was sorry
for my loss; but forasmuch as I had sinned and transgressed, as
I had done, he could by no means help me, nor save me from what I
feared; for my sin was not of the nature of theirs for whom he bled
and died, neither was it counted with those that were laid to his
charge when he hanged on the tree. Therefore, unless he should come
down from heaven and die anew for this sin, though, indeed, he did
greatly pity me, yet I could have no benefit of him. These things
may seem ridiculous to others, even as ridiculous as they were in
themselves, but to me they were most tormenting cogitations; every
of them augmented my misery, that Jesus Christ should have so much
love as to pity me when he could not help me; nor did I think that
the reason why he could not help me was because his merits were
weak, or his grace and salvation spent on them already, but because
his faithfulness to his threatening would not let him extend his
mercy to me. Besides, I thought, as I have already hinted, that my
sin was not within the bounds of that pardon that was wrapped up
in a promise; and if not, then I knew assuredly, that it was more
easy for heaven and earth to pass away than for me to have eternal
life. So that the ground of all these fears of mine did arise from
a steadfast belief that I had of the stability of the holy Word of
God, and also, from my being misinformed of the nature of my sin.

185. But, oh! how this would add to my affliction, to conceit that
I should be guilty of such a sin for which he did not die. These
thoughts would so confound me, and imprison me, and tie me up from
faith, that I knew not what to do; but, oh! thought I, that he
would come down again! Oh! that the work of man's redemption was
yet to be done by Christ! How would I pray him and entreat him to
count and reckon this sin amongst the rest for which he died! But
this scripture would strike me down as dead, "Christ being raised
from the death dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him"
(Rom 6:9).[44]

186. Thus, by the strange and unusual assaults of the tempter, was
my soul, like a broken vessel, driven as with the winds, and tossed
sometimes headlong into despair, sometimes upon the covenant of
works, and sometimes to wish that the new covenant, and the conditions
thereof, might, so far forth as I thought myself concerned, be turned
another way and changed. But in all these I was but as those that
justle against the rocks; more broken, scattered, and rent. Oh,
the unthought of imaginations, frights, fears, and terrors that are
affected by a thorough application of guilt, yielded to desperation!
This is the man that hath "his dwelling among the tombs" with the
dead; that is, always crying out and "cutting himself with stones"
(Mark 5:2-5). But I say, all in vain; desperation will not comfort
him, the old covenant will not save him; nay, heaven and earth
shall pass away before one jot or tittle of the Word and law of
grace shall fall or be removed. This I saw, this I felt, and under
this I groaned; yet this advantage I got thereby, namely, a farther
confirmation of the certainty of the way of salvation, and that
the Scriptures were the Word of God! Oh! I cannot now express what
then I saw and felt of the steadiness of Jesus Christ, the rock of
man's salvation; what was done could not be undone, added to, nor
altered. I saw, indeed, that sin might drive the soul beyond Christ,
even the sin which is unpardonable; but woe to him that was so
driven, for the Word would shut him out.

187. Thus was I always sinking, whatever I did think or do. So one
day I walked to a neighbouring town, and sat down upon a settle in
the street, and fell into a very deep pause about the most fearful
state my sin had brought me to; and, after long musing, I lifted
up my head, but methought I saw as if the sun that shineth in the
heavens did grudge to give light, and as if the very stones in the
street, and tiles upon the houses, did bend themselves against me;
methought that they all combined together to banish me out of the
world; I was abhorred of them, and unfit to dwell among them, or
be partaker of their benefits, because I had sinned against the
Saviour. O how happy, now, was every creature over [what] I was; for
they stood fast and kept their station, but I was gone and lost.

188. Then breaking out in the bitterness of my soul, I said 'to
myself,' with a grievous sigh, How can God comfort such a wretch as
I? I had no sooner said it but this returned upon me, as an echo
doth answer a voice, This sin is not unto death. At which I was
as if I had been raised out of a grave, and cried out again, Lord,
how couldest thou find out such a word as this? for I was filled
with admiration at the fitness, and, also, at the unexpectedness
of the sentence, 'the fitness of the Word, the rightness of the
timing of it, the power, and sweetness, and light, and glory that
came with it, also, was marvelous to me to find. I was now, for the
time, out of doubt as to that about which I so much was in doubt
before; my fears before were, that my sin was not pardonable, and
so that I had no right to pray, to repent, &c., or that if I did,
it would be of no advantage or profit to me. But now, thought I,
if this sin is not unto death, then it is pardonable; therefore,
from this I have encouragement to come to God, by Christ, for mercy,
to consider the promise of forgiveness as that which stands with
open arms to receive me, as well as others. This, therefore, was
a great easement to my mind; to wit, that my sin was pardonable,
that it was not the sin unto death (1 John 5:16,17). None but those
that know what my trouble, by their own experience, was, can tell
what relief came to my soul by this consideration; it was a release
to me from my former bonds, and a shelter from my former storm. I
seemed now to stand upon the same ground with other sinners, and
to have as good right to the Word and prayer as any of them.'[45]

189. Now, 'I say,' I was in hopes that my sin was not unpardonable,
but that there might be hopes for me to obtain forgiveness. But,
oh, how Satan did now lay about him for to bring me down again!
But he could by no means do it, neither this day nor the most part
of the next, for this sentence stood like a mill post at my back;
yet, towards the evening of the next day, I felt this word begin
to leave me and to withdraw its supportation from me, and so I
returned to my old fears again, but with a great deal of grudging
and peevishness, for I feared the sorrow of despair; 'nor could my
faith now longer retain this word.'

190. But the next day, at evening, being under many fears, I went
to seek the Lord; and as I prayed, I cried, 'and my soul cried'
to him in these words, with strong cries:--O Lord, I beseech thee,
show me that thou hast loved me with everlasting love (Jer 31:3).
I had no sooner said it but, with sweetness, this returned upon me,
as an echo or sounding again, "I have loved thee with an everlasting
love." Now I went to bed at quiet; also, when I awaked the next
morning, it was fresh upon my soul--'and I believed it.'

191. But yet the tempter left me not; for it could not be so little
as an hundred times that he that day did labour to break my peace.
Oh! the combats and conflicts that I did then meet with as I strove
to hold by this word; that of Esau would fly in my face like to
lightning. I should be sometimes up and down twenty times in an
hour, yet God did bear me up and keep my heart upon this word, from
which I had also, for several days together, very much sweetness
and comfortable hopes of pardon; for thus it was made out to me,
I loved thee whilst thou wast committing this sin, I loved thee
before, I love thee still, and I will love thee for ever.

192. Yet I saw my sin most barbarous, and a filthy crime, and could
not but conclude, and that with great shame and astonishment, that
I had horribly abused the holy Son of God; wherefore I felt my soul
greatly to love and pity him, and my bowels to yearn towards him;
for I saw he was still my Friend, and did reward me good for evil;
yea, the love and affection that then did burn within to my Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ did work, at this time, such a strong
and hot desire of revengement upon myself for the abuse I had done
unto him, that, to speak as then I thought, had I had a thousand
gallons of blood within my veins, I could freely 'then' have spilt
it all at the command and feet of this my Lord and Saviour.

193. And as I was thus in musing and in my studies, 'considering'
how to love the Lord and to express my love to him, that saying
came in upon me, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord,
who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou
mayest be feared" (Psa 130:3,4). These were good words to me,[46]
especially the latter part thereof; to wit, that there is forgiveness
with the Lord, that he might be feared; that is, as then I understood
it, that he might be loved and had in reverence; for it was thus
made out to me, that the great God did set so high an esteem upon
the love of his poor creatures, that rather than he would go without
their love he would pardon their transgressions.

194. And now was that word fulfilled on me, and I was also refreshed
by it, Then shall they be ashamed and confounded, "and never open
their mouth any more because of their shame, when I am pacified
toward them for all that they have done, saith the Lord God" (Eze
16:63). Thus was my soul at this time, and, as I then did think,
for ever, set at liberty from being again afflicted with my former
guilt and amazement.

195. But before many weeks were over I began to despond again,
fearing lest, notwithstanding all that I had enjoyed, that yet I
might be deceived and destroyed at the last; for this consideration
came strong into my mind, that whatever comfort and peace I thought
I might have from the Word of the promise of life, yet unless there
could be found in my refreshment a concurrence and agreement in the
Scriptures, let me think what I will thereof, and hold it never so
fast, I should find no such thing at the end; "for the Scripture
cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

196. Now began my heart again to ache and fear I might meet with
disappointment at the last; wherefore I began, with all seriousness,
to examine my former comfort, and to consider whether one that
had sinned as I have done, might with confidence trust upon the
faithfulness of God, laid down in those words by which I had been
comforted and on which I had leaned myself. But now were brought
those sayings to my mind, "For it is impossible for those who were
once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were
made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of
God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away,
to renew them again unto repentance" (Heb 6:4-6). "For if we sin
willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour
the adversaries" (Heb 10:26,27). Even "as Esau, who, for one morsel
of meat sold his birthright; for ye know how that afterward, when
he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found
no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears"
(Heb 12:16,17).

197. Now was the word of the gospel forced from my soul, so that no
promise or encouragement was to be found in the Bible for me; and
now would that saying work upon my spirit to afflict me, "Rejoice
not, O Israel, for joy as other people" (Hosea 9:1). For I saw
indeed there was cause of rejoicing for those that held to Jesus;
but as for me, I had cut myself off by my transgressions, and left
myself neither foot-hold, nor hand-hold, amongst all the stays and
props in the precious word of life.

198. And truly I did now feel myself to sink into a gulf, as an
house whose foundation is destroyed; I did liken myself, in this
condition, unto the case of a child that was fallen into a mill-pit,
who, though it could make some shift to scrabble and spraul in the
water, yet because it could find neither hold for hand nor foot,
therefore at last it must die in that condition. So soon as this
fresh assault had fastened on my soul, that scripture came into my
heart, "This is for many days" (Dan 10:14). And indeed I found it
was so; for I could not be delivered, nor brought to peace again,
until well nigh two years and an half were completely finished. Wherefore
these words, though in themselves they tended to discouragement,
yet to me, who feared this condition would be eternal, they were
at sometimes as an help and refreshment to me.

199. For, thought I, many days are not, not for ever, many days
will have an end, therefore seeing I was to be afflicted, not a
few, but many days, yet I was glad it was but for many days. Thus,
I say, I could recall myself sometimes, and give myself a help, for
as soon as ever the words came 'into my mind' at first, I knew my
trouble would be long; yet this would be but sometimes, for I could
not always think on this, nor ever be helped 'by it,' though I did.

200. Now, while these Scriptures lay before me, and laid sin
'anew' at my door, that saying in the 18th of Luke, with others,
did encourage me to prayer. Then the tempter again laid at me very
sore, suggesting, That neither the mercy of God, nor yet the blood
of Christ, did at all concern me, nor could they help me for my
sin; 'therefore it was in vain to pray.' Yet, thought I, I will
pray. But, said the tempter, your sin is unpardonable. 'Well, said
I, I will pray. It is to no boot, said he.' Yet, said I, I will pray.
So I went to prayer to God; and while I was at prayer, I uttered
words to this effect, Lord, Satan tells me that neither thy mercy,
nor Christ's blood, is sufficient to save my soul; Lord, shall I
honour thee most, by believing thou wilt and canst? or 'him,' by
believing thou neither wilt nor canst? Lord, I would fain honour
thee, by believing thou wilt and canst.

201. And as I was thus before the Lord, that scripture fastened on
my heart, "O [wo]man, great is thy faith" (Matt 15:28), even as if
one had clapped me on the back, as I was on my knees before God.
Yet I was not able to believe this, 'that this was a prayer of
faith,' till almost six months after; for I could not think that I
had faith, or that there should be a word for me to act faith on;
therefore I should still be as sticking in the jaws of desperation,
and went mourning up and down 'in a sad condition,' crying, Is his
mercy clean gone? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? And I thought
sometimes, even when I was groaning in these expressions, they did
seem to make a question whether it was or no; yet I greatly feared
it was.

202. 'There was nothing now that I longed for more than to be put
out of doubt, as to this thing in question; and, as I was vehemently
desiring to know if there was indeed hopes for me, these words came
rolling into my mind, "Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will
he be a favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth
his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious?
Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" (Psa 77:7-9). And
all the while they run in my mind, methought I had this still as
the answer, It is a question whether he had or no; it may be he hath
not. Yea, the interrogatory seemed to me to carry in it a sure
affirmation that indeed he had not, nor would so cast off, but
would be favourable; that his promise doth not fail, and that he
had not forgotten to be gracious, nor would in anger shut up his
tender mercy. Something, also, there was upon my heart at the same
time, which I now cannot call to mind; which, with this text, did
sweeten my heart, and made me conclude that his mercy might not be
quite gone, nor clean gone for ever.'[47]

203. At another time, I remember I was again much under the question,
Whether the blood of Christ was sufficient to save my soul? In which
doubt I continued from morning till about seven or eight at night;
and at last, when I was, as it were, quite worn out with fear,
lest it should not lay hold on me, these words did sound suddenly
within my heart, He is able. But methought this word ABLE was
spoke so loud unto me; it showed such a great word, 'it seemed to
be writ in great letters,' and gave such a justle to my fear and
doubt, I mean for the time it tarried with me, which was about a
day, as I never had from that all my life, either before or after
that (Heb 7:25).

204. But one morning, when I was again at prayer, and trembling
under the fear of this, that no word of God could help me, that
piece of a sentence darted in upon me, "My grace is sufficient." At
this methought I felt some stay, as if there might be hopes. But,
oh how good a thing it is for God to send his Word! For about
a fortnight before I was looking on this very place, and then I
thought it could not come near my soul with comfort, 'therefore'
I threw down my book in a pet. 'Then I thought it was not large
enough for me; no, not large enough'; but now, it was as if it had
arms of grace so wide that it could not only enclose me, but many
more besides.

205. By these words I was sustained, yet not without exceeding
conflicts, for the space of seven or eight weeks; for my peace
would be in and out, sometimes twenty times a day; comfort now,
and trouble presently; peace now, and before I could go a furlong
as full of fear and guilt as ever heart could hold; and this was
not only now and then, but my whole seven weeks' experience; for
this about the sufficiency of grace, and that of Esau's parting
with his birthright, would be like a pair of scales within my mind,
sometimes one end would be uppermost, and sometimes again the other;
according to which would be my peace or trouble.

206. Therefore I still did pray to God, that he would come in with
this Scripture more fully on my heart; to wit, that he would help
me to apply the whole sentence, 'for as yet I could not: that he
gave, I gathered; but further I could not go,' for as yet it only
helped me to hope 'there might be mercy for me,' "My grace is
sufficient"; and though it came no farther, it answered my former
question; to wit, that there was hope; yet, because "for thee" was
left out, I was not contented, but prayed to God for that also.
Wherefore, one day as I was in a meeting of God's people, full of
sadness and terror, for my fears again were strong upon me; and as
I was now thinking my soul was never the better, but my case most
sad and fearful, these words did, with great power, suddenly break
in upon me, "My grace is sufficient for thee, my grace is sufficient
for thee, my grace is sufficient for thee," three times together;
and, oh! methought that every word as a mighty word unto me; as
my, and grace, and sufficient, and for thee; they were then, and
sometimes are still, far bigger than others be.

207. At which time my understanding was so enlightened, that I was
as though I had seen the Lord Jesus look down from heaven through
the tiles upon me, and direct these words unto me. This sent me
mourning home, it broke my heart, and filled me full of joy, and
laid me low as the dust; only it stayed not long with me, I mean
in this glory and refreshing comfort, yet it continued with me for
several weeks, and did encourage me to hope. But so soon as that
powerful operation of it was taken off my heart, that other about
Esau returned upon me as before; so my soul did hang as in a pair
of scales again, sometimes up and sometimes down, now in peace,
and anon again in terror.

208. Thus I went on for many weeks, sometimes comforted, and sometimes
tormented; and, especially at some times, my torment would be very
sore, for all those scriptures forenamed in the Hebrews, would
be set before me, as the only sentences that would keep me out of
heaven. Then, again, I should begin to repent that ever that thought
went through me, I should also think thus with myself, Why, how
many scriptures are there against me? There are but three or four:
and cannot God miss them, and save me for all them? Sometimes,
again, I should think, Oh! if it were not for these three or four
words, now how might I be comforted? And I could hardly forbear,
at some times, but to wish them out of the book.

209. Then methought I should see as if both Peter, and Paul, and
John, and all the writers, did look with scorn upon me, and hold me
in derision; and as if they said unto me, All our words are truth,
one of as much force as another. It is not we that have cut you
off, but you have cast away yourself; there is none of our sentences
that you must take hold upon but these, and such as these: "It is
impossible; there remains no more sacrifice for sin" (Heb 6). And
"it had been better for them not to have known" the will of God,
"than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them" (2 Peter 2:21). "For the Scriptures cannot
be broken."[48]

210. 'These, as the elders of the city of refuge, I saw were to be
the judges both of my case and me, while I stood, with the avenger
of blood at my heels, trembling at their gate for deliverance, also
with a thousand fears and mistrusts, I doubted that they would shut
me out for ever (Josh 20:3,4).'

211. Thus was I confounded, not knowing what to do, nor how to be
satisfied in this question, Whether the scriptures could agree in
the salvation of my soul? I quaked at the apostles, I knew their
words were true, and that they must stand for ever.

212. And I remember one day, as I was in diverse frames of spirit,
and considering that these frames were still according to the nature
of the several scriptures that came in upon my mind; if this of
grace, then was I quiet; but if that of Esau, then tormented; Lord,
thought I, if both these scriptures would meet in my heart at once,
I wonder which of them would get the better of me. So methought I
had a longing mind that they might come both together upon me; yea,
I desired of God they might.

213. Well, about two or three days after, so they did indeed; they
bolted both upon me at a time, and did work and struggle strangely
in me for a while; at last, that about Esau's birthright began to
wax weak, and withdraw, and vanish; and this about the sufficiency
of grace prevailed with peace and joy. And as I was in a muse about
this thing, that scripture came home upon me, "Mercy rejoiceth
against judgment" (James 2:13).

214. This was a wonderment to me; yet truly I am apt to think it
was of God; for the word of the law and wrath must give place to
the word of life and grace; because, though the word of condemnation
be glorious, yet the word of life and salvation doth far exceed in
glory (2 Cor 3:8-12; Mark 9:5-7). Also, that Moses and Elias must
both vanish, and leave Christ and his saints alone.

215. This scripture did also most sweetly visit my soul, "And him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Oh,
the comfort that I have had from this world, "in no wise"! as who
should say, by no means, for no thing, whatever he hath done. But
Satan would greatly labour to pull this promise from me, telling
of me that Christ did not mean me, and such as I, but sinners of
a lower rank, that had not done as I had done. But I should answer
him again, Satan, here is in this word no such exception; but "him
that comes," HIM, any him; "him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out." And this I well remember still, that of all the sleights
that Satan used to take this scripture from me, yet he never did
so much as put this question, But do you come aright? And I have
thought the reason was, because he thought I knew full well what
coming aright was; for I saw that to come aright was to come as I
was, a vile and ungodly sinner, and to cast myself at the feet of
mercy, condemning myself for sin. If ever Satan and I did strive
for any word 'of God in all my life, it was for this good word of
Christ; he at one end and I at the other. Oh, what work did we make!'
It was for this in John, 'I say, that we did so tug and strive';
he pulled and I pulled; but, God be praised, 'I got the better of
him,' I got some sweetness from it.

216. But, notwithstanding all these helps and blessed words of
grace, yet that of Esau's selling of his birthright would still at
times distress my conscience; for though I had been most sweetly
comforted, and that but just before, yet when that came into 'my'
mind, it would make me fear again, I could not be quite rid thereof,
it would every day be with me: wherefore now I went another way
to work, even to consider the nature of this blasphemous thought;
I mean, if I should take the words at the largest, and give them
their own natural force and scope, even every word therein. So when
I had thus considered, I found, that if they were fairly taken,
they would amount to this, that I had freely left the Lord Jesus
Christ to his choice, whether he would be my Saviour or no; for the
wicked words were these, Let him go if he will. Then that scripture
gave me hope, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5).
O Lord, said I, but I have left thee. Then it answered again, "But
I will not leave thee." For this I thank God also.

217. Yet I was grievously afraid he should, and found it exceeding
hard to trust him, seeing I had so offended him. I could have been
exceeding glad that this thought had never befallen, for then I
thought I could, with more ease and freedom abundance, have leaned
upon his grace. I see it was with me, as it was with Joseph's
brethren; the guilt of their own wickedness did often fill them with
fears that their brother would at last despise them (Gen 50:15-17).

218. But above all the scriptures that I yet did meet with, that
in the twentieth of Joshua was the greatest comfort to me, which
speaks of the slayer that was to flee for refuge. And if the avenger
of blood pursue the slayer, then, saith Moses, they that are the
elders of the city of refuge shall not deliver him into his hand,
because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not
aforetime. Oh, blessed be God for this word; I was convinced that
I was the slayer; and that the avenger of blood pursued me, that I
felt with great terror; only now it remained that I inquire whether
I have right to enter the city of refuge.[49] So I found that he
must not, who lay in wait to shed blood: 'it was not the willful
murderer,' but he who unwittingly did it, he who did unawares
shed blood; 'not of spite, or grudge, or malice, he that shed
it unwittingly,' even he who did not hate his neighbour before.
Wherefore,

219. I thought verily I was the man that must enter, because I
had smitten my neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not aforetime.
I hated him not aforetime; no, I prayed unto him, was tender of
sinning against him; yea, and against this wicked temptation I had
strove for a twelvemonth before; yea, and also when it did pass
through my heart, it did it in spite of my teeth: wherefore I
thought I had right to enter this city, and the elders, which are
the apostles, were not to deliver me up. This, therefore, was great
comfort to me; and did give me much ground of hope.

220. Yet being very critical, for my smart had made me that I knew
not what ground was sure enough to bear me, I had one question
that my soul did much desire to be resolved about; and that was,
Whether it be possible for any soul that hath indeed sinned the
unpardonable sin, yet after that to receive though but the least
true spiritual comfort from God through Christ? The which, after
I had much considered, I found the answer was, No, they could not;
and that for these reasons:--

221. First, Because those that have sinned that sin, they are debarred
a share in the blood of Christ, and being shut out of that, they
must needs be void of the least ground of hope, and so of spiritual
comfort; for to such "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins"
(Heb 10:26). Secondly, Because they are denied a share in the
promise of life; they shall never be forgiven, "neither in this
world, neither in that which is to come" (Matt 12:32). Thirdly,
The Son of God excludes them also from a share in his blessed
intercession, being for ever ashamed to own them both before his
holy Father, and the blessed angels in heaven (Mark 8:38).

222. When I had, with much deliberation, considered of this matter,
and could not but conclude that the Lord had comforted me, and that
too after this my wicked sin; then, methought, I durst venture to
come nigh unto those most fearful and terrible scriptures, with
which all this while I had been so greatly affrighted, and on which,
indeed, before I durst scarce cast mine eye, yea, had much ado an
hundred times to forbear wishing of them out of the Bible; for I
thought they would destroy me; but now, I say, I began to take some
measure of encouragement to come close to them, to read them, and
consider them, and to weigh their scope and tendency.

223. The which, when I began to do, I found their visage changed;
for they looked not so grimly on me as before I thought they did.
And, first, I came to the sixth of the Hebrews, yet trembling for
fear it should strike me; which when I had considered, I found that
the falling there intended was a falling quite away; that is, as
I conceived, a falling from, and an absolute denial of the gospel
of remission of sins by Christ; for from them the apostle begins
his argument (vv 1-3). Secondly, I found that this falling away
must be openly, even in the view of the world, even so as "to put
Christ to an open shame." Thirdly, I found that those he there
intended were for ever shut up of God, both in blindness, hardness,
and impenitency: it is impossible they should be renewed again unto
repentance. By all these particulars, I found, to God's everlasting
praise, my sin was not the sin in this place intended.

'First, I confessed I was fallen, but not fallen away, that is,
from the profession of faith in Jesus unto eternal life. Secondly,
I confessed that I had put Jesus Christ to shame by my sin, but
not to open shame; I did not deny him before men, nor condemn him
as a fruitless one before the world. Thirdly, Nor did I find that
God had shut me up, or denied me to come, though I found it hard
work indeed to come to him by sorrow and repentance. Blessed be
God for unsearchable grace.'

224. Then I considered that in the tenth of the Hebrews, and found
that the willful sin there mentioned is not every willful sin,
but that which doth throw off Christ, and then his commandments
too. Secondly, That must also be done openly, before two or three
witnesses, to answer that of the law (v 28). Thirdly, This sin cannot
be committed, but with great despite done to the Spirit of grace;
despising both the dissuasions from that sin, and the persuasions
to the contrary. But the Lord knows, though this my sin was devilish,
yet it did not amount to these.

225. And as touching that in the twelfth of the Hebrews, about
Esau's selling his birthright, though this was that which killed me,
and stood like a spear against me; yet now I did consider, First,
That his was not a hasty thought against the continual labour of
his mind, but a thought consented to and put in practice likewise,
and that too after some deliberation (Gen 25). Secondly, It was a
public and open action, even before his brother, if not before many
more; this made his sin of a far more heinous nature than otherwise
it would have been. Thirdly, He continued to slight his birthright:
"He did eat and drink, and went his way; thus Esau despised
his birthright" (v 34). Yea, twenty years after, he was found to
despise it still. "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep
that thou hast unto thyself" (Gen 33:9).

226. Now as touching this, that Esau sought a place of repentance;
thus I thought, first, This was not for the birthright, but for the
blessing; this is clear from the apostle, and is distinguished by
Esau himself; "he took away my birthright [that is, formerly]; and,
behold, now he hath taken away my blessing" (Gen 27:36). Secondly,
Now, this being thus considered, I came again to the apostle, to
see what might be the mind of God, in a New Testament style and
sense, concerning Esau's sin; and so far as I could conceive, this
was the mind of God, That the birthright signified regeneration,
and the blessing the eternal inheritance; for so the apostle seems
to hint, "Lest there be any profane person, as Esau, who for one
morsel of meat sold his birthright"; as if he should say, Lest there
be any person amongst you, that shall cast off all those blessed
beginnings of God that at present are upon him, in order to a new
birth, lest they become as Esau, even be rejected afterwards, when
they would inherit the blessing.

227. For many there are who, in the day of grace and mercy, despise
those things which are indeed the birthright to heaven, who yet,
when the deciding day appears, will cry as loud as Esau, "Lord,
Lord, open to us"; but then, as Isaac would not repent, no more will
God the Father, but will say, I have blessed these, yea, and they
shall be blessed; but as for you, depart from me, all ye workers
of iniquity (Gen 27:33; Luke 13:25-27).

228. When I had thus considered these scriptures, and found that
thus to understand them was not against, but according to other
scriptures; this still added further to my encouragement and
comfort, and also gave a great blow to that objection, to wit, that
the scripture could not agree in the salvation of my soul. And now
remained only the hinder part of the tempest, for the thunder was
gone beyond me, only some drops did still remain, that now and then
would fall upon me; but because my former frights and anguish were
very sore and deep, therefore it did oft befall me still, as it
befalleth those that have been scared with fire, I thought every
voice was Fire, fire; every little touch would hurt my tender
conscience.[50]

229. But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too with
some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right,
suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, Thy righteousness is
in heaven; and methought withal, I saw, with the eyes of my soul,
Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, as my righteousness;
so that wherever I was, or whatever I was adoing, God could not
say of me, He wants my righteousness, for that was just before him.
I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that
made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my
righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself,
the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever (Heb 13:8).

230. Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed, I was loosed from
my affliction and irons, my temptations also fled away; so that,
from that time, those dreadful scriptures of God left off to trouble
me; now went I also home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God.
So when I came home, I looked to see if I could find that sentence,
Thy righteousness is in heaven; but could not find such a saying,
wherefore my heart began to sink again, only that was brought to my
remembrance, he "of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption"; by this word I saw the other
sentence true (1 Cor 1:30).

231. For by this scripture, I saw that the man Christ Jesus, as
he is distinct from us, as touching his bodily presence, so he is
our righteousness and sanctification before God. Here, therefore,
I lived for some time, very sweetly at peace with God through
Christ; Oh methought, Christ! Christ! there was nothing but Christ
that was before my eyes, I was not now only for looking upon this
and the other benefits of Christ apart, as of his blood, burial, or
resurrection, but considered him as a whole Christ! As he in whom
all these, and all other his virtues, relations, offices, and
operations met together, and that 'as he sat' on the right hand of
God in heaven.

232. It was glorious to me to see his exaltation, and the worth
and prevalency of all his benefits, and that because of this: now
I could look from myself to him, and should reckon that all those
graces of God that now were green in me, were yet but like those
cracked groats and fourpence-halfpennies[51] that rich men carry
in their purses, when their gold is in their trunks at home! Oh, I
saw my gold was in my trunk at home! In Christ, my Lord and Saviour!
Now Christ was all; all my wisdom, all my righteousness, all my
sanctification, and all my redemption.

233. Further, the Lord did also lead me into the mystery of union
with the Son of God, that I was joined to him, that I was flesh
of his flesh, and bone of his bone, and now was that a sweet word
to me in Ephesians 5:30. By this also was my faith in him, as my
righteousness, the more confirmed to me; for if he and I were one,
then his righteousness was mine, his merits mine, his victory also
mine. Now could I see myself in heaven and earth at once; in heaven
by my Christ, by my head, by my righteousness and life, though on
earth by my body or person.

234. Now I saw Christ Jesus was looked on of God, and should also
be looked upon by us, as that common or public person, [52] in
whom all the whole body of his elect are always to be considered
and reckoned; that we fulfilled the law by him, died by him, rose
from the dead by him, got the victory over sin, death, the devil,
and hell, by him; when he died, we died; and so of his resurrection.
"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they
arise," saith he (Isa 26:19). And again, "After two days will he
revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live
in his sight" (Hosea 6:2); which is now fulfilled by the sitting
down of the Son of man on the right hand of the Majesty in the
heavens, according to that to the Ephesians, he "hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus" (Eph 2:6).

235. Ah, these blessed considerations and scriptures, with many
other of a like nature, were in those days made to spangle in mine
eyes, 'so that I have cause to say,' "Praise ye the Lord. Praise
God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent
greatness" (Psa 150:1,2).

236. Having thus, in few words, given you a taste of the sorrow and
affliction that my soul went under, by the guilt and terror that
this my wicked thought did lay me under! and having given you also
a touch of my deliverance therefrom, and of the sweet and blessed
comfort that I met with afterwards, which comfort dwelt about a
twelve-month with my heart, to my unspeakable admiration; I will
now, God willing, before I proceed any further, give you in a word
or two, what, as I conceive, was the cause of this temptation; and
also after that, what advantage, at the last, it became unto my
soul.

237. For the causes, I conceived they were principally two: of which
two also I was deeply convinced all the time this trouble lay upon
me. The first was, for that I did not, when I was delivered from
the temptation that went before, still pray to God to keep me from
temptations that were to come; for though, as I can say in truth,
my soul was much in prayer before this trial seized me, yet then I
prayed only, or at the most, principally for the removal of present
troubles, and for fresh discoveries of 'his' love in Christ! which
I saw afterwards was not enough to do; I also should have prayed
that the great God would keep me from the evil that was to come.

238. Of this I was made deeply sensible by the prayer of holy
David, who, when he was under present mercy, yet prayed that God
would hold him back from sin and temptation to come; "Then," saith
he, "shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the GREAT
transgression" (Psa 19:13). By this very word was I galled and
condemned, quite through this long temptation.

239. That also was another word that did much condemn me for my
folly, in the neglect of this duty (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 I had not done, and
therefore was suffered thus to sin and fall, according to what is
written, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." And truly this
very thing is to this day of such weight and awe upon me, that
I dare not, when I come before the Lord, go off my knees, until
I entreat him for help and mercy against the temptations that are
to come; and I do beseech thee, reader, that thou learn to beware
of my negligence, by the affliction that for this thing I did for
days, and months, and years, with sorrow undergo.

240. Another cause of this temptation was, that I had tempted God;
and on this manner did I do it. Upon a time my wife was great with
child, and before her full time was come, her pangs, as of a woman
in travail, were fierce and strong upon her, even as if she would
have immediately fallen in labour, and been delivered of an untimely
birth. Now, at this very time it was, that I had been so strongly
tempted to question the being of God; wherefore, as my wife lay
crying by me, I said, but with all secrecy imaginable, even thinking
in my heart, Lord, if thou wilt now remove this sad affliction
from my wife, and cause that she be troubled no more therewith this
night, and now were her pangs just upon her, then I shall know that
thou canst discern the most secret thoughts of the heart.

241. I had no sooner said it in my heart, but her pangs were taken
from her, and she was cast into a deep sleep, and so she continued
till morning; at this I greatly marveled, not knowing what to
think; but after I had been awake a good while, and heard her cry
no more, I fell to sleeping also. So when I waked in the morning,
it came upon me again, even what I had said in my heart the
last night, and how the Lord had showed me that he knew my secret
thoughts, which was a great astonishment unto me for several weeks
after.

242. Well, about a year and a half afterwards, that wicked sinful
thought, of which I have spoken before, went through my wicked
heart, even this thought, Let Christ go if he will; so when I was
fallen under guilt for this, the remembrance of my other thought,
and of the effect thereof, would also come upon me with this retort,
which also carried rebuke along with it, Now you may see that God
doth know the most secret thoughts of the heart.[53]

243. And with this, that of the passages that were betwixt the
Lord and his servant Gideon fell upon my spirit; how because that
Gideon tempted God with his fleece, both wet and dry, when he should
have believed and ventured upon his word, therefore the Lord did
afterwards so try him, as to send him against an innumerable company
of enemies; and that too, as to outward appearance, without any
strength or help (Judg 6, 7). Thus he served me, and that justly,
for I should have believed his word, and not have put an IF upon
the all-seeingness of God.

244. And now to show you something of the advantages that I also
gained by this temptation; and first, By this I was made continually
to possess in my soul a very wonderful sense both of the being
and glory of God, and of his beloved Son; in the temptation 'that
went' before, my soul was perplexed with 'unbelief, blasphemy,
hardness of heart, questions about the being of God, Christ, the
truth of the Word, and certainty of the world to come; I say, then
I was greatly assaulted and tormented with' atheism; but now the
case was otherwise, now was God and Christ continually before my
face, though not in a way of comfort, but in a way of exceeding
dread and terror. The glory of the holiness of God did at this
time break me to pieces; and the bowels and compassion of Christ
did break me as on the wheel;[54] for I could not consider him but
as a lost and rejected Christ, the remembrance of which was as the
continual breaking of my bones.

245. The Scriptures now also were wonderful things unto me; I saw
that the truth and verity of them were the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; those 'that' the Scriptures favour they must inherit bliss,
but those 'that' they oppose and condemn must perish evermore. Oh
this word, "For the Scripture cannot be broken": would rend the
caul of my heart; and so would that other, "Whose soever sins ye
remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain,
they are retained." Now I saw the apostles to be the elders of the
city of refuge (Josh 20:4), those 'that' they were to receive in,
were received to life; but those that they shut out were to be
slain by the avenger of blood.[55]

246. Oh! one sentence of the Scripture did more afflict and terrify
my mind, I mean those sentences that stood against me, as sometimes
I thought they every one did, more I say, than an army of forty
thousand men that might have come against me. Woe be to him against
whom the Scriptures bend themselves.

247. By this temptation I was made 'to' see more into the nature
of the promises than ever I was before; for I lying now trembling
under the mighty hand of God, continually torn and rent by the
thunderings of his justice; this made me, with careful heart and
watchful eye, with great seriousness, to turn over every leaf,
and with much diligence, mixed with trembling, to consider every
sentence, together with its natural force and latitude.

248. By this temptation, also, I was greatly beaten off my former
foolish practice, of putting by the word of promise when it came
into my mind; for now, though I could not suck that comfort and
sweetness from the promise as I had done at other times, yea, like
to a man a-sinking, I should catch at all I saw; formerly I thought
I might not meddle with the promise unless I felt its comfort, but
now it was no time thus to do, the avenger of blood too hardly did
pursue me.

249. Now therefore I was glad to catch at that word, which yet I
feared I had no ground or right to own; and even to leap into the
bosom of that promise, that yet I feared did shut its heart against
me. Now also I should labour to take the Word as God had laid it
down, without restraining the natural force of one syllable thereof.
O what did I now see in that blessed sixth of John, "And him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" (v 37). Now I began to
consider with myself, that God had a bigger mouth to speak with
than I had heart to conceive with. I thought also with myself that
he spake not his words in haste, or in unadvised heat, but with
infinite wisdom and judgment, and in very truth and faithfulness
(2 Sam 3:18).

250. I should in these days, often in my greatest agonies, even
flounce towards the promise, as the horses do towards sound ground
that yet stick in the mire, concluding, though as one almost bereft
of his wits through fear, on this I will rest and stay, and leave
the fulfilling of it to the God of heaven that made it. Oh! many a
pull hath my heart had with Satan for that blessed sixth of John.
I did not now, as at other times, look principally for comfort,
though, O how welcome would it have been unto me! But now a word,
a word to lean a weary soul upon, that I might not sink for ever!
'it was that I hunted for.'

251. Yea, often when I have been making to the promise, I have
seen as if the Lord would refuse my soul for ever. I was often as
if I had run upon the pikes, and as if the Lord had thrust at me
to keep me from him as with a flaming sword. Then I should think
of Esther, who went to petition the king contrary to the law (Esth
4:16). I thought also of Benhadad's servants, who went with ropes
upon their heads to their enemies for mercy (1 Kings 20:31). The
woman of Canaan also, that would not be daunted, though called dog
by Christ (Matt 15:20-28). And the man that went to borrow bread
at midnight (Luke 11:5-8), were great encouragements unto me.

251. I never saw those heights and depths in grace, and love, and
mercy, as I saw after this temptation. Great sins do draw out great
grace; and where guilt is most terrible and fierce there the mercy
of God in Christ, when showed to the soul, appears most high and
mighty. When Job had passed through his captivity, he had "twice
as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). Blessed be God for Jesus
Christ our Lord. Many other things I might here make observation
of, but I would be brief, and therefore shall at this time omit
them, and do pray God that my harms may make others fear to offend,
lest they also be made to bear the iron yoke as I 'did.'

'I had two or three times, at or about my deliverance from this
temptation, such strange apprehensions of the grace of God, that
I could hardly bear up under it, it was so out of measure amazing,
when I thought it could reach me, that I do think, if that sense
of it had abode long upon me, it would have made me incapable for
business.'

[ENTERS INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT BEDFORD, IN
WHICH HE AFTERWARDS BECAME A MINISTERING ELDER.]

253. Now I shall go forward to give you a relation of other of the
Lord's dealings with me, of his dealings with me at sundry other
seasons, and of the temptations I then did meet withal. I shall begin
with what I met with when I first did join in fellowship with the
people of God in Bedford.[56] After I had propounded to the church
that my desire was to walk in the order and ordinances of Christ
with them, and was also admitted by them; while I thought of that
blessed ordinance of Christ, which was his last supper with his
disciples before his death, that Scripture, "This do in remembrance
of me" (Luke 22:19), was made a very precious word unto me; for
by it the Lord did come down upon my conscience with the discovery
of his death for my sins; and as I then felt, did as if he plunged
me in the virtue of the same. But, behold, I had not been long
a partaker at that ordinance, but such fierce and sad temptations
did attend me at all times therein, both to blaspheme the ordinance,
and to wish some deadly thing to those that then did eat thereof;
that, lest I should at any time be guilty of consenting to these
wicked and fearful thoughts, I was forced to bend myself all the
while to pray to God to keep me from such blasphemies; and also
to cry to God to bless the bread and cup to them as it went from
mouth to mouth. The reason of this temptation I have thought since
was, because I did not, with that reverence 'as became me,' at
first approach to partake thereof.

254. Thus I continued for three quarters of a year, and could never
have rest nor ease; but at last the Lord came in upon my soul with
that same scripture by which my soul was visited before; and after
that I have been usually very well and comfortable in the partaking
of that blessed ordinance, and have, I trust, therein discerned
the Lord's body as broken for my sins, and that his precious blood
hath been shed for my transgressions.

255. Upon a time I was somewhat inclining to a consumption,
wherewith, about the spring, I was suddenly and violently seized
with much weakness in my outward man, insomuch that I thought I
could not live. Now began I afresh to give myself up to a serious
examination after my state and condition for the future, and of
my evidences for that blessed world to come; for it hath, I bless
the name of God, been my usual course, as always, so especially
in the day of affliction, to endeavour to keep my interest in the
life to come clear before my eye.

256. But I had no sooner began to recall to mind my former experience
of the goodness of God to my soul, but there came flocking into my
mind, an innumerable company of my sins and transgressions, amongst
which these were at this time most to my affliction, namely, my
deadness, dullness, and coldness in holy duties; my wanderings of
heart, 'of' my wearisomeness in all good things, my want of love to
God, his ways, and people, with this at the end of all, Are these
the fruits of Christianity? are these the tokens of a blessed man?

257. At the apprehension of these things my sickness was doubled
upon me, for now was I sick in my inward man, my soul was clogged
with guilt; now also was my former experience of God's goodness
to me quite taken out of my mind, and hid as if it had never
been, nor seen. Now was my soul greatly pinched between these two
considerations, Live I must not, Die I dare not; now I sunk and
fell in my spirit, and was giving up all for lost; but as I was
walking up and down in the house, as a man in a most woeful state,
that word of God took hold of my heart, Ye are "justified freely
by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom
3:24). 'But oh what a turn it made upon me!'

258. Now was I as one awakened out of some troublesome sleep and
dream, and listening to this heavenly sentence, I was as if I had
heard it thus expounded to me: Sinner, thou thinkest that because
of thy sins and infirmities I cannot save thy soul, but behold my
Son is by me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal
with thee according as I am pleased with him. At this I was greatly
lightened in my mind, and made to understand that God could justify
a sinner at any time; it was but 'his' looking upon Christ, and
imputing of his benefits to us, and the work was forthwith done.

259. And as I was thus in a muse that scripture also came with great
power upon my spirit, Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, &c. (Titus 3:5; 2 Tim
1:9). Now was I got on high; I saw myself within the arms of grace
and mercy; and though I was before afraid to think of a dying hour,
yet now I cried, Let me die. Now death was lovely and beautiful
in my sight; for I saw we shall never live indeed till we be gone
to the other world. Oh, methought this life is but a slumber in
comparison of that above; at this time also I saw more in those
words, "Heirs of God" (Rom 8:17), than ever I shall be able to
express while I live in this world. "Heirs of God!" God himself is
the portion of the saints. This I saw and wondered at, but cannot
tell you what I saw.[57]

260. 'Again, as I was at another time very ill and weak, all that
time also the tempter did beset me strongly, for I find he is much
for assaulting the soul when it begins to approach towards the
grave, then is his opportunity, labouring to hide from me my former
experience of God's goodness; also setting before me the terrors of
death and the judgment of God, insomuch that at this time, through
my fear of miscarrying for ever, should I now die, I was as one
dead before death came, and was as if I had felt myself already
descending into the pit; methought, I said, there was no way, but
to hell I must; but behold, just as I was in the midst of those
fears, these words of the angels carrying Lazarus into Abraham's
bosom darted in upon me, as who should say, So it shall be with
thee when thou dost leave this world. This did sweetly revive my
spirit, and help me to hope in God; which, when I had with comfort
mused on a while, that word fell with great weight upon my mind,
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1
Cor 15:55). At this I became both well in body and mind at once,
for my sickness did presently vanish, and I walked comfortably in
my work for God again.'

261. At another time, though just before I was pretty well and
savoury in my spirit, yet suddenly there fell upon me a great cloud
of darkness, which did so hide from me the things of God and Christ,
that I was as if I had never seen or known them in my life; I was
also so overrun in my soul, with a senseless, heartless frame of
spirit, that I could not feel my soul to move or stir after grace
and life by Christ; I was as if my loins were broken, or as if my
hands and feet had been tied or bound with chains. At this time
also I felt some weakness to seize 'upon' my outward man, which
made still the other affliction the more heavy and uncomfortable
'to me.'

262. After I had been in this condition some three or four days,
as I was sitting by the fire, I suddenly felt this word to sound
in my heart, I must go to Jesus; at this my former darkness and
atheism fled away, and the blessed things of heaven were set within
my view. While I was on this sudden thus overtaken with surprise,
Wife, said I, is there ever such a scripture, I must go to Jesus?
she said she could not tell, therefore I sat musing still to see
if I could remember such a place; I had not sat above two or three
minutes but that came bolting in upon me, "And to an innumerable
company of angels," and withal, Hebrews the twelfth, about the
mount Sion was set before mine eyes (vv 22-24).

263. Then with joy I told my wife, O now I know, I know! But that
night was a good night to me, I never had but few better; I longed
for the company of some of God's people that I might have imparted
unto them what God had showed me. Christ was a precious Christ to
my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy, and peace,
and triumph, through Christ; this great glory did not continue upon
me until morning, yet that twelfth of the author to the Hebrews
(Heb 12:22,23) was a blessed scripture to me for many days together
after this.

264. The words are these, "Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Through this blessed
sentence the Lord led me over and over, first to this word, and
then to that, and showed me wonderful glory in every one of them.
These words also have oft since this time been great refreshment
to my spirit. Blessed be God for having mercy on me.

[A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR'S CALL TO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.]

265. And now I am speaking my experience, I will in this place
thrust in a word or two concerning my preaching the Word, and of
God's dealing with me in that particular also. For after I had been
about five or six years awakened, and helped 'myself' to see both
the want and worth of Jesus Christ our Lord, and 'also' enabled to
venture my soul upon him, some of the most able among the saints
with us, I say the most able for judgment and holiness of life,
as they conceived, did perceive that God had counted me worthy to
understand something of his will in his holy and blessed Word, and
had given me utterance, in some measure, to express what I saw to
others for edification; 'therefore' they desired me, and that with
much earnestness, that I would be willing, at sometimes, to take in
hand, in one of the meetings, to speak a word of exhortation unto
them.[58]

266. The which, though at the first it did much dash and abash my
spirit, yet being still by them desired and intreated, I consented
to their request, and did twice at two several assemblies, but in
private, though with much weakness and infirmity, discover my gift
amongst them; at which they not only seemed to be, but did solemnly
protest, as in the sight of the great God, they were both affected
and comforted, and gave thanks to the Father of mercies for the
grace bestowed on me.

267. After this, sometimes when some of them did go into the country
to teach, they would also that I should go with them; where, though
as yet I did not, nor durst not, make use of my gift in an open
way, yet more privately still as I came amongst the good people in
those places, I did sometimes speak a word of admonition unto them
also; the which, they as the other received, with rejoicing, at the
mercy of God to me-ward, professing their souls were edified thereby.

268. Wherefore, to be brief, at last, being still desired by the
church, after some solemn prayer to the Lord, with fasting, I was
more particularly called forth, and appointed to a more ordinary
and public preaching the word, not only to, and amongst them that
believed, but also to offer the gospel to those who had not yet
received the faith thereof; about which time I did evidently find
in my mind a secret pricking forward thereto; though I bless God,
not for desire of vain glory, for at that time I was most sorely
afflicted with the fiery darts of the devil concerning my eternal
state.

269. But yet could not be content, unless I was found in the
exercise of my gift, unto which also I was greatly animated, not
only by the continual desires of the godly, but also by that saying
of Paul to the Corinthians, "I beseech you, brethren (ye know the
household of Stephanus, that it is the first fruits of Achaian, and
that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints)
that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth
with us, and laboureth" (1 Cor 16:15,16).

270. By this text I was made to see that the Holy Ghost never
intended that men who have gifts and abilities should bury them in
the earth, but rather did command and stir up such to the exercise
of their gift, and also did commend those that were apt and ready
so to do, "They have addicted themselves to the ministry of the
saints." This scripture, in these days, did continually run in my
mind, to encourage me and strengthen me in this my work for God;
I have also been encouraged from several other scriptures and
examples of the godly, both specified in the Word and other ancient
histories (Acts 8:4, 18:24,25; 1 Peter 4:10; Rom 12:6; Foxe's Acts
and Monuments).

271. Wherefore, though of myself, of all the saints the most
unworthy, yet I, but with great fear and trembling at the sight
of my own weakness, did set upon the work, and did according to my
gift, and the proportion of my faith, preach that blessed gospel
that God had showed me in the holy Word of truth; which, when the
country understood, they came in to hear the Word by hundreds, and
that from all parts, though upon sundry and divers accounts.

272. And I thank God he gave unto me some measure of bowels and
pity for their souls, which also did put me forward to labour with
great diligence and earnestness, to find out such a word as might,
if God would bless it, lay hold of, and awaken the conscience, in
which also the good Lord had respect to the desire of his servant;
for I had not preached long before some began to be touched by the
Word, and to be greatly afflicted in their minds at the apprehension
of the greatness of their sin, and of their need of Jesus Christ.

273. But I at first could not believe that God should speak by me
to the heart of any man, still counting myself unworthy; yet those
who thus were touched would love me and have a peculiar respect for
me; and though I did put it from me, that they should be awakened
by me, still they would confess it and affirm it before the saints
of God; they would also bless God for me, unworthy wretch that I
am! and count me God's instrument that showed to them the way of
salvation.

274. Wherefore, seeing them in both their words and deeds to be
so constant, and also in their hearts so earnestly pressing after
the knowledge of Jesus Christ, rejoicing that ever God did send
me where they were; then I began to conclude it might be so, that
God had owned in his work such a foolish one as I, and then came
that word of God to my heart with much sweet refreshment, "The
blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused
the widow's heart to sing for joy" (Job 29:13).

275. At this therefore I rejoiced, yea, the tears of those whom God
did awaken by my preaching would be both solace and encouragement
to me; for I thought on those sayings, "Who is he that maketh
me glad but the same which is made sorry by me?" (2 Cor 2;2); and
again, Though "I be not an apostle to others, yet, doubtless, I
am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord" (1
Cor 9:2). These things, therefore, were as another argument unto
me that God had called me to, and stood by me in this work.

276. In my preaching of the Word, I took special notice of this one
thing, namely, that the Lord did lead me to being where his Word
begins with sinners; that is, to condemn all flesh, and to open
and allege that the curse of God, by the law, doth belong to, and
lay hold on all men as they come into the world, because of sin.
Now this part of my work I fulfilled with great sense;[59] for
the terrors of the law, and guilt for my transgressions, lay heavy
on my conscience. I preached what I felt, what I smartingly did
feel, even that under which my pour soul did groan and tremble to
astonishment.

277. Indeed I have been as one sent to them from the dead; I went
myself in chains to preach to them in chains; and carried that
fire in my own conscience that I persuaded them to beware of. I can
truly say, and that without dissembling, that when I have been to
preach, I have gone full of guilt and terror even to the pulpit
door, and there it hath been taken off, and I have been at liberty
in my mind until I have done my work, and then immediately, even
before I could get down the pulpit stairs, I have been as bad as I
was before; yet God carried me on, but surely with a strong hand,
for neither guilt or hell could take me off my work.

278. Thus I went for the space of two years, crying out against
men's sins, and their fearful state because of them. After which
the Lord came in upon my own soul with some staid peace and comfort
through Christ; for he did give me many sweet discoveries of his
blessed grace through him. Wherefore now I altered in my preaching,
for still I preached what I saw and felt; now therefore I did much
labour to hold forth Jesus Christ in all his offices, relations,
and benefits unto the world; and did strive also to discover, to
condemn, and remove those false supports and props on which the
world doth both lean, and by them fall and perish. On these things
also I staid as long as on the other.

279. After this, God led me into something of the mystery of union
with Christ; wherefore that I discovered and showed to them also.
And when I had traveled through these three chief points of the
Word of God, about the space of five years or more, I was caught
in my present practice and cast into prison, where I have lain[60]
above as long again, to confirm the truth by way of suffering, as
I was before in testifying of it according to the Scriptures in a
way of preaching.

280. When I have been preaching, I thank God, my heart hath often
all the time of this and the other exercise, with great earnestness,
cried to God that he would make the Word effectual to the salvation
of the soul; still being grieved lest the enemy should take the
Word away from the conscience, and so it should become unfruitful.
Wherefore I did labour so to speak the Word, as that thereby, if it
were possible, the sins and person guilty might be particularized
by it.

281. Also, when I have done the exercise, it hath gone to my heart
to think the Word should now fall as rain on stony places, still
wishing from my heart, O that they who have heard me speak this
day did but see as I do what sin, death, hell, and the curse of
God is; and also what the grace, and love, and mercy of God is,
through Christ, to men in such a case as they are, who are yet
estranged from him. And, indeed, I did often say in my heart before
the Lord, That if to be hanged up presently before their eyes would
be a means to awaken them, and confirm them in the truth, I gladly
should be contented.

282. For I have been in my preaching, especially when I have been
engaged in the doctrine of life by Christ, without works, as if an
angel of God had stood by at my back to encourage me. Oh, it hath
been with such power and heavenly evidence upon my own soul, while
I have been labouring to unfold it, to demonstrate it, and to fasten
it upon the consciences of others, that I could not be contented
with saying, I believe, and am sure; methought I was more than sure,
if it be lawful so to express myself, that those things which then
I asserted were true.

283. When I went first to preach the Word abroad, the doctors
and priests of the country did open wide against me.[61] But I
was persuaded of this, not to render railing for railing, but to
see how many of their carnal professors I could convince of their
miserable state by the law, and of the want and worth of Christ;
for, thought I, This shall answer for me in time to come, when they
shall be for my hire before their faces (Gen 30:33).

284. I never cared to meddle with things that were controverted,
and in dispute amongst the saints, especially things of the lowest
nature; yet it pleased me much to contend with great earnestness
for the word of faith and the remission of sins by the death and
sufferings of Jesus; but I say, as to other things, I should let
them alone, because I saw they engendered strife, and because that
they neither, in doing nor in leaving undone, did commend us to
God to be his. Besides, I saw my work before me did run in another
channel, even to carry an awakening word; to that therefore did I
stick and adhere.[62]

285. I never endeavoured to, nor durst make use of other men's lines
(Rom 15:18)[63], though I condemn not all that do, for I verily
thought, and found by experience, that what was taught me by the
Word and Spirit of Christ, could be spoken, maintained, and stood
to by the soundest and best established conscience; and though I
will not now speak all that I know in this matter, yet my experience
hath more interest in that text of Scripture than many amongst men
are aware (Gal 1:11,12).

286. If any of those who were awakened by my ministry did after
that fall back, as sometimes too many did, I can truly say their
loss hath been more to me than if one of my own children, begotten
of my body, had been going to its grave; I think, verily, I may
speak it without an offence to the Lord, nothing hath gone so near
me as that, unless it was the fear of the loss of the salvation
of my own soul. I have counted as if I had goodly buildings and
lordships in those places where my children were born; my heart
hath been so wrapped up in the glory of this excellent work, that
I counted myself more blessed and honoured of God by this than if
he had made me the emperor of the Christian world, or the lord of
all the glory of 'the' earth without it! O these words, "He which
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul
from death" (James 5:20). '"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of
life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Prov 11:30). "They that
be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they
that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever"
(Dan 12:3). "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his
coming? For ye are our glory and joy" (1 Thess 2:19,20). These, I
say, with many others of a like nature, have been great refreshments
to me.'

287. I have observed, that where I have had a work to do for God,
I have had first, as it were, the going of God upon my spirit to
desire I might preach there. I have also observed that such and
such souls in particular have been strongly set upon my heart,
and I stirred up to wish for their salvation; and that these very
souls have, after this, been given in as the fruits of my ministry.
I have also observed, that a word cast in by the by hath done more
execution in a sermon than all that was spoken besides; sometimes
also when I have thought I did no good, then I did the most of
all; and at other times when I thought I should catch them I have
fished for nothing.

288. 'I have also observed, that where there hath been a work to
do upon sinners, there the devil hath begun to roar in the hearts,
and by the mouths of his servants. Yea, oftentimes when the wicked
world hath raged most, there hath been souls awaked by the Word.
I could instance particulars, but I forbear.'

289. My great desire in my fulfilling my ministry was to get into
the darkest places of the country, even amongst those people that
were furthest off of profession; yet not because I could not endure
the light, for I feared not to show my gospel to any, but because
I found my spirit leaned most after awakening and converting work,
and the Word that I carried did lead itself most that way 'also';
"yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ
was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation" (Rom
15:20).

290. In my preaching I have really been in pain, and have, as it
were, travailed to bring forth children to God; neither could I
be satisfied unless some fruits did appear in my work. If I were
fruitless it mattered not who commended me; but if I were fruitful,
I cared not who did condemn. I have thought of that, "He that
winneth souls is wise" (Prov 11:30); and again, "Lo, children are
an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As
arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath filled his quiver full of them; they
shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the
gate" (Psa 127:3-5).

291. 'It pleased me nothing to see people drink in opinions if
they seemed ignorant of Jesus Christ, and the worth of their own
salvation, sound conviction for sin, especially for unbelief, and
an heart set on fire to be saved by Christ, with strong breathing
after a truly sanctified soul; that it was that delighted me; those
were the souls I counted blessed.'

292. But in this work, as in all other, I had my temptations
attending me, and that of diverse kinds, as sometimes I should be
assaulted with great discouragement therein, fearing that I should
not be able to speak the word at all to edification; nay, that I
should not be able to speak sense unto the people; at which times
I should have such a strange faintness and strengthlessness seize
upon my body that my legs have scarce been able to carry me to the
place of exercise.

293. Sometimes, again, when I have been preaching, I have been
violently assaulted with thoughts of blasphemy, and strongly tempted
to speak the words with my mouth before the congregation. I have
also at some times, even when I have begun to speak the Word with
much clearness, evidence, and liberty of speech, yet been before
the ending of that opportunity so blinded, and so estranged from
the things I have been speaking, and have also been so straitened
in my speech, as to utterance before the people, that I have been
as if I had not known or remembered what I have been about, or as
if my head had been in a bag all the time of the exercise.

294. Again, when as sometimes I have been about to preach upon
some smart and scorching[64] portion of the Word, I have found the
tempter suggest, What, will you preach this? this condemns yourself;
of this your own soul is guilty; wherefore preach not of it at all;
or if you do, yet so mince it as to make way for your own escape;
lest instead of awakening others, you lay that guilt upon your own
soul, as you will never get from under.

295. 'But, I thank the Lord, I have been kept from consenting
to these so horrid suggestions, and have rather, as Samson, bowed
myself with all my might, to condemn sin and transgression wherever
I found it, yea, though therein also I did bring guilt upon my own
conscience! "Let me die," thought I, "with the Philistines" (Judg
16:29,30), rather than deal corruptly with the blessed Word of
God, "Thou that teachest another, teachest not thou thyself?" It
is far better that thou do judge thyself, even by preaching plainly
to others, than that thou, to save thyself, imprison the truth in
unrighteousness; blessed be God for his help also in this.'

296. I have also, while found in this blessed work of Christ, been
often tempted to pride and liftings up of heart; and though I dare
not say I have not been infected with this, yet truly the Lord, of
his precious mercy, hath so carried it towards me, that, for the
most part, I have had but small joy to give way to such a thing;
for it hath been my every day's portion to be let into the evil of
my own heart, and still made to see such a multitude of corruptions
and infirmities therein, that it hath caused hanging down of the
head under all my gifts and attainments; I have felt this thorn in
the flesh, the very mercy of God to me (2 Cor 12:7-9).

297. I have had also, together with this, some notable place or
other of the Word presented before me, which word hath contained
in it some sharp and piercing sentence concerning the perishing of
the soul, notwithstanding gifts and parts; as, for instance, that
hath been of great use unto me, "Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass, and a tinkling cymbal" (1 Cor 13:1,2).

298. A tinkling cymbal is an instrument of music, with which a
skillful player can make such melodious and heart-inflaming music,
that all who hear him play can scarcely hold from dancing; and yet
behold the cymbal hath not life, neither comes the music from it,
but because of the art of him that plays therewith; so then the
instrument at last may come to nought and perish, though, in times
past, such music hath been made upon it.

299. Just thus I saw it was and will be with them who have gifts,
but want saving grace, they are in the hand of Christ, as the
cymbal in the hand of David; and as David could, with the cymbal,
make that mirth in the service of God, as to elevate the hearts of
the worshippers, so Christ can use these gifted men, as with them
to affect the souls of his people in his church; yet when he hath
done all, hang them by as lifeless, though sounding cymbals.[65]

300. This consideration, therefore, together with some others, were,
for the most part, as a maul on the head of pride, and desire of
vain glory; what, thought I, shall I be proud because I am a sounding
brass? Is it so much to be a fiddle? Hath not the least creature
that hath life, more of God in it than these? Besides, I knew
it was love should never die, but these must cease and vanish; so
I concluded, a little grace, a little love, a little of the true
fear of God, is better than all these gifts; yea, and I am fully
convinced of it, that it is possible for a soul that can scarce
give a man an answer, but with great confusion as to method, I say
it is possible for them to have a thousand times more grace, and
so to be more in the love and favour of the Lord than some who,
by virtue of the gift of knowledge, can deliver themselves like
angels.[66]

301. 'Thus, therefore, I came to perceive, that though gifts
in themselves were good to the thing for which they are designed,
to wit, the edification of others; yet empty and without power to
save the soul of him that hath them, if they be alone; neither are
they, as so, any sign of a man's state to be happy, being only a
dispensation of God to some, of whose improvement, or non-improvement,
they must, when a little love more is over, give an account to him
that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.'

302. 'This showed me too, that gifts being alone, were dangerous,
not in themselves, but because of those evils that attend them that
have them, to wit, pride, desire of vain glory, self-conceit, &c.,
all which were easily blown up at the applause and commendation of
every unadvised Christian, to the endangering of a poor creature
to fall into the condemnation of the devil.'

303. 'I saw therefore that he that hath gifts had need be let into
a sight of the nature of them, to wit, that they come short of
making of him to be in a truly saved condition, lest he rest in
them, and so fall short of the grace of God.'

304. 'He hath also cause to walk humbly with God, and be little in
his own eyes, and to remember withal, that his gifts are not his
own, but the church's; and that by them he is made a servant to
the church; and he must give at last an account of his stewardship
unto the Lord Jesus; and to give a good account, will be a blessed
thing.'

305. 'Let all men therefore prize a little with the fear of the
Lord; gifts indeed are desirable, but yet great grace and small
gifts are better than great gifts and no grace. It doth not say,
the Lord gives gifts and glory, but the Lord gives grace and glory;
and blessed is such an one, to whom the Lord gives grace, true
grace, for that is a certain forerunner of glory.'

306. 'But when Satan perceived that his thus tempting and assaulting of
me would not answer his design, to wit, to overthrown my ministry,
and make it ineffectual, as to the ends thereof; then he tried
another way, which was to stir up the minds of the ignorant and
malicious, to load me with slanders and reproaches; now therefore
I may say, That what the devil could devise, and his instruments
invent, was whirled up and down the country against me, thinking,
as I said, that by that means they should make my ministry to be
abandoned.'

307. 'It began therefore to be rumoured up and down among the
people, that I was a witch, a Jesuit, a highwayman, and the like.'

308. 'To all which, I shall only say, God knows that I am innocent.
But as for mine accusers, let them provide themselves to meet
me before the tribunal of the Son of God, there to answer for all
these things, with all the rest of their iniquities, unless God
shall give them repentance for them, for the which I pray with all
my heart.'

309. 'But that which was reported with the boldest confidence,
was, that I had my misses, my whores, my bastards, yea, two wives
at once, and the like. Now these slanders, with the other, I glory
in, because but slanders, foolish, or knavish lies, and falsehoods
cast upon me by the devil and his seed; and should I not be dealt
with thus wickedly by the world, I should want one sign of a saint,
and a child of God. "Blessed are ye [said the Lord Jesus] when men
shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice, and be exceeding
glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they
the prophets which were before you" (Matt 4:11).'

310. 'These things, therefore, upon mine own account, trouble me
not; no, though they were twenty times more than they are. I have
a good conscience, and whereas they speak evil of me, as an evil
doer, they shall be ashamed that falsely accuse my good conversation
in Christ.[67]'

311. 'So then, what shall I say to those that have thus bespattered
me? shall I threaten them? Shall I chide them? Shall I flatter
them? Shall I intreat them to hold their tongues? No, not I, were
it not for that these things make them ripe for damnation, that
are the authors and abettors, I would say unto them, Report it,
because it will increase my glory.'

312. 'Therefore I bind these lies and slanders to me as an ornament,
it belongs to my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered,
reproached and reviled; and since all this is nothing else, as my
God and my conscience do bear me witness; I rejoice in reproaches
for Christ's sake.'

313. 'I also calling all those fools, or knaves, that have thus
made it anything of their business, to affirm any of the things
afore-named of me, namely, that I have been naught with other women,
or the like. When they have used to the utmost of their endeavours,
and made the fullest inquiry that they can, to prove against me
truly, that there is any woman in heaven, or earth, or hell, that
can say, I have at any time, in any place, by day or night, so much
as attempted to be naught with them; and speak I thus, to beg mine
enemies into a good esteem of me; no, not I: I will in this beg
relief of no man; believe or disbelieve me in this, all is a case
to me.[68]'

314. 'My foes have missed their mark in this their shooting at me.
I am not the man. I wish that they themselves be guiltless. If all
the fornicators and adulterers in England were hanged by the neck
till they be dead, JOHN BUNYAN, the object of their envy, would be
still alive and well. I know not whether there be such a thing as
a woman breathing under the copes of the whole heaven, but by their
apparel, their children, or by common fame, except my wife.'

315. 'And in this I admire the wisdom of God, that he made me shy
of women from my first conversion until now. Those know, and can also
bear me witness, with whom I have been most intimately concerned,
that it is a rare thing to see me carry it pleasant towards a
woman; the common salutation of a woman I abhor, it is odious to
me in whomsoever I see it. Their company alone, I cannot away with.
I seldom so much as touch a woman's hand, for I think these things
are not so becoming me. When I have seen good men salute those
women that they have visited, or that have visited them, I have at
times made my objection against it, and when they have answered,
that it was but a piece of civility, I have told them, it is not
a comely sight; some indeed have urged the holy kiss; but then I
have asked why they made baulks,[69] why they did salute the most
handsome, and let the ill-favoured go; thus, how laudable soever
such things have been in the eyes of others, they have been unseemly
in my sight.'

316. 'And now for a wind up in this matter, I calling not only
men, but angels, to prove me guilty of having carnally to do with
any woman save my wife, nor am I afraid to do it a second time,
knowing that I cannot offend the Lord in such a case, to call God
for a record upon my soul, that in these things I am innocent.
Not that I have been thus kept, because of any goodness in me more
than any other, but God has been merciful to me, and has kept me;
to whom I pray that he will keep me still, not only from this,
but from every evil way and work, and preserve me to his heavenly
kingdom. Amen.'

317. 'Now as Satan laboured by reproaches and slanders, to make me
vile among my countrymen, that if possible, my preaching might be
made of none effect, so there was added hereto a long and tedious
imprisonment, that thereby I might be frighted from my service for
Christ, and the world terrified, and made afraid to hear me preach,
of which I shall in the next place give you a brief account.'

[A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR'S IMPRISONMENT]

318. Having made profession of the glorious gospel of Christ a long
time, and preached the same about five years, I was apprehended at
a meeting of good people in the country, among whom, had they let
me alone, I should have preached that day, but they took me away
from amongst them, and had me before a justice; who, after I had
offered security for my appearing at the next sessions, yet committed
me, because my sureties would not consent to be bound that I should
preach no more to the people.

319. At the sessions after, I was indicted for an upholder and
maintainer of unlawful assemblies and conventicles, and for not
conforming to the national worship of the Church of England; and
after some conference there with the justices, 'they taking my
plain dealing with them for a confession, as they termed it, of
the indictment,' did sentence me to perpetual banishment, because
I refused to conform. So being again delivered up to the jailer's
hands, I was had home to prison again, and there have lain now[70]
'complete twelve years,' waiting to see what God would suffer these
men to do with me.

320. In which condition I have continued with much content, through
grace, but have met with many turnings and goings upon my heart,
both from the Lord, Satan, and my own corruptions; by all which,
glory be to Jesus Christ, I have also received among many things,
much conviction, instruction, and understanding, of which at large
I shall not here discourse; only give you in a hint or two, a word
that may stir up the godly to bless God, and to pray for me; and
also to take encouragement, should the case be their own, not to
fear what man can do unto them.

321. I never had in all my life so great an inlet into the Word
of God as now; those Scriptures that I saw nothing in before, are
made in this place and state to shine upon me; Jesus Christ also
was never more real and apparent than now; here I have seen him
and felt him indeed: O that word, We have not preached unto you
cunningly devised fables (2 Peter 1:16); and that, God raised Christ
from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might
be in God (1 Peter 1:2), were blessed words unto me in this my
imprisoned condition.

322. These three or four scriptures also have been great refreshment
in this condition to me (John 14:1-4, 16:33; Col 3:3,4; Heb 12:22-24).
So that sometimes when I have been in the savour of them, I have
been able to laugh at destruction, and to fear neither the horse nor
his rider (Job 39:18). I have had sweet sights of the forgiveness
of my sins in this place, and of my being with Jesus in another
world: O, "the mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable
company of angels, and God the judge of all, and the spirits
of just men made perfect, and to Jesus" (Heb 12:22-24), have been
sweet unto me in this place: I have seen THAT here, that I am
persuaded I shall never, while in this world, be able to express;
I have seen a truth in that scripture, "Whom having not seen, ye
love; in whom, though now ye se him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8).[71]

323. I never knew what it was for God to stand by me at all turns,
and at every offer of Satan 'to afflict me,' &c., as I have found
him since I came in hither; for look how fears have presented
themselves, so have supports and encouragements, yea, when I have
started, even as it were at nothing else but my shadow, yet God,
as being very tender of me, hath not suffered me to be molested,
but would with one scripture and another strengthen me against all;
insomuch that I have often said, Were it lawful, I could pray for
greater trouble, for the greater comfort's sake (Eccl 7:14; 2 Cor
1:5).

324. Before I came to prison, I saw what was a-coming, and had
especially two considerations warm upon my heart; the first was how
to be able to endure, should my imprisonment be long and tedious;
the second was how to be able to encounter death, should that be here
my portion; for the first of these, that scripture (Col 1:11) was
great information to me, namely, to pray to God to be "strengthened
with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and long-suffering with joyfulness." I could seldom go to prayer
before I was imprisoned, but not for so little as a year together,
this sentence, or sweet petition, would, as it were, thrust itself
into my mind, and persuade me, that if ever I would go through
long-suffering, I must have all patience, especially if I would
endure it joyfully.

325. As to the second consideration, that saying (2 Cor 1:9), was
of great use to me, But we had the sentence of death in ourselves,
that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the
dead. By this scripture I was made to see, that if ever I would
suffer rightly, I must first pass a sentence of death upon everything
that can properly be called a thing of this life, even to reckon
myself, my wife, my children, my health, my enjoyments, and all,
as dead to me, and myself as dead to them. "He that loveth father
or mother, son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me"
(Matt 10:37).

326. The second was, to live upon God that is invisible; as Paul
said in another place, the way not to faint, is to "look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18). And thus I reasoned with
myself; if I provide only for a prison, then the whip comes at
unawares; and so does also the pillory; again, if I provide only
for these, then I am not fit for banishment; further, if I conclude
that banishment is the worst, then if death come I am surprised.
So that I see the best way to go through sufferings is to trust in
God through Christ, as touching the world to come; and as touching
this world, to count "the grave my house, to make my bed in darkness,
and to say to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou
art my mother and my sister." That is, to familiarize these things
to me.[72]

327. But notwithstanding these helps, I found myself a man,
and compassed with infirmities; the parting with my wife and poor
children hath oft been to me in this place as the pulling the
flesh from my bones, and that not only because I am somewhat too
too fond of those great mercies, but also because I should have
often brought to my mind the many hardships, miseries and wants
that my poor family was like to meet with, should I be taken from
them, especially my poor blind child, who lay nearer my heart than
all I had besides; O the thoughts of the hardship I thought my
blind one might go under, would break my heart to pieces.

328. Poor child, thought I, what sorrow art thou like to have for
thy portion in this world? Thou must be beaten, must beg, suffer
hunger, cold, nakedness, and a thousand calamities, though I cannot
now endure the wind should blow upon thee. But yet recalling myself,
thought I, I must venture you all with God, though it goeth to the
quick to leave you. O, I saw in this condition I was as a man who
was pulling down his house upon the head of his wife and children;
yet thought I, I must do it, I must do it. And now I thought on
those two milch kine that were to carry the ark of God into another
country, and to leave their calves behind them (1 Sam 6:10-12).

329. But that which helped me in this temptation was divers
considerations, of which three in special here I will name; the
first was the consideration of those two scriptures, "Leave thy
fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows
trust in me." And again, "The Lord said, Verily it shall be well
with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee
well in the time of evil," &c. (Jer 49:11, 15:11).

330. I had also this consideration, that if I should now venture
all for God, I engaged God to take care of my concernments; but
if I forsook him and his ways, for fear of any trouble that should
come to me or mine, then I should not only falsify my profession,
but should count also that my concernments were not so sure,
if left at God's feet, while I stood to and for his name, as they
would be, if they were under my own tuition,[73] though with the
denial of the way of God. This was a smarting consideration, and
was as spurs unto my flesh. That scripture also greatly helped it
to fasten the more upon me, where Christ prays against Judas, that
God would disappoint him in all his selfish thoughts, which moved
him to sell his master: pray read it soberly (Psa 109:6-20).

331. I had also another consideration, and that was, the dread of
the torments of hell, which I was sure they must partake of, that
for fear of the cross, do shrink from their profession of Christ,
his words, and laws, before the sons of men; I thought also of the
glory that he had prepared for those that, in faith, and love, and
patience, stood to his ways before them. These things, I say, have
helped me, when the thoughts of the misery that both myself and
mine, might for the sake of my profession be exposed to, hath lain
pinching on my mine.

332. When I have indeed conceited that I might be banished for
my profession, then I have thought of that scripture, "They were
stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword; they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy"
(Heb 11:37), for all they thought they were too bad to dwell and
abide amongst them. I have also thought of that saying, "The Holy
Ghost witnesseth in every city, that bonds and afflictions abide
me." I have verily thought that my soul and it[74] have sometimes
reasoned about the sore and sad estate of a banished and exiled
condition, how they are exposed to hunger, to cold, to perils, to
nakedness, to enemies, and a thousand calamities; and at last, it
may be, to die in a ditch, like a poor forlorn and desolate sheep.
But I thank God, hitherto I have not been moved by these most
delicate reasonings, but have rather, by them, more approved my
heart to God.

333. I will tell you a pretty business; I was once above all the
rest in a very sad and low condition for many weeks; at which time
also I being but a young prisoner, and not acquainted with the
laws, had this lay much upon my spirit, That my imprisonment might
end at the gallows for aught that I could tell. Now, therefore,
Satan laid hard at me to beat me out of heart, by suggesting thus
unto me, But how if when you come indeed to die, you should be in
this condition; that is, as not to savour the things of God, nor
to have any evidence upon your soul for a better state hereafter?
For indeed at that time all the things of God were hid from my
soul.

334. Wherefore, when I at first began to think of this, it was a great
trouble to me; for I thought with myself, that in the condition I
now was in, I was not fit to die, neither indeed did think I could,
if I should be called to it: besides, I thought with myself, if I
should make a scrabbling[75] shift to clamber up the ladder, yet
I should either with quaking, or other symptoms of faintings, give
occasion to the enemy to reproach the way of God and his people, for
their timorousness. This therefore lay with great trouble upon me,
for methought I was ashamed to die with a pale face, and tottering
knees, for such a cause as this.

335. Wherefore, I prayed to God that he would comfort me, and give
me strength to do and suffer what he should call me to; yet no
comfort appeared, but all continued hid: I was also at this time
so really possessed with the thought of death, that oft I was as if
I was on the ladder with a rope about my neck; only this was some
encouragement to me, I thought I might now have an opportunity
to speak my last words to a multitude, which I thought would come
to see me die; and, thought I, if it must be so, if God will but
convert one soul by my very last words, I shall not count my life
thrown away, nor lost.

336. But yet all the things of God were kept out of my sight, and
still the tempter followed me with, But whither must you go when you
die? What will become of you? Where will you be found in another
world? What evidence have you for heaven and glory, and an inheritance
among them that are sanctified? Thus was I tossed for many weeks,
and knew not what to do; at last this consideration fell with
weight upon me, That it was for the Word and way of God, that I was
in this condition, wherefore I was engaged not to flinch a hair's
breadth from it.

337. I thought also, that God might choose, whether he would give
me comfort now or at the hour of death, but I might not therefore
choose whether I would hold my profession or no: I was bound, but
he was free: yea, it was my duty to stand to his word, whether he
would ever look upon me or no, or save me at the last: wherefore,
thought I, the point being thus, I am for going on, and venturing
my eternal state with Christ, whether I have comfort here or no;
if God doth not come in, thought I, I will leap off the ladder even
blindfold into eternity, sink or swim, come heaven, come hell, Lord
Jesus, if thou wilt catch me, do; 'if not,' I will venture for thy
name.

338. I was no sooner fixed upon this resolution, but that word dropped
upon me, "Doth Job serve God for nought?" As if the accuser had
said, Lord, Job is no upright man, he serves thee for by-respects:
hast thou not made a hedge about him, &c. "But put forth thine
hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to
thy face." How now, thought I, is this the sign of an upright soul,
to desire to serve God, when all is taken from him? Is he a godly
man, that will serve God for nothing rather than give out? blessed
be God, then, I hope I have an upright heart, for I am resolved,
God giving me strength, never to deny my profession, though I have
nothing at all for my pains; and as I was thus considering, that
scripture was set before me (Psa 44:12-26).[76]

339. Now was my heart full of comfort, for I hoped it was sincere:
I would not have been without this trial for much; I am comforted
every time I think of it, and I hope I shall bless God for ever
for the teaching I have had by it. Many more of the dealings of
God towards me I might relate, but these, "Out of the spoils won
in battles have I dedicated to maintain the house of the LORD" (1
Chron 26:27).

THE CONCLUSION.

1. Of all the temptations that ever I met with in my life, to
question the being 'of God,' and truth of his gospel, is the worst,
and the worst to be borne; when this temptation comes, it takes
away my girdle from me, and removeth the foundation from under me:
O, I have often thought of that word, "have your loins girt about
with truth"; and of that, "When the foundations are destroyed, what
can the righteous do?"

2. 'Sometimes, when, after sin committed, I have looked for sore
chastisement from the hand of God, the very next that I have had
from him hath been the discovery of his grace. Sometimes, when I
have been comforted, I have called myself a fool for my so sinking
under trouble. And then, again, when I have been cast down,
I thought I was not wise, to give such way to comfort. With such
strength and weight have both these been upon me.'

3. I have wondered much at this one thing, that though God doth
visit my soul with never so blessed a discovery of himself, yet I
have found again, that such hours have attended me afterwards, that
I have been in my spirits so filled with darkness, that I could not
so much as once conceive what that God and that comfort was with
which I have been refreshed.

4. I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could
well tell how to stand under, and yet at another time the whole
Bible hath been to me as dry as a stick; or rather, my heart hath
been so dead and dry unto it, that I could not conceive the least
drachm of refreshment, though I have looked it 'all' over.

5. Of all tears, they are the best that are made by the blood of
Christ; and of all joy, that is the sweetest that is mixed with
mourning over Christ. Oh! it is a goodly thing to be on our knees,
with Christ in our arms, before God. I hope I know something of
these things.

6. I find to this day seven abominations in my heart: 1. Inclinings
to unbelief. 2. Suddenly to forget the love and mercy that Christ
manifesteth. 3. A leaning to the works of the law. 4. Wanderings
and coldness in prayer. 5. To forget to watch for that I pray for.
6. Apt to murmur because I have no more, and yet ready to abuse
what I have. 7. I can do none of those things which God commands
me, but my corruptions will thrust in themselves, "when I would do
good, evil is present with me."

7. These things I continually see and feel, and am afflicted and
oppressed with; yet the wisdom of God doth order them for my good.
1. They make me abhor myself. 2. They keep me from trusting my
heart. 3. They convince me of the insufficiency of all inherent
righteousness. 4. They show me the necessity of flying to Jesus.
5. They press me to pray unto God. 6. They show me the need I have
to watch and be sober. 7. And provoke me to look to God, through
Christ, to help me, and carry me through this world. Amen.


FOOTNOTES:

1. Dr. Cheever.

2. Leicester was only besieged by the royal army, who took it, and
cruelly treated the inhabitants; upon the republicans appearing
before it, the city surrendered at once without a siege.--Ed.

3. This should be the prayer and effort of every Christian for his
brethren and sisters in Christ, and more especially of those who
are called to the public ministry.--Ed.

4. The people of God look back on the day of their espousals with
holy joy and thanksgiving to the God of their mercies; and they
delight in telling his goodness to others. "Come and hear, all ye
that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul"
(Psa 66:16).--Mason.

5. How unspeakable the mercy that our omnipresent God will hear
the prayer of the heart under all circumstances, at all times, in
all places. Had he limited it to certain forms, in certain buildings,
read by certain men, what fearful merchandise of souls they would
have made.--Ed.

6. Bunyan says very little about his parents in his treatise on
'Christian Behaviour'; he concludes his observations on the duties
of a pious son to ungodly parents with this remarkable prayer, 'The
Lord, if it be his will, convert OUR poor parents, that they, with
us, may be the children of God.' Although this does not demonstrate
that his own parents were ungodly, yet his silence as to their piety
upon all occasions when speaking of them, and the fervent feeling
expressed in this short prayer, inclines me to conclude that they
were not pious persons in his judgment.--Ed.

7. Mr. Bunyan alludes to the poverty of his education in several
of his works. Thus, in his Scriptural poems--


   'I am no poet, nor a poet's son
    But a mechanic, guided by no rule
    But what I gained in a grammar school,
    In my minority.'


And in the preface to 'The Law and Grace': 'Reader, if thou do find
this book empty of fantastical expressions, and without light, vain,
whimsical, scholar-like terms; thou must understand, it is because
I never went to school to Aristotle or Plato, but was brought up
at my father's house, in a very mean condition, among a company of
poor countrymen.'--Ed.

8. 'I have been vile myself, but have obtained mercy; and I would
have my companions in sin partake of mercy too.'--Preface to
Jerusalem Sinner Saved.--Ed.

9. Every careless sinner, or wicked professor, carries upon his
forehead the name of Infidel and Atheist, a practical unbeliever in
the Bible, in the day of judgment, and in the existence of a holy
God.--Ed.

10. Bunyan served in the wars between Charles I and his country,
but it is not known on which side. Judging from his 'delight in all
transgressions against the law of God,' as he describes his conduct
to have been at that time, he must have served on the king's side,
as one of his drunken cavaliers. Probably this event took place
when Leicester was besieged by the king's troops.--Ed.

11. The notice of his wife's father being a godly man, and not
mentioning anything of the kind with regard to his own parents,
strengthens my conclusion that they were not professors of religion.
This very copy of the Pathway to Heaven here noticed, with the name
of Bunyan on the title, is in the Editor's possession.--Ed.

12. Asking his father this question, looks a little as if the family
had been connected with the gipsy tribe.--Ed.

13. 'The king (James, 1618) put forth an order to permit everybody,
as he had before given leave in the county of Lancaster, who should
go to evening prayer on the Lord's day, to divertise themselves
with lawful exercises, with leaping, dancing, playing at bowls,
shooting with bows and arrows, as likewise to rear May poles, and
to use May games and Morris dancing; but those who refused coming
to prayers were forbidden to use these sports.'--(Camden's Annals).
The head of the Church of England had wondrous power thus to dispense
with God's laws.--Ed.

14. 'Did cut the sinews,' first edition; properly altered by Bunyan
afterwards to 'did benumb.'

15. Tip cat, or cat, is an ancient English game, thus described
in Strutt's Sports and Pastimes:--The game of cat is played with
a cudgel. Its denomination is derived from a piece of wood, about
six inches long and two thick, diminished from the middle to form
a double cone. When the cat is placed on the ground, the player
strikes it smartly--it matters not at which end--and it will rise
with a rotatory motion high enough for him to strike it; if he
misses, another player takes his place; if he hits, he calls for
a number to be scored to his game; if that number is more than as
many lengths of his cudgel, he is out; if not, they are scored,
and he plays again.--Ed.

16. This wish looks as if Bunyan's father had not checked him for
this wicked propensity; if so, he could not have pretended to piety
or religion.--Ed.

17. 'Tom of Bedlam'; a byword for an inveterate drunkard, alluding
to an old interesting song describing the feelings of a poor maniac
whose frenzy had been induced by intoxication, and who escaped from
Bedlam.


   'Poore naked Tom is very drye
    A little drinke for charitye!'


It ends with this verse--


   'The man in the moone drinkes claret,
    Eates powder'd beef, turnip, and carret,
    But a cup of old Malaga sacke
    Will fire the bushe at his backe.'


Probably the tale is connected with the drummer's tune, 'Drunk or
sober, go to bed Tom.'--Ed.

18. When the Lord, in his blessed work upon the soul, illuminated
the mind, he opens to it a new world; he leads the blind by a way
that they know not, crooked things become straight, rough places
plain, and he never forsakes his charge.--Mason.

19. 'Their talk went with me; my heart would tarry with them';
nothing is so powerfully attractive as a community of feeling
under the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Bunyan's wish to be 'tried
and searched,' reminds me of one who, when alarmed for his soul's
safety, earnestly prayed that he might be made increasingly wretched,
until he had found safety in Jesus, and knew him, whom to know is
joy unspeakable in this life, and felicity in the eternal world.--Ed.

20. That bitter fanatic, Ross, calls the ranters 'a sort of beasts,'
who practiced sin that grace might abound. Many under that name were
openly profligate; they denied the sacraments, but were disowned
by the Quakers. It seems, from Bunyan, that they were infatuated
with some idea that the grossest sins of the flesh did not injure
the sanctity of the spirit!--Ed.

21. Faith comes by venturing wholly on Christ, as he is freely
offered in the Word--mercy to the miserable--salvation to the lost
and self-condemned. If we honour God's veracity by giving credit
to his Word, he will honour that faith by giving us joy and peace
in believing.--Mason.

22. 'In downright earnest'; as one who is in imminent danger of
drowning, or in a house on fire, eager to escape. Reader, have you
ever felt thus 'in downright earnest' for salvation? Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they SHALL be
filled.--Ed.

23. This is an interesting view of church fellowship; and the
admission of a convert to Christian communion. See also Christiana
at the Interpreter's House, and the preface to Bunyan's 'Christian
Behaviour.'--Ed.

24. The Christian who is found waiting upon God, is the thriving
one; the best way to be assured of our election is to examine our
state with the touchstone of truth, the Scriptures. The elect of God
know Christ savingly, esteem him precious, and obey him cheerfully
from love and gratitude.--Mason.

25. 'Gingerly'; cautiously.

'Has it a corn? or do's it walk on conscience, It treads so gingerly.'
Love's Cure, Act ii., Scene 1.--Ed.

26. Manifestations of love and grace are not to be rested in, or
made a saviour of; they are given to strengthen and prepare us for
future trials.--Mason.

27. Here we have Christian in the valley of the shadow of death. 'One
thing I would not let slip, I took notice that now poor Christian
was so confounded, that he did not know his own voice; and thus I
perceived it, just when he was come over against the mouth of the
burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stept up
softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies
to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own
mind.'--Pilgrim's Progress.--Ed.

28. 'Under her apron,' was altered in subsequent editions to 'in
her arms.'--Ed.

29. 'Poor fool'; altered, in later editions, to 'poor soul.'--Ed.

30. John Gifford, Bunyan's pastor, was a Kentish man, and had been
a major in the King's army, a roistering cavalier. For some crimes,
he, with eleven others, was condemned to be hung, but made his
escape to London, and thence to Bedford, where, being unknown, he
practiced physic. Addicted to swearing, drinking, and gambling,
he, in distress at a serious loss, vowed repentance; he became
greatly distressed under conviction of sin; at length his mind was
enlightened, the Holy Spirit led him to forgiveness by the atonement
of Christ, and his heart was filled with a hitherto unknown source
of blessedness. This he imparted to others, and at length, in 1650,
formed a church, with which the soul-harassed pilgrim Bunyan cast
in his lot as a member in 1653. There appears to have been a strong
mutual affection between him and his pastor. In 1658, Mr. Gifford
published a preface to Bunyan's 'Few Sighs from Hell,' in which
he speaks of him with the warmest affection, as one 'that I verily
believe God hath counted faithful, and put him into the ministry--one
that hath acquaintance with God, and taught by his Spirit, and hath
been used to do souls good. Divers have felt the power of the word
delivered by him, and I doubt not but that many more may, if God
continue him in his work.' Judging from Gifford's preface, he must
have been an excellent teacher to train Bunyan for his important
labours as a Christian minister. He uses the same fervid striking
language. Thus, on the value of the soul: 'Consider what an
ill bargain thou will make to sell thy precious soul for a short
continuance in sin and pleasure. If that man drives an ill trade,
who to gain the whole world should lose his own soul, then certainly
thou art far worse that sells thy soul for a very trifle. Oh, 'tis
pity that so precious a thing should be parted withal to be made a
prey for the devouring lion, for that which is worse than nothing.
If they were branded for desperate wretches that caused their
children to pass through the fire to Moloch, surely thou much more
that gives thy soul to devouring flames. What meanest thou, O man!
to truck+ with the devil?'--See Sighs, 1st Edition, and Brooks'
Puritans.--Ed.

+ 'To truck'; to barter or exchange.

31. That persons called Quakers held these heresies, there can be
no doubt; but they were never held by that respectable and useful
body of Christians, the Society of Friends, is equally clear.
Barclay, in his Theses, 1675, says of the Scriptures:--'They are
the doctrine of Christ, held forth in precious declarations, spoken
and written by the movings of God's Spirit.' He goes on to say,
that the same Spirit can alone guide man into these sacred truths.
In all important doctrines, the difference between the Quakers
and evangelical professors is in terms and not in things. Their
distinguishing difference relates to the work of the ministry.--Ed.

32. How natural is it for man to build up vain hopes of long life!
Bunyan's vigorous constitution, had he enjoyed the free air of
liberty, might have prolonged his pilgrimage to extreme old age.
But his long imprisonment shortened his valuable life: it almost
amounted to legal murder.--Ed.

33. Bunyan, in his treatise on 'Jesus Christ the Advocate,' admirably
shows the analogy between the year of jubilee and the Christian's
reversion to his inheritance, although deprived for a time of the
comfort of it during his pilgrimage, by reason of sin.--Ed.

34. He is a restless, powerful, and malicious enemy; ever striving
to drive the sinner to desperation. Let the tempted look to Jesus
the serpent-bruiser to shield him, so that the fiery darts of the
wicked one may be quenched.--Mason.

35. Printed 'did hear' in first edition.--Ed.

36. Altered to 'indeed' in later editions.--Ed.

37. 'Racked or broken upon the wheel,' was a horrid mode of torturing
a criminal to death, formerly used in France. The sufferer was
stretched and made fast upon a large wheel, when the executioner,
with a heavy iron bar, proceeded to break every bone in his body;
beginning with the toes and fingers, and proceeding to crush those
bones that the least affected life, and ending by crushing the
skull into the brains. How piercing must have been the convictions
of sin upon Bunyan's soul, to have led him to such a simile!--Ed.

38. 'A Relation of the Fearful Estate of Francis Spira.'


   'Here see a soul that's all despair; a man
    All hell; a spirit all wounds.
    Reader, would'st see what may you never feel,
    Despair, racks, torments, whips of burning steel?
    Behold this man, this furnace, in whose heart,
    Sin hath created hell.'


From the address to the reader, in a copy of this awful narrative
in possession of the Editor. Spira was filled with remorse and
despair for having been induced, by improper motives, to become a
papist.--Ed.

39. No Christian minister ever dwelt more richly on the 'Saint's
Knowledge of Christ's Love' than Bunyan. See vol. ii. p. 1. It was
the result of this soul-harrowing experience. He there shows its
heights exceeding the highest heavens, depths below the deepest hell,
lengths and breadths beyond comprehension. That treatise ought to
be read and cherished by every trembling believer.--Ed.

40. Alter, in later editions, to 'flying fits.'--Ed.

41. Internal conflicts, dreams, or visions ought not to be the source
of peace or of bitterness to the soul. If they drive us to Christ,
we may hope that they are from heaven for our relief; but if their
tendency is to despair, by undervaluing the blood of atonement, or
to lasciviousness, they are from Satan. Our real dependence must
be upon 'a more sure word of prophecy': if we are well-grounded in
the promises, it will save us from many harassing doubts and fears
which arise from a reliance upon our feelings.--Ed.

42. That a poor penitent should perish at the feet of Jesus is an
utter impossibility. God, when manifest in the flesh, decreed, that
'Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.' 'I will
give him rest.' His Word must stand fast for ever.--Ed.

43. How soul-rending a thought! but it can only be the case with
those who continue to their death despising the Saviour. Those
who love him are kept by almighty power, everlasting love, and
irresistible grace.--Ed.

44. Happy would it be for tempted souls, in their distress, to
look simply to the declarations and promises of God in the Word;
we there find salvation completed by Christ. Our duty is to look
in faith and prayer to the Spirit of God for the application and
comfort of it.--Mason.

45. However humbling, this is a truth not to be disputed. The wisest
philosopher and most illiterate peasant are upon a level, fallen
from God. None will be excluded who come to Christ, whose gracious
invitation is general, 'Whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely' (Rev 22:17).--Mason.

46. This is the proper source of comfort--the records of infallible
truth. There is found mercy for the miserable, redemption for the
captive, salvation for the lost, heaven for the hell-deserving
sinner.--Mason.

47. Though we may wait long for mercy, yet the hand of faith never
knocked in vain at the door of heaven. Mercy is as surely ours as
if we had it, if it be given us in faith and patience to wait for
it.--Mason.

48. To sin against light and knowledge, received in and by the
gospel, is a very heinous aggravation of sin. The condition of
persons simply ignorant is not so sad by far, as theirs who have
been enlightened and yet afterwards apostatized. Let the formalist
and lukewarm professors read this and tremble.--Mason.

49. The Holy Spirit is the candle of the Lord, by whose light the
awakened conscience is brought to see something of the mystery
of iniquity lurking in the heart. He first convinces of sin,
righteousness, and judgment; and then points to Jesus as the only
security: 'Behold the Lamb of God.'--Mason.

50. This is very beautifully expressed; nothing can be more descriptive
of a poor pilgrim who has been toiling through the valley of the
shadow of death, and upon whose soul the day-spring from on high
has arisen.--Ed.

51. 'Cracked groats and fourpence-halfpennies.' The humility of our
author is here most unobtrusively apparent. He had some treasure in
his 'earthen vessel'; but, in comparison with his store in Christ,
it was like a few cracked groats by the side of massive pure gold.
What he meant by 'fourpence-halfpennies' somewhat puzzled me, there
never having been any piece of English money coined of that value.
I found that a proclamation was issued shortly before Mr. Bunyan's
time (April 8, 1603), to save the people from being deceived with
the silver harp money of Ireland, purporting to be twelve and
sixpenny pieces. It fixed the value of the Irish twelvepence to be
ninepence English; so that the Irish sixpence was to pass current
for fourpence-halfpenny in England. That accomplished antiquary,
Mr. Hawkins, the curator of the coins in the British Museum, shewed
me this Irish silver money; and agreed with me in believing that
Bunyan alludes to these Irish sixpences, placing them in company
with cracked groats, depreciated in value. Mr. Hawkins was not
aware that they had been in common circulation in England.--Ed.

52. 'Common or public,' belonging equally to many. Christ is the
federal or covenant head of his church, each member claiming an
equal or common right to all his merits as a Saviour, Mediator,
and Advocate.--Ed.

53. This retort, or rebuke, is inserted twice in the first edition,
probably a typographical error.--Ed.

54. See note on No. 152. The feelings of Bunyan must have been
exceedingly pungent.--Ed.

55. This is a view of the power given to the apostles to forgive
or retain sins worthy of our serious consideration. That mysterious
power, under the pretence of possessing which merchandise is
made of souls, if it was not limited to the apostles personally,
was intended to be used by all those whom God sends to preach the
gospel; an authority to proclaim salvation or condemnation to those
who receive or reject the Saviour. Bunyan considers it a similar
power to that given to the governors of the city of refuge; to
admit the terror-stricken soul that 'shall declare his cause'--or
confess his guilt--into the city, there to abide the judgment upon
him, as in Christ the Refuge. This is very different to turning
God out of his judgment-seat; as is the case when a poor worm says
to his fellow-worm, 'I absolve thee from all thy sins.' See the
visitation of the sick, in the Book of Common Prayer.--Ed.

56. The mode of admitting members into the church, among the
Baptists, appears to have been the same in Bunyan's days as it is
now practiced. It is, first to be introduced to the minister, who
endeavours to ascertain whether there is an earnest desire to flee
from the wrath to come, sincere repentance, and faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. If so, he mentions it to the church; and visitors are
appointed, to encourage the young convert, and to scrutinize into
moral character. If they are satisfied, he is invited to attend a
private church meeting; and if the members have a good hope that
he is a decided believer in Jesus, they receive him into their
fellowship; and if he requests it, he is publicly baptized in
water, and communicates with the church at the Lord's table. This
appears to have been the mode in which Bunyan was admitted into
the church at Bedford. Most of the Baptist churches now agree with
Bunyan, that the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or inward spiritual
regeneration, is, alone, the essential pre-requisite to the Lord's
table; and they leave members to their own conclusions as to the
validity of their having been sprinkled in infancy, or the necessity
of immersion in water upon a profession of faith.--Ed.

57. Many will be surprised that Bunyan, who was so ready a writer,
should be unable to tell what he saw and felt when in these holy
enjoyments; but all who have had similar feelings will unite with
him in saying, they are inexpressible, great, and full of glory.--Ed.

58. This is a very correct view of the excellent mode in which
dissenting ministers are generally called to their important work.
First, their gifts in prayer and conversation upon Divine things,
and aptness in illustrating and confirming what they advance from
the Scriptures, is noticed; and, secondly, they are encouraged to
pray with and address the poor children in a Sunday school. If they
manifest an aptness to teach, they are, thirdly, invited to give
an exhortation to the church privately; and then, fourthly, they
are encouraged to pray and preach among the poor in country villages
and in work-houses. The God who gave the wish and the talent, soon
opens a way to still more public usefulness. In most cases, they
enter upon a course of study, to fit them for their momentous labours;
but many of our most valuable ministers have, like Bunyan, relied
entirely upon their prayerful investigation of the Scriptures. his
college was a dungeon, his library the Bible; and he came forth
with gigantic power to grapple with the prince of darkness. No human
learning could have so fitted him for this terrible and mysterious
warfare.--Ed.

59. 'With great sense,' means with great feeling, arising from his
own acute experience.--Ed.

60. In the first edition Bunyan says, 'I have lain as long,' (five
years). This was in 1666.--Ed.

61. When God sends forth a zealous ambassador to publish the glad
tidings of salvation to perishing sinners, he will be sure to meet
with the fiercest opposition from proud pharisaical professors:
so it was from the beginning, and will be to the end of time; but
the Lord will work, and none shall hinder. Experimental preaching
will always be offensive to the carnal and profane.--Mason.

62. It is impossible to identify the sect to which Bunyan belonged by
reading his works. He rises above all sectarian bias in his earnest
efforts to win souls to Christ, and to keep them in a heavenly
frame of mine.--Ed.

63. 'Other men's lines,' other men's compositions. Bunyan went
himself to the fountain head of Divine truth, and was not taught
by the wisdom of his fellow-men in the things that pertained to
salvation. He spoke as he felt; and, while he copied no sentence from
others, no man that ever wrote has been so copied from by others.
Application was once made to the Editor, to publish an admirable
sermon which had been taken in short hand from the lips of a D.D.;
when, to the surprise of the applicant, he was shown the whole
sermon in Bunyan's Heavenly Footman.--Ed.

64. Altered, in later editions, to 'searching.'--Ed.

65. Gifts are no evidence of God's favour; they are like the gold
which adorned the temple, but grace, the saving grace of the Spirit,
is like the altar which sanctifies the gold.--Mason..

66. In this paragraph is displayed that modest genuine humility
which shone so conspicuously in Bunyan. He possessed that popular
natural eloquence, by which he could deliver himself like an angel;
but when pride began to rise, he knocked it on the head with that
severe maul, 'Is it so much to be a fiddle' that Satan once so
played upon?--Ed.

67. One circumstance from which these vile slanders were raised,
is narrated in the thrilling narrative of God's gracious dealings
with Mrs. Agnes Beaumont. She was waiting in hopes of attending
a meeting, when 'at last, quite unexpectedly, came Mr. Bunyan. The
sight of him caused a mixture of joy and grief. I was glad to see
him, but afraid he would not be willing to take me up behind him,
and how to ask him I knew not. At length my brother did; but Mr.
Bunyan answered, with some degree of roughness, "No, I will not carry
her." These words were cutting indeed, and made me weep bitterly.
My brother, perceiving my trouble, said, "Sir, if you do not carry
her, you will break her heart"; but he made the same reply, adding,
"Your father would be grievously angry if I should." "I will venture
that," said I. And thus, with much entreaty, he was prevailed on;
and O how glad was I to think I was going. Soon after we set out,
my father came to my brother's, and asked his men whom his daughter
rode behind? They said, Mr. Bunyan. Upon hearing this, his anger
was greatly inflamed; he ran down the close, thinking to overtake
me, and pull me off the horse, but we were gone out of his reach.

'I had not ridden far, before my heart began to be lifted up with
pride at the thoughts of riding behind this servant of the Lord;
and was pleased if any looked after us, as we rode along. Indeed,
I thought myself very happy that day: first, that it pleased God
to make way for my going; and then, that I should have the honour
to ride behind Mr. Bunyan, who would sometimes be speaking to me
about the things of God. My pride soon had a fall; for, in entering
Gam'gay, we were met by one Mr. Lane, a clergyman who lived at
Bedford, and knew us both, and spoke to us, but looked very hard
at us as we rode along; and soon after raised a vile scandal upon
us, though, blessed be God, it was false.'

No Christian should be without that deeply interesting volume of
Christian experience, James' Abstract of the Gracious Dealings of
God with several Eminent Christians. The persecutions that Mrs.
Beaumont went through were like a dreadful tempest, yet was she
joyfully delivered out of them all.--Ed.

68. 'All is a case,' all the same. A case--that which falls, comes,
or happens; an event. See Blackie's Imperial Dictionary.--Ed.

69. 'Baulks,' missing, omitting, leaving untouched. 'This was
looked for at your hand, and this was baulked; the double gill of
this opportunity you let time wash off, and you are now sailed into
the north of my lady's opinion; where you will hang like an icicle
on a Dutchman's beard.'--Twelfth Night, Act iii. Scene 2; and
Imperial Dictionary.--Ed.

70. 'Above five year and a quarter' are the words in the first
edition, 1666. His imprisonment commenced November 1660; the order
for his release bears date September 13, 1672, but it was some
months before he was discharged.--Ed.

71. Angel visits may be expected when Antichrist persecutes the
Christian to bonds and imprisonment. An angel released Peter from
prison; angels revealed to John, when exiled to Patmos, the wonders
of his book of Revelation. The Lord of angels, the angel of the
covenant, communes with Bunyan in his dungeon, and converts it into
a Bethel to his soul; and this, for refusing obedience to the laws
of his country, because those laws violated God's prerogative, and
impiously dared to assume authority which belongs exclusively to
the Almighty. They remain to this day a disgrace to our statutes,
but are never enforced.--Ed.

72. Bunyan did well to prepare for the worst. He must have been
familiar with the horrid cruelties practiced upon Dr. Leighton by
that fiend in human shape, Archbishop Laud. The pious and learned
doctor was caught in Bedfordshire; and the story of his unparalleled
sufferings strengthened the Roundheads to deeds of valour,
in putting an end to such diabolical cruelties. The spirit of the
charges against him were his saying that no king may make laws
in the house of God; and that the bishops were ravens and magpies
that prey upon the state. His sufferings are narrated in Brooke's
Puritans, vol. ii. p. 478.--Ed.

73. 'Tuition' was altered to 'care' in later editions.--Ed.

74. i.e., My profession--the soul, shrinking from pain, moving him
one way, and his profession another.--Ed.

75. 'To scrabble,' to go on all fours--'to move along on the hands and
knees, by clawing with the hands.'--Blackie's Imperial Dictionary.--Ed.

76. This is the language of a heaven-born soul, which sees such
beauty and excellency in Christ, that it would not part with him for
a thousand worlds; if there were no heaven hereafter, his delight
in the ways of God renders his service preferable to all the wealth,
grandeur, and vain pleasures of the ungodly.--Mason.

***

A RELATON OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF MR. JOHN BUNYAN, MINISTER OF THE
GOSPEL AT BEDFORD, IN NOVEMBER 1660. HIS EXAMINATION BEFORE THE
JUSTICES; HIS CONFERENCE WITH THE CLERK OF THE PEACE; WHAT PASSED
BETWEEN THE JUDGES AND HIS WIFE WHEN SHE PRESENTED A PETITION FOR
HIS DELIVERANCE, ETC.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, AND NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:10-12

London: Printed for James Buckland, at the Buck, in Paternoster
Row, MDCCLXV.

The relation of my imprisonment in the month of November 1660.

When, by the good hand of my God, I had for five or six years
together, without any interruption, freely preached the blessed
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and had also, through his blessed
grace, some encouragement by his blessing thereupon; the devil,
that old enemy of man's salvation, took his opportunity to inflame
the hearts of his vassals against me, insomuch that at the last
I was laid out for by the warrant of a justice, and was taken and
committed to prison. The relation thereof is as followeth:

Upon the 12th of this instant November 1660, I was desired by
some of the friends in the country to come to teach at Samsell,
by Harlington, in Bedfordshire. To whom I made a promise, if the
Lord permitted, to be with them on the time aforesaid. The justice
hearing thereof, whose name is Mr. Francis Wingate, forthwith issued
out his warrant to take me, and bring me before him, and in the
meantime to keep a very strong watch about the house where the
meeting should be kept, as if we that were to meet together in that
place did intend to do some fearful business, to the destruction
of the country; when, alas, the constable, when he came in, found
us only with our Bibles in our hands, ready to speak and hear the
Word of God; for we were just about to begin our exercise. Nay, we
had begun in prayer for the blessing of God upon our opportunity,
intending to have preached the Word of the Lord unto them there
present;[1] but the constable coming in prevented us; so that I
was taken and forced to depart the room. But had I been minded to
have played the coward, I could have escaped, and kept out of his
hands. For when I was come to my friend's house, there was whispering
that that day I should be taken, for there was a warrant out to
take me; which when my friend heard, he being somewhat timorous,
questioned whether we had best have our meeting or not; and whether
it might not be better for me to depart, lest they should take me
and have me before the justice, and after that send me to prison,
for he knew better than I what spirit they were of, living by them;
to whom I said, No, by no means, I will not stir, neither will I
have the meeting dismissed for this. Come, be of good cheer, let
us not be daunted; our cause is good, we need not be ashamed of
it; to preach God's Word is so good a work, that we shall be well
rewarded, if we suffer for that; or to this purpose; but as for my
friend, I think he was more afraid of [for] me, than of himself.
After this I walked into the close, where, I somewhat seriously
considering the matter, this came into my mind, That I had showed
myself hearty and courageous in my preaching, and had, blessed be
grace, made it my business to encourage others; therefore, thought
I, if I should now run, and make an escape, it will be of a very
ill savour in the country. For what will my weak and newly converted
brethren think of it, but that I was not so strong indeed as I was
in word? Also I feared that if I should run, now there was a warrant
out for me, I might by so doing make them afraid to stand, when
great words only should be spoken to them. Besides, I thought,
that seeing God of his mercy should choose me to go upon the forlorn
hope in this country; that is, to be the first, that should be
opposed, for the gospel; if I should fly, it might be a discouragement
to the whole body that might follow after. And further, I thought
the world thereby would take occasion at my cowardliness, to have
blasphemed the gospel, and to have had some ground to suspect worse
of me and my profession than I deserved. These things with others
considered by me, I came in again to the house, with a full resolution
to keep the meeting, and not to go away, though I could have been
gone about an hour before the officer apprehended me; but I would
not; for I was resolved to see the utmost of what they could say
or do unto me. For blessed be the Lord, I knew of no evil that I
had said or done. And so, as aforesaid, I began the meeting. But
being prevented by the constable's coming in with his warrant to
take me, I could not proceed. But before I went away, I spake some
few words of counsel and encouragement to the people, declaring to
them, that they saw we were prevented of our opportunity to speak
and hear the Word of God, and were like to suffer for the same:
desiring them that they should not be discouraged, for it was a mercy
to suffer upon so good account. For we might have been apprehended
as thieves or murderers, or for other wickedness; but blessed be
God it was not so, but we suffer as Christians for well doing: and
we had better be the persecuted than the persecutors, &c. But the
constable and the justice's man waiting on us, would not be at
quiet till they had me away, and that we departed the house. But
because the justice was not at home that day, there was a friend
of mine engaged for me to bring me to the constable on the morrow
morning. Otherwise the constable must have charged a watch with
me, or have secured me some other ways, my crime was so great. So
on the next morning we went to the constable, and so the justice.[2]
He asked the constable what we did, where we were met together,
and what we had with us? I trow, he meant whether we had armour
or not; but when the constable told him, that there were only met
a few of us together to preach and hear the Word, and no sign of
anything else, he could not well tell what to say: yet because he
had sent for me, he did adventure to put out a few proposals to
me, which were to this effect, namely, What I did there? and why
I did not content myself with following my calling? for it was
against the law, that such as I should be admitted to do as I did.

John Bunyan. To which I answered, that the intent of my coming
thither, and to other places, was to instruct, and counsel people
to forsake their sins, and close in with Christ, lest they did miserably
perish; and that I could do both these without confusion, to wit,
follow my calling, and preach the Word also. At which words, he
was in a chafe,[3] as it appeared; for he said that he would break
the neck of our meetings.

Bun. I said, it may be so. Then he wished me to get sureties to be
bound for me, or else he would send me to the jail.

My sureties being ready, I called them in, and when the bond for
my appearance was made, he told them, that they were bound to keep
me from preaching; and that if I did preach, their bonds would
be forfeited. To which I answered, that then I should break them;
for I should not leave speaking the Word of God: even to counsel,
comfort, exhort, and teach the people among whom I came; and I
thought this to be a work that had no hurt in it: but was rather
worthy of commendation than blame.

Wingate. Whereat he told me, that if they would not be so bound,
my mittimus must be made, and I sent to the jail, there to lie to
the quarter-sessions.

Now while my mittimus was making, the justice was withdrawn; and
in comes an old enemy to the truth, Dr. Lindale, who, when he was
come in, fell to taunting at me with many reviling terms.

Bun. To whom I answered, that I did not come thither to talk with
him, but with the justice. Whereat he supposed that I had nothing
to say for myself, and triumphed as if he had got the victory;
charging and condemning me for meddling with that for which I could
show no warrant; and asked me, if I had taken the oaths? and if I
had not, it was pity but that I should be sent to prison, &c.

I told him, that if I was minded, I could answer to any sober question
that he should put to me. He then urged me again, how I could prove
it lawful for me to preach, with a great deal of confidence of the
victory.

But at last, because he should see that I could answer him if I
listed, I cited to him that verse in Peter, which saith, "As every
man hath received the gift, even so let him minister the same,"
&c.

Lind. Aye, saith he, to whom is that spoken?

Bun. To whom, said I, why, to every man that hath received a gift
from God. Mark, saith the apostle, "As every man that hath received
a gift from God," &c. And again, "You may all prophesy one by one."
Whereat the man was a little stopt, and went a softlier pace: but
not being willing to lose the day, he began again, and said:

Lind. Indeed I do remember that I have read of one Alexander a
coppersmith, who did much oppose and disturb the apostles;--aiming,
it is like, at me, because I was a tinker.

Bun. To which I answered, that I also had read of very many priests
and Pharisees that had their hands in the blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

Lind. Aye, saith he, and you are one of those scribes and Pharisees:
for you, with a pretence, make long prayers to devour widows'
houses.

Bun. I answered, that if he had got no more by preaching and praying
than I had done, he would not be so rich as he now was. But that
scripture coming into my mind, "Answer not a fool according to his
folly," I was as sparing of my speech as I could, without prejudice
to truth.

Now by this time my mittimus was made, and I committed to the
constable to be sent to the jail in Bedford, &c.

But as I was going, two of my brethren met with me by the way, and
desired the constable to stay, supposing that they should prevail
with the justice, through the favour of a pretended friend, to let
me go at liberty. So we did stay, while they went to the justice;
and after much discourse with him, it came to this; that if I would
come to him again, and say some certain words to him, I should be
released. Which when they told me, I said if the words were such
that might be said with a good conscience, I should, or, else,
I should not. So through their importunity I went back again, but
not believing that I should be delivered: for I feared their spirit
was too full of opposition to the truth to let me go, unless I should
in something or other dishonour my God, and wound my conscience.
Wherefore, as I went, I lifted up my heart to God for light and
strength to be kept, that I might not do anything that might either
dishonour him, or wrong my own soul, or be a grief or discouragement
to any that was inclining after the Lord Jseus Christ.

Well, when I came to the justice again, there was Mr. Foster of
Bedford, who coming out of another room, and seeing of me by the
light of the candle, for it was dark night when I came thither, he
said unto me, Who is there? John Bunyan? with such seeming affection,
as if he would have leaped in my neck and kissed[4] me, which made
me somewhat wonder, that such a man as he, with whom I had so little
acquaintance, and, besides, that had ever been a close opposer of
the ways of God, should carry himself so full of love to me; but,
afterwards, when I saw what he did, it caused me to remember those
sayings, "Their tongues are smoother than oil, but their words are
drawn swords." And again, "Beware of men," &c. when I had answered
him, that blessed be God I was well, he said, What is the occasion
of your being here? or to that purpose. To whom I answered, that
I was at a meeting of people a little way off, intending to speak
a word of exhortation to them; but the justice hearing thereof, said
I, was pleased to send his warrant to fetch me before him, &c.

Foster. So, said he, I understand; but well, if you will promise
to call the people no more together, you shall have your liberty
to go home; for my brother is very loath to send you to prison, if
you will be but ruled.

Bun. Sir, said I, pray what do you mean by calling the people
together? My business is not anything among them, when they are
come together, but to exhort them to look after the salvation of
their souls, that they may be saved, &c.

Fost. Saith he, We must not enter into explication or dispute now;
but if you will say you will call the people no more together, you
may have your liberty; if not, you must be sent away to prison.

Bun. Sir, said I, I shall not force or compel any man to hear
me; but yet, if I come into any place where there is a people met
together, I should, according to the best of my skill and wisdom,
exhort and counsel them to seek out after the Lord Jesus Christ,
for the salvation of their souls.

Fost. He said, that was none of my work; I must follow my calling;
and if I would but leave off preaching, and follow my calling, I
should have the justice's favour, and be acquitted presently.

Bun. To whom I said, that I could follow my calling and that too,
namely, preaching the Word; and I did look upon it as my duty to
do them both, as I had an opportunity.

Fost. He said, to have any such meetings was against the law; and,
therefore, he would have me leave off, and say I would call the
people no more together.

Bun. To whom I said, that I durst not make any further promise; for
my conscience would not suffer me to do it. And again, I did look
upon it as my duty to do as much good as I could, not only in my
trade, but also in communicating to all people, wheresoever I came,
the best knowledge I had in the Word.

Fost. He told me that I was the nearest the Papists of any, and
that he would convince me of immediately.

Bun. I asked him wherein?

Fost. He said, in that we understood the Scriptures literally.

Bun. I told him that those that were to be understood literally,
we understood them so; but for those that were to be understood
otherwise, we endeavoured so to understand them.

Fost. He said, which of the Scriptures do you understand literally?

Bun. I said this, "he that believeth shall be saved." This was to
be understood just as it is spoken; that whosoever believeth in
Christ shall, according to the plain and simple words of the text,
be saved.

Fost. He said that I was ignorant, and did not understand the
Scriptures; for how, said he, can you understand them when you know
not the original Greek? &c.

Bun. To whom I said, that if that was his opinion, that none could
understand the Scriptures but those that had the original Greek,
&c., then but a very few of the poorest sort should be saved; this
is harsh; yet the Scripture saith, "That God hides these things
from the wise and prudent," that is, from the learned of the world,
"and reveals them to babes and sucklings."

Fost. He said there were none that heard me but a company of foolish
people.

Bun. I told him that there were the wise as well as the foolish
that do hear me; and again, those that are most commonly counted
foolish by the world are the wisest before God; also, that God had
rejected the wise, and mighty, and noble, and chosen the foolish
and the base.

Fost. He told me that I made people neglect their calling; and
that God had commanded people to work six days, and serve him on
the seventh.

Bun. I told him that it was the duty of people, both rich and poor,
to look out for their souls on those days as well as for their
bodies; and that God would have his people "exhort one another
daily, while it is called to-day."

Fost. He said again that there was none but a company of poor,
simple, ignorant people that came to hear me.

Bun. I told him that the foolish and ignorant had most need of
teaching and information; and, therefore, it would be profitable
for me to go on in that work.

Fost. Well, said he, to conclude, but will you promise that you
will not call the people together any more? and then you may be
released and go home.

Bun. I told him that I durst say no more than I had said; for I
durst not leave off that work which God had called me to.

So he withdrew from me, and then came several of the justice's
servants to me, and told me that I stood so much upon a nicety.
Their master, they said, was willing to let me go; and if I would
but say I would call the people no more together, I might have my
liberty, &c.

Bun. I told them there were more ways than one in which a man
might be said to call the people together. As, for instance, if a
man get upon the market place, and there read a book, or the like,
though he do not say to the people, Sirs, come hither and hear;
yet if they come to him because he reads, he, by his very reading,
may be said to call them together; because they would not have been
there to hear if he had not been there to read. And seeing this
might be termed a calling the people together, I durst not say I
would not call them together; for then, by the same argument, my
preaching might be said to call them together.

Wing. and Fost. Then came the justice and Mr. Foster to me again;
we had a little more discourse about preaching, but because the
method of it is out of my mind, I pass it; and when they saw that
I was at a point, and would not be moved nor persuaded,

Mr. Foster, the man that did at the first express so much love to
me, told the justice that then he must send me away to prison. And
that he would do well, also, if he would present all those that
were the cause of my coming among them to meetings. Thus we parted.

And, verily, as I was going forth of the doors, I had much ado to
forbear saying to them that I carried the peace of God along with
me; but I held my peace, and, blessed be the Lord, went away to
prison, with God's comfort in my poor soul.

After I had lain in the jail five or six days, the brethren sought
means, again, to get me out by bondsmen; for so ran my mittimus,
that I should lie there till I could find sureties. They went to
a justice at Elstow, one Mr. Crumpton, to desire him to take bond
for my appearing at the quarter-sessions. At the first he told
them he would; but afterwards he made a demur at the business, and
desired first to see my mittimus, which run to this purpose: That
I went about to several conventicles in this county, to the great
disparagement of the government of the church of England, &c. When
he had seen it, he said that there might be something more against
me than was expressed in my mittimus; and that he was but a young
man, and, therefore, he durst not do it. This my jailer told me;
whereat I was not at all daunted, but rather glad, and saw evidently
that the Lord had heard me; for before I went down to the justice,
I begged of God that if I might do more good by being at liberty
than in prison, that then I might be set at liberty; but if not,
his will be done; for I was not altogether without hopes but that
my imprisonment might be an awakening to the saints in the country,
therefore I could not tell well which to choose; only I, in that
manner, did commit the thing to God. And verily, at my return, I
did meet my God sweetly in the prison again, comforting of me and
satisfying of me that it was his will and mind that I should be
there.[5]

When I came back again to prison, as I was musing at the slender
answer of the justice, this word dropt in upon my heart with some
life, "For he knew that for envy they had delivered him."

Thus have I, in short, declared the manner and occasion of my being
in prison; where I lie waiting the good will of God, to do with me
as he pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to
the ground without the will of my Father which is in heaven. Let
the rage and malice of men be never so great, they can do no more,
nor go no further, than God permits them; but when they have done
their worst, "We know that all things work together for good to
them that love God" (Rom 8:28). Farewell.

Here is the sum of my Examination before Justice Keelin, Justice
Chester, Justice Blundale, Justice Beecher, and Justice Snagg, &c.

After I had lain in prison above seven weeks, the quarter-sessions
was to be kept in Bedford, for the county thereof, unto which I was
to be brought; and when my jailer had set me before those justices,
there was a bill of indictment preferred against me. The extent
thereof was as followeth: 'That John Bunyan, of the town of
Bedford, labourer, being a person of such and such conditions, he
hath, since such a time, devilishly and perniciously abstained from
coming to church to hear Divine service, and is a common upholder
of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great
disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom,
contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord the King,' &c.

The Clerk. When this was read, the clerk of the sessions said unto
me, What say you to this?

Bun. I said, that as to the first part of it, I was a common
frequenter of the church of God. And was also, by grace, a member
with the people over whom Christ is the Head.

Keelin. But, saith Justice Keelin, who was the judge in that court?
Do you come to church, you know what I mean; to the parish church,
to hear Divine service?

Bun. I answered, No, I did not.

Keel. He asked me why?

Bun. I said, Because I did not find it commanded in the Word of
God.

Keel. He said, We were commanded to pray.

Bun. I said, But not by the Common Prayer Book.

Keel. He said, How then?

Bun. I said, With the Spirit. As the apostle saith, "I will pray
with the Spirit, and--with the understanding" (1 Cor 14:15).

Keel. He said, We might pray with the Spirit, and with the
understanding, and with the Common Prayer Book also.

Bun. I said that the prayers in the Common Prayer Book were such as
were made by other men, and not by the motions of the Holy Ghost,
within our hearts; and as I said, the apostle saith, he will pray
with the Spirit, and with the understanding; not with the Spirit
and the Common Prayer Book.

Another Justice. What do you count prayer? Do you think it is to
say a few words over before or among a people?

Bun. I said, No, not so; for men might have many elegant, or
excellent words, and yet not pray at all; but when a man prayeth,
he doth, through a sense of those things which he wants, which sense
is begotten by the Spirit, pour out his heart before God through
Christ; though his words be not so many and so excellent as others
are.

Justices. They said, That was true.

Bun. I said, This might be done without the Common Prayer Book.

Another. One of them said (I think it was Justice Blundale, or
Justice Snagg), How should we know that you do not write out your
prayers first, and then read them afterwards to the people? This
he spake in a laughing way.

Bun. I said, It is not our use, to take a pen and paper, and write
a few words thereon, and then go and read it over to a company of
people.

But how should we know it, said he?

Bun. Sir, it is none of our custom, said I.

Keel. But, said Justice Keelin, it is lawful to use Common Prayer,
and such like forms: for Christ taught his disciples to pray, as
John also taught his disciples. And further, said he, cannot one
man teach another to pray? "Faith comes by hearing"; and one man
may convince another of sin, and therefore prayers made by men,
and read over, are good to teach, and help men to pray.

While he was speaking these words, God brought that word into my
mind, in the eighth of the Romans, at the 26th verse. I say, God
brought it, for I thought not on it before: but as he was speaking,
it came so fresh into my mind, and was set so evidently before me,
as if the scripture had said, Take me, take me; so when he had done
speaking,

Bun. I said, Sir, the Scripture saith, that it is the Spirit that
helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with
[sighs and] groanings which cannot be uttered. Mark, said I, it
doth not say the Common Prayer Book teacheth us how to pray, but
the Spirit. And it is "the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities,"
saith the apostle; he doth not say it is the Common Prayer Book.

And as to the Lord's prayer, although it be an easy thing to say,
"Our Father," &c., with the mouth; yet there are very few that
can, in the Spirit, say the two first words in that prayer; that
is, that can call God their Father, as knowing what it is to be
born again, and a having experience, that they are begotten of the
Spirit of God; which if they do not, all is but babbling, &c.[6]

Keel. Justice Keelin said, that that was a truth.

Bun. And I say further, as to your saying that one man may convince
another of sin, and that faith comes by hearing, and that one man
may tell another how he should pray, &c., I say men may tell each
other of their sins, but it is the Spirit that must convince them.

And though it be said that "faith comes by hearing," yet it is the
Spirit that worketh faith in the heart through hearing, or else
they are not profited by hearing (Heb 4:12).

And that though one man may tell another how he should pray; yet,
as I said before, he cannot pray, nor make his condition known to
God, except the Spirit help. It is not the Common Prayer Book that
can do this. It is the Spirit that showeth us our sins, and the
Spirit that showeth us a Saviour (John 16:16); and the Spirit that
stirreth up in our hearts desires to come to God, for such things
as we stand in need of (Matt 11:27), even sighing out our souls
unto him for them with "groans which cannot be uttered." With other
words to the same purpose. At this they were set.

Keel. But, says Justice Keelin, what have you against the Common
Prayer Book?

Bun. I said, Sir, if you will hear me, I shall lay down my reasons
against it.

Keel. He said, I should have liberty; but first, said he, let me
give you one caution; take heed of speaking irreverently of the
Common Prayer Book; for if you do so, you will bring great damage
upon yourself.

Bun. So I proceeded, and said, My first reason was, because it was
not commanded in the Word of God, and therefore I could not use
it.

Another. One of them said, Where do you find it commanded in the
Scripture, that you should go to Elstow, or Bedford, and yet it is
lawful to go to either of them, is it not?

Bun. I said, To go to Elstow, or Bedford, was a civil thing, and
not material, though not commanded, and yet God's Word allowed me
to go about my calling, and therefore if it lay there, then to go
thither, &c. But to pray, was a great part of the Divine worship
of God, and therefore it ought to be done according to the rule of
God's Word.

Another. One of them said, He will do harm; let him speak no further.

Keel. Justice Keelin said, No, no, never fear him, we are better
established than so; he can do no harm; we know the Common Prayer
Book hath been ever since the apostles' time, and is lawful for it
to be used in the church.

Bun. I said, Show me the place in the epistles where the Common
Prayer Book is written, or one text of Scripture that commands me
to read it, and I will use it. But yet, notwithstanding, said I,
they that have a mind to use it, they have their liberty;[7] that
is, I would not keep them from it; but for our parts, we can pray
to God without it. Blessed be his name.

With that, one of them said, Who is your God? Beelzebub? Moreover,
they often said that I was possessed with the spirit of delusion,
and of the devil. All which sayings I passed over; the Lord
forgive them! And further, I said, blessed be the Lord for it, we
are encouraged to meet together, and to pray, and exhort one another;
for we have had the comfortable presence of God among us. For ever
blessed be his holy name!

Keel. Justice Keelin called this pedlar's French, saying, that I
must leave off my canting. The Lord open his eyes!

Bun. I said, that we ought to "exhort one another daily, while it
is called to-day," &c. (Heb 3:13).

Keel. Justice Keelin said, that I ought not to preach; and asked
me where I had my authority? with other such like words.

Bun. I said, that I would prove that it was lawful for me, and such
as I am, to preach the Word of God.

Keel. He said unto me, By what scripture?

I said, By that in the first epistle of Peter, chapter 4, the 10th
verse, and Acts 18 with other scriptures, which he would not suffer
me to mention. But said, Hold; not so many, which is the first?

Bun. I said, this: "As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of
God," &c.

Keel. He said, Let me a little open that scripture to you: 'As every
man hath received the gift'; that is, said he, as every one hath
received a trade, so let him follow it. If any man have received a
gift of tinkering, as thou hast done, let him follow his tinkering.
And so other men their trades; and the divine his calling, &c.

Bun. Nay, Sir, said I, but it is most clear, that the apostle speaks
here of preaching the Word; if you do but compare both the verses
together, the next verse explains this gift what it is, saying, 'If
any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God.' So that it is
plain, that the Holy Ghost doth not so much in this place exhort
to civil callings, as to the exercising of those gifts that we have
received from God. I would have gone on, but he would not give me
leave.

Keel. He said, We might do it in our families, but not otherwise.

Bun. I said, If it was lawful to do good to some, it was lawful to
do good to more. If it was a good duty to exhort our families, it
is good to exhort others; but if they held it a sin to meet together
to seek the face of God, and exhort one another to follow Christ,
I should sin still; for so we should do.

Keel. He said he was not so well versed in Scripture as to dispute,
or words to that purpose. And said, moreover, that they could
not wait upon me any longer; but said to me, Then you confess the
indictment, do you not? Now, and not till now, I saw I was indicted.

Bun. I said, This I confess, we have had many meetings together,
both to pray to God, and to exhort one another, and that we had the
sweet comforting presence of the Lord among us for our encouragement;
blessed be his name therefore. I confessed myself guilty no otherwise.

Keel. Then, said he, hear your judgment. You must be had back again
to prison, and there lie for three months following; and at three
months' end, if you do not submit to go to church to hear Divine
service, and leave your preaching, you must be banished the realm:
and if, after such a day as shall be appointed you to be gone, you
shall be found in this realm, &c., or be found to come over again
without special license from the king, &c.,[8] you must stretch by
the neck for it, I tell you plainly; and so bid my jailer have me
away.

Bun. I told him, as to this matter, I was at a point with him;
for if I was out of prison to-day I would preach the gospel again
to-morrow, by the help of God.

Another. To which one made me some answer; but my jailer pulling
me away to be gone, I could not tell what he said.

Thus I departed from them; and I can truly say, I bless the Lord
Jesus Christ for it, that my heart was sweetly refreshed in the
time of my examination; and also afterwards, at my returning to
the prison. So that I found Christ's words more than bare trifles,
where he saith, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your
adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke 21:15).
And that his peace no man can take from us.

Thus have I given you the substance of my examination. The Lord
make these profitable to all that shall read or hear them. Farewell.

The Substance of some Discourse had between the Clerk of the Peace
and myself, when he came to admonish me, according to the tenor of
that Law by which I was in Prison.

When I had lain in prison other twelve weeks, and now not knowing
what they intended to do with me, upon the 3rd of April 1661,
comes Mr. Cobb unto me, as he told me, being sent by the justices
to admonish me; and demanded of me submittance to the Church of
England, &c. The extent of our discourse was as followeth:--

Cobb. When he was come into the house he sent for me out of my
chamber; who, when I was come unto him, he said, Neighbour Bunyan,
how do you do?

Bun. I thank you, Sir, said I, very well, blessed be the Lord.

Cobb. Saith he, I come to tell you that it is desired you would submit
yourself to the laws of the land, or else at the next sessions it
will go worse with you, even to be sent away out of the nation, or
else worse than that.

Bun. I said that I did desire to demean myself in the world, both
as becometh a man and a Christian.

Cobb. But, saith he, you must submit to the laws of the land, and
leave off those meetings which you was wont to have; for the statute
law is directly against it; and I am sent to you by the justices
to tell you that they do intend to prosecute the law against you
if you submit not.

Bun. I said, Sir, I conceive that that law by which I am in prison
at this time doth not reach or condemn either me or the meetings
which I do frequent; that law was made against those that, being
designed to do evil in their meetings, making the exercise of religion
their pretence, to cover their wickedness. It doth not forbid the
private meetings of those that plainly and simply make it their only
end to worship the Lord, and to exhort one another to edification.
My end in meeting with others is simply to do as much good as I
can, by exhortation and counsel, according to that small measure
of light which God hath given me, and not to disturb the peace of
the nation.

Cobb. Every one will say the same, said he; you see the late
insurrection at London, under what glorious pretences they went;
and yet, indeed, they intended no less than the ruin of the kingdom
and commonwealth.[9]

Bun. That practice of theirs I abhor, said I; yet it doth not follow
that, because they did so, therefore all others will do so. I look
upon it as my duty to behave myself under the King's government,
both as becomes a man and a Christian, and if an occasion were
offered me, I should willingly manifest my loyalty to my Prince,
both by word and deed.

Cobb. Well, said he, I do not profess myself to be a man that can
dispute; but this I say, truly, neighbour Bunyan, I would have you
consider this matter seriously, and submit yourself; you may have
your liberty to exhort your neighbour in private discourse, so be
you do not call together an assembly of people; and, truly, you
may do much good to the church of Christ, if you would go this way;
and this you may do, and the law not abridge you of it. It is your
private meetings that the law is against.

Bun. Sir, said I, if I may do good to one by my discourse, why may
I not do good to two? and if to two, why not to four, and so to
eight? &c.

Cobb. Ay, saith he, and to a hundred, I warrant you.

Bun. Yes, Sir, said I, I think I should not be forbid to do as much
good as I can.

Cobb. But, saith he, you may but pretend to do good, and indeed,
notwithstanding, do harm, by seducing the people; you are, therefore,
denied your meeting so many together, lest you should do harm.

Bun. And yet, said I, you say the law tolerates me to discourse
with my neighbour; surely there is no law tolerates me to seduce any
one; therefore, if I may, by the law, discourse with one, surely
it is to do him good; and if I, by discoursing, may do good to one,
surely, by the same law, I may do good to many.

Cobb. The law, saith he, doth expressly forbid your private meetings;
therefore they are not to be tolerated.

Bun. I told him that I would not entertain so much uncharitableness of
that Parliament in the 35th of Elizabeth, or of the Queen herself,
as to think they did, by that law, intend the oppressing of any of
God's ordinances, or the interrupting any in the way of God; but
men may, in the wresting of it, turn it against the way of God;
but take the law in itself, and it only fighteth against those that
drive at mischief in their hearts and meetings, making religion
only their cloak, colour, or pretence; for so are the words of the
statute: 'If any meetings, under colour or pretence of religion,'
&c.[10]

Cobb. Very good; therefore the king, seeing that pretences are
usually in and among people, as to make religion their pretence
only, therefore he, and the law before him, doth forbid such private
meetings, and tolerates only public; you may meet in public.

Bun. Sir, said I, let me answer you in a similitude: Set the case
that, at such a wood corner, there did usually come forth thieves,
to do mischief; must there therefore a law be made that every one
that cometh out there shall be killed? May there not come out true
men as well as thieves out from thence? Just thus it is in this
case; I do think there may be many that may design the destruction
of the commonwealth; but it does not follow therefore that all
private meetings are unlawful; those that transgress, let them
be punished. And if at any time I myself should do any act in my
conversation as doth not become a man and Christian, let me bear
the punishment. And as for your saying I may meet in public, if
I may be suffered, I would gladly do it. Let me have but meeting
enough in public, and I shall care the less to have them in private.
I do not meet in private because I am afraid to have meetings in
public. I bless the Lord that my heart is at that point, that if any
man can lay anything to my charge, either in doctrine or practice,
in this particular, that can be proved error or heresy, I am willing
to disown it, even in the very market place; but if it be truth,
then to stand to it to the last drop of my blood. And, Sir, said I,
you ought to commend me for so doing. To err and to be a heretic are
two things; I am no heretic, because I will not stand refractorily
to defend any one thing that is contrary to the Word. Prove anything
which I hold to be an error, and I will recant it.

Cobb. But, Goodman Bunyan, said he, methinks you need not stand so
strictly upon this one thing, as to have meetings of such public
assemblies. Cannot you submit, and, notwithstanding, do as much
good as you can, in a neighbourly way, without having such meetings?

Bun. Truly, Sir, said I, I do not desire to commend myself, but to
think meanly of myself; yet when I do most despise myself, taking
notice of that small measure of light which God hath given me,
also that the people of the Lord, by their own saying, are edified
thereby. Besides, when I see that the Lord, through grace, hath in
some measure blessed my labour, I dare not but exercise that gift
which God hath given me for the good of the people. And I said
further, that I would willingly speak in public, if I might.

Cobb. He said, that I might come to the public assemblies and hear.
What though you do not preach? you may hear. Do not think yourself
so well enlightened, and that you have received a gift so far above
others, but that you may hear other men preach. Or to that purpose.

Bun. I told him, I was as willing to be taught as to give instruction,
and looked upon it as my duty to do both; for, saith I, a man that
is a teacher, he himself may learn also from another that teacheth,
as the apostle saith: "Ye may all prophesy, one by one, that all
may learn" (1 Cor 14:31). That is, every man that hath received a
gift from God, he may dispense it, that others may be comforted;
and when he hath done, he may hear and learn, and be comforted
himself of others.

Cobb. But, said he, what if you should forbear awhile, and sit
still, till you see further how things will go?

Bun. Sir, said I, Wicliffe saith, that he which leaveth off preaching
and hearing of the Word of God for fear of excommunication of
men, he is already excommunicated of God, and shall in the day of
judgment be counted a traitor to Christ.[11]

Cobb. Ay, saith he, they that do not hear shall be so counted
indeed; do you, therefore, hear.

Bun. But, Sir, said I, he saith, he that shall leave off either
preaching or hearing, &c. That is, if he hath received a gift for
edification, it is his sin, if he doth not lay it out in a way of
exhortation and counsel, according to the proportion of his gift;
as well as to spend his time altogether in hearing others preach.

Cobb. But, said he, how shall we know that you have received a
gift?

Bun. Said I, Let any man hear and search, and prove the doctrine
by the Bible.

Cobb. But will you be willing, said he, that two indifferent persons
shall determine the case, and will you stand by their judgment?

Bun. I said, Are they infallible?

Cobb. He said, No.

Bun. Then, said I, it is possible my judgment may be as good as
theirs. But yet I will pass by either, and in this matter be judged
by the Scriptures; I am sure that is infallible, and cannot err.

Cobb. But, said he, who shall be judge between you, for you take
the Scriptures one way, and they another?

Bun. I said, The Scripture should, and that by comparing one
scripture with another; for that will open itself, if it be rightly
compared. As, for instance, if under the different apprehensions of
the word Mediator, you would know the truth of it, the Scriptures
open it, and tell us that he that is a mediator must take up the
business between two, and "a mediator is not a mediator of one,
but God is one," and "there is one mediator between God and men,
[even] the man Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:20; 1 Tim 2:5). So likewise
the Scripture calleth Christ a complete, or perfect, or able high
priest. That is opened in that he is called man, and also God.
His blood also is discovered to be effectually efficacious by the
same things. So the Scripture, as touching the matter of meeting
together, &c., doth likewise sufficiently open itself and discover
its meaning.

Cobb. But are you willing, said he, to stand to the judgment of
the church?

Bun. Yes, Sir, said I, to the approbation of the church of God;
the church's judgment is best expressed in Scripture. We had much
other discourse which I cannot well remember, about the laws of
the nation, and submission to government; to which I did tell him,
that I did look upon myself as bound in conscience to walk according
to all righteous laws, and that whether there was a king or no;
and if I did anything that was contrary, I did hold it my duty to
bear patiently the penalty of the law, that was provided against
such offenders; with many more words to the like effect. And said,
moreover, that to cut off all occasions of suspicion from any,
as touching the harmlessness of my doctrine in private, I would
willingly take the pains to give any one the notes of all my
sermons; for I do sincerely desire to live quietly in my country,
and to submit to the present authority.

Cobb. Well, neighbour Bunyan, said he, but indeed I would wish
you seriously to consider of these things, between this and the
quarter-sessions, and to submit yourself. You may do much good if
you continue still in the land; but alas, what benefit will it be
to your friends, or what good can you do to them, if you should be
sent away beyond the seas into Spain, or Constantinople, or some
other remote part of the world? Pray be ruled.

Jailer. Indeed, Sir, I hope he will be ruled.

Bun. I shall desire, said I, in all godliness and honesty to behave
myself in the nation, whilst I am in it. And if I must be so dealt
withal, as you say, I hope God will help me to bear what they shall
lay upon me. I know no evil that I have done in this matter, to be
so used. I speak as in the presence of God.

Cobb. You know, saith he, that the Scripture saith, "the powers
that be are ordained of God."

Bun. I said, yes, and that I was to submit to the king as supreme,
also to the governors, as to them that are sent by him.

Cobb. Well then, said he, the King then commands you, that you should
not have any private meetings; because it is against his law, and
he is ordained of God, therefore you should not have any.

Bun. I told him that Paul did own the powers that were in his day,
as to be of God; and yet he was often in prison under them for all
that. And also, though Jesus Christ told Pilate, that he had no
power against him, but of God, yet he died under the same Pilate;
and yet, said I, I hope you will not say that either Paul, or
Christ, were such as did deny magistracy, and so sinned against
God in slighting the ordinance. Sir, said I, the law hath provided
two ways of obeying: The one to do that which I, in my conscience,
do believe that I am bound to do, actively; and where I cannot obey
actively, there I am willing to lie down, and to suffer what they
shall do unto me. At this he sat still, and said no more; which,
when he had done, I did thank him for his civil and meek discoursing
with me; and so we parted.

O that we might meet in heaven!

Farewell. J.B.

Here followeth a discourse between my Wife and the Judges, with
others, touching my Deliverance at the Assizes following; the which
I took from her own Mouth.

After that I had received this sentence of banishing, or hanging,
from them, and after the former admonition, touching the determination
of the justices, if I did not recant; just when the time drew nigh,
in which I should have abjured, or have done worse, as Mr. Cobb
told me, came the time in which the King was to be crowned.[12]
Now, at the coronation of kings, there is usually a releasement of
divers prisoners, by virtue of his coronation; in which privilege
also I should have had my share; but that they took me for a convicted
person, and therefore, unless I sued out a pardon, as they called
it, I could have no benefit thereby; notwithstanding, yet, forasmuch
as the coronation proclamation did give liberty, from the day the king
was crowned to that day twelvemonth, to sue them out; therefore,
though they would not let me out of prison, as they let out thousands,
yet they could not meddle with me, as touching the execution of
their sentence; because of the liberty offered for the suing out
of pardons. Whereupon I continued in prison till the next assizes,
which are called Midsummer assizes, being then kept in August 1661.

Now, at that assizes, because I would not leave any possible means
unattempted that might be lawful, I did, by my wife, present a
petition to the judges three times, that I might be heard, and that
they would impartially take my case into consideration.

The first time my wife went, she presented it to Judge Hale, who
very mildly received it at her hand, telling her that he would
do her and me the best good he could; but he feared, he said, he
could do none. The next day, again, lest they should, through the
multitude of business, forget me, we did throw another petition
into the coach to Judge Twisdon; who, when he had seen it, snapt
her up, and angrily told her that I was a convicted person, and
could not be released, unless I would promise to preach no more,
&c.

Well, after this, she yet again presented another to Judge Hale,
as he sat on the bench, who, as it seemed, was willing to give her
audience. Only Justice Chester being present, stept up and said,
that I was convicted in the court and that I was a hot-spirited
fellow, or words to that purpose, whereat he waived it, and did
not meddle therewith. But yet, my wife being encouraged by the high
sheriff, did venture once more into their presence, as the poor
widow did to the unjust judge, to try what she could do with them
for my liberty, before they went forth of the town. The place where
she went to them was to the Swan Chamber, where the two judges, and
many justices and gentry of the country, were in company together.
She then, coming into the chamber with abashed face, and a trembling
heart, began her errand to them in this manner:--

Woman. My Lord (directing herself to Judge Hale), I make bold to
come once again to your Lordship, to know what may be done with my
husband.

Judge Hale. To whom he said, Woman, I told thee before, I could do
thee no good; because they have taken that for a conviction which
thy husband spoke at the sessions; and unless there be something
done to undo that, I can do thee no good.

Wom. My Lord, said she, he is kept unlawfully in prison; they clapped
him up before there was any proclamation against the meetings; the
indictment also is false. Besides, they never asked him whether he
was guilty or no; neither did he confess the indictment.

One of the Justices. Then one of the justices that stood by, whom
she knew not, said, My Lord, he was lawfully convicted.

Wom. It is false, said she; for when they said to him, Do you confess
the indictment? he said only this, that he had been at several
meetings, both where there was preaching the Word, and prayer, and
that they had God's presence among them.

Judge Twisdon. Whereat Judge Twisdon answered very angrily, saying,
'What! you think we can do what we list; your husband is a breaker
of the peace, and is convicted by the law,' &c. Whereupon Judge
Hale called for the Statute Book.

Wom. But, said she, my Lord, he was not lawfully convicted.

Chester. Then Justice Chester said, 'My Lord, he was lawfully
convicted.'

Wom. It is false, said she; it was but a word of discourse that
they took for a conviction, as you heard before.

Chest. 'But it is recorded, woman, it is recorded,' said Justice
Chester; as if it must be of necessity true, because it was recorded.
With which words he often endeavoured to stop her mouth, having
no other argument to convince her, but 'it is recorded, it is
recorded.'[13]

Wom. My Lord, said she, I was a while since at London, to see if
I could get my husband's liberty; and there I spoke with my Lord
Barkwood, one of the House of Lords, to whom I delivered a petition,
who took it of me and presented it to some of the rest of the House
of Lords, for my husband's releasement: who, when they had seen
it, they said that they could not release him, but had committed
his releasement to the judges, at the next assizes. This he told
me; and now I come to you to see if anything may be done in this
business, and you give neither releasement nor relief. To which
they gave her no answer, but made as if they heard her not.[14]

Chest. Only Justice Chester was often up with this, 'He is convicted,'
and 'It is recorded.'

Wom. If it be, it is false, said she.

Chest. My Lord, said Justice Chester, he is a pestilent fellow,
there is not such a fellow in the country again.

Twis. What, will your husband leave preaching? If he will do so,
then send for him.

Wom. My Lord, said she, he dares not leave preaching, as long as
he can speak.

Twis. See here, what should we talk any more about such a fellow?
Must he do what he lists? He is a breaker of the peace.

Wom. She told him again, that he desired to live peaceably, and
to follow his calling, that his family might be maintained; and,
moreover, said, My Lord, I have four small children that cannot
help themselves, of which one is blind, and have nothing to live
upon, but the charity of good people.

Hale. Hast thou four children? said Judge Hale; thou art but a
young woman to have four children.

Wom. My Lord, said she, I am but mother-in-law to them, having not
been married to him yet full two years. Indeed, I was with child when
my husband was first apprehended; but being young, and unaccustomed
to such things, said she, I being smayed[15] at the news, fell into
labour, and so continued for eight days, and then was delivered,
but my child died.[16]

Hale. Whereat, he looking very soberly on the matter, said, 'Alas,
poor woman!'

Twis. But Judge Twisdon told her, that she made poverty her cloak;
and said, moreover, that he understood I was maintained better by
running up and down a preaching, than by following my calling.

Hale. What is his calling? said Judge Hale.

Answer. Then some of the company that stood by said, 'A tinker, my
Lord.'

Wom. Yes, said she, and because he is a tinker, and a poor man,
therefore he is despised, and cannot have justice.

Hale. Then Judge Hale answered, very mildly, saying, 'I tell thee,
woman, seeing it is so, that they have taken what thy husband spake
for a conviction; thou must either apply thyself to the King, or
sue out his pardon, or get a writ of error.'

Chest. But when Justice Chester heard him give her this counsel; and
especially, as she supposed, because he spoke of a writ of error,
he chafed,[17] and seemed to be very much offended; saying, 'My
Lord, he will preach and do what he lists.'

Wom. He preacheth nothing but the Word of God, said she.

Twis. He preach the Word of God! said Twisdon; and withal she thought
he would have struck her; he runneth up and down, and doth harm.

Wom. No, my Lord, said she, it is not so; God hath owned him, and
done much good by him.

Twis. God! said he; his doctrine is the doctrine of the devil.

Wom. My Lord, said she, when the righteous Judge shall appear, it
will be known that his doctrine is not the doctrine of the devil.

Twis. My Lord, said he, to Judge Hale, do not mind her, but send
her away.

Hale. Then said Judge Hale, 'I am sorry, woman, that I can do thee
no good; thou must do one of those three things aforesaid; namely,
either to apply thyself to the King, or sue out his pardon, or get
a writ of error; but a writ of error will be cheapest.'

Wom. At which Chester again seemed to be in a chafe, and put off
his hat, and as she thought, scratched his head for anger: but when
I saw, said she, that there was no prevailing to have my husband
sent for, though I often desired them that they would send for him,
that he might speak for himself, telling them, that he could give
them better satisfaction than I could in what they demanded of
him, with several other things, which now I forget; only this I
remember, that though I was somewhat timorous at my first entrance
into the chamber, yet before I went out, I could not but break forth
into tears, not so much because they were so hard-hearted against
me and my husband, but to think what a sad account such poor
creatures will have to give at the coming of the Lord, when they
shall there answer for al things whatsoever they have done in the
body, whether it be good or whether it be bad.[18]

So, when I departed from them, the Book of Statute was brought,
but what they said of it I know nothing at all, neither did I hear
any more from them.

Some Carriages of the Adversaries of God's Truth with me at the
next Assizes, which was on the 19th of the First Month, 1662.

I shall pass by what befell between these two assizes, how I had,
by my jailer, some liberty granted me, more than at the first, and
how I followed my wonted course of preaching, taking all occasions
that were put into my hand to visit the people of God; exhorting
them to be steadfast in the faith of Jesus Christ, and to take heed
that they touched not the Common Prayer, &c., but to mind the Word
of God, which giveth direction to Christians in every point, being
able to make the man of God perfect in all things through faith in
Jesus Christ, and thoroughly to furnish him unto all good works (2
Tim 3:17).[19] Also, how I, having, I say, somewhat more liberty,
did go to see Christians at London; which my enemies hearing of,
were so angry, that they had almost cast my jailer out of his place,
threatening to indict him, and to do what they could against him.
They charged me also, that I went thither to plot and raise division,
and make insurrection, which, God knows, was a slander; whereupon
my liberty was more straitened than it was before: so that I must
not look out of the door. Well, when the next sessions came, which
was about the 10th of the eleventh month, I did expect to have
been very roundly dealt withal; but they passed me by, and would
not call me, so that I rested till the assizes, which was the 19th
of the first month following; and when they came, because I had a
desire to come before the judge, I desired my jailer to put my name
into the calendar among the felons, and made friends of the judge
and high sheriff, who promised that I should be called; so that I
thought what I had done might have been effectual for the obtaining of
my desire; but all was in vain: for when the assizes came, though
my name was in the calendar, and also though both the judge and
sheriff had promised that I should appear before them, yet the
justices and the clerk of the peace did so work it about, that I,
notwithstanding, was deferred, and might not appear; and although,
I say, I do not know of all their carriages towards me, yet this
I know, that the clerk of the peace did discover himself to be one
of my greatest opposers: for, first, he came to my jailer, and told
him that I must not go down before the judge, and therefore must
not be put into the calendar; to whom my jailer said, that my name
was in already. He bid him put me out again; my jailer told him that
he could not, for he had given the judge a calendar with my name
in it, and also the sheriff another. At which he was very much
displeased, and desired to see that calendar that was yet in my
jailer's hand; who, when he had given it him, he looked on it, and
said it was a false calendar; he also took the calendar and blotted
out my accusation, as my jailer had writ it. Which accusation I
cannot tell what it was, because it was so blotted out; and he himself
put in words to this purpose: 'That John Bunyan was committed to
prison, being lawfully convicted for upholding of unlawful meetings
and conventicles,' &c. But yet, for all this, fearing that what he
had done, unless he added thereto, it would not do; he first run
to the clerk of the assizes, then to the justices, and afterwards,
because he would not leave any means unattempted to hinder me,
he comes again to my jailer, and tells him, that if I did go down
before the judge, and was released, he would make him pay my fees,
which, he said, was due to him; and further told him, that he would
complain of him at the next quarter sessions for making of false
calendars; though my jailer himself, as I afterwards learned, had
put in my accusation worse than in itself it was by far. And thus
was I hindered and prevented, at that time also, from appearing
before the judge, and left in prison. Farewell.

John Bunyan.

***

A CONTINUATION OF MR. BUNYAN'S LIFE, BEGINNING WHERE HE LEFT OFF,
AND CONCLUDING WITH THE TIME AND MANNER OF HIS DEATH AND BURIAL,
TOGETHER WITH HIS TRUE CHARACTER.

Reader, the painful and industrious author of this book has already
given you a faithful and very moving relation of the beginning and
middle of the days of his pilgrimage on earth; and since there yet
remains somewhat worthy of notice and regard, which occurred in the
last scene of his life; the which, for want of time, or fear that
some over-censorious people should impute it to him, as an earnest
coveting of praise from men, he has not left behind him in writing.
Wherefore, as a true friend and long acquaintance of Mr. Bunyan's,
that his good end may be known as well as his evil beginning, I
have taken upon me, from my knowledge, and the best account given
by other of his friends, to piece this to the thread, too soon
broke off, and so lengthen it out to his entering upon eternity.

He has told you at large of his birth and education; the evil
habits and corruptions of his youth; the temptations he struggled
and conflicted so frequently with; the mercies, comforts, and
deliverances he found; how he came to take upon him the preaching
of the gospel; the slanders, reproaches, and imprisonments that
attended him; and the progress he notwithstanding made, by the
assistance of God's grace, no doubt to the saving of many souls.
Therefore take these things as he himself has methodically laid them
down in the words of verity; and so I pass on as to what remains.

After his being freed from his twelve years' imprisonment and upwards,
for nonconformity, wherein he had time to furnish the world with
sundry good books, &c.; and, by his patience, to move Dr. Barlow,
the then Bishop of Lincoln,[20] and other churchmen, to pity his
hard and unreasonable sufferings, so far as to stand very much
his friends in procuring his enlargement, or there perhaps he had
died by the noisesomeness and ill usage of the place; being now,
I say, again at liberty, and having, through mercy, shaken off his
bodily fetters, for those upon his soul were broken before, by the
abounding grace that filled his heart, he went to visit those that
had been a comfort to him in his tribulation, with a Christian-like
acknowledgment of their kindness and enlargement of charity; giving
encouragement by his example if it happened to be their hard haps
to fall into affliction or trouble, then to suffer patiently for
the sake of a good conscience, and for the love of God in Jesus
Christ towards their souls; and, by many cordial persuasions,
supported some whose spirits began to sink low through the fear
of danger that threatened their worldly concernment, so that the
people found a wonderful consolation in his discourse and admonitions.

As often as opportunity would admit, he gathered them together in
convenient places, though the law was then in force against meetings,
and fed them with the sincere milk of the Word, that they might grow
up in grace thereby. To such as were anywhere taken and imprisoned
upon these accounts, he made it another part of his business to
extend his charity, and gather relief for such of them as wanted.

He took great care to visit the sick, and strengthen them against
the suggestions of the tempter, which at such times are very
prevalent; so that they had cause for ever to bless God, who had
put into his heart, at such a time, to rescue them from the power
of the roaring lion, who sought to devour them; nor did he spare any
pains or labour in travel, though to the remote counties, where he
knew, or imagined, any people might stand in need of his assistance,
insomuch that some of these visitations that he made, which was
two or three every year, some, though in jeering manner, no doubt,
gave him the epithet of Bishop Bunyan, whilst others envied him
for his so earnestly labouring in Christ's vineyard, yet the seed of
the Word he, all this while, sowed in the hearts of his congregation,
watered with the grace of God, brought forth in abundance, in
bringing in disciples to the church of Christ.

Another part of his time he spent in reconciling differences,
by which he hindered many mischiefs, and saved some families from
ruin; and, in such fallings out, he was uneasy, till he found a
means to labour a reconciliation, and become a peace maker, on whom
a blessing is promised in Holy Writ: and, indeed, in doing this
good office, he may be said to sum up his days, it being the last
undertaking of his life, as will appear in the close of this paper.

When, in the late reign, liberty of conscience was unexpectedly
given and indulged to Dissenters of all persuasions,[21] his
piercing with penetrated the veil, and found that it was not for the
Dissenters' sake they were so suddenly freed from the prosecutions
that had long lain heavy upon them, and set, in a manner, on
an equal foot with the Church of England, which the Papists were
undermining, and about to subvert. He foresaw all the advantages
that could have redounded to the Dissenters, would have been no
more than what Poliphemus, the monstrous giant of Sicily, would
have allowed Ulysses, viz., That he would eat his men first, and
do him the favour of being eaten last. For, although Mr. Bunyan,
following the examples of others, did lay hold of this liberty, as
an acceptable thing in itself, knowing that God is the only lord
of conscience, and that it is good at all times to do according to
the dictates of a good conscience, and that the preaching the glad
tidings of the gospel is beautiful in the preacher; yet, in all
this, he moved with caution and a holy fear, earnestly praying
for averting the impendent judgments, which he saw, like a black
tempest hanging over our heads, for our sins, and ready to break
upon us, and that the Ninevites' remedy was now highly necessary.
Hereupon, he gathered his congregation at Bedford, where he mostly
lived, and had lived, and had spent the greatest part of his life;
and there being no convenient place to be had, for the entertainment of
so great a confluence of people as followed him, upon the account
of his teaching, he consulted with them, for the building of a
meeting house; to which they made their voluntary contributions,
with all cheerfulness and alacrity; and the first time he appeared
there to edify, the place was so thronged, that many were constrained
to stay without, though the house was very spacious, every one
striving to partake of his instructions, that were of his persuasion;
and show their good will towards him, by being present at the opening
of the place; and here he lived in much peace and quiet of mind,
contenting himself with that little God had bestowed upon him, and
sequestering himself from all secular employments, to follow that
of his call to the ministry; for, as God said to Moses, he that
made the lips and heart, can give eloquence and wisdom, without
extraordinary acquirements in a university.

During these things, there were regulators sent into all cities
and towns corporate, to new-model the government in the magistracy,
&c., by turning out some, and putting in others. Against this,
Mr. Bunyan expressed his zeal with some weariness, as foreseeing
the bad consequence that would attend it, and laboured with his
congregation to prevent their being imposed on in this kind; and
when a great man in those days, coming to Bedford upon some such
errand, sent for him, as it is supposed, to give him a place of
public trust, he would by no means come at him, but sent his excuse.

When he was at leisure from writing and teaching, he often
came up to London, and there went among the congregations of the
nonconformists, and used his talent to the great good liking of the
hearers; and even some, to whom he had been misrepresented, upon
the account of his education, were convinced of his worth and
knowledge in sacred things, as perceiving him to be a man of sound
judgment, delivering himself plainly and powerfully; insomuch that
many who came as mere spectators, for novelty's sake, rather than
to be edified and improved, went away well satisfied with what they
heard, and wondered, as the Jews did at the apostles, viz., whence
this man should have these things; perhaps not considering that
God more immediately assists those that make it their business
industriously and cheerfully to labour in his vineyard.

Thus he spent his latter years, in imitation of his great Lord and
Master, the ever-blessed Jesus; he went about doing good, so that
the most prying critic, or even malice herself, is defied to find,
even upon the narrowest search or observation, any sully or stain
upon his reputation with which he may be justly charged; and this
we note as a challenge to those that have had the least regard for
him, or them of his persuasion, and have, one way or other, appeared
in the front of those that oppressed him, and for the turning whose
hearts, in obedience to the commission and commandment given him
of God, he frequently prayed, and sometimes sought a blessing for
them, even with tears, the effects of which they may, peradventure,
though undeservedly, have found in their persons, friends, relations,
or estates; for God will hear the prayers of the faithful, and
answer them, even for those that vex them, as it happened in the
case of Job's praying for the three persons that had been grievous
in their reproach against him, even in the day of his sorrow.

But yet let me come a little nearer to particulars and periods of
time for the better refreshing the memories of those that knew his
labour and suffering, and for the satisfaction of all that shall
read this book.

After he was sensibly convicted of the wicked state of his life,
and converted, he was baptized into the congregation and admitted a
member thereof, viz., in the year 1655, and became speedily a very
zealous professor; but, upon the return of King Charles to the
crown, in 1660, he was, on the 12th of November, taken, as he was
edifying some good people that were got together to hear the Word,
and confined in Bedford jail for the space of six years, till the
Act of Indulgence to Dissenters being allowed, he obtained his
freedom by the intercession of some in trust and power that took
pity of his sufferings; but within six years afterwards [from his
first imprisonment] he was again taken up, viz., in the year 1666,
and was then confined for six years more, when even the jailer took
such pity of his rigorous sufferings that he did as the Egyptian
jailer did to Joseph, put all the care and trust into his hands.
When he was taken this last time, he was preaching on these words,
viz., "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" and this imprisonment
continued six years; and when this was over, another short
affliction, which was an imprisonment of half a year, fell to his
share. During these confinements he wrote these following books,
viz.: Of Prayer by the Spirit, The Holy City, Resurrection, Grace
Abounding, Pilgrim's Progress, the first part.

[Defence of Justification by Jesus Christ.]

In the last year of his twelve years' imprisonment, the pastor of
the congregation at Bedford died, and he was chosen to that care
of souls on the 12th of December 1671. And in this his charge,
he often had disputes with scholars, that came to oppose him, as
supposing him an ignorant person, and though he argued plainly and
by Scripture without phrases and logical expressions; yet he nonplussed
one who came to oppose him in his congregation, by demanding
whether or no we had the true copies of the original Scriptures;
and another, when he was preaching, accused him of uncharitableness,
for saying, It was very hard for most to be saved; saying, by that,
he went about to exclude most of his congregation; but he confuted
him and put him to silence with the parable of the stony ground
and other texts out of the 13th of Matthew, in our Saviour's sermon
out of a ship, all his method being to keep close to the Scriptures;
and what he found not warranted there, himself would not warrant
nor determine, unless in such cases as were plain, wherein no doubts
or scruples did arise.

But not to make any further mention of this kind, it is well known
that this person managed all his affairs with such exactness as
if he had made it his study, above all other things, not to give
occasion of offence, but rather suffer many inconvencies to avoid;
being never heard to reproach or revile any, what injury soever
he received, but rather to rebuke those that did; and as it was in
his conversation, so it is manifested on those books he has caused
to be published to the world; where, like the archangel disputing
with Satan about the body of Moses, as we find it in the epistle
of Jude, he brings no railing accusation, but leaves the rebukers,
those that persecuted him, to the Lord.

In his family he kept up a very strict discipline in prayer and
exhortations; being in this like Joshua, as that good man expresses
it, viz., Whatsoever others did, as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord; and, indeed, a blessing waited on his labours and
endeavours, so that his wife, as the Psalmist says, was like a
pleasant vine upon the walls of his house, and his children like
olive branches round his table; for so shall it be with the man
that fears the Lord; and though by reason of the many losses he
sustained by imprisonment and spoil, of his chargeable sickness,
&c., his earthly treasures swelled not to excess, he always had
sufficient to live decently and creditably, and with that he had
the greatest of all treasures, which is content; for, as the wise
man says, that is a continual feast.

But where content dwells, even a poor cottage is a kingly palace;
and this happiness he had all his life long, not so much minding
this world as knowing he was here as a pilgrim and stranger, and had
no tarrying city, but looking for one not made with hands, eternal
in the highest heavens; but at length, worn out with sufferings,
age, and often teaching, the day of his dissolution drew near,
and death, that unlocks the prison of the soul, to enlarge it for
a more glorious mansion, put a stop to his acting his part on the
stage of mortality; heaven, like earthly princes when it threatens
war, being always so kind as to call home its ambassadors before
it be denounced; and even the last act or undertaking of his was
a labour of love and charity; for it so falling out, that a young
gentleman, a neighbour of Mr. Bunyan, happening into the displeasure
of his father, and being much troubled in mind upon that account,
as also for that he had heard his father purposed to disinherit
him, or otherwise deprive him of what he had to leave, he pitched
upon Mr. Bunyan as a fit man to make way for his submission, and
prepare his father's mind to receive him; and he, as willing to
do any good office as it could be requested, as readily undertook
it; and so, riding to Reading, in Berkshire, he then there used
such pressing arguments and reasons against anger and passion, as
also for love and reconciliation, that the father was mollified,
and his bowels yearned towards his returning son.

But Mr. Bunyan, after he had disposed all things to the best
for accommodation, returning to London, and being overtaken with
excessive rains, coming to his lodging extreme wet, fell sick of
a violent fever, which he bore with much constancy and patience;
and expressed himself as if he desired nothing more than to
be dissolved, and to be with Christ, in that case esteeming death
as gain, and life only a tedious delaying of felicity expected;
and finding his vital strength decay, having settled his mind and
affairs, as well as the shortness of his time and the violence of
his disease would admit, with a constant and Christian patience,
he resigned his soul into the hands of his most merciful Redeemer,
following his pilgrim from the City of Destruction to the New
Jerusalem; his better part having been all along there, in holy
contemplation, pantings, and breathings after the hidden manna, and
water of life; as by many holy and humble consolations expressed
in his letters to several persons, in prison and out of prison,
too many to be here inserted at present.[22] He died at the house
of one Mr. Straddocks, a grocer, at the Star on Snowhill, in the
parish of St. Sepulchre, London, on the 12th of August 1688, and
in the sixtieth year of his age, after ten days' sickness; and was
buried in the new burying place near the Artillery Ground; where he
sleeps to the morning of the resurrection, in hopes of a glorious
rising to an incorruptible immortality of joy and happiness; where
no more trouble and sorrow shall afflict him, but all tears be
wiped away; when the just shall be incorrupted, as members of Christ
their head, and reign with him as kings and priests for ever.[23]

A BRIEF CHARACTER OF MR. JOHN BUNYAN.

He appeared in countenance to be of a stern and rough temper; but
in his conversation mild and affable, not given to loquacity or
much discourse in company, unless some urgent occasion required
it; observing never to boast of himself, or his parts, but rather
seem low in his own eyes, and submit himself to the judgment of
others; abhorring lying and swearing, being just in all that lay
in his power to his word, not seeming to revenge injuries, loving
to reconcile differences, and make friendship with all; he had
a sharp quick eye, accomplished with an excellent discerning of
persons, being of good judgment and quick wit. As for his person,
he was tall of stature, strong-boned, though not corpulent, somewhat
of a ruddy face, with sparkling eyes, wearing his hair on his upper
lip, after the old British fashion; his hair reddish, but in his
latter days, time had sprinkled it with grey; his nose well-set,
but not declining or bending, and his mouth moderate large; his
forehead something high, and his habit always plain and modest. And
thus have we impartially described the internal and external parts
of a person, whose death hath been much regretted; a person who had
tried the smiles and frowns of time; not puffed up in prosperity,
nor shaken in adversity, always holding the golden mean.


    In him at once did three great worthies shine,
    Historian, poet, and a choice divine;
    Then let him rest in undisturbed dust,
    Until the resurrection of the just.


POSTSCRIPT.

In this his pilgrimage, God blessed him with four children, one
of which, names Mary, was blind, and died some years before; his
other children are Thomas, Joseph, and Sarah; and his wife Elizabeth,
having lived to see him overcome his labour and sorrow, and pass
from this life to receive the reward of his works, long survived
him not, but in 1692 she died; to follow her faithful pilgrim from
this world to the other, whither he was gone before her; while his
works, which consist of sixty books, remain for the edifying of
the reader, and the praise of the author. Vale.

***

MR. JOHN BUNYAN'S DYING SAYINGS.

OF SIN.

Sin is the great block and bar to our happiness, the procurer of
all miseries to man, both here and hereafter: take away sin and
nothing can hurt us: for death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal,
is the wages of it.

Sin, and man for sin, is the object of the wrath of God. How dreadful,
therefore, must his case be who continues in sin! For who can bear
or grapple with the wrath of God?

No sin against God can be little, because it is against the great
God of heaven and earth; but if the sinner can find out a little
God, it may be easy to find out little sins.

Sin turns all God's grace into wantonness; it is the dare of his
justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight
of his power, and the contempt of his love.[24]

Take heed of giving thyself liberty of committing one sin, for that
will lead thee to another; till, by an ill custom, it become natural.

To begin a sin, is to lay a foundation for a continuance; this
continuance is the mother of custom, and impudence at last the
issue.

The death of Christ giveth us the best discovery of ourselves, in
what condition we were, in that nothing could help us but that;
and the most clear discovery of the dreadful nature of our sins.
For if sin be so dreadful a thing as to wring the heart of the Son
of God, how shall a poor wretched sinner be able to bear it?

OF AFFLICTION.

Nothing can render affliction so insupportable as the load of sin:
would you, therefore, be fitted for afflictions, be sure to get the
burden of your sins laid aside, and then what afflictions soever
you may meet with will be very easy to you.

If thou canst hear and bear the rod of affliction which God shall
lay upon thee, remember this lesson--thou art beaten that thou
mayest be better.

The Lord useth his flail of tribulation to separate the chaff from
the wheat.

The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the
world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of
God's mind. Out of dark affliction comes a spiritual light.

In times of affliction we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences
of the love of God.

Did we heartily renounce the pleasures of this world, we should
be very little troubled for our afflictions; that which renders an
afflicted state so insupportable to many is because they are too
much addicted to the pleasures of this life, and so cannot endure
that which makes a separation between them.

OF REPENTANCE AND COMING TO CHRIST.

The end of affliction is the discovery of sin, and of that to bring
us to a Saviour. Let us therefore, with the prodigal, return unto
him, and we shall find ease and rest.

A repenting penitent, though formerly as bad as the worst of men,
may, by grace, become as good as the best.

To be truly sensible of sin is to sorrow for displeasing of God;
to be afflicted that he is displeased by us more than that he is
displeased with us.

Your intentions to repentance, and the neglect of that soul-saving
duty, will rise up in judgment against you.

Repentance carries with it a Divine rhetoric, and persuades Christ
to forgive multitudes of sins committed against him.

Say not with thyself, To-morrow I will repent; for it is thy duty
to do it daily.

The gospel of grace and salvation is above all doctrines the most
dangerous, if it be received in word only by graceless men; if it
be not attended with a sensible need of a Saviour, and bring them
to him. For such men as have only the notion of it, are of all men
most miserable; for by reason of their knowing more than heathens,
this shall only be their final portion, that they shall have greater
stripes.

OF PRAYER.

Before you enter into prayer, ask thy soul these questions--1. To
what end, O my soul, art thou retired into this place? Art thou not
come to discourse the Lord in prayer? Is he present; will he hear
thee? Is he merciful; will he help thee? Is thy business slight;
is it not concerning the welfare of thy soul? What words wilt thou
use to move him to compassion?

To make thy preparation complete, consider that thou art but dust
and ashes, and he the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that clothes himself with light as with a garment; that thou art
a vile sinner, he a holy God; that thou art but a poor crawling
worm, he the omnipotent Creator.

In all your prayers forget not to thank the Lord for his mercies.

When thou prayest, rather let thy hearts be without words, than
thy words without a heart.

Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to
cease from prayer.

The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and
silver.

Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God,
and a scourge for Satan.

OF THE LORD'S DAY, SERMONS, AND WEEK DAYS.

Have a special care to sanctify the Lord's day; for as thou keepest
it, so it will be with thee all the week long.

Make the Lord's day the market for thy soul; let the whole day be
spent in prayer, repetitions, or meditations; lay aside the affairs
of the other part of the week; let thy sermon thou hast heard be
converted into prayer: Shall God allow thee six days, and wilt not
thou afford him one?

In the church, be careful to serve God; for thou art in his eyes,
and not in man's.

Thou mayest hear sermons often, and do well in practicing what thou
hearest; but thou must not expect to be told thee in a pulpit all
that thou oughtest to do, but be studious in searching the Scriptures,
and reading good books; what thou hearest may be forgotten, but
what thou readest may better be retained.

Forsake not the public worship of God, lest God forsake thee, not
only in public, but in private.

In the week days, when thou risest in the morning, consider, 1.
Thou must die. 2. Thou mayest die that minute. 3. What will become
of thy soul. Pray often. At night consider, 1. What sins thou
hast committed. 2. How often thou hast prayed. 3. What hath thy
mind been bent upon. 4. What hath been thy dealing. 5. What thy
conversation. 6. If thou callest to mind the errors of the day,
sleep not without a confession to God, and a hope of pardon. Thus
every morning and evening make up thy accounts with Almighty God,
and thy reckoning will be the less at last.

OF THE LOVE OF THE WORLD.

Nothing more hinders a soul from coming to Christ, than a vain love
of the world; and till a soul is freed from it, it can never have
a true love for God.

What are the honours and riches of this world, when compared to
the glories of a crown of life?

Love not the world; for it [the love of the world] is a moth in a
Christian's life.

To despise the world is the way to enjoy heaven; and blessed are
they who delight to converse with God by prayer.

What folly can be greater than to labour for the meat that perisheth,
and neglect the food of eternal life?

God or the world must be neglected at parting time, for then is
the time of trial.

To seek yourself in this world is to be lost; and to be humble is
to be exalted.

The epicure that delighteth in the dainties of this world, little
thinketh that those very creatures will one day witness against
him.

OF SUFFERING.

It is not every suffering that makes a martyr, but suffering
for the Word of God after a right manner; that is, not only for
righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth,
but out of love to truth; not only for God's Word, but according
to it: to wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner, as the Word of
God requireth.

It is a rare thing to suffer aright, and to have my spirit in
suffering bent only against God's enemy, sin; sin in doctrine, sin
in worship, sin in life, and sin in conversation.

The devil, nor men of the world, can kill thy righteousness, or
love to it but by thy own hand; or separate that and thee asunder
without thy own act. Nor will he that doth indeed suffer for the
sake of it, or out of love he bears thereto, be tempted to exchange
it, for the good will of all the world.

I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the
worst of times. And I have thought again that one reason why we are
no better, is because God purges us no more. Noah and Lot, who so
holy as they in the time of their afflictions? And yet who so idle
as they in the time of their prosperity?

OF DEATH AND JUDGMENT.

As the devil labours by all means to keep out other things that
are good, so to keep out of the heart as much as in him lies,
the thoughts of passing from this life into another world; for he
knows if he can but keep them from the serious thoughts of death,
he shall the more easily keep them in their sins.

Nothing will make us more earnest in working out the work of our
salvation, than a frequent meditation of mortality; nothing hath
greater influence for the taking off our hearts from vanities, and
for the begetting in us desires after holiness.

O sinner, what a condition wilt thou fall into when thou departest
this world; if thou depart unconverted, thou hadst better have
been smothered the first hour thou wast born; thou hadst better
have been plucked one limb from another; thou hadst better have
been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, than to die unconverted, and
this thou wilt find true if thou repent not.

A man would be counted a fool to slight a judge, before whom he is
to have a trial of his whole estate.[25] The trial we have before
God is of otherguise importance,[26] it concerns our eternal
happiness or misery; and yet dare we affront him?

The only way for us to escape that terrible judgment, is to be
often passing a sentence of condemnation upon ourselves here. When
the sound of the trumpet shall be heard, which shall summon the dead
to appear before the tribunal of God, the righteous shall hasten
out of their graves with joy to meet their Redeemer in the clouds;
others shall call to the hills and mountains to fall upon them, to
cover them from the sight of their Judge; let us therefore in time
be posing[27] ourselves which of the two we shall be.

OF THE JOYS OF HEAVEN.

There is no good in this life but what is mingled with some evil;
honours perplex, riches disquiet, and pleasures ruin health. But
in heaven we shall find blessings in their purity, without any
ingredient to embitter, with everything to sweeten them.

O! who is able to conceive the inexpressible, inconceivable joys
that are there? None but they who have tasted of them. Lord, help
us to put such a value upon them here, that in order to prepare
ourselves for them, we may be willing to forego the loss of all
those deluding pleasures here.

How will the heavens echo of joy, when the Bride, the Lamb's wife,
shall come to dwell with her husband for ever?

Christ is the desire of nations, the joy of angels, the delight of
the Father; what solace then must that soul be filled with, that
hath the possession of him to all eternity?

O! what acclamations of joy will there be, when all the children
of God shall meet together, without fear of being disturbed by the
antichristian and Cainish brood!

Is there not a time coming when the godly may ask the wicked what
profit they have in their pleasure? what comfort in their greatness?
and what fruits in all their labour?

If you would be better satisfied what the beatifical vision means,
my request is that you would live holily, and go and see.

OF THE TORMENTS OF HELL.

Heaven and salvation is not surely more promised to the godly than
hell and damnation is threatened to, and shall be executed on, the
wicked.

When once a man is damned, he may bid adieu to all pleasures.

Oh! who knows the power of God's wrath? none but damned ones.

Sinners' company are the devil and his angels, tormented in
everlasting fire with a curse.

Hell would be a kind of paradise if it were not worse than the
worst of this world.

As different as grief is from joy, as torment from rest, as terror
from peace; so different is the state of sinners from that of saints
in the world to come.

[Licensed, September 10, 1688.]

FOOTNOTES:

1. The text from which he intended to preach was 'Dost thou believe
on the Son of God?' (John 9:35). From this he intended to show
the absolute need of faith in Jesus Christ; and that it was also
a thing of the highest concern for men to inquire into, and to ask
their own hearts, whether they had it or no. See Preface to his
Confession of Faith.--Ed.

2. Justice Wingate.

3. 'Chafe.' See 2 Sam 17:8.--Ed.

4. A right Judas.--Ed.

5. 'How little could Bunyan dream, that from the narrow cell in which
he was incarcerated, and cut off apparently from all usefulness,
a glory would shine out, illustrating the government and grace
of God, and doing more good to man, than all the prelates of the
kingdom put together had accomplished.'--Dr. Cheever.

6. It is easy to say a prayer, but difficult truly to pray. It is
not length, not eloquence, that makes prayer. Though there be no
more than 'My Father!' if the heart rise with it, that is prayer.
'Prayer is an offering up of our DESIRES unto God.'--Ed.

7. It is not the spirit of a Christian to persecute any for their
religion, but to pity them; and if they will turn, to instruct
them.--Ed.

8. The statute under which Bunyan suffered is the 35th Eliz., cap.
1, re-enacted with all its rigour in the 16th Charles II, cap. 4,
1662; 'That if any person, above sixteen years of age, shall forbear
coming to church for one month, or persuade any other person to
abstain from hearing Divine service, or receiving the communion
according to law, or come to any unlawful assembly, conventicle,
or meeting--every such person shall be imprisoned, without bail,
until he conform, and do in some church make this open submission
following:--I do humbly confess and acknowledge that I have grievously
offended God in contemning his Majesty's godly and lawful government
and authority, by absenting myself from church, and from hearing
Divine service, contrary to the godly laws and statutes of this realm.
And in using and frequenting disordered and unlawful conventicles
and assemblies, under pretence and colour of exercise of religion;
and I am heartily sorry for the same. And I do promise and protest,
that from henceforth I will, from time to time, obey and perform
his Majesty's laws and statutes, in repairing to the church and
Divine services, and do my uttermost endeavour to maintain and defend
the same. And for the third offence he shall be sent to the jail
or house of correction, there to remain until the next sessions or
assizes, and then to be indicted; and being thereupon found guilty,
the court shall enter judgment of transportation against such
offenders, to some of the foreign plantations (Virginia and New
England only excepted), there to remain seven years; and warrants
shall issue to sequester the profits of their lands, and to distrain
and sell their goods to defray the charges of their transportation;
and for want of such charges being paid, the sheriff may contract
with any master of a ship, or merchant, to transport them; and then
such prisoner shall be a servant to the transporter or his assigns;
that is, whoever he will sell him or her to, for five years. And
if any under such judgment of transportation shall escape, or being
transported, return into any part of England, shall SUFFER DEATH
as felons, without benefit of clergy.' Notwithstanding this edict,
mark well his words on the next leaf, 'Exhorting the people of God
to take heed, and touch not the Common Prayer.' Englishmen, blush!
This is now the law of the land we live in. Roman Catholics alone
are legally exempted from its cruel operations, by an Act passed
in 1844. The overruling hand of God alone saved the pious and holy
Bunyan from having been legally murdered.--Ed.

9. The contemptible and mad insurrection to which Mr. Cobb refers,
was the pretext for fearful sufferings to the Dissenters throughout
the kingdom. It is thus narrated by Bishop Burnet, 1660:--'The king
had not been many days at Whitehall, when one Venner, a violent
fifth-monarchy man, who thought it was not enough to believe that
Christ was to reign on earth, and to put the saints in possession
of the kingdom, but added to this that the saints were to take the
kingdom themselves. He gathered some of the most furious of the
party to a meeting in Coleman Street. There they concerted the
day and the manner of their rising, to set Christ on his throne,
as they called it. But withal they meant to manage the government
in his name, and were so formal that they had prepared standards
and colours, with their devices on them, and furnished themselves
with very good arms. But when the day came, there was but a small
appearance, not exceeding twenty. However, they resolved to venture
out into the streets, and cry out, No king but Christ. Some of them
seemed persuaded that Christ would come down and head them. They
scoured the streets before them, and made a great progress. Some
were afraid, and all were amazed at this piece of extravagance.
They killed a great many, but were at last mastered by numbers;
and were all either killed or taken and executed.--(Burnet's Own
Times, 1660, vol. i. p. 160).--Ed.

10. The third section of 16th Charles II, cap. 4, also enacts,
'That any person above sixteen years old, present at any meeting
under pretence of exercise of religion, in other manner than is
allowed by the liturgy or practice of the Church of England, where
there shall be present five persons or more above those of the
household, upon proof thereof made, either by confession of the
party, or oath of witness, or notorious evidence of the fact; the
offence shall be recorded under the hands of two justices, or the
chief magistrate of the place, which shall be a perfect conviction.'--Ed.

11. As Wicliffe wrote in Latin, and his words were of great rarity,
it may excite inquiry how poor Bunyan was conversant with is opinions.
This is easily solved. Foxe gives a translation of Wicliffe's
doctrines in his Martyrology, the favourite book of Bunyan.--Ed.

12. April 23, 1661.

13. See page 56, and note there.

14. It is very probable that his persecutors knew the heroic spirit
of this young woman, and were afraid to proceed to extremities,
lest their blood-guiltiness should be known throughout the kingdom,
and public execration be excited against them. Such a martyr's
blood would indelibly and most foully have stained both them and
their families to the latest generation.--Ed.

15. 'Smayed,' an obsolete contraction of 'dismayed.'--Ed.

16. Bunyan is silent upon the death of his first wife and marriage
to the second; in fact he forgets his own domestic affairs in his
desire to record the Lord's gracious dealings with his soul. It is
not his autobiography, but his religious feelings and experience,
that he records.--Ed.

17. 'Chafed,' excited, inflamed, angry.--Ed.

18. This is a beautiful specimen of real Christian feeling; nothing
vindictive, although such cruel wrongs had been perpetrated against
her beloved husband.--Ed.

19. Nothing daunted by the cruel Statute which was then in force,
Bunyan acted exactly as Peter and John did under similar circumstances,
"We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts
4:20). If I suffer death for it, I am bound to speak the warning
words of truth, "Touch not the unclean thing."--Ed.

20. Application was made to Bishop Barlow, through Dr. Owen, to
use his powerful influence in obtaining liberty for this Christian
captive; but he absolutely refused to interfere. See Preface
to Owen's Sermons, 1721. Bunyan, upon his petition, heard by the
king in council, was included in the pardon to the imprisoned and
cruelly-treated Quakers. Whitehead, the Quaker, was the honoured
instrument in releasing him.--Introduction to Pilgrim's Progress,
Hanserd Knollys Edition.--Ed.

21. See an authentic copy of this Royal Declaration, and observations
upon it, in the Introduction to the Pilgrim's Progress, published
by the Hanserd Knollys Society, 1847.--Ed.

22. All these letters, and nearly all his autographs, have disappeared.
Of his numerous manuscripts, books, and letters, not a line is now
known to exist. If discovered, they would be invaluable.--Ed.

23. Strongly does the departure of Bunyan, on his ascent to the
celestial city, remind us of Rev 14:13, 'And I heard a voice from
heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in
the Lord, from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.' What an
exchange! From incessant anxious labour; from sighing and sorrow;
from corruption and temptation; to commence an endless life of
holiness and purity, rest and peace. To be with and like his Lord!
His works have followed, and will follow him, till time shall be
no more.--Ed.

24. Among these truly remarkable sayings, so characteristic of
our great author, this of the fearful nature of sin is peculiarly
striking; it is worthy of being imprinted on every Christian's
heart, to keep alive a daily sense of the exceeding sinfulness of
sin.--Ed.

25. Judges in those days were often biased by personal feelings,
and in some cases even by bribes.--Ed.

26. 'Otherguise importance'; another manner of importance.--Ed.

27. 'Posing,' questioning closely, putting to a stand.--Imperial
Dictionary.--Ed.

***

PRISON MEDITATIONS DIRECTED TO THE HEART OF SUFFERING SAINTS AND
REIGNING SINNERS

By John Bunyan, in Prison, 1665

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR

These verses, like those called "A Caution to watch against Sin,"
were first printed on a half sheet, and passed through several
editions. The Editor possesses a copy published by the author, a
short time before his decease; it is in an exceedingly rare little
volume, including his poems of "One thing needful" and his "Ebal
and Gerizzim"; with "a catlogue of all his other books." London:
printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688. On
the reverse of the title is a singular advertisement; "This author
having published many books, which have gone off very well, there
are certain ballad sellers about Newgate, and on London Bridge,
who have put the two first letters of this author's name, and his
effigies, to their rhymes and ridiculous books, suggesting to the
world as if they were his. Now know that this author publisheth his
name at large to all his books, and what you shall see otherwise
he disowns."

Bunyan was imprisoned for teaching the gospel in its purity to the
poor, and for refusing conformity to national creeds and ceremonies.
This was as absurd as it would be, to imprison such of the inhabitants
of a country who refused to swear that all mankind were of one
standard in height; sending those who had consciences to prison,
until they pretended that they had grown taller or shorter, and
were willing to take the oath. Mental decision must be formed on
evidence. God can enlighten the mind to see that he alone can guide
us to spiritual worship--that his will must be personally consulted,
and unreservedly obeyed. Such a man feels that his soul's salvation
depends upon obedience to God, and not to man. If human laws send
him to jail for refusing to disobey God, he will write upon the
prison wall as William Prynne did upon that in the Tower, "The Lord
heareth the poor, and despiseth not HIS prisoners."


   'Christ's presence hath my prison turn'd into
    A blessed heaven; what then will it do
    In heaven hereafter, when it now creates
    Heav'n in a dungeon; goals to courts translates?'

   'He is not bound whom Christ makes free; he,
    Though shut close prisoner, chained, remains still free:
    A godly man's at large in every place,
    Still cheerful, well content, in blessed case,
    Unconquered; he a sacred heaven still bears
    About within his breast.'...


These were the feelings of all Christ's prisoners. Indomitable was
the heroic spirit of Bunyan. He tells his persecutors their folly
and their sin, even while suffering under their lash; and after
more than twelve years' incarceration, his free spirit is unsubdued.
Again for sixteen years he enjoyed the sweets of liberty, and then
re-published at all risks his proofs of the wickedness of persecution
for conscience' sake. There was no craft, nor guile, nor hypocrisy
about his character, but a fearless devotion to the will of his
God; and he became one of the most honoured of his saints.

GEO. OFFOR.

PRISON MEDIATIONS


    1. Friend, I salute thee in the Lord,
    And wish thou may'st abound
    In faith, and have a good regard
    To keep on holy ground.

    2. Thou dost encourage me to hold
    My head above the flood,
    Thy counsel better is than gold,
    In need thereof I stood.

    3. Good counsel's good at any time,
    The wise will it receive,
    Though fools count he commits a crime
    Who doth good counsel give.

    4. I take it kindly at thy hand
    Thou didst unto me write,
    My feet upon Mount Zion stand,
    In that take thou delight.

    5. I am, indeed, in prison now
    In body, but my mind
    Is free to study Christ, and how
    Unto me he is kind.

    6. For though men keep my outward man
    Within their locks and bars,
    Yet by the faith of Christ I can
    Mount higher than the stars.

    7. Their fetters cannot spirits tame,
    Nor tie up God from me;
    My faith and hope they cannot lame,
    Above them I shall be.

    8. I here am very much refreshed
    To think when I was out,
    I preached life, and peace, and rest
    To sinners round about.

    9. My business then was souls to save,
    By preaching grace and faith;
    Of which the comfort now I have,
    And have it shall till death.

    10. They were no fables that I taught,
    Devised by cunning men,
    But God's own Word, by which were caught
    Some sinners now and then.

    11. Whose souls by it were made to see
    The evil of their sin;
    And need of Christ to make them free
    From death which they were in.

    12. And now those very hearts that then
    Were foes unto the Lord,
    Embrace his Christ and truth, like men
    Conquered by his word.

    13. I hear them sigh and groan, and cry
    For grace, to God above;
    They loathe their sin, and to it die,
    'Tis holiness they love.

    14. This was the work I was about
    When hands on me they laid,
    'Twas this from which they pluck'd me out,
    And vilely to me said,

    15. You heretic, deceiver, come,
    To prison you must go;
    You preach abroad, and keep not home,
    You are the church's foe.

    16. But having peace within my soul,
    And truth on every side,
    I could with comfort them control,
    And at their charge deride.

    17. Wherefore to prison they me sent,
    Where to this day I lie,
    And can with very much content
    For my profession die.

    18. The prison very sweet to me
    Hath been since I came here,
    And so would also hanging be,
    If God would there appear.

    19. Here dwells good conscience, also peace
    Here be my garments white;
    Here, though in bonds, I have release
    From guilt, which else would bite.

    20. When they do talk of banishment,
    Of death, or such-like things;
    Then to me God sends heart's content,
    That like a fountain springs.

    21. Alas! they little think what peace
    They help me to, for by
    Their rage my comforts do increase;
    Bless God therefore do I.

    22. If they do give me gall to drink,
    Then God doth sweetn'ning cast
    So much thereto, that they can't think
    How bravely it doth taste.

    23. For, as the devil sets before
    Me heaviness and grief,
    So God sets Christ and grace much more,
    Whereby I take relief.

    24. Though they say then that we are fools
    Because we here do lie,
    I answer, goals are Christ his schools,
    In them we learn to die.

    25. 'Tis not the baseness of this state
    Doth hide us from God's face,
    He frequently, both soon and late,
    Doth visit us with grace.

    26. Here come the angels, here come saints,
    Here comes the Spirit of God,
    To comfort us in our restraints
    Under the wicked's rod.

    27. God sometimes visits prisons more
    Than lordly palaces,
    He often knocketh at our door,
    When he their houses miss.

    28. The truth and life of heavenly things
    Lift up our hearts on high,
    And carry us on eagles' wings,
    Beyond carnality.

    29. It take away those clogs that hold
    The hearts of other men,
    And makes us lively, strong and bold
    Thus to oppose their sin.

    30. By which means God doth frustrate
    That which our foes expect;
    Namely, our turning th' Apostate,
    Like those of Judas' sect.

    31. Here comes to our rememberance
    The troubles good men had
    Of old, and for our furtherance,
    Their joys when they were sad.

    32. To them that here for evil lie
    The place is comfortless,
    But not to me, because that I
    Lie here for righteousness.

    33. The truth and I were both here cast
    Together, and we do
    Lie arm in arm, and so hold fast
    Each other; this is true.

    34. This goal to us is as a hill,
    From whence we plainly see
    Beyond this world, and take our fill
    Of things that lasting be.

    35. From hence we see the emptiness
    Of all this world contains;
    And here we feel the blessedness
    That for us yet remains.

    36. Here we can see how all men play
    Their parts, as on a stage,
    How good men suffer for God's way,
    And bad men at them rage.

    37. Here we can see who holds that ground
    Which they in Scripture find;
    Here we see also who turns round
    Like weathercocks with wind.

    38. We can also from hence behold
    How seeming friends appear
    But hypocrites, as we are told
    In Scripture every where.

    39. When we did walk at liberty,
    We were deceiv'd by them,
    Who we from hence do clearly see
    Are vile deceitful men.

    40. These politicians that profest
    For base and worldly ends,
    Do now appear to us at best
    But Machiavellian friends.

    41. Though men do say, we do disgrace
    Ourselves by lying here
    Among the rogues, yet Christ our face
    From all such filth will clear.

    42. We know there's neither flout nor frown
    That we now for him bear,
    But will add to our heavenly crown,
    When he comes in the air.

    43. When he our righteousness forth brings
    Bright shining as the day,
    And wipeth off those sland'rous things
    That scorners on us lay.

    44. We sell our earthly happiness
    For heavenly house and home;
    We leave this world because 'tis less,
    And worse than that to come.

    45. We change our drossy dust for gold,
    From death to life we fly:
    We let go shadows, and take hold
    Of immortality.

    46. We trade for that which lasting is,
    And nothing for it give,
    But that which is already his
    By whom we breath and live.

    47. That liberty we lose for him,
    Sickness might take away:
    Our goods might also for our sin
    By fire or thieves decay.

    48. Again, we see what glory 'tis
    Freely to bear our cross
    For him, who for us took up his,
    When he our servant was.

    49. I am most free that men should see
    A hole cut thro' mine ear;
    If others will ascertain me,
    They'll hang a jewel there.

    50. Just thus it is we suffer here
    For him a little pain,
    Who, when he doth again appear,
    Will with him let us reign.

    51. If all must either die for sin
    A death that's natural;
    Or else for Christ, 'tis beset with him
    Who for the last doth fall.

    52. Who now dare say we throw away
    Our goods or liberty,
    When God's most holy Word doth say
    We gain thus much thereby?

    53. Hark yet again, you carnal men,
    And hear what I shall say
    In your own dialect, and then
    I'll you no longer stay.

    54. You talk sometimes of valour much,
    And count such bravely mann'd,
    That will not stick to have a touch
    With any in the land.

    55. If these be worth commending then,
    That vainly show their might,
    How dare you blame those holy men
    That in God's quarrel fight?

    56. Though you dare crack a coward's crown,
    Or quarrel for a pin,
    You dare not on the wicked frown,
    Nor speak against their sin.

    57. For all your spirits are so stout,
    For matters that are vain;
    Yet sin besets you round about,
    You are in Satan's chain.

    58. You dare not for the truth engage,
    You quake at prisonment;
    You dare not make the tree your stage
    For Christ, that King, potent.

    59. Know then, true valour there doth dwell
    Where men engage for God,
    Against the devil, death, and hell,
    And bear the wicked's rod.

    60. These be the men that God doth count
    Of high and noble mind;
    These be the men that do surmount
    What you in nature find.

    61. First they do conquer their own hearts,
    All worldly fears, and then
    Also the devil's fiery darts,
    And persecuting men.

    62. They conquer when they thus do fall,
    They kill when they do die:
    They overcome then most of all,
    And get the victory.

    63. The worldling understands not this,
    'Tis clear out of his sight;
    Therefore he counts this world his bliss,
    And doth our glory slight.

    64. The lubber knows not how to spring
    The nimble footman's stage;
    Neither can owls or jackdaws sing
    If they were in the cage.

    65. The swine doth not the pearls regard,
    But them doth slight for grains,
    Though the wise merchant labours hard
    For them with greatest pains.

    66. Consdier man what I have said,
    And judge of things aright;
    When all men's cards are fully played,
    Whose will abide the light?

    67. Will those, who have us hither cast?
    Or they who do us scorn?
    Or those who do our houses waste?
    Or us, who this have borne?

    68. And let us count those things the best
    That best will prove at last;
    And count such men the only blest,
    That do such things hold fast.

    69. And what though they us dear do cost,
    Yet let us buy them so;
    We shall not count our labour lost
    When we see others' woe.

    70. And let saints be no longer blam'd
    By carnal policy;
    But let the wicked be asham'd
    Of their malignity.


***

THE JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED;

OR,

GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN;

BEING A HELP FOR DESPAIRING SOULS, SHOWING THAT JESUS CHRIST WOULD
HAVE MERCY IN THE FIRST PLACE OFFERED TO THE BIGGEST SINNERS.

THE THIRD EDITION,

IN WHICH IS ADDED, AN ANSWER TO THOSE GRAND OBJECTIONS THAT LIE
IN THE WAY OF THE THEM THAT WOULD BELIEVE: FOR THE COMFORT OF THEM
THAT FEAR THEY HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.

BY JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD.

London: Printed for Elizabeth Smith, at the Hand and Bible, on
London Bridge, 1691.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

THAT Bunyan, who considered himself one of the most notorious of
Jerusalem sinners, should write with the deepest earnestness upon
this subject, is not surprising. He had preached upon it with very
peculiar pleasure, and, doubtless, from many texts; and, as he
says, 'through God's grace, with great success.' It is not probable
that, with his characteristic intensity of feeling, and holy fervour
in preaching, he ever delivered the same sermon twice; but this
was a subject so in unison with his own feelings and experience,
that he must have dilated upon it with even unusual interest and
earnestness. The marrow of all these exercises he concentrated
in this treatise; and when his judgment was, by severe internal
conflicts, fully matured--upon the eve of the close of his earthly
pilgrimage, in the last year of his life, 1688--he published it
in a pocket volume of eight sheets. It was soon translated into
several languages, and became so popular as to pass through ten
editions in English by 1728. Like other favourite books, it was
ornamented with some very inferior wood-cuts.

The object of the author is fully explained in the title to his
book. It is to display the riches of Divine grace and mercy to the
greatest sinners--even to those whose conduct entitled them to be
called 'Satan's colonels, and captains, the leaders of his people;
and to such as most stoutly make head against the Son of God.' It
is to those who feel themselves to be such, and who make a proper
estimate of their own characters, as in the sight of God, that the
gracious proclamations of the gospel are peculiarly directed. They
to whom much is forgiven, love much; and the same native energies
which had been misdirected to promote evil, when sanctified and
divinely guided, become a great blessing to the church, and to
society at large.

Bunyan does not stoop to any attempt to reconcile the humbling
doctrines of grace to the self-righteous pride of those who,
considering themselves but little sinners, would feel contaminated
by the company of those who had been such great sinners, although
they were pardoned and sanctified by God. His great effort was
directed to relieve the distress and despair of those who were
suffering under deep convictions; still, his whole treatise shows
that the doctrine of salvation by grace, of free gift, is no
encouragement to sin that grace may abound, as some have blasphemously
asserted. It is degrading to the pride of those who have not drunk
so deeply of sin, to be placed upon a level with great sinners.
But the disease is the same--in breaking one commandment, the whole
law is violated; and, however in some the moral leprosy does not
make such fearful ravages as in others, the slightest taint conveys
moral, spiritual, and eternal death. ALL, whether young or old,
great or small, must be saved by grace, or fall into perdition.
The difference between the taint of sin, and its awfully developed
leprosy, is given. Who so ready to fly to the physician as those
who feel their case to be desperate? and, when cured, they must
love the Saviour most.

Comparatively little sins before conviction, when seen in the glass
of God's law, and in his holy presence, become great ones. Those
who feel themselves to be great sinners, are peculiarly invited to
the arms of the Saviour, who saves to the uttermost ALL that come
unto him; and it is thus that peculiar consolation is poured in,
and the broken heart is bound up. We are then called by name, as
Bunyan forcibly describes it, as men called by name before a court.
'Who first cry out, "Here, Sir"; and then shoulder and crowd, and
say, "Pray give way, I am called into the court." This is thy case,
wherefore say, "Stand away, devil, Christ calls me; stand away,
unbelief, Christ calls me; stand away, all ye my discouraging
apprehensions, for my Saviour calls me to him to receive of his
mercy."' 'Wherefore, since Christ says come, let the angels make
a lane, and let all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may
come to Jesus Christ for mercy.' How characteristic is this of the
peculiarly striking style of Bunyan! How solemn his warnings! 'The
invitations of the gospel will be, to those who refuse them, the
hottest coals in hell.' His reasonings against despair are equally
forcible: ''Tis a sin to begin to despair before one sets his foot
over the threshold of hell gate. What! despair of bread in a land
that is full of corn! despair of mercy, when our God is full of
mercy! when he goes about by his ministers, beseeching of sinners
to be reconciled unto him! Thou scrupulous fool, where canst thou
find that God was ever false to his promise, or that he ever deceived
the soul that ventured itself upon him?' This whole treatise abounds
with strong consolation to those who are beset with fears, and
who, because of these, are ready to give way to despair; it ought
to be put into the hands of all such, let them belong to what party
they may; for, like our author's other books, nothing of a sectarian
nature can be traced in it, except we so call the distinguishing
truths of evangelical religion. There are some very interesting
references to Bunyan's experience and life, and one rather singular
idea, in which I heartily concur; it is, that the glorified saints
will become part of the heavenly hierarchy of angels, and take the
places of those who fell from that exalted state (Rev 22:8,9).

To those whose souls are invaded by despair, or who fear that they
have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost--to all who pant to
have their faith strengthened, and hopes brightened, this little
work is most earnestly and affectionately commended.

GEORGE OFFOR.

TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

ONE reason which moved me to write and print this little book was,
because, though there are many excellent heart-affecting discourses
in the world that tend to convert the sinner, yet I had a desire
to try this simple method of mine; wherefore I make bold thus to
invite and encourage the worst to come to Christ for life.

I have been vile myself, but have obtained mercy; and I would have
my companions in sin partake of mercy too: and, therefore, I have
writ this little book.

The nation doth swarm with vile ones now, as ever it did since it
was a nation. My little book, in some places, can scarce go from
house to house, but it will find a suitable subject to spend itself
upon. Now, since Christ Jesus is willing to save the vilest, why
should they not, by name, be somewhat acquainted with it, and bid
come to him under that name?

A great sinner, when converted, seems a booty to Jesus Christ; he
gets by saving such an one; why then should both Jesus lose his
glory and the sinner lose his soul at once, and that for want of
an invitation?

I have found, through God's grace, good success in preaching upon
this subject, and perhaps, so I may by my writing upon it too.1 I
have, as you see, let down this net for a draught. The Lord catch
some great fishes by it, for the magnifying of his truth. There
are some most vile in all men's eyes, and some are so in their own
eyes too; but some have their paintings, to shroud their vileness
under; yet they are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom
we have to do; and for all these, God hath sent a Saviour, Jesus;
and to all these the door is opened.

Wherefore, prithee, profane man, give this little book the reading.
Come; pardon, and a part in heaven and glory, cannot be hurtful to
thee. Let not thy lusts and folly drive thee beyond the door of
mercy, since it is not locked nor bolted up against thee. Manasseh
was a bad man, and Magdalene a bad woman, to say nothing of the thief
upon the cross, or of the murderers of Christ; yet they obtained
mercy; Christ willingly received them.

And dost thou think that those, once so bad, now they are in
heaven, repent them there because they left their sins for Christ
when they were in the world? I cannot believe, but that thou
thinkest they have verily got the best on't. Why, sinner, do thou
likewise. Christ, at heaven gates, says to thee, Come hither; and
the devil, at the gates of hell, does call thee to come to him.
Sinner, what sayest thou? Whither wilt thou go? Don't go into the
fire; there thou wilt be burned! Don't let Jesus lose his longing,
since it is for thy salvation, but come to him and live.

One word more, and so I have done. Sinner, here thou dost hear of
love; prithee, do not provoke it, by turning it into wantonness.
He that dies for slighting love, sinks deepest into hell, and will
there be tormented by the remembrance of that evil, more than by
the deepest cogitation of all his other sins. Take heed, therefore;
do not make love thy tormentor, sinner. Farewell.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN;

OR,

A HELP FOR DESPAIRING SOULS.

'BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM.'--LUKE 24:47.

THE whole verse runs thus: 'And that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in his name among all nations, 'beginning
at Jerusalem.' The words were spoken by Christ, after he rose from
the dead, and they are here rehearsed after an historical manner,
but do contain in them a formal commission, with a special clause
therein. The commission is, as you see, for the preaching of
the gospel, and is very distinctly inserted in the holy record by
Matthew and Mark. 'Go-teach all nations,' &c. (Matt 28:19) 'Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark
16:15). Only this clause is in special mentioned by Luke, who saith,
that as Christ would have the doctrine of repentance and remission
of sins preached in his name among all nations, so he would have
the people of Jerusalem to have the first proffer thereof. Preach
it, saith Christ, in all nations, but begin at Jerusalem.

The apostles, then, though they had a commission so large as to give
them warrant to go and preach the gospel in all the world, yet by
this clause they were limited as to the beginning of their ministry;
they were to begin this work at Jerusalem. "Beginning at Jerusalem."

Before I proceed to an observation upon the words, I must, but briefly,
touch upon two things: namely, FIRST, Show you what Jerusalem now
was. SECOND, Show you what it was to preach the gospel to them.

FIRST, Jerusalem is to be considered either, First, With respect
to the descent of her people; or, Second, With respect to her
preference and exaltation; or, Third, With respect to her present
state, as to her decays.

First, As to her descent, she was from Abraham, [by] the sons of
Jacob, a people that God singled out from the rest of the nations,
to set his love upon them.

Secondly, As to her preference or exaltation, she was the place
of God's worship, and that which had in and with her the special
tokens and signs of God's favour and presence, above any other people
in the world. Hence, the tribes went up to Jerusalem to worship;
there was God's house, God's high-priest, God's sacrifices accepted,
and God's eye, and God's heart perpetually (Psa 76:1,2, 122; 1
Kings 9:3). But,

Thirdly, We are to consider Jerusalem also in her decays; for, as
she is so considered, she is the proper object of our text, as will
be further showed by and by.

Jerusalem, as I told you, was the place and seat of God's worship,
but now decayed, degenerated, and apostatized.2 The Word, the rule
of worship, was rejected of them, and in its place they had put
and set up their own traditions: they had rejected, also, the most
weighty ordinances, and put in the room thereof their own little
things (Matt 15; Mark 7). Jerusalem was therefore now greatly
backslidden, and become the place where the truth and true religion
were much defaced.

It was also now become the very sink of sin and seat of hypocrisy,
and gulf where true religion was drowned. Here also now reigned
presumption, and groundless confidence in God, which is the bane
of souls. Amongst its rulers, doctors, and leaders, envy, malice,
and blasphemy vented itself against the power of godliness, in all
places where it was espied; as also against the promoters of it;
yea, their Lord and Maker could not escape them.

In a word, Jerusalem was now become the shambles, the very slaughter-shop
for saints. This was the place wherein the prophets, Christ,
and his people, were most horribly persecuted and murdered. Yea,
so hardened at this time was this Jerusalem in her sins, that she
feared not to commit the biggest, and to bind herself, by wish,
under the guilt and damning evil of it; saying, when she had murdered
the Son of God, 'His blood be on us, and on our children.' And
though Jesus Christ did, both by doctrine, miracles, and holiness
of life, seek to put a stop to their villanies, yet they shut
their eyes, stopped their ears, and rested not, till, as was hinted
before, they had driven him out of the world. Yea, that they might,
if possible, have extinguished his name, and exploded his doctrine
out of the world, they, against all argument, and in despite of
heaven, its mighty hand, and undeniable proof of his resurrection,
did hire soldiers to invent a lie, saying, his disciples stole him
away from the grave; on purpose that men might not count him the
Saviour of the world, nor trust in him for the remission of sins.

They were, saith Paul, contrary to all men: for they did not only
shut up the door of life against themselves, but forbade that it
should be opened to any else. 'Forbidding us,' saith he, 'to speak
to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins
alway' (1 Thess 2:14-16; Matt 23:35; 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-8; Matt 3:7-9;
John 8:33,41; Matt 27:18; Mark 3:30; Matt 23:37; Luke 13:33,34;
Matt 27:25; 20:11-16).

This is the city, and these are the people; this is their character,
and these are their sins: nor can there be produced their parallel
in all this world. Nay, what world, what people, what nation,
for sin and transgression, could or can be compared to Jerusalem?
especially if you join to the matter of fact the light they sinned
against, and the patience which they abused. Infinite was the
wickedness upon this account which they committed.

After all their abusings of wise men, and prophets, God sent unto
them John Baptist, to reduce them, and then his Son, to redeem
them; but they would be neither reduced nor redeemed, but persecuted
both to the death. Nor did they, as I said, stop here; the holy
apostles they afterwards persecuted also to death, even so many as
they could; the rest they drove from them unto the utmost corners.

SECOND, I come not to show you what it was to preach the gospel
to them. It was, saith Luke, to preach to them 'repentance and
remission of sins' in Christ's name; or, as Mark has it, to bid them
'repent and believe the gospel' (Mark 1:15). Not that repentance is
a cause of remission, but a sign of our hearty reception thereof.
Repentance is therefore here put to intimate, that no pretended
faith of the gospel is good that is not accompanied with it; and
this he doth on purpose, because he would not have them deceive
themselves: for with what faith can he expect remission of sins
in the name of Christ, that is not heartily sorry for them? Or how
shall a man be able to give to others a satisfactory account of his
unfeigned subjection to the gospel, that yet abides in his impenitency?

Wherefore repentance is here joined with faith, in the way
of receiving the gospel. Faith is that without which it cannot be
received at all; and repentance that without which it cannot be
received unfeignedly. When, therefore, Christ says, he would have
a repentance and remission of sins preached in his name among all
nations, it is as much as to say, I will that all men everywhere
be sorry for their sins, and accept of mercy at God's hand through
me, lest they fall under his wrath in the judgment; for, as
I have said, without repentance, what pretence soever men have of
faith, they cannot escape the wrath to come. Wherefore Paul said,
God commands 'all men everywhere to repent,' (in order to their
salvation): 'because he hath appointed a day, in the which he shall
judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained'
(Acts 17:31).

And now, to come to this clause, 'Beginning at Jerusalem'; that
is, that Christ would have Jerusalem have the first offer of the
gospel. 1. This cannot be so commanded because they had now any
more right, of themselves, thereto, than had any of the nations of
the world; for their sins had divested them of all self-deservings.
2. Nor yet because they stood upon the advance-ground with the
worst of the sinners of the nations; nay, rather, the sinners of
the nations had the advance-ground of them: for Jerusalem was, long
before she had added this iniquity to her sin, worse than the very
nations that God cast out before the children of Israel (2 Chron
33). 3. It must, therefore, follow, that this cause, 'Beginning
at Jerusalem,' was put into this commission of mere grace and
compassion, even from the overflowings of the bowels of mercy; for
indeed they were the worst, and so in the most deplorable condition
of any people under the heavens.3

Whatever, therefore, their relation was to Abraham, Isaac, or
Jacob--however they formerly had been the people among whom God had
placed his name and worship, they were now degenerated from God,
more than the nations were from their idols, and were become guilty
of the highest sins which the people of the world were capable of
committing. Nay, none can be capable of committing of such pardonable
sins as they committed against their God, when they slew his Son,
and persecuted his name and Word.

[DOCTRINE.]

From these words, therefore, thus explained, we gain this
observation:--That Jesus Christ. would have mercy offered, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners

That these Jerusalem sinners were the biggest sinners that ever were
in the world, I think none will deny, that believes that Christ was
the best man that ever was in the world, and also was their Lord
God. And that they were to have the first offer of his grace, the
text is as clear as the sun; for it saith, 'Beginning at Jerusalem.'
'Preach,' saith he, 'repentance and remission of sins' to the
Jerusalem sinners: to the Jerusalem sinners in the first place.
One would a-thought, since the Jerusalem sinners were the worst
and greatest sinners, Christ's greatest enemies, and those that
not only despised his person, doctrine, and miracles, but that, a
little before, had had their hands up to the elbows in his heart's
blood, that he should rather have said, Go into all the world, and
preach repentance and remission of sins among all nations; and,
after that, offer the same to Jerusalem; yea, it had been infinite
grace if he had said so. But what grace is this, or what name shall
we give it, when he commands that this repentance and remission
of sins, which is designed to be preached in all nations, should
first be offered to Jerusalem; in the first place to the worst of
sinners!

Nor was this the first time that the grace, which was in the heart
of Christ, thus showed itself to the world. For while he was yet
alive, even while he was yet in Jerusalem, and perceived, even
among these Jerusalem sinners, which was the most vile among them,
he still, in his preaching, did signify that he had a desire that
the worst of these worst should, in the first place, come unto him.
The which he showeth, where he saith to the better sort of them,
'The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before
you' (Matt 21:31). Also when he compared Jerusalem with the sinners
of the nations, then he commands that the Jerusalem sinners should
have the gospel at present confined to them. 'Go not,' saith he,
'into the way of the Gentiles, and into any of the cities of the
Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel' (Matt 10:5,6; 23:37). But go rather to them, for
they were in the most fearful plight. These, therefore, must have
the cream of the gospel, namely, the first offer thereof, in his
lifetime; yea, when he departed out of the world, he left this as
part of his last will with his preachers, that they also should
offer it first to Jerusalem. He had a mind, a careful mind, as it
seems, to privilege the worst of sinners with the fist offer of
mercy, and to take from among them a people, to be the first fruits
unto God and to the Lamb.

The 15th of Luke also is famous for this, where the Lord Jesus
takes more care, as appears there by three parables, for the lost
sheep, lost groat, and the prodigal son, than for the other sheep,
the other pence, or for the son that said he had never transgressed;
yea, he shows that there is joy in heaven, among the angels of God,
at the repentance of one sinner, more than over ninety and nine
just persons which need no repentance. After this manner, therefore,
the mind of Christ was set on the salvation of the biggest sinners
in his lifetime. But join to this, this clause, which he carefully
put into the apostles' commission to preach, when he departed hence
to the Father, and then you shall see that his heart was vehemently
set upon it; for these were part of his last words with them, Preach
my gospel to all nations, but that you begin at Jerusalem.

Nor did the apostles overlook this clause when their Lord was gone
into heaven; they went first to them of Jerusalem, and preached
Christ's gospel to them; they abode also there for a season and
time, and preached it to nobody else, for they had regard to the
commandment of their Lord. And it is to be observed, namely, that
the first sermon which they preached after the ascension of Christ,
it was preached to the very worst of these Jerusalem sinners, even
to those that were the murderers of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:23), for
these are part of the sermon: 'Ye took him, and by wicked hands
have crucified and slain him.' Yea, the next sermon, and the next,
and also the next to that, was preached to the self-same murderers,
to the end they might be saved (Acts 3:14-16; 4:10,11; 5:30; 7:52).

But we will return to the first sermon that was preached to these
Jerusalem sinners, by which will be manifest more than great grace,
if it be duly considered. For after that Peter, and the rest of
the apostles, had, in their exhortation, persuaded these wretches
to believe that they had killed the Prince of life; and after they
had duly fallen under the guilt of their murder, saying, 'Men and
brethren, what shall we do?' he replies, by an universal tender to
them all in general, considering them as Christ's killers, that if
they were sorry for what they had done, and would be baptized for
the remission of their sins in his name, they should receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:37,38).

This he said to them all, though he knew that they were such
sinners. Yea, he said it without the least stick or stop, or pause
of spirit, as to whether he had best to say so or no. Nay, so far
off was Peter from making an objection against one of them, that,
by a particular clause in his exhortation, he endeavours, that not
one of them may escape the salvation offered. 'Repent,' saith he,
'and be baptized every one of you.' I shut out never an one of you;
for I am commanded by my Lord to deal with you, as it were, one by
one, by the word of his salvation. But why speaks he so particularly?
Oh! there were reasons for it. The people with whom the apostles
were now to deal, as they were murderers of our Lord, and to be
charged in the general with his blood, so they had their various
and particular acts of villany in the guilt thereof, now lying
upon their consciences. And the guilt of these, their various and
particular acts of wickedness, could not, perhaps, be reached to a
removal thereof but by this particular application. Repent, every
one of you; be baptized, every one of you, in his name, for the
remission of sins, and you shall, every one of you, receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.

Objector. 'But I was one of them that plotted to take away his
life. May I be saved by him?'

Peter. Every one of you.

Objector. 'But I was one of them that bare false witness against
him. Is there grace for me?'

Peter. For every one of you.

Objector. 'But I was one of them that cried out, Crucify him,
crucify him; and desired that Barabbas, the murderer, might live,
rather than him. What will become of me, think you?'

Peter. I am to preach repentance and remission of sins to every
one of you, says Peter.

Objector. 'But I was one of them that did spit in his face when he
stood before his accusers. I also was one that mocked him, when in
anguish he hanged bleeding on the tree. Is there room for me?'

Peter. For every one of you, says Peter.

Objector. 'But I was one of them that, in his extremity, said, Give
him gall and vinegar to drink. Why may not I expect the same when
anguish and guilt is upon me?'

Peter. Repent of these your wickednesses, and here is remission of
sins for every one of you.

Objector. 'But I railed on him, I reviled him, I hated him, I
rejoiced to see him mocked at by others. Can there be hope for me?'

Peter. There is, for every one of you. 'Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' Oh! what
a blessed 'Every one of you,' is here! How willing was Peter, and
the Lord Jesus, by his ministry, to catch these murderers with the
word of the gospel, that they might be made monuments of the grace
of God! How unwilling, I say, was he, that any of these should
escape the hand of mercy! Yea, what an amazing wonder is it to
think, that above all the world, and above everybody in it, these
should have the first offer of mercy! 'Beginning at Jerusalem.'

But was there not something of moment in this clause of the commission?
Did not Peter, think you, see a great deal in it, that he should
thus begin with these men, and thus offer, so particularly, this
grace to each particular man of them?

But, as I told you, this is not all; these Jerusalem sinners must
have this offer again and again; every one of them must be offered
it over and over. Christ would not take their first rejection for
a denial, nor their second repulse for a denial; but he will have
grace offered once, and twice, and thrice, to these Jerusalem
sinners. Is not this amazing grace? Christ will not be put off.
These are the sinners that are sinners indeed. They are sinners of
the biggest sort; consequently, such as Christ can, if they convert
and be saved, best serve his ends and designs upon. Of which more
anon.

But what a pitch of grace is this! Christ is minded to amaze the
world, and to show that he acteth not like the children of men. This
is that which he said of old, 'I will not execute the fierceness
of my wrath, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God
and not man' (Hosea 11:9).5 This is not the manner of men; men are
shorter winded; men are soon moved to take vengeance, and to right
themselves in a way of wrath and indignation. But God is full of
grace, full of patience, ready to forgive, and one that delights
in mercy. All this is seen in our text. The biggest sinners must
first be offered mercy; they must, I say, have the cream of the
gospel offered unto them.

But we will a little proceed. In the third chapter we find, that
they who escaped converting by the first sermon, are called upon
again to accept of grace and forgiveness, for their murder committed
upon the Son of God. You have killed, yea, 'ye denied the Holy One
and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and
killed the Prince of life.' Mark, he falls again upon the very men
that actually were, as you have it in the chapters following, his
very betrayers and murderers (Acts 3:14,15), as being loath that
they should escape the mercy of forgiveness: and exhorts them again
to repent, that their sins might 'be blotted out'(verse 19,20).

Again, in the fourth chapter, he charges them afresh with this
murder (verse 10), but withal tells them salvation is in no other.
Then, like a heavenly decoy, he puts himself also among them, to
draw them the better under the net of the gospel; saying, 'There
is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must
be saved' (verse 12).

In the fifth chapter, you find them railing at him, because he
continued preaching among them salvation in the name of Jesus. But
he tells them, that that very Jesus whom they had slain and hanged
on a tree, him God had raised up, and exalted 'to be a Prince and
a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins'
(verse 29-31). Still insinuating, that though they had killed him,
and to this day rejected him, yet his business was to bestow upon
them repentance and forgiveness of sins.

'Tis true, after they began to kill again, and when nothing
but killing would serve their turn, then they that were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Yet even some of them
so hankered after the conversion of the Jews, that they preached
the gospel only to them. Also the apostles still made their abode
at Jerusalem, in hopes that they might let down their net for
another draught of these Jerusalem sinners. Neither did Paul and
Barnabas, who were the ministers of God to the Gentiles, but offer
the gospel, in the first place, to those of them that, for their
wickedness, were scattered, like vagabonds, among the nations; yea,
and when they rendered rebellion and blasphemy for their service
and love, they replied it was necessary that the word of God should
first have been spoken to them (Acts 1:8; 13:46,47).

Nor was this their preaching unsuccessful among these people: but
the Lord Jesus so wrought with the word thus spoken, that thousands
of them came flocking to him for mercy. Three thousand of them
closed with him at the first; and, afterwards, two thousand more;
for now they were in number about five thousand; whereas, before
sermons were preached to these murderers, the number of the disciples
was not above 'a hundred and twenty' (Acts 1:15; 2:41; 4:4).

Also among these people that thus flocked to him for mercy, there
was a 'great company of the priests' (Acts 6:7). Now, the priests
were they that were the greatest of these biggest sinners; they
were the ringleaders, they were the inventors and ringleaders in the
mischief. It was they that set the people against the Lord Jesus,
and that were the cause why the uproar increased, until Pilate had
given sentence upon him. 'The chief priests and elders,' says the
text, 'persuaded (the people) the multitude, that they should ask
Barabbas, and destroy Jesus' (Matt 27:20). And yet, behold the
priests, yea, a great company of the priests, became obedient to
the faith.6

Oh, the greatness of the grace of Christ, that he should be thus in
love with the souls of Jerusalem sinners! that he should be thus
delighted with the salvation of the Jerusalem sinners! that he
should not only will that his gospel should be offered them, but
that it should be offered unto them first, and before other sinners
were admitted to a hearing of it. 'Begin at Jerusalem.'

Was this doctrine well believed, where would there be a place for
a doubt, or a fear of the damnation of the soul, if the sinner be
penitent, how bad a life soever he has lived, how many soever in
number are his sins? But this grace is hid from the eyes of men;
the devil hides it from them; for he knows it is alluring, he knows
it has an attracting virtue in it; for this is it that, above all
arguments, can draw the soul to God. I cannot help it, but must let
drop another word. The first church, the Jerusalem church, from
whence the gospel was to be sent into all the world, was a church
made up of Jerusalem sinners. These great sinners were here the
most shining monuments of the exceeding grace of God.

Thus, you see, I have proved the doctrine; and that not only by
showing you that this was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ
in his lifetime, but his last will when he went up to God; saying,
Begin to preach at Jerusalem. Yea, it is yet further manifested,
in that when his ministers first began to preach there, he joined
his power to the word, to the converting of thousands of his
betrayers and murderers, and also many of the ringleading priests,
to the faith.

I shall now proceed, and shall show you, FIRST, The reasons of the
point. SECOND, And then make some application of the whole.

[THE REASONS OF THE POINT.]

The observation, you know, is this: Jesus Christ would have mercy
offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem
sinners: 'Preach repentance, and remission of sins, in my name,
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'

The reasons of the point are:--

First, Because the biggest sinners have most need thereof.

He that has most need, reason says, should be helped first. I
mean, when a helping hand is offered, and now it is; for the gospel
of the grace of God is sent to help the world (Act 16:9). But the
biggest sinner has most need. Therefore, in reason, when mercy
is sent down from heaven to men, the worst of men should have the
first offer of it. 'Begin at Jerusalem.' This is the reason which
the Lord Christ himself renders, why, in his lifetime, he left the
best, and turned him to the worst; why he sat so loose from the
righteous, and stuck so close to the wicked. 'The whole,' saith
he, 'have no need of the physician, but the sick. I came not to
call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance' (Mark 2:15-17).7

Above, you read that the scribes and Pharisees said to his disciples,
'How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?'
Alas! they did not know the reason; but the Lord renders them one,
and such an one as is both natural and cogent, saying, These have
need, most need. Their great necessity requires that I should be
most friendly, and show my grace first to them.

Not that the other were sinless, and so had no need of a Saviour;
but the publicans and their companions were the biggest sinners;
they were, as to view, worse than the scribes; and, therefore, in
reason, should be helped first, because they had most need of a
Saviour.

Men that are at the point to die, have more need of the physician
than they that are but now and then troubled with a heart-fainting
qualm. The publicans and sinners were, as it were, in the mouth
of death; death was swallowing of them down:8 and, therefore, the
Lord Jesus receives them first; offers them mercy first. 'The whole
have no need of the physician, but the sick. I came not to call
the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.' The sick, as I said,
is the biggest sinner, whether he sees his disease or not. He is
stained from head to foot, from heart to life and conversation.
This man, in every man's judgment, has the most need of mercy.
There is nothing attends him from bed to board, and from board to
bed again, but the visible characters, and obvious symptoms, of
eternal damnation. This, therefore, is the man that has need, most
need; and, therefore, in reason, should be helped in the first
place. Thus it was with the people concerned in the text; they were
the worst of sinners, Jerusalem sinners, sinners of the biggest
size; and, therefore, such as had the greatest need; wherefore they
must have mercy offered to them, before it be offered to anywhere
else in the world. 'Begin at Jerusalem,' offer mercy first to a
Jerusalem sinner. This man has most need, he is furthest from God,
nearest to hell, and so one that has most need. This man's sins
are in number the most, in cry the loudest, in weight the heaviest,
and, consequently, will sink him soonest; wherefore he has most
need of mercy. This man is shut up in Satan's hand, fastest bound
in the cords of his sins: one that justice is whetting his sword
to cut off; and, therefore, has most need, not only of mercy, but
that it should be extended to him in the first place.

But a little further to show you the true nature of this reason,
to wit, That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first
place, to the biggest sinners.

First, Mercy ariseth from the bowels and compassion, from pity, and
from a feeling of the condition of those in misery. 'In his love,
and in his pity, he redeemed them.' And again, 'The Lord is pitiful,
very pitiful, and of tender mercy' (Isa 63:9; James 5:11).

Now, where pity and compassion is, there is yearning of bowels;
and where there is that, there is a readiness to help. And, I say
again, the more deplorable and dreadful the condition is, the more
directly doth bowels and compassion turn themselves to such, and
offer help and deliverance. All this flows from our first scripture
proof, I came to call them that have need; to call them first,
while the rest look on and murmur.

'How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?' Ephraim was a revolter from
God, a man that had given himself up to devilism; a company of men,
the ten tribes that worshipped devils, while Judah kept with his
God. But 'how shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver
thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set
thee as Zeboim? [and yet thou art worse than they, nor has Samaria
committed half thy sins (Eze 16:46-51)] Mine heart is turned within
me, my repentings are kindled together' (Hosea 11:8).

But where do you find that ever the Lord did thus rowl9 in his
bowels for and after any self-righteous man? No, no; they are the
publicans and harlots, idolaters and Jerusalem sinners, for whom
his bowels thus yearn and tumble about within him: for, alas! poor
worms, they have most need of mercy.

Had not the good Samaritan more compassion for that man that fell
among thieves (though that fall was occasioned by his going from
the place where they worshipped God, to Jericho, the cursed city),
than we read he had for any other besides? His wine was for him,
his oil was for him, his beast for him; his penny, his care, and
his swaddling bands for him; for, alas! wretch, he had most need
(Luke 10:30-35).

Zaccheus the publican, the chief of the publicans, one that had
made himself the richer by wronging of others; the Lord at that
time singled him out from all the rest of his brother publicans, and
that in the face of many Pharisees, and proclaimed in the audience
of them all, that that day salvation was come to his house (Luke
19:1-8).

The woman, also, that had been bound down by Satan for eighteen
years together, his compassions putting him upon it, he loosed
her, though those that stood by snarled at him for so doing (Luke
13:11-13).

And why the woman of Sarepta, and why Naaman the Syrian, rather
than widows and lepers of Israel, but because their conditions were
more deplorable; for that they were most forlorn, and furthest from
help (Luke 4:25,27).

But I say, why all these, thus named? Why have we not a catalogue
of some holy men that were so in their own eyes, and in the judgment
of the world? Alas! if, at any time, any of them are mentioned,
how seemingly coldly doth the record of scripture present them to
us? Nicodemus, a night professor, and Simon the Pharisee, with his
fifty pence, and their great ignorance of the methods of grace, we
have now and then touched upon.

Mercy seems to be out of its proper channel when it deals
with self-righteous men; but then it runs with a full stream when
it extends itself to the biggest sinners. As God's mercy is not
regulated by man's goodness, nor obtained by man's worthiness, so
not much set out by saving of any such. But more of this anon.

And here let me ask my reader a question: Suppose that, as thou art
walking by some pond side, thou shouldst espy in it four or five
children, all in danger of drowning, and one in more danger than
all the rest; judge which has most need to be helped out first? I
know thou wilt say, he that is nearest drowning. Why, this is the
case; the bigger sinner, the nearer drowning; therefore, the bigger
sinner, the more need of mercy; yea, of help, by mercy, in the first
place. And to this our text agrees, when it saith, 'Beginning at
Jerusalem.' Let the Jerusalem sinner, says Christ, have the first
offer, the first invitation, the first tender of my grace and mercy;
for he is the biggest sinner, and so has most need thereof.

Second, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, because when they, any of them, receive
it, it redounds most to the fame of his name.

Christ Jesus, as you may perceive, has put himself under the term
of a physician, a doctor for curing of diseases; and you know that
applause and fame are things that physicians much desire. That
is it that helps them to patients; and that, also, that will help
their patients to commit themselves to their skill, for cure, with
the more confidence and repose of spirit. And the best way for a
doctor or physician to get himself a name, is, in the first place,
to take in hand, and cure, some such as all others have given up
for lost and dead. Physicians get neither name nor fame by pricking
of wheals,10 or picking out thistles, or by laying of plasters
to the scratch of a pin; every old woman can do this. But if they
would have a name and a fame, if they will have it quickly, they
must, as I said, do some great and desperate cures. Let them fetch
one to life that was dead; let them recover one to his wits that
was mad; let them make one that was born blind to see; or let them
give ripe wits to a fool: these are notable cures, and he that can
do thus, and if he doth thus first, he shall have the name and fame
he desires; he may lie a-bed till noon.

Why, Christ Jesus forgiveth sins for a name, and so begets for
himself a good report in the hearts of the children of men. And,
therefore, in reason he must be willing, as, also, he did command,
that his mercy should be offered first to the biggest sinners. I
will forgive their sins, iniquities, and transgressions, says he,
'And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour, before
all the nations of the earth' (Jer 33:8,9).

And hence it is, that, at his first appearing, he took upon him to
do such mighty works; he got a fame thereby, he got a name thereby
(Matt 4:23,24).

When Christ had cast the legion of devils out of the man of whom
you read (Mark 5), he bid him go home to his friends, and tell
it. 'Go home,' saith he, 'to thy friends, and tell them how great
things God hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee'
(Mark 5:19). Christ Jesus seeks a name, and desireth a fame in the
world; and, therefore, or the better to obtain that, he commands
that mercy should first be proffered to the biggest sinners;
because, by the saving of one of them, he makes all men marvel.
As it is said of the man last mentioned, whom Christ cured towards
the beginning of his ministry. 'And he departed,' says the text,
'and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done
for him; and all men did marvel' (Mark 5:20).

When John told Christ, that they saw one casting out devils in
his name, and they forbade him, because he followed not with them,
what is the answer of Christ? 'Forbid him not; for there is no man
which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil
of me' (Mark 9:39). No; they will rather cause his praise to be
heard, and his name to be magnified, and so put glory on the head
of Christ.

But we will follow, a little, our metaphor. Christ, as I said, has
put himself under the term of a physician; consequently, he desireth
that his fame, as to the salvation of sinners, may spread abroad,
that the world may see what he can do. And to this end, has not
only commanded that the biggest sinners should have the first offer
of his mercy, but has, as physicians do,11 put out his bills, and
published his doings, that things may be read and talked of. Yea,
he has, moreover, in these, his blessed bills, the holy scriptures
I mean, inserted the very names of persons, the places of their
abode, and the great cures that, by the means of his salvation, he
has wrought upon them to this very end. Here is, Item, such an one,
by my grace and redeeming blood, was made a monument of everlasting
life; and such an one, by my perfect obedience, became an heir of
glory. And then he produceth their names. Item, I saved Lot from
the guilt and damnation that he had procured for himself by his
incest. Item, I saved David from the vengeance that belonged to
him for committing of adultery and murder. Here is, also, Solomon,
Manasseh, Peter, Magdalene, and many others, made mention of in this
book. Yea, here are their names, their sins, and their salvations
recorded together, that you may read and know what a Saviour he
is, and do him honour in the world. For why are these things thus
recorded, but to show to sinners what he can do, to the praise and
glory of his grace? And it is observable, as I said before, we
have but very little of the salvation of little sinners mentioned
in God's book, because that would not have answered the design, to
wit, to bring glory and fame to the name of the Son of God.

What should be the reason, think you, why Christ should so easily
take a denial of the great ones that were the grandeur of the world,
and struggle so hard for hedge-creepers12 and highwaymen, as that
parable seems to import he doth, but to show forth the riches of
the glory of his grace, to his praise? (Luke 14). This, I say, is
one reason, to be sure. They that had their grounds, their yoke of
oxen, and their marriage joys, were invited to come; but they made
the excuse, and that served the turn. But when he comes to deal with
the worst, he saith to his servants, Go ye out and bring them in
hither. 'Go out quickly-and bring in hither the poor, the maimed,
the halt, and the blind.' And they did so. And he said again, 'Go
out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that
my house may be filled' (Luke 14:18,19,23). These poor, lame,
maimed, blind, hedge-creepers, and highwaymen, must come in, must
be forced in. These, if saved, will make his merit shine.

When Christ was crucified, and hanged up between the earth and
heavens, there were two thieves crucified with him; and, behold,
he lays hold of one of them, and will have him away with him to
glory. Was not this a strange act, and a display of unthought-of
grace? Were there none but thieves there, or were the rest of that
company out of his reach? Could he not, think you, have stooped
from the cross to the ground, and have laid hold on some honester
man, if he would? Yes, doubtless. Oh! but then he would not have
displayed his grace, nor so have pursued his own designs, namely,
to get to himself a praise and a name; but now he has done it to
purpose. For who that shall read this story, but must confess, that
the Son of God is full of grace; for a proof of the riches thereof,
he left behind him, when, upon the cross, he took the thief away
with him to glory. Nor can this one act of his be buried; it will
be talked of, to the end of the world, to his praise. 'Men shall
speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I will declare thy
greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great
goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness-They shall speak of
the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to
the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his
kingdom' (Psa 145:6-12).

When the Word of God came among the conjurors and those soothsayers,
that you read of (Acts 19), and had prevailed with some of them
to accept of the grace of Christ, the Holy Ghost records it with a
boast, for that it would redound to his praise, saying, 'Many of
them also which used curious arts brought their books together,
and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them,
and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the
Word of God, and prevailed' (Acts 19:19,20). It wrenched out of the
clutches of Satan some of those of whom he thought himself most
sure. 'So mightily grew the Word of God.' It grew mightily, it
encroached upon the kingdom of the devil. It pursued him, and took
the prey; it forced him to let go his hold! It brought away captive,
as prisoners taken by force of arms, some of the most valiant of
his army. It fetched back from, as it were, the confines of hell,
some of those that were his most trusty, and that, with hell, had
been at an agreement. It made them come and confess their deeds,
and burn their books before all men. 'So mightily grew the Word of
God, and prevailed.' Thus, therefore, you see why Christ will have
offered mercy, in the first place, to the biggest sinners; they
have most need thereof; and this is the most ready way to extol
his name 'that rideth upon the heavens' to our help. But,

Third, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, because, by their forgiveness and salvation,
others, hearing of it, will be encouraged the more to come to him
for life.

For the physician, by curing the most desperate at the first, doth
not only get himself a name, but begets encouragement in the minds
of other diseased folk to come to him for help. Hence you read of
our Lord, that after, through his tender mercy, he had cured many of
great diseases, his fame was spread abroad: 'They brought unto him
all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments,
and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were
lunatic, and those that had the palsy, and he healed them. And
there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and
Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond Jordan' (Matt
4:24,25). See here, he first, by working, gets himself a fame, a
name, and renown; and now men take encouragement, and bring, from
all quarters, their diseased to him, being helped, by what they
had heard, to believe that their diseased should be healed.

Now, as he did with those outward cures, so he does in the proffers
of his grace and mercy; he proffers that, in the first place, to
the biggest sinners, that others may take heart to come to him to
be saved. I will give you a scripture or two. I mean to show you
that Christ, by commanding that his mercy should, in the first
place, be offered to the biggest of sinners, has a design thereby
to encourage and provoke others to come also to him for mercy. 'God,'
said Paul, '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 (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' But
why did he do all this? 'That in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through
Christ Jesus' (Eph 2:4-7). See, here is a design; God lets out his
mercy to Ephesus of design, even to show to the ages to come the
exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness to them through
Christ Jesus. And why, to show, by these, the exceeding riches of
his grace to the ages to come, through Christ Jesus? But to allure
them, and their children also to come to him, and to partake the
same grace through Christ Jesus?13

But what was Paul, and the Ephesian sinners? (of Paul we will speak
anon.) These Ephesian sinners, they were men dead in sins; men
that walked according to the dictates and motions of the devil;
worshippers of Diana, that effeminate goddess; men far off from God,
aliens and strangers to all good things; such as were far off from
that, as I said, and, consequently, in a most deplorable condition.
As the Jerusalem sinners were of the highest sort among the Jews,
so these Ephesian sinners were of the highest sort among the Gentiles
(Eph 2:1-3,11,12; Acts 19:35). Wherefore, as by the Jerusalem
sinners, in saving them first, he had a design to provoke others
to come to him for mercy, so the same design is here set on foot
again, in his calling and converting the Ephesian sinners, 'That in
the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace,'
says he, 'in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.' There
is yet one hint behind. It is said that God saved these 'for his
great love'; that is, as I think, for the setting forth, for the
commendation of his love, for the advance of his love, in the hearts
and minds of them that should come after. As who should say, God
has had mercy upon, and been gracious to you, that he might show
to others, for their encouragement, that they have ground to come
to him to be saved. When God saves one great sinner, it is to
encourage another great sinner to come to him for mercy.

He saved the thief, to encourage thieves to come to him for mercy;
he saved Magdalene, to encourage other Magdalenes to come to him
for mercy; he saved Saul, to encourage Sauls to come to him for
mercy; and this Paul himself doth say, 'For this cause,' saith he,
'I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth
all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting' (1 Tim 1:16). How plain are the
words! Christ, in saving of me, has given to the world a pattern
of his grace, that they might see, and believe, and come, and be
saved; that they that are to be born hereafter might believe on
Jesus Christ to life everlasting.

But what was Paul? Why, he tells you himself; I am, says he, the
chief of sinners. I was, says he, a blasphemer, a persecutor, an
injurious person; but I obtained mercy (1 Tim 1:13,14). Ay, that
is well for you, Paul; but what advantage have we thereby? Oh, very
much, saith he; for, 'for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me
first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern
to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting'
(verse 16). Thus, therefore, you see that this third reason is of
strength; namely, that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners, because, by their forgiveness
and salvation, others, hearing of it, will be encouraged the more
to come to him for mercy. It may well, therefore, be said to God,
Thou delightest in mercy, and mercy pleases thee (Micah 7:18).

But who believes that this was God's design in showing mercy of
old--namely, that we that come after might take courage to come to
him for mercy; or that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in
the first place, to the biggest sinners, to stir up others to come
to him for life? This is not the manner of men, O God! But David
saw this betimes; therefore he makes this one argument with God,
that he would blot out his transgressions, that he would forgive
his adultery, his murders, and horrible hypocrisy. Do it, O Lord,
saith he, do it, and 'then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and
sinners shall be converted unto thee' (Psa 2:7-13). He knew that
the conversion of sinners would be a work highly pleasing to God,
as being that which he had designed before he made mountain or
hill: wherefore he comes, and he saith, Save me, O Lord; if thou
wilt but save me, I will fall in with thy design; I will help to
bring what sinners to thee I can. And, Lord, I am willing to be
made a preacher myself, for that I have been a horrible sinner;
wherefore, if thou shalt forgive my great transgressions, I shall
be a fit man to tell of thy wondrous grace to others. Yea, Lord, I
dare promise, that if thou wilt have mercy upon me, it shall tend
to the glory of thy grace, and also to the increase of thy kingdom;
for I will tell it, and sinners will hear on't. And there is nothing
so suiteth with the hearing sinner as mercy; and to be informed that
God is willing to bestow it upon him. 'I will teach transgressors
thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.'

Nor will Christ Jesus miss of his design in proffering of mercy,
in the first place, to the biggest sinners. You know what work the
Lord, by laying hold of the woman of Samaria, made among the people
there. They knew that she was a town sinner, an adulteress; yea,
one that, after the most audacious manner, lived in uncleanness
with a man that was not her husband. But when she, from a turn upon
her heart, went into the city, and said to her neighbours, 'Come,'
Oh, how they came! how they flocked out of the city to Jesus Christ!
'Then they went out of the city, and came to him.' 'And many of
the Samaritans of that city (people, perhaps, as bad as herself)
believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He
told me all that ever I did' (John 4:39). That word, 'He told me
all that ever I did,' was a great argument with them; for by that
they gathered, that though he knew her to be vile, yet he did not
despise her, nor refuse to show how willing he was to communicate
his grace unto her; and this fetched over, first her, then them.

This woman, as I said, was a Samaritan sinner, a sinner of the
worst complexion; for the Jews abhorred to have ought to do with
them (verse 9), wherefore none more fit than she to be made one of
the decoys of heaven, to bring others of these Samaritan wild-fowls
under the net of the grace of Christ; and she did the work
to purpose. Many, and many more of the Samaritans believed on him
(verse 40-42). The heart of man, though set on sin, will, when
it comes once to a persuasion that God is willing to have mercy
upon us, incline to come to Jesus Christ for life. Witness those
turn-aways from God that you also read of in Jeremiah; for after
they had heard, three or four times over, that God had mercy for
backsliders, they broke out, and said, 'Behold, we come unto thee;
for thou art the Lord our God.' (Jer 3:22); or, as those in Hosea
did, 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy' (Hosea 14:1-3).

Mercy, and the revelation thereof, is the only antidote against
sin. 'Tis of a thawing nature; 'twill loose the heart that is
frozen up in sin; yea, 'twill make the unwilling willing to come to
Jesus Christ for life. Wherefore, do you think, was it that Jesus
Christ told the adulterous woman, and that before so many sinners,
that he had not condemned her, but to allure her, with them there
present, to hope to find favour at his hands? As he also saith, in
another place, 'I came not to judge, but to save the world.' For
might they not thence most rationally conclude, that if Jesus Christ
had rather save than damn an harlot, there was encouragement for
them [although great sinners] to come to him for mercy.

I heard once a story from a soldier, who, with his company, had laid
siege against a fort, that so long as the besieged were persuaded
their foes would show them no favour, they fought like madmen; but
when they saw one of their fellows taken, and received to favour,
they all came tumbling down from their fortress, and delivered
themselves into their enemies' hands. I am persuaded, did men
believe that there is that grace and willingness in the heart of
Christ to save sinners, as the Word imports there is, they would
come tumbling into his arms: but Satan has blinded their minds
that they cannot see this thing. Howbeit, the Lord Jesus has, as
I said, that others might take heart and come to him, given out a
commandment, that mercy should, in the first place, be offered to
the biggest sinners. 'Begin,' saith he, 'at Jerusalem'; and thus
I end the third reason.

Fourth, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to biggest sinners, because that is the way, if they receive it,
most to weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to keep it lowest in every
age of the world.

The biggest sinners, they are Satan's colonels and captains,
the leaders of his people, and they that most stoutly make head
against the Son of God. Wherefore, let these first be conquered,
and his kingdom will be weak. When Ishbosheth had lost his Abner,
the kingdom was made weak, nor did he sit but tottering then upon
his throne. So, when Satan loseth his strong men, them that are
mighty to work iniquity, and dexterous to manage others in the same,
then is his kingdom weak (2 Sam 3). Therefore, I say, Christ, and
doth offer mercy, in the first place, to such, the more to weaken
his kingdom. Christ Jesus was glad to see Satan fall like lightning
from heaven; that is, suddenly, or head-long; and it was, surely,
by casting of him out of strong possession, and by recovering of
some notorious sinners out of his clutches (Luke 10:17-19).

Samson, when he would pull down the Philistines' temple, took
hold of the two main pillars of it, and, breaking them, down came
the house. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and to
destroy by converting grace, as well as by redeeming blood. Now,
sin swarms, and lieth by legions, and whole armies, in the souls
of the biggest sinners, as in garrisons;14 wherefore, the way, the
most direct way, to destroy it, is first to deal with such sinners
by the word of his gospel, and by the merits of his passion.

For example, though I shall give you but a homely one; suppose
a family to be very lousy, and one or two of the family to be in
chief the breeders, the way, the quickest way, to clean that family,
or at least to weaken the so swarming of those vermin, is, in the
first place, to sweeten the skin, head, and clothes of the chief
breeders; and then, though all the family should be apt to breed
them, the number of them, and so the greatness of that plague there,
will be the more impaired. Why, there are some people that are in
chief the devil's sin-breeders in the towns and places where they
live. The place, town, or family where they live, must needs be
horribly lousy, and, as it were, eaten up with vermin. Now, let
the Lord Jesus, in the first place, cleanse these great breeders,
and there will be given a nip to those swarms of sins that used to
be committed in such places throughout the town, house, or family,
where such sin-breeding persons used to be.

I speak by experience. I was one of these lousy ones, one of these
great sin-breeders; I infected all the youth of the town where
I was born, with all manner of youthful vanities. The neighbours
counted me so; my practice proved me so: wherefore Christ Jesus
took me first; and taking me first, the contagion was much allayed
all the town over. When God made me sigh, they would hearken, and
inquiringly say, What's the matter with John? They also gave their
various opinions of me; but, as I said, sin cooled, and failed,
as to his full career. When I went out to seek the bread of life,
some of them would follow, and the rest be put into a muse 15 at
home. Yea, almost the town, at first, at times would go out to hear
at the place where I found good; yea, young and old for a while
had some reformation on them; also some of them, perceiving that
God had mercy upon me, came crying to him for mercy too.

But what need I give you an instance of poor I; I will come
to Manasseh the king. So long as he was a ringleading sinner, the
great idolater, and chief for devilism, the whole land flowed with
wickedness; for he made them to sin (2 Chron 33), and do worse
than the heathen that dwelt round about them, or that was cast out
from before them: but when God converted him, the whole land was
reformed. Down went the groves, the idols, and altars of Baal, and
up went true religion in much of the power and purity of it. You
will say, The king reformed by power. I answer, doubtless, and by
example too; for people observe their leaders; as their fathers did,
so did they (2 Kings 17:41). This, therefore, is another reason why
Jesus would have mercy offered, in the first place, to the biggest
sinners, because that is the best way, if they receive it, most to
weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to keep it poor and low.

And do you not think now, that if God would but take hold of the
hearts of some of the most notorious in your town, in your family,
or country, that this thing would be verified before your faces?
It would, it would, to the joy of you that are godly, to the making
of hell to sigh, to the great suppressing of sin, the glory of
Christ, and the joy of the angels of God.16 And ministers, should,
therefore, that this work might go on, take advantages to persuade
with the biggest sinners to come into Christ, according to my text,
and their commission, 'Beginning at Jerusalem.'

Fifth, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, because such, when converted, are usually
the best helps in the church against temptations, and fittest for
the support of the feeble-minded there.

Hence, usually, you have some such in the first plantation of
churches, or quickly upon it. Churches would do but sorrily, if
Christ Jesus did not put such converts among them; they are the
monuments and mirrors of mercy. The very sight of such a sinner in
God's house, yea, the very thought of him, where the sight of him
cannot be had, is ofttimes greatly for the help of the faith of
the feeble.

When the churches, saith Paul, that were in Judea, heard this
concerning me, that he which persecuted them in time past, now
preached the faith which once he destroyed, 'they glorified God in
me' (Gal 1:20-24). 'Glorified God.' How is that? Why, they praised
him, and took courage to believe the more in the mercy of God; for
that he had had mercy on such a great sinner as he. They glorified
God 'in me'; they wondered that grace should be so rich, as to take
hold of such a wretch as I was; and for my sake believed in Christ
the more.

There are two things that great sinners are acquainted with, when
they come to divulge them to the saints, that are a great relief
to their faith. 1. The contests that they usually have with the
devil at their parting with him. 2. Their knowledge of his secrets
in his workings.

1. For first, The biggest sinners17 have usually great contests
with the devil at their partings; and this is an help to saints: for
ordinary saints find afterwards what the vile ones find at first,
but when, at the opening of hearts, the one finds himself to be as
the other--the one is a comfort to the other. The lesser sort of
sinners find but little of this, till after they have been some time
in profession; but the vile man meets with his at the beginning.
Wherefore he, when the other is down, is ready to tell that he has
met with the same before; for, I say, he has had it before. Satan
is loath to part with a great sinner. 'What, my true servant,' quoth
he, 'my old servant, wilt thou forsake me now? Having so often
sold thyself to me to work wickedness, wilt thou forsake me now?
Thou horrible wretch, dost not know, that thou has sinned thyself
beyond the reach of grace, and dost thou think to find mercy now?
Art not thou a murderer, a thief, a harlot, a witch, a sinner
of the greatest size, and dost thou look for mercy now? Dost thou
think that Christ will foul his fingers with thee? It is enough
to make angels blush, saith Satan, to see so vile an one knock
at heaven-gates for mercy, and wilt thou be so abominably bold to
do it?' 18 Thus Satan dealt with me, says the great sinner, when
at first I came to Jesus Christ. And what did you reply? saith
the tempted. Why, I granted the while charge to be true, says the
other. And what, did you despair, or how? No, saith he, I said, I
am Magdalene, I am Zaccheus, I am the thief, I am the harlot, I am
the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of Christ's murderers; yea,
worse than any of these; and yet God was so far off from rejecting
of me, as I found afterwards, that there was music and dancing
in his house for me, and for joy that I was come home unto him. O
blessed be God for grace (says the other), for then, I hope, there
is favour for me. Yea, as I told you, such an one is a continual
spectacle in the church, for every one by to behold God's grace
and wonder by.

2. And as for the secrets of Satan, such as are suggestions to
question the being of God, the truth of his Word, and to be annoyed
with devilish blasphemies; none more acquainted with these than
the biggest sinners at their conversion; wherefore thus also they
are prepared to be helps in the church to relieve and comfort the
other.

I might also here tell you of the contests and battles that such
are engaged in, wherein they find the buffetings of Satan, above
any other of the saints. At which time Satan assaults the soul
with darkness, fears, frightful thoughts of apparitions; now they
sweat, pant, cry out, and struggle for life. The angels now come
down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a bit of dust and ashes
to overcome principalities and powers, and might, and dominions.
But, as I said, when these come a little to be settled, they are
prepared for helps for others, and are great comforts unto them.
Their great sins give encouragement to the devil to assault them;
and by these temptations Christ takes advantage to make them the
more helpful to the churches.

The biggest sinner, when he is converted, and comes into the church,
says to them all, by his very coming in, Behold me, all you that
are men and women of a low and timorous spirit, you whose hearts
are narrow, for that you never had the advantage to know, because
your sins are few, the largeness of the grace of God. Behold, I
say, in me, the exceeding riches of his grace! I am a pattern set
forth before your faces, on whom you may look and take heart. This,
I say, the great sinner can say, to the exceeding comfort of all
the rest. Wherefore, as I have hinted before, when God intends to
stock a place with saints, and to make that place excellently to
flourish with the riches of his grace, he usually begins with the
conversion of some of the most notorious thereabouts, and lays
them, as an example, to allure others, and to build up when they
are converted. It was Paul that must go to the Gentiles, because
Paul was the most outrageous of all the apostles, in the time of
his unregeneracy. Yea, Peter must be he, that after his horrible
fall, was thought fittest, when recovered again, to comfort and
strengthen his brethren (See Luke 22:31,32).

Some must be pillars in God's house; and if they be pillars of
cedar, they must stand while they are stout and sturdy sticks in
the forest, before they are cut down, and planted or placed there.
No man, when he buildeth his house, makes the principal parts
thereof of weak or feeble timber; for how could such bear up the
rest? but of great and able wood. Christ Jesus also goeth this
way to work; he makes of the biggest sinners bearers and supporters
to the rest. This, then, may serve for another reason, why Jesus
Christ gives out in commandment, that mercy should, in the first
place, be offered to the biggest sinners, because such, when converted,
are usually the best helps in the church against temptations, and
fittest for the support of the feeble-minded there.

Sixth, Another reason why Jesus Christ would have mercy offered,
in the first place, to the biggest sinners, is, because they, when
converted, are apt to love him most.

This agrees both with scripture and reason. Scripture says so.
To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much. 'To whom little
is forgiven, the same loveth little' (Luke 7:47). Reason says so:
for as it would be the unreasonablest thing in the world to render
hatred for love, and contempt for forgiveness; so it would be as
ridiculous to think, that the reception of a little kindness should
lay the same obligations upon the heart to love as the reception
of a great deal. I would not disparage the love of Christ; I know
the least drachm of it, when it reaches to forgiveness, is great
above all the world; but comparatively, there are greater extensions
of the love of Christ to one than to another. He that has most sin,
if. forgiven, is partaker of the greatest love, of the greatest
forgiveness.

I know also, that there are some, that from this very doctrine
say, 'Let us do evil that good may come'; and that turn the grace
of our God into lasciviousness. But I speak not of these; these
will neither be ruled by grace nor reason. Grace would teach them,
if they knew it, to deny ungodly courses; and so would reason too,
if it could truly sense the love of God (Titus 2:11,12; Rom 12:1).

Doth it look like what hath any coherence with reason or mercy,
for a man to abuse his friend? Because Christ died for me, shall I
therefore spit in his face? The bread and water that was given by
Elisha to his enemies, that came into the land of Israel to take
him, had so much influence upon their minds, though heathens, that
they returned to their homes without hurting him; yea, it kept them
from coming again in a hostile manner into the coasts of Israel (2
Kings 6:19-23).

But to forbear to illustrate, till anon. One reason why Christ Jesus
shows mercy to sinners, is, that he might obtain their love, that
he may remove their base affections from base objects to himself.
Now, if he loves to be loved a little, he loves to be loved much;
but there is not any that are capable of loving much, save those that
have much forgiven them. Hence it is said of Paul, that he laboured
more than them all; to wit, with a labour of love, because he had
been by sin more vile against Christ than they all (1 Cor 15).
He it was that 'persecuted the church of God, and wasted it' (Gal
1:13). He of them all was the only raving bedlam against the saints.
'And being exceeding mad,' says he, 'against them, I persecuted
them even unto strange cities' (Acts 26:11). This raving bedlam,
that once was so, is he that now says, I laboured more than them
all, more for Christ than them all. But Paul, what moved thee thus
to do? The love of Christ, says he. It was not I, but the grace
of God that was with me. As who should say, O grace! It was such
grace to save me! It was such marvellous grace for God to look down
from heaven upon me, and that secured me from the wrath to come,
that I am captivated with the sense of the riches of it. Hence
I act, hence I labour; for how can I otherwise do, since God not
only separated me from my sins and companions, but separated all
the powers of my soul and body to his service? I am, therefore,
prompted on by this exceeding love to labour as I have done;
yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Oh! I shall never forget
his love, nor the circumstances under which I was, when his love
laid hold upon me. I was going to Damascus with letters from the
high-priest, to make havoc of God's people there, as I had made
havoc of them in other places. These bloody letters were not imposed
upon me. I went to the high-priest and desired them of him, and
yet he saved me! (Acts 9:1,2). I was one of the men, of the chief
men, that had a hand in the blood of his martyr Stephen; yet he
had mercy upon me! When I was at Damascus, I stunk19 so horribly
like a blood-sucker, that I became a terror to all thereabout.
Yea, Ananias, good man, made intercession to my Lord against me;
yet he would have mercy upon me, yea, joined mercy to mercy, until
he had made me a monument of grace. He made a saint of me, and
persuaded me that my transgressions were forgiven me.

When I began to preach, those that heard me were amazed, and said,
'Is not this he that destroyed them that called on this name in
Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring
them bound to the high-priest?' Hell doth know that I was a sinner;
heaven doth know that I was a sinner; the world also knows that I
was a sinner, a sinner of the greatest size; but I obtained mercy
(Acts 9:20,21). Shall not this lay obligation upon me? Is not love
of the greatest force to oblige? Is it not strong as death, cruel
as the grave, and hotter than the coals of juniper? Hath it not
a most vehement flame? Can the waters quench it? can the floods
drown it? I a m under the force of it, and this is my continual
cry, What shall I render to the Lord for all the benefits which he
has bestowed upon me?

Aye, Paul! this is something; thou speakest like a man, like a man
affected, and carried away with the love and grace of God. Now,
this sense, and this affection, and this labour, giveth to Christ
the love that he looks for. But he might have converted twenty
little sinners, and yet not found, for grace bestowed, so much love
in them all. I wonder how far a man might go among the converted
sinners of the smaller size, before he could find one that so much
as looked anything this way ward. Where is he that is thus under
pangs of love for the grace bestowed upon him by Jesus Christ?
Excepting only some few, you may walk to the world's end, and find
none. But, as I said, some there are, and so there have been in
every age of the church, great sinners, that have had much forgiven
them; and they love much upon this account. Jesus Christ, therefore,
knows what he doth, when he lays hold on the hearts of sinners of
the biggest size. He knows that such an one will love more than
many that have not sinned half their sins.

I will tell you a story that I have read of Martha and Mary; the
name of the book I have forgot; I mean of the book in which I found
the relation; but the thing was thus:--

Martha, saith my author, was a very holy woman, much like Lazarus,
her brother; but Mary was a loose and wanton creature; Martha did
seldom miss good sermons and lectures, when she could come at them
in Jerusalem; but Mary would frequent the house of sports, and the
company of the vilest of men for lust. And though Martha had often
desired that her sister would go with her to hear her preachers,
yea, had often entreated her with tears to do it, yet could she
never prevail; for still Mary would make her excuse, or reject her
with disdain, for her zeal and preciseness in religion.

After Martha had waited long, tried many ways to bring her sister
to good, and all proved ineffectual, at last she comes upon her
thus: 'Sister,' quoth she, 'I pray thee go with me to the temple
today, to hear one preach a sermon.' 'What kind of preacher is he?'
said she. Martha replied, 'It is one Jesus of Nazareth; he is the
handsomest man that ever you saw with your eyes. Oh! he shines in
beauty, and is a most excellent preacher.'

Now, what does Mary, after a little pause, but goes up into her
chamber, and, with her pins and her clouts,20 decks up herself as
fine as her fingers could make her. This done, away she goes, not
with her sister Martha, but as much unobserved as she could, to
the sermon, or rather to see the preacher.

The hour and preacher being come, and she having observed whereabout
the preacher would stand, goes and sets herself so in the temple,
that she might be sure to have the full view of this excellent
person. So he comes in, and she looks, and the first glimpse of his
person pleased her. Well, Jesus addresseth himself to his sermon,
and she looks earnestly on him.

Now, at that time, saith my author, Jesus preached about the lost
sheep, the lost groat, and the prodigal child. And when he came to
show what care the shepherd took for one lost sheep, and how the
woman swept to find her piece which was lost, and what joy there
was at their finding, she began to be taken by the ears, and forgot
what she came about, musing what the preacher would make of it.
But when he came to the application, and showed, that by the lost
sheep, was meant a great sinner; by the shepherd's care, was meant
God's love for great sinners; and that by the joy of the neighbours,
was showed what joy there was among the angels in heaven over one
great sinner that repenteth; she began to be taken by the heart. And
as he spake these last words, she thought he pitched his innocent
eyes just upon her, and looked as if he spake what was now said to
her: wherefore her heart began to tremble, being shaken with affection
and fear; then her eyes ran down with tears apace; wherefore she was
forced to hide her face with her handkerchief, and so sat sobbing
and crying all the rest of the sermon.

Sermon being done, up she gets, and away she goes, and withal
inquired where this Jesus the preacher dined that day? and one told
her, At the house of Simon the Pharisee. So away goes she, first to
her chamber, and there strips herself of her wanton attire; then
falls upon her knees to ask God forgiveness for all her wicked life.
This done, in a modest dress she goes to Simon's house, where she
finds Jesus sat at dinner. So she gets behind him, and weeps, and
drops her tears upon his feet like rain, and washes them, and wipes
them with the hair of her head. She also kissed his feet with her
lips, and anointed them with ointment. When Simon the Pharisee
perceived what the woman did, and being ignorant of what it was to
be forgiven much (for he never was forgiven more than fifty pence),
he began to think within himself, that he had been mistaken about
Jesus Christ, because he suffered such a sinner as this woman was,
to touch him. Surely, quoth he, this man, if he were a prophet,
would not let this woman come near him, for she is a town-sinner;
so ignorant are all self-righteous men of the way of Christ with
sinners. But, lest Mary should be discouraged with some clownish
carriage of this Pharisee, and so desert her good beginnings, and
her new steps which she now had begun to take towards eternal life,
Jesus began thus with Simon: 'Simon,' saith he, 'I have somewhat
to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was,' said
Jesus, 'a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five
hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of
them will love him most? Simon answered, and said, I suppose that
he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly
judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou
this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water
for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped
them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this
woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed
my feet with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto her, Her sins, which
are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is
forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins
are forgiven'(Luke 7:36-48).

Thus you have the story. If I come short in any circumstance, I
beg pardon of those that can correct me. It is three or four and
twenty years since I saw the book; yet I have, as far as my memory
will admit, given you the relation of the matter. However, Luke,
as you see, doth here present you with the substance of the whole.21

Alas! Christ Jesus has but little thanks for the saving of little
sinners. 'To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.' He
gets not water for his feet, by his saving of such sinners. There
are abundance of dry-eyed Christians in the world, and abundance of
dry-eyed duties too; duties that never were wetted with the tears
of contrition and repentance, nor ever sweetened with the great
sinner's box of ointment. And the reason is, such sinners have not
great sins to be saved from; or, if they have, they look upon them
in the diminishing glass of the holy law of God.22 But, I rather
believe, that the professors of our days want a due sense of what
they are; for, verily, for the generality of them, both before
and since conversion, they have been sinners of a lusty size. But
if their eyes be holden, if convictions are not shown, if their
knowledge of their sins is but like to the eye-sight in twilight;
the heart cannot be affected with that grace that has laid hold on
the man; and so Christ Jesus sows much, and has little coming in.
Wherefore his way is ofttimes to step out of the way, to Jericho,
to Samaria, to the country of the Gadarenes, to the coasts of Tyre
and Sidon, and also to Mount Calvary, that he may lay hold of such
kind of sinners as will love him to his liking (Luke 19:1-11; John
4:3-11; Mark 5:1-20; Matt 15:21-29; Luke 23:33-43).

But thus much for the sixth reason, why Christ Jesus would have
mercy offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners, to wit,
because such sinners, when converted, are apt to love him most.
The Jerusalem sinners were they that outstripped, when they were
converted, in some things, all the churches of the Gentiles. They
'were of one heart, and of one soul: neither said any of them that
aught of the things which he possessed was his own.' 'Neither was
there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors
of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things
that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet,' &c.
(Acts 4:32,35). Now, show me such another pattern, if you can. But
why did these do thus? Oh! they were Jerusalem sinners. These were
the men that, but a little before, had killed the Prince of life;
and those to whom he did, that notwithstanding, send the first offer
of grace and mercy. And the sense of this took them up betwixt the
earth and the heaven, and carried them on in such ways and methods
as could never be trodden by any since. They talk of the church of
Rome, and set her, in her primitive state, as a pattern and mother
of churches; when the truth is, they were the Jerusalem sinners,
when converts, that out-did all the churches that ever were.

Seventh, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, because grace, when it is received by such,
finds matter to kindle upon more freely than it finds in other
sinners.

Great sinners are like the dry wood, or like great candles, which
burn best and shine with biggest light. I lay not this down, as
I did those reasons before, to show, that when great sinners are
converted, they will be encouragement to others, though that is true;
but to show, that Christ has a delight to see grace, the grace we
receive, to shine. We love to see things that bear a good gloss;
yea, we choose to buy such kind of matter to work upon, as will,
if wrought up to what we intend, cast that lustre that we desire.
Candles that burn not bright, we like not; wood that is green will
rather smother, and sputter, and smoke, and crack, and flounce,
than cast a brave light and a pleasant heat; wherefore great folks
care not much, not so much, for such kind of things, as for them
that will better answer their ends.

Hence Christ desires the biggest sinner; in him there is matter to
work by, to wit, a great deal of sin; for as by the tallow of the
candle, the first takes occasion to burn the brighter; so, by the
sin of the soul, grace takes occasion to shine the clearer. Little
candles shine but little, for there wanteth matter for the fire to
work upon; but in the great sinner, here is more matter for grace
to work by. Faith shines, when it worketh towards Christ, through
the sides of many and great transgressions, and so does love, for
that much is forgiven. And what matter can be found in the soul
for humility to work by so well, as by a sight that I have been and
am an abominable sinner? And the same is to be said of patience,
meekness, gentleness, self-denial, or of any other grace. Grace
takes occasion, by the vileness of the man, to shine the more; even
as by the ruggedness of a very strong distemper or disease, the
virtue of the medicine is best made manifest. 'Where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound' (Rom 5:20). A black string makes
the neck look whiter; great sins make grace burn clear. Some say,
when grace and a good nature meet together, they do make shining
Christians; but I say, when grace and a great sinner meet, and when
grace shall subdue that great sinner to itself, and shall operate
after its kind in the soul of that great sinner, then we have
a shining Christian; witness all those of whom mention was made
before.

Abraham was among the idolaters when in the land of Assyria, and
served idols, with his kindred, on the other side of the flood (Josh
24:2; Gen 11:31). But who, when called, was there in the world, in
whom grace shone so bright as in him? The Thessalonians were idolaters
before the Word of God came to them; but when they had received
it, they became examples to all that did believe in Macedonia and
Achaia (1 Thess 1:6-10).

God the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son, are for having things
seen; for having the Word of life held forth. They light not a
candle that it might be put under a bushel, or under a bed, but on
a candlestick, that all that come in may see the light (Matt 5:15;
Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33). and, I say, as I said before, in whom
is it, light, like so to shine, as in the souls of great sinners?

When the Jewish Pharisees dallied with the gospel, Christ threatened
to take it from them, and to give it to the barbarous heathens and
idolaters. Why so? For they, saith he, will bring forth the fruits
thereof in their season. 23 'Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof' (Matt 21:43).

I have often marvelled at our youth, and said in my heart, What
should be the reason that they should be so generally at this day
debauched as they are? For they are now profane to amazement; and
sometimes I have thought one thing, and sometimes another; that is,
why God should suffer it so to be? At last I have thought of this:
How if the God, whose ways are past finding out, should suffer it
so to be now, that he might make of some of them the more glorious
saints hereafter. I know sin is of the devil, but it cannot work
in the world without permission: and if it happens to be as I have
thought, it will not be the first time that God the Lord hath caught
Satan in his own design. For my part, I believe that the time is
at hand, that we shall see better saints in the world than has been
seen in it this many a day. And this vileness, that at present does
so much swallow up our youth, is one cause of my thinking so; for
out of them, for from among them, when God sets to his hand, as
of old, you shall see what penitent ones, what trembling ones, and
what admirers of grace, will be found to profess the gospel to the
glory of God by Christ.

Alas! we are a company of worn-out Christians; our moon is in the
wane; we are much more black than white, more dark than light; we
shine but a little; grace in the most of us is decayed. But I say,
when they of these debauched ones that are to be saved shall be
brought in--when these that look more like devils than men shall
be converted to Christ (and I believe several of them will), then
will Christ be exalted, grace adored, the Word prized, Zion's path
better trodden, and men in the pursuit of their own salvation, to
the amazement of them that are left behind.

Just before Christ came into the flesh, the world was degenerated
as it is now: the generality of the men in Jerusalem were become
either high and famous for hypocrisy, or filthy, base in their
lives. The devil also was broke loose in hideous manner, and had
taken possession of many: yea, I believe, that there was never
generation before nor since, that could produce so many possessed
with devils, deformed, lame, blind, and infected with monstrous
diseases, as that generation could. But what was the reason thereof,
I mean the reason from God? Why, one--and we may sum up more in
that answer that Christ gave to his disciples concerning him that
was born blind--was, that 'the works of God should be made manifest'
in them, and 'that the Son of God might be glorified thereby' (John
9:2,3; 11:4).

Now, if these devils and diseases, as they possessed men then,
were to make way and work for an approaching to Christ in person,
and for the declaring of his power, why may we not think that now,
even now also, he is ready to come, by his Spirit in the gospel,
to heal many of the debaucheries of our age? I cannot believe that
grace will take them all, for there are but few that are saved;
but yet it will take some, even some of the worst of men, and make
blessed ones of them. But, O how these ringleaders in vice will
then shine in virtue! They will be the very pillars in churches,
they will be as an ensign in the land. 'The Lord their God shall
save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall
be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his
land' (Zech 9:16). But who are these? Even idolatrous Ephraim, and
backsliding Judah (verse 13).

I know there is ground to fear, that the iniquity of this generation
will be pursued with heavy judgments; but that will not hinder
that we have supposed. God took him a glorious church out of bloody
Jerusalem, yea, out of the chief of the sinners there, and left
the rest to be taken and spoiled, and sold, thirty for a penny, in
the nations where they were captives. The gospel working gloriously
in a place, to the seizing upon many of the ringleading sinners
thereof, promiseth no security to the rest, but rather threateneth
them with the heaviest and smartest judgments; as in the instance
now given, we have a full demonstration; but in defending, the Lord
will defend his people; and in saving, he will save his inheritance.

Nor does this speak any great comfort to a decayed and backsliding
sort of Christian; for the next time God rides post with his gospel,
he will leave such Christians behind him. But, I say, Christ is
resolved to set up his light in the world; yea, he is delighted
to see his graces shine; and therefore he commands that his gospel
should, to that end, be offered, in the first place, to the biggest
sinners; for by great sins it shineth most; therefore he saith,
'Begin at Jerusalem.'

Eighth, and lastly, Christ Jesus will have mercy to be offered,
in the first place, to the biggest sinners, for that by that means
the impenitent that are left behind will be, at the judgment, the
more left withoutexcuse.

God's Word has two edges; it can cut back-stroke and fore-stroke.
If it doth thee no good, it will do thee hurt; it is 'the savour
of life unto life' to those that receive it, but of 'death unto
death' to them that refuse it (2 Cor 2:15,16). But this is not all;
the tender of grace to the biggest sinners, in the first place, will
not only leave the rest, or those that refuse it, in a deplorable
condition, but will also stop their mouths, and cut off all pretence
to excuse at that day. 'If I had not come and spoken unto them,'
saith Christ,' saith Christ, 'they had not had sin; but now they have
no cloke for their sin'--for their sin of persevering in impenitence
(John 15:22). But what did he speak to them? Why, even that which
I have told you; to wit, That he has in special a delight in saving
the biggest sinners. He spake this in the way of his doctrine; he
spake this in the way of his practice, even to the pouring out of
his last breath before them (Luke 23:34).

Now, since this is so, what can the condemned at the judgment say
for themselves, why sentence of death should not be passed upon
them? I say, what excuse can they make for themselves, when they
shall be asked why they did not in the day of salvation come to
Christ to be saved? Will they have ground to say to the Lord, Thou
wast only for saving of little sinners; and, therefore, because
they were great ones, they durst not come unto him; or that thou
hadst not compassion for the biggest sinners, therefore I died in
despair? Will these be excuses for them, as the case now standeth
with them? Is there not everywhere in God's Book a flat contradiction
to this, in multitudes of promises, of invitations, of examples,
and the like? Alas! alas! there will then be there millions of
souls to confute this plea; ready, I say, to stand up, and say,
'O! deceived world, heaven swarms with such as were, when they
were in the world, to the full as bad as you!' Now, this will kill
all plea or excuse, why they should not perish in their sins; yea,
the text says they shall see them there. 'There shall be weeping-when
ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets,
in the kingdom of heaven, and you yourselves thrust out. And they
shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north,
and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God'
(Luke 13:28,29). Out of which company, it is easy to pick such as
sometimes were as bad people as any [that] now breathe on the face
of [the] earth. What think you of the first man, by whose sins there
are millions now in hell? And so I may say, What think you of ten
thousand more besides?

But if the Word will not stifle and gag them up--I speak now
for amplification's sake--the view of those who are saved shall.
There comes an incestuous person to the bar, and pleads, That the
bigness of his sins was a bar to his receiving the promise. But will
not his mouth be stopped as to that, when Lot, and the incestuous
Corinthians, shall be set before him (Gen 19:33-37; 1 Cor 5:1,2).

There comes a thief, and says, Lord, my sin of thefts, I thought,
was such as could not be pardoned by thee! But when he shall see
the thief that was saved on the cross stand by, as clothed with
beauteous glory, what further can he be able to object? Yea, the
Lord will produce ten thousand of his saints at his coming, who
shall after this manner 'execute judgment upon all, and so convince
all that are ungodly among them--of all their hard speeches which
ungodly sinners have spoken against him' (Jude 15). And these are
hard speeches against him, to say that he was not able or willing
to save men, because of the greatness of their sins, or to say that
they were discouraged by his Word from repentance, because of the
heinousness of their offences. These things, I say, shall then be
confuted. He comes with ten thousand of his saints to confute them,
and to stop their mouths from making objections against their own
eternal damnation.

Here is Adam, the destroyer of the world; here is Lot, that lay
with both his daughters; here is Abraham, that was sometime an
idolater; and Jacob, that was a supplanter; and Reuben, that lay with
his father's concubine; and Judah, that lay with his daughter-in-law;
and Levi and Simeon, that wickedly slew the Shechemites; and Aaron,
that made an idol to be worshipped, and that proclaimed a religious
feast unto it. Here is also Rahab the harlot, and Bathsheba, that
bare a bastard to David. Here is Solomon, that great backslider;
and Manasseh, that man of blood and a witch. Time would fail to
tell you of the woman of Canaan's daughter, of Mary Magdalene, of
Matthew the publican, and of Gideon and Samson, and many thousands
more.

Alas! alas! I say, what will these sinners do, that have, through
their unbelief, eclipsed the glorious largeness of the mercy of
God, and gave way to despair of salvation, because of the bigness
of their sins? For all these, though now glorious saints in light,
were sometimes sinners of the biggest size, who had sins that were
of a notorious hue; yet now, I say, they are in their shining and
heavenly robes before the throne of God and of the Lamb, blessing
for ever and ever that Son of God for their salvation, who died for
them upon the tree; admiring that ever it should come into their
hearts once to think of coming to God by Christ; but above all,
blessing God for granting of them light to see those encouragements
in his Testament; without which, without doubt, they had been
daunted, and sunk down under guilt of sin and despair, as their
fellow-sinners have done. But now they also are witnesses for God,
and for his grace, against an unbelieving world; for, as I said,
they shall come to convince the world of their speeches, their hard
and unbelieving words, that they have spoken concerning the mercy
of God, and the merits of the passion of his blessed Son, Jesus
Christ.

But will it not, think you, strangely put to silence all such
thoughts, and words, and reasons of the ungodly before the bar
of God? Doubtless it will; yea, and will send them away from his
presence also, with the greatest guilt that possibly can fasten
upon the consciences of men.

For what will sting like this?--'I have, through mine own foolish,
narrow, unworthy, undervaluing thoughts, of the love and ability
of Christ to save me, brought myself to everlasting ruin. It is
true, I was a horrible sinner; not one in a hundred did live so
vile a life as I. But this should not have kept me from closing
with Jesus Christ. I see now that there are abundance in glory
that once were as bad as I have been; but they were saved by faith,
and I am damned by unbelief. Wretch that I am! why did not I give
glory to the redeeming blood of Jesus? Why did I not humbly cast
my soul at his blessed footstool for mercy? Why did I judge of
his ability to save me by the voice of my shallow reason, and the
voice of a guilty conscience? Why betook not I myself to the holy
Word of God? Why did I not read and pray that I might understand,
since now I perceive that God said then, He giveth liberally to
them that pray, and upbraideth not' (James 1:5).

It is rational to think, that by such cogitations as these, the
unbelieving world will be torn in pieces before the judgment of
Christ; especially those that have lived where they did or might
have heard the gospel of the grace of God. Oh! that saying, 'It
shall be more tolerable for Sodom at the judgment than for them,'
will be better understood (Luke 10:8-12). This reason, therefore,
standeth fast; namely, that Christ, by offering mercy, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners now, will stop all the mouths
of the impenitent at the day of judgment, and cut off all excuse that
shall be attempted to be made, from the thoughts of the greatness
of their sins, why they came not to him.

I have often thought of the day of judgment, and how God will
deal with sinners at that day; and I believe it will be managed
with that sweetness, with that equitableness, with that excellent
righteousness, as to every sin, and circumstance and aggravation
thereof, that men that are damned, shall, before the judgment is over,
receive such conviction of the righteous judgment of God upon them,
and of their deserts of hell-fire, that they shall in themselves
conclude, that there is all the reason in the world that they should
be shut out of heaven, and go to hell-fire: 'These shall go away
into everlasting punishment' (Matt 25:46).24

Only this will tear [them,] that they have missed of mercy and
glory, and obtained everlasting damnation, through their unbelief;
but it will tear but themselves, but their own souls; they will
gnash upon themselves, for that mercy was offered to the chief of
them in the first place, and yet they were damned for rejecting of
it; they were damned for forsaking what they had a propriety in;
for forsaking their own mercy.

And thus much for the reasons. Second, I will conclude with a word
of application.

THE APPLICATION.

First, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then this shows us how to make a right
judgment of the heart of Christ to men. Indeed, we have advantage
to guess at the goodness of his heart by many things; as by his
taking our nature upon him, his dying for us, his sending his Word
and ministers to us, and all that we might be saved. But this of
beginning to offer mercy to Jerusalem, is that which heightens all
the rest; for this doth not only confirm to us, that love was the
use of his dying for us, but it shows us yet more the depth of that
love. He might have died for us, and yet have extended the benefit
of his death to a few, as one might call them, of the best-conditioned
sinners, to those who, though they were weak, and so could not but
sin, yet made not a trade of sinning; to those that sinned not
lavishingly. There are in the world, as one may call them, the
moderate sinners; the sinners that mix righteousness with their
pollutions; the sinners that, though they be sinners, do what
on their part lies--some that are blind would think so--that they
might be saved. I say, it had been love, great love, if he had died
for none but such, and sent his love to such; but that he should
send out conditions of peace to the biggest of sinners; yea, that
they should be offered to them first of all; (for so he means when
he says, 'Begin at Jerusalem';) this is wonderful! this shows his
heart to purpose, as also the heart of God his Father, who sent
him to do thus.

There is nothing more incident to men that are awake in their souls,
than to have wrong thoughts of God--thoughts that are narrow, and
that pinch and pen up his mercy to scanty and beggarly conclusions,
and rigid legal conditions; supposing that it is rude, and an
intrenching upon his majesty to come ourselves, or to invite others,
until we have scraped and washed, and rubbed off as much of our
dirt from us as we think is convenient, to make us somewhat orderly
and handsome in his sight.25 Such never knew what these words meant,
'Begin at Jerusalem.' Yea, such in their hearts have compared the
Father and his Son to niggardly rich men, whose money comes from
them like drops of blood. True, say such, God has mercy, but he
is loath to part with it; you must please him well, if you get any
from him; he is not so free as many suppose, nor is he so willing
to save as some pretended gospellers imagine. But I ask such, if
the Father and Son be not unspeakably free to show mercy, why was
this clause put into our commission to preach the gospel? Yea, why
did he say, 'Begin at Jerusalem': for when men, through the weakness
of their wits, have attempted to show other reasons why they would
have the first proffer of mercy; yet I can prove, by many undeniable
reasons, that they of Jerusalem, to whom the apostles made the first
offer, according as they were commanded, were the biggest sinners
that ever did breathe upon the face of God's earth (set the
unpardonable sin aside); upon which [fact] my doctrine stands like
a rock, that Jesus the Son of God would have mercy, in the first
place, offered to the biggest sinners. And if this doth not show the
heart of the Father and the Son to be infinitely free in bestowing
forgiveness of sins, I confess myself mistaken.

Neither is there, set this aside, another argument like it, to
show us the willingness of Christ to save sinners; for, as was said
before, all the rest of the signs of Christ's mercifulness might
have been limited to sinners that are so and so qualified; but when
he says, 'Begin at Jerusalem,' the line is stretched out to the
utmost; no man can imagine beyond it; and it is folly here to pinch
and spare, to narrow, and seek to bring it within scanty bounds;
for he plainly saith, 'Begin at Jerusalem,' the biggest sinner is
the biggest sinner; the biggest is the Jerusalem sinner.

It is true, he saith, that repentance and remission of sins must
go together, but yet remission is sent to the chief, the Jerusalem
sinner; nor doth repentance lessen at all the Jerusalem sinner's
crimes; it diminisheth none of his sins, nor causes that there
should be so much as half an one the fewer; it only puts a stop to
the Jerusalem sinner's course, and makes him willing to be saved
freely by grace; and for time to come to be governed by that blessed
word that has brought the tidings of good things to him. Besides,
no man shows himself willing to be saved that repenteth not of his
deeds; for he that goes on still in his trespasses, declares that
he is resolved to pursue his own damnation further.

Learn then to judge of the largeness of God's heart, and of
the heart of his Son Jesus Christ, by the Word; judge not thereof
by feeling, nor by the reports of thy conscience; conscience is
ofttimes here befooled, and made to go quite beside the Word. It
was judging without the Word that made David say, I am cast off
from God's eyes, and 'shall perish one day by the hand of Saul' (Psa
31:22; 1 Sam 27:1). The Word had told him another thing; namely,
that he should be king in his stead. Our text says also, that Jesus
Christ bids preachers, in their preaching repentance and remission
of sins, begin first at Jerusalem; thereby declaring most truly
the infinite largeness of the merciful heart of God and his Son,
to the sinful children of men. Judge thou, I say, therefore, of
the goodness of the heart of God and his Son, by this text, and by
others of the same import; so shalt thou not dishonour the grace
of God, nor needlessly fright thyself, nor give away thy faith,
nor gratify the devil, nor lose the benefit of God's Word. I speak
now to weak believers.

Second, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem sinners? Then, by this
also, you must learn to judge of the sufficiency of the merits of
Christ; not that the merits of Christ can be comprehended, for that
they are beyond the conceptions of the whole world, being called
'the unsearchable riches of Christ'; but yet they may be apprehended
to a considerable degree. Now, the way to apprehend them most, is,
to consider what offers, after his resurrection, he makes of his
grace to sinners; for to be sure he will not offer beyond the virtue
of his merits; because, as grace is the cause of his merits, so his
merits are the basis and bounds upon and by which his grace stands
good, and is let out to sinners. Doth he then command that his
mercy should be offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners?
It declares, that there is a sufficiency in his blood to save the
biggest sinners. 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all
sin.' And again, 'Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren,
that through this man [this man's merits] is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law
of Moses' (Acts 13:38).

Observe, then, thy rule to make judgment of the sufficiency of
the blessed merits of thy Saviour. If he had not been able to have
reconciled the biggest sinners to his Father by his blood, he would
not have sent to them, have sent to them in the first place, the
doctrine of remission of sins; for remission of sins is through
faith in his blood. We are justified freely by the grace of God,
through the redemption that is in the blood of Christ. Upon the
square, as I may call it, of the worthiness of the blood of Christ,
grace acts, and offers forgiveness of sin to men (Eph 1:7; 2:13,14;
Col 1:20-22). Hence, therefore, we must gather, that the blood
of Christ is of infinite value, for that he offereth mercy to the
biggest of sinners. Nay, further, since he offereth mercy, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners, considering also, that this
first act of his is that which the world will take notice of, and
expect it should be continued unto the end. Also it is a disparagement
to a man that seeks his own glory in what he undertakes, to do that
for a spurt, which he cannot continue and hold out in. This is our
Lord's own argument, He began to build, saith he, but was not able
to finish (Luke 14:30).

Shouldst thou hear a man say, I am resolved to be kind to the
poor, and should begin with giving handfuls of guineas, you would
conclude, that either he is wonderful rich, or must straiten his
hand, or will soon be at the bottom of his riches. Why, this is
the case: Christ, at his resurrection, gave it out that he would
be good to the world; and first sends to the biggest sinners, with
an intent to have mercy on them. Now, the biggest sinners cannot
be saved but by abundance of grace; it is not a little that will
save great sinners (Rom 5:17). And I say again, since the Lord Jesus
mounts thus high at the first, and sends to the Jerusalem sinners,
that they may come first to partake of his mercy, it follows, that
either he has unsearchable riches of grace and worth in himself,
or else he must straiten his hand, or his grace and merits will
be spent before the world is at an end. But let it be believed,
as surely as spoken, he is still as full as ever. He is not a jot
the poorer for all the forgiveness tha the has given away to great
sinners. Also he is still as free as at first; for he never yet
called back this word, Begin at the Jerusalem sinners. And, as
I said, since his grace is extended according to the worth of his
merits. I conclude, that there is the same virtue in his merits
to save now, as there was at the very beginning, Oh! the riches of
the grace of Christ! Oh! the riches of the blood of Christ!

Third, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to
the biggest sinners? Then here is encouragement for you that think,
for wicked hearts and lives, you have not your fellows in the world,
yet to come to him.

There is a people that therefore fear lest they should be rejected
of Jesus Christ, because of the greatness of their sins; when, as
you see here, such are sent to, sent to by Jesus Christ, to come
to him for mercy: 'Begin at Jerusalem.' Never did one thing answer
another more fitly in this world, than this text fitteth such a
kind of sinners. As face answereth face in a glass, so this text
answereth the necessities of such sinners. What can a man say more,
but that he stands in the rank of the biggest sinners? let him
stretch himself whither he can, and think of himself to the utmost,
he can but conclude himself to be one of the biggest sinners. And
what then? Why, the text meets him in the very face, and saith,
Christ offereth mercy to the biggest sinners, to the very Jerusalem
sinners. What more can be objected? Nay, he doth not only offer to
such his mercy, but to them it is commanded to be offered in the
first place: 'Begin at Jerusalem.' 'Preach repentance and remission
of sins among all nations: beginning at Jerusalem.' Is not here
encouragement for those that think, for wicked hearts and lives,
they have not their fellows in the world?

Objection. But I have a heart as hard as a rock.

Answer. Well, but this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner.

Objection. But my heart continually frets against the Lord.

Answer. Well, this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner.

Objection. But I have been desperate in sinful courses.

Answer. Well, stand thou with the number of the biggest sinners.

Objection. But my gray head is found in the way of wickedness.

Answer. Well, thou art in the rank of the biggest sinners.

Objection. But I have not only a base heart, but I have lived a
debauched life.

Answer. Stand thou also among those that are called the biggest
sinners. And what then? Why, the text swoops you all; you cannot
object yourselves beyond the text. It has a particular message to
the biggest sinners. I say, it swoops you all.26

Objection. But I am a reprobate.

Answer. Now thou talkest like a fool, and meddlest with what thou
understandest not: no sin, but the sin of final impenitence, can
prove a man a reprobate; and I am sure thou hast not arrived as
yet unto that; therefore thou understandest not what thou sayest,
and makest groundless conclusions against thyself. Say thou art
a sinner, and I will hold with thee; say thou art a great sinner,
and I will say so too; yea, say thou art one of the biggest sinners,
and spare not; for the text yet is beyond thee, is yet betwixt hell
and thee; 'Begin at Jerusalem' has yet a smile upon thee; and thou
talkest as if thou wast a reprobate, and that the greatness of
thy sins do prove thee so to be, when yet they of Jerusalem were
not such, whose sins, I dare say, were such, both for bigness and
heinousness, as thou art not capable of committing beyond them;
unless now, after thou hast received conviction that the Lord
Jesus is the only Saviour of the world, thou shouldst wickedly and
despitefully turn thyself from him, and conclude he is not to be
trusted to for life, and so crucify him for a cheat afresh. This,
I must confess, will bring a man under the black rod, and set him
in danger of eternal damnation (Heb 6:7,8; 10:8,9). This is trampling
under foot the Son of God, and counting his blood an unholy thing.
This did they of Jerusalem; but they did it ignorantly in unbelief,
and so were yet capable of mercy; but to do this against professed
light, and to stand to it, puts a man beyond the text indeed (Acts
3:14-17; 1 Tim 1:13).

But I say, what is this to him that would fain be saved by Christ?
His sins did, as to greatness, never yet reach to the nature of
the sins that the sinners intended by the text had made themselves
guilty of. He that would be saved by Christ, has an honourable
esteem of him; but they of Jerusalem preferred a murderer before
him; and as for him, they cried, Away, away with him, it is not fit
that he should live. Perhaps thou wilt object, That thyself hast a
thousand times preferred a stinking lust before him: I answer, Be
it so; it is but what is common to men to do; nor doth the Lord
Jesus make such a foolish life a bar to thee, to forbid thy coming
to him, or a bond to his grace, that it might be kept from thee;
but admits of thy repentance, and offereth himself unto thee freely,
as thou standest among the Jerusalem sinners.

Take therefore encouragement, man; mercy is, by the text, held
forth to the biggest sinners; yea, put thyself into the number of
the worst, by reckoning that thou mayest be one of the first, and
mayest not be put off till the biggest sinners are served; for
the biggest sinners are first invited; consequently, if they come,
they are like to be the first that shall be served. It was so with
Jerusalem; Jerusalem sinners were they that were first invited,
and those of them that came first--and there came three thousand
of them the first day they were invited; how many came afterwards
none can tell--they were first served.

Put in thy name, man, among the biggest, lest thou art made to wait
till they are served. You have some men that think themselves very
cunning, because they put up their names in their prayers among
them that feign it, saying, God, I thank thee I am not so bad as
the worst. But believe it, if they be saved at all, they shall be
saved in the last place. The first in their own eyes shall be served
last; and the last or worst shall be first. The text insinuates
it, 'Begin at Jerusalem'; and reason backs it, for they have most
need. Behold ye, therefore, how God's ways are above ours; we are
for serving the worst last, God is for serving the worst first. The
man at the pool, that to my thinking was longest in his disease,
and most helpless as to his cure, was first healed; yea, he only
was healed; for we read that Christ healed him, but we read not then
that he healed one more there! (John 5:1-10). Wherefore, if thou
wouldst soonest be served, put in thy name among the very worst
of sinners. Say, when thou art upon thy knees, Lord, here is a
Jerusalem sinner! a sinner of the biggest size! one whose burden
is of the greatest bulk and heaviest weight! one that cannot stand
long without sinking into hell, without thy supporting hand! 'Be
not thou far from me, O Lord! O my strength, haste thee to help
me!' (Psa 22:19).

I say, put in thy name with Magdalene, with Manasseh, that thou
mayest fare as the Magdalene and the Manasseh sinners do. The man
in the gospel made the desperate condition of his child an argument
with Christ to haste his cure: 'Sire, come down,' saith he, 'ere
my child die' (John 4:49), and Christ regarded his haste, saying,
'Go thy way; thy son liveth' (verse 50). Haste requires haste. David
was for speed; 'Deliver me speedily'; 'Hear me speedily'; 'Answer
me speedily' (Psa 31:2; 69:17; 102:2). But why speedily? I am in
'the net'; 'I am in trouble'; 'My days are consumed like smoke'
(Psa 31:4; 69:17; 102:3). Deep calleth unto deep, necessity calls
for help; great necessity for present help. Wherefore, I say, be
ruled by me in this matter; feign not thyself another man, if thou
hast been a filthy sinner, but go in thy colours to Jesus Christ,
and put thyself among the most vile, and let him alone to 'put thee
among the children' (Jer 3:19). Confess all that thou knowest of
thyself; I know thou wilt find it hard work to do thus: especially
if thy mind be legal; but do it, lest thou stay and be deferred
with the little sinners, until the great ones have had their alms.
What do you think David intended when he said, his wounds stunk and
were corrupted, but to hasten God to have mercy upon him, and not
to defer his cure? 'Lord,' says he, 'I am troubled; I am bowed
down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.' 'I am feeble and sore
broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart'
(Psa 38:3-8). David knew what he did by all this; he knew that his
making the worst of his case, was the way to speedy help, and that
a feigning and dissembling the matter with God, was the next way
to a demur as to his forgiveness.

I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement, who deemest
thyself one of the biggest sinners; and that is, thou art as it
were called by thy name, in the first place, to come in for mercy.
Thou man of Jerusalem, hearken to thy call; men do so in courts
of judicature, and presently cry out, 'Here, Sire'; and then they
shoulder and crowd, and say, 'Pray give way, I am called into the
court.' Why, this is thy case, thou great, thou Jerusalem sinner;
be of good cheer, he calleth thee (Mark 10:46-49). Why sittest thou
still? arise: why standest thou still? come, man, thy call should
give thee authority to come. 'Begin at Jerusalem,' is thy call and
authority to come; wherefore up and shoulder it, man; say, 'Stand
away, devil, Christ calls me; stand away unbelief, Christ calls me;
stand away, all ye my discouraging apprehensions, for my Saviour
calls me to him to receive of his mercy.' Men will do thus, as I
said, in courts below; and why shouldst not thou approach thus to
the court above? The Jerusalem sinner is first in thought, first
in commission, first in the record of names; and therefore should
give attendance, with the expectation that he is first to receive
mercy of God.

Is not this an encouragement to the biggest sinners to make their
application to Christ for mercy? 'Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden,' doth also confirm this thing; that is, that
the biggest sinner, and he that has the biggest burden, is he who
is first invited. Christ pointeth over the heads of thousands, as
he sits on the throne of grace, directly to such a man; and says,
'Bring in hither the maimed, the halt, and the blind; let the
Jerusalem sinner that stands there behind come to me.' Wherefore,
since Christ says, 'Come,' to thee, let the angels make a lane,
and let all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may come to
Jesus Christ for mercy.

Fourth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then come, thou profane wretch, and let me
a little enter into an argument with thee. Why wilt thou not come
to Jesus Christ, since thou art a Jerusalem sinner? How canst thou
find in thy heart to set thyself against grace, against such grace
as offereth mercy to thee? What spirit possesseth thee, and holds
thee back from a sincere closure with thy Saviour? Behold, God
groaningly complains of thee, saying, 'But Israel would none of
me.' 'When I called, none did answer' (Psa 81:11; Isa 66:4).

Shall God enter this complaint against thee? Why dost thou put
him off? Why dost thou stop thine ear? Canst thou defend thyself?
When thou art called to an account for thy neglects of so great
salvation, what canst thou answer? or dost thou think that thou
shalt escape the judgment? (Heb 2:3). No more such Christs! There
will be no more such Christs, sinner! Oh, put not the day, the day
of grace, away from thee! if it be once gone, it will never come
again, sinner.

But what is it that has got thy heart, and that keeps it from thy
Saviour? 'Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among
the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?' (Psa 89:6).
Hast thou, thinkest thou, found anything so good as Jesus Christ?
Is there any among thy sins, thy companions, and foolish delights,
that, like Christ, can help thee in the day of thy distress? Behold,
the greatness of thy sins cannot hinder; let not the stubbornness
of thy heart hinder thee, sinner.

Objection. I am ashamed.

Answer. Oh! don't be ashamed to be saved, sinner.

Objection. But my old companions will mock me.

Answer. Oh! don't be mocked out of eternal life, sinner.

Thy stubbornness affects, afflicts the heart of thy Saviour. Carest
thou not for this? Of old, 'he beheld the city, and wept over it.'
Canst thou hear this, and not be concerned? (Luke 19:41,42). Shall
Christ weep to see thy soul going on to destruction, and will
though sport thyself in that way? Yea, shall Christ, that can be
eternally happy without thee, be more afflicted at the thoughts
of the loss of thy soul, than thyself, who art certainly eternally
miserable if thou neglectest to come to him. Those things that
keep thee and thy Saviour, on thy part, asunder, are but bubbles;
the least prick of an affliction will let out, as to thee, what
now thou thinkest is worth the venture of heaven to enjoy.

Hast thou not reason? Canst thou not so much as once soberly think
of thy dying hour, or of whither thy sinful life will drive thee
then? Hast thou no conscience? or having one, is it rocked so fast
asleep by sin, or made so weary with an unsuccessful calling upon
thee, that it is laid down, and cares for thee no more? Poor man!
thy state is to be lamented. Hast no judgment? Art not able to
conclude, that to be saved is better than to burn in hell? and that
eternal life with God's favour, is better than a temporal life in
God's displeasure? Hast no affection but what is brutish? what,
none at all? No affection for the God that made thee? What! none
for his loving Son that has showed his love, and died for thee?
Is not heaven worth thy affection? O poor man! which is strongest,
thinkest thou, God or thee? If thou art not able to overcome him,
thou art a fool for standing out against him (Matt 5:25,26). 'It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God' (Heb
10:29-31). He will gripe hard; his fist is stronger than a lion's
paw; take heed of him, he will be angry if you despise his Son;
and will you stand guilty in your trespasses, when he offereth you
his grace and favour? (Exo 34:6,7).

Now we come to the text, 'Beginning at Jerusalem.' This text, though
it be now one of the brightest stars that shineth in the Bible,
because there is in it, as full, if not the fullest offer of grace
that can be imagined, to the sons of men; yet, to them that shall
perish from under this word, even this text will be to such one of
the hottest coals in hell. This text, therefore, will save thee or
sink thee: there is no shifting of it; if it saves thee, it will
set thee high; if it sinks thee, it will set thee low.

But, I say, why so unconcerned? Hast no soul? or dost think thou
mayest lose thy soul, and save thyself? Is it not pity, had it
otherwise been the will of God, that ever thou wast made a man,
for that thou settest so little by thy soul? Sinner, take the
invitation; thou art called upon to come to Christ: nor art thou
called upon but by order from the Son of God, though thou shouldst
happen to come of the biggest sinners; for he has bid us offer
mercy, as to all the world in general, so, in the first place, to
the sinners of Jerusalem, or to the biggest sinners.

Fifth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then, this shows how unreasonable a thing
it is for men to despair of mercy; for those that presume, I shall
say something to them afterward.

I now speak to them that despair. There are four sorts of despair.
There is the despair of devils; there is the despair of souls in
hell; there is the despair that is grounded upon men's deficiency;
and there is the despair that they are perplexed with that are
willing to be saved, but are too strongly borne down with the burden
of their sins.

The despair of devils, the damned's despair, and that despair that
a man has of attaining of life because of his own deficiency, are
all reasonable. Why should not devils and damned souls despair?
yea, why should not man despair of getting to heaven by his own
abilities? I, therefore, am concerned only with the fourth sort
of despair, to wit, with the despair of those that would be saved,
but are too strongly borne down with the burden of their sins. I
say, therefore, to thee that art thus, And why despair? Thy despair,
if it was reasonable, should flow from thee, because found in the
land that is beyond the grave; or because thou certainly knowest
that Christ will not, or cannot save thee.

But, for the first, thou art yet in the land of the living; and,
for the second, thou hast ground to believe the quite contrary;
Christ is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God
by him; and if he were not willing, he would not have commanded
that mercy, in the first place, should be offered to the biggest
sinners. Besides, he hath said, 'And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely'; that
is, with all my heart. What ground now is here for despair? If thou
sayest, The number and burden of my sins; I answer, Nay; that is
rather a ground for faith; because such an one, above all others,
is invited by Christ to come unto him, yea, promised rest and
forgiveness if they come (Matt 11:28). What ground then to despair?
Verily, none at all. Thy despair, then, is a thing unreasonable,
and without footing in the Word.

But I have no experience of God's love; God hath given me no
comfort, or ground of hope, though I have waited upon him for it
many a day. Thou hast e xperience of God's love, for that he has
opened thine eyes to see thy sins: and for that he has given thee
desires to be saved by Jesus Christ. For by thy sense of sin thou
art made to see thy poverty of spirit, and that has laid under thee
a sure ground to hope that heaven shall be thine hereafter.

Also thy desires to be saved by Christ, has put thee under another
promise, so there is two to hold thee up in hope, though thy present
burden be never so heavy (Matt 5:3,6). As for what thou sayest as
to God's silence to thee, perhaps he has spoken to thee once or twice
already, but thou hast not perceived it (Job 33:14,15). However,
thou hast Christ crucified set forth before thine eyes in the Bible,
and an invitation to come unto him, though thou be a Jerusalem sinner,
though thou be a biggest sinner; and so no ground to despair. What
if God will be silent to thee, is that ground of despair? Not at
all, so long as there is a promise in the Bible, that God will in
no wise cast away the coming sinner, and so long as he invites the
Jerusalem sinner to come unto him (John 6:37).

Build not, therefore, despair upon these things; they are no
sufficient foundation for it, such plenty of promises being in the
Bible, and such a discovery of his mercy to great sinners of old;
especially since we have withal a clause in the commission given
to ministers to preach, that they should begin with the Jerusalem
sinners in their offering of mercy to the world. Besides, God says,
'They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they
shall mount up with wings like eagles'; but, perhaps, it may be long
first. I waited long, saith David, and did seek the Lord; and, at
length, his cry was heard: wherefore he bids his soul wait on God,
and says, For it is good so to do before thy saints (Psa 40:1;
62:5; 52:9).

And what if thou waitest upon God all thy days? Is it below thee?
And what if God will cross his book, and blot out the handwriting
that is against thee, and not let thee know it as yet? Is it fit
to say unto God, Thou art hard-hearted? Despair not; thou hast no
ground to despair, so long as thou livest in this world. 'Tis a
sin to begin to despair before one sets his foot over the threshold
of hell-gates. For them that are there, let them despair and spare
not; but as for thee, thou hast no ground to do it. What! despair
of bread in a land that is full of corn! despair of mercy when
our God is full of mercy! despair of mercy, when God goes about,
by his ministers, beseeching of sinners to be reconciled unto him!
(2 Cor 5:18-20). Thou scrupulous fool, where canst thou find that
God was ever false to his promise, or that he ever deceived the
soul that ventured itself upon him? He often calls upon sinners
to trust him, though they walk in darkness, and have no light (Isa
50:10). They have his promise and oath for their salvation, that
flee for refuge to the hope set before them (Heb 6:17,18).

Despair! when we have a God of mercy, and a redeeming Christ alive!
For shame, forbear; let them despair that dwell where there is no
God, and that are confined to those chambers of death which can be
reached by no redemption. A living man despair when he is chid for
murmuring and complaining! (Lam 3:39). Oh! so long as we are where
promises swarm, where mercy is proclaimed, where grace reigns,
and where Jerusalem sinners are privileged with the first offer
of mercy, it is a base thing to despair. Despair undervalues
the promise, undervalues the invitation, undervalues the proffer
of grace. Despair undervalues the ability of God the Father, and
the redeeming blood of Christ his Son. Oh unreasonable despair!
Despair makes man God's judge; it is a controller of the promise, a
contradictor of Christ in his large offers of mercy: and one that
undertakes to make unbelief the great manager of our reason and
judgment, in determining about what God can and will do for sinners.
Despair! It is the devil's fellow, the devil's master; yea, the
chains with which he is captivated and held under darkness for
ever: and to give way thereto in a land, in a state and time that
flows with milk and honey, is an uncomely thing.

I would say to my soul, 'O my soul! this is not the place of despair;
this is not the time to despair in; as long as mine eyes can find
a promise in the Bible, as long as there is the least mention of
grace, as long as there is a moment left me of breath or life in
this world, so long will I wait or look for mercy, so long will I
fight against unbelief and despair.' This is the way to honour God
and Christ; this is the way to set the crown on the promise; this
is the way to welcome the invitation and inviter; and this is the
way to thrust thyself under the shelter and protection of the word
of grace. Never despair so long as our text is alive, for that doth
sound it out--that mercy by Christ is offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinner.

Despair is an unprofitable thing; it will make a man weary of waiting
upon God (2 Kings 6:33). It will make a man forsake God, and seek
his heaven in the good things of this world (Gen 4:13-18). It will
make a man his own tormentor, and flounce and fling like 'a wild
bull in a net' (Isa 51:20). Despair! it drives a man to the study
of his own ruin, and brings him at last to be his own executioner
(2 Sam 17:23; Matt 27:3-5).

Besides, I am persuaded also, that despair is the cause that there
are so many that would fain be Atheists in the world. For, because,
they have entertained a conceit that God will never be merciful to
them, therefore they labour to persuade themselves that there is
no God at all, as if their misbelief would kill God, or cause him
to cease to be. A poor shift for an immortal soul, for a soul
who liketh not to retain God in its knowledge! If this be the best
that despair can do, let it go, man, and betake thyself to faith,
to prayer, to wait for God, and to hope, in despite of ten thousand
doubts. And for thy encouragement, take yet, as an addition to what
has already been said, the following Scripture: 'The Lord taketh
pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy'
(Psa 147:11). Whence note, They fear not God, that hope not in his
mercy; also, God is angry with them that hope not in his mercy;
for he only taketh pleasure in them that hope. 'He that believeth,'
or 'hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal that God is
true' (John 3:33). But he that receiveth it not, 'hath made him
a liar,' and that is a very unworthy thing (1 John 5:10,11). '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' multiply 'pardon' (Isa
55:7). Perhaps thou art weary of thy ways, but art not weary of
thy thoughts; of thy unbelieving and despairing thoughts; now, God
also would have thee cast away these thoughts, as such which he
deserveth not at thy hands; for 'he will have mercy upon thee, and
he will abundantly pardon.'

'O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken!' (Luke 24:25). Mark you, here, slowness to believe is
a piece of folly. Ay! but sayest thou, I do believe some, and I
believe what can make against me. Ay, but sinner, Christ Jesus here
calls thee fool for not believing all. Believe all, and despair if
thou canst! He that believes all, believes that text that saith,
Christ would have mercy preached first to the Jerusalem sinners.
He that believeth all, believeth all the promises and consolations
of the Word; and the promises and consolations of the Word weigh
heavier than do all the curses and threatenings of the law; and
mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Wherefore believe all, and mercy
will, to thy conscience, weigh judgment down, and so minister comfort
to thy soul. The Lord take the yoke from off thy jaws, since he has
set meat before thee (Hosea 11:4). And help thee to remember that
he is pleased, in the first place, to offer mercy to the biggest
sinners.

Sixth, Since Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first
place, to the biggest sinners, let souls see that they lay right
hold thereof, lest they, notwithstanding, indeed, come short thereof.
Faith only knows how to deal with mercy; wherefore, put not in
the place thereof presumption. I have observed, that, as there are
herbs and flowers in our gardens, so there are their counterfeits
in the field; only they are distinguished from the other by the
name of wild ones. Why, there is faith, and wild faith; and wild
faith is this presumption. I call it wild faith, because God never
placed it in his garden--his church; 'tis only to be found in the
field--the world. I also call it wild faith, because it only grows
up and is nourished where other wild notions abound. Wherefore,
take heed of this, and all may be well; for this presumptuousness
is a very heinous thing in the eyes of God. 'The soul,' saith he,
'that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land,
or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall
be cut off from among his people' (Num 15:30).

The thoughts of this made David tremble, and pray that God would
hold him back from presumptuous sins, and not suffer them to have
dominion over him (Psa 19:13). Now, this presumption, then, puts
itself in the place of faith, when it tampereth with the promise
for life, while the soul is a stranger to repentance. Wherefore,
you have in the text, to prevent doing thus, both repentance and
remission of sins to be offered to Jerusalem; not remission without
repentance, for all that repent not shall perish, let them presume
on grace and the promise while they will (Luke 13:1-3).

Presumption, then, is that which severeth faith and repentance;
concluding that the soul shall be saved by grace, though the man
was never made sorry for his sins, nor the love of the heart turned
therefrom. This is to be self-willed, as Peter has it; and this
is a despising the Word of the Lord, for that has put repentance
and faith together (Mark 1:15). And 'because he hath despised the
Word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall
utterly be cut off: his iniquity shall be upon him' (Num 15:31).
Let such, therefore, look to it who yet are, and abide, in their
sins; for such, if they hope, as they are, to be saved, presume
upon the grace of God.27 Wherefore, presumption and not hearkening
to God's Word are put together (Deu 17:12).

Again, THEN men presume, when they are resolved to abide in their
sins, and yet expect to be saved by God's grace through Christ.
This is as much as to say, God liketh of sin as well as I do, and
careth not how men live, if so be they lean upon his Son. Of this
sort are they 'that build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with
iniquity'; that 'judge for reward, and--teach for hire, and--divine
for money, and lean upon the Lord' (Micah 3:10,11). This is doing
things, with an high hand, against the Lord our God, and a taking
him, as it were, at the catch.28 This is, as we say among men, to
seek to put a trick upon God; as if he had not sufficiently fortified
his proposals of grace, by his holy Word, against all such kind of
fools as these. But look to it! Such will be found at the day of
God, not among that great company of Jerusalem sinners that shall
be saved by grace, but among those that have been the great abusers
of the grace of God in the world. Those that say, Let us sin that
grace may abound, and let us do evil that good may come, their
damnation is just. And if so, they are a great way off of that
salvation that is, by Jesus Christ, presented to the Jerusalem
sinners.

I have, therefore, these things to propound to that Jerusalem sinner
that would know, if he may be so bold [as] to venture himself upon
this grace. 1. Dost thou see thy sins? 2. Art thou weary of them?
3. Wouldst thou, with all thy heart, be saved by Jesus Christ? I
dare say no less; I dare say no more. But if it be truly thus with
thee, how great soever thy sins have been, how bad soever thou
feelest thy heart, how far soever thou art from thinking that God
has mercy for thee, thou art the man, the Jerusalem sinner, that the
Word of God has conquered, and to whom it offereth free remission
of sins, by the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

When the jailor cried out, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' the
answer was, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved.' He that sees his sins aright, is brought to his wit's end
by them; and he that is so, is willing to part from them, and to
be saved by the grace of God. If this be thy case, fear not, give
no way to despair; thou presumest not, if thou believest to life
everlasting in Jesus Christ; yea, Christ is prepared for such as
thou art. Therefore, take good courage, and believe. The design of
Satan is, to tell the presumptuous that their presuming on mercy is
good; but to persuade the believer, that his believing is impudent,
bold dealing with God. I never heard a presumptuous man, in my life,
say that he was afraid that he presumed; but I have heard many an
honest humble soul say, that they have been afraid that their faith
has been presumption. Why should Satan molest those whose ways he
knows will bring them to him? And who can think that he should be
quiet, when men take the right course to escape his hellish snares?
This, therefore, is the reason why the truly humbled is opposed,
while the presumptuous goes on by wind and tide. The truly humble,
Satan hates; but he laughs to see the foolery of the other.

Does thy hand and heart tremble? Upon thee the promise smiles.
'To this man will I look,' says God, 'even to him that is poor and
of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word' (Isa 66:2). What,
therefore, I have said of presumption, concerns not the humble in
spirit at all. I therefore am for gathering up the stones, and for
taking the stumbling-blocks out of the way of God's people; and
forewarning of them, that they lay the stumbling-block of their
iniquity before their faces; and [of those] that are for presuming
upon God's mercy; and let them look to themselves (Eze 14:6-8).

Also, our text stands firm as ever it did, and our observation is
still of force, that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners. So them, let none despair,
let none presume; let none despair that are sorry for their sins,
and would be saved by Jesus Christ; let none presume that abide
in the liking of their sins, though they seem to know the exceeding
grace of Christ; for though the door stands wide open for the reception
of the penitent, yet it is fast29 enough barred and bolted against
the presumptuous sinner. Be not deceived, God is not mocked;
whatsoever a man sows, that he shall reap. It cannot be that God
should be wheedled out of his mercy, or prevailed upon by lips of
dissimulation; he knows them that trust on him, and that sincerely
come to him, by Christ, for mercy (Nahum 1:7).

It is, then, not the abundance of sins committed, but the not
coming heartily to God, by Christ, for mercy, that shuts men out
of doors. And though their not coming heartily may be said to be
but a sin, yet it is such a sin as causeth that all thy other sins
abide upon thee unforgiven. God complains of this. 'They have not
cried unto me with their heart--they return, but not to the most
High.' They turned 'feignedly' (Jer 3:10; Hosea 7:14,16). Thus doing,
his soul hates [them]; but the penitent, humble, broken-hearted
sinner, be his transgressions red as scarlet, red like crimson, in
number as the sand; though his transgressions cry to heaven against
him for vengeance, and seem there to cry louder than do his prayers,
or tears, or groans for mercy; yet he is safe. To this man God will
look (Isa 1:18; 66:2).

Seventh, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then here is ground for those that, as to
practice, have not been such, to come to him for mercy.

Although there is no sin little of itself, because it is a
contradiction of the nature and majesty of God, yet we must admit
of divers numbers, and, also, of aggravations. Two sins are not so
many as three; nor are three that are done in ignorance so big as
one that is done against light, against knowledge and conscience.
Also, there is the child in sin, and a man in sin that has his
hairs gray and his skin wrinkled for very age. And we must put a
difference betwixt these sinners also; for can it be that a child
of seven, or ten, or sixteen years old, should be such a sinner--a
sinner so vile in the eyes of the law as he is who has walked
according to the course of this world, forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy
years? Now, the youth, this stripling, though he is a sinner, is
but a little sinner, when compared with such. Now, I say, if there
be room for the first sort, for those of the biggest size, certainly
there is room for the lesser size. If there be a door wide enough
for a giant to go in at, there is certainly room for a dwarf. If
Christ Jesus has grace enough to save great sinners, he has surely
grace enough to save little ones. If he can forgive five hundred
pence, for certain he can forgive fifty (Luke 7:41,42).

But you said before, that the little sinners must stand by until
the great ones have received their grace, and that is discouraging!
I answer, there are two sorts of little sinners--such as are so, and
such as feign themselves so. There are those that feign themselves
so, that I intended there, and not those that are, indeed, comparatively
so. Such as feign themselves so, may wait long enough before they
obtain forgiveness.

But again, a sinner may be comparatively a little sinner,
and sensibly a great one. There are, then, two sorts of greatness
in sin--greatness by reason of number; greatness by reason of
thoroughness of conviction of the horrible nature of sin. In this
last sense, he that has but one sin, if such an one could be found,
may, in his own eyes, find himself the biggest sinner in the world.
Let this man or this child, therefore, put himself among the great
sinners, and plead with God as great sinners do, and expect to be
saved with the great sinners, and as soon and as heartily as they.
Yea, a little sinner, that, comparatively, is truly so, if he
shall graciously give way to conviction, and shall, in God's light,
diligently weigh the horrible nature of his own sin, may yet sooner
obtain forgiveness for them at the hands of the heavenly Father,
than he that has ten times his sins, and so cause to cry ten times
harder to God for mercy.

For the grievousness of the cry is a great thing with God; for if
he will hear the widow, if she cries at all, how much more if she
cries most grievously? (Exo 22:22,23). It is not the number, but
the true sense of the abominable nature of sin, that makes the cry
for pardon lamentable. 30 He, as I said, that has many sins, may
not cry so loud in the ears of God as he that has far fewer; he,
in our present sense, that is in his own eyes the biggest sinner,
is he that soonest findeth mercy. The offer, then, is to the
biggest sinner; to the biggest sinner first, and the mercy is first
obtained by him that first confesseth himself to be such an one.

There are men that strive at the throne of grace for mercy, by
pleading the greatness of their necessity. Now their plea, as to
the prevalency of it, lieth not in their counting up of the number,
but in the sense of the greatness of their sins, and in the vehemency
of their cry for pardon. And it is observable, that though the
birthright was Reuben's, and, for his foolishness, given to the
sons of Joseph, yet Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him
came the Messiah (1 Chron 5:1,2). There is a heavenly subtilty to
be managed in this matter. 'Thy brother came with subtilty, and
hath taken away thy blessing.' The blessing belonged to Esau, but
Jacob by his diligence made it his own (Gen 27:35). The offer is to
the biggest sinner, to the biggest sinner first; but if he forbear
to cry, the sinner that is a sinner less by far than he, both as
to number and the nature of transgression, may get the blessing
first, if he shall have grace to bestir himself well; for the loudest
cry is heard furthest, and the most lamentable pierces soonest.

I therefore urge this head, not because I would have little sinners
go and tell God that they are little sinners, thereby to think to
obtain his mercy; for, verily, so they are never like to have it;
for such words declare, that such an one hath no true sense at all
of the nature of his sins. Sin, as I said, in the nature of it, is
horrible, though it be but one single sin as to act; yea, though
it be but a sinful thought; and so worthily calls for the damnation
of the soul. The comparison, then, of little and great sinners, is
to go for good sense among men. But to plead the fewness of thy
sins, or the comparative harmlessness of their quantity before
God, argueth no sound knowledge of the nature of thy sin, and so
no true sense of the nature or need of mercy.

Little sinner! when therefore thou goest to God, though thou
knowest in thy conscience that thou, as to acts, art no thief, no
murderer, no whore, no liar, no false swearer, or the like, and in
reason must needs understand that thus thou art not so profanely
vile as others; yet when thou goest to God for mercy, know no man's
sins but thine own, make mention of no man's sins but thine own.
Also labour not to lessen thy own, but magnify and greaten them by
all just circumstances, and be as if there was never a sinner in
the world but thyself. Also cry out, as if thou wast but the only
undone man; and that is the way to obtain God's mercy.

It is one of the comeliest sights in the world to see a little
sinner commenting upon the greatness of his sins, multiplying and
multiplying them to himself, till he makes them in his own eyes
bigger and higher than he seeth any other man's sins to be in the
world; and as base a thing it is to see a man do otherwise, and as
basely will come on it (Luke 18:10-14). As, therefore, I said to
the great sinner before, let him take heed lest he presume; I say
now to the little sinner, let him take heed that he do not dissemble;
for there is as great an aptness in the little sinner to dissemble,
as there is in the great one. 'He that hideth his sins shall not
prosper,'31 be he a sinner little or great (Prov 28:13).

Eighth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then this shows the true cause why Satan
makes such head as he doth against him.

The Father and the Holy Spirit are well spoken of by all deluders
and deceived persons; Christ only is the rock of offence. 'Behold,
I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence' (Rom 9:33).
Not that Satan careth for the Father or the Spirit more than he
careth for the Son; but he can let men alone with their notions
of the Father and the Spirit, for he knows they shall never enjoy
the Father or the Spirit, if indeed they receive not the merits
of the Son. 'He that hath the Son, hath life; he that hath not the
Son of God hath not life,' however they may boast themselves of the
Father and the Spirit (1 John 5:12). Again, 'Whosoever transgresseth,
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son' (2 John 9). Christ, and Christ only, is he that can make us
capable to enjoy God with life and joy to all eternity. Hence he
calls himself the way to the Father, the true and living way (John
14:6). For we cannot come to the Father but by him (Heb 10:19,20).
Satan knows this, therefore he hates him. Deluded persons are
ignorant of this, and therefore, they are so led up and down by
Satan by the nose as they are.

There are many things by which Satan has taken occasion to greaten
his rage against Jesus Christ. As, first, His love to man, and
then, the many expressions of that love. He hath taken man's nature
upon him; he hath in that nature fulfilled the law to bring in
righteousness for man; and hath spilt his blood for the reconciling
of man to God; he hath broke the neck of death, put away sin,
destroyed the works of the devil, and got into his own hands the
keys of death; and all these are heinous things to Satan. He cannot
abide Christ for this. Besides, He hath eternal life in himself,
and that to bestow upon us; and we in all likelihood are to possess
the very places from which the Satans by transgression fell, if not
places more glorious. Wherefore he must needs be angry. And is it
not a vexatious thing to him, that we should be admitted to the
throne of grace by Christ, while he stands bound over in chains
of darkness, to answer for his rebellions against God and his Son,
at the terrible day of judgment. Yea, we poor dust and ashes must
become his judges, and triumph over him for ever: and all this long32
of Jesus Christ; for he is the meritorious cause of all this.

Now though Satan seeks to be revenged for this, yet he knows it is
in vain to attack the person of Christ; He [Christ] has overcome
him; therefore he [Satan] tampers with a company of silly men; that
he may vilify him by them. And they, bold fools as they are, will
not spare to spit in his face. They will rail at his person, and
deny the very being of it; they will rail at his blood, and deny
the merit and worth of it. They will deny the very end why he
accomplished the law, and by jiggs, and tricks, and quirks, which
he helpeth them to, they set up fond names and images in his place,
and give the glory of a Saviour to them. Thus Satan worketh under
the name of Christ; and his ministers under the name of the ministers
of righteousness.

And by his wiles and stratagems he undoes a world of men; but there
is a seed, and they shall serve him, and it shall be counted to the
Lord for a generation. These shall see their sins, and that Christ
is the way to happiness. These shall venture themselves, both body
and soul, upon his worthiness. All this Satan knows, and therefore
his rage is kindled the more. Wherefore, according to his ability
and allowance, he assaulteth, tempteth, abuseth, and stirs up
what he can to be hurtful to these poor people, that he may, while
his time shall last, make it as hard and difficult for them to
go to eternal glory as he can. Ofttimes he abuses them with wrong
apprehensions of God, and with wrong apprehensions of Christ. He
also casts them into the mire, to the reproach of religion, the
shame of their brethren, the derision of the world, and dishonour
of God. He holds our hands while the world buffets us; he puts
bear-skins upon us, and then sets the dogs at us. He bedaubeth us
with his own foam, and then tempts us to believe that that bedaubing
comes from ourselves.33

Oh! the rage and the roaring of this lion, and the hatred that he
manifests against the Lord Jesus, and against them that are purchased
with his blood! But yet, in the midst of all this, the Lord Jesus
sends forth his herald to proclaim in the nations his love to the
world, and to invite them to come in to him for life. Yea, his
invitation is so large, that it offereth his mercy in the first
place to the biggest sinners of every age, which augments the
devil's rage the more. Wherefore, as I said before, fret he, fume
he, the Lord Jesus will 'divide the spoil' with this great one; yea,
he shall divide the spoil with the strong, 'because he hath poured
out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors;
and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors' (Isa 53:12).

Ninth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Let the tempted harp upon this string for
their help and consolation.

The tempted, wherever he dwells, always thinks himself the biggest
sinner, one most unworthy of eternal life. This is Satan's master
argument; thou art a horrible sinner, a hypocrite, one that has
a profane heart, and one that is an utter stranger to a work of
grace. I say this is his maul, his club, 34 his masterpiece; he
doth with this as some do with their most enchanting songs, sings
them everywhere. I believe there are but few saints in the world
that have not had this temptation sounding in their ears. But
were they but aware, Satan by all this does but drive them to the
gap out at which they should go, and so escape his roaring. Saith
he, thou art a great sinner, a horrible sinner, a profane-hearted
wretch, one that cannot be matched for a vile one in the country.
And all this while Christ says to his ministers, offer mercy, in
the first place, to the biggest sinners. So that this temptation
drives thee directly into the arms of Jesus Christ.

Were therefore the tempted but aware, he might say, 'Ay, Satan, so
I am, I am a sinner of the biggest size, and therefore have most
need of Jesus Christ; yea, because I am such a wretch, therefore
Jesus Christ calls me; yea, he calls me first; the first proffer
of the gospel is to be made to the Jerusalem sinner; I am he,
wherefore stand back, Satan; make a lane, my right is first to come
to Jesus Christ.' This now would be like for like. This would foil
the devil; this would make him say, I must not deal with this man
thus; for then I put a sword into his hand to cut off my head.

And this is the meaning of Peter, when he saith, 'Resist him
steadfast in the faith' (1 Peter 5:9). And of Paul, when he saith,
'Take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked' (Eph 6:16). Wherefore is it said,
Begin at Jerusalem, if the Jerusalem sinner is not to have the
benefit of it? And if I am to have the benefit of it, let me call
it to mind when Satan haunts me with continual remembrance of my
sins, of my Jerusalem sins. Satan and my conscience say I am the
biggest sinner:--Christ offereth mercy, in the first place, to the
biggest sinners! Nor is the manner of the offer other but such as
suiteth with my mind. I am sorry for my sin; yea, sorry at my heart
that ever sinful thought did enter, or find the least entertainment
in my wicked mind: and might I obtain my wish, I would never
more that my heart should be a place for ought but the grace, and
spirit, and faith of the Lord Jesus. I speak not this to lessen
my wickedness; I would not for all the world but be placed by mine
own conscience in the very front of the biggest sinners, that I
might be one of the first that are beckoned, by the gracious hand
of Jesus the Saviour, to come to him for mercy.

Well, sinner, thou now speakest like a Christian; but say thus,
in a strong spirit, in the hour of temptation, and then thou wilt,
to thy commendation and comfort, quit thyself well. This improving
of Christ, in dark hours, is the life, though the hardest part of
our Christianity. We should neither stop at darkness nor at the
raging of our lusts, but go on in a way of venturing, and casting
the whole of our affairs for the next world at the foot of Jesus
Christ. This is the way to make the darkness light, and also to
allay the raging of corruption.

The first time the Passover was eaten was in the night; and when
Israel took courage to go forward, though the sea stood in their
way like a devouring gulf, and the host of the Egyptians follow
them at the heels; yet the sea gives place, and their enemies were
as still as a stone till they were gone over (Exo 12:8; 14:13,14,21,22;
15:16).

There is nothing like faith to help at a pinch; faith dissolves
doubts as the sun drives away the mists. And that you may not be
put out, know your time, as I said, of believing is always. There
are times when some graces may be out of use, but there is no time
wherein faith can be said to be so. Wherefore, faith must be always
in exercise. Faith is the eye, is the mouth, is the hand, and one
of these is of use all day long. Faith is to see, to receive, to
work, or to eat; and a Christian should be seeing, or receiving,
or working, or feeding all day long. Let it rain, let it blow, let
it thunder, let it lighten, a Christian must still believe. At 'what
time,' said the good man, 'I am afraid, I will trust in thee' (Psa
56:2,3).

Nor can we have a better encouragement to do this than is, by the
text, set before us; even an open heart for a Jerusalem sinner.
And if for a Jerusalem sinner to come, then for such an one when
come. If for such an one to be saved, then for such an one that is
saved. If for such an one to be pardoned his great transgressions,
then for such an one who is pardoned these to come daily to Jesus
Christ too, to be cleansed and set free from his common infirmities,
and from the iniquities of his holy things. Therefore, let the
poor sinner that would be saved labour for skill to make the best
improvement of the grace of Christ to help him against the temptations
of the devil and his sins.

Tenth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Let those men consider this that have, or
may, in a day of trial, spoken or done what their profession or
conscience told them they should not, and that have the guilt and
burden thereof upon their consciences.

Whether a thing be wrong or right, guilt may pursue him that doth
contrary to his conscience. But suppose a man should deny his God,
or his Christ, or relinquish a good profession, and be under the
real guilt thereof, shall he, therefore, conclude he is gone for
ever? Let him come again with Peter's tears, and no doubt but he
shall obtain Peter's forgiveness; for the text includes the biggest
sinners. And it is observable, that before this clause was put
into this commission, Peter was pardoned his horrible revolt from
his Master. He that revolteth in the day of trial, if he is not
shot quite dead upon the place, but is sensible of his wound, and
calls out for a chirurgeon, shall find his Lord at hand to pour
wine and oil into his wounds, that he may again be healed, and to
encourage him to think that there may be mercy for him; besides
what we find recorded of Peter, you read in the Acts, some were,
through the violence of their trials, compelled to blaspheme, and
yet are called saints (Acts 26:9-11).

Hence you have a promise or two that speak concerning such kind of
men, to encourage us to think that, at least, some of them shall
come back to the Lord their God. 'Shall they fall,' saith he, 'and
not arise? Shall he turn away, and not return?' (Jer 8:4). 'and in
that day will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her
that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted. And I will make
her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong
nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion--for ever.'
What we are to understand by her that halteth, is best expressed
by the prophet Elijah (Micah 4:6,7; Zeph 3:19; 1 Kings 18:21).

I will conclude, then, that for them that have halted, or may halt,
the Lord has mercy in the bank,35 and is willing to accept them if
they return to him again. Perhaps they may never be after that of
any great esteem in the house of God, but if the Lord will admit
them to favour and forgiveness--O exceeding and undeserved mercy!
(See Ezekiel 44:10-14). Thou, then, that mayest be the man, remember
this, that there is mercy also for thee. Return, therefore, to
God, and to his Son, who hath yet in store for thee, and who will
do thee good.

But, perhaps, thou wilt say, He doth not save all revolters, and,
therefore, perhaps not me. Answer. Art thou returning to God?
If thou art returning, thou art the man; 'Return, ye backsliding
children, and I will heal your backslidings' (Jer 3:22).

Some, as I said, that revolt, are shot dead upon the place; and for
them, who can help them? But for them that cry out of their wounds
it is a sign that they are yet alive, and, if they use the means
in time, doubtless they may be healed.

Christ Jesus has bags of mercy that were never yet broken up or
unsealed. Hence it is said, he has goodness laid up; things reserved
in heaven for his. And if he breaks up one of these bags, who can
tell what he can do? Hence his love is said to be such as passeth
knowledge, and that his riches are unsearchable. He has, nobody
knows what; for nobody knows who! He has by him, in store, for
such as seem, in the view of all men, to be gone beyond recovery.
For this, the text is plain. What man or angel could have thought
that the Jerusalem sinners had been yet on this side of an
impossibility of enjoying life and mercy? Hadst thou seen their
actions, and what horrible things they did to the Son of God; yea,
how stoutly they backed what they did with resolves and endeavours
to persevere, when they had killed his person, against his name and
doctrine; and that there was not found among them all that while,
as we read of, the least remorse or regret for these their doings;
couldest though have imagined that mercy would ever have took hold
of them, at least so soon! Nay, that they should, of all the world,
be counted those only meet to have it offered to them in the very
first place! For so my text commands, saying, Preach repentance
and remission of sins among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

I tell you the thing is a wonder, and must for ever stand for a
wonder among the sons of men. It stands, also, for an everlasting
invitation and allurement to the biggest sinners to come to Christ
for mercy. Now since, in the opinion of all men, the revolter is
such an one; if he has, as I said before, any life in him, let him
take encouragement to come again, that he may live by Christ.

Eleventh, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first
place, to the biggest sinners? Then let God's ministers tell them
so. There is an incidence36 in us, I know not how it doth come about,
when we are converted, to contemn them that are left behind. Poor
fools as we are, we forget that we ourselves were so (Titus 3:2,3).

But would it not become us better, since we have tasted that the
Lord is gracious, to carry it towards them so, that we may give
them convincing ground to believe that we have found that mercy
which also sets open the door for them to come and partake with
us. Ministers, I say, should do thus, both by their doctrine, and
in all other respects. Austerity doth not become us, neither in
doctrine nor in conversation.37 We ourselves live by grace; let
us give as we receive, and labour to persuade our fellow-sinners,
which God has left behind us, to follow after, that they may
partake with us of grace. We are saved by grace; let us live like
them that are gracious. Let all our things, to the world, be done
in charity towards them; pity them, pray for them, be familiar
with them, for their good. Let us lay aside our foolish, worldly,
carnal grandeur; let us not walk the streets, and have such
behaviours as signify we are scarce for touching of the poor ones
that are left behind; no, not with a pair of tongs. It becomes not
ministers thus to do.

[A gentle reproof.]

Remember your Lord, he was familiar with publicans and sinners to
a proverb: 'Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend
of publicans and sinners' (Matt 11:19). The first part, concerning
his gluttonous eating and drinking, to be sure, was an horrible
slander; but for the other, nothing was ever spoke truer of him by
the world. Now, why should we lay hands cross on this text; that
is, choose good victuals, and love the sweet wine better than the
salvation of the poor publican? Why not familiar with sinners,
provided we hate their spots and blemishes, and seek that they may
be healed of them? Why not fellowly with our carnal neighbours? If
we do take occasion to do so, that we may drop, and be yet distilling
some good doctrine upon their souls? Why not go to the poor man's
house, and give him a penny, and a Scripture to think upon? Why
not send for the poor to fetch away, at least, the fragments of
thy table, that the bowels of thy fellow-sinner may be refreshed
as well as thine?

Ministers should be exemplary; but I am an inferior man, and must
take heed of too much meddling. But might I, I would meddle with
them, with their wives, and with their children too. I mean not
this of all, but of them that deserve it, though I may not name
them. But, I say, let ministers follow the steps of their blessed
Lord, who, by word and deed, showed his love to the salvation
of the world, in such a carriage as declared him to prefer their
salvation before his own private concern. For we are commanded to
follow his steps, 'who did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth.'

And as I have said concerning ministers, so I say to all the
brethren, Carry it so, that all the world may see, that indeed you
are the sons of love. Love your Saviour; yea, show one to another
that you love him, not only by a seeming love of affection, but
with the love of duty. Practical love is best.38 Many love Christ
with nothing but the lick of the tongue. Alas! Christ Jesus the
Lord must not be put off thus; 'He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them,' saith he, 'he it is that loveth me' (John 14:21).
Practical love, which stands in self-denial, in charity to my
neighbour, and a patient enduring of affliction for his name; this
is counted love. Right love to Christ is that which carries in it
a provoking argument to others of the brethren (Heb 10:24). Should a
man ask me how he should know that he loveth the children of God?
the best answer I could give him, would be in the words of the apostle
John; 'By this,' saith he, 'we know that we love the children of
God, when we love God, and keep his commandments' (1 John 5:2).
Love to God and Christ is then shown, when we are tender of his
name; and then we show ourselves tender of his name, when we are
afraid to break any, the least of his commandments. And when we
are here, then do we show our love to our brother also.

[The Conclusion.]

Now, we have obligation sufficient thus to do, for that our Lord
loved us, and gave himself for us, to deliver us from death, that
we might live through him. The world, when they hear the doctrine
that I have asserted and handled in this little book; to wit, that
Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place, to the
biggest sinners, will be apt, because themselves are unbelievers,
to think that this is a doctrine that leads to looseness, and
that gives liberty to the flesh; but if you that believe love your
brethren and your neighbours truly, and as you should, you will
put to silence the ignorance of such foolish men, and stop their
mouths from speaking evil of you. And, I say, let the love of
Christ constrain us to this. Who deserveth our heart, our mouth,
our life, our goods, so much as Jesus Christ, who has bought us to
himself by his blood, to this very end, that we should be a peculiar
people, zealous of good works?

There is nothing more seemly in the world than to see a Christian
walk as becomes the gospel; nor anything more unbecoming a reasonable
creature, than to hear a man say, 'I believe in Christ,' and yet
see in his life debauchery and profaneness. Might I, such men should
be counted the basest of men; such men should be counted by all
unworthy of the name of a Christian, and should be shunned by every
good man, as such who are the very plague of profession. For so it
is written, we should carry it towards them. Whoso have a form of
godliness, and deny the power thereof, from such we must turn away.

It has ofttimes come into my mind to ask, By what means it is that
the gospel profession should be so tainted39 with loose and carnal
gospellers? and I could never arrive to better satisfaction in
the matter than this--such men are made professors by the devil,
and so by him put among the rest of the godly. A certain man had
a fruitless fig tree planted in his vineyard; but by whom was it
planted there? even by him that sowed the tares, his own children,
among the wheat (Luke 13:6; Matt 13:37-40). And that was the devil.
But why doth the devil do thus? Not of love to them, but to make
of them offences and stumbling-blocks to others. For he knows that
a loose professor in the church does more mischief to religion than
ten can do to it that are in the world. Was it not, think you, the
devil that stirred up the damsel that you read of in Acts 16 to cry
out, 'These men are the servants of the most high God, which show
unto us the way of salvation?' Yes it was, as is evident, for Paul
was grieved to hear it. But why did the devil stir up her to cry
so, but because that was the way to blemish the gospel, and to
make the world think that it came from the same hand as did her
soothsaying and witchery? (verse 16-18). 'Holiness, O Lord, becomes
thy house for ever.' Let, therefore, whoever they be that profess
the name of Christ, take heed that they scandal not that profession
which they make of him, since he has so graciously offered us, as
we are sinners of the biggest size, in the first place, his grace
to save us.

[Answers to Objections.]

Having thus far spoken of the riches of the grace of Christ, and
of the freeness of his heart to embrace the Jerusalem sinners, it
may not be amiss to give you yet, as a caution, an intimation of
one thing, namely, that this grace and freeness of his heart, is
limited to time and day; the which, whoso overstandeth, shall perish
notwithstanding. For, as a king, who, of grace, sendeth out to his
rebellious people an offer of pardon, if they accept thereof by
such a day, yet beheadeth or hangeth those that come not in for
mercy until the day or time be past; so Christ Jesus has set the
sinner a day, a day of salvation, an acceptable time; but he who
standeth out, or goeth on in rebellion beyond that time, is like
to come off with the loss of his soul (2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:13-19;
4:7; Luke 19:41,42). Since, therefore, things are thus, it may be
convenient here to touch a little upon these particulars.

First, That this day, or time thus limited, when it is considered
with reference to this or that man, is ofttimes undiscerned by
the person concerned therein, and always is kept secret as to the
shutting up thereof.

And this, in the wisdom of God is thus, to the end no man, when
called upon, should put off turning to God to another time. Now,
and TODAY, is that and only that which is revealed in holy Writ
(Psa 50:22; Eccl 12:1; Heb 3:13,15). And this shows us the desperate
hazards which those men run, who, when invitation or conviction
attends them, put off turning to God to be saved till another, and,
as they think, a more fit season and time. For many, by so doing,
defer this to do till the day of God's patience and long-suffering
is ended; and then, for their prayers and cries after mercy, they
receive nothing but mocks, and are laughed at by the God of heaven
(Prov 1:20-30; Isa 65:12-16; 66:4; Zech 7:11-13).

Secondly, Another thing to be considered is this, namely, That the
day of God's grace with some men begins sooner, and also sooner ends,
than it doth with others. Those at the first hour of the day, had
their call sooner than they who were called upon to turn to God
at the sixth hour of the day; yea, and they who were hired at the
third hour, had their call sooner than they who were called at the
eleventh (Matt 20:1-6).

1. The day of God's patience began with Ishmael, and also ended
before he was twenty years old. At thirteen years of age he was
circumcised; the next year after, Isaac was born; and then Ishmael
was fourteen years old. Now, that day that Isaac was weaned, that
day was Ishmael rejected; and suppose that Isaac was three years
old before he was weaned, that was but the seventeenth year of
Ishmael; wherefore the day of God's grace was ended with him betimes
(Gen 17:25; 21:2-11; Gal 4:30).

2. Cain's day ended with him betimes; for, after God had rejected
him, he lived to beget many children, and build a city, and to do
many other things. But, alas! all that while he was a fugitive and
a vagabond. Nor carried he anything with him after the day of his
rejection was come, but this doleful language in his conscience.
'From God's face shall I be hid' (Gen 4:10-15).

3. Esau, through his extravagancies, would needs go sell his
birthright, not fearing, as other confident fools, but that yet
the blessing would still be his. After which, he lived many years;
but all of them under the wrath of God, as was, when time came, made
to appear to his destruction; for, 'when he would have inherited
the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance,
though he sought it carefully with tears' (Heb 12:16,17).

Many instances might be given as to such tokens of the displeasure
of God against such as fool away, as the wise man has it, the prize
which is put into their hand (Prov 17:16).

Let these things, therefore, be a further caution to those that sit
under the glorious sound of the gospel, and hear of the riches of
the grace of God in Christ to poor sinners. To slight grace, to
despise mercy, and to stop the ear when God speaks, when he speaks
such great things, so much to our profit, is a great provocation.
He offereth, he calls, he woos, he invites, he prays, he beseeches
us in this day of his grace to be reconciled to him; yea, and has
provided for us the means of reconciliation himself. Now, this
despised must needs be provoking; and it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.

Objection. But some man may say unto me, 'Fain I would be saved,
fain I would be saved by Christ; but I fear this day of grace is
past, and that I shall perish, notwithstanding the exceeding riches
of the grace of God.'

Answer. To this doubt I would answer several things. 1. With respect
to this day. 2. With respect to thy desires. 3. With respect to
thy fears.

1. With respect to this day; that is, whether it be ended with a
man or no.

(1.) Art thou jogged, and shaken, and molested at the hearing of
the Word? Is thy conscience awakened and convinced then, that thou
art at present in a perishing state, and that thou hast need to cry
to God for mercy? This is a hopeful sign that this day of grace is
not past with thee. For, usually, they that are past grace, are
also, in their conscience, 'past feeling,' b eing 'seared with
a hot iron' (Eph 4:18,19; 1 Tim 4:1,2). Consequently, those past
grace must be such as are denied the awakening fruits of the Word
preached. The dead that hear, says Christ, shall live; at least
wise,40 Christ has not quite done with them; the day of God's
patience is not at an end with them (John 5:25).

(2.) Is there, in thy more retired condition, arguings, strugglings,
and strivings with thy spirit to persuade thee of the vanity of what
vain things thou lovest, and to win thee in thy soul to a choice
of Christ Jesus and his heavenly things? Take heed and rebel not,
for the day of God's grace and patience will not be past with thee
till he saith, his 'Spirit shall strive no more' with thee; for
then the woe comes, when he shall depart from them; and when he
says to the means of grace, Let them alone (Hosea 4:17; 9:12).

(3.) Art thou visited in the night seasons with dreams about thy state,
and that thou art in danger of being lost? Hast thou heart-shaken
apprehensions when deep sleep is upon thee, of hell, death, and
judgment to come? These are signs that God has not wholly left thee,
or cast thee behind his back for ever. 'For God speaketh once, yea
twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the
night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the
bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
that he may withdraw man from his purpose,' his sinful purposes,
'and hide pride from man' (Job 33:14-17). All this while God has
not left the sinner, nor is come to the end of his patience towards
him, but stands, at least, with the door of grace ajar in his hand,
as being loath, as yet, to bolt it against him.

(4.) Art thou followed with affliction, and dost thou hear God's
angry voice in thy afflictions? Doth he send with the affliction
an interpreter, to show thee thy vileness; and why, or wherefore,
that hand of God is upon thee, and upon what thou hast; to wit,
that it is for thy sinning against him, and that thou mightest be
turned to him? If so, thy summer is not quite ended; thy harvest
is not yet quite over and gone. Take heed, stand out no longer,
lest he cause darkness, and lest thy feet stumble upon the dark
mountains; and lest, while you look for light, he turn it into the
shadow of death, and make it gross darkness (Jer 8:20; 13:15-17).

(5.) Art thou crossed, disappointed, and waylaid, and overthrown in
all thy foolish ways and doings? This is a sign God has not quite
left thee, but that he still waits upon thee to turn thee. Consider,
I say, has he made a hedge and a wall to stop thee? Has he crossed
thee in all thou puttest thy hand unto? Take it as a call to turn
to him; for, by his thus doing, he shows he has a mind to give thee
a better portion. For usually, when God gives up men, and resolves
to let them alone in the broad way, he gives them rope, and lets
them have their desires in all hurtful things (Hosea 2:6-15; Psa
73:3-13; Rom 11:9). Therefore take heed to this also, that thou
strive not against this hand of God; but betake thyself to a serious
inquiry into the causes of this hand of God upon thee, and incline
to think, it is because the Lord would have thee look to that, which
is better than what thou wouldst satisfy thyself withal. When God
had a mind to make the prodigal go home to his father, he sent a
famine upon him, and denied him a bellyful of the husks which the
swine did eat. And observe it, now he was in a strait, he betook
him to consideration of the good that there was in his father's
house; yea, he resolved to go home to his father, and his father
dealt well with him; he received him with music and dancing, because
he had received him safe and sound (Luke 15:14-32).

(6.) Hast thou any enticing touches of the Word of God upon thy
mind? Doth, as it were, some holy word of God give a glance upon
thee, cast a smile upon thee, let fall, though it be but one drop
of its savour upon thy spirit; yea, though it stays but one moment
with thee? O then the day of grace is not past! The gate of heaven
is not shut! nor God's heart and bowels withdrawn from thee as
yet. Take heed, therefore, and beware that thou make much of the
heavenly gift, and of that good word of God of the which he has made
thee taste. Beware, I say, and take heed; there may be a falling
away for all this; but, I say, as yet God has not left thee, as
yet he has not cast thee off (Heb 6:1-9).

2. With respect to thy desires, what are they? Wouldst thou be
saved? Wouldst thou be saved with a thorough salvation? Wouldst
thou be saved from guilt and filth too? Wouldst thou be the servant
of thy Saviour? Art thou indeed weary of the service of thy old
master the devil, sin, and the world? And have these desires put
thy soul to the flight? Hast thou, through desires, betaken thyself
to thy heels? Dost fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to
come, for life? If these be thy desires, and if they be unfeigned,
fear not! Thou are one of those runaways which God has commanded
our Lord to receive, and not to send thee back to the devil thy
master again, but to give thee a place in his house, even the place
which liketh thee best. 'Thou shalt not deliver unto his master,'
says he, 'the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee.
He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he
shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou
shalt not oppress him' (Deu 23:15,16).

This is a command to the church, consequently to the Head of the
church; for all commands from God come to her through her Head.
Whence I conclude, that as Israel of old was to receive the runaway
servant who escaped from a heathen master to them, and should not
dare to send him back to his master again; so Christ's church now,
and consequently Christ himself, may not, will not, refuse that
soul that has made his escape from sin, Satan, the world, and hell,
unto him, but will certainly let him dwell in his house, among his
saints, in that place which he shall choose, even where it liketh
him best. For he says, in another place, 'And him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out.' In no wise, let his crimes be
what they will, either for nature, multitude, or the attendance
of aggravating circumstances. Wherefore, if thy desires be firm,
sound, and unfeigned to become the saved of Christ, and his servant,
fear not, he will not, he will in no wise put thee away, or turn
thee over to thy old master again.

3. As to thy fears, whatever they are, let that be supposed which
is supposed before, and they are groundless, and so of no weight.

Objection. But I am afraid I am not [of the] elect, or chosen to
salvation, though you called me fool a little before for so fearing.

Answer. Though election is, in order, before calling, as to God, yet
the knowledge of calling must go before the belief of my election,
as to myself. Wherefore, souls that doubt of the truth of their
effectual calling, do but plunge themselves into a deeper labyrinth
of confusion that concern themselves with their election; I mean,
while they labour to know it before they prove their calling. 'Make
your calling, and so your election sure' (2 Peter 1:4-10).

Wherefore, at present, lay the thoughts of thy election by, and
ask thyself these questions: Do I see my lost condition? Do I see
salvation is nowhere but in Christ? Would I share in this salvation
by faith in him? And would I, as was said before, be thoroughly
saved, to wit, from the filth as from the guilt? Do I love Christ,
his Father, his saints, his words, and ways? This is the way to
prove we are elect. Wherefore, sinner, when Satan, or thine own
heart, seeks to puzzle thee with election, say thou, I cannot attend
to talk of this point now, but stay till I know that I am called
of God to the fellowship of his Son, and then I will show you that
I am elect, and that my name is written in the book of life.

If poor distressed souls would observe this order, they might
save themselves the trouble of an unprofitable labour under these
unseasonable and soul-sinking doubts. 41

Let us, therefore, upon the sight of our wretchedness, fly and
venturously leap into the arms of Christ, which are now as open to
receive us into his bosom as they were when nailed to the cross.
This is coming to Christ for life aright; this is right running away
from thy [old] master to him, as was said before. And for this we
have multitudes of Scriptures to support, encourage, and comfort
us in our so doing.

But now, let him that doth thus be sure to look for it, for Satan
will be with him tomorrow, to see if he can get him again to his
old service; and if he cannot do that, then will he enter into
dispute with him, to wit, about whether he be elect to life, and
called indeed to partake of this Christ, to whom he is fled for
succour, or whether he comes to him of his own presumptuous mind.
Therefore we are bid, as to come, so to arm ourselves with that
armour which God has provided; that we may resist, quench, stand
against, and withstand all the fiery darts of the devil (Eph
6:11-18). If, therefore, thou findest Satan in this order to march
against thee, remember that thou hadst this item about it; and
betake thyself to faith and good courage, and be sober, and hope
to the end.

Objection. But how if I should have sinned the sin unpardonable,
or that called the sin against the Holy Ghost?

Answer. If thou hast, thou art lost for ever; but yet before it
is concluded by thee that thou hast so sinned, know that they that
would be saved by Jesus Christ, through faith in his blood, cannot
be counted for such.

1. Because of the promise, for that must not be frustrate: and
that says, 'And him that cometh to Christ, he will in no wise cast
out.' And again, 'Whoso will, let him take of the water of life
freely' (John 6:37; Rev 21:6; 22:17).

But, I say, how can these Scriptures be fulfilled, if he that would
indeed be saved, as before said, has sinned the sin unpardonable?
The Scripture must not be made void, nor their truth be cast to the
ground. Here is a promise, and here is a sinner; a promise that
says he shall not be cast out that comes; and the sinner comes,
wherefore he must be received: consequently, he that comes to Christ
for life, has not, cannot have sinned that sin for which there is
no forgiveness. And this might suffice for an answer to any coming
soul, that fears, though he comes, that he has sinned the sin
against the Holy Ghost.

2. But, again, he that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost
cannot come, has no heart to come, can by no means be made willing
to come to Jesus Christ for life; for that he has received such an
opinion of him, and of his things, as deters and holds him back.

(1.) He counteth this blessed person, this Son of God, a magician,
a conjuror, a witch, or one that did, when he was in the world,
what he did, by the power and spirit of the devil (Matt 9:34;
12:24,25,&c.; Mark 3:22-30). Now he that has this opinion of this
Jesus, cannot be willing to cast himself at his feet for life, or
to come to him as the only way to God and to salvation. And hence it
is said again, that such an one puts him to open shame, and treadeth
him under foot; that is, by contemning, reproaching, vilifying,
and despising of him, as if he were the vilest one, or the greatest
cheat in the world; and has, therefore, as to his esteem of him,
called him accursed, crucified him to himself, or counted him one
hanged, as one of the worst of malefactors (Heb 6:6; 10:29; 1 Cor
12:3).

(2.) His blood, which is the meritorious cause of man's redemption,
even the blood of the everlasting covenant, he counteth 'an unholy
thing,' or that which has no more virtue in it to save a soul from
sin than has the blood of a dog (Heb 10:29).42 For when the apostle
says, 'he counts it an unholy thing,' he means, he makes it of less
value than that of a sheep or cow, which were clean according to
the law; and, therefore, must mean, that his blood was of no more
worth to him, in his account, than was the blood of a dog, an ass,
or a swine, which always was, as to sacrifices, rejected by the God
of heaven, as unholy or unclean. Now he who has no better esteem
of Jesus Christ, and of his death and blood, will not be persuaded
to come to him for life, or to trust in him for salvation.

(3.) But further, all this must be done against manifest tokens to
prove the contrary, or after the shining of gospel light upon the
soul, or some considerable profession of him as the Messiah, or
that he was the Saviour of the world.

(a.) It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary;
and thus the reprobate Jews committed it when they saw the works of
God, which put forth themselves in him, and called them the works
of the devil and Beelzebub.

(b.) It must be done against some shining light of the gospel upon
them. And thus it was with Judas, and with those who, after they
were enlightened, and had tasted, and had felt something of the
powers of the world to come, fell away from the faith of him, and
put him to open shame and disgrace (Heb 6:5,6).

(c.) It must also be done after, and in opposition to one's own open
profession of him. For if, after they have escaped the pollution
of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter
end is worse with them than the beginning; for it had been better
for them not to have know the way of righteousness, than after they
have known it, to turn from the holy commandment, which is the word
of faith delivered unto them.

(d.) All this must be done openly, before witnesses, in the face,
sight, and view of the world, by word and act. This is the sin
that is unpardonable; and he that hath thus done, can never, it
is impossible he ever should, be renewed again to repentance, and
that for a double reason; first, such an one doth say, he will
not; and [second] of him God says, he shall not have the benefit
of salvation by him.

Objection. But if this be the sin unpardonable, why is it called
the sin against the Holy Ghost, and not rather the sin against the
Son of God?

Answer. It is called 'the sin against the Holy Ghost,' because such
count the works he did, which were done by the Spirit of God, the
works of the spirit of the devil. Also because all such as so reject
Christ Jesus the Lord, they do it in despite of that testimony
which the Holy Ghost has given of him in the holy Scriptures; for
the Scriptures are the breathings of the Holy Ghost, as in all
other things, so in that testimony they bear of the person, of the
works, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Sinner, this is the sin against the Holy Ghost. What sayest thou?
Hast thou committed it? Nay, I know thou hast not, if thou wouldst
be saved by Christ. Yea, it is impossible that thou shouldst have
done it, if indeed thou wouldst be saved by him. No man can desire
to be saved by him, who he yet judgeth to be an impostor, a magician,
a witch. No man can hope for redemption by that blood which he yet
counteth an unholy thing. Nor will God ever suffer such an one to
repent, who has, after light and profession of him, thus horribly,
and devil-like, contemned and trampled upon him.

True, words, and wars, and blasphemies, against this Son of man,
are pardonable; but then they must be done 'ignorantly, and in
unbelief.' Also, all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may
be passed by, if the soul afflicted with them, indeed is sorry for
them (1 Tim 1:13-15; Mark 3:28).

All but this, sinner, all but this! If God had said, he will forgive
one sin, it had been undeserved grace; but when he says he will
pardon all but one, this is grace to the height. Nor is that one
unpardonable otherwise, but because the Saviour that should save
them is rejected and put away. Jacob's ladder; Christ is Jacob's
ladder that reacheth up to heaven; and he that refuseth to go by
this ladder thither, will scarce by other means get up so high.
There is none other name given under heaven, among men, whereby
we must be saved. There is none other sacrifice for sin than this;
he also, and he only, is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God.
And, sinner, if thou wouldst be saved by him, his benefits are
thine; yea, though thou art a great and Jerusalem transgressor.43

FOOTNOTES:

1 Having preached many times, and from various texts, upon this
subject, the whole substance of many sermons is here published.--Ed.

2 The Jews, and their sacred city, are standing monuments of God's
dreadful vengeance against unbelief in rejecting the Lord Christ,
in whom alone is salvation. The Lord give us grace to prize and improve
gospel privileges, lest we also be cut off, through unbelief.--Mason.

3 The higher a people rise under the means, the lower will be
their fall if they slight them. O highly-favoured England! Tyre
and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, will have a milder hell than thy
carnal, hypocritical, Christless children.--Mason.

4 All the objections are on the sinner's side, through unbelief.
Christ answers them all in one word, 'Whosoever will, let him come
and take of the water of life freely'; and, 'Whosoever cometh, I
will in no wise cast out.' Lord, put forth thy power, and give the
will.--Mason.

5 In this quotation, Bunyan has followed the reading in the Genevan
or Puritan version.--Ed.

6 An arrow, dipped in the blood of Jesus, will subdue the most
obdurate heart it reaches, even those bitter enemies to Christ,
the priests.--Mason.

7 This quotation is from the Genevan or Puritan version--Ed.

8 'Death was swallowing of them down.' How very striking and full
of truth is this expression! For, in proportion as the sinner
violates the Divine law, so he rushes into the jaws of death and
destruction. Obedience to the Divine law preserves health, bestows
happiness, and prolongs life.--Ed.

9 'Rowl in his bowels'; intense affection: see Philemon 12.--Ed.

10 'Wheals'; pimples, or small swellings filled with matter.--Ed.

11 'As physicians do' can now hardly be understood. In Bunyan's
days, all physicians put forth their bills of 'wonderful cures.'--Ed.

12 'Hedge-creepers'; footpads.--Ed.

13 O sinner, beseech the Lord to enable you to welcome the grace
that is welcoming you; then you shall find it, in the Lord's time,
that you shall be made as kindly welcome as ever a sinner was that
is now a glorified saint.--Mason.

14 This idea is most ingeniously and admirably displayed in Bunyan's
beautiful allegory, 'The Holy War.'--Ed.

15 'A muse'; deep thought. Vulgo` vocatum, 'a brown study.' Bunyan
used this word in the same sense in the first edition of 'The
Pilgrim's Progress,' at the Interpreter's house: 'Now was Christian
somewhat in a muse.' It was afterwards altered, but not improved,
by substituting the words, 'in a maze.'--Ed.

16 Among all the wondrous sights that angels witness, one gives
them peculiar joy--it is the poor penitent prodigal returning to
God, Luke 15:10.--Ed.

17 This was printed in the first edition, 'the biggest sin.'--Ed.

18 How strongly does this dialogue bring to our recollection that
between Christian and Apollyon in the 'The Pilgrim's Progress?'--Ed.

19 'I stunck,' in the original edition, probably meant, 'I stuck';
but all the later editions have, 'I stunk.'--Ed.

20 'Clouts'; patches, Joshua 9:5

21 I cannot discover in what book Bunyan read this legend; it is
not in the "Golden Legend," or any of my monkish authors. It was a
generally received opinion, among the ancients, that Mary Magdalene
was sister to Lazarus; but the means of her conversion is not known.
The story here related is possible, and even probable; but it has
no foundation in the inspired writings, nor in ancient authors.--Ed.

22 Thus Zaccheus said: 'Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give
to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man, by false
accusation, I restore fourfold.' The law of God requires us,
dim-sighted as we are, to see our sins in their real magnitude,
but the perversity of man turns the telescope to diminish them.--Ed.

23 'The friends thereof in their reason' were the words used in
the first three editions by Bunyan. After his decease, they were
altered, in 1697, in a second third edition, and this correction
has been continued in every subsequent impression.--Ed.

24 Bunyan has some striking observations upon this word Go, in his
work on the day of judgment. Those who refused the invitation to
'come' and receive life, when in the world, now irresistibly obey
the awful mandate, 'Go,' and rush into eternal woe.--Ed.

25 How pointed and faithful are these words? How natural it
is for a poor sinner to compare himself with his fellow-worm, and
say, 'Lord, I thank thee that I am not as this publican,' or as
that murderer--instead of viewing himself in the gospel glass, in
the presence of infinite holiness, and feeling that in his flesh
there is no good thing, but putrefying sores, that he is vile and
hell-deserving, and must fall into the arms of Divine mercy, crying,
Lord, save, or I perish.--Ed.

26 'Swoop'; to seize as a hawk does his prey.--Ed.

27 The convinced sinner is not content with the cry, 'Deliver me
from the wrath to come,' but, feeling sin to be his greatest enemy,
he earnestly cries for deliverance from its dominion in this world
(Psa 143).--Ed.

28 'At the catch.' See the dialogue between Faithful and Talkative
in 'The Pilgrim's Progress.'--Ed.

29 Printed, 'far,' in the first and second editions; altered to
'fast,' in third and subsequent editions.--Ed.

30 The blind men, who implored the mercy of Jesus, would not be
checked even by the multitude, but cried so much the more. When
a true sense of misery urges, neither men nor devils can stop the
cry for mercy, till Jesus has compassion and heals their spiritual
maladies.--Mason.

31 Quoted from the Puritan or Genevan version of the Bible; our
translation has, 'He that covereth.'--Ed.

32 'Long of Jesus Christ'; a provincial expression, meaning 'all
this belongs to us by Jesus Christ.'--Ed.

33 How admirable an illustration is this of the Slough of Despond,
into which Christian and Pliable fell in 'The Pilgrim's Progress.'--Ed.

34 This illustrates Bunyan's meaning of the Giant of Sophistry,
named Maul, whose head was cut off by Great-heart, in the Second
Part of 'The Pilgrim's Progress.'--Ed.

35 The treasures of this bank are inexhaustible and unsearchable.
Oh for faith, that we may draw largely upon its infinite riches!--Ed.

36 'Incidence'; the direction with which one body strikes another;
now obsolete.--Ed.

37 A sour, crabbed Christian, is a contradiction in terms. The
precept is, 'Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving
one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you'
(Eph 4:31).--Mason

38 The true branches in Christ, the heavenly vine, are made fruitful
in love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, and temperance. By these it will appear that Christ is
formed within us. Mere 'lick of the tongue' love, without these,
is an unsubstantial shadow.--Ed.

39 'Be so taunted'; in editions previous to 1697.--Ed.

40 'At least wise'; to say the least.--Ed.

41 This is the proper test for a perplexed soul, when troubled
about his election. If I love Christ, and am desirous to obey him,
it is because he first loved me; and this is the surest proof of
election. Hear the voice of God, 'Whosoever believeth in me shall
not perish, but have eternal life'; and so Paul, 'As many as were
ordained to eternal life believed' (Acts 13:48).--Ed.

42 How very forcible is this appeal to those who profess to believe
the inspiration of the Bible, but yet reject the atonement of
Christ. It is to make the typical sacrifice of the clean beasts,
under the law, of greater value than that of the great antitype--the
Son of God.--Ed.

43 The reason why those who are guilty of the blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost are never forgiven, is not for want of any sufficiency
in the blood of Christ, or in the pardoning mercy of God, but
because they never repent of that sin, and never seek to God for
mercy through Christ, but continue obstinate till death.--Mason.

***

THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUL,

AND

UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF;

WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT.

FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR
GOOD.

By JOHN BUNYAN,

London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the
Poultry, 1682

Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered
mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of
one volume, could by possibility know upon a subject so abstruse,
so profound, and so highly metaphysical, as that of the Soul--its
greatness--and the inconceivableness of its loss. Heathen philosophers,
at the head of whose formidable array stand Plato and Aristotle,
had exhausted their wit, and had not made the world a whit the wiser
by all their lucubrations. The fathers plunged into the subject,
and increased the confusion; we are confounded with their subtle
distinctions, definitions, and inquiries; such as that attributed
to St. Aquinas, How many disembodied spirits could dance upon the
point of a fine needle without jostling each other? Learned divines
had puzzled themselves and their hearers with suppositions and
abstract principles. What, then, could a travelling brasier, or
tinker, have discovered to excite the attention of the Christian
world, and to become a teacher to philosophers, fathers, and learned
divines? Bunyan found no access to the polluted streams of a vain
philosophy; he went at once to the fountain-head; and, in the pure
light of Revelation, displays the human soul--infinitely great in
value, although in a fallen state. He portrays it as drawn by the
unerring hand of its Maker. He sets forth, by the glass of God's
Word, the inconceivableness of its value, while progressing through
time; and, aided by the same wondrous glass, he penetrates the
eternal world, unveils the joys of heaven and the torments of hell--so
far as they are revealed by the Holy Ghost, and are conceivable to
human powers. While he thus leads us to some kind of estimate of
its worth, he, from the same source--the only source from whence
such knowledge can be derived, makes known the causes of the loss
of the soul, and leads his trembling readers to the only name under
heaven given among men, whereby they can be saved. In attempting
to conceive the greatness and value of the soul, the importance of
the body is too often overlooked. The body, it is true, is of the
earth; the soul is the breath of God. The body is the habitation;
the soul is the inhabitant. The body returns to the dust; while the
soul enters into the intermediate state, waiting to be re-united
to the body after its new creation, when death shall be swallowed
up of life. In these views, the soul appears to be vastly superior
to the body. But let it never be forgotten, that, as in this life,
so it will be in the everlasting state; the body and soul are so
intimately connected as to become one being, capable of exquisite
happiness, or existing in the pangs of everlasting death. He who
felt and wrote as Bunyan does in this solemn treatise, and whose
tongue was as the pen of a ready writer, must have been wise
and successful in winning souls to Christ. He felt their infinite
value, he knew their strong and their weak points, their riches and
poverty. He was intimate with every street and lane in the town
of Man-soul, and how and where the subtle Diabolians shifted about
to hide themselves in the walls, and holes, and corners. He sounds
the alarm, and plants his engines against 'the eye as the window,
and the ear as the door, for the soul to look out at, and to
receive in by.' He detects the wicked in speaking with his feet,
and teaching with his fingers. His illustration of the punishment
of a sinner, as set forth by the sufferings of the Saviour, is
peculiarly striking. The attempt to describe the torments of those
who suffer under the awful curse, 'Go ye wicked,' is awfully and
intensely vivid.

Bunyan most earnestly exhorts the distressed sinner to go direct to
the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, and not to place confidence
in those who pretend to be his ministers; but 'who are false
shepherds, in so many ugly guises, and under so many false and
scandalous dresses;' 'take heed of that shepherd that careth not
for his own soul, that walketh in ways, and doth such things, as
have a direct tendency to damn his own soul; come not near him.
He that feeds his own soul with ashes, will scarce feed thee with
the bread of life.' Choose Christ to be thy chief Shepherd, sit
at his feet, and learn of him and he will direct thee to such as
shall feed thy soul with knowledge and understanding.

Reader, let me no longer keep thee upon the threshold but enter upon
this important treatise with earnest prayer; and may the blessed
Spirit enable us to live under a sense of the greatness of the soul,
the unspeakableness of the loss thereof, the causes of losing it,
and the only way in which its salvation can he found.

GEORGE OFFOR. Hackney, April 1850

THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUL,

AND UNSPEAKABLENESS OF THE LOSS THEREOF

'OR WHAT SHALL A MAN GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?'--MARK 8:37.

I HAVE chosen at this time to handle these words among you, and
that for several reasons:--

l. Because the soul, and the salvation of it, are such great, such
wonderful great things; nothing is a matter of that concern as is,
and should be, the soul of each one of you. House and land, trades
and honours, places and preferments, what are they to salvation?
to the salvation of the soul?

2. Because I perceive that this so great a thing, and about which
persons should be so much concerned, is neglected to amazement, and
that by the most of men; yea, who is there of the many thousands
that sit daily under the sound of the gospel that are concerned,
heartily concerned, about the salvation of their souls?--that is,
concerned, I say, as the nature of the thing requireth. If ever
a lamentation was fit to be taken up in this age about, for, or
concerning anything, it is about, for, and concerning the horrid
neglect that everywhere puts forth itself with reference to salvation.
Where is one man in a thousand--yea, where is there two of ten
thousand that do show by their conversation, public and private,
that the soul, their own souls, are considered by them, and that
they are taking that care for the salvation of them as becomes
them--to wit, as the weight of the work, and the nature of salvation
requireth?

3. I have therefore pitched upon this text at this time; to see,
if peradventure the discourse which God shall help me to make upon
it, will awaken you, rouse you off your beds of ease, security, and
pleasure, and fetch you down upon your knees before Him, to beg of
Him grace to be concerned about the salvation of your souls. And
then, in the last place, I have taken upon me to do this, that
I may deliver, if not you, yet myself, and that I may be clear of
your blood, and stand quit, as to you, before God, when you shall,
for neglect, be damned, and wail to consider that you have lost
your souls. 'When I say,' saith God, 'unto the wicked, Thou shalt
surely die; and thou,' the prophet or preacher, 'givest him not
warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to
save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but
his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked,
and he turn not front his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he
shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul' (Eze
3:18, 19).

'Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'

In my handling of these words, I shall first speak to the occasion
of them, and then to the words themselves.

The occasion of the words was, for that the people that now were
auditors to the Lord Jesus, and that followed him, did it without
that consideration as becomes so great a work--that is, the generality
of them that followed Him were not for considering first with
themselves, what it was to profess Christ, and what that profession
might cost them.

'And when he had called the people unto him,' the great multitude
that went with him (Luke14:25) 'with his disciples also, he said
unto them, 'Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me (Mark 8:34). Let him first sit
down and count up the cost, and the charge he is like to be at, if
he follows me. For following of me is not like following of some
other masters. The wind sits always on my face, and the foaming rage
of the sea of this world, and the proud and lofty waves thereof,
do continually beat upon the sides of the bark of the ship that
myself, my cause, and my followers are in; he therefore that will
not run hazards, and that is afraid to venture a drowning, let him
not set foot into this vessel. So whosever doth not bear his cross,
and come after me, he cannot be my disciple. For which of you,
intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth
the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it (Luke 14:27-29).

True, to reason, this kind of language tends to cast water upon
weak and beginning desires, but to faith, it makes the things set
before us, and the greatness, and the glory of them, more apparently
excellent and desirable. Reason will say, Then who will profess
Christ that hath such coarse entertainment at the beginning? but
faith will say, Then surely the things that are at the end of a
Christian's race in this world must needs be unspeakably glorious;
since whoever hath had but the knowledge and due consideration of
them, have not stuck to run hazards, hazards of every kind, that
they might embrace and enjoy them. Yea, saith faith, it must needs
be so, since the Son himself, that best knew what they were, even,
'for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God'
(Heb 12:2).

But, I say, there is not in every man this knowledge of things and
so by consequence not such consideration as can make the cross and
self-denial acceptable to them for the sake of Christ, and of the
things that are where He now sitteth at the right hand of God (Col
3:2-4). Therefore our Lord Jesus doth even at the beginning give
to His followers this instruction. And lest any of them should take
distaste at His saying, He presenteth them with the consideration
of three things together--namely, the cross, the loss of life, and
the soul; and then reasoneth with them from the same, saying, Here
is the cross, the life, and the soul.

1. The cross, and that you must take up, if you will follow Me.

2. The life, and that you may save for a time, if you cast Me off.

3. And the soul, which will everlastingly perish if you come not
to Me, and abide not with Me.

Now consider what is best to be done. Will you take up the cross,
come after Me, and so preserve your souls from perishing? or will
you shun the cross to save your lives, and so run the danger of
eternal damnation? Or, as you have it in John, will you love your
life till you lose it? or will you hate your life, and save it? 'He
that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in
this world shall keep it unto life eternal' (John 12:25). As who
should say, He that loveth a temporal life, he that so loveth it,
as to shun the profession of Christ to save it, shall lose it upon
a worse account, than if he had lost it for Christ and the gospel;
but he that will set light by it, for the love that he hath to
Christ, shall keep it unto life eternal.

Christ having thus discoursed with His followers about their denying
of themselves, their taking up their cross and following of Him,
doth, in the next place, put the question to them, and so leaveth
it upon them for ever, saying, 'For what shall it profit a man, if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' (Mark 8:36).
As who should say, I have bid you take heed that you do not lightly,
and without due consideration, enter into a profession of Me and
of My gospel; for he that without due consideration shall begin to
profess Christ, will also without it forsake Him, turn from Him, and
cast Him behind his back; and since I have even at the beginning,
laid the consideration of the cross before you, it is because you
should not be surprised and overtaken by it unawares, and because
you should know that to draw back from Me after you have laid your
hand to My plough, will make you unfit for the kingdom of heaven
(Luke 9:62).

Now, since this is so, there is no less lies at stake than salvation,
and salvation is worth all the world, yea, worth ten thousand
worlds, if there should be so many. And since this is so also, it
will be your wisdom to begin to profess the gospel with expectation
of the cross and tribulation, for to that are my gospellers1 in
this world appointed (James 1:12; 1 Thess 3:3). And if you begin
thus, and hold it, the kingdom and crown shall be yours; for as God
counteth it a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them
that trouble you, so to you who are troubled and endure it, for 'we
count them happy,' says James, 'that endure,' (James 5:11), rest
with saints, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
His mighty angels in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel, etc. (2 Thess 1:7, 8).
And if no less lies at stake than salvation, then is a man's soul
and his all at the stake; and if it be so, what will it profit
a man if, by forsaking of Me, he should get the whole world? 'For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?'

Having thus laid the soul in one balance, and the world in the
other, and affirmed that the soul out-bids the whole world, and is
incomparably for value and worth beyond it; in the next place, he
descends to a second question, which is that I have chosen at this
time for my text, saying, 'Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?'

In these words, we have first a supposition, and such an one as
standeth upon a double bottom. The supposition is this--That the
soul is capable of being lost; or thus--'Tis possible for a man to
lose his soul. The double bottom that this supposition is grounded
upon is, first, a man's ignorance of the worth of his soul, and of
the danger that it is in; and the second is, for that men commonly
do set a higher price upon present ease and enjoyments than they
do upon eternal salvation. The last of these doth naturally follow
upon the first; for if men be ignorant of the value and worth
of their souls, as by Christ in the verse before is implied, what
should hinder but that men should set a higher esteem upon that
with which their carnal desires are taken, than upon that about
which they are not concerned, and of which they know not the worth.

But again, as this by the text is clearly supposed, so to here is
also something implied; namely, that it is impossible to possess
some men with the worth of their souls until they are utterly and
everlastingly lost. 'What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
That is, men when their souls are lost, and shut down under the
hatches in the pits and hells in endless perdition and destruction,
then they will see the worth of their souls, then they will consider
what they have lost, and truly not till then. This is plain, not
only to sense, but by the natural scope of the words, 'What shall
a man give in exchange for his soul?' Or what would not those that
are now for sin, made to see themselves lost, by the light of hell
fire--for some will never be convinced that they are lost till, with
rich Dives, they see it in the light of hell flames (Luke 16:22,
23). I say, what would not such, if they had it, give in exchange
for their immortal souls, or to recover them again from that place
and torment?2

I shall observe two truths in the words.

The first is, That the loss of the soul is the highest, the greatest
loss--a loss that can never be repaired or made up. 'What shall a
man give in exchange for his soul?'--that is, to recover or redeem
his lost soul to liberty?

The second truth is this, That how unconcerned and careless soever
some now be, about the loss or salvation of their souls, yet the day
is coming; but it will then be too late, when men will be willing,
had they never so much, to give it all in exchange for their souls.
For so the question implies--'What will a man give in exchange for
his soul?' What would he not give? What would he not part with at
that day, the day in which he will see himself damned, if he had
it, in exchange for his soul?

The first observation, or truth, drawn from the words is cleared by
the text, 'What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'--that
is, there is not anything, nor all the things under heaven, were
they all in one man's hand, and all at his disposal, that would
go in exchange for the soul, that would be of value to fetch back
one lost soul, or that would certainly recover it from the confines
of hell. 'The redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth
for ever' (Psa 49:8). And what saith the words before the text but
the same--'For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul?' What shall profit a man that
has lost his soul? Nothing at all, though he hath by that loss gained
the whole world; for all the world is not worth a sou1, not worth
a soul in the eye of God and judgment of the law. And it is from
this consideration that good Elihu cautioneth Job to take heed,
'Because there is wrath,' saith he, 'beware lest He take thee away
with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. Will He
esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength'
(Job 36:18,19). Riches and power, what is there more in the world?
for money answereth all things--that is, all but soul concerns.
It can neither be a price for souls while here, nor can that, with
all the forces of strength, recover one out of hell fire.

DOCTRINE FIRST.

So then, the first truth drawn from the words stands firm--namely,

That the loss of the soul is the highest, the greatest loss; a loss
that can never be repaired or made up.

In my discourse upon this subject, I shall observe this method:--

FIRST, I shall show you what the soul is.

SECOND, I shall show you the greatness of it.

THIRD, I shall show you what it is to lose the soul.

FOURTH, I shall show you the cause for which men lose their souls;
and by this time the greatness of the loss will be manifest.

[WHAT THE SOUL IS.]

FIRST, I shall show you what the soul is, both as to the various
names it goes under, as also, by describing of it by its powers
and properties, though in all I shall be but brief, for I intend
no long discourse.3

[Names of the Soul.]

1. The soul is often called the heart of man, or that, in and by
which things to either good or evil, have their rise; thus desires
are of the heart or soul; yea, before desires, the first conception
of good or evil is in the soul, the heart. The heart understands,
wills, affects, reasons, judges, but these are the faculties of
the soul; wherefore, heart and soul are often taken for one and
the same. 'My son, give me thine heart' (Prov 23:26). 'Out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts,' etc. (Matt 15:19; 1 Peter 3:15; Psa
26:2).

2. The soul of man is often called the spirit of a man; because it
not only giveth being, but life to all things and actions in and
done by him. Hence soul and spirit are put together, as to the
same notion. 'With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea,
with my spirit within me will I seek thee early' (Isa 26:9). When
he saith, 'Yea, with my spirit--will I seek thee,' he explaineth
not only with what kind of desires he desired God, but with what
principal matter his desires were brought forth. It was with my
soul, saith he; to wit, with my spirit within me. So that of Mary,
'My soul,' saith she, 'doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour' (Luke 1:46,47). Not that soul and
spirit are, in this place, to be taken for two superior powers in
man; but the same great soul is here put under two names, or terms,
to show that it was the principal part in Mary; to wit, her soul,
that magnified God, even that part that could spirit and put life
into her whole self to do it. Indeed, sometimes spirit is not taken
so largely, but is confined to some one power or faculty of the soul,
as 'the spirit of my understanding,' (Job 20:3) 'and be renewed in
the spirit of your mind.' And sometime by spirit we are to understand
other things; but many times by spirit we must understand the soul,
and also by soul the spirit.

3. Therefore, by soul we understand the spiritual, the best, and
most noble part of man, as distinct from the body, even that by
which we understand, imagine, reason, and discourse. And, indeed,
as I shall further show you presently, the body is but a poor,
empty vessel, without this great thing called the soul. 'The body
without the spirit,' or soul, 'is dead' (James 2:26). Or nothing
but (her soul departed from her, for she died). It is, therefore,
the chief and most noble part of man.

4. The soul is often called the life of man, not a life of the
same stamp and nature of the brute; for the life of man--that is,
of the rational creature--is, that, as he is such, wherein consisteth
and abideth the understanding and conscience etc. Wherefore, then,
a man dieth, or the body ceaseth to act, or live in the exercise
of the thoughts, which formerly used to be in him, when the soul
departeth, as I hinted even now--her soul departed from her, for she
died; and, as another good man saith, 'in that very day his thoughts
perish,' etc. (Psa 146:4). The first text is more emphatical; Her
soul was in departing (for she died). There is the soul of a beast,
a bird, etc., but the soul of a man is another thing; it is his
understanding, and reason, and conscience, etc. And this soul,
when it departs, he dies. Nor is this life, when gone out of the
body, annihilate, as is the life of a beast; no, this, in itself,
is immortal, and has yet a place and being when gone out of the
body it dwelt in; yea, as quick, as lively is it in its senses, if
not far more abundant, than when it was in the body; but I call it
the life, because so long as that remains in the body, the body is
not dead. And in this sense it is to be taken where he saith 'He
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it' unto life eternal;
and this is the soul that is intended in the text, and not the
breath, as in some other places is meant. And this is evident,
because the man has a being, a sensible being, after he has lost
the soul. I mean not by the man a man in this world, nor yet in
the body, or in the grave; but by man we must understand, either
the soul in hell, or body and soul there, after the judgment is
over. And for this the text, also, is plain, for therein we are
presented with a man sensible of the damage that he has sustained
by losing of his soul. 'What shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?' But,

5. The whole man goeth under this denomination; man, consisting of
body and soul, is yet called by that part of himself that is most
chief and principal. 'Let every soul,' that is, let every man, 'be
subject unto the higher powers' (Rom 13:1). 'Then sent Joseph, and
called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, three-score
and fifteen souls (Acts 7:14). By both these, and several other
places, the whole man is meant, and is also so to be taken in the
text; for whereas here he saith, 'What shall it profit a man, if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' It is said
elsewhere, 'For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole
world, and lose himself?' (Luke 9:25) and so, consequently, or,
'What shall a man give in exchange (for himself) for his soul?'
His soul when he dies, and body and soul in and after judgment.

6. The soul is called the good man's darling. 'Deliver,' Lord,
saith David, 'my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of
the dog' (Psa 22:20). So, again, in another place, he saith, 'Lord,
how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my
darling from the [power of the] lions' (Psa 35:17). My darling--this
sentence must not be applied universally, but only to those in
whose eyes their souls, and the redemption thereof, is precious.
My darling--most men do, by their actions, say of their soul, 'my
drudge, my slave; nay, thou slave to the devil and sin; for what
sin, what lust, what sensual and beastly lust is there in the world
that some do not cause their souls to bow before and yield unto?
But David, here, as you see, calls it his darling, or his choice
and most excellent thing; for, indeed, the soul is a choice thing
in itself, and should, were all wise, be every man's darling, or
chief treasure. And that it might be so with us, therefore, our
Lord Jesus hath thus expressed the worth of the soul, saying, 'What
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' But if this is true,
one may see already what misery he is like to sustain that has, or
shall lose his soul; he has lost his heart, his spirit, his best
part, his life, his darling, himself, his whole self, and so, in
every sense, his all. And now, 'what shall a man,' what would a
man, but what can a man that has lost his soul, himself, and his
all, 'give in exchange for his soul?' Yea, what shall the man that
has sustained this loss do to recover all again, since this man, or
the man put under this question, must needs be a man that is gone
from hence, a man that is cast in the judgment, and one that is
gone down the throat of hell?

But to pass this, and to proceed.

[Powers and Properties of the Soul.]

I come next to describe the soul unto you by such things as it
is set out by in the Holy Scriptures, and they are, in general,
three--First, The powers of the soul. Second, The senses, the
spiritual senses of the soul. Third, The passions of the soul.

Of the powers of the soul.

First, We will discourse of the powers, I may call them the members
of the soul; for, as the members of the body, being many, do all
go to the making up of the body, so these do go to the completing
of the soul.

1. There is the understanding, which may be termed the head; because
in that is placed the eye of the soul; and this is that which, or
by which the soul, discerning things that are presented to it, and
that either by God or Satan; this is that by which a man conceiveth
and apprehendeth things so deep and great that cannot, by mouth,
or tongue, or pen, be expressed.

2. There is, also, belonging to the soul, the conscience, in
which I may say, is placed the Seat of Judgment; for, as by the
understanding things are let into the soul, so by the conscience
the evil or good of such things are tried; especially when in the

3. Third place, there is the judgment, which is another part of
this noble creature, has passed, by the light of the understanding,
his verdict upon what is let into the soul.4

4. There is, also, the fancy or imagination, another part of this
great thing, the sou1: and a most curious thing this fancy is; it
is that which presenteth to the man the idea, form, or figure of
that, or any of those things, wherewith a man is either frighted
or taken, pleased or displeased. And,

5. The mind, another part of the soul, is that unto which this
fancy presenteth its things to be considered of; because without
the mind nothing is entertained in the soul.

6. There is the memory too, another part of the soul; and that
may be called the register of the soul; for it is the memory that
receiveth and keepeth in remembrance what has passed, or has been
done by the man, or attempted to be done unto him; and in this part
of the soul, or from it, will be fed 'the worm that dieth not,' when
men are cast into hell; also, from this memory will flow that peace
at the day of judgment that saints shall have in their service for
Christ in the world.

7. There are the affections too, which are, as I may call them,
the hands and arms of the soul; for they are they that take hold
of, receive, and embrace what is liked by the soul, and it is a hard
thing to make the soul of a man cast from it what its affections
cleave to and have embraced. Hence the affections are called for,
when the apostle bids men 'seek the things above; set your affections
upon them,' saith he (Col 3), or, as you have it in another place,
'Lay hold' of them; for the affections are as hands to the soul,
and they by which it fasteneth upon things.

8. There is the will, which may be called the foot of the soul,
because by that the soul, yea, the whole man, is carried hither
and thither, or else held back and kept from moving.5

These are the golden things of the soul, though, in carnal men,
they are every one of them made use of in the service of sin and
Satan. For the unbelieving are throughout impure, as is manifest,
because their 'mind and conscience (two of the masterpieces of the
soul) is defiled' (Titus 1:15). For if the most potent parts of the
soul are engaged in their service, what, think you, do the more
inferior do? But, I say, so it is the more is the pity; nor can
any help it. 'This work ceaseth for ever,' unless the great God,
who is over all, and that can save souls, shall himself take upon
him to sanctify the soul, and to recover it, and persuade it to
fall in love with another master.

But, I say, what is man without this soul, or wherein lieth this
pre-eminence over a beast? (Eccl 3:19-21). Nowhere that I know of;
for both, as to man's body, go to one place, only the spirit or
soul of a man goes upward--to wit, to God that gave it, to be by
Him disposed of with respect to things to come, as they have been,
and have done in this life, But,

Of the senses of the soul.

Second, I come, in the next place, to describe the soul by its
senses, its spiritual senses, for so I call them; for as the body
hath senses pertaining to it, and as it can see, hear, smell, feel,
and taste, so can the soul; I call, therefore, these the senses
of the soul, in opposition to the senses of the body, and because
the soul is the seat of all spiritual sense, where supernatural
things are known and enjoyed; not that the soul of a natural man is
spiritual in the apostle's sense, for so none are, but those that
are born from above (1 Cor 3:1-3) nor they so always neither. But
to go forward.

Of sight.

1. Can the body see? hath it eyes? so hath the soul. 'The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened' (Eph 1:18). As, then, the
body can see beasts, trees, men, and all visible things, so the
soul can see God, Christ, angels, heaven, devils, hell, and other
things that are invisible; nor is this property only peculiar to
the souls that are illuminate by the Holy Ghost, for the most carnal
soul in the world shall have a time to see these things, but not
to its comfort, but not to its joy, but to its endless woe and
misery, it dying in that condition. Wherefore, sinner, say not
thou, 'I shall not see Him; for judgment is before Him,' and He
will make thee see Him (Job 35:14).

Of hearing.

2. Can the body hear? hath it ears? so hath the soul (Job 4:12,13).
It is the soul, not the body, that hears the language of things
invisible. It is the soul that hears God when He speaks in and by
His Word and Spirit; and it is the soul that hears the devil when
he speaks by his illusions and temptations. True, there is such an
union between the soul and the body, that ofttimes, if not always,
that which is heard by the ears of the body doth influence the
soul, and that which is heard by the soul doth also influence the
body; but yet as to the organ of hearing, the body hath one of
its own, distinct from that of the soul, and the soul can hear and
regard even then, when the body doth not nor cannot; as in time of
sleep, deep sleep and trances, when the body lieth by as a thing
that is useless. 'For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man, (as to
his body) perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then
he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,' etc.
(Job 33:14-16). This must be meant of the ears of the soul, not
of the body; for that at this time is said to be in deep sleep;
moreover this hearing, it is a hearing of dreams, and the visions
of the night. Jeremiah also tells us that he had the rare and
blessed visions of God in his sleep (Jer 21:26). And so doth Daniel
too, by the which they were greatly comforted and refreshed; but
that could not be, was not the soul also capable of hearing. 'I
heard the voice of His words,' said Daniel, 'and when I heard the
voice of His words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my
face toward the ground' (Dan 10:8,9).

Of tasting.

3. As the soul can see and hear, so it can taste and relish, even
as really as doth the palate belonging to the body.6 But then the
things so tasted must be that which is suited to the temper and
palate of the soul. The soul's taste lieth not in, nor is exercised
about meats, the meats that are for the belly. Yet the soul of a
saint can taste and relish God's Word (Heb 6:5), and doth ofttimes
find it sweeter than honey (Psa 19:10) nourishing as milk (1 Peter
2:2), and strengthening like to strong meat (Heb 5:12-14). The soul
also of sinners, and of those that are unsanctified, can taste and
relish, though not the things now mentioned, yet things that agree
with their fleshly minds, and with their polluted, and defiled, and
vile affections. They can relish and taste that which delighteth
them; yea, they can find soul-delight in an alehouse, a whorehouse,
a playhouse. Ay, they find pleasure in the vilest things, in the
things most offensive to God, and that are most destructive to
themselves. This is evident to sense, and is proved by the daily
practice of sinners. Nor is the Word barren as to this: They 'feed
on ashes' (Isa 44:20). They 'spend their money for that which is
not bread' (Isa 55:2). Yea, they eat and suck sweetness out of sin.
'They eat up the sin of My people' as they eat bread (Hosea 4:8).

Of smelling.

4. As the soul can see, hear, and taste, so it can smell, and
brings refreshment to itself that way. Hence the church saith, 'My
fingers dropped with sweet-smelling myrrh;' and again, she saith
of her beloved, that 'his lips dropped sweet-smelling-myrrh' (Song
5:5,13). But how came the church to understand this, but because
her soul did smell that in it that was to be smelled in it, even
in his word and gracious visits? The poor world, indeed, cannot
smell, or savour anything of the good and fragrant scent and sweet
that is in Christ; but to them that believe, 'Thy name is as ointment
poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee' (Song 1:3).

Of feeling.

5. As the soul can see, taste, hear, and smell, so it hath the
sense of feeling, as quick and as sensible as the body. He knows
nothing that knows not this; he whose soul is 'past feeling,' has
his 'conscience seared with a hot iron' (Eph 4:18, 19; 1 Tim 4:2).
Nothing so sensible as the soul, nor feeleth so quickly the love
and mercy, or the anger and wrath of God. Ask the awakened man, or
the man that is under the convictions of the law, if he doth not
feel? and he will quickly tell you that he faints and dies away by
reason of God's hand, and His wrath that lieth upon him. Read the
first eight verses of the 38th Psalm; if thou knowest nothing of
what I have told thee by experience; and there thou shalt hear the
complaints of one whose soul lay at present under the burden of
guilt, and that cried out that without help from heaven he could
by no means bear the same. They also that know what the peace of
God means, and what an eternal weight there is in glory know well
that the soul has the sense of feeling, as well as the senses of
seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling. But thus much for the senses
of the soul.

Of the passions of the soul.

Third, I come, in the next place, to describe the soul by the
passions of the soul. The passions of the soul, I reckon, are these,
and such like--to wit, love, hatred, joy, fear, grief, anger, etc.
And these passions of the soul are not therefore good, nor therefore
evil, because they are the passions of the soul, but are made so
by two things--to wit, principle and object. The principle I count
that from whence they flow, and the object that upon which they
are pitched. To explain myself.

Of love.

1. For that of love. This is a strong passion; the Holy Ghost saith
'it is strong as death, and cruel as the grave' (Song 8:6,7). And
it is then good, when it flows from faith, and pitcheth itself
upon God in Christ as the object, and when it extendeth itself to
all that is good, whether it be the good Word, the good work of
grace, or the good men that have it, and also to their good lives.
But all soul-love floweth not from this principle, neither hath
these for its object. How many are there that make the object of
their love the most vile of men, the most base of things, because
it flows from vile affections, and from the lusts of the flesh?
God and Christ, good laws and good men, and their holy lives, they
cannot abide, because their love wanteth a principle that should
sanctify it in its first motion, and that should steer it to a
goodly object. But that is the first.

Of hatred.

2. There is hatred, which I count another passion of the soul; and
this, as the other, is good or evil, as the principle from whence
it flows and the object of it are. 'Ye that love the Lord, hate
evil' (Psa 97:10). Then, therefore, is this passion good, when it
singleth out from the many thousand of things that are in the world
that one filthy thing called sin; and when it setteth itself, the
soul, and the whole man, against it, and engageth all the powers
of the soul to seek and invent its ruin.7 But, alas, where shall
this hatred be found? What man is there whose soul is filled with
this passion, thus sanctified by the love of God, and that makes
sin, which is God's enemy, the only object of its indignation? How
many be there, I say, whose hatred is turned another way, because
of the malignity of their minds.

They hate knowledge (Prov 1:22). They hate God (Deu 7:10; Job
21:14). They hate the righteous (2 Chron 29:2; Psa 34:21; Prov
29:10). They hate God's ways (Mal 3:14; Prov 8:12). And all is,
because the grace of filial fear is not the root and principle
from whence their hatred flows. 'For the fear of the Lord is to
hate evil:' wherefore, where this grace is wanting for a root in
the soul, there it must of necessity swerve in the letting out of
this passion; because the soul, where grace in wanting, is not at
liberty to act simply, but is biased by the power of sin; that,
while grace is absent, is present in the soul. And hence it is that
this passion, which, when acted well, is a virtue, is so abused,
and made to exercise its force against that for which God never
ordained it, nor gave it license to act.

Of joy.

3. Another passion of the soul is joy; and when the soul rejoiceth
virtuously, it rejoiceth not in iniquity, 'but rejoiceth in the
truth' (1 Cor 13:6). This joy is a very strong passion, and will
carry a man through a world of difficulties; it is a passion that
beareth up, that supporteth and strengtheneth a man, let the object
of his joy be what it will. It is this that maketh the soul fat in
goodness, if it have its object accordingly; and that which makes
the soul bold in wickedness, if it indeed doth rejoice in iniquity.

Of fear.

4. Another passion of the soul is fear, natural fear; for so you
must understand me of all the passions of the soul, as they are
considered simply and in their own nature. And, as it is with the
other passions, so it is with this; it is made good or evil in its
acts, as its principle and objects are; when this passion of the
soul is good, then it springs from sense of the greatness, and
goodness and majesty of God; also God himself is the object of this
fear'--I will forewarn you,' says Christ, 'whom ye shall fear. Fear
him that can destroy both body and soul in hell; yea, I say unto
you, Fear him' (Matt 5:28; Luke 7:5). But in all men this passion
is not regulated and governed by these principles and objects,
but is abused and turned, through the policy of Satan, quite into
another channel. It is made to fear men (Num 14:9), to fear idols
(2 Kings 17:7,38), to fear devils and witches, yea, it is made to
fear all the foolish, ridiculous, and apish fables that every old
woman or atheistical fortune teller has the face to drop before
the soul. But fear is another passion of the soul.

Of grief.

5. Another passion of the soul is grief, and it, as those afore-named,
acteth even according as it is governed. When holiness is lovely
and beautiful to the soul, and when the name of Christ is more
precious than life, then will the soul sit down and be afflicted,
because men keep not God's law. 'I beheld the transgressors, and
was grieved; because they kept not Thy word' (Psa 119:158). So
Christ; He looked round about with anger, 'being grieved for the
hardness of their hearts' (Mark 3:5). But it is rarely seen that
this passion of the soul is thus exercised. Almost everybody has
other things for the spending of the heat of this passion upon. Men
are grieved that they thrive no more in the world; grieved that
they have no more carnal, sensual, and worldly honour; grieved
that they are suffered no more to range in the lusts and vanities
of this life; but all this is because the soul is unaquainted with
God, sees no beauty in holiness, but is sensual, and wrapt up in
clouds and thick darkness.

Of anger.

6. And lastly, There is anger, which is another passion of the
soul; and that, as the rest, is extended by the soul, according to
the nature of the principle by which it is acted, and from whence
it flows. And, in a word, to speak nothing of the fierceness and
power of this passion, it is then cursed when it breaketh out beyond
the bounds that God hath set it, the which to be sure it doth, when
it shall by its fierceness or irregular motion, run the soul into
sin. 'Be ye angry, and sin not' (Eph 4:26), is the limitation
wherewith God hath bounded this passion; and whatever is more than
this, is a giving place to the devil. And one reason, among others,
why the Lord doth so strictly set this bound, and these limits to
anger, is, for that it is so furious a passion, and for that it will
so quickly swell up the soul with sin, as they say a toad swells
with its poison. Yea, it will in a moment so transport the spirit
of a man, that he shall quickly forget himself, his God, his friend,
and all good rule. But my business is not now to make a comment
upon the passions of the soul, only to show you that there are
such, and also which they are.

And now, from this description of the soul, what follows but
to put you in mind what a noble, powerful, lively, sensible thing
the soul is, that by the text is supposed may be lost, through the
heedlessness, or carelessness, or slavish fear of him whose soul
it is; and also to stir you up to that care of, and labour after,
the salvation of your soul, as becomes the weight of the matter.
If the soul were a trivial thing, or if a man, though he lost it,
might yet himself be happy, it were another matter; but the loss
of the soul is no small loss, nor can that man that has lost his
soul, had he all the world, yea, the whole kingdom of heaven, in
his own power be but in a most fearful and miserable condition.
But of these things more in their place.

[THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUL.]

SECOND, Having thus given you a description of the soul, what it
is, I shall, in the next place, show you the greatness of it.

[Of the greatness of the soul, when compared with the body.]

First, And the first thing that I shall take occasion to make this
manifest by, will be by showing you the disproportion that is betwixt
that and the body; and I shall do it in these following particulars:--

The body a house for the soul.

1. The body is called the house of the soul, a house for the soul
to dwell in. Now everybody knows that the house is much inferior
to him that, by God's ordinance, is appointed to dwell therein;
that it is called the house of the soul, you find in Paul to the
Corinthians: 'For we know,' saith he, 'that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens' (2 Cor 5:1). We have
then, a house for our soul in this world, and this house is the
body, for the apostle can mean nothing else; therefore he calls it
an earthly house. 'If our earthly house'--our house. But who doth
he personate if he says, This is a house for the soul; for the body
is part of him that says, Our house?

In this manner of language, he personates his soul with the souls
of the rest that are saved; and thus to do, is common with the
apostles, as will be easily discerned by them that give attendance
to reading. Our earthly houses; or, as Job saith, 'houses of clay,'
for our bodies are bodies of clay:

'Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies
of clay' (Job 4:19; 13:12). Indeed, he after maketh mention of a
house in heaven, but that is not it about which he now speaks; now
he speaks of this earthly house which we have (we, our souls) to
dwell in, while on this side glory, where the other house stands,
as ready prepared for us when we shall flit from this to that; or
in case this should sooner or later be dissolved. But that is the
first; the body is compared to the house, but the soul to him that
inhabiteth the house; therefore, as the man is more noble than the
house he dwells in, so is the soul more noble than the body. And
yet, alas! with grief be it spoken, how common is it for men to
spend all their care, all their time, all their strength, all their
wit and parts for the body and its honour and preferment, even as
if the soul were some poor, pitiful, sorry, inconsiderable, and
under thing, not worth the thinking of, or not worth the caring
for. But,

The body clothing for the soul.

2. The body is called the clothing and the soul that which
is clothed therewith. Now, everybody knows that 'the body is more
than raiment,' even carnal sense will teach us this. But read that
pregnant place: 'For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being
burdened (that is, with mortal flesh); not for that we should be
unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up
of life' (2 Cor 5:4). Thus the greatness of the soul appears in
the preference that it hath to the body--the body is its raiment.
We see that, above all creatures, man, because he is the most noble
among all visible ones, has, for the adorning of his body, that
more abundant comeliness. 'Tis the body of man, not of beast, that
is clothed with the richest ornaments. But now what a thing is the
soul, that the body itself must be its clothing! No suit of apparel
is by God thought good enough for the soul, but that which is made
by God himself, and that is that curious thing, the body. But oh!
how little is this considered--namely, the greatness of the soul.
'Tis the body, the clothes, the suit of apparel, that our foolish
fancies are taken with, not at all considering the richness and
excellency of that great and more noble part, the soul, for which
the body is made a mantle to wrap it up in, a garment to clothe
it withal. If a man gets a rent in his clothes, it is little in
comparison of a rent in his flesh; yea, he comforts himself when
he looks on that rent, saying, Thanks be to God, it is not a rent
in my flesh. But ah! on the contrary, how many are there in the
world that are more troubled for that they have a rent, a wound, or
a disease in the body, than for that they have for the souls that
will be lost and cast away. A little rent in the body dejecteth
and casteth such down, but they are not at all concerned, though
their soul is now, and will yet further be, torn in pieces, 'Now
consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces,
and there be none to deliver' (Psa 50:22). But this is the second
thing whereby, or by which, the greatness of the soul appears--to
wit, in that the body, that excellent piece of God's workmanship,
is but a garment, or clothing for the soul.

The body a vessel for the soul.

3. The body is called a vessel, or a case, for the soul to be put
and kept in. 'That every one of you should know how to possess
his vessel in sanctifcation and honour' (1 Thess 4:4). The apostle
here doth exhort the people to abstain from fornication, which,
in another place, he saith, '...is a sin against the body' (1 Cor
6:18). And here again he saith, 'This is the will of God, that ye
should abstain from fornication:' that the body be not defiled,
'that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in
sanctification and honour.' His vessel, his earthen vessel, as he
calls it in another place--for 'we have this treasure in earthen
vessels.' Thus, then, the body is called a vessel; yea, every man's
body is his vessel. But what has God prepared this vessel for, and
what has He put into it? Why, many things this body is to be a vessel
for, but at present God has put into it that curious thing, the
soul. Cabinets, that are very rich and costly things of themselves,
are not made nor designed to be vessels to be stuffed or filled with
trumpery, and things of no value; no, these are prepared for rings
and jewels, for pearls, for rubies, and things that are choice. And
if so, what shall we then think of the soul for which is prepared,
and that of God, the most rich and excellent vessel in the world?
Surely it must be a thing of worth, yea, of more worth than is the
whole world besides. But alas! who believes this talk? Do not even
the most of men so set their minds upon, and so admire, the glory
of this case or vessel, that they forget once with seriousness to
think, and, therefore, must of necessity be a great way off, of
those suitable esteems that becomes them to have of their souls.
But oh, since this vessel, this cabinet, this body, is so curiously
made, and that to receive and contain, what thing is that for which
God has made this vessel, and what is that soul that He hath put
into it? Wherefore thus, in the third place, is the greatness of
the soul made manifest, even by the excellency of the vessel, the
body, that God has made to put it in.

The body a tabernacle of the soul.

4. The body is called a tabernacle for the soul. 'Knowing that shortly
I must put off this my tabernacle' (2 Pet 1:14), that is, my body,
'by death' (John 21:18,19). 'For we know that if our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God,' etc.
(2 Cor 5:1). In both these places, by 'tabernacle,' can be meant
nothing but the body; wherefore both the apostles, in these sentences
do personate their souls, and speak as if the soul was THE ALL of
a man; yea, they plainly tell us, that the body is but the house,
clothes, vessel, and tabernacle for the soul. But what a famous
thing therefore is the soul!

The tabernacle of old was a place erected for worship, but
the worshippers were more excellent than the place; so our body
is a tabernacle for the soul to worship God in, but must needs be
accounted much inferior to the soul, forasmuch as the worshippers
are always of more honour than the place they worship in; as he that
dwelleth in the tabernacle hath more honour than the tabernacle.8
'I serve,' says Paul, God and Christ Jesus 'with my spirit (or soul)
in the gospel' (Rom 1:9), but not with his spirit out of, but in,
this tabernacle. The tabernacle had instruments of worship for the
worshippers; so has the body for the soul, and we are bid to 'yield
our members as instruments of righteousness to God' (Rom 6:13). The
hands, feet, ears, eyes, and tongue, which last is our glory when
used right, are all of them instruments of this tabernacle, and to
be made use of by the soul, the inhabiter of this tabernacle, for
the soul's performance of the service of God. I thus discourse,
to show you the greatness of the soul. And, in mine opinion, there
is something, if not very much, in what I say. For all men admire
the body, both for its manner of building, and the curious way of
its being compacted together. Yes, the further men, wise men, do
pry into the wonderful work of God that is put forth in framing the
body, the more still they are made to admire; and yet, as I said,
this body is but a house, a mantle, a vessel, a tabernacle for
the soul. What, then, is the soul itself?9 But thus much for the
first particular.

[Other things that show the greatness of the soul.]

Second, We will now come to other things that show us the greatness
of the soul. And,

The soul is called God's breath.

1. It is called God's breath of life. 'And the Lord God formed
man,' that is, the body, 'of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living
soul' (Gen 2:7). Do but compare these two together, the body and
the soul; the body is made of dust, the soul is the breath of God.
Now, if God hath made this body so famous, as indeed He has, and
yet it is made but of the dust of the ground, and we all do know
what inferior matter it is, what is the soul, since the body is not
only its house and garment, but since itself is made of the breath
of God? But, further, it is not only said that the soul is of the
breath of the Lord, but that the Lord breathed into him the breath
of life--to wit, a living spirit, for so the next words infer--and
'man became a living soul.' Man, that is, the more excellent part
of him, which, for that which is principal, is called man, that
bearing the denomination of the whole; or man, the spirit and
natural power, by which, as a reasonable creature, the whole of
him is acted, 'became a living soul.' But I stand not here upon
definition, but upon demonstration. The body, that noble part of
man, had its original from the dust; for so says the Word, 'Dust
thou art (as to thy body), and unto dust shalt thou return' (Gen
3:19). But as to thy more noble part, thou art from the breath of
God, God putting forth in that a mighty work of creating power, and
man 'was made a living soul' (1 Cor 15:45). Mark my reason. There
is as great a disparity betwixt the body and the soul, as is between
the dust of the ground and that, here called, the breath of life
of the Lord. And note further, that, as the dust of the ground did
not lose, but gained glory by being formed into the body of a man,
so this breath of the Lord lost nothing neither by being made a
living soul. O man! dost thou know what thou art?

The soul God's image.

2. As the soul is said to be of the breath of God, so it is said
to be made after God's own image, even after the similitude of God.
'And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.--So
God created man in His own image, in the image of God created
He him' (Gen 1:26,27). Mark, in His own image, in the image of
God created He him; or, as James hath it, it is 'made after the
similitude of God,' (James 3:9); like Him, having in it that which
beareth semblance with Him. I do not read of anything in heaven,
or earth, or under the earth, that is said to be made after this
manner, or that is at all so termed, save only the Son of God Himself.
The angels are noble creatures, and for present employ are made a
little higher than man himself, (Heb 2); but that any of them are
said to be made 'after God's image,' after His own image, even
after the similitude of God, that I find not. This character the
Holy Ghost, in the Scriptures of truth, giveth only of man, of
the soul of man; for it must not be thought that the body is here
intended in whole or in part. For though it be said that Christ
was made after the similitude of sinful flesh (Phil 2), yet it is
not said that sinful flesh is made after the similitude of God;
but I will not dispute; I only bring these things to show how great
a thing, how noble a thing the soul is; in that, at its creation,
God thought it worthy to be made, not like the earth, or the heavens,
or the angels, seraphims, or archangels, but like Himself, His own
self, saying, 'Let Us make man in Our own likeness. So He made man
in His own image.' This, I say, is a character above all angels;
for, as the apostle said, 'To which of the angels said He at anytime,
'Thou art my Son?' So, of which of them hath He at any time said,
This is, or shall be, made in or after Mine image, Mine own image?
O what a thing is the soul of man, that above all the creatures in
heaven or earth, being made in the image and similitude of God.10

The soul God's desire.

3. Another thing by which the greatness of the soul is made manifest
is this, it is that--and that only, and to say this is more than
to say, it is that above all the creatures--that the great God
desires communion with. He 'hath set apart him that is godly for
himself,' (Psa 4:3); that is, for communion with his soul; therefore
the spouse saith concerning him, 'His desire is toward me,' (Song
7:10); and, therefore, he saith again, 'I will dwell in them,
and walk in them' (2 Cor 6:16). To 'dwell in,' and 'walk in,' are
terms that intimate communion and fellowship; as John saith, 'Our
fellowship, truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his
Son Jesus Christ' (1 John 1:3). That is, our soul-fellowship; for
it must not be understood of the body, though I believe that the
body is much influenced when the soul has communion with God; but
it is the soul, and that only, that at present is capable of having
and maintaining of this blessed communion. But, I say, what a thing
is this, that God, the great God, should choose to have fellowship
and communion with the soul above all. We read, indeed, of the
greatness of the angels, and how near also they are unto God; but
yet there are not such terms that bespeak such familiar acts between
God and angels, as to demonstrate that they have such communion
with God as has, or as the souls of His people may have. Where has
He called them His love, His dove, His fair one? and where, when He
speaketh of them, doth He express a communion that they have with
Him by the similitude of conjugal love? I speak of what is revealed;
the secret things belong to the Lord our God. Now by all this is
manifest the greatness of the soul. Men of greatness and honour,
if they have respect to their own glory, will not choose for their
familiars the base and rascally crew of this world; but will single
out for their fellows, fellowship, and communion, those that are
most like themselves. True, the King has not an equal, yet He is
for being familiar only with the nobles of the land: so God, with
Him none can compare; yet since the soul is by Him singled out
for His walking mate and companion, it is a sign it is the highest
born, and that upon which the blessed Majesty looks, as upon that
which is most meet to be singled out for communion with Himself.

Should we see a man familiar with the King, we would, even of
ourselves, conclude he is one of the nobles of the land; but this
is not the lot of every soul--some have fellowship with devils, yet
not because they have a more base original than those that lie in
God's bosom, but they, through sin, are degenerate, and have chosen
to be great with His enemy--but all these things show the greatness
of the soul.

The soul a vessel for grace.

4. The soul of men are such as God counts worthy to be the vessels
to hold His grace, the graces of the Spirit, in. The graces of the
Spirit--what like them, or where here are they to be found, save
in the souls of men only? 'Of His fulness have all we received,
and grace for grace' (John 1:16). Received, into what? into 'the
hidden part,' as David calls it (Psa 51:6). Hence the king's daughter
is said to be 'all glorious within,' (Psa 45:15); because adorned
and beautified with the graces of the Spirit. For that which David
calls the hidden part is the inmost part of the soul; and it is,
therefore, called the hidden part, because the soul is invisible,
nor can any one living infallibly know what is in the soul but God
Himself. But, I say, the soul is the vessel into which this golden
oil is poured, and that which holds, and is accounted worthy to
exercise and improve the same. Therefore the soul is it which is
said to love God--'Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?' (Song 3:3);
and, therefore, the soul is that which exerciseth the spirit of
prayer--'With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with
my spirit within me will I seek thee early' (Isa 26:9). With the
soul also men are said to believe and into the soul God is said to
put His fear. This is the vessel into which the virgins got oil,
and out of which their lamps were supplied by the same. But what
a thing, what a great thing therefore is the soul, that that above
all things that God hath created should be the chosen vessel to put
His grace in. The body is the vessel for the soul, and the soul is
the vessel for the grace of God. But,

5. The greatness of the soul is manifest by the greatness of the
price that Christ paid for it, to make it an heir of glory; and
that was His precious blood (1 Cor 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18,19). We do
use to esteem of things according to the price that is given for
them, especially when we are convinced that the purchase has not
been made by the estimation of a fool. Now the soul is purchased
by a price that the Son, the wisdom of God, thought fit to pay
for the redemption thereof--what a thing, then, is the soul? Judge
of the soul by the price that is paid for it, and you must needs
confess, unless you count the blood that hath bought it an unholy
thing, that it cannot but be of great worth and value. Suppose a
prince, or some great man, should, on a sudden, descend from his
throne, or chair of state, to take up, that he might put in his
bosom, something that he had espied lying trampled under the feet
of those that stand by; would you think that he would do this for
an old horse shoe,11 or for so trivial a thing as a pin or a point?
12 Nay, would you not even of yourselves conclude that that thing
for which the prince, so great a man, should make such a stoop,
must needs be a thing of very great worth? Why, this is the case
of Christ and the soul. Christ is the prince, His throne was in
heaven, and, as He sat there, He espied the souls of sinners trampled
under the foot of the law and death for sin. Now, what doth He,
but comes down from His throne, stoops down to the earth, and there,
since He could not have the trodden-down souls without price, He
lays down His life and blood for them (2 Cor 8:9). But would He
have done this for inconsiderable things? No, nor for the souls
of sinners neither, had He not valued them higher than he valued
heaven and earth besides. 13 This, therefore, is another thing by
which the greatness of the soul is known.

The soul immortal.

6. The soul is immortal, it will have a sensible being for ever,
none can kill the soul (Luke 12:4; Matt 10:28). If all the angels
in heaven, and all the men on earth, should lay all their strength
together, they cannot kill or annihilate one soul. No, I will
speak without fear, if it may be said, God cannot do what He will
not do; then He cannot annihilate the soul: but, notwithstanding
all His wrath, and the vengeance that He will inflict on sinful
souls, they yet shall abide with sensible beings, yet to endure,
yet to bear punishment. If anything could kill the soul, it would
be death; but death cannot do it, neither first nor second; the
first cannot, for when Dives was slain, as to his body by death,
his soul was found alive in hell--'He lift up his eyes in hell,
being in torment' (Luke 16:23). The second death cannot do it,
because it is said their worm never dies, but is always torturing
them with his gnawing (Mark 9:44). But that could not be, if time,
or lying in hell fire for ever, could annihilate the soul. Now, this
also shows the greatness of the soul, that it is that which has an
endless life, and that will, therefore, have a being endlessly. O
what a thing is the soul!

The soul, then, is immortal, though not eternal. That is eternal that
has neither beginning nor end, and, therefore, eternal is properly
applicable to none but God; hence He is called the 'eternal God'
(Deu 33:27). Immortal is that which, though it hath a beginning,
yet hath no end, it cannot die, nor cease to be; and this is the
state of the soul. It cannot cease to have a being when it is once
created; I mean, a living, sensible being. For I mean by living, only
such a being as distinguishes it from annihilation or incapableness
of sense and feeling. Hence, as the rich man is after death said
to 'lift up his eyes in hell,' so the beggar is said, when he died,
to be 'carried by the angels, into Abraham's bosom' (Luke 16:22,23).
And both these sayings must have respect to the souls of these men;
for, as for their bodies, we know at present it is otherwise with
them. The grave is their house, and so must be till the trumpet
shall sound, and the heavens pass away like a scroll. Now, I say,
the immortality of the soul shows the greatness of it, as the
eternity of God shows the greatness of God. It cannot be said of
any angel but that he is immortal, and so it is, and ought to be
said of the soul. This, therefore, shows the greatness of the soul,
in that it is as to abiding so like unto him.

'Tis the soul that acts the body.

7. But a word or two more, and so to conclude this head. The
soul!--why, it is the soul that acteth the body in all these things,
good or bad, that seem good and reasonable, or amazingly wicked.
True, the acts and motions of the soul are only seen and heard in,
and by the members and motions of the body, but the body is but a
poor instrument, soul is the great agitator and actor. 'The body
without the spirit is dead' (James 2:26). All those famous arts,
and works, and inventions of works, that are done by men under
heaven, they are all the intentions of the soul, and the body, as
acting and labouring therein, doth it but as a tool that the soul
maketh use of to bring his invention into maturity (Eccl 7:29).
How many things have men found out to the amazing of one another,
to the wonderment of one another, to the begetting of endless
commendations of one another in the world, while, in the meantime,
the soul, which indeed is the true inventor of all, is overlooked,
not regarded, but dragged up and down by every lust, and prostrate,
and made a slave to every silly and beastly thing. O the amazing
darkness that hath covered the face of the hearts of the children
of men, that they cannot deliver their soul, nor say, 'Is there not
a lie in my right hand?' (Isa 44:20), though they are so cunning
in all other matters. Take man in matters that are abroad, and far
from home, and he is the mirror of all the world; but take him at
home, and put him upon things that are near him, I mean, that have
respect to the things that concern his soul, and then you will
find him the greatest fool that ever God made. But this must not
be applied to the soul simply as it is God's creature, but to the
soul sinful, as it has willingly apostatized from God, and so suffered
itself to be darkened, and that with such thick and stupifying
darkness, that it is bound up and cannot--it hath a napkin of sin
bound so close before its eyes that it is not able--of itself--to
look to, and after those things which should be its chiefest concern,
and without which it will be most miserable for ever.

The soul capable of having to do with invisibles.

8. Further, as the soul is thus curious about arts and sciences,
and about every excellent thing of this life, so it is capable of
having to do with invisibles, with angels, good or bad, yea, with
the highest and Supreme Being, even with the holy God of heaven. I
told you before that God sought the soul of man to have it for His
companion; and now I tell you that the soul is capable of communion
with Him, when the darkness that sin hath spread over its face is
removed. The soul is an intelligent power, it can be made to know
and understand depths, and heights, and lengths, and breadths,
in those high, sublime, and spiritual mysteries that only God can
reveal and teach; yea, it is capable of diving unutterably into them.
And herein is God, the God of glory, much delighted and pleased--to
wit, that He hath made Himself a creature that is capable of
hearing, of knowing, and of understanding of His mind, when opened
and revealed to it. I think I may say, without offence to God
or man, that one reason why God made the world was, that He might
manifest Himself, not only by, but to the works which He made; but,
I speak with reverence, how could that be, if He did not also make
some of His creatures capable of apprehending of Him in those most
high mysteries and methods in which He purposed to reveal Himself?
But then, what are those creatures which He hath made (unto whom
when these things are shown) that are able to take them in and
understand them, and so to improve them to God's glory, as He hath
ordained and purposed they should, but souls? for none else in the
visible world are capable of doing this but they. And hence it is
that to them, and them only, He beginneth to reveal Himself in this
world. And hence it is that they, and they only, are gathered up
to Him where He is, for they are they that are called 'the spirits
of just men made perfect,' (Heb 12:23); the spirit of a beast goeth
downward to the earth, it is the spirit of a man that goes upwards
to God that gave it (Eccl 3:21;12:7). For that, and that only,
is capable of beholding and understanding the glorious visions of
heaven; as Christ said, 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory,
which thou hast given Me; for thou lovedst Me before the foundation
of the world' (John 17:24). And thus the greatness of the soul is
manifest. True, the body is also gathered up into glory, but not
simply for its own sake, or because that is capable of itself to
know and understand the glories of its Maker; but that has been
a companion with the soul in this world, has also been its house,
its mantle, its cabinet and tabernacle here; it has also been it by
which the soul hath acted, in which it hath wrought, and by which
its excellent appearances have been manifested; and it shall also
there be its co-partner and sharer in its glory. Wherefore, as the
body here did partake of soul excellencies, and was also conformed
to its spiritual and regenerate principles; so it shall be hereafter
a partaker of that glory with which the soul shall be filled,
and also be made suitable by that glory to become a partaker and
co-partner with it of the eternal excellencies which heaven will
put upon it. In this world it is a gracious soul (I speak now of
the regenerate), and in that world it shall be a glorious one. In
this world the body was conformable to the soul as it was gracious,
and in that world it shall be conformable to it as it is glorious;
conformable, I say, by partaking of that glory that then the soul
shall partake of; yea, it shall also have an additional glory to
adorn, and make it yet the more capable of being serviceable to
it, and with it in its great acts before God in eternal glory. Oh,
what great things are the souls of the sons of men!

The soul capable of diving into the depths and mysteries of hell.

9. But again, as the soul is thus capable of enjoying God in glory,
and of prying into these mysteries that are in him, so it is capable,
with great profundity, to dive into the mysterious depths of hell.
Hell is a place and state utterly unknown to any in this visible
world, excepting the souls of men; nor shall any for ever be capable
of understanding the miseries thereof, save souls and fallen angels.
Now, I think, as the joys of heaven stand not only in speculation,
or in beholding of glory, but in a sensible enjoyment and unspeakable
pleasure which those glories will yield to the soul (Psa 16:11),
so the torments of hell will not stand in the present lashes and
strokes which by the flames of eternal fire God will scourge the
ungodly with; but the torments of hell stand much, if not in the
greatest part of them, in those deep thoughts and apprehensions,
which souls in the next world will have of the nature and occasions
of sin; of God, and of separation from Him; of the eternity of those
miseries, and of the utter impossibility of their help, ease, or
deliverance for ever. O! damned souls will have thoughts that will
clash with glory, clash with justice, clash with law, clash with
itself, clash with hell, and with the everlastingness of misery;
but the point, the edge, and the poison of all these thoughts will
still be galling, and dropping, and spewing out their stings into
the sore, grieved, wounded, and fretted place, which is the conscience,
though not the conscience only; for I may say of the souls in hell,
that they all over are but one wound, one sore! Miseries as well
as mercies sharpen and make quick the apprehensions of the soul.
Behold Spira in his book, 14 Cain in his guilt, and Saul with the
witch of Endor, and you shall see men ripened, men enlarged and
greatened in their fancies, imaginations, and apprehensions though
not about God, and heaven, and glory, yet about their loss, their
misery, and their woe, and their hells (Isa 33:14; Psa 1:4; Rev
14:10; Mark 9:44,46).

The ability of the soul to bear.

10. Nor doth their ability to bear, if it be proper to say they
bear those dolors which there for ever they shall endure, a little
demonstrate their greatness. Everlasting burning, devouring fire,
perpetual pains, gnawing worms, utter darkness, and the ireful
souls, face, and strokes of Divine and infinite justice will not,
cannot, make this soul extinct, as I said before. I think it is not
so proper to say the soul that is damned for sin doth bear these
things, as to say it doth ever sink under them: and, therefore,
their place of torment is called the bottomless pit, because they
are ever sinking, and shall never come there where they will find
any stay. Yet they live under wrath, but yet only so as to be
sensible of it, as to smart and be in perpetual anguish, by reason
of the intolerableness of their burden. But doth not their thus
living, abiding, and retaining a being(or what you will call it),
demonstrate the greatness and might of the soul? Alas! heaven and
earth are short of this greatness, for these, though under less
judgment by far, do fade and wax old like a moth-eaten garment,
and, in their time, will vanish away to nothing (Heb 1).

Also, we see how quickly the body, when the soul is under a fear
of the rebukes of justice, how soon, I say, it wastes, moulders
away, and crumbleth into the grave; but the soul is yet strong, and
abides sensible to be dealt withal for sin by everlasting burnings.

The might of the soul further shown.

11. The soul, by God's ordinance, while this world lasts, has a
time appointed it to forsake and leave the body to be turned again
to the dust as it was, and this separation is made by death, (Heb
9:27); therefore the body must cease for a time to have sense, or
life, or motion; and a little thing brings it now into this state;
but in the next world, the wicked shall partake of none of this;
for the body and the soul being at the resurrection rejoined, this
death, that once did rend them asunder, is for ever overcome and
extinct; so that these two which lived in sin must for ever be
yoked together in hell. Now, there the soul being joined to the
body, and death, which before did separate them, being utterly taken
away, the soul retains not only its own being, but also continueth
the body to be, and to suffer sensibly the pains of hell, without
those decays that it used to sustain.

And the reason why this death shall then be taken away is, because
justice in its bestowing its rewards for transgressions may not be
interrupted, but that body and soul, as they lived and acted in sin
together, might be destroyed for sin in hell together (Matt 10:28
Luke 12:5). Destroyed, I say, but with such a destruction, which,
though it is everlasting, will not put a period to their sensible
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (2 Thess 1:8,9).

This death, therefore, though that also be the wages of sin, would
now, were it suffered to continue, be a hinderance to the making
known of the wrath of God, and also of the created power and might
of the soul. (1.) It would hinder the making known of the wrath
of God, for it would take the body out of the way, and make it
incapable of sensible suffering for sin, and so removing one of
the objects of vengeance the power of God's wrath would be so far
undiscovered. (2.) It would also hinder the manifestation of the
power and might of the soul, which is discovered much by its abiding
to retain its own being while the wrath of God is grappling with
it, and more by its continuing to the body a sensible being with
itself.

Death, therefore, must now be removed, that the soul may be made
the object of wrath without molestation or interruption. That the
soul, did I say? yea, that soul and body both might be so. Death
would now be a favour, though once the fruit of sin, and also the
wages thereof, might it now be suffered to continue, because it
would ease the soul of some of its burden: for a tormented body
cannot but be a burden to a spirit, and so the wise man insinuates
when he says, 'The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;' that
is, bear up under it, but yet so as that it feels it a burden. We
see that, because of the sympathy that is between body and soul,
how one is burdened if the other be grieved. A sick body is a
burden to the soul, and a wounded spirit is a burden to the body;
'a wounded spirit who can bear?' (Prov 18:14). But death must not
remove this burden, but the soul must have the body for a burden,
and the body must have the soul for a burden, and both must have
the wrath of God for a burden. Oh, therefore, here will be burden
upon burden, and all upon the soul, for the soul will be the chief
seat of this burden! But thus much to show you the greatness of
the soul.

[OF THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.]

THIRD, I shall now come to the third thing which was propounded to
be spoken to; and that is, to show you what we are to understand
by losing of the soul, or what the loss of the soul is--'What shall
a man give in exchange for his soul?'

[He that loseth his soul loseth himself.]

First, The loss of the soul is a loss, in the nature of it, peculiar
to itself. There is no such loss, as to the nature of loss, as is
the loss of the soul; for that he that hath lost his soul has lost
himself. In all other losses, it is possible for a man to save
himself, but he that loseth his soul, loseth himself--'For what is
a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself?'
(Luke 9:25). Wherefore, the loss of the soul is a loss that cannot
be paralleled. He that loseth himself, loseth his all, his lasting
all; for himself is his all--his all in the most comprehensive
sense. What mattereth it what a man gets, if by the getting thereof
he loseth himself? Suppose a man goeth to the Indies for gold, and
he loadeth his ship therewith; but at his return, that sea that
carried him thither swallows him up--now, what has he got? But this
is but a lean similitude with reference to the matter in hand--to
wit, to set forth the loss of the soul. Suppose a man that has been
at the Indies for gold should, at his return, himself be taken by
them of Algiers, and there made a slave of, and there be hunger-bit,
and beaten till his bones are broken, 15 what has he got? what
is he advantaged by his rich adventure? Perhaps, you will say, he
has got gold enough to obtain his ransom. Indeed this may be; and
therefore no similitude can be found that can fully amplify the
matter, 'for what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' 'Tis
a loss that standeth by itself, there is not another like it, or
unto which it may be compared. 'Tis only like itself--'tis singular,
'tis the chief of all losses--the highest, the greatest loss. 'For
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' A man may lose
his wife, his children, his estate, his liberty, and his life, and
have all made up again, and have all restored with advantage, and
may, therefore, notwithstanding all these losses, be far enough off
from losing of himself. (Luke 14:26; Mark 8:35). For he may lose
his life, and save it; yea, sometimes the only way to save that,
is to lose it; but when a man has lost himself, his soul, then all
is gone to all intents and purposes. There is no word says, 'he
that loses his soul shall save it;' but contrariwise, the text
supposeth that a man has lost his soul, and then demands if any can
answer it--'What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' All,
then, that he gains that loseth his soul is only this, he has gained
a loss, he has purchased the loss of losses, he has nothing left
him now but his loss, but the loss of himself, of his whole self.
He that loseth his life for Christ, shall save it; but he that
loseth himself for sin, and for the world, shall lose himself
to perfection of loss; he has lost himself, and there is the full
point.

There are several things fall under this first head, upon which I
would touch a little.

He that has lost himself will never be more at his own dispose.

(1.) He that has lost his soul has lost himself. Now, he that lost
himself is no more at his own dispose. While a man enjoys himself,
he is at his own dispose. A single man, a free man, a rich man,
a poor man, any man that enjoys himself, is at his own dispose. I
speak after the manner of men. But he that has lost himself is not
at his own dispose. He is, as I may say, now out of his own hands:
he has lost himself, his soul-self, his own self, his whole self,
by sin, and wrath and hell hath found him; he is, therefore, now no
more at his own dispose, but at the dispose of justice, of wrath,
and hell; he is committed to prison, to hell prison, there to
abide, not at pleasure, not as long and as little time as he will,
but the term appointed by his judge: nor may he there choose his
own affliction, neither for manner, measure, or continuance. It
is God that will spread the fire and brimstone under him, it is God
that will pile up wrath upon him, and it is God himself that will
blow the fire. And 'the breathof the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,
doth kindle it' (Isa 30:33). And thus it is manifest that he that
has lost himself, his soul, is no more at his own dispose, but at
the dispose of them that find him.

He that hath lost himself, is not at liberty to dispose of what he
hath.

(2.) Again, as he that has lost himself is not at his own dispose,
so neither is he at liberty to dispose of what he has; for the
man that has lost himself has something yet of his own. The text
implies that his soul is his when lost, yea, when that and his all,
himself is lost; but as he cannot dispose of himself, so he cannot
dispose of what he hath. Let me take leave to make out my meaning.
If he that is lost, that has lost himself, has not, notwithstanding,
something that in some sense may be called his own, then he that
is lost is nothing. The man that is in hell has yet the powers, the
senses, and passions of his soul; for not he nor his soul must be
thought to be stripped of these; for then he would be lower than
the brute; but yet all these, since he is there, are by God improved
against himself; or, if you will, the point of this man's sword is
turned against his own heart, and made to pierce his own liver.

The soul by being in hell loseth nothing of its aptness to think,
its quickness to pierce, to pry, and to understand; nay, hell
has ripened it in all these things; but, I say, the soul with its
improvements as to these, or anything else, is not in the hand of
him that hath lost himself to manage for his own advantage, but in
the hand, and in the power, and to be disposed as is thought meet
by him into whose revenging hand by sin he has delivered himself--to
wit, in the hand of God. So, then, God now has the victory, and
disposeth of all the powers, senses, and passions of the soul for
the chastising of him that has lost himself. Now the understanding
is only employed and improved in and about the apprehending of such
things as will be like daggers at the heart--to wit, about justice,
sin, hell, and eternity, to grieve and break the spirit of the
damned; yea, to break, to wound, and to tear the soul in pieces.
The depths of sin which the man has loved, the good nature of God
whom the man has hated, the blessings of eternity which the soul
has despised, shall now be understood by him more than ever, but yet
so only, as to increase grief and sorrow, by improving of the good
and of the evil of the things understood, to the greater wounding
of the spirit; wherefore now, every touch that the understanding
shall give to the memory will be as a touch of a red-hot iron, or
like a draught of scalding lead poured down the throat. The memory
also letteth those things down upon the conscience with no less
terror and perplexity. And now the fancy or imagination doth start
and stare like a man by fears bereft of wits, and doth exercise
itself, or rather is exercised by the hand of revenging justice,
so about the breadth and depth of present and future punishments,
as to lay the soul as on a burning rack. Now also the judgment, as
with a mighty maul, driveth down the soul in the sense and pangs
of everlasting misery into that pit that has no bottom; yea, it
turneth again, and, as with a hammer, it riveteth every fearful
thought and apprehension of the soul so fast that it can never be
loosed again for ever and ever. Alas! now the conscience can sleep,
be dull, be misled, or batter, no longer; no, it must now cry out;
understanding will make it, memory will make it, fancy or imagination
will make it. Now, I say, it will cry out of sin, of justice, and
of the terribleness of the punishment that hath swallowed him up
that has lost himself. Here will be no forgetfulness; yet nothing
shall be thought on but that which will wound and kill; here will
be no time, cause, or means for diversion; all will stick and gnaw
like a viper. Now the memory will go out to where sin was heretofore
committed, it will also go out to the word that did forbid it. The
understanding also, and the judgment too, will now consider of the
pretended necessity that the man had to break the commandments of
God, and of the seasonableness of the cautions and of the convictions
which were given him to forbear, by all which more load will be laid
upon him that has lost himself; for here all the powers, senses,
and passions of the soul must be made self-burners, self-tormentors,
self-executioners, by the just judgment of God; also all that the
will shall do in this place shall be but to wish for ease, but the
wish shall only be such as shall only seem to lift up, for the cable
rope of despair shall with violence pull him down again. The will
indeed will wish for ease, and so will the mind, etc., but all these
wishers will by wishing arrive to no more advantage but to make
despair which is the most twinging stripe of hell, to cut yet deepeer
into the whole soul of him that has lost himself; wherefore, after
all that can be wished for, they return again to their burning chair,
where they sit and bewail their misery. Thus will all the powers,
senses, and passions of the soul of him that has lost himself be
out of his own power to dispose for his advantage, and will be only
in the hand and under the management of the revenging justice of
God. And herein will that state of the damned be worse than it is
now with the fallen angels; for though the fallen angels are now
cast down to hell, in chains, and sure in themselves at last to
partake of eternal judgment, yet at present they are not so bound
up as the damned sinner shall be; for notwithstanding their chains,
and their being the prisoners of the horrible hells, yet they have
a kind of liberty granted them, and that liberty will last till the
time appointed, to tempt, to plot, to contrive, and invent their
mischiefs, against the Son of God and His (Job 1:7; 2:2). And though
Satan knows that this at last will work for his future condemnation,
yet at present he finds it some diversion to his trembling mind,
and obtains, through his so busily employing of himself against the
gospel and its professors, something to sport and refresh himself
withal; yea, and doth procure to himself some small crumbs of minutes
of forgetfulness of his own present misery and of the judgment that
is yet to pass upon him; but this privilege will then be denied to
him that has lost himself; there will be no cause nor matter for
diversion; there it will; as in the old world, rain day and night
fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven upon them (Rev
14:10,11). Misery is fixed; the worm will be always sucking at and
gnawing of, their soul; also, as I have said afore, all the powers,
senses, and passions of the soul will throw their darts inwards,
yea, of God will be made to do it, to the utter, unspeakable, and
endless torment of him that has lost himself. Again,

They cannot sit down by the loss.

(3.) All therefore that he that has lost himself can do is, to
sit down by the loss. Do I say, he can do this?--oh! if that could
be, it would be to such, a mercy; I must therefore here correct
myself--That they cannot do; for to sit down by the loss implies
a patient enduring; but there will be no such grace as patience in
hell with him that has lost himself; here, will also want a bottom
for patience--to wit, the providence of God; for a providence of God,
though never so dismal, is a bottom for patience to the afflicted;
but men go not to hell by providence, but by sin. Now sin being
the cause, other effects are wrought; for they that go to hell,
and that there miserably perish, shall never say it was God by His
providence that brought them hither, and so shall not have that on
which to lean and stay themselves.

They shall justify God, and lay the fault upon themselves concluding
that it was sin with which their souls did voluntarily work--yea,
which their souls did suck in as sweet milk--that is the cause of
this their torment. Now this will work after another manner, and
will produce quite another thing than patience, or a patient enduring
of their torment; for their seeing that they are not only lost, but
have lost themselves, and that against the ordinary means that of
God was provided to prevent that loss; yea, when they shall see
what a base thing sin is, how that it is the very worst of things,
and that which also makes all things bad, and that for the sake
of that they have lost themselves, this will make them fret, and,
gnash, and gnaw with anger themselves; this will set all the passions
of the soul, save love, for that I think will be stark dead, all
in a rage, all in a self-tormenting fire. You know there is nothing
that will sooner put a man into and manage his rage against himself
than will a full conviction in his conscience that by his own only
folly, and that against caution, and counsel, and reason to the
contrary, he hath brought himself into extreme distress and misery.
But how much more will it make this fire burn when he shall see all
this is come upon him for a toy, for a bauble, for a thing that is
worse than nothing!

Why, this is the case with him that has lost himself; and therefore
he cannot sit down by the loss, cannot be at quiet under the sense
of his loss. For sharply and wonderful piercingly, considering the
loss of himself, and the cause thereof, which is sin, he falls to
a tearing of himself in pieces with thoughts as hot as the coals of
juniper, and to a gnashing upon himself for this; also the Divine
wisdom and justice of God helpeth on this self-tormentor in his
self-tormenting work, by holding the justice of the law against
which he has offended, and the unreasonableness of such offence,
continually before his face. For if, to an enlightened man who
is in the door of hope, the sight of all past evil practices will
work in him 'vexation of spirit,' to see what fools we were, (Eccl
1:14); how can it but be to them that go to hell a vexation only
to understand the report, the report that God did give them of sin,
of His grace, of hell, and of everlasting damnation, and yet that
they should be such fools to go thither? (Isa 28:19). But to pursue
this head no further, I will come now to the next thing.

[The loss of the soul a double loss.]

Secondly, As the loss of the soul is, in the nature of the loss, a
loss peculiar to itself, so the loss of the soul is a double loss;
it is, I say, a loss that is double, lost both by man and God; man
has lost it, and by that loss has lost himself; God has lost it,
and by that loss it is cast away. And to make this a little plainer
unto you, I suppose it will be readily granted that men do lose
their souls. But now how doth God lose it? The soul is God's as
well as man's--man's because it is of themselves; God's because it
is His creature; God has made us this soul, and hence it is that
all souls are His (Jer 38:16; Eze 18:4).

Now the loss of the soul doth not only stand in the sin of man, but
in the justice of God. Hence He says, 'What is a man advantaged, if
he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away' (Luke
9:25). Now this last clause, 'or be cast away,' is not spoken
to show what he that has lost his soul has done, though a man may
also be said to cast away himself; but to show what God will do to
those that have lost themselves, what God will add to that loss.
God will not cast away a righteous man, but God will cast away the
wicked, such a wicked one as by the text is under our consideration
(Job 8:20; Matt 13:50). This, then, is that which God will add, and
so make the sad state of them that lose themselves double. The man
for sin has lost himself, and God by justice will cast him away;
according to that of Abigail to David, 'The soul of my lord,' said
she, 'shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God;
and the souls of thine enemies, them shall He sling out, as out of
the middle of a sling' (1 Sam 25:29). So that here is God's hand as
well as man's; man's by sin, and God's by justice. God shall cast
them away; wherefore in the text above mentioned he doth not say,
or cast away himself, as meaning the act of the man whose soul is
lost; but, 'or be cast away' (Luke 9:25). Supposing a second person
joining with the man himself in the making up of the greatness of
the loss of the soul--to wit, God himself, who will verily cast
away that man who has lost himself. God shall cast them away--that
is, exclude them His favour or protection, and deliver them up to
the due reward of their deed! He shall shut them out of His heaven,
and deliver them up to their hell; He shall deny them a share in
his glory, and shall leave them to their own shame; He shall deny
them a portion in His peace, and shall deliver them up to the torments
of the devil, and of their own guilty consciences; He shall cast
them out of His affection, pity, and compassion, and shall leave
them to the flames that they by sin have kindled, and to the worm,
or biting cockatrice, that they themselves have hatched, nursed, and
nourished in their bosoms. And this will make their loss double,
and so a loss that is loss to the uttermost, a loss above every
loss. A man may cast away himself and not be cast away of God; a
man may be cast away by others, and not be cast away of God; yea,
what way soever a man be cast away, if he be not cast away for sin,
he is safe, he is yet found, and in a sure hand. But for a man so
to lose himself as by that loss to provoke God to cast him away
too, this is fearful.

The casting away, then, mentioned in Luke, is a casting away by
the hand of God, by the revenging hand of God; and it supposeth two
things--1. God's abhorrence of such a soul. 2. God's just repaying
of it for its wickedness by way of retaliation.

1. It supposeth God's abhorrence of the soul. That which we
abhor, that we cast from us, and put out of our favour and respect
with disdain, and a loathing thereof. So when God teacheth Israel
to loathe and abhor their idols, He bids them 'to cast away their
very covering as a stinking and menstruous cloth, and to say unto
it, 'Get you hence' (Isa 30:22), 'He shall gather the good into
vessels, and cast the bad away' (Matt 13:48; 25:41). Cast them out
of My presence. Well, but whither must they go? The answer is, Into
hell, into utter darkness, into the fire that is prepared for the
devil and his angels. Wherefore, to be cast away, to be cast away
of God, it showeth unto us God's abhorrence of such souls, and how
vile and loathsome such are in His divine eyes. And the similitude
of Abigail's sling, mentioned before, doth yet further show us the
greatness of this abhorrence--'The souls of thine enemies,' said
she, 'God shall sling out as out of the middle of a sling.' When
a man casts a stone away with a sling, then he casteth it furthest
from him, for with a sling he can cast a stone further than by
his hand. 'And he,' saith the text, 'shall cast them away as with
a sling.' But that is not all, neither: for it is not only said
that He shall sling away their souls, but that He shall sling them
away as 'out of the middle of a sling.' When a stone is placed, to
be cast away, in the middle of a sling, then doth the slinger cast
it furthest of all. Now God is the slinger, abhorrence is His
sling, the lost soul is the stone, and it is placed in the very
middle of the sling, and is from thence cast away. And, therefore,
it is said again, that 'such shall go into utter, outer darkness'--that
is, furthest off of all. This therefore shows us how God abhors
that man that for sin has lost himself. And well he may; for such
an one has not only polluted and defiled himself with sin; and that
is the most offensive thing to God under heaven; but he has abused
the handiwork of God. The soul, as I said before, is the workmans
hip of God, yea, the top-piece that He hath made in all the visible
world; also He made it for to be delighted with it, and to admit
it into communion with Himself. Now for man thus to abuse God; for
a man to take his soul, which is God's, and prostrate it to sin,
to the world, to the devil, and every beastly lust, flat against
the command of God, and notwithstanding the soul was also His; this
is horrible, and calls aloud upon that God whose soul this is to
abhor, and to show, by all means possible, His abhorrence of such
an one.

2. As this casting of them away supposeth God's abhorrence of them,
so it supposeth God's just repaying of them for their wickedness
by way of retaliation.

God all the time of the exercise of His long-suffering and forbearance
towards them, did call upon them, wait upon them, send after them
by His messengers, to turn them from their evil ways; but they
despised at, they mocked, the messengers of the Lord. Also they
shut their eyes, and would not see; they stopped their ears, and
would not understand; and did harden themselves against the beseeching
of their God. Yea, all that day long He did stretch out His hand
towards them, but they chose to be a rebellious and gainsaying
people; yea, they said unto God, 'Depart from us;' and 'what is
the Almighty' that we should pray unto him? (Hosea 6:2; Rev 16:21;
Job 21:14,15; Mal 3:14).

And of all these things God takes notice, writes them down, and seals
them up for the time to come, and will bring them out and spread
them before them, saying, I have called, and you have refused; I
have stretched out Mine hand, and no man regarded; I have exercised
patience, and gentleness, and long-suffering towards you, and in
all that time you despised Me, and cast Me behind your back; and
now the time, and the exercise of My patience, when I waited upon
you, and suffered your manners, and did bear your contempts and
scorns, is at an end; wherefore I will now arise, and come forth
to the judgment that I have appointed.

But, Lord, saith the sinner, we turn now.

But now; saith God, turning is out of season; the day of My patience
is ended.

But, Lord, says the sinner, behold our cries.

But you did not, says God, behold nor regard My cries.

But, Lord, saith the sinner, let our beseeching find place in Thy
compassions.

But, saith God, I also beseeched, and I was not heard.

But Lord, says the sinner, our sins lie hard upon us.

But I offered you pardon when time was, says God, and then you did
utterly reject it.

But, Lord, says the sinner, let us therefore have it now.

But now the door is shut, saith God.

And what then? Why, then, by way of retaliation, God will serve
them as they have served Him; and so the wind-up of the whole will
be this--they shall have like for like. Time was when they would
have none of Him, and now will God have none of them. Time was when
they cast God behind their back, and now He will cast away their
soul. Time was when they would not heed His calls, and now He will
not heed their cries. Time was when they abhorred Him, and now
His soul also abhorreth them (Zech 11:8). This is now by way of
retaliation--like for like, scorn for scorn, repulse for repulse,
contempt for contempt; according to that which is written, 'Therefore
it is come to pass, that as He cried, and they would not hear; so
they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord' (Zech 7:13). And
thus I have also showed you that the loss of the soul is double--lost
by man, lost by God.

But oh! who thinks of this? who, I say, that now makes light
of God, of His Word, His servants, and ways, once dreams of such
retaliation, though God to warn them hath even, in the day of His
patience, threatened to do it in the day of His wrath, saying,
'Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My
hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel,
and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as
desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress
and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I
will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find
Me' (Prov 1:24-28). I will do unto them as they have done unto Me;
and what unrighteousness is in all this? But,

[The loss of the soul most fearful.]

Thirdly, As the loss of the soul is a loss peculiar to itself, and
a loss double, so, in the third place, it is a loss most fearful,
because it is a loss attended with the most heavy curse of God.
This is manifest both in the giving of the rule of life, and also
in, and at the time of execution for, the breach of that rule. It
is manifest at the giving of the rule--'Cursed be he that confirmeth
not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall
say, Amen' (Deu 27:26; Gal 3:10). It is also manifest that it
shall be so at the time of execution--'Depart from Me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matt
25:41). What this curse is, none do know so well as God that giveth
it, and as the fallen angels, and the spirits of damned men that
are now shut up in the prison of hell, and bear it. But certainly
it is the chief and highest of all kind of curses. To be cursed
in the basket and in the store, in the womb and in the barn, in my
cattle and in my body, are but flea-bitings to this, though they
are also insupportable in themselves; only in general it may be
described thus. But to touch upon this curse, it lieth in deprivation
of all good, and in a being swallowed up of all the most fearful
miseries that a holy, and just, and eternal God can righteously
inflict, or lay upon the soul of a sinful man. Now let Reason here
come in and exercise itself in the most exquisite manner; yea, let
him now count up all, and all manner of curses and torments that a
reasonable and an immortal soul is, or can be made capable of, and
able to suffer under, and when he has done, he shall come infinitely
short of this great anathema, this master curse which God has
reserved amongst His treasuries, and intends to bring out in that
day of battle and war, which He purposeth to make upon damned souls
in that day.16 And this God will do, partly as a retaliation, as
the former, and partly by way of revenge. 1. By way of retaliation:
'As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted
not in blessing, so let it be far from him.' Again, 'As he clothed
himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into
his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones; let it be unto
him as a garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he
is girded continually' (Psa 109:17-19). 'Let this,' saith Christ,
17 'be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord' (vs. 20 etc).
2. As this curse comes by way of retaliation, so it cometh by way
of revenge. God will right the wrongs that sinners have done Him,
will repay vengeance for the despite and reproach wherewith they
have affronted Him, and will revenge the quarrel of His covenant.
And the beginning of revenges are terrible, (Deu 31:41,42); what,
then, will the whole execution be, when He shall come in flaming
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not
the gospel of Jesus Christ? And, therefore, this curse is executed
in wrath, in jealousy, in anger, in fury; yea, the heavens and the
earth shall be burned up with the fire of that jealousy in which the
great God will come, when He cometh to curse the souls of sinners,
and when He cometh to defy the ungodly, (2 Thess 1: 7-9).

It is little thought of, but the manner of the coming of God to
judge the world declares what the souls of impenitent sinners must
look for then. It is common among men, when we see the form of
a man's countenance changed, when we see fire sparkle out of his
eyes, when we read rage and fury in every cast of his face, even
before he says aught, or doth aught either, to conclude that some
fearful thing is now to be done (Dan 3:19,23). Why, it is said of
Christ when He cometh to judgment, that the heavens and the earth
fly away, as not being able to endure His looks, (Rev 20:11,12);
that His angels are clad in flaming fire, and that the elements melt
with fervent heat; and all this is, that the perdition of ungodly
men might be completed, 'from the presence of the Lord, in the
heat of His anger, from the glory of His power' (2 Pet 3:7; 2 Thess
1:8,9). Therefore, God will now be revenged, and so ease Himself
of His enemies, when He shall cause curses like millstones to fall
as thick as hail on 'the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on
still in his trespasses' (Psa 68:2l). But,

[The loss of the soul a loss everlasting.]

Fourthly, As the loss of the soul is a loss peculiar to itself, a
loss double, and a loss most fearful, so it is a loss everlasting.
The soul that is lost is never to be found again, never to be
recovered again, never to be redeemed again, its banishment from
God is everlasting; the fire in which it burns, and by which it must
be tormented, is a fire that is ever, everlasting fire, everlasting
burnings; the adder, the snake, the stinging worm, dieth not, nor
is the fire quenched; and this is a fearful thing. A man may endure
to touch the fire with a short touch, and away; but to dwell with
everlasting burnings, that is fearful. Oh, then, what is dwelling
with them, and in them, for ever and ever! We use to say, light
burdens far carried are heavy; what, then, will it be to bear
that burden, that guilt, that the law and the justice and wrath of
God will lay upon the lost soul for ever? Now tell the stars, now
tell the drops of the sea, and now tell the blades of grass that
are spread upon the face of all the earth, if thou canst: and yet
sooner mayest thou do this than count the thousands of millions of
thousands of years that a damned soul shall lie in hell. Suppose
every star that is now in the firmament was to burn, by himself,
one by one, a thousand years apiece, would it not be a long while
before the last of them was burned out? and yet sooner might that
be done than the damned soul be at the end of punishment.

There are three things couched under this last head that will fill
up the punishment of a sinner. 1. The first is, that it is everlasting.
2. The second is, that, therefore, it will be impossible for the
souls in hell ever to say, Now we are got half way through our
sorrows. 3. The third is, and yet every moment they shall endure
eternal punishment.

1. The first I have touched upon already, and, therefore, shall not
enlarge; only I would ask the wanton or unthinking sinner, whether
twenty, or thirty, or forty years of the deceitful pleasures of sin
is so rich a prize, as that a man may well venture the ruin, that
everlasting burnings will make upon his soul for the obtaining
of them, and living a few moments in them. Sinner, consider this
before I go any further, or before thou readest one line more. If
thou hast a soul, it concerns thee; if there be a hell, it concerns
thee; and if there be a God that can and will punish the soul for
sin everlastingly in hell, it concerns thee; because,

2. In the second place, it will be impossible for the damned soul
ever to say, I am now got half way through my sorrows. That which
has no end, has no middle. Sinner, make a round circle, or ring,
upon the ground, of what bigness thou wilt; this done, go thy way
upon that circle, or ring, until thou comest to the end thereof;
but that, sayest thou, I can never do; because it has no end. I
answer, but thou mayest as soon do that as wade half way through
the lake of fire that is prepared for impenitent souls. Sinner,
what wilt thou take to make a mountain of sand that will reach as
high as the sun is at noon? I know that thou wilt not be engaged
in such a work; because it is impossible thou shouldst ever perform
it. But I dare say the task is greater when the sinner has let
out himself to sin for a servant; because the wages is everlasting
burnings. I know thou mayest perform thy service; but the wages,
the judgment, the punishment is so endless, that thou, when thou
hast been in it more millions of years than can be numbered, art
not, nor never yet shalt be, able to say, I am half way through
it. And yet,

3. That soul shall partake every moment of that punishment that
is eternal. 'Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them
in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going
after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire' (Jude 7).

(1.) They shall endure eternal punishment in the nature of punishment.
There is no punishment here wherewith one man can chastise another
that can deserve a greater title than that of transient, or
temporary punishment; but the punishment there is eternal, even in
every stripe that is given, and in every moment that it grappleth
with the soul; even every twinge, every gripe, and every stroke
that justice inflicteth, leaveth anguish that, of their condition
according as will best stand with in the nature of punishment, is
eternal behind it. It is eternal, because it is from God, and lasts
for ever and ever. The justice that inflicts it has not a beginning,
and it is this justice in the operations of it that is always
dealing with the soul.

(2.) All the workings of the soul under this punishment are such
as cause it, in its sufferings, to endure that which is eternal. It
can have no thought of the end of punishment, but it is presently
recalled by the decreed gulf that bindeth them under perpetual
punishment. The great fixed gulf, they know, will keep them in their
present place, and not suffer them to go to heaven (Luke 16:26).
And now there is no other place but heaven or hell to be in; for
then the earth, and the works that are therein, will be burned up.
Read the text, 'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also
and all the works that are therein, shall be burned up' (2 Peter
3:10). If, then, there will be no third place, it standeth in their
minds, as well as in God's decree, that their punishments shall be
eternal; so, then, sorrows, anguish, tribulation, grief, woe, and
pain, will, in every moment of its abiding upon the soul, not only
flow from thoughts of what has been, and what is, but also from
what will be, and that for ever and ever. Thus every thought that
is truly grounded in the cause and nature of their state will roll,
toss, and tumble them up and down in the cogitations and fearful
apprehensions of the lastingness of their damnation. For, I say,
their minds, their memories, their understandings, and consciences,
will all, and always, be swallowed up with 'for ever;' yea, they
themselves will, by the means of these things, be their own tormentors
for ever.

(3.) There will not be spaces, as days, months, years, and the like,
as now; though we make bold so to speak, the better to present our
thoughts to each other's capacities; for then there shall be time
no longer; also, day and night shall then be come to an end. 'He
hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night
come to an end' (Job 26:10). Until the end of light with darkness.
Now when time, and day, and night, are come to an end, then there
comes in eternity, as there was before the day, and night, or time,
was created; and when this is come, punishment nor glory must none
of them be measured by days, or months, or years, but by eternity
itself. Nor shall those concerned either in misery or glory reckon
of their now new state, as they need to reckon of things in this
world; but they shall be suited in their capacities, in their
understandings and apprehensions, to judge and count of their
condition according as will best stand with their state in eternity.18

Could we but come to an understanding of things done in heaven
and hell, as we understand how things are done in this world, we
should be strangely amazed to see how the change of places and of
conditions has made a change in the understandings of men, and in
the manner of their enjoyment of things. But this we must let alone
till the next world, and until our launching into it; and then,
whether we be of the right or left hand ones, we shall well know
the state and condition of both kingdoms. In the meantime, let
us addict ourselves to the belief of the Scriptures of truth, for
therein is revealed the way to that of eternal life, and how to
escape the damnation of the soul (Matt 25:33). But thus much for
the loss of the soul, unto which let me add, for a conclusion,
these verses following:--


    These cry alas! But all in vain;
        They stick fast in the mire;
    They would be rid of present pain,
        Yet set themselves on fire.

    Darkness is their perplexity,
        Yet do they hate the light;
    They always see their misery,
        Yet are themselves, all night.

    They are all dead, yet live they do,
        Yet neither live nor die;
    They die to weal, and live to woe--19
        This is their misery.

    Now will confusion so possess,
        These monuments of ire,
    And so confound them with distress,
        And trouble their desire,

    That what to think, or what to do,
        Or where to lay their head,
    They know not: 'tis the damned's woe,
        To live, and yet be dead.

    These castaways would fain have life,
        But know they never shall;
    They would forget their dreadful plight.
        But that sticks fast'st of all.

    God, Christ, and heav'n, they know are best,
        Yet dare not on them think;
    They know the saints enjoy their rest,
        While they their tears do drink.


[OF THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.]

FOURTH, And now I am come to the fourth thing--that is, to show
you the cause of the loss of the soul. That men have souls, that
souls are great things, that souls may be lost, this I have showed
you already; wherefore I now proceed to show you the cause of this
loss. The cause is laid down in the 18th chapter of Ezekiel, in
these words--'Behold, all souls,' says God, 'are Mine; as the soul
of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that
sinneth, it shall die' (5:4).

[Sin the cause of the loss of his soul.]

First, It is sin, then, or sinning against God, that is the cause
of dying, or damning in hell fire, for that must be meant by dying;
otherwise, to die, according to our ordinary acceptation of the
notion, the soul is not capable of, it being indeed immortal, as
hath been afore asserted. So, then, the soul that sinneth--that is,
and persevering in the same--that soul shall die, be cast away, or
damned; yea, to ascertain us of the undoubted truth of this, the
Holy Ghost doth repeat it again, and that in this very chapter,
saying, 'The soul that sinneth, it shall die' (5:20). Now, the soul
may divers ways be said to sin against God; as,

1. In its receiving of sin into its bosom, and in its retaining and
entertaining of it there. Sin must first be received before it can
act in, or be acted by, the soul. Our first parents first received
it in the suggestion or motion, and then acted it. Now it is not
here to be disputed when sin was received by the soul, so much
as whether ever the soul received sin; for if the soul has indeed
received sin into itself, then it has sinned, and by doing so,
has made itself an object of the wrath of God, and a fire brand of
hell. I say, I will not here dispute when sin was received by the
soul, but it is apparent enough that it received it betimes, because
in old time every child that was brought unto the Lord was to be
redeemed, and that at a month old, (Exo 13:13; 34:20; Num 18:15,
16); which, to be sure, was very early, and implied that then,
even then, the soul in God's judgment stood before Him as defiled
and polluted with sin. But although I said I will not dispute at
what time the soul may be said to receive sin, yet it is evident
that it was precedent to the redemption made mention of just before,
and so before the person redeemed had attained the age of a month.
And that God might, in the language of Moses, give us to see cause
of the necessity of this redemption, he first distinguisheth, and
saith, 'The firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the
firstling of a goat,' did not need this redemption, for they were
clean, or holy. But the firstborn of men, who was taken in lieu
of the rest of the children, and the 'firstling of unclean beasts,
thou shalt surely redeem,' saith He. But why was the firstborn of
men coupled with unclean beasts, but because they are both unclean?
The beast was unclean by God's ordination, but the other was unclean
by sin. Now, then, it will be demanded, how a soul, before it was
a month old, could receive sin to the making of itself unclean?
I answer, There are two ways of receiving, one active, the other
passive; this last is the way by which the soul at first receiveth
sin, and by so receiving, becometh culpable, because polluted and
defiled by it. And this passive way of receiving is often mentioned
in Scripture. Thus the pans received the ashes, (Exo 27:3); thus
the molten sea received three thousand baths, (2 Chron 4:5); thus
the ground receiveth the seed, (Matt 13:20-23); and this receiving
is like that of the wool which receiveth the dye, either black,
white, or red; and as the fire that receiveth the water till it
be all quenched therewith: or as the water receiveth such stinking
and poisonous matter into it, as for the sake of it, it is poured
out and spilt upon the ground. But whence should the soul thus
receive sin? I answer, from the body, while it is in the mother's
belly; the body comes from polluted man, and therefore is polluted
(Psa 51: 5). 'Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?' (Job
14:4). The soul comes from God's hand, and therefore as so is pure
and clean: but being put into this body, it is tainted, polluted,
and defiled with the taint, stench, and filth of sin; nor can this
stench and filth be by man purged out, when once from the body got
into the soul; sooner may the blackamoor change his skin, or the
leopard his spots, than the soul, were it willing, might purge
itself of this pollution. 'Though thou wash thee with nitre, and
take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith
the Lord God' (Jer 2:22).

2. But as I said, the soul has not only received sin, but retains
it, holds it, and shows no kind of resistance. It is enough that
the soul is polluted and defiled, for that is sufficient to provoke
God to cast it away; for which of you would take a cloth annoyed
with stinking, ulcerous sores, to wipe your mouth withal, or to
thrust it into your bosoms? and the soul is polluted with far worse
pollution than any such can be. But this is not all; it retains
sin as the wool retains the dye, or as the infected water receives
the stench or poisonous scent; I say, it retains it willingly;
for all the power of the soul is not only captivated by a seizure
of sin upon the soul, but it willingly, heartily, unanimously,
universally falleth in with the natural filth and pollution that
is in sin, to the estranging of itself from God, and an obtaining
of an intimacy and compliance with the devil.

Now this being the state and condition of the soul from the belly,20
yea, from before it sees the light of this world, what can be
concluded but that God is offended with it? For how can it otherwise
be, since there is holiness and justice in God? Hence those that
are born of a woman, whose original is by carnal conception with
man, are said to be as serpents so soon as born. 'The wicked (and
all at first are so) go astray as soon as they be born, speakings
lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like
the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear' (Psa 58:3,4). They go astray
from the belly; but that they would not do, if aught of the powers
of their soul were unpolluted. 'But their poison is like the poison
of a serpent.' Their poison--what is that? Their pollution, their
original pollution, that is as the poison of a serpent--to wit,
not only deadly, for so poison is, but also hereditary. It comes
from the old one, from the sire and dam; yea, it is also now
become connatural to and with them, and is of the same date with
the child as born into the world. The serpent has not her poison,
in the original of it, either from imitation or from other infective
things abroad, though it may by such things be helped forward and
increased; but she brings it with her in her bowels, in her nature,
and it is to her as suitable to her present condition as it is
that which is most sweet and wholesome to other of the creatures.
So, then, every soul comes into the world as poisoned with sin; nay,
as such which have poison connatural to them; for it has not only
received sin as the wool has received the dye, but it retaineth it.
The infection is got so deep, it has taken the black so effectually,
that the tint, the very fire of hell, can never purge the soul
therefrom.

And that the soul has received this infection thus early, and that
it retains it so surely, is not only signified by children coming
into the world besmeared in their mother's blood, and by the
firstborn's being redeemed at a month old, but also by the first
inclinations and actions of children when they are so come into
the world (Exo 26). Who sees not that lying, pride, disobedience to
parents, and hypocrisy, do put forth themselves in children before
they know that they do either well or ill in so doing, or before
they are capable to learn either of these arts by imitation, or
seeing understandingly the same things done first by others? He
that sees not that they do it naturally from a principle, from an
inherent principle, is either blinded, and has retained his darkness
by the same sin as they, or has suffered himself to be swayed by
a delusion from him who at first infused this spawn of sin into
man's nature.

Nor doth the averseness of children to morality a little demonstrate
what has been said; for as it would make a serpent sick, should one
give it a strong antidote against his poison, so then are children,
and never more than then, disturbed in their minds, when a strict
hand and a stiff rein by moral discipline is maintained over and
upon them. True, sometimes restraining grace corrects them, but
that is not of themselves; but more oft hypocrisy is the great and
first moving wheel to all their seeming compliances with admonitions,
which indulgent parents are apt to overlook, yea, and sometimes,
through unadvisedness, to count for the principles of grace. I speak
now of that which comes before conversion. But as I said before, I
would not now dispute, only I have thought good thus to urge these
things to make my assertion manifest, and to show what is the cause
of the damnation of the soul.

3. Again; as the soul receives sin, and retains it, so it also
doth entertain it--that is, countenance, smile upon, and like its
complexion and nature well. A man may detain--that is, hold fast--a
thing which yet he doth not regard; but when he entertains, then
he countenances, likes, and delights in the company. Sin, then,
is first received by the soul, as has been afore explained, and by
that reception is polluted and defiled. This makes it hateful in
the eyes of justice: it is now polluted. Then, secondly, this sin
is not only received, but retained--that is, it sticks so fast,
abides so fixedly in the soul, that it cannot be gotten out; this
is the cause of the continuation of abhorrence; for if God abhors
because there is a being of sin there, it must needs be that he
should continue to abhor, since sin continues to have a being there.
But then, in the third place, sin is not only received, detained,
but entertained by the now defiled and polluted soul; wherefore
this must needs be a cause of the continuance of anger, and that
with aggravation. When I say, entertained, I do not mean as men
entertain their enemies, with small and great shot, 21 but as they
entertain those whom they like, and those that are got into their
affections. 22 And therefore the wrath of God must certainly be
let out upon the soul, to the everlasting damnation of it.

Now that the soul doth thus entertain sin, is manifest by these
several particulars--

(1.) It hath admitted it with complacence and delight into every
chamber of the soul; I mean, it has been delightfully admitted to
an entertainment by all the powers or faculties of the soul. The
soul hath chosen it rather than God: it also, at God's command,
refuseth to let it go; yea, it chooseth that doctrine, and loveth
it best, since it must have a doctrine, that has most of sin and
baseness in it (Isa 65:12; 66:3). They 'say to the seers, See not;
and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto
us smooth things, prophesy deceits' (Isa 30:10). These are signs
that the soul with liking hath entertained sin; and if there be at
any time, as indeed there is, a warrant issued out from the mouth
of God to apprehend, to condemn, and mortify sin, why then,

(2.) These shifts the souls of sinners do presently make for the
saving of sin from those things that by the Word men are commanded
to do unto it--

(a) They will, if possible, hide it, and not suffer it to be
discovered. 'He that hideth his sins23 shall not prosper' (Prov
28:13). And again, they hide it, and refuse to let it go (Job
20:12,13). This is an evident sign that the soul has a favour for
sin, and that with liking it, entertains it.

(b) As it will hide it, so it will excuse it, and plead that this
and that piece of wickedness is no such evil thing; men need not
be so nice, and make such a pother24 about it, calling those that
cry out so hotly against it, men more nice than wise. Hence the
prophets of old used to be called madmen, and the world would reply
against their doctrine, Wherein have we been so wearisome to God,
and what have we spoken so much against Him? (Mal 1:6,7; 3:8,13).

(c) As the soul will do this, so to save sin, it will cover it with
names of virtue, either moral or civil; and of this God greatly
complains, yea, breaks into anger for this, saying, 'Woe to them
that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness; and put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter' (Isa 5:20)!

(d) If convictions and discovery of sin be so strong and so plain,
that the soul cannot deny but that it is sin, and that God is
offended therewith; then it will give flattering promises to God
that it will indeed put it away; but yet it will prefix a time that
shall be long first, if it also then at all performs it, saying,
Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber, yet a little folding of
sin in mine arms, till I am older, till I am richer, till I have
had more of the sweetness and the delights of sin. Thus, 'their
soul delighteth in their abominations' (Isa 66:3).

(e) If God yet pursues, and will see whether this promise of putting
sin out of doors shall be fulfilled by the soul, why then, it will
be partial in God's law; it will put away some, and keep some; put
away the grossest, and keep the finest; put away those that can
best be spared, and keep the most profitable for a help at a pinch
(Mal 2:9).

(f) Yes, if all sin must be abandoned, or the soul shall have no
rest, why then, the soul and sin will part (with such a parting
as it is), even as Phaltiel parted with David's wife, with an ill
will and a sorrowful mind; or as Orpha left her mother, with a kiss
(2 Sam 3:16; Ruth 1:14).

(g) And if at any time they can, or shall, meet with each other
again, and nobody never the wiser, O, what courting will be betwixt
sin and the soul? And this is called doing of things in the dark
(Eze 8:12).

By all these, and many more things that might be instanced, it is
manifest that sin has a friendly entertainment by the soul, and
that therefore the soul is guilty of damnation; for what do all
these things argue, but that God, His Word, His ways, and graces,
are out of favour with the soul, and that sin and Satan are its
only pleasant companions? But,

[How sin, by the help of the soul, destroys it.]

Secondly, That I may yet show you what a great thing sin is with
the soul that is to be damned, I will show how sin, by the help of
the soul, is managed, from the motion of sin, even till it comes
to the very act; for sin cannot come to an act without the help of
the soul. The body doth little here, as I shall further show you
anon.

There is then a motion of sin presented to the soul (and whether
presented by sin itself or the devil, we will not at this time
dispute); motions of sin, and motions to sin there are, and always
the end of the motions of sin are to prevail with the soul to help
that motion into an act. But, I say, there is a motion to sin moved
to the soul; or, as James calls it, a conception. Now behold how
the soul deals with this motion in order to the finishing of sin,
that death might follow (Rom 7:5).

1. This motion is taken notice of by the soul, but is not resisted
nor striven against, only the soul lifts up its eyes upon it, and
sees that there is present a motion to sin, a motion of sin presented
to the soul, that the soul might midwife it from the conception
into the world.

2. Well, notice being taken that a motion to sin is present, what
follows but that the fancy or imagination of the soul taketh it home
to it, and doth not only look upon it and behold it more narrowly,
but begins to trick and trim up the sin to the pleasing of itself
and of all the powers of the soul. That this is true, is evident,
because God findeth fault with the imagination as with that which
lendeth to sin the first hand, and that giveth to it the first
lift towards its being helped forward to act. 'And God saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth' (Gen 6:5,12,13). That
is, many abominable actions were done; for all flesh had corrupted
God's way upon the earth. But how came this to be so? Why,
every imagination of the thoughts, or of the motions that were in
the heart to sin, was evil, only evil, and that continuously. The
imagination of the thoughts was evil--that is, such as tended not
to deaden or stifle, but such as tended to animate and forward
the motions or thoughts of sin into action. Every imagination of
the thoughts--that which is here called a thought, by Paul to the
Romans, called a motion. Now the imagination should, and would,
had it been on God's side, so have conceived of this motion of and
to sins, all to have presented it in all its features so ugly, so
ill favoured, and so unreasonable a thing to the soul, that the
soul should forthwith have let down the sluice, and pulled up the
drawbridge, put a stop, with greatest defiance, to the motion now
under consideration; but the imagination being defiled, it presently,
at the very first view or noise of the motion of sin, so acted
as to forward the bringing the said motion or thought into act.
So, then, the thought of sin, or motion thereto, is first of all
entertained by the imagination and fancy of the soul, and thence
conveyed to the rest of the powers of the soul to be condemned, if
the imagination be good; but to be helped forward to the act, if
the imagination be evil. And thus the evil imagination helpeth the
motion of and to sin towards the act, even by dressing of it up
in that guise and habit that may best delude the understanding,
judgment, and conscience; and that is done after this manner: suppose
a motion of sin to commit fornication, to swear, to steal, to act
covetously, or the like, be propounded to the fancy and imagination;
the imagination, if evil, presently dresseth up this motion in
that garb that best suiteth with the nature of the sin. As, if it
be the lust of uncleanness, then is the motion to sin drest up in
all the imaginable pleasurableness of that sin; if to covetousness,
then is the sin drest up in the profits and honours that attend that
sin; and so of theft and the like; but if the motion be to swear,
hector, or the like, then is that motion drest up with valour and
manliness; and so you may count of the rest of sinful motions; and
thus being trimmed up like a Bartholomew baby, 25 it is presented
to all the rest of the powers of the soul, where with joint consent
it is admired and embraced, to the firing and inflaming all the
powers of the soul.

And hence it is that men are said to inflame themselves with their
idols under every green tree. 'And to be as fed horses, neighing
after their neighbour's wife' (Jer 5:8). For the imagination is such
a forcible power, that if it putteth forth itself to dress up and
present a thing to the soul, whether that thing be evil or good,
the rest of the faculties cannot withstand it. Therefore, when David
prayed for the children of Israel, he said, 'I have seen with joy
thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee;'
that is, for preparations to build the temple. 'O Lord God,' saith
he, 'keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the
heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee' (1 Chron
29:17, 18). He knew that as the imagination was prepared, so would
the soul be moved, whether by evil or good; therefore as to this,
he prays that their imagination might be engaged always with
apprehensions of the beauteousness of the temple, that they might
always, as now, offer willingly for its building.

But, as I said, when the imagination hath thus set forth sin to the
rest of the faculties of the soul, they are presently entangled,
and fall into a flame of love thereto; this being done, it follows
that a purpose to pursue this motion, till it be brought unto act,
is the next thing that is resolved on. Thus Esau, after he had
conceived of that profit that would accrue to him by murdering
of his brother, fell the next way into a resolve to spill Jacob's
blood. And Rebecca sent for Jacob, and said unto him, 'Behold, thy
brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to
kill thee' (Gen 27:42). See also (Jer 49:30). Nor is this purpose
to do an evil without its fruit, for he comforted himself in his evil
purpose: 'Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing
to kill thee.'

The purpose, therefore, being concluded, in the next place the
invention is diligently set to work to find out what means, methods,
and ways, will be thought best to bring this purpose into practice,
and this motion to sin into action. Esau invented the death of his
brother when his father was to be carried to his grave (Gen 27:41).
David purposed to make Uriah father his bastard child by making of
him drunk (2 Sam 11:13). Amnon purposed to ravish Tamar, and the
means that he invented to do it were by feigning himself sick.
Absalom purposed to kill Amnon, and invented to do it at a feast
(2 Sam13:32). Judas purposed to sell Christ, and invented to betray
him in the absence of the people (Luke 22:3-6). The Jews purposed
to kill Paul, and invented to entreat the judge of a blandation26 to
send for him, that they might murder him as he went (Acts 23:12-15).

Thus you see how sin is, in the motion of it, handed through the
soul--first, it comes into the fancy or imagination, by which it
is so presented to the soul, as to inflame it with desire to bring
it into act; so from this desire the soul proceedeth to a purpose
of enjoying, and from a purpose of enjoying to inventing how, or
by what means, it had best to attempt the accomplishing of it.

But, further, when the soul has thus far, by its wickedness, pursued
the motion of sin to bring it into action, then to the last thing;
to wit, to endeavours, to take the opportunity, which, by the
invention, is judged most convenient; so to endeavours it goes,
till it has finished sin, and finished, in finishing of that, its
own fearful damnation. 'Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death'
(James 1:15).

And who knows, but God and the soul, how many lets, hindrances,
convictions, fears, frights, misgivings, and thoughts of the
judgment of God, all this while are passing and repassing, turning
and returning, over the face of the soul? how many times the soul
is made to start, look back, and tremble, while it is pursuing the
pleasure, profit, applause, or preferment that sin, when finished,
promiseth to yield unto the soul? for God is such a lover of the
soul, that He seldom lets it go on in sin, but He cries to it, by
His Word and providences, 'Oh! do not this abominable thing that
I hate!' (Jer 44: 4); especially at first, until it shall have
hardened itself, and so provoked Him to give it up in sin-revenging
judgment to its own ways and doings, which is the terriblest
judgment under heaven; and this brings me to the third thing, the
which I now will speak to.

3. As the soul receives, detains, entertains, and wilily worketh to
bring sin from the motion into act, so it abhorreth to be controlled
and taken off of this work--'My soul loathed them,' says God, 'and
their soul also abhorred Me' (Zech 6:8). My soul loathed them,
because they were so bad; and their souls abhorred Me, because I am
so good. Sin, then, is the cause of the loss of the soul; because
it hath set the soul, or, rather, because the soul of love to sin
hath set itself against God. 'Woe unto their soul, for they have
rewarded evil unto themselves'(Isa 3:9).

[Through sin the soul sets itself against God.]

Third, That you may the better perceive that the soul, through sin,
has set itself against God, I will propose, and speak briefly to,
these two things:--

I. The law. II. The gospel.

I. For the law. God has given it for a rule of life, either as
written in their natures, or as inserted in the Holy Scriptures; I
say, for a rule of life to all the children of men. But what have
men done, or how have they carried it to this law of their Creator;
let us see, and that from the mouth of God himself.

1. 'They have not hearkened unto My words' (Jer 6:19).

2. 'They have forsaken My law' (Jer 9:13).

3. They 'have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law' (Jer 16:11).

4. They have not 'walked in My law, nor in My statutes' (Jer 44:
4).

5. 'Her priests have violated My law' (Eze 22:26).

6. And, saith God, 'I have written to him the great things of My
law, but they were counted as a strange thing.' (Hos 8:12).

Now, whence should all this disobedience arise? Not from the
unreasonableness of the commandment, but from the opposition that
is lodged in us against God, and the enmity that it entertains
against goodness. Hence the apostle speaks of the emnity, and says,
that men are enemies in their minds, their souls, as is manifest by
wicked works (Col 1:21). This, if men went no further, must needs
be highly provoking to a just and holy God: yea, so highly offensive
is it, that, to show the heat of His anger, He saith, 'Indignation
and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that
doeth evil,' and this evil with a witness, 'of the Jew first, and
also of the Gentile,' that doth evil (Rom 2:8,9). That breaketh
the law; for that evil He is crying out against now. But,

II. To speak of the gospel, and of the carriage of sinful souls
towards God under that dispensation.

The gospel is a revelation of a sovereign remedy, provided by God,
through Christ, for the health and salvation of those that have
made themselves objects of wrath by the breach of the law of works;
this is manifest by all the Scripture. But how doth the soul carry
it towards God, when He offereth to deal with it under and by this
dispensation of grace? Why, just as it carried it under the law
of works: they oppose, they contradict, they blaspheme, and forbid
that this gospel be mentioned (Acts 13:45; 27:6). What higher affront
or contempt can be offered to God, and what greater disdain can be
shown against the gospel? (2 Tim 2:25; 1 Thess 2:14-16). Yet all
this the poor soul, to its own wrong, offereth against the way of
its own salvation; as it is said in the Word of truth, 'He that
sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me
love death' (Prov 8:36).

But, further, the soul despiseth not the gospel in that revelation
of it only, but the great and chief bringer thereof, with the
manner, also, of His bringing of it. The Bringer, the great Bringer
of the gospel, is the good Lord Jesus Christ himself; He 'came and
preached peace to them that the law proclaimed war against; became
and preached peace to them that were afar off, and to them that were
nigh' (Eph 2:17). And it is worth your observation to take notice
how He came, and that was, and still is, as He is set forth in the
word of the gospel; to wit, first, as making peace Himself to God
for us in and by the blood of His cross; and then, as bearing (as
set out by the gospel) the very characters of His sufferings before
our faces in every tender of the gospel of His grace unto us. And
to touch a little upon the dress in which, by the gospel, Christ
presenteth unto us while He offereth unto sinful souls His peace,
by the tenders thereof.

1. He is set forth as born for us, to save our souls (Isa 9:6; Luke
2:9-12).

2. He is set forth before us as bearing of our sins for us, and
suffering God's wrath for us (1 Cor 15:3; Gal 3:13).

3. He is set forth before us as fulfilling the law for us, and as
bringing of everlasting righteousness to us for our covering (Rom
5:4; Dan 9:24).

Again, as to the manner of His working out the salvation of sinners
for them, that they might have peace and joy, and heaven and glory,
for ever.

(1.) He is set forth as sweating of blood while He was in His agony,
wrestling with the thoughts of death, which He was to suffer for
our sins, that He might save the soul (Luke 22:44).

(2.) He is set forth as crying, weeping, and mourning under the
lashes of justice that He put Himself under, and was willing to
bear for our sins (Heb 5:7).

(3.) He is set forth as betrayed, apprehended, condemned, spit on,
scourged, buffeted, mocked, crowned with thorns, crucified, pierced
with nails and a spear, to save the soul from being betrayed by the
devil and sin; to save it from being apprehended by justice, and
condemned by the law; to save it from being spit on, in a way of
contempt, by holiness; to save it from being scourged with guilt of
sins, as with scorpions; to save it from being continually buffeted
by its own conscience; to save it from being mocked at by God; to
save it from being crowned with ignominy and shame for ever; to
save it from dying the second death; to save it from wounds and
grief for ever.

Dost thou understand me, sinful soul? He wrestled with justice, that
thou mightest have rest; He wept and mourned, that thou mightest
laugh and rejoice; He was betrayed, that thou mightest go free;
was apprehended, that thou mightest escape; He was condemned, that
thou mightest be justified; and was killed, that thou mightest
live; He wore a crown of thorns, that thou mightest wear a crown
of glory; and was nailed to the cross, with His arms wide open,
to show with what freeness all His merits shall be bestowed on the
coming soul; and how heartily He will receive it into His bosom?

Further, all this He did of mere good will, and offereth the benefit
thereof unto thee freely; yea, He cometh unto thee, in the word
of the gospel, with the blood running down from His head upon His
face, with His tears abiding upon His cheeks, with the holes as fresh
in His hands and His feet, and as with the blood still bubbling
out of His side, to pray thee to accept of the benefit, and to
be reconciled to God thereby (2 Cor 5). But what saith the sinful
soul to this? I do not ask what he saith with his lips, for he will
assuredly flatter God with his mouth; but what doth his actions
and carriages declare as to his acceptance of this incomparable
benefit? For 'a wicked man speaketh with his feet, and teacheth
with his fingers' (Prov 6:12,13). With his feet--that is, by the
way he goeth: and with his fingers--that is, by his acts and doings.
So, then, what saith he by his goings, by his sets and doings, unto
this incomparable benefit, thus brought unto him from the Father,
by His only Son, Jesus Christ? What saith he? Why, he saith that
he doth not at all regard this Christ, nor value the grace thus
tendered unto him in the gospel.

1. He saith, that he regardeth not this Christ, that he seeth nothing
in Him why he should admit Him to be entertained in his affections.
Therefore the prophet, speaking in the person of sinners, says, 'He
(Christ) hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him,
there is no beauty that we should desire Him;' and then adds, to
show what he meaneth by his thus speaking, saying, 'he is despised
and rejected of men' (Isa 53:2,3). All this is spoken with reference
to His person, and it was eminently fulfilled upon Him in the days
of His flesh, when He was hated, maligned, and persecuted to death
by sinners; and is still fulfilled in the souls of sinners, in
that they cannot abide to think of Him with thoughts that have a
tendency in them to separate them and their lusts asunder, and to
the making of them to embrace Him for their darling, and the taking
up of their cross to follow Him. All this sinners speak out with
loud voices, in that they stop their ears and shut their eyes as
to Him, but open them wide and hearken diligently to anything that
pleaseth the flesh, and that is a nursery to sin. But,

2. As they despise, and reject, and do not regard His person,
so they do not value the grace that He tendereth unto them by the
gospel; this is plain by that indifferency of spirit that always
attends them when, at any time, they hear thereof, or when it is
presented unto them.

I may safely say, that the most of men who are concerned in a trade,
will be more vigilant in dealing with a twelvepenny customer than
they will be with Christ when He comes to make unto them, by the
gospel, a tender of the incomparable grace of God. Hence they are
called fools, because a price is put into their hands to get wisdom,
and they have no heart unto it (Prov 18:16). And hence, again, it
is that that bitter complaint is made, 'But My people would not
hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of Me' (Psa 81:11). Now,
these things being found, as practised by the souls of sinners, must
needs, after a wonderful manner, provoke; wherefore, no marvel that
the heavens are bid to be astonished at this, and that damnation
shall seize upon the soul for this (Jer 2).

And indeed, the soul that doth thus by practice, though with
his mouth--as who doth not? he shall show much love, he doth,
interpretatively, say these things:--

(1.) That he loveth sin better than grace, and darkness better
than light, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed, 'And this
is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness more than light (as is manifest), because their
deeds were evil' (John 3:19).

(2.) They do, also, by their thus rejecting of Christ and grace,
say, that for what the law can do to them, they value it not; they
regard not its thundering threatenings, nor will they shrink when
they come to endure the execution thereof; wherefore God, to deter
them from such bold and desperate ways, that do, interpretatively,
fully declare that they make such desperate conclusions, insinuates
that the burden of the curse thereof is intolerable, saying, 'Can
thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that
I shall deal with thee? I, the Lord, have spoken it, and will do
it' (Eze 22:14).

(3.) Yea, by their thus doing, they do as good as say that they
will run the hazard of a sentence of death at the day of judgment,
and that they will, in the meantime, join issue, and stand a trial
at that day with the great and terrible God. What else means their
not hearkening to Him, their despising of His Son, and the rejecting
of His grace; yea I say again, what else means their slighting of
the curse of the law, and their choosing to abide in their sins
till the day of death and judgment? And thus I have showed you the
causes of the loss of the soul; and, assuredly, these things are
no fables.

Objection. But some may object, and say, But you denounce all against
the soul; the soul, as if the body were in no fault at all; or, as
if there were no punishment assigned for the body.

Answer 1. The soul must be the part punished, because the soul is
that which sins. 'Every sin that a man doeth is without the body,'
fornication or adultery excepted (1 Cor 6:18). 'Is without the
body; that is, as to the wilily inventing, contriving, and finding
out ways to bring the motions of sin into action. For, alas! What
can the body do as to these? It is in a manner wholly passive; yea,
altogether as to the lusting and purposing to do the wickedness,
excepting the sin before excepted; ay, and not excepting that, as
to the rise of that sin; for even that, with all the rest, ariseth
and proceedeth out of the heart--the soul; 'For from within, out of
the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness,
an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things
come from within, and defile the man' (Mark 7:21-23). That is, the
outward man. But a difference must always be put betwixt defiling
and being defiled, that which defileth being the worst; not but
that the body shall have its share of judgment, for body and soul
must be destroyed in hell (Luke 12:4,5; Matt 10:28). The body as
the instrument, the soul as the actor; but oh! the soul, the soul,
the soul is the sinner; and, therefore, the soul, as the principal,
must be punished.

And that God's indignation burneth most against the soul appears in
that death hath seized upon every soul already; for the Scripture
saith, that every natural or unconverted man is dead (Eph 2:1-3).
Dead! How? Is his body dead? No, verily; his body liveth, but his
soul is dead (1 Tim 5:6). Dead! But with what death? Dead to God,
and to all things gospelly good, by reason of that benumbing,
stupifying, and senselessness, that, by God's just judgment for
and by sin, hath swallowed up the soul. Yea, if you observe, you
shall see that the soul goeth first, or before, in punishment, not
only by what has been said already, in that the soul is first made
a partaker of death, but in that God first deals with the soul by
convictions, yea, and terrors, perhaps, while the body is well;
or, in that He giveth up the soul to judicial hardness and further
blindness, while He leaveth the body to do His office in the world;
yea, and also when the day of death and dissolution is come, the
body is spared, while the soul is tormented in unutterable torment
in hell. And so, I say, it shall be spared, and the clods of the
valley shall be sweet unto it, while the soul mourneth in hell for
sin. It is true, at the day of judgment, because that is the last
and final judgment of God on men, then the body and soul shall
be re-united, or joined together again, and shall then, together,
partake of that recompence for their wickedness which is meet. When
I say, the body is spared and the soul tormented, I mean not that
the body is not then, at death, made to partake of the wages of sin,
'for the wages of sin is death' (Rom 3:23). But I mean, the body
partakes then but of temporal death, which, as to sense and feeling,
is sometimes over presently, and then resteth in the grave, while
the soul is tormenting in hell. Yea, and why is death suffered to
slay the body? I dare say, not chiefly for that the indignation
of God most burneth against the body; but the body being the house
for the soul in this world, God even pulls down this body, that
the soul may be stript naked, and being stript, may be carried to
prison, to the place where damned souls are, there to suffer in
the beginning of suffering, that punishment that will be endless.

Answer 2. Therefore, the soul must be the part most sorely
punished, because justice must be distributed with equity. God is
a God of knowledge and judgment; by Him actions are weighed; actions
in order to judgment (1 Sam 2). Now, by weighing of actions, since
He finds the soul to have the deepest hand in sin; and He says that
He hath so, of equity the soul is to bear the burden of punishment.
'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right' in His famous
distributing of judgment? (Gen 18:25). 'He will not lay upon
man more than right, that he should enter into judgment with God'
(Job 34:23). The soul, since deepest in sin, shall also be deepest
in punishment. 'Shall one man sin,' said Moses, 'and wilt Thou be
wroth with all the congregation?' (Num 1:22). He pleads here for
equity in God's distributing of judgment; yea, and so exact is God
in the distribution thereof, that He will not punish heathens so
as He will punish Jews; wherefore He saith, 'Of the Jew first,' or
chiefly, 'and also of the Gentile' (Rom 2:9). Yea, in hell He has
prepared several degrees of punishment for the several sorts or
degrees of offenders; And some 'shall receive greater damnation'
(Luke 22:47). And will it not be unmeet for us to think, since God
is so elect in all His doings, that He will, without His weights
and measures, give to soul and body, as I may say, carelessly, not
severally, their punishments, according to the desert and merit of
each?

Answer 3. The punishment of the soul in hell must needs, to be
sure, as to degree, differ from the punishment of the body there.
When I say, differ, I mean, must needs be greater, whether the body
be punished with the same fire with the soul, or fire of another
nature. If it be punished with the same fire, yet not in the same
way; for the fire of guilt, with the apprehensions of indignation
and wrath, are most properly felt and apprehended by the soul, and
by the body by virtue of its union with the soul; and so felt by
the body, if not only, yet, I think, mostly, by way of sympathy
with the soul; and the cause, we say, is worse than the disease;
and if the wrath of God, and the apprehensions of it, as discharging
itself for sin, and the breach of the law, be that with which the
soul is punished, as sure it is: then the body is punished by the
effects, or by those influences that the soul, in its torments,
has upon the body, by virtue of that great oneness and union that
is between them.

But if there be a punishment prepared for the body distinct in kind
from that which is prepared for the soul, yet it must be a punishment
inferior to that which is prepared for the soul; not that the soul
and body shall be severed, but being made of things distinct, their
punishments will be by that which is most suitable to each. I say,
it must be inferior, because nothing can be so hot, so tormenting,
so intolerably insupportable, as the quickest apprehensions of,
and the immediate sinking under, that guilt and indignation that
is proportional to the offence. Should all the wood, and brimstone,
and combustible matter on earth be gathered together for the
tormenting of one body, yet that cannot yield that torment to that
which the sense of guilt and burning-hot application of the indignation
of God will do to the soul; yea, suppose the fire wherewith the body
is tormented in hell should be seven times hotter than any of our
fire; yea, suppose it, again, to be seven times hotter than that which
is seven times hotter than ours, yet it must, suppose it to be but
created fire, be infinitely short, as to tormenting operations, of
the unspeakable wrath of God, when in the heat thereof He applieth
it to, and doth punish the soul for sin in hell therewith. So,
then, whether the body be tormented with the same fire wherewith
the soul is tormented, or whether the fire be of another kind, yet
it is not possible that it should bear the same punishment as to
degree, because, or for the causes I have showed. Nor, indeed, is
it meet it should, because the body has not sinned so, so grievously
as the soul has done; and God proportioneth the punishment suitable
to the offence.

Answer 4. With the soul by itself are the most quick and suitable
apprehensions of God and His wrath; wherefore, that must needs be
made partaker of the sorest punishment in hell; it is the soul that
now is the most subtle at discerning, and it is the soul that will
be so; then conscience, memory, and understanding, and mind; these
will be the seat of torment, since the understanding will let wrath
immediately upon these, from what it apprehends of that wrath;
conscience will let the wrath of God immediately upon these, from
what it fearfully feels of that wrath; the memory will then, as a
vessel, receive and retain up to the brim of this wrath, even as
it receiveth by the understanding and conscience, the cause of this
wrath, and considers the durableness of it; so, then, the soul is
the seat and the receiver of wrath, even as it was the receiver and
seat of sin; here, then, is sin and wrath upon the soul, the soul
in the body, and so soul and body tormented in hell fire.

Answer 5. The soul will be most tormented, because strongest; the
biggest burden must lie upon the strongest part, especially since,
also, it is made capable of it by its sin. The soul must bear its
own punishment, and a great part of the body's too, forasmuch as,
so far as apprehension goes, the soul will be quicker at the work
than the body. True, the body, by the help of the soul, will see
too, but the soul will see yet abundantly further. And good reason
that the soul should bear part of the punishment of the body, because
it was through its allurements that the body yielded to help the
soul to sin. The devil presented sin, the soul took it by the body,
and now devil, and soul, and body, and all must be lost, cast away;
that is, damned in hell for sin; but the soul must be the burden
bearer.

Objection. But you say, Doth not this give encouragement to sinners
to give way to the body to be in all its members loose, and vain,
and wicked, as instruments to sin?

Answer. No; forasmuch as the body shall also have his share in
punishment. For though I have said the soul shall have more punishment
than the body, yet I have not said, that the body shall at all be
eased by that; no, the body will have its due. And for the better
making out of my answer further, consider of these following
particulars:--

(1.) The body will be the vessel to hold the tormented soul in; this
will be something; therefore man, damned man, is called a vessel
of wrath, a vessel, and that in both body and soul (Rom 9:22). The
soul receiveth wrath unto itself, and the body holdeth that soul
that has thus received, and is tormented with, the wrath of God.
Now the body being a vessel to hold this soul that is thus possessed
with the wrath of God, must needs itself be afflicted and tormented
with that torment, because of its union with the body; therefore
the Holy Ghost saith, 'His flesh upon him shall have pain, and his
soul within him shall mourn' (Job 14:22). Both shall have their
torment and misery, for that both joined hand in hand in sin, the
soul to bring it to the birth, and the body to midwife it into
the world; therefore it saith again, with reference to the body,
'Let the curse come into his bowels like water, and like oil into
his bones.' Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him,
and for a girdle, etc. (Psa 109:17-19). The body, then, will be
tormented as well as the soul, by being a vessel to hold that soul
that is now possessed and distressed with the unspeakable wrath and
indignation of the Almighty God, and this will be a great deal, if
you consider,

(2.) That the body, as a body, will, by reason of its union with the
soul, be as sensible, and so as capable in its kind, to receive
correction and torment as ever, nay, I think more; for if the
quickness of the soul giveth quickness of sense to the body, as in
some case, at least, I am apt to think it doth, then forasmuch as
the soul will now be most quick, most sharp in apprehension, so the
body, by reason of union and sympathy with the soul, will be most
quick and most sharp as to sense. Indeed, if the body should not
receive and retain sense, yea, all its senses, by reason of its
being a vessel to hold the soul, the torment of the soul could
not as torment, be ministered to the body, no more than the fire
tormented the king of Babylon's furnace (Dan 3). Or than the king
of Moab's lime kiln was afflicted because the king of Edom's bones
were burnt therein. But now the body has received again its senses,
now therefore it must, yea, it cannot choose but must feel that
wrath of God that is let out, yea, poured out like floods of water
into the soul. 27 Remember also, that besides what the body receiveth
from the soul by reason of its union and sympathy therewith, there
is a punishment, and instruments of punishment, though I will
not pretend to tell you exactly what it is, prepared for the body
for its joining with the soul in sin, therewith to be punished; a
punishment, I say, that shall fall immediately upon the body, and
that such an one as will most fitly suit with the nature of the
body, as wrath and guilt do most fitly suit the nature of the soul.

(3.) Add to these, the durable condition that the body in this state
is now in with the soul. Time was when the soul died, and the body
lived, and the soul was tormented while the body slept and rested
in the dust; but now these things are past; for at the day of
judgment, as I said, these two shall be re-united, and that which
once did separate them, be destroyed; then of necessity they must
abide together, and, as together, abide the punishment prepared
for them; and this will greaten the torment of the body.

Death was once the wages of sin, and a grievous curse; but might the
damned meet with it in hell, they would count it a mercy, because
it would separate soul and body, and not only so, but take away all
sense from the body, and make it incapable of suffering torment;
yea, I will add, and by that means give the soul some ease; for
without doubt, as the torments of the soul extend themselves to the
body, so the torments of the body extend themselves to the soul;
nor can it be otherwise, because of union and sympathy. But death,
natural death, shall be destroyed, and there shall be no more natural
death, no, not in hell (1 Cor 15:26). And now it shall happen to
men, as it hath done in less and inferior judgments. They shall
seek death, and desire to die, and death shall not be found by
them (Job 3:21; Rev 9:6). Thus therefore they must abide together;
death that used to separate them asunder is now slain--1. Because
it was an enemy in keeping Christ's body in the grave; and, 2.
Because a friend to carnal men in that, though it was a punishment
in itself, yet while it lasted and had dominion over the body of
the wicked, it hindered them of that great and just judgment which
for sin was due unto them; and this is the third discovery of the
manner and way of punishing of the body. But,

(4.) There will then be such things to be seen and heard, which
the eye and the ear--to say no more than has been said of the sense
of feeling--will see and hear, that will greatly aggravate the
punishment of the body in hell; for though the eye is the window,
and the ear a door for the soul to look out at, and also to receive
in by, yet whatever goeth in at the ear or the eye leaves influence
upon the body, whether it be that which the soul delighteth in, or
that which the soul abhorreth; for as the eye affecteth the heart,
or soul (Lam 3:51) so the eye and ear, by hearing and beholding,
doth ofttimes afflict the body. 'When I heard, my belly
trembled--rottenness entered into my bones.' (Hab 3:16).

Now, I say, as the body after its resurrection, to damnation, to
everlasting shame and contempt (Dan 12:2; John 5:29) will receive
all its senses again, so it will have matter to exercise them upon,
not only to the letting into the soul those aggravations which they
by hearing, feeling, and seeing are capable to let in thither, but,
I say, they will have matter and things to exercise themselves upon
for the helping forward of the torment of the body. Under temporal
judgments of old, the body as well as the soul had no ease, day or
night, and that not only by reason of what was felt, but by reason
of what was heard and seen. 'In the morning thou shalt say, Would
God it were even! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were
morning!' (Deu 28:67). 1. 'For the fear of thine heart, wherewith
thou shalt fear;' 2. 'And for the sight of thine eyes, which thou
shalt see.' Nay, He tells them a little before, that they should be
mad for the sight of their eyes which they should see (verse 34).

See! why, what shall they see? Why, themselves in hell, with
others like them; and this will be a torment to their body. There
is bodily torment, as I said, ministered to the body by the senses
of the body. What think you? If a man saw himself in prison, in
irons, upon the ladder, with the rope about his neck, would not
this be distress to the body, as well as to the mind? To the body,
doubtless. Witness the heavy looks, the shaking legs, trembling
knees, pale face, and beating and aching heart; 28 how much more,
then, when men shall see themselves in the most dreadful place; it
is a fearful place, doubtless, to all to behold themselves in that
shall come thither (Luke 16:28).

Again; they shall see others there, and shall by them see themselves.
There is an art by which a man may make his neighbour look so
ghastly, that he shall fright himself by looking on him, especially
when he thinks of himself, that he is of the same show also. It is
said concerning men at the downfall of Babylon, that they shall be
amazed one at another, for 'their faces shall be as flames' (Isa
13:8). And what if one should say, that even as it is with a house
set on fire within, where the flame ascends out at the chimneys,
out at the windows, and the smoke out at every chink and crevice
that it can find, so it will be with the damned in hell. That soul
will breathe hell fire and smoke, and coals will seem to hang upon
its burning lips; yea, the face, eyes, and ears will seem all to
be chimneys and vents for the flame and smoke of the burning which
God by His breath hath kindled therein, and upon them, which will
be beheld one in another, to the great torment and distress of each
other.

What shall I say? Here will be seen devils, and here will be heard
howlings and mournings; here will the soul see itself at an infinite
distance from God; yea, the body will see it too. In a word, who
knows the power of God's wrath, the weight of sin, the torments
of hell, and the length of eternity? If none, then none can tell,
when they have said what they can, the intolerableness of the
torments that will swallow up the soul, the lost soul, when it is
cast away by God, and from Him, into outer darkness for sin. But
this much for the cause of the loss of the soul.

DOCTRINE SECOND,

I now come to the second doctrine that I gathered from the
words--namely, that how unconcerned and careless soever some now
be about the loss or salvation of their souls, the day is coming,
but it will then be too late, when men will be willing, had they
never so much, to give it all in exchange for their souls. There
are four things in the words that do prove this doctrine.

1. There is an intimation of life and sense in the man that has
lost, and that after he has lost, his soul in hell--'Or what shall
a man give in exchange for his soul?' These words are by no means
applicable to the man that has no life or sense; for he that is
dead according to our common acceptation of death, that is, deprived
of life and sense, would not give twopence to change his state;
therefore the words do intimate that the man is yet alive and
sensible. Now were a man alive and sensible, though he was in none
other place than the grave, there to be confined, while others are
at liberty, what would he give in exchange for his place, and to
be rid of that for a better! but how much more to be delivered from
hell, the present place and state of his soul!

2. There is in the text an intimation of a sense of torment 'Or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' I am tormented in
this flame. Torment, then, the soul is sensible of, and that there
is a place of ease and peace. And from the sense and feeling of
torment, he would give, yea, what would he not give, in exchange
for his soul?

3. There is in the text an intimation of the intolerableness of
the torment, because that it supposeth that the man whose soul is
swallowed up therewith would give all, were his all never so great,
in exchange for his soul.

4. There is yet in the text an intimation that the soul is sensible
of the lastingness of the punishment, or else the question rather
argues a man unwary than considerate in his offering, as is supposed
by Christ, so largely, his all in exchange for his soul.

But we will, in this manner, proceed no further, but take it for
granted that the doctrine is good; wherefore I shall next inquire
after what is contained in this truth. And,

FIRST, That God has undertaken, and will accomplish, the breaking
of the spirits of all the world, either by His grace and mercy to
salvation, or by His justice and severity to damnation. The damned
soul under consideration is certainly supposed, as by the doctrine,
so by the text, to be utterly careless, and without regard of
salvation, so long as the acceptable time did last, and as the white
flag, that signifies terms of peace, did hang out; and, therefore,
it is said to be lost; but, behold, now it is careful, but now it
is solicitous, but now, 'what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?' He of whom you read in the gospel, that could tend to do
nothing in the days of the gospel but to find out how to be clothed
in purple and fine linen, and to fare sumptuously every day, was
by God brought so down, and laid so low at last, that he could
crouch, and cringe, and beg for one small drop of water to cool
his tongue--a thing, that but a little before he would have thought
scorn to have done, when he also thought scorn to stoop to the grace
and mercy of the gospel (Luke 16:19,24). But God was resolved to
break his spirit, and the pride of his heart, and to humble his
lofty looks, if not by His mercy, yet by His justice; if not by
His grace, yet by hell fire.

This he also threatens to bring upon the fool in the Proverbs--'They
shall call, they shall seek, they shall cry' (Prov 1:22-32). Who
shall do so? The answer is, They that sometimes scorned either to
seek, or call, or cry; they that stopped their ears, that pulled
away their shoulders, and that refused to seek, or call, or cry to
God for mercy (Zech 7:11-13).

Sinner, careless sinner, didst thou take notice of this first inference
that I have drawn from my second doctrine? If thou didst, yet read
it again: it is this, 'God has undertaken, and will accomplish, the
breaking of the spirits of all the world, either by His grace and
mercy unto salvation, or by His justice and severity to damnation.'
The reason for this is this: God is resolved to have the mastery,
He is resolved to have the victory. 'Who would set the briers
and thorns against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would
burn them together' (Isa 27:4). I will march against them. God is
merciful, and is come forth into the world by His Son, tendering
of grace unto sinners by the gospel, and would willingly make a
conquest over them for their good by His mercy. Now He being come
out, sinners like briars and thorns do set themselves against Him,
and will have none of His mercy. Well, but what says God? Saith
He, Then I will march on, I will go through them, and burn them
together. I am resolved to have the mastery one way or another; if
they will not bend to Me, and accept of My mercy in the gospel, I
will bend them and break them by My justice in hell fire. They say
they will not bend; I say they shall; now they 'shall know whose
words shall stand, Mine or theirs.' (Jer 44:25-28). Wherefore the
apostle, when he saw that some of the Corinthians began to be unruly,
and to do those things that did begin to hazard them, saith, 'Do
we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?' (1 Cor
5:22). As who should say, My brethren, are you aware what you do?
do you not understand that God is resolved to have the mastery
one way or another? and are you stronger than He? if not, tremble
before Him, or He will certainly have you under His feet--'I will
tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury' (Isa 63:3).
Thus He speaks of them that set themselves against Him; therefore
beware. Now the reason of this resolution of God, it flows from a
determination in Him to make all His sayings good, and to verify
them on the consciences of sinners. And since the incredulous
world will not believe now, and fly from wrath, they shall shortly
believe and cry under it; since they will not now credit the Word,
before they see, unto salvation, they shall be made to credit it
by sense and feeling unto damnation.

SECOND, The second inference that I draw from my second doctrine
is this: 'That it is, and will be the lot of some to bow and break
before God, too late, or when it is too late.' God is resolved, as
I said. to have the mastery, and that not only in a way of dominion
and lordship in general, for that He has now, but He is resolved
to master, that is, to break the spirit of the world, to make all
men cringe and crouch unto Him, even those that now say, 'There is
no God,' (Psa 14:1); or if there be, yet, 'What is the Almighty,
that we should serve Him?' (Job 21:15; Mal 3:14).

This is little thought of by those that now harden their hearts
in wickedness, and that turn their spirit against God; but this
they shall think of, this they must think of, this God will make
them think of in that day, at which day they also now do mock and
deride, that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them (2 Peter
3:3,4). And, I say, they shall think then of those things, and break
at heart, and melt under the hand, and power, and majesty of the
Almighty; for, 'As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to
Me; and every tongue shall confess to God' (Isa 45:23; Rom 14:11).
And again, 'The nations shall see, and be confounded at all their
might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall
be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move
out of their holes like worms,' or creeping things, 'of the earth;
they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because
of Thee' (Micah 7:16,17).

For then they, will they nill they, shall have to do with God,
though not with Him as merciful, or as one that may be intreated;
yet with Him all just, and as devouring fire (Heb 7:29). Yea, they
shall see that face, and hear that voice, from whom and from which
the heavens and the earth will fly away, and find no place of stay.
And by this appearance, and by such words of His mouth as He then
will speak to them, they shall begin to tremble, and call for the
rocks to fall upon them and cover them; for if these things will
happen at the execution of inferior judgments, what will be done,
what effects will the last, most dreadful, and eternal judgment,
have upon men's souls?

Hence you find, that at the very first appearance of Jesus Christ,
the whole world begins to mourn and lament--'Every eye shall see
Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of Him' (Rev 1:7). And, therefore, you also
find them to stand at the door and knock, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open
unto us' (Luke 14:25; Matt 25:11). Moreover, you find them also
desiring, yea, also so humble in their desires as to be content
with the least degree of mercy--one drop, one drop upon the tip of
one's finger. What stooping, what condescension, what humility is
here! All, and every one of those passages declare, that the hand
of God is upon them, and that the Almighty has got the mastery of
them, has conquered them, broke the pride of their power, and laid
them low, and made them cringe and crouch unto him, bending the
knee, and craving of kindness. Thus, then, will God bow, and bend,
and break them; yea, make them bow, and bend, and break before Him.
And hence also it is they will weep, and mourn, and gnash their
teeth, and cry, and repent that ever they have been so foolish,
so wicked, so traitorous to their souls, such enemies of their own
eternal happiness, as to stand out in the day of their visitation
in a way of rebellion against the Lord.

But here is their hard hap, their dismal lot and portion, that all
these things must be when it is too late. It is, and will be, the
lot and hap of these to bow, bend, and break too late (Matt 25).
You read they come weeping and mourning, and with tears; they knock
and they cry for mercy; but what did tears avail? Why, nothing;
for the door was shut. He answered and said, 'I know not whence you
are.' But they repeat and renew their suit, saying, 'We have eaten
and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.'
What now? Why, He returns upon them His first answer the second
time, saying, 'I know not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye
workers of iniquity;' then He concludes, 'There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out' (Luke 13:26,28). They come weeping, and go weeping
away. They come to Him weeping, for they saw that He had conquered
them; but they departed weeping, for they saw that He would damn
them; yet, as we read in another place, they were very loath to
go from Him, by their reasoning and expostulating with Him--'Lord,
when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked,
or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' But all
would not do; here is no place for change of mind--'These shall
go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life
eternal' (Matt 25:44-46). And now what would a man give in exchange
for his soul? So that, as I said before, all is too late; they
mourn too late, they repent too late, they pray too late, and seek
to make an exchange for their soul too late. 'Or what shall a man
give in exchange for his soul?'

Two or three things there may yet be gathered from these words; I
mean, as to the desires of them that have lost their souls, to make
for them an exchange; 'What shall a man give in exchange?'--what
shall, what would, yea, what would not a man, if he had it, give
in exchange for his soul?

First, What would not a man--I mean, a man that is in the condition
that is by the text supposed some men are and will be in--give in
exchange to have another man's virtue instead of their own vices?
'Let me die the death of the righteous;' let my soul be in the
state of the soul of the righteous--that is, in reference to his
virtues, when I die, 'and let my last end be like his' (Num 23:10).
It is a sport now to some to taunt, and squib, and deride at other
men's virtues; but the day is coming when their minds will be
changed, and when they shall be made to count those that have done
those righteous actions and duties which they have scoffed at, the
only blessed men; yea, they shall wish their soul in the blessed
possession of those graces and virtues, that those whom they hated
were accompanied with, and would, if they had it, give a whole world
for this change; but it will not now do, it is now too late. What
then shall a man give in exchange for his soul? And this is more
than intimated in that 25th of Matthew, named before: for you
find by that text how loath they were, or will be, to be counted
for unrighteous people--'Lord,' say they, 'when did we see thee
an hungred, or athirst, naked, or sick, and did not minister unto
thee?' Now they are not willing to be of the number of the wicked,
though hereto-fore the ways of the righteous were an abomination
to them. But, alas! they are before a just God, a just Judge, a
Judge that will give every one according to their ways; therefore,
'Woe unto (the soul of) the wicked now, it shall be ill with him,
for the reward of his hands shall be given him' (Isa 3:11). Thus,
therefore, he is locked up as to this; he cannot now change his vice
for virtues, nor put himself nor his soul in the stead of the soul
of the saved; so that it still, and will, for ever abide a question
unresolved,' Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
I do not doubt but that a man's state may be such in this world,
that if he had it he would give thousands of gold to be as innocent
and guiltless in the judgment of the law of the land as is the
state of such or such, heartily wishing that himself was not that
he, that he is; how much more then will men wish thus when they
stand ready to receive the last, their eternal judgment. 'But what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'

Second, As they would, for the salvation of their souls, be glad
to change away their vices for the virtues, their sins for the good
deeds of others; so what would they not give to change places now,
or to remove from where now they are, into paradise, into Abraham's
bosom! But neither shall this be admitted; the righteous must have
their inheritance to themselves--' Neither,' said Abraham, 'can
they pass to us, that would come from thence,' (Luke 16:26); neither
can they dwell in heaven that would come from hell.

They then that have lost, or shall lose their souls are bound to
their place, as well as to their sins. When Judas went to hell,
he went to his home, 'to his own place' (Acts 1:25). And when the
righteous go hence, they also go home to their house, to their own
place; for the kingdom of heaven is prepared for them (Matt 25:34).
Between heaven and hell 'there is a great gulf fixed' (Luke 26:26).
That is a strange passage: 'There is a great gulf fixed.' What
this gulf is, and how impassable, they that shall lose their souls
will know to their woe; because it is fixed there where it is, on
purpose to keep them in their tormenting place, so that they that
would pass from hell to heaven cannot. But, I say, 'Would they not
change places? would they not have a more comfortable house and
home for their souls?' Yes, verily, the text supposes it, and the
16th of Luke affirms it; yea, and could they purchase for their
souls a habitation among the righteous, would they not? Yes, they
would give all the world to such a change. What shall, what shall
not, a man, if he had it, if it would answer his design, give in
exchange for his soul?

Third, As the damned would change their own vices for virtues, and
the place where they are for that into which they shall not come,
so what would they give for a change of condition? Yea, if an
absolute change may not be obtained, yet what would they give for
the least degree of mitigation of that torment, which now they
know will without any intermission be, and that for ever and ever.
'Tribulation and anguish, indignation and wrath' (Rom 2:8,9), the
gnawing worm, and everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and from the glory of His power, cannot be borne but with
great horror and grief (2 Thess 1:7-10). No marvel, then, if these
poor creatures would, for ease for their souls, be glad to change
their conditions. Change!--with whom? with an angel, with a saint;
ay, with a dog or a toad; 29 for they mourn not, they weep not,
nor do they bear indignation of wrath; they are as if they had not
been; only the sinful soul abides in its sins, in the place designed
for lost souls, and in the condition that wrath and indignation for
sin and transgression hath decreed them to abide for ever. And this
brings me to the conclusion, which is, 'that seeing the ungodly
do seek good things too late,' therefore, notwithstanding their
seeking, they must still abide in their place, their sins, and
their torment--'For what can a man give in exchange for his soul?'
Therefore, God saith, that they there must still abide and dwell,
no exchange can be made. 'This shall ye have of Mine hand, ye
shall lie down in sorrow;' they shall lie down in it, they shall
make their bed there, there they shall lie (Isa 50:11; Eze 32:25-27).
And this is the bitter pill that they must swallow down at the
last; for, after all their tears, their sorrows, their mournings,
their repentings, their wishings and woundings, and all their
inventings, and desires to change their state for a better, they
must 'lie down in sorrow.' The poor condemned man that is upon the
ladder or scaffold has, if one knew them, many a long wish and long
desire that he might come down again alive, or that his condition
was as one of the spectators that are not condemned and brought
thither to be executed as he. How carefully also doth he look with
his failing eyes, to see if some comes not from the king with a
pardon for him, all the while endeavouring to fumble away as well
as he can, and to prolong the minute of his execution! But at last,
when he has looked, when he has wished, when he has desired, and
done whatever he can, the blow with the axe, or turn with the ladder,
is his lot, so he goes off the scaffold, so he goes from among men;
and thus it will be with those that we have under consideration;
when all comes to all, and they have said, and wished, and done
what they can, the judgment must not be reversed--they must 'lie
down in sorrow.'

They must, or shall lie down! Of old, when a man was to be chastised
for his fault, he was to lie down to receive his stripes; so here,
saith the Lord, they shall lie down--'And it shall be, if the wicked
man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie
down, and to be beaten before his face' (Deu 25:2). And this lying
down was to be his lot after he had pleaded for himself what be
could--and the judge shall cause him to be beaten before his face,
while he is present to behold the execution of judgment; and thus
it shall be at the end of the world; the wicked shall lie down, and
shall be beaten with many stripes in the presence of Christ, 'and
in the presence of the holy angels' (2 Thess 1; Rev 14:10). For
there will be His presence, not only at the trial as Judge, but to
see execution done, nay, to do it Himself by the pouring out, like
a river, His wrath as burning brimstone upon the soul of the lost
and cast away sinner.

He shall lie down! These words imply that, at last, the damned soul
shall submit; for to lie down is an act that signifies submission,
especially to lie down to be beaten. 'The wicked shall be silent
in darkness' (1 Sam 2:9). When the malefactor has said and wished
all that be can, yet at last he submits, is silent, and, as it
were, helps to put his head into the halter, or doth lay down his
neck upon the block; so here it is said of the damned--They shall
lie down in sorrow. There is also a place that saith, 'These shall
go away into everlasting punishment' (Matt 25:46). To go, to go
to punishment, is also an act of submission. Now, submission to
punishment doth, or should, flow from full conviction of the merit
of punishment; and I think it is so to be understood here--For
'every mouth shall be stopped, and all the world (of soul losers)
become guilty before God' (Rom 3:4,19; Luke 13:25-28; Matt 25:46).
Every mouth shall be stopped, not at the beginning of the judgment,
for then they plead, and pray, and also object against the Judge;
but at the end, after that by a judicial proceeding He shall
have justified against them His sayings, and have overcome these
His judges, then they shall submit, and also lie down in s orrow;
yea, they shall go away to their punishment as those who know they
deserve it; yea, they shall go away with silence.

How they shall behave themselves in hell, I will not here dispute;
whether in a way of rage and blasphemy, and in rending and tearing
of the name and just actions of God towards them, or whether by
way of submission there; I say, though this is none of this task,
yet a word or two, if you please.

Doubtless they will not be mute there; they will cry and wail, and
gnash their teeth, and, perhaps, too, sometimes at God; but I do not
think but that the justice that they have deserved, and the equal
administration of it upon them, will, for the most part, prevail
with them to rend and tear themselves, to acquit and justify God,
and to add fuel to their fire, by concluding themselves in all the
fault, and that they have sufficiently merited this just damnation;
for it would seem strange to me that just judgment among men shall
terminate in this issue, if God should not justify himself in the
conscience of all the damned. But as here on earth, so He will let
them know that go to hell that He hath not done without a cause,
a sufficient cause, all that He hath done in damning of them (Eze
14:23).

[USE AND APPLICATION.]

I come now to make some use and application of the whole. And,

USE FIRST--If the soul be so excellent a thing as we have made it
appear to be, and if the loss thereof be so great a loss, then here
you may see who they are that are those extravagant ones; I mean,
those that are such in the highest degree. Solomon tells us of
'a great waster,' and saith also, that he that is slothful in his
business is brother to such an one (Prov 18:9). Who Solomon had his
eye upon, or who it was that he counted so great a waster, I cannot
tell; but I will challenge all the world to show me one, that for
wasting and destroying, may be compared to him that for the lusts
and pleasures of this life will hazard the loss of his soul. Many
men will be so profuse, and will spend at that prodigal rate, that
they will bring a thousand pound a year to five hundred, and five
hundred to fifty, and some also will bring that fifty to less than
ninepence; 30 but what is this to him that shall never leave losing
until he has lost his soul? I have heard of some who would throw
away a farm, a good estate, upon the trundling of one single bowl;31
but what is this to the casting away of the soul? Nothing can for
badness be compared to sin; it is the vile thing, it cannot have
a worse name than its own; it is worse than the vilest men, than
the vilest of beasts; yea, sin is worse than the devil himself, for
it is sin, and sin only, that hath made the devils devils; and yet
for this, for this vile, this abominable thing, some men, yea, most
men, will venture the loss of their soul; yea, they will mortgage,
pawn, and set their souls to sale for it (Jer 44:4). Is not this
a great waster? doth not this man deserve to be ranked among the
extravagant ones? What think you of him who, when he tempted the
wench to uncleanness, said to her, If thou wilt venture thy body,
I'll venture my soul? Was not here like to be a fine bargain, think
you? or was not this man like to be a gainer by so doing? This is
he that prizes sin at a higher rate than he doth his immortal soul;
yea, this is he that esteems a quarter of an hour's pleasure more
than he fears everlasting d amnation. What shall I say? This man
is minded to give more to be damned, than God requires he should
give to be saved; is not this an extravagant one? 'Be astonished,
O ye heavens! at this, and be horribly afraid!' (Jer 2:9-12). Yea,
let all the angels stand amazed at the unaccountable prodigality
of such an one.

Objection 1. But some may say, I cannot believe that God will be
so severe as to cast away into hell fire an immortal soul for a
little sin.

Answer. I know thou canst not believe it, for if thou couldst, thou
wouldst sooner eat fire than run this hazard; and hence all they
that go down to the lake of fire are called the unbelievers; and
the Lord shall cut thee, that makest this objection, asunder, and
shall appoint thee thy portion with such, except thou believe the
gospel, and repent (Luke 12:46).

Objection 2. But surely, though God should be so angry at the
beginning, it cannot in time but grieve Him to see and hear souls
roaring in hell, and that for a little sin.

Answer. Whatsoever God doeth, it abideth for ever (Eccl 3:14). He
doth nothing in a passion, or in an angry fit; He proceedeth with
sinners by the most perfect rules of justice; wherefore it would be
injustice, to deliver them whom the law condemneth, yea, He would
falsify His word, if after a time He should deliver them from
hell, concerning whom He hath solemnly testified, that they shall
be there for ever.

Objection 3. O but, as He is just, so He is merciful; and mercy is
pitiful, and very compassionate to the afflicted.

Answer. O, but mercy abused becomes most fearful in tormenting.
Did you never read that the Lamb turned lion, and that the world
will tremble at the wrath of the Lamb, and be afflicted more at
the thoughts of that, than at the thoughts of anything that shall
happen to them in the day when God shall call them to an account
for their sins? (Rev 6:16,17). The time of mercy will be then
past, for now is that acceptable time, behold now is the day of
salvation; the gate of mercy will then be shut, and must not be
opened again; for now is that gate open, now it is open for a door
of hope (2 Cor 6:2; Matt 25:10; Luke 13:25).

The time of showing pity and compassion will then be at an end; for
that as to acting towards sinners will last but till the glass of
the world is run, and when that day is past, mark what God saith
shall follow, 'I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when
your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your
destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh
upon you' (Prov 1:26,27). Mark you how many pinching expressions
the Lord Jesus Christ doth threaten the refusing sinner with; the
sinner with, that refuseth Him now--I will laugh at him, I will
mock at him. But when, Lord, wilt thou laugh at, and mock at, the
impenitent? The answer is, 'I will laugh at their calamities, and
mock when their fear cometh; when their fear cometh as desolation,
and their destruction like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish
cometh upon them.'

Objection 4. But if God Almighty be at this point, and there be
no moving of Him to mercy at that day, yet we can but lie in hell
till we are burnt out, as the log doth at the back of the fire.

Answer. Poor besotted sinner, is this thy last shift? wilt thou
comfort thyself with this? Are thy sins so dear, so sweet, so
desireable, so profitable to thee, that thou wilt venture a burning
in hell fire for them till thou art burnt out? Is there nothing
else to be done but to make a covenant with death, and to maintain
thy agreement with hell? (Isa 28:15). Is it not better to say now
unto God, Do not condemn me? and to say now, Lord, be merciful
to me, a sinner? Would not tears, and prayers, and cries, in this
acceptable time, to God for mercy, yield thee more benefit in the
next world than to lie and burn out in hell will do?

But to come more close to thee. Have not I told thee already that
there is no such thing as a ceasing to be? that the damned shall
never be burned out in hell? there shall be no more such death,
or cause of dissolution for ever. This one thing, well considered,
breaks not only the neck of that wild conceit on which thy foolish
objection is built, but will break thy stubborn heart in pieces.
For then it follows, that unless thou canst conquer God, or with
ease endure to conflict with His sin-revenging wrath, thou wilt be
made to mourn while under His everlasting wrath and indignation;
and to know that there is not such a thing as a burning out in hell
fire.

Objection 5. But, if this must be my case, I shall have more fellows;
I shall not go to hell, nor yet burn there, alone.

Answer. What, again; is there no breaking of the league that is
betwixt sin and thy soul? What, resolved to be a self-murderer,
a soul murderer? what, resolved to murder thine own soul? But is
there any comfort in being hanged with company? in sinking into the
bottom of the sea with company? or in going to hell, in burning in
hell, and in enduring the everlasting pains of hell, with company?
O besotted wretch! But I tell thee, the more company, the more
sorrow; the more fuel, the more fire. Hence the damned man that
we read of in Luke desired that his brethren might be so warned
and prevailed with as to be kept out of that place of torment (Luke
16:27,28). But to hasten; I come now to the second use.

USE SECOND.--Is it so? Is the soul such an excellent thing, and
the loss thereof so unspeakably great? Then here you may see who
are the greatest fools in the world--to wit, those who, to get the
world and its preferments, will neglect God till they lose their
souls. The rich man in the gospel was one of these great fools, for
that he was more concerned about what he should do with his goods,
than how his soul should be saved (Luke 7:16-21). Some are for
venturing their souls for pleasures, and some are for venturing
their souls for profits; they that venture their souls for pleasures
have but little excuse for their doings; but they that venture
their soul for profit seem to have much. 'And they all with one
consent began to make excuse;'--excuse for what? why, for the
neglect of the salvation of their souls. But what was the cause
of their making this excuse? Why, their profits came tumbling in.
'I have bought a piece of ground;' 'I have bought five yoke of
oxen;' and 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come'
(Luke 14:15-20).

Thus also it was with the fool first mentioned; his ground did
bring forth plentifully, wherefore he must of necessity forget his
soul, and, as he thought, all the reason of the world he should.
Wherefore, he falls to crying out, What shall I do? Now, had one
said, Mind the good of thy soul, man; the answer would have been
ready, But where shall I bestow my goods. If it had been replied,
Stay till harvest; he returns again, But I have no room where
to bestow my goods. Now, tell him of praying, and he answers, he
must go to building. Tell him, he should frequent sermons, and he
replies, he must mind his workmen. 'He cannot deliver his soul,
nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?' (Isa 44:20).

And see if, in the end, he did not become a fool; for though he
accomplished the building of his barns, and put in there all his
fruits and his goods, yet even till now his soul was empty, and
void of all that was good; nor did he, in singing of that requiem
which he sung to his soul at last, saying, 'Soul, take thine ease,
eat, drink, and be merry,' show himself ever the wiser; for, in
all his labours he had rejected to get that food that indeed is
meat and drink for the soul. Nay, in singing this song he did but
provoke God to hasten to send to fetch his soul to hell; for so
begins the conclusion of the parable--'Thou fool, this night thy
soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be
which thou hast provided?' So that, I say, it is the greatest folly
in the world for a man, upon any pretence what ever, to neglect to
make good the salvation of his soul.

There are six signs of a fool, and they do all meet in that same
man that concerns not himself, and that to good purpose, for the
salvation of his soul. 1. A fool has not an heart, when the price
is in his hand, to get wisdom. (Prov 17:16). 2. 'It is a sport to
a fool to do mischief.' and to set light by the commission of sin
(Prov 10:23). 3. 'Fools despise wisdom;' 'fools hate knowledge'
(Prov 1:7,22). 4. 'A fool,' after restraint, 'returneth to his
folly' (Prov 26:11). 5. 'The way of a fool is right in his own
eyes' (Prov 7:15). 6. The fool goes merrily 'to the correction of
the stocks' (Prov 7:22).

I might add many more, but these six shall suffice at this time,
by which it appears that the fool has no heart for the heavenly
prize, yet he has to sport himself in sin; and when he despises
wisdom, the way is yet right before him; yea, if he be for some
time restrained from vice, he greedily turneth again thereto, and
will, when he has finished his course of folly and sin in this world,
go as heedlessly, as carelessly, as unconcernedly, and quietly,
down the steps to hell, as the ox goeth to the slaughter-house,
This is a soul fool, a fool of the biggest size; and so is every
one also that layeth up treasure for himself on earth, 'and is not
rich towards God' (Luke 7:21).

Objection 1. But would you not have us mind our worldly concerns?

Answer. Mind them, but mind them in their place; mind thy soul first
and most; the soul is more than the body, and eternal life better
than temporal; first seek the kingdom of God, and prosper in thy
health and thy estate as thy soul prospers (Matt 6:33; 3 John 2).
But as it is rare to see this command obeyed, for the kingdom of God
shall be thought of last, so if John's wish was to light upon, or
happen to some people, they would neither have health nor wealth in
this world. To prosper and be in health, as their soul prospers--what,
to thrive and mend in outwards no faster? then we should have them
have consumptive bodies and low estates; for are not the souls of
most as unthrifty, for grace and spiritual health, as is the tree
without fruit that is pulled up by the roots?

Objection 2. But would you have us sit still and do nothing?

Answer. And must you needs be upon the extremes? must you mind
this world to the damning of your souls? or will you not mind your
callings at all? Is there not a middle way? may you not, must you
not, get your bread in a way of honest industry; that is, caring
most for the next world, and so using of this as not abusing the
same? (1 Cor 7: 20-31). And then a man doth so, and never but
then, when he sets this world and the next in their proper places,
in his thoughts, in his esteem, and judgment, and dealeth with
both accordingly (2 Cor 4:18). And is there not all the reason in
the world for this? are not the things that are eternal best? Will
temporal things make thy soul to live? or art thou none of those
that should look after the salvation of their soul? (Deu 8:3; Matt
5:4; Heb10:39).

Objection 3. But the most of men do that which you forbid, and why
may not we?

Answer. God says, 'Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil'
(Exo 23:2). It is not what men do, but what God commands; it is not
what doth present itself unto us, but what is best, that we should
choose (Matt 6:23; Luke 10:41,42). Now, 'He that refuseth instruction,
despiseth his own soul;' and 'He that keepeth the commandment,
keepeth his own soul' (Prov 15:32; 19:16). Make not, therefore,
these foolish objections. But what saith the Word? how readest thou?
That tells thee, that the pleasures of sin are but for a season;
that the things that are seen are but temporal; that he is a fool
that is rich in this world, and is not so towards God; 'and what
shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul?'

Objection 4. But may one not be equally engaged for both?

Answer. A divided heart is a naughty one (Heb 10:2). 'You cannot
serve God and mammon' (Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13). 'If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him,' (1 John 2:15);
and yet this objection bespeaks that thy heart is divided, that thou
art a Mammonist, or that thou lovest the world. But will riches
profit in the day of wrath? (Prov 11:4). Yea, are they not hurtful
in the day of grace? do they not tend to surfeit the heart, and to
alienate a man and his mind from the things that are better? (Luke
21:34). Why, then, wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not?
yea, then what will become of them that are so far off of minding
of their souls, that they, for whole months, and years together,
scarce consider whether they have souls to save?

USE THIRD.--But, thirdly, is it so? Is the soul such an excellent
thing, and is the loss thereof so unspeakably great? Then this should
teach people to be very careful to whom they commit the teaching
and guidance of their souls.

This is a business of the greatest concern; men will be careful
to whom they commit their children, who they make the executors of
their will, in whose hand they trust the writing and evidences of
their lands; but how much more careful should we be, and yet the most
are the least of all careful, unto whom they commit the teaching and
guidance of their souls. There are several sorts of soul shepherds
in the world: 1. There are idol shepherds (Zech 6:5). 2. There are
foolish shepherds (Zech 11:15). 3. There are shepherds that feed
themselves, and not their flock (Eze 34:2) 4. There are hard-hearted
and pitiless shepherds (Zech 9: 3). 5. There are shepherds that,
instead of healing, smite, push, and wound the diseased (Eze 34:4,21).
6. There are shepherds that 'cause their flocks to go astray' (Jer
50:6). 7. And there are shepherds that feed their flock; these are
the shepherds to whom thou shouldst commit thy soul for teaching
and for guidance.

Question. You may ask, How should I know those shepherds?

Answer. First, surrender up thy soul unto God, by Christ, and choose
Christ to be the chief Shepherd of thy soul; and He will direct
thee to His shepherds, and He will, of His mercy, set such shepherds
over thee 'as shall feed thee with knowledge and understanding' (1
Peter 2:25; 4:19; John 10:4,5; Song 1:7, 8; Jer 3:15; 23:4). Before
thou hast surrendered up thy soul to Christ, that He may be thy
chief Shepherd, thou canst not find out, nor choose to put thy
soul under the teaching and guidance of His under shepherds, for
thou canst not love them; besides, they are so set forth by false
shepherds, in so many ugly guises, and under so many false and
scandalous dresses, that, should I direct thee to them while thou
art a stranger to Christ, thou wilt count them deceivers, devourers,
and wolves in sheeps' clothing, rather than the shepherds that
belong to the great and chief Shepherd, who is, also, the Bishop
of the soul.

Yet this I will say unto thee, take heed of that shepherd that
careth not for his own soul, that walketh in ways, and doth such
things, as have a direct tendency to damn his own soul; I say,
take heed of such an one, come not near him, let him have nothing
to do with thy soul; for if he be not faithful to that which be his
own soul, be sure he will not be faithful to that which is another
man's. He that feeds his own soul with ashes, will scarce feed thine
with the bread of life; wherefore, take heed of such an one; and
many such there are in the world (Isa 44:20). 'By their fruits you
shall know them;' they are for flattering of the worst, and frowning
upon the best; they are for promising of life to the profane, and
for slaying the souls that God would have live; they are also men
that hunt souls that fear God, but for sewing pillows under those
arm holes which God would have to lean upon that which would
afflict them. These be them 'that, with lies, do make the heart of
the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad;' saith God; and that
have 'strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he shall not return
from his wicked way, by promising of him life' (Eze 13:18-22).

And as thou shouldest, for thy soul's sake, choose for thyself good
soul shepherds, so also, for the same reason, you should choose
for yourself a good wife, a good husband, a good master, a good
servant; for in all these things the soul is concerned. Abraham
would not suffer Isaac to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,
(Gen 24:3); nor would David suffer a wicked servant to come into
his house, or to tarry in his sight (Psa 101:7). Bad company is,
also, very destructive to the soul, and so is evil communication;
wherefore, be diligent to shun all these things, that thou mayest
persevere in that way, the end of which will be the saving of thy
soul (Prov 13:20; 1 Cor 15:33).

And since, under this head, I am fallen upon cautions, let me add
these to those which I have presented to thee already:

Caution 1. Take heed, take heed of learning to do evil of any that
are good. 'Tis possible for a good man to do things that are bad;
but let not his bad action embolden thee to run upon sin. Seest
thou a good man that stumbleth at a stone, or that slippeth into
the dirt--let that warn thee to take heed; let his stumble make
thee wary, let his fall make thee look well to thy goings; 'ever
follow that which is good' (1 Thess 5:15). Thy soul is at stake.

Caution 2. Take heed of the good things of bad men, for in them
there lies a snare also; their 'good words and fair speeches' tend
to deceive (Rom 16:17, 18). Learn to be good, by the Word of God
and by the holy lives of them that be good; envy not the wicked,
'nor desire to be with them;' 'choose none of his ways' (Prov 3:31;
24:1). Thy soul lies at stake.

Caution 3. Take heed of playing the hypocrite in religion. What of
God and His Word thou knowest, profess it honestly, conform to it
heartily, serve Him faithfully; for what is the hypocrite bettered
by all his profession, 'when God taketh away his soul?' (Job 27:8).

Caution 4. Take heed of delays to turn to God, and of choosing His
ways for the delight of thy heart, 'for the Lord's eye is upon them
that fear Him, to deliver their souls' (Psa 33:18,19).

Caution 5. Boast not thyself of thy flocks and thy herds, of thy gold
and thy silver, of thy sons and of thy daughters. What is a house
full of treasures, and all the delights of this world, if thou be
empty of grace, 'if thy soul be not filled with good?' (Eccl 6:3).
But,

USE FOURTH.--Is it so? Is the soul such an excellent thing, and is
the loss thereof so unspeakably great? Then, I pray thee, let me
inquire a little of thee, what provision thou hast made for thy
soul? There be many that, through their eagerness after the things
of this life, do bereave their soul of good, even of that good the
which if they had it would be a good to them for ever (Eccl 4:8).
But I ask not concerning this; it is not what provision thou hast
made for this life, but what for the life, and the world to come.
'Lord, gather not my soul with sinners,' saith David, (Psa 26:9);
not with men of this world: Lord, not with them that have their
portion in this life, whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasures.
Thus you see how Solomon laments some, and how his father prays to
be delivered from their lot who have their portion in this life,
and that have not made provision for their soul. Well, then, let
me inquire of thee about this matter. What provision hast thou made
for thy soul? And,

1. What hast thou thought of thy soul? What ponderous thoughts hast
thou had of the greatness and of the immortality of thy soul? This
must be the first inquiry: for he that hath not had his thoughts
truly exercised, ponderously exercised, about the greatness and the
immortality of his soul, will not be careful, after an effectual
manner, to make provision for his soul, for the life and world
to come. The soul is a man's all, whether he knows it or no, as I
have already showed you. Now a man will be concerned about what
he thinks is his all. We read of the poor servant that 'setteth
his heart upon' his wages (Deu 24:14,15). But it is because it is
his all, his treasure, and that wherein his worldly worth lieth.
Why, thy soul is thy all; it is strange if thou dost not think so!
and more strange if thou dost think so, and yet hast light, seldom,
and trivial thoughts about it. These two seem to be inconsistent,
therefore let thy conscience speak; either thou hast very great
and weighty thoughts about the excellent greatness of thy soul, or
else thou dost not count that thy soul is so great a thing as it
is, else thou dost not count it thy all.

2. What judgment hast thou made of the present state of thy soul?
I speak now to the unconverted. Thy soul is under sin, under the
curse, and an object of wrath; this is that sentence that by the
Word is passed upon it--'Woe unto their soul,' saith God, 'for
they have rewarded evil unto themselves.' (Isa 3:9). This is the
sentence of God. Well, but what judgment hast thou passed upon it
while thou livest in thy debaucheries? Is it not that which thy
fellows have passed on theirs before thee, saying, 'I shall have
peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add
drunkenness to thirst' (Deu 29:19). If so, know thy judgment is
gross, thy soul is miserable, and turn, or in little time thine
eyes will behold all this.

3. What care hast thou had of securing of thy soul, and that it
might be delivered from the danger that by sin it is brought into?
if a man has a horse, a cow, or a swine that is sick, or in danger
by reason of this or that casualty, he will take care for his beast,
that it may not perish; he will pull it out of the ditch on the
Sabbath day. But, oh! that is the day on which many men do put their
soul into the ditch of sin; that is the day that they set apart to
pursue wickedness in. 32 But, I say, what care hast thou taken to
get thy soul out of this ditch?--a ditch out of which thou canst never
get it without the aid of an omnipotent arm. In things pertaining
to this life, when a man feels his own strength fail, he will
implore the help and aid of another; and no man can, by any means,
deliver by his own arm his soul from the power of hell, which thou
also wilt confess, if thou beest not a very brute; but what hast
thou done with God for help? hast thou cried? hast thou cried
out? yea, dost thou still cry out, and that day and night before
him--'Deliver my soul' (Psa 17:13) 'Save my soul, preserve my soul'
(Psa 25:20) 'Heal my soul,' (Psa 42:4), and, 'I pour out my soul
unto thee?' (Psa 62:5). Yea, canst thou say, My soul, my soul waiteth
upon God, my soul thirsteth for Him, my soul followeth hard after
him? (Psa 63:1,8). I say, dost thou this, or dost thou hunt thine
own soul to destroy it? The soul, with some, is the game, their
lusts are the dogs, and they themselves are the huntsmen, and
never do they more halloo, and lure, and laugh, and sing, than when
they have delivered up their soul, their darling, to these dogs--a
thing that David trembled to think of, when he cried, 'Dogs have
compassed me. Deliver my darling,' my soul, 'from the power of the
dog' (Psa 22:16,20). Thus, I say, he cried, and yet these dogs were
but wicked men. But, oh! how much is a sin, a lust, worst than a
man to do us hurt; yea, worse than is a dog, (or) a lion, to hurt
a lamb!

4. What are the signs and tokens that thou bearest about thee,
concerning how it will go with thy soul at last? There are signs
and tokens of a good, and signs and tokens of a bad end that the
souls of sinners will have; there are signs of the salvation of the
soul, (Heb 6:9); evident tokens of salvation; and there are signs
of the damnation of the soul, evident signs of damnation (Phil
1:27,28; Job 21:29,30; 1 Sam 3:9). Now, which of these hast thou?
I cannot stand here to show thee which are which; but thy soul and
its salvation lieth before thee, and thou hast the book [the Holy
Bible] of signs about these matters by thee; thou hast also men of
God to go to, and their assemblies to frequent. Look to thyself;
heaven and hell are hard by, and one of them will swallow thee up;
heaven, into unspeakable and endless glory, or hell, into unspeakable
and endless torment. Yet,

5. What are the pleasures and delights of thy soul now? Are they
things Divine, or things natural? Are they things heavenly, or
things earthly? Are they things holy, or things unholy? For look
what think thou delightest in now, to those things the great God
doth count thee a servant, and for and of those thou shalt receive
thy wages at the day of judgment--'His servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness'
(Rom 16:16).

Wicked men talk of heaven, and say they hope and desire to go
to heaven, even while they continue wicked men; but, I say, what
would they do there? If all that desire to go to heaven should come
thither, verily they would make a hell of heaven; for, I say, what
would they do there? why, just as they do here, scatter their
filthiness quite over the face of heaven, and make it as vile
as the pit that the devils dwell in. 33 Take holiness away out of
heaven, and what is heaven? I had rather be in hell, were there
none but holy ones there, than be in heaven itself with the children
of iniquity. If heaven should be filled with wicked men, God would
quickly drive them out, or forsake the place for their sakes. It
is true, they have been sinners, and none but sinners, that go to
heaven; but they are washed--' Such were some of you; but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name
of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God' (1 Cor 6:11). When
the maidens were gathered together for the great king Ahasuerus,
before they were brought to him into his royal presence, they were to
be had to the house of the women, there to be purifed with things
for purification, and that for twelve months together--to wit,
six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours,
and other things, and so came every maiden to the king (Esth
2:3,9,12,13). God also hath appointed that those that come into
His royal presence should first go to the house of the women, the
church, 34 and there receive of the eunuchs things for purification,
things to make us 'meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light' (Col 1:12). None can go from a state of nature
to glory but by a state of grace, the Lord gives grace and glory;
hence he that goeth to heaven is said to be wrought for it, fitted,
prepared for it (1 Cor 5:5; Rom 19:23).

USE FIFTH, Again, fifthly, Is it so? is the soul such an excellent
thing, and is the loss thereof so unspeakably great? Then this
doctrine commends those for the wise ones, that above all business
concern themselves with the salvation of their souls; those that
make all other matters but things by the by, and the salvation of
their souls the one thing needful. But, but few comparatively will
be concerned with this use; for where is he that doth this? Solomon
speaks of one man of a thousand (Eccl 7:28). However, some there
be, and blessed be God for some; but they are they that are wise,
yea, wise in the wisdom of God.

1. Because they reject what God hath rejected and that is sin.
2. Because they esteem but little of that which, by the Word, is
counted but of little esteem, and that is the world. 3. Because
they choose for a portion that which God commendeth unto us for
that which is the most excellent thing--viz., Himself, His Christ,
His heaven, His Word, His grace, and holiness; these are the great
and most excellent things, and the things that He has chosen that
is truly wise for his soul (and all other wise men are fools in
God's account, and in the judgment of His Word), and if it be so,
glory and bliss must needs be their portion, though others shall
miss thereof--'The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be
the promotion of fools' (Prov 3:35).

Let me, then, encourage those that are of this mind to be strong,
and hold on their way. Soul, thou hast pitched right; I will say of
thy choice as David said of Goliath's sword, 'There is none like
that; give it me.' 'Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man
take thy crown' (Rev 3:11). Oh! I admire this wisdom; this is by the
direction of the Lawgiver; this is by the teaching of the blessed
Spirit of God: not the wisdom which this world teacheth, nor the
wisdom which the world doth choose, which comes to nought (1 Cor
2: 6). Surely thou hast seen something of the world to come, and
of the glory of it, through faith; surely God has made thee see
emptiness in that wherein others find a fulness, and vanity in
that which by others is counted for a darling. Blessed are thine
eyes, for they see; and thine ears, for they hear.

But who told thee that thy soul was such an excellent thing as
by thy practice thou declarest thou believest it to be? What! set
more by thy soul than by all the world? What! cast a world behind
thy back for the welfare of a soul? Is not this to play the fool,
in the account of sinners, while angels wonder at and rejoice for
thy wisdom? What a thing is this, that thy soul and its welfare
should be more in thy esteem than all those glories wherewith the
eyes of the world are dazzled! Surely thou hast looked upon the
sun, and that makes gold look like a clod of clay in thine eyesight.

But who put the thoughts of the excellencies of the things that are
eternal--I say, who put the thoughts of the excellency of those
things into thy mind in this wanton age?--in an age wherein the
thoughts of eternal life, and the salvation of the soul, are with
and to many like the Morocco ambassador and his men, men of strange
faces, in strange habit, with strange gestures and behaviour,
monsters to behold. But where hadst thou that heart that gives
entertainment to these thoughts, these heavenly thoughts? These
thoughts are like the French Protestants, banished thence where
they willingly would have harbour.35 How came they to thy house,
to thy heart, and to find entertainment in thy sou1? The Lord keep
them in every imagination of the thoughts of thy heart for ever,
and incline thine heart to seek Him more and more.

And since the whole world have slighted and despised, and counted
foolish the thoughts and cogitations wherewith thy soul is exercised,
what strong and mighty supporter is it upon and with which thou
bearest up thy spirit, and takest encouragement in this thy forlorn,
unoccupied, and singular way? for so, I daresay, it is with the
most; but certainly it is something above thyself, and that is more
mighty to uphold thee than is the power, rage, and malice of all
the world to cast thee down, or else thou couldst not bear up, now
wind and weather, now the stream and the force thereof are against
thee.

Objection 1. 'I know my soul is an excellent thing, and that the
world to come and its glories, even in the smallest glimpse thereof,
do swallow up all the world that is here; my heart also doth greatly
desire to be exercised about the thoughts of eternity, and I count
myself never better than when my poor heart is filled with them;
as for the rage and fury of this world, it swayeth very little with
me, for my heart is come to a point; but yet, for all that, I meet
with many discouragements, and such things that indeed do weaken
my strength in the way.'

But, brave soul, pray tell me what the things are that discourage
thee, and that weaken thy strength in the way?

Why, the amazing greatness of this my enterprise, that is one
thing. I am now pursuing things of the highest, the greatest, the
most enriching nature, even eternal things; and the thoughts of
the greatness of them drowned me; for when the heat of my spirit in
the pursuit after them is a little returned and abated, methinks I
hear myself talking thus to myself: Fond fool! canst thou imagine
that such a gnat, a flea, a pismire as thou art, can take and
possess the heavens, and mantle thyself up in the eternal glories?
If thou makest first a trial of the successfulness of thy endeavours
upon things far lower, more base, but much more easy to obtain, as
crowns, kingdoms, earldoms, dukedoms, gold, silver, or the like,
how vain are these attempts of thine; and yet thou thinkest to
possess thy soul of heaven! Away, away! by the height thereof thou
mayest well conclude it is far above out of thy reach; and by the
breadth thereof it is too large for thee to grasp; and by the nature
of the excellent glory thereof, too good for thee to possess. These
are the thoughts that sometimes discourage me, and that weaken my
strength in the way.

Answer. The greatness of thy undertaking does but show the nobleness
of thy soul, in that it cannot, will not, be content with such low
and dry as the baseborn spirits that are of the world can and do
content themselves withal. And as to the greatness of the things
thou aimest at, though they be, err they are indeed, things that
have not their like, yet they are not too big for God to give, and
He has promised to give them to the soul that seeketh Him; yea, He
hath prepared the kingdom, given the kingdom, and laid up in the
kingdom of heaven, the things that thy soul longeth for, presseth
after, and cannot be content without (Luke 7:32; Matt 25:14; Col
1:5; 1 Peter 1:4). As for thy making a trial of the successfulness
of thy endeavours upon things more interim and base, that is but
a trick of the old deceiver. God has refused to give His children
the great, the brave, and glorious things of this world, a few
only excepted, because He has prepared some better thing for them
(1 Cor 1:27; Heb 11:36-40). Wherefore faint not, but let thy hand
be strong, for thy work shall be rewarded (Gal 6:9). And since thy
soul is at work for soul-things, for divine and eternal things,
God will give them to thee; thou art not of the number of them that
draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving
of the soul; thou shalt receive the end of thy faith, the salvation
of thy soul (Heb 10:39; 1 Peter 1:8,9).

Objection 2. But all my discouragement doth not lie in this. I see
so much of the sinful vileness of my nature, and feel how ready
it is to thrust itself forth at all occasions to the defiling of
my whole man, and more. Now this added to the former, adds to my
discouragement greatly.

Answer. This should be cause of humiliation and of self-abasement,
but not of discouragement; for the best of saints have their
weaknesses, these their weaknesses. The ladies as well as she that
grinds at the mill, know what doth attend that sex; and the giants
in grace as well as the weak and shrubs, are sensible of the same
things, which thou layest in against thy exercising of hope, or as
matter of thy discouragement. Poor David says (Psa 77:2) 'My soul
refused to be comforted,' upon this very account, and Paul cries
out under sense of this, 'O wretched man that I am!' and comes as
it were to the borders of doubt, saying, 'Who shall deliver me?'
(Rom 7:24). Only he was quick at remembering that Christ was his
righteousness and price of redemption, and there he relieved himself.

Again; this should drive us to faith in Christ; for therefore are
the corruptions by Divine permission still left in us; they are not
left in us to drive us to unbelief, but to faith--that is, to look
to the perfect righteousness of Christ for life. And for further
help, consider, that therefore Christ liveth in heaven, making
intercession, that thou mightest be saved by His life, not by thine,
and by His intercessions, not by thy perfections (Rom 5: 6-9; Col
1:20). Let not therefore thy weaknesses be thy discouragements;
only let them put thee upon the duties required of thee by the
gospel--to wit, faith, hope, repentance, humility, watchfulness,
diligence, etc. (1 Peter 1:13; 5:5; 2 Cor 7:11; Mark 13:37; 2 Peter
1:10).

Objection 3. But I find, together with these things, weakness and
faintness as to my graces; my faith my hope, my love, and desires
to these and all other Christian duties are weak; I am like the man
in the dream, that would have run, but could not; that would have
fought, but could not; and that would have fled, but could not.

Answer 1. Weak graces are graces, weak graces may grow stronger;
but if the iron be blunt, put to the more strength (Eccl 10:10).
2. Christ seems to be most tender of the weak: 'He shall gather the
lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently
lead those that are with young.' (Isa 40:11). And again, 'I will
seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven
away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen
that which was sick' (Eze 34:16). Only here will thy wisdom
be manifested--to wit, that thou grow in grace, and that thou use
lawfully and diligently the means to do it (2 Peter 3:18; Phil
2:10,11; 1 Thess 3:11-13).

USE SIXTH, I come, in the next place, to a use of terror, and so
I shall conclude. Is it so? is the soul such an excellent thing,
and is the loss thereof so unspeakably great? Then this showeth
the sad state of those that lose their souls. We use to count those
in a deplorable condition, that by one only stroke, are stript of
their whole estate; the fire swept away all that he had; or all that
he had was in such a ship, and that ship sunk into the bottom of
the sea; this is sad news, this is heavy tidings, this is bewailed
of all, especially if such were great in the world, and were brought
by their loss from a high to a low, to a very low condition; but
alas! what is this to the loss about which we have been speaking
all this while? The loss of an estate may be repaired, or if not,
a man may find friends in his present deplorable condition to his
support, though not recovery; but far will this be from him that
shall lose his soul. Ah! he has lost his soul, and can never be
recovered again, unless hell fire can comfort him; unless he can
solace himself in the fiery indignation of God; terrors will be
upon him, anguish and sorrow will swallow him up, because of present
misery; slighted and set at nought by God and His angels, he will
also be in this miserable state, and this will add to sorrow,
sorrow, and to his vexation of spirit, howling.

To present you with emblems of tormented spirits, or to draw
before your eyes the picture of hell, are things too light for so
ponderous a subject as this; nor can any man frame or invent words,
be they never so deep and profound, sufficient to the life to set
out the torments of hell.

All those expressions of fire, brimstone, the lake of fire, a fiery
furnace, the bottomless pit, and a hundred more to boot, are all
too short to let forth the miseries of those that shall be damned
souls. 'Who knoweth the power or God's anger?' (Psa 90:11). None
at all; and unless the power of that can be known, it must abide
as unspeakable as the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

We hear it thunder, we see it lighten; yea, eclipses, comets, and
blazing stars are all subject to smite us with terror; the thought
of a ghost, of the appearing of a dead wife, a dead husband, or the
like, how terrible are these things! 36 But alas, what are these?
mere flea bitings, nay, not so bad, when compared with the torments
of hell. Guilt and despair, what are they? Who understands them unto
perfection? The ireful looks of an infinite Majesty, what mortal
in the land of the living can tell us to the full, how dismal and
breaking to the soul of a man it is, when it comes as from 'the
power of His anger,' and arises from the utmost indignation? Besides,
who knows of all the ways by which the Almighty will inflict His
just revenges upon the souls of damned sinners? When Paul was caught
up to the third heaven, he heard words that were unspeakable; and
he that goes down to hell shall hear groans that are unutterable.
Hear, did I say? they shall feel them, they shall feel them burst
from their wounded spirit as thunderclaps do from the clouds. Once I
dreamed that I saw two (whom I knew) in hell, and methought I saw
a continual dropping from heaven, as of great drops of fire lighting
upon them, to their sore distress. Oh! words are wanting, thoughts
are wanting, imagination and fancy are poor things here; hell is
another kind of place and state than any alive can think; and since
I am upon this subject, I will here treat a little of hell as the
Scriptures will give me leave, and the rather because I am upon a
use of terror, and because hell is the place of torment (Luke 16).

1. Hell is said to be beneath, as heaven is said to be above;
because as above signifieth the utmost joy, triumph, and felicity,
so beneath is a term most fit to describe the place of hell by,
because of the utmost opposition that is between these two; hell
being the place of the utmost sorrow, despair, and misery; there
are the underlings ever trampled under the feet of God; they are
beneath, below, under (Prov 15:24)!

2. Hell is said to be darkness, and heaven is said to be light;
light, to show the pleasureableness and the desireableness of heaven;
and darkness, to show the dolesome and wearisomeness of hell; and
how weary, oh! how weary and wearisomely, as I may say, will damned
souls turn themselves from side to side, from place to place, in
hell, while swallowed up in the thickest darkness, and griped with
the burning thoughts of the endlessness of that most unutterable
misery (Matt 22:13)!

3. Men are said to go up to heaven, but they are said to go down
to hell; up, because of exaltation, and because they must abound
in beauty and glory that go to heaven; down, because of those sad
dejections, that great deformity and vile contempt that sin hath
brought them to that go to hell (Eze 32:18).

4. Heaven is called a hill or mount, (Heb 12); hell is called a pit,
or hole, (Rev 9:2); heaven, a mount, the mount Zion, (Rev 14); to
show how God has, and will exalt them that loved Him in the world;
hell, a pit or hole, to show how all the ungodly shall be buried
in the yawning paunch and belly of hell, as in a hollow cave.

5. Heaven! It is said of heaven, the height of heaven, (Job 22:12).
and of hell, the bottomless pit, (Rev 9:2; 20:3). The height
of heaven, to show that the exaltation of them that do ascend up
thither is both perfect and unsearchable; and hell, the bottomless
pit, to show that the downfall of them that descend in thither
will never be at an end--down, down, down they go, and nothing but
down, down still!

6. Heaven! It is called the paradise of God, (Rev 2:7); but hell,
the burning lake (Rev 20:15). A paradise, to show how quiet, harmless,
sweet, and beautiful heaven shall be to them that possess it, as
the garden was at the beginning of the creation; hell, the burning
lake, to allude to Sodom, that since its destruction is turned into
a stinking lake, and to show that as their distress was unutterable,
and to the highest amazement, full of confusion and horror, when
that tempestuous storm of fire and brimstone was rained from the
Lord out of heaven upon them, so, to the utmost degree, shall it
be with the souls that are lost and cast into hell.

7. It is said that there are dwelling houses, or places in the
kingdom of heaven (John 14: 1-3; Zech 3:7; Isa 57:1,2). And also
that there are the cells or the chambers of death in hell (Prov
7:27). There are mansions or dwelling places in heaven, to show
that every one of them that go thither might have his reward,
according to his work; and that there is hell, and the lowest hell
(Deu 32:22; Psa 86:13). And the chambers of death in hell to show
there are places and states in hell too, for sinners to be imprisoned
in, according to their faults; hence it is said of some, These
shall receive greater damnation, (Luke 20:47); and of others, That
it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment
than for them, etc. (Luke 10:12, 14).

The lowest hell. How many hells there are above that, or more
tolerable tormenting places than the most exquisite torments there,
God, and they that are there, know best; but degrees without doubt
there are; and the term 'lowest' shows the utmost and most exquisite
distress; so the chambers of death, the second death in hell, for
so I think the words should be understood--'Her house is the way to
hell, going down to the chambers of death' (Prov 7:27). These are
the chambers that the chambers in the temple, or that the dwelling
places in the house in heaven, are opposed to: and this opposition
shows, that as there will be degrees of glory in heaven, so there
will of torments in hell; and there is all reason for it, since
the punishment must be inflicted by God, the infinitely just. Why
should a poor, silly, ignorant man, though damned, be punished
with the same degree of torment that he that has lived a thousand
times worse shall be punished with? It cannot be; justice will not
admit it; guilt, and the quality of the transgression, will not
admit it; yea, the tormenting fire of hell itself will not admit
it; for if hell fire can kindle upon nothing but sin, and the sinner
for the sake of it, and if sin be as oil to that fire, as the Holy
Ghost seems to intimate, saying, 'Let it come into his bowels like
water, and like oil into his bones' (Psa 109:18). Then as the
quantity of the oil is, so will the fire burn, and so will the
flaming flame ascend, and the smoke of their torment, for ever and
ever. Suppose a piece of timber a little bedaubed with oil, and
another that has been soaking in it many a year, which of these two,
think you, would burn fiercest? and from whence would the flaming
flame ascend highest, and make the most roaring noise? Suppose
two vessels filled with oil, one containing the quantity of a pint,
the other containing the quantity of a hogshead, and suppose that
in one place they were both set on fire, yet so that they might
not intermix flames; nay, though they did, yet all would conclude
that the most amazing roaring flame would be upon the biggest
vessel, and would be the effect of the greatest quantity of oil;
so it will be with the wicked in hell. The lowest hell is for the
biggest sinners, and theirs will be the greater damnation, and the
more intolerable torment, though he that has least of this oil of
sin in his bones, and of the kindlings of hell fire upon him, will
find he has hell enough, and will be weary enough thereof, for
still he must struggle with flames that are everlasting; for sin
is such a thing, that it can never be burned out of the soul and
body of a damned sinner.

But again; having treated thus of hell, we will now speak a word
or two of sin, for that is it upon which hell fire seizes, and so
on the soul by that. Sin! it is the sting of hell--the sting of
death is sin (1 Cor 15:56). By 'death' in this place we must not
understand that which is natural, but that which is in hell, the
second death, even everlasting damnation; for natural death the
saints die, yea, and also many sinners, without the least touch of
a sting from that; but here is a death that has a sting to hurt,
to twinge, and wound the sinner with, even then when it has the
utmost mastery of him. And this is the death that the saved are
delivered from; not that which is natural, for that is the end
of them as of others (1 Cor 15:55; Eccl 2:15, 16). But the second
death, the death in hell, for that is the portion of the damned, and
it is from that that the saints have a promise of deliverance--'He
that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death' (Rev 2:11).
And again, 'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection; on such the second death hath no power' (Rev 20:6).
It is this death, then, that hath the chambers to hold each damned
soul in: and sin is the twining, winding, biting, poisoning sting
of this death, or of these chambers of hell, for sinners to be
stricken, stung, and pierced with. 'The sting of death is sin.' Sin,
the general of it, 37 is the sting of hell, for there would be no
such thing as torment even there, were it not that sin is there
with sinners; for, as I have hinted already, the fire of hell, the
indignation and wrath of God, can fasten and kindle upon nothing
but for or because of sin; sin, then, as sin, is the sting and the
hell of hells, of the lowest and upmost hells. Sin, I say, in the
nature of it, simply as it is concluded both by God and the damned
to be a breach of His holy law, so it is the sting of the second
death, which is the worm of hell. But then, as sin is such a sting
in itself, so it is heightened, sharpened, and made more keen and
sharp by those circumstances that as concomitants attend it in
every act: for there is not a sin at any time committed by man,
but there is some circumstance or other attends it, that makes it,
when charged home by God's law, bigger and sharper, and more venom
and poisonous to the soul than if it could be committed without
them; and this is the sting of the hornet, the great sting. I sinned
without a cause to please a base lust, to gratify the devil; here
is the sting! Again, I preferred sin before holiness, death before
life, hell before heaven, the devil before God, and damnation before
a Saviour; here is the sting! Again, I preferred moments before
everlastings, temporals before eternals, to be racked and always
slaying before the life that is blessed and endless; here is the
sting! Also, this I did against light, against convictions, against
conscience, against persuasion of friends, ministers, and the godly
lives which I beheld in others; here is the sting! Also, this I
did against warnings, forewarnings, yea, though I saw others fall
before my face by the mighty hand of God for committing of the
same; here is the sting!

Sinners, would I could persuade you to hear me out! A man cannot
commit a sin, but, by the commission of it, he doth, by some
circumstance or other, sharpen the sting of hell, and that to pierce
himself through and through, and through, with many sorrows (1 Tim
6:10) Also, the sting of hell to some will be, that the damnation
of others stand upon their score, for that by imitating of them, by
being deluded by them, persuaded by them, drawn in by them, they
perish in hell for ever; and hence it is that these principal
sinners must die all these deaths in themselves, that those damned
ones that they have drawn into hell are also to bear in their own
souls for ever. And this God threatened to the prince of Tyrus,
that capital sinner, because by his pride, power, practice, and
policy, he cast down others into the pit; therefore saith God to
him, 'They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the
deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.' And again;
'Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of
strangers; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God' (Eze 28:8,10).
Ah! this will be the sting of them, of those that are principal,
chief and, as I may call them, the captain and ringleading sinners.
Vipers will come out of other men's fire and flames, and settle
upon, seize upon, and for ever abide upon their consciences; and
this will be the sting of hell, the great sting of hell to them.

I will yet add to all this; how will the fairness of some for heaven,
even the thoughts of that, sting them when they come to hell! It
will not be so much their fall into the pit, as from whence they
fell into it, that will be to them the buzzing noise and sharpened
sting of the great and terrible hornet. 'How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer!' there is the sting (Isa 14:12). Thou that art
exalted up to heaven shalt be thrust down to hell, though thou hast
made 'thy nest among the stars,' from thence I will fetch thee down;
there is a sting (Matt 11:23; Oba 4). To be pulled, for and through
love to some vain lust, from the everlasting gates of glory, and
caused to be swallowed up for it in the belly of hell, and made
to lodge for ever in the darksome chambers of death, there is the
piercing sting!

But again, as there is the sting of hell, so there is the strength
of that sting; for a sting though never so sharp, or venom, yet if
it wanteth strength to force it to the designed execution, it doth
but little hurt. But this sting has strength to cause it to pierce
into the soul; 'the sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin
is the law' (1 Cor 15:56). Here then is the strength of the stings
of hell; it is the law in the perfect penalty of it; 'for without
the law, sin is dead' (Rom 7:8). Yea, again he saith, 'where no law
is, there is no transgression' (Rom 4:15). The law then followeth,
in the executive part of it, the soul into hell, and there
strengtheneth sin, that sting of hell, to pierce by its unutterable
charging of it on the conscience, the soul for ever and ever; nor
can the soul justly murmur or repine at God or at His law, for that
then the sharply apprehensive soul will well discern the justness,
righteousness, reasonableness, and goodness of the law, and that
nothing is done by the law unto it, but that which is just and
equal. 38

This, therefore, will put great strength and force into sin to sting
the soul, and to strike it with the lashes of a scorpion. Add yet
to these the abiding life of God, the Judge and God of this law,
will never die. When princes die, the law may be altered by the
which at present transgressors are bound in chains; but oh! here
is also that which will make this sting so sharp and keen, the God
that executes it will never die. 'It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God' (Heb 10:30, 31).

FOOTNOTES:

1 'Gospellers,' a term of reproach given to our reformers under
Henry VIII; changed to 'Puritan' under Elizabeth and the Stuarts;
and to 'Methodist,' or 'Evangelical' in more recent times. All these
terms were adopted by the reformers as an honorable distinction
from the openly profane.--Ed.

2 Having the most solemn warnings mercifully given to us by God,
whose word is truth itself, how strange it is, nay, how insane,
to neglect the Saviour. Our author, in his 'Grace Abounding to the
Chief of Sinners,' gives a solemn account of his own distracted
feelings, when he, by Divine warnings, contemplated the probable
loss of his never-dying soul; and, believing in the truth of God's
revealed will, he felt, with inexpressible horror, his dangerous
state. He describes his mental anguish, by comparing it with the
acute bodily sufferings of a criminal broken on the wheel. Can we
wonder that he was in 'downright earnest' in seeking salvation. Oh!
reader, may we be thus impelled to fly from the wrath to come.--Ed.

3 Many have been the attempts to define the qualities, nature, and
residence of the soul. The sinful body is the sepulchre in which
it is entombed, until Christ giveth it life. The only safe guide,
in such inquiries, is to follow Bunyan, and ascertain 'what saith
the Lord' upon a subject so momentous and so difficult for mortal
eyes to penetrate.--Ed.

4 The poor soul, under the irresistible constraints of conscience,
bears witness against itself; sits in judgment upon, and condemns
itself; and goeth, without a jailor, to conduct it, into the dread
prison, where it becomes its own tormentor. 'A wounded spirit (or
conscience) who can bear?'--Ed.

5 My Lord Will-be-will was a very eminent captain in the town of
Mansoul, during the Holy War: wherefore Diabolus had a kindness
for him, and coveted to have him for one of his great ones, to act
and do in matters of the highest concern. Bunyan represents him
as having been wounded in the leg, during the seige. 'Some of the
prince's army certainly saw him limp, as he afterwards walked on
the wall.'--Ed.

6 To the unregenerate, unsanctified soul, the language of the Saviour
in John 6:48-58, must appear, as it did to the Jews, perfectly
inexplicable--' He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh my blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him.' Blessed mystery! to be one with Christ,
in obedience to His will, and in partaking of His inheritance. To be
enabled to say, 'For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.'--Ed.

7 Nothing short of a Divine influence can direct the passions of the
soul to a proper use of their energies. 'Godly sorrow worketh
repentance--carefulness--indignation--fear--a vehement
desire--zeal--revenge,' (2 Cor 7:11). Reader, has thy spirit been
thus excited against sin?--Ed.

8 This is perfectly true, but is only felt by those who are taught
of the Holy Spirit rightly to appreciate Divine worship. How many
pay undue respect to buildings in which public prayer is offered
up? It is the worship that consecrates the place and solemnizes the
mind. Very remarkably was this the case with Jacob while wandering
in the open wilderness. He put stones for his pillow, and in a dream
saw the angels visiting the earth, and said, THIS is the house of
God, and the gate of heaven.--Ed.

9 If the body, which is to return to dust, 'is fearfully and
wonderfully made,' past our finding out in its exquisite formation,
how much more so must be that immortal soul which we can only
contemplate by its own powers, and study in the Bible. It never dies,
although it may be dead in sin, in time; and be ever dying--ever
in the agonies of death, in eternity. Solemn consideration! May our
adorning be 'the hidden man of the heart, which is not corruptible;
a meek and quiet spirit; that which is in the sight of God of great
price' (1 Peter 3:4).--Ed.

10 One of the first revelations to our race was, that 'God breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.'
And this great and important fact has, by tradition, extended over
the whole of the human family.--Ed.

11 'An old horse shoe' must be mentioned, to throw utter contempt
upon a custom, then very prevalent, and even now practised, of
nailing an old horse shoe over the door of the house, to prevent
a witch from entering. When will these absurd heathenish customs
cease in Christian England?--Ed.

12 'A point,' the tag at the end of a lace.--Ed.

13 Nothing can more fully display the transcendant worth and
excellency of the soul, than these two considerations:--first, That
by the operation of the Eternal Spirit, it is made a habitation for
God Himself, and susceptible of communion and converse with God,
nay, of being even filled with all the fulness of God; and, second,
The infinite price that was paid for its redemption from sin and
woe--the precious blood of the Son of God.--Mason.

14 'A Relation of the Fearful Estate of Frances Spira.' He had
been a Protestant, but, for some unworthy motives, became a Papist,
and was visited with the most awful compunctions of conscience. A
poetical introduction thus describes the guilty wretch:--


   'Reader, wou'dst see what, may you never feel,
    Despair, racks, torments, whips of burning steel?
    Behold this man, this furnace, in whose heart,
    Sin hath created hell. Oh! In each part
    What flames appear;
    His thoughts all stings; words swords;
    Brimstone his breath;
    His eyes flames; wishes curses; life a death;
    A thousand deaths live in him, he not dead;
    A breathing corpse, in living scalding lead.'


It is an awful account, and has added to it a narrative of the
wretched end of John Child, a Bedford man, one of Bunyan's friends,
who, to avoid prosecution, conformed; was visited with black
despair, and hung himself. A copy of this curious little book is
in the editor's possession.--Ed.

15 Nothing more properly excited horror throughout Christendom, than
the conduct of the Algerines in making slaves of their captives;
because their victims had white skins, and were called Christians.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling were paid to redeem
the Christian captives, and thus the pirates were strengthened to
continue their ferocious deeds. Many contributed to those funds
the very money which they derived from the negro slave trade; who,
while they professed to execrate white man slavery, perpetrated
the same barbarities upon their brethren of a different colour
and caste. How strangely does sin pervert the understandings of
men, who arrogate to themselves the highest grade of humanity and
civilization!--Ed.

16 These awful denunciations are so many proofs of the immutablilty
of the justice and of the Word of God.--Ed.

17 'Saith Christ;' Peter in Acts i. 20, applies this Psalm to Christ,
when the Jews cried, 'His blood be upon us and upon our children;'
then did they put on the envenomed garment which has tormented them
ever since. It is girded about their loins; the curse has penetrated
like water, and entered the very bones like oil. How awful will
be the state of those who crucify Him afresh, and again put Him to
open shame!--Horsley.

18 How awfully inconceivable is that eternal death that never dieth;
that final end that never endeth--an immortal death--a soul-murdering
life--ever dying, but never dead; were the mountains and rocks to
fall upon and and crush them, still eternity would intervene between
them and death. Oh that grace may be given to ransom our souls from
the doom we have deserved!--Ed.

19 'Weal;' wealth, happiness, prosperity; 'wherefore taking comfort
and boldness, partly of your grace and benevolent inclination toward
the universal weal of your subjects, partly inflamed with zeal, I
have now enterprized to describe, in our vulgar tongue, the form
of a just public weal.' Sir T. Elyot, Dedication of the Governor
to Henry VIII.--Ed.

20 'From the belly,': from its birth.

21 Bunyan having been engaged in the civil war, accounts for his
using this military idea.--Ed.

22 God hates not the sinner, but the sin; the glorious provision
made for salvation, proves His good will to sinful souls. This
will be 'the worm that dieth not,' to sinners to reflect, that,
in rejecting the inviting promises of God, they have sealed their
own condemnation.--Mason.

23 'Hideth his sins,' is quoted from the Genevan, or Puritan
version.--Ed.

24 'Pother;' to be, or cause to be, as one involved in dust, in a
cloud; to perplex, to puzzle, to confound.--Ed.

25 This is an allusion to a custom, nearly obsolete, originating in
the feast of tabernacles, of sacrificing to Vacina at the harvest
home. The Papists substituted St. Bartholomew for the heathen
goddess. Upon his day, the harvest being completed, an image of
straw was carried about, called the corn, or Bartholomew, baby; and
masters, mistresses, men, and maidens danced and rioted together;
thus, under the guise of harmless joy, much evil was perpetrated.--Ed.

26 'A blandation,' an obsolete word, which means wheedling, flattering
speech, soft words.--Ed.

27 Knowing the certainty that this wrath to the uttermost will be
poured out, our blessed Lord exhorts all to 'fear God, who is able
to destroy both body and soul in hell.' In that doleful pit, the
soul, re-united with the body, will suffer under the outpourings
of Divine wrath.--Mason.

28 Bunyan probably here refers to his own experience when he was in
prison, and was threatened by the judge to be hung for not going to
parish church. 'I thought with myself, if I should make a scrabbling
shift to clamber up the ladder, yet I should, either with quaking
or other symptoms of faintings, give occasion to the enemy to
reproach the way of God. I was ashamed to die with a pale face and
tottering knees in such a cause as this.'--Grace Abounding, No.
334.--Ed.

29 This wish has been felt while in a desponding state, under the
terrors of the law, and a fearful looking for of fiery indignation.
Thus Bunyan says, 'I blessed the condition of the dog and toad,
and counted the estate of everything that God had made far better
than this dreadful state of mine.' Grace Abounding, No. 104.--Ed.

30 Alluding to the old proverb of bringing a noble to ninepence,
and ninepence to nothing.--Ed.

31 At the popular game of nine pins--Ed.

32 In our comparatively happy days, we have little if any conception
of the manner in which our forefathers desecrated the Sabbath.
When Popery clouded the country, mass was attended on the Lord's
day morning early; it was a recital of certain unknown words,
after which parties of pleasure, so called, spent the day in places
attractive for the frivolity or wantonness of their entertainments--in
dancing, and carousing; the evening being devoted to the theatres
or ball rooms. This was afterwards encouraged by our English 'heads
of the church,' in a book of lawful sports to be used on Sundays.
Even in our time a flood of iniquity continues to flow on those
sacred days, which human laws cannot prevent. As the influence of
the gospel spreads, the day will become sanctified and this will
ever prove a correct standard of its progress.--Ed.

33 How solemn, nay, awful is the thought that heaven's gates must
be shut against all impurity. None who live and die in the love of
sin can enter heaven, lest they should defile it--'And there shall
in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither worketh
abomination, or a lie' (Rev 21: 27).--Ed.

34 In 'The Pilgrim's Progress,' in the house called Beautiful, all
the inmates, except the porter, are females.--Ed.

35 The edict of Nantes was issued April 1598; but in violation of
it, Rochelle was taken from the Protestants in 1628. From that time
horrid barbarities were practised upon them. In 1676, the elector of
Brandenburg appealed to the French king on behalf of his Protestant
subjects, of whom multitudes fled for refuge to England and
Germany. In 1685, the edict of Nantes was revoked, and a frightful
persecution ensued.--Ed.

36 Great allowance must be made for the times in which Bunyan lived.
Baxter, and all the great divines, Sir M. Hale, and the judges,
believed in witches, ghosts, and other chimeras; in fact, any one
professing unbelief in these wild fancies, would have been counted
among infidels and atheists.--Ed.

37 Sin 'in the general of it,' or sin wherever it may be found.

38 The law is a transcript of the mind of God, it is holy, just,
and good--so that he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all.
The law convicts and shows the sinner that God is all eye to see,
and all fire to consume, every unclean thing. Thus the law gives
sin its strength, and death its warrant, to arrest and execute the
sinner.--Mason.

***

THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AS AN ADVOCATE,

CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED,

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS.

1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress."

London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the
Poultry, 1689.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit
which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary
on my left. It was very frequently republished; but in an edition
by John Marshall, 1725, it became most seriously mutilated, many
passages were omitted, and numerous errors were made. In this
state, it was copied into Mr. Whitefield's edition of his works,
and it has been since republished with all those errors. It is now
restored to its original state; and we hope that it will prove a
most acceptable addition to our theological literature. Although
Bunyan was shut up for more than twelve years a prisoner for the
truth, and his time was so fully occupied in preaching, writing,
and labouring to provide for the pressing wants of his family;
still he managed to get acquainted, in a very remarkable manner,
with all those law terms which are connected with the duties of
a counsel, or advocate. He uses the words replevin, supersedeas,
term, demur, nonsuit, reference, title, in forma pauperis, king's
bench, common pleas, as properly and familiarly as if he had been
brought up to the bar. How extraordinary must have been his mental
powers, and how retentive his memory! I examined this work with
apprehension, lest he had misapplied those hard words; but my
surprise was great, to find that he had used every one of them with
as much propriety as a Lord Chief-Justice could have done.

We are indebted for this treatise to Bunyan's having heard a sermon
which excited his attention to a common, a dangerous, and a fatal
heresy, more frequently preached to crowned heads, mitred prelates,
members of parliament, and convocations, than it is to the poor,
to whom the gospel is preached. In this sermon, the preacher said
to his hearers, "see that your cause be good, else Christ will not
undertake it." p. 159. Bunyan heard, as all Christians ought to
hear, with careful jealousy, and at once detected the error. He
exposes the fallacy, and uses his scriptural knowledge to confute
it, by showing that Christ pleads for the wicked, the lost; for those
who feel themselves so involved in a bad cause, that no advocate
but Christ can bring them through. He manifests great anxiety that
every inquirer should clearly ascertain definite truths and not be
contented with general notions. See p. 189-199, and 201. This is
very important advice, and by following which, we shall be saved
from many painful doubts and fears. Our need of an advocate is proved
by the fact, that Christ has undertaken the office. Some rely on
their tears and sighs, as advocates for them with God; others on
imperfect good works-from all these the soul must be shaken, until
it finds that there is no prevailing Advocate but the Saviour;
and that he alone, with his mystical body, the church, is entitled
to the inheritance. Then sincere repentance, sighs, and tears,
evidence our faith in him, and our godly sorrow for having occasioned
him such inconceivable sufferings; tears of joy that we have such
a Saviour and an Advocate, equally omnipotent to plead for, as to
save us. The inheritance being Christ's, the members of his body
cannot be cheated of it, or alienate it. p. 187. Bunyan, with his
fertile imagination, and profound scriptural knowledge, spiritualizes
the day of jubilee as a type of the safety of the inheritance of
the saints. By our folly and sin we may lose sight for a time of
our title deeds; but the inheritance is safe.

The whole work is a rich treat to those who love experimental divinity,
and are safe in Christ as Noah was in the ark; but, Oh! how woeful
must those be, who are without an interest in the Saviour; and
that have none to plead their cause. "They are left to be ground
to powder between the justice of God and the sins which they have
committed. It is sad to consider their plight. This is the man
that is pursued by the law, and by sin, and by death, and has none
to plead his cause. Terrors take hold on him as waters; a stone
hurleth him out of his place" (Job 27). p. 200. Reader, this is
a soul-searching subject-may it lead us to a solemn trial of our
state, and to the happy conclusion, that the Saviour is our Advocate,
and that our eternal inheritance is safe in heaven.

HACKNEY. MAY 1850.

GEORGE OFFOR.

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

Of all the excellent offices which God the Father has conferred
upon Jesus Christ our Lord, this of his being an Advocate with him
for us is not the least, though, to the shame of saints it may be
spoken, the blessed benefits thereof have not with that diligence
and fervent desire been inquired after as they ought.

Christ, as sacrifice, priest, and king, with the glories in, and
that flow from, him as such, has, God be thanked, in this our day,
been much discovered by our seers, and as much rejoiced in by those
who have believed their words; but as he is an Advocate with the
Father, an Advocate for us, I fear the excellency of that doth still
too much lie hid; though I am verily of opinion that the people
of God in this age have as much need of the knowledge thereof, if
not more need, than had their brethren that are gone before them.

These words, "if not more need," perhaps may seem to some to be
somewhat out of joint; but let the godly wise consider the decays
that are among us as to the power of godliness, and what abundance
of foul miscarriages the generality of professors now stand guilty
of, as also how diligent their great enemy is to accuse them at
the bar of God for them, and I think they will conclude, that, in
so saying, I indeed have said some truth. Wherefore, when I thought
on this, and had somewhat considered also the transcendent excellency
of the advocateship of this our Lord; and again, that but little
of the glory thereof has by writing been, in our day, communicated
to the church, I adventured to write what I have seen thereof, and
do, by what doth follow, present it unto her for good.

I count not myself sufficient for this, or for any other truth
as it is in Jesus; but yet, I say, I have told you somewhat of
it, according to the proportion of faith. And I believe that some
will thank God for what I here have said about it; but it will be
chiefly those, whose right and title to the kingdom of heaven and
glory, doth seem to themselves to be called in question by their
enemy, at the bar of the Judge of all.

These, I say, will read, and be glad to hear, that they have an
Advocate at court that will stand up to plead for them, and that
will yet secure to them a right to the heavenly kingdom. Wherefore,
it is more particularly for those that at present, or that hereafter,
may be in this dreadful plight, that this my book is now made
public; because it is, as I have showed, for such that Jesus Christ
is Advocate with the Father.

Of the many and singular advantages, therefore, that such have by
this their Advocate in his advocating for them, this book gives
some account; as, where he pleads, how he pleads, what he pleads,
when he pleads, with whom he pleads, for whom he pleads, and how
the enemy is put to shame and silence before their God and all the
holy angels.

Here is also showed to those herein concerned, how they indeed may
know that Jesus is their Advocate; yea, and how their matters go
before their God, the Judge; and particularly that they shall well
come off at last, yea, though their cause, as it is theirs, is
such, in justification of which, themselves do not dare to show
their heads.

Nor have I left the dejected souls without directions how to entertain
this Advocate to plead their cause; yea, I have also shown that he
will be with ease prevailed with, to stand up to plead for such,
as one would think, the very heavens would blush to hear them named
by him. Their comfort also is, that he never lost a cause, nor a
soul, for whom he undertook to be an Advocate with God.

But, reader, I will no longer detain thee from the perusal of the
discourse. Read and think; read, and compare what thou readest with
the Word of God. If thou findest any benefit by that thou readest,
give the Father, and his Son the glory; and also pray for me. If
thou findest me short in this, or to exceed in that, impute all
such things to my weakness, of which I am always full. Farewell.
I am thine to serve thee what I may,

JOHN BUNYAN.

THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE

The apostle's Divine policy, to beget a due regard to his Divine
doctrine of eternal life.-The apostle's explication of this
expression, viz., The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all
sin.-The apostle's exhortation to separation from sin, as a good
effect of a good cause, viz., Forgiveness-The apostle's addition,
to prevent misunderstanding, viz., We have an advocate with the
Father

This brings to the text, in which are two great truths contained:
I. A supposition, viz., That men in Christ may sin. II. An expression,
by way of consolation, in case of sin, viz., We have an Advocate
with the Father

Two things for inquiry in these truths: First. An inquiry into what
our apostle means by sin; in which is considered, A difference in
the person and in the sin. And, Second, An inquiry into what it
is for Christ to be an Advocate, viz., To plead for another in a
court of judicature

Seven things supposed in the office of an advocate: 1. That God, as
judge, is on the throne of judgment. 2. That saints are concerned
at that bar. 3. That Christians have an accuser. 4. That sinning
saints dare not appear at this bar to plead their own cause.
5. That Christians are apt to forget their Advocate, and remember
their Judge. 6. To remember our Advocate is the way to support faith
and hope.-7. That if our advocate plead our cause (though that be
never so black) he is able to bring us off

The apostle's triumph in Christ on this account.-An exhortation to
the difficult task of believing.-Christ's advocateship declares us
to be sorry creatures

THE METHOD OBSERVED IN THE DISCOURSE.

FIRST, TO SPEAK OF THIS ADVOCATE'S OFFICE

First, By touching on the nature of this office

Second, By treating of the order or place of this office

Third, The occasion of this office, viz., some great sin.-Christ,
as Advocate, pleads a bad cause.-A good cause will plead for
itself.-A bad man may have a good cause, and a good man may have
a bad cause.-Christ, the righteous, pleading a bad cause, is a
mystery.-The best saints are most sensible of their sins.-A pestilent
passage of a preacher

SECOND, TO SHOW HOW CHRIST DOES MANAGE HIS OFFICE

First, How he manages his office of Advocate with the Father.-1.
ALONE, not by any proxy or deputy.-2. Christ pleads at God's bar; the
cause cannot be removed into another court.-If removed from heaven,
we have no advocate on earth.-3. In pleading, Christ observes
these rules: (1.) He granteth what is charged on us.-(2.) He pleads
his own goodness for us.-He payeth all our debts down.-All mouths
stopped, who would not have the sinner delivered.-(3.) Christ requires
a verdict in order to our deliverance.-The sinner is delivered,
God contented, Satan confounded, and Christ applauded

Second, How Christ manages his office of an Advocate against the
adversary by argument.-1. He pleads the pleasure of his Father in
his merits.-Satan rebuked for finding fault therewith.-2. He pleads
God's interest in his people.-Haman's mishap in being engaged against
the king's queen.-N. B. It seems a weak plea, because of man's
unworthiness; but it is a strong plea, because of God's worthiness.-The
elect are bound to God by a sevenfold cord.-The weight of the plea
weighed

Third, Christ pleads his own interest in them.-A parallel between
cattle in a pound and Christ's own sheep.-Six weighty reasons in
this plea.-1. They are Christ's own.-2. They cost him dear.-3.
He hath made them near to himself.-(a.) They are his spouse, his
love, his dove; they are members of his body.-(b.) A man cannot
spare a hand, a foot, a finger.-Nor can Christ spare any member.-4.
Christ pleads his right in heaven to give it to whom he will.-Christ
will; Satan will not; Christ's will stands.-5. Christ pleads
Satan's enmity against the godly.-Satan is the cause of the crimes
he accuses us of.-A simile of a weak-witted child.-6. Christ can
plead those sins of saints for them for which Satan would have them
damned.-Eight considerations to clear that.-Seven more considerations
to the same end.-Men care most for children that are infirm.-A
father offended hath been appeased by a brother turning advocate

THIRD HEAD.-TO SHOW WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE; WHEREIN ARE
THREE THINGS CONTAINED

First, This office of advocate differs from that of a priest.-1.
They differ in name.-2. They differ in nature.-3. They differ as
to their extent.-4. They differ as to the persons with whom they
have to do.-5. They differ as to the matter about which they are
employed.-6. Christ, as Priest, precedes; Christ, as Advocate,
succeeds

Second, How far this office of an advocate is extended; in five
particulars

Third, Who have Christ for their Advocate.-1. In general, all
adopted children.-Object. The text saith, "If any man sin."-Answ.
"Any man," is not any of the world; but any of the children of God.-A
difference in children; some bigger than some.-Christ an Advocate
for strong men.-2. In particular, to show if Christ be our Advocate-(1.)
If one have entertained Christ to plead a cause.-Quest. How shall
I know that?-Answ. By being sensible of an action commenced against
thee in the high court of justice.-(2.) If one have revealed a
cause to Christ.-An example of one revealing his cause to Christ,
in a closet.-In order to this, one must know Christ, (a.) To be a
friend.-(b.) To be faithful.-(3.) If one have committed a cause to
Christ.-In order to this, one must be convinced, (a.) Of Christ's
ability to defend him.-(b.) Of Christ's courage to plead a cause.-(c.)
Of Christ's will for this work.-(d.) Of Christ's tenderness in case
of his client's dullness.-(e.) Of Christ's unweariedness-(4.) If
one wait till things come to a legal issue.-Quest. What is it thus
to wait?-Answ. (a.) To be of good courage; look for deliverance.-(b.)
To keep his way in waiting.-(c.) To observe his directions.-(d.) To
hearken to further directions which may come from the advocate.-(e.)
To come to no ill conclusion in waiting, viz., that the cause is
lost; because one hears not from court.-(f.) To wait waking, not
sleeping.-Ordinances and ministers compared to a post house and
carriers of letters.-The client's comfortable conclusion about his
advocate and cause.-But yet doubting and desponding.-The author's
reply to, and compliance with, the client's conclusion; and his
counsel in the case

FOURTH HEAD-TO SHOW THE CLIENT'S PRIVILEGES, BY THE BENEFIT OF THIS
OFFICE OF ADVOCATE

First Privilege.-The Advocate pleads a price paid.-Of a rich
brother and his poor brethren.-Of the ill-conditioned man, their
enemy.-Further cleared by three considerations

Second Privilege.-The client's Advocate pleads for himself also;
both concerned in one bottom.-1. He pleads the price of his own
blood.-2. He pleads it for his own.-A simile of a lame horse.-Of
men going to law for a thing of little worth.-Object. I am but
one.-Answ. Christ cannot lose one

Third Privilege.-The plea of Satan is groundless.-Satan must be
cast over the bar.-A simile of a widow owing a sum of money.-Of an
old law nulled1 by a new law.-Satan pleads by the old law; Christ
by the new

Fourth Privilege.-Is consequential; the client's accuser must needs
be overthrown.-The client's solemn appeal to the Almighty.-In case
the accused have no advocate, Satan prevails

Fifth Privilege.-The Advocate hath pity for his client, and
indignation against the accuser.-Men choose an advocate who hath
a quarrel against their adversary

Sixth Privilege.-The judge counts the accuser his enemy.-To procure
the judge's son to plead, is desirable

Seventh Privilege.-The client's Advocate hath good courage; he
will set his face like a flint.-He pleads before the God, and all
the host, of heaven.-He is the old friend of publicans and sinners.-He
pleads a cause bad enough to make angels blush.-Love will do, and
bear, and suffer much

Eighth Privilege.-The Advocate is always ready in court.-He appears
NOW in the presence of God

Ninth Privilege.-The Advocate will not be blinded with bribes

Tenth Privilege.-The Advocate is judge in the client's cause.-Joseph's
exaltation was Israel's advantage.-God's care of his people's
welfare

Eleventh Privilege.-The Advocate hath all that is requisite for an
advocate to have

FIFTH.-LAST HEAD.-TO SHOW THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST FOR OUR ADVOCATE

First.-To vindicate the justice of God against the cavils of the
devil.-Satan charges God with unjust words and actions.-God is
pleased with his design to save sinners

Second.-There is law to be objected against us.-Christ appeals to
the law itself.-Christ is not ashamed to own the way of salvation

Third.-Many things give our accuser advantage.-1. Many things
relating to the promises.-2. Many things relating to our lives.-3.
The threats annexed to the gospel

Fourth.-To plead about our afflictions for sins.-A simile of a man
indicted at the assizes, and his malicious adversary.-An allusion
to Abishai and Shimei, who cursed David

Fifth.-To plead the efficacy of our old titles to our inheritance,
if questionable because of new sins-Saints do not sell their
inheritance by sin

Sixth.-Our evidences are oft out of our hand, and we recover them
by our Advocate

SIXTH.-OBJECTIONS REMOVED

First Object.-What need all these offices or nice distinctions.-Answ.
The wisdom of God is not to be charged with folly.-God's people are
baffled with the devil for want of a distinct knowledge of Christ
in all his offices

Second Object.-My cause being bad, Christ will desert me.-Answ.
Sin is deadly destruction to faith.-A five-fold order observed in
the exercise of faith

Third Object.-But who shall pay the Advocate his fee?-Answ. There
is law, and lawyers too, without money.-Christ pleads for the
poor.-David's strange gift to God

Fourth Object.-If Christ be my Advocate once, he will always be
troubled with me.-Answ. He is an Advocate to the utmost

SEVENTH.-USE AND APPLICATION

Use First.-To consider the dignity God hath put upon Christ, by
offices, places of trust, and titles of honour, in general

Use Second.-To consider this office of an Advocate in particular;
by which consideration these advantages come:-1. To see one is not
forsaken for sin.-2. To take courage to contend with the devil.-3.
It affords relief for discouraged faith.-4. It helps to put off
the visor Satan puts on Christ.-A simile of a visor on the face
of a father.-Study this peculiar treasure of an advocate.-(1.)
With reference to its peculiarity.-(2.) Study the nature of this
office.-(3.) Study its efficacy and prevalency.-(4.) Study Christ's
faithfulness in his office.-(5.) Study the need of a share therein

Use Third.-To wonder at Christ's condescension, in being an Advocate
for the base and unworthy.-Christ acts in open court, 1. With a
holy and just God.-2. Before all the heavenly host.-3. The client
is unconcerned for whom the Advocate is engaged.-4. The majesty of
the man that is an Advocate

Use Fourth.-Improve this doctrine to strengthen grace. 1.To
strengthen faith.-2. To encourage to prayer.-3. To keep humble.-4.
To encourage to perseverance.-Object. I cannot pray; my mouth is
stopped.-Answ. Satan cannot silence Christ.-5. Improve this doctrine,
to drive difficulties down

Use Fifth.-If Christ pleads for us before God, we should plead for
him before men.-Nine considerations to that end.-The last reserve
for a dead lift

Use Sixth.-To be wary of sin against God.-Christianity teaches
ingenuity. 2 Christ is our Advocate, on free cost.-A comely conclusion
of a brute.-Three considerations added

Use Seventh.-The strong are to tell the weak of an Advocate to
plead their cause.-A word in season is good

Use Eighth.-All is nothing to them that have none to plead their
cause.-An instance of God's terrible judgment.-Object. There is
grace, the promise, the blood of Christ; cannot these save, except
Christ be Advocate?-Answ. These, and Advocate, and all, little
enough.-Christ no Advocate for such as have no sense of, and
shame for sin.-Object. Is not Christ an Advocate for his elect
uncalled?-Answ. He died, and prayeth, for all his elect, as Priest;
as Advocate, pleads for the called only

THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AS AN ADVOCATE.

"AND IF ANY MAN SIN, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS
CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS."---I JOHN 2:1.

THAT the apostle might obtain due regard from those to whom
he wrote, touching the things about which he wrote, he tells them
that he received not his message to them at second or third hand,
but was himself an eye and ear witness thereof-That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of
the word of life, (for the life was manifested, and we have seen
it, and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life, which was
with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have
seen and heard, declare we unto you.3

Having thus told them of his ground for what he said, he proceeds
to tell them also the matter contained in his errand-to wit, that
he brought them news of eternal life, as freely offered in the word
of the gospel to them; or rather, that that gospel which they had
received would certainly usher them in at the gates of the kingdom
of heaven, were their reception of it sincere and in truth--for,
saith he, then "the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth
you from all sin."

Having thus far told them what was his errand, he sets upon
an explication of what he had said, especially touching our being
cleansed from all sin--"Not," saith he, "from a being of sin; for
should we say so, we should deceive ourselves," and should prove
that we have no truth of God in us, but by cleansing, I mean
a being delivered from all sin, so as that none at all shall have
the dominion over you, to bring you down to hell; for that, for
the sake of the blood of Christ, all trespasses are forgiven you.

This done, he exhorts them to shun or fly sin, and not to consent
to the motions, workings, enticings, or allurements thereof, saying,
"I write unto you that ye sin not." Let not forgiveness have so
bad an effect upon you as to cause you to be remiss in Christian
duties, or as to tempt you to give, way to evil. Shall we sin because
we are forgiven? or shall we not much matter what manner of lives
we live, because we are set free from the law of sin and death? God
forbid. Let grace teach us another lesson, and lay other obligations
upon our spirits. "My little children," saith he, "these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not." What things? Why, tidings of
pardon and salvation, and of that nearness to God, to which you
are brought by the precious blood of Christ. Now, lest also by this
last exhortation he should yet be misunderstood, he adds, "And if
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the rather, Jesus Christ the
righteous." I say, he addeth this to prevent desponding in those
weak and sensible Christians that are so quick of feeling and
of discerning the corruptions of their natures; for these cry out
continually that there is nothing that they do but it is attended
with sinful weaknesses.

Wherefore, in the words we are presented with two great truths--l.
With a supposition, that men in Christ, while in this world, may
sin--, "If any man sin;" any man; none are excluded; for all, or
any one of the all of them that Christ hath redeemed and forgiven,
are incident to sin. By "may" I mean, not a toleration, but a
possibility; "For there is not a man, not a just man upon earth,
that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Eccl 7:20; 1 Kings 8:46). II.
The other thing with which we are presented is, an Advocate--, "If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous."

Now there lieth in these two truths two things to be inquired
into, as-First, What the apostle should here mean by sin. Second,
And also, what he here doth mean by an advocate-"If any man sin,
we have an Advocate." There is ground to inquire after the first
of these, because, though here he saith, they that sin have an
advocate, yet in the very next chapter he saith, "Such are of the
devil, have not seen God, neither know him, nor are of him." There
is ground also to inquire after the second, because an advocate is
supposed in the text to be of use to them that sin--, "If any man
sin, we have an Advocate."

First, For the first of these--to wit, what the apostle should here
mean by sin--, "If any man sin."

I answer, since there is a difference in the persons, there must be
a difference in the sin. That there is a difference in the persons
is showed before; one is called a child of God, the other is said
to be of the wicked one. Their sins differ also, in their degree at
least; for no child of God sins to that degree as to make himself
incapable of forgiveness; "for he that is begotten of God keepeth
himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (I John 5:18).
Hence, the apostle says, "There is a sin unto death" (v. 16). See
also Matthew 12:32. Which is the sin from which he that is born of
God is kept. The sins therefore are thus distinguished: The sins of
the people of God are said to be sins that men commit, the others
are counted those which are the sins of devils.

1. The sins of God's people are said to be sins which men commit,
and for which they have an Advocate, though they who sin after the
example of the wicked one have none. "When a man or woman," saith
Moses, "shall commit any sin that men commit--they shall confess
their sin--and an atonement shall be made for him" (Num 5:5-7).
Mark, it is when they commit a sin which men commit; or, as Hosea
has it, when they transgress the commandment like Adam (Hosea 6:7).
Now, these are the sins under consideration by the apostle, and to
deliver us from which, "we have an Advocate with the Father."

2. But for the sins mentioned in the third chapter, since the
persons sinning go here under another character, they also must be
of another stamp-to wit, a making head against the person, merits,
and grace of Jesus Christ. These are the sins of devils in the
world, and for these there is no remission. These, they also that
are of the wicked one commit, and therefore sin after the similitude
of Satan, and so fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Second, But what is it for Jesus to be an Advocate for these? "If
any man sin, we have an Advocate."

An advocate is one who pleadeth for another at any bar, or before
any court of judicature; but of this more in its place. So, then,
we have in the text a Christian, as supposed, committing sin, and
a declaration of an Advocate prepared to plead for him-"If any man
sin, we have an Advocate with the Father."

And this leads me first to inquire into what, by these words the
apostle must, of necessity, presuppose? For making use here of the
similitude or office of an advocate, thereby to show the preservation
of the sinning Christian, he must,

1. Suppose that God, as judge, is now upon the throne of his
judgment; for an advocate is to plead at a bar, before a court of
judicature. Thus it is among men; and forasmuch as our Lord Jesus
is said to be an "Advocate with the Father," it is clear that there
is a throne of judgment also. This the prophet Micaiah affirms,
saying, "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of
heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left" (I Kings
22:19). Sitting upon a throne for judgment; for from the Lord, as
then sitting upon that throne, proceeded that sentence against king
Ahab, that he should go and fall at Ramoth-gilead; and he did go,
and did fall there, as the award or fruit of that judgment. That
is the first.

2. The text also supposeth that the saints as well as sinners are
concerned at that bar; for the apostle saith plainly that there
"we have an Advocate." And the saints are concerned at that bar;
because they transgress as well as others, and because the law
is against the sin of saints as well as against the sins of other
men. If the saints were not capable of committing of sin, what need
would they have of an advocate (I Chron 21:3-6. I Sam 12:13,14)?4
Yea, though they did sin, yet if they were by Christ so set free
from the law as that it could by no means take cognizance of their
sins, what need would they have of an advocate? None at all. If
there be twenty places where there are assizes kept in this land,
yet if I have offended no law, what need have I of an advocate?
Especially if the judge be just, and knows me altogether, as the
God of heaven does? But here is Judge that is just; and here is an
Advocate also, an Advocate for the children, an Advocate to plead;
for an advocate as such is not of use but before a bar to plead;
therefore, here is an offence, and so a law broken by the saints
as well as others. That is the second thing.

3. As the text supposes that there is a judge, and crimes of saints,
so it supposeth that there is an accuser, one that will carefully
gather up the faults of good men, and that will plead them at this
bar against them. Hence we read of "the accuser of our brethren,
that accused them before our God day and night" (Rev 12:10-12).
For Satan doth not only tempt the godly man to sin, but, having
prevailed with him, and made him guilty, he packs away to the court,
to God the judge of all; and there addresses himself to accuse
that man, and to lay to his charge the heinousness of his offence,
pleading against him the law that he has broken, the light against
which he did it, and the like. But now, for the relief and support
of such poor people, the apostle, by the text, presents them with an
advocate; that is, with one to plead for them, while Satan pleads
against them; with one that pleads for pardon, while Satan, by
accusing, seeks to pull judgment and vengeance upon our heads. "If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." That is the third thing.

4. As the apostle supposeth a judge, crimes, and an accuser, so
he also supposeth that those herein concerned-to wit, the sinning
children-neither can nor dare attempt to appear at this bar
themselves to plead their own cause before this Judge and against
this accuser; for if they could or durst do this, what need they
have an advocate? for an advocate is of use to them whose cause
themselves neither can nor dare appear to plead. Thus Job prayed
for an advocate to plead his cause with God (Job 16:21); and David
cries out, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant," O God,
"for in thy sight shall no man living be justified" (Psa 143:2).
Wherefore, it is evident that saints neither can nor dare adventure
to plead their cause. Alas! the Judge is the almighty and eternal
God; the law broken is the holy and perfect rule of God, in itself
a consuming fire. The sin is so odious, and a thing so abominable,
that it is enough to make all the angels blush to hear it but so
much as once mentioned in so holy a place as that is where this
great God doth sit to judge. This sin now hangs about the neck of
him that hath committed it; yea, it covereth him as doth a mantle.
The adversary is bold, cunning, and audacious, and can word a
thousand of us into an utter silence in less than half a quarter
of an hour. What, then, should the sinner, if he could come there,
do at this bar to plead? Nothing; nothing for his own advantage.
But now comes in his mercy-he has an Advocate to plead his cause-"If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." That is the fourth thing. But again,

5. The apostle also supposeth by the text there is an aptness
in Christians when they have sinned, to forget that they "have an
Advocate with the Father"; wherefore this is written to put them
in remembrance-"If any may sin, [let him remember] we have an
Advocate." We can think of all other things well enough-namely,
that God is a just judge, that the law is perfectly holy, that my
sin is a horrible and an abominable thing, and that I am certainly
thereof accused before God by Satan.

These things, I say, we readily think of, and forget them not. Our
conscience puts us in mind of these, our guilt puts us in mind of
these, the devil puts us in mind of these, and our reason and sense
hold the knowledge and remembrance of these close to us. All that
we forget is, that we have an Advocate, "an Advocate with the
Father"-that is, one that is appointed to take in hand in open
court, before all the angels of heaven, my cause, and to plead it
by such law and arguments as will certainly fetch me off, though
I am clothed with filthy garments; but this, I say, we are apt
to forget, as Job when he said, "O that one might plead for a man
with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!" (Job 16:21). Such
an one Job had, but he had almost at this time forgot it; as he
seems to intimate also where he wisheth for a daysman that might
lay his hand upon them both (Job 9:33). But our mercy is, we have
one to plead our cause, "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous," who will not suffer our soul to be spilt and spoiled
before the throne, but will surely plead our cause.

6. Another thing that the apostle would have us learn from the words
is this, that to remember and to believe that Jesus Christ is an
Advocate for us when we have sinned, is the next way to support
and strengthen our faith and hope. Faith and hope are very apt to
faint when our sins in their guilt do return upon us; nor is there
any more proper way to relieve our souls than to understand that
the Son of God is our Advocate in heaven. True, Christ died for our
sins as a sacrifice, and as a priest he sprinkleth with his blood
the mercyseat; ay, but here is one that has sinned after profession
of faith, that has sinned grievously, so grievously that his sins
are come up before God; yea, are at his bar pleaded against him
by the accuser of the brethren, by the enemy of the godly. What
shall he do now? Why, let him believe in Christ. Believe, that is
true; but how now must he conceive in his mind of Christ for the
encouraging of him so to do? Why, let him call to mind that Jesus
Christ is an Advocate with the Father, and as such he meeteth the
accuser at the bar of God, pleads for this man that has sinned
against this accuser, and prevaileth for ever against him. Here
now, though Satan be turned lawyer, though he accuseth, yea, though
his charge against us is true, (for suppose that we have sinned,)
"yet our Advocate is with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Thus is faith encouraged, thus is hope strengthened, thus is the
spirit of the sinking Christian revived, and made to wait for a good
deliverance from a bad cause and a cunning adversary; especially
if you consider,

7. That the apostle doth also further suppose by the text that
Jesus Christ, as Advocate, if he will but plead our cause, let
that be never so black, is able to bring us off, even before God's
judgment-seat, to our joy, and the confounding of our adversary;
for when he saith, "We have an Advocate," he speaks nothing if he
means not thus. But he doth mean thus, he must mean thus, because
he seeketh here to comfort and support the fallen. "Has any man
sinned? We have an Advocate." But what of that, if yet he be unable
to fetch us off when charged for sin at the bar, and before the
face of a righteous judge?

But he is able to do this. The apostle says so, in that he supposes
a man has sinned, as any man among the godly ever did; for we may
understand it; and if he giveth us not leave to understand it so,
he saith nothing to the purpose neither, for it will be objected
by some-But can he fetch me off, though I have done as David,
as Solomon, as Peter, or the like? It must be answered, Yes. The
openness of the terms ANY MAN, the indefiniteness of the word SIN,
doth naturally allow us to take him in the largest sense; besides,
he brings in this saying as the chief, most apt, and fittest to
relieve one crushed down to death and hell by the guilt of sin and
a wounded conscience.

Further, methinks by these words the apostle seems to triumph in
his Christ, saying, My brethren, I would have you study to be holy;
but if your adversary the devil should get the advantage of you,
and besmear you with the filth of sin, you have yet, besides all
that you have heard already, "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous," who is as to his person, in interest with
God, his wisdom and worth, able to bring you off, to the comforting
of your souls.

Let me, therefore, for a conclusion as to this, give you an
exhortation to believe, to hope, and expect, that though you have
sinned, (for now I speak to the fallen saint) that Jesus Christ
will make a good end with the-"Trust," I say, "in him, and he shall
bring it to pass." I know I put thee upon a hard and difficult task
for believing and expecting good, when my guilty conscience doth
nothing but clog, burden, and terrify me with the justice of God,
the greatness of thy sins, and the burning torments is hard and
sweating work. But it must be; the text calls for it, thy case
calls for it, and thou must do it, if thou wouldst glorify Christ;
and this is the way to hasten the issue of thy cause in hand, for
believing daunts the devil, pleaseth Christ, and will help thee
beforehand to sing that song of the church, saying, "O Lord, thou
hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life"
(Lam 3:58). Yea, believe, and hear thy pleading Lord say to thee,
"Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause
of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup
of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no
more drink it again" (Isa 51:22). I am not here discoursing of the
sweetness of Christ's nature, but of the excellency of his offices,
and of his office of advocateship in particular, which, as a lawyer
for his client, he is to execute in the presence of God for us.
Love may be where there is no office, and so where no power is to
do us good; but now, when love and office shall meet, they will
surely both combine in Christ to do the fallen Christian good. But
of his love we have treated elsewhere; we will here discourse of
the office of this loving one. And for thy further information, let
me tell thee that God thy Father counteth that thou wilt be, when
compared with his law, but a poor one all thy days; yea, the apostle
tells thee so, in that he saith there is an Advocate provided for
thee. When a father provides crutches for his child, he doth as
good as say, I count that my child will be yet infirm; and when
God shall provide an Advocate, he doth as good as say, My people
are subject to infirmities. Do not, therefore, think of thyself
above what, by plain texts, and fair inferences drawn from Christ's
offices, thou are bound to think. What doth it bespeak concerning
thee that Christ is always a priest in heaven, and there ever lives
to make intercession for thee (Heb 7:24), but this, that thou art
at the best in thyself, yea, and in thy best exercising of all
thy graces too, but a poor, pitiful, sorry, sinful man; a man that
would, when yet most holy, be certainly cast away, did not thy high
priest take away for thee the iniquity of thy holy things. The age
we live in is a wanton age; the godly are not so humble, and low,
and base in their own eyes as they should, though their daily
experience calls for it, and the priesthood of Jesus Christ too.

But above all, the advocateship of Jesus Christ declares us to be
sorry creatures; for that office does, as it were, predict that
some time or other we shall basely fall, and by falling be undone,
if the Lord Jesus stand not up to plead. And as it shows this
concerning us, so it shows concerning God that he will not lightly
or easily lose his people. He has provided well for us-blood to wash
us in; a priest to pray for us, that we may be made to persevere;
and, in case we foully fall, an advocate to plead our cause, and
to recover us from under, and out of all that danger, that by sin
and Satan, we at any time may be brought into.

But having thus briefly passed through that in the text which I think
the apostle must necessarily presuppose, I shall now endeavour to
enter into the bowels of it, and see what, in a more particular
manner, shall be found therein. And, for my more profitable doing
of this work, I shall choose to observe this method in my discourse-

[METHOD OF THE DISCOURSE.]

FIRST, I shall show you more particularly of this Advocate's office,
or what and wherein Christ's office as Advocate doth lie. SECOND,
After that, I shall also show you how Jesus Christ doth manage this
office of an Advocate. THIRD, I shall also then show you who they
are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate. FOURTH, I shall
also show you what excellent privileges they have, who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate. FIFTH, And to silence cavillers, I shall
also show the necessity of this office of Jesus Christ. SIXTH, I
shall come to answer some objections; and, LASTLY, To the use and
application.

[WHEREIN CHRIST'S OFFICE AS ADVOCATE DOTH LIE.]

FIRST, To begin with the first of these-namely, to show you more
particularly of Christ's office as an Advocate, and wherein it lieth;
the which I shall do these three ways-First, Touch again upon the
nature of this office; and then, Second, Treat of the order and
place that it hath among the rest of his offices; and, Third, Treat
of the occasion of the execution of this office.

First, To touch upon the nature of this office. It is that which
empowereth a man to plead for a man, or one man to plead for another;
not in common discourses, and upon common occasions, as any man may
do, but at a bar, or before a court of judicature, where a man is
accused or impleaded by his enemy; I say, this Advocate's office
is such, both here, and in the kingdom of heaven. An advocate is as
one of our attorneys, at least in the general, who pleads according
to law and justice for one or other that is in trouble by reason of
some miscarriage, or of the naughty temper of some that are about
him, who trouble and vex, and labour to bring him into danger of
the law. This is the nature of this office, as I said, on earth;
and this is the office that Christ executeth in heaven. Wherefore
he saith, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate"; one to stand up
for him, and to plead for his deliverance before the bar of God.
(Joel 3:2. Isa 66:16. Eze 38:22. Jer 2.)

For though in some places of Scripture Christ is said to plead
for his with men, and that by terrible arguments, as by fire, and
sword, and famine, and pestilence, yet this is not that which is
intended by this text; for the apostle here saith, he is an Advocate
with the Father, or before the Father, to plead for those that
there, or that to the Father's face, shall be accused for their
transgressions: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." So, then, this is the employ
of Jesus Christ as he is for us, an Advocate. He has undertaken
to stand up for his people at God's bar, and before that great
court, there to plead, by the law and justice of heaven, for their
deliverance; when, for their faults, they are accused, indicted,
or impleaded by their adversary.

Second. And now to treat of the order or place that this office of
Christ hath among the rest of his offices, which he doth execute
for us while we are here in a state of imperfection; and I think
it is an office that is to come behind as a reserve, or for a help
at last, when all other means shall seem to fail. Men do not use
to go to law upon every occasion; or if they do, the wisdom of the
judge, the jury, and the court will not admit that every brangle
and foolish quarrel shall come before them; but an Advocate doth
then come into place, and then to the exercise of his office, when
a cause is counted worthy to be taken notice of by the judge and
by the court. Wherefore he, I say, comes in the last place, as a
reserve, or help at last, to plead; and, by pleading, to set that
right by law which would otherwise have caused an increase to more
doubts, and to further dangers.

Christ, as priest, doth always works of service for us, because
in our most spiritual things there may faults and spots be found,
and these he taketh away of course, by the exercise of that office;
for he always wears that plate of gold upon his forehead before
the Father, whereon is written, "Holiness to the Lord." But now,
besides these common infirmities, there are faults that are highly
gross and foul, that oft are found in the skirts of the children
of God. Now, there are they that Satan taketh hold on; these are
they that Satan draweth up a charge against us for; and to save us
from these, it is, that the Lord Jesus is made an Advocate. When
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, then Satan stood at his
right hand to resist him; then the angel of the covenant, the Lord
Jesus, pleaded for his help (Zech 3). By all which it appears,
that this office comes behind, is provided as a reserve, that we
may have help at a pinch, and then be lifted out, when we sink in
mire, where there is no standing.

This is yet further hinted at by the several postures that Christ
is said to be in, as he exerciseth his priestly and advocate's
office. As a Priest, he sits; as an Advocate, he stands (Isa 3:13).
The Lord stands up when he pleads; his sitting is more constant and
of course (Sit thou, Psa 110:1,4), but his standing is occasional,
when Joshua is indicted, or when hell and earth are broken loose
against his servant Stephen. For as Joshua was accused by the
devil, and as then the angel of the Lord stood by, so when Stephen
was accused by men on earth, and that charge seconded by the fallen
angels before the face of God, it is said, "the Lord Jesus stood
on the right hand of God," (Acts 7:55)-to wit, to plead; for so I
take it, because standing is his posture as an Advocate, not as a
Priest; for, as a Priest, he must sit down; but he standeth as an
Advocate, as has been showed afore (Heb 10:12). Wherefore,

Third. The occasion of his exercising of this office of advocate
is, as hath been hinted already, when a child of God shall be found
guilty before God of some heinous sin, of some grievous thing in
his life and conversation. For as for those infirmities that attend
the best, in their most spiritual sacrifices; if a child of God
were guilty of ten thousand of them, they are of course purged,
through the much incense that is always mixed with those sacrifices
in the golden censer that is in the hand of Christ; and so he is
kept clean, and counted upright, notwithstanding those infirmities;
and, therefore, you shall find that, notwithstanding those common faults,
the children of God are counted good and upright in conversation,
and not charged as offenders. "David," saith the text, "did that
which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from
any thing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, save
only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (I Kings 15:5). But was
David, in a strict sense, without fault in all things else? No,
verily; but that was foul in a higher degree than the rest, and
therefore there God sets a blot; ay, and doubtless for that he was
accused by Satan before the throne of God; for here is adultery,
and murder, and hypocrisy, in David's doings; here is notorious
matter, a great sin, and so a great ground for Satan to draw up
an indictment against the king; and a thundering one, to be sure,
shall be preferred against him. This is the time, then, for Christ
to stand up to plead; for now there is room for such a question-Can
David's sin stand with grace? Or, Is it possible that a man that
has done as he has, should yet be found a saint, and so in a saved
state? Or, Can God repute him so, and yet be holy and just? or,
Can the merits of the Lord Jesus reach, according to the law of
heaven, a man in this condition? Here is a case dubious; here is
a man whose salvation, by his foul offences, is made doubtful; now
we must to law and judgment, wherefore now let Christ stand up to
plead! I say, now was David's case dubious; he was afraid that God
would cast him away, and the devil hoped he would, and to that end
charged him before God's face, if, perhaps, he might get sentence
of damnation to pass upon his soul (Psa 51). But this was David's
mercy, he had an Advocate to plead his cause, by whose wisdom and
skill in matters of law and judgment he was brought off of those
heavy charges, from those gross sins, and delivered from that eternal
condemnation, that by the law of sin and death, was due thereto.

This is then the occasion that Christ taketh to plead, as Advocate,
for the salvation of his people-to wit, the cause: He "pleadeth
the cause of his people" (Is 51:22). Not every cause, but such and
such a cause; the cause that is very bad, and by the which they
are involved, not only in guilt and shame, but also in danger of
death and hell. I say, the cause is bad, if the text be true, if
sin can make it bad, yea, if sin itself be bad-"If any man sin,
we have an Advocate"; an Advocate to plead for him; for him as
considered guilty, and so, consequently, as considered in a bad
condition. It is true, we must distinguish between the person and
the sin; and Christ pleads for the person, not the sin; but yet He
cannot be concerned with the person, but he must be with the sin;
for though the person and the sin may be distinguished, yet they
cannot be separated. He must plead, then, not for a person only, but
for a guilty person, for a person under the worst of circumstances-"If
any man sin, we have an Advocate" for him as so considered.

When a man's cause is good, it will sufficiently plead for itself,
yea, and for its master too, especially when it is made appear so
to be, before a just and righteous judge. Here, therefore, needs
no advocate; the judge himself will pronounce him righteous. This
is evidently seen in Job-"Thou movedst me against him (this said
God to Satan), to destroy him without cause" (Job 2:3). Thus far
Job's cause was good, wherefore he did not need an advocate; his
cause pleaded for itself, and for its owner also. But if it was
to plead good causes for which Christ is appointed Advocate, then
the apostle should have written thus: If any man be righteous, we
have an Advocate with the Father. Indeed, I never heard but one in
all my life preach from this text, and he, when he came to handle
the cause for which he was to plead, pretended it must be good,
and therefore said to the people, See that your cause be good, else
Christ will not undertake it. But when I heard it, Lord, thought
I, if this be true, what shall I do, and what will become of all
this people, yea, and of this preacher too? Besides, I saw by the
text, the apostle supposeth another cause, a cause bad, exceeding
bad, if sin can make it so. And this was one cause why I undertook
this work.

When we speak of a cause, we speak not of a person simply
as so considered; for, as I said before, person and cause must
be distinguished; nor can the person make the cause good but as
he regulates his action by the Word of God. If, then, a good, a
righteous, man doth what the law condemns, that thing is bad; and
if he be indicted for so doing, he is indicted for a bad cause;
and he that will be his advocate, must be concerned in and about
a bad matter; and how he will bring his client off, therein doth
lie the mystery.

I know that a bad man may have a good cause depending before the
judge, and so also good men have (Job 31). But then they are bold
in their own cause, and fear not to make mention of it, and in
Christ to plead their innocency before the God of heaven, as well
as before men (Psa 71:3-5. II Cor 1:23. Gal 1:10. Phil 1:8). But
we have in the text a cause that all men are afraid of-a cause that
the apostle concludes so bad that none but Jesus Christ himself can
save a Christian from it. It is not only sinful, but sin itself-"If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father."

Wherefore there is in this place handled by the apostle, one of
the greatest mysteries under heaven-to wit, that an innocent and
holy Jesus should take in hand to plead for one before a just and
righteous God, that has defiled himself with sin; yea, that he
should take in hand to plead for such an one against the fallen
angels, and that he should also by his plea effectually rescue, and
bring them off from the crimes and curse whereof they were verily
guilty by the verdict of the law, and approbation of the Judge.

This, I say, is a great mystery, and deserves to be pried into by
all the godly, both because much of the wisdom of heaven is discovered
in it, and because the best saint is, or may be, concerned with it.
Nor must we by any means let this truth be lost, because it is the
truth; the text has declared it so, and to say otherwise is to belie
the Word of God, to thwart the apostle, to soothe up hypocrites,
to rob Christians of their privilege, and to take the glory from
the head of Jesus Christ (Luke 18:11,12).

The best saints are most sensible of their sins, and most apt to
make mountains of their mole hills. Satan also, as has been already
hinted, doth labour greatly to prevail with them to sin, and to
provoke their God against them, by pleading what is true, or by
surmising evilly of them, to the end they may be accused by him
(Job 2:9). Great is his malice toward them, great is his diligence
in seeking their destruction; wherefore greatly doth he desire
to sift, to try, and winnow them, if perhaps he may work in their
flesh to answer his design-that is, to break out in sinful acts,
that he may have by law to accuse them to their God and Father.
Wherefore, for their sakes this text abides, that they may see
that, when they have sinned, "they have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous." And thus have I showed you the nature,
the order, and occasion of this office of our blessed Lord Jesus.

[HOW CHRIST MANAGES THE OFFICE OF AN ADVOCATE.]

II. I come now to show you how Jesus Christ doth manage this
his office of an Advocate for us. And that I may do this to your
edification, I shall choose this method for the opening of it-First.
Show you how he manages this office with his Father. Second. I
shall show you how he manages it before him against our adversary.

First. How he manages this his office of Advocate with his Father.

1. He doth it by himself, by no other as deputy under him, no angel,
no saint; no work has place here but Jesus, and Jesus only. This
the text implies: "We have an Advocate"; speaking of one, but one,
one alone; without an equal or an inferior. We have but one, and he
is Jesus Christ. Nor is it for Christ's honour, nor for the honour
of the law, or of the justice of God, that any but Jesus Christ
should be an Advocate for a sinning saint. Besides, to assert the
contrary, what doth it but lessen sin, and make the advocateship of
Jesus Christ superfluous? It would lessen sin should it be removed
by a saint or angel; it would make the advocateship of Jesus Christ
superfluous, yea, needless, should it be possible that sin could
be removed from us by either saint or angel.

Again; if God should admit of more advocates than one, and yet
make mention of never an one but Jesus Christ; or if John should
allow another, and yet speak nothing but of Jesus only; yea, that
an advocate under that title should be mentioned but once, but
once only in all the book of God, and yet that divers should be
admitted, stands neither with the wisdom or love of God, nor with
the faithfulness of the apostle. But saints have but one Advocate,
if they will use him, or improve their faith in that office for
their help, so; if not, they must take what follows. This I thought
good to hint at, because the times are corrupt, and because ignorance
and superstition always wait for a countenance with us, and these
things have a natural tendency to darken all truth, so especially
this, which bringeth to Jesus Christ so much glory, and yieldeth
to the godly so much help and relief.

2. As Jesus Christ alone is Advocate, so God's bar, and that alone,
is that before which he pleads, for God is judge himself (Deut
32:36. Heb 12:23). Nor can the cause which now he is to plead be
removed into any other court, either by appeals or otherwise.

Could Satan remove us from heaven, to another court, he would
certainly be too hard for us, because there we should want our Jesus,
our Advocate, to plead our cause. Indeed, sometimes he impleads
us before men, and they are glad of the occasion, for they and he
are often one; but then we have leave to remove our cause, and to
pray for a trial in the highest court, saying, "Let my sentence
come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that
are equal" (Psa 17:2). This wicked world doth sentence us for our
good deeds, but how then would they sentence us for our bad ones?
But we will never appeal from heaven to earth for right, for here
we have no Advocate; "our Advocate is with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous."

3. As he pleadeth by himself alone, and nowhere else but in the
court of heaven with the Father, so as he pleadeth with the Father
for us, he observeth this rule-

(1.) He granteth and confesseth whatever can rightly be charged
upon us; yet so as that he taketh the whole charge upon himself,
acknowledging the crimes to be his own. "O God," says he, "thou
knowest my foolishness, and my sins"; my guiltiness "is not hid from
thee" (Psa 69:5). And this he must do, or else he can do nothing.
If he hides the sin, or lesseneth it, he is faulty; if he leaves it
still upon us, we die. He must, then, take our iniquity to himself,
make it his own, and so deliver us; for having thus taken the sin
upon himself, as lawfully he may, and lovingly doth, "for we are
members of his body" ('tis his hand, 'tis his foot, 'tis his ear
hath sinned), it followeth that we live if he lives; and who can
desire more? 5This, then, must be thoroughly considered, if ever
we will have comfort in a day of trouble and distress for sin.

And thus far there is, in some kind, a harmony betwixt his being
a sacrifice, a priest, and an Advocate. As a sacrifice, our sins
were laid upon him (Isa 53). As a priest, he beareth them (Exo
28:38). And as an Advocate, he acknowledges them to be his own (Psa
69:5). Now, having acknowledged them to be his own, the quarrel is
no more betwixt us and Satan, for the Lord Jesus has espoused our
quarrel, and made it his. All, then, that we in this matter have
to do, is to stand at the bar by faith among the angels, and see
how the business goes. O blessed God! what a lover of mankind
art thou! and how gracious is our Lord Jesus, in his thus managing
matters for us.

(2.) The Lord Jesus having thus taken our sins upon himself, next
pleads his own goodness to God on our behalf, saying, "Let not them
that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let
not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel:
because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my
face" (Psa 69:6,7). Mark, let them not be ashamed for my sake,
let them not be confounded for my sake. Shame and confusion are
the fruits of guilt, or of a charge for sin, (Jer 3:25), and are
but an entrance into condemnation (Dan 12:2. John 5:29). But behold
how Christ pleads, saying, Let not that be for my sake, for the
merit of my blood, for the perfection of my righteousness, for the
prevalency of my intercession. Let them not be ashamed for my sake,
O Lord God of hosts. And let no man object, because this text is
in the Psalms, as if it were not spoken by the prophet of Christ;
for both John and Paul, yea, and Christ himself, do make this psalm
a prophecy of him. Compare verse 9 with John 2:17, and with Romans
15:3; and verse 21 with Matthew 27:48, and Mark 15:25. But is not
this a wonderful thing, that Christ should first take our sins,
and account them his own, and then plead the value and worth of his
whole self for our deliverance? For by these words, "for my sake,"
he pleads his own self, his whole self, and all that he is and has;
and thus he put us in good estate again, though our cause was very
bad.

To bring this down to weak capacities. Suppose a man should
be indebted twenty thousand pounds, but has not twenty thousand
farthings wherewith to pay; and suppose also that this man be
arrested for this debt, and that the law also, by which he is sued,
will not admit of a penny bate; this man may yet come well enough
off, if his advocate or attorney will make the debt his own, and
will, in the presence of the judges, out with his bags, and pay down
every farthing. Why, this is the way of our Advocate. Our sins are
called debts (Matt 6:12). We are sued for them at the law (Luke
12:59). And the devil is our accuser; but behold the Lord Jesus
comes out with his worthiness, pleads it at the bar, making the debt
his own (Mark 10:45. II Cor 3:5). And saith, Now let them not be
ashamed for my sake, O Lord God of hosts: let them not be confounded
for my sake, O God of Israel. And hence, as he is said to be an
Advocate, so he is said to be a propitiation, or amends-maker, or
one that appeaseth the justice of God for our sins-"If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
and he is the propitiation for our sins."

And who can now object against the deliverance of the child of God?
God cannot; for he, for Christ's sake, according as he pleaded,
hath forgiven us all trespasses (Col 2:13, Eph 4:32). The devil
cannot; his mouth is stopped, as is plain in the case of Joshua
(Zech 3). The law cannot; for that approveth of what Christ has
done. This, then, is the way of Christ's pleading. You must know,
that when Christ pleads with God, he pleads with a just and righteous
God, and therefore he must plead law, and nothing but law; and this
he pleaded in both these pleas-First, in confessing of the sin he
justified the sentence of the law in pronouncing of it evil; and
then in his laying of himself, his whole self, before God for that
sin, he vindicated the sanction and perfection of the law. Thus,
therefore, he magnifies the law, and makes it honourable, and yet
brings off his client safe and sound in the view of all the angels
of God.

(3). The Lord Jesus having thus taken our sins upon himself, and
presented God with all the worthiness that is in his whole self for
them, in the next place he calleth for justice, or a just verdict
upon the satisfaction he hath made to God and to his law. Then
proclamation is made in open court, saying, "Take away the filthy
garments from him," from him that hath offended, and clothe him
with change of raiment (Zech 3).

Thus the soul is preserved that hath sinned; thus the God of heaven
is content that he should be saved; thus Satan is put to confusion,
and Jesus applauded and cried up by the angels of heaven, and by the
saints on earth. Thus have I showed you how Christ doth advocate it
with God and his Father for us; and I have been the more particular
in this, because the glory of Christ, and the comfort of the
dejected, are greatly concerned and wrapped up in it. Look, then,
to Jesus, if thou hast sinned; to Jesus, as an Advocate pleading
with the Father for thee. Look to nothing else; for he can tell
how, and that by himself, to deliver thee; yea, and will do it in
a way of justice, which is a wonder; and to the shame of Satan,
which will be his glory; and also to thy complete deliverance,
which will be thy comfort and salvation.

Second, But to pass this and come to the second thing, which is, to
show you how the Lord Jesus manages this his office of an Advocate
before his Father against the adversary; for he pleadeth with the
Father, but pleadeth against the devil; he pleadeth with the Father
law and justice, but against the adversary he letteth out himself.

I say, as he pleads against the adversary, so he enlargeth himself
with arguments over and besides those which he pleadeth with God
his Father.

Nor is it meet or needful that our advocate, when he pleads against
Satan, should so limit himself to matter of law, as when he pleadeth
with his Father. The saint, by sinning, oweth Satan nothing; no
law of his is broken thereby; why, then, should he plead for the
saving of his people, justifying righteousness to him?

Christ, when he died, died not to satisfy Satan, but his Father;
not to appease the devil, but to answer the demands of the justice
of God; nor did he design, when he hanged on the tree, to triumph
over his Father, but over Satan; "He redeemed us," therefore, "from
the curse of the law," by his blood (Gal 3:13). And from the power
of Satan, by his resurrection (Heb 2:14). He delivered us from
righteous judgment by price and purchase; but from the rage of hell
by fight and conquest.

And as he acted thus diversely in the work of our redemption, even
so he also doth in the execution of his Advocate's office. When
he pleadeth with God, he pleadeth so; and when he pleadeth against
Satan, he pleadeth so; and how he pleadeth with God when he dealeth
with law and justice I have showed you. And now I will show you
how he pleadeth before him against the "accuser of the brethren."

1. He pleads against him the well-pleasedness that his Father has
in his merits, saying, This shall please the Lord, or this doth or
will please the Lord, better than anything that can be propounded
(Psa 69:31). Now this plea being true, as it is, being established
upon the liking of God Almighty; whatever Satan can say to obtain
our everlasting destruction is without ground, and so unreasonable.
"I am well pleased," saith God (Matt 3:17); and again, "The Lord is
well pleased for his (Christ's) righteousness' sake" (Isa 42:21).
All that enter actions against others, pretend that wrong is done,
either against themselves or against the king. Now Satan will never
enter an action against us in the court above, for that wrong by
us has been done to himself; he must pretend, then, that he sues
us, for that wrong has, by us, been done to our king. But, behold,
"We have an Advocate with the Father," and he has made compensation
for our offences. He gave himself for our offences. But still Satan
maintains his suit; and our God, saith Christ, is well pleased
with us for this compensation-sake, yet he will not leave off his
clamour. Come, then, says the Lord Jesus, the contention is not
now against my people, but myself, and about the sufficiency of
the amends that I have made for the transgressions of my people;
but he is near that justifieth me, that approveth and accepteth
of my doings, therefore shall I not be confounded. Who is mine
adversary? Let him come near me! Behold, "the Lord God will help
me" (Isa 50:7-9). Who is he that condemneth me? Lo, they all shall,
were there ten thousand times as many more of them, wax old as
a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Wherefore, if the Father
saith Amen to all this, as I have showed already that he hath and
doth, the which also further appeareth, because the Lord God has
called him the Saviour, the Deliverer, and the Amen; what follows,
but that a rebuke should proceed from the throne against him? And
this, indeed, our Advocate calls for from the hand of his Father,
saying, O enemy, "the Lord rebuke thee"; yea, he doubles this request
to the judge, to intimate his earnestness for such a conclusion,
or to show that the enemy shall surely have it, both from our
Advocate, and from him before whom Satan has so grievously accused
us (Zech 3).

For what can be expected to follow from such an issue in law as
this is, but sound and severe snibs from the judge upon him that
hath thus troubled his neighbour, and that hath, in the face of
the country, cast contempt upon the highest act of mercy, justice,
and righteousness, that ever the heavens beheld? 6 And all this
is true with reference to the case in hand, wherefore, "The Lord
rebuke thee," is that which, in conclusion, Satan must have for
the reward of his works of malice against the children, and for
his contemning of the works of the Son of God. Now, our Advocate
having thus established, by the law of heaven, his plea with God
for us against our accuser, there is way made for him to proceed
upon a foundation that cannot be shaken; wherefore, he proceedeth
in his plea, and further urges against this accuser of the brethren.

2. God's interest in this people; and prayeth that God would
remember that: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; the Lord that hath
chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee." True, the church, the saints, are
despicable in the world; wherefore men do think to tread them down;
the saints are, also, weak in grace, but have corruptions that are
strong, and, therefore, Satan, the god of this world, doth think
to tread them down; but the saints have a God, the living, the
eternal God, and, therefore, they shall not be trodden down; yea,
they "shall be holden up, for God is able to make them stand" (Rom
14:4).

It was Haman's mishap to be engaged against the queen, and the
kindred of the queen; it was that that made him he could not prosper;
that brought him to contempt and the gallows. Had he sought to
ruin another people, probably he might have brought his design to
a desired conclusion; but his compassing the death of the queen
spoiled all. Satan, also, when he fighteth against the church,
must be sure to come to the worst, for God has a concern in that;
therefore, it is said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against
it"; but this hindereth not but that he is permitted to make almost
what spoils he will of those that belong not to God. Oh, how many
doth he accuse, and soon get out from God, against them, a license
to destroy them! as he served Ahab, and many more. But this, I say,
is a very great block in his way when he meddles with the children;
God has an interest in them-"Hath God cast away his people? God
forbid!" (Rom 11:1,2). The text intimates that they for sin had
deserved it, and that Satan would fain have had it been so; but
God's interest in them preserved them-"God hath not cast away his
people, which he foreknew." Wherefore, when Satan accuseth them
before God, Christ, as he pleadeth his own worth and merit, pleadeth
also against him, that interest that God has in them.

And though this, to some, may seem but an indifferent plea; for what
engagement lieth, may they say, upon God to be so much concerned
with them, for they sin against him, and often provoke him most
bitterly? Besides, in their best state, they are altogether vanity,
and a very thing of nought-"What is man (sorry man), that thou art
mindful of him," or that thou shouldest be so?

I answer, Thought there lieth no engagement upon God for any
worthiness that is in man, yet there lieth a great deal upon God
for the worthiness that is in himself. God has engaged himself
with his having chosen them to be a people to himself; and by this
means they are so secured from all that all can do against them,
that the apostle is bold, upon this very account, to challenge
all despite to do its worst against them, saying, "Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect?" (Rom 8:33). Who? saith Satan;
why, that will I. Ay, saith he, but who can do it, and prevail? "It
is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?" (ver. 34). By
which words the apostle clearly declareth that charges against the
elect, though they may be brought against them, must needs prove
ineffectual as to their condemnation; because their Lord God still
will justify, for that Christ has died for them. Besides, a little
to enlarge, the elect are bound to God by a sevenfold cord, and a
threefold one is not quickly broken.

(1.) Election is eternal as God himself, and so without variableness
or shadow of change, and hence it is called "an eternal purpose,"
and a "purpose of God" that must stand (Eph 3:11; Rom 9:11). (2.)
Election is absolute, not conditional; and, therefore, cannot
be overthrown by the sin of the man that is wrapped up therein.
No works foreseen to be in us was the cause of God's choosing us;
no sin in us shall frustrate or make election void-"Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth"
(Rom 8:33; 9:11). (3.) By the act of election the children are
involved, wrapped up, and covered in Christ; he hath chosen us in
him; not in ourselves, not in our virtues, no, not for or because
of anything, but of his own will (Eph 1:4-11). (4.) Election includeth
in it a permanent resolution of God to glorify his mercy on the
vessels of mercy, thus foreordained unto glory (Rom 9:15,18,23).
(5.) By the act of electing love, it is concluded that all things
whatsoever shall work together for the good of them whose call to
God is the fruit of this purpose, this eternal purpose of God (Rom
8:28-30). (6.) The eternal inheritance is by a covenant of free and
unchangeable grace made over to those thus chosen; and to secure
them from the fruits of sin, and from the malice of Satan, it
is sealed by this our Advocate's blood, as he is Mediator of this
covenant, who also is become surety to God for them; to wit, to
see them forthcoming at the great day, and to set them then safe
and sound before his Father's face after the judgment is over (Rom
9:23; Heb 7:22; 9:15,17-24; 13:20; John 10:28,29). (7.) By this
choice, purpose, and decree, the elect, the concerned therein, have
allotted them by God, and laid up for them, in Christ, a sufficiency
of grace to bring them through all difficulties to glory; yea, and
they, every one of them, after the first act of faith-the which
also they shall certainly attain, because wrapped up in the promise
for them-are to receive the earnest and first fruits thereof into
their souls (II Tim 1:9; Acts 14:22; Eph 1:4,5,13,14).

Now, put all these things together, and then feel if there be not
weight in this plea of Christ against the devil. He pleads God's
choice and interest in his saints against him-an interest that is
secured by the wisdom of heaven, by the grace of heaven, by the
power, will, and mercy of God, in Christ-an interest in which all
the three Persons in the Godhead have engaged themselves, by mutual
agreement and operation, to make good when Satan has done his all.
I know there are some that object against this doctrine as false;
but such, perhaps, are ignorant of some things else as well as of
this. However, they object against the wisdom of God, whose truth
it is, and against Christ our Advocate, whose argument, as he is
such, it is; yea, they labour, what in them lieth, to wrest that
weapon out of his hand, with which he so cudgelleth the enemy
when, as Advocate, he pleadeth so effectually against him for the
rescuing of us from the danger of judgment, saying, "The Lord rebuke
thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke
thee."

Third. As Christ, as Advocate, pleads against Satan the interest
that his Father hath in his chosen, so also he pleads against
him by no less authority-his own interest in them. "Holy Father,"
saith he, "keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me" (John 17:11). Keep them while in the world from the evil, the
soul-damning evil of it. These words are directed to the Father,
but they are leveled against the accusations of the enemy, and were
spoken here to show what Christ will do for his, against our foe,
when he is above. How, I say, he will urge before his Father his
own interest in us against Satan, and against all his accusations,
when he brings them to the bar of God's tribunal, with design to
work our utter ruin. And is there not a great deal in it? As if
Christ should say, Father, my people have an adversary who will
accuse them for their faults before thee; but I will be their
Advocate, and as I have bought them of thee, I will plead my right
against him (John 10:28). Our English proverb is, Interest will
not lie; interest will make a man do that which otherwise he would
not. How many thousands are there for whom Christ doth not so much as
once open his mouth, but leaves them to the accusations of Satan,
and to Ahab's judgment, nay, a worse, because there is none to
plead their cause? And why doth he not concern himself with them?
but because he is not interested in them-"I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine; and all
mine are thine, and I am glorified in them" (John 17:9,10).

Suppose so many cattle in such a pound, and one goes by whose they
are not, doth he concern himself? No; he beholds them, and goes his
way. But suppose that at his return he should find his own cattle
in that pound, would he now carry it toward them as he did unto the
other? No, no; he has interest here, they are his that are in the
pound; now he is concerned, now he must know who put them there,
and for what cause too they are served as they are; and if he
finds them rightfully there, he will fetch them by ransom; but if
wrongfully, he will replevy7 them, and stand a trial at law with
him that has thus illegally pounded his cattle. And thus it is
betwixt Jesus Christ and his. He is interested in them; the cattle
are his own, "his own sheep," (John 10:3,4), but pounded by some
other, by the law, or by the devil. If pounded by the law, he
delivereth them by ransom; if pounded by the devil, he will replevy
them, stand a trial at law for them, and will be, against their
accuser, their Advocate himself. Nor can Satan withstand his plea,
though he should against them join argument with the law; forasmuch,
as has been proved before, he can and will, by what he has to produce
and plead of his own, save his from all trespasses, charges, and
accusations. Besides, all men know that a man's proper goods are
not therefore forfeited, because they commit many, and them too
great transgressions-"And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Now, the strength of this
plea thus grounded upon Christ's interest in his people is great,
and hath many weighty reasons on its side; as-

1. They are mine; therefore in reason at my dispose, not at the
dispose of an adversary; for while a thing can properly be called
mine, no man has therewith to do but myself; nor doth (a man, nor)
Christ close his right to what he has by the weakness of that thing
which is his proper right. He, therefore, as an Advocate, pleadeth
interest, his own interest, in his people, and right must, with
the Judge of all the earth, take place-"Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?" (Gen 18:25).

2. They cost him dear; and that which is dear bought is not easily
parted with (I Cor. 6:20). They were bought with "his blood" (Eph
1:7; I Peter 1:18,19). They were given him for his blood, and
therefore are "dear children" (Eph 5:1); for they are his by the
highest price; and this price he, as Advocate, pleadeth against the
enemy of our salvation; yea, I will add, they are his, because he
gave his all for them (II Cor 8:9). When a man shall give his all
for this or that, then that which he so hath purchased is become
his all. Now Christ has given his all for us; he made himself poor
for us, wherefore we are become his all, his fullness; and so the
church is called (Eph 1:23). Nay, further, Christ likes well enough
of his purchase, though it hath cost him his all-"The lines," says
he, "are fallen to me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage"
(Psa 16:6). Now, put all these things together, and there is a
strong plea in them. Interest, such an interest, will not be easily
parted with. But this is not all; for,

3. As they cost him dear, so he hath made them near to himself,
near by way of relation. Now that which did not only cost dear, but
that by way of relation is made so, that a man will plead heartily
for. Said David to Abner, "Thou shalt not see my face, except thou
first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my
face" (II Sam 3:13,14). Saul's daughter cost me dear; I bought
her with the jeopardy of my life; Saul's daughter is near to me;
she is my beloved wife. He pleaded hard for her, because she was
dear and near to him. Now, I say, the same is true in Christ; his
people cost him dear, and he hath made them near unto him; wherefore,
to plead interest in them, is to hold by an argument that is strong.
(a.) They are his spouse, and he hath made them so; they are his
love, his dove, his darling, and he accounts them so. Now, should
a wretch attempt, in open court, to take a man's wife away from
him, how would this cause the man to plead! Yea, and what judge
that is just, and knows that the man has this interest in the woman
pleaded for, would yield to, or give a verdict for the wretch,
against the man whose wife the woman is? Thus Christ, in pleading
interest-in pleading "thou gavest them me"-pleads by a strong argument,
an argument that the enemy cannot invalidate. True, were Christ to
plead this before a Saul (I Sam 25;44), or before Samson's wife's
father, the Philistine (Judg 14:20), perhaps such treacherous
judges would give it against all right. But, I have told you, the
court in which Christ pleads is the highest and the justest, and
that from which there can be no appeal; wherefore Christ's cause,
and so the cause of the children of God, must be tried before their
Father, from whose face, to be sure, just judgment shall proceed.
But,

(b.) As they are called his spouse, so they are called his flesh,
and members of his body. Now, said Paul to the church, "Ye are the
body of Christ, and members in particular" (I Cor 12:27; Eph 5:30).
This relation also makes a man plead hard. Were a man to plead for
a limb, or a member of his own, how would he plead? What arguments
would he use? And what sympathy and feeling would his arguments
flow from? I cannot lose a hand, I cannot lose a foot, cannot lose
a finger; why, saints are Christ's members, his members are of himself.
With what strength of argument would a man plead the necessariness
of his members to him, and the unnaturalness of his adversary in
seeking the destruction of his members, and the deformity of his
body! Yea, a man would shuck and cringe, and weep, and entreat,
and make demurs, and halts, and delays, to a thousand years, if
possible, before he would lose his members, or any one of them.

But, I say, how would he plead and advocate it for his members,
if judge, and law, and reason, and equity, were all on his side,
and if, by the adversary, there could be nothing urged, but that
against which the Advocate had long before made provision for the
effectual overthrow thereof? And all this is true as to the case
that lies before us. Thus we see what strength there lieth in this
second argument, that our Advocate bringeth for us against the
enemy. They are his flesh and bones, his members; he cannot spare
them; he cannot spare this, because, nor that, because, nor any,
because, they are his members. As such, they are lovely to him; as
such, they are useful to him; as such, they are an ornament to him;
yea, though in themselves they are feeble, and through infirmity
weak, much disabled from doing as they should. Thus, "If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
But,

4. As Christ, as Advocate, pleads for us, against Satan, his
Father's interest in us and his own; so he pleadeth against him
that right and property that he hath in heaven, to give it to whom
he will. He has a right to heaven as Priest and King; it is his
also by inheritance; and since he will be so good a benefactor as
to bestow this house on somebody, but not for their deserts, but
not for their goodness, and since, again, he has to that end spilt
his blood for, and taken a generation into covenant relation to
him, that it might be bestowed on them; it shall be bestowed on
them; and he will plead this, if there be need, if his people sin,
and if their accuser seeks, by their sin, their ruin and destruction:
"Father," saith he, "I will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou
hast given me" (John 17:24). Christ's will is the will of heaven,
the will of God. Shall not Christ, then, prevail?

"I will," saith Christ; "I will," saith Satan; but whose will shall
stand? It is true, Christ in the text speaks more like an arbitrator
than an Advocate; more like a judge than one pleading at a bar.
I will have it so; I judge that so it ought to be, and must. But
there is also something of plea in the words both before his Father,
and against our enemy; and therefore he speaketh like one that can
plead and determine also; yea, like one that has power so to do.
But shall the will of heaven stoop to the will of hell? Or the
will of Christ to the will of Satan? Or the will of righteousness
to the will of sin? Shall Satan, who is God's enemy, and whose charge
wherewith he chargeth us for sin, and which is grounded, not upon
love to righteousness, but upon malice against God's designs of
mercy, against the blood of Christ, and the salvation of his people-I
say, shall this enemy and this charge prevail with God against the
well-grounded plea of Christ, and against the salvation of God's
elect, and so keep us out of heaven? No, no; Christ will have it
otherwise, he is the great donator, 8 and his eye is good. True,
Satan was turned out of heaven for that he sinned there, and we
must be taken into heaven, though we have sinned here; this is the
will of Christ, and, as Advocate, he pleads it against the face
and accusation of our adversary. Thus, "If any man sin, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." But,

5. As Christ, as Advocate, pleadeth for us, against Satan, his
Father's interest in us, and his own, and pleadeth also what right
he has to dispose of the kingdom of heaven; so he pleadeth against
this enemy, that malice and enmity that is in him, and upon which
chiefly his charge against us is grounded, to the confusion of his
face. This is evident from the title that our Advocate bestows upon
him, while he pleads for us against him: "The Lord rebuke thee,
O Satan, O enemy," saith he; for Satan is an enemy, and this name
given him signifies so much. And lawyers, in their pleas, can make
a great matter of such a circumstance as this; saying, My lord,
we can prove that what is now pleaded against the prisoner at the
bar is of mere malice and hatred, that has also a long time lain
burning and raging in his enemy's breast against him. This, I
say, will greatly weaken the plea and accusation of an enemy. But,
says Jesus Christ, "Father, here is a plea brought in against my
Joshua, that clothes him with filthy garments, but it is brought in
against him by an enemy, by an enemy in the superlative or highest
degree. One that hates goodness worse than he, and that loveth
wickedness more than the man against whom at this time he has brought
such a heinous charge." Then leaving with the Father the value of
his blood for the accused, he turneth him to the accuser, and pleads
against him as an enemy: "O Satan, thou that accusest my spouse,
my love, my members, art SATAN, an enemy." But it will be objected
that the things charged are true. Grant it; yet what law takes notice
of the plea of one who doth professedly act as an enemy? because
it is not done of love to truth, and justice, and righteousness,
nor intended for the honour of the king, nor for the good of the
prosecuted; but to gratify malice and rage, and merely to kill and
destroy. There is, therefore, a great deal of force and strength in
an Advocate's pleading of such a circumstance against an accuser;
especially when the crimes now charged are those, and only those
for which the law, in the due execution of it, has been satisfied
before; wherefore now a lawyer has double and treble ground or
matter to plead for his client against his enemy. And this advantage
against him has Jesus Christ.

Besides, it is well known that Satan, as to us, is the original cause
of those very crimes for which he accuses us at the bar of God's
tribunal. Not to say anything of how he cometh to us, solicits
us, tempts us, flatters us, and always, in a manner, lies at us
to do those wicked things for which he so hotly pursues us to the
bar of the judgment of God. For though it is not meet for us thus
to plead,-to wit, laying that fault upon Satan, but rather upon
ourselves,-yet our advocate will do it, and make work of it too
before God. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he might sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31,32). He maketh here mention of
Satan's desires, by way of advantage against him; and, doubtless,
so he did in his prayer with God for Peter's preservation. And
what he did here, while on earth, as a Saviour in general, that he
doth now in heaven as a Priest and an Advocate in special.

I will further suppose that which may be supposed, and that which
is suitable to our purpose. Suppose, therefore, that a father that
has a child whom he loveth, but the child has not half that wit
that some of the family hath, and I am sure that we have less wit
than angels; and suppose, also, that some bad-minded neighbour, by
tampering with, tempting of, and by unwearied solicitations, should
prevail with this child to steal something out of his father's house
or grounds, and give it unto him; and this he doth on purpose to
set the father against the child; and suppose, again, that it comes
to the father's knowledge that the child, through the allurements
of such an one, has done so and so against his father; will he
therefore disinherit this child? Yea, suppose, again, that he that
did tempt this child to steal, should be the first that should come
to accuse this child to its father for so doing, would the father
take notice of the accusation of such an one?-No, verily, we that
are evil can do better than so; how then should we think that the
God of heaven should do such a thing, since also we have a brother
that is wise, and that will and can plead the very malice of our enemy
that doth to us all these things against him for our advantage?-I
say, this is the sum of this fifth plea of Christ our Advocate,
against Satan. O Satan, says he, thou art an enemy to my people;
thou pleadest not out of love to righteousness, not to reform, but
to destroy my beloved and inheritance. The charge wherewith thou
chargest my people is thine own (Job 8:4-6). Not only as to a matter
of charge, but the things that thou accusest them of are thine,
thine in the nature of them. Also, thou hast tempted, allured,
flattered, and daily laboured with them, to do that for which now
thou so willingly would have them destroyed. Yea, all this hast
thou done of envy to my Father, and to godliness; of hatred to me
and my people; and that thou mightest destroy others besides (I Chron
21:1). And now, what can this accuser say? Can he excuse himself?
Can he contradict our Advocate? He cannot; he knows that he is a
Satan, an enemy, and as an adversary has he sown his tares among
the wheat, that it might be rooted up; but he shall not have his
end; his malice has prevented9 him, and so has the care and grace
of our Advocate. The tares, therefore, he shall have returned unto
him again; but the wheat, for all this, shall be gathered into
God's barn (Matt 13:25-30).

Thus, therefore, our Advocate makes use, in his plea against Satan,
of the rage and malice that is the occasion of the enemy's charge
wherewith he accuseth the children of God. Wherefore, when thou
readest these words, "O Satan," say with thyself, thus Christ our
Advocate accuseth our adversary of malice and envy against God and
goodness, while he accuseth us of the sins which we commit, for
which we are sorry, and Christ has paid a price of redemption-"And
(thus) if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous." But,

6. Christ, when he pleads as an Advocate for his people, in the
presence of God against Satan, he can plead those very weaknesses
of his people for which Satan would have them damned, for their
relief and advantage. "Is not this a brand plucked out of the
fire?" This is part of the plea of our Advocate against Satan for
his servant Joshua, when he said, "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan"
(Zech3:2). Now, to be a brand plucked out of the fire is to be
a saint, impaired, weakened, defiled, and made imperfect by sin;
for so also the apostle means when he saith, "And others save with
fear, pulling them our of the fire; hating even the garment spotted
by the flesh" (Jude 23). By fire, in both these places, we are to
understand sin; for that it burns and consumes as fire (Rom 1:27).
Wherefore a man is said to burn when his lusts are strong upon him;
and to burn in lusts to others, when his wicked heart runs wickedly
after them (I Cor 7:9).

Also, when Abraham said, "I am but dust and ashes," (Gen 18:27),
he means he was but what sin had left; yea, he had something of
the smutch and besmearings of sin yet upon him. Wherefore it was
a custom with Israel, in days of old, when they set days apart
for confession of sin, and humiliation for the same, to sprinkle
themselves with, or to wallow in dust and ashes, as a token that
they did confess they were but what sin had left, and that they
also were defiled, weakened, and polluted by it (Esth 4:1,3; Jer
6:26; Job 30:19, 42:6).

This, then, is the next plea of our goodly Advocate for us: O Satan,
this is "a brand plucked out of the fire." As who should say, Thou
objected against my servant Joshua that he is black like a coal,
or that the fire of sin at times is still burning in him. And what
then? The reason why he is not totally extinct, as tow; is not thy
pity, but my Father's mercy to him; I have plucked him out of the
fire, yet not so out but that the smell thereof is yet upon him;
and my Father and I, we consider his weakness, and pity him; for
since he is as a brand pulled out, can it be expected by my Father
or me that he should appear before us as clear, and do our biddings
as well, as if he had never been there? This is "a brand plucked
out of the fire," and must be considered as such, and must be
borne with as such. Thus, as Mephibosheth pleaded for his excuse,
his lameness,(II Sam 19:24-26), so Christ pleads the infirm and
indigent condition of his people, against Satan, for their advantage.
Wherefore Christ, by such pleas as these for his people, doth yet
further show the malice of Satan (for all this burning comes through
him), yea, and by it he moveth the heart of God to pity us, and yet
to be gentle, and long-suffering, and merciful to us; for pity and
compassion are the fruits of the yearning of God's bowels towards
us, while he considereth us as infirm and weak, and subject to
slips, and stumbles, and falls, because of weakness.

And that Christ our Advocate, by thus pleading, doth turn things
to our advantage, consider, (1.) That God is careful, that through
our weakness, our spirits do not fail before him when he chides
(Isa 57:16-18). (2.) "He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the
east wind," and debates about the measure of affliction, when, for
sin, we should be chastened, lest we should sink thereunder (Isa
27:7-9). (3.) He will not strictly mark what is done amiss, because
if he should, we cannot stand (Psa 130:3). (4.) When he threateneth
to strike, his bowels are troubled, and his repentings are kindled
together (Hosea 11:8,9). (5.) He will spin out his patience to the
utmost length, because he knows we are such bunglers at doing (Jer
9:24). (6.) He will accept of the will for the deed, because he
knows that sin will make our best performances imperfect (II Cor
8:12). (7.) He will count our little a very great deal, for that
he knows we are so unable to do anything at all (Job 1:21). (8.) He
will excuse the souls of his people, and lay the fault upon their
flesh, which has greatest affinity with Satan, if through weakness
and infirmity we do not do as we should (Matt 26:41; Rom 7). Now,
as I said, all these things happen unto us, both infirmities and
pity, because and for that we were once in the fire, and for that
the weakness of sin abides upon us to this day. But none of this
favour could come to us, nor could we, by any means, cause that
our infirmities should work for us thus advantageously; but that
Christ our Advocate stands our friend, and pleads for us as he
doth.

But again, before I pass this over, I will, for the clearing of this,
present you with a few more considerations, which are of another
rank-to wit, that Christ our Advocate, as such, makes mention of
our weaknesses so, against Satan, and before his Father, as to turn
all to our advantage.

(1.) We are therefore to be saved by grace, because by reason of
sin we are disabled from keeping of the law (Deut 9:5; Isa 64:6).
(2.) We have given unto us the Spirit of grace to help, because we
can do nothing that is good without it (Eph 2:5; Rom 8:26). (3.)
God has put Christ's righteousness upon us to cover our nakedness
with, because we have none of our own to do it withal (Phil 3:7,8;
Eze 16:8). (4.) God alloweth us to ride in the bosom of Christ
to the grave, and from thence in the bosom of angels to heaven,
because our own legs are not able to carry us thither (Isa 40:11,
46:4; Psa 48:14; Luke 16:22). (5.) God has made his Son our Head,
our Priest, our Advocate, our Saviour, our Captain, that we may be
delivered from all the infirmities and all the fiends that attend
us, and that plot to do us hurt (Eph 1:22; Col 1:18; Heb 7:21).
(6.) God has put the fallen angels into chains, (II Peter 2:4; Rev
20:1,2), that they might not follow us too fast, and has enlarged
us, (Psa 4:1), and directed our feet in the way of his steps, that
we may haste us to the strong tower and city of refuge for succour
and safety, and has given good angels a charge to look to us (Heb
1:14; Psa 34:7). (7.) God has promised that we, at our counting
days, shall be spared, "as a man spareth his own son that serveth
him" (Mal 3:17).

Now, from all these things, it appears that we have indulgence
at God's hand, and that our weaknesses, as our Christ manages the
matter for us, are so far off from laying a block or bar in the
way to the enjoyment of favour, that they also work for our good;
yea, and God's foresight of them has so kindled his bowels and
compassion to us, as to put him upon devising of such things for
our relief, which by no means could have been, had not sin been
with us in the world, and had not the best of saints been "as a
brand plucked out of the burning."

I have seen men (and yet they are worse than God) take most care
of, and, also, best provide for, those of their children that have
been most infirm and helpless; 10 and our Advocate "shall gather
his lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom"; yea, and
I know that there is such an art in showing and making mention of
weaknesses as shall make the tears stand in a parent's eyes, and as
shall make him search to the bottom of his purse to find out what
may do his weakling good. Christ, also, has that excellent art, as
he is an Advocate with the Father for us; he can so make mention
of us and of our infirmities, while he pleads before God, against
the devil, for us, that he can make the bowels of the Almighty yearn
towards us, and to wrap us up in their compassions. You read much
of the pity, compassion, and of the yearning of the bowels of the
mighty God towards his people; all which, I think, is kindled and
made burn towards us, by the pleading of our Advocate. I have seen
fathers offended with their children; but when a brother had turned
a skillful advocate, the anger has been appeased, and the means
have been concealed. We read but little of this Advocate's office
of Jesus Christ, yet much of the fruit of it is extended to the
churches; but as the cause of smiles, after offences committed,
is made manifest afterwards, so at the day when God will open
all things, we shall see how many times our Lord, as an Advocate,
pleaded for us, and redeemed us by his so pleading, unto the
enjoyments of smiles and embraces, who, for sin, but a while before,
were under frowns and chastisements. And thus much for the making
out how Christ doth manage his office of being an Advocate for
us with the Father-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

[WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE]

THIRDLY, And I shall come now to the third head; to wit, to show
you more particularly who they are that have Jesus Christ for their
Advocate.

In my handling of this head, I shall show, First, That this office
of an advocate differeth from that of a priest, and how. Second,
I shall show you how far Christ extendeth this his office of
advocateship-I mean, in matters concerning the people of God, And
then, Third, I shall come more directly to show who they are that
have Christ for their Advocate.

First, For the first of these, That this office of Christ, as an
Advocate, differeth from that of a Priest. That he is a Priest, a
Priest for ever, I heartily acknowledge; but that his priesthood
and advocateship should be one and the self-same office, I cannot
believe.

1. Because they differ in name. We may as well say a father, as
such, is a son, or that father and son is the self-same relation,
as say a priest and an advocate, as to office, are but one and the
same thing. They differ in name as much as priest and sacrifice do:
a priest is one, and a sacrifice is another; and though Christ is
Priest and Sacrifice too, yet, as a Priest, he is not a Sacrifice,
nor, as a Sacrifice, a Priest.

2. As they differ in name, so they differ in the nature of office.
A priest is to slay a sacrifice; an advocate is to plead a cause;
a priest is to offer his sacrifice, to the end that, by the merit
thereof, he may appease; an advocate is to plead, to plead according
to law; a priest is to make intercession, by virtue of his sacrifice;
an advocate is to plead law, because amends is made.

3. As they differ in name and nature, so they also differ as
to their extent. The priesthood of Christ extendeth itself to the
whole of God's elect, whether called or in their sins; but Christ,
as Advocate, pleadeth only for the children.

4. As they differ in name, in nature, and extent, so they differ
as to the persons with whom they have to do. We read not anywhere
that Christ, as Priest, has to do with the devil as an antagonist,
but, as an Advocate, he hath.

5. As they differ in these, so they differ as to the matters
about which they are employed. Christ, as Priest, concerns himself
with every wry thought, and, also, with the least imperfection or
infirmity that attends our most holy things; but Christ, as Advocate,
doth not so, as I have already showed.

6. So that Christ, as Priest, goes before, and Christ, as an
Advocate, comes after; Christ, as Priest, continually intercedes;
Christ, as Advocate, in case of great transgressions, pleads:
Christ, as Priest, has need to act always, but Christ, as Advocate,
sometimes only. Christ, as Priest, acts in times of peace; but Christ,
as Advocate, in times of broils, turmoils, and sharp contentions;
wherefore, Christ, as Advocate, is, as I may call him, a reserve,
and his time is then to arise, to stand up and plead, when HIS are
clothed with some filthy sin that of late they have fallen into,
as David, Joshua, or Peter. When some such thing is committed by
them, as ministereth to the enemy a show of ground to question the
truth of their grace; or when it is a question, and to be debated,
whether it can stand with the laws of heaven, with the merits of
Christ, and the honour of God, that such a one should be saved.
Now let an advocate come forth, now let him have time to plead,
for this is a fit occasion for the saints' Advocate to stand up to
plead for the salvation of his people. But,

Second, I come next to show you how far this office of an Advocate
is extended. I hinted at this before, so now shall be the more
brief. 1. By this office he offereth no sacrifice; he only, as to
matter of justice, pleads the sacrifice offered. 2. By this office
he obtains the conversion of none; he only thereby secureth the
converted from the damnation which their adversary, for sins after
light and profession, endeavoureth to bring them to. 3. By this
office he prevents not temporal punishment, but by it he chiefly
preserveth the soul from hell. 4. By this office he brings in
no justifying righteousness for us, he only thereby prevaileth to
have the dispose of that brought in by himself, as Priest, for the
justifying of those, by a new and fresh act, who had made their
justification doubtful by new falls into sin. And this is plain
in the history of our Joshua, so often mentioned before (Zech 3).
5. As Priest, he hath obtained eternal redemption for us; and as
Advocate, he by law, maintaineth our right thereto, against the
devil and his angels.

Third, I come now to show you who they are that have Jesus Christ
for their Advocate. And this I shall do-first, more generally, and
then shall be more particular and distinct about it.

1. More generally. They are all the truly gracious; those that are
the children by adoption; and this the test affirmeth-"My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." They are, then, the children, by adoption, that are
the persons concerned in the advocateship of Jesus Christ. The
priesthood of Christ extendeth itself to the whole body of the
elect, but the advocateship of Christ doth not so. This is further
cleared by this apostle; and in this very text, if you consider
what immediately follows-"We have an Advocate," says he, "and he
is the propitiation for our sins." He is our Advocate, and also
our Priest. As an Advocate, ours only; but as a propitiation, not
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world; to be sure,
for the elect throughout the world, and they that will extend it
further, let them.

And I say again, had he not intended that there should have been
a straiter limit put to the Advocateship of Christ than he would
have us put to his priestly office, what needed he, when he speaketh
of the propitiation which relates to Christ as Priest, have added-"And
not for ours only"? As an Advocate, then, he engageth for us that
are children; and as a Priest, too, he hath appeased God's wrath
for our sins; but as an Advocate his offices are confined to the
children only, but as a Priest he is not so. He is the propitiation
for our sins, and not for ours only. The sense, therefore, of the
apostle should, I think, be this-That Christ, as a Priest, hath
offered a propitiatory sacrifice for all; but as an Advocate he
pleadeth only for the children. Children, we have an Advocate to
ourselves, and he is also our Priest; but as he is a Priest, he is
not ours only, but maketh, as such, amends for all that shall be
saved. The elect, therefore, have the Lord Jesus for their Advocate
then, and then only, when they are by calling put among the children;
because, as Advocate, he is peculiarly the children's-"My little
children, WE have an Advocate."

Objection. But he also saith, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate";
any man that sinneth seems, by the text, notwithstanding what you
say, "to have an Advocate with the Father."

Answer. By any man, must not be meant any of the world, nor any
of the elect, but any man in faith and grace; for he still limits
this general term, "any man," with this restriction, "we"-Children,
"if any man sin, we have an Advocate." We, any man of us. And this
is yet further made appear, since he saith that it is to them he
writes, not only here, but further in this chapter-"I write unto
YOU, little children; I write unto you, fathers; I write unto you,
young men" (I John 2: 12,13). These are the persons intended in
the text, for under these three heads are comprehended all men;
for they are either children, and so men in nature, or young men,
and so men in strength; or else they are fathers, and so aged, and
of experience. Add to this, by "any man," that the apostle intendeth
not to enlarge himself beyond the persons that are in grace; but to
supply what was wanting by that term "little children"; for since
the strongest saint may have heed of an Advocate, as well as the
most feeble of the flock, why should the apostle leave it to be
so understood as if the children, and the children only, had an
interest in that office? Wherefore, after he had said, "My little
children, I write unto you, that ye sin not"; he then adds, with
enlargement, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father."
Yet the little children may well be mentioned first, since they most
want the knowledge of it, are most feeble, and so by sin may be
forced most frequently to act faith on Christ, as Advocate. Besides,
they are most ready, through temptation, to question whether they
have so good a right to Christ in all his offices as have better and
more well-grown saints; and, therefore, they, in this the apostle's
salutation, are first set down in the catalogue of names-"My little
children, I write unto you, that ye sin not. If any man sin, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." So,
then, the children of God are they who have the Lord Jesus, an
Advocate for them with the Father. The least and biggest, the oldest
and youngest, the feeblest and the strongest; ALL the children have
an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

(1.) Since, then, the children have Christ for their advocate, art
thou a child? Art thou begotten of God by his Word? (James 1:18).
Hast thou in thee the spirit of adoption? (Gal 4:1-6). Canst thou
in faith say, Father, Father, to God? Then is Christ thy Advocate,
thine Advocate, "now to appear in the presence of God for thee"
(Heb 9:24). To appear there, and to plead there, in the face of the
court of heaven, for thee; to plead there against thine adversary,
whose accusations are dreadful, whose subtlety is great, whose
malice is inconceivable, and whose rage is intolerable; to plead
there before a just God, a righteous God, a sin-revenging God:
before whose face thou wouldst die if thou wast to show thyself,
and at his bar to plead thine own cause. But,

(2.) There is a difference in children; some are bigger than
some; there are children and little children-"My little children,
I write unto you." Little children; some of the little children
can neither say Father, nor so much as know that they themselves
are children.

This is true in nature, and so it is in grace; wherefore,
notwithstanding what was said under the first head, it doth not
follow, that if I be a child I must certainly know it, and also be
able to call God, Father. Let the first, then, serve to poise and
balance the confident ones, and let this be for the relief of those
more feeble; for they that are children, whether they know it or
no, have Jesus Christ for their Advocate, for Christ is assigned to
be our Advocate by the Judge, by the King, by our God and Father,
although we have not known it. True, at present, there can come
from hence, to them that are thus concerned in the advocateship of
Christ, but little comfort; but yet it yields them great security;
they have "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
God knows this, the devil feels this, and the children shall have
the comfort of it afterwards. I say, the time is coming when they
shall know that even then, when they knew it not, they had an Advocate
with the Father; an Advocate who was neither loath, nor afraid,
nor ashamed, to plead for their defense against their proudest foe.
And will not this, when they know it, yield them comfort? Doubtless
it will; yea, more, and of a better kind, than that which flows
from the knowledge that one is born to crowns and kingdoms.

Again; as he is an Advocate for the children, so he is also, as
before was hinted, for the strong and experienced; for no strength
in this world secureth from the rage of hell; nor can any experience,
while we are here, fortify us against his assaults. There is also
an incidency in the best to sin; and the bigger man, the bigger
fall; for the more hurt, the greater damage. Wherefore it is of
absolute necessity that an advocate be provided for the strong as
for the weak. "Any man"; he that is most holy, most reformed, most
refined, and most purified, may as soon be in the dirt as the
weakest Christian; and, so far as I can see, Satan's design is
against them most. I am sure the greatest sins have been committed
by the biggest saints. This wayfaring man came to David's house,
and when he stood up against Israel, he provoked David to number
the people (II Sam 12:4,7; I Chron 21:1). Wherefore they have as
much need of an advocate as have the youngest and most feeble of
the flock. What a mind had he to try a fall with Peter! And how
quickly did he break the neck of Judas! The like, without doubt,
he had done to Peter, had not Jesus, by stepping in, prevented. As
long as sin is in our flesh, there is danger. Indeed, he saith of
the young men that they are strong, and that they have overcome
the wicked one; but he doth not say they have killed him. As long
as the devil is alive there is danger; and though a strong Christian
may be too hard for, and may overcome him in one thing, he may be
too hard for, yea, and may overcome him two for one afterwards.
Thus he served David, and thus he served Peter, and thus he, in
our day, has served many more. The strongest are weak, the wisest
are fools, when suffered to be sifted as wheat in Satan's sieve;
yea, and have often been so proved, to the wounding of their great
hearts, and the dishonour of religion. To conclude this: God of
his mercy hath sufficiently declared the truth of what I say, by
preparing for the best, the strongest, and most sanctified, as well
as for the least, weakest, and most feeble saint, as Advocate-"My
little children, I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

2. But some may object, that what has been said as to discovering
for whom Christ is an Advocate has been too general, and, therefore,
would have me come more to particulars, else they can get no
comfort. Well, inquiring soul, so I will; and, therefore, hearken
to what I say.

(1.) Wouldest thou know whether Christ is thine Advocate or no?
I ask, Hast thou entertained him so to be? When men have suits of
law depending in any of the king's courts above, they entertain
their attorney or advocate to plead their cause, and so he pleads
for them. I say, hast thou entertained Jesus Christ for thy lawyer
to plead thy cause? "Plead my cause, O Lord," said David (Psa 35:1);
and again, "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause" (Psa 43:1). This,
therefore, is the first thing that I would propound to thee: Hast
thou, with David, entertained him for thy lawyer, or, with good
Hezekiah, cried out, "O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me"
(Isa 38:14). What sayest thou, soul? Hast thou been with him, and
prayed him to plead thy cause, and cried unto him to undertake
for thee? This I call entertaining of him to be thy advocate, and
I choose to follow the similitude, both because the Scripture seems
to smile upon such a way of discourse, and because thy question
doth naturally lead me to it. Wherefore, I ask again, hast thou
been with him? Hast thou entertained him? Hast thou desired him to
plead thy cause?

Question. Thou wilt say unto me, How should I know that I have done
so?

Answer. I answer, Art thou sensible that thou hast an action commenced
against thee in that high court of justice that is above? I say,
Art thou sensible of this? For the defendants-and all God's people
are defendants-do not use to entertain their lawyers, but from
knowledge, that an action either is, or may be, commenced against
them before the God of heaven. If thou sayest yea, then I ask, Who
told thee that thou standest accused for transgression before the
judgment-seat of God? I say, Who told thee so? Hath the Holy Ghost,
hath the world, or hath thy conscience? For nothing else, as I know
of, can bring such tidings to thy soul.

Again; Hast thou found a failure in all others that might have
been entertained to plead thy cause? Some make their sighs, their
tears, their prayers, and their reformations, their advocates-"Hast
thou tried these, and found them wanting?" Hast thou seen thy state
to be desperate, if the Lord Jesus doth not undertake to plead thy
cause? for Jesus is not entertained so long as men can make shift
without him. But when it comes to this point I perish for ever,
notwithstanding the help of all, if the Lord Jesus steps not in.
Then Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, good Lord Jesus! undertake for me.
Hast thou therefore been with Jesus Christ as concerned in thy
soul, as heartily concerned about the action that thou perceivest
to be commenced against thee?

Question. You will say, How should I know that?

Answer. I answer, Hast thou well considered the nature of the crime
wherewith thou standest charged at the bar of God? Hast thou also
considered the justness of the Judge? Again I ask, Hast thou considered
what truth, as to matter of fact, there is in the things whereof
thou standest accused? Also, Hast thou considered the cunning, the
malice, and diligence of thy adversary, with the greatness of the
loss thou art like to sustain, shouldst thou with Ahab, in the book
of Kings, (I Kings 22:17-23), or with the hypocrites in Isaiah, (Isa
6:5-10), have the verdict of the Lord God go out from the throne
against thee? I ask thee these questions, because if thou art in
the knowledge of these things to seek, or if thou art not deeply
concerned about the greatness of the damage that will certainly
overtake thee, and that for ever, shouldest thou be indeed accused
before God, and have none to plead thy cause, thou hast not, nor
canst not, let what will come upon thee, have been with Jesus Christ
to plead thy cause; and so, let thy case be never so desperate,
thou standest alone, and hast no helper (Job 30:13, 9:13) Or if
thou hast, they, not being the advocate of God's appointing, must
needs fall with thee, and with thy burden. Wherefore, consider of
this seriously, and return thy answer to God, who can tell if truth
shall be found in thy answers, better by far than any; for it is
he that tries the reins and the heart, and therefore to him I refer
thee. But,

(2.) Wouldst thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine advocate? Then
I ask again, Hast thou revealed thy cause unto him?-I say, Hast
thou revealed thy cause unto him? For he that goeth to law for his
right, must not only go to a lawyer, and say, Sir, I am in trouble,
and am to have a trial at law with mine enemy, pray undertake my
cause; but he must also reveal to his lawyer his cause. He must
go to him and tell him what is the matter, how things stand, where
the shoe pinches, and so. Thus did the church of old, and thus doth
every true Christian now; for though nothing can be hid from him,
yet he will have things out of thine own mouth; he will have thee
to reveal thy matters unto him (Matt 20:32). "O Lord of hosts,"
said Jeremiah, "that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and
the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I
revealed my cause" (Jer 11:20). And again; "But, O Lord of hosts,
that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let
me see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I opened my cause"
(Jer 20:12). Seest thou here, how saints of old were wont to do?
how they did, not only in a general way, entreat Christ to plead
their cause, but in a particular way, go to him and reveal, or open
their cause unto him?

O! it is excellent to behold how some sinners will do this when
they get Christ and themselves in a closet alone; when they, upon
their bare knees, are pouring out of their souls before him; or,
like the woman in the gospel, telling him all the truth (Mark 5).
O! saith the soul, Lord, I am come to thee upon an earnest business;
I am arrested by Satan; the bailiff was mine own conscience, and I
am like to be accused before the judgment-seat of God. My salvation
lies at stake; I am questioned for my interest in heaven; I am afraid
of the Judge; my heart condemns me (I John 3:20). Mine enemy is
subtle, and wanteth not malice to prosecute me to death, and then
to hell. Also, Lord, I am sensible that the law is against me, for
indeed I have horribly sinned, and thus and thus have I done. Here
I lie open to law, and there I lie open to law; here I have given
the adversary advantage, and there he will surely have a hank11
against me. Lord, I am distressed, undertake for me! And there are
some things that thou must be acquainted with about thine Advocate,
before thou wilt venture to go thus far with him. As,

(a.) Thou must know him to be a friend, and not an enemy, unto whom
thou openest thy heart; and until thou comest to know that Christ
is a friend to thee, or to souls in thy condition, thou wilt never
reveal thy cause unto him, not thy whole cause unto him. And it
is from this that so many that have soul causes hourly depending
before the throne of God, and that are in danger every day of eternal
damnation, forbear to entertain Jesus Christ for their Advocate,
and so wickedly conceal their matters from him; but "he that hideth
his sins shall not prosper" (Prov 28:13)

FOOTNOTE: Quoted from the Genevan, or Puritan translation.-ED. This,
therefore, must first be believed by thee before thou wilt reveal
thy cause unto him.

(b.) A man, when his estate is called in question, I mean his
right and title thereto, will be very cautious, especially if he
also questions his title to it himself, unto whom he reveals that
affair; he must know him to be one that is not only friendly, but
faithful, to whom he reveals such a secret as this. Why, thus it
is with Christ and the soul. If the soul is not somewhat persuaded
of the faithfulness of Christ-to wit, that if he can do him no
good, he will do him no harm, he will never reveal his cause unto
him, but will seek to hide his counsel from the Lord. This, therefore,
is another thing by which thou mayest know that thou hast Christ
for thine Advocate, if thou hast heartily and in very deed revealed
thy cause unto him. Now, they that do honestly reveal their cause
to their lawyer, will endeavour to possess him, as I hinted before,
with the worst; they will, with words, make it as bad as they may;
for, think they, by that means I shall prepare him for the worst
that mine enemy can do. And thus souls deal with Jesus Christ; see
Psalms 51 and 38, with several others that might be named, and see
if God's people have not done so. "I said," saith David, "I will
confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the
iniquity of my sin." But,

(3.) Hast thou Jesus Christ for thine Advocate? or wouldst thou
know if thou hast? Then I ask again, Hast thou committed thy cause
to him? When a man entertains12 his lawyer to stand for him and
to plead his cause, he doth not only reveal, but commit his cause
unto him. "I would seek unto God," says Eliphaz to Job, "and unto
God would I commit my cause" (Job 5:8). Now there is a difference
betwixt revealing my cause and committing of it to a man. To reveal
my cause is to open it to one; and to commit it to him is to trust
it in his hand. Many a man will reveal his cause to him unto whom
he will yet be afraid to commit it; but now, he that entertains a
lawyer to plead his cause, doth not only reveal but commit his cause
into him. As, suppose right to his estate be called in question;
why, then, he not only reveals his cause to his lawyer, but puts
into his hands his evidences, deeds, leases, mortgages, bonds, or
what else he hath, to show a title to his estate by. And thus doth
Christians deal with Christ; they deliver up all unto him-to wit,
all their signs, evidences, promises, and assurances, which they
have thought they had for heaven and the salvation of their souls,
and have desired him to peruse, to search, and try them every one.
"And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting" (Psa 139:23-24). This is committing of thy cause to
Christ, and this is the hardest task of all, for the man that doth
thus, he trusteth Christ with all; and it implieth, that he will
live and die, stand and fall, lose and win, according as Christ
will manage his business. Thus did Paul, (II Tim 1:12), and thus
Peter admonishes us to do. Now he that doth this must be convinced,

(a.) Of the ability of Jesus Christ to defend him; for a man will
not commit so great a concern as his all is to his friend. No; not
to his friend, be he never so faithful, if he perceives not in
him ability to save him, and to preserve what he hath, against all
the cavils of an enemy. And hence it is that the ability of Jesus
Christ, as to the saving of his people, is so much insisted on in
the Scripture; as, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty" (Psa
89:19). "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save" (Isa 63:1).
And again, "He shall send them a Saviour, and a great one" (Isa
19:20).

(b.) As they must be convinced of his ability to help them, so they
must of his courage; a man that has parts sufficient may yet fail
his friend for want of courage; wherefore, the courage and greatness
of Christ's Spirit, as to his undertaking of the cause of his
people, is also amply set out in Scripture. "He shall not fail nor
be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth," "till he
send forth judgment unto victory" (Isa 42:4; Matt 12:20).

(c.) They must also be convinced of his willingness to do this for
them; for though one be able and of courage sufficient, yet if he
is not willing to undertake one's cause, what is it the better?
Wherefore, he declareth his willingness also, and how ready he is
to stand up to plead the cause of the poor and of them that are
in want. "The Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of
those that spoiled them" (Prov 22:23).

(d.) They must also be convinced of this-that Christ is tender,
and will not be offended at the dullness of his client. Some men
can reveal their cause to their lawyers better than some, and are
more serviceable and handy in that affair than others. But, saith
the Christian, I am dull and stupid that way, will not Christ be
shuff13 and shy with me because of this? Honest heart! He hath a
supply of thy defects14 in himself, and knoweth what thou wantest,
and where the shoe pinches, though thou art not able distinctly
to open matters to him. The child is pricked with a pin, and lies
crying in the mother's lap, but cannot show its mother where the pin
is; but there is pity enough in the mother to supply this defect
of the child; wherefore she undresses it, opens it, searches
every clout from head to the foot of the child, and so finds where
the pin is. Thus will thy lawyer do; he will search and find out
thy difficulties, and where Satan seeketh an advantage of thee,
accordingly will provide his remedy.

(e.) O, but will he not be weary? The prophet complains of some,
"that they weary God" (Isa 7:13). And mine is a very cross and
intricate cause; I have wearied many a good man while I have been
telling my tale unto him, and I am afraid that I shall also weary
Jesus Christ. Answer. Soul, he suffered and did bear with the manners
of Israel forty years in the wilderness; and hast thou tried him
half so long? (Acts 13:18). The good souls that have gone before
thee have found him "a tried stone," a sure one to be trusted to
as to this (Isa 28:16). And the prophet saith positively that "he
fainteth not, neither is weary"; and that "there is no searching of
his understanding" (Isa 40:28). Let all these things prevail with
thee to believe, that if thou hast committed by cause unto him, he
will bring it to pass, to a good pass, to so good a pass as will
glorify God, honour Christ, save thee, and shame the devil. But,

(4.) Wouldst thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine Advocate,
whether he has taken in hand to plead thy cause? Then, I ask, dost
thou, together with what has been mentioned before, wait upon him
according to his counsel, until things shall come to a legal issue?
Thus must clients do. There is a great many turnings and windings
about suits and trials at law; the enemy, also, with his supersedeas15
cavils, and motions, often defers a speedy issue; wherefore, the man
whose is the concern must wait; as the prophet said, "I will look,"
said he, "unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation."
But how long, prophet, wilt thou wait? Why, says he, "until he
plead my cause, and execute judgment for me" (Micah 7:7-10).

Perhaps when thy cause is tried, things for the present are upon
this issue; thy adversary, indeed, is cast, but whether thou shalt
have an absolute discharge, as Peter had, or a conditional one,
as David, and as the Corinthians had, that is the question (II Sam
12:10-14). True, thou shalt be completely saved at last; but yet
whether it is not best to leave to thee a memento of God's displeasure
against thy sin, by awarding that the sword shall never depart from
thy house, or that some sore sickness or other distresses shall
haunt thee as long as thou livest, or, perhaps, that thou shalt
walk without the light of God's countenance for several years and
a day. Now, if any of these three things happen unto thee, thou must
exercise patience, and wait; thus did David-"I waited patiently";
and again he exercises his soul in this virtue, saying "My soul,
wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him" (Psa 62:5).
For now we are judged of the Lord, that we may not be condemned
with the world. And by this judgment, though it sets us free from
their damnation, yet we are involved in many troubles, and, perhaps,
must wait many a day before we can know that, as to the main, the
verdict hath gone on our side. Thus, therefore, in order to thy
waiting upon him without fainting, it is meet that thou shouldest
know the methods of him that manages thy cause for thee in heaven;
and suffer not mistrust to break in and bear sway in thy soul, for
"he will" at length "bring thee forth to the light, and thou shalt
behold his righteousness. She, also, that is thine enemy shall see
it, and shame shall cover her which saith unto thee, Where is the
Lord thy God?" (Micah 7: 9-10).

Question. But what is it to wait upon him according to his counsel?

Answer. (a.) To wait is to be of good courage, to live in expectation,
and to look for deliverance, though thou hast sinned against thy
God. "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen
thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psa 27:14).

(b.) To wait upon him is to keep his way, to walk humbly in his
appointments. "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall
exalt thee to inherit the land" (Psa 37:34).

(c.) To wait upon him is to observe and keep those directions
which he giveth thee; to observe even while he stands up to plead
thy cause; for without this, or not doing this, a man may mar his
cause in the hand of him that is to plead it; wherefore, keep thee
far from an evil matter, have no correspondence with thine enemy,
walk humbly for the wickedness thou hast committed, and loathe and
abhor thyself for it, in dust and ashes. To these things doth the
Scripture everywhere direct us.

(d.) To wait, is also to incline, to hearken to those further directions
which thou mayest receive from the mouth of thine advocate, as to
any fresh matters that may forward and expedite a good issue of
thine affair in the court of heaven. The want of this was the reason
that the deliverance of Israel did linger so long in former times.
"O," says he, "that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel
had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies,
and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord
should have submitted themselves unto him; but their time should
have endured for ever" (Psa 81:13-15).

(e.) Also, if it tarry long, wait for it. Do not conclude that thy
cause is lost because at present thou dost not hear from court.
Cry, if thou wilt, O, when wilt thou come unto me? But never let
such a wicked thought pass through thy heart, saying, "This evil
is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?" (II
Kings 6:33).

(f.) But take heed that thou turnest not thy waiting into sleeping.
Wait thou must, and wait patiently too; but yet wait with much
longing and earnestness of spirit, to see or hear how matters go
above. You may observe, that when a man that dwells far down in
the country, and has some business at the term, in this or another
of the king's courts, though he will wait his lawyer's time and
convenience, yet he will so wait as still to inquire at the post
house, or at the carrier's, or if a neighbour comes down from term,
at his mouth, for letters, or any other intelligence, if possibly he
may arrive to know how his cause speeds, and whether his adversary,
or he, has the day. Thus, I say, thou must wait upon thine Advocate.
His ordinances are his post house, his ministers are his carriers,
where tidings from heaven are to be had, and where those that are
sued in that court by the devil may, at one time or another, hear
from their lawyer, their advocate, how things are like to go. Wherefore,
I say, wait at the posts of wisdom's house, go to ordinances with
expectation to hear from thy Advocate there; for he will send in
due time; "though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely
come, it will not tarry" (Hab 2:1-3). And now, soul, I have answered
thy request, and let me hear what thou sayest unto me.

Soul.-Truly, says the soul, methinks that by what you have said,
I may have this blessed Jesus to be mine Advocate; for I think,
verily, I have entertained him to be mine Advocate. I have also
revealed my cause unto him, yea, committed both it and myself unto
him; and, as you say, I wait; oh! I wait! and my eyes fail with
looking upward. Fain would I hear how my soul standeth in the sight
of God, and whether my sins, which I have committed since light
and grace were given unto me, be by mine Advocate, taken out of the
hand of the devil, and by mine Advocate removed as far from me as
the ends of the earth are asunder; whether the verdict has gone
on my side, and what a shout there was among the angels when they
saw it went well with me! But alas! I have waited, and that a long
time, and have, as you advise, run from ordinance to minister, and
from minister to ordinance, or, as you phrase it, from the post to
the carrier, and from the carrier to the post house, to see if I
could hear aught from heaven how matters went about my soul there. I
have also asked those that pass by the way, "if they saw him whom
my soul loveth," and if they had anything to communicate to me? But
nothing can I get or find but generals; as, that I have an Advocate
there, and that he pleadeth the cause of his people, and that he
will thoroughly plead their cause. But what he has done for ME,
of that as yet I am ignorant. I doubt if my soul shall by him be
effectually secured, that yet a conditional verdict will be awarded
concerning me, and that much bitter will be mixed with my sweet,
and that I must drink gall and wormwood for my folly; for if David,
and Asa, and Hezekiah and such good men, were so served for their
sins, (II Chron 16:7,12), why should I look for other dealing
at the hand of God? But as to this, I will endeavour to "bear the
indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him," (Micah
7:9), and shall count it an infinite mercy, if this judgment comes
to me from him, that I may "not be condemned with the world" (I
Cor 11:32). I know it is dreadful walking in darkness; but if that
also shall be the Lord's lot upon me; I pray God I may have faith
enough to stay upon him till death, and then will the clouds blow
over, and I shall see him in the light of the living.

Mine, enemy, the devil, as you see, is of an inveigling temper;
and though he has accused my before the judgment-seat of God, yet
when he comes to me at any time, he glavers16 and flatters as if he
never did mean me harm; but I think it is that he might get further
advantage against me. But I carry it now at a greater distance than
formerly; and O that I was at the remotest distance, not only from
him, but also from that self of mine, that laboureth with him for
my undoing!

But although I say these things now, and to you, yet I have
my solitary hours, and in them I have other strange thoughts; for
thus I think, my cause is bad, I have sinned, and I have been vile.
I am ashamed myself of mine own doings, and have given mine enemy
the best end of the staff. The law, and reason, and my conscience,
plead for him against me, and all is true; he puts into his charge
against me, that I have sinned more times than there be hairs on
my head. I know not anything that ever I did in my life but it had
flaw, or wrinkle, or spot, or some such thing in it. Mine eyes have
seen vileness in the best of my doings; what, then, think you, must
God needs see in them? Nor can I do anything yet, for all I know
that I am accused by my enemy before the judgment-seat of God,
better than what already is imperfect. "I lie down in my shame,
and my confusion covers my face." "I have sinned, what shall I do
unto thee, O thou preserver of men" (Jer 3:25, Job 7:20).

Reply.-Well, soul, I have heard what thou hast said, and if all be
true which thou hast said, it is good, and gives me ground of hope
that Jesus Christ is become thine Advocate; and if that be so,
no doubt but thy trial will come to a good conclusion. And be not
afraid because of the holiness of God; for thine Advocate has this
for his advantage, that he pleads before a judge that is just, and
against an enemy that is unholy and rejected. Nor let the thoughts
of the badness of thy cause terrify thee overmuch. Cause thou hast
indeed to be humble, and thou dost well to cover thy face with shame;
and it is no matter how base and vile thou art in thine own eyes,
provided that it comes not by renewed acts of rebellion, but through
a spiritual sight of thine imperfections. Only let me advise thee
here to stop. Let not thy shame nor thy self-abasing apprehension
of thyself, drive thee from the firm and permanent ground of hope,
which is the promise, and the doctrine of an Advocate with the
Father. No; let not the apprehension of the badness of thy cause
do it, forasmuch as he did never yet take cause in hand that was
good, perfectly good of itself; and his excellency is, to make a
man stand that has a bad cause; yea, he can make a bad cause good,
in a way of justice and righteousness.

[THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE.]

FOURTHLY, And for thy further encouragement in this matter, I will
here bring in the fourth chief head-to wit, to show what excellent
privilege (I mean over and above what has already been spoken of)
they have that are made partakers of the benefit of this office:-"If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous."

First Privilege. Thy Advocate pleads to a price paid, to a
propitiation made; and this is a great advantage; yea, he pleads
to a satisfaction made for all wrongs done, or to be done, by his
elect-"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that
are sanctified" (Heb 10:10,14; 9:26). "By one offering"-that is, by
the offering of himself-by one offering once offered, once offered
in the end of the world. This, I say, thine Advocate pleads. When
Satan brings in fresh accusations for more transgressions against
the law of God, he forces not Christ to shift his first plea. I say,
he puts him not to his shifts at all; for the price once paid hath
in it sufficient value, would God impute it to that end, to take
away the sin of the whole world. There is a man that hath brethren;
he is rich, and they are poor (and this is the case betwixt Christ
and us), and the rich brother goeth to his father, and saith, Thou
art related to my brethren with me, and out of my store, I pray
thee, let them have sufficient, and for thy satisfaction I will
put into thy hand the whole of what I have, which perhaps is worth
an hundred thousand pounds by the year; and this other sum I also
give, that they be not disinherited. Now, will not this last his
poor brethren to spend upon a great while? But Christ's worth can
never be drawn dry.

Now, set the case again, that some ill-conditioned man should take
notice that these poor men live all upon the spend (and saints do
so), and should come to the good man's house, and complain to him
of the spending of his sons, and that while their elder brother
stands by, what do you think the elder brother would reply, if he
was as good-natured as Christ? Why, he would say, I have yet with
my father in store for my brethren, wherefore then seekest thou to
stop his hand? As he is just, he must give them for their convenience;
yea, and as for their extravagances, I have satisfied for them
so well, that, however he afflicteth them, he will not disinherit
them. I hope you will read and hear this, not like them that say,
"Let us do evil that good may come," but like those whom the love
of Christ constrains to be better. However, this is the children's
bread, that which they have need of, and without which they cannot
live; and they must have it, though Satan should put pins into
it, therewith to choke the dogs.17 And for the further clearing of
this, I will present you with these few considerations:

1. Those that are most sanctified have yet a body of sin and death
in them, and so also it will be, while they continue in this world
(Rom 7:24). 2. This body of sin strives to break out, and will
break out, to the polluting of the conversation, if saints be not
the more watchful (Rom 6:12). Yea, it has broken out in a most
sad manner, and that in the strongest saints (Gal 5:17). 3. Christ
offereth no new sacrifice for the salvation of these his people.
"For, being raised from the dead, he dieth no more" (Rom 6:9). So
then, if saints sin, they must be saved, if saved at all, by virtue
of the offering already offered; and if so, then all Christ's pleas,
as an Advocate, are grounded upon that one offering which before,
as a Priest, he presented God with, for the taking away of sin.
So then, Christians live upon this old stock; their transgressions
are forgiven for the sake of the worth, that yet God finds in the
offering that Christ hath offered. And all Christ's pleadings, as
an Advocate, are grounded upon the sufficiency and worth of that
one sacrifice; I mean, all his pleadings with his Father, as to the
charge which the accuser brings in against them. For though thou
art a man of infirmity, and so incident to nothing [so much] as to
stumble and fall, if grace doth not prevent, and it doth not always
prevent; yet the value and worth of the price that was once paid
for thee is not yet worn out; and Christ, as an Advocate, still
pleadeth, as occasion is given, that, with success, to thy salvation.
And this privilege they have, who indeed have Christ for their
Advocate; and I put it here, in the first place, because all other
do depend upon it.

Second Privilege. Thine Advocate, as he pleadeth a price already
paid, so, and therefore, he pleads for himself as for thee. We are
all concerned in one bottom; if he sinks, we sink; if we sink, he
sinks. 18 Give me leave to make out my meaning.

1. Christ pleads the value and virtue of the price of his blood and
sacrifice for us. And admit of this horrible supposition a little,
for argument's sake, that though Christ pleads the worth of what,
as Priest, he offereth, yet the soul for whom he so pleads perishes
eternally. Now, where lieth the fault? In sin, you say: true; but
it is because there was more virtue in sin to damn, than there was
in the blood pleaded by Christ to save; for he pleaded his merit,
he put it into the balance against sin; but sin hath weighed down
the soul of the sinner to hell, notwithstanding the weight of merit
that he did put in against it. Now, what is the result, but that
the Advocate goes down, as well as we; we to hell, and he in esteem?
Wherefore, I say, he is concerned with us; his credit, his honour,
his glory and renown, flies all away, if those for whom he pleads
as an Advocate perish for want of worth in his sacrifice pleaded.
But shall this ever be said of Christ? Or will it be found that
any, for whom Christ as Advocate pleads, yet perish for want of
worth in the price, or of neglect in the Advocate to plead it? No,
no; himself is concerned, and that as to his own reputation and
honour, and as to the value and virtue of his blood; nor will he
lose these for want of pleading for them concerned in this office.

2. I argue again; Christ, as Advocate, must needs be concerned in
his plea; for that every one, for whose salvation he advocates,
is his own; so, then, if he loses, he loses his own-his substance
and inheritance. Thus, if he lose the whole, and if he lose a
part, one, any one of his own, he loseth part of his all, and of
his fullness; wherefore we may well think, that Christ, as Advocate,
is concerned, even concerned with his people, and therefore will
thoroughly plead their cause.

Suppose a man should have a horse, though lame, and a piece of
ground, though somewhat barren, yet if any should attempt to take
these away, he would not sit still, and so lose his own; no, saith
he, "since they are mine own, they shall cost me five times more
than they are worth, but I will maintain my right." I have seen men
sometimes strongly engaged in law for that which, when considered
by itself, one would think was not worth regarding; but when I have
asked them, why so concerned for a thing of so little esteem, they
have answered, O, it is some of that by which I hold a title of
honour, or my right to a greater income, and therefore I will not
lose it. Why, thus is Christ engaged; what he pleads for is his
own, his all, his fullness; yea, it is that by which he holds his
royalty, for he is "King of saints" (Rev 15:3, John 6:37-39, Psa
16:5,6). It is part of his estate, and that by which he holds some
of his titles of honour (Eph 5:23, Jer 50:34, Rom 11:26, Heb 2:10).
Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer, and Captain, are some of his titles
of honour; but if he loseth any of those, upon whose account he
weareth those titles of honour, for want of virtue in his plea, or
for want of worth in his blood, he loseth his own, and not only so,
but part of his royalty, and does also diminish and lay a blot upon
his glorious titles of honour; and he is jealous of his honour;
his honour he will not give to another.

Wherefore he will not, be not afraid, he never will leave nor
forsake those who have given themselves unto him, and for whom he
is become an Advocate with the Father, to plead their cause; even
because thou art one, one of his own, one by whom he holdeth his
glorious titles of honour.

Objection. O, but I am but one, and a very sorry one, too; and what
is one, especially such an one as I am? Can there be a miss of the
loss of such an one?

Answer. One and one makes two, and so ad infinitum. Christ cannot
lose one, but as he may lose more, and so, in conclusion, lose
all: but of all that God has given him, he will lose nothing (John
6:38,39). Besides, to lose one would encourage Satan, disparage
his own wisdom, make him incapable of giving in, at the day of
account, the whole tale19 to God of those that he has given him.
Further, this would dishearten sinners, and make them afraid of
venturing their cause and their souls in his hand; and would, as I
said before, either prove his propitiation in some sense ineffectual,
or else himself defective in his pleading on it; but none of these
things must be supposed. He will thoroughly plead the cause of his
people, execute judgment for them, bring them out to the light,
and cause them to behold his righteousness (Micah 7:9).

Third Privilege. The plea of Satan is groundless, and that is
another privilege: for albeit thou hast sinned, yet since Christ
before has paid thy debt, and also paid for more; since thou
hast not yet run beyond the price of thy redemption; it must be
concluded that Satan wants a good bottom to ground his plea upon,
and therefore must, in conclusion, fail of his design. True, there
is sin committed, there is a law transgressed, but there is also a
satisfaction for this transgression, and that which superabounds;
so, though there be sin, yet there wants a foundation for a plea.
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, but Christ had other
garments provided for him, change of raiment: wherefore iniquity,
as to the charge of Satan, vanishes. "And the angel answered and
said, Take away the filthy garments from him" [this intimates that
there was no ground, no sufficient ground, for Satan's charge];
"and unto him he said, Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass
from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment" (Zech
3:4). 20

Now, if there be no ground, no sound and sufficient ground, to build
a charge against the child upon, I mean, as to eternal condemnation;
for that is the thing contended for; then, as I said, Satan must
fall "like lightning to the ground," and be cast over the bar, as
a corrupt and illegal pleader. But this is so, as in part is proved
already, and will be further made out by that which follows. They
that have indeed Christ to be their Advocate, are themselves, by
virtue of another law than that against which they have sinned,
secured from the charge that Satan brings in against them. I granted
before, that the child of God has sinned, and that there is a law
that condemneth for this sin; but here is the thing, this child is
removed by an act of grace into and under another law: "For we are
not under the law," and so, consequently, "there is now no condemnation
for them" (Rom 6:14, 8:1). Wherefore, when God speaketh of his
dealing with his, he saith, It shall "not be by their covenant,"
that is, not by that of the law, they then being not under the law
(Eze 16:61). What if a plea be commenced against them, a plea for
sin, and they have committed sin; a plea grounded upon the law, and
the law takes cognizance of their sin? Yet, I say, the plea wants
a good bottom, for that the person thus accused is put under another
law; hence, he says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for
ye are not under the law." If the child was under the law, Satan's
charge would be good, because it would have a substantial ground
of support; but since the child is dead to the law, (Gal 2:19), and
that also dead to him, for both are true as to condemnation, (Rom
7:6), how can it be that Satan should have a sufficient ground for
his charge, though he should have matter of fact, sufficient matter
of fact, that is sin? For by his change of relation, he is put out
of the reach of that law. There is a woman, a widow, that oweth a
sum of money, and she is threatened to be sued for the debt; now
what doth she but marrieth; so, when the action is commenced against
her as a widow, the law finds her a married woman; what now can
be done? Nothing to her; she is not who she was; she is delivered
from that state by her marriage; if anything be done, it must be
done to her husband. But if Satan will sue Christ for my debt, he
oweth him nothing; and as for what the law can claim of me while
I was under it, Christ has delivered me by redemption from that
curse, "being made a curse for me" (Gal 3:13).

Now the covenant into which I am brought by grace, by which also
I am secured from the law, is not a law of sin and death, as that
is from under which I am brought, (Rom 8:2), but a law of grace and
life; so that Satan cannot come at me by that law; and by grace,
I am by that secured also from the hand, and mouth, and sting of
all other; I mean still, as to an eternal concern. Wherefore God
saith, "If we break his law, the law of works, he will visit our
sin with a rod, and our iniquity with stripes; but his covenant,
his new covenant, will he not break," but will still keep close to
that, and so secure us from eternal condemnation (Psa 89:30-37).

Christ also is made the mediator of that covenant, and therefore
an Advocate by that; for his priestly office and advocateship are
included by his mediation; wherefore when Satan pleads by the old,
Christ pleads by the new covenant, for the sake of which the old
one is removed. "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made
the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to
vanish away" (Heb 8:13). So, then, the ground of plea is with Jesus
Christ, and not with our accuser. Now, what doth Christ plead, and
what is the ground of his plea? Why, he pleads for exemption and
freedom from condemnation, though by the law of works his children
have deserved it; and the ground for this his plea, as to law, is
the matter of the covenant itself, for thus it runs: "For I will
be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb 8:12). Now here is a
foundation-a foundation in law, for our Advocate to build his plea
upon; a foundation in a law not to be moved, or removed, or made
to give place, as that is forced to do, upon which Satan grounds
his plea against us. Men, when they plead before a judge, use to
plead matter of law. Now, suppose there is an old law in the realm,
by which men deserve to be condemned to death, and there is a new
law in this realm that secureth men from that condemnation which
belongs to them by the old; and suppose also, that I am completely
comprehended by all the provisos of the new law, and not by any
tittle thereof excluded from a share therein; and suppose, again,
that I have a brangling adversary that pursues me by the old law,
which yet cannot in right touch me, because I am interested in
the new; my advocate also is one that pleads by the new law, where
only there is a ground of plea; shall not now mine adversary feel
the power of his plea to the delivering of me, and the putting of
him to shame? Yes, verily; especially since the plea is good, the
judge just; nor can the enemy find any ground for a demur21 to
be put in against my present discharge in open court, and that by
proclamation; especially since my Advocate has also, by his blood,
fully satisfied the old law, that he might establish the new (Heb
10: 9, 11, 12).

Fourth Privilege. Since that which goeth before is true, it
follows, that he that entereth his plea against the children must
needs be overthrown; for always before just judges it is the right
that taketh place. Judge the right, O Lord, said David; or, "let
my sentence come forth from thy presence," according to the law of
grace. And he that knows what strong ground, or bottom, our Advocate
has for his pleadings, and how Satan's accusations are without sound
foundation, will not be afraid, he speaking in Christ, to say, I
appeal to God Almighty, since Christ is my Advocate by the new law,
whether I ought to be condemned to death and hell for what Satan
pleads against me by the old. Satan urgeth that we have sinned,
but Christ pleads to his propitiatory sacrifice; and so Satan is
overthrown. Satan pleads the law of works, but Christ pleads the
law of grace. Further, Satan pleads the justice and holiness of
God against us; and there the accuser is overthrown again. And to
them Christ appeals, and his appeal is good, since the law testifies
to the sufficiency of the satisfaction that Christ has made thereto
by his obedience (Rom 3:22, 23). And also, since by another covenant,
God himself has given us to Jesus Christ, and so delivered us
from the old. Wherefore you read nothing as an effect of Satan's
pleading against us, but that his mouth is stopped, as appears by
Zechariah 3; and that he is cast; yea, cast down, as you have it
in Revelation 12.

Indeed, when God admits not, when Christ wills not to be an Advocate,
and when Satan is bid stand at the right hand of one accused, to
enforce, by pleading against him, the things charged on him by the
law, then he can prevail-prevail for ever against such a wretched
one (Psa 109: 6, 7). But when Christ stands up to plead, when
Christ espouses this or that man's cause, then Satan must retreat,
then he must go down. And this necessarily flows from the text,
"We have an Advocate," a prevailing one, one that never lost cause,
one that always puts the children's enemy to the rout before the
judgment-seat of God. 22

This, therefore, is another privilege that they have, who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate; their enemy must needs be overthrown,
because both law and justice are on their side.

Fifth Privilege. Thine advocate has pity for thee, and great indignation
against thine accuser: and these are two excellent things. When a
lawyer hath pity for a man whose cause he pleadeth, it will engage
him much; but when he has indignation also against the man's accuser,
this will yet engage him more. Now, Christ has both these, and that
not of humour, but by grace and justice; grace to us, and justice
to our accuser. He came down from heaven that he might be a Priest,
and returned thither again to be Priest and Advocate for his; and
in both these offices he levelleth his whole force and power against
thine accuser: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).

Cunning men will, if they can, retain such an one to be their
Advocate, who has a particular quarrel against their adversary; for
thus, think they, he that is such, will not only plead for me, but
for himself, and to right his own wrongs also; and since, if it be
so, and it is so here, my concerns and my Advocate's are interwoven,
I am like to fare much the better for the anger that is conceived
in his heart against him. And this, I say, is the children's case;
their Advocate counteth their accuser his greatest enemy, and
waiteth for a time to take vengeance, and he usually then takes
the opportunity when he has aught to do for his people against him.
Hence he says, "The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year
of my redeemed is come" (Isa 63:3, 4).

I do not say that this revenge of Christ is, as ofttimes is a man's,
of spite, prejudice, or other irregular lettings out of passions;
but it ariseth from righteousness and truth; nor can it be but that
Jesus must have a desire to take vengeance on his enemy and ours,
since holiness is in him, to the utmost bounds of perfection. And
I say again, that in all his pleading as an Advocate, as well as
in his offering as a Priest, he has a hot and flaming desire and
design to right himself upon his foe and ours; hence he triumphed
over him when he died for us upon the cross, and designed the
spoiling of his principality, while he poured out his blood for us
before God. We then have this advantage more, in that Christ is our
Advocate, our enemy is also his, and the Lord Jesus counts him so
(Col 2:14, 15).

Sixth Privilege. As thine Advocate, so thy judge holdeth thine
accuser for his enemy also; for it is not of love to righteousness
and justice that Satan accuseth us to God, but that he may destroy
the workmanship of God. Wherefore he also fighteth against God when
he accuseth the children; and this thy Father knows right well. He
must therefore needs distinguish between the charge and the mind
that brings it; especially when what is charged upon us is under
the gracious promise of a pardon, as I have showed it is. Shall
not the Judge then hear his Son-for our Advocate is his Son-in the
cause of one that he favours, and that he justly can, against an
enemy who seeks his dishonour, and the destruction of his eternal
dishonour, and the destruction of his eternal designs of grace?

A mention of the judge's son goes far with countrymen; and great
striving there is with them who have great enemies and bad causes
to get the judge's son to plead, promising themselves that the
judge is as like to hear him, and to yield a verdict to his plea,
as to any other lawyer. But what now shall we say concerning our
Judge's Son, who takes part, not only with his children, but with
him, and with law and justice, in pleading against our accuser?
Yea, what shall we say when both Judge, and Advocate, and law, are
all bent to make our persons stand and escape, whatever, and how
truly soever, the charge and accusation is by which we are assaulted
of the devil. And yet all this is true; wherefore, here is another
privilege of them that have Jesus for their Advocate.

Seventh Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate is, that he is undaunted, and of a good
courage, as to the cause that he undertakes; for that is a requisite
qualification for a lawyer, to be bold and undaunted in a man's
cause. Such an one is coveted, especially by him that knows he
has a brazen-faced antagonist. Wherefore, he saith that "he will
set his face like a flint," when he stands up to plead the cause
of his people (Isa 50:5-7). Lawyers, of all men, need this courage,
and to be above others, men of hard foreheads, because of the
affronts that sometimes they meet with, be their cause never so
good, in the face sometimes, of the chief of a kingdom. Now Christ
is our lawyer, and stands up to plead, not only sometimes, but
always, for his people, before the God of gods, and that not in
a corner, but while all the host of heaven stands by, both on the
right hand and on the left. Nor is it to be doubted but that our
accuser brings many a sore charge against us into the court; but,
however, we have an Advocate that is valiant and courageous, one
that will not fail nor be discouraged till he has brought judgment
unto victory. Hence John asserts his name, saying, "If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ."

Men love to understand a man before they commit their cause unto
him-to wit, whether he be fitly qualified for their business. Well,
here is an Advocate propounded, an Advocate to plead our cause
against our foe. But what is he? What is his name? Is he qualified
for my business? The answer is, It is Jesus Christ. How? Jesus Christ,
what! That old friend of publicans and sinners? Jesus Christ! He
used never to fail, he used to set his face like a flint against
Satan when he pleaded the cause of his people. Is it Jesus Christ?
says the knowing soul; then he shall be mine Advocate.

For my part, I have often wondered, when I have considered what
sad causes Jesus Christ sometimes takes in hand, and for what sad
souls he sometimes pleads with God his Father. He had need of a
face as hard as flint, else how could he bear up in that work in
which for us sometimes he is employed-a work enough to make angels
blush. Some, indeed, will lightly put off this, and say, "It is
his office"; but, I say, his office, notwithstanding the work in
itself is hard, exceeding hard, when he went to die, had he not
despised the shame, he had turned his back upon the cross, and left
us in our blood. And now it is his turn to plead, the case would
be the same, only he can make argument upon that which to us seems
to yield no argument at all, to take courage to plead for a Joshua,
for a Joshua clothed, clothed with filthy garments. He, saith he,
that "shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation: of him shall the Son of man be ashamed," &C
(Mark 8:38). Hence it follows that Christ will be ashamed of some;
but why not ashamed of others? It is not because their cause is
good, but because they are kept from denying of him professedly;
wherefore, for such he will force himself, and will set his face
like a flint, and will, without shame, own, plead, and improve his
interest with God for them, even for them whose cause is so horribly
bad and gross that themselves do blush while they think thereof.
But what will not love do? What will not love bear with? And what
will not love suffer? Of all the offices of Jesus Christ, I think
this trieth him as much as any! True, his offering himself in sacrifice
tried him greatly, but that was but for awhile; his grappling, as
a captain, with the curse, death, and hell, tried him much, but
that also was but for awhile; but this office of being an Advocate,
though it meeteth not with such sudden depths of trouble, yet what
is wants in shortness it may meet with in length of time. I know
Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more; yet he has not
left off, though in heaven, to do some works of service for his
saints on earth; for there he pleads as an Advocate or lawyer for
his people (Heb 8:1, 2). And let it be that he has no cause of shame
when he standeth thus up to plead for so vile a wretch as I, who
have so vilely sinned, yet I have cause to think that well he may,
and to hold my hands before my face for shame, and to be confounded
with shame, while he, to fetch me off from condemnation for my
transgressions, sets his face like a flint to plead for me with
God, and against my accuser. But thus much for the seventh privilege
that they have by Christ who have him for their Advocate.

Eighth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate is this, He is always ready, always
in court, always with the judge, then and there to oppose, if our
accuser comes, and to plead against him what is pleadable for his
children. And this the text implies where it saith, "We have an
Advocate with the Father," always with the Father. Some lawyers,
though they are otherwise able and shrewd, yet not being always
in court and ready, do suffer their poor clients to be baffled and
nonsuited23 by their adversary; yea, it so comes to pass because
of this neglect, that a judgment is got out against them for whom
they have undertaken to plead, to their great perplexity and damage:
but no such opportunity can Satan have of our Advocate, for he is
with the Father, always with the Father; as to be a Priest, so to
be an Advocate-"We have an Advocate with the Father." It is said of
the priests, they wait at the altar, and that they give attendance
there, (I Cor 9:13); also of the magistrate, that as to his office,
he should attend "continually on this very thing" (Rom 13:6).
And as these, so Christ, as to his office of an Advocate, attends
continually upon that office with his Father. "We have an Advocate
with the Father," always with the Father. And truly such an
Advocate becomes the children of God, because of the vigilance of
their enemy; for it is said of him, that "he accuseth us day and
night," so unweariedly doth he both seek and pursue our destruction
(Rev 12:10). But behold how we are provided for him-"We have an
Advocate with the Father." If he come a-days, our Advocate is with
the Father; if he come a-nights, our Advocate is with the Father24

Thus, then, is our Advocate ready to put check to Satan, come he
when he will or can, to accuse us to the Father. Wherefore these
two texts are greatly to be minded, one of them, for that it shows
us the restlessness of our enemy, the other, for that it shows us
the diligence of our Advocate.

That, also, in the Hebrews shows us the carefulness of our Advocate,
where it saith, He is gone "into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us" (Heb 9:24). Now, just the time present;
NOW, the time always present; NOW, let Satan come when he will! Nor
is it to be omitted that this word that thus specifies the time,
the present time, doth also conclude it to be that time in which
we are imperfect in grace, in which we have many failings, in which
we are tempted and accused of the devil to God; this is the time,
and in it, and every whit of it, he now appeareth in the presence
of God for us. Oh, the diligence of our enemy; oh, the diligence
of our friend!-the one against us, the other for us, and that
continually-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous." This, then, that Jesus Christ is always
an Advocate with the Father for us, and so continually ready to put
a check to every accusation that Satan brings into the presence of
God against us, is another of the privileges that they have, who
have Jesus Christ for their Advocate.

Ninth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate is this, he is such an one that will
not, by bribes, by flattery, nor fair pretenses, be turned aside
from pursuing of his client's business. This was the fault of
lawyers in old time, that they would wrest judgment for a bribe.
Hence the Holy One complained, that a bribe did use to blind the
eyes of the wise, and pervert the judgment of the righteous (I Sam
12:3; Amos 5:12; Deut 16:19).

There are three things in judgment that a lawyer must take heed
of-one is the nature of the offence, the other is the meaning and
intendment of the law-makers, and a third is to plead for them in
danger, without respect to affection or reward; and this is the
excellency of our Advocate, he will not, cannot be biased to turn
aside from doing judgment. And this the apostle intendeth when
he calleth our Advocate "Jesus Christ the righteous." "We have
an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"; or, as
another prophet calls him, to wit, "The just Lord-one that will not
do iniquity"-that is, no unrighteousness in judgment (Zeph 3:5). He
will not be provoked to do it, neither by the continual solicitations
of thine enemy; nor by thy continual provocations wherewith, by
reason of thy infirm condition, thou dost often tempt him to do
it. And remember that thy Advocate pleads by the new covenant, and
thine adversary accuses by the old; and again, remember that the
new covenant is better and more richly provided with grounds of
pleading for our pardon and salvation, than the old can be with
grounds for a charge to be brought in by the devil against us, suppose
our sin be never so heinous. It is a better covenant, established
upon better promises.

Now, put these two together-namely, that Jesus Christ is righteous,
and will not swerve in judgment; also, that he pleads for us by the
new law, with which Satan hath nothing to do, nor, had he, can he
by it bring in a plea against us, because that law, in the very
body of it, consists in free promises of giving grace unto us, and
of an everlasting forgiveness of our sin (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:25-30;
Heb 8:8-13) O children, your Advocate will stick to the law, to the
new law, to the new and everlasting covenant, and will not admit
that anything should be pleaded by our foe that is inconsistent with
the promise of the gift of grace, and of the remission of all sin.
This, therefore, is another privilege that they are made partakers
of who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate. He is just, he is
righteous, he is "Jesus Christ the righteous"; he will not be turned
aside to judge awry, either of the crime or the law, for favour or
affection. Nor is there any sin but what is pardonable committed
by those that have chosen Jesus Christ to be their Advocate.

Tenth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate, is this, the Father has made him, even
him that is thine Advocate, the umpire and judge in all matters
that have, do, or shall fall out betwixt him and us. Mark this
well; for when the judge himself, before whom I am accused, shall
make mine Advocate, the judge of the nature of the crime for which
I am accused, and of matter of law by which I am accused-to wit,
whether it is in force against me to condemnation, or whether by
the law of grace I am set free, especially since my Advocate has
espoused my cause, promised me deliverance, and pleaded my right
to the state of eternal life-must it not go well with me? Yes,
verily. The judge, then, making thine Advocate the judge, for he
"hath committed all judgment unto the Son," hath done it also for
thy sake who hast chosen him to be thine Advocate (John 5:22) It
was a great thing that happened to Israel when Joseph was become
their advocate, and when Pharaoh had made him a judge. "Thou,"
says he, "shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall
all my people be ruled. See, I have set thee over all the land of
Egypt-and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all
the land of Egypt-only in the throne will I be greater than thou"
(Gen 41:40,44). Joseph in this was a type of Christ, and his
government here of the government of Christ for his church. Kings
seldom make a man's judge his advocate; they seldom leave the issue
of the whole affair to the arbitration of the poor man's lawyer;
but when they do, methinks it should even go to the heart's desire
of the client whose the advocate is, especially when, as I said
before, the cause of the client is become the concern of the advocate,
and that they are both wrapped up in the self-same interest; yea,
when the judge himself also is therein concerned; and yet thus it
is with that soul who has Jesus Christ for his Advocate. What sayest
thou, poor heart, to this? The judge-to wit, the God of heaven,
has made thy Advocate, arbitrator in thy business; he is to judge;
God has referred the matter to him, and he has a concern in thy
concern, an interest in thy good speed. Christian man, dost thou
hear? Thou hast put thy cause into the hand of Jesus Christ, and
hast chosen him to be thine Advocate to plead for thee before God
and against thy adversary; and God has referred the judgment of
that matter to thy Advocate, so that he has power to determine the
matter. I know Satan is not pleased with this. He had rather things
should have been referred to himself, and then woe had been to the
child of God; but, I say, God has referred the business to Jesus
Christ, has made him umpire and judge in thine affair. Art thou
also willing that he should decide the matter? Canst thou say unto
him as David, "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause" (Psa 43:1)?
Oh, the care of God towards his people, and the desire of their
welfare! He has provided them an Advocate, and he has referred
all causes and things that may by Satan be objected and brought in
against us, to the judgment and sentence of Christ our Advocate.
But to come to a conclusion for this; and therefore,

Eleventh Privilege. The advantage that he has that has the Lord
Jesus for his Advocate is very great. Thy Advocate has the cause,
has the law, has the judge, has the purse, and so consequently has
all that is requisite for an Advocate to have, since together with
these he has heart, he has wisdom, he has courage, and loves to
make the best improvement of his advantages for the benefit of his
client; and that which adds to all is, he can prove the debt paid,
about which Satan makes such ado-a price given for the ransom of my
soul and for the pardon of my sins. Lawyers do use to make a great
matter of it, when they can prove, that that very debt is paid for
which their client is sued at law. Now this Christ Jesus himself
is witness to; yea, he himself has paid it, and that out of his own
purse, for us, with his own hands, before and upon the mercy-seat,
according as the law requireth (Lev 16:13-15; Heb 9:11-24). What
then can accrue to our enemy? or what advantage can he get by his
thus vexing and troubling the children of the Most High? Certainly
nothing, but, as has been said already, to be cast down; for the
kingdom of our God, which is a kingdom of grace, and the power of his
Christ will prevail. Samson's power lay in his hair, but Christ's
power, his power to deliver us from the accusation and charge
of Satan, lieth in the worth of his undertakings. And hence it is
said again, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb," and
he was cast out and down (Rev 12:10-12). And thus much for the
privileges that those are made partakers of, who have Jesus Christ
to be their Advocate.

[THE NECESSITY OF HAVING CHRIST FOR OUR ADVOCATE.]

Fifthly, I come now to the fifth thing, which is, to show you what
necessity there is that Christ should be our Advocate.

That Christ should be a Priest to offer sacrifice, a King to rule,
and a Prophet to teach, all seeing men acknowledge is of necessity;
but that he should be an Advocate, a pleader for his people, few
see the reason of it. But he is an Advocate, and as an Advocate has
a work and employ distinct from his priestly, kingly, or prophetical
offices. John says, "He is our Advocate," and signifieth also the
nature of his work as such, in that very place where he asserteth
his office; as also I have showed you in that which goes before.
But having already showed you the nature, I will now show you the
necessity of this office.

First. It is necessary for the more full and ample vindication of
the justice of God against all the cavils of the infernal spirits.
Christ died on earth to declare the justice of God to men in his
justifying the ungodly. God standeth upon the vindication of his
justice, as well as upon the act thereof. Hence the Holy Ghost, by
the prophets and apostles, so largely disputeth for the vindication
thereof, while it asserteth the reality of the pardon of sin, the
justification of the unworthy, and their glorification with God
(Rom 3:24; Isa, Jer, Mal; Rom 3, 4, 8; Gal 3,4). I say, while it
disputeth the justness of this high act of God against the cavils
of implacable sinners. Now the prophets and apostles, in those
disputes by which they seek to vindicate the justice of God in
the salvation of sinners, are not only ministers of God to us, but
advocates for him; since, as Elihu has it, they "speak on God's
behalf," or, as the margin has it, "I will show thee that there
are yet words for God," words to be spoken and pleaded against his
enemies for the justification of his actions (Job 36:2). Now, as
it is necessary that there should be advocates for God on earth
to plead for his justice and holiness, while he saveth sinners,
against the cavils of an ungodly people, so it is necessary that
there should be an Advocate also in heaven, that may there vindicate
the same justice and holiness of God from all those charges that
the fallen angels are apt to charge it with, while it consenteth
that we, though ungodly, should be saved.

That the fallen angels are bold enough to charge God to his face
with unjustness of language, is evident in the 1st and 2nd of Job;
and that they should not be as bold to charge him with unjustness
of actions, nothing can be showed to the contrary. Further, that
God seeks to clear himself of this unjust charge of Satan is as
manifest; for all the troubles of his servant Job were chiefly for
that purpose. And why he should have one also in heaven to plead
for the justness of his doing in the forgiveness and salvation of
sinners appears also as necessary, even because there is one, even
an Advocate with the Father, or on the Father's side, seeking to
vindicate his justice, while he pleadeth with him for us, against
the devil and his objections. God is wonderfully pleased with his
design in saving of sinners; it pleases him at the heart. And since
he also is infinitely just, there is need that an Advocate should
be appointed to show how, in a way of justice as well as mercy, a
sinner may be saved.

The good angels did not at first see so far into the mysteries of
the gospel of the grace of God, but that they needed further light
therein for the vindication of their Lord as servants. Wherefore
they yet did pry and look narrowly into it further, and also bowed
their heads and hearts to learn yet more, by the church, of "the
manifold wisdom of God" (I Peter 1:12; Eph 3:9,10). And if the
standing angels were not yet, to the utmost, perfect in the knowledge
of this mystery, and yet surely they must know more thereof than
those that fell could do, no wonder if those devils, whose enmity
could not but animate their ignorance, made, and do make, their
cavils against justice, insinuating that it is not impartial and
exact, because it, as it is just, justifieth the ungodly.

That Satan will quarrel with God I have showed you, and that he
will also dispute against his works with the holy angels, is more
than intimated by the apostle Jude, verse 9, and why not quarrel
with, and accuse the justice of God as unrighteous, for consenting
to the salvation of sinners, since his best qualifications are
most profound and prodigious attempts to dethrone the Lord God of
his power and glory.

Nay, all this is evident, since "we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous." And again, I say, it is evident that
one part of his work as an Advocate, is to vindicate the justice
of God while he pleadeth for our salvation, because he pleadeth a
propitiation; for a propitiation respects God as well as us; the
appeasing his wrath, and the reconciling of his justice to us, as
well as the redeeming us from death and hell; yea, it therefore
doth the one, because it doth the other. Now, if Christ, as an
Advocate, pleadeth a propitiation with God, for whose conviction
doth he plead it? Not for God's; for he has ordained it, allows
it, and gloriously acquiesces therein, because he knows the whole
virtue thereof. It is therefore for the conviction of the fallen
angels, and for the confounding of all those cavils that can be
invented and objected against our salvation by those most subtle
and envious ones. But,

Second. There is matter of law to be objected, and that both against
God and us; at least, there seems to be so, because of the sanction
that God has put upon the law, and also because we have sinned
against it. God has said, "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou
shalt surely die"; and, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." God
also standeth still upon the vindication of his justice, he also
saveth sinners. Now, in comes our accuser, and chargeth us of sin,
of being guilty of sin, because we have transgressed the law. God
also will not be put out of his way, or steps of grace, to save us;
also he will say, he is just and righteous still. Ay, but these
are but say-so's. How shall this be proved? Why, now, here is room
for an advocate that can plead to matter of law, that can preserve
the sanction of the law in the salvation of the sinner-"He will
magnify the law, and make it honourable" (Isa 42:21). The margin
saith, "and make him honourable25"--that is, he shall save the sinner,
and preserve the holiness of the law, and the honour of his God.
But who is this that can do this? "It is the servant of God," saith
the prophet, (Isa 42:1, 13), "the Lord, a man of war." But how can
this be done by him? The answer is, It shall be done, "for God is
well pleased for his righteousness' sake"; for it is by that he
magnifies the law, and makes his Father honourable-that is, he, as
a public person, comes into the world under the law, fulfills it,
and having so done, he gives that righteousness away, for he, as
to his own person, never had need thereof; I say, he gives that
righteousness to those that have need, to those that have none
of their own, that righteousness might be imputed to them. This
righteousness, then, he presenteth to God for us, and God, for this
righteousness' sake, is well pleased that we should be saved, and
for it can save us, and secure his honour, and preserve the law in
its sanction. And this Christ pleadeth against Satan as an Advocate
with the Father for us; by which he vindicates his Father's justice,
holdeth the child of God, notwithstanding his sins, in a state of
justification, and utterly overthroweth and confoundeth the devil.

For Christ, in pleading thus, appeals to the law itself, if he
has not done it justice, saying, "Most mighty law, what command of
thine have I not fulfilled? What demand of thine have I not fully
answered? Where is that jot or tittle of the law that is able to
object against my doings for want of satisfaction?" Here the law
is mute; it speaketh not one word by way of the least complaint,
but rather testifies of this righteousness that it is good and
holy, (Rom 3:22, 23; 5:15-19). Now, then, since Christ did this as
a public person, it follows that others must be justified thereby;
for that was the end and reason of Christ's taking on him to do
the righteousness of the law. Nor can the law object against the
equity of this dispensation of heaven; for why might not that God,
who gave the law his being and his sanction, dispose as he pleases
of the righteousness which it commendeth? Besides, if men be made
righteous, they are so; and if by a righteousness which the law
commendeth, how can fault be found with them by the law? Nay, it is
"witnessed by the law and the prophets," who consent that it should
be unto all, and upon all them that believe, for their justification
(Rom 3:20,21).

And that the mighty God suffereth the prince of the devils to do
with the law what he can, against this most wholesome and godly
doctrine; it is to show the truth, goodness, and permanency thereof;
for this is as who should say, Devil, do thy worst! When the law is
in the hand of an easy pleader, though the cause that he pleadeth
be good, a crafty opposer may overthrow the right; but here is the
salvation of the children in debate, whether it can stand with law
and justice; the opposer of this is the devil, his argument against
it is the law; he that defends the doctrine is Christ the Advocate,
who, in his plea, must justify the justice of God, defend the
holiness of the law, and save the sinner from all the arguments,
pleas, stops and demurs that Satan is able to put in against it.
And this he must do fairly, righteously, simply, pleading the voice
of the self-same law for the justification of what he standeth for,
which Satan pleads against it; for though it is by the new law that
our salvation comes, yet by the old law is the new law approved of
and the way of salvation thereby by it consented to.

This shows, therefore, that Christ is not ashamed to own the way
of our justification and salvation, no, not before men and devils.
It shows also that he is resolved to dispute and plead for the same,
though the devil himself shall oppose it. And since our adversary
pretends a plea in law against it, it is meet that there should be
an open hearing before the Judge of all about it; but, forasmuch as
we neither can nor dare appear to plead for ourselves, our good God
has thought fit we should do it by an advocate: "We have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." This, therefore, is
the second thing that shows the need that we have of an Advocate-to
wit, our adversary pretends that he has a plea in law against us,
and that by law we should be otherwise disposed of than to be made
possessors of the heavenly kingdom. But,

Third. There are many things relating to the promise, to our life,
and to the threatenings, that minister matter of question and
doubt, and give the advantage of objections unto him that so eagerly
desireth to be putting in cavils against our salvation, all which
it hath pleased God to repel by Jesus Christ our Advocate.

1. There are many things relating to the promises, as to the largeness
and straitness of words, as to the freeness and conditionality of
them, which we are not able so well to understand; and, therefore,
when Satan dealeth with us about them, we quickly fall to the
ground before him; we often conclude that the words of the promise
are too narrow and strait to comprehend us; we also think, verily,
that the conditions of some promises do utterly shut us out from
hope of justification and life; but our Advocate, who is for us with
the Father, he is better acquainted with, and learned in, this law
than to be baffled out with a bold word or two, or with a subtle
piece of hellish sophistication (Isa 50:4). He knows the true
purport, intent, meaning, and sense of every promise, and piece of
promise that is in the whole Bible, and can tell how to plead it
for advantage against our accuser, and doth so. And I gather it
not only from his contest with Satan for Joshua, (Zech 3), and from
his conflict with him in the wilderness, (Matt 4), and in heaven,
(Rev 14), but also from the practice of Satan's emissaries here;
for what his angels do, that doth he. Now there is here nothing
more apparent than that the instruments of Satan do plead against
the church, from the pretended intricacy, ambiguity, and difficulty
of the promise; whence I gather, so doth Satan before the tribunal
of God; but there we have one to match him; "we have an Advocate
with the Father," that knows law and judgment better than Satan,
and statute and commandment better than all his angels; and by the
verdict of our Advocate, all the words, and limits, and extensions
of words, with all conditions of the promises, are expounded and
applied! And hence it is that it sometimes so falleth out that the
very promise we have thought could not reach us, to comfort us by
any means, has at another time swallowed us up with joy unspeakable.
Christ, the true Prophet, has the right understanding of the Word
as an Advocate, has pleaded it before God against Satan, and having
overcome him at the common law, he hath sent to let us know it by
his good Spirit, to our comfort, and the confusion of our enemy.
Again,

2. There are many things relating to our lives that minister to our
accuser occasions of many objections against our salvation; for,
besides our daily infirmities, there are in our lives gross sins,
many horrible backslidings; also we ofttimes suck and drink in
many abominable errors and deceitful opinions, of all which Satan
accuseth us before the judgment-seat of God, and pleadeth hard that
we may be damned for ever for them. Besides, some of these things
are done after light received, against present convictions and
dissuasions to the contrary, against solemn engagements to amendment,
when the bonds of love were upon us (Jer 2:20). These are crying
sins; they have a loud voice in themselves against us, and give
to Satan great advantage and boldness to sue for our destruction
before the bar of God; nor doth he want skill to aggravate and to
comment profoundly upon all occasions and circumstances that did
attend us in these our miscarriages-to wit, that we did it without
a cause, also, when we had, had we had grace to have used them,
many things to have helped us against such sins, and to have kept
us clean and upright. "There is also a sin unto death," (I John
5:16), and he can tell how to labour, by argument and sleight of
speech, to make our transgressions, not only to border upon, but
to appear in the hue, shape, and figure of that, and thereto make
his objection against our salvation. He often argueth thus with
us, and fasteneth the weight of his reasons upon our consciences,
to the almost utter destruction of us, and the bringing of us down
to the gates of despair and utter destruction; the same sins, with
their aggravating circumstances, as I said, he pleadeth against
us at the bar of God. But there he meeteth with Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Advocate, who entereth his plea against him, unravels
all his reasons and arguments against us, and shows the guile and
falsehood of them. He also pleadeth as to the nature of sin, as also
to all those high aggravations, and proveth that neither the sin in
itself, nor yet as joined with all its advantageous circumstances,
can be the sin unto death, (Col 2:19), because we hold the head,
and have not "made shipwreck of faith," (I Tim 1:19), but still,
as David and Solomon, we confess, and are sorry for our sins. Thus,
though we seem, through our falls, to come short of the promise,
with Peter, (Heb 4:1-3), and leave our transgressions as stumbling
blocks to the world, with Solomon, and minister occasion of a question
of our salvation among the godly, yet our Advocate fetches us off
before God, and we shall be found safe and in heaven at last, by
them in the next world, who were afraid they had lost us in this.

But all these points must be managed by Christ for us, against
Satan, as a lawyer, an advocate, who to that end now appears in the
presence of God for us, and wisely handleth the very crisis of the
word, and of the failings of his people, together with all those
nice and critical juggles by which our adversary laboureth to bring
us down, to the confusion of his face.

3. There are also the threatenings that are annexed to the gospel,
and they fall now under our consideration. They are of two sorts-such
as respect those who altogether neglect and reject the gospel, or
those that profess it, yet fall in or from the profession thereof.

The first sort of threatening cannot be pleaded against the professors
of the gospel as against those that never professed it; wherefore
he betaketh himself to manage those threatenings against us that
belong to those that have professed, and that have fallen from
it (Psa 109:1-6). Joshua fell in it (Zech 3:1, 2). Judas fell
from it, and the accuser stands at the right hand of them before
the judgment of God, to resist them, by pleading the threatenings
against them-to wit, that God's soul should have no pleasure
in them. "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him." Here is a plea for Satan, both against the one and the other;
they are both apostatized, both drawn back, and he is subtle enough
to manage it.

Ay, but Satan, here is also matter sufficient for a plea for our
Advocate against thee, forasmuch as the next words distinguish
betwixt drawing back, and drawing back "unto perdition"; every
one that draws back, doth not draw back unto perdition (Heb 10:38,
39). Some of them draw back from, and some in the profession of,
the gospel. Judas drew back from, and Peter in the profession of
his faith; wherefore Judas perishes, but Peter turns again, because
Judas drew back unto perdition, but Peter yet believed to the saving
of the soul.26 Nor doth Jesus Christ, when he sees it is to no boot,
at any time step in to endeavour to save the soul. Wherefore, as
for Judas, for his backsliding from the faith, Christ turns him up
to Satan, and leaveth him in his hand, saying, "When he shall be
judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin" (Psa
109:7) But he will not serve Peter so-"The Lord will not leave
him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged" (Psa 37:33).
He will pray for him before, and plead for him after, he hath been
in the temptation, and so secure him, by virtue of his advocation,
from the sting and lash of the threatening that is made against
final apostasy. But,

Fourth. The necessity of the Advocate's office in Jesus Christ
appears plainly in this-to plead about the judgments, distresses,
afflictions, and troubles that we meet withal in this life for our
sins. For though, by virtue of this office, Christ fully takes us
off from the condemnation that the unbelievers go down to for their
sins, yet he doth not thereby exempt us from temporal punishments,
for we see and feel that they daily overtake us; but for the
proportioning of the punishment, or affliction for transgression,
seeing that comes under the sentence of the law, it is fit that we
should have an Advocate that understands both law and judgment, to
plead for equal distribution of chastisement, according, I say, to
the law of grace; and this the Lord Jesus doth.

Suppose a man for transgression be indicted at the assizes; his
adversary is full of malice, and would have him punished sorely
beyond what by the law is provided for such offence; and he pleads
that the judge will so afflict and punish as he in his malicious
mind desireth. But the man has an advocate there, and he enters
his plea against the cruelty of his client's accuser, saying, My
lord, it cannot be as our enemy would have it; the punishment for
these transgressions is prescribed by that law that we here ground
our plea upon; nor may it be declined to satisfy his envy; we stand
here upon matters of law, and appeal to the law. And this is the
work of our Advocate in heaven. Punishments for the sin of the
children come not headlong, not without measure, as our accuser
would have them, nor yet as they fall upon those who have none to
plead their cause.27 Hath he smote the children according to the
stroke wherewith he hath smitten others? No; "in measure when it
shooteth forth," or seeks to exceed due bounds, "thou wilt debate
with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind"
(Isa 27:8). "Thou wilt debate with it," inquiring and reasoning by
the law, whether the shootings forth of the affliction (now going
out for the offence committed) be not too strong, too heavy, too
hot, and of too long a time admitted to distress and break the
spirit of this Christian; and if it be, he applies himself to the
rule to measure it by, he fetches forth his plumb line, and sets
it in the midst of his people, (Amos 7:8; Isa 28:17), and lays
righteousness to that, and will not suffer it to go further; but
according to the quality of the transgression, and according to the
terms, bounds, limits, and measures which the law of grace admits,
so shall the punishment be. Satan often saith of us when we have
sinned, as Abishai said of Shimei after he had cursed David, Shall
not this man die for this? (II Sam 19:21). But Jesus, our Advocate,
answers as David, What have I to do with thee, O Satan? Thou this
day art an enemy to me; thou seekest for a punishment for the
transgressions of my people above what is allotted to them by the
law of grace, under which they are, and beyond what their relation
that they stand in to my Father and myself will admit. Wherefore,
as Advocate, he pleadeth against Satan when he brings in against
us a charge for sins committed, for the regulating of punishments,
both as to the nature, degree, and continuation of punishment; and
this is the reason why, when we are judged, we are not condemned,
but chastened, "that we should not be condemned with the world"
(I Cor 11:32). Hence king David says, the Lord hath not given him
over to the will of his enemy (Psa 27:12). And again, "The Lord
hath chastened me sore; but he hath not given me over unto death"
(Psa 118:18). Satan's plea was, that the Lord would give David over
to his will, and to the tyranny of death. No, says our Advocate,
that must not be; to do so would be an affront to the covenant
under which grace has put them; that would be to deal with them by
a covenant of works, under which they are not. There is a rod for
children; and stripes for those of them that transgress. This rod
is in the hand of a Father, and must be used according to the law
of that relation, not for the destruction, but correction of the
children; not to satisfy the rage of Satan, but to vindicate the
holiness of my Father; not to drive them further from, but to bring
them nearer to their God. But,

Fifth. The necessity of the advocateship of Jesus Christ is
also manifest in this, for that there is need of one to plead the
efficacy of old titles to our eternal inheritance, when our interest
thereunto seems questionable by reason of new transgressions. That
God's people may, by their new and repeated sins, as to reason
at least, endanger their interest in the eternal inheritance, is
manifest by such groanings of theirs as these-"Why dost thou cast
me off?" (Psa 43:2). "Cast me not away from thy presence" (Psa 51:11).
And, "O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever?" (Psa 74:1). Yet
I find in the book of Leviticus, that though any of the children
of Israel should have sold, mortgaged, or made away with their
inheritance, they did not thereby utterly make void their title
to an interest therein, but it should again return to them, and
they again enjoy the possession of it, in the year of jubilee. In
the year of jubilee, saith God, you shall return every man to his
possession; "the land shall not be sold for ever," nor be quite
cut off, "for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners
with me. And in all the land of your possession, ye shall grant a
redemption for the land" (Lev 25:23,24).

The man in Israel that, by waxing poor, did sell his land in
Canaan, was surely a type of the Christian who, by sin and decays
in grace, has forfeited his place and inheritance in heaven; but
as the ceremonial law provided that the poor man in Canaan should
not, by his poverty, lose his portion in Canaan for ever, but that
it should return to him in the year of jubilee; so the law of grace
has provided that the children shall not, for their sin, lose their
inheritance in heaven for ever, but that it shall return to them
in the world to come (I Cor 11:32)28

All therefore that happeneth in this case is, they may live without
the comfort of it here, as he that had sold his house in Canaan
might live without the enjoyment of it till the jubilee. They may
also seem to come short of it when they die, as he in Canaan did
that deceased before the year of jubilee; but as certainly as he
that died in Canaan before the jubilee did yet receive again his
inheritance by the hand of his relative survivor when the jubilee
came, so certainly shall he that dieth, and that seemeth in his dying
to come short of the celestial inheritance now, be yet admitted,
at his rising again, to the repossession of his old inheritance at
the day of judgment. But now here is room for a caviler to object,
and to plead against the children, saying, They have forfeited
their part of paradise by their sin; what right, then, shall they
have to the kingdom of heaven? Now let the Lord stand up to plead,
for he is Advocate for the children; yea, let them plead the
sufficiency of their first title to the kingdom, and that it is
not their doings can sell the land for ever. The reason why the
children of Israel could not sell the land for ever was, because
the Lord, their head, reserved to himself a right therein-"The land
shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." Suppose two or
three children have a lawful title to such an estate, but they are
all profuse and prodigal, and there is a brother also that has by
law a chief right to the same estate: this brother may hinder the
estate from being sold for ever, because it is his inheritance,
and he may, when the limited time that his brethren had sold their
share therein is out, if he will, restore it to them again. And in
the meantime, if any that are unjust should go about utterly and
for ever to deprive his brethren, he may stand up and plead for
them; that in law the land cannot be sold for ever, for that it
is his as well as theirs, he being resolved not to part with his
right. O my brethren! Christ will not part with his right of the
inheritance unto which you are also born; your profuseness and
prodigality shall not make him let go his hold that he hath for you
of heaven; nor can you, according to law, sell the land for ever,
since it is his, and he hath the principal and chief title thereto.
This also gives him ground to stand up to plead for you against
all those that would hold the kingdom from you for ever; for let
Satan say what he can against you, yet Christ can say, "The land is
mine," and consequently that his brethren could not sell it. Yes,
says Satan, if the inheritance be divided.

O but, says Christ, the land is undivided; no man has his part set
out and turned over to himself; besides, my brethren yet are under
age, and I am made their guardian; they have not power to sell the
land for ever; the land is mine; also my Father has made me feoffee
in trust for my brethren, that they may have what is allotted them
when they are all come to a perfect man, "unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13). And not before, and I
will reserve it for them till then; and thus to do is the will of
my Father, the law of the Judge, and also my unchangeable resolution.
And what can Satan say against this plea? Can he prove that Christ
has no interest in the saints' inheritance? Can he prove that we
are at age, or that our several parts of the heavenly house are
already delivered into our own power? And if he goes about to do
this, is not the law of the land against him? Doth it not say that
our Advocate is "Lord of all," (Acts 10:36), that the kingdom is
Christ's, that it is laid up in heaven for us, (Eph 5:5, Col 1:5);
yea, that the "inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, is reserved in heaven for us, who are kept
by the power of God, through faith unto salvation" (I Peter 1:4,
5). Thus therefore is our heavenly inheritance made good by our
Advocate against the thwartings and branglings29 of the devil; nor
can our new sins make it invalid, but it abideth safe to us at last,
notwithstanding our weaknesses; though, if we sin, we may have but
little comfort of it, or but little of its present profits, while
we live in this present world. A spendthrift, though he loses not
his title, may yet lose the present benefit, but the principal
will come again at last; for "we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous."

Sixth. The necessity of the advocateship of Jesus Christ for
us further appears in this-to wit, for that our evidences, which
declare that we have a right to the eternal inheritance, are often
out of our own hand, yea, and also sometimes kept long from us,
the which we come not at the sight or comfort of again but by our
Advocate, especially when our evidences are taken from us, because
of a present forfeiture of this inheritance to God by this or that
most foul offence. Evidences, when they are thus taken away, as in
David's case they were, (Psa 51:12), why then they are in our God's
hand, laid up, I say, from the sight of them to whom they belong,
till they even forget the contents thereof (II Peter 1:5-9).30

Now when writings and evidences are out of the hand of the owners, and
laid up in the court, where in justice they ought to be kept, they
are not ordinarily got thence again but by the help of a lawyer-an
Advocate. Thus it is with the children of God. We do often forfeit
our interest in eternal life, but the mercy is, the forfeit falls
into the hand of God, not of the law nor of Satan, wherefore
he taketh away also our evidences, if not all, yet some of them,
as he saith-"I have taken away my peace from this people, even
loving-kindness and mercies" (Jer 16:5). This he took from David,
and he entreats for the restoration of it, saying, "Restore unto
me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit"
(I Chron 17:13; Psa 51:12). And, "Lord, turn us again, cause thy
face to shine, and we shall be saved" (Psa 80:3, 7, 19.)

Satan now also hath an opportunity to plead against us, and to
help forward the affliction, as his servants did of old, when God
was but a little angry (Zech 1:15); but Jesus Christ our Advocate
is ready to appear against him, and to send us from heaven our old
evidences again, or to signify to us that they are yet good and
authentic, and cannot be gainsaid. "Gabriel," saith he, "make this
man to understand the vision" (Dan 8:16). And again, saith he to
another, "Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be
inhabited as towns without walls" (Zech 2:4). Jerusalem had been
in captivity, had lost many evidences of God's favour and love
by reason of her sin, and her enemy stepped in to augment her sin
and sorrow; but there was a man [the angel of the Lord] "among the
myrtle trees" that were in the bottom that did prevail with God to
say, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; and then commands it
to be proclaimed that his "cities through prosperity shall yet be
spread abroad" (Zech 1:11-17). Thus, by virtue of our Advocate, we
are either made to receive our old evidences for heaven again, or
else are made to understand that they yet are good, and stand valid
in the court of heaven; nor can they be made ineffectual, but shall
abide the test at last, because our Advocate is also concerned in
the inheritance of the saints in light. Christians know what it is
to lose their evidences for heaven, and to receive them again, or
to hear that they hold their title by them; but perhaps they know
not how they come at this privilege; therefore the apostle tells
them "they have an Advocate"; and that by him, as Advocate, they
enjoy all these advantages is manifest, because his Advocate's
office is appointed for our help when we sin-that is, commit sins
that are great and heinous-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate."31

By him the justice of God is vindicated, the law answered, the
threatenings taken off, the measure of affliction that for sin we
undergo determined, our titles to eternal life preserved, and our
comfort of them restored, notwithstanding the wit, and rage, and
envy of hell. So, then, Christ gave himself for us as a priest,
died for us as a sacrifice, but pleadeth justice and righteousness
in a way of justice and righteousness; for such is his sacrifice,
for our salvation from the death that is due to our foul or high
transgressions-as an Advocate. Thus have I given you thus far, an
account of the nature, end, and necessity of the Advocateship of
Jesus Christ, and should now come to the use and application, only
I must first remove an objection or two.

[OBJECTIONS REMOVED.]

SIXTHLY, [I now come to answer some objections.]

First Objection. But what need all these offices of Jesus Christ?
or, what need you trouble us with these nice distinctions? It is
enough for us to believe in Christ in the general, without considering
him under this and that office.

Answer. The wisdom of God is not to be charged with needless doing
when it giveth to Jesus Christ such variety of offices, and calleth
him to so many sundry employments for us; they are all thought
necessary by heaven, and therefore should not be counted superfluous
by earth. And to put a question upon thy objection-What is a sacrifice
without a priest, and what is a priest without a sacrifice? And
the same I say of his Advocate's office-What is an advocate without
the exercise of his office? And what need of an Advocate's office
to be exercised, if Christ, as sacrifice and Priest, was thought
sufficient by God? Each of these offices is sufficient for the
perfecting the work for which it is designed; but they are not all
designed for the self-same particular thing. Christ as sacrifice
offereth not himself; it is Christ as Priest does that. Christ as
Priest dieth not for our sins; it is Christ as sacrifice does so.
Again, Christ as a sacrifice and a Priest limits himself to those
two employs, but as an Advocate he launches out into a third. And
since these are not confounded in heaven, nor by the Scriptures,
they should not be confounded in our apprehension, nor accounted
useless.

It is not, therefore, enough for us that we exercise our thoughts
upon Christ in an indistinct and general way, but we must learn to
know him in all his offices, and to know the nature of his offices
also; our condition requires this, it requireth it, I say, as we
are guilty of sin, as we have to do with God, and with our enemy
the devil. As we are guilty of sin, so we need a sacrifice; and as
we are also sinners, we need one perfect to present our sacrifice
to God for us. We have need also of him as priest to present our
persons and services to God. And since God is just, and upon the
judgment-seat, and since also we are subject to sin grievously,
and again, since we have an accuser who will by law plead at this
bar of God our sins against us, to the end we might be condemned,
we have need of, and also "have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous."

Alas! How many of God's precious people, for want of a distinct
knowledge of Christ in all his offices, are at this day sadly baffled
with the sophistications of the devil? To instance no more than
this one thing-when they have committed some heinous sin after light
received, how are they, I say, tossed and tumbled and distressed
with many perplexities! They cannot come to any anchor in this their
troubled sea; they go from promise to promise, from providence to
providence, from this to that office of Jesus Christ, but forget
that he is, or else understand not what it is for this Lord Jesus
to be an Advocate for them. Hence they so oft sink under the fears
that their sin is unpardonable, and that therefore their condition
is desperate; whereas, if they could but consider that Christ is
their Advocate, and that he is therefore made an Advocate to save
them from those high transgressions that are committed by them, and
that he waits upon this office continually before the judgment-seat
of God, they would conceive relief, and be made to hold up their
head, and would more strongly twist themselves from under that
guilt and burden, those ropes and cords wherewith by their folly
they have so strongly bound themselves, than commonly they have
done, or do.

Second Objection. But notwithstanding what you have said, this sin
is a deadly stick in my way; it will not out of my mind, my cause
being bad, but Christ will desert me.

Answer. It is true, sin is, and will be, a deadly stick and stop to
faith, attempt to exercise it on Christ as considered under which
of his offices or relations you will; and, above all, the sin of
unbelief is "the sin that doth so," or most "easily beset us" (Heb
12:1, 2). And no marvel; for it never acteth alone, but is backed,
not only with guilt and ignorance, but also with carnal sense and
reason. He that is ignorant of this knows but little of himself,
or what believing is. He that undertakes to believe sets upon the
hardest task that ever was proposed to man; not because the things
imposed upon us are unreasonable or unaccountable, but because the
heart of man, the more true anything is, the more it sticks and
stumbles thereat; and, says Christ, "Because I tell you the truth,
ye believe me not" (John 8:45). Hence believing is called labouring,
(Heb 4:11); and it is the sorest labour, at times that any man can
take in hand, because assaulted with the greatest oppositions; but
believe thou must, be the labour never so hard, and that not only
in Christ in a general way, but in him as to his several offices,
and to this of his being an Advocate in particular, else some sins
and some temptations will not, in their guilt or vexatious trouble,
easily depart from thy conscience; no, not by promise, nor by thy
attempts to apply the same by faith. And this the text insinuateth
by its setting forth of Christ as Advocate, as the only or best
and most speedy way of relief to the soul in certain cases.

There is, then, an order that thou must observe in exercising of
thy soul in a way of believing.

1. Thou must believe unto justification in general; and for this
thou must direct thy soul to the Lord Christ as he is a sacrifice
for sin; and as a Priest offering that sacrifice, so as a sacrifice
thou shalt see him appeasing Divine displeasure for thy sin, and
as a Priest spreading the skirt of his garment over thee, for the
covering of thy nakedness; thus being clothed, thou shalt not be
found naked.

2. This, when thou hast done as well as thou canst, thou must, in
the next place, keep thine eye upon the Lord Christ as improving,
as Priest in heaven, the sacrifice which he offered on earth for
the continuing thee in a state of justification in thy lifetime,
notwithstanding those common infirmities that attend thee, and to
which thou art incident in all thy holy services or best performances
(Rom 5:10; Exo 28:31-38). For therefore is he a Priest in heaven,
and by his sacrifices interceding for thee.

3. But if thy foot slippeth, if it slippeth greatly, then know thou
it will not be long before a bill be in heaven preferred against
thee by the accuser of the brethren; wherefore then thou must
have recourse to Christ as Advocate, to plead before God thy judge
against the devil thine adversary for thee.

4. And as to the badness of thy cause, let nothing move thee, save
to humility and self-abasement, for Christ is glorified by being
concerned for thee; yea, the angels will shout aloud to see him
bring thee off. For what greater glory can we conceive Christ to
obtain ad Advocate, than to bring off his people when they have
sinned, notwithstanding Satan so charging of them for it as he
doth?

He gloried when he was going to the cross to die; he went up with
a shout and the sound of a trumpet, to make intercession for us;
and shall we think that by his being an Advocate he receives no
additional glory? It is glory to him, doubtless, to bear the title
of an Advocate, and much more to plead and prosper for us against
our adversary, as he doth.

5. And, I say again, for thee to think that Christ will reject thee
for that thy cause is bad, is a kind of thinking blasphemy against
this his office and his Word; for what doth such a man but side
with Satan, while Christ is pleading against him? I say, it is as
the devil would have it, for it puts strength into his plea against
us, by increasing our sin and wickedness. But shall Christ take
our cause in hand, and shall we doubt of good success?

This is to count Satan stronger than Christ; and that he can longer
abide to oppose, than Christ can to plead for us. Wherefore, away
with, it, not only as to the notion, but also as to the heart and
root thereof. Oh! When shall Jesus Christ our Lord be honoured by
us as he ought? This dastardly heart of ours, when shall it be more
subdued and trodden under foot of faith? When shall Christ ride
Lord, and King, and Advocate, upon the faith of his people, as he
should? He is exalted before God, before angels, and above all the
power of the enemy; there is nothing comes behind but the faith of
his people.

Third Objection. But since you follow the metaphor so close, I
will suppose, if an advocate be entertained, some recompense must
be given him. His fee-who shall pay him his fee? I have nothing.
Could I do anything to make this advocate part of amends, I could
think I might have benefit from him; but I have nothing. What say
you to this?32

Answer. Similitudes must not be strained too far; but yet I have
an answer for this objection. There is, in some cases, law for them
that have no money; ay, law and lawyers too; and this is called
a suing in forma pauperis;33 and such lawyers are appointed by
authority for that purpose. Indeed, I know not that it is thus in
every nation, but it is sometimes so with us in England; and this
is the way altogether in the kingdom of heaven before the bar of
God. All is done there for us in forma pauperis, on free cost; for
our Advocate or lawyer is thereto designed and appointed of his
Father.

Hence Christ is said to plead the cause, not of the rich and wealthy,
but of the poor and needy; not of those that have many friends, but
of the fatherless and widow; not of them that are fat and strong,
but of those under sore afflictions (Prov 22:22, 23; 23:10, 11;
31:9). "He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him
from those that condemn his soul," or, as it is in the margin, "from
the judges of his soul" (Psa 109:31). This, then, is the manner of
Jesus Christ with men; he doth freely what he doth, not for price
nor reward. "I have raised him up," says God, "and I will direct all
his ways; he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives,
not for a price nor reward" (Isa 45:13). [This scripture speaks of
Cyrus, a type of Christ.]

This, I say, is the manner of Jesus Christ with men; he pleads, he
sues in forma pauperis, gratis, and of mere compassion; and hence
it is that you have his clients give him thanks; for that is all
the poor can give. "I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he shall stand at
the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn
his soul" (Psa 109:30,31).

They know but little that talk of giving to Christ, except they mean
they would give him blessing and praise. He bids us come freely,
take freely, and tells us that he will give and do freely (Rev
22:17; 21:6). Let him have that which is his own-to wit, thyself;
for thou art the price of his blood. David speaks very strangely
of giving to God for mercy bestowed on him; I call it strangely,
because indeed it is so to reason. "What," says he, "shall I render
to the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salvation,
and call upon the name of the Lord" for more (Psa 116:12, 13).
God has no need of thy gift, nor Christ of thy bribe, to plead thy
cause; take thankfully what is offered, and call for more; that
is the best giving to God. God is rich enough; talk not then of
giving, but of receiving, for thou art poor. Be not too high, nor
think thyself too good to live by the alms of heaven; and since
the Lord Jesus is willing to serve thee freely, and to maintain
thy right to heaven against thy foe, to the saving of thy soul,
without price or reward, "let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called," as is the rest of "the body,
and be ye thankful" (Col 3:15). This, then, is the privilege of a
Christian-"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous"; one that pleadeth the cause of his people against those
that rise up against them, of his love, pity, and mere good-will.
Lord, open the eyes of dark readers, of disconsolate saints, that
they may see who is for them, and on what terms!

Fourth Objection. But if Christ doth once begin to plead for me,
and shall become mine Advocate, he will always be troubled with me,
unless I should, of myself, forsake him; for I am ever in broils
and suits of law, action after action is laid upon me, and I am
sometimes ten times in a day summoned to answer my doings before
God.

Answer. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a cause or two; nor to
deliver the godly from an accusation or two. "He delivereth Israel
out of all his troubles" (Psa 25:22; II Sam 22:28); and chooses
to be an Advocate for such; therefore, the godly of old did use to
make, from the greatness of their troubles, and the abundance of
their troublers, an argument to the Lord Christ to send and lend
them help-"Have mercy upon me," saith David; "consider my trouble
which I suffer of them that hate me" (Psa 9:13). And again, "Many
are they that rise up against me; many there be which say of my soul,
There is no help for him in God" (Psa 3:1,2). Yea the troubles of
this man were so many and great, that his enemies began to triumph
over him, saying, "There is no help for him in God." But could he
not deliver him, or did the Lord forsake him? No, no; "Thou hast
smitten," saith he, "all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou
hast broken the teeth of the ungodly." And as he delivereth them
from their troublers, so also he pleadeth all their causes; "O
Lord," saith the church, "thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul;
thou hast redeemed my life" (Lam 3:58). Mark, troubled Christian,
thou sayest thou hast been arrested ofttimes in a day, and as often
summoned to appear at God's bar, there to answer to what shall be
laid to thy charge. And here, for thy encouragement, thou readest
that the church hath an Advocate that pleadeth the causes of
her soul; that is, all her causes, to deliver her. He knows that,
so long as we are in this world, we are subject to temptation and
weakness, and through them made guilty of many bad things; wherefore,
he hath prepared himself to our service, and to abide with the
Father, an Advocate for us. As Solomon saith of a man of great
wrath, so it may be said of a man of great weakness, and the best
of saints are such-he must be delivered again and again, (Prov
19:19); yea, "many a time," saith David, "did he deliver them,"
(Psa 106:43); to wit, more than once or twice; and he will do so
for thee, if thou entertain him to be thine Advocate. Thou talkest
of leaving him, but then whither wilt thou go? All else are vain
things, things that cannot profit; and he will not forsake his people,
(I Sam 12:20-23), "though their land be filled with sin against
the Holy One of Israel" (Jer 51:5). I know the modest saint is
apt to be abashed to think what a troublesome one he is, and what
a make-work he has been in God's house all his days; and let him
be filled with holy blushing; but let him not forsake his Advocate.

[THE USE AND APPLICATION.]

SEVENTHLY, Having thus spoken to these objections, let us now come
to make some use of the whole. And,

Use First. I would exhort the children to consider the dignity that
God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour; for by how much God
hath called his Son to offices and places of trust, by so much he
hath heaped dignities upon him. It is said of Mordecai, that he was
next to the king Ahasuerus. And what then? Why, then the greatness
of Mordecai, and his high advance, must be written in the book of
the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, to the end his
fame might not be buried nor forgotten, but remembered and talked
of in generations to come (Esth 10). Why, my brethren, God exalted
Jesus of Nazareth, hath made him the only great one, having given
him a name above every name-a name, did I say?-a name and glory
beyond all names, and above all names, as doth witness both his being
set above all, and the many offices which he executeth for God on
behalf of his people. It is counted no little addition to honour
when men are not only made near to the king, but also entrusted
with most, if not almost with all the most weighty affairs of the
kingdom. Why, this is the dignity of Christ; he is, it is true,
the natural Son of God, and so high, and one that abounds with
honour. But this is not all; God has conferred upon him, as man, all
the most mighty honours of heaven; he hath made him Lord Mediator
betwixt him and the world. This in general. And particularly, he
hath called him to be his High Priest for ever, and hath sworn he
shall not be changed for another (Heb 7:21-24). He hath accepted
of his offering once for ever, counting that there is wholly enough
in what he did once "to perfect for ever them that are sanctified";
to wit, set apart to glory (Heb 10:11-14).

He is Captain-general of all the forces that God hath in heaven and
earth, the King and Commander of his people (ch. 9:25, 28). He is
Lord of all, and made "head over all things to the church," and is
our Advocate with the Father (Eph 1:22). O, the exaltation of Jesus
Christ! Let Christians, therefore, in the first place, consider
this. Nor can it be but profitable to them, if withal they consider
that all this trust and honour is put and conferred upon him in
relation to the advantage and advancement of Christians. If Christians
do but consider the nearness that is betwixt Christ and them, and,
withal, consider how he is exalted, it must needs be matter of
comfort to them. He is my flesh and my bone that is exalted; he
is my friend and brother that is thus set up and preferred. It was
something to the Jews when Mordecai was exalted to honour; they had,
thereby, ground to rejoice and be glad, for that one of themselves
was made lord-chief by the king, and the great governor of the land,
for the good of his kindred. True, when a man thinks of Christ as
severed from him, he sees but little to his comfort in Christ's
exaltation; but when he looks upon Christ, and can say, My Saviour,
my Priest, or the chief Bishop of my soul, then he will see much in
his being thus promoted to honour. Consider, then, of the glories
to which God has exalted our Saviour, in that he hath made him so
high. It is comely, also, when thou speakest of him, that thou name
his name with some additional title, thereby to call thy mind to
the remembrance, and so to the greater reverence of the person of
thy Jesus; as, our Lord Jesus, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
"the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (II
Peter 2:20; Heb 3:1, &c). Men write themselves by their titles; as,
John, earl of such a place, Anthony, earl of such a place, Thomas,
lord, &c. It is common, also, to call men in great places by their
titles rather than by their names; yea, it also pleaseth such great
ones well; as, My lord high chancellor of England, My lord privy
seal, My lord high admiral, &c. And thus should Christians make
mention of Jesus Christ our Lord, adding to his name some of his
titles of honour; especially since all places of trust and titles
of honour conferred on him are of special favour to us. I did
use to be much taken with one sect of Christians; for that it was
usually their way, when they made mention of the name of Jesus, to
call him "The blessed King of Glory." Christians should do thus;
it would do them good; for why doth the Holy Ghost, think you, give
him all these titles but that we should call him by them, and so
make mention of him one to another; for the very calling of him by
this or that title, or name, belonging to this or that office of
his, giveth us occasion, not only to think of him as exercising
that office, but to inquire, by the Word, by meditation, and one of
another, what there is in that office and what, by his exercising
of that, the Lord Jesus profiteth his church.

How will men stand for that honour that, by superiors, is given to
them, expecting and using all things; to wit, actions and carriages,
so as that thereby their grandeur may be maintained; and saith Christ,
"Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am" (John
13:13). Christ Jesus our Lord would have us exercise ourselves in
the knowledge of his glorious offices and relative titles, because
of the advantage that we get by the knowledge of them, and the
reverence of, and love to, him that they beget in our hearts. "That
disciple," saith the text, "whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It
is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he
girt his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast
himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little
ship": to wit, to shore, to wait upon their Lord (John 21). The
very naming of him under the title of Lord, bowed their hearts
forthwith to come with joint readiness to wait upon him. Let this
also teach us to distinguish Christ's offices and titles, not to
confound them, for he exerciseth those offices, and beareth those
titles, for great reason, and to our commodity. Every circumstance
relating both to Christ's humiliation and exaltation ought to be
duly weighed by us, because of that mystery of God, and of man's
redemption that is wrapped therein; for as there was not a pin,
nor a loop, nor a tack in the tabernacle but had in it use of
instruction to the children of Israel, so there is not any part,
whether more near or more remote to Christ's suffering and exaltation,
but is, could we get into it, full of spiritual advantage to us.

To instance the water that came out of Christ's side, a thing
little taken notice of either by preachers or hearers, and yet John
makes it one of the witnesses of the truth of our redemption, and
a confirmation of the certainty of that record that God, to the
world, hath given of the sufficiency that is in his Son to save
(John 19:34; I John 3:5-9; 5:5-9; I John 4:9-12).

When I have considered that the very timing of Scripture expressions,
and the season of administering ordinances, have been argumentative
to the promoting of the faith and way of justification by Christ,
it has made think that both myself and most of the people of God
look over the Scriptures too slightly, and take too little notice
of that or of those many honours that God, for our good, has
conferred upon Christ. Shall he be called a King, a Priest, a Prophet,
a Sacrifice, an Altar, a Captain, a Head, a Husband, a Father, a
Fountain, a Door, a Rock, a Lion, a Saviour, &c., and shall we not
consider these things? And shall God to all these add, moreover, that
he is an Advocate, and shall we take no notice thereof, or jumble
things so together, that we lose some of his titles and offices;
or so be concerned with one as not to think we have need of the
benefit of the rest? Let us be ashamed thus to do or think, and let
us give to him that is thus exalted the glory due unto his name.

Use Second. As we should consider the titles and offices of Christ
in general, so we should consider this of his being an Advocate
in particular; for this is one of the reasons which induced the
apostle to present him here under that very notion to us-namely,
that we should have faith about it, and consider of it to our
comfort-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous." "An advocate"-an advocate, as I said, is
one that hath power to plead for another in this, or that, or any
court of judicature. Be much therefore in the meditation of Christ,
as executing of this his office for thee, for many advantages will
come to thee thereby. As,

1. This will give thee to see that thou art not forsaken when
thou hast sinned; and this has not in it a little relief only, but
yieldeth consolation in time of need. There is nothing that we are
more prone unto than to think we are forsaken when we have sinned,
when for this very thing-to wit, to keep us from thinking so,
is the Lord Jesus become our Advocate-"If any man sin, we have
an Advocate." Christian, thou that hast sinned, and that with the
guilt of thy sin art driven to the brink of hell, I bring thee news
from God-thou shalt not die, but live, for thou hast "an Advocate
with the Father." Let this therefore be considered by thee, because
it yieldeth this fruit.

2. The study of this truth will give thee ground to take courage to
contend with the devil concerning the largeness of grace by faith,
since thy Advocate is contending for thee against him at the bar
of God. It is a great encouragement for a man to hold up his head
in the country, when he knows he has a special friend at court.
Why, our Advocate is a friend at court, a friend there ready to
give the onset to Satan, come he when he will. "We have an Advocate
with the Father"; an Advocate, or one to plead against Satan for
us.

3. This consideration will yield relief, when, by Satan's abuse of
some other of the offices of Christ, thy faith is discouraged and
made afraid. Christ as a prophet pronounces many a dreadful sentence
against sin; and Christ as a king is of power to execute them; and
Satan as an enemy has subtlety enough to abuse both these, to the
almost utter overthrow of the faith of the children of God. But
what will he do with him as he is an Advocate? Will he urge that
he will plead against us? He cannot; he has no such office. "Will
he plead against me with his great power? No, but he would put
strength into me"(Job 23:6). Wherefore Satan doth all he may to
keep thee ignorant of this office; for he knows that as Advocate,
when he is so apprehended, the saints are greatly relieved by him,
even by a believing thought of that office.

4. This consideration, or the consideration of Christ as exercising of
this office, will help thee to put by that visor wherewith Christ
by Satan is misrepresented to thee, to the weakening and affrighting
of thee. There is nothing more common among saints than thus to
be wronged by Satan; for as he will labour to fetch fire out of
the offices of Christ to burn us, so to present him to us with so
dreadful and so ireful a countenance, that a man in temptation,
and under guilt, shall hardly be able to lift up his face to God.
But now, to think really that he is my Advocate, this heals all!
Put a visor upon the face of a father, and it may perhaps for a
while fright the child; but let the father speak, let him speak in
his own fatherly dialect to the child, and the visor is gone, if
not from the father's face, yet from the child's mind; yea, the
child, notwithstanding that visor, will adventure to creep into its
father's bosom. Why, thus it is with the saints when Satan deludes
and abuses them by disfiguring the countenance of Christ to their
view. Let them but hear their Lord speak in his own natural dialect
(and then he doth so indeed when we hear him speak as an Advocate),
and their minds are calmed, their thoughts settled, their guilt
made to vanish, and their faith to revive.

Indeed, the advocateship of Jesus Christ is not much mentioned in
the Word, and because it is no oftener made mention of, therefore
perhaps it is that some Christians do so lightly pass it over;
when, on the contrary, the rarity of the thing should make it the
more admirable; and perhaps it is therefore so little made mention
of in the Bible, because it should not by the common sort be abused,
but is as it were privately dropped in a corner, to be found by them
that are for finding relief for their soul by a diligent search of
the Scriptures; for Christ in this office of advocateship is only
designed for the child of God, the world hath nothing therewith to
do.34 Methinks that which alone is proper to saints, and that which
by God is peculiarly designed for them, they should be mightily
taken withal; the peculiar treasure of kings, the peculiar privilege
of saints, oh, this should be affecting to us!-why, Christ, as an
Advocate, is such. "Remember me, O Lord," said the Psalmist, "with
the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with
thy salvation; that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may
rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine
inheritance" (Psa 106:4, 5). The Psalmist, you see here, is crying
out for a share in, and the knowledge of, the peculiar treasure
of saints; and this of Christ as Advocate is such; wherefore study
it, and prize it so much the more, this Advocate is ours.

(1.) Study it with reference to its peculiarity. It is for the
children, and nobody else; for the children, little and great.
This is children's bread; this is a mess for Benjamin; this is to
be eaten in the holy place. Children use to make much of that which,
by way of specialty, is by their relations bestowed on them-"And
Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the
inheritance of my fathers to thee" (I Kings 21:3). No, truly will
I not. Why so? Because it was my father's gift, not in common to
all, but to me in special.

(2.) Study this office in the nature of it; for therein lies the
excellency of anything, even in the nature of it. Wrong thoughts of
this or that abuses it, and takes its natural glory from it. Take
heed, therefore, of misapprehending, while thou art seeking to
apprehend Christ as thy Advocate. Men judge of Christ's offices
while they are at too great a distance from them; but "let them
come near," says God, "then let them speak," (Isa 41:1); or as
Elihu said to his friends, when he had seen them judge amiss, "Let
us choose to us judgment, let us know among ourselves what is
good" (Job 34:4). So say I; study to know, rightly to know, the
Advocate-office of Jesus Christ. It is one of the easiest things
in the world to miss of the nature, while we speak of the name and
offices of Jesus Christ; wherefore look to it, that thou study the
nature of the office of his advocateship, of his advocateship for,
for so you ought to consider it. There is an Advocate for, not
against, the children of God-"Jesus Christ the righteous."

(3.) Study this office with reference to its efficacy and prevalency.
Job says, "After my words, they spake not again" (Job 29:22). And
when Christ stands up to plead, all must keep silence before him.
True, Satan had the first word, but Christ the last, in the business
of Joshua, and such a last as brought the poor man off well, though
"clothed with filthy garments" (Zech 3). Satan must be speechless
after a plea of our Advocate, how rampant soever he is afore; or as
Elihu has it, "They were amazed; they answered no more; they left
off speaking." Shall he that speaks in righteousness give place,
and he who has nothing but envy and deceit be admitted to stand
his ground? Behold, the angels cover their faces when they speak
of his glory, how then shall not Satan bend before him? In the days
of his humiliation, he made him cringe and creep, how much more,
then, now he is exalted to glory, to glory to be an Advocate, an
Advocate for his people! "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

(4.) Study the faithfulness of Christ in his execution of this
office, for he will not fail nor forsake them that have entertained
him for their Advocate: "He will thoroughly plead their cause" (Jer
50:34). Faithful and true, is one of his titles; and you shall
be faithfully served by him; you may boldly commit your cause unto
him, nor shall the badness of it make him fail, or discourage him
in his work; for it is not the badness of a cause that can hinder
him from prevailing, because he hath wherewith to answer for all
thy sins, and a new law to plead by, through which he will make
thee a conqueror. He is also for sticking to a man to the end, if
he once engages for him (John 13:1, 2). He will threaten and love,
he will chastise and love, he will kill and love, and thou shalt
find it so. And he will make this appear at the last; and Satan
knows it is so now, for he finds the power of his repulses while
he pleadeth for him at the bar against him. And all this is in very
faithfulness.

(5.) Study also the need that thou hast of a share in the execution
of the advocateship of Jesus Christ. Christians find that they have
need of washing in the blood of Christ, and that they have need
of being clothed with the righteousness of Christ; they also find
that they have need that Christ should make intercession for them,
and that by him, of necessity, they must approach God, and present
their prayers and services to him; but they do not so well see
that they need that Christ should also be their Advocate. And the
reason thereof is this: they forget that their adversary makes it
his business to accuse them before the throne of God; they consider
not the long scrolls and many crimes wherewith he chargeth them in
the presence of the angels of God. I say, this is the cause that
the advocateship of Christ is so little considered in the churches;
yea, many that have been relieved by that office of his, have not
understood what he has thereby done for them. But perhaps this is
to be kept from many till they come to behold his face, and till
all things shall be revealed, that Christ might have glory given him
in the next world for doing of that for them which they so little
thought of in this. But do not thou be content with this ignorance,
because the knowledge of his advocating it for thee will yield thee
present relief. Study, therefore, thine own weakness, the holiness
of the judge, the badness of thy cause, the subtlety, malice, and
rage, of thine enemy; and be assured that whenever thou sinnest,
by and by thou art for it accused before God at his judgment seat.
These things will, as it were, by way of necessity, instill into
thy heart the need that thou hast of an advocate, and will make thee
look as to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ to justify
thee, so to Christ as an Advocate to plead thy cause, as did holy
Job in his distresses (Job 16:21).

Use Third. Is Christ Jesus not only a priest of, and a King over,
but an Advocate for his people? Let this make us stand and wonder,
and be amazed at his humiliation and condescension. We read of his
humiliation on earth when he put himself into our flesh, took upon
him our sins, and made them as his own unto condemnation and death.
And to be an advocate is an office reproachful to the malicious,
if any man be such an one, for those that are base and unworthy.
Yea, and the higher and more honourable the person is that pleads
for such, the more he humbles himself. The word doth often in effect
account him now in heaven as a servant for us, and acts of service
are acts of condescension; and I am sure some acts of service have
more of that in them than some; and I think when all things are
considered, that Christ neither doth nor can do anything for us
there, of a more condescending nature, than to become our Advocate.
True, he glories in it; but that doth not show that the work is
excellent in itself. It is also one of his titles of honour; but
that is to show how highly God esteems of, and dignifies all his
acts; and though this shall tend at last to the greatening of his
honour and glory in his kingdom, yet the work itself is amazingly
mean.

I speak after the manner of men. It is accounted so in this world.
How ignoble and unrespectful doth a man make himself, especially to
his enemy, when he undertakes to plead a bad cause, if it happeneth
to be the cause of the base and unworthy! And I am sure we are,
every one, so in ourselves, for whom he is become an Advocate with
the Father. True, we are made worthy in him, but that is no thanks
to us; as to ourselves and our cause, both are bad enough. And let
us now leave off disputing, and stand amazed at his condescension;
"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven" (Psa
113:6). And men of old did use to wonder to think that God should
so much stoop, as to open his eyes to look upon man, or once so much
as to mind him (Job 7:17; 14:1-3; Psa 8:4; 144:3, 4). And if these
be acts that speak a condescension, what will you count of Christ's
standing up as an Advocate to plead the cause of his people? Must
not that be much more so accounted? O, the condescension of Christ
in heaven! While cavillers quarrel at such kind of language, let
the saints stay themselves and wonder at it, and be so much the
more affected with his grace. The persons are base, the crimes are
base, with which the persons are charged; wherefore one would think
that has but the reason to think, that it is a great condescension
of Christ, now in heaven, to take upon him to be an Advocate for
such a people, especially if you consider the openness of this work
of Christ; for this thing is not done in a corner. This is done in
open court.

1. With a holy and just God; for he is the judge of all, and his
eyes are purer than to behold iniquity; yea, his very essence and
presence is a consuming fire; yet, before and with this God, and
that for such a people, Jesus Christ, the King, will be an Advocate.
For one mean man to be an Advocate for the base, with one that is
not considerable, is not so much; but for Christ to be an Advocate
for the base, and for the base, too, under the basest consideration,
this is to be wondered at. When Bathsheba, the queen became an
advocate for Adonijah unto king Solomon, you see how he flounced at
her, for that his cause was bad. "And why," saith he, "dost thou
ask Abishag for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also" (I Kings
2:16-23). I told you before, that to be an advocate did run one
upon hazards of reproach; and it may easily be thought that the
queen did blush, when, from the king, her son, she received such a
repulse; nor do we hear any more of her being an advocate; I believe
she had enough of this. But oh! This Christ of God, who himself is
greater that Solomon, he is become an Advocate, "an Advocate with
the Father," who is the eternally just, and holy, and righteous
God; and that for a people, with respect to him, far worse than
could be Adonijah in the eyes of his brother Solomon. Majesty and
justice are dreadful in themselves, and much more so when approached
by any, especially when the cause, as to matter of fact, is bad,
that the man is guilty of who is concerned in the advocateship of
his friend; and yet Jesus Christ is still an Advocate for us, "an
Advocate with the Father."

2. Consider, also, before whom Jesus Christ doth plead as an
Advocate, and that is before, or in the presence and observation
of, all the heavenly host; for whilst Christ pleadeth with God for
his people, all the host of heaven stand by on the right hand and
on the left (Matt 10:32). And though as yet there may seem to be
but little in this consideration, yet Christ would have us know, and
account it an infinite kindness of his to us that he will confess,
and not be ashamed of us before the angels of his Father (Mark 8:38).
Angels are holy and glorious creatures, and, in some respect, may
have a greater knowledge of the nature and baseness of sin than we
while here are capable of; and so may be made to stand and wonder
while the Advocate pleads with God for a people, from head to foot,
clothed therewith. But Christ will not be ashamed to stand up for
us before them, though they know how bad we are, and what vile
things we have done. Let this, therefore, make us wonder.

3. Add to these, how unconcerned ofttimes those are with themselves,
and their own desolate condition, for whom Christ, as an Advocate,
laboureth in heaven with God. Alas! The soul is as far off of knowing
what the devil is doing against it at God's bar as David was when
Saul was threatening to have his blood, while he was hid in the
field (I Sam 20:26-34). But, O true Jonathan! How didst thou plead
for David! Only here thou hadst the advantage of our Advocate,
thou hadst a good cause to plead; for when Saul, thy father, said,
"David shall surely die," thy reply was, "Wherefore shall he be
slain? What [evil] hath he done?" But Christ cannot say thus when
he pleadeth for us at God's bar; nor is our present senselessness
and unconcernedness about his pleading but an aggravation to our sin.
Perhaps David was praying while Jonathan was playing the advocate
for him before the king his father; but perhaps the saint is sleeping,
yea, sinning more, whilst Christ is pleading for him in heaven.
Oh! This should greatly affect us; this should make us wonder;
this should be so considered by us, as to heighten our souls to
admiration of the grace and kindness of Christ.

4. Join to these the greatness and gravity, the highness and glorious
majesty of the Man that is become our Advocate. Says the text, it
is Jesus Christ-"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ."
Now, that he should become an Advocate, that he should embrace such
an employ as this of his advocateship, let this be a wonderment,
and so be accounted. But let us come to the fourth use.

Use Fourth. Is it so? Is Jesus Christ the Saviour also become our
Advocate? Then let us labour to make that improvement of this doctrine
as tendeth to strengthen our graces, and us, in the management of
them. Indeed, this should be the use that we should make of all
the offices of Christ; but let us, at this time, concern ourselves
about this; let, I say, the poor Christian thus expostulate with
himself-

1. Is Christ Jesus the Lord mine Advocate with the Father? Then
awake, my faith, and shake thyself like a giant; stir up thyself,
and be not faint; Christ is the Advocate of his people, and pleadeth
the cause of the poor and needy. And as for sin, which is one great
stumble to thy actings, O my faith, Christ has not only died for
that as a sacrifice, nor only carried his sacrifice unto the Father,
in the holiest of all, but is there to manage that offering as
an Advocate, pleading the efficacy and worth thereof before God,
against the devil, for us. Thus, I say, we should strengthen our
faith; for faith has to do not only with the Word, but also with
the offices of Christ. Besides, considering how many the assaults
are that are made upon our faith, we find all little enough to
support it against all the wiles of the devil.

Christians too little concern themselves, as I have said, with the
offices of Jesus Christ; and therefore their knowledge of him is
so little, and their faith in him so weak. We are bid to have our
conversation in heaven, and then a man so hath, when he is there,
in his spirit, by faith, observing how the Lord Jesus doth exercise
his offices there for him. Let us often, by faith, go to the bar
of God, there to hear our Advocate plead our cause; we should often
have our faith to God's judgment-seat, because we are concerned
there; there we are accused of the devil, there we have our crimes
laid open, and there we have our Advocate to plead; and this is
suggested in the text, for it saith, "We have an Advocate with the
Father"; therefore, thither our faith should go for help and relief
in the day of our straits. I say, we should have our faith to God's
judgment-seat, and show it there, by the glass of our text,35 what
Satan is doing against, and the Lord Jesus for, our souls. We should
also show it how the Lord Jesus carries away every cause from the
devil, and from before the judgment-seat, to the comfort of the
children, the joy of angels, and the shame of the enemy. This
would strengthen and support our faith indeed, and would make us
more able than, for the most part, we are to apply the grace of God
to ourselves, and hereafter to give more strong repulses to Satan.
It is easy with a man, when he knows that his advocate has overthrown
his enemy at the King's Bench bar or Court of Common Pleas, less
to fear him the next time he sees him, and more boldly to answer
him when he reneweth his threats on him. Let faith, then, be
strengthened, from its being exercised about the advocateship of
Jesus Christ.

2. As we should make use of Christ's advocateship for the
strengthening of our faith, so we should also make use thereof to
the encouraging us to prayer. As our faith is, so is our prayer;
to wit, cold, weak, and doubtful, if our faith be so. When faith
cannot apprehend that we have access to the Father by Christ, or
that we have an Advocate, when charged before God for our sins by
the devil, then we flag and faint in our prayer; but when we begin
to take courage to believe-and then we do so when most clearly
we apprehend Christ-then we get up in prayer. And according as a
man apprehends Christ in his undertakings and offices, so he will
wrestle with and supplicate God. As, suppose a man believes that
Christ died for his sins; why, then, he will plead that in prayer
with God. Suppose, also, that a man understands that Christ rose
again for his justification; why, then, he will also plead that in
prayer; but if he knows no more, no further will he go. But when he
shall know that there is also for him an Advocate with the Father,
and that that Advocate is Jesus Christ; and when the glory of this
office of Christ shall shine in the face of this man's soul; oh,
then, he takes courage to pray with that courage he had not before;
yea, then is his faith so supported and made strong, that his prayer
is more fervent, and importuning abundance. So that, I say, the
knowledge of the advocateship of Christ is very useful to strengthen
our graces; and, as of graces in general, so of faith and prayer in
particular. Wherefore, our wisdom is, so to improve this doctrine
that prayer may be strengthened thereby.

3. As we should make use of this doctrine to strengthen faith and
prayer, so we should make use of it to keep us humble; for the more
offices Christ executeth for us with the Father, the greater sign
that we are bad; and the more we see our badness, the more humble
should we be. Christ gave for us the price of blood; but that is
not all; Christ as a Captain has conquered death and the grave for
us, but that is not all: Christ as a Priest intercedes for us in
heaven; but that is not all. Sin is still in us, and with us, and
mixes itself with whatever we do, whether what we do be religious
or civil; for not only our prayers and our sermons, our hearings
and preaching, and so; but our houses, our shops, our trades, and
our beds, are all polluted with sin. Nor doth the devil, our night
and day adversary, forbear to tell our bad deeds to our Father,
urging that we might for ever be disinherited for this. But what
should we now do, if we had not an Advocate; yea, if we had not
one who would plead in forma pauperis; yea, if we had not one that
could prevail, and that would faithfully execute that office for
us? Why, we must die. But since we are rescued by him, let us, as
to ourselves, lay our hand upon our mouth, and be silent, and say,
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory."
And, I say again, since the Lord Jesus is fain to run through so
many offices for us before he can bring us to glory, oh! how low,
how little, how vile and base in our own eyes should we be.

It is a shame for a Christian to think highly of himself, since
Christ is fain to do so much for him, and he again not at all able
to make him amends; but some, whose riches consist in nothing but
scabs and lice, will yet have lofty looks. But are not they much to
blame who sit lifting up of lofty eyes in the house, and yet know
not how to turn their hand to do anything so, but that another,
their betters, must come and mend their work? I say, is it not more
meet that those that are such, should look and speak, and act as
such that declare their sense of their unhandiness, and their shame,
and the like, for their unprofitableness? Yea, is it not meet that
to every one they should confess what sorry ones they are? I am
sure it should be thus with Christians, and God is angry when it
is otherwise. Nor doth it become these helpless ones to lift up
themselves on high. Let Christ's advocateship therefore teach us
to be humble.

4. As we should improve this doctrine to strengthen faith, to
encourage prayer, and keep us humble, so we should make use of it
to encourage perseverance-that is, to hold on, to hold out to the
end; for, for all those causes the apostle setteth Christ before us
as an Advocate. There is nothing more discourages the truly godly
than the sense of their own infirmities, as has been hinted all
along; consequently, nothing can more encourage them to go on than
to think that Christ is an Advocate for them. The services, also,
that Christ has for us to do in this world are full of difficulty,
and so apt to discourage: but when a Christian shall come to
understand that-if we do what we can-it is not a failing either in
matter or manner that shall render it wholly unserviceable, or give
the devil that advantage as to plead thereby to prevail for our
condemnation and rejection; but that Christ, by being our Advocate,
saves us from falling short, as also from the rage of hell. This
will encourage us to hold on, though we do but hobble in all our
goings, and fumble in all our doings; for we have Christ for an
Advocate in case we sin in the management of any duty-"If any man
sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Let us, therefore, go on in all God's ways as well as we can for
our hearts; and when our foot slips, let us tell God of it, and
his mercy in Christ shall hold us up (Psa 84:9-12).

Darkness, and to be shut up in prison, is also a great discouragement
to us; but our Advocate is for giving us light, and for fetching
us out of our prison. True, he that Joseph chose to be his Advocate
with Pharaoh remembered not Joseph, but forgat him (Gen 40:14, 23);
but he that has Jesus Christ to be his Advocate shall be remembered
before God, (Micah 7:8-10).-"He remembered us in our low estate;
for his mercy endureth for ever" (Psa 136:23). Yea, he will say
to the prisoners, Show yourselves; and to them that are in the
prison-house, Go forth. Satan sometimes gets the saints into the
prison when he has taken them captive by their lusts (Rom 7:23).
But they shall not be always there; and this should encourage us
to go on in godly ways; for "we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God."

Objection. But I cannot pray, says one, therefore how should
I persevere? When I go to prayer, instead of praying, my mouth is
stopped. What would you have me do?

Answer. Well, soul, though Satan may baffle thee, he cannot so
serve thine Advocate; if thou must not speak for thyself, Christ
thine Advocate can speak for thee. Lemuel was to open his mouth
for the dumb-to wit, for the sons of destruction, and to plead the
cause of the poor and needy (Prov 31:8, 9). If we knew the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, so as the Word reveals it, we would believe,
we would hope, and would, notwithstanding all discouragements, wait
for the salvation of the Lord. But there are many things that hinder,
wherefore faith, prayer, and perseverance, are made difficult things
unto us-"But if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous": and, God "shall fight for you, and
you shall hold your peace," was once a good word to me when I could
not pray.

5. As we should improve this doctrine for the improvement
and encouragement of these graces, so we should improve it to the
driving of difficulties down before us, to the getting of ground
upon the enemy-"Resist the devil," drive him back; this is it for
which thy Lord Jesus is an Advocate with God in heaven; and this
is it for the sake of which thou art made a believer on earth (I
Peter 5:9; Heb 12:4). Wherefore has God put this sword, WE HAVE
AN ADVOCATE, into thy hand, but to fight thy way through the world?
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life," and say,
"I will go in the strength of the Lord God." And since I have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, I will not
despair, though "the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about"
(Psa 49:5).

Use Fifth. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us with God, to
plead with him for us against the devil? Let this teach us to stand
up to plead for him before men, to plead for him against the enemies
of his person and gospel. This is but reasonable; for if Christ
stands up to plead for us, why should not we stand up to plead for
him? He also expects this at our hands, saying, "Who will rise up
for me against the evil doers? Who will stand up for me against the
workers of iniquity?" (Psa 94:16). The apostle did it, and counted
himself engaged to do it, where he saith, he preached "the gospel
of God with much contention" (I Thess 2:2). Nor is this the duty of
apostles or preachers only, but every child of God should "earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints"
(Jude 3).

And, as I said, there is reason why we should do this; he standeth
for us. And if we, (1.) Consider the disparity of persons to plead,
it will seem far more reasonable. He stands up to plead with God,
we stand up to plead with men. The dread of God is great, yea,
greater than the dread of men. (2.) If we consider the persons
pleaded for. He pleads for sinners, for the inconsiderable, vile,
and base; we plead for Jesus, for the great, holy, and honourable.
It is an honour for the poor to stand up for the great and mighty;
but what honour is it for the great to plead for the base? Reason,
therefore, requireth that we stand up to plead for him, though there
can be but little rendered why he should stand up to plead for us.
(3.) He standeth up to plead for us in the most holy place, though
we are vile; and why should we not stand up for him in this vile
world, since he is holy? (4.) He pleads for us, though our cause
is bad; why should not we plead for him, since his cause is good?
(5.) He pleads for us, against fallen angels; why should we not
plead for him against sinful vanities? (6.) He pleads for us to
save our souls; why should not we plead for him to sanctify his
name? (7.) He pleads for us before the holy angels; why should
not we plead for him before princes? (8.) He is not ashamed of us,
though now in heaven; why should we be ashamed of him before this
adulterous and sinful generation? (9.) He is unwearied in his pleading
for us; why should we faint and be dismayed while we plead for him?

My brethren, is it not reasonable that we should stand up for him
in this world? Yea, is it not reason that in all things we should
study his exaltation here, since he in all things contrives our
honour and glory in heaven? A child of God should study in every
of his relations to serve the Lord Christ in this world, because
Christ, by the execution of every one of his offices, seeks our
promotion hereafter. If these be not sufficient arguments to bow us
to yield up our members, ourselves, our whole selves to God, that
we may be servants of righteousness unto him; yea, if by these and
such like we are not made willing to stand up for him before men,
it is a sign that there is but little, if any, of the grace of God
in our hearts.

Yea, further, that we should have now at last in reserve Christ
as authorized to be our Advocate to plead for us; for this is the
last of his offices for us while we are here, and is to be put in
practice for us when there are more than ordinary occasions. This
is to help, as we say, at a dead lift, even then when a Christian
is taken for a captive, or when he sinks in the mire where is no
standing, or when he is clothed with filthy garments, or when the
devil doth desperately plead against us our evil deeds, or when
by our lives we have made our salvation questionable, and have
forfeited our evidences for heaven. And why then should not we
have also in reserve for Christ? And when profession and confession
will not do, when loss of goods and a prison will not do, when loss
of country and of friends will not do, then to bring it in, then
to bring it in as the reserve, and as that which will do-to wit,
willingly to lay down our lives for his name; and since he doth
his part without grudging for us, let us do ours with rejoicing
for him (Isa 24:15; John 21:19).

Use Sixth. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us, and that of
his mere grace and love? Then this should teach Christians to be
watchful and wary how they sin against God. This inference seems to
run retrograde; but whoso duly considers it, will find it fairly
fetched from the premises. Christianity teaches ingenuity, 36
and aptness to be sensible of kindnesses, and doth instruct us to
a loathness to be overhard upon him from whom we have all at free
cost. "Shall we-sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Shall we do
evil that good may come? God forbid. Shall we sin because we are
not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Rom 6:1, 2, 15).

It is the most disingenuous thing in the world not to care how
chargeable we are to that friend that bestows all upon us gratis.
When Mephibosheth had an opportunity to be yet more chargeable to
David, he would not, because he had his life and his all from the
mere grace of the king (II Sam 19:24-28). Also David thought it
too much for all his household to go to Absalom's feast, because it
was made of free cost. Why, Christ is our Advocate of free cost,
we pay him neither fee nor income for what he doth; nor doth he
desire aught of us, but to accept of his free doing for us thankfully;
wherefore let us put him upon this work as little as may be, and
by so doing we shall show ourselves Christians of the right make
and stamp. We count him but a fellow of a very gross spirit that
will therefore be lavishing of what is his friend's, because it
is prepared of mere kindness for him; Esau himself was loath to do
this; and shall Christians be disingenuous?

I dare say, if Christians were sober, watchful, and of a more
self-denying temper, they need not put the Lord Jesus to that to
which for the want of these things they do so often put him. I know
he is not unwilling to serve us, but I know also that the love of
Christ should constrain us to live not to ourselves, but to him
that loved us, that died for us, and rose again (II Cor 5:14, 15).
We shall do that which is naught too much, even then when we watch
and take care what we can to prevent it. Our flesh, when we do our
utmost diligence to resist, it will defile both us and our best
performances. We need not lay the reins on its neck and say, What
care we? the more sin the more grace, and the more we shall see
the kindness of Christ, and what virtue there is in his Advocate's
office to save us. And should there be any such here, I would
present them with a scripture or two; the first is this, "Do ye
thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" (Deut 32:6).
And if this gentle check will not do, then read the other, Shall
we say, Let us do evil that good may come? their damnation is just
(Rom 3:8). Besides, as nothing so swayeth with us as love, so there
is nothing so well pleasing to God as it. Let a man love, though he
has opportunity to do nothing, it is accepted of the God of heaven.
But where there is no love, let a man do what he will, it is not
at all regarded (I Cor 13:1-3). Now to be careless and negligent,
and that from a supposed understanding of the grace of Christ in
the exercise of his advocateship for us in heaven, is as clear sign
as can be, that in thy heart there is no love to Christ, and that
consequently thou art just a nothing, instead of being a Christian.
Talk, then, what thou wilt, and profess never so largely, Christ is
no Advocate of thine, nor shalt thou, thou so continuing, be ever
the better for any of those pleas that Christ, at God's bar, puts
in against the devil, for his people.

Christians, Christ Jesus is not unwilling to lay out himself for
you in heaven, nor to be an Advocate for you in the presence of his
Father; but yet he is unwilling that you should render him evil
for good; I say, that you should do so by your remissness and
carelessness for want of such a thinking of things as may affect
your hearts therewith. It would be more comely in you, would please
him better, would agree with your profession, and also better would
prove you gracious, to be found in the power and nature of these
conclusions. "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?" (Rom 6:2)." If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God;
for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things'
sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Col
3:1-6).

I say, it would be more comely for Christians to say, We will not
sin because God will pardon; we will not commit iniquity because
Christ will advocate for us. "I write unto you that ye sin not;
though if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father." Why,
the brute would conclude, I will not do so, because my master
will beat me; I will do thus, for then my master will love me. And
Christians should be above [such] men, brutish men.

And for a conclusion as to this, let me present you with three
considerations-(1.) Know that it is the nature of grace to draw holy
arguments to move to goodness of life from the love and goodness of
God, but not thence to be remiss (II Cor 5:14). (2.) Know therefore
that they have no grace that find not these effects of the discoveries
of the love and goodness of God. (3.) Know also that among all the
swarms of professors that from age to age make mention of the name
of Christ, they only must dwell with him in heaven that do part
from iniquity, and are zealous of good works (II Tim 2:19). He gave
himself for these (Titus 2:11-14). Not that they were so antecedent
to this gift. But those that he hath redeemed to himself are thus
sanctified by the faith of him (Acts 26:18).

Use Seventh. Is it so? Is Jesus Christ an Advocate with the Father for
us? Then this should encourage strong Christians to tell the weak
ones where, when they are in their temptations and fears through
sin, they may have one to plead their cause. Thus the apostle doth
by the text; and thus we should do one to another. Mark, he telleth
the weak of an Advocate: "My little children, I write unto you
that ye sin not; though if any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father."

Christians, when they would comfort their dejected brethren, talk
too much at rovers37 or in generals; they should be more at the
mark: "A word spoken in season, how good is it?" I say, Christians
should observe and inquire, that they may observe the cause or
ground of their brother's trouble; and having first taken notice
of that, in the next place consider under which of the offices of
Jesus Christ this sin or trouble has cast this man; and so labour
to apply Christ in the word of the gospel to him. Sometimes we are
bid to consider him as an Apostle and High Priest, and sometimes
as a forerunner and an Advocate. And he has, as was said afore,
these divers offices, with others, that we by the consideration
of him might be relieved under our manifold temptations. This, as
I said, as I perceive John teaches us here, as he doth a little
before of his being a sacrifice for us; for he presenteth them
that after conversion shall sin with Christ as an Advocate with
the Father. As who should say, My brethren, are you tempted, are
you accused, have you sinned, has Satan prevailed against you? "We
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Thus we should do, and deliver our brother from death. There is
nothing that Satan more desires than to get good men in his sieve
to sift them as wheat, that if possible he may leave them nothing
but bran; no grace, but the very husk and shell of religion. And
when a Christian comes to know this, should Christ as Advocate be
hid, what could bear him up? But let him now remember and believe
that "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous," and he forthwith conceiveth comfort; for an advocate
is to plead for me according as has been showed afore, that I may
be delivered from the wrath and accusation of my adversary, and
still be kept safe under grace.

Further, by telling of my brother that he hath an Advocate, I put
things into his mind that he has not known, or do bring them into
remembrance which he has forgotten-to wit, that though he hath
sinned, he shall be saved in a way of justice; for an advocate is
to plead justice and law, and Christ is to plead these for a saint
that has sinned; yea, so to plead them that he may be saved. This
being so, he is made to perceive that by law he must have his sins
forgiven him; that by justice he must be justified. For Christ
as an Advocate pleadeth for justice, justice to himself; and this
saint is of himself-a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones.

Nor has Satan so good a right to plead justice against us, though
we have sinned, that we might be damned, as Christ has to plead
it, though we have sinned, that we might be saved; for sin cannot
cry so loud to justice as can the blood of Christ; and he pleads
his blood as Advocate, by which he has answered the law; wherefore
the law having nothing to object, must needs acquit the man for whom
the Lord Jesus pleads. I conclude this with that of the Psalmist,
"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may
dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness
and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the
earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the
Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her
increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in
the way of his steps" (Psa 85:9-13).

Use Eighth. But what is all this to you that are not concerned
in this privilege? The children, indeed, have the advantage of an
advocate; but what is this to them that have none to plead their
cause? (Jer 30:12, 13); they are, as we say, left to the wide world,
or to be ground to powder between the justice of God and the sins
which they have committed. This is the man that none but the devil
seeks after; that is pursued by the law, and sin, and death, and
has none to plead his cause. It is sad to consider the plight
that such an one is in. His accuser is appointed, yea, ordered to
bring in a charge against him-"Let Satan stand at his right hand,"
in the place where accusers stand. "And when he shall be judged, let
him be condemned," let there be none to plead for his deliverance.
If he cries, or offereth to cry out for mercy or forgiveness, "let
his prayer become sin" (Psa 109:6-7). This is the portion of a
wicked man: "terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth
him away in the night, the east wind carrieth him away, and he
departeth, and as a storm hurleth him out of his place; for God
shall cast upon him, and not spare; he would fain flee out of his
hand. Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out
of his place" (Job 27:20-23). And what shall this man do? Can he
overstand the charge, the accusation, the sentence, and condemnation?
No, he has none to plead his cause. I remember that somewhere I
have read, as I think, concerning one who, when he was being carried
upon men's shoulders to the grave, cried out as he lay upon the
bier, I am accused before the just judgment of God; and a while
after, I am condemned before the just judgment of God. Nor was this
man but strict as the religion that was then on foot in the world;
but all the religion of the world amounts to no more than nothing.
I mean as to eternal salvation, if men be denied an Advocate to
plead their cause with God. Nor can any advocate save Jesus Christ
the righteous avail anything at all, because there is none appointed
but him to that work, and therefore not to be admitted to enter a
plea for their client at the bar of God.

Objection. But some may say, There is God's grace, the promise,
Christ's blood, and his second part of priesthood now in heaven.
Can none of these severally, nor all of them jointly, save a man
from hell, unless Christ also become our Advocate?

Answer. All these, his Advocate's office not excluded, are few
enough, and little enough, to save the saints from hell; for the
righteous shall scarcely be saved (I Peter 4:18). There must, then,
be the promise, God's grace, Christ's blood, and him to advocate
too, or we cannot be saved. What is the promise without God's grace,
and what is that grace without a promise to bestow it on us? I say,
what benefit have we thereby? Besides, if the promise and God's
grace, without Christ's blood, would have saved us, wherefore
then did Christ die? Yea, and again I say, if all these, without
his being an Advocate, would have delivered us from all those
disadvantages that our sins and infirmities would bring us to and
into; surely in vain and to no purpose was Jesus made an Advocate.
But, soul, there is need of all; and therefore be not thou offended
that the Lord Jesus is of the Father made so much to his, but
rather admire and wonder that the Father and the Son should be so
concerned with so sorry a lump of dust and ashes as thou art. And
I say again, be confounded to think that sin should be a thing so
horrible, of power to pollute, to captivate, and detain us from
God, that without all this ado (I would speak with reverence of
God and his wisdom) we cannot be delivered from the everlasting
destruction that it hath brought upon the children of men.

But, I say, what is this to them that are not admitted to a privilege
in the advocate-office of Christ? Whether he is an Advocate or
no, the case to them is the same. True, Christ as a Saviour is not
divided; he that hath him not in all, shall have him in none at
all of his offices in a saving manner. Therefore, he for whom he
is not an Advocate, he is nothing as to eternal life.

Indeed, Christ by some of his offices is concerned for the elect,
before by some others of them he is; but such shall have the blessing
of them all before they come to glory. Nor hath man ground to say
Christ is here or there mine, before he hath ground to say, he also
is mine Advocate; though that office of his, as has been already
showed, stands in the last place, and comes in as a reserve. But
can any imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom
he will not plead as Advocate? or that he will speak for them to
God for whom he will not plead against the devil? No, no; they are
his own, that he loveth to the end, (John 13:1), to the end of their
lives, to the end of their sins, to the end of their temptations,
to the end of their fears, and of the exercise of the rage and
malice of Satan against them. To the end may also be understood,
even until he hath given them the profit and benefit of all his
offices in their due exercise and administration. But, I say, what
is all this to them that have him not for their Advocate?

You may remember that I have already told you that there are several
who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate-to wit, those that
are still in their sins, pursuing of their lusts; those that are
ashamed of him before men; and those that are never otherwise but
lukewarm in their profession. And let us now, for a conclusion,
make further inquiry into this matter.

Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus for their
Advocate to plead their cause; who despise and reject his person,
his Word, and ways? or those either who are so far off from sense
of, and shame for, sin, that it is the only thing they hug and
embrace? True, he pleadeth the cause of his people both with the
Father and against the devil, and all the world besides; but open
profaneness, shame of good, and without heart or warmth in religion,
are no characters of his people. It is irrational to think that
Christ is an Advocate for, or that he pleadeth the cause of such,
who, in the self-same hour, and before his enemies, are throwing
dirt in his face by their profane mouths and unsanctified lives
and conversations.

If he pleads as an Advocate for any, he must plead against Satan for
them, and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground
his plea upon; I say, a bottom better than that upon which the carnal
man stands; which bottom is either some special relation that this
man stands in to God, or some special law he hath privilege by, that
he may have some ground for an appeal, if need be, to the justice
and righteousness of God; but none of these things belong to them
that are dead in trespasses and sins; they stand in no special
relation to God: they are not privileged by the law of grace.

Objection.-But doth not Christ as Advocate plead for his elect,
though not called as yet?

Answer.-He died for all his elect, he prayeth for all his elect
as a Priest, but as an Advocate he pleadeth only for the children,
the called only. Satan objecteth not against God's election, for he
knows it not; but he objecteth against the called-to wit, whether
they be truly godly or no, or whether they ought not to die for
their transgressions (Job 1:9, 10; Zech 3). And for these things
he has some colour to frame an accusation against us, and now it
is time enough for Christ to stand up to plead. I say, for these
things he has some colour to frame a plea against us; for there is
sin and a law of works, and a judge too, that has not respect of
persons. Now to overthrow this plea of Satan, is Jesus Christ our
Advocate; yea, to overthrow it by pleading law and justice; and
this must be done with respect to the children only-"My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous."

FOOTNOTES:

1 "Nulled"; repealed or annulled.-ED.

2 "Ingenuity"; ingenuousness, frankness, sincerity.-ED.

3 How deeply important is this essential doctrine of Christianity-a
personal investigation. We must hear and see for ourselves, handle
the word of life, and not trust to others, however holy and capable
they may appear to be; we must search the Scriptures, and pray
for ourselves, or we have not the slightest claim to the name of
Christian.--ED.

4 The sin here referred to was numbering the people of Israel; see
I Chronicles 21:1-ED..

5 This is the great mystery of godliness-God manifest in the flesh,
making sinful creatures the members of his own body, and becoming
a sin-offering for them. It is a holy, a heavenly, a soul-comforting
mystery, which should influence the Christian to an intense hatred
to sin, as the cause of his Saviour's sufferings; and a still more
intense love to him, who redeemed us at such a sacrifice.-ED.

6 Altered, by a typographical error, in editions after the author's
death, to "the heathens beheld."-ED.

7 "Replevy": a form of law by which goods that are proved to have
been wrongfully seized are re-delivered to the owner.-ED.

8 "Donator"; giver, donor; now obsolete.-ED.

9 "Prevented"; gone before, so as to be seen. "Let thy grace, O
Lord, always prevent and follow us."-Common Prayer.-ED.

10This may refer to Bunyan's own feelings, which are so passionately
expressed in his Grace Abounding, No. 327, when he was dragged
from his home, his wife, and his children, to be shut up in Bedford
jail, for obedience to God. He exclaims, "My poor blind child, who
lay nearer my heart than all I had besides, thou must be beaten,
must beg, suffer hunger, cold, nakedness, and a thousand calamities,
though I cannot now endure that the wind should blow upon thee. I
thought this would break my heart to pieces."-ED.

11 "A hank"; a check, an influence over; obsolete.-ED.

12 "Entertains his lawyer"; hires or retains. So Shakespeare-"Sweet
lady, entertain him, To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship."
Gentleman of Verona, Scene IV.-ED.

13 "Shuff"; from the old Saxon word schufan, to reject, cast
away.-ED.

14 "Supply of thy defects"; a sufficiency in himself to supply all
thy defects and deficiencies.-ED.

15 "Supersedeas"; a writ to stay proceedings, for reasons expressed
in it. "Cavils and motions"; quibbles or quirks of special pleading,
and moving a court of law to occasion delay and weary out an honest
suitor; much of this nuisance has been abated, but enough remains
to render a lawsuit uncertain, vexatious, tedious, and expensive.-ED.

16 "Glaver;" to wheedle, flatter, or fawn upon; now obsolete.-ED.

17 This sentence at first sight seems obscure. The children's bread
is the superabounding riches of Divine grace. Satan putting pins
into it, may refer to those who profanely pervert the grace of
God to evil, by saying, "Let us do evil, that good may come. Whose
damnation is just." These are the dogs who are without, but never
were within the fold of Christ. (Phil 3:2, Rev 22:15)-ED.

18 Dr. Watts beautifully illustrates this soul-supporting truth in
his hymn (116, verse 2):-"How can I sink with such a prop, As my
eternal God, Who bears the earth's huge pillars up, And spreads
the heavens abroad?"-ED.

19 "The whole tale"; the whole number as reckoned and ascertained;
nothing being lost.-ED.

20 In the first edition of this treatise, this quotation is from
Joshua 3:4, an error which has been continued through every edition
to the present one.-ED.

21 "A demur"; now called a demurrer, is when a defect or legal
difficulty is discovered, which must first be settled by the judge
before the action or proceedings can be carried on.-ED.

22 How consoling a reflection is this to the distressed soul,
"Christ never lost a cause." "Him that cometh to me, I will in no
wise cast out." "They shall never perish; nor shall any pluck them
out of my hand" (John 10:28)-ED.

23 "Nonsuit"; the giving up a suit upon the discovery of some fatal
error or defect in the cause.-ED.

24 There is no night in heaven; it is one eternal day; no need of
rest or sleep. Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us.-ED.

25 The marginal readings which are found in our venerable version
of the Bible are very interesting, both to the unlearned and to
the scholar. They often throw a light upon the Scripture. For "and
make him honourable," see Bishop Patrick and Dr. Gill's annotations.-ED.

26 To draw back from, or in, our dependence upon Christ for salvation,
is a distinction which every despairing backslider should strive
to understand. The total abandonment of Christianity is perdition,
while he who is overcome of evil may yet repent to the salvation
of the soul.-ED.

27 "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear him." He punishes but to restore them in his own time to
the paths of peace.-ED.

28 How full of sweet consolation is this spiritual exposition of
the Levitical law. It was a type or shadow of good things which were
to come. Bunyan possessed a heavenly store of these apt illustrations.-ED.

29 "Branglings"; noisy quarrels or squabbles. "The payment of tithes
is subject to many brangles."-Swift. It is now obsolete, and is
substituted by wranglings.-ED.

30 The poor backslider "is blind and cannot see afar off"; this
does not affect his title, but is fatal to any present prospect of
the enjoyment of his inheritance.-ED.

31 Every sin, however comparatively small, drives us to the mediation
of Christ, but it is under a sense of great sins that we feel how
precious he is as an Advocate.-ED.

32 What can we render to the Lord? is an inquiry perpetually
fostered by the pride that clings to every believer. The world,
and all things in it, are his already. We must, as poor trembling
beggars, "take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the
Lord,"-rely upon his free gift of a full salvation. All must be
done for us gratis, or we must perish. Yes, proud sinner, you must
sue as a pauper, or you can never succeed.-ED.

33 In the form of a pauper, one who has nothing to pay with, but
is living upon alms.-ED.

34 This Greek word is only once translated "advocate" in the New
Testament; but it is used in the Gospel by John (14, 15, 16), and
translated Comforter, and applied to the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy
Ghost is to the Christian [the Greek word ] a monitor or comforter;
and our ascended Lord is [the Greek word ] the advocate before
his Father's throne. Both are our counsel-the Spirit to guide, the
Saviour to defend, the saints.-ED.

35 The Bible is the only perspective glass by which we can know
futurity, and see things that, to carnal eyes, are invisible.-ED.

36 "Ingenuity"; ingenuousness, frankness, candour, generosity: now
obsolete in this sense.-ED.

37 "Rovers"; without any definite aim. "Nature shoots not at
rovers."-Glanville.-ED

***

CHRIST A COMPLETE SAVIOUR:

OR,

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT.

BY JOHN BUNYAN

Advertisement by the Editor.

However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact, that the heart
of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of
sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature
will not suffer it to fall, as helpless and utterly undone, into
the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial Saviour; one who
had done so much, that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be
completed. No such were the opinions of John Bunyan; the furnace
of sharp conviction had burnt up this proud dross; he believed the
testimony of Scripture, that from the crown of the head to the soles
of the feet all nature is corrupted; so that out of the unsanctified
heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murders, and the sad catalogue
of crimes which our Lord enumerates, and which defile our best
efforts after purity of heart and life. No sinner will ever totally
rely upon the Saviour until he is sensible of his own perishing
state; hanging by the brittle thread of life over the yawning gulf
of perdition; sinking in that sin which will swallow him up in those
awful torments which await the transgressor; feeling that sin has
fitted him as stubble for the fire; then it is that the cry proceeds
from his heart, Lord, save, I perish; and then, and not till then,
are we made willing to receive 'Christ as a complete Saviour' to
the uttermost, not of his ability, but of our necessity. This was
the subject of all Mr. Bunyan's writings, and, doubtless, of all
his preaching. It was to direct sinners to the Lamb of God, who
alone can take away sin. This little treatise was one of those
ten 'excellent manuscripts' which, at Bunyan's decease, were found
prepared for the press. It was first published in 1692, by his
friends E. Chandler, J. Wilson, and C. Doe.

It is limited to a subject which is too often lost sight of, because
it is within the veil--the intercession of Christ as the finishing
work of a sinner's salvation. Many persons limit the 'looking unto
Jesus' to beholding him upon the cross, a common popish error; but
this is not enough; we must, in our minds, follow him to the unseen
world, and thus ascend to a risen Saviour, at the right hand of
the Father, making intercession for our daily sins. And he is our
ONLY Intercessor, and it is a rejection of him, for us to seek the
aid of another. Who ever was mad enough to ask Moses to intercede
for him, and surely he is as able as Mary or any other saint? To
atone for sin calls for the amazing price of the blood of Christ,
who was 'God manifest in the flesh.' He undertook the work by
covenant; and all the 'saved' form part of his mystical body; thus
perfectly obeying the law in him. He poured out his life to open a
fountain for sin and uncleanness; and as they are liable to pollution
in their passage through the world, he only is able, and he ever
liveth, to make intercession for their transgressions. Thus he
becomes a complete Saviour, and will crown, with an eternal weight
of glory, all those that put their trust in him. Beautiful, and
soul-softening, and heart-warming thoughts abound in this little
work, which cannot fail to make a lasting impression upon the reader.
Bunyan disclaims 'the beggarly art of complimenting' in things of
such solemnity. He describes the heart as unweldable, a remarkable
expression, drawn from his father's trade of a blacksmith; nothing
but grace can so heat it as to enable the hammer of conviction to
weld it to Christ; and when thus welded, it becomes one with him.
There is hope for a returning backslider in a complete Saviour;
he combines the evidence of two men, the coming and the returning
sinner; he has been, like Jonah, in the belly of hell; his sins,
like talking devils, have driven him back to the Saviour. Sin brings
its own punishment, from which we escape by keeping in the narrow
path. Good works save us from temporal miseries, which ever follow
an indulgence in sin; but if we fall, we have an Advocate and
Intercessor to lift us up; still, if thou lovest thy soul, slight
not the knowledge of hell, for that, with the law, are the spurs
which Christ useth to prick souls forward to himself. O gather up
thy heels and mend thy pace, or those spurs will be in thy sides.
Take heed, O persecutor; like Saul, thou art exceeding mad, and
hell is thy bedlam. Take heed of a false faith; none is true but
that which is acquired by a kneeling, searching, seeking for truth
as for hid treasure. Death is God's bailiff, he will seize thee
without warning; but with the saints, the grave's mouth is the
final parting place between grace and sin. Forget not that a good
improvement will make your little grace to thrive. Reader, may
Divine grace indelibly fix these wholesome truths upon our minds.

GEORGE OFFOR.

CHRIST A COMPLETE SAVIOUR.

'WHEREFORE HE IS ABLE ALSO TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST THAT COME
UNTO GOD BY HIM, SEEING HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR
THEM.'--HEBREWS 7:25.

The apostle, in this chapter, presenteth us with two things; that
is, with the greatness of the person and of the priesthood of our
Lord Jesus.

First, He presenteth us with the greatness of his person, in that
he preferreth him before Abraham, who is the father of us all;
yea, in that he preferreth him before Melchisedec, who was above
Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

Second, As to his priesthood, he showeth the greatness of that, in
that he was made a priest, not by the law of a carnal commandment,
but by the power of an endless life. Not without, but with an oath,
by him that said, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a
priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec'; wherefore, 'this
man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.'
Now my text is drawn from this conclusion, namely, that Christ
abideth a priest continually. 'Wherefore he is able also to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.'

In the words, I take notice of four things: FIRST, Of the intercession
of Christ--He maketh intercession. SECOND, Of the benefit of his
intercession--'Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost,' &c.
THIRD, We have also here set before us the persons interested in
this intercession of Christ--And they are those 'that come unto
God by him.' FOURTH, We have also here the certainty of their
reaping this benefit by him; to wit, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them--'Wherefore he is able also to save them
to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.' 1

[I. OF THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.]

FIRST, We will begin with HIS INTERCESSION, and will show you,
First, What that is; Second, For what he intercedes; and, Third,
What is also to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for
us.

First, I begin, then, with the first; that is, to show you what
intercession is. Intercession is prayer; but all prayer is not
intercession. Intercession, then, is that prayer that is made by
a third person about the concerns that are between two. And it may
be made either to set them at further difference, or to make them
friends; for intercession may be made against, as well as for, a
person or people. 'Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias?
how he maketh intercession to God against Israel.' (Rom 11:2) But
the intercession that we are now to speak of is not an intercession
of this kind, not an intercession against, but an intercession for
a people. 'He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The high
priest is ordained for, but not to be against the people. 'Every
high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God,' to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people; or 'that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.'
(Heb 5:1) This, then, is intercession; and the intercession of
Christ is to be between two, between God and man, for man's good.
And it extendeth itself unto these: 1. To pray that the elect may
be brought all home to him; that is, to God. 2. To pray that their
sins committed after conversion may be forgiven them. 3. To pray
that their graces which they receive at conversion may be maintained
and supplied. 4. To pray that their persons may be preserved unto
his heavenly kingdom.

Second, This is the intercession of Christ, or that for which he
doth make intercession.

1. He prays for all the elect, that they may be brought home to
God, and so into the unity of the faith, &c. this is clear, for
that he saith, 'Neither pray I for these alone'; that is, for those
only that are converted; 'but for them also which shall believe on
me through their word'; for all them that shall, that are appointed
to believe; or, as you have it a little above, 'for them which
thou hast given me.' (John 17:9,20, Isa 53:12) And the reason is,
for that he hath paid a ransom for them. Christ, therefore, when
he maketh intercession for the ungodly, and all the unconverted
elect are such, doth but petitionarily ask for his own, his purchased
ones, those for whom he died before, that they might be saved by
his blood.

2. When any of them are brought home to God, he yet prays for
them; namely, that the sins which through infirmity they, after
conversion, may commit, may also be forgiven them.

This is showed us by the intercession of the high priest under the
law, that was to bear away the iniquities of the holy things of the
children of Israel; yea, and also by his atonement for them that
sinned; for that it saith, 'And the priest shall make an atonement
for him, for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven
him.' (Lev 5:10) This also is intimated even where our Lord doth
make intercession, saying, 'I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil.' (John 17:15) That Christ prayed that the converted should
be kept from all manner of commission of sin, must not be supposed,
for that is the way to make his intercession, at least in some
things, invalid, and to contradict himself; for, saith he, 'I know
that thou hearest me always.' (John 11:42) But the meaning is, I
pray that thou wouldest keep them from soul-damning delusions, such
as are unavoidably such; also that thou wouldest keep them from the
soul-destroying evil of every sin, of ever temptation. Now this he
doth by his prevailing and by his pardoning grace.

3. In his intercession he prayeth also that those graces which we
receive at conversion may be maintained and supplied. This is clear
where he saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee,
that thy faith fail not.' (Luke 22:31,32) Ay, may some say, he is
said to pray here for the support and supply of faith, but doth it
therefore follow that he prayed for the maintaining and supply of
all our graces? Yes, in that he prayed for the preservation of our
faith, he prayed for the preservation of all our graces; for faith
is the mother grace, the root grace, the grace that hath all others
in the bowels of it, and that from the which all others flow; yea,
it is that which gives being to all our other graces, and that by
which all the rest do live. Let, then, faith be preserved, and all
graces continue and live--that is, according to the present state,
health, and degree of faith. So, then, Christ prayed for the
preservation of every grace when he prayed for the preservation
of faith. That text also is of the same tendency where he saith,
'Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given men.' (John
17:11) Keep them in thy fear, in the faith, in the true religion,
in the way of life by thy grace, by thy power, by thy wisdom, &c.
This must be much of the meaning of this place, and he that excludes
this sense will make but poor work of another exposition.

4. He also in his intercession prayeth that our persons be preserved,
and brought safe unto his heavenly kingdom. And this he doth, (1.)
By pleading interest in them. (2.) By pleading that he had given,
by promise, glory to them. (3.) By pleading his own resolution to
have it so. (4.) By pleading the reason why it must be so.

(1.) He prays that their persons may come to glory, for that they
are his, and that by the best of titles: 'Thine they were, and
thou gavest them me.' (John 17:6) Father, I will have them; Father,
I will have them, for they are mine: 'Thine they were, and thou
gavest them me.' What is mine, my wife, or my child, or my jewel,
or my joy, sure I may have it with me. Thus, therefore, he pleads
or cries in his intercession, that our persons might be preserved
to glory: They are mine, 'and thou gavest them me.'2

(2.) He also pleads that he had given--given already, that is, in
the promise--glory to them, and therefore they must not go without
it. 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.' (John
17:22) Righteous men, when they give a good thing by promise, they
design the performance of that promise; nay, they more than design
it, they purpose, they determine it. As the mad prophet also saith
of God, in another case, 'Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or
hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?' (Num 23:19) Hath
Christ given us glory, and shall we not have it? Yea, hath the truth
itself bestowed it upon us, and shall those to whom it is given,
even given by Scripture of truth, be yet deprived thereof?

(3.) He pleads in his interceding that they might have glory; his
own resolution to have it so. 'Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am.' (John 17:24) Behold
ye here, he is resolved to have it so. It must be so. It shall be
so. I will have it so. We read of Adonijah, that his father never
denied him in anything. He never said to him, 'Why hast thou
done so?' (1 Kings 1:6) Indeed, he denied him the kingdom; for his
brother was heir of that from the Lord. How much more will our
Father let our Lord Jesus have his mind and will in this, since he
also is as willing to have it so as is the Son himself. 'Fear not,
little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.' (Luke 12:32) Resolution will drive things far, especially
resolution to do that which none but they that cannot hinder shall
oppose. Why this is the case, the resolution of our Intercessor is,
that we be preserved to glory; yea, and this resolution he pleads
in his intercession: 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am,' &c. (John 17:24) Must it not,
therefore, now be so?

(4.) He also, in the last place, in this his intercession, urges
a reason why he will have it so, namely, 'That they may behold my
glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world.' (verse 24) And this is a reason to the
purpose; it is as if he had said, Father, these have continued with
me in my temptations; these have seen me under all my disadvantages;
these have seen me in my poor, low, contemptible condition; these
have seen what scorn, reproach, slanders, and disgrace I have borne
for thy sake in the world; and now I will have them also be where
they shall see me in my glory. I have told them that I am thy Son,
and they have believed that; I have told them that thou lovest
me, and they have believed that; I have also told them that thou
wouldest take me again to glory, and they have believed that; but
they have not seen my glory, nor can they but be like the Queen of
Sheba, they will but believe by the halves unless their own eyes
do behold it. Besides, Father, these are they that love me, and it
will be an increase of their joy if they may but see me in glory;
it will be as a heaven to their hearts to see their Saviour in
glory. I will, therefore, that those which 'thou hast given me be
with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.' This, therefore,
is a reason why Christ Jesus our Lord intercedes to have his people
with him in glory.

Third, I come now to the third thing, namely, to show you what is
to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for us.

1. This is to be inferred from hence, that saints--for I will
here say nothing of those of the elect uncalled--do ofttimes give
occasion of offence to God, even they that have received grace;
for intercession is made to continue one in the favour of another,
and to make up those breaches that, at any time, shall happen to
be made by one to the alienating of the affections of the other.
And thus he makes reconciliation for iniquity; for reconciliation
may be made for iniquity two ways: first, by paying of a price;
secondly, by insisting upon the price paid for the offender by
way of intercession. Therefore you read that as the goat was to be
killed, so his blood was, by the priest, to be brought within the
veil, and, in a way of intercession, to be sprinkled before and upon
the mercy-seat: 'Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering,
that is, for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and
do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and
sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat; and he
shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness
of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all
their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation
that remaineth among them, in the midst of their uncleanness.' (Lev
16:15,16) This was to be done, as you see, that the tabernacle,
which was the place of God's presence and graces, might yet remain
among the children of Israel, notwithstanding their uncleannesses
and transgressions. This, also, is the effect of Christ's intercession;
it is that the signs of God's presence and his grace might remain
among his people, notwithstanding they have, by their transgressions,
so often provoked God to depart from them.

2. By Christ's intercession I gather, that awakened men and women,
such as the godly are, dare not, after offence given, come in
their own names to make unto God an application for mercy. God, in
himself, is a consuming fire, and sin has made the best of us as
stubble is to fire; wherefore, they may not, they cannot, they dare
not approach God's presence for help but by and through a mediator
and intercessor. When Israel saw the fire, the blackness and
darkness, and heard the thunder, and lightning, and the terrible
sound of the trumpet, 'they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us,
and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'
(Exo 20:19, Deut 18:16) Guilt, and sense of the disparity that is
betwixt God and us, will make us look out for a man that may lay
his hand upon us both, and that may set us right in the eyes of
our Father again. This, I say, I infer from the intercession of
Christ; for, if there had been a possibility of our ability to have
approached God with advantage without, what need had there been of
the intercession of Christ?

Absalom durst not approach--no, not the presence of his father--by
himself, without a mediator and intercessor; wherefore, he sends
to Joab to go to the king and make intercession for him. (2 Sam
13, 14:32,33) Also, Joab durst not go upon that errand himself,
but by the mediation of another. Sin is a fearful thing, it will
quash and quail the courage of a man, and make him afraid to approach
the presence of him whom he has offended, though the offended is
but a man. How much more, then, shall it discourage a man, when
once loaden with guilt and shame, from attempting to approach the
presence of a holy and a sin-avenging God, unless he can come to
him through, and in the name of, an intercessor? But here now is
the help and comfort of the people of God--there is to help them
under all their infirmities an intercessor prepared, and at work.
'He ever liveth to make intercession.'

3. I also infer from hence, that should we, out of an ignorant
boldness and presumption, attempt, when we have offended, by ourselves
to approach the presence of God, God would not accept us. He told
Eliphaz so. What Eliphaz thought, or was about to do, I know not;
but God said unto him, 'My wrath is kindled against thee, and
against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing
that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you
now seven bullocks, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves [that is, by him] a burnt-offering, and my
servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept; lest I deal
with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the
thing which is right, like my servant Job.' See here, an offence is
a bar and an obstruction to acceptance with God, but by a mediator,
but by an intercessor. He that comes to God by himself, God will
answer him by himself--that is, without an intercessor; and I will
tell you, such are not like to get any pleasant or comfortable
answer-I will answer him that so cometh according to the multitude
of his idols. 'And I will set my face against that man, and will
make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst
of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.' (Eze 14:7,8)

He that intercedes for another with a holy and just God had need
be clean himself, lest he with whom he so busieth himself say to
him, First clear thyself, and then come and speak for thy friend.
Wherefore, this is the very description and qualification of this
our High Priest and blessed Intercessor, 'For such an high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,' &c.
(Heb 7:26,27) Had we not had such an Intercessor, we had been but
in a very poor case; but we have one that becomes us; one that
fits us to the purpose; one against whom our God hath nothing, can
object nothing; one in whose mouth no guile could be found.3

4. Since Christ is an Intercessor, I infer that he has wherewithal
in readiness to answer to any demands that may be propounded by
him that hath been by us offended, in order to a renewing of peace
and letting out of that grace to us that we have sinned away, and
yet have need of. Ofttimes the offended saith to the intercessor,
Well, thou comest to me about this man; what interest he has in thee
is one thing, what offence he has committed against me is another.
I speak now after the manner of men. Now, what can an intercessor
do, if he is not able to answer this question? But now, if he be
able to answer this question--that is, according to law and justice,
no question but he may prevail with the offended, for him for whom
he makes intercession.

Why, this is our case; to be sure, thus far it is, we have offended
a just and a holy God, and Jesus Christ is become Intercessor. He
also knows full well, that for our parts, if it would save us from
hell, we cannot produce towards a peace with God so much as poor
two farthings; that is, not anything that can by law and justice be
esteemed worth a halfpenny; yet he makes intercession. It follows,
therefore, that he has wherewith of his own, if that question afore
is propounded, to answer to every reasonable demand. Hence, it is
said, that he has gifts as well as sacrifice for sin. 'Every high
priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is
of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.' (Heb 8:3)
And, observe it, the apostle speaks here of Christ as in heaven,
there ministering in the second part of his office; 'For if he
were on earth, he should not be a priest.' (verse 4) These gifts,
therefore, and this sacrifice, he now offereth in heaven by way of
intercession, urging and pleading as an Intercessor, the valuableness
of his gifts for the pacifying of that wrath that our Father hath
conceived against us for the disobediences that we are guilty of.
'A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a reward in the bosom strong
wrath.' (Prov 21:14)

What gifts these are the Scripture everywhere testifies. He gave
himself, he gave his life, he gave his all for us. (John 6, Gal
1:4, 1 Tim 2:6, Matt 20:28) These gifts, as he offered them up at
the demand of justice on Mount Calvary for us, so now he is in heaven
he presenteth them continually before God, as gifts and sacrifice
valuable for the sins, for all the sins that we, through infirmity,
do commit, from the day of our conversion to the day of our death.
And these gifts are so satisfactory, so prevalent with God, that
they always prevail for a continual remission of our sins with
him. Yea, they prevail with him for more than for the remission of
sins; we have, through their procurement, our graces often renewed,
the devil often rebuked, the snare often broken, guilt often taken
away from the conscience, and many a blessed smile from God, and
love-look from his life-creating countenance. (Eph 3:12)

5. Since Christ is an Intercessor, I infer that believers should
not rest at the cross for comfort; justification they should look
for there; but, being justified by his blood, they should ascend
up after him to the throne. At the cross you will see him in his
sorrows and humiliations, in his tears and blood; but follow him
to where he is now, and then you shall see him in his robes, in
his priestly robes, and with his golden girdle about his paps. Then
you shall see him wearing the breastplate of judgment, and with all
your names written upon his heart. Then you shall perceive that
the whole family in heaven and earth is named by him, and how he
prevaileth with God the Father of mercies, for you. Stand still
awhile and listen; yea, enter with boldness into the holiest, and
see your Jesus as he now appears in the presence of God for you;
what work he makes against the devil and sin, and death and hell,
for you. (Heb 10:9) Ah! it is brave following of Jesus Christ to
the holiest, the veil is rent, you may see with open face as in a
glass, the glory of the Lord. This, then, is our High Priest, this
his intercession, these the benefits of it! It lieth on our part to
improve it; and wisdom to do that also comes from the mercy-seat,
or throne of grace, where he, even our High Priest, ever liveth to
make intercession for us; to whom be glory for ever and ever.

[II. OF THE BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S INTERCESSION.]

[SECOND.] And thus have I spoken to the first thing--to wit, of the
intercession of Christ; and now I come more particularly to speak
to the second, THE BENEFITS OF HIS INTERCESSION; namely, that we
are saved thereby. Wherefore he is able also to save them, seeing
he maketh intercession for them. 'He is able to save them to the
uttermost.'

In my handling of this head, I must show you, First, What the apostle
means here by 'save'--'Wherefore he is able to save.' Second, What
he means here by saving to the 'uttermost'--'He is able to save to
the uttermost.' Third, And then, thirdly, we shall do as we did in
the foregoing--to wit, gather some inferences from the whole, and
speak to them.

First, What doth the apostle mean here by 'save'--'He is able to
save them.'

To 'save' may be taken two ways. In the general, I know it may be
taken many ways, for there are many salvations that we enjoy; yea,
that we never knew of, nor can know, until we come thither, where
all secret things shall be seen, and where that which has been done
in darkness shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. But I say there
are two ways that this word may be taken--1. To save in a way of
justification. 2. Or to save in a way of preservation. Now, Christ
saves both these ways. But which of these, or whether both of them
are intended in this place, of that I shall tell you my thoughts
anon; meanwhile, I will show you,

1. What it is to be saved in the first sense, [namely, in a way of
justification,] and also how that is brought to pass.

To be saved is to be delivered from guilt of sin that is by the
law, as it is the ministration of death and condemnation; or, to
be set free therefrom before God. This is to be saved; for he that
is not set free therefrom, whatever he may think of himself, or
whatever others may think concerning him, he is a condemned man.
It saith not, he shall be, but, he is condemned already. (John
3:18) The reason is, for that he has deserved the sentence of
the ministration of condemnation, which is the law. Yea, that law
has already arraigned, accused, and condemned him before God, for
that it hath found him guilty of sin. Now he that is set free from
this, or, as the phrase is, 'being made free from sin,' (Rom 6:22);
that is, from the imputation of guilt, there can, to him, be no
condemnation, no condemnation to hell fire; but the person thus made
free may properly be said to be saved. Wherefore, as sometimes it
saith, we shall be saved, respecting saving in the second sense,
or the utmost completing of salvation; so sometimes it saith, we
are saved, as respecting our being already secured from guilt, and
so from condemnation to hell for sin, and so set safe, and quit
from the second death before God. (1 Cor 1:18, Eph 2:5)

Now, saving thus comes to us by what Christ did for us in this world,
by what Christ did for us as suffering for us. I say, it comes to
us thus; that is, it comes to us by grace through the redemption
that is in Christ. And thus to be saved is called justification,
justification to life, because one thus saved is, as I said,
acquitted from guilt, and that everlasting damnation to which for
sin he had made himself obnoxious by the law. (1 Cor 15:1-4, Rom
5:8-10)

Hence we are said to be saved by his death, justified by his blood,
and reconciled to God by the death of his Son; all which must respect
his offering of himself on the day he died, and not his improving
of his so dying in a way of intercession, because in the same
place the apostle reserveth a second, or an additional salvation,
and applieth that to his intercession, 'Much more then, being now,'
or already, 'justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him'; that is, through what he will further do for us. 'For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his son, much more, being reconciled,' that is, by his death,
'we shall be saved by his life,' his intercession, which he ever
liveth to complete. (verse 9,10)

See here, we are said to be justified, reconciled already, and
therefore we shall be saved, justified by his blood and death, and
saved through him by his life.

2. Now the saving intended in the text is saving in this second
sense; that is, a saving of us by preserving us, by delivering
of us from all those hazards that we run betwixt our state of
justification and our state of glorification. Yea, such a saving
of us as we that are justified need to bring us into glory. Therefore,

When he saith he is able to save, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession, he addeth saving to saving; saving by his life to
saving by his death; saving by his improving of his blood to saving
by his spilling of his blood. He gave himself a ransom for us, and
now improves that gift in the presence of God by way of intercession.
For, as I have hinted already, the high priests under the law took the
blood of the sacrifices that were offered for sin, and brought it
within the veil, and there sprinkled it before and upon the mercy-seat,
and by it made intercession for the people to an additional way of
saving them; the sum of which Paul thus applies to Christ when he
saith, 'He can save, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession.'

That also in the Romans is clear to this purpose, 'Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died.' (Rom 8:31-39) That is,
who is he that shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect to
condemnation to hell, since Christ has taken away the curse by his
death from before God? Then he adds, that there is nothing that
shall yet happen to us, shall destroy us, since Christ also liveth
to make intercession for us. 'Who shall condemn? It is Christ that
died; yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.'

Christ, then, by his death saveth us as we are sinners, enemies,
and in a state of condemnation by sin; and Christ by his life saveth
us as considered justified, and reconciled to God by his blood. So,
then, we have salvation from that condemnation that sin had brought
us unto, and salvation from those ruins that all the enemies of our
souls would yet bring us unto, but cannot; for the intercession of
Christ preventeth. 4 (Rom 6:7-10)

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Whatever the law
can take hold of to curse us for, that Christ has redeemed us from,
by being made a curse for us. But this curse that Christ was made
for us, must be confined to his sufferings, not to his exaltation,
and, consequently, not to his intercession, for Christ is made no
curse but when he suffered; not in his intercession: so then, as
he died he took away the curse, and sin that was the cause thereof,
by the sacrifice of himself, (Gal 3:13), and by his life, his
intercession, he saveth us from all those things that attempt to
bring us into that condemnation again.

The salvation, then, that we have by the intercession of Christ,
as was said--I speak now of them that are capable of receiving
comfort and relief by this doctrine--is salvation that follows
upon, or that comes after, justification. We that are saved as to
justification of life, need yet to be saved with that that preserveth
to glory; for though by the death of Christ we are saved from the
curse of the law, yet attempts are made by many that we may be kept
from the glory that justified persons are designed for; and from
these we are saved by his intercession.

A man, then, that must be eternally saved is to be considered, (a.)
As an heir of wrath. (b.) As an heir of God. An heir of wrath he
is in himself by sin; an heir of God he is by grace through Christ.
(Eph 2:3, Gal 4:7) Now, as an heir of wrath he is redeemed, and as
an heir of God he is preserved; as an heir of wrath he is redeemed
by blood, and as an heir of God he is preserved by this intercession.
Christ by his death, then, puts me, I being reconciled to God
thereby, into a justified state, and God accepts me to grace and
favour through him. But this doth not hinder but that, all this
notwithstanding, there re, that would frustrate me of the end to
which I am designed by this reconciliation to God, by redemption
through grace; and from the accomplishing of this design I am saved
by the blessed intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Object. 1. Perhaps some may say, we are not saved from all punishment
of sin by the death of Christ; and if so, so not from all danger
of damnation by the intercession of Christ.

Answ. We are saved from all punishment in hell fire by the death of
Christ. Jesus has 'delivered us from the wrath to come.' (1 Thess
1:10) So that as to this great punishment, God for his sake has
forgiven us all trespasses. (Col 2:13) But we being translated
from being slaves to Satan to be sons of God, God reserveth yet
this liberty in his hand to chastise us if we offend, as a father
chastiseth his son. (Deut 8:5) But this chastisement is not in legal
wrath, but in fatherly affection; not to destroy us, but that still
we might be made to get advantage thereby, even be made partakers
of his holiness. This is, that we might 'not be condemned with the
world.' (Heb 12:5-11, 1 Cor 11:32) As to the second part of the
objection; there do, as we say, many things happen betwixt or between
the cup and the lip; many things attempt to overthrow the work
of God, and to cause that we should perish through our weakness,
notwithstanding the price that hath by Christ been paid for us. But
what saith the Scripture? 'Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake
we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Rom 8:35-39)

Thus the apostle reckoneth up all the disadvantages that a justified
person is incident to in this life, and by way of challenge
declares, that not any one of them, nor all together, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, that is towards us by Christ,
his death, and his intercession.

Object. 2. It may be further objected, that the apostle doth here
leave out sin, unto which we know the saints are subject, after
justification. And sin of itself, we need no other enemies, is of
that nature as to destroy the whole world.

Answ. Sin is sin, in the nature of sin, wherever it is found. But
sin as to the damning effects thereof is taken away from them unto
whom righteousness is imputed for justification. Nor shall any or
all the things aforementioned, though there is a tendency in every
one of them to drive us unto sin, drown us, through it, in perdition
and destruction. I am persuaded, says Paul, they shall never be
able to do that. The apostle, therefore, doth implicitly, though to
expressly, challenge sin, yea, sin by all its advantages; and then
glorieth in the love of God in Christ Jesus, from which he concludeth
it shall never separate the justified. Besides, it would now have
been needless to have expressly here put in sin by itself, seeing
before, he had argued that those he speaks of were freely justified
therefrom.

One word more before I go to the second head. The Father, as I
told you, has reserved to himself a liberty to chastise his sons,
to wit, with temporal chastisements, if they offend. This still
abideth to us, notwithstanding God's grace, Christ's death, or
blessed intercession. And this punishment is so surely entailed
to the transgressions that we who believe shall commit, that it
is impossible that we should be utterly freed therefrom; insomuch
that the apostle positively concludeth them to be bastards, what
pretences to sonship soever they have, that are not, for sin,
partakers of fatherly chastisements.

For the reversing of this punishment it is that we should pray, if
perhaps God will remit it, when we are taught to say, 'Our Father,
forgive us our trespasses.' And he that admits of any other sense
as to this petition, derogates from the death of Christ, or faith,
or both. For either he concludes that for some of his sins Christ
did not die, or that he is bound to believe that God, though he
did, has not yet, nor will forgive them, till from the petitioner
some legal work be done; forgive us, as we forgive them that
trespass against us. (Matt 6:14,15) But now, apply this to temporal
punishments, and then it is true that God has reserved a liberty in
his hand to punish even the sins of his people upon them; yea, and
will not pardon their sin, as to the remitting of such punishment,
unless some good work by them be done; 'If ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.'
(Matt 6:15, 18:28-35)

And this is the cause why some that belong to God are yet so under
the afflicting hand of God; they have sinned, and God, who is
their Father, punisheth; yea, and this is the reason why some who
are dear to God have this kind of punishment never forgiven, but
it abides with them to their lives' end, goes with them to the
day of their death, yea, is the very cause of their death. By this
punishment they are cut off out of the land of the living. But all
this is that they might 'not be condemned with the world.' (1 Cor
11:32)

Christ died not to save from this punishment; Christ intercedes
not to save from this punishment. Nothing but a good life will save
from this punishment; nor always that either.

The hidings of God's face, the harshness of his providences, the severe
and sharp chastisements that ofttimes overtake the very spirits of
his people, plainly show that Christ died not to save from temporal
punishments, prays not to save from temporal punishments--that
is, absolutely. God has reserved a power to punish, with temporal
punishments, the best and dearest of his people, if need be.5 And
sometimes he remits them, sometimes not, even as it pleases him.
I come now to the second thing.

[Christ saves to the uttermost.]

Second, I shall now show you something of what it is for Christ, by
his intercession, to save to the 'uttermost.' 'He is able to save
them to the uttermost.'

This is a great expression, and carrrieth with it much. 'Uttermost'
signifieth to the outside, to the end, to the last, to the furthest
part. And it hath respect both to persons and things. (Gen 49:26,
Deut 30:4, Matt 5:26, Mark 13:27, Luke 15)

1. To persons. Some persons are in their own apprehensions
even further from Christ than anybody else; afar off, a great way
off, yet a-coming, as the prodigal was. Now, these many times are
exceedingly afraid; the sight of that distance that they think is
betwixt Christ and them makes them afraid. As it is said in another
case, 'They that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy
tokens.' (Psa 65:8) So these are afraid they shall not speed, not
obtain that for which they come to God. But the text says, He is
able to save to the uttermost, to the very hindermost, them that
come to God by him.

Two sorts of men seem to be far, very far from God. (1.) The town
sinner. (2.) The great backslider. (Neh 1:9) But both these, if they
come, he is able to save to the uttermost. He is able to save them
from all those dangers that they fear will prevent their obtaining
of that grace and mercy they would have to help them in time of
need. The publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven.

2. As this text respecteth persons, so it respecteth things. There
are some things with which some are attended that are coming to
God, by Christ, that make their coming hard and very difficult.

(1.) There is a more than ordinary breaking up of the corruptions
of their nature. It seems as if all their lusts and vile passions
of the flesh were become masters, and might now do what they will
with the soul. Yea, they take this man and toss and tumble him like
a ball in a large place. This man is not master of himself, of his
thoughts, nor of his passions--'His iniquities, like the wind, do
carry him away.' (Isa 64:6) He thinks to go forward, but this wind
blows him backward; he laboureth against this wind, but cannot find
that he getteth ground; he takes what advantage opportunity doth
minister to him, but all he gets is to be beat out of heart, out
of breath, out of courage. He stands still, and pants, and gapeth
as for life. 'I opened my mouth, and panted,' said David, 'for I
longed for thy commandments.' (Psa 119:131) He sets forward again,
but has nothing but labour and sorrow.

(2.) Nay, to help forward his calamity, Satan [and his] angels will
not be wanting, both to trouble his head with the fumes of their
stinking breath, nor to throw up his heels in their dirty places--'And
as he was yet a-coming, the devil threw him down and tare him.'
(Luke 9:42) How many strange, hideous, and amazing blasphemies have
those, some of those, that are coming to Christ, had injected and
fixed upon their spirits against him. Nothing so common to such,
as to have some hellish wish or other against God they are coming
to, and against Christ, by whom they would come to him. These
blasphemies are like those frogs that I have heard of, that will
leap up, and catch hold of, and hang by their claws. Now help,
Lord; now, Lord Jesus, what shall I do? Now, Son of David, have
mercy upon me! I say, to say these words is hard work for such an
one. But he is able to save to the uttermost this comer to God by
him.

(3.) There are also the oppositions of sense and reason hard
at work for the devil, against the soul; the men of his own house
are risen up against him. One's sense and reason, one would think,
should not fall in with the devil against ourselves, and yet
nothing more common, nothing more natural, than for our own sense
and reason to turn the unnatural, and are both against our God and
us. And now it is hard coming to God. Better can a man hear and
deal with any objections against himself, than with those that
himself doth make against himself. They lie close, stick fast,
speak aloud, and will be heard; yea, will haunt and hunt him, as
the devil doth some, in every hole and corner. But come, man, come;
for he is able to save to the uttermost!

(4.) Now guilt is the consequence and fruit of all this; and what
so intolerable a burden as guilt! They talk of the stones, and of
the sands of the sea; but it is guilt that breaks the heart with
its burden. And Satan has the art of making the uttermost of every
sin; he can blow it up, make it swell, make every hair of its head
as big as a cedar. He can tell how to make it a heinous offence,
and unpardonable offence, an offence of that continuance, and
committed against so much light, that, says he, it is impossible
it should ever be forgiven. But, soul, Christ is able to save to
the uttermost, he can 'do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think.' (Eph 3:20)

(5.) Join to all this the rage and terror of men, which thing of
itself is sufficient to quash and break to pieces all desires to
come to God by Christ; yea, and it doth do so to thousands that are
not willing to go to hell. Yet thou art kept, and made to go panting
on; a whole world of men, and devils, and sin, are not able to
keep thee from coming. But how comes it to pass that thou art so
hearty, that thou settest thy face against so much wind and weather? I
dare say it arises not from thyself, nor from any of thine enemies.
This comes from God, though thou art not aware thereof; and is
obtained for thee by the intercession of the blessed Son of God,
who is also able to save thee to the uttermost, that comest to God
by him.

(6.) And for a conclusion as to this, I will add, that there is
much of the honour of the Lord Jesus engaged as to the saving of
the coming man to the uttermost: 'I am glorified in them,' saith
he. (John 17:10) He is exalted to be a Saviour. (Acts 5:31) And if
the blessed One doth count it an exaltation to be a Saviour, surely
it is an exaltation to be a Saviour, and a great one. 'They shall
cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send
them a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.' (Isa
19:20) If it is a glory to be a Saviour, a great Saviour, then
it is a glory for a Saviour, a great one, to save, and save, and
save to the uttermost--to the uttermost man, to the uttermost sin,
to the uttermost temptation. And hence it is that he saith again,
speaking of the transgressions, sins, and iniquities that he would
pardon, that it should turn to him for 'a name of joy, a praise,
and an honour before all nations.' (Jer 33:9) He therefore counts
it an honour to be a great Saviour, to save men to the uttermost.

When Moses said, 'I beseech thee, show me thy glory,' the answer
was, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will
proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.' (Exo 33:18,19) And when
he came indeed to make proclamation, then he proclaimed, 'The Lord,
The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant
in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear
the guilty.' (Exo 34:6,7) That will by no means clear them that
will not come to me that they may be saved.

See here, if it is not by himself accounted his glory to make his
goodness, all his goodness, pass before us. And how can that be,
if he saveth not to the uttermost them that come unto God by him?
For goodness is by us noways seen but by those acts by which it
expresseth itself to be so. And, I am sure, to save, to save to
the uttermost, is one of the most eminent expressions by which we
understand it is great goodness. I know goodness has many ways to
express itself to be what it is to the world; but then it expresseth
its greatness when it pardons and saves, when it pardons and saves
to the uttermost. My goodness, says Christ, extends not itself to
my Father, but to my saints. (Psa 16:2,3) My Father has no need
of my goodness, but my saints have, and therefore it shall reach
forth itself for their help, in whom is all my delight. And, 'Oh
how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that
fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men'! (Psa 31:19) It is therefore that which
tendeth to get Christ a name, a fame, and glory, to be able to save
to the uttermost them that come to God by him.

[In Christ's ability to save, lieth our safety.]

But some may say, What is the meaning of this word able? 'Wherefore
he is able to save.' He is able to save the uttermost. How comes it
to pass that his power to save is rather put in than his willingness;
for willingness, saith the soul, would better have pleased me. I
will speak two or three words to this question. And,

First, By this word able is suggested to us the sufficiency of his
merit, the great worthiness of his merit; for, as Intercessor, he
sticks fast by his merit; all his petitions, prayers, or supplications
are grounded upon the worthiness of his person as Mediator, and
on the validity of his offering as priest. This is the more clear,
if you consider the reason why those priests and sacrifices under
the law could not make the worshippers perfect. It was, I say, because
there wanted in them worthiness and merit in their sacrifices. But
this man, when he came and offered his sacrifice, he did by that
one act 'perfect for ever them that are sanctified,' or set apart
for glory. 'But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God.' (Heb 10:1-12)

When Moses prayed for the people of Israel, thus he said, 'And
now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according
as thou hast spoken.' But what had he spoken? 'The Lord is long-suffering,
and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by
no means clearing the guilty--Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity
of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as
thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.' (Num
14:17-19)

Second, Has he but power, we know he is willing, else he would not
have promised; it is also his glory to pardon and save. So, then,
in his ability lies our safety. What if he were never so willing,
if he were not of ability sufficient, what would his willingness
do? But he has showed, as I said, his willingness by promising:
'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' (John 6:37) So
that now our comfort lies in his power, in that he is able to make
good his word. (Rom 4:20,21) And this also will then be seen, when
he hath saved them that come to God by him, when he hath saved them
to the uttermost; not to the uttermost of his ability, but to the
uttermost of our necessity; for to the uttermost of his ability I
believe he will never be put to it to save his church; not for that
he is loath so to save, but because there is no need so to save; he
shall not need to put out all his power, and to press the utmost of
his merit for the saving of his church. Alas! there is sufficiency
of merit in him to save a thousand times as many more as are like
to be saved by him; 'he is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think.'

Measure not, therefore, what he can do by what he has, doth, or
will do; neither do thou interpret this word, to the uttermost,
as if it related to the uttermost of his ability, but rather as it
relateth, for so it doth indeed, to the greatness of thy necessity.
For as he is able to save thee, though thy condition be, as it may
be supposed to be, the worst that ever man was in that was saved,
so he is able to save thee, though thy condition were ten times
worse than it is.

What! shall not the worthiness of the Son of God be sufficient to
save from the sin of man? or shall the sin of the world be of that
weight to destroy, that it shall put Christ Jesus to the uttermost
of the worth of his person and merit to save therefrom? I believe
it is blasphemy to think so. We can easily imagine that he can
save all the world--that is, that he is of ability to do it; but
we cannot imagine that he can do no more than we can think he can.
But our imagination and thoughts set no bound to his ability. 'He
is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.'
But what that is, I say, no man can think, no man can imagine. So,
then, Jesus Christ can do more than ever any man thought he could
do as to saving; he can do we know not what. This, therefore, should
encourage comers to come to him; and them that come, to hope. This,
I say, should encourage them to let out, to lengthen, and heighten
their thoughts by the word, to the uttermost, seeing he can 'save
to the uttermost them that come to God by him.'6

[Inferences from the benefits of Christ's intercession.]

Third. And now I come to the third thing that I told you I should
speak to, and that is, to those inferences that may be gathered
from these words.

1. Are they that are justified by Christ's blood such as have need
yet to be saved by his intercession? Then from hence it follows that
justification will stand with imperfection. It doth not therefore
follow that a justified man is without infirmity; for he that is
without infirmity--that is, perfect with absolute perfection, has
no need to be yet saved by an act yet to be performed by a mediator
and his mediation.

When I say, justification will stand with imperfection, I do
not mean that it will allow, countenance, or approve thereof; but
I mean there is no necessity of our perfection, of our personal
perfection, as to our justification, and that we are justified
without it; yea, that that, in justified persons, remains. Again;
when I say that justification will stand with imperfection, I do
not mean that in our justification we are imperfect; for in that
we are complete; 'we are complete in him' who is our justice. (Col
2:10) If otherwise, the imperfection is in the matter that justifieth
us, which is the righteousness of Christ. Yea, and to say so would
conclude that wrong judgment proceedeth from him that imputeth that
righteousness to us to justification, since an imperfect thing is
imputed to us for justification. But far be it from any that believe
that God is true to imagine such a thing; all his works are perfect,
there is nothing wanting in them as to the present design.

[Quest.] But what then do we mean when we say, justification will
stand with a state of imperfection?

Answ. Why, I mean that justified men are yet sinners in themselves,
are yet full of imperfections; yea, sinful imperfections. Justified
Paul said, 'I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no
good thing.' (Rom 7:18) While we are yet sinners, we are justified
by the blood of Christ. Hence, again, it is said, 'he justifieth
the ungodly.' (Rom 4:5, 5:8,9) Justification, then, only covereth
our sin from the sight of God; it maketh us not perfect with inherent
perfection. But God, for the sake of that righteousness which by
his grace is imputed to us, declareth us quit and discharged from
the curse, and sees sin in us no more to condemnation.

[WHY THE JUSTIFIED NEED AN INTERCESSOR.]

And this is the reason, or one reason, why they that are justified
have need of an intercessor--to wit, to save us from the evil of
the sin that remains in our flesh after we are justified by grace
through Christ, and set free from the law as to condemnation.
Therefore, as it is said, we are saved; so it is said, 'He is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The godly, for now
we will call them the godly, though there is yet abundance of sin
in them, feel in themselves many things even after justification
by which they are convinced they are still attended with personal,
sinful imperfections.

[Imperfect in their feelings and inclinations.]--(1.) They
feel unbelief, fear, mistrust, doubting, despondings, murmurings,
blasphemies, pride, lightness, foolishness, avarice, fleshly lusts,
heartlessness to good, wicked desires, low thoughts of Christ, too
good thoughts of sin, and, at times, too great an itching after
the worst of immoralities.

(2.) They feel in themselves an aptness to incline to errors, as
to lean to the works of the law for justification; to question the
truth of the resurrection and judgment to come; to dissemble and
play the hypocrite in profession and in performance of duties; to
do religious duties rather to please man than God, who trieth the
heart.

(3.) They feel an inclination in them, in times of trial, to faint
under the cross, to seek too much to save themselves, to dissemble
the known truth for the obtaining a little favour with men, and to
speak things that they ought not, that they may sleep in a whole
skin.

(4.) They feel wearisomeness in religious duties, but a natural
propensity to things of the flesh. They feel a desire to go beyond
bounds both at board, and bed, and bodily exercise, and in all
lawful recreation.

(5.) They feel in themselves an aptness to take the advantage of
using of things that are lawful, as food, raiment, sleep, talk,
estates, relations, beauty, wit, parts, and graces, to unlawful
ends. These things, with many more of the like kind, the justified
man finds and feels in himself, to his humbling and often casting
down; and to save him from the destroying evil of these, Christ
ever liveth to make intercession for him.

[Imperfect in their graces.]--Again; the justified man is imperfect
in his graces, and therefore needeth to be saved by the intercession
of Christ from the bad fruit that that imperfection yields.

Justifying righteousness is accompanied with graces--the graces of
the Spirit. Though these graces are not that matter by and through
which we are justified, nor any part thereof, that being only the
obedience of Christ imputed to us of mere pleasure and good will;
but, I say, they come when justification comes. (Rom 9) And though
they are not so easily discerned at the first, they show forth
themselves afterwards. But I say, how many soever they are, and how
fast soever they grow, their utmost arrivement here is but a state
short of perfection. None of the graces of God's Spirit in our
hearts can do their work in us without shortness, and that because
of their own imperfections, and also because of the oppositions
that they meet with from our flesh.

(1.) Faith, which is the root-grace, the grand grace, its shortness
is sufficiently manifest by its shortness of apprehension of things
pertaining to the person, offices, relations, and works of Christ,
now in the heavenly place for us. It is also very defective in its
fetching of comfort from the Word to us, and in continuing of it
with us, when at any time we attain unto it; in its receiving of
strength to subdue sin, and in its purifyings of the heart, though
indeed it doth what it doth in reality, yet how short is it of doing
of it thoroughly? Oftentimes, were it not for supplies by virtue
of the intercession of Christ, faith would fail of performing its
office in any measure. (Luke 22:31,32)

(2.) There is hope, another grace of the Spirit bestowed upon us;
and how often is that also, as to the excellency of working, made
to flag? 'I shall perish,' saith David; 'I am cut off from before
thine eyes,' said he. (Psa 31:22) And now where was his hope, in the
right gospel discovery of it? Also all our fear of men, and fears
of death, and fears of judgment, they arise from the imperfections
of hope. But from all those faults Christ saves us by his intercessions.

(3.) There is love, that should be in us as hot as fire. It is
compared to fire, to fire of the hottest sort; yea, it is said to
be hotter than the coals of juniper. (Cant 8:6,7) But who finds this
heat in love so much as for one poor quarter of an hour together?
Some little flashes, perhaps, some at some times may feel, but where
is that constant burning of affection that the Word, the love of
God, and the love of Christ call for? yea, and that the necessities
of the poor and afflicted members of Christ call for also. Ah! love
is cold in these frozen days, and short when it is at the highest.

(4.) The grace of humility, when is it? who has a thimbleful thereof?
Where is he that is 'clothed with humility,' and that does what he
is commanded 'with all humility of mind'? (1 Peter 5:5, Acts 20:19)

(5.) For zeal, where is that also? Zeal for God against sin,
profaneness, superstition, and idolatry. I speak now to the godly,
who have this zeal in the root and habit; but oh, how little of it
puts forth itself into actions in such a day as this is!

(6.) There is reverence, fear, and standing in awe of God's Word
and judgments, where are the excellent workings thereof to be found?
And where it is most, how far short of perfect acts is it?

(7.) Simplicity and godly sincerity also, with how much dirt is it
mixed in the best; especially among those of the saints that are
rich, who have got the poor and beggarly art of complimenting? For
the more compliment, the less sincerity. Many words will not fill
a bushel. But 'in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin.'
(Prov 10:19) Plain men are thin come up in this day; to find a
mouth without fraud and deceit now is a rare thing. Thus might one
count up all the graces of the Spirit, and show wherein every one
of them are scanty and wanting of perfection. Now look, what they
want of perfection is supplied with sin and vanity; for there is a
fullness of sin and flesh at hand to make up all the vacant places
in our souls. There is no place in the souls of the godly but it
is filled up with darkness when the light is wanting, and with sin
so far forth as grace is wanting. Satan, also, diligently waiteth
to come in at the door, if Careless has left it a little achare.7
But, oh! the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ever liveth to
make intercession for us, and that, by so doing, saves us from all
the imperfect acts and workings of our graces, and from all the
advantages that flesh, and sin, and Satan getteth upon us thereby.

[Imperfect in their Duties.]--Further, as Christ Jesus our Lord doth
save us, by his intercession, from that hurt that would unavoidably
come upon us by these, so also, by that we are saved from the
evil that is at any time found in any or all our holy duties and
performances that is our duty daily to be found in. That our duties
are imperfect, follows upon what was discoursed before; for if our
graces be imperfect, how can our duties but be so too?

(1.) Our prayers, how imperfect are they! With how much unbelief
are they mixed! How apt is our tongue to run, in prayer, before
our hearts! With how much earnestness do our lips move, while our
hearts lie within as cold as a clod! Yea, and ofttimes, it is to
be feared, we ask for that with out mouth that we care not whether
we have or no. Where is the man that pursues with all his might
what but now he seemed to ask for with all his heart? Prayer is
become a shell, a piece of formality, a very empty thing, as to the
spirit and life of prayer at this day. I speak now of the prayers
of the godly. I once met with a poor woman that, in the greatest of
her distresses, told me she did use to rise in the night, in cold
weather, and pray to God, while she sweat with fears of the loss
of her prayers and desires that her soul might be saved. I have
heard of many that have played, but of few that have prayed, till
they have sweat, by reason of their wrestling with God for mercy
in that duty.

(2.) There is the duty of almsgiving, another gospel performance;
but how poorly is it done in our days! We have so many foolish
ways to lay out money, in toys and fools' baubles for our children,
that we can spare none, or very little, for the relief of the poor.
Also, do not many give that to their dogs, yea, let it lie in their
houses until it stinks so vilely that neither dog nor cat will
eat it; which, had it been bestowed well in time, might have been
a succour and nourishment to some poor member of Christ?

(3.) There is hearing of the Word; but, alas! the place of hearing
is the place of sleeping with many a fine professor. I have often
observed that those that keep shops can briskly attend upon a
twopenny customer; but when they come themselves to God's market,
they spend their time too much in letting their thoughts to wander
from God's commandments, or in a nasty drowsy way. The heads,
also, and hearts of most hearers are to the Word as the sieve is
to water; they can hold no sermons, remember no texts, bring home
no proofs, produce none of the sermon to the edification and profit
of others. And do not the best take up too much in hearing, and
mind too little what, by the Word, God calls for at their hands,
to perform it with a good conscience?

(4.) There is faithfulness in callings, faithfulness to brethren,
faithfulness to the world, faithfulness to children, to servants,
to all, according to our place and capacity. Oh! how little of it
is there found in the mouths and lives, to speak nothing of the
hearts, of professors.

I will proceed no further in this kind of repetition of things;
only thus much give me leave to say over again, even many of the
truly godly are very faulty here. But what would they do if there
were not one always at the right hand of God, by intercession,
taking away these kind of iniquities?

2. Are those that are justified by the blood of Christ such, after
that, as have need also of saving by Christ's intercession? From
hence, then, we may infer, that as sin, so Satan will not give over
from assaulting the best of the saints.

It is not justification that can secure us from being assaulted
by Satan: 'Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you.' (Luke
22:31,32) There are two things that do encourage the devil to set
upon the people of God:--

(1.) He knows not who are elect; for all that profess are not, and,
therefore, he will make trial, if he can get them into his sieve,
whether he can cause them to perish. And great success he hath had
this way. Many a brave professor has he overcome; he has cast some
of the stars from heaven to earth; he picked one out from among the
apostles, and one, as it is thought, from among the seven deacons,8
and many from among Christ's disciples; but how many, think you,
nowadays, doth he utterly destroy with his net?

(2.) If it so happeneth that he cannot destroy, because Christ, by
his intercession, prevaileth, yet will he set upon the church to
defile and afflict it. For (a), If he can but get us to fall, with
Peter, then he has obtained that dishonour be brought to God, the
weak to be stumbled, the world offended, and the gospel vilified
and reproached. Or (b), If he cannot throw up our heels, yet, by
buffeting of us, he can grieve us, afflict us, put us to pain, fright
us, drive us to many doubts, and make our life very uncomfortable unto
us, and make us go groaning to our Father's house. But blessed be
God for his Christ, and for that 'he ever liveth to make intercession
for us.'

3. Are those that are justified by the blood of Christ such as,
after that, have need to be saved by Christ's intercession? Then,
hence I infer that it is dangerous going about anything in our own
name and strength. If we would have helps from the intercession of
Christ, let us have a care that we do what we do according to the
word of Christ. Do what he bids us as well as we can, as he bids
us, and then we need not doubt to have help and salvation in those
duties by the intercession of Christ. 'Do all,' says the apostle,
'in the name of the Lord Jesus.' (Col 3:17) Oh, but then the devil
and the world will be most of all offended! Well, well, but if you
do nothing but as in his fear, by his Word, in his name, you may
be sure of what help his intercession can afford you, and that can
afford you much help, not only to begin, but to go through with
your work in some good measure, as you should; and by that also you
shall be secured from those dangers, if not temptations to dangers,
that those that go out about business in their own names and strength
shall be sure to meet withal.

4. Are those that are justified by the blood of Christ such as,
after that, have need of being saved by Christ's intercession? Then,
hence I infer again, that God has a great dislike of the sins of
his own people, and would fall upon them in judgment and anger much
more severely than he doth, were it not for Christ's intercession.
The gospel is not, as some think, a loose and licentious doctrine,
nor God's discipline of his church a negligent and careless discipline;
for, though those that believe already have also an intercessor,
yet God, to show his detestation against sin, doth often make them
feel to purpose the weight of his fingers. The sincere, that fain
would walk oft with God, have felt what I say, and that to the
breaking of their bones full oft. The loose ones, and those that
God loves not, may be utter strangers as to this; but those that
are his own indeed do know it is otherwise.9

'You only have I known' above all others, says God, 'therefore I
will punish you for all your iniquities.' (Amos 3:2) God keeps a
very strict house among his children. David found it so, Haman found
it so, Job found it so, and the church of God found it so; and I
know not that his mind is ever the less against sin, notwithstanding
we have an Intercessor. True, our Intercessor saves us from damning
evils, from damning judgments; but he neither doth nor will secure
us from temporal punishment, from spiritual punishment, unless we
watch, deny ourselves, and walk in his fear. I would to God that
those who are otherwise minded did but feel, for three or four
months, something of what I have felt for several years together
for base sinful thoughts! I wish it, I say, if it might be for
their good, and for the better regulating of their understandings.
But whether they obtain my wish or no, sure I am that God is no
countenancer of sin; no, not in his own people; nay, he will bear
it least of all in them. And as for others, however he may for
a while have patience towards them, if, perhaps, his goodness may
lead them to repentance; yet the day is coming when he will pay the
carnal and hypocrites' home with devouring fire for their offences.

But if our holy God will not let us go altogether unpunished,
though we have so able and blessed an Intercessor, that has always
to present God with, on our behalf, so valuable a price of his own
blood, now before the throne of grace, what should we have done
if there had been no day's-man, none to plead for us, or to make
intercession on our behalf? Read that text, 'For I am with thee,
saith the Lord, to save thee; though I make a full end of all
nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full
end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave
thee altogether unpunished.' (Jer 30:11) If it be so, I say, what
had become of us, if we had had no Intercessor? And what will
become of them concerning whom the Lord has said already, 'I will
not take up their names into my lips'? (Psa 16:4) 'I pray not for
the world.' (John 17:9)

5. Are those that are already justified by the blood of Christ yet
such as have need of being saved by his intercession? Then, hence,
I infer that Christ is not only the beginner, but the completer
of our salvation; or, as the Holy Ghost calls him, 'the author and
finisher of our faith,' (Heb 12:2); or, as it calls him again, 'the
author of eternal salvation.' (Heb 5:9) Of salvation throughout,
from the beginning to the end, from first to last. His hands have
laid the foundation of it in his own blood, and his hands shall
finish it by his intercession. (Zech 4:9) As he has laid the beginning
fastly, so he shall bring forth the headstones with shoutings, and
we shall cry, Grace, grace, at the last, salvation only belongeth
to the Lord. (Zech 4:7, Psa 3:8, Isa 43:11)

Many there be that begin with grace, and end with works, and
think THAT is the only way. Indeed works will save from temporal
punishments, when their imperfections are purged from them by the
intercession of Christ; but to be saved and brought to glory, to
be carried through this dangerous world, from my first moving after
Christ till I set my foot within the gates of paradise, this is the
work of my Mediator, of my high priest and intercessor; it is he
that fetches us again when we are run away; it is he that lifteth
us up when the devil and sin has thrown us down; it is he that
quickeneth us when we grow cold; it is he that comforteth us when
we despair; it is he that obtains fresh pardon when we have contracted
sin; and he that purges our consciences when they are loaden with
guilt. (Eze 34:16, Psa 145:14)

I know also, that rewards do wait for them in heaven that do believe
in Christ, and shall do well on earth; but this is not a reward of
merit, but of grace. We are saved by Christ; brought to glory by
Christ; and all our works are no otherwise made acceptable to God
but by the person and personal excellencies and works of Christ;
therefore, whatever the jewels are, and the bracelets, and the
pearls, that thou shalt be adorned with as a reward of service done
to God in the world, for them thou must thank Christ, and, before
all, confess that he was the meritorious cause thereof. (1 Peter
2:5, Heb 13:15) He saves us, and saves our services too. (Rev 5:9-14)
They would be all cast back as dung in our faces, were they not
rinsed and washed in the blood, were they not sweetened and perfumed
in the incense, and conveyed to God himself through the white hand
of Jesus Christ; for that is his golden-censer; from thence ascends
the smoke that is in the nostrils of God of such a sweet savour.
(Rev 7:12-14, 8:3,4)

6. Are those that are already justified by the blood of Christ,
such as do still stand in need of being saved by his intercession?
Then hence I infer again, that we that have been saved hitherto,
and preserved from the dangers that we have met with since our
first conversion to this moment, should ascribe the glory to Jesus
Christ, to God by Jesus Christ. 'I have prayed that thy faith fail
not: I pray that thou wouldest keep them from the evil,' is the
true cause of our standing, and of our continuing in the faith and
holy profession of the gospel to this very day. Wherefore we must
give the glory of all to God by Christ: 'I will not trust in my
bow,' said David, 'neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast
saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated
us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.
Selah'! 'He always causeth us to triumph in Christ.' 'We rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.' (Psa 44:6-8,
2 Cor 2:14, Phil 3:3) Thus you see that, both in the Old and
New Testament, all the glory is given to the Lord, as well for
preservation to heaven as for justification of life. And he that
is well acquainted with himself will do this readily; though light
heads, and such as are not acquainted with the desperate evil that
is in their natures, will sacrifice to their own net. But such will
so sacrifice but a while. Sir Death is coming, and he will put them
into the view of what they see not now, and will feed sweetly upon
them, because they made not the Lord their trust. And therefore,
ascribe thou the glory of the preservation of thy soul in the faith
hitherto, to that salvation which Christ Jesus our Lord obtaineth
for thee by his intercession.

7. Are those that are already justified by the blood of Christ such
as do still stand in need of being saved by his intercession? Then
is this also to be inferred from hence, that saints should look to
him for that saving that they shall yet have need of betwixt this
and the day of their dissolution; yea, from henceforward, even to
the day of judgment. I say, they should still look to him for the
remaining part of their salvation, or for that of their salvation
which is yet behind; and let them look for it with confidence, for
that it is in a faithful hand; and for thy encouragement to look and
hope for the completing of thy salvation in glory, let me present
thee with a few things--

(1.) The hardest or worst part of the work of thy Saviour is over;
his bloody work, his bearing of thy sin and curse, his loss of the
light of his Father's face for a time; his dying upon the cursed
tree, that was the worst, the sorest, the hardest, and most difficult
part of the work of redemption; and yet this he did willingly,
cheerfully, and without thy desires; yea, this he did, as considering
those for whom he did it in a state of rebellion and enmity to him.

(2.) Consider, also, that he has made a beginning with thy soul
to reconcile thee to God, and to that end has bestowed his justice
upon thee, put his Spirit within thee, and began to make the
unweldable mountain and rock,10 thy heart, to turn towards him,
and desire after him; to believe in him, and rejoice in him.

(3.) Consider, also, that some comfortable pledges of his love
thou hast already received, namely, as to feel the sweetness of
his love, as to see the light of his countenance, as to be made to
know his power in raising of thee when thou wast down, and how he
has made thee stand, while hell has been pushing at thee, utterly
to overthrow thee.

(4.) Thou mayest consider, also, that what remains behind of the
work of thy salvation in his hands, as it is the most easy part,
so the most comfortable, and that part which will more immediately
issue in his glory, and therefore he will mind it.

(5.) That which is behind is also more safe in his hand than if
it were in thine own; he is wise, he is powerful, he is faithful,
and therefore will manage that part that is lacking to our salvation
well, until he has completed it. It is his love to thee that has
made him that 'he putteth no trust in thee'; he knows that he can
himself bring thee to his kingdom most surely; and therefore has
not left that work to thee, no, not any part thereof. (Job 5:18,
15:15)

Live in hope, then, in a lively hope, that since Christ is risen
from the dead, he lives to make intercession for thee, and that
thou shalt reap the blessed benefit of this twofold salvation that
is wrought, and that is working out for thee, by Jesus Christ our
Lord. And thus have we treated of the benefit of his intercession,
in that he is able to save to the uttermost. And this leads me to
the third particular.

[III. THE PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.]

THIRD, The third particular is to show WHO ARE THE PERSONS INTERESTED
IN THIS INTERCESSION OF CHRIST; and they are those that come to
God by him. The words are very concise, and distinctly laid down;
they are they that come, that come to God, that come to God by him.
'Wherefore he is able also to save them, to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them.'

[Of coming to God by Christ.]--A little, first, to comment upon
the order of the words, 'that come unto God by him.'

There are that come unto God, but not 'by him'; and these are not
included in this text, have not a share in this privilege. Thus the
Jews came to God, the unbelieving Jews, 'who had a zeal of God, but
not according to knowledge.' (Rom 9:30-34, 10:1-4) These submitted
not to Christ, the righteousness of God, but thought to come to
him by works of their own, or at least, as it were, by them, and
so came short of salvation by grace, for that reigns to salvation
only in Christ. To these Christ's person and undertaking were a
stumbling stone; for at him they stumbled, and did split themselves
to pieces, though they indeed were such as came to God for life.

As there are that come to God, but not by Christ, so there are that
come to Christ, but not to God by him:11 of this sort are they, who
hearing that Christ is Saviour, therefore come to him for pardon,
but cannot abide to come to God by him, for that he is holy, and
so will snub their lusts, and will change their hearts and natures.
Mind me what I say. There are a great many that would be saved
by Christ, but love not to be sanctified by God through him. These
make a stop at Christ, and will go no further. Might such have
pardon, they care not whether ever they went to heaven or no. Of
this kind of coming to Christ I think it is, of which he warneth
his disciples when he saith, 'In that day ye shall ask me nothing.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in my name, he will give it you.' (John 16:23) As who should say,
when you ask for anything, make not a stop at me, but come to
my Father by me; for they that come to me, and not to my Father,
through me, will have nothing of what they come for. Righteousness
shall be imputed to us, 'if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead.' (Rom 4:24,25) To come to Christ for
a benefit, and stop there, and not come to God by him, prevaileth
nothing. Here the mother of Zebedee's children erred; and about
this it was that the Lord Jesus cautioned her. Lord, saith she,
'Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand,
and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.' But what is the answer
of Christ? 'To sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to
give, but for whom it is prepared of my Father.' (Matt 20:21-23)
As who should say, Woman, of myself I do nothing, my Father worketh
with me. Go therefore to him by me, for I am the way to him; what
thou canst obtain of him by me thou shalt have; that is to say,
what of the things that pertain to eternal life, whether pardon or
glory.

It is true, the Son has power to give pardon and glory, but he
gives it not by himself, but by and according to the will of his
Father. (Matt 9:6, John 17:22) They, therefore, that come to him
for an eternal good, and look not to the Father by him, come short
thereof; I mean, now, pardon and glory. And hence, though it be
said the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins--to wit,
to show the certainty of his Godhead, and of the excellency of his
mediation; yet forgiveness of sin is said to lie more particularly
in the hand of the Father, and that God for Christ's sake forgiveth
us. (Eph 4:32)

The Father, as we see, will not forgive unless we come to him by
the Son. Why, then, should we conceit that the Son will forgive
these that come not to the Father by him?

So then, justifying righteousness is in the Son, and with him also
is intercession; but forgiveness is with the Father; yea, the gift
of the Holy Ghost, yea, and the power of imputing of the righteousness
of Christ is yet in the hand of the Father. Hence Christ prays
to the Father to forgive, prays to the Father to send the Spirit,
and it is God that imputeth righteousness to justification to us.
(Luke 23:34, John 14:16, Rom 4:6) The Father, then, doth nothing
but for the sake of and through the Son; the Son also doth nothing
derogating from the glory of the Father. But it would be a derogation
to the glory of the Father if the Son should grant to save them
that come not to the Father by him; wherefore you that cry Christ,
Christ, delighting yourselves in the thoughts of forgiveness, but
care not to come by Christ to the Father for it, you are not at all
concerned in this blessed text, for he only saves by his intercession
them that come to God by him.

There are three sorts of people that may be said to come to Christ,
but not to God by him.

1. They whose utmost design in coming is only that guilt and fear
of damning may be removed from them. And there are three signs of
such an one--(1.) He that takes up in a belief of pardon, and so
goes on in his course of carnality as he did before. (2.) He whose
comfort in the belief of pardon standeth alone, without other
fruits of the Holy Ghost. (3.) He that, having been washed, can
be content to tumble in the mire, as the sow again, or as the dog
that did spue to lick up his vomit again.

2. They may be said to come to Christ, but not to God by him, who
do pick and choose doctrines, itching only after that which sounds
of grace,12 but secretly abhorring of that which presseth to moral
goodness. These did never see God, what notions soever they may
have of the Lord Jesus, and of forgiveness from him. (Matt 5:8)

3. They surely did never come to God by Christ, however they may
boast of the grace of Christ, that will from the freeness of gospel
grace plead an indulgence for sin.

[Manner of coming to God.]--And now to speak a few words of coming
to God, or coming as the text intends. And in speaking to this, I
must touch upon two things--1. Concerning God. 2. Concerning the
frame of the heart of him that comes to him.

1. Of God. God is the chief good. Good so as nothing is but himself.
He is in himself most happy; yea, all good; and all true happiness
is only to be found in God, as that which is essential to his nature;
nor is there any good or any happiness in or with any creature
or thing but what is communicated to it by God. God is the only
desirable good, nothing without him is worthy of our hearts. Right
thoughts of God are able to ravish the heart; how much more happy
is the man that has interest in God. God alone is able by himself to
put the soul into a more blessed, comfortable, and happy condition
than can the whole world; yea, and more than if all the created
happiness of all the angels of heaven did dwell in one man's bosom.
God is the upholder of all creatures, and whatever they have that
is a suitable good to their kind, it is from God; by God all things
have their subsistence, and all the good that they enjoy. I cannot
tell what to say; I am drowned! The life, the glory, the blessedness,
the soul-satisfying goodness that is in God is beyond all expression.

2. Now there must be in us something of a suitableness of spirit
to this God before we can be willing to come to him.

Before, therefore, God has been with a man, and has left some
impression of his glory upon him, that man cannot be willing to
come to him aright. Hence it is said concerning Abraham, that, in
order to his coming to God, and following of him aright, the Lord
himself did show himself unto him--'Men, brethren, and fathers,
hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when
he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto
him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come
into the land which I shall show thee.' (Acts 7:2,3, Gen 12:1)

It was this God of glory, the sight and visions of this God
of glory, that provoked Abraham to leave his country and kindred
to come after God. The reason why men are so careless of, and
so indifferent about, their coming to God, is because they have
their eyes blinded, because they do not perceive his glory. God is
so blessed a one, that did he not hide himself and his glory, the
whole world would be ravished with him. But he has, I will not
say reasons of state, but reasons of glory, glorious reasons why
he hideth himself from the world, and appeareth but to particular
ones. Now by his thus appearing to Abraham, down fell Abraham's
vanity, and his idolatrous fancies and affections, and his heart
began to turn unto God, for that there was in this appearance an
alluring and soul-instructing voice. Hence that which Moses calls
here an appearing, Christ calls a hearing, and a teaching, and a
learning--'It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught
of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of
the Father, cometh unto me,' that is, to God by me. But, I say, what
must they hear and learn of the Father but that Christ is the way
to glory, the way to the God of glory. This is a drawing doctrine;
wherefore that which in this verse is called teaching and learning,
is called, in the verse before, the drawing of the Father--'No
man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him';
that is, with powerful proposals, and alluring conclusions, and
heart-subduing influences. (John 6:44,45)

Having thus touched upon this, we will now proceed to show you
what kind of people they are that come to God by Christ; and then
shall draw some inferences from this also.

[Who are the people that come to Christ.]

There are, therefore, three sorts of people that come to God
by Christ. First, Men newly awakened. Second, Men turned from
backsliding. Third, The sincere and upright man.

[Of the newly awakened coming to Christ.]

First, Men newly awakened. By awakened, I mean awakened thoroughly.
So awakened as to be made to see themselves, what they are; the
world, what it is; the law, what it is; hell, what it is; death,
what it is; Christ, what he is; and God, what he is; and also what
judgment is.

A man that will come to God by Christ aright must needs, precedent
to his so coming, have a competent knowledge of things of this
kind.

1. He must know himself, what a wretched and miserable sinner he
is, before he will take one step forward in order to his coming
to God by Christ. This is plain from a great many scriptures; as
that of the parable of the prodigal, (Luke 15); that of the three
thousand, (Acts 2); that of the jailer, (Acts 16), and those of
many more besides. The whole have no need of the physician. They
were not the sound and whole, but the lame and diseased that came
to him to be cured of their infirmities; and it is not the righteous,
but the sinners that do well know themselves to be such, that come
to God by Christ.

It is not in the power of all the men on earth to make one man come
to God by Christ, because it is not in their power to make men see
their state by nature. And what should a man come to God for, that
can live in the world without him? Reason says so, experience says
so, the Scripture beareth witness that so it is of a truth. It is
a sight of what I am that must unroost me, that must shake my soul,
and make me leave my present rest. No man comes to God by Christ
but he that knows himself, and what sin hath done to him; that is
the first. (Job 21:7-15)

2. As he must know himself, and what a wretch he is, so he must
know the world, and what an empty thing it is. Cain did see himself,
but saw not the emptiness of this world; and therefore instead of
going to God by Christ, he went to the world, and there did take
up to his dying day. (Gen 4:16) The world is a great snare to the
soul, even to the souls of awakened sinners, by reason of its big
looks, and the fair promises that it makes to those that will please
to entertain it. It will also make as though it could do as much
to the quieting of the spirit as either sermon, Bible, or preacher.
Yea, and it has its followers ready at its heels continually to blow
its applause abroad, saying, 'Who will show us any [other] good?'
(Psa 4:6) and though 'this their way is their folly: yet their
posterity approve their sayings.' (Psa 49:13) So that unless a man,
under some awakenings, sees the emptiness of the world, he will
take up in the good things thereof, and not come to God by Christ.
Many there be now in hell that can seal to this for truth. It was
the world that took awakened Cain, awakened Judas, awakened Demas.
Yea, Balaam, though he had some kind of visions of God, yet was kept
by the world from coming to him aright. See with what earnestness
the young man in the gospel came to Jesus Christ, and that for
eternal life. He ran to him, he kneeled down to him, and asked, and
that before a multitude, 'Good master, what shall I do that I may
inherit eternal life?' (Mark 10:17-24) And yet when he was told he
could not come, the world soon stepped betwixt that life and him,
and persuaded him to take up in itself; and so, for aught we know,
he never looked after life more.

There are four things in the world that have a tendency to lull an
awakened man asleep, if God also makes him not afraid of the world.

(1.) There is the bustle and cumber of the world, that will call
a man off from looking after the salvation of his soul. This is
intimated by the parable of the thorny ground. (Luke 8:14) Worldly
cumber is a devilish thing; it will hurry a man from his bed without
prayer; to a sermon, and from it again, without prayer; it will
choke prayer, it will choke the Word, it will choke convictions,
it will choke the soul, and cause that awakening shall be to no
saving purpose.

(2.) There is the friendship of this world, to which, if a man is
not mortified, there is no coming for him to God by Christ. And a
man can never be mortified to it unless he shall see the emptiness
and vanity of it. Whosoever makes himself a friend of this world
is the enemy of God. And how, then, can he come to him by Christ?
(James 4:4)

(3.) There are the terrors of the world, if a man stands in fear
of them, he also will not come to God by Christ. The fear of man
brings a snare. How many have, in all ages, been kept from coming
to God aright by the terrors of the world? Yea, how many are there
to one's thinking have almost got to the gates of heaven, and have
been scared and driven quite back again by nothing but the terrors
of this world? This is that which Christ so cautioneth his disciples
about, for he knew it was a deadly thing. Peter also bids the
saints beware of this as of a thing very destructive. (Luke 12:4-6,
1 Peter 3:14,15)

(4.) There is also the glory of the world, an absolute hindrance
to convictions and awakenings, to wit, honours, and greatness,
and preferments: 'How can ye believe,' said Christ, 'which receive
honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from
God only.' (John 5:44) If therefore a man is not in his affections
crucified to these, it will keep him from coming to God aright.

3. As a man must know himself, how vile he is, and know the world,
how empty it is, so he must know the law, how severe it is; else
he will not come to God by Jesus Christ our Lord.

A man that is under awakenings, is under a double danger of falling
short of coming to God by Christ. If he knows not the severity of
the law, he is either in danger of slighting its penalty, or of
seeking to make amends to it by doing of good works; and nothing
can keep him from splitting his soul upon one of these two rocks,
but a sound knowledge of the severity of the law.

(1.) He is in danger of slighting the penalty. This is seen by the
practice of all the profane in the world. Do they not know the law?
Verily, many of them can say the Ten Commandments without book.
But they do not know the severity of the law; and therefore when
at any time awakenings come upon their consciences, they strive
to drive away the guilt of one sin, by wallowing in the filth of
another.

But would they do thus if they knew the severity of the law?
they would as soon eat fire. The severity of the law would be an
intolerable, insupportable burden to their consciences; it would
drive them, and make them fly for refuge, to lay hold on the hope
set before them.

(2.) Or if he slights not the penalty, he will seek to make amends
to it by doing of good works for the sins he has committed. This
is manifest by the practice of the Jews and Turks, and all that
swerve on that hand--to wit, to seek life and happiness by the law.
Paul also was here before he meet with Jesus in the way. This is
natural to consciences that are awakened, unless also they have given
to them to see the true severity of the law; the which that thou
mayest do, if my mite will help, I will cast in for thy conviction
these four things--

(a.) The law charges thee with its curse, as well for the pollution
of thy nature, as for the defilements of thy life; yea, and if
thou hadst never committed sinful act, thy pollution of nature must
stand in thy way to life, if thou comest not to God for mercy by
Christ.

(b.) The law takes notice of, and chargeth thee with its curse,
as well for sinful thoughts as for vile and sinful actions. 'The
[very] thought of foolishness is sin,' (Prov 24:9), though it never
breaks out into act, and will as surely merit the damnation of the
soul as will the greatest transgression in the world.

(c.) If now thou couldst keep all the commandments, that will do
thee no good at all, because thou hast sinned first: 'The soul that
sinneth shall die.' Unless, then, thou canst endure the curse, and
so in a legal way overcome it for the sins that thou hast committed,
thou art gone, if thou comest not to God by Christ for mercy and
pardon.

(d.) And never think of repentance, thereby to stop the mouth of
the law; for the law calleth not for repentance, but life; nor will
it accept of any, shouldst thou mourn and weep for thy sins till
thou hast made a sea of blood with tears. This, I say, thou must
know, or thou wilt not come to God by Christ for life. For the
knowledge of this will cause that thou shalt neither slight the
severity of the law, nor trust to the works thereof for life. Now,
when thou doest neither of these, thou canst not but speed thee to
God by Christ for life; for now thou hast no stay; pleasures are
gone, all hope in thyself is gone. Thou now diest, and that is the
way to love; for this inward death is, or feels like, a hunger-bitten
stomach, that cannot but crave and gape for meat and drink. Now it
will be as possible for thee to sleep with thy finger in the fire,
as to forbear craving of mercy so long as this knowledge remains.

4. As a man must know himself, the emptiness of this world, and
the law, so it is necessary for him to know that there is a hell,
and how insupportable the torments of it are; for all threatenings,
curses, and determinations to punish in the next world will prove
but fictions and scarecrows, if there be no woeful place, no woeful
state, for the sinner to receive his wages in for sin, when his days
are ended in this world. Wherefore, this word 'saved' supposeth
such a place and state. He is able to save from hell, from the
woeful place, from the woeful state of hell, them that come unto
God by him.

Christ, therefore, often insinuated the truth of a hell in his
invitations to the sinners of this world to come to him; as where
he tells them they shall be saved if they do, they shall be damned
if they do not. As if he had said, there is a hell, a terrible
hell, and they that come to me I will save them from it; but they
that come not, the law will damn them in it. Therefore, that thou
mayest indeed come to God by Christ for mercy, believe there is a
hell, a woeful, terrible place. Hell is God's creature, 'he hath
made it deep and large'! The punishments are by the lashes of his
wrath, which will issue from his mouth like a stream of burning
brimstone, ever kindling itself upon the soul. (Isa 30:33) Thou
must know this by the Word, and fly from it, or thou shalt know it
by thy sins, and lie and cry in it.

I might enlarge, but if I did, I should be swallowed up; for we
are while here no more able to set forth the torments of hell, than
we are whole here to set forth the joys of heaven; only this may,
and ought to be said, that God is able, as to save, so to cast into
hell. (Luke 12:5) And as he is able to make heaven sweet, good,
pleasurable, and glorious beyond thought; so he is able to make the
torments of hell so exquisite, so hot, so sharp, so intolerable,
that no tongue can utter it, no, not the damned in hell themselves.
(Isa 64:4) If thou lovest thy soul, slight not the knowledge of hell,
for that, with the law, are the spurs which Christ useth to prick
souls forward to himself withal. What is the cause that sinners can
play so delightfully with sin? It is for that they forget there is
a hell for them to descend into for their so doing, when they go
out of this world. For here usually he gives our stop to a sinful
course; we perceive that hell hath opened her mouth before us. Lest
thou shouldst forget, I beseech thee, another time, to retain the
knowledge of hell in thine understanding, and apply the burning-hot
thoughts thereof to thy conscience; this is one way to make thee
gather up thy heels, and mend thy pace in thy coming to Jesus
Christ, and to God the Father by him.13

5. It is also necessary that he that cometh to God by the Lord Jesus,
should know what death is, and the uncertainty of its approaches
upon us. Death is, as I may call it, the feller, the cutter down.
Death is that that puts a stop to a further living here, and that
which lays man where judgment finds him. If he is in the faith in
Jesus, it lays him down there to sleep till the Lord comes; if he
be not in the faith, it lays him down in his sins till the Lord
comes. (Heb 11:13, 1 Thess 4:14, Job 20:11) Again; if thou hast
some beginnings that look like good, and death should overtake thee
before those beginnings are ripe, thy fruit will wither, and thou
wilt fall short of being gathered into God's barn. Some men are
'cut off as the tops of the ears of corn,' and some are even nipped
by death in the very bud of their spring; but the safety is when
a man is ripe, and shall be gathered to his grave, as a shock of
corn to the barn in its season. (Job 24:20-24, 5:26)

Now if death should surprise and seize thee before thou art fit
to die, all is lost; for there is no repentance in the grave, or
rather, as the wise man has it, 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.' (Eccl
9:10)

Death is God's sergeant, God's bailiff, and he arrests in God's
name when he comes, but seldom gives warning before he clappeth us
on the shoulder; and when he arrests us, though he may stay a little
while, and give us leave to pant, and tumble, and toss ourselves
for a while upon a bed of languishing, yet at last he will prick
our bladder, and let out our life, and then our soul will be poured
upon the ground, yea, into hell, if we are not ready and prepared
for the life everlasting. He that doth not watch for, and is not
afraid lest death should prevent him, will not make haste to God
by Christ. What Job said of temporal afflictions, such an one will
death be if thou art not aware--'When I looked for good, then evil
came--The days of affliction prevented me.' (Job 30:26,27) If thou
lookest, or beginnest to look for good, and the day of death shall
cut thee off before thou hast found that good thou lookest for,
all is lost, soul, and life, and heaven, and all. Wherefore it
is convenient that thou conclude the grave is thy house, and that
thou make thy bed once a day in the grave; also that thou say unto
corruption, 'Thou art my father; to the worm, thou art my mother
and my sister.' (Job 17:13,14) I say, be acquainted with the grave
and death. The fool puts the evil day far away, but the wise man
brings it nigh. Better be ready to die seven years before death
comes, than want one day, one hour, one moment, one tear, one
sorrowful sigh at the remembrance of the ill-spent life that I have
lived. This, then, is that which I admonish thee of; namely, that
thou know death, what it is, what it doth when it comes. Also, that
thou consider well of the danger that death leaves that man in, to
whom he comes before he is ready and prepared to be laid by it in
the grave.

6. Thou must also be made by thy awakenings to see what Christ
is. This is of absolute necessity; for how can or shall a man be
willing to come to Christ that knows not what he is, what God has
appointed him to do? He is the Saviour, every man will say so; but
to sense, smell, and taste, what saving is, and so to understand
the nature of the office and work of a Saviour, is a rare thing,
kept close from most, known but by some. Jesus of Nazareth is the
Saviour or the reconciler of men to God in the body of his flesh
through death. (Col 1:19-21) This is he whose business in coming
from heaven to earth was to save his people from their sins. Now,
as was said, to know how he doth this, is that which is needful to
be inquired into; for some say he doth it one way, some, he doth it
another; and it must be remembered that we are now speaking of the
salvation of that man that from new or first awakenings, is coming
to God by Christ for life. (1.) Some say he doth it, by giving of
us precepts and laws to keep, that we might be justified thereby.
(2.) Some say that he doth it, by setting himself a pattern for us
to follow him.(3.) Some again hold, that he doth it by our following
the light within.

But thou must take heed of all these, for he justifies us by none
of these means, and thou dost need to be justified. I say, he
justifieth us, not either by giving laws unto us, or by becoming our
example, or by our following of him in any sense, but by his blood
shed for us. His blood is not laws, nor ordinances, nor commandments,
but a price, a redeeming price. (Rom 5:7-9, Rev 1:5) He justifies
us by bestowing upon us, not by expecting from us; he justifies us
by his grace, not by our works. (Eph 1:7) In a word, thou must be
well grounded in the knowledge of what Christ is, and how men are
justified by him, or thou wilt not come unto God by him.

As thou must know him, and how men are justified by him, so thou
must know the readiness that is in him to receive and to do for
those what they need that come unto God by him. Suppose his merits
were never so efficacious, yet if it could be proved that there is
a loathness in him that these merits should be bestowed upon the
coming ones, there would but few adventure to wait upon him. But
now, as he is full, he is free. Nothing pleases him better than to
give what he has away; than to bestow it upon the poor and needy.
And it will be convenient that thou who art a coming soul shouldst
know this for thy comfort to encourage thee to come to God by him.
Take two or three sayings of his, for the confirming of what is
now said. 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.' (Matt 11:28) 'All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out.' (John 6:37) 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance.' (Mark 2:17) 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief.' (1 Tim 1:15)

7. As a man that would come to God by Christ must, antecedent to
his so coming, know himself, what he is; the world, how empty it
is; the law, how severe it is; death, and what it is; and Christ,
and what he is; so also he must know God. 'He that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.' (Heb 11:6) God must be known, else how can
the sinner propound him as his end, his ultimate end? For so doth
every one that indeed doth come to Christ aright; he comes to Christ
because he is the way; he comes to God because he is the end. But,
I say, if he knows him not, how can he propound him as the end? The
end is that for the sake of which I propound to myself anything,
and for the sake of which I use any means. Now, then, I would be
saved; but why? Even because I would enjoy God. I use the means
to be saved; and why? Because I would enjoy God. I am sensible that
sin has made me come short of the glory of God, and that Christ Jesus
is he, the only he, that can put me into a condition of obtaining
the glory of God; and, therefore, I come to God by him. (Rom 3:23,
5:1,2)

But, I say again, who will propound God for his end that knows him
not, that knows him not aright? yea, that knows him not, to be worth
being propounded as my end in coming to Jesus Christ; and he that
thus knows him must know him to be above all, best of all, and him
in whom the soul shall find that content, that bliss, that glory
and happiness that can by no means be found elsewhere. And, I
say, if this be not found in God, the soul will never propound him
to itself as the only, highest, and ultimate end in its coming to
Jesus Christ. But it will propound something else, even what it
shall imagine to be the best good; perhaps heaven, perhaps ease
from guilt, perhaps to be kept out of hell, or the like. I do not
say but a man may propound all these to himself, in his coming
to Jesus Christ; but if he propound these as his ultimate end, as
the chiefest good that he seeks; if the presence and enjoyment of
God, of God's glorious majesty, be not his chief design, he is not
concerned in the salvation that is propounded in our text--'He is
able,' and so will 'save to the uttermost them that come unto God
by him.'

What is heaven without God? what is ease without the peace and
enjoyment of God? what is deliverance from hell without the enjoyment
of God? The propounding, therefore, these, and only these, to thyself
for thy happiness in thy coming to Jesus Christ is a proposal not
a hair's breadth higher than what a man without grace can propound.
What or who is he that would not go to heaven? What or who is he
that would not also have ease from the guilt of sin? And where is
the man that chooseth to go to hell? But many there be that cannot
abide God; no, they like not to go to heaven, because God is
there. If the devil had a heaven to bestow upon men, a vicious and
a beastly heaven, if it be lawful thus to speak, I durst pawn my
soul upon it, were it a thousand times better than it is, that,
upon a bare invitation, the foul fiend would have twenty to God's
one. They, I say, cannot abide God; nay, for all, the devil has
nothing but a hell for them; yet how thick men go to him, but how
thinly to God Almighty. The nature of God lieth cross to the lusts
of men. A holy God, a glorious holy God, an infinitely holy God,
this spoils all. But to the soul that is awakened, and that is made
to see things as they are; to him God is what he is in himself,
the blessed, the highest, the only eternal good, and he without the
enjoyment of whom all things would sound but emptily in the ears
of that soul.

Now, then, I advise thee that hast a mind to come to God by Christ,
that thou seek the knowledge of God--'If thou seekest wisdom as
silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou
understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.'
(Prov 2:4,5) And to encourage thee yet further, he is so desirous
of communion with men, that he pardoneth sins for that. Hence
he is called not only loving, but love. 'God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.' (1 John 4:16)

Methinks, when I consider what glory there is at times upon the
creatures, and that all their glory is the workmanship of God; O
Lord, say I, what is God himself? He may well be called the God of
glory, as well as the glorious Lord; for as all glory is from him,
so in him is an inconceivable well-spring of glory, of glory to
be communicated to them that come by Christ to him. Wherefore, let
the glory, and love, and bliss, and eternal happiness that is in
God allure thee to come to him by Christ.

8. As thou shouldst, nay, must, have a good knowledge of all these,
so thou must have it of judgment to come. They that come to God
by Christ are said to 'flee from the wrath to come'; to 'flee for
refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them.' (Matt 3:7, Heb
6:18)

This judgment to come is a warm thing to be thought of, an awakening
thing to be thought of; it is called the eternal judgment, because
it is and will be God's final conclusion with men. This day is
called the 'great and notable day of the Lord,' (Acts 2:20); the
day 'that shall burn like an oven,' (Mal 4:1); the day in which the
angels shall gather the wicked together, as tares, into bundles,
to burn them; but the rest, into his kingdom and glory. This day
will be it in which all the bowels of love and compassion shall be
shut up to the wicked, and that in which the floodgates of wrath
shall be opened, by which shall a plentiful reward be given to
evil-doers, but glory to the righteous. (Psa 31:23) This is the
day in which men, if they could, would creep into the ground for
fear; but because they cannot, therefore, they will call and cry
to the mountains to fall upon them, but they shall not; therefore,
they stand bound to bear their judgment.

This day will be the day of breaking up of closet-councils,
cabinet-councils, secret purposes, hidden thoughts; yea, 'God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing.' (Eccl
12:14) I say he shall do it then; for he will both 'bring to light
the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels
of the heart.' (1 Cor 4:5) This is the day that is appointed to put
them to shame and contempt in that have, in this world, been bold
and audacious in their vile and beastly ways. At this day, God
will cover all such bold and brazen faces with shame. Now they will
blush till the blood is ready to burst through their cheeks. (Dan
12:2) Oh! the confusion and shame that will cover their faces while
God is discovering to them what a nasty, what a beastly, what an
uncomely, and what an unreasonable life they lived in the world.
They shall now see they contemned God, that fed them, that clothed
them, that gave them life and limb, and that maintained their
breath in their nostrils. But, oh, when they see the gulf before
them, and all things ready to receive them in thither; then, then
they will know what sinning against God means!

And, I say, thou that art for coming to God by Christ must know
this, and be well assured of this, or thou wilt never come to God
by him.

What of the glory of God shall be put upon them that do indeed
come to him will also help in this spiritual journey, if it be well
considered by thee. But, perhaps, terror and unbelief will suffer
thee to consider but little of that. However, the things afore-mentioned
will be goads, and will serve to prick thee forward; and if they
do so, they will be God's great blessing unto thee, and that for
which thou wilt give him thy thanks for ever. (Eccl 12:10,11)

Thus I have, in few words, spoken something as to the first sort of
comers to God by Christ, namely, of the coming of the newly-awakened
man. And I say again, if any of the things afore-named be wanting,
and are not with his heart, it is a question whether, notwithstanding
all the noise that he may make about religion, he will ever come
to God by Christ. 1. If he knows not himself and the badness of his
condition, wherefore should he come? 2. If he knows not the world,
and the emptiness and vanity thereof, wherefore should he come?
3. If he knows not the law, and the severity thereof, wherefore
should he come? 4. If he knows not hell, and the torments thereof,
wherefore should he come? 5. If he knows not what death is, wherefore
should he come? 6. And if he knows not the Father and the Son, how
can he come? 7. And to know that there is a judgment to come is as
necessary to his coming as most of the rest of the things propounded.
Coming to God by Christ is for shelter, for safety, for advantage,
and everlasting happiness. But he that knows not, that understands
not the things afore-mentioned, sees not his need of taking shelter,
of flying for safety, of coming for advantage to God by Christ. I
know there are degrees of this knowledge, and he that has it most
warm upon him, in all likelihood, will make most haste; or, as David
saith, will hasten his escape 'from the windy storm and tempest';
and he that sees least is in most danger of being the loiterer,
and so of losing the prize; for all that run do not obtain it; all
that fight do not win it; and ALL that strive for it have it not.
(Psa 55:8, 1 Cor 9:24-26, 2 Tim 2:4,5)

[Of the backslider's return to Christ.]

Second, I shall now come to the second man mentioned; to wit, the
man that is turning back from his backsliding, and speak something
also about his coming again to God by Christ.

There are two things remarkable in the returning of a backslider
to God by Christ. 1. The first is, he gives a second testimony to
the truth of all things spoken of before. 2. He also gives a second
testimony of the necessity of coming to God by Christ. Of the manner
of his coming to God by Christ perhaps I may also speak a word or
two. But,

1. The returning again of the backslider gives a second testimony
to the truth of man's state being by nature miserable, of the vanity
of this world, of the severity of the law, certainty of death, and
terribleness of judgment to come. His first coming told them so,
but his second coming tells them so with a double confirmation of
the truth. It is so, saith his first coming. Oh! it is so, saith his
second. The backsliding of a Christian comes through the overmuch
persuading of Satan and lust, that the man was mistaken, and that
there was no such horror in the things from which he fled, nor so
much good in the things to which he hasted. Turn again, fool, says
the devil, turn again to thy former course; I wonder what frenzy it
was that drove thee to thy heels, and that made thee leave so much
good behind thee, as other men find in the lusts of the flesh and
the good of the world. As for the law, and death, and an imagination
of the day of judgment, they are but mere scarecrows, set up by
politic heads, to keep the ignorant in subjection. Well, says the
backslider, I will go back again and see; so, fool as he is, he
goes back, and has all things ready to entertain him; his conscience
sleeps, the world smiles, flesh is sweet, carnal company compliments
him, and all that can be got is presented to this backslider
to accommodate him. But, behold, he doth again begin to see his
own nakedness, and he perceives that the law is whetting his axe.
As for the world, he perceives it is a bubble; he also smells the
smell of brimstone, for God hath scattered it upon his tabernacle,
and it begins to burn within him. (Job 18:15) Oh! saith he, I
am deluded; oh! I am ensnared. My first sight of things was true.
I see it is so again. Now he begins to be for flying again to his
first refuge; O God, saith he, I am undone, I have turned from thy
truth to lies! I believed them such at first, and find them such
at last. Have mercy upon me, O God!

This, I say, is a testimony, a second testimony, by the same man,
as to the miserable state of man, the severity of the law, the
emptiness of the world, the certainty of death, and the terribleness
of judgment. This man hath seen it, and seen it again.

A returning backslider is a great blessing, I mean intended to
be so, to two sorts of men--1. To the elect uncalled. 2. To the
elect that are called, and that at present stand their ground. The
uncalled are made to hear him, and consider; the called are made
to hear him, and are afraid of falling. Behold, therefore, the
mystery of God's wisdom, and how willing he is that spectators
should be warned and made take heed. Yea, he will permit that some
of his own shall fall into the fire, to convince the world that hell
is hot, and to warn their brethren to take heed that they slip not
with their feet. I have often said in my heart that this was the
cause why God suffered so many of the believing Jews to fall; to
wit, that the Gentiles might take heed. (Rom 11:21) O, brethren!
saith the backslider that is returned, did you see how I left my
God? did you see how I turned again to those vanities from which
some time before I fell? O! I was deluded, I was bewitched, I was
deceived; for I found all things from which I fled at first still
worse by far when I went to them the second time. Do not backslide.
Oh! do not backslide. the first ground of your departing from them
was good; never tempt God a second time.

2. And as he gives us a second testimony, that the world and himself
are so as at first he believed they were, so by this his returning
he testifies that God and Christ are the same, and much more than
ever he believed at first they were. This man has made a proof
before and a proof after conviction of the evil of the one and good
of the other. This man has made a proof by feeling and seeing, and
that before and after grace received. This man God has set up to
be a witness; this man is two men, has the testimony of two men,
must serve in the place of two men. He knows what it is to be
fetched from a state of nature by grace; but this all Christians
know as well as he. Ay, but he knows what it is to be fetched from
the world, from the devil, and hell, the second time; and that but
few professors know, for few that fall away return to do again. (Heb
6:4-8) Ay, but this man is come again, wherefore there is news in
his mouth, sad news, dreadful news, and news that is to make the
standing saint to take heed lest he fall. The returning backslider,
therefore, is a rare man, a man of worth and intelligence, a man
to whom the men of the world should flock, and of whom they should
learn to fear the Lord God. He also is a man of whom the saints
should receive both caution, counsel, and strength in their present
standing; and they should, by his harms, learn to serve the Lord
with fear, and to rejoice with trembling. (1 Cor 10:6-13, Isa
51:11-13, Luke 22:32)

This man has the second time also had a proof of God's goodness
in his Christ unto him, a proof which the standing Christian has
not--I would not tempt him that stands to fall; but the good that
a returning backslider has received at God's hands, and at the hand
of Christ, is a double good, he has been converted twice, fetched
from the world, and from the devil, and from himself twice; oh,
grace! and has been made to know the stability of God's covenant,
the unchangeableness of God's mind, the sure and lasting truth
of his promise in Christ, and of the sufficiency of the merits of
Christ, over and over.

[The manner of a backslider's return.]--Of the manner of this man's
coming to God by Christ I shall also speak a word or two. He comes
as the newly-awakened sinner comes, and that from the same motives
and the knowledge of things as he hath over and above (which he had
as good have been without), that which the newly-awakened sinner
has not; to wit, the guilt of his backsliding, which is a guilt of
a worse complexion, of a deeper dye, and of a heavier nature than
is any guilt else in the world. He is also attended with fears
and doubts that arise from other reasons and considerations than
do the doubts and fears of the newly-awakened man; doubts builded
upon the vileness of his backsliding. He has also more dreadful
scriptures to consider of, and they will look more wishfully in
his face, yea, and will also make him take notice of their grim
physiognomy, than has the newly-awakened man. Besides, as a punishment
of his backsliding, God seems to withdraw the sweet influences of
his Spirit, and as if he would not suffer him to pray, nor to repent
any more, (Psa 51:11), as if he would now take all away from him,
and leave him to those lusts and idols that he left his God to
follow. Swarms of his new rogueries shall haunt him in every place,
and that not only in the guilt, but in the filth and pollution of
them. (Prov 14:14) None know the things that haunt a backslider's
mind, his new sins are all turned talking devils, threatening
devils, roaring devils, within him. Besides, he doubts of the truth
of his first conversion, consequently he has it lying upon him as a
strong suspicion that there was nothing of truth in all his first
experience; and this also adds lead to his heels, and makes him
come, as to sense and feeling, more heavy and with the greater
difficulty to God by Christ. As faithfulness of other men kills
him, he cannot see an honest, humble, holy, faithful servant of
God, but he is pierced and wounded at the heart. Ay, says he within
himself, that man fears God, that man hath faithfully followed God,
that man, like the elect angels, has kept his place; but I am fallen
from my station like a devil. That man honoureth God, edifieth the
saints, convinceth the world, and condemneth them, and is become
heir of the righteousness which is by faith. But I have dishonoured
God, stumbled and grieved saints, made the world blaspheme, and,
for aught I know, been the cause of the damnation of many! These
are the things, I say, together with many more of the same kind,
that come with him; yea, they will come with him, yea, and will
stare him in the face, will tell him of his baseness, and laugh him
to scorn, all the way that he is coming to God by Christ--I know
what I say!--and this makes his coming to God by Christ hard and
difficult to him. Besides, he thinks saints will be aware of him,
will be shy of him, will be afraid to trust him, yea, will tell
his Father of him, and make intercession against him, as Elias did
against Israel, (Rom 11:2), or as the men did that were fellow-servants
with him that took his brother by the throat. (Matt 18:31) Shame
covereth his face all the way he comes; he doth not know what to
do; the God he is returning to, is the God that he has slighted,
the God before whom he has preferred the vilest lust; and he knows
God knows it, and has before him all his ways. The man that has been
a backslider, and is returning to God, can tell strange stories,
and yet such as are very true. No man was in the whale's belly,
and came out again alive, but backsliding and returning Jonah;
consequently, no man could tell how he was there, what he felt
there, what he saw there, and what workings of heart he had when
he was there, so well as he.

[The sincere Christian's coming to God by Christ.]

Third, I come now to the third man--to wit, to the sincere and
upright man that cometh to God by Christ. And although this may,
in some sense, be applicable to the two former, for his coming is
not worthy to be counted coming to God, that is, not in sincerity
and uprightness, yet by such an one I now mean, one that has been
called to the faith, and that has in some good measure of sincerity
and uprightness therein abode with God.

This man also comes to God by Christ; but his coming is to be
distinguished, I mean in the main of it, from the coming of the other
two. The other come for the knowledge of forgiveness, a thing that
the upright and faithful Christian for the most part has a comfortable
faith of, and that for which he is often helped to give thanks to
God. I do not say he doubteth not, or that he has not his evidences
sometimes clouded; nor do I say that the knowledge of his reconciliation
to God by Christ Jesus is so high, so firm, so fixed, and steadfast,
that it cannot be shaken, or that he needs no more. I will then
explain myself. He comes not to God as an unconverted sinner
comes; he comes not as a backslider comes when he is returning to
God from his backslidings; but he comes as a son, as one of the
household of God, and he comes as one that has not, since correction,
wickedly departed from his God.

1. He then comes to God with that access and godly boldness that
is only proper to such as himself, that is, to them that walk with
God. (Rom 5:2) Thus every one that shall be saved doth not do;
thus every one that shall be saved cannot do--to instance the two
spoken of before.

2. He comes to God by Christ constantly by prayer, by meditation,
by every ordinance. For therefore he maketh use of ordinances,
because by them through Christ he getteth into the presence of God.
(Psa 27:4)

3. He comes to God through Christ, because he judgeth that God
only is that good, that blessedness, that happiness, that is worth
looking after; that good and that blessedness that alone can fill
the soul to the brim; that good and that happiness that is worthy
of our hearts and souls and spirits. Hence David expresseth his
coming to God by panting, by thirsting, by tears, saying, 'My soul
panteth after thee, O God.' And again, 'My soul thirsteth for God,
for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God?' (Psa
42:1,2) And again, 'I will go to the altar of God, unto God, my
exceeding joy.' (Psa 43:4) And hence it was that he so envied the
swallow and sparrow, even because they could come to the altar
of God, where he had promised to give his presence, when he, as I
think, by the rage of Saul, was forced to abide remote. 'My soul
longeth,' saith he, 'yea, even fainteth for the courts of the
Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea,
the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King, and my God: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they
will be still praising thee.' Then after a few more words he saith,
'For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather
be a doorkeeper,' I would choose rather to sit at the threshold
of thy house, 'than to dwell in the tents of wickedness'; and then
renders the reason--'For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord
gives grace and glory,' &c. (Psa 84)

The presence of God, and the glory and soul-ravishing goodness of
that presence, is a thing that the world understands not, nor can
they as such desire to know what it is.

4. These good men come to God upon other accounts also; for so it
is that they have many concerns with God.

[Concern for themselves.]--(1.) They come to him for a more clear
discovery of themselves to themselves, for they desire to know how
frail they are, because the more they know that, the more they are
engaged in their souls to take heed to their ways, and to fear lest
they should tempt their God to leave them. (Psa 39:1-8)

(2.) They come to God by Christ for the weakening of their lusts
and corruptions; for they are a sore, yea, a plague to a truly
sanctified soul. Those, to be rid of which, if it might be, a godly
man chooseth rather to die than to live. This David did mean when
he cried. 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me,' (Psa 51:10); and Paul, when he cried out, 'O
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?' (Rom 7:24)

(3.) They come to God by Christ for the renewing and strengthening
of their graces. The graces that the godly have received are, and
they feel they are, subject to decay; yea, they cannot live without
a continual supply of grace. This is the meaning of that, 'Let us
have grace,' and, 'Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.' (Heb 4:16)

(4.) They come to God by Christ to be helped against those
temptations that they may meet withal. (Matt 6:13) They know that
every new temptation has a new snare and a new evil in it; but what
snare and what evil, that at present they know not; but they know
their God knows, and can deliver out of temptation when we are in,
and keep us out while we are out.

(5.) They come to God by Christ for a blessing upon that means of
grace which God has afforded for the succour of the soul, and the
building of it up in the faith; knowing that as the means, so a
blessing upon it, is from God. (2 Thess 3:1) And for this they have
encouragement, because God has said, 'I will abundantly bless her
provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.' (Psa 132:15)

(6.) They come to God by Christ for the forgiveness of daily
infirmities, (Psa 19:12), and for the continuing them in the light
of his countenance notwithstanding. Thus he also would always accept
them and their services, and grant that an answer of peace may be
returned from their Father into their bosoms; for this is the life
of their souls. There are a great many such things that the sincere
and upright man comes to God for, too many here to mention. But
again,

[Concern for the church and others.]--(1.) This man also comes to
God to beseech him for the flourishing of Christ's kingdom, which he
knows will never be until Antichrist is dead, and till the Spirit
be more plentifully poured upon us from on high. Therefore he also
cries to God for the downfall of the first, and for the pouring
out of the other.

(2.) He comes to God for the hastening the gathering in of his elect;
for it is an affliction to him to think that so many of those for
whom Christ died should be still in a posture of hostility against
him. (Psa 122:6)

(3.) He comes to God for a spirit of unity to be poured out among
believers, for, for the divisions of Reuben he has great thoughts
of heart.

(4.) He comes to God to pray for magistrates, and that God would
make speed to set them all to that work that is so desirable to his
church--that is, to 'hate the whore,' 'to eat her flesh,' to 'make
her desolate,' 'and burn her with fire.' (1 Tim 2:1, Rev 17:16)

(5.) He comes to God to beg that he would hasten that great and
notable day, the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus, for he knows
that Christ will never be exalted as he must be till then; yea, he
also knows that God's church will never be as she would, and shall,
till then. (Rev 22:20)

(6.) But the main meaning, if I may so call it, of this high text
is this, that they that come to God by him--that is, by Christ, are
those that come by Christ to God to enjoy him by faith and spirit
here, and by open vision and unspeakable possession of him in the
next world. This is the great design of the soul in its coming to
God by Jesus Christ, and it comes to him by Jesus Christ because
it dares not come by itself, and because God himself has made him
the way, the new and living way. Here, as I said, the Father meets
with that which pleaseth him, and the soul with that which saveth
her. Here is righteousness and merits to spare, even righteousness
that can justify the ungodly. Here is always, how empty soever we
be, a fullness of merit always presented to God by Christ for my
obtaining of that which at any time I want, whether wisdom, grace,
Spirit, or any good thing soever; only, since I was upon this
subject, I thought a little to touch upon things in this order, for
the enlarging of thy thoughts, for the conviction of thy spirit,
for the stirring of thee up to God, and for the showing of thee
the good signs of grace where it is, where is abused, and where
any are seeking after it.

[Inferences from thus coming to God by Christ.]

And now I come to draw some inferences from this point also, as I
have already done from those going before it. You see that I have
now been speaking to you of the man that cometh to God, both with
respect to the way he comes, as also with respect to the manner of
spirit in which he comes; and hence I may well infer,

First, That he is no fool, no fool according to the best judgment,
that cometh to God by Christ. The world indeed will count him one;
for the things that be of the Spirit of God are foolishness to them;
but indeed, and in the verdict of true judgment, he is not so.

1. For that he now seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. He has
chosen to be concerned with the very head and fountain of wisdom;
for Christ is the wisdom of God, and the way to the Father by Christ,
is the greatest of mysteries; and to choose to walk in that way,
the fruits of the most sage advice; wherefore he is not a fool that
thus concerns himself. (Prov 18:1, 1 Cor 1)

2. It is not a sign of foolishness timely to prevent ruin, is it?
They are the prudent men that foresee an evil, and hide themselves;
and the fools, that go on, and are punished. (Prov 18:8, 27:12)
Why, this man foresees an evil, the greatest evil, sin, and the
punishment of the soul for sin in hell; and flies to Christ, who is
the refuge that God has provided for penitent sinners; and is this
a sign of a fool? God make me such a fool, and thee that readest
these lines such a fool, and then we shall be wiser than all men
that are counted wise by the wisdom of this world. Is it a sign of
a fool to agree with one's adversary while we are in the way with
him, even before he delivereth us to the judge? Yea, it is a piece
of the highest wisdom.

Is he a fool that chooseth for himself long lasters, or he whose
best things will rot in a day? Sinners, 'before your pots can feel
the thorns [before you can see where you are], God shall take you
away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.' (Psa
58:9) But this man has provided for things; like the tortoise, he
has got a shell on his back, so strong and sound that he fears not
to suffer a loaden cart to go over him. The Lord is his rock, his
defence, his refuge, his high tower, unto which he doth continually
resort.

Was the unjust steward a fool in providing for himself for hereafter?
for providing friends to receive him to harbour when others should
turn him out of their doors? (Luke 16:8,9) No more is he that gets
another house for his harbour before death shall turn him out of
doors here.

3. As he that cometh to God by Christ is no fool, so he is no
little-spirited fellow. There are a generation of men in this world
that count themselves men of the largest capacities, when yet the
greatness of their desires lift themselves no higher than to things
below. If they can, with their net of craft and policy, encompass
a bulky lump of earth, oh what a treasure have they engrossed to
themselves! Meanwhile, the man in the text has laid siege to heaven,
has found out the way to get into the city, and is resolved, in
and by God's help, to make that his own. Earth is a drossy thing in
this man's account; earthly greatness and splendours are but like
vanishing bubbles in this man's esteem. None but God, as the end
of his desires, none but Christ, as the means to accomplish this
his end, are things counted great by this man. No company now is
acceptable to this man but the Spirit of God, Christ and angels,
and saints, as fellow-heirs with himself. All other men and things
he deals with as strangers and pilgrims were wont to do. This man's
mind soars higher than the eagle or stork of the heavens. He is
for musing about things that are above, and their glory, and for
thinking what shall come to pass hereafter.

4. But as I have showed you what he is not, so now let me, by a
few words, tell you what he is.

(1.) Then he is a man concerned for his soul, for his immortal soul.
The soul is a thing, though of most worth, least minded by most.
The souls of most lie waste while all other things are enclosed.
But this man has got it by the end, that his soul is of more value
than the world, wherefore he is concerned for his soul. Soul concerns
are concerns of the highest nature, and concerns that arise from
thoughts most deep and ponderous. He never yet knew what belonged
to great and deep thoughts that is a stranger to soul concerns.
Now the man that comes to God by Christ, is a man that is engaged
in soul concerns.

(2.) He is a man whose spirit is subjected to a suitableness to
spiritual things, for a carnal mind cannot suit with and be delighted
in these things: 'The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' (Rom 8:7)
This is the man that God has tamed, and keeps tame by himself,
while all other run wild, as the assess upon the mountains. If
birds could speak, surely they would tell that those that are kept
in the cage have with them another temper than they that range the
air, and fly in the fields and woods. Yea, and could those kept
tame express themselves to the rest, they would tell that they have
white bread and milk, and sugar; while those without make a life
out of maggots and worms. They are also in place where there are
better things, and their companions are the children of men; besides,
they learn such notes, and can whistle such tunes, as other birds
are strangers to. Oh! the man whose spirit is subjected to God,
betwixt whom and God there is a reconciliation, not only as to a
difference made up, but also as to a oneness of heart; none knows
what lumps of sugar God gives that man, nor what notes and tunes
God learns that man: 'He hath put a new song in my mouth,' saith
David, 'even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and
shall trust in the Lord.' (Psa 40:3)

Second. Is there a man that comes to God by Christ? Thence I infer
that there is that believes there is a world to come. No man looks
after that which yet he believes is not; faith must be before coming
to Christ will be; coming is the fruit of faith. He that comes must
believe antecedent to his coming; wherefore it is said, 'we walk
by faith'--that is, we come to God through Christ by faith. (Heb
11:7, 2 Cor 5:7) And hence I learn two things:--1. That faith is
of a strong and forcible quality. 2. That they who come not to God
by Christ have no faith.

1. Faith is of a strong and forcible quality, and that whether it
be true or false.

(1.) A false faith has done great things; it has made men believe
lies, plead for them, and stand to them, to the damnation of their
souls. 'God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie,' to their damnation. (2 Thess 2:11,12) Hence it is
said, men make lies 'their refuge.' Why? Because they 'trust in
a lie.' (Jer 28:15) A lie, if believed, if a man has faith in it,
it will do great things, because faith is of a forcible quality.
Suppose thyself to be twenty miles from home, and there some man
comes and possesses thee that thy house, thy wife and children,
are all burned with the fire. If thou believest it, though indeed
there should be nothing of truth in what thou hast heard, yet will
this lie 'drink up thy spirit,' even as if the tidings were true.
How many are there in the world whose heart Satan hath filled with
a belief that their state and condition for another world is good?
and these are made to live by lying hope that all shall be well
with them, and so are kept from seeking for that which will make
them happy indeed. Man is naturally apt and willing to be deceived,
and therefore a groundless faith is the more taking and forcible.
Fancy will help to confirm a false faith, and so will conceit and
idleness of spirit. There is also in man a willingness to take things
upon trust, without searching into the ground and reason of them.
Nor will Satan be behind hand to prompt and encourage to thy believing
of a lie, for that he knows will be a means to bring thee to that
end to which he greatly desireth thou shouldst come. Wherefore let
men beware, and, oh, that they would, of a false and lying faith!

(2.) But if a false faith is so forcible, what is a true? What force,
I say, is there in a faith that is begotten by truth, managed by
truth, fed by truth, and preserved by the truth of God? This faith
will make invisible things visible; not fantastically so, but
substantially so--'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.' (Heb 11:1) True faith carrieth
along with it an evidence of the certainty of what it believeth,
and that evidence is the infallible Word of God. There is a God,
a Christ, a heaven, saith the faith that is good, for the Word of
God doth say so. The way to this God and this heaven is by Christ,
for the Word of God doth say so. If I run not to this God by this
Christ, this heaven shall never be my portion, for the Word of God
doth say so. So, then, thus believing makes the man come to God
by him. His thus believing, then, it is that carries him away from
this world, that makes him trample upon this world, and that gives
him the victory over this world. 'For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came
by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because
the Spirit is truth.' (1 John 5:4-6)

2. Now if this be true, that faith, true faith, is so forcible a
thing as to take a man from his seat of ease, and make him to come
to God by Christ as afore, then, is it not truly inferred from hence
that they that come not to God by Christ have no faith. What! is
man such a fool as to believe things, and yet not look after them?
to believe great things, and yet not to concern himself with them?
Who would knowingly go over a pearl, and yet not count it worth
stooping for? Believe thou art what thou art; believe hell is
what it is; believe death and judgment are coming, as they are;
and believe that the Father and the Son are, as by the Holy Ghost
in the Word they are described, and sit still in thy sins if thou
canst. Thou canst not sit still; faith is forcible. Faith is grounded
upon the voice of God in the Word, upon the teaching of God in the
Word. And it pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe; for believing makes them heartily close in with,
and embrace what by the Word is set before them, because it seeth
the reality of them.

Shall God speak to man's soul, and shall not man believe? Shall
man believe what God says, and nothing at all regard it? It cannot
be. 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' And
we know that when faith is come, it purifies the heart of what is
opposite to God, and the salvation of the soul.

So, then, those men that are at ease in a sinful course, or that
come not to God by Christ, they are such as have no faith, and must
therefore perish with the vile and unbelievers. (Rev 21:8)

The whole world is divided into two sorts of men--believers and
unbelievers. The godly are called believers; and why believers, but
because they are they that have given credit to the great things
of the gospel of God? These believers are here in the text called
also comers, or they that come to God by Christ, because whoso
believes will come; for coming is a fruit of faith in the habit,
or, if you will, it is faith in exercise; yet faith must have a
being in the soul before the soul can put it into act.

This therefore further evidences that they that come not, have no
faith, are not believers, belong not to the household of faith,
and must perish--'For he that believes not, shall be damned.'

Nor will it be to any boot14 to say, I believe there is a God and
a Christ, for still thy sitting still doth demonstrate that either
thou liest in what thou sayest, or that thou believest with a worse
than a false faith. But the object of my faith is true. I answer,
so is the object of the faith of devils; for they believe that
there is one God and one Christ, yet their faith, as to the root
and exercise of it, is notwithstanding no such faith as is that
faith that saves, or that is intended in the text, and that by
which men come to God through Christ. Wherefore still, oh, thou
slothful one, thou deceivest thyself! Thy not coming to God by Christ
declareth to thy face that thy faith is not good, consequently,
that thou feedest on ashes, and thy deceived heart has turned thee
aside, that thou canst not deliver thy soul, nor say, 'Is there
not a lie in my right hand?' (Isa 44:20)

Third. Is there a man that comes to God by Christ? Thence I infer
that the world to come is better than this; yea, so much better
as to quit cost and bear charges of coming to God, from this, by
Christ, to that. Though there is a world to come, yet if it were
no better than this, one had as good stay here as seek that, or
if it were better than this, and would bear charges if a man left
this for that, and that was all, still the one would be as good
as the other. But the man that comes to God by Christ, has chosen
the world that is infinitely good; a world, betwixt which and this
there can be no comparison. This must be granted, because he that
comes to God by Christ is said to have made the best choice, even
chose a city that has foundations. (Heb 11:10) There are several
things that make it manifest enough that he that comes to God by
Christ has made the best market, or chose the best world.

1. That is the world which God commendeth, but this that that
he slighteth and contemneth. (2 Thess 1:5,6) Hence that is called
the kingdom of God, but this an 'evil world.' (Gal 1:4) Now let
us conclude, that since God made both, he is able to judge which
of the two are best; yea, best able so to judge thereof. I choose
the rather to refer you to the judgment of God in this matter, for
should I put you upon asking of him as to this, that is, coming to
God by Christ, perhaps you would say, he is as little able to give
an account of this matter as yourselves. But I hope you think God
knows, and therefore I refer you to the judgment of God, which you
have in the Scriptures of truth--'Heaven is his throne, and the
earth is his footstool.' I hope you will say here is some difference.
The Lord is the God of that, the devil the god and prince of this.
Thus also it appears there is some difference between them.

2. That world, and those that are counted worthy of it, shall all
be everlasting; but so shall not this, nor the inhabiters of it.
The earth with the works thereof shall be burned up, and the men
that are of it shall die in like manner. (2 Peter 3) 'But Israel
shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall
not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.' (Isa 45:17) This
world, with the lovers of it, will end in a burning hell; but the
world to come fadeth not away. (1 Peter 1:3,4)

3. The world that we are now in, has its best comforts mixed either
with crosses or curses; but that to come with neither. There shall
be no more curse: and as for crosses, all tears shall be wiped
from the eyes of them that dwell there. There will be nothing but
ravishing pleasures, and holy; there will be no cessation of joys,
nor any speck of pollution. 'In thy presence is fullness of joy,
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' (Psa 16:11)

4. There men shall be made like angels, 'neither can they die any
more.' (Luke 20:35,36) There shall they behold the face of God and
his Son, and swim in the enjoyment of them for ever.

5. There men shall see themselves beyond all misery, and shall
know that it will be utterly impossible that either anything like
sorrow, or grief, or sickness, or discontent, should touch them
more.

6. There men shall be rewarded of God for what they have done
and suffered according to his will for his sake; there they shall
eat and drink their comforts, and wear them to their everlasting
consolation.

7. They are all kings that go to that world, and so shall be
proclaimed there. They shall also be crowned with crowns, and they
shall wear crowns of life and glory, crowns of everlasting joy,
crowns of lovingkindness; yea, 'In that day the Lord of hosts himself
shall be for a crown of glory to those that are his people.' (Heb
2:7, Isa 28:5, 35:10, Psa 103:4) Now, if this world, though no
more could be said of it that is said in these few lines, is not
infinitely far better than what the present world is, I have missed
it in my thoughts. But the coming man, the man that comes to God
by Christ, is satisfied, knows what he does; and if his way, all
his way thither, were strewed with burning coals, he would choose,
God helping him, to tread that path rather than to have his portion
with them that perish.

Fourth, If there be a world to come, and such a way to it so safe
and good, and if God is there to be enjoyed by them that come to
him by Christ; then this shows the great madness of the most of
men, madness, I say, of the highest degree, for that they come not
to God by Christ that they may be inheritors of the world to come.
It is a right character which Solomon gives of them, 'The heart,'
saith he, 'of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in
their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.'
(Eccl 9:3) A madman is intent upon his toys, upon anything but that
about which he should be intent; and so are they that come not to
God by Jesus Christ. A madman has neither ears to hear, nor a heart
to do, what they that are in their right wits advise him for the
best, no more have they that come not to God by Christ. A madman sets
more by the straws and cock's feathers by which he decks himself,
than he does by all the pearls and jewels in the world. And they
that come not to God by Christ set more by the vanishing bubbles
of this life than they do by that glory that the wise man shall
inherit; 'The wise shall inherit glory, but shame,' says Solomon,
'shall be the promotion of fools.' What a shame it is to see God's
jewels lie unregarded of them that yet think none are wiser than
themselves.

I know the wise men of this world will scorn one should think of
them that they are mad; but verily it is so, the more wise for this
world, the more fool in God's matters; and the more obstinately
they stand in their way, the more mad. When Solomon gave himself to
backsliding, he saith he gave himself to folly and madness. (Eccl
1:17, 2:12) And when he went about to search out what man is since
the fall, he went about to search out foolishness and madness.
(Eccl 7:25-29) And is it not said, that when the Jews were angry
with Jesus for that he did good on the Sabbath, that that anger
did flow from their being filled with madness? Doth not Paul also,
while he opposed himself against Christ, the gospel, and professors
thereof, plainly tell us that he did it even from the highest pitch
of madness? 'And being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted
them even unto strange cities.' (Acts 26:11) Now if it is exceeding
madness to do thus, how many at this day must be counted exceeding
mad, who yet count themselves the only sober men? They oppose
themselves, they stand in their own light, they are against their
own happiness, they cherish and nourish cockatrices in their own
bosoms; they choose to themselves those paths which have written
upon them in large characters, These are the ways of death and
damnation. They are offended with them that endeavour to pull them
out of their ditch, and choose rather to lie and die there than to
go to God by Christ that they may be saved from wrath through him;
yea, so mad are they, that they count the most sober, the most
godly, the most holy man, the mad one; the more earnest for life,
the more mad; the more in the Spirit, the more mad; the more desirous
to promote the salvation of others, the more mad. But is not this
a sign of madness, of madness unto perfection? And yet thus mad are
many, and mad are all they that while it is called to-day, while
their door is open, and while the golden sceptre of the golden
grace of the blessed God is held forth, stand in their own light,
and come not to God by Christ. (John 10:20, Acts 26:24) That is
the fourth inference.

Fifth, A fifth inference that I gather from this text is, that the
end that God will make with men will be according as they come or
come not to God by Christ. They that come to God by Christ have
taken shelter and have hid themselves; but they that come not to
God by Christ lay themselves open to the windy storm and tempest
that will be in that day. And the wind then will be high, and the
tempest strong, that will blow upon them that shall be found in
themselves; 'Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire
shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round
about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the
earth, that he may judge his people.' (Psa 50:3,4) And now, what
will be found in that day to be the portion of them that in this
day do not come to God by Christ? None knows but God, with whom
the reward of unbelievers is.

But writing and preaching is in vain as to such; let men say what
they will, what they can, to persuade to come, to dissuade from
neglecting to come, they are resolved not to stir. They will try
if God will be so faithful to himself and to his Word, as to dare
to condemn them to hell fire that have refused to hear and comply
with the voice of him that speaketh from heaven.

But this is but a desperate venture. Several things declare that
He is determined to be at a point in this matter--

1. The gallows are built--hell is prepared for the wicked. 2. There
are those already in chains, and stand bound over to the judgment
of that day, that are, as to creation, higher and greater than men,
to wit, the angels that sinned. (2 Peter 2:4) Let sinners, then,
look to themselves. 3. The Judge is prepared and appointed, and
it hath fallen out to be HE that thou hast refused to come to God
by; and that predicts no good to thee; for then will he say of all
such, 'Those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over
them, bring hither, and slay them before me.' (Luke 19:27)

But what a surprise will it be to them that now have come to God
by Christ to see themselves in heaven indeed, saved indeed, and
possessed of everlasting life indeed. For alas! what is faith to
possession? Faith that is mixed with many fears, that is opposed with
many assaults, and that seems sometimes to be quite extinguished;
I say, what is that to a seeing of myself in heaven? Hence it is
said, that he shall then come to be admired in them that now believe,
because they did here believe the testimony; then they shall admire
that it was their lot to believe when they were in the world. (2
Thess 1:10) They shall also admire to think, to see, and behold,
what believing has brought them to, while the rest, for refusing to
come to God by Christ, drink their tears mixed with burning brimstone.

Repentance will not be found in heaven among them that come to
God by Christ; no, hell is the place of untimely repentance; it is
there where the tears will be mixed with gnashing of teeth, while
they consider how mad, and worse, they were in not coming to God
by Jesus Christ.

Then will their hearts and mouths be full of, 'Lord, Lord, open
unto us.' But the answer will be, Ye shut me out of doors; 'I was
a stranger, and ye took me not in'; besides, you refused to come
to my Father by me, wherefore now you must go from my Father by
me. (Matt 25)

They that will not be saved by Christ, must be damned by Christ;
no man can escape one of the two. Refuse the first they may, but
shun the second they cannot. And now they that would not come unto
God by Christ will have leisure and time enough, if I may call it
time, to consider what they have done in refusing to come to God
by Christ. Now they will meditate warmly on this thing, now their
thoughts will be burning hot about it, and it is too late, will be,
in each thought, such a sting, that, like a bow of steel, it will
continually strike him through.

Now they will bless those whom formerly they have despised, and
commend those they once contemned. Now would the rich man willingly
change places with poor Lazarus, though he preferred his own
condition before his in the world. The day of judgment will bring
the worst to rights in their opinions; they will not be capable
of misapprehending any more. They will never after that day put
bitter for sweet, or darkness for light, or evil for good any more.
Their madness will now be gone. Hell will be the unbeliever's bedlam
house, and there God will tame them as to all those bedlam tricks
and pranks which they played in this world, but not at all to
their profit nor advantage; the gulf that God has placed and fixed
betwixt heaven and hell will spoil all as to that. (Luke 16:23-26)

But what a joy will it be to the truly godly to think now that they
are come to God by Christ! It was their mercy to begin to come,
it was their happiness that they continued coming; but it is their
glory that they are come, that they are come to God by Christ.
To God! why, he is all! all that is good, essentially good, and
eternally good. To God! the infinite ocean of good. To God, in
friendly-wise, by the means of reconciliation; for the other now
will be come to him to receive his anger, because they come not
to him by Jesus Christ. Oh! that I could imagine; oh! that I could
think, that I might write more effectually to thee of the happy
estate of them that come to God by Christ.

But thus have I passed through the three former things, namely,
1. That of the intercession of Christ. 2. That of the benefit of
intercession. 3. That of the persons that are interested in this
intercession.

[IV. EVERY SINCERE COMER CERTAIN OF SALVATION.]

Wherefore now I come to the fourth and last head, and that is, TO
SHOW YOU THE CERTAINTY OF THEIR REAPING THE BENEFIT OF HIS INTERCESSION.
'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them.'

[Christ ever living is the safety of comers.]

The certainty of their reaping the benefit of being saved that
come unto God by Christ is thus expressed: 'Seeing he ever liveth
to make intercession for them.' The intercession of Christ, and the
lastingness of it, is a sure token of the salvation of them that
come unto God by him.

Of his intercession, what it is, and for whom, we have spoken
already; of the success and prevalency of it, we have also spoken
before; but the reason of its successfulness of that we are to
speak now. And that reason, as the apostle suggesteth, lies in the
continuance of it, 'Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession.' The
apostle also makes very much of the continuation of the priesthood
of Christ in other places of this epistle: he abides a priest
continually, 'Thou art a priest for ever.' He 'hath an unchangeable
priesthood.' (Heb 7:3,17,21,24) And here he 'ever liveth to make
intercession.'

Now, by the text is showed the reason why he so continually harpeth
upon the durableness of it, namely, for that by the unchangeableness
of this priesthood we are saved; nay, saved demonstratively,
apparently; it is evident we are. 'He is also able to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.' For,

First, The durableness of his intercession proves that the covenant
in which those who come to God by him are concerned and wrapt up
is not shaken, broken, or made invalid by all their weaknesses and
infirmities.

Christ is a priest according to covenant, and in all his acts of
mediation he has regard to that covenant; so long as that covenant
abides in its strength, so long Christ's intercession is of worth.
Hence, when God cast the old high priest out of doors, he renders
this reason for his so doing: 'Because they continued not in
my covenant'; that is, neither priests nor people. Therefore were
they cast out of the priesthood, and the people pulled down as
to a church state. (Heb 7:6-9) Now, the covenant by which Christ
acteth, as a priest, so far as we are concerned therein, he also
himself acteth our part, being, indeed, the Head and Mediator of
the body; wherefore, God doth not count that the covenant is broken,
though we sin, if Christ Jesus our Lord is found to do by it what
by law is required of us. Therefore he saith, 'If his children break
my law, and keep not my commandments, I will visit their sins with
a rod,' &c. But their sins shall not shake my covenant with my
Beloved, nor cause that I for ever should reject them. 'My covenant
will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
His seed will I make to endure for ever, his seed shall endure for
ever.' (Psa 89:30-36) Hence, it is clear that the covenant stands
good to us as long as Christ stands good to God, or before his face;
for he is not only our Mediator by covenant, but he himself is our
conditions to God-ward; therefore he is said to be 'a covenant of
the people,' or that which the holy God, by law, required of us. (Isa
42:6) Hence, again, he is said to be our justice or righteousness;
to wit, which answereth to what is required of us by the law. He is
made unto us of God so, and in our room and in our stead presenteth
himself to God. So, then, if any ask me by what Christ's priesthood
is continued, I answer, by covenant; for that the covenant by
which he is made priest abideth of full force. If any ask whether
the church is concerned in that covenant, I answer, yea; yet so
as that all points and parts thereof, that concern life and death
everlasting, is laid upon his shoulders, and he alone is the doer
of it. He is the Lord our righteousness, and he is the Saviour
of the body, so that my sins break not the covenant; but them15
notwithstanding, God's covenant stands fast with him, with him for
evermore. And good reason, if no fault can be found with Christ,
who is the person that did strike hands with his Father upon our
account and for us; to wit, to do what was meet should be found
upon us when we came to appear before God by him.

And that God himself doth so understand this matter is evident;
because he also, by his own act, giveth and imputeth to us that
good that we never did, that righteousness which we never wrought
out; yea, and for the sake of that transmitteth our sins unto Christ,
as to one that had not only well satisfied for them, but could
carry them so far, both from us and from God, that they should never
again come to be charged on the committers, to death and damnation.
(Rom 4:1-5) The Scriptures are so plentiful for this, that he must
be a Turk, or a Jew, or an atheist that denies it. Besides, God's
commanding that men should believe in his Son unto righteousness
well enough proveth this thing, and the reason of this command doth
prove it with an over and above; to wit, 'For he hath made him to
be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.' (2 Cor 5:19-21) Hence comes out that proclamation
from God, at the rising again of Christ from the dead: 'Be it
known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man
is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that
believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be
justified by the law of Moses.' (Acts 13:38,39)

If this be so, as indeed it is, then here lieth a great deal of
this conclusion, 'he ever liveth to make intercession,' and of the
demonstration of the certain salvation of him that cometh to God by
him, 'seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' For if
Christ Jesus is a priest by covenant, and so abides as the covenant
abides, and if, since the covenant is everlasting, his priesthood
is unchangeable, then the man that cometh to God by him must needs
be certainly saved; for if the covenant, the covenant of salvation,
is not broken, none can show a reason why he that comes to Christ
should be damned, or why the priesthood of Jesus Christ should
cease. Hence, after the apostle had spoken of the excellency of
his person and priesthood, he then shows that the benefit of the
covenant of God remaineth with us, namely, that grace should be
communicated unto us for his priesthood's sake, and that our sins
and iniquities God would remember no more. (Heb 8:10-12; 10:16-22)
Now, as I also have already hinted, if this covenant, of which the
Lord Jesus is Mediator and High Priest, has in the bowels of it,
not only grace and remission of sins, but a promise that we shall
be partakers thereof, through the blood of his priesthood, for so
it comes to us; then, why should not we have boldness, not only
to come to God by him, but to enter also 'into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by that new and living way,' &c.

Second, But, further, this priesthood, as to the unchangeableness
of it, is confirmed unto him 'with an oath, by him that said unto
him, the Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for
ever.' This oath seems to me to be for the confirmation of the
covenant, as it is worded before by Paul to the Galatians, (Gal
3:15-17), when he speaks of it with respect to that establishment
that it also had on Christ's part by the sacrifice which he offered
to God for us; yea, he then speaks of the mutual confirmation of it
both by the Father and the Son. Now, I say, since, by this covenant
he stands and abides a Priest, and since 'the Lord sware, and
will not repent, saying, Thou art a priest for ever,' we are still
further confirmed in the certain salvation of him that cometh to
God by Christ.

The Lord, by swearing, confirmeth to Christ, and so to us in him,
the immutability of his counsel, (Heb 6:16-18), and that he is utterly
unchangeable in his resolutions 'to save them to the uttermost that
come to God by Christ.' And this also shows that this covenant, and
so the promise of remission of sins, is steadfast and unmovable.
And it is worth your noting the manner and nature of this oath,
'The Lord sware, and will not repent.' It is as much as to say, What
I have now sworn I bind me for ever to stand to, or, I determine
never to revoke; and that is, 'That thou art a priest for ever.'
Now, as was said before, since his priesthood stands by covenant,
and this covenant of his priesthood is confirmed by this oath, it
cannot be but that he that comes by him to God must be accepted of
him; for should such a one be rejected, it must be either for the
greatness of his sins, or for want of merit in the sacrifice he
presented and urged, as to the merit of it, before the mercy-seat.
But let the reason specified be what it will, the consequence falls
harder upon the sacrifice of Christ than it can do anywhere else,
and so also upon the covenant, and at last upon God himself, who
has sworn, and will not repent, that he is a Priest for ever. I
thus discourse, to show you what dangerous conclusions follow from
a conceit that some that come to God by Christ shall not be saved,
though 'he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' And this I
have further to say, that the Lord's swearing, since the manner of
the oath is such as it is, and that it also tended to establish to
Christ his priesthood to be unchangeable, it declareth that, as to
the excellency of his sacrifice, he is eternally satisfied in the
goodness and merit of it; and that he will never deny him anything
that he shall ask for at his hands for his sufferings' sake. For
this oath doth not only show God's firm resolution to keep his part
of the covenant, in giving to Christ that which was covenanted for
by him, but it declareth that, in the judgment of God, Christ's
blood is able to save any sinner, and that he will never put stop
nor check to his intercession, how great soever the sinners be that
at any time he shall intercede for; so that the demonstration is
clearer and clearer, 'He is able to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them.'

Third, This unchangeableness of the priesthood of Christ dependeth
also upon his own life: 'This man, because he continueth ever, hath
an unchangeable priesthood.' (Heb 7:24) Now although, perhaps, at
first much may not appear in this text, yet the words that we are
upon take their ground from them. 'This man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood: wherefore he is able
also'--that is, by his unchangeable priesthood--'to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.'

The life of Christ, then, is a ground of the lastingness of his
priesthood, and so a ground of the salvation of them that come unto
God by him: 'We shall be saved by his life.' (Rom 5:10) Wherefore,
in another place, this his life is spoken of with great emphasis--the
power of an endless life. 'He is made [a priest], not after the law
of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.'
(Heb 7:16) An endless life is, then, a powerful thing; and indeed
two things are very considerable in it--1. That it is above death,
and so above him that hath the power of death, the devil. 2. In
that it capacitates him to be the last in his own cause, and so to
have the casting voice.

1. We will speak to the first, and for the better setting of it forth
we will show what life it is of which the apostle here speaks; and
then how, as to life, it comes to be so advantageous, both with
respect to his office of priesthood and us.

What life is it that is thus the ground of his priesthood? It is
a life taken, his own life rescued from the power of the grave; a
life that we had forfeited, he being our surety; and a life that
he recovered again, he being the Captain of our salvation: I lay
down my life that I may take it again: 'this commandment have I
received of my Father.' (John 10:18) It is a life, then, that was
once laid down as the price of man's redemption, and a life won,
gained, taken, or recovered again, as the token or true effect of
the completing, by so dying, that redemption; wherefore it is said
again, 'In that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.' (Rom 6:10) He liveth as having pleased
God by dying for our sins, as having merited his life by dying
for our sins. Now if this life of his is a life merited and won
by virtue of the death that he died, as Acts 2:24 doth clearly
manifest; and if this life is the ground of the unchangeableness
of this part of his priesthood, as we see it is, then it follows
that this second part of his priesthood, which is called here
intercession, is grounded upon the demonstrations of the virtue
of his sacrifice, which is his life taken to live again; so, then,
he holds this part of his priesthood, not by virtue of a carnal
commandment, but by the power of an endless life; but by the power
of a life rescued from death, and eternally exalted above all that
any ways would yet assault it; for 'Christ being raised from the
dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.' (Rom
6:9) Hence Christ brings in his life, the life that he won to
himself by his death, to comfort John withal when he fainted under
the view of that overcoming glory that he saw upon Christ in is
visions of him at Patmos: 'And he laid his right hand upon me,'
said he, 'saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that liveth and was dead, and, behold, I am alive for
evermore. Amen.' (Rev 1:17,18) Why should Christ bring in his life
to comfort John, if it was not a life advantageous to him? But the
advantageousness of it doth lie not merely in the being of life,
but in that it was a life laid down for his sins, and a life taken
up again for his justification; a life lost to ransom him, and a
life won to save him; as also the text affirmeth, saying, 'He is
able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them.'

Again; it is yet more manifest that Christ receiving of his life
again was the death and destruction of the enemy of his people; and
to manifest that it was so, therefore he adds (after he had said,
'And, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen'), 'And I have the
keys of hell and of death.' I have the power over them; I have them
under me; I tread them down by being a victor, a conqueror, and
one that has got the dominion of life (for he now is the Prince of
life), one that lives for evermore. Amen. Hence it is said again,
He 'hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel.' (2 Tim 1:10) He hath abolished death by his
death (by death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil), and brought life (a very emphatical expression);
and brought it from whence? From God, who raised him from the dead;
and brought it to light, to our view and sight, by the word of the
truth of the gospel.

So, then, the life that he now hath is a life once laid down as the
price of our redemption; a life obtained and taken to him again as
the effect of the merit that was in the laying down thereof; a life
by the virtue of which death, and sin, and the curse is overcome;
and so a life that is above them for ever. This is the life that
he liveth--to wit, this meriting, purchasing, victorious life--and
that he improveth while he ever so lives to make intercession for
us.

This life, then, is a continual plea and argument with God for them
that come to him by Christ, should he make no other intercession,
but only show to God that he liveth; because his thus living saith,
that he has satisfied for the sins of them that come unto God by
him. It testifies, moreover, that those--to wit, death, the grave,
and hell--are overcome by him for them; because indeed he liveth,
and hath their keys. But now, add to life, to a life meritorious,
intercession, or an urging of this meritorious life by way of
prayer for his, and against all those that seek to destroy them,
since they themselves also have been already overcome by his death,
and what an encouraging consideration is here for all them that
come to God by him, to hope for life eternal. But,

2. Let us speak a word to the second head--namely, for that his
living for ever capacitates him to be the last in his own cause,
and to have the casting voice, and that is an advantage next to
what is chiefest.

His cause; what is his cause? but that the death that he died when
he was in the world was and is of merit sufficient to secure all
those from hell, or, as the text has it, to save them that come
unto God by him, to save them to the uttermost. Now, if this cause
be faulty, why doth he live? yea, he liveth by the power of God,
by the power of God towards us; or with a respect to our welfare,
for he liveth to make intercession, intercession against Satan our
accuser, for us. (2 Cor 13:4) Besides, he liveth before God, and
to God, and that after he had given his life a ransom for us. What
can follow more clearly from this, but that amends were made by him
for those souls for whose sins he suffered upon the tree? Wherefore,
since his Father has given him his life and favour, and that after
he died for our sins, it cannot be thought but that the life he
now liveth, is a life that he received as the effect of the merit
of his passion for us.

God is just, and yet Christ liveth, and yet Christ liveth in heaven!
God is just, and yet Christ our passover liveth there, do what our
foes can to the contrary!

And this note, by the way, that though the design of Satan against
us, in his labouring continually to accuse us to God, and to prevail
against our salvation, seems to terminate here, yet indeed it is
also laid against the very life of Christ, and that his priesthood
might be utterly overthrown; and, in conclusion, that God also
might be found unjust in receiving of such whose sins have not
been satisfied for, and so whose souls are yet under the power of
the devil. For he that objects against him for whom Christ intercedes,
objects against Christ and his merits; and he that objects against
Christ's intercession, objects against God, who has made him a
priest for ever. Behold you, therefore, how the cause of God, of
Christ, and of the souls that come to God by him are interwoven;
they are all wrapt up in one bottom. Mischief one, and you mischief
all; overthrow that soul, and you overthrow his intercessor; and
overthrow him, and you overthrow even him that made him a priest
for ever. For the text is without restriction: 'He is able to save
to the uttermost them that come unto God by him.' He saith not,
now and then one, or sinners of an inferior rank in sin, but them
that come to God by him, how great soever their transgressions are,
as is clear in that it addeth this clause, 'to the uttermost.' 'He
is able to save them to the uttermost.' But if he were not, why did
the King send, yea, come and loose him, and let him go free; yea,
admit him into his presence; yea, make him Lord over all his people,
and deliver all things into his hand?

But he liveth, he ever liveth, and is admitted to make intercession,
yea, is ordained of God so to do; therefore he is 'able to save
to the uttermost them that come unto God by him.' This, therefore,
that he liveth, seeing he liveth to God and his judgment, and
in justice is made so to do, it is chiefly with reference to his
life as Mediator for their sakes for whom he makes intercession.
He liveth to make intercession. And in that it is said he liveth
ever, what is it but that he must live, and outlive all his enemies;
for he must live, yea, reign, till all his enemies are put under
his feet. (1 Cor 15:25) Yea, his very intercessions must live till
they are all dead and gone. For the devil and sin must not live
for ever, not for ever to accuse. Time is coming when due course
of law will have an end, and all cavillers will be cast over the
bar. But then and after that, Christ our high priest shall live,
and so shall his intercessions; yea, and also all them for whom he
makes intercession, seeing they come unto God by him.

Now if he lives, and outlives all, and if his intercession has the
casting voice, since also he pleadeth in his prayers a sufficient
merit before a just God, against a lying, malicious, clamorous,
and envious adversary, he must needs carry the cause, the cause for
himself and his people, to the glory of God and their salvation.
So, then, his life and intercession must prevail, there can be no
withstanding of it. Is not this, then, a demonstration clear as
the sun, that they that come to God by him shall be saved, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them?

Fourth, The duration of Christ's intercession, as it is grounded
upon a covenant betwixt God and him, upon an oath also, and upon
his life, so it is grounded upon the validity of his merits. This
has been promiscuously touched before, but since it is an essential
to the lastingness of his intercession, it will be to the purpose
to lay it down by itself.

Intercession, then, I mean Christ's intercession, is, that those
for whom he died with full intention to save them, might be brought
into that inheritance which he hath purchased for them. Now, then,
his intercession must, as to length and breadth, reach no further
than his merits, for he may not pray for those for whom he died
not. Indeed, if we take in the utmost extent of his death, then we
must beware, for his death is sufficient to save the whole world.
But his intercessions are kept within a narrower compass. The
altar of burnt-offerings was a great deal bigger than the altar of
incense, which was a figure of Christ's intercession. (Exo 27:1,
30:1, Rev 8:3) But this, I say, his intercession is for those for
whom he died with full intention to save them; wherefore it must
be grounded upon the validity of his sufferings. And, indeed, his
intercession is nothing else, that I know of, but a presenting of
what he did in the world for us unto God, and pressing the value
of it for our salvation. The blood of sprinkling is that which
speaketh meritoriously, (Heb 12:24); it is by the value of that
that God measureth out and giveth unto us grace and life eternal;
wherefore Christ's intercessions also must be ordered and governed
by merit; 'By his own blood he entered into the holy place, having
[before by it] obtained eternal redemption for us,' for our souls.
(Heb 9:12)

Now, if by blood he entered in thither, by blood he must also make
intercession there. His blood made way for his entrance thither, his
blood must make way for our entrance thither. Though here, again,
we must beware; for his blood did make way for him as Priest to
intercede; his blood makes way for us, as for those redeemed by it,
that we might be saved. This, then, shows sufficiently the worth
of the blood of Christ, even his ever living to make intercession
for us; for the merit of his blood lasts all the while that he doth,
and for all them for whom he ever liveth to make intercession. Oh,
precious blood! oh, lasting merit!

Blood must be pleaded in Christ's intercession, because of justice,
and to stop the mouth of the enemy, and also to encourage us to
come to God by him. Justice, since that is of the essence of God,
must concur in the salvation of the sinner; but how can that be,
since it is said at first, 'In the day thou eatest thereof, thou
shalt surely die,' unless a plenary16 satisfaction be made for sin
to the pleasing of the mighty God. The enemy also would else never
let go his objecting against our salvation. But now God has declared
that our salvation is grounded on justice, because merited by
blood. And though God needed not to have given his Son to die for
us that he might save us, and stop the mouth of the devil in so
doing, yet this way of salvation has done both, and so it is declared,
we are 'justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past--to declare, I say, at this time
his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus.' (Rom 3:24,25) So, then, here is also a
ground of intercession, even the blood shed for us before.

And that you may see it yet more for your comfort, God did, at
Christ's resurrection, to show what a price he set upon his blood,
bid him ask of him the heathen, and he would give him the uttermost
parts of the earth for his possession. (Psa 2:8) His blood, then,
has value enough in it to ground intercession upon; yea, there is
more worth in it than Christ will plead or improve for men by way
of intercession. I do not at all doubt but that there is virtue
enough in the blood of Christ, would God Almighty so apply it, to
save the souls of the whole world. But it is the blood of Christ,
his own blood; and he may do what he will with his own. It is also
the blood of God, and he also may restrain its merits, or apply
it as he sees good. But the coming soul, he shall find and feel
the virtue thereof, even the soul that comes to God by Christ;
for he is the man concerned in its worth, and he ever liveth to
make intercession for him. Now, seeing the intercession of Christ
is grounded upon a covenant, an oath, a life, and also upon the
validity of his merits, it must of necessity be prevalent, and so
drive down all opposition before it. This, therefore, is the last
part of the text, and that which demonstrateth that he that comes
to God by Christ shall be saved, seeing 'he ever liveth to make
intercession for him.'

I have now done what I intend upon this subject when I have drawn
a few inferences from this also.

[Inferences from the certainty of benefit from Christ's Intercession.]

First, then, hence I infer that the souls saved by Christ are in
themselves in a most deplorable condition. Oh, what ado, as I may
say, is here before one sinner can be eternally saved! Christ must
die; but that is not all; the Spirit of grace must be given to
us; but that is not all;--but Christ must also ever live to make
intercession for us. And as he doth this for all, so he doth it for
each one. He interceded for me, before I was born, that I might in
time, at the set time, come into being. After that, he also made
intercession for me, that I might be kept from hell in the time of
my unregenerate state, until the time of my call and conversion.
Yet again, he then intercedes that the work now begun in my soul
may be perfected, not only to the day of my dissolution, but unto
the day of Christ; that is, until he comes to judgment. (Phil 1:6)
So that, as he began to save me before I had being, so he will go
on to save me when

I am dead and gone, and will never leave off to save me until he
has set me before his face for ever.

But, I say, what a deplorable condition has our sin put us into,
that there must be all this ado to save us. Oh, how hardly is sin
got out of the soul when once it is in! Blood takes away the guilt;
inherent grace weakens the filth; but the grave is the place, at
the mouth of which, sin, as to the being of sin, and the saved,
must have a perfect and final parting. (Isa 38:10) Not that the
grave of itself is of a sin-purging quality, but God will follow
Satan home to his own door; for the grave is the door or gate of
hell, and will there, where the devil thought to have swallowed
us up, even there by the power of his mercy make us, at our coming
thence, shine like the sun, and look like angels. Christ, all this
while, ever liveth to make intercession for us.

Second, Hence, also, I infer that as Satan thought he struck
home at first, when he polluted our nature, and brought our souls
to death, so he is marvellous loath to lose us, and to suffer his
lawful captives now to escape his hands. He is full of fire against
us, full of the fire of malice, as is manifest--

1. Not only by his first attempt upon our first parents, but behold,
when the Deliverer came into the world, how he roared. He sought
his death while he was an infant; he hated him in his cradle; he
persecuted him while he was but a bud and blossom. (Matt 2) When
he was come to riper years, and began to manifest his glory, yet,
lest the world should be taken with him, how politicly did this
old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, work? He possessed people
that he had a devil, and was mad, and a deceiver; that he wrought
his miracles by magic art and by the devil; that the prophets spake
nothing of him, and that he sought to overthrow the government
which was God's ordinance. And, not being contented with all this,
he pursued him to the death, and could never rest until he had
spilt his blood upon the ground like water. Yea, so insatiable was
his malice, that he set the soldiers to forge lies about him to the
denial of his resurrection, and so managed that matter that what
they said has become a stumblingblock to the Jews to this very day.
(John 10:20, 7:12, Matt 9:34, John 7:52, Luke 23:2, Matt 28:11-15)

2. When he was ascended to God, and so was out of his reach, yet
how busily went he about to make war with his people. (Rev 12)
Yea, what horrors and terrors, what troubles and temptations, has
God's church met with from that day till now! Nor is he content
with persecutions and general troubles; but oh! how doth he haunt
the spirits of the Christians with blasphemies and troubles, with
darkness and frightful fears; sometimes to their distraction, and
often to the filling the church with outcries.

3. Yet his malice is in the pursuit, and now his boldness will try
what it can do with God, either to tempt him to reject his Son's
mediation, or to reject them that come to God by him for mercy. And
this is one cause among many why 'he ever liveth to make intercession
for them that come to God by him.'

4. And if he cannot overthrow, if he knows he cannot overthrow them,
yet he cannot forbear but vex and perplex them, even as he did
their Lord, from the day of their conversion to the day of their
ascension to glory.

Third, Hence I infer that the love of Christ to his, is an unwearied
love, and it must needs be so; an undaunted love, and it must needs
be so. Who but Jesus Christ would have undertaken such a task as
the salvation of the sinner is, if Jesus Christ had passed us by?
It is true which is written of him, 'He shall not fail, nor be
discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth,' &c. If he had
not set his 'face like a flint,' the greatness of this work would
surely have daunted his mind. (Isa 42:1, 50:6-7)

For do but consider what sin is from which they must be saved; do
but consider what the devil and the curse is from which they must
be saved; and it will easily be concluded by you that it is he that
full rightly deserveth to have his name called Wonderful, and his
love such as verily passeth knowledge.

Consider, again, by what means these souls are saved, even with
the loss of his life, and, together with it, the loss of the light
of his Father's face. I pass by here and forbear to speak of the
matchless contradiction of sinners which he endured against himself,
which could not but be a great grief, or, as himself doth word it, a
breaking of heart unto him; but all this did not, could not, hinder.

Join to all this, his everlasting intercession for us, and the
effectual management thereof with God for us; and, withal, the
infinite number of times that we by sin provoke him to spue us out
of his mouth, instead of interceding for us, and the many times also
that his intercession is repeated by the repeating of our faults,
and this love still passes knowledge, and is by us to be wondered
at. What did, or what doth, the Lord Jesus see in us to be at all
this care, and pains, and cost to save us? What will he get of us
by the bargain but a small pittance of thanks and love? for so it
is, and ever will be, when compared with his matchless and unspeakable
love and kindness towards us.

Oh, how unworthy are we of this love! How little do we think of it!
But, most of all, the angels may be astonished to see how little
we are affected with that of which we pretend to know. But neither
can this prevail with him to put us out of the scroll in which all
the names of them are written for whom he doth make intercession
to God. Let us cry, Grace, grace unto it.

Fourth, Hence again I infer that they shall be saved that come to
God by Christ, when the devil and sin have done what they can to
hinder it. This is clear, for that the strife is now, who shall
be lord of all, whether Satan, the prince of this world, or Christ
Jesus, the Son of God; or which can lay the best claim to God's
elect, he that produceth their sins against them, or he that laid
down his heart's blood a price of redemption for them. Who, then,
shall condemn when Christ has died, and doth also make intercession?
Stand still, angels, and behold how the Father divideth his Son 'a
portion with the great'; and how he divideth 'the spoil with the
strong: because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and was
numbered with the transgressors, and bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.' (Isa 53:12) The grace of God
and blood of Christ will, before the end of the world, make brave
work among the sons of men! They shall come to a wonderment to God
by Christ, and be saved by a wonderment for Christ's sake--'Behold
these shall come from far: and lo, these from the north and from
the west, and these from the land of Sinim.' (Isa 49:12)

Behold, these, and these, and these shall come, and lo, these,
and these, and these from the land of Sinim! This is to denote the
abundance that shall come in to God by Christ towards the latter end
of the world--namely, when Antichrist is gone to bed in the sides
of the pit's mouth; then shall nations come in and be saved, and
shall walk in the light of the Lord.17 But, I say, what encouragement
would there be for sinners thus to do if that the Lord Jesus by
his intercession were not able to save 'even to the uttermost' them
that come unto God by him.

Fifth, hence again I infer that here is ground for confidence to
them that come to God by Christ. Confidence to the end becomes us
who have such a High Priest, such an Intercessor as Jesus Christ;
who would dishonour such a Jesus by doubting that, that all the
devils in hell cannot discourage by all their wiles? He is a tried
stone, he is a sure foundation; a man may confidently venture his
soul in his hand, and not fear but he will bring him safe home.
Ability, love to the person, and faithfulness to trust committed
to him, will do all; and all these are with infinite fullness in
him. He has been a Saviour these four thousand years already--two
thousand before the law, two thousand in the time of the law--besides
the sixteen hundred years he has in his flesh continued to make
intercession for them that come unto God by him. Yet the day is to
come, yea, will never come, that he can be charged with any fault,
or neglect of the salvation of any of them that at any time have
come unto God by him. What ground, then, is here for confidence
that Christ will make a good end with me, since I come unto God
by him, and since he ever liveth to make intercession for me. Let
me, then, honour him, I say, by setting on his head the crown of
his undertakings for me, by the believing that he is able to save
me 'even to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for me.'

Sixth, Hence also I infer that Christ ought to bear and wear the
glory of our salvation for ever. He has done it, he has wrought it
out. 'Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the
Lord glory and strength.' Do not sacrifice to your own inventions,
do not give glory to the work of your own hands. Your reformations,
your works, your good deeds, and all the glory of your doing,
cast them at the feet of this High Priest, and confess that glory
belongs unto him--'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and
glory, and blessing.' (Rev 5:12) 'And they shall hang upon him all
the glory of his Father's house, and offspring and the issue, all
vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all
the vessels of flagons.' (Isa 22:24) Oh! the work of our redemption
by Christ is such as wanteth not provocation to us to bless,
and praise, and glorify Jesus Christ. Saints, set to the work and
glorify him in your body and in your souls; him who has bought us
with a price, and glorify God and the Father by him. (1 Cor 6:20)

THE USE.

I come now to make some use of this discourse; and,

USE FIRST, Let me exhort you to the study of this, as of other the
truths of our Lord Jesus Christ. The priestly office of Christ is
the first and great thing that is presented to us in the gospel--namely,
how that he died for our sins, and gave himself to the cross, that
the blessing of Abraham might come upon us through him. (1 Cor
15:1-6, Gal 3:13-16) But now because this priestly office of his
is divided into two parts, and because one of them--to wit, this
of his intercession--is to be accomplished for us within the veil,
therefore, as we say among men, out of sight out of mind, he is
too much as to this forgotten by us. We satisfy ourselves with the
slaying of the sacrifice; we look not enough after our Aaron as he
goes into the holiest, there to sprinkle the mercy-seat with blood
upon our account. God forbid that the least syllable of what I say
should be intended by me, or construed by others, as if I sought
to diminish the price paid by Christ for our redemption in this
world. But since his dying is his laying down his price, and his
intercession the urging and managing the worthiness of it in the
presence of God against Satan, there is glory to be found therein,
and we should look after him into the holy place. The second part
of the work of the high priests under the law, had great glory and
sanctity put upon it; forasmuch as the holy garments were provided
for him to officiate in within the veil, also it as there that
the altar stood on which he offered incense; also there was the
mercy-seat and the cherubims of glory, which were figures of the
angels, that love to be continually looking and prying into the
management of this second part of the priesthood of Christ in the
presence of God; for although themselves are not the persons so
immediately concerned therein as we, yet the management of it, I
say, is with so much grace, and glory, and wisdom, and effectualness,
that it is a heaven to the angels to see it. Oh! to enjoy the
odorous scent, and sweet memorial, the heart-refreshing perfumes,
that ascend continually from the mercy-seat to the 'above' where
God is; and also to behold how effectual it is to the end for which
it is designed, is glorious; and he that is not somewhat let into
this by the grace of God, there is a great thing lacking to his
faith, and he misseth of many a sweet bit that he might otherwise
enjoy. Wherefore, I say, be exhorted to the study of this part
of Christ's work in the managing of our salvation for us. And the
ceremonies of the law may be a great help to you as to this, for
though they be out of use now as to practice, yet the signification
of them is rich, and that from which many gospellers18 have got
much. Wherefore I advise that you read the five books of Moses
often; yea, read, and read again, and do not despair of help to
understand something of the will and mind of God therein, though
you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble your
heads though you have not commentaries and expositions; pray and
read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a
great deal from men. Also, what is from men is uncertain, and is
often lost and tumbled over and over by men; but what is from God
is fixed as a nail in a sure place. I know there are [peculiar]
times of temptation, but I speak now as to the common course of
Christianity. There is nothing that so abides with us as what we
receive from God; and the reason why Christians at this day are
at such a loss as to some things is, because they are content with
what come from men's mouths, without searching and kneeling before
God, to know of him the truth of things. Things that we receive
at God's hand come to us as things from the minting house, though
old in themselves, yet new to us. Old truths are always new to us
if they come to us with the smell of heaven upon them. I speak
not this because I would have people despise their ministers, but
to show that there is nowadays so much idleness among professors
as hinders them from a diligent search after things, and makes them
take up short of that that is sealed by the Spirit of testimony
to the conscience. Witness the great decays at this day among us,
and that strange revolting from truth once professed by us.

USE SECOND, As I would press you to an earnest study and search after
this great truth, so I would press you to a diligent improvement
of it to yourselves and to others. To know truth for knowledge
sake is short of a gracious disposition of soul; and to communicate
truth out of a desire of praise and vain-glory for so doing is
also a swerving from godly simplicity; but to improve what I know
for the good of myself and others is true Christianity indeed. Now
truths received may be improved with respect to myself and others,
and that several ways--

1. To myself, when I search after the power that belongs to those
notions that I have received of truth. There belongs to every true
notion of truth a power; the notion is the shell--the power is
the kernel and life. Without this last, truth doth me no good, nor
those to whom I communicate it. Hence Paul said to the Corinthians,
'When I come to you again, I will know not the speech of them that
are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in
word, but in power.' (1 Cor 4:19,20) Search, then, after the power
of what thou knowest, for it is the power that will do thee good.
Now this will not be got but by earnest prayer, and much attending
upon God; also there must not be admitted by thee that thy heart
be stuffed with cumbering cares of this world, for they are of a
choking nature.

Take heed of slighting that little that thou hast; a good improvement
of little is the way to make that little thrive, and the way to
obtain additions thereto: 'He that is faithful in that which is
least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least
is unjust also in much.' (Luke 16:10)

2. Improve them to others, and that, (1.) By labouring to instill
them upon their hearts by good and wholesome words, presenting
all to them with the authority of the Scriptures. (2.) Labour to
enforce those instillings on them by showing them by thy life the
peace, the glorious effects that they have upon thy soul.

Lastly, Let this doctrine give thee boldness to come to God. Shall
Jesus Christ be interceding in heaven? Oh, then, be thou a praying
man on earth; yea, take courage to pray. Think thus with thyself--I
go to God, to God, before whose throne the Lord Jesus is ready to
hand my petitions to him; yea, 'he ever lives to make intercession
for me.' This is a great encouragement to come to God by prayers
and supplications for ourselves, and by intercessions for our
families, our neighbours, and enemies. Farewell.

FOOTNOTES:

1: Coming unto God by Christ, essentially involves in it walking
in conformity to his image; and all such comers must be perfectly
and eternally saved. Why then, O child of God, should you suffer
under Giant Despair, in his doubting, fearing castle.--Ed.

2 What indescribable consolations flow into the Christina's soul
from communion with God, especially to the most deeply afflicted.
Thus the wisdom casts her care upon her heavenly Father--her Creator,
Christ; for all things were made by him. He is her husband, ever
living to intercede for her. Wondrous privileges!--Ed.

3 The infinite perfection of the Mediatorial work of Jesus, God manifest
in the flesh, is the ground of our hope. He alone can effectually
plead with God. O my soul! if, in thy holiest and happiest moments,
thou art found 'looking unto Jesus,' how much more intensely ought
thy trembling eye to be directed to him, when thou art wounded by
sin!!--Ed.

4 What can withstand the will of Christ, that all his should
behold and partake of his glory? He is the Captain of salvation,
has subdued all our enemies for us, and will destroy their power in
us, and, ere long, put our last enemy, death, under his feet.--Mason.

5 One proof of a future state of rewards is, that many of God's
dearest saints have been most bitterly persecuted all their lives,
and martyred with extreme cruelty. Thus it was with the greatest
man this country ever saw--William Tyndale, to whom the world is
indebted for our translation of the Bible. See his letters, in his
Memoir by the Editor, prefixed to a reprint of the first English
New Testament.--Ed.

6 'The uttermost.' How boundless! It includes all that wondrous
extent of Divine love which we shall be ever learning, and never
be able to comprehend, the breadth, length, depth, and height of
the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.--Ed.

7 'Achare,' from to chare, to turn about, or backwards and forwards;,
as achare woman, one who takes her turn at work; a door achare, or
ajar, turning to and fro on its hinges, or standing partly open.--Ed.

8 It is supposed by some that 'Nicolas' was the founder of the
sect of the Nicolaitanes, mentioned in Revelation 2:6, 15; but of
this there is much doubt. See Dr. Gill, and Matthew Henry on Acts
6:5.--Ed.

9 A godly man's prayers are sometimes answered by terrible things
in righteousness. He prays to be quickened in his walk with God;
and the answer, dictated by wisdom and love, is the loss of some
temporal blessing, that he may be kept 'looking unto Jesus.'--Ed.

10 The heart 'unweldable.' This homely allusion, drawn from Bunyan's
trade of blacksmith, is worthy of remark. The heart a mountain of
iron, so hard that no heat in nature can soften it so as to weld
it to Christ. To weld is to hammer into firm union two pieces
of iron, when heated almost to fusion, so as to become one piece.
The heart of man is by nature 'unweldable,' until God the Spirit
softens it; and then the union is such that Christ becomes THE LIFE
of his saints. Reader, has thy heart passed through this process?--Ed.

11 This is a solemn and heart-searching consideration. It is not
enough that we fear eternal wrath, but we must love heaven, for
the sake of its purity. It is not sufficient that we go to Christ
for pardon, but we must go through him to the infinitely holy God,
for holiness and fitness for heaven.--Ed.

12 There have been, in every age, professors who, instead of
gratefully receiving and obeying the whole truth, have indulged in
favourite doctrines. Happy is that Christian who equally loves to
hear Christ set forth as a priest and sacrifice, or to dwell upon
his power and authority as king and lawgiver; who delights as much
in holy obedience as in electing love. The saints are bound to
bear with each other, never forgetting that they are members of
one family, and must cherish and comfort one another, as we hope
to enjoy fellowship with heaven and the smiles of the great Head
of the church.--Ed.

13 Nothing can be more solemn and awful than are these warnings. O
that we may feel the spurs, the condemning curse of a broken law,
and a sense of the jaws of hell, urging us on in coming to, and
cleaving to Christ.--Ed.

14


   'To any boot,' to any profit.
        'What boots it at one gate to make defence,
        and at another to let in the foe!'


Milton's Samson Agonistes--Ed.

15 'Them.' As Christ is the Saviour of both body and soul,
notwithstanding the sins of the body, they break not the covenant;
because it is God's covenant, and stands fast in Christ for
evermore.--Ed.

16 'Plenary'; full, perfect, or complete.--Ed.

17 Bunyan saw that time very far off, which much more nearly
approaches us: when Antichrist will find a grave in the side of
the pit's mouth; when no national barriers, either Pagan, Popish,
or Protestant, shall exist to prevent the glorious spread of pure
and vital Christianity. And, however abundant that harvest of souls
shall be, there will prove a superabundance of grace in Christ to
supply all their wants. He was, is now, and ever will be, 'a complete
Saviour.'--Ed.

18 'Gospellers,' a nickname given to the Reformers, when first
a holy band determined, at the imminent risk of life, to read the
New Testament or Gospels in English. It was like the term Methodist,
a few years ago. The gospel has now so much spread, that these
terms of reproach are only used by fanatics.--Ed.

***

COME AND WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST;

OR,

A PLAIN AND PROFITABLE DISCOURSE ON JOHN 6:37

SHOWING THE CAUSE, TRUTH, AND MANNER OF THE COMING OF A SINNER TO
JESUS CHRIST; WITH HIS HAPPY RECEPTION AND BLESSED ENTERTAINMENT.

WRITTEN BY JOHN BUNYAN, AUTHOR OF "THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS."

"And they shall come which were ready to perish."--Isaiah 27:13.

London, 1681.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

"Come and welcome to Jesus Christ," is a subject peculiarly fitted
to the deep and searching experience of John Bunyan. He knew all
the wiles of sin and Satan, in placing stumblingblocks in the way
of a sincere penitent; all the human craft employed in keeping the
soul from a simple and entire reliance upon Christ for salvation.
This little work soon became most deservedly popular, passing through
four large editions during the last seven years of the author's
life. It is an enlightened display of the dealings of the Father in
giving sinners to Christ; the Son in saving them by his atonement,
mediation, and intercession; and the Holy Spirit in sanctifying
and fitting them for glory. Here is no Calvinism, Lutheranism, or
Arminianism; no Episcopacy, Presbytery, or Independency; nothing
but Christism and Bibleism. The gracious invitation is addressed
to all who feel their misery, Come unto me, and I will make you
happy and blessed. All who feel the leprosy of sin are invited to
this spiritual Physician, and he only can and will heal them. All
who suffer under the slavery of sin and Satan, Christ alone can make
you free. Come to him, and you shall be free indeed. The analysis
of Bunyan's treatise shows that ALL mankind are born in sin. ALL
sinners are invited to Christ. None will come but such as feel the
plague, and see the leprosy of sin. Those who come are drawn in a
variety of ways--some terrified with the horrors of hell, others
allured by the gracious voice of the Saviour, and the prospects of
heavenly felicity. ALL who sincerely come, attain the same end, a
sincere and total reliance upon the Saviour as the only refuge from
the roaring lion.

Every other way to life is guarded by the flaming swords of the
cherubim. Christ opens his golden arms wider than all our miseries.
But he suffers no rival on his throne, no partnership with Moses or
John Baptist. The personification of "shall come," and of "ignorance,"
is strikingly illustrative; as is "sin, the winding-sheet of the
soul;" "unbelief, the white devil;" the sinner being a counsellor
for Satan; and the two ways of taking our own likeness. His appeal
to persecutors is most forcible. But I must not detain the reader
longer from the pleasure and profit he will receive from an attentive
perusal of these pages.

HACKNEY, 1850. GEORGE OFFOR.

COME AND WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST.

"ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; AND HIM THAT COMETH
TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT."--JOHN 6:37.

A little before, in this chapter, you may read that the Lord Jesus
walked on the sea to go to Capernaum, having sent his disciples
before in a ship, but the wind was contrary; by which means the
ship was hindered in her passage. Now, about the fourth watch of
the night, Jesus came walking upon the sea, and overtook them; at
the sight of whom they were afraid.

Note, When providences are black and terrible to God's people, the
Lord Jesus shows himself to them in wonderful manner; the which
sometimes they can as little bear, as they can the things that
were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the wind and the
water; they were also afraid of their Lord and Saviour, when he
appeared to them in that state.

But he said, "Be not afraid, it is I."

Note, That the end of the appearing of the Lord Jesus unto his
people, though the manner of his appearing be never so terrible,
is to allay their fears and perplexities.

Then they received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was
at land whither it went.

Note, When Christ is absent from his people, they go on but slowly,
and with great difficulty; but when he joineth himself unto them,
oh! how fast they steer their course! how soon are they
at their journey's end! 1

The people now among whom he last preached, when they saw that both
Jesus was gone and his disciples, they also took shipping, and came
to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him, they
wonderingly asked him, "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?" but the
Lord Jesus, slighting their compliment, answered, "Verily, verily,
ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did
eat of the loaves, and were filled."

Note, A people may follow Christ far for base ends, as these went
after him beyond sea for loaves. A man's belly will carry him
a great way in religion; yea, a man's belly will make him venture
far for Christ.

Note again, They are not feigning compliments, but gracious
intentions, that crown the work in the eye of Christ; or thus, it
is not the toil and business of professors, 2 but their love to
him, that makes him approve of them.

Note again, When men shall look for friendly entertainment
at Christ's hand, if their hearts be rotten, even then will they
meet with a check and rebuke. "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the
miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."

Yet observe again, He doth not refuse to give, even to these, good
counsel: he bids them labour for the meat that endureth to eternal
life. Oh! how willingly would Jesus Christ have even those professors
that come to him with pretences only, come to him sincerely, that
they may be saved.

The text, you will find, is, after much more discourse with and about
this people, and it is uttered by the Lord Jesus as the conclusion
of the whole, and intimateth that, since they were professors in
pretence only, and therefore such as his soul could not delight
in, as such, that he would content himself with a remnant that his
Father had bestowed upon him. As who should say, I am not like to
be honoured in your salvation; but the Father hath bestowed upon
me a people, and they shall come to me in truth, and in them will
I be satisfied. The text, therefore, may be called Christ's repose;
in the fulfilling whereof he resteth himself content, after much
labour and many sermons spent, as it were, in vain. As he saith
by the prophet, "I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength
for nought, and in vain" (Isa 49:4).

But as there he saith, "My judgment is with the LORD, and my work
with my God;" so in the text he saith, "All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out." By these words, therefore, the Lord Jesus comforteth
himself under the consideration of the dissimulation of some
of his followers. He also thus betook himself to rest under the
consideration of the little effect that his ministry had in Capernaum,
Chorazin, and Bethsaida: "I thank thee, O Father," said he, "Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou has hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21).

The text, in the general, standeth of TWO PARTS, and hath special
respect to the Father and the Son; as also to their joint management
of the salvation of the people: "All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out." The first part of the text, as is evident, respecteth the
Father and his gift; the other part the Son and his reception of
that gift.

FIRST, For the gift of the Father there is this to be considered,
to wit, the gift itself; and that is the gift of certain persons
to the Son. The Father giveth, and that gift shall come: "And him
that cometh." The gift, then, is of persons; the Father giveth
persons to Jesus Christ.

SECOND, Next you have the Son's reception of this gift, and that showeth
itself in these particulars:--1. In his hearty acknowledgement of
it to be a gift: "The Father giveth me." 2. In his taking notice,
after a solemn manner, of all and every part of the gift: "All
that the Father giveth me." 3. In his resolution to bring them to
himself: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." 4. And
in his determining that not anything shall make him dislike them
in their coming: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out."

These things might be spoken to at large, as they are in this method
presented to view: but I shall choose to speak to the words, FIRST,
BY WAY OF EXPLICATION. SECOND, BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.

[FIRST, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF EXPLICATION.]

[THE EXTENT OF THE GIFT.]

"All that the Father giveth me." This word all, is often used in
Scripture, and is to be taken more largely, or more strictly, even
as the truth or argument, for the sake of which it is made use of,
will bear. Wherefore, that we may the better understand the mind of
Christ in the use of it here, we must consider, that it is limited
and restrained only to those that shall be saved, to wit, to those
that shall come to Christ; even to those whom he will "in no wise
cast out." Thus, also, the words all Israel, is sometimes to be
taken, although sometimes it is taken for the whole family of Jacob.
"And so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom 11:26). By all Israel here,
he intendeth not all of Israel, in the largest sense; "for they are
not all Israel which are of Israel;" "neither because they are of
the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy
seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise
are counted for the seed" (Rom 9:6-8).

This word ALL, therefore, must be limited and enlarged, as the
truth and argument, for the sake of which it is used, will bear;
else we shall abuse Scripture, and readers, and ourselves, and all.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth," said Christ, "will draw
ALL men unto me" (John 12:32). Can any man imagine, that by ALL,
in this place, he should mean all and every individual man in the
world, and not rather that all that is consonant to the scope of
the place? And if, by being "lifted up from the earth," he means, as
he should seem, his being taken up into heaven; and if, by "drawing
ALL men after him," he meant a drawing them unto that place of
glory; then must he mean by ALL men, those, and only those, that
shall in truth be eternally saved from the wrath to come. "For
God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy
upon all" (Rom 11:32). Here again you have all and all, two alls;
but yet a greater disparity between the all made mention of in the
first place, and that all made mention of the second. Those intended
in this text are the Jews, even all of them, by the first all that
you find in the words. The second all doth also intend the same
people; but yet only so many of them as God will have mercy upon.
"He hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy
upon all." The all also in the text, is likewise to be limited and
restrained to the saved, and to them only. But again;--

The word "giveth," or "hath given," must be restrained, after the
same manner, to the same limited number. "All that the Father giveth
me." Not all that are given, if you take the gift of the Father
to the Son in the largest sense; for in that sense there are many
given to him that shall never come unto him; yea, many are given
unto him that he will "cast out." I shall, therefore, first show
you the truth of this; and then in what sense the gift in the text
must be taken.

First, [ALL cannot be intended in its largest sense.] That ALL that
are given to Christ, if you take the gift of the Father to him in
the largest sense, cannot be intended in the text, is evident--

1. Because, then, all the men, yea, all the things in the world,
must be saved. "All things," saith he, "are delivered unto me of my
Father" (Matt 11:27). This, I think, no rational man in the world
will conclude. Therefore, the gift intended in the text must be
restrained to some, to a gift that is given by way of speciality
by the Father to the Son.

2. It must not be taken for ALL, that in any sense are given by
the Father to him, because the Father hath given some, yea, many
to him, to be dashed in pieces by him. "Ask of me," said the Father
to him, "and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." But what
must be done with them? must he save them all? No. "Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a
potter's vessel" (Psa 2). This method he useth not with them that
he saveth by his grace, but with those that himself and saints shall
rule over in justice and severity (Rev 2:26,27). Yet, as you see,
"they are given to him." Therefore, the gift intended in the text
must be restrained to some, to a gift that is given by way of
speciality by the Father to the Son.

In Psalm 18 he saith plainly, that some are given to him that he
might destroy them. "Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies;
that I might destroy them that hate me" (verse 40). These, therefore,
cannot be of the number of those that are said to be given in the
text; for those, even ALL of them, shall come to him, "and he will
in no wise cast them out."

3. Some are given to Christ, that he by them might bring about some
of his high and deep designs in the world. Thus Judas was given
to Christ, to wit, that by him, even as was determined before, he
might bring about his death, and so the salvation of his elect by
his blood. Yea, and Judas must so manage this business, as that
he must lose himself for ever in bringing it to pass. Therefore
the Lord Jesus, even in his losing of Judas, applies himself to
the judgment of his Father, if he had not in that thing done that
which was right, even in suffering of Judas so to bring about his
Master's death, as that he might, by so doing, bring about his own
eternal damnation also.

"Those," said he, "that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of
them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be
fulfilled" (John 17:12). Let us, then, grant that Judas was given
to Christ, but not as others are given to him, not as those made
mention of in the text; for then he should have failed to have
been so received by Christ, and kept to eternal life. Indeed, he
was given to Christ; but he was given to him to lose him, in the
way that I have mentioned before; he was given to Christ, that he
by him might bring about his own death, as was before determined;
and that in the overthrow of him that did it. Yea, he must bring
about his own death, as was before determined, and that in the
overthrow of him that did it. Yea, he must bring about his dying
for us in the loss of the instrument that betrayed him, that he
might even fulfil the Scripture in his destruction, as well as in
the salvation of the rest. "And none of them is lost, but the son
of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled."

[Second, Those intended as the gift.]--The gift, therefore, in the
text, must not be taken in the largest sense, but even as the words
will bear, to wit, for such a gift as he accepteth, and promiseth
to be an effectual means of eternal salvation to. "All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out." Mark! they shall come that are in special
given to me; and they shall by no means be rejected. For this is
the substance of the text.

Those, therefore, intended as the gift in the text, are those that
are given by covenant to the Son; those that in other places are
called "the elect," "the chosen," "the sheep," and "the children
of the promise," &c. These be they that the Father hath given to
Christ to keep them; those that Christ hath promised eternal life
unto; those to whom he hath given his word, and that he will have
with him in his kingdom to behold his glory.

"This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again
at the last day" (John 6:39). "And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and
no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28).
"As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Thine they were,
and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word; I pray for
them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given
me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
and I am glorified in them." "Keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." "Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I
am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:1,6,9,10,24).

All these sentences are of the same import with the text; and the
alls and manies, those, they, &c., in these several sayings of
Christ, are the same with all the given in the text. "All that the
Father giveth."

So that, as I said before, the word ALL, as also other words, must
not be taken in such sort as our foolish fancies or groundless
opinions will prompt us to, but do admit of an enlargement or a
restriction, according to the true meaning and intent of the text.
We must therefore diligently consult the meaning of the text, by
comparing it with other the sayings of God; so shall we be better
able to find out the mind of the Lord, in the word which he has
given us to know it by.

[THE PERSON GIVING, THE FATHER.]

"All that the Father giveth." By this word "Father," Christ describeth
the person giving; by which we may learn several useful things.

First, That the Lord God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is
concerned with the Son in the salvation of his people. True, his
acts, as to our salvation, are diverse from those of the Son; he
was not capable of doing that, or those things for us, as did the
Son; he died not, he spilt not blood for our redemption, as the
Son; but yet he hath a hand, a great hand, in our salvation too.
As Christ saith, "The Father himself loveth you," and his love is
manifest in choosing of us, in giving of us to his Son; yea, and
in giving his Son also to be a ransom for us. Hence he is called,
"The Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." For here even
the Father hath himself found out, and made way for his grace to
come to us through the sides and the heart-blood of his well-beloved
Son (Col 1:12-14). The Father, therefore, is to be remembered and
adored, as one having a chief hand in the salvation of sinners. We
ought to give "thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col 1:12).
For "the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (John
4:14). As also we see in the text, the "Father giveth" the sinner
to Christ to save him.

Second, Christ Jesus the Lord, by this word "Father," would
familiarize this giver to us. Naturally the name of God is dreadful
to us, especially when he is discovered to us by those names that
declare his justice, holiness, power, and glory; but now this word
"Father" is a familiar word, it frighteth not the sinner, but rather
inclineth his heart to love, and be pleased with the remembrance
of him. Hence Christ also, when he would have us to pray with godly
boldness, puts this word "Father" into our mouths; saying, "When
ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven;" concluding thereby,
that by the familiarity that by such a word is intimated, the
children of God may take more boldness to pray for, and ask great
things. I myself have often found, that when I can say but this
word Father, it doth me more good than when I call him by any other
Scripture name. It is worth your noting, that to call God by his
relative title was rare among the saints in Old Testament times.
Seldom do you find him called by this name; no, sometimes not in
three or four books: but now in New Testament times, he is called
by no name so often as this, both by the Lord Jesus himself, and by
the apostles afterwards. Indeed, the Lord Jesus was he that first
made this name common among the saints, and that taught them, both
in their discourses, their prayers, and in their writings, so much
to use it; it being more pleasing to, and discovering more plainly
our interest in, God, than any other expression; for by this one name
we are made to understand that all our mercies are the offspring of
God, and that we also that are called are his children by adoption.

[Import of the word GIVETH.]--"All that the Father giveth."

This word "giveth" is out of Christ's ordinary dialect, and seemeth
to intimate, at the first sound, as if the Father's gift to the Son
was not an act that is past, but one that is present and continuing;
when, indeed, this gift was bestowed upon Christ when the covenant,
the eternal covenant, was made between them before all worlds.
Wherefore, in those other places, when this gift is mentioned, it
is still spoken of, as of an act that is past; as, "All that he
hath give me; to as many as thou hast given me; thou gavest them
me; and those which thou hast given me." Therefore, of necessity,
this must be the first and chief sense of the text; I mean of
this word "giveth," otherwise the doctrine of election, and of the
eternal covenant which was made between the Father and the Son, in
which covenant this gift of the Father is most certainly comprised,
will be shaken, or at leastwise questionable, by erroneous and
wicked men: for they may say, That the Father gave not all those
to Christ that shall be saved, before the world was made; for that
this act of giving is an act of continuation. 3 But again, this
word "giveth" is not to be rejected, for it hath its proper use,
and may signify to us--

1. That though the act of giving among men doth admit of the time
past, or the time to come, and is to be spoken of with reference
to such time; yet with God it is not so. Things past, or things to
come, are always present with God, and with his Son Jesus Christ:
He "calleth those things which be not," that is, to us, "as though
they were" (Rom 4:17). And again, "Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world." All things to God are present,
and so the gift of the Father to the Son, although to us, as is
manifest by the word, it is an act that is past (Acts 15:16).

2. Christ may express himself thus, to show, that the Father hath
not only given him this portion in the lump, before the world was,
but that those that he had so given, he will give him again; that
is, will bring them to him at the time of their conversion; for
the Father bringeth them to Christ (John 6:44). As it is said, "She
shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work;" that
is, in the righteousness of Christ; for it is God that imputeth
that to those that are saved (Psa 45:14; 1 Cor 1). A man giveth
his daughter to such a man, first in order to marriage, and this
respects the time past, and he giveth her again at the day appointed
in marriage. And in this last sense, perhaps, the text may have a
meaning; that is, that all that the Father hath, before the world
was, given to Jesus Christ, he giveth them again to him in the day
of their espousals.

Things that are given among men, are ofttimes best at first; to wit,
when they are new; and the reason is, because all earthly things
wax old; but with Christ it is not so. This gift of the Father is
not old and deformed, and unpleasant in his eyes; and therefore to
him it is always new. When the Lord spake of giving the land of
Canaan to the Israelites, he saith not, that he had given, or would
give it to them, but thus: "The Lord thy God giveth thee--this good
land" (Deut 9:6). Not but that he had given it to them, while they
were in the loins of their fathers, hundreds of years before. Yet
he saith now he giveth it to them; as if they were now also in the
very act of taking possession, when as yet they were on the other
side Jordan. What then should be the meaning? Why, I take it to be
this. That the land should be to them always as new; as new as if
they were taking possession thereof but now. And so is the gift
of the Father, mentioned in the text, to the Son; it is always new,
as if it were always new.

"All that the Father giveth me." In these words you find mention
made of two persons, the Father and the Son; the Father giving,
and the Son receiving or accepting of this gift. This, then, in the
first place, clearly demonstrateth, that the Father and the Son,
though they, with the Holy Ghost, are one and the same eternal God;
yet, as to their personality, are distinct. The Father is one, the
Son is one, the Holy Spirit is one. But because there is in this
text mention made but of two of the three, therefore a word about
these two. The giver and receiver cannot be the same person in
a proper sense, in the same act of giving and receiving. He that
giveth, giveth not to himself, but to another; the Father giveth
not to the Father, to wit, to himself, but to the Son: the Son
receiveth not of the Son, to wit, of himself, but of the Father:
so when the Father giveth commandment, he giveth it not to himself,
but to another; as Christ saith, "He gave me a commandment" (John
12:49). So again, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the
Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 8:18).

Further, here is something implied that is not expressed, to wit,
that the Father hath not given all men to Christ; that is, in that
sense as it is intended in this text, though in a larger, as was
said before, he hath given him every one of them; for then all
should be saved: he hath, therefore, disposed of some another way.
He gives some up to idolatry; he gives some up to uncleanness, to
vile affections, and to a reprobate mind. Now these he disposeth of
in his anger, for their destruction, that they may reap the fruit
of their doings, and be filled with the reward of their own ways
(Acts 7:42; Rom 1:24,26,28). But neither hath he thus disposed of
all men; he hath even of mercy reserved some from these judgments,
and those are they that he will pardon, as he saith, "For I will
pardon them whom I reserve" (Jer 50:20). Now these he hath given
to Jesus Christ, by will, as a legacy and portion. Hence the Lord
Jesus says, "This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of
all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day" (John 6:39).

[THE FATHER'S INTENT IN GIVING.]

The Father, therefore, in giving of them to him to save them, must
needs declare unto us these following things:--

First, That he is able to answer this design of God, to wit, to
save them to the uttermost sin, the uttermost temptation, &c. (Heb
7:25). Hence he is said to lay "help upon one that is mighty,"
"mighty to save" (Psa 89:19; Isa 63:1) and hence it is again, that
God did even of old promise to send his people "a Saviour, a great
one" (Isa 19:20). To save is a great work, and calls for almightiness
in the undertaker: hence he is called the "Mighty God, the wonderful
Counsellor," &c. Sin is strong, Satan is also strong, death and
the grave are strong, and so is the curse of the law; therefore it
follows, that this Jesus must needs be, by God the Father, accounted
almighty, in that he hath given his elect to him to save them, and
deliver them from these, and that in despite of all their force
and power.

And he gave us testimony of this his might, when he was employed in
that part of our deliverance that called for a declaration of it.
He abolished death; he destroyed him that had the power of death;
he was the destruction of the grave; he hath finished sin, and made
an end of it, as to its damning effects upon the persons that the
Father hath given him; he hath vanquished the curse of the law,
nailed it to his cross, triumphed over them upon his cross, and
made a show of these things openly (2 Tim 1:10; Heb 2:14,15; Hosea
13:14; Dan 9:24; Gal 3:13; Col 2:14,15). Yea, and even now, as a
sign of his triumph and conquest, he is alive from the dead, and
hath the keys of hell and death in his own keeping (Rev 1:18).

Second, The Father's giving of them to him to save them, declares
unto us that he is and will be faithful in his office of Mediator,
and that therefore they shall be secured from the fruit and wages
of their sins, which is eternal damnation, by his faithful execution
of it. And, indeed, it is said, even by the Holy Ghost himself, That
he "was faithful to him that appointed him," that is, to this work
of saving those that the Father hath given him for that purpose;
as "Moses was faithful in all his house." Yea, and more faithful
too, for Moses was faithful in God's house but as a servant; "but
Christ as a Son over his own house" (Heb 3). And therefore this man
is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, even upon this account,
because more faithful than he, as well as because of the dignity
of his person. Therefore in him, and in his truth and faithfulness,
God resteth well pleased, and hath put all the government of this
people upon his shoulders. Knowing that nothing shall be wanting
in him, that may any way perfect this design. And of this he, to
wit, the Son, hath already given a proof. For when the time was
come, that his blood was, by Divine justice, required for their
redemption, washing, and cleansing, he as freely poured it out of
his heart, as if it had been water out of a vessel; not sticking
to part with his own life, that the life which was laid up for his
people in heaven might not fail to be bestowed upon them. And upon
this account, as well as upon any other, it is that God calleth
him "my righteous servant" (Isa 53:11). For his righteousness
could never have been complete, if he had not been to the uttermost
faithful to the work he undertook; it is also, because he is faithful
and true, that in righteousness he doth judge and make work for
his people's deliverance. He will faithfully perform this trust
reposed in him. The Father knows this, and hath therefore given
his elect unto him.

Third, The Father's giving of them to him, to save them, declares
that he is, and will be gentle, and patient towards them, under
all their provocations and miscarriages. It is not to be imagined,
the trials and provocations that the Son of God hath all along
had with these people that have been given to him that saves them:
indeed he is said to be "a tried stone;" for he has been tried, not
only by the devil, guilt of sin, death, and the curse of the law,
but also by his people's ignorance, unruliness, falls into sin,
and declining to errors in life and doctrine. Were we but capable
of seeing how this Lord Jesus has been tried even by his people,
ever since there was one of them in the world, we should be amazed
at his patience and gentle carriages to them. It is said, indeed,
"The Lord is very pitiful, slow to anger, and of great mercy." And,
indeed, if he had not been so, he could never have endured their
manners as he has done from Adam hitherto. Therefore is his pity
and bowels towards his church preferred above the pity and bowels
of a mother towards her child. "Can a woman forget her sucking
child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee," saith the Lord
(Isa 49:15).

God did once give Moses, as Christ's servant, an handful of his
people, to carry them in his bosom, but no further than from Egypt
to Canaan; and this Moses, as is said of him by the Holy Ghost,
was the meekest man that was then to be found in the earth; yea,
and he loved the people at a very great rate; yet neither would
his meekness nor love hold out in this work; he failed and grew
passionate, even to the provoking his God to anger under this work.
"And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy
servant?" But what was the affliction? Why, the Lord had said unto
him, "Carry this people in thy bosom as a nursing father beareth
the suckling child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their
fathers." And how then? Not I, says Moses, "I am not able to bear
all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If thou
deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, and let me
not see my wretchedness" (Num 11:11-15).

God gave them to Moses, that he might carry them in his bosom, that
he might show gentleness and patience towards them, under all the
provocations wherewith they would provoke him from that time till
he had brought them to their land; but he failed in the work;
he could not exercise it, because he had not that sufficiency of
patience towards them. But now it is said of the person speaking in
the text, "That he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry
them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young"
(Isa 40:11). Intimating, that this was one of the qualifications
that God looked for, and knew was in him, when he gave his elect
to him to save them.

Fourth, The Father giving of him to save them, declares that he
hath a sufficiency of wisdom to wage with all those difficulties
that would attend him in his bringing of his sons and daughters
unto glory. He made him to us to be wisdom; yea, he is called wisdom
itself (1 Cor 1:30). And God saith, moreover, That "he shall deal
prudently" (Isa 52:13). And, indeed, he that shall take upon him
to be the Saviour of the people, had need be wise, because their
adversaries are subtle above any. Here they are to encounter with
the serpent, who for his subtilty outwitted our father and mother,
when their wisdom was at highest (Gen 3). But if we talk of wisdom,
our Jesus is wise, wiser than Solomon, wiser than all men, wiser
than all angels; he is even the wisdom of God. "Christ is the
wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:24). And hence it is that he turneth sin,
temptations, persecutions, falls, and all things, for good unto
his people (Rom 8:28).

Now these things thus concluded on do show us also the great and
wonderful love of the Father, in that he should choose out one
every way so well prepared for the work of man's salvation.

Herein, indeed, perceive we the love of God. Huram gathered, that
God loved Israel because he had given them such a king as Solomon
(2 Chron 2:11). But how much more may we behold the love that God
hath bestowed upon us, in that he hath given us to his Son, and
also given his Son for us?

[THE SON'S RECEPTION OF THE GIFT.]

"All that the Father giveth me SHALL COME." In these last words
there is closely inserted an answer unto the Father's end in giving
of his elect to Jesus Christ. The Father's end was, that they might
come to him, and be saved by him; and that, says the Son, shall
be done; neither sin nor Satan, neither flesh nor world, neither
wisdom nor folly, shall hinder their coming to me. "They shall come
to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Here, therefore, the Lord Jesus positively determineth to put forth
such a sufficiency of all grace as shall effectually perform this
promise. "They shall come;" that is, he will cause them to come,
by infusing of an effectual blessing into all the means that shall
be used to that end. As was said to the evil spirit that was sent
to persuade Ahab to go and fall at Ramoth-Gilead; Go: "Thou shalt
persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so" (1 Kings
22:22). So will Jesus Christ say to the means that shall be used
for the bringing of those to him that the Father hath given him.
I say, he will bless it effectually to this very end; it shall
persuade them, and shall prevail also; else, as I said, the Father's
end would be frustrate; for the Father's will is, that "of all
which he hath given him, he should lose nothing, but should raise
it up at the last day," (John 6:39); in order next unto himself,
Christ the first-fruits, afterwards those that are his at his coming
(1 Cor 15). But this cannot be done if there should fail to be a
work of grace effectually wrought, though but in any one of them.
But this shall not fail to be wrought in them, even in all the
Father hath given him to save. "All that the Father hath given me
shall come unto me," &c.

But to speak more distinctly to the words, THEY "SHALL COME," two
things I would show you from these words--FIRST, What it is to come
to Christ. SECOND, What force there is in this promise, to make
them come to him.

[WHAT IT IS TO COME TO CHRIST.]

FIRST, I would show you WHAT IT IS TO COME TO CHRIST. This word
come must be understood spiritually, not carnally; for many came
to him carnally, or bodily, that had no saving advantage by him.
Multitudes did thus come unto him in the days of his flesh; yea,
innumerable companies. There is also at this day a formal customary
coming to his ordinances and ways of worship, which availeth not
anything; but with them I shall not now meddle, for they are not
intended in the text. The coming, then, intended in the text is to
be understood of the coming of the mind to him, even the moving of
the heart towards him. I say the moving of the heart towards him,
from a sound sense of the absolute want that a man hath of him for
his justification and salvation.

This description of coming to Christ divideth itself into two heads:
First, That coming to Christ is a moving of the mind towards him.
Second, That it is a moving of the mind towards him, from a sound
sense of the absolute want that a man hath of him for his justification
and salvation.

[First.] To speak to the first, that it is a moving of the mind
towards him. This is evident; because coming hither or thither,
if it be voluntary, is by an act of the mind or will; so coming to
Christ is through the inclining of the will. "Thy people shall be
willing" (Psa 110:3). This willingness of heart is it which sets
the mind a-moving after or towards him. The church expresseth this
moving of her mind towards Christ by the moving of her bowels. "My
beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were
moved for him" (Can 5:4). "My bowels;" the passions of my mind
and affections; which passions of the affections are expressed by
the yearning and sounding of the bowels, the yearning or passionate
working of them, the sounding of them, or their making a noise for
him (Gen 43:30; 1 Kings 3:26; Isa 16:11).

This, then, is the coming to Christ, even a moving towards him
with the mind. 4 "And it shall come to pass, that every thing that
liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall
live" (Eze 47:9). The water in this text is the grace of God in
the doctrine of it. The living things are the children of men, to
whom the grace of God, by the gospel, is preached. Now, saith he,
every living thing which moveth, whithersoever the water shall come,
shall live. And see how this word moveth is expounded by Christ
himself, in the book of the Revelations: "The Spirit and the bride
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that
is athirst, come. And whosoever will," that is, willing, "let him
take the water of life freely" (Rev 22:17).

So that to move in thy mind and will after Christ, is to be coming
to him. There are many poor souls that are coming to Christ, that
yet cannot tell how to believe it, because they think that coming
to him is some strange and wonderful thing; and, indeed, so it
is. But I mean, they overlook the inclination of their will, the
moving of their mind, and the sounding of their bowels after him;
and count these none of this strange and wonderful thing; when,
indeed, it is a work of greatest wonder in this world, to see a man
who was sometimes dead in sin possessed of the devil, an enemy to
Christ and to all things spiritually good; I say, to see this man
moving with his mind after the Lord Jesus Christ, is one of the
highest wonders in the world.

Second, It is a moving of the mind towards him, from a sound sense
of the absolute want that a man hath of him for his justification
and salvation. Indeed, without this sense of a lost condition without
him, there will be no moving of the mind towards him. A moving of
their mouth there may be; "With their mouth they show much love"
(Eze 33:31). Such a people as this will come as the true people
cometh; that is, in show and outward appearance. And they will sit
before God's ministers, as his people sit before them; and they
will hear his words too, but they will not do them; that is, will
not come inwardly with their minds. "For with their mouth they
shew much love, but their heart," or mind, "goeth after their
covetousness." Now, all this is because they want an effectual
sense of the misery of their state by nature; for not till they have
that will they, in their mind, move after him. Therefore, thus it
is said concerning the true comers, At "that day the great trumpet
shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in
the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and
shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem" (Isa 27:13).
They are then, as you see, the outcasts, and those that are ready
to perish, that, indeed, have their minds effectually moved to come
to Jesus Christ. This sense of things was that which made the three
thousand come, that made Saul come, that made the jailer come, and
that, indeed, makes all others come, that come effectually (Acts
2:8,18).

Of the true coming to Christ, the four lepers were a famous semblance,
of whom you read, (2 Kings 7:3), &c. The famine in those days was
sore in the land, there was no bread for the people; and as for
that sustenance that was, which was asses' flesh and doves' dung,
that was only in Samaria, and of these the lepers had no share, for
they were thrust without the city. Well, now they sat in the gate
of the city, and hunger was, as I may say, making his last meal of
them; and being, therefore, half dead already, what do they think
of doing? Why, first they display the dismal colours of death before
each other's faces, and then resolve what to do, saying, "If we
say we will enter into the city, then famine is in the city, and we
shall die there: if we sit still here, we die also. Now, therefore,
come, let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us
alive, we shall live; if they kill us, we shall but die." Here,
now, was necessity at work, and this necessity drove them to go
thither for life, whither else they would never have gone for it.
Thus it is with them that in truth come to Jesus Christ. Death
is before them, they see it and feel it; he is feeding upon them,
and will eat them quite up, if they come not to Jesus Christ; and
therefore they come, even of necessity, being forced thereto by that
sense they have of their being utterly and everlastingly undone,
if they find not safety in him. These are they that will come.
Indeed, these are they that are invited to come. "Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
(Matt 11:28).

Take two or three things to make this more plain; to wit, That
coming to Christ floweth from a sound sense of the absolute need
that a man hath of him, as afore.

1. "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I
lead them; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a
straight way wherein they shall not stumble" (Jer 31:9). Mind it;
they come with weeping and supplication; they come with prayers and
tears. Now prayers and tears are the effects of a right sense of
the need of mercy. Thus a senseless sinner cannot come, he cannot
pray, he cannot cry, he cannot come sensible of what he sees
not, nor feels. "In those days, and in that time--the children of
Israel shall come; they and the children of Judah together, going
and weeping: they shall go and seek the Lord their God. They shall
ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come
and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that
shall not be forgotten" (Jer 1:4,5).

2. This coming to Christ, it is called a running to him, as flying
to him; a flying to him from wrath to come. By all which terms
is set forth the sense of the man that comes; to wit, That he is
affected with the sense of his sin, and the death due thereto; that
he is sensible that the avenger of blood pursues him, and that,
therefore, he is thus off, if he makes not speed to the Son of God
for life (Matt 3:7; Psa 143:9). Flying is the last work of a man
in danger; all that are in danger do not fly; no, not all that see
themselves in danger; flying is the last work of a man in danger;
all that hear of danger will not fly. Men will consider if there
be no other way of escape before they fly. Therefore, as I said,
flying is the last thing. When all refuge fails, and a man is made
to see that there is nothing left him but sin, death, and damnation,
unless he flies to Christ for life; then he flies, and not till
then.

3. That the true coming is from a sense of an absolute need of
Jesus Christ to save, &c., is evident by the outcry that is made
by them to come, even as they are coming to him, "Lord, save me,"
or I perish; "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" "Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?" and the like (Matt 14:30; Acts 2:37; 16:30).
This language doth sufficiently discover that the truly-coming souls
are souls sensible of their need of salvation by Jesus Christ; and,
moreover, that there is nothing else that can help them but Christ.

4. It is yet further evident by these few things that follow: It
is said that such are "pricked in their heart," that is, with the
sentence of death by the law; and the least prick in the heart
kills a man (Acts 2:37). Such are said, as I said before, to weep,
to tremble, and to be astonished in themselves at the evident and
unavoidable danger that attends them, unless they fly to Jesus
Christ (Acts 9:16).

5. Coming to Christ is attended with an honest and sincere forsaking
of all for him. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth
not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke
14:26,27).

By these and the like expressions elsewhere, Christ describeth the
true comer, or the man that indeed is coming to him; he is one that
casteth all behind his back; he leaveth all, he forsaketh all, he
hateth all things that would stand in his way to hinder his coming
to Jesus Christ. There are a great many pretended comers to Jesus
Christ in the world; and they are much like to the man you read of
in Matthew 21:30, that said to his father's bidding, "I go, Sir,
and went not." I say, there are a great many such comers to Jesus
Christ; they say, when Christ calls by his gospel, I come, Sir;
but still they abide by their pleasures and carnal delights. They
come not at all, only they give him a courtly compliment; but he
takes notice of it, and will not let it pass for any more than a
lie. He said, "I go, Sir, and went not;" he dissembled and lied.
Take heed of this, you that flatter yourselves with your own
deceivings. Words will not do with Jesus Christ. Coming is coming,
and nothing else will go for coming with him.

[Objections that usually lie in the way of coming to Christ.]

Before I speak to the other head, I shall answer some objections
that usually lie in the way of those that in truth are coming to
Jesus Christ.

Objection 1. Though I cannot deny but my mind runs after Christ,
and that too as being moved thereto from a sight and consideration
of my lost condition, for I see without him I perish; yet I fear
my ends are not right in coming to him.

Quest. Why, what is thine end in coming to Christ?

Answ. My end is, that I might have life, and be saved by Jesus
Christ.

This is the objection; well, let me tell thee, that to come to Christ
for life, and to be saved, although at present thou hast no other
end, is a lawful and good coming to Jesus Christ. This is evident,
because Christ propoundeth life as the only argument to prevail
with sinners to come to him, and so also blameth them because they
come not to him for life. "And ye will not come to me, that ye might
have life" (John 5:40). Besides, there are many other scriptures
whereby he allureth sinners to come to him, in which he propoundeth
nothing to them but their safety. As, "whosoever believeth in him
should not perish;" he that believeth is "passed from death unto
life." "He that believeth--shall be saved." "He that believeth on
him is not condemned." And believing and coming are all one. So
that you see, to come to Christ for life, is a lawful coming and
good. In that he believeth, that he alone hath made atonement for
sin (Rom 2). And let me add over and above, that for a man to come
to Christ for life, though he comes to him for nothing else but
life, it is to give much honour to him.

1. He honoureth the word of Christ, and consenteth to the truth of
it; and that in these two general heads. (1.) He consenteth to the
truth of all those sayings that testify that sin is most abominable
in itself, dishonourable to God, and damnable to the soul of man;
for thus saith the man that cometh to Jesus Christ (Jer 44:4; Rom
2:23; 6:23; 2 Thess 2:12). (2.) In that he believeth, as the word
hath said, that there is in the world's best things, righteousness
and all, nothing but death and damnation; for so also says the
man that comes to Jesus Christ for life (Rom 7:24,25; 8:2,3; 2 Cor
3:6-8).

2. He honoureth Christ's person, in that he believeth that there
is life in him, and that he is able to save him from death, hell,
the devil, and damnation; for unless a man believes this, he will
not come to Christ for life (Heb 7:24,25).

3. He honoureth him, in that he believeth that he is authorized
of the Father to give life to those that come to him for it (John
5:11,12; 17:1-3).

4. He honoureth the priesthood of Jesus Christ. (1.) In that
he believeth that Christ hath more power to save from sin by the
sacrifice that he hath offered for it, than hath all law, devils,
death, or sin to condemn. He that believes not this, will not come
to Jesus Christ for life (Acts 13:38; Heb 2:14,15; Rev 1:17,18).
(2.) In that he believeth that Christ, according to his office,
will be most faithful and merciful in the discharge of his office.
This must be included in the faith of him that comes for life to
Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-3; Heb 2:17,18).

5. Further, He that cometh to Jesus Christ for life, taketh part with
him against sin, and against the ragged and imperfect righteousness
of the world; yea, and against false Christs, and damnable errors,
that set themselves against the worthiness of his merits and
sufficiency. This is evident, for that such a soul singleth Christ
out from them all, as the only one that can save.

6. Therefore as Noah, at God's command, thou preparest this ark,
for the saving of thyself, by which also thou condemnest the world,
and art become heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Heb
11:7). Wherefore, coming sinner, be content; he that cometh to
Jesus Christ, believeth too that he is willing to show mercy to,
and have compassion upon him, though unworthy, that comes to him
for life. And therefore thy soul lieth not only under a special
invitation to come, but under a promise too of being accepted and
forgiven (Matt 11:28).

All these particular parts and qualities of faith are in that
soul that comes to Jesus Christ for life, as is evident to any
indifferent judgment. For, will he that believeth not the testimony
of Christ concerning the baseness of sin, and the insufficiency
of the righteousness of the world, come to Christ for life? No. He
that believeth not this testimony of the word, comes not. He that
believeth that there is life anywhere else, comes not. He that
questions whether the Father hath given Christ power to forgive,
comes not. He that thinketh that there is more in sin, in the law,
in death, and the devil, to destroy, than there is in Christ to
save, comes not. He also that questions his faithful management of
his priesthood for the salvation of sinners, comes not.

Thou, then, that art indeed the coming sinner, believest all this.
True, perhaps thou dost not believe with that full assurance, nor
hast thou leisure to take notice of thy faith as to these distinct
acts of it; but yet all this faith is in him coming to Christ for
life. And the faith that thus worketh, is the faith of the best
and purest kind; because this man comes alone as a sinner, and as
seeing that life is, and is to be had only in Jesus Christ.

Before I conclude my answer to this objection, take into thy
consideration these two things.

1st. [Consider] that the cities of refuge were erected for those
that were dead in law, and that yet would live by grace; even for
those that were to fly thither for life from the avenger of blood
that pursueth after them. And it is worth your noting, that those
that were upon their flight thither, are in a peculiar manner called
the people of God: "Cast ye up, cast ye up," saith God; "prepare
the way; take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people"
(Isa 57:14). This is meant of preparing the way to the city of
refuge, that the slayers might escape thither; which flying slayers
are here, by way of specialty, called the people of God; even those
of them that escaped thither for life.

2dly. [Consider] that of Ahab, when Benhadad sent to him for life,
saying, "Thus saith thy servant Benhadad, I pray thee let me live."
Though Benhadad had sought the crown, kingdom, yea, and also the
life of Ahab, yet how effectually doth Benhadad prevail with him!
Is Benhadad yet alive? saith Ahab; He is my brother; yea, go ye,
bring him to me. So he made him ride in his chariot (1 Kings 20).

Coming sinner, what thinkest thou? If Jesus Christ had as little
goodness in him as Ahab, he might grant an humble Benhadad life;
thou neither beggest of him his crown and dignity; life, eternal
life, will serve thy turn. How much more then shalt thou have it,
since thou hast to deal with him who is goodness and mercy itself!
yea, since thou art also called upon, yea, greatly encouraged
by a promise of life, to come unto him for life! Read also these
Scriptures, Numbers 35:11,14,15, Joshua 20:1-6, Hebrews 6:16-21.

Object. 2. When I say I only seek myself, I mean I do not find that
I do design God's glory in mine own salvation by Christ, and that
makes me fear I do not come aright.

Answ. Where doth Christ Jesus require such a qualification of those
that are coming to him for life? Come thou for life, and trouble
not thy head with such objections against thyself, and let God and
Christ alone to glorify themselves in the salvation of such a worm
as thou art. The Father saith to the Son, "Thou art my servant,
O Israel, in whom I will be glorified." God propoundeth life to
sinners, as the argument to prevail with them to come to him for
life; and Christ says plainly, "I am come that they might have
life" (John 10:10). He hath no need of thy designs, though thou
hast need of his. Eternal life, pardon of sin, and deliverance from
wrath to come, Christ propounds to thee, and these be the things
that thou hast need of; besides, God will be gracious and merciful
to worthless, undeserving wretches; come then as such an one, and
lay no stumblingblocks in the way to him, but come to him for life,
and live (John 5:34; 10:10; 3:36; Matt 1:21; Prov 8:35,36; 1 Thess
1:10; John 11:25,26).

When the jailer said, "Sirs, What must I do to be saved?" Paul did
not so much as once ask him, What is your end in this question?
do you design the glory of God, in the salvation of your soul? He
had more wit; he knew that such questions as these would have been
but fools' babbles about, instead of a sufficient salve5 "Which
Cambell seeing, though he could not salve, to so weighty a question
as this. Wherefore, since this poor wretch lacked salvation by Jesus
Christ, I mean to be saved from hell and death," which he knew, now,
was due to him for the sins that he had committed, Paul bids him,
like a poor condemned sinner as he was, to proceed still in this
his way of self-seeking, saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-32). I know that afterwards
thou wilt desire to glorify Christ by walking in the way of his
precepts; but at present thou wantest life; the avenger of blood
is behind thee, and the devil like a roaring lion is behind thee;
well, come now, and obtain life from these; and when thou hast
obtained some comfortable persuasion that thou art made partaker
of life by Christ, then, and not till then, thou wilt say, "Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy
name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
6 who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases;
who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies" (Psa 103:1-4).

Object. 3. But I cannot believe that I come to Christ aright, because
sometimes I am apt to question his very being and office to save.

Thus to do is horrible; but mayest thou not judge amiss in this
matter? How can I judge amiss, when I judge as I feel? Poor soul!
Thou mayest judge amiss for all that. Why, saith the sinner, I think
that these questionings come from my heart. Let me answer. That
which comes from thy heart, comes from thy will and affections, from
thy understanding, judgment, and conscience, for these must acquiesce
in thy questioning, if thy questioning be with thy heart. And how
sayest thou, for to name no more, dost thou with thy affection and
conscience thus question? Answ. No, my conscience trembles when
such thoughts come into my mind; and my affections are otherwise
inclined.

Then I conclude, that these things are either suddenly injected
by the devil, or else are the fruits of that body of sin and death
that yet dwells within thee, or perhaps from both together.

If they come wholly from the devil, as they seem, because thy
conscience and affections are against them, or if they come from
that body of death that is in thee, and be not thou curious in
inquiring from whether of them they come, the safest way is to lay
enough at thy own door; nothing of this should hinder thy coming,
nor make thee conclude thou comest not aright. 7 And before I leave
thee, let me a little query with thee about this matter.

1. Dost thou like these wicked blasphemies? Answ. No, no, their
presence and working kills me.

2. Dost thou mourn for them, pray against them, and hate thyself
because of them? Answ. Yes, yes; but that which afflicts me is, I
do not prevail against them.

3. Dost thou sincerely choose, mightest thou have thy choice, that
thy heart might be affected and taken with the things that are
best, most heavenly, and holy? Answ. With all my heart, and death
the next hour, if it were God's will, rather than thus to sin
against him.

Well then, thy not liking of them, thy mourning for them, thy
praying against them, and thy loathing thyself because of them,
with thy sincere choosing of those thoughts for thy delectation
that are heavenly and holy, clearly declares, that these things are
not countenanced either with thy will, affections, understanding,
judgment, or conscience; and so, that thy heart is not in them, but
that rather they come immediately from the devil, or arise from the
body of death that is in thy flesh, of which thou oughtest thus to
say, "Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me" (Rom 7:17).

I will give thee a pertinent instance. In Deuteronomy 22, thou
mayest read of a betrothed damsel, one betrothed to her beloved,
one that had given him her heart and mouth, as thou hast given
thyself to Christ; yet was she met with as she walked in the field,
by one that forced her, because he was stronger than she. Well, what
judgment now doth God, the righteous judge, pass upon the damsel
for this? "The man only that lay with her," saith God, "shall die.
But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel
no sin worthy of death. For, as when a man riseth against his
neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter; for he found
her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was
none to save her" (Deut 22:25-27).

Thou art this damsel. The man that forced thee with these blasphemous
thoughts, is the devil; and he lighteth upon thee in a fit place,
even in the field, as thou art wandering after Jesus Christ; but
thou criest out, and by thy cry did show, that thou abhorrest such
wicked lewdness. Well, the Judge of all the earth will do right;
he will not lay the sin at thy door, but at his that offered the
violence. And for thy comfort take this into consideration, that he
came to heal them "that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38).

Object. 4. But, saith another, I am so heartless, so slow, and, as
I think, so indifferent in my coming, that, to speak truth, I know
not whether my kind of coming ought to be called a coming to Christ.

Answ. You know that I told you at first, that coming to Christ is
a moving of the heart and affections towards him.

But, saith the soul, my dullness and indifferency in all holy duties,
demonstrate my heartlessness in coming; and to come, and not with
the heart, signifies nothing at all.

1. The moving of the heart after Christ is not to be discerned,
at all times, by thy sensible affectionate performance of duties,
but rather by those secret groanings and complaints which thy soul
makes to God against that sloth that attends thee in duties.

2. But grant it to be even as thou sayest it is, that thou comest
so slowly, &c., yet, since Christ bids them come that come not at
all, surely they may be accepted that come, though attended with
those infirmities which thou at present groanest under. He saith,
"and him that cometh;" he saith not, If they come sensible; so
fast; but, "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
He saith also in the ninth of Proverbs, "As for him that wanteth
understanding," that is, an heart (for oftentimes the understanding
is taken for the heart), "come, eat of my bread, and drink of the
wine which I have mingled."

3. Thou mayest be vehement in thy spirit in coming to Jesus Christ,
and yet be plagued with sensible sloth; so was the church when she
cried, "Draw me, we will run after thee;" and Paul, when he said,
"When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Song 14; Rom 7;
Gal 5:19). The works, strugglings, and oppositions of the flesh,
are more manifest than are the works of the Spirit in our hearts,
and so are sooner felt than they. What then? Let us not be
discouraged at the sight and feeling of our own infirmities, but
run the faster to Jesus Christ for salvation.

4. Get thy heart warmed with the sweet promise of Christ's acceptance
of the coming sinner, and that will make thee make more haste unto
him. Discouraging thoughts they are like unto cold weather, they
benumb the senses, and make us go ungainly about our business;
but the sweet and warm gleads8 of promise are like the comfortable
beams of the sun, which liven and refresh. 9 You see how little
the bee and fly do play in the air in winter; why, the cold hinders
them from doing it; but when the wind and sun is warm, who so busy
as they?

5. But again, he that comes to Christ, flies for his life. Now,
there is no man that flies for his life, that thinks he speeds
fast enough on his journey; no, could he, he would willingly take
a mile at a step. O my sloth and heartlessness, sayest thou! "Oh
that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be
at rest. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest"
(Psa 55:6,8).

Poor coming soul, thou art like the man that would ride full
gallop, whose horse will hardly trot! Now, the desire of his mind
is not to be judged of by the slow pace of the dull jade he rides
on, but by the hitching, and kicking, and spurring, as he sits
on his back. Thy flesh is like this dull jade; it will not gallop
after Christ; it will be backward, though thy soul and heaven lie
at stake. 10 But be of good comfort, Christ judgeth not according
to the fierceness of outward motion (Mark 10:17) but according to
the sincerity of the heart and inward parts (John 1:47; Psa 51:6;
Matt 26:41).

6. Ziba, in appearance, came to David much faster than did
Mephibosheth; but yet his heart was not so upright in him to David
as was his. It is true, Mephibosheth had a check from David; for,
said he, "Why wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?" But when
David came to remember that Mephibosheth was lame, for that was
his plea--"thy servant is lame" (2 Sam 19), he was content, and
concluded, he would have come after him faster than he did; and
Mephibosheth appealed to David, who was in those days as an angel
of God, to know all things that are done in the earth, if he did
not believe that the reason of his backwardness lay in his lameness,
and not in his mind. Why, poor coming sinner, thou canst not come
to Christ with that outward swiftness of a courier as many others
do; but doth the reason of thy backwardness lie in thy mind and
will, or in the sluggishness of the flesh? Canst thou say sincerely,
"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26:41).
Yea, canst thou appeal to the Lord Jesus, who knoweth perfectly the
very inmost thought of thy heart, that this is true? Then take this
for thy comfort, he hath said, "I will assemble her that halteth--I
will make her that halted a remnant," (Micah 4:6), "and I will save
her that halteth" (Zeph 3:19). What canst thou have more from the
sweet lips of the Son of God? But,

7. I read of some that are to follow Christ in chains; I say, to
come after him in chains. "Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt,
and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall
come after thee: in chains they shall come over, and they shall
fall down unto thee: they shall make supplication unto thee,
saying--Surely there is none else" to save (Isa 45:14). Surely they
that come after Christ in chains, come to him in great difficulty,
because their steps, by the chains, are straitened. And what chains
are so heavy as those that discourage thee? Thy chain, which is
made up of guilt and filth, is heavy; it is a wretched bond about
thy neck, by which thy strength doth fail (Lam 1:14; 3:18). But come,
though thou comest in chains; it is glory to Christ that a sinner
comes after him in chains. The chinking of thy chains, though
troublesome to thee, are not, nor can be obstruction to thy salvation;
it is Christ's work and glory to save thee from thy chains, to
enlarge thy steps, and set thee at liberty. The blind man, though
called, surely could not come apace to Jesus Christ, but Christ
could stand still, and stay for him (Mark 10:49). True, "He rideth
upon the wings of the wind;" but yet he is long-suffering, and
his long-suffering is salvation to him that cometh to him (2 Peter
3:9).

8. Hadst thou seen those that came to the Lord Jesus in the days of
his flesh, how slowly, how hobblingly, they came to him, by reason
of their infirmities; and also how friendly, and kindly, and
graciously, he received them, and gave them the desire of their
hearts, thou wouldest not, as thou dost, make such objections
against thyself, in thy coming to Jesus Christ.

Object. 5. But, says another, I fear I come too late; I doubt I
have staid too long; I am afraid the door is shut.

Answ. Thou canst never come too late to Jesus Christ, if thou dost
come. This is manifest by two instances.

1. By the man that came to him at the eleventh hour. This man was
idle all the day long. He had a whole gospel day to come in, and
he played it all away save only the last hour thereof. But at last,
at the eleventh hour, he came, and goes into the vineyard to work
with the rest of the labourers, that had borne the burden and
heat of the day. Well, but how was he received by the lord of the
vineyard? Why, when pay-day came, he had even as much as the rest;
yea, had his money first. True, the others murmured at him; but
what did the Lord Jesus answer them? "Is thine eye evil, because
I am good? I will give unto this last, even as unto thee" (Matt
20:14,15).

2. The other instance is, the thief upon the cross. He came late
also, even as at an hour before his death; yea, he stayed from
Jesus Christ as long as he had liberty to be a thief, and longer
too; for could he have deluded the judge, and by lying words have
escaped his just condemnation, for ought I know, he had not come
as yet to his Saviour; but being convicted, and condemned to die,
yea, fastened to the cross, that he might die like a rogue, as he
was in his life; behold the Lord Jesus, when this wicked one, even
now, desireth mercy at his hands, tells him, and that without the
least reflection upon him, for his former misspent life, "To-day
shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Let no man turn
this grace of God into wantonness. My design is now to encourage
the coming soul.

Object. But is not the door of mercy shut against some before they
die?

Answ. Yea; and God forbids that prayers should be made to him for
them (Jer 6:16; Jude 22).

Quest. Then, why may not I doubt that I may be one of these?

Answ. By no means, if thou art coming to Jesus Christ; because
when God shuts the door upon men, he gives them no heart to come
to Jesus Christ. "None come but those to whom it is given of the
Father." But thou comest, therefore it is given to thee of the
Father.

Be sure, therefore, if the Father hath given thee an heart to come
to Jesus Christ, the gate of mercy yet stands open to thee. For it
stands not with the wisdom of God to give strength to come to the
birth, and yet to shut up the womb, (Isa 66:9); to give grace to
come to Jesus Christ, and yet shut up the door of his mercy upon
thee. "Incline your ear," saith he, "and come unto me: hear, and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David" (Isa 55:3).

Object. But it is said, that some knocked when the door was shut.

Answ. Yes; but the texts in which these knockers are mentioned, are
to be referred unto the day of judgment, and not to the coming of
the sinner to Christ in this life. See the texts, Matthew 15:11, Luke
13:24,25. These, therefore, concern thee nothing at all, that art
coming to Jesus Christ, thou art coming NOW! "Now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2). Now God is
upon the mercy-seat; now Christ Jesus sits by, continually pleading
the victory of his blood for sinners; and now, even as long as this
world lasts, this word of the text shall still be free, and fully
fulfilled; "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Sinner, the greater sinner thou art, the greater need of mercy thou
hast, and the more will Christ be glorified thereby. Come then, come
and try; come, taste and see how good the Lord is to an undeserving
sinner!

Object. 6. But, says another, I am fallen since I began to come to
Christ; therefore I fear I did not come aright, and so consequently
that Christ will not receive me.

Answ. Falls are dangerous, for they dishonour Christ, wound the
conscience, and cause the enemies of God to speak reproachfully.
But it is no good argument, I am fallen, therefore I was not coming
aright to Jesus Christ. If David, and Solomon, and Peter, had thus
objected against themselves, they had added to their griefs; and
yet, at least they had as much cause as thou. A man whose steps
are ordered by the Lord, and whose goings the Lord delights in,
may yet be overtaken with a temptation that may cause him to fall
11 (Psa 37:23,24). Did not Aaron fall; yea, and Moses himself?
What shall we say of Hezekiah and Jehosaphat? There are, therefore,
falls and falls; falls pardonable and falls unpardonable. Falls
unpardonable are falls against light, from the faith, to the despising
of, and trampling upon Jesus Christ and his blessed undertakings
(Heb 6:2-5; 10:28,29). Now, as for such, there remains no more
sacrifice for sin. Indeed, they have no heart, no mind, no desire
to come to Jesus Christ for life, therefore they must perish. Nay,
says the Holy Ghost, "It is impossible that they should be renewed
again unto repentance." Therefore these God had no compassion for,
neither ought we; but for other falls though they be dreadful,
and God will chastise his people for them, they do not prove thee
a graceless man, one not coming to Jesus Christ for life.

It is said of the child in the gospel, that while "he was yet a
coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him" (Luke 9:42). Dejected
sinner, it is no wonder that thou hast caught a fall in coming to
Jesus Christ. Is it not rather to be wondered at, that thou hast not
caught before this a thousand times a thousand falls? considering,
1. What fools we are by nature. 2. What weaknesses are in us. 3.
What mighty powers the fallen angels, our implacable enemies, are.
4. Considering also how often the coming man is benighted in his
journey; and also what stumblingblocks do lie in his way. 5. Also
his familiars, that were so before, now watch for his halting, and
seek by what means they may to cause him to fall by the hand of
their strong ones.

What then? Must we, because of these temptations, incline to fall?
No. Must we not fear falls? Yes. "Let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10:12). Yet let him not utterly be
cast down; "The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up those
that are bowed down." Make not light of falls! Yet, hast thou
fallen? "Ye have," said Samuel, "done all this wickedness; yet turn
not aside from following the Lord," but serve him with a perfect
heart, and turn not aside, "for the Lord will not forsake his
people," and he counteth the coming sinner one of them, "because
it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people" (1 Sam 12:20-22).

[WHAT FORCE THERE IS IN THE PROMISE TO MAKE THEM COME TO CHRIST.]

SECOND, "Shall come to me." Now we come to show WHAT FORCE THERE
IS IN THIS PROMISE TO MAKE THEM COME TO HIM. "All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me." I will speak to this promise, First,
In general. Second, In particular.

[First], In general. This word SHALL is confined to these ALL that
are given to Christ. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me." Hence I conclude,

1. That coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being,
of God, given to Christ before. Mark, They shall come. Who? Those
that are given. They come, then, because they were given, "thine
they were, and thou gavest them me." Now, this is indeed a singular
comfort to them that are coming in truth to Christ, to think that
the reason why they come is, because they were given of the Father
before to him. Thus, then, may the coming soul reason with himself
as he comes. Am I coming, indeed, to Jesus Christ? This coming of
mine is not to be attributed to me or my goodness, but to the grace
and gift of God to Christ. God gave first my person to him, and,
therefore, hath now given me a heart to come.

2. This word, shall come, maketh thy coming not only the fruit of
the gift of the Father, but also of the purpose of the Son; for these
words are a Divine purpose; they show us the heavenly determination
of the Son. "The Father hath given them to me, and they shall;
yea, they shall come to me." Christ is as full in his resolution to
save those given to him as is the Father in giving of them. Christ
prizeth the gift of his Father; he will lose nothing of it; he is
resolved to save it every whit by his blood, and to raise it up
again at the last day; and thus he fulfills his Father's will, and
accomplisheth his own desires (John 6:39).

3. These words, shall come, make thy coming to be also the effect
of an absolute promise; coming sinner, thou art concluded in a
promise; thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of an absolute
promise. It was this promise, by the virtue of which thou at first
receivedst strength to come; and this is the promise, by the virtue
of which thou shalt be effectually brought to him. It was said to
Abraham, "At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son."
This son was Isaac. Mark! "Sarah shall have a son;" there is
the promise. And Sarah had a son; there was the fulfilling of the
promise; and, therefore, was Isaac called the child of the promise
(Gen 17:19; 18:10; Rom 9:9).

Sarah shall have a son. But how, if Sarah be past age? Why, still
the promise continues to say, Sarah shall have a son. But how, if
Sarah be barren? Why, still the promise says, Sarah shall have a
son. But Abraham's body is now dead? Why, the promise is still the
same, Sarah shall have a son. Thus, you see what virtue there is
in an absolute promise; it carrieth enough in its own bowels to
accomplish the thing promised, whether there be means or no in us
to effect it. Wherefore, this promise in the text, being an absolute
promise, by virtue of it, not by virtue of ourselves, or by our
own inducements, do we come to Jesus Christ: for so are the words
of the text: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

Therefore is every sincere comer to Jesus Christ called also a child
of the promise. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children
of promise," (Gal 4:28); that is, we are the children that God hath
promised to Jesus Christ, and given to him; yea, the children that
Jesus Christ hath promised shall come to him. "All that the Father
giveth me shall come."

4. This word, shall come, engageth Christ to communicate all manner
of grace to those thus given him to make them effectually to come
to him. "They shall come;" that is, not if they will, but if grace,
all grace, if power, wisdom, a new heart, and the Holy Spirit, and
all joining together, can make them come. I say, this word, shall
come, being absolute, hath no dependence upon our own will, or
power, or goodness; but it engageth for us even God himself, Christ
himself, the Spirit himself. When God had made that absolute promise
to Abraham, that Sarah "should have a son," Abraham did not at all
look at any qualification in himself, because the promise looked
at none; but as God had, by the promise, absolutely promised him
a son; so he considered now not his own body now dead, nor yet the
barrenness of Sarah's womb. "He staggered not at the promise of
God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able
also to perform" (Rom 4:20,21). He had promised, and had promised
absolutely, Sarah shall have a son. Therefore, Abraham looks that
he, to wit, God, must fulfil the condition of it. Neither is this
expectation of Abraham disapproved by the Holy Ghost, but accounted
good and laudable; it being that by which he gave glory to God.
The Father, also, hath given to Christ a certain number of souls
for him to save; and he himself hath said, "They shall come to
him." Let the church of God then live in a joyful expectation of
the utmost accomplishment of this promise; for assuredly it shall
be fulfilled, and not one thousandth part of a tittle thereof shall
fail. "They SHALL come to me."

[Second, In particular.] And now, before I go any further, I will
more particularly inquire into the nature of an absolute promise.

1. We call that an absolute promise that is made without any
condition; or more fully thus: That is an absolute promise of God,
or of Christ, which maketh over to this or that man any saving,
spiritual blessing, without a condition to be done on our part for
the obtaining thereof. And this we have in hand is such an one. Let
the best Master of Arts on earth show me, if he can, any condition
in this text depending upon any qualification in us, which is not
by the same promise concluded, shall be by the Lord Jesus effected
in us.

2. An absolute promise therefore is, as we say, without if or and;
that is, it requireth nothing of us, that itself might be accomplished.
It saith not, They shall, if they will; but they shall: not, they
shall, if they use the means; but, they shall. You may say, that
a will and the use of the means is supposed, though not expressed.
But I answer, No, by no means; that is, as a condition of this
promise. If they be at all included in the promise, they are included
there as the fruit of the absolute promise, not as if it expected
the qualification to arise from us. "Thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power" (Psa 110:3). That is another absolute
promise. But doth that promise suppose a willingness in us, as
a condition of God's making us willing? They shall be willing, if
they are willing; or, they shall be willing, if they will be willing.
This is ridiculous; there is nothing of this supposed. The promise
is absolute as to us; all that it engageth for its own accomplishment
is, the mighty power of Christ and his faithfulness to accomplish.

3. The difference, therefore, betwixt the absolute and conditional
promise is this:

(1.) They differ in their terms. The absolute promises say, I
will, and you shall: the other, I will, if you will; or, Do this,
and thou shalt live (Jer 4:1; 31:31-33; Eze 18:30-32; 36:24-34;
Heb 8:7-13; Matt 19:21).

(2.) They differ in their way of communicating of good things to
men; the absolute ones communicate things freely, only of grace;
the other, if there be that qualification in us, that the promise
calls for, not else.

(3.) The absolute promises therefore engage God, the other engage
us: I mean, God only, us only.

(4.) Absolute promises must be fulfilled; conditional may, or may
not be fulfilled. The absolute ones must be fulfilled, because
of the faithfulness of God; the other may not, because of the
unfaithfulness of men.

(5.) Absolute promises have therefore a sufficiency in themselves
to bring about their own fulfilling; the conditional have not so.
The absolute promise is therefore a big-bellied promise, because it
hath in itself a fullness of all desired things for us; and will,
when the time of that promise is come, yield to us mortals that
which will verily save us; yea, and make us capable of answering
of the demands of the promise that is conditional.

4. Wherefore, though there be a real, yea, an eternal difference,
in these things, with others, betwixt the conditional and absolute
promise; yet again, in other respects, there is a blessed harmony
betwixt them; as may be seen in these particulars. The conditional
promise calls for repentance, the absolute promise gives it (Acts
5:31). The conditional promise calls for faith, the absolute promise
gives it (Zeph 3:12; Rom 15:12). The conditional promise calls for
a new heart, the absolute promise gives it (Eze 36:25,26). The
conditional promise calleth for holy obedience, the absolute promise
giveth it, or causeth it (Eze 36:27).

5. And as they harmoniously agree in this, so again the conditional
promise blesseth the man, who by the absolute promise is endued
with its fruit. As, for instance, the absolute promise maketh men
upright; and then the conditional follows, saying, "Blessed are
the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord" (Psa
119:1). The absolute promise giveth to this man the fear of the
Lord; and then the conditional followeth, saying, "Blessed is every
one that feareth the Lord" (Psa 128:1). The absolute promise giveth
faith, and then this conditional follows, saying, "Blessed is she
that believed" (Zeph 3:12; Luke 1:45). The absolute promise brings
free forgiveness of sins; and then says the condition, "Blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered"
(Rom 4:7). The absolute promise says, that God's elect shall hold
out to the end; then the conditional follows with his blessings,
"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (1
Peter 1:4-6; Matt 24:13).

Thus do the promises gloriously serve one another and us, in this
their harmonious agreement.

Now, the promise under consideration is an absolute promise. "All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

This promise therefore is, as is said, a big-bellied promise, and
hath in itself all those things to bestow upon us that the conditional
calleth for at our hands. They shall come! Shall they come? Yes,
they shall come. But how, if they want those things, those graces,
power, and heart, without which they cannot come? Why, Shall-come
answereth all this, and all things else that may in this manner be
objected. And here I will take the liberty to amplify things.

[Objections to the absoluteness of this promise (the force of
SHALL-COME) answered.]

Object. 1. But they are dead, dead in trespasses and sins, how
shall they then come?

Answ. Why, Shall-come can raise them from this death. "The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God, and they that hear shall live." Thus, therefore, is this
impediment by Shall-come removed out of the way. They shall heal,
they shall live.

Object. 2. But they are Satan's captives; he takes them captive at
his will, and he is stronger than they: how then can they come?

Answ. Why, Shall-come hath also provided an help for this. Satan
had bound that daughter of Abraham so, that she could by no means
lift up herself; but yet Shall-come set her free both in body and
soul. Christ will have them turned from the power of Satan to God.
But what! Must it be, if they turn themselves, or do something to
merit of him to turn them? No, he will do it freely, of his own good
will. Alas! Man, whose soul is possessed by the devil, is turned
whithersoever that governor listeth, is taken captive by him,
notwithstanding its natural powers, at his will; but what will he
do? Will he hold him when Shall-come puts forth itself, will he
then let12 him, for coming to Jesus Christ? No, that cannot be!
His power is but the power of a fallen angel, but Shall-come is
the Word of God. Therefore Shall-come must be fulfilled; "and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

There were seven devils in Mary Magdalene, too many for her to get
from under the power of; but when the time was come that Shall-come
was to be fulfilled upon her, they give place, fly from her, and
she comes indeed to Jesus Christ, according as it is written, "All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

The man that was possessed with a legion, (Mark 5), was too much
by them captivated for him by human force to come; yea, had he had,
to boot, all the men under heaven to help him, had he that said,
He shall come, withheld his mighty power: but when this promise
was to be fulfilled upon him, then he comes; nor could all their
power hinder his coming. It was also this Shall-come that preserved
him from death; when by these evil spirits he was hurled hither
and thither; and it was by the virtue of Shall-come that at last
he was set at liberty from them, and enabled indeed to come to
Christ. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

Object. 3. They shall, you say; but how if they will not; and, if
so, then what can Shall-come do?

Answ. True, there are some men say, "We are lords; we will come
no more unto thee" (Jer 2:31). But as God says in another case,
if they are concerned in Shall-come to me, they "shall know whose
words shall stand, mine or theirs" (Jer 41:28). Here, then, is the
case; we must now see who will be the liar, he that saith, I will
not; or he that saith, He shall come to me. You shall come, says
God; I will not come, saith the sinner. Now, as sure as he is
concerned in this Shall-come, God will make that man eat his own
words; for I will not, is the unadvised conclusion of a crazy-headed
sinner; but Shall-come was spoken by him that is of power to perform
his word. "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard," said the Father.
But he answered, and said, I will not come. What now? will he be
able to stand to his refusal? will he pursue his desperate denial?
No, "he afterwards repented and went." But how came he by that
repentance? Why, it was wrapped up for him in the absolute promise;
and therefore, notwithstanding he said, "I will not, he afterwards
repented and went." By this parable Jesus Christ sets forth the
obstinacy of the sinners of the world, as touching their coming
to him; they will not come, though threatened: yea, though life be
offered them upon condition of coming.

But now, when Shall-come, the absolute promise of God, comes to
be fulfilled upon them, then they come; because by that promise a
cure is provided against the rebellion of their will. "Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power"(Psa 110:3). Thy people,
what people? Why, the people that thy Father hath given thee. The
obstinacy and plague that is in the will of that people, shall be
taken away; and they shall be made willing; Shall-come will make
them willing to come to thee.

He that had seen Paul in the midst of his outrages against Christ,
his gospel, and people, would hardly have thought that he would
ever have been a follower of Jesus Christ, especially since he went
not against his conscience in his persecuting of them. He thought
verily that he ought to do what he did. But we may see what
Shall-come can do, when it comes to be fulfilled upon the soul of
a rebellious sinner: he was a chosen vessel, given by the Father to
the Son; and now the time being come that Shall-come was to take
him in hand, behold, he is over-mastered, astonished, and with
trembling and reverence, in a moment becomes willing to be obedient
to the heavenly call (Acts 9).

And were not they far gone, that you read of, (Acts 2) who had
their hands and hearts in the murder of the Son of God; and to show
their resolvedness never to repent of that horrid fact, said, "His
blood be on us and on our children?" But must their obstinacy rule?
Must they be bound to their own ruin, by the rebellion of their
stubborn wills? No, not those of these the Father gave to Christ;
wherefore, at the times appointed, Shall-come breaks in among
them; the absolute promise takes them in hand; and then they come
indeed, crying out to Peter, and the rest of the apostles, "Men
and brethren, what shall we do?" No stubbornness of man's will can
stand, when God hath absolutely said the contrary; Shall-come can
make them come "as doves to their windows," that had afore resolved
never to come to him.

The Lord spake unto Manasseh, and to his people, by the prophets,
but would he hear? No, he would not. But shall Manasseh come off
thus? No, he shall not. Therefore, he being also one of those whom
the Father had given to the Son, and so falling within the bounds
and reach of Shall-come, at last Shall-come takes him in hand,
and then he comes indeed. He comes bowing and bending; he humbles
himself greatly, and made supplication to the Lord, and prayed unto
him; and he was entreated of him, and had mercy upon him (2 Chron
30:10).

The thief upon the cross, at first, did rail with his fellow upon
Jesus Christ; but he was one that the Father had given to him, and,
therefore, Shall-come must handle him and his rebellious will. And
behold, so soon as he is dealt withal, by virtue of that absolute
promise, how soon he buckleth, leaves his railing, falls to supplicating
of the Son of God for mercy; "Lord," saith he, "Remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom" (Matt 27:44; Luke 23:40-42).

Object. 4. They shall come, say you, but how if they be blind, and
see not the way? For some are kept off from Christ, not only by the
obstinacy of their will, but by the blindness of their mind. Now,
if they be blind, how shall they come?

Answ. The question is not, Are they blind? But, Are they within the
reach and power of Shall-come? If so, that Christ that said, they
shall come, will find them eyes, or a guide or both, to bring them
to himself. "Must is for the king." If they shall come, they shall
come. No impediment shall hinder.

The Thessalonians' darkness did not hinder them from being the
children of light; "I am come," said Christ, "that they which see
not might see." And if he saith, See, ye "blind that have eyes,"
who shall hinder it? (Eph 5:8; John 9:39; Isa 29:18; 43:8).

This promise, therefore, is, as I said, a big-bellied promise, having
in the bowels of it, all things that shall occur to the complete
fulfilling of itself. They shall come. But it is objected, that they
are blind. Well, Shall-come is still the same, and continueth to
say, "They shall come to me." Therefore he saith again, "I will
bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead them in
paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before
them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto
them, and not forsake them" (Isa 42:16).

Mark, I will bring them, though they be blind; I will bring them
by a way they know not; I will--I will; and therefore "they shall
come to me."

Object. 5. But how, if they have exceeded many in sin, and so made
themselves far more abominable? They are the ringleading sinners
in the county, the town, or family.

Answ. What then? Shall that hinder the execution of Shall-come? It
is not transgressions, nor sins, nor all their transgressions in
all their sins, if they by the Father are given to Christ to save
them, that shall hinder this promise, that it should not be fulfilled
upon them. "In those days, and in that time," saith the Lord, "the
iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none;
and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found" (Jer 50:20).
Not that they had none, for they abounded in transgression, (2 Chron
33:9; Eze 16:48), but God would pardon, cover, hide, and put them
away, by virtue of his absolute promise, by which they are given
to Christ to save them. "And I will cleanse them from all their
iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon
all their iniquities, whereby they have transgressed against me.
And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and an honour before
all the nations of the earth, which shall bear all the good that I
do unto them; and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness
and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it" (Jer 33:8,9).

Object. 6. But how, if they have not faith and repentance? How
shall they come then?

Answ. Why, he that saith, They shall come, shall he not make it
good? If they shall come, they shall come; and he that hath said,
they shall come, if faith and repentance be the way to come, as
indeed they are, then faith and repentance shall be given to them!
for Shall-come must be fulfilled on them.

1. Faith shall be given them. "I will also leave in the midst of
thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name
of the Lord." "There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall
rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust"
(Zeph 3:12; Rom 15:12).

2. They shall have repentance. He is exalted to give repentance.
"They shall come weeping, and seeking the Lord their God." And
again, "With weeping and supplication will I lead them" (Acts 5:31;
Jer 31:9).

I told you before, that an absolute promise hath all conditional
ones in the belly of it, and also provision to answer all those
qualifications, that they propound to him that seeketh for their
benefit. And it must be so; for if Shall-come be an absolute
promise, as indeed it is, then it must be fulfilled upon every of
those concerned therein. I say, it must be fulfilled, if God can
by grace, and his absolute will, fulfil it. Besides, since coming
and believing is all one, according to John 6:35, "He that cometh
to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst," then, when he saith they shall come, it is as much as to
say, they shall believe, and consequently repent, to the saving of
the soul.

So then the present want of faith and repentance cannot make this
promise of God of none effect; because that this promise hath in
it to give what others call for and expect. I will give them an
heart, I will give them my Spirit, I will give them repentance, I
will give them faith. Mark these words: "If any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature." But how came he to be a "new creature,"
since none can create but God? Why, God indeed doth make them "new
creatures." "Behold," saith he, "I make all things new." And hence
it follows, even after he had said they are "new creatures," "and
all things are of God;" that is, all this new creation standeth
in the several operations, and special workings of the Spirit of
grace, who is God (2 Cor 5:17,18).

Object. 7. But how shall they escape all those dangerous and damnable
opinions, that, like rocks and quicksands, are in the way in which
they are going?

Answ. Indeed this age is an age of errors, if ever there was an
age of errors in the world; but yet the gift of the Father, laid
claim to by the Son in the text, must needs escape them, and in
conclusion come to him. There are a company of Shall-comes in the
Bible that doth secure them; not but that they may be assaulted
by them; yea, and also for the time entangled and detained by them
from the Bishop of their souls, but these Shall-comes will break
those chains and fetters, that those given to Christ are entangled
in, and they shall come, because he hath said they shall come to
him.

Indeed, errors are like that whore of whom you read in the Proverbs,
that sitteth in her seat in the high places of the city, "to call
passengers who go right on their ways" (Prov 9:13-16). But the
persons, as I said, that by the Father are given to the Son to save
them, are, at one time or other, secured by "shall come to me."

And therefore of such it is said, God will guide them with his eye,
with his counsels, by his Spirit, and that in the way of peace;
by the springs of water, and into all truth (Psa 32:8; 73:24; John
16:13; Luke 1:79; Isa 49:10). So then he that hath such a guide,
and all that the Father giveth to Christ shall have it, he shall
escape those dangers, he shall not err in the way; yea, though
he be a fool, he shall not err therein, (Isa 35:8), for of every
such an one it is said, "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee,
saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right
hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa 30:21).

There were thieves and robbers before Christ's coming, as there
are also now; but, said he, "The sheep did not hear them." And why
did they not hear them, but because they were under the power of
Shall-come, that absolute promise, that had that grace in itself
to bestow upon them, as could make them able rightly to distinguish
of voices, "My sheep hear my voice." But how came they to hear it?
Why, to them it is given to know and to hear, and that distinguishingly
(John 10:8,16; 5:25; Eph 5:14).

Further, The very plain sentence of the text makes provision against
all these things; for, saith it, "All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me;" that is, shall not be stopped, or be allured to
take up anywhere short of ME, nor shall they turn aside, to abide
with any besides ME.

[Import of the words TO ME.]

"Shall come TO ME."--To me. By these words there is further
insinuated, though not expressed, a double cause of their coming
to him. First. There is in Christ a fullness of all-sufficiency of
that, even of all that which is needful to make us happy. Second.
Those that indeed come to him, do therefore come to him that they
may receive it at his hand.

First. For the first of these, there is in Christ a fullness of
all-sufficiency of all that, even of all that which is needful to
make us happy. Hence it is said, "For it pleased the Father that
in him should all fullness dwell" (Col 1:19). And again, "Of his
fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16).
It is also said of him, that his riches are unsearchable--"the
unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8). Hear what he saith of
himself, "Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and
righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;
and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness,
in the midst of the paths of judgment; that I may cause those that
love me to inherit substance. And I will fill their treasures"
(Prov 8:18-21).

This in general. But, more particularly,

1. There is that light in Christ, that is sufficient to lead them
out of, and from all that darkness, in the midst of which all
others, but them that come to him, stumble, and fall and perish: "I
am the light of the world," saith he, "he that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John
8:12). Man by nature is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and
knows not whither he goes, for darkness hath blinded his eyes;
neither can anything but Jesus Christ lead men out of this darkness.
Natural conscience cannot do it; the ten commandments, though in
the heart of man, cannot do it. This prerogative belongs only to
Jesus Christ.

2. There is that life in Christ, that is to be found nowhere else
(John 5:40). Life, as a principle in the soul, by which it shall
be acted and enabled to do that which through him is pleasing to
God. "He that believeth in," or cometh to, "me," saith he, as the
Scripture hath said, "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water" (John 7:38). Without this life a man is dead, whether he
be bad, or whether he be good; that is, good in his own, and other
men's esteem. There is no true and eternal life but what is in the
ME that speaketh in the text.

There is also life for those that come to him, to be had by faith
in his flesh and blood. "He that eateth me, even he shall live by
me" (John 6:57). And this is a life against that death that comes
by the guilt of sin, and the curse of the law, under which all men
are, and for ever must be, unless they eat the ME that speaks in
the text. "Whoso findeth ME," saith he, "findeth life;" deliverance
from that everlasting death and destruction, that, without me, he
shall be devoured by (Prov 8:35). Nothing is more desirable than
life, to him that hath in himself the sentence of condemnation;
and here only is life to be found. This life, to wit, eternal life,
this life is in his Son; that is, in him that saith in the text,
"All that the Father hath given me shall come to me" (1 John 5:10).

3. The person speaking in the text, is he alone by whom poor sinners
have admittance to, and acceptance with the Father, because of
the glory of his righteousness, by and in which he presenteth them
amiable and spotless in his sight; neither is there any way besides
him so to come to the Father: "I am the way," says he, "and the
truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me" (John
14:6). All other ways to God are dead and damnable; the destroying
cherubim stand with flaming swords, turning every way to keep all
others from his presence (Gen 3:24). I say, all others but them
that come by him. "I am the door; by me," saith he, "if any man
enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9).

The person speaking in the text is HE, and only HE, that can give
stable and everlasting peace; therefore, saith he, "My peace I give
unto you." My peace, which is a peace with God, peace of conscience,
and that of an everlasting duration. My peace, peace that cannot
be matched, "not as the world giveth, give I unto you;" for the
world's peace is but carnal and transitory, but mine is Divine and
eternal. Hence it is called the peace of God, and that passeth all
understanding.

4. The person speaking in the text hath enough of all things truly
spiritually good, to satisfy the desires of every longing soul.
"Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink." And to him that is athirst, "I will give of
the fountain of the water of life freely" (John 7:37, Rev 21:6).

5. With the person speaking in the text is power to perfect and
defend, and deliver those that come to him for safe-guard. "All
power," saith he, "is given unto me in heaven and earth" (Matt
28:18).

Thus might I multiply instances in this nature in abundance. But,

Second. They that in truth do come to him, do therefore come to him
that they might receive it at his hand. They come for light, they
come for life, they come for reconciliation with God: they also
come for peace, they come that their soul may be satisfied with
spiritual good, and that they may be protected by him against all
spiritual and eternal damnation; and he alone is able to give them
all this, to the filling of their joy to the full, as they also
find when they come to him. This is evident,

1. From the plain declaration of those that already are come to
him. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God"
(Rom 5:1,2).

2. It is evident also, in that while they keep their eyes upon him,
they never desire to change him for another, or to add to themselves
some other thing, together with him, to make up their spiritual
joy. "God forbid," saith Paul, "that I should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Yea, doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him,
not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is
of God by faith" (Phil 3:8,9).

3. It is evident also, by their earnest desires that others might
be made partakers of their blessedness. "Brethren," said Paul, "my
heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be
saved." That is, that way that he expected to be saved himself. As
he saith also to the Galatians, "Brethren," saith he, "I beseech
you, be as I am; for I am as ye are;" that is, I am a sinner as you
are. Now, I beseech you, seek for life, as I am seeking of it; as
who should say, For there is a sufficiency in the Lord Jesus both
for me and you.

4. It is evident also, by the triumph that such men make over all
their enemies, both bodily and ghostly: "Now thanks be unto God,"
said Paul, "which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." And,
"who shall separate us from the love of Christ" our Lord? and again,
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The
sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 2:14; Rom 8:35; 1 Cor 15:55,56).

5. It is evident also, for that they are made by the glory of that
which they have found in him, to suffer and endure what the devil
and hell itself hath or could invent, as a means to separate them
from him. Again, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? as it is written, For thy sake
we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors,
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:35-39).

"Shall come TO ME." Oh! the heart-attracting glory that is in Jesus
Christ, when he is discovered, to draw those to him that are given
to him of the Father; therefore those that came of old, rendered
this as the cause of their coming to him: "And we beheld his glory,
as of the only begotten of the Father" (John 1:14). And the reason
why others come not, but perish in their sins, is for want of a
sight of his glory: "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost: in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of
them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor
4:3,4).

There is therefore heart-pulling glory in Jesus Christ, which,
when discovered, draws the man to him; wherefore by shall come to
me, Christ may mean, when his glory is discovered, then they must
come, then they shall come to me. Therefore, as the true comers
come with weeping and relenting, as being sensible of their own
vileness, so again it is said, that "the ransomed of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their
heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away." That is, at the sight of the glory of that grace
that shows itself to them now in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and in the hopes that they now have of being with him in the heavenly
tabernacles. Therefore it saith again, "With gladness and rejoicing
shall they be brought; they shall enter into the King's palace"
(Isa 35:10; 51:11; Psa 45:15). There is therefore heart-attracting
glory in the Lord Jesus Christ, which, when discovered, subjects
the heart to the Word, and makes us come to him.

It is said of Abraham, that when he dwelt in Mesopotamia, "the God
of glory appeared unto him," saying, "Get thee out of thy country."
And what then? Why, away he went from his house and friends, and
all the world could not stay him. "Now," as the Psalmist says, "Who
is this King of glory?" he answers, "The Lord, mighty in battle"
(Psa 24:8). And who was that, but he that "spoiled principalities
and powers," when he did hang upon the tree, triumphing over them
thereon? And who was that but Jesus Christ, even the person speaking
in the text? Therefore he said of Abraham, "He saw his day. Yea,"
saith he to the Jews, "your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day,
and he saw it, and was glad" (Col 2:15; James 2:23; John 8:56).

Indeed, the carnal man says, at least in his heart, "There is
no form or comeliness in Christ; and when we shall see him, there
is no beauty that we should desire him," (Isa 53:2); but he lies.
This he speaks, as having never seen him. But they that stand in
his house, and look upon him through the glass of his Word, by the
help of his Holy Spirit, they will tell you other things. "But we
all," say they, "with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory
of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory"
(2 Cor 3:18). They see glory in his person, glory in his undertakings,
glory in the merit of his blood, and glory in the perfection
of his righteousness; yea, heart-affecting, heart-sweetening, and
heart-changing glory!

Indeed, his glory is veiled, and cannot be seen but as discovered
by the Father (Matt 11:27). It is veiled with flesh, with meanness
of descent from the flesh, and with that ignominy and shame that
attended him in the flesh; but they that can, in God's light, see
through these things, they shall see glory in him; yea, such glory
as will draw and pull their hearts unto him.

Moses was the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter; and for aught I
know, had been king at last, had he now conformed to the present
vanities that were there at court; but he could not, he would not
do it. Why? What was the matter? Why! he saw more in the worst of
Christ (bear with the expression), than he saw in the best of all
the treasures of the land of Egypt. He "refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompence of the
reward. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king." But
what emboldened him thus to do? Why, "he endured;" for he had a
sight of the person speaking in the text. "He endured, as seeing
him who is invisible." But I say, would a sight of Jesus have thus
taken away Moses' heart from a crown, and a kingdom, &c., had he
not by that sight seen more in him than was to be seen in them?
(Heb 11:24-26).

Therefore, when he saith, shall come to me, he means, they shall
have a discovery of the glory of the grace that is in him; and the
beauty and glory of that is of such virtue, that it constraineth,
and forceth, with a blessed violency, the hearts of those that are
given to him.

Moses, of whom we spake before, was no child when he was thus taken
with the beauteous glory of his Lord. He was forty years old, and
so consequently was able, being a man of that wisdom and opportunity
as he was, to make the best judgment of the things, and of the
goodness of them that was before him in the land of Egypt. But he,
even he it was, that set that low esteem upon the glory of Egypt,
as to count it not worth the meddling with, when he had a sight of
this Lord Jesus Christ. This wicked world thinks, that the fancies
of a heaven, and a happiness hereafter, may serve well enough to
take the heart of such, as either have not the world's good things
to delight in; or that are fools, and know not how to delight
themselves therein. But let them know again, that we have had men
of all ranks and qualities, that have been taken with the glory
of our Lord Jesus, and have left all to follow him. As Abel, Seth,
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon;
and who not, that had either wit or grace, to savour heavenly
things? Indeed none can stand off from him, nor any longer hold
out against him to whom he reveals the glory of his grace.

[THE PROMISE TO THOSE COMING TO CHRIST.]

"AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I will in no wise cast out."

By these words our Lord Jesus doth set forth yet more amply the
great goodness of his nature towards the coming sinner. Before, he
said, They shall come; and here he declareth, That with heart and
affections he will receive them. But, by the way, let me speak
one word or two to the seeming conditionality of this promise with
which now I have to do. "And him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out." Where it is evident, may some say, that Christ's
receiving us to mercy depends upon our coming, and so our salvation
by Christ is conditional. If we come, we shall be received; if
not, we shall not; for that is fully intimated by the words. The
promise of reception is only to him that cometh. "And him that
cometh." I answer, that the coming in these words mentioned, as
a condition of being received to life, is that which is promised,
yea, concluded to be effected in us by the promise going before.
In those latter words, coming to Christ is implicitly required of
us; and in the words before, that grace that can make us come is
positively promised to us. "All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out"
thence. We come to Christ, because it is said, We shall come;
because it is given to us to come. So that the condition which is
expressed by Christ in these latter words is absolutely promised in
the words before. And, indeed, the coming here intended is nothing
else but the effect of "shall come to me. They shall come, and I
will not cast them out."

"AND HIM THAT COMETH."

He saith not, and him that is come, but him that cometh. To speak
to these words, First, In general. Second, More particularly.

[First.] In general. They suggest unto us these four things:--

1. That Jesus Christ doth build upon it, that since the Father gave
his people to him, they shall be enabled to come unto him. "And him
that cometh." As who should say, I know that since they are given
to me, they shall be enabled to come unto me. He saith not, if they
come, or I suppose they will come; but, "and him that cometh." By
these words, therefore, he shows us that he addresseth himself to
the receiving of them whom the Father gave to him to save them. I
say, he addresseth himself, or prepareth himself to receive them.
By which, as I said, he concludeth or buildeth upon it, that they
shall indeed come to him. He looketh that the Father should bring
them into his bosom, and so stands ready to embrace them.

2. Christ also suggesteth by these words, that he very well knoweth
who are given to him; not by their coming to him, but by their
being given to him. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh," &c. This him he knoweth to be one of them
that the Father hath given him; and, therefore, he received him,
even because the Father hath given him to him (John 10). "I know
my sheep," saith he. Not only those that already have knowledge of
him, but those, too, that yet are ignorant of him. "Other sheep I
have," said he, "which are not of this fold," (John 10:16); not of
the Jewish church, but those that lie in their sins, even the rude
and barbarous Gentiles. Therefore, when Paul was afraid to stay
at Corinth, from a supposition that some mischief might befall him
there; "Be not afraid," said the Lord Jesus to him, "but speak,
and hold not thy peace--for I have much people in this city" (Acts
18:9,10). The people that the Lord here speaks of were not at this
time accounted his, by reason of a work of conversion that already
had passed upon them, but by virtue of the gift of the Father; for
he had given them unto him. Therefore was Paul to stay here, to
speak the word of the Lord to them, that, by his speaking, the Holy
Ghost might effectually work over their souls, to the causing them
to come to him, who was also ready, with heart and soul, to receive
them.

3. Christ, by these words, also suggesteth, that no more come unto
him than, indeed, are given him of the Father. For the him in this
place is one of the all that by Christ was mentioned before. "All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me;" and every him of that
all, "I will in no wise cast out." This the apostle insinuateth,
where he saith, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:11-13).

Mark, as in the text, so here he speaketh of all. "Until we all
come." We all! all who? Doubtless, "All that the Father giveth to
Christ." This is further insinuated, because he called this ALL
the body of Christ; the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ. By which he means the universal number given; to wit, the
true elect church, which is said to be his body and fullness (Eph
1:22,23).

4. Christ Jesus, by these words, further suggesteth, that he is well
content with this gift of the Father to him. "All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out." I will heartily, willingly, and with great content
of mind, receive him.

They show us, also, that Christ's love in receiving is as large as
his Father's love in giving, and no larger. Hence, he thanks him
for his gift, and also thanks him for hiding of him and his things
from the rest of the wicked (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21). But,

Secondly, and more particularly, "And HIM that cometh."

[Import of the word HIM.]

"And him." This word him; by it Christ looketh back to the gift
of the Father; not only in the lump and whole of the gift, but to
the every him of that lump. As who should say, I do not only accept
of the gift of my Father in the general, but have a special regard
to every of them in particular; and will secure not only some, or
the greatest part, but every him, every dust. Not a hoof of all
shall be lost or left behind. And, indeed, in this he consenteth
to his Father's will, which is that of all that he hath given him,
he should lose nothing (John 6:39).

"And him." Christ Jesus, also, by his thus dividing the gift of
his Father into hims, and by his speaking of them in the singular
number, shows what a particular work shall be wrought in each one,
at the time appointed of the Father. "And it shall come to pass in
that day," saith the prophet, "that the Lord shall beat off from
the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be
gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel." Here are the hims,
one by one, to be gathered to him by the Father (Isa 27:12).

He shows also hereby that no lineage, kindred, or relation, can
at all be profited by any outward or carnal union with the person
that the Father hath given to Christ. It is only him, the given
HIM, the coming him, that he intends absolutely to secure. Men make
a great ado with the children of believers; and oh the children
of believers! 13 But if the child of the believer is not the him
concerned in this absolute promise, it is not these men's great cry,
nor yet what the parent or child can do, that can interest him in
this promise of the Lord Christ, this absolute promise.

AND HIM. There are divers sorts of persons that the Father hath
given to Jesus Christ; they are not all of one rank, of one quality;
some are high, some are low; some are wise, some fools; some are
more civil, and complying with the law; some more profane, and
averse to him and his gospel. Now, since those that are given to
him are, in some sense, so diverse; and again, since he yet saith,
"And him that cometh," &c., he, by that, doth give us to understand
that he is not, as men, for picking and choosing, to take a best
and leave a worst, but he is for him that the Father hath given
him, and that cometh to him. "He shall not alter it, nor change
it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good," (Lev 27:10); but will
take him as he is, and will save his soul.

There is many a sad wretch given by the Father to Jesus Christ;
but not one of them all is despised or slighted by him. It is said
of those that the Father hath given to Christ that they have done
worse than the heathen; that they were murderers, thieves, drunkards,
unclean persons, and what not; but he has received them, washed
them, and saved them. A fit emblem of this sort is that wretched
instance mentioned in the 16th of Ezekiel, that was cast out in a
stinking condition, to the loathing of its person, in the days that
it was born; a creature in such a wretched condition, that no eye
pitied, to do any of the things there mentioned unto it, or to have
compassion upon it; no eye but his that speaketh in the text.

AND HIM. Let him be as red as blood, let him be as red as crimson.
Some men are blood-red sinners, crimson-sinners, sinners of a double
die; dipped and dipped again, before they come to Jesus Christ.
Art thou that readest these lines such an one? Speak out, man! Art
thou such an one? and art thou now coming to Jesus Christ for the
mercy of justification, that thou mightest be made white in his
blood, and be covered with his righteousness? Fear not; forasmuch
as this thy coming betokeneth that thou art of the number of them
that the Father hath given to Christ; for he will in no wise cast
thee out. "Come now," saith Christ, "and let us reason together;
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa 1:18).

AND HIM. There was many a strange HIM came to Jesus Christ, in the
days of his flesh; but he received them all, without turning any
away; speaking unto them "of the kingdom of God, and healed them
that had need of healing" (Luke 9:11; 4:40). These words, AND HIM,
are therefore words to be wondered at. That not one of them who,
by virtue of the Father's gift, and drawing, are coming to Jesus
Christ, I say, that not one of them, whatever they have been,
whatever they have done, should be rejected or set by, but admitted
to a share in his saving grace. It is said in Luke, that the people
"wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth"
(4:22). Now this is one of his gracious words; these words are like
drops of honey, as it is said, "Pleasant words are as an honey-comb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones" (Prov 16:24). These
are gracious words indeed, even as full as a faithful and merciful
High-priest could speak them. Luther saith, "When Christ speaketh,
he hath a mouth as wide as heaven and earth." That is, to speak
fully to the encouragement of every sinful him that is coming to
Jesus Christ. And that his word is certain, hear how himself confirms
it: "Heaven and earth," saith he, "shall pass away; but my words
shall not pass away" (Isa 51:6; Matt 24:35).

It is also confirmed by the testimony of the four evangelists,
who gave faithful relation of his loving reception of all sorts
of coming sinners, whether they were publicans, harlots, thieves,
possessed of devils, bedlams, and what not (Luke 19:1-10; Matt
21:31; Luke 15; 23:43; Mark 16:9; 5:1-9).

This, then, shows us, 1. "The greatness of the merits of Christ."
2. The willingness of his heart to impute them for life to the
great, if coming, sinners.

1. This shows us the greatness of the merits of Christ; for it must
not be supposed, that his words are bigger than his worthiness.
He is strong to execute his word. He can do, as well as speak. He
can do exceeding abundantly more than we ask or think, even to the
uttermost, and outside of his word (Eph 3:20). Now, then, since he
concludeth any coming HIM; it must be concluded, that he can save
to the uttermost sin, any coming HIM.

Do you think, I say, that the Lord Jesus did not think before he
spake? He speaks all in righteousness, and therefore by his word
we are to judge how mighty he is to save (Isa 63:1). He speaketh
in righteousness, in very faithfulness, when he began to build this
blessed gospel-fabric, the text; it was for that he had first sat
down, and counted the cost; and for that, he knew he was able to
finish it! What, Lord, any him? any him that cometh to thee? This
is a Christ worth looking after, this is a Christ worth coming to!

This, then, should learn us diligently to consider the natural
force of every word of God; and to judge of Christ's ability to
save, not by our sins, or by our shallow apprehensions of his grace;
but by his word, which is the true measure of grace. And if we do
not judge thus, we shall dishonour his grace, lose the benefit of
his word, and needlessly fright ourselves into many discouragements
though coming to Jesus Christ. Him, any him that cometh, hath
sufficient from this word of Christ, to feed himself with hopes
of salvation. As thou art therefore coming, O thou coming sinner,
judge thou, whether Christ can save thee by the true sense of
his words: judge, coming sinner, of the efficacy of his blood, of
the perfection of his righteousness, and of the prevalency of his
intercession, by his word. "And him," saith he, "that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out." "In no wise," that is, for no sin.
Judge therefore by his word, how able he is to save thee. It is
said of God's sayings to the children of Israel, "There failed not
aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of
Israel; all came to pass" (Josh 21:45). And again, "Not one thing
hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake
concerning you, all are come to pass unto you; and not one thing
hath failed thereof" (Josh 23:14).

Coming sinner, what promise thou findest in the word of Christ,
strain it whither thou canst, so thou dost not corrupt it, and his
blood and merits will answer all; what the word saith, or any true
consequence that is drawn therefrom, that we may boldly venture upon.
As here in the text he saith, "And him that cometh," indefinitely,
without the least intimation of the rejection of any, though never
so great, if he be a coming sinner. Take it then for granted, that
thou, whoever thou art, if coming, art intended in these words;
neither shall it injure Christ at all, if, as Benhadad's servants
served Ahab, thou shalt catch him at his word. "Now," saith the
text, "the man did diligently observe whether anything would come
from him," to wit, any word of grace; "and did hastily catch it."
And it happened that Ahab had called Benhadad his brother. The
man replied, therefore, "Thy brother Benhadad!" (1 Kings 20:33),
catching him at his word. Sinner, coming sinner, serve Jesus
Christ thus, and he will take it kindly at thy hands. When he in
his argument called the Canaanitish woman dog, she catched him at
it, and saith, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which
fall from their master's table." I say, she catched him thus in his
words, and he took it kindly, saying, "O woman great is thy faith;
be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (Matt 15:28). Catch him, coming
sinner, catch him in his words, surely he will take it kindly, and
will not be offended at thee.

2. The other thing that I told you is showed from these words, is
this: The willingness of Christ's heart to impute his merits for
life to the great, if coming sinner. "And him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out."

The awakened coming sinner doth not so easily question the power of
Christ, as his willingness to save him. Lord, "if thou wilt, thou
canst," said one (Mark 1:40). He did not put the if upon his power,
but upon his will. He concluded he could, but he was not as fully
of persuasion that he would. But we have the same ground to believe
he will, as we have to believe he can; and, indeed, ground for both
is the Word of God. If he was not willing, why did he promise? Why
did he say he would receive the coming sinner? Coming sinner, take
notice of this; we use to plead practices with men, and why not
with God likewise? I am sure we have no more ground for the one
than the other; for we have to plead the promise of a faithful
God. Jacob took him there: "Thou saidst," said he, "I will surely
do thee good" (Gen 32:12). For, from this promise he concluded,
that it followed in reason, "He must be willing."

The text also gives some ground for us to draw the same conclusion.
"And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Here is his
willingness asserted, as well as his power suggested. It is worth
your observation, that Abraham's faith considered rather God's
power than his willingness; that is, he drew his conclusion, "I
shall have a child," from the power that was in God to fulfil the
promise to him. For he concluded he was willing to give him one,
else he would not have promised one. "He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able
also to perform" (Rev 4:20,21). But was not his faith exercised,
or tried, about his willingness too? No, there was no show of
reason for that, because he had promised it. Indeed, had he not
promised it, he might lawfully have doubted it; but since he had
promised it, there was left no ground at all for doubting, because
his willingness to give a son was demonstrated in his promising him
a son. These words, therefore, are sufficient ground to encourage
any coming sinner that Christ is willing to his power to receive
him; and since he hath power also to do what he will, there is no
ground at all left to the coming sinner any more to doubt; but to
come in full hope of acceptance, and of being received unto grace
and mercy. "And him that cometh." He saith not, and him that is
come; but, and him that cometh; that is, and him whose heart begins
to move after me, who is leaving all for my sake; him who is looking
out, who is on his journey to me. We must, therefore, distinguish
betwixt coming, and being come to Jesus Christ. He that is come to
him has attained of him more sensibly what he felt before that he
wanted, than he has that but yet is coming to him.

[Advantages to the man that is come to Christ.]

A man that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that is but
coming to him; and that in seven things.

1. He that is come to Christ is nearer to him than he that is but
coming to him; for he that is but coming to him is yet, in some
sense, at a distance from him; as it is said of the coming prodigal,
"And while he was yet a great way off" (Luke 15:20). Now he that
is nearer to him hath the best sight of him; and so is able to make
the best judgment of his wonderful grace and beauty, as God saith,
"Let them come near, then let them speak" (Isa 41:1). And as
the apostle John saith, "And we have seen and do testify that the
Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14).
He that is not yet come, though he is coming, is not fit, not being
indeed capable to make that judgment of the worth and glory of the
grace of Christ, as he is that is come to him, and hath seen and
beheld it. Therefore, sinner, suspend thy judgment till thou art
come nearer.

2. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but
coming, in that he is eased of his burden; for he that is but coming
is not eased of his burden (Matt 11:28). He that is come has cast
his burden upon the Lord. By faith he hath seen himself released
thereof; but he that is but coming hath it yet, as to sense and
feeling, upon his own shoulders. "Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden," implies, that their burden, though they are
coming, is yet upon them, and so will be till indeed they are come
to him.

3. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but
coming in this also, namely, he hath drank of the sweet and soul
refreshing water of life; but he that is but coming hath not. "If
any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37).

Mark, He must come to him before he drinks: according to that of
the prophet, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters."
He drinketh not as he cometh, but when he is come to the waters
(Isa 55:1).

4. He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that as yet
is but coming in this also, to wit, he is not so terrified with
the noise, and, as I may call it, hue and cry, which the avenger
of blood makes at the heels of him that yet is but coming to him.
When the slayer was on his flight to the city of his refuge, he had
the noise or fear of the avenger of blood at his heels; but when
he was come to the city, and was entered thereinto, that noise
ceased. Even so it is with him that is but coming to Jesus Christ,
he heareth many a dreadful sound in is ear; sounds of death and
damnation, which he that is come is at present freed from. Therefore
he saith, "Come, and I will give you rest." And so he saith again,
"We that have believed, do enter into rest," as he said, &c. (Heb
4).

5. He, therefore, that is come to Christ, is not so subject to those
dejections, and castings down, by reason of the rage and assaults
of the evil one, as is the man that is but coming to Jesus Christ,
though he has temptations too. "And as he was yet a-coming, the devil
threw him down, and tare him" (Luke 9:42). For he has, though Satan
still roareth upon him, those experimental comforts and refreshments,
to wit, in his treasury, to present himself with, in times of
temptation and conflict; which he that is but coming has not.

6. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but
coming to him, in this also, to wit, he hath upon him the wedding
garment, &c., but he that is coming has not. The prodigal, when
coming home to his father, was clothed with nothing but rags, and
was tormented with an empty belly; but when he was come, the best
robe is brought out, also the gold ring, and the shoes, yea, they
are put upon him, to his great rejoicing. The fatted calf was killed
for him; the music was struck up to make him merry; and thus also
the Father himself sang of him, "This my son was dead, and is alive
again; was lost and is found" (Luke 15:18,19).

7. In a word, he that is come to Christ, his groans and tears, his
doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises; for that he
hath now received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance;
but he that is but yet a-coming, hath not those praises nor songs
of deliverance with him; nor has he as yet received the atonement
and earnest of his inheritance, which is, the sealing testimony of
the Holy Ghost, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon
his conscience, for he is not come (Rom 5:11; Eph 1:13; Heb 12:22-24).

[Import of the word COMETH.]

"And him that COMETH." There is further to be gathered from this
word cometh, these following particulars:--

1. That Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, and takes notice of, the
first moving of the heart of a sinner after himself. Coming sinner,
thou canst not move with desires after Christ, but he sees the
working of those desires in thy heart. "All my desire," said David,
"is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee" (Psa 38:9).
This he spake, as he was coming, after he had backslidden, to the
Lord Jesus Christ. It is said of the prodigal, that while he was
yet a great way off, his father saw him, had his eye upon him, and
upon the going out of his heart after him (Luke 15:20).

When Nathanael was come to Jesus Christ, the Lord said to them
that stood before him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
guile." But Nathanael answered him, "Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus
answered, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under
the fig-tree, I saw thee." There, I suppose, Nathanael was pouring
out of his soul to God for mercy, or that he would give him good
understanding about the Messias to come; and Jesus saw all the
workings of his honest heart at that time (John 1:47,48).

Zaccheus also had some secret movings of heart, such as they were,
towards Jesus Christ, when he ran before, and climbed up the tree
to see him; and the Lord Jesus Christ had his eye upon him: therefore,
when he was come to the place, he looked up to him, bids him come
down, "For today," said he, "I must abide at thy house;" to wit,
in order to the further completing the work of grace in his soul
(Luke 19:1-9). Remember this, coming sinner.

2. As Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, so he hath his heart open
to receive, the coming sinner. This is verified by the text: "And
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." This is also
discovered by his preparing of the way, in his making of it easy
(as may be) to the coming sinner; which preparation is manifest by
those blessed words, "I will in no wise cast out;" of which more
when we come to the place. And while "he was yet a great way off,
his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). All these expressions do strongly
prove that the heart of Christ is open to receive the coming sinner.

3. As Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and his heart open to receive,
so he hath resolved already that nothing shall alienate his heart
from receiving the coming sinner. No sins of the coming sinner,
nor the length of the time that he hath abode in them, shall by
any means prevail with Jesus Christ to reject him. Coming sinner,
thou art coming to a loving Lord Jesus!

4. These words therefore are dropped from his blessed mouth, on
purpose that the coming sinner might take encouragement to continue
on his journey, until he be come indeed to Jesus Christ. It was
doubtless a great encouragement to blind Bartimeus, that Jesus
Christ stood still and called him, when he was crying, "Jesus, thou
Son of David, have mercy on me;" therefore, it is said, he cast
away his garment, "rose, and came to Jesus" (Mark 10:46). Now, if
a call to come hath such encouragement in it, what is a promise
of receiving such, but an encouragement much more? And observe it,
though he had a call to come, yet not having a promise, his faith
was forced to work upon a mere consequence, saying, He calls me;
and surely since he calls me, he will grant me my desire. Ah! but
coming sinner, thou hast no need to go so far about as to draw (in
this matter) consequences, because thou hast plain promises: "And
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Here is full,
plain, yea, what encouragement one can desire; for, suppose thou
wast admitted to make a promise thyself, and Christ should attest
that he would fulfil it upon the sinner that cometh to him, Couldst
thou make a better promise? Couldst thou invent a more full, free,
or larger promise? a promise that looks at the first moving of
the heart after Jesus Christ? a promise that declares, yea, that
engageth Christ Jesus to open his heart to receive the coming sinner?
yea, further, a promise that demonstrateth that the Lord Jesus is
resolved freely to receive, and will in no wise cast out, nor means
to reject, the soul of the coming sinner! For all this lieth fully
in this promise, and doth naturally flow therefrom. Here thou needest
not make use of far-fetched consequences, nor strain thy wits, to
force encouraging arguments from the text. Coming sinner, the words
are plain: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

[TWO SORTS OF SINNERS COMING TO CHRIST.]

"And him that COMETH." There are two sorts of sinners that are
coming to Jesus Christ. First, Him that hath never, while of late,
14 at all began to come. Second, Him that came formerly, and after
that went back; but hath since bethought himself, and is now coming
again. Both these sorts of sinners are intended by the HIM in the
text, as is evident; because both are now the coming sinners. "And
him that cometh."

First. [The newly-awakened comer.]--For the first of these:
the sinner that hath never, while of late, began to come, his way
is more easy; I do not say, more plain and open to come to Christ
than is the other--those last not having the clog of a guilty
conscience, for the sin of backsliding, hanging at their heels.
But all the encouragement of the gospel, with what invitations are
therein contained to coming sinners, are as free and as open to
the one as to the other; so that they may with the same freedom and
liberty, as from the Word, both alike claim interest in the promise.
"All things are ready;" all things for the coming backsliders, as
well as for the others: "Come to the wedding." "And let him that
is athirst come" (Matt 22:1-4; Rev 22:17).

Second. [The returning backslider.]--But having spoke to the first
of these already, I shall here pass it by; and shall speak a word
or two to him that is coming, after backsliding, to Jesus Christ
for life. Thy way, O thou sinner of a double dye, thy way is open
to come to Jesus Christ. I mean thee, whose heart, after long
backsliding, doth think of turning to him again. Thy way, I say,
is open to him, as is the way of the other sorts of comers; as
appears by what follows:--

1. Because the text makes no exception against thee. It doth not
say, And any him but a backslider, any him but him. The text doth
not thus object, but indefinitely openeth wide its golden arms
to every coming soul, without the least exception; therefore thou
mayest come. And take heed that thou shut not that door against
thy soul by unbelief, which God has opened by his grace.

2. Nay, the text is so far from excepting against thy coming, that
it strongly suggesteth that thou art one of the souls intended,
O thou coming backslider; else what need that clause have been so
inserted, "I will in no wise cast out?" As who should say, Though
those that come now are such as have formerly backslidden, I will
in "no wise" cast away the fornicator, the covetous, the railer, the
drunkard, or other common sinners, nor yet the backslider neither.

3. That the backslider is intended is evident,

(1.) For that he is sent to by name, "Go, tell his disciples and
Peter" (Mark 16:7). But Peter was a godly man. True, but he was also
a backslider, yea, a desperate backslider: he had denied his Master
once, twice, thrice, cursing and swearing that he knew him not.
If this was not backsliding, if this was not an high and eminent
backsliding, yea, a higher backsliding than thou art capable of,
I have thought amiss.

Again, when David had backslidden, and had committed adultery and
murder in his backsliding, he must be sent to by name: "And," saith
the text, "the Lord sent Nathan unto David." And he sent him to
tell him, after he had brought him to unfeigned acknowledgment,
"The Lord hath also put away, or forgiven thy sin" (2 Sam 12:1,13).

This man also was far gone: he took a man's wife, and killed her
husband, and endeavoured to cover all with wicked dissimulation. He
did this, I say, after God had exalted him, and showed him great
favour; wherefore his transgression was greatened also by the
prophet with mighty aggravations; yet he was accepted, and that
with gladness, at the first step he took in his returning to Christ.
For the first step of the backslider's return is to say, sensibly
and unfeignedly, "I have sinned;" but he had no sooner said thus,
but a pardon was produced, yea, thrust into his bosom: "And Nathan
said unto David, The Lord hath also put away thy sin."

(2.) As the person of the backslider is mentioned by name, so also
is his sin, that, if possible, thy objections against thy returning
to Christ may be taken out of thy way; I say, thy sin also is
mentioned by name, and mixed, as mentioned, with words of grace and
favour: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely"
(Hosea 14:4). What sayest thou now, backslider?

(3.) Nay, further, thou art not only mentioned by name, and thy
sin by the nature of it, but thou thyself, who art a returning
backslider, put, (a) Amongst God's Israel, "Return, thou backsliding
Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall
upon you; for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep
anger for ever" (Jer 3:12). (b) Thou art put among his children;
among his children to whom he is married. "Turn, O backsliding
children, for I am married unto you" (verse 14). (c) Yea, after
all this, as if his heart was so full of grace for them, that he
was pressed until he had uttered it before them, he adds, "Return,
ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings" (verse
22).

(4.) Nay, further, the Lord hath considered, that the shame of thy
sin hath stopped thy mouth, and made thee almost a prayerless man;
and therefore he saith unto thee, "Take with you words, and turn
to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive
us graciously." See his grace, that himself should put words of
encouragement into the heart of a backslider; as he saith in another
place, "I taught Ephraim to go, taking him by the arms." This is
teaching him to go indeed, to hold him up by the arms; by the chin,
as we say (Hosea 14:2; 11:3).

From what has been said, I conclude, even as I said before, that
the him in the text, and him that cometh, includeth both these
sorts of sinners, and therefore both should freely come.

Quest. 1. But where doth Jesus Christ, in all the word of the New
Testament, expressly speak to a returning backslider with words
of grace and peace? For what you have urged as yet, from the New
Testament, is nothing but consequences drawn from this text. Indeed
it is a full text for carnal ignorant sinners that come, but to
me, who am a backslider, it yieldeth but little relief.

Answ. How! but little encouragement from the text, when it is said,
"I will in now wise cast out"! What more could have been said? What
is here omitted that might have been inserted, to make the promise
more full and free? Nay, take all the promises in the Bible, all
the freest promises, with all the variety of expressions of what
nature or extent soever, and they can but amount to the expressions
of this very promise, "I will in no wise cast out;" I will for
nothing, by no means, upon no account, however they have sinned,
however they have backslidden, however they have provoked, cast
out the coming sinner. But,

Quest. 2. Thou sayest, Where doth Jesus Christ, in all the words
of the New Testament, speak to a returning backslider with words
of grace and peace, that is under the name of a backslider?

Answ. Where there is such plenty of examples in receiving backsliders,
there is the less need for express words to that intent; one promise,
as the text is, with those examples that are annexed, are instead
of many promises. And besides, I reckon that the act of receiving
is of as much, if not of more encouragement, than is a bare promise
to receive; for receiving is as the promise, and the fulfilling of
it too; so that in the Old Testament thou hast the promise, and in
the New, the fulfilling of it; and that in divers examples.

1. In Peter. Peter denied his master, once, twice, thrice, and
that with open oath; yet Christ receives him again without any the
least hesitation or stick. Yea, he slips, stumbles, falls again,
in downright dissimulation, and that to the hurt and fall of many
others; but neither of this doth Christ make a bar to his salvation,
but receives him again at his return, as if he knew nothing of the
fault (Gal 2).

2. The rest of the disciples, even all of them, did backslide
and leave the Lord Jesus in his greatest straits. "Then all the
disciples forsook him and fled," (Matt 26:56), they returned, as he
had foretold, every one to his own, and left him alone; but this
also he passes over as a very light matter. Not that it was so
indeed in itself, but the abundance of grace that was in him did
lightly roll it away; for after his resurrection, when first he
appeared unto them, he gives them not the least check for their
perfidious dealings with him, but salutes them with words of
grace, saying, "All hail! be not afraid, peace be to you; all power
in heaven and earth is given unto me." True, he rebuked them for
their unbelief, for the which also thou deservest the same. For it
is unbelief that alone puts Christ and his benefits from us (John
16:52; Matt 28:9-11; Luke 24:39; Mark 16:14).

3. The man that after a large profession lay with his father's
wife, committed a high transgression, even such a one that at that
day was not heard of, no, not among the Gentiles. Wherefore this
was a desperate backsliding; yet, at his return, he was received,
and accepted again to mercy (1 Cor 5:1,2; 2 Cor 2:6-8).

4. The thief that stole was bid to steal no more; not at all doubting
but that Christ was ready to forgive him this act of backsliding
(Eph 4:28).

Now all these are examples, particular instances of Christ's readiness
to receive the backsliders to mercy; and, observe it, examples and
proofs that he hath done so are, to our unbelieving hearts, stronger
encouragements than bare promises that so he will do.

But again, the Lord Jesus hath added to these, for the encouragement
of returning backsliders, to come to him. (1.) A call to come,
and he will receive them (Rev 2:1-5; 14-16; 20-22; 3:1-3; 15-22).
Wherefore New Testament backsliders have encouragement to come.
(2.) A declaration of readiness to receive them that come, as here
in the text, and in many other places, is plain. Therefore, "Set
thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps," of the golden grace of
the gospel, "set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which
thou wentest." When thou didst backslide; "turn again, O virgin of
Israel, turn again to these thy cities" (Jer 31:21).

"And him that cometh." He saith not, and him that talketh, that
professeth, that maketh a show, a noise, or the like; but, him that
cometh. Christ will take leave to judge, who, among the many that
make a noise, they be that indeed are coming to him. It is not him
that saith he comes, nor him of whom others affirm that he comes;
but him that Christ himself shall say doth come, that is concerned
in this text. When the woman that had the bloody issue came to
him for cure, there were others as well as she, that made a great
bustle about him, that touched, yea, thronged him. Ah, but Christ
could distinguish this woman from them all; "And he looked round
about" upon them all, "to see her that had done this thing" (Mark
5:25-32). He was not concerned with the thronging, or touchings of
the rest; for theirs were but accidental, or at best, void of that
which made her touch acceptable. Wherefore Christ must be judge
who they be that in truth are coming to him; Every man's ways are
right in his own eyes, "but the Lord weigheth the spirits" (Prov
16:2). It standeth therefore every one in hand to be certain of
their coming to Jesus Christ; for as thy coming is, so shall thy
salvation be. If thou comest indeed, thy salvation shall be indeed;
but if thou comest but in outward appearance, so shall thy salvation
be; but of coming, see before, as also afterwards, in the use and
application.

"And him that cometh TO ME." These words to me are also well to
be heeded; for by them, as he secureth those that come to him, so
also he shows himself unconcerned with those that in their coming
rest short, to turn aside to others; for you must know, that every
one that comes, comes not to Jesus Christ; some that come, come to
Moses, and to his law, and there take up for life; with these Christ
is not concerned; with these his promise hath not to do. "Christ
is become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you are justified
by the law, ye are fallen from grace" (Gal 5:4). Again, some that
came, came no further than to gospel ordinances, and there stay;
they came not through them to Christ; with these neither is he
concerned; nor will their "Lord, Lord," avail them anything in the
great and dismal day. A man may come to, and also go from the place
and ordinances of worship, and yet not be remembered by Christ.
"So I saw the wicked buried," said Solomon, "who had come and gone
from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city
where they had so done; this is also vanity" (Eccl 8:10).

"TO ME." These words, therefore, are by Jesus Christ very warily put
in, and serve for caution and encouragement; for caution, lest we
take up in our coming anywhere short of Christ; and for encouragement
to those that shall in their coming, come past all; till they come
to Jesus Christ. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out."

Reader, if thou lovest thy soul, take this caution kindly at the
hands of Jesus Christ. Thou seest thy sickness, thy wound, thy
necessity of salvation. Well, go not to king Jareb, for he cannot
heal thee, nor cure thee of thy wound (Hosea 5:13). Take the caution,
I say, lest Christ, instead of being a Saviour unto thee, becomes
a lion, a young lion, to tear thee, and go away (Hosea 5:14).

There is a coming, but not to the Most High; there is a coming,
but not with the whole heart, but as it were feignedly; therefore
take the caution kindly (Jer 3:10; Hosea 7:16).

"And him that cometh TO ME;" Christ as a Saviour will stand alone,
because his own arm alone hath brought salvation unto him. He will
not be joined with Moses, nor suffer John Baptist to be tabernacled
by him. I say they must vanish, for Christ will stand alone (Luke
9:28-36). Yea, God the Father will have it so; therefore they must
be parted from him, and a voice from heaven must come to bid the
disciples hear only the beloved Son. Christ will not suffer any
law, ordinance, statute, or judgment, to be partners with him in
the salvation of the sinner. Nay, he saith not, and him that cometh
to my WORD; but, and him that cometh to ME. The words of Christ,
even his most blessed and free promises, such as this in the text,
are not the Saviour of the world; for that is Christ himself,
Christ himself only. The promises, therefore, are but to encourage
the coming sinner to come to Jesus Christ, and not to rest in them,
short of salvation by him. "And him that cometh TO ME." The man,
therefore, that comes aright, casts all things behind his back,
and looketh at, nor hath his expectations from ought, but the Son
of God alone; as David said, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for
my expectation is from him. He only is my rock, and my salvation;
he is my defence; I shall not be moved" (Psa 62:5,6). His eye is
to Christ, his heart is to Christ, and his expectation is from him,
from him only.

Therefore the man that comes to Christ, is one that hath had deep
considerations of his own sins, slighting thoughts of his own
righteousness, and high thoughts of the blood and righteousness
of Jesus Christ; yea, he sees, as I have said, more virtue in the
blood of Christ to save him, than there is in all his sins to damn
him. He therefore setteth Christ before his eyes; there is nothing
in heaven or earth, he knows, that can save his soul and secure
him from the wrath of God, but Christ; that is, nothing but his
personal righteousness and blood.

[Import of the words IN NO WISE.]

"And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." IN NO
WISE: by these words there is [First,] Something expressed; and
[Second,] Something implied.

First, That which is expressed is Christ Jesus, his unchangeable
resolution to save the coming sinner; I will in no wise reject him,
or deny him the benefit of my death and righteousness. This word,
therefore, is like that which he speaks of the everlasting damnation
of the sinner in hell-fire; "He shall by no means depart thence;"
that is, never, never come out again, no, not to all eternity (Matt
5:26; 25:46). So that as he that is condemned into hell-fire hath
no ground of hope for his deliverance thence; so him that cometh
to Christ, hath no ground to fear he shall ever be cast in thither.

"Thus saith the Lord, If heaven above can be measured, and the
foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast
off all the seed of Israel, for all that they have done, saith
the Lord" (Jer 31:37). "Thus saith the Lord, If my covenant be not
with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of
heaven and earth, then will I cast away the seed of Jacob" (Jer
33:25,26). But heaven cannot be measured, nor the foundations of
the earth searched out beneath; his covenant is also with day and
night, and he hath appointed the ordinances of heaven; therefore
he will not cast away the seed of Jacob, who are the coming ones,
but will certainly save them from the dreadful wrath to come (Jer
50:4,5). By this, therefore, it is manifest, that it was not the
greatness of sin, nor the long continuance in it, no, nor yet the
backsliding, nor the pollution of thy nature, that can put a bar
in against, or be an hindrance of, the salvation of the coming
sinner. For, if indeed this could be, then would this solemn and
absolute determination of the Lord Jesus, of itself, fall to the
ground, and be made of none effect. But his "counsel shall stand,
and he will do all his pleasure;" that is, his pleasure in this;
for his promise, as to this irreversible conclusion, ariseth of
his pleasure; he will stand to it, and will fulfil it, because it
is his pleasure (Isa 46:10,11).

Suppose that one man had the sins, or as many sins as an hundred,
and another should have an hundred times as many as he; yet, if
they come, this word, "I will in no wise cast out," secures them
both alike.

Suppose a man hath a desire to be saved, and for that purpose is
coming in truth to Jesus Christ; but he, by his debauched life,
has damned many in hell; why, the door of hope is by these words
set as open for him, as it is for him that hath not the thousandth
part of his transgressions. "And him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out."

Suppose a man is coming to Christ to be saved, and hath nothing but
sin, and an ill-spent life, to bring with him; why, let him come,
and welcome to Jesus Christ, "And he will in no wise cast him out"
(Luke 7:42). Is not this love that passeth knowledge? Is not this
love the wonderment of angels? And is not this love worthy of all
acceptation at the hands and hearts of all coming sinners?

[Hindrances in coming to Christ.]

Second, That which is implied in the words is, 1. The coming souls
have those that continually lie at Jesus Christ15 to cast them off.
2. The coming souls are afraid that those will prevail with Christ
to cast them off. For these words are spoken to satisfy us, and to
stay up our spirits against these two dangers: "I will in no wise
cast out."

1. For the first, Coming souls have those that continually lie at
Jesus Christ to cast them off. And there are three things that thus
bend themselves against the coming sinner.

(1.) There is the devil, that accuser of the brethren, that accuses
them before God, day and night (Rev 12:10). This prince of darkness
is unwearied in this work; he doth it, as you see, day and night;
that is, without ceasing. He continually puts in his caveats against
thee, if so be he may prevail. How did he ply16 it against that
good man Job, if possibly he might have obtained his destruction
in hell-fire? He objected against him, that he served not God for
nought, and tempted God to put forth his hand against him, urging,
that if he did it, he would curse him to his face; and all this,
as God witnesseth, "he did without a cause" (Job 1:9-11; 2:4,5).
How did he ply it with Christ against Joshua the high-priest? "And
he showed me Joshua," said the prophet, "the high-priest, standing
before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand
to resist him" (Zech 3:1).

To resist him; that is, to prevail with the Lord Jesus Christ
to resist him; objecting the uncleanness and unlawful marriage of
his sons with the Gentiles; for that was the crime that Satan laid
against them (Ezra 10:18). Yea, and for aught I know, Joshua was
also guilty of the fact; but if not of that, of crimes no whit
inferior; for he was clothed with filthy garments, as he stood
before the angel. Neither had he one word to say in vindication of
himself, against all that this wicked one had to say against him.
But notwithstanding that, he came off well; but he might for it thank
a good Lord Jesus, because he did not resist him, but contrariwise,
took up his cause, pleaded against the devil, excusing his infirmity,
and put justifying robes upon him before his adversary's face.

"And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even
the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this a
brand plucked out of the fire? And he answered and spoke to those
that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from
him; and unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity
to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment"
(Zech 3:2-4).

Again, how did Satan ply it against Peter, when he desired to have
him, that he might sift him as wheat? that is, if possible, sever
all grace from his heart, and leave him nothing but flesh and filth,
to the end that he might make the Lord Jesus loathe and abhor him.
"Simon, Simon," said Christ, "Satan hath desired to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat." But did he prevail against him? No: "But
I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." As who should
say, Simon, Satan hath desired me that I would give thee up to him,
and not only thee, but all the rest of thy brethren--for that the
word you imports--but I will not leave thee in his hand: I have
prayed for thee, thy faith shall not fail; I will secure thee to
the heavenly inheritance (Luke 22:30-32).

(2.) As Satan, so every sin of the coming sinner, comes in with a
voice against him, if perhaps they may prevail with Christ to cast
off the soul. When Israel was coming out of Egypt to Canaan, how
many times had their sins thrown them out of the mercy of God, had
not Moses, as a type of Christ, stood in the breach to turn away
his wrath from them! (Psa 106:23). Our iniquities testify against
us, and would certainly prevail against us, to our utter rejection
and damnation, had we not an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous (1 John 2:1,2).

The sins of the old world cried them down to hell; the sins of Sodom
fetched upon them fire from heaven, which devoured them; the sins
of the Egyptians cried them down to hell, because they came not
to Jesus Christ for life. Coming sinner, thy sins are no whit less
than any; nay, perhaps, they are as big as all theirs. Why is it
then, that thou livest when they are dead, and that thou hast a
promise of pardon when they had not? "Why, thou art coming to Jesus
Christ;" and therefore sin shall not be thy ruin.

(3.) As Satan and sin, so the law of Moses, as it is a perfect
holy law, hath a voice against you before the face of God. "There
is one that accuseth you, even Moses," his law (John 5:45). Yea,
it accuseth all men of transgression that have sinned against it;
for as long as sin is sin, there will be a law to accuse for sin.
But this accusation shall not prevail against the coming sinner;
because it is Christ that died, and that ever lives, to make
intercession for them that "come to God by him" (Rom 8; Heb 7:25).

These things, I say, do accuse us before Christ Jesus; yea, and
also to our own faces, if perhaps they might prevail against us.
But these words, "I will in no wise cast out," secureth the coming
sinner from them all.

The coming sinner is not saved, because there is none that comes
in against him; but because the Lord Jesus will not hear their
accusations, will not cast out the coming sinner. When Shimei came
down to meet king David, and to ask for pardon for his rebellion,
up starts Abishai, and puts in his caveat, saying, Shall not Shimei
die for this? This is the case of him that comes to Christ. He hath
this Abishai, and that Abishai, that presently steps in against
him, saying, Shall not this rebel's sins destroy him in hell? Read
further. But David answered, "What have I to do with you, ye sons
of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? Shall
there any man be put to death this day in Israel, for do not I know,
that I am king this day over Israel?" (2 Sam 19:16-22). That is
Christ's answer by the text, to all that accuse the coming Shimeis.
What have I to do with you, that accuse the coming sinners to me?
I count you adversaries, that are against my showing mercy to them.
Do not I know that I am exalted this day to be king of righteousness,
and king of peace? "I will in no wise cast them out."

2. But again, these words do closely imply, that the coming souls
are afraid that these accusers will prevail against them, as is
evident, because the text is spoken for their relief and succour.
For that need not be, if they that are coming were not subject to
fear and despond upon this account. Alas, there is guilt, and the
curse lies upon the conscience of the coming sinner!

Besides, he is conscious to himself what a villain, what a wretch
he hath been against God and Christ. Also he now knows, by woeful
experience, how he hath been at Satan's beck, and at the motion
of every lust. He hath now also new thoughts of the holiness and
justice of God. Also he feels, that he cannot forbear sinning
against him. For the motions of sins, which are by the law, doth
still work in his members, to bring forth fruit unto death (Rom
7:5). But none of this needs be [a discouragement] since we have
so good, so tender-hearted, and so faithful a Jesus to come to,
who will rather overthrow heaven and earth, than suffer a tittle
of this text to fail. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out."

[Import of the words TO CAST OUT.]

Now, we have yet to inquire into two things that lie in the words,
to which there hath yet been nothing said. As, FIRST, What it is
to cast out. SECOND, How it appears that Christ hath power to save
or cast out?

[WHAT IT IS TO CAST OUT.]

FIRST. For the first of these, What it is to cast out. To this I
will speak, First, Generally. Second, More particularly.

[First, Generally.]

1. To cast out, is to slight and despise, and contemn; as it is
said of Saul's shield, "it was vilely cast away," (2 Sam 1:21),
that is, slighted and contemned. Thus it is with the sinners that
come not to Jesus Christ. He slights, despises, and contemns them;
that is, "casts them away."

2. Things cast away are reputed as menstruous cloths, and as the
dirt of the street (Isa 3:24; Psa 18:42; Matt 5:13; 15:17). And
thus it shall be with the men that come not to Jesus Christ, they
shall be counted as menstruous, and as the dirt in the streets.

3. To be cast out, or off, it is to be abhorred, not to be pitied;
but to be put to perpetual shame (Psa 44:9; 89:38; Amos 1:11). But,

Second, More particularly, to come to the text. The casting out
here mentioned is not limited to this or the other evil: therefore
it must be extended to the most extreme and utmost misery. Or thus:
He that cometh to Christ shall not want anything that may make him
gospelly-happy in this world, or that which is to come; nor shall
he want anything that cometh not, that may make him spiritually and
eternally miserable. But further, As it is to be generally taken
[as respecteth the things that are now], so it respecteth things
that shall be hereafter.

I. For the things that are now, they are either, 1. More general:
Or, 2. More particular.

1. More general, thus:

(1.) It is "to be cast out" of the presence and favour of God.
Thus was Cain cast out: "Thou has driven," or cast "me out this
day; from thy face," that is, from thy favour "shall I be hid." A
dreadful complaint! But the effect of a more dreadful judgment!
(Gen 4:14; Jer 23:39; 1 Chron 28:9).

(2.) "To be cast out," is to be cast out of God's sight. God will
look after them no more, care for them no more; nor will he watch
over them any more for good (2 Kings 17:20; Jer 7:15). Now they
that are so, are left like blind men, to wander and fall into the
pit of hell. This, therefore, is also a sad judgment! therefore
here is the mercy of him that cometh to Christ. He shall not be
left to wander at uncertainties. The Lord Jesus Christ will keep
him, as a shepherd doth his sheep (Psa 23). "Him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out."

(3.) "To be cast out," is to be denied a place in God's house, and
to be left as fugitives and vagabonds, to pass a little time away
in this miserable life, and after that to go down to the dead (Gal
4:30; Gen 4:13,14; 21:10). Therefore here is the benefit of him that
cometh to Christ, he shall not be denied a place in God's house.
They shall not be left like vagabonds in the world. "Him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." See Proverbs 14:26, Isaiah
56:3-5, Ephesians 1:1922, 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.

(4.) In a word, "To be cast out," is to be rejected as are the
fallen angels. For their eternal damnation began at their being
cast down from heaven to hell. So then, not to be cast out, is to
have a place, a house, and habitation there; and to have a share
in the privileges of elect angels.

These words, therefore, "I will not cast out," will prove great
words one day to them that come to Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:4; John
20:31; Luke 20:35).

2. Second, and more particularly,

(1.) Christ hath everlasting life for him that cometh to him, and
he shall never perish; "For he will in no wise cast him out;" but
for the rest, they are rejected, "cast out," and must be damned
(John 10:27,28).

(2.) Christ hath everlasting righteousness to clothe them with that
come to him, and they shall be covered with it as with a garment,
but the rest shall be found in the filthy rags of their own stinking
pollutions, and shall be wrapt up in them, as in a winding-sheet,
and so bear their shame before the Lord, and also before the angels
(Dan 9:27; Isa 57:20; Rev 3:4-18, 15, 16).

(3.) Christ hath precious blood, that, like an open fountain, stands
free for him to wash in, that comes to him for life; "And he will
in no wise cast him out;" but they that come not to him are rejected
from a share therein, and are left to ireful vengeance for their
sins (Zech 13:1; 1 Peter 1:18,19; John 13:8; 3:16).

(4.) Christ hath precious promises, and they shall have a share in
them that come to him for life; for "he will in no wise cast them
out." But they that come not can have no share in them, because
they are true only in him; for in him, and only in him, all the
promises are yea and amen. Wherefore they that come not to him,
are no whit the better for them (Psa 50:16; 2 Cor 1:20,21).

(5.) Christ hath also fullness of grace in himself for them that
come to him for life: "And he will in no wise cast them out." But
those that come not unto him are left in their graceless state;
and as Christ leaves them, death, hell, and judgment finds them.
"Whoso findeth me," saith Christ, "findeth life, and shall obtain
favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his
own soul: all they that hate me love death" (Prov 8:35,36).

(6.) Christ is an Intercessor, and ever liveth to make intercession
for them that come to God by him: "But their sorrows shall be
multiplied, that hasten after another," or other gods, their sins
and lusts. "Their drink-offerings will I not offer, nor take up
their names into his lips" (Psa 16:4; Heb 7:25).

(7.) Christ hath wonderful love, bowels, and compassions, for those
that come to him; for "he will in no wise cast them out." But the
rest will find him a lion rampant; he will one day tear them all
to pieces. "Now consider this," saith he, "ye that forget God, lest
I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver" (Psa 50:22).

(8.) Christ is one by and for whose sake those that come to him
have their persons and performances accepted of the Father: "And
he will in no wise cast them out;" but the rest must fly to the
rocks and mountains for shelter, but all in vain, to hide them from
his face and wrath (Rev 6:15-17).

II. But again, These words, CAST OUT, have a special look to what
will be hereafter, even at the day of judgment. For then, and not
till then, will be the great anathema and casting out made manifest,
even manifest by execution. Therefore here to speak to this, and
that under these two heads. As, First, Of the casting out itself.
Second, Of the place into which they shall be cast, that shall then
be cast out.

First, The casting out itself standeth in two things. 1. In a
preparatory work. 2. In the manner of executing the act.

1. The preparatory work standeth in these three things.

(1.) It standeth in their separation that have not come to him,
from them that have, at that day. Or thus: At the day of the great
casting out, those that have not NOW come to him, shall be separated
from them that have; for them that have "he will not cast out."
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory;
and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats" (Matt 25:31,32). This dreadful separation, therefore, shall
then be made betwixt them that NOW come to Christ, and them that
come not. And good reason; for since they would not with us come to
him now they have time, why should they stand with us when judgment
is come?

(2.) They shall be placed before him according to their condition:
they that have come to him, in great dignity, even at his right
hand; "For he will in no wise cast them out": but the rest shall
be set at his left hand, the place of disgrace and shame; for they
did not come to him for life. Distinguished also shall they be by
fit terms: these that come to him he calleth the sheep, but the rest
are frowish goats, "and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats;" and the sheep will
be set on the right hand--next heaven gate, for they came to him--but
the goats on his left, to go from him into hell, because they are
not of his sheep.

(3.) Then will Christ proceed to conviction of those that came not
to him, and will say, "I was a stranger, and ye took me not in,"
or did not come unto me. Their excuse of themselves he will slight
as dirt, and proceed to their final judgment.

2. Now when these wretched rejecters of Christ shall thus be set
before him in their sins, and convicted, this is the preparatory
work upon which follows the manner of executing the act which will
be done.

(1.) In the presence of all the holy angels.

(2.) In the presence of all them that in their lifetime came to him,
by saying unto them, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels": with the reason annexed
to it. For you were cruel to me and mine, particularly discovered
in these words, "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I
was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took
me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and
ye visited me not" (Matt 25:41-43).

Second, Now it remains that we speak of the place into which these
shall be cast, which, in the general, you have heard already,
to wit, the first prepared for the devil and his angels. But, in
particular, it is thus described:--

1. It is called Tophet: "For Tophet is ordained of old, yea, for
the king," the Lucifer, "it is prepared; he hath made it deep and
large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the
Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it" (Isa 30:32).

2. It is called hell. "It is better for thee to enter halt" or lame
"into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell" (Mark 9:45).

3. It is called the wine-press of the wrath of God. "And the angel
thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the
earth," that is, them that did not come to Christ, "and cast it
into the great wine-press of the wrath of God" (Rev 14:19).

4. It is called a lake of fire. "And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:15).

5. It is called a pit. "Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend
into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will
sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the
pit" (Isa 14:13-15).

6. It is called a bottomless pit, out of which the smoke and the
locust came, and into which the great dragon was cast; and it is
called bottomless, to show the endlessness of the fall that they
will have into it, that come not, in the acceptable time, to Jesus
Christ (Rev 9:1,2; 20:3). . 7. It is called outer darkness. "Bind
him hand and foot--and cast him into outer darkness," "and cast
ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness," "there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 22:13; 25:30).

8. It is called a furnace of fire. "As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this
world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall
be wailing and gnashing of teeth." And again, "So shall it be at
the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the
wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of
fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 13:40-51).

9. Lastly, It may not be amiss, if, in the conclusion of this,
I show in few words to what the things that torment them in this
state are compared. Indeed, some of them have been occasionally
mentioned already; as that they are compared,

(1.) To wood that burneth.

(2.) To fire.

(3.) To fire and brimstone: But,

(4.) It is compared to a worm, a gnawing worm, a never-dying gnawing
worm; They are cast into hell, "where their worm dieth not" (Mark
9:44).

(5.) It is called unquenchable fire; "He will gather his wheat into
the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire"
(Matt 3:12; Luke 3:17).

(6.) It is called everlasting destruction; "The Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of
his power" (2 Thess 1:7-9).

(7.) It is called wrath without mixture, and is given them in the
cup of his indignation. "If any man worship the beast, and his
image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence of the Lamb" (Rev 14:9,10).

(8.) It is called the second death. "And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Blessed and holy
is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power" (Rev 20:6,14).

(9.) It is called eternal damnation. "But he that shall blaspheme
against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of
eternal damnation." Oh! these three words! Everlasting punishment!
Eternal damnation! And For ever and ever! How will they gnaw and
eat up all the expectation of the end of the misery of the cast-away
sinners. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever
and ever; and they have no rest day nor night," &c., (Rev 14:11).

Their behaviour in hell is set forth by four things as I know
of;--(a.) By calling for help and relief in vain; (b.) By weeping;
(c.) By wailing; (d.) By gnashing of teeth.

[THE POWER OF CHRIST TO SAVE, OR TO CAST OUT.]

SECOND. And now we come to the second thing that is to be inquired
into, namely, How it appears that Christ hath power to save, or
to cast out. For by these words, "I will in no wise cast out," he
declareth that he hath power to do both. Now this inquiry admits
us to search into the things: First, How it appears that he hath
power to save; Second, How it appears that he hath power to cast
out.

First, That he hath power to save, appears by that which follows:--

1. To speak only of him as he is mediator: he was authorized to
this blessed work by his Father, before the world began. Hence the
apostle saith, "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world" (Eph 1:4). With all those things that effectually will
produce our salvation. Read the same chapter, with 2 Timothy 1:9.

2. He was promised to our first parents, that he should, in the
fullness of time, bruise the serpent's head; and, as Paul expounds
it, redeem them that were under the law. Hence, since that time,
he hath been reckoned as slain for our sins. By which means all
the fathers under the first testament were secured from the wrath
to come; hence he is called, "The Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world" (Rev 13:8; Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4,5).

3. Moses gave testimony of him by the types and shadows, and bloody
sacrifices, that he commanded from the mouth of God to be in use for
the support of his people's faith, until the time of reformation;
which was the time of this Jesus his death (Heb 9, 10).

4. At the time of his birth it was testified of him by the angel,
"That he should save his people from their sins" (Matt 1:21).

5. It is testified of him in the days of his flesh, that he had
power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-12).

6. It is testified also of him by the apostle Peter, that "God hath
exalted him with his own right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts
5:31).

7. In a word, this is everywhere testified of him, both in the Old
Testament and the New. And good reason that he should be acknowledged
and trusted in, as a Saviour.

(1.) He came down from heaven to be a Saviour (John 6:38-40).

(2.) He was anointed when on earth to be a Saviour (Luke 3:22).

(3.) He did the works of a Saviour. As, (a.) He fulfilled the law,
and became the end of it for righteousness, for them that believe
in him (Rom 10:3,4). (b.) He laid down his life as a Saviour; he
gave his life as "a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Tim
2:6). (c.) He hath abolished death, destroyed the devil, put away
sin, got the keys of hell and death, is ascended into heaven; is
there accepted of God, and bid sit at the right hand as a Saviour;
and that because his sacrifice for sins pleased God (2 Tim 1:10;
Heb 2:14,15; 10:12,13; Eph 4:7,8; John 16:10,11; Acts 5:30,31).

(4.) God hath sent out and proclaimed him as a Saviour, and tells
the world that we have redemption through his blood, that he will
justify us, if we believe in his blood, and that he can faithfully
and justly do it. Yea, God doth beseech us to be reconciled to
him by his Son; which could not be, if he were not anointed by him
to this very end, and also if his works and undertakings were not
accepted of him considered as a Saviour (Rom 3:24,25; 2 Cor 5:18-21).

(5.) God hath received already millions of souls into his paradise,
because they have received this Jesus for a Saviour; and is resolved
to cut them off, and to cast them out of his presence, that will
not take him for a Saviour (Heb 12:22-26).

I intend brevity here; therefore a word to the second, and so
conclude.

Second, How it appears that he hath power to cast out. This appears
also by what follows:--

1. The Father, for the service that he hath done him as Saviour,
hath made him Lord of all, even Lord of quick and dead. "For to
this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be
Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom 14:9).

2. The Father hath left it with him to quicken whom he will, to
wit, with saving grace, and to cast out whom he will, for their
rebellion against him (John 5:21).

3. The Father hath made him judge of quick and dead, hath committed
all judgment unto the Son, and appointed that all should honour
the Son, even as they honour the Father (John 5:22,23).

4. God will judge the world by this man: the day is appointed for
judgment, and he is appointed for judge. "He hath appointed a day
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man"
(Acts 17:31). Therefore we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that every one may receive for the things done in
the body, according to what they have done. If they have closed with
him, heaven and salvation; if they have not, hell and damnation!
And for these reasons he must be judge:--

(1.) Because of his humiliation, because of his Father's word he
humbled himself, and he became obedient unto death, even the death
of the cross. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
This hath respect to his being judge, and his sitting in judgment
upon angels and men (Phil 2:7-11; Rom 14:10,11).

(2.) That all men might honour the Son, even as they honour the
Father. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son; that all men should honour the Son, even as
they honour the Father" (John 5:22,23).

(3.) Because of his righteous judgment, this work is fit for no
creature; it is only fit for the Son of God. For he will reward
every man according to his ways (Rev 22:12).

(4.) Because he is the Son of man. He "hath given him authority to
execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man" (John 5:27).

[SECOND, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]

Thus have I in brief passed through this text by way of explications.
My next work is to speak to it by way of observation. But I shall
be also as brief in that as the nature of the thing will admit. "All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

And now I come to some observations, and a little briefly to speak
to them, and then conclude the whole. The words thus explained
afford us many, some of which are these. 1. That God the Father,
and Christ his Son, are two distinct persons in the Godhead. 2. That
by them, not excluding the Holy Ghost, is contrived and determined
the salvation of fallen mankind. 3. That this contrivance resolved
itself into a covenant between these persons in the Godhead, which
standeth in giving on the Father's part, and receiving on the
Son's. "All that the Father giveth me," &c. 4. That every one that
the Father hath given to Christ, according to the mind of God in
the text, shall certainly come to him. 5. That coming to Jesus
Christ is therefore not by the will, wisdom, or power of man; but
by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. "All that the
Father giveth me shall come." 6. That Jesus Christ will be careful
to receive, and will not in any wise reject those that come, or are
coming to him. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out." There are, besides these, some other truths implied in the
words. As, 7. They that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes
heartily afraid that he will not receive them. 8. Jesus Christ would
not have them that in truth are coming to him once think that he
will cast them out.

These observations lie all of them in the words, and are plentifully
confirmed by the Scriptures of truth; but I shall not at this time
speak to them all, but shall pass by the first, second, third,
fourth, and sixth, partly because I design brevity, and partly
because they are touched upon in the explicatory part of the text.
I shall therefore begin with the fifth observation, and so make
that the first in order, in the following discourse.

[COMING TO CHRIST NOT BY THE POWER OF MAN, BUT BY THE DRAWING OF
THE FATHER.]

OBSERVATION FIRST. First, then, coming to Christ is not by the will,
wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of
the Father. This observation standeth of two parts. First, The coming
to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man; Second, But
by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father.

That the text carrieth this truth in its bosom, you will find if
you look into the explication of the first part thereof before. I
shall, therefore, here follow the method propounded, viz: show,

First, That coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power
of man. This is true, because the Word doth positively say it is
not.

1. It denieth it wholly to be by the will of man. "Not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man" (John 1:13).
And again, "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth"
(Rom 9:16).

2. It denieth it to be of the wisdom of man, as is manifest from
these considerations:

(1.) In the wisdom of God it pleased him, that the world by wisdom
should not know him. Now, if by their wisdom they cannot know him,
it follows, by that wisdom, they cannot come unto him; for coming
to him is not before, but after some knowledge of him (1 Cor 1:21;
Acts 13:27; Psa 9:10).

(2.) The wisdom of man, in God's account, as to the knowledge of
Christ, is reckoned foolishness. "Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world?" (1 Cor 1:20). And again, The wisdom of this
world is foolishness with God (2:14). If God hath made foolish the
wisdom of this world; and again, if the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with him, then verily it is not likely, that by that
a sinner should become so prudent as to come to Jesus Christ,
especially if you consider,

(3.) That the doctrine of a crucified Christ, and so of salvation
by him, is the very thing that is counted foolishness to the wisdom
of the world. Now, if the very doctrine of a crucified Christ be
counted foolishness by the wisdom of this world, it cannot be that,
by that wisdom, a man should be drawn out in his soul to come to
him (1 Cor 3:19; 1:18,23).

(4.) God counted the wisdom of this world one of his greatest enemies;
therefore, by that wisdom no man can come to Jesus Christ. For it
is not likely that one of God's greatest enemies should draw a man
to that which best of all pleaseth God, as coming to Christ doth.
Now, that God counteth the wisdom of this world one of his greatest
enemies, is evident, (a.) For that it casteth the greatest contempt
upon his Son's undertakings, as afore is proved, in that it counts
his crucifixion foolishness; though that be one of the highest
demonstrations of Divine wisdom (Eph 1:7,8). (b.) Because God hath
threatened to destroy it, and bring it to nought, and cause it to
perish; which surely he would not do, was it not an enemy, would
it direct men to, and cause them to close with Jesus Christ (Isa
29:14; 1 Cor 1:19). (c.) He hath rejected it from helping in the
ministry of his Word, as a fruitless business, and a thing that
comes to nought (1 Cor 2:4,6,12,13). (d.) Because it causeth to
perish, those that seek it, and pursue it (1 Cor 1:18,19). (e.)
And God has proclaimed, that if any man will be wise in this world,
he must be a fool in the wisdom of this world, and that is the way
to be wise in the wisdom of God. "If any man seemeth to be wise
in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. For the
wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Cor 3:18-20).

3. Coming to Christ is not by the power of man. This is evident
partly,

(1.) From that which goeth before. For man's power in the putting
forth of it, in this matter, is either stirred up by love, or sense
of necessity; but the wisdom of this world neither gives man love
to, or sense of a need of, Jesus Christ; therefore, his power lieth
still, as from that.

(2.) What power has he that is dead, as every natural man spiritually
is, even dead in trespasses and sins? Dead, even as dead to God's
New Testament things as he that is in his grave is dead to the
things of this world. What power hath he, then, whereby to come to
Jesus Christ? (John 5:25; Eph 2:1; Col 2:13).

(3.) God forbids the mighty man's glorying in his strength; and
says positively, "By strength shall no man prevail;" and again,
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord" (Jer
9:23,24; 1 Sam 2:9; Zech 4:6; 1 Cor 1:27-31).

(4.) Paul acknowledgeth that man, nay, converted man, of himself,
hath not a sufficiency of power in himself to think a good thought;
if not to do that which is least, for to think is less than to
come; then no man, by his own power, can come to Jesus Christ (2
Cor 2:5).

(5.) Hence we are said to be made willing to come, by the power of
God; to be raised from a state of sin to a state of grace, by the
power of God; and to believe, that is to come, through the exceeding
working of his mighty power (Psa 110:3; Col 2:12; Eph 1:18,20; Job
23:14). But this needed not, if either man had power or will to
come; or so much as graciously to think of being willing to come,
of themselves, to Jesus Christ.

Second, I should now come to the proof of the second part of the
observation [namely, the coming to Christ is by the gift, promise,
and drawing of the Father], but that is occasionally done already,
in the explicatory part of the text, to which I refer the reader;
for I shall here only give thee a text or two more to the same
purpose, and so come to the use and application.

1. It is expressly said, "No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44). By this text, there is
not only insinuated that in man is want of power, but also of will,
to come to Jesus Christ: they must be drawn; they come not if they
be not drawn. And observe, it is not man, no, nor all the angels
in heaven, that can draw one sinner to Jesus Christ. No man cometh
to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.

2. Again, "No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him
of my Father" (John 6:65). It is an heavenly gift that maketh man
come to Jesus Christ.

3. Again, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all
taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and hath
learned of the Father, cometh unto me" (John 6:45).

I shall not enlarge, but shall make some use and application, and
so come to the next observation.

[Use and Application of Observation First.]

Use First. Is it so? Is coming to Jesus Christ not by the will,
wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of
the Father? Then they are to blame that cry up the will, wisdom,
and power of man, as things sufficient to bring men to Christ.

There are some men who think they may not be contradicted, when
they plead for the will, wisdom, and power of man in reference to
the things that are of the kingdom of Christ; but I will say to
such a man, he never yet came to understand, that himself is what
the Scripture teacheth concerning him; neither did he ever know
what coming to Christ is, by the teaching, gift, and drawing of the
Father. He is such a one that hath set up God's enemy in opposition
to him, and that continueth in such acts of defiance; and what his
end, without a new birth, will be, the Scripture teacheth also;
but we will pass this.

Use Second. Is it so? Is coming to Jesus Christ by the gift,
promise, and drawing of the Father? Then let saints here learn to
ascribe their coming to Christ to the gift, promise, and drawing of
the Father. Christian man, bless God, who hath given thee to Jesus
Christ by promise; and again, bless God for that he hath drawn thee
to him. And why is it thee? Why not another? O that the glory of
electing love should rest upon thy head, and that the glory of the
exceeding grace of God should take hold of thy heart, and bring
thee to Jesus Christ!

Use Third. Is it so, that coming to Jesus Christ is by the Father,
as aforesaid? Then this should teach us to set a high esteem upon
them that indeed are coming to Jesus Christ; I say, an high esteem
on them, for the sake of him by virtue of whose grace they are made
to come to Jesus Christ.

We see that when men, by the help of human abilities, do arrive
at the knowledge of, and bring to pass that which, when done, is a
wonder to the world, how he that did it, is esteemed and commended;
yea, how are his wits, parts, industry, and unweariedness in all
admired, and yet the man, as to this, is but of the world, and his
work the effect of natural ability; the things also attained by
him end in vanity and vexation of spirit. Further, perhaps in the
pursuit of these his achievements, he sins against God, wastes his
time vainly, and at long-run loses his soul by neglecting of better
things; yet he is admired! But I say, if this man's parts, labour,
diligence, and the like, will bring him to such applause and esteem
in the world, what esteem should we have of such an one that is by
the gift, promise, and power of God, coming to Jesus Christ?

1. This is a man with whom God is, in whom God works and walks; a
man whose motion is governed and steered by the mighty hand of God,
and the effectual working of his power. Here is a man!

2. This man, by the power of God's might, which worketh in him,
is able to cast a whole world behind him, with all the lusts and
pleasures of it, and to charge through all the difficulties that
men and devils can set against him. Here is a man.

3. This man is travelling to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem,
the city of the living God, and to an innumerable company of angels,
and the spirits of just men made perfect, to God the Judge of all,
and to Jesus. Here is a man!

4. This man can look upon death with comfort, can laugh at destruction
when it cometh, and longs to hear the sound of the last trump,
and to see his Judge coming in the clouds of heaven. Here is a man
indeed!

Let Christians, then, esteem each other as such. I know you do it;
but do it more and more. And that you may, consider these two or
three things. (1.) These are the objects of Christ's esteem (Matt
12:48,49; 15:22-28; Luke 7:9). (2.) These are the objects of the
esteem of angels (Dan 9:12; 10:21,22; 13:3,4; Heb 2:14). (3.) These
have been the objects of the esteem of heathens, when but convinced
about them (Dan 5:10,11; Acts 5:15; 1 Cor 14:24,25). "Let each [of
you, then,] esteem [each] other better than themselves" (Phil 2:2).

Use Fourth. Again, Is it so, that no man comes to Jesus Christ by
the will, wisdom, and power of man, but by the gift, promise, and
drawing of the Father? Then this shows us how horribly ignorant of
this such are, who make the man that is coming to Christ the object
of their contempt and rage. These are also unreasonable and wicked
men; men in whom is no faith (2 Thess 3:2). Sinners, did you but
know what a blessed thing it is to come to Jesus Christ, and that
by the help and drawing of the Father, they do indeed come to him;
you would hang and burn in hell a thousand years, before you would
turn your spirits as you do, against him that God is drawing to
Jesus Christ, and also against the God that draws him.

But, faithless sinner, let us a little expostulate the matter. What
hath this man done against thee, that is coming to Jesus Christ?
Why dost thou make him the object of thy scorn? doth his coming to
Jesus Christ offend thee? doth his pursuing of his own salvation
offend thee? doth his forsaking of his sins and pleasures offend
thee?

Poor coming man! "Shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians
before their eyes, and will they not stone us?" (Exo 8:26).

But, I say, why offended at this? Is he ever the worse for coming
to Jesus Christ, or for his loving and serving of Jesus Christ? Or
is he ever the more a fool, for flying from that which will drown
thee in hell-fire, and for seeking eternal life? Besides, pray,
Sirs, consider it; this he doth, not of himself, but by the drawing
of the Father. Come, let me tell thee in thine ear, thou that wilt
not come to him thyself, and him that would, thou hinderest--

1. Thou shalt be judged for one that hath hated, maligned, and
reproached Jesus Christ, to whom this poor sinner is coming.

2. Thou shalt be judged, too, for one that hath hated the Father,
by whose powerful drawing this sinner doth come.

3. Thou shalt be taken and judged for one that has done despite to
the Spirit of grace in him that is, by its help, coming to Jesus
Christ. What sayest thou now? Wilt thou stand by thy doings? Wilt
thou continue to contemn and reproach the living God? Thinkest thou
that thou shalt weather it out well enough at the day of judgment?
"Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days
that I shall deal with thee," saith the Lord? (Eze 22:14, John
15:18-25; Jude 15; 1 Thess 4:8).

Use Fifth. Is it so, that no man comes to Jesus Christ by the will,
wisdom, and power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of
the Father? Then this showeth us how it comes to pass, that weak
means are so powerful as to bring men out of their sins to a hearty
pursuit after Jesus Christ. When God bid Moses speak to the people,
he said, "I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee"
(Exo 18:19). When God speaks, when God works, who can let it?
None, none; then the work goes on! Elias threw his mantle upon
the shoulders of Elisha; and what a wonderful work followed! When
Jesus fell in with the crowing of a cock, what work was there! O
when God is in the means, then shall that means--be it never so
weak and contemptible in itself--work wonders (1 Kings 19:19; Matt
26:74,75; Mark 14:71,72; Luke 22:60-62). The world understood not,
nor believed, that the walls of Jericho should fall at the sound of
rams' horns; but when God will work, the means must be effectual.
A word weakly spoken, spoken with difficulty, in temptation, and in
the midst of great contempt and scorn, works wonders, if the Lord
thy God will say so too.

Use Sixth. Is it so? Doth no man come to Jesus Christ by the will,
wisdom, and power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of
the Father? Then here is room for Christians to stand and wonder
at the effectual working of God's providences, that he hath made
use of, as means to bring them to Jesus Christ.

For although men are drawn to Christ by the power of the Father,
yet that power putteth forth itself in the use of means: and these
means are divers, sometimes this, sometimes that; for God is at
liberty to work by which, and when, and how he will; but let the
means be what they will, and as contemptible as may be, yet God
that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and that out
of weakness can make strong, can, nay, doth oftentimes make use
of very unlikely means to bring about the conversion and salvation
of his people. Therefore, you that are come to Christ--and that
by unlikely means--stay yourselves, and wonder, and, wondering,
magnify almighty power, by the work of which the means hath been
made effectual to bring you to Jesus Christ.

What was the providence that God made use of as a means, either
more remote or more near, to bring thee to Jesus Christ? Was it the
removing of thy habitation, the change of thy condition, the loss
of relations, estate, or the like? Was it thy casting of thine eye
upon some good book, thy hearing of thy neighbours talk of heavenly
things, the beholding of God's judgments as executed upon others,
or thine own deliverance from them, or thy being strangely cast under
the ministry of some godly man? O take notice of such providence or
providences! They were sent and managed by mighty power to do thee
good. God himself, I say, hath joined himself unto this chariot:
yea, and so blessed it, that it failed not to accomplish the thing
for which he sent it.

God blesseth not to every one his providences in this manner. How
many thousands are there in this world, that pass every day under
the same providences! but God is not in them, to do that work by
them as he hath done for thy poor soul, by his effectually working
with them. O that Jesus Christ should meet thee in this providence,
that dispensation, or the other ordinance! This is grace indeed!
At this, therefore, it will be thy wisdom to admire, and for this
to bless God.

Give me leave to give you a taste of some of those providences
that have been effectual, through the management of God, to bring
salvation to the souls of his people.

(1.) The first shall be that of the woman of Samaria. It must
happen, that she must needs go out of the city to draw water, not
before nor after, but just when Jesus Christ her Saviour was come
from far, and set to rest him, being weary, upon the well. What
a blessed providence was this! Even a providence managed by the
almighty wisdom, and almighty power, to the conversion and salvation
of this poor creature. For by this providence was this poor creature
and her Saviour brought together, that that blessed work might be
fulfilled upon the woman, according to the purpose before determined
by the Father (John 4).

(2.) What providence was it that there should be a tree in the way
for Zaccheus to climb, thereby to give Jesus opportunity to call
that chief of the publicans home to himself, even before he came
down therefrom (Luke 19).

(3.) Was it not also wonderful that the thief, which you read of in
the gospel, should, by the providence of God, be cast into prison,
to be condemned even at that session that Christ himself was to
die; nay, and that it should happen, too, that they must be hanged
together, that the thief might be in hearing and observing of
Jesus in his last words, that he might be converted by him before
his death! (Luke 23).

(4.) What a strange providence was it, and as strangely managed by
God, that Onesimus, when he was run away from his master, should
be taken, and, as I think, cast into that very prison where Paul
lay bound for the Word of the gospel; that he might there be by him
converted, and then sent home again to his master Philemon! Behold
"all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).

Nay, I have myself known some that have been made to go to hear the
Word preached against their wills; others have gone not to hear,
but to see and to be seen; nay, to jeer and flout others, as also
to catch and carp at things. Some also to feed their adulterous
eyes with the sight of beautiful objects; and yet God hath made use
even of these things, and even of the wicked and sinful proposals
of sinners, to bring them under the grace that might save their
souls.

Use Seventh. Doth no man come to Jesus Christ but by the drawing,
&c., of the Father? Then let me here caution those poor sinners,
that are spectators of the change that God hath wrought in them that
are coming to Jesus Christ, not to attribute this work and change
to other things and causes.

There are some poor sinners in the world that plainly see a change,
a mighty change, in their neighbours and relations that are coming
to Jesus Christ. But, as I said, they being ignorant, and not
knowing whence it comes and whither it goes, for "so is every one
that is born of the Spirit," (John 3:8), therefore they attribute
this change to others causes: as melancholy; to sitting alone; to
overmuch reading; to their going to too many sermons; to too much
studying and musing on what they hear.

Also they conclude, on the other side, that it is for want of merry
company; for want of physic; and therefore they advise them to
leave off reading, going to sermons, the company of sober people;
and to be merry, to go a gossiping, to busy themselves in the
things of this world, not to sit musing alone, &c. But come, poor
ignorant sinner, let me deal with thee. It seems thou art turned
counsellor for Satan: I tell thee thou knowest not what thou dost.
Take heed of spending thy judgment after this manner; thou judgest
foolishly, and sayest in this, to every one that passeth by, thou
art a fool. What! count convictions for sin, mournings for sin,
and repentance for sin, melancholy? This is like those that on the
other side said, "These men are [drunk with] full of new wine," &c.
Or as he that said Paul was mad (Acts 2:13, 26:24). Poor ignorant
sinner! canst thou judge no better? What! is sitting alone, pensive
under God's hand, reading the Scriptures, and hearing of sermons,
&c., the way to be undone? The Lord open thine eyes, and make thee
to see thine error! Thou hast set thyself against God, thou hast
despised the operation of his hands, thou attemptest to murder
souls. What! canst thou give no better counsel touching those whom
God hath wounded, than to send them to the ordinances of hell for
help? Thou biddest them be merry and lightsome; but dost thou not
know that "the heart of fools is in the house of mirth?" (Eccl
7:4).

Thou biddest them shun the hearing of thundering preachers; but
is it not "better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man
to hear the song of fools?" (Eccl 7:5). Thou biddest them busy
themselves in the things of this world; but dost thou not know that
the Lord bids, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness?"
(Matt 6:33). Poor ignorant sinner! hear the counsel of God to such,
and learn thyself to be wiser. "Is any afflicted? let him pray. Is
any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). "Blessed is the man
that heareth me" (Prov 8:32). And hear for time to come, "Save
yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:40). "Search the
Scriptures" (John 5:39). "Give attendance to reading" (1 Tim 4:13).
"It is better to go to the house of mourning" (Eccl 7:2,3).

And wilt thou judge him that doth thus? Art thou almost like Elymas
the sorcerer, that sought to turn the deputy from the faith? Thou
seekest to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Take heed lest some
heavy judgment overtake thee (Acts 13:8-13). What! teach men to
quench convictions; take men off from a serious consideration of
the evil of sin, of the terrors of the world to come, and how they
shall escape the same? What! teach men to put God and his Word
out of their minds, by running to merry company, by running to the
world, by gossiping? &c. This is as much as to bid them to say to
God, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways;"
or, "What is the Almighty that we should serve him? or what profit
have we if we keep his ways?" Here is a devil in grain! What! bid
man walk "according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience" (Eph 2:2).

[Two objections answered.]

Object. 1. But we do not know that such are coming to Jesus Christ;
truly we wonder at them, and think they are fools.

Answ. Do you not know that they are coming to Jesus Christ? then
they may be coming to him, for aught you know; and why will ye be
worse than the brute, to speak evil of the things you know not?
What! are ye made to be taken and destroyed? must ye utterly perish
in your own corruptions? (2 Peter 2:12). Do you not know them? Let
them alone then. If you cannot speak good of them, speak not bad.
"Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or
this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God,
ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against
God" (Acts 5:38,39). But why do you wonder at a work of conviction
and conversion? Know you not that this is the judgment of God
upon you, "ye despisers, to behold, and wonder, and perish?" (Acts
13:40,41). But why wonder, and think they are fools? Is the way of
the just an abomination to you? See that passage, and be ashamed,
"He that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked"
(Prov 29:27). Your wondering at them argues that you are strangers
to yourselves, to conviction for sin, and to hearty desires to be
saved; as also to coming to Jesus Christ.

Object. 2. But how shall we know that such men are coming to Jesus
Christ?

Answ. Who can make them see that Christ has made blind? (John 2:8,9).
Nevertheless, because I endeavour thy conviction, conversion, and
salvation, consider: Do they cry out of sin, being burthened with
it, as of an exceeding bitter thing? Do they fly from it, as from
the face of a deadly serpent? Do they cry out of the insufficiency
of their own righteousness, as to justification in the sight of
God? Do they cry out after the Lord Jesus, to save them? Do they
see more worth and merit in one drop of Christ's blood to save them,
than in all the sins of the world to damn them? Are they tender of
sinning against Jesus Christ? Is his name, person, and undertakings,
more precious to them, than is the glory of the world? Is this word
more dear unto them? Is faith in Christ (of which they are convinced
by God's Spirit of the want of, and that without it they can never
close with Christ) precious to them? Do they savour Christ in his
Word, and do they leave all the world for his sake? And are they
willing, God helping them, to run hazards for his name, for the
love they bear to him? Are his saints precious to them? If these
things be so, whether thou seest them or no, these men are coming
to Jesus Christ (Rom 7:914; Psa 38:3-8; Heb 6:18-20; Isa 64:6; Phil
3:7,8; Psa 54:1; 109:26; Acts 16:30; Psa 51:7,8; 1 Peter 1:18,19;
Rom 7:24; 2 Cor 5:2; Acts 5:41; James 2:7; Song 5:10-16; Psa 119;
John 13:35; 1 John 4:7; 3:14; John 16:9; Rom 14:23; Heb 11:6; Psa
19:10,11; Jer 15:16; Heb 11:24-27; Acts 20:22-24; 21:13; Titus
3:15; 2 John 1; Eph 4:16; Phile 7; 1 Cor 16:24).

[COMERS OFTTIMES AFRAID THAT CHRIST WILL NOT RECEIVE THEM.]

OBSERVATION SECOND.--I come now to the second observation propounded
to be spoken to, to wit, That they that are coming to Jesus Christ,
are ofttimes heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive
them.

I told you that this observation is implied in the text; and I
gather it,

First, From the largeness and openness of the promise: "I
will in no wise cast out." For had there not been a proneness in
us to "fear casting out," Christ needed not to have, as it were,
waylaid our fear, as he doth by this great and strange expression,
"In no wise;" "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out." There needed not, as I may say, such a promise to be invented
by the wisdom of heaven, and worded at such a rate, as it were on
purpose to dash in pieces at one blow all the objections of coming
sinners, if they were not prone to admit of such objections, to
the discouraging of their own souls. For this word, "in no wise,"
cutteth the throat of all objections; and it was dropped by the
Lord Jesus for that very end; and to help the faith that is mixed
with unbelief. And it is, as it were, the sum of all promises;
neither can any objection be made upon the unworthiness that thou
findest in thee, that this promise will not assoil.

But I am a great sinner, sayest thou. "I will in no wise cast out,"
says Christ. But I am an old sinner, sayest thou. "I will in no wise
cast out," says Christ. But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ. But I am a backsliding
sinner, sayest thou. "I will in no wise cast out," says Christ. But
I have served Satan all my days, sayest thou. "I will in no wise
cast out," says Christ. But I have sinned against light, sayest
thou. "I will in no wise cast out," says Christ. But I have sinned
against mercy, sayest thou. "I will in no wise cast out," says
Christ. But I have no good thing to bring with me, sayest thou. "I
will in no wise cast out," says Christ.

Thus I might go on to the end of things, and show you, that still
this promise was provided to answer all objections, and doth answer
them. But I say, what need it be, if they that are coming to Jesus
Christ are not sometimes, yea, oftentimes, heartily afraid, "that
Jesus Christ will cast them out?"

Second, I will give you now two instances that seem to imply the
truth of this observation.

In the ninth of Matthew, at the second verse, you read of a man
that was sick of the palsy; and he was coming to Jesus Christ,
being borne upon a bed by his friends: he also was coming himself,
and that upon another account than any of his friends were aware
of; even for the pardon of sins, and the salvation of his soul. Now,
so soon as ever he was come into the presence of Christ, Christ
bids him "be of good cheer." It seems then, his heart was fainting;
but what was the cause of his fainting? Not his bodily infirmity,
for the cure of which his friends did bring him to Christ; but the
guilt and burden of his sins, for the pardon of which himself did
come to him; therefore he proceeds, "Be of good cheer, thy sins be
forgiven thee." I say, Christ saw him sinking in his mind, about
how it would go with his most noble part; and therefore, first, he
applies himself to him upon that account. For though his friends
had faith enough as to the cure of the body, yet he himself had
little enough as to the cure of his soul: therefore Christ takes
him up as a man falling down, saying, "Son, be of good cheer, thy
sins be forgiven thee."

That about the Prodigal seems pertinent also to this matter: "When
he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will
arise and go to my father." Heartily spoken; but how did he perform
his promise? I think not so well as he promised to do; and my ground
for my thoughts is, because his father, so soon as he was come to
him, fell upon his neck and kissed him; implying, methinks, as if
the prodigal by this time was dejected in his mind; and therefore
his father gives him the most sudden and familiar token of
reconciliation. And kisses were of old time often used to remove
doubts and fears. Thus Laban and Esau kiss Jacob. Thus Joseph
kissed his brethren; and thus also David kissed Absalom (Gen 31:55;
33:1-4; 48:9,10; 2 Sam 14:33). It is true, as I said, at first
setting out, he spake heartily, as sometimes sinners also do in
their beginning to come to Jesus Christ; but might not he, yea,
in all probability he had, between the first step he took, and the
last, by which he accomplished that journey, many a thought, both
this way and that; as whether his father would receive him or no?
As thus: I said, "I would go to my Father." But how, if when I come
at him he should ask me, Where I have all this while been? What
must I say then? Also, if he ask me, What is become of the portion
of goods that he gave me? What shall I say then? If he asks me, Who
have been my companions? What shall I say then? If he also shall
ask me, What hath been my preferment in all the time of my absence
from him? What shall I say then? Yea, and if he ask me, Why I came
home no sooner? What shall I say then? Thus, I say, might he reason
with himself, and being conscious to himself, that he could give
but a bad answer to any of these interrogatories, no marvel if he
stood in need first of all of a kiss from his father's lips. For
had he answered the first in truth, he must say, I have been a
haunter of taverns and ale-houses; and as for my portion, I spent
it in riotous living; my companions were whores and drabs; as for
my preferment, the highest was, that I became a hog-herd; and as
for my not coming home till now, could I have made shift to have
staid abroad any longer, I had not lain at thy feet for mercy now.

I say, these things considered, and considering, again, how prone
poor man is to give way, when truly awakened, to despondings and
heart misgivings, no marvel if he did sink in his mind, between the
time of his first setting out, and that of his coming to his Father.

Third, But, thirdly, methinks I have for the confirmation of this
truth the consent of all the saints that are under heaven, to wit,
That they that are coming to Jesus Christ, are ofttimes heartily
afraid that he will not receive them.

Quest. But what should be the reason? I will answer to this question
thus:

1. It is not for want of the revealed will of God, that manifesteth
grounds for the contrary, for of that there is a sufficiency; yea,
the text itself hath laid a sufficient foundation for encouragement,
for them that are coming to Jesus Christ. "And him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out."

2. It is not for want of any invitation to come, for that is full
and plain. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28).

3. Neither is it for want of a manifestation of Christ's willingness
to receive, as those texts above named, with that which follows,
declareth, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink"
(John 7:37).

4. It is not for want of exceeding great and precious promises to
receive them that come. "Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing,
and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor 6:17,18).

5. It is not for want of solemn oath and engagement to save them
that come. "For--because he could swear by no greater, he sware by
himself--that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Heb 6:13-18).

6. Neither is it for want of great examples of God's mercy, that
have come to Jesus Christ, of which we read most plentifully in
the Word. Therefore, it must be concluded, it is for want of that
which follows.

[What it is that prevents the coming to Christ.]

First, It is for want of the knowledge of Christ. Thou knowest but
little of the grace and kindness that is in the heart of Christ;
thou knowest but little of the virtue and merit of his blood; thou
knowest but little of the willingness that is in his heart to save
thee; and this is the reason of the fear that ariseth in thy heart,
and that causeth thee to doubt that Christ will not receive thee.
Unbelief is the daughter of Ignorance. Therefore Christ saith, "O
fools, and slow of heart to believe" (Luke 24:25).

Slowness of heart to believe, flows from thy foolishness in the
things of Christ; this is evident to all that are acquainted with
themselves, and are seeking after Jesus Christ. The more ignorance,
the more unbelief. The more knowledge of Christ, the more faith.
"They that know thy name will put their trust in thee" (Psa 9:10).
He, therefore, that began to come to Christ but the other day, and
hath yet but little knowledge of him, he fears that Christ will not
receive him. But he that hath been longer acquainted with him, he
"is strong, and hath overcome the wicked one" (1 John 2:13). When
Joseph's brethren came into Egypt to buy corn, it is said, "Joseph
knew his brethren, but his brethren knew not him." What follows?
Why, great mistrust of heart about their speeding well; especially,
if Joseph did but answer them roughly, calling them spies, and
questioning their truth and the like. And observe it, so long as
their ignorance about their brother remained with them, whatsoever
Joseph did, still they put the worse sense upon it. For instance,
Joseph upon a time bids the steward of his house bring them home,
to dine with him, to dine even in Joseph's house. And how is this
resented by them? Why, they are afraid. "And the men were afraid,
because they were brought unto" their brother "Joseph's house."
And they said, He seeketh occasion against us, and will fall upon
us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses (Gen 42, 43). What!
afraid to go to Joseph's house? He was their brother; he intended
to feast them; to feast them, and to feast with them. Ah! but
they were ignorant that he was their brother. And so long as their
ignorance lasted, so long their fear terrified them. Just thus
it is with the sinner that but of late is coming to Jesus Christ.
He is ignorant of the love and pity that is in Christ to coming
sinners. Therefore he doubts, therefore he fears, therefore his
heart misgives him.

Coming sinner, Christ inviteth thee to dine and sup with him. He
inviteth thee to a banquet of wine, yea, to come into his wine-cellar,
and his banner over thee shall be love (Rev 3:20; Song 2:5). But
I doubt it, says the sinner: but, it is answered, he calls thee,
invites thee to his banquet, flagons, apples; to his wine, and to
the juice of his pomegranate. "O, I fear, I doubt, I mistrust, I
tremble in expectation of the contrary!" Come out of the man, thou
dastardly ignorance! Be not afraid, sinner, only believe; "He that
cometh to Christ he will in no wise cast out."

Let the coming sinner, therefore, seek after more of the good
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Press after it, seek it as silver, and
dig for it as for hid treasure. This will embolden thee; this will
make thee wax stronger and stronger. "I know whom I have believed,"
I know him, said Paul; and what follows? Why, "and I am persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him,
against that day" (2 Tim 1:12). What had Paul committed to Jesus
Christ? The answer is, He had committed to him his soul. But why
did he commit his soul to him? Why, because he knew him. He knew
him to be faithful, to be kind. He knew he would not fail him, nor
forsake him; and therefore he laid his soul down at his feet, and
committed it to him, to keep against that day. But,

Second, Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may be also a
consequent of thy earnest and strong desires after thy salvation by
him. For this I observe, that strong desires to have, are attended
with strong fears of missing. What man most sets his heart upon,
and what his desires are most after, he ofttimes most fears he shall
not obtain. So the man, the ruler of the synagogue, had a great
desire that his daughter should live; and that desire was attended
with fear, that she should not. Wherefore, Christ saith unto him,
"Be not afraid" (Mark 5:36).

Suppose a young man should have his heart much set upon a virgin
to have her to wife, if ever he fears he shall not obtain her, it
is when he begins to love; now, thinks he, somebody will step in
betwixt my love and the object of it; either they will find fault
with my person, my estate, my conditions, or something! Now thoughts
begin to work; she doth not like me, or something. And thus it is
with the soul at first coming to Jesus Christ, thou lovest him,
and thy love produceth jealousy, and that jealousy ofttimes begets
fears.

Now thou fearest the sins of thy youth, the sins of thine old age,
the sins of thy calling, the sins of thy Christian duties, the sins
of thine heart, or something; thou thinkest something or other will
alienate the heart and affections of Jesus Christ from thee; thou
thinkest he sees something in thee, for the sake of which he will
refuse thy soul. But be content, a little more knowledge of him
will make thee take better heart; thy earnest desires shall not be
attended with such burning fears; thou shalt hereafter say, "This
is my infirmity" (Psa 77:10).

Thou art sick of love, a very sweet disease, and yet every disease
has some weakness attending of it: yet I wish this distemper, if it
be lawful to call it so, was more epidemical. Die of this disease
I would gladly do; it is better than life itself, though it be
attended with fears. But thou criest, I cannot obtain: well, be
not too hasty in making conclusions. If Jesus Christ had not put
his finger in at the hole of the lock, thy bowels would not have
been troubled for him (Song 5:4). Mark how the prophet hath it,
"They shall walk after the Lord; he shall roar like a lion; when
he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west, they
shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land
of Assyria" (Hosea 11:10,11). When God roars (as ofttimes the coming
soul hears him roar), what man that is coming can do otherwise than
tremble? (Amos 3:8). But trembling he comes: "He sprang in, and
came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas" (Acts 16:29).

Should you ask him that we mentioned but now, How long is it since
you began to fear you should miss of this damsel you love so? The
answer will be, Ever since I began to love her. But did you not
fear it before? No, nor should I fear it now, but that I vehemently
love her. Come, sinner, let us apply it: How long is it since thou
began to fear that Jesus Christ will not receive thee? Thy answer
is, Ever since I began to desire that he would save my soul. I
began to fear, when I began to come; and the more my heart burns
in desires after him, the more I feel my heart fear I shall not
be saved by him. See now, did not I tell thee that thy fears were
but the consequence of strong desires? Well, fear not, coming sinner,
thousands of coming souls are in thy condition, and yet they will
get safe into Christ's bosom: "Say," says Christ, "to them that
are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; your God will come
and save you" (Isa 35:4; 63:1).

Third, Thy fear that Christ will not receive thee may arise from
a sense of thine own unworthiness. Thou seest what a poor, sorry,
wretched, worthless creature thou art; and seeing this, thou fearest
Christ will not receive thee. Alas, sayest thou, I am the vilest
of all men; a town-sinner, a ringleading sinner! I am not only a
sinner myself, but have made others twofold worse the children of
hell also. Besides, now I am under some awakenings and stirrings of
mind after salvation, even now I find my heart rebellious, carnal,
hard, treacherous, desperate, prone to unbelief, to despair: it
forgetteth the Word; it wandereth; it runneth to the ends of the
earth. There is not, I am persuaded, one in all the world that hath
such a desperate wicked heart as mine is; my soul is careless to
do good, but none more earnest to do that which is evil.

Can such a one as I am, live in glory? Can a holy, a just, and a
righteous God, once think (with honour to his name) of saving such
a vile creature as I am? I fear it. Will he show wonders to such a
dead dog as I am? I doubt it. I am cast out to the loathing of my
person, yea, I loath myself; I stink in mine own nostrils. How can
I then be accepted by a holy and sin-abhorring God? (Psa 38:5-7;
Eze 11; 20:42,44). Saved I would be; and who is there that would
not, were they in my condition? Indeed, I wonder at the madness
and folly of others, when I see them leap and skip so carelessly
about the mouth of hell! Bold sinner, how darest thou tempt God,
by laughing at the breach of his holy law? But alas! they are not
so bad one way, but I am worse another: I wish myself were anybody
but myself; and yet here again, I know not what to wish. When I
see such as I believe are coming to Jesus Christ, O I bless them!
But I am confounded in myself, to see how unlike, as I think, I am
to every good man in the world. They can read, hear, pray, remember,
repent, be humble, do everything better than so vile a wretch as
I. I, vile wretch, am good for nothing but to burn in hell-fire,
and when I think of that, I am confounded too!

Thus the sense of unworthiness creates and heightens fears in the
hearts of them that are coming to Jesus Christ; but indeed it should
not; for who needs the physician but the sick? or who did Christ
come into the world to save, but the chief of sinners? (Mark 2:17;
1 Tim 1:15). Wherefore, the more thou seest thy sins, the faster
fly thou to Jesus Christ. And let the sense of thine own unworthiness
prevail with thee yet to go faster. As it is with the man that
carrieth his broken arm in a sling to the bone-setter, still as he
thinks of his broken arm, and as he feels the pain and anguish, he
hastens his pace to the man. And if Satan meets thee, and asketh,
Whither goest thou? tell him thou art maimed, and art going to the
Lord Jesus. If he objects thine own unworthiness, tell him, That
even as the sick seeketh the physician; as he that hath broken bones
seeks him that can set them; so thou art going to Jesus Christ for
cure and healing for thy sin sick soul. But it ofttimes happeneth
to him that flies for his life, he despairs of escaping, and
therefore delivers himself up into the hand of the pursuer. But
up, up, sinner; be of good cheer, Christ came to save the unworthy
ones: be not faithless, but believe. Come away, man, the Lord Jesus
calls thee, saying, "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out."

Fourth. Thy fear that Christ will not receive thee, may arise from
a sense of the exceeding mercy of being saved; sometimes salvation
is in the eyes of him that desires so great, so huge, so wonderful
a thing, that the very thoughts of the excellency of it, engenders
unbelief about obtaining it, in the heart of those that unfeignedly
desire it. "Seemeth it to you," saith David, "a light thing to be
a king's son-in-law?" (1 Sam 18:23). So the thoughts of the greatness
and glory of the thing propounded, as heaven, eternal life, eternal
glory, to be with God, and Christ, and angels; these are great
things, things too good, saith the soul that is little in his own
eyes; things too rich, saith the soul that is truly poor in spirit,
for me.

Besides, the Holy Ghost hath a way to greaten heavenly things to
the understanding of the coming sinner; yea, and at the same time
to greaten, too, the sin and unworthiness of that sinner. Now the
soul staggeringly wonders, saying, What! to be made like angels,
like Christ, to live in eternal bliss, joy, and felicity! This is
for angels, and for them that can walk like angels! If a prince,
a duke, an earl, should send (by the hand of his servant) for some
poor, sorry, beggarly scrub, to take her for his master to wife,
and the servant should come and say, My lord and master, such an
one hath sent me to thee, to take thee to him to wife; he is rich,
beautiful, and of excellent qualities; he is loving, meek, humble,
well-spoken, &c. What now would this poor, sorry, beggarly creature
think? What would she say? or how would she frame an answer? When
king David sent to Abigail upon this account, and though she was a
rich woman, yet she said, "Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant
to wash the feet of the servants of my lord" (1 Sam 25:40,41). She
was confounded, she could not well tell what to say, the offer was
so great, beyond what could in reason be expected.

But suppose this great person should second his suit, and send to
this sorry creature again, what would she say now? Would she not
say, You mock me? But what if he affirms that he is in good earnest,
and that his lord must have her to wife; yea, suppose he should
prevail upon her to credit his message, and to address herself for
her journey; yet, behold every thought of her pedigree confounds
her; also her sense of want of beauty makes her ashamed; and if she
doth but think of being embraced, the unbelief that is mixed with
that thought whirls her into tremblings; and now she calls herself
fool, for believing the messenger, and thinks not to go; if she
thinks of being bold, she blushes; and the least thought that she
shall be rejected, when she comes at him, makes her look as if she
would give up the ghost.

And is it a wonder, then, to see a soul that is drowned in the sense
of glory and a sense of its own nothingness, to be confounded in
itself, and to fear that the glory apprehended is too great, too
good, and too rich, for such an one? That thing, heaven and eternal
glory, is so great, and I that would have it, so small, so sorry
a creature, that the thoughts of obtaining it confounds me.

Thus, I say, doth the greatness of the things desired, quite dash
and overthrow the mind of the desirer. O, it is too big! it is too
big! it is too great a mercy! But, coming sinner, let me reason
with thee. Thou sayest, it is too big, too great. Well, will things
that are less satisfy thy soul? Will a less thing than heaven, than
glory and eternal life, answer thy desires? No, nothing less; and
yet I fear they are too big, and too good for me, ever to obtain.
Well, as big and as good as they are, God giveth them to such as
thou; they are not too big for God to give; no, not too big to give
freely. Be content; let God give like himself; he is that eternal
God, and giveth like himself. When kings give, they do not use to
give as poor men do. Hence it is said, that Nabal made a feast in
his house like the feast of a king; and again, "All these things
did Araunah, as a king, give unto David" (1 Sam 25:36; 2 Sam 24:23).
Now, God is a great king, let him give like a king; nay, let him
give like himself, and do thou receive like thyself. He hath all,
and thou hast nothing. God told his people of old, that he would
save them in truth and in righteousness, and that they should return
to, and enjoy the land, which before, for their sins, had spewed
them out; and then adds, under a supposition of their counting the
mercy too good, or too big, "If it be marvellous in the eyes of the
remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous
in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech 8:6).

As who should say, they are now in captivity, and little in their
own eyes; therefore they think the mercy of returning to Canaan is
a mercy too marvellously big for them to enjoy; but if it be so in
their eyes, it is not so in mine; I will do for them like God, if
they will but receive my bounty like sinners. Coming sinner, God
can give his heavenly Canaan, and the glory of it, unto thee; yea,
none ever had them but as a gift, a free gift. He hath given us his
Son, "How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
(Rom 8:32).

It was not the worthiness of Abraham, or Moses, or David or Peter,
or Paul, but the mercy of God, that made them inheritors of heaven.
If God thinks thee worthy, judge not thyself unworthy; but take
it, and be thankful. And it is a good sign he intends to give thee,
if he hath drawn out thy heart to ask. "Lord, thou hast heard the
desire of the humble; thou wilt prepare their heart; thou wilt
cause thine ear to hear" (Psa 10:17).

When God is said to incline his ear, it implies an intention to
bestow the mercy desired. Take it therefore; thy wisdom will be
to receive, not sticking at thy own unworthiness. It is said, "He
raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from
the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit
the throne of glory." Again, "He raiseth up the poor out of the
dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that he may set
him with princes, even with the princes of his people" (1 Sam 2:8;
Psa 113:7,8). You see also when God made a wedding for his Son, he
called not the great, nor the rich, nor the mighty; but the poor,
the maimed, the halt, and the blind (Matt 12; Luke 14).

Fifth. Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise from
the hideous roaring of the devil, who pursues thee. He that hears
him roar, must be a mighty Christian, if he can at that time deliver
himself from fear. He is called a roaring lion; and then to allude
to that in Isaiah, "If one look" into them, they have "darkness
and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof" (1
Peter 5:8; Isa 5:3).

[Two of the devil's objections.]--There are two things among many
that Satan useth to roar out after them that are coming to Jesus
Christ. 1. That they are not elected. Or, 2. That they have sinned
the sin against the Holy Ghost. To both these I answer briefly--

1. [Election.]--Touching election, out of which thou fearest thou
art excluded. Why, coming sinner, even the text itself affordeth
thee help against this doubt, and that by a double argument.

(1.) That coming to Christ is by virtue of the gift, promise, and
drawing of the Father; but thou art a-coming; therefore God hath
given thee, promised thee, and is drawing thee to Jesus Christ.
Coming sinner, hold to this; and when Satan beginneth to roar
again, answer, But I feel my heart moving after Jesus Christ; but
that would not be, if it were not given by promise, and drawing to
Christ by the power of the Father.

(2.) Jesus Christ hath promised, "That him that cometh to him he
will in no wise cast out." And if he hath said it, will he not make
it good, I mean even thy salvation? For, as I have said already, not
to cast out, is to receive and admit to the benefit of salvation.
If then the Father hath given thee, as is manifest by thy coming;
and if Christ will receive thee, thou coming soul, as it is plain
he will, because he hath said, "He will in no wise cast out;" then
be confident, and let those conclusions, that as naturally flow
from the text as light from the sun, or water from the fountain,
stay thee.

If Satan therefore objecteth, But thou art not elected; answer,
But I am coming, Satan, I am coming; and that I could not be, but
that the Father draws me; and I am coming to such a Lord Jesus,
as will in no wise cast me out. Further, Satan, were I not elect,
the Father would not draw me, nor would the Son so graciously
open his bosom to me. I am persuaded, that not one of the nonelect
shall ever be able to say, no, not in the day of judgment, I did
sincerely come to Jesus Christ. Come they may, feignedly, as Judas
and Simon Magus did; but that is not our question. Therefore, O
thou honest-hearted coming sinner, be not afraid, but come.

2. [Of the sin against the Holy Ghost.]--As to the second part of
the objection, about sinning the sin against the Holy Ghost, the
same argument overthrows that also. But I will argue thus:

(1.) Coming to Christ is by virtue of a special gift of the Father;
but the Father giveth no such gift to them that have sinned that
sin; therefore thou that art coming hast not committed that sin.
That the Father giveth no such gift to them that have sinned that
sin is evident--(a.) Because such have sinned themselves out of
God's favour; "They shall never have forgiveness" (Matt 12:32).
But it is a special favour of God to give unto a man, to come to
Jesus Christ; because thereby he obtaineth forgiveness. Therefore he
that cometh hath not sinned that sin. (b.) They that have sinned
the sin against the Holy Ghost, have sinned themselves out of
an interest in the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood; "There
remaineth [for such] no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10:26). But
God giveth not grace to any of them to come to Christ, that have
no share in the sacrifice of his body and blood. Therefore, thou
that art coming to him, hast not sinned that sin.

(2.) Coming to Christ is by the special drawing of the Father; "No
man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him"
(John 6:44). But the Father draweth not him to Christ, for whom
he hath not allotted forgiveness by his blood; therefore they that
are coming to Jesus Christ have not committed that sin, because he
hath allotted them forgiveness by his blood. That the Father cannot
draw them to Jesus Christ, for whom he hath not allotted forgiveness
of sins, is manifest to sense: for that would be a plain mockery,
a flam, 17 neither becoming his wisdom, justice, holiness, nor
goodness.

(3.) Coming to Jesus Christ lays a man under the promise of forgiveness
and salvation. But it is impossible that he that hath sinned that
sin should ever be put under a promise of these. Therefore, he that
hath sinned that sin can never have heart to come to Jesus Christ.

(4.) Coming to Jesus Christ lays a man under his intercession.
"For he ever liveth to make intercession for them that come" (Heb
7:25). Therefore, he that is coming to Jesus Christ cannot have
sinned that sin. Christ has forbidden his people to pray for them
that have sinned that sin; and, therefore, will not pray for them
himself, but he prays for them that come.

(5.) He that hath sinned that sin, Christ is to him of no more worth
than is a man that is dead; "For he hath crucified to himself the
Son of God;" yea, and hath also counted his precious blood as the
blood of an unholy thing. (Heb 6, 10) Now, he that hath this low
esteem of Christ will never come to him for life; but the coming
man has an high esteem of his person, blood, and merits. Therefore,
he that is coming has not committed that sin.

(6.) If he that has sinned this sin might yet come to Jesus Christ,
then must the truth of God be overthrown; which saith in one place,
"He hath never forgiveness;" and in another, "I will in no wise
cast him out." Therefore, that he may never have forgiveness, he
shall never have heart to come to Jesus Christ. It is impossible
that such an one should be renewed, either to or by repentance (Heb
6). Wherefore, never trouble thy head nor heart about this matter;
he that cometh to Jesus Christ cannot have sinned against the Holy
Ghost.

Sixth, Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise from
thine own folly, in inventing, yea, in thy chalking out to God, a
way to bring thee home to Jesus Christ. Some souls that are coming
to Jesus Christ are great tormentors of themselves upon this account;
they conclude, that if their coming to Jesus Christ is right, they
must needs be brought home thus and thus.

As to instance: 1. Says one, If God be bringing of me to Jesus
Christ, then will he load me with the guilt of sin till he makes
me roar again. 2. If God be indeed a-bringing me home to Jesus
Christ, then must I be assaulted with dreadful temptations of the
devil. 3. If God be indeed a-bringing me to Jesus Christ, then,
even when I come at him, I shall have wonderful revelations of him.

This is the way that some sinners appoint for God; but, perhaps,
he will not walk therein; yet will he bring them to Jesus Christ.
But now, because they come not the way of their own chalking out,
therefore they are at a loss. They look for heavy load and burden;
but, perhaps, God gives them a sight of their lost condition, and
addeth not that heavy weight and burden. They look for fearful
temptations of Satan; but God sees that yet they are not fit for
them, nor is the time come that he should be honoured by them in
such a condition. They look for great and glorious revelations of
Christ, grace, and mercy; but, perhaps, God only takes the yoke
from off their jaws, and lays meat before them. And now again they
are at a loss, yet a-coming to Jesus Christ; "I drew them," saith
God, "with cords of a man, with bands of love--I took the yoke from
off their jaws, and laid meat unto them" (Hosea 11:4).

Now, I say, If God brings thee to Christ, and not by the way that
thou hast appointed, then thou art at a loss; and for thy being
at a loss, thou mayest thank thyself. God hath more ways than thou
knowest of to bring a sinner to Jesus Christ; but he will not give
thee beforehand an account by which of them he will bring thee to
Christ (Isa 40:13; Job 33:13). Sometimes he hath his ways in the
whirlwind; but sometimes the Lord is not there (Nahum 1:3; 1 Kings
19:11). If God will deal more gently with thee than with others
of his children, grudge not at it; refuse not the waters that go
softly, lest he bring upon thee the waters of the rivers, strong
and many, even these two smoking firebrand, the devil and guilt of
sin (Isa 8:6,7). He saith to Peter, "Follow me." And what thunder
did Zaccheus hear or see? Zaccheus, "Come down," said Christ; "and
he came down," says Luke, "and received him joyfully."

But had Peter or Zaccheus made the objection that thou hast made,
and directed the Spirit of the Lord as thou hast done, they might
have looked long enough before they had found themselves coming
to Jesus Christ. Besides, I will tell thee, that the greatness of
sense of sin, the hideous roaring of the devil, yea, and abundance
of revelations, will not prove that God is bringing thy soul to
Jesus Christ; as Balaam, Cain, Judas, and others, can witness.

Further, consider that what thou hast not of these things here, thou
mayest have another time, and that to thy distraction. Wherefore,
instead of being discontent, because thou art not in the fire, because
thou hearest not the sound of the trumpet and alarm of war, "Pray
that thou enter not into temptation;" yea, come boldly to the
throne of grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in that
time of need (Psa 88:15; Matt 26:41; Heb 4:16).

Poor creature! thou criest, if I were tempted, I could come faster
and with more confidence to Christ. Thou sayest thou knowest not
what. What says Job? "Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not
thy dread make me afraid. Then call thou, and I will answer: or
let me speak, and answer thou me" (Job 13:21,22). It is not the
overheavy load of sin, but the discovery of mercy; not the roaring
of the devil, but the drawing of the Father, that makes a man come
to Jesus Christ; I myself know all these things.

True, sometimes, yea, most an end, 18 they that come to Jesus
Christ come the way that thou desirest; the loading, tempted way;
but the Lord also leads some by the waters of comfort. If I was to
choose when to go a long journey, to wit, whether I would go it in
the dead of winter or in the pleasant spring, though, if it was a
very profitable journey, as that of coming to Christ is, I would
choose to go it through fire and water before I would choose lose
the benefit. But, I say, if I might choose the time, I would choose
to go it in the pleasant spring, because the way would be more
delightsome, the days longer and warmer, the nights shorter and not
so cold. And it is observable, that that very argument that thou
usest to weaken thy strength in the way, that very argument Christ
Jesus useth to encourage his beloved to come to him: "Rise up,"
saith he, "my love, my fair one, and come away." Why? "For lo, the
winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on
the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice
of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig-tree putteth forth her
green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song 2:10-13).

Trouble not thyself, coming sinner. If thou seest thy lost condition
by original and actual sin; if thou seest thy need of the spotless
righteousness of Jesus Christ; if thou art willing to be found in
him, and to take up thy cross and follow him; then pray for a fair
wind and good weather, and come away. Stick no longer in a muse and
doubt about things, but come away to Jesus Christ. Do it, I say,
lest thou tempt God to lay the sorrows of a travailing woman upon
thee. Thy folly in this thing may make him do it. Mind what follows:
"The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him." Why? "He
is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the
breaking forth of children" (Hosea 13:13).

Seventh, Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise
from those decays that thou findest in thy soul, even while thou
art coming to him. Some, even as they are coming to Jesus Christ,
do find themselves grow worse and worse; and this is indeed a sore
trial to the poor coming sinner.

[Fears that we do not run fast enough.]

To explain myself. There is such an one a coming to Jesus Christ
who, when at first he began to look out after him, was sensible,
affectionate, and broken in spirit; but now is grown dark,
senseless, hard-hearted, and inclining to neglect spiritual duties,
&c. Besides, he now finds in himself inclinations to unbelief,
atheism, blasphemy, and the like; now he finds he cannot tremble
at God's Word, his judgment, nor at the apprehension of hell fire;
neither can he, as he thinketh, be sorry for these things. Now,
this is a sad dispensation. The man under the sixth head complaineth
for want of temptations, but thou hast enough of them; art thou
glad of them, tempted, coming sinner? They that never were exercised
with them may think it a fine thing to be within the range, but he
that is there is ready to sweat blood for sorrow of heart, and to
howl for vexation of spirit! This man is in the wilderness among
wild beasts. Here he sees a bear, there a lion, yonder a leopard,
a wolf, a dragon; devils of all sorts, doubts of all sorts, fears
of all sorts, haunt and molest his soul. Here he sees smoke, yea,
feels fire and brimstone, scattered upon his secret places. He
hears the sound of an horrible tempest. O! my friends, even the Lord
Jesus, that knew all things, even he saw no pleasure in temptations,
nor did he desire to be with them; wherefore, one text saith, "he
was led," and another, "he was driven," of the Spirit into the
wilderness, to be tempted of the devil (Matt 4:1; Mark 1:12).

But to return. Thus it happeneth sometimes to them that are coming
to Jesus Christ. A sad hap indeed! One would think that he that is
flying from wrath to come has little need of such clogs as these.
And yet so it is, and woeful experience proves it. The church of
old complained that her enemies overtook her between the straits;
just between hope and fear, heaven and hell (Lam 1).

This man feeleth the infirmity of his flesh, he findeth a proneness
in himself to be desperate. Now, he chides with God, flings
and tumbles like a wild bull in a net, and still the guilt of all
returns upon himself, to the crushing of him to pieces. Yet he feeleth
his heart so hard, that he can find, as he thinks, no kind falling
under any of his miscarriages. Now, he is a lump of confusion in
his own eyes, whose spirit and actions are without order.

Temptations serve the Christian as the shepherd's dog serveth the
silly sheep; that is, coming behind the flock, he runs upon it,
pulls it down, worries it, wounds it, and grievously bedabbleth
it with dirt and wet, in the lowest places of the furrows of the
field, and not leaving it until it is half dead, nor then neither,
except God rebuke.

Here is now room for fears of being cast away. Now I see I am
lost, says the sinner. This is not coming to Jesus Christ, says
the sinner; such a desperate, hard, and wretched heart as mine is,
cannot be a gracious one, saith the sinner. And bid such an one be
better, he says, I cannot; no, I cannot.

[Why temptations assail God's people.]

Quest. But what will you say to a soul in this condition?

Answ. I will say, That temptations have attended the best of
God's people. I will say, That temptations come to do us good; and
I will say also, That there is a difference betwixt growing worse
and worse, and thy seeing more clearly how bad thou art.

There is a man of an ill-favoured countenance, who hath too high
a conceit of his beauty; and, wanting the benefit of a glass, he
still stands in his own conceit; at last a limner is sent unto him,
who draweth his ill-favoured face to the life; now looking thereon,
he begins to be convinced that he is not half so handsome as he
thought he was. Coming sinner, thy temptations are these painters;
they have drawn out thy ill-favoured heart to the life, and have
set it before thine eyes, and now thou seest how ill-favoured
thou art. Hezekiah was a good man, yet when he lay sick, for aught
I know, he had somewhat too good an opinion of his heart; and for
aught I know also, the Lord might, upon his recovery, leave him to
a temptation, that he might better know all that was in his heart.
Compare Isaiah 38:1-3, with 2 Chronicles 32:31.

Alas! we are sinful out of measure, but see it not to be the full,
until an hour of temptation comes. But when it comes, it doth as
the painter doth, draweth out our heart to the life: yet the sight
of what we are should not keep us from coming to Jesus Christ.
There are two ways by which God lets a man into a sight of the
naughtiness of his heart; one is, by the light of the Word and
Spirit of God; and the other is, by the temptations of the devil.
But, by the first, we see our naughtiness one way; and, by the
second, another. By the light of the Word and Spirit of God, thou
hast a sight of thy naughtiness; and by the light of the sun, thou
hast a sight of the spots and defilements that are in thy house or
raiment. Which light gives thee to see a necessity of cleansing,
but maketh not the blemishes to spread more abominably. But when
Satan comes, when he tempts, he puts life and rage into our sins,
and turns them, as it were, into so many devils within us. Now,
like prisoners, they attempt to break through the prison of our
body; they will attempt to get out at our eyes, mouth, ears, any
ways, to the scandal of the gospel, and reproach of religion, to
the darkening of our evidences, and damning of our souls.

But I shall say, as I said before, this hath ofttimes been the lot
of God's people. And, "There hath no temptation overtaken you but
such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able" (1 Cor 10:13). See the
Book of Job, the Book of Psalms, and that of the Lamentations. And
remember further, that Christ himself was tempted to blaspheme,
to worship the devil, and to murder himself, (Matt 4; Luke 4);
temptations worse than which thou canst hardly be overtaken with.
But he was sinless, that is true. And he is thy Saviour, and that
is as true! Yea, it is as true also, that by his being tempted, he
became the conqueror of the tempter, and a succourer of those that
are tempted (Col 2:14,15; Heb 2:15; 4:15,16).

Quest. But what should be the reason that some that are coming to
Christ should be so lamentably cast down and buffeted with temptations?

Answ. It may be for several causes.

1. Some that are coming to Christ cannot be persuaded, until the
temptation comes, that they are so vile as the Scripture saith they
are. True, they see so much of their wretchedness as to drive them
to Christ. But there is an over and above of wickedness which
they see not. Peter little thought that he had had cursing, and
swearing, and lying, and an inclination in his heart to deny his
Master, before the temptation came; but when that indeed came upon
him, then he found it there to his sorrow (John 13:36-38; Mark
14:36-40; 68-72).

2. Some that are coming to Jesus Christ are too much affected
with their own graces, and too little taken with Christ's person;
wherefore God, to take them off from doting upon their own jewels,
and that they might look more to the person, undertaking, and merits
of his Son, plunges them into the ditch by temptations. And this I
take to be the meaning of Job, "If I wash myself," said he, "with
snow-water, and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge
me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me" (Job 9:30).
Job had been a little too much tampering with his own graces, and
setting his excellencies a little too high; as these texts make
manifest: Job 33:8-13, 34:5-10, 35:2,3, 38:1,2, 40:105, 42:3-6.
But by that the temptations were ended, you find him better taught.

Yea, God doth ofttimes, even for this thing, as it were, take our
graces from us, and so leave us almost quite to ourselves and to
the tempter, that we may learn not to love the picture more than
the person of his Son. See how he dealt with them in the 16th of
Ezekiel, and the second of Hosea.

3. Perhaps thou hast been given too much to judge thy brother, to
condemn thy brother, because a poor tempted man. And God, to bring
down the pride of thy heart, letteth the tempter loose upon thee,
that thou also mayst feel thyself weak. For "pride goeth before
destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18).

4. It may be thou hast dealt a little too roughly with those that
God hath this way wounded, not considering thyself, lest thou also
be tempted. And therefore God hath suffered it to come unto thee
(Gal 6:1).

5. It may be thou wast given to slumber and sleep, and therefore
these temptations were sent to awake thee. You know that Peter's
temptation came upon him after his sleeping; then, instead of
watching and praying, then he denied, and denied, and denied his
Master (Matt 26).

6. It may be thou hast presumed too far, and stood too much
in thine own strength, and therefore is a time of temptation come
upon thee. This was also one cause why it came upon Peter--Though
all men forsake thee, yet will not I. Ah! that is the way to be
tempted indeed (John 13:36-38).

7. It may be God intends to make thee wise, to speak a word in
season to others that are afflicted; and therefore he suffereth
thee to be tempted. Christ was tempted that he might be able to
succour them that are tempted (Heb 2:18).

8. It may be Satan hath dared God to suffer him to tempt thee;
promising himself, that if he will but let him do it, thou wilt
curse him to his face. Thus he obtained leave against Job; wherefore
take heed, tempted soul, lest thou provest the devil's sayings true
(Job 1:11).

9. It may be thy graces must be tried in the fire, that that rust
that cleaveth to them may be taken away, and themselves proved,
both before angels and devils, to be far better than of gold that
perisheth; it may be also, that thy graces are to receive special
praises, and honour, and glory, at the coming of the Lord Jesus to
judgment, for all the exploits that thou hast acted by them against
hell, and its infernal crew, in the day of thy temptation (1 Peter
1:6,7).

10. It may be God would have others learn by thy sighs, groans,
and complaints, under temptation, to beware of those sins for the
sake of which thou art at present delivered to the tormentors.

But to conclude this, put the worst to the worst--and then things
will be bad enough--suppose that thou art to this day without the
grace of God, yet thou art but a miserable creature, a sinner, that
hath need of a blessed Saviour; and the text presents thee with one
as good and kind as heart can wish; who also for thy encouragement
saith, "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

[Application of Observation Second.]

To come, therefore, to a word of application. Is it so, that they
that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes heartily afraid that
Jesus Christ will not receive them? Then this teacheth us these
things--

1. That faith and doubting may at the same time have their residence
in the same soul. "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt?" (Matt 14:31). He saith not, O thou of no faith! but, O thou
of little faith! because he had a little faith in the midst of his
many doubts. The same is true even of many that are coming to
Jesus Christ. They come, and fear they come not, and doubt they come
not. When they look upon the promise, or a word of encouragement
by faith, then they come; but when they look upon themselves, or
the difficulties that lie before them, then they doubt. "Bid me
come," said Peter; "Come," said Christ. So he went down out of the
ship to go to Jesus, but his hap was to go to him upon the water;
there was the trial. So it is with the poor desiring soul. Bid me
come, says the sinner; Come, says Christ, and I will in no wise
cast thee out. So he comes, but his hap is to come upon the water,
upon drowning difficulties; if, therefore, the wind of temptations
blow, the waves of doubts and fears will presently arise, and this
coming sinner will begin to sink, if he has but little faith. But
you shall find here in Peter's little faith, a twofold act; to wit,
coming and crying. Little faith cannot come all the way without
crying. So long as its holy boldness lasts, so long it can come
with peace; but when it is so, it can come no further, it will go
the rest of the way with crying. Peter went as far as his little
faith would carry him: he also cried as far as his little faith would
help, "Lord, save me, I perish!" And so with coming and crying he
was kept from sinking, though he had but a little faith. "Jesus
stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

2. Is it so, that they that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes
heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive them? Then
this shows us a reason of that dejection, and those castings down,
that very often we perceive to be in them that are coming to Jesus
Christ. Why, it is because they are afraid that Jesus Christ will
not receive them. The poor world they mock us, because we are a
dejected people; I mean, because we are sometimes so: but they do
not know the cause of our dejection. Could we be persuaded, even
then, when we are dejected, that Jesus Christ would indeed receive
us, it would make us fly over their heads, and would put more
gladness into our hearts than in the time in which their corn,
wine, and oil increases (Psa 4:6,7). But,

3. It is so, That they that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes
heartily afraid that he will not receive them. Then this shows that
they that are coming to Jesus Christ are an awakened, sensible,
considering people. For fear cometh from sense, and consideration
of things. They are sensible of sin, sensible of the curse due
thereto; they are also sensible of the glorious majesty of God,
and of what a blessed, blessed thing it is to be received of Jesus
Christ. The glory of heaven, and the evil of sin, these things
they consider, and are sensible of. "When I remember, I am afraid."
"When I consider, I am afraid" (Job 21:6; 23:15).

These things dash their spirits, being awake and sensible. Were
they dead, like other men, they would not be afflicted with fear
as they are. For dead men fear not, feel not, care not, but the
living and sensible man, he it is that is ofttimes heartily afraid
that Jesus Christ will not receive him. I say, the dead and senseless
are not distressed. They presume; they are groundlessly confident.
Who so bold as blind Bayard? These indeed should fear and be
afraid, because they are not coming to Jesus Christ. O! the hell,
the fire, the pit, the wrath of God, and torment of hell, that
are prepared for poor neglecting sinners! "How shall we escape if
we neglect so great salvation?" (Heb 3:3). But they want sense of
things, and so cannot fear.

4. Is it so, that they that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes
heartily afraid that he will not receive them? Then this should
teach old Christians to pity and pray for young comers. You know
the heart of a stranger; for you yourselves were strangers in the
land of Egypt. You know the fears, and doubts, and terrors, that take
hold of them; for that they sometimes took hold of you. Wherefore
pity them, pray for them, encourage them; they need all this: guilt
hath overtaken them, fears of the wrath of God hath overtaken them.
Perhaps they are within the sight of hell-fire; and the fear of
going thither is burning hot within their hearts. You may know,
how strangely Satan is suggesting his devilish doubts unto them, if
possible he may sink and drown them with the multitude and weight
of them. Old Christians, mend up the path for them, take the
stumblingblocks out of the way; lest that which is feeble and weak
be turned aside, but let it rather be healed (Heb 12).

[CHRIST WOULD HAVE COMERS NOT ONCE THINK THAT HE WILL CAST THEM
OUT.]

OBSERVATION THIRD.--I come now to the next observation, and shall
speak a little to that; to wit, That Jesus Christ would not have
them, that in truth are coming to him, once think that he will cast
them out.

The text is full of this: for he saith, "And him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out." Now, if he saith, I will not, he
would not have us think he will. This is yet further manifest by
these considerations.

First, Christ Jesus did forbid even them that as yet were not
coming to him, once to think him such an one. "Do not think," said
he, "that I will accuse you to the Father" (John 5:45).

These, as I said, were such, that as yet were not coming to him.
For he saith of them a little before, "And ye will not come to me;"
for the respect they had to the honour of men kept them back. Yet,
I say, Jesus Christ gives them to understand, that though he might
justly reject them, yet he would not, but bids them not once to
think that he would accuse them to the Father. Now, not to accuse,
with Christ, is to plead for: for Christ in these things stands
not neuter between the Father and sinners. So then, if Jesus Christ
would not have them think, that yet will not come to him, that he
will accuse them; then he would not that they should think so, that
in truth are coming to him. "And him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out."

Second, When the woman taken in adultery, even in the very act,
was brought before Jesus Christ, he so carried it both by words and
actions, that he evidently enough made it manifest, that condemning
and casting out were such things, for the doing of which he came
not into the world. Wherefore, when they had set her before him,
and had laid to her charge her heinous fact, he stooped down, and
with his finger wrote upon the ground, as though he heard them not.
Now what did he do by this his carriage, but testify plainly that
he was not for receiving accusations against poor sinners, whoever
accused by? And observe, though they continue asking, thinking at
last to force him to condemn her; yet then he so answered, so that
he drove all condemning persons from her. And then he adds, for
her encouragement to come to him; "Neither do I condemn thee; go,
and sin no more" (John 8:1-11).

Not but that he indeed abhorred the fact, but he would not condemn
the woman for the sin, because that was not his office. He was
not sent "into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved" (John 3:17). Now if Christ, though
urged to it, would not condemn the guilty woman, though she was far
at present from coming to him, he would not that they should once
think that he will cast them out, that in truth are coming to him.
"And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Third, Christ plainly bids the turning sinner come; and forbids him
to entertain any such thought as that he will cast him out. "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" (Isa 4:7). The Lord,
by bidding the unrighteous forsake his thoughts, doth in special
forbid, as I have said, viz., those thoughts that hinder the coming
man in his progress to Jesus Christ, his unbelieving thoughts.

Therefore he bids him not only forsake his ways, but his thoughts.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts." It is not enough to forsake one if thou wilt come to
Jesus Christ; because the other will keep thee from him. Suppose
a man forsakes his wicked ways, his debauched and filthy life;
yet if these thoughts, that Jesus Christ will not receive him, be
entertained and nourished in his heart; these thoughts will keep
him from coming to Jesus Christ.

Sinner, coming sinner, art thou for coming to Jesus Christ? Yes,
says the sinner. Forsake thy wicked ways then. So I do, says the
sinner.

Why comest thou then so slowly? Because I am hindered. What hinders?
Has God forbidden thee? No. Art thou not willing to come faster?
Yes, yet I cannot. Well, prithee be plain with me, and tell me
the reason and ground of thy discouragement. Why, says the sinner,
though God forbids me not, and though I am willing to come faster,
yet there naturally ariseth this, and that, and the other thought
in my heart, that hinders my speed to Jesus Christ. Sometimes I
think I am not chosen; sometimes I think I am not called; sometimes
I think I am come too late; and sometimes I think I know not what
it is to come. Also one while I think I have no grace; and then
again, that I cannot pray; and then again, I think that I am a very
hypocrite. And these things keep me from coming to Jesus Christ.

Look ye now, did not I tell you so? There are thoughts yet remaining
in the heart, even of those who have forsaken their wicked ways;
and with those thoughts they are more plagued than with anything
else; because they hinder their coming to Jesus Christ; for the sin
of unbelief, which is the original of all these thoughts, is that
which besets a coming sinner more easily, than doth his ways (Heb
12:1-4). But now, since Jesus Christ commands thee to forsake these
thoughts, forsake them, coming sinner; and if thou forsake them
not, thou transgressest the commands of Christ, and abidest thine
own tormentor, and keepest thyself from establishment in grace.
"If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established" (Isa
7:9). Thus you see how Jesus Christ setteth himself against such
thoughts, that any way discourage the coming sinner; and thereby
truly vindicates the doctrine we have in hand; to wit, that Jesus
Christ would not have them, that in truth are coming to him, once
think that he will cast them out. "And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out."

[Reasons of Observation Third.]

I come now to the reasons of the observation.

1. If Jesus Christ should allow thee once to think that he will
cast thee out, he must allow thee to think that he will falsify his
word; for he hath said, "I will in no wise cast out." But Christ
would not that thou shouldst count him as one that will falsify
his word; for he saith of himself, "I am the truth;" therefore he
would not that any that in truth are coming to him, should once
think that he will cast them out.

2. If Jesus Christ should allow the sinner that in truth is coming
to him, once to think that he will cast him out, then he must allow,
and so countenance the first appearance of unbelief; the which he
counteth his greatest enemy, and against which he hast bent even
his holy gospel. Therefore Jesus Christ would not that they that
in truth are coming to him, should once think that he will cast
them out. See Matthew 14:31, 21:21, Mark 11:23, Luke 24:25.

3. If Jesus Christ should allow the coming sinner once to think
that he will cast him out; then he must allow him to make a question,

Whether he is willing to receive his Father's gift; for the
coming sinner is his Father's gift; as also says the text; but he
testifieth, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Therefore Jesus
Christ would not have him, that in truth is coming to him, once to
think that he will cast him out.

4. If Jesus Christ should allow them once to think, that indeed
are coming to him, that he will cast them out, he must allow them
to think that he will despise and reject the drawing of his Father.
For no man can come to him but whom the Father draweth. But it
would be high blasphemy, and damnable wickedness once to imagine
thus. Therefore, Jesus Christ would not have him that cometh once
think that he will cast him out.

5. If Jesus Christ should allow those that indeed are coming to
him, once to think that he will cast them out, he must allow them
to think that he will be unfaithful to the trust and charge that
his Father hath committed to him; which is to save, and not to lose
anything of that which he hath given unto him to save (John 6:39).
But the Father hath given him a charge to save the coming sinner;
therefore it cannot be, that he should allow, that such an one
should once think that he will cast him out.

6. If Jesus Christ should allow that they should once think that are
coming to him, that he will cast them out, then he must allow them
to think that he will be unfaithful to his office of priesthood; for,
as by the first part of it, he paid price for, and ransomed souls,
so by the second part thereof, he continually maketh intercession
to God for them that come (Heb 7:25). But he cannot allow us to
question his faithful execution of his priesthood. Therefore he
cannot allow us once to think that the coming sinner shall be cast
out.

7. If Jesus Christ should allow us once to think that the coming
sinner shall be cast out, then he must allow us to question his
will, or power, or merit to save. But he cannot allow us once to
question any of these; therefore not once to think, that the coming
sinner shall be cast out. (1.) He cannot allow them to question
his will; for he saith in the text, "I WILL in no wise cast out."
(2.) He cannot allow us to question his power; for the Holy Ghost
saith HE IS ABLE to save to the uttermost them that come. (3.) He
cannot allow them to question the efficacy of his merit; for the
blood of Christ cleanseth the comer from all sin, (1 John 1:7),
therefore he cannot allow that he that is coming to him should once
think that he will cast them out.

8. If Jesus Christ should allow the coming sinner once to think
that he will cast him out, he must allow him to give the lie to
the manifest testimony of the Father, Son, and Spirit; yea, to the
whole gospel contained in Moses, the prophets, the book of Psalms,
and that commonly called the New Testament. But he cannot allow of
this; therefore, not that the coming sinner should once think that
he will cast him out.

9. Lastly, If Jesus Christ should allow him that is coming to him,
once to think that he will cast him out, he must allow him to
question his Father's oath, which he in truth and righteousness
hath taken, that they might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to Jesus Christ. But he cannot allow this; therefore he
cannot allow that the coming sinner should once think that he will
cast him out (Heb 6).

[USE AND APPLICATION.]

I come now to make some GENERAL USE AND APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE,
and so to draw towards a conclusion.

USE FIRST.--The first use--A USE OF INFORMATION; and,

First, It informeth us that men by nature are far off from Christ.
Let me a little improve this use, by speaking to these three
questions. 1. Where is he that is coming [but has not come], to
Jesus Christ? 2. What is he that is not coming to Jesus Christ? 3.
Whither is he to go that cometh not to Jesus Christ?

1. Where is he?

[Answ.] (1.) He is far from God, he is without him, even alienate
from him both in his understanding, will, affections, judgment,
and conscience (Eph 2:12; 4:18). (2.) He is far from Jesus Christ,
who is the only deliverer of men from hell fire (Psa 73:27). (3.)
He is far from the work of the Holy Ghost, the work of regeneration,
and a second creation, without which no man shall see the kingdom
of heaven (John 3:3). (4.) He is far more righteous, 19 from that
righteousness that should make him acceptable in God's sight (Isa
46:12,13). (5.) He is under the power and dominion of sin; sin
reigneth in and over him; it dwelleth in every faculty of his soul,
and member of his body; so that from head to foot there is no place
clean (Isa 1:6; Rom 3:9-18). (6.) He is in the pest-house with
Uzziah and excluded the camp of Israel with the lepers (2 Chron
26:21; Num 5:2; Job 36:14). (7.) His "life is among the unclean."
He is "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity"
(Acts 8:28). (8.) He is "in sin," "in the flesh," "in death," "in
the snare of the devil," and is "taken captive by him at his will"
(1 Cor 15:17; Rom 8:8; 1 John 3:14; 2 Tim 2:26). (9.) He is under
the curse of the law, and the devil dwells in him, and hath the
mastery of him (Gal 3:13; Eph 2:2,3; Acts 26:18). (10.) He is in
darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knows not whither he goes;
for darkness has blinded his eyes. (11.) He is in the broad way
that leadeth to destruction; and holding on, he will assuredly go
in at the broad gate, and so down the stairs to hell.

2. What is he that cometh not to Jesus Christ?

[Answ.] (1.) He is counted one of God's enemies (Luke 19:14; Rom
8:7). (2.) He is a child of the devil, and of hell; for the devil
begat him, as to his sinful nature, and hell must swallow him
at last, because he cometh not to Jesus Christ (John 8:44; 1 John
3:8; Matt 23:15; Psa 9:17). (3.) He is a child of wrath, an heir of
it; it is his portion, and God will repay it him to his face (Eph
2:1-3; Job 21:29-31). (4.) He is a self-murderer; he wrongeth his
own soul, and is one that loveth death (Prov 1:18; 8:36). (5.) He
is a companion for devils and damned men (Prov 21:16; Matt 25:41).

3. Whither is he like to go that cometh not to Jesus Christ?

[Answ.] (1.) He that cometh not to him, is like to go further from
him; so every sin is a step further from Jesus Christ (Hosea 11).
(2.) As he is in darkness, so he is like to go on in it; for Christ
is the light of the world, and he that comes not to him, walketh in
darkness (John 8:12). (3.) He is like to be removed at last as far
from God, and Christ, and heaven, and all felicity, as an infinite
God can remove him (Matt 12:41). But,

Second, This doctrine of coming to Christ informeth us where poor
destitute sinners may find life for their souls, and that is in
Christ. This life is in his Son; he that hath the Son, hath life.
And again, "Whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour
of the Lord" (Prov 8:35). Now, for further enlargement, I will also
here propound three more questions: 1. What life is in Christ? 2.
Who may have it? 3. Upon what terms?

1. What life is in Jesus Christ?

[Answ.] (1.) There is justifying life in Christ. Man by sin is
dead in law; and Christ only can deliver him by his righteousness
and blood from this death into a state of life. "For God sent his
Son into the world, that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9).
That is, through the righteousness which he should accomplish, and
the death that he should die. (2.) There is eternal life in Christ;
life that is endless; life for ever and ever. "He hath given
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11). Now,
justification and eternal salvation being both in Christ, and
nowhere else to be had for men, who would not come to Jesus Christ?

2. Who may have this life?

I answer, Poor, helpless, miserable sinners. Particularly, (1.)
Such as are willing to have it. "Whosoever will, let him take the
water of life" (Rev 22:17). (2.) He that thirsteth for it. "I will
give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life"
(Rev 21:6). (3.) He that is weary of his sins. "This is the rest
wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing"
(Isa 28:12). (4.) He that is poor and needy. "He shall spare the
poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy" (Psa 72:13).
(5.) He that followeth after him, crieth for life. "He that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life"
(John 8:12).

3. Upon what terms may he have this life?

[Answ.] Freely. Sinner, dost thou hear. Thou mayest have it
freely. Let him take the water of life freely. I will give him of
the fountain of the water of life freely. "And when they had nothing
to pay, he frankly forgave them both" (Luke 7:42). Freely, without
money, or without price. "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to
the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isa 55:1).
Sinner, art thou thirsty? art thou weary? art thou willing? Come,
then, and regard not your stuff; for all the good that is in Christ
is offered to the coming sinner, without money and without price.
He has life to give away to such as want it, and that hath not a
penny to purchase it; and he will give it freely. Oh what a blessed
condition is the coming sinner in! But,

Third, This doctrine of coming to Jesus Christ for life, informeth
us, that it is to be had nowhere else. Might it be had anywhere
else, the text, and him that spoke it, would be but little set by;
for what greater matter is there in "I will in no wise cast out,"
if another stood by that could receive them? But here appears the
glory of Christ, that none but he can save. And here appears his
love, that though none can save but he, yet he is not coy in saving.
"But him that comes to me," says he, "I will in no wise cast out."

That none can save but Jesus Christ, is evident from Acts 4:12:
"Neither is there salvation in any other;" and "he hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11). If life
could have been had anywhere else, it should have been in the law.
But it is not in the law; for by the deeds of the law, no man living
shall be justified; and if not justified, then no life. Therefore
life is nowhere to be had but in Jesus Christ (Gal 3).

[Quest.] But why would God so order it, that life should be had
nowhere else but in Jesus Christ?

[Answ.] There is reason for it, and that both with respect to God
and us.

1. With respect to God.

(1.) That it might be in a way of justice as well as mercy. And
in a way of justice it could not have been, if it had not been by
Christ; because he, and he only, was able to answer the demand of
the law, and give for sin what the justice thereof required. All
angels had been crushed down to hell for ever, had that curse been
laid upon them for our sins, which was laid upon Jesus Christ; but
it was laid upon him, and he bare it; and answered the penalty, and
redeemed his people from under it, with that satisfaction to Divine
justice that God himself doth now proclaim, That he is faithful
and just to forgive us, if by faith we shall venture to Jesus, and
trust to what he has done for life (Rom 3:24-26; John 1:4). (2.)
Life must be by Jesus Christ, that God might be adored and magnified,
for finding out this way. This is the Lord's doings, that in all
things he might be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord. (3.)
It must be by Jesus Christ, that life might be at God's dispose,
who hath great pity for the poor, the lowly, the meek, the broken
in heart, and for them that others care not for (Psa 34:6; 138:6;
25; 51:17; 147:3). (4.) Life must be in Christ, to cut off boasting
from the lips of men. This also is the apostle's reason in Romans
3:19,27 (Eph 2:8-10).

2. Life must be in Jesus Christ with respect to us.

(1.) That we might have it upon the easiest terms, to wit, freely:
as a gift, not as wages. Was it in Moses' hand, we should come
hardly at it. Was it in the pope's hand, we should pay soundly
for it. 20 But thanks be to God, it is in Christ, laid up in him,
and by him to be communicated to sinners upon easy terms, even
for receiving, accepting, and embracing with thanksgiving; as the
Scriptures plainly declare (John 1:11,12; 2 Cor 11:4; Heb 11:13;
Col 3:13-15). (2.) Life is in Christ FOR US, that it might not be
upon so brittle a foundation, as indeed it would had it been anywhere
else. The law itself is weak because of us, as to this. But Christ
is a tried stone, a sure foundation, one that will not fail to bear
thy burden, and to receive thy soul, coming sinner. (3.) Life is
in Christ, that it might be sure to all the seed. Alas! the best
of us, was life left in our hand, to be sure we should forfeit it,
over, and over, and over; or, was it in any other hand, we should,
by our often backslidings, so offend him, that at last he would
shut up his bowels in everlasting displeasure against us. But now
it is in Christ, it is with one that can pity, pray for, pardon,
yea, multiply pardons; it is with one that can have compassion
upon us, when we are out of the way; with one that hath an heart to
fetch us again, when we are gone astray; with one that can pardon
without upbraiding. Blessed be God, that life is in Christ! For
now it is sure to all the seed. But,

Fourth, This doctrine of coming to Jesus Christ for life informs
us of the evil of unbelief; that wicked thing that is the only or
chief hindrance to the coming sinner. Doth the text say, "Come?"
Doth it say, "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out?" Then what an evil is that that keepeth sinners from coming
to Jesus Christ! And that evil is unbelief: for by faith we come;
by unbelief we keep away. Therefore it is said to be that by which
a soul is said to depart from God; because it was that which at
first caused the world to go off from him, and that also that keeps
them from him to this day. And it doth it the more easily, because
it doth it with a wile.

[Of the Sin of Unbelief.]--This sin may be called the white devil,
for it oftentimes, in its mischievous doings in the soul, shows as
if it was an angel of light: yea, it acteth like a counsellor of
heaven. Therefore a little to discourse of this evil disease.

1. It is that sin, above all others, that hath some show of reason
in its attempts. For it keeps the soul from Christ by pretending
its present unfitness and unpreparedness; as want of more sense
of sin, want of more repentance, want of more humility, want of a
more broken heart.

2. It is the sin that most suiteth with the conscience: the conscience
of the coming sinner tells him that he hath nothing good; that
he stands inditeable for ten thousand talents; that he is a very
ignorant, blind, and hard-hearted sinner, unworthy to be once taken
notice of by Jesus Christ. And will you, says Unbelief, in such a
case as you now are, presume to come to Jesus Christ?

3. It is the sin that most suiteth with our sense of feeling. The
coming sinner feels the workings of sin, of all manner of sin and
wretchedness in his flesh; he also feels the wrath and judgment
of God due to sin, and ofttimes staggers under it. Now, says
Unbelief, you may see you have no grace; for that which works in
you is corruption. You may also perceive that God doth not love
you, because the sense of his wrath abides upon you. Therefore,
how can you bear the face to come to Jesus Christ?

4. It is that sin, above all others, that most suiteth with the
wisdom of our flesh. The wisdom of our flesh thinks it prudent to
question awhile, to stand back awhile, to hearken to both sides
awhile; and not to be rash, sudden, or unadvised, in too bold
a presuming upon Jesus Christ. And this wisdom unbelief falls in
with.

5. It is that sin, above all other, that continually is whispering
the soul in the ear with mistrusts of the faithfulness of God,
in keeping promise to them that come to Jesus Christ for life. It
also suggests mistrust about Christ's willingness to receive it,
and save it. And no sin can do this so artificially as unbelief.

6. It is also that sin which is always at hand to enter an objection
against this or that promise that by the Spirit of God is brought
to our heart to comfort us; and if the poor coming sinner is not
aware of it, it will, by some evasion, slight, trick, or cavil,
quickly wrest from him the promise again, and he shall have but
little benefit of it.

7. It is that, above all other sins, that weakness our prayers,
our faith, our love, our diligence, our hope, and expectations: it
even taketh the heart away from God in duty.

8. Lastly, This sin, as I have said even now, it appeareth in the
soul with so many sweet pretences to safety and security, that it
is, as it were, counsel sent from heaven; bidding the soul be wise,
wary, considerate, well-advised, and to take heed of too rash a
venture upon believing. Be sure, first, that God loves you; take
hold of no promise until you are forced by God unto it; neither be
you sure of your salvation; doubt it still, though the testimony
of the Lord has been often confirmed in you. Live not by faith,
but by sense; and when you can neither see nor feel, then fear and
mistrust, then doubt and question all. This is the devilish counsel
of unbelief, which is so covered over with specious pretences, that
the wisest Christian can hardly shake off these reasonings.

[Qualities of unbelief as opposed to faith.]--But to be brief. Let
me here give thee, Christian reader, a more particular description
of the qualities of unbelief, by opposing faith unto it, in these
twenty-five particulars:--

1. Faith believeth the Word of God; but unbelief questioneth the
certainty of the same (Psa 106:24).

2. Faith believeth the Word, because it is true; but unbelief
doubteth thereof, because it is true (1 Tim 4:3; John 8:45).

3. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help, than in all other
things to hinder; but unbelief, notwithstanding God's promise, saith,
How can these things be? (Rom 4:19-21; 2 Kings 7:2; John 3:11,12).

4. Faith will make thee see love in the heart of Christ, when with
his mouth he giveth reproofs; but unbelief will imagine wrath in
his heart, when with his mouth and Word he saith he loves us (Matt
15:22,28; Num 13; 2 Chron 14:3).

5. Faith will help the soul to wait, though God defers to give; but
unbelief will take huff and throw up all, if God makes any tarrying
(Psa 25:5; Isa 8:17; 2 Kings 6:33; Psa 106:13,14).

6. Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears; but unbelief
causeth fears in the midst of comfort (2 Chron 20:20,21; Matt 8:26;
Luke 24:26,27).

7. Faith will suck sweetness out of God's rod; but unbelief can
find no comfort in his greatest mercies (Psa 23:4; Num 21).

8. Faith maketh great burdens light; but unbelief maketh light ones
intolerably heavy (2 Cor 4:1; 14-18; Mal 1:12,13).

9. Faith helpeth us when we are down; but unbelief throws us down
when we are up (Micah 7:8-10; Heb 4:11).

10. Faith bringeth us near to God when we are far from him; but
unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to him (Heb 10:22;
3:12,13).

11. Where faith reigns, it declareth men to be the friends of God;
but where unbelief reigns, it declareth them to be his enemies
(John 3:23; Heb 3:18; Rev 21:8).

12. Faith putteth a man under grace; but unbelief holdeth him
under wrath (Rom 3:24-26; 14:6; Eph 2:8; John 3:36; 1 John 5:10;
Heb 3:17; Mark 16:16).

13. Faith purifieth the heart; but unbelief keepeth it polluted
and impure (Acts 15:9; Titus 1:15,16).

14. By faith, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; but
by unbelief, we are shut up under the law to perish (Rom 4:23,24;
11:32; Gal 3:23).

15. Faith maketh our work acceptable to God through Christ; but
whatsoever is of unbelief is sin. For without faith it is impossible
to please him (Heb 11:4; Rom 14:23; Heb 6:6).

16. Faith giveth us peace and comfort in our souls; but unbelief
worketh trouble and tossings, like the restless waves of the sea
(Rom 5:1; James 1:6).

17. Faith maketh us to see preciousness in Christ; but unbelief
sees no form, beauty, or comeliness in him (1 Peter 2:7; Isa 53:2,3).

18. By faith we have our life in Christ's fullness; but by unbelief
we starve and pine away (Gal 2:20).

19. Faith gives us the victory over the law, sin, death, the devil,
and all evils; but unbelief layeth us obnoxious to them all (1 John
5:4,5; Luke 12:46).

20. Faith will show us more excellency in things not seen, than
in them that are; but unbelief sees more in things that are seen,
than in things that will be hereafter;. (2 Cor 4:18; Heb 11:24-27;
1 Cor 15:32).

21. Faith makes the ways of God pleasant and admirable; but unbelief
makes them heavy and hard (Gal 5:6; 1 Cor 12:10,11; John 6:60; Psa
2:3).

22. By faith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob possessed the land of promise;
but because of unbelief, neither Aaron, nor Moses, nor Miriam could
get thither (Heb 11:9; 3:19).

23. By faith the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea;
but by unbelief the generality of them perished in the wilderness
(Heb 11:29; Jude 5).

24. By faith Gideon did more with three hundred men, and a few
empty pitchers, than all the twelve tribes could do, because they
believed not God (Judg 7:16-22; Num 14:11,14).

25. By faith Peter walked on the water; but by unbelief he began
to sink (Matt 14:28-30).

Thus might many more be added, which, for brevity's sake, I omit;
beseeching every one that thinketh he hath a soul to save, or be
damned, to take heed of unbelief; lest, seeing there is a promise
left us of entering into his rest, any of us by unbelief should
indeed come short of it.

USE SECOND. The second use--A USE OF EXAMINATION.

We come now to a use of examination. Sinner, thou hast heard of the
necessity of coming to Christ; also of the willingness of Christ
to receive the coming soul; together with the benefit that they by
him shall have that indeed come to him. Put thyself now upon this
serious inquiry, Am I indeed come to Jesus Christ?

Motives plenty I might here urge, to prevail with thee to
a conscientious performance of this duty. As, 1. Thou art in sin,
in the flesh, in death, in the snare of the devil, and under the
curse of the law, if you are not coming to Jesus Christ. 2. There
is no way to be delivered from these, but by coming to Jesus Christ.
3. If thou comest, Jesus Christ will receive thee, and will in no
wise cast thee out. 4. Thou wilt not repent it in the day of judgment,
if now thou comest to Jesus Christ. 5. But thou wilt surely mourn
at last, if now thou shalt refuse to come. 6. And lastly, Now thou
hast been invited to come; now will thy judgment be greater, and
thy damnation more fearful, if thou shalt yet refuse, than if thou
hadst never heard of coming to Christ.

Object. But we hope we are come to Jesus Christ.

Answ. It is well if it proves so. But lest thou shouldst speak
without ground, and so fall unawares into hell-fire, let us examine
a little.

First, Art thou indeed come to Jesus Christ? What hast thou left
behind thee? What didst thou come away from, in thy coming to Jesus
Christ?

When Lot came out of Sodom, he left the Sodomites behind him (Gen
19). When Abraham came out of Chaldea, he left his country and
kindred behind him (Gen 12; Acts 7). When Ruth came to put her trust
under the wings of the Lord God of Israel, she left her father and
mother, her gods, and the land of her nativity, behind her (Ruth
1:15-17; 2:11,12). When Peter came to Christ, he left his nets
behind him (Matt 4:20). When Zaccheus came to Christ, he left the
receipt of custom behind him (Luke 19). When Paul came to Christ,
he left his own righteousness behind him (Phil 3:7,8). When those
that used curious arts came to Jesus Christ, they took their
curious books and burned them; though, in another man's eye, they
were counted worth fifty thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:18-20).

What sayest thou, man? Hast thou left thy darling sins, thy Sodomitish
pleasures, thy acquaintance and vain companions, thy unlawful gain,
thy idol-gods, thy righteousness, and thy unlawful curious arts,
behind thee? If any of these be with thee, and thou with them, in
thy heart and life, thou art not yet come to Jesus Christ.

Second, Art thou come to Jesus Christ? Prithee tell me what moved
thee to come to Jesus Christ?

Men do not usually come or go to this or that place, before they
have a moving cause, or rather a cause moving them thereto. No
more do they come to Jesus Christ--I do not say, before they have
a cause, but--before that cause moveth them to come. What sayest
thou? Hast thou a cause moving thee to come? To be at present in
a state of condemnation, is cause sufficient for men to come to
Jesus Christ for life. But that will not do, except the cause move
them; the which it will never do, until their eyes be opened to
see themselves in that condition. For it is not a man's being under
wrath, but his seeing it, that moveth him to come to Jesus Christ.
Alas! all men by sin are under wrath; yet but few of that all come
to Jesus Christ. And the reason is, because they do not see their
condition. "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
(Matt 3:7). Until men are warned, and also receive the warning,
they will not come to Jesus Christ.

Take three or four instances for this. Adam and Eve came not to
Jesus Christ until they received the alarm, the conviction of their
undone state by sin. (Gen 3) The children of Israel cried not out
for a mediator before they saw themselves in danger of death by the
law (Exo 20:18,19). Before the publican came, he saw himself lost
and undone (Luke 18:13). The prodigal came not, until he saw death
at the door, ready to devour him (Luke 15:17,18). The three thousand
came not, until they knew not what to do to be saved (Acts 2:37-39).
Paul came not, until he saw himself lost and undone (Acts 9:3-8,11).
Lastly, Before the jailer came, he saw himself undone (Acts 16:29-31).
And I tell thee, it is an easier thing to persuade a well man to
go to the physician for cure, or a man without hurt to seek for
a plaster to cure him, than it is to persuade a man that sees not
his soul-disease, to come to Jesus Christ. The whole have no need
of the physician; then why should they go to him? The full pitcher
can hold no more; then why should it go to the fountain? And if
thou comest full, thou comest not aright; and be sure Christ will
send thee empty away. "But he healeth the broken in heart, and
bindeth up their wounds" (Mark 2:17; Psa 147:3; Luke 1:53).

Third, Art thou coming to Jesus Christ? Prithee tell me, What seest
thou in him to allure thee to forsake all the world, to come to
him?

I say, What hast thou seen in him? Men must see something in Jesus
Christ, else they will not come to him. 1. What comeliness hast
thou seen in his person? thou comest not, if thou seest no form
nor comeliness in him (Isa 53:1-3). 2. Until those mentioned in
the Song were convinced that there was more beauty, comeliness,
and desirableness in Christ, than in ten thousand, they did not
so much as ask where he was, nor incline to turn aside after him
(Song 5, 6).

There be many things on this side heaven that can and do carry away
the heart; and so will do, so long as thou livest, if thou shalt
be kept blind, and not be admitted to see the beauty of the Lord
Jesus.

Fourth, Art thou come to the Lord Jesus? What hast thou found in
him, since thou camest to him?

Peter found with him the word of eternal life (John 6:68). They
that Peter makes mention of, found him a living stone, even such
a living stone as communicated life to them (1 Peter 2:4,5). He
saith himself, they that come to him, &c., shall find rest unto
their souls; hast thou found rest in him for thy soul? (Matt 11:28).

Let us go back to the times of the Old Testament.

1. Abraham found THAT in him, that made him leave his country for
him, and become for his sake a pilgrim and stranger in the earth
(Gen 12; Heb 11).

2. Moses found THAT in him, that made him forsake a crown, and a
kingdom for him too.

3. David found so much in him, that he counted to be in his house
one day was better than a thousand; yea, to be a door-keeper therein
was better, in his esteem, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psa 84:10).

4. What did Daniel and the three children find in him, to make
them run the hazards of the fiery furnace, and the den of lions,
for his sake? (Dan 3, 6).

Let us come down to martyrs.

1. Stephen found that in him that made him joyful, and quietly
yield up his life for his name (Acts 7).

2. Ignatius found that in Christ that made him choose to go through
the torments of the devil, and hell itself, rather than not to have
him.--Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. 1, p. 52, Anno. 111. Edit.
1632.

3. What saw Romanus in Christ, when he said to the raging Emperor,
who threatened him with fearful torments, Thy sentence, O Emperor,
I joyfully embrace, and refuse not to be sacrificed by as cruel
torments as thou canst invent?--Fox, vol. 1, p. 116.

4. What saw Menas, the Egyptian, in Christ, when he said, under most
cruel torments, There is nothing in my mind that can be compared to
the kingdom of heaven; neither is all the world, if it was weighed
in a balance, to be preferred with the price of one soul? Who is
able to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ our Lord? And
I have learned of my Lord and King not to fear them that kill the
body, &c. P. 117.

5. What did Eulalia see in Christ, when she said, as they were
pulling her one joint from another, Behold, O Lord, I will not forget
thee. What a pleasure it is for them, O Christ! that remember thy
triumphant victory? P. 121.

6. What think you did Agnes see in Christ, when rejoicingly she
went to meet the soldier that was appointed to be her executioner.
I will willingly, said she, receive into my paps the length of this
sword, and into my breast will draw the force thereof, even to the
hilts; that thus I, being married to Christ my spouse, may surmount
and escape all the darkness of this world? P. 122.

7. What do you think did Julitta see in Christ, when, at the
Emperor's telling of her, that except she would worship the gods,
she should never have protection, laws, judgments, nor life, she
replied, Farewell life, welcome death; farewell riches, welcome
poverty: all that I have, if it were a thousand times more, would
I rather lose, than to speak one wicked and blasphemous word against
my Creator? P. 123.

8. What did Marcus Arethusius see in Christ, when after his enemies
had cut his flesh, anointed it with honey, and hanged him up in a
basket for flies and bees to feed on, he would not give, to uphold
idolatry, one halfpenny to save his life? P. 128.

9. What did Constantine see in Christ, when he used to kiss the
wounds of them that suffered for him? P. 135.

10. But what need I give thus particular instances of words and
smaller actions, when by their lives, their blood, their enduring
hunger, sword, fire, pulling asunder, and all torments that the
devil and hell could devise, for the love they bare to Christ,
after they were come to him?

What hast THOU found in him, sinner?

What! come to Christ, and find nothing in him!--when all things
that are worth looking after are in him!--or if anything, yet not
enough to wean thee from thy sinful delights, and fleshly lusts!
Away, away, thou art not coming to Jesus Christ.

He that has come to Jesus Christ, hath found in him, that, as I
said, that is not to be found anywhere else. As,

1. He that is come to Christ hath found God in him reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. And so
God is not to be found in heaven and earth besides (2 Cor 5:19,20).

2. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found in him a fountain
of grace, sufficient, not only to pardon sin, but to sanctify the
soul, and to preserve it from falling, in this evil world.

3. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found virtue in him; THAT
virtue, that if he does but touch thee with his Word, or thou him
by faith, life is forthwith conveyed into thy soul. It makes thee
wake as one that is waked out of his sleep; it awakes all the powers
of the soul (Psa 30:11,12; Song 6:12).

4. Art thou come to Jesus Christ? Thou hast found glory in him,
glory that surmounts and goes beyond. "Thou art more glorious--than
the mountains of prey" (Psa 76:4).

5. What shall I say? Thou hast found righteousness in him; thou
hast found rest, peace, delight, heaven, glory, and eternal life.

Sinner, be advised; ask thy heart again, saying, Am I come to Jesus
Christ? For upon this one question, Am I come, or, am I not? hangs
heaven and hell as to thee. If thou canst say, I am come, and God
shall approve that saying, happy, happy, happy man art thou! But
if thou art not come, what can make thee happy? yea, what can make
that man happy that, for his not coming to Jesus Christ for life,
must be damned in hell?

USE THIRD.--The third use--A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

Coming sinner, I have now a word for thee; be of good comfort, "He
will in no wise cast out." Of all men, thou art the blessed of the
Lord; the Father hath prepared his Son to be a sacrifice for thee,
and Jesus Christ, thy Lord, is gone to prepare a place for thee
(John 1:29; Heb 10). What shall I say to thee?

[First,] Thou comest to a FULL Christ; thou canst not want anything
for soul or body, for this world or that to come, but it is to
be had in or by Jesus Christ. As it is said of the land that the
Danites went to possess, so, and with much more truth, it may be
said of Christ; he is such an one with whom there is no want of any
good thing that is in heaven or earth. A full Christ is thy Christ.

1. He is full of grace. Grace is sometimes taken for love; never
any loved like Jesus Christ. Jonathan's love went beyond the love
of women; but the love of Christ passes knowledge. It is beyond the
love of all the earth, of all creatures, even of men and angels.
His love prevailed with him to lay aside his glory, to leave
the heavenly place, to clothe himself with flesh, to be born in a
stable, to be laid in a manger, to live a poor life in the world,
to take upon him our sicknesses, infirmities, sins, curse, death,
and the wrath that was due to man. And all this he did for a base,
undeserving, unthankful people; yea, for a people that was at
enmity with him. "For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man
will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare
to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, 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" (Rom 5:6-10).

2. He is full of truth. Full of grace and truth. Truth, that is,
faithfulness in keeping promise, even this of the text, with all
other, "I will in no wise cast out" (John 14:6). Hence it is said,
that his words be true, and that he is the faithful God, that keepeth
covenant. And hence it is also that his promises are called truth:
"Thou wilt fulfil thy truth unto Jacob, and thy mercy unto Abraham,
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old."
Therefore it is said again, that both himself and words are truth:
"I am the truth, the Scripture of truth" (Dan 10:21). "Thy word is
truth," (John 17:17; 2 Sam 7:28); "thy law is truth," (Psa 119:142);
and "my mouth," saith he, "shall speak truth," (Prov 8:7); see
also Ecclesiastes 12:10, Isaiah 25:1, Malachi 2:6, Acts 26:25, 2
Timothy 2:12,13. Now, I say, his word is truth, and he is full of
truth to fulfil his truth, even to a thousand generations. Coming
sinner, he will not deceive thee; come boldly to Jesus Christ.

3. He is full of wisdom. He is made unto us of God wisdom; wisdom
to manage the affairs of his church in general, and the affairs
of every coming sinner in particular. And upon this account he is
said to be "head over all things," (1 Cor 1; Eph 1), because he
manages all things that are in the world by his wisdom, for the
good of his church; all men's actions, all Satan's temptations,
all God's providences, all crosses, and disappointments; all things
whatever are under the hand of Christ--who is the wisdom of God--and
he ordereth them all for good to his church. And can Christ help
it--and be sure he can--nothing shall happen or fall out in the
world, but it shall, in despite of all opposition, have a good
tendency to his church and people.

4. He is full of the Spirit, to communicate it to the coming
sinner; he hath therefore received it without measure, that he
may communicate it to every member of his body, according as every
man's measure thereof is allotted him by the Father. Wherefore
he saith, that he that comes to him, "Out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water" (John 3:34; Titus 3:5,6; Acts 2; John
7:33-39).

5. He is indeed a storehouse full of all the graces of the Spirit.
"Of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace"
(John 1:16). Here is more faith, more love, more sincerity, more
humility, more of every grace; and of this, even more of this, he
giveth to every lowly, humble, penitent coming sinner. Wherefore,
coming soul, thou comest not to a barren wilderness when thou comest
to Jesus Christ.

6. He is full of bowels and compassion: and they shall feel and find
it so that come to him for life. He can bear with thy weaknesses,
he can pity thy ignorance, he can be touched with the feeling of
thy infirmities, he can affectionately forgive they transgressions,
he can heal thy backslidings, and love thee freely. His compassions
fail not; "and he will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the
smoking flax; he can pity them that no eye pities, and be afflicted
in all thy afflictions" (Matt 26:41; Heb 5:2; 2:18; Matt 9:2;
Hosea 14:4; Eze 16:5,6; Isa 63:9; Psa 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 112:4;
Lam 3:22; Isa 42:3).

7. Coming soul, the Jesus that thou art coming to, is full of might
and terribleness for thy advantage; he can suppress all thine
enemies; he is the Prince of the kings of the earth; he can bow all
men's designs for thy help; he can break all snares laid for thee
in the way; he can lift thee out of all difficulties wherewith thou
mayest be surrounded; he is wise in heart, and mighty in power.
Every life under heaven is in his hand; yea, the fallen angels
tremble before him. And he will save thy life, coming sinner (1
Cor 1:24; Rom 8:28; Matt 28:18; Rev 4; Psa 19:3; 27:5,6; Job 9:4;
John 17:2; Matt 8:29; Luke 8:28; James 2:19).

8. Coming sinner, the Jesus to whom thou art coming is lowly in
heart, he despiseth not any. It is not thy outward meanness, nor
thy inward weakness; it is not because thou art poor, or base, or
deformed, or a fool, that he will despise thee: he hath chosen the
foolish, the base, and despised things of this world, to confound
the wise and mighty. He will bow his ear to thy stammering prayers
he will pick out the meaning of thy inexpressible groans; he will
respect thy weakest offering, if there be in it but thy heart (Matt
11:20; Luke 14:21; Prov 9:4-6; Isa 38:14,15; Song 5:15; John 4:27;
Mark 12:33,34; James 5:11). Now, is not this a blessed Christ, coming
sinner? Art thou not like to fare well, when thou hast embraced
him, coming sinner? But,

Second. Thou hast yet another advantage by Jesus Christ, thou art
coming to him, for he is not only full, BUT FREE. He is not sparing
of what he has; he is open-hearted and open-handed. Let me in a
few particulars show thee this:

1. This is evident, because he calls thee; he calls upon thee to come
unto him; the which he would not do, was he not free to give; yea,
he bids thee, when come, ask, seek, knock. And for thy encouragement,
adds to every command a promise, "Seek, and ye shall find; ask,
and ye shall have; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." If
the rich man should say thus to the poor, would not he be reckoned
a free-hearted man? I say, should he say to the poor, Come to
my door, ask at my door, knock at my door, and you shall find and
have; would he not be counted liberal? Why, thus doth Jesus Christ.
Mind it, coming sinner (Isa 55:3; Psa 50:15; Matt 7:7-9).

2. He doth not only bid thee come, but tells thee, he will heartily
do thee good; yea, he will do it with rejoicing; "I will rejoice
over them, to do them good--with my whole heart, and with my whole
soul" (Jer 32:41).

3. It appeareth that he is free, because he giveth without twitting.
21 "He giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1,
5). There are some that will not deny to do the poor a pleasure,
but they will mix their mercies with so many twits, that the persons
on whom they bestow their charity shall find but little sweetness
in it. But Christ doth not do so, coming sinner; he casteth all thine
iniquities behind his back (Isa 38:17). Thy sins and iniquities he
will remember no more (Heb 8:12).

4. That Christ is free, is manifest by the complaints that he
makes against them that will not come to him for mercy. I say, he
complains, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matt 23:37). I say, he speaks
it by way of complaint. He saith also in another place, "But thou
hast not called upon me, O Jacob" (Isa 43:22). Coming sinner, see
here the willingness of Christ to save; see here how free he is
to communicate life, and all good things, to such as thou art. He
complains, if thou comest not; he is displeased, if thou callest
not upon him. Hark, coming sinner, once again; when Jerusalem would
not come to him for safeguard, "he beheld the city, and wept over
it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy
day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid
from thine eyes" (Luke 19:41,42).

5. Lastly, He is open and free-hearted to do thee good, as is seen
by the joy and rejoicing that he manifesteth at the coming home
of poor prodigals. He receives the lost sheep with rejoicing; the
lost goat with rejoicing; yea, when the prodigal came home, what
joy and mirth, what music and dancing, was in his father's house!
(Luke 15).

Third. Coming sinner, I will add another encouragement for thy
help.

1. God hath prepared a mercy-seat, a throne of grace to sit on;
that thou mayest come thither to him, and that he may from thence
hear thee, and receive thee. "I will commune with thee," saith he,
"from above the mercy-seat" (Exo 25:22). As who shall say, sinner,
When thou comest to me, thou shalt find me upon the mercy-seat,
where also I am always found of the undone coming sinner. Thither
I bring my pardons; there I hear and receive their petitions, and
accept them to my favour.

2. God hath also prepared a golden altar for thee to offer thy prayers
and tears upon. A golden altar! It is called a "golden altar," to
show what worth it is of in God's account: for this golden altar
is Jesus Christ; this altar sanctifies thy gift, and makes thy
sacrifice acceptable. This altar, then, makes thy groans golden
groans; thy tears golden tears; and thy prayers golden prayers,
in the eye of that God thou comest to, coming sinner (Rev 8; Matt
23:19; Heb 10:10; 1 Peter 2:5).

3. God hath strewed all the way, from the gate of hell, where thou
wast, to the gate of heaven, whither thou art going, with flowers
out of his own garden. Behold how the promises, invitations, calls,
and encouragements, like lilies, lie round about thee! take heed
that thou dost not tread them under foot, sinner. With promises,
did I say? Yea, he hath mixed all those with his own name, his
Son's name; also, with the name of mercy, goodness, compassion,
love, pity, grace, forgiveness, pardon, and what not, that may
encourage the coming sinner.

4. He hath also for thy encouragement laid up the names, and set
forth the sins, of those that have been saved. In this book they
are fairly written, that thou, through patience and comfort of
the Scriptures, mightest have hope. (1.) In this book is recorded
Noah's maim and sin; and how God had mercy upon him. (2.) In this
record is fairly written the name of Lot, and the nature of his
sin; and how the Lord had mercy upon him. (3.) In this record thou
hast also fairly written the names of Moses, Aaron, Gideon, Samson,
David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, with the nature of their sins; and how
God had mercy upon them; and all to encourage thee, coming sinner.

Fourth. I will add yet another encouragement for the man that is
coming to Jesus Christ. Art thou coming? Art thou coming, indeed?
Why,

1. Then this thy coming is by virtue of God's call. Thou art called.
Calling goes before coming. Coming is not of works, but of him that
calleth. "He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom
he would; and they came unto him" (Mark 3:13).

2. Art thou coming? This is also by virtue of illumination. God has
made thee see; and, therefore, thou art coming. So long as thou
wast darkness, thou lovedst darkness, and couldst not abide to
come, because thy deeds were evil; but being now illuminated and
made to see what and where thou art, and also what and where thy
Saviour is, now thou art coming to Jesus Christ; "Blessed art thou,
Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,"
saith Christ, "but my Father which is in heaven" (Matt 16:17).

3. Art thou coming? This is because God hath inclined thine heart
to come. God hath called thee, illuminated thee, and inclined thy
heart to come; and, therefore, thou comest to Jesus Christ. It
is God that worketh in thee to will, and to come to Jesus Christ.
Coming sinner, bless God for that he hath given thee a will to come
to Jesus Christ. It is a sign that thou belongest to Jesus Christ,
because God has made thee willing to come to him (Psa 110:3). Bless
God for slaying the enmity of thy mind; had he not done it, thou
wouldst as yet have hated thine own salvation.

4. Art thou coming to Jesus Christ? It is God that giveth thee
power: power to pursue thy will in the matters of thy salvation,
is the gift of God. "It is God which worketh in you both to will
and to do" (Phil 2:13). Not that God worketh will to come, where
he gives no power; but thou shouldest take notice, that power is
an additional mercy. The church saw that will and power were two
things, when she cried, "Draw me, we will run after thee" (Song
1:4). And so did David too, when he said, "I will run the way of
thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psa 119:32).
Will to come, and power to pursue thy will, is double mercy, coming
sinner.

5. All thy strange, passionate, sudden rushings forward after Jesus
Christ, coming sinners know what I mean, they also are thy helps
from God. Perhaps thou feelest at some times more than at others,
strong stirrings up of heart to fly to Jesus Christ; now thou hast
at this time a sweet and stiff gale of the Spirit of God, filling
thy sails with the fresh gales of his good Spirit; and thou ridest
at those times as upon the wings of the wind, being carried out
beyond thyself, beyond the most of thy prayers, and also above all
thy fear and temptations.

6. Coming sinner, hast thou not now and then a kiss of the sweet
lips of Jesus Christ, I mean some blessed word dropping like a
honey-comb upon thy soul to revive thee, when thou art in the midst
of thy dumps?

7. Does not Jesus Christ sometimes give thee a glimpse of himself,
though perhaps thou seest him not so long a time as while one may
tell twenty.

8. Hast thou not sometimes as it were the very warmth of his wings
overshadowing the face of thy soul, that gives thee as it were
a gload22 upon thy spirit, as the bright beams of the sun do upon
thy body, when it suddenly breaks out of a cloud, though presently
all is gone away? Well, all these things are the good hand of thy
God upon thee, and they are upon thee to constrain, to provoke,
and to make thee willing and able to come, coming sinner, that thou
mightest in the end be saved.

FOOTNOTES:

1 "My grace is sufficient for thee," and the language of the church,
conscious of its own weakness and the Lord's all-sufficiency, is,
"Draw me, we will run after thee" (Song 1:4).--Mason.

2 No outward profession is accepted, except it springs from inward
love to Christ.--Ed.

3 How clearly is every seeming difficulty explained by Bunyan. The
Father entered into covenant with the Son, in eternity, to save his
elect; and, in time, as they appear upon earth, the Father giveth
them to Christ by effectual calling, and he brings them to eternal
glory.--Ed.

4 To come unto Christ, in its proper sense, is to receive him as
he is offered to us in the Word; to believe in him, as a suitable
and all-sufficient Saviour; to submit to his government, in both
suffering and doing his will, with all lowly-mindedness and humility;
and this by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit upon the
soul.--Mason.

5 "Salve;" relief, aid, or help.


   'Which Cambell seign, though he could not salve,
        He done undoe, yet for to salve his name
    And purchase honour to his friend's behalve,
        This goodly counterfesaunce he did frame."


--Spenser's Faery Queen.

6 We cannot remember all God's benefits, but how prone we are to
forget them all!--Ed.

7 Christian, in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, was thus exercised:
--"I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded that he
did not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it:--Just when he
was come over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked
ones got behind him, and stepped up softly to him, and whisperingly
suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought
had proceeded from his own mind." See also Grace Abounding, No.
100-102.--Ed.

8 "Warm gleads;" from Saxon glow, anything heated or hot.


   "My destiny to behold her doth me leade,
    And yet I know I runne into the gleade."--Wyatt.--Ed.


9 Many misspend their time in poring upon their own hearts, to find
out some evidence of their interest in Christ, when they should
rather be employed in receiving Christ, and walking in him, by a
confident faith grounded on the Divine testimony.--Mason.

10 How striking are Bunyan's illustrations! The devil, as a roaring
lion, is in pursuit of the flying sinner; he would flee faster
than his infirmities will let him. We cannot wonder that modern
preachers borrowed so vivid and truthful a figure.--Ed.

11 A Christian is "never safe but when watchful;" he should keep a
jealous eye on his own weakness, and a believing eye on the promise
and power of Christ, and he shall be preserved from falling.--Mason.

12 "Let him;" hinder him. See 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Obsolete.--Imperial
Dictionary.--Ed.

13 "The Scripture contains many gracious promises in behalf of the
children of believing parents; but grace is not hereditary. It is
the parent's part to pray with and for, admonish, and piously train
up his children; but, after all, must recommend them to the tender
mercies of God, which the children of many prayers often happily
experience."--Mason. O that all persons may solemnly consider this
searching truth! especially the children of believers. The coming
of your father or mother to Christ cannot be imputed to you; come
for yourself, or you must perish. As you love your souls, believe
not that awful delusion, that any ceremony could make you a child
of God.--Ed.

14 "While of late;" until of late.--Ed.

15 "Lie at Jesus Christ;" to lay down, lie at the feet of Jesus
Christ, to persevere like the Syrophenician woman, Mark 7:25.--Ed.

16 "Ply;" to solicit importunately.--Ed.

17 "A flam;" a fable, an imposition.

18 "Most an end;" continually, perpetually.

19 How awful is the confidence of the self-righteous pharisee; he
considers himself more righteous than the poor penitent, who is
clothed in Christ's righteousness, the garments of salvation.

The self-righteous says:--"Stand by, I am holier than thou. Thank
God, I am not like this publican." While in God's sight, poor
wretched boaster, thou art clothed in filthy rags.--Ed.

20 This nation now pays some eight or ten millions sterling a year.
Had God sanctioned this diabolical trade in souls, all Christendom
would have been divided into two classes-priests and slaves.--Ed.

21 "Twitting;" taunting, or rebuking.--Ed.

22 "A gload;" a warm, eager, passionate gazing: now obsolete.--Ed.

***

JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS;

OR,

NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

This is one of those ten excellent manuscripts which were found among
Bunyan's papers after his decease in 1688. It had been prepared by
him for publication, but still wanted a few touches of his masterly
hand, and a preface in his characteristic style. He had, while a
prisoner for nonconformity, in 1672, published a treatise upon this
subject, in reply to Mr. Fowler, who was soon after created Bishop
of Gloucester; but that was more peculiarly intended to prove that
those who are justified by faith in Christ are placed in a safer,
more honourable, and more glorious state than that possessed by
Adam before his fall. Mr. Fowler took the popular view, that the
sufferings of the Saviour were intended to replace man in a similar
position to that of Adam when in a state of innocence; and to
give him powers, which, if properly used, would enable him to save
himself.

It is of important that we should understand the meaning of the term
'justification' as here used. It is an acquittal, on being tried
by the law; or a proof that, upon the most penetrating scrutiny,
we have, through life, fulfilled and performed all its requirements
in word, thought, and deed, without the slightest deviation or
taint of error. This is essential to salvation, and must be done,
either personally, or by the imputation of the Saviour's obedience
to us. Multitudes vainly imagine that this can be attained by our
partial obedience, aided, where we fail, by the imputation of so
much of the Saviour's obedience as, being placed to our account,
will make up the deficiency. Upon justification must depend the
salvation of the soul. Bunyan was convinced that the sinner's only
hope was by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, which alone
could justify him from ALL things, and without which he must perish.

As 'by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified,'
it becomes an important inquiry whether the law, by which all must
be tried, and justified or condemned, is opposed to the gospel or
glad tidings of salvation? God forbid that we should for a moment
entertain such a thought! they both proceed from the same Divine
source, and the gospel confirms and establishes the law. This is
clearly shown in the following treatise. Every Christian forms a
part of that one mystical body, of which Christ is the head, and
in which alone can be fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law.
Bunyan's controversy is with an opinion, held by many, that a man
may, in his own person, by an imperfect obedience to some of the
requirements of the law, procure, or aid in obtaining, justification.

There can be no subject more intensely interesting than the means
of a sinner's justification before that God whose law is perfect,
and who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity except with
abhorrence; nor is there one upon which more fatal mistakes have
been made.

The great delusion which like a deadly leprosy, has involved man
in uncertainty and darkness in all his conceptions of purity and
holiness, is the fallacious hope of producing some good works to
blot out transgressions; or that man is not so polluted, but that
he may justify himself by works performed through some kind of
ability communicated by the Saviour--an ability which he might or
might not use, but upon the proper use of which he considers that his
salvation depends; leaving him in the most distressing uncertainty
and doubt upon this all-important subject. All these Bunyan considered
to be specious and most dangerous devices of Satan, unscriptural,
and contrary to the simplicity and design of the gospel.

In this treatise very powerful arguments are used to counteract
these errors, and to place the doctrine of justification in all its
glorious purity. It is essentially the source of the glad tidings
of great joy made known by the Christian dispensation; showing
that the redemption of believers is perfect and finished, neither
needing nor suffering any human additions. The righteousness of
Christ fully justifies all that believe, while the fountain that
he opened washes away all their defilements, and presents them at
the judgment-seat, without spot or blemish, their robes being washed
and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

To prevent this doctrine from being impeached with a tendency to
weaken man in the discharge of his moral duties, the same Divine
power which thus pardoned sin has decreed that a sense of pardoning
love should impel the redeemed to walk in newness of life--and that
it is only while thus walking in holy obedience that they have an
evidence of being members of Christ's mystical body. For, 'whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son; whom he did predestinate, them he also called;
and whom he called, them he also justified.' So full is this
of consolation and felicity that the apostle exclaims, 'If God be
for us, who can be against us?' Thus, salvation by free grace is
inseparably connected with good works. The righteousness of the
second Adam, the Lord from heaven, imputed to his members, justifies
them, in the same manner as the disobedience of the first Adam,
imputed to all his members or posterity, makes them sinners. To
use the expressive words of Bunyan, 'The sinner is justified from
the curse, in the sight of God, while a sinner in himself.' This
is a startling fact. That Rahab or Mary Magdalene, and even Saul,
the murderous persecutor, were, in the sight and purposes of God,
justified, while they were, in the esteem of God's saints, in a
state of the vilest sin, is a doctrine revolting to the pride of
human nature. But we should recollect that, in the sight of God, a
thousand years are but as one day; while one day may be magnified
into a thousand years; and that the purposes of God are concealed
to us while sin blinds our eyes. Rahab and Magdalene were wretched
before their conversion, nor could Saul have been much less wretched,
while carrying misery into the hearts and families of God's saints.

There can be no real happiness without spiritual life--holy obedience
to the Divine will, and a scriptural hope of justification before
God and his law. These are the means he uses to make known to us his
secret purposes. No man has lived in the world, since the inspired
writers, more capable of detecting the devil's sophistry upon
this subject than John Bunyan. He had passed through a furnace of
experience while seeking justification. He well knew that, upon
keeping the moral law of God, the peace of the world and our personal
happiness depended. How is this great object to be accomplished?
If we attempt to keep it, in order to gain eternal life, we shall
fail, as all others have done. In every attempt thus to keep it,
to use Bunyan's expression 'The guilt of sin, which is by the law,
makes such a noise and horror in my conscience that I can neither
hear nor see the word of peace, unless it is spoken with a voice
from heaven!' Our polluted nature leads to sin; a mist is before
our eyes; we 'go astray speaking lies.' The strong natural bias to
break the law will prevail; we see its effects in the great bulk
of those who are taught to rely upon ceremonies and upon keeping
the law. Who are so lawless, so little advanced in civilization,
as the poor Irish, Spaniards, or Italians? while those who seek
justification as the free gift of God, influenced by gratitude and
love, are found walking in obedience to the Divine law; their only
regret is, that they cannot live more to the glory of their Saviour.
The doctrines of grace, as exhibited in this treatise, have ever
produced glory to God, on earth peace, and goodwill to men; although
that spirit which called Christ a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber,
still charges these doctrines as having a tendency to licentiousness.

Christian, be not offended with the humbling, but scriptural views,
which Bunyan entertained of every church of Christ 'An hospital of
sick, wounded, and afflicted people.' None but such as feel their
need of the Physician of souls are fit for church membership, or are
safely on the road to heaven. Leaving this solemn and interesting
subject to the prayerful attention of the reader, I shall conclude
my advertisement by quoting from a characteristic specimen of
Bunyan's style of writing, and it was doubtless his striking mode
of preaching:--'Faith doth the same against the devil that unbelief
doth to God. Doth unbelief count God a liar? Faith counts the devil
a liar. Doth unbelief hold the soul from the mercy of God? Faith
holds the soul from the malice of the devil. Doth unbelief quench
thy graces? Faith kindleth them even into a flame. Doth unbelief
fill the soul full of sorrow? Faith fills it full of the joy of
the Holy Ghost. In a word, Doth unbelief bind down thy sins upon
thee? Why, faith in Jesus Christ releaseth thee of them all.'

GEO. OFFOR.

JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

JUSTIFICATION is to be diversly taken in the Scripture. Sometimes
it is taken for the justification of persons; sometimes for the
justification of actions; and sometimes for the justification of
the person and action too.

It is taken for the justification of persons, and that, as to
justification with God; or, as to justification with men.

As to justification with God; that is, when a man stands clear,
quit, free, or, in a saved condition before him, in the approbation
of his holy law.

As to justification with men; that is, when a man stands clear and
quit from just ground of reprehension with them.

Justification also is to be taken with reference to actions; and
that may be when they are considered, as flowing from true faith;
or, because the act done fulfils some transient law.[1]

As actions flow from faith, so they are justified, because done
before God in, and made complete through, the perfections of Jesus
Christ (1 Peter 2:5; Heb 13:15; Rev 8:1-4).

As by the doing of the act some transient law is fulfilled; as
when Jehu executed judgment upon the house of Ahab. 'Thou hast done
well,' said God to him, 'in executing that which is right in mine
eyes, and hast done to the house of Ahab according to all that was
in mine heart' (2 Kings 10:30). As to such acts, God may or may
not look at the qualification of those that do them; and it is
clear that he had not respect to any good that was in Jehu in the
justifying of this action; nor could he; for Jehu stuck close yet
to the sins of Jeroboam, but 'took no heed to walk in the law of
the Lord God of Israel' (2 Kings 10:29,31).

I might hence also show you that a man may be justified even then
when his action is condemned; also that a man may be in a state
of condemnation when his action may be justified. But with these
distinctions I will not take up time, my intention being to treat
of justification as it sets a man free or quit from sin, the curse
and condemnation of the law in the sight of God, in order to eternal
salvation.

And that I may with the more clearness handle this point before
you, I will lay down and speak to this

PROPOSITION.

THAT THERE IS NO OTHER WAY FOR SINNERS TO BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE
CURSE OF THE LAW IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, THAN BY THE IMPUTATION OF
THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND STILL RESIDING WITH,
THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.

The terms of this proposition are easy; yet if it will help, I will
speak a word or two for explication. First. By a sinner, I mean
one that has transgressed the law; 'for sin is the transgression
of the law' (1 John 3:4). Second. By the curse of the law, I mean
that sentence, judgment, or condemnation which the law pronounceth
against the transgressor (Gal 3:10). Third. By justifying righteousness,
I mean that which stands in the doing and suffering of Christ when
he was in the world (Rom 5:19). Fourth. By the residing of this
righteousness in Christ's person, I mean it still abides with him
as to the action, though the benefit is bestowed upon those that
are his. Fifth. By the imputation of it to us, I mean God's making
of it ours by an act of his grace, that we by it might be secured
from the curse of the law. Sixth. When I say there is no other
way to be justified. I cast away TO THAT END the law, and all the
works of the law as done by us.[2]

Thus I have opened the terms of the proposition.

First and Second. Now the two first--to wit, what sin and the
curse is--stand clear in all men's sight, unless they be atheists
or desperately heretical. I shall, therefore, in few words, clear
the other four.

Third. Therefore justifying righteousness is the doing and suffering
of Christ when he was in the world. This is clear, because we are
said to be 'justified by his obedience,' by his obedience to the
law (Rom 5:19). Hence he is said again to be the end of the law for
that very thing--'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness,'
&c. (Rom 10:4). The end, what is that? Why, the requirement or
demand of the law. But what are they? Why, righteousness, perfect
righteousness (Gal 3:10). Perfect righteousness, what to do? That
the soul concerned might stand spotless in the sight of God (Rev
1:5). Now this lies only in the doings and sufferings of Christ; for
'by his obedience many are made righteous'; wherefore as to this,
Christ is the end of the law, that being found in that obedience,
that becomes to us sufficient for our justification. Hence we are
said to be made righteous by his obedience; yea, and to be washed,
purged, and justified by his blood (Heb 9:14; Rom 5:18,19).

Fourth. That this righteousness still resides in and with the
person of Christ, even then when we stand just before God thereby,
is clear, for that we are said, when justified, to be justified
'in him.' 'In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified.'
And again, 'Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness,'
&c. (Isa 45:24,25). And again, 'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us--righteousness' (1 Cor 1:30).

Mark, the righteousness is still 'in him,' not 'in us,' even then
when we are made partakers of the benefit of it; even as the wing
and feathers still abide in the hen when the chickens are covered,
kept, and warmed thereby.

For as my doings, though my children are fed and clothed thereby,
are still my doings, not theirs; so the righteousness wherewith
we stand just before God from the curse, still resides in Christ,
not in us. Our sins, when laid upon Christ, were yet personally ours,
not his; so his righteousness, when put upon us, is yet personally
his, not ours. What is it, then? Why, 'he was made to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him' (2 Cor 5:21).[3]

Fifth. It is, therefore, of a justifying virtue, only by imputation,
or as God reckoneth it to us; even as our sins made the Lord Jesus
a sinner--nay, 'sin,' by God's reckoning of them to him.

It is absolutely necessary that this be known of us; for if the
understanding be muddy as to this, it is impossible that such should
be sound in the faith; also in temptation, that man will be at a
loss that looketh for a righteousness for justification in himself,
when it is to be found nowhere but in Jesus Christ. The apostle,
who was his craftsmaster as to this, was always 'looking to Jesus,'
that he 'might be found in him,' knowing that nowhere else could
peace or safety be had (Phil 3:6-9). And, indeed, this is one of
the greatest mysteries in the world; namely, that a righteousness
that resides with a person in heaven should justify me, a sinner,
on earth!

Sixth. Therefore the law and the works thereof, as to this, must by
us be cast away; not only because they here are useless, but also
they being retained are a hindrance. That they are useless is
evident, for that salvation comes by another name (Acts 4:12). And
that they are a hindrance, it is clear; for the very adhering to
the law, though it be but a little, or in a little part, prevents
justification by the righteousness of Christ (Rom 9:31,32).

What shall I say? As to this, the moral law is rejected, the
ceremonial law is rejected, and man's righteousness is rejected,
for that they are here both weak and unprofitable (Rom 8:2,3; Gal
3:21; Heb 10:1-12). Now if all these and their works as to our
justification, are rejected, where, but in Christ, is righteousness
to be found?

Thus much, therefore, for the explication of the proposition--namely,
that there is no other way for sinners to be justified from the
curse of the law in the sight of God, than by the imputation of
that righteousness long ago performed by, and still residing with,
the person of Jesus Christ.

[Two Positions.]

Now, from this proposition I draw these two positions--FIRST.
THAT MEN ARE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW BEFORE GOD WHILE
SINNERS IN THEMSELVES. SECOND. THAT THIS CAN BE DONE BY NO OTHER
RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND RESIDING WITH,
THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.

[FIRST POSITION]

FIRST. Let us, then, now enter into the consideration of the first
of these--namely, THAT MEN ARE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE OF THE
LAW BEFORE GOD WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES. This I shall manifest,
FIRST, By touching upon the mysterious acts of our redemption;
SECOND, By giving of you plain texts which discover it; and, THIRD,
By reasons drawn from the texts.

FIRST. For the first of these; to wit, the mysterious act of our
redemption: and that I shall speak to under these two heads--First,
I shall show you what that is; and, Second, How we are concerned
therein.

First. [What that is.] That which I call, and that rightly,
the mysterious act of our redemption, is Christ's sufferings as a
common,[4] though a particular person and as a sinner, though always
completely righteous.

That he suffered as a common person is true. By common, I mean a
public person, or one that presents the body of mankind in himself.
This a multitude of scriptures bear witness to, especially that fifth
chapter to the Romans, where, by the apostle, he is set before us
as the head of all the elect, even as Adam was once head of all the
world. Thus he lived, and thus he died; and this was a mysterious
act. And that he should die as a sinner, when yet himself did 'no
sin,' nor had any 'guile found in his mouth,' made this act more
mysterious (1 Pet 1:19, 2:22, 3:18). That he died as a sinner is
plain--'He hath made him to be sin. And the Lord laid upon him the
iniquity of us all' (Isa 53). That, then, as to his own person he
was completely sinless is also as truly manifest, and that by a
multitude of scriptures. Now, I say, that Christ Jesus should be
thus considered, and thus die, was the great mystery of God. Hence
Paul tells us, that when he preached 'Christ crucified,' he preached
not only the 'wisdom of God,' but the 'wisdom of God in a mystery,'
even his 'hidden wisdom,' for, indeed, this wisdom is hidden, and
kept close from the 'fowls of the air' (1 Cor 1:24, 2:7,8; Job
28:20,21).

It is also so mysterious, that it goes beyond the reach of all men,
except those to whom an understanding is given of God to apprehend
it (1 John 5:20). That one particular man should represent all
the elect in himself, and that the most righteous should die as a
sinner, yea, as a sinner by the hand of a just and holy God, is a
mystery of the greatest depth!

Second. And now I come to show you how the elect are concerned
therein; that is, in this mysterious act of this most blessed One;
and this will make this act yet more mysterious to you.

Now, then, we will speak of this first, as to how Christ prepared
himself thus mysteriously to act. He took hold of our nature. I
say, he took hold of us, by taking upon him flesh and blood. The
Son of God, therefore, took not upon him a particular person, though
he took to him a human body and soul; but that which he took was,
as I may call it, a lump of the common nature of man; and by that,
hold of the whole elect seed of Abraham; 'For verily he took not on
him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham'
(Heb 2:16) Hence he, in a mystery, became us, and was counted as
all the men that were or should be saved. And this is the reason why
we are said to do, when only Jesus Christ did do. As for instance--

1. When Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteousness of the law, it
is said it was fulfilled in us, because indeed fulfilled in our
nature: '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 be fulfilled in us,' &c. (Rom 8:3,4). But because
none should appropriate this unto themselves that have not had passed
upon them a work of conversion, therefore he adds, 'Who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (v. 4). For there being
a union between head and members, though things may be done by
the head, and that for the members, the things are counted to the
members, as if not done only by the head. 'The righteousness of the
law is fulfilled in us'; and that truly, because fulfilled in that
common nature which the Son of God took of the Virgin. Wherefore,
in this sense we are said to do what only was done by him; even
as the client doth by his lawyer, when his lawyer personates him;
the client is said to do, when it is the lawyer only that does;
and to overcome by doing, when it is the lawyer that overcomes; the
reason is, because the lawyer does in the client's name. How much
more then may it be said we do, when only Christ does; since he
does what he does, not in our name only, but in our nature too;
'for the law of the spirit of life in Christ.' not in me, 'hath
made me free from the law of sin and death' (Rom 8:2); he doing in
his common flesh what could not be done in my particular person,
that so I might have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in me,
[that is, in] my flesh assumed by Christ; though impossible to be
done [by me], because of the weakness of my person. The reason of
all this is, because we are said to be in him in his doing, in him
by our flesh, and also by the election of God. So, then, as all
men sinned when Adam fell, so all the elect did righteousness when
Christ wrought and fulfilled the law; 'for as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Cor 15:22).

2. As we are said to do by Christ, so we are said to suffer by
him, to suffer with him. 'I am crucified with Christ,' said Paul.
And again, 'Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin' (1 Peter 4:1). Mark how
the apostle seems to change the person. First he says, it is Christ
that suffered; and that is true; but then he insinuates that it is
us that suffered, for the exhortation is to believers, to 'walk in
newness of life' (Rom 6:4). And the argument is, because they have
suffered in the flesh, 'For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time
in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God' (1 Peter
4:1,2). We then suffered, when Christ suffered; we then suffered
in his flesh, and also our 'old man was crucified with him' (Rom
6:6); that is, in his crucifixion; for when he hanged on the cross,
all the elect hanged there in their common flesh which he assumed,
and because he suffered there as a public man.

3. As we are said to suffer with him, so we are said to die, to be
dead with him; with him, that is, by the dying of his body. 'Now,
if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him' (Rom 6:8). Wherefore he saith in other places, 'Brethren,
ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ'; for indeed
we died then to it by him. To the law--that is, the law now has
nothing to do with us; for that it has already executed its curse
to the full upon us by its slaying of the body of Christ; for the
body of Christ was our flesh: upon it also was laid our sin. The
law, too, spent that curse that was due to us upon him, when it
condemned, killed, and cast him into the grave. Wherefore, it having
thus spent its whole curse upon him as standing in our stead, we
are exempted from its curse for ever; we are become dead to it by
that body (Rom 7:4). It has done with us as to justifying righteousness.
Nor need we fear its damning threats any more; for by the death of
this body we are freed from it, and are for ever now coupled to a
living Christ.

4. As we are said thus to be dead, so we are said also to rise
again by him--'Thy dead men,' saith he to the Father, 'shall live,
together with my dead body shall they arise' (Isa 26:19).[5] And
again, 'After two days he will revive us; in the third day--we
shall live in his sight' (Hosea 6:2).

Both these scriptures speak of the resurrection of Christ, of the
resurrection of his body on the third day; but behold, as we were
said before to suffer and be dead with him, so now we are said also
to rise and live in God's sight by the resurrection of his body.
For, as was said, the flesh was ours; he took part of our flesh
when he came into the world; and in it he suffered, died, and rose
again (Heb 2:14). We also were therefore counted by God, in that
God-man, when he did this; yea, he suffered, died, and rose as a
common head.[6]

Hence also the New Testament is full of this, saying, 'If ye be
dead with Christ' (Col 2:20). 'If ye be risen with Christ' (3:1).
And again, 'He hath quickened us together with him' (2:13). 'We are
quickened together with him.' 'Quickened,' and 'quickened together
with him.' The apostle hath words that cannot easily be shifted
or evaded. Christ then was quickened when he was raised from the
dead. Nor is it proper to say that he was ever quickened either
before or since. This text also concludes that we--to wit, the
whole body of God's elect, were also quickened then, and made to
live with him together. True, we also are quickened personally by
grace the day in the which we are born unto God by the gospel; yet
afore that, we are quickened in our Head; quickened when he was
raised from the dead, quickened together with him.

5. Nor are we thus considered--to wit, as dying and rising, and so
left; but the apostle pursues his argument, and tells us that we
also reap by him, as being considered in him, the benefit which
Christ received, both in order to his resurrection, and the blessed
effect thereof.

(1.) We received, by our thus being counted in him, that benefit
which did precede his rising from the dead; and what was that but
the forgiveness of sins? For this stands clear to reason, that if
Christ had our sins charged upon him at his death, he then must
be discharged of them in order to his resurrection. Now, though it
is not proper to say they were forgiven to him, because they were
purged from him by merit; yet they may be said to be forgiven us,
because we receive this benefit by grace. And this, I say, was done
precedent to his resurrection from the dead. 'He hath quickened
us together with him, HAVING forgiven us all trespasses.' He could
not be 'quickened' till we were 'discharged'; because it was not
for himself, but for us, that he died. Hence we are said to be at
that time, as to our own personal estate, dead in our sins, even
when we are 'quickened together with him' (Col 2:13).

Therefore both the 'quickening' and 'forgiveness' too, so far
as we are in this text concerned, is to him, as we are considered
in him, or to him, with respect to us. 'Having forgiven you ALL
trespasses.' For necessity so required; because else how was it
possible that the pains of death should be loosed in order to his
rising, so long as one sin stood still charged to him, as that for
the commission of which God had not received a plenary satisfaction?
As therefore we suffered, died, and rose again by him, so, in
order to his so rising, he, as presenting of us in his person and
suffering, received for us remission of all our trespasses. A full
discharge therefore was, in and by Christ, received of God of all
our sins afore he rose from the dead, as his resurrection truly
declared; for he 'was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification' (Rom 4:25). This therefore is one
of the privileges we receive by the rising again of our Lord, for
that we were in his flesh considered, yea, and in his death and
suffering too.

(2.) By this means also we have now escaped death. 'Knowing that
Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more
dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto,' or for, 'sin
once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God' (Rom 6:9,10). Now
in all this, considering what has been said before, we that are
of the elect are privileged, for that we also are raised up by the
rising of the body of Christ from the dead. And thus the apostle
bids us reckon: 'Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ' (Rom 6:11).
Hence Christ says, 'I am the resurrection and the life,' for that
all his are safe in him, suffering, dying, and rising. He is the
life, 'our life'; yea, so our life, that by him the elect do live
before God, even then when as to themselves they yet are dead in
their sins. Wherefore, hence it is that in time they partake of
quickening grace from this their Head, to the making of them also
live by faith, in order to their living hereafter with him in glory;
for if Christ lives, they cannot die that were sharers with him in
his resurrection.[7] Hence they are said to 'live,' being 'quickened
together with him.' Also, as sure as at his resurrection they lived
by him, so sure at his coming shall they be gathered to him; nay,
from that day to this, all that, as aforesaid, were in him at
his death and resurrection, are already, in the 'dispensation of
the fulness of times,' daily 'gathering to him.' For this he hath
purposed, wherefore none can disannul it--'In the dispensation of
the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth; even in
him' (Eph 1:10).

(3.) To secure this the more to our faith that believe, as we are
said to be 'raised up together' with him, so we are said to be 'made
to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus' (Eph 2:6). We
died by him, we rose by him, and are together, even all the elect,
set down 'together' in 'heavenly places in Christ Jesus'; for still,
even now he is on the right hand of God, he is to be considered as
our public man, our Head, and so one in whom is concluded all the
elect of God. We then are by him already in heaven; in heaven,
I say, by him; yea, set down there in our places of glory by him.
Hence the apostle, speaking of us again, saith, That as we are
predestinate, we are called, justified, and glorified; called,
justified, glorified; all is done, already done, as thus considered
in Christ (Rom 8:30). For that in his public work there is nothing
yet to do as to this. Is not HE called? Is not HE justified? Is not
HE glorified? And are we not in him, in him, even as so considered?

Nor doth this doctrine hinder or forestal the doctrine of
regeneration or conversion; nay, it lays a foundation for it; for
by this doctrine we gather assurance that Christ will have his own;
for if already they live in their head, what is that but a pledge
that they shall live in their persons with him? and, consequently,
that to that end they shall, in the times allotted for that end,
be called to a state of faith, which God has ordained shall precede
and go before their personal enjoyment of glory. Nor doth this
hinder their partaking of the symbol of regeneration,[8] and of
their other privileges to which they are called in the day of grace;
yea, it lays a foundation for all these things; for if I am dead
with Christ, let me be like one dead with him, even to all things
to which Christ died when he hanged on the tree; and then he died
to sin, to the law, and to the rudiments of this world (Rom 6:10,
7:4; Col 2:20). And if I be risen with Christ, let me live, like
one born from the dead, in newness of life, and having my mind
and affections on the things where Christ now sitteth on the right
hand of God. And indeed he professes in vain that talketh of these
things, and careth not to have them also answered in himself. This
was the apostle's way, namely, to covet to 'know him, and the power
of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
made conformable unto his death' (Phil 3:10). And when we are thus,
that thing is true both in him and us. Then as is the heavenly,
such are they that are heavenly; for he that saith he is in him,
and by being in him, a partaker of these privileges by him, 'ought
himself also so to walk, even as he walked' (1 Cor 15:48; 1 John
2:6).

But to pass this digression, and to come to my argument, namely,
that men are justified from the curse of the law, before God, while
sinners in themselves; this is evident by what hath already been
said; for if the justification of their persons is by, in, and
through Christ; then it is not by, in, and through their own doings.
Nor was Christ engaged in this work but of necessity, even because
else there had not been salvation for the elect. 'O my father,'
saith he, 'if it be possible, let this cup pass from me' (Matt
26:39). If what be possible? Why, that my elect may be saved, and
I not spill my blood. Wherefore he saith again, Christ ought to
suffer (Luke 24:26). 'Christ must needs have suffered,' for 'without
shedding of blood is no remission' of sin (Acts 17:3; Heb 9:22).[9]

[Proofs of the first position.]

SECOND. We will now come to the present state and condition of those
that are justified; I mean with respect to their own qualifications,
and so prove the truth of this our great position. And this I
will do, by giving of you plain texts that discover it, and that
consequently prove our point. And after that, by giving of you
reasons drawn from the texts.

First. 'Speak not thou in thine heart,' no, not in thine heart,
'after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out [thine enemies] before
thee, saying, For my righteousness--do I possess this land.--Not
for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost
thou go to possess their land.--Understand, therefore, that the
Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy
righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people' (Deut 9:4-6).

In these words, very pat for our purpose, two things are worthy
our consideration. 1. The people here spoken to were the people
of God; and so by God himself are they here twice acknowledged to
be--'The Lord thy God, the Lord thy God.' So then, the righteousness
here intended is not the righteousness that is in the world, but
that which the people of God perform. 2. The righteousness here
intended is not some, but all, and every whit of that the church
performs to God: Say not in thine heart, after the Lord hath brought
thee in, It was for my righteousness. No, all thy righteousness,
from Egypt to Canaan, will not purchase Canaan for thee.

That this is true is evident, because it is thrice rejected--Not
for thy righteousness--not for thy righteousness--not for thy
righteousness, dost thou possess the land. Now, if the righteousness
of the people of God of old could not merit for them Canaan, which
was but a type of heaven, how can the righteousness of the world
now obtain heaven itself? I say again, if godly men, as these were,
could not by their works purchase the type of heaven, then must
the ungodly be justified, if ever they be justified from the curse
and sentence of the law, while sinners in themselves. The argument
is clear; for if good men, by what they do, cannot merit the less,
bad men, by what they do, cannot merit more.

Second. 'Remember me, O my God, concerning this; and wipe not out
my good deeds that I have done' (Neh 13:14).

These words were spoken by holy Nehemiah, and that at the end of
all the good that we read he did in the world. Also, the deeds here
spoken of were deeds done for God, for his people, for his house,
and for the offices thereof. Yet godly Nehemiah durst not stand
before God in these, nor yet suffer them to stand to his judgment
by the law; but prays to God to be merciful both to him and them,
and to spare him 'according to the greatness of his mercy' (v 22).

God blots out no good but for the sake of sin;[10] and forasmuch
as this man prays God would not blot out his, it is evident that
he was conscious to himself that in his good works were sin. Now,
I say, if a good man's works are in danger of being overthrown
because there is in them a tang of sin, how can bad men think to
stand just before God in their works, which are in all parts full
of sin? Yea, if the works of a sanctified man are blameworthy, how
shall the works of a bad man set him clear in the eyes of Divine
justice?

Third. 'But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away' (Isa 64:6).

In these words we have a relation both of persons and things. 1.
Of persons. And they are a righteous people, a righteous people
put all together--'We, we all are,' &c. 2. The condition of this
people, even of ALL of them, take them at the best, are, and that by
their own confession, 'as an unclean thing.' 3. Again; the things
here attending this people are their good things, put down under
this large character, 'Righteousnesses, ALL our righteousnesses.'

These expressions therefore comprehend all their religious duties,
both before and after faith too. But what are all these righteousnesses?
Why, they are all as 'filthy rags' when set before the justice of
the law; yea, it is also confessed, and that by these people, that
their iniquities, notwithstanding all their righteousnesses, like
the wind, if grace prevent not, would 'carry them away.' This
being so, how is it possible for one that is in his sins, to work
himself into a spotless condition by works done before faith,
by works done by natural abilities? or to perform a righteousness
which is able to look God in the face, his law in the face, and
to demand and obtain the forgiveness of sins, and the life that is
eternal? It cannot be: 'men must therefore be justified from the
curse, in the sight of God while sinners in themselves,' or not at
all.[11]

Fourth. 'There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and
sinneth not' (Eccl 7:20; 1 Kings 8:46).

Although the words before are large, yet these seem far larger;
there is not a man, not a just man, not a just man upon the earth,
that doeth good, and sinneth not. Now, if no good man, if no good
man upon earth doth good, and sinneth not; then no good man upon
earth can set himself by his own actions justified in the sight of
God, for he has sin mixed with his good. How then shall a bad man,
any bad man, the best bad man upon earth, think to set himself by
his best things just in the sight of God? And if the tree makes
the fruit either good or evil, then a bad tree--and a bad man is
a bad tree--can bring forth no good fruit, how then shall such an
one do that that shall 'cleanse him from his sin,' and set him as
'spotless before the face of God?' (Matt 7:16).

Fifth. 'Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from
righteousness: I bring near my righteousness,' &c. (Isa 46:12-13).

1. This call is general, and so proves, whatever men think of themselves,
that in the judgment of God there is none at all righteous. Men,
as men, are far from being so. 2. This general offer of righteousness,
of the righteousness of God, declares that it is in vain for men to
think to be set just and righteous before God by any other means.
3. There is here also insinuated, that for him that thinks himself
the worst, God has prepared a righteousness, and therefore would not
have him despair of life that sees himself far from righteousness.
From all these scriptures, therefore, it is manifest, 'that men
must be justified from the curse of the law, in the sight of God,
while sinners in themselves.'

Sixth. 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest' (Matt 11:28).

Here we have a labouring people, a people labouring for life; but
by all their labour, you see, they cannot ease themselves; their
burden still remains upon them; they yet are heavy laden. The load
here is, doubtless, guilt of sin, such as David had when he said
by reason thereof, he was not able to look up (Psa 38:3-5). Hence,
therefore, you have an experiment set before you of those that are
trying what they can do for life; but behold, the more they stir,
the more they sink under the weight of the burden that lies upon
them.[12] And the conclusion--to wit, Christ's call to them to come
to him for rest--declares that, in his judgment, rest was not to
be had elsewhere. And I think, one may with as much safety adhere
to Christ's judgment as to any man's alive; wherefore, 'men must
be justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while sinners in
themselves.'

Seventh. 'There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all
gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one' (Rom 3:10-12).

These words have respect to a righteousness which is justified by
the law; and they conclude that none by his own performances is
righteous with such a righteousness; and it is concluded from five
reasons--1. Because they are not good; for a man must be good
before he doth good, and perfectly good before he doth good and
sinneth not. 2. Because they understand not. How then should they
do good? for a man must know before he does, else how should he
divert[13] himself to do? 3. Because they want a heart; they seek
not after God according to the way of his own appointment. 4. They
are all gone out of the way; how then can they walk therein? 5.
They are together become unprofitable. What worth or value then can
there be in any of their doings? These are the reasons by which
he proveth that there is 'none righteous, no, not one.' And the
reasons are weighty, for by them he proves the tree is not good;
how then can it yield good fruit?

Now, as he concludes from these five reasons that not one indeed
is righteous, so he concludes by five more that none can do good to
make him so--1. For that internally they are as an open sepulchre,
as full of dead men's bones. Their minds and consciences are defiled;
how then can sweet and good proceed from thence? (v 13). 2. Their
throat is filled with this stink; all their vocal duties therefore
smell thereof. 3. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
how then can there be found one word that should please God? 4.
Their tongue, which should present their praise to God, has been
used to work deceit; how then, until it is made a new one, should
it speak in righteousness? 5. The poison of asps is under their lips;
therefore whatever comes from them must be polluted (Rom 3:11-14;
Matt 23:27; Titus 1:15; Jer 44:17, 17:9). Thus, you see, he sets
forth their internal part, which being a true report, as to be sure
it is, it is impossible that any good should so much as be framed
in such an inward part, or come clean out of such a throat, by such
a tongue, through such lips as these.

And yet this is not all. He also proves, and that by five reasons
more, that it is not possible they should do good--1. 'Their feet
are swift to shed blood' (Rom 3:15). This implies an inclination,
an inward inclination to evil courses; a quickness of motion to
do evil, but a backwardness to do good. 2. 'Destruction and misery
are in their ways' (v16). Take 'ways' for their 'doings,' and in
the best of them destruction lurks, and misery yet follows them at
the heels. 3. 'The way of peace have they not known'; that is far
above out of their sight (v 17). Wherefore the labour of these
foolish ones will weary every one of them, because they know not
the way that goes to the city (Eccl 10:15). 4. 'There is no fear
of God before their eyes' (v 18). How then can they do anything
with that godly reverence of his holy Majesty that is and must be
essential to every good work? for to do things, but not in God's
fear, to what will it amount? will it avail? 5. All this while they
are under a law that calls for works that are perfectly good; that
will accept of none but what are perfectly good; and that will
certainly condemn them because they neither are nor can be perfectly
good. 'For what things soever the law saith, it saith it to them
who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God' (v 19).

Thus you see that Paul here proves, by fifteen reasons, that none
are, nor can be, righteous before God by works that they can do;
therefore 'men must be justified from the curse, in the sight of
God, while sinners in themselves.'

Eighth. 'But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets' (v 21).

This text utterly excludes the law--what law? The law of works,
the moral law, (v 27)--and makes mention of another righteousness,
even a righteousness of God; for the righteousness of the law is
the righteousness of men, men's 'own righteousness' (Phil 3:9).
Now, if the law, as to a justifying righteousness, is rejected;
then the very matter upon and by which man should work is rejected;
and if so, then he must be justified by the righteousness of
God, or not at all; for he must be justified by a righteousness
that is without the law; to wit, the righteousness of God. Now,
this righteousness of God, whatever it is, to be sure it is not a
righteousness that flows from men; for that, as I said, is rejected,
and the righteousness of God opposed unto it, being called
a righteousness that is without the law, without our personal
obedience to it. The righteousness of God, or a righteousness of
God's completing, a righteousness of God's bestowing, a righteousness
that God also gives unto, and puts upon all them that believe (Rom
3:22), a righteousness that stands in the works of Christ, and that
is imputed both by the grace and justice of God (v 24-26). Where,
now, is room for man's righteousness, either in the whole, or as
to any part thereof? I say, where, as to justification with God?

Ninth. 'What shall we then say that Abraham, our father as pertaining
to the flesh, hath found?' (Rom 4:1)

Now, the apostle is at the root of the matter; for Abraham is
counted the father of the faithful; consequently, the man whose
way of attaining justification must needs be exemplary to all the
children of Abraham. Now, the question is, how Abraham found? how
he found that which some of his children sought and missed? (Rom
9:32); that is, how he found justifying righteousness; for it was
that which Israel sought and attained not unto (11:7). 'Did he
find it,' saith Paul, 'by the flesh?' or, as he was in the flesh?
or, by acts and works of the flesh? But what are they? why, the
next verse tells you 'they are the works of the law' (Rom 4).

'If Abraham was justified by works'; that is, as pertaining to the
flesh; for the works of the law are none other but the best sort
of the works of the flesh. And so Paul calls all they that he had
before his conversion to Christ: 'If any other man,' saith he,
'thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more.'
And then he counteth up several of his privileges, to which he at
last adjoineth the righteousness of the moral law, saying, 'Touching
the righteousness which is in the law, [I was] blameless' (Phil
3:4-6). And it is proper to call the righteousness of the law the
work of the flesh, because it is the work of a man, of a man in
the flesh; for the Holy Ghost doth not attend the law, or the work
thereof, as to this, in man, as man; that has confined itself to
another ministration, whose glorious name it bears (2 Cor 3:8).
I say it is proper to call the works of the law the works of the
flesh, because they are done by that self-same nature in and out of
which comes all those things that are more grossly so called (Gal
5:19,20); to wit, from the corrupt fountain of fallen man's polluted
nature (James 3:10).

This, saith Paul, was not the righteousness by which Abraham found
justification with God--'For if Abraham was justified by works,
he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the
Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for
righteousness' (Rom 4:2-3). This 'believing' is also set in flat
opposition to 'works,' and to the 'law of works'; wherefore, upon
pain of great contempt to God, it must not be reckoned as a work
to justify withal, but rather as that which receiveth and applieth
that righteousness. From all this, therefore, it is manifest 'that
men must be justified from the curse of the law, in the sight of
God, while sinners in themselves.' But,

Tenth. 'Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt' (Rom 4:4).

These words do not only back what went before, as to the rejection
of the law for righteousness as to justification with God, but supposing
the law was of force to justify, life must not be admitted to come
that way, because of the evil consequences that will unavoidably
flow therefrom. 1. By this means, grace, and justification by grace,
would be rejected; and that would be a foul business; it would not
be reckoned of grace. 2. By this, God would become the debtor, and
so the underling; and so we in this the more honourable.

It would not be reckoned of grace, but of debt; and what would follow
from hence? Why, (1.) By this we should frustrate the design of
Heaven, which is, to justify us freely by grace, through a redemption
brought in by Christ (Rom 3:24-26; Eph 2:8-13). (2.) By this we
should make ourselves the saviours, and jostle Christ quite out of
doors (Gal 5:2-4). (3.) We should have heaven at our own dispose,
as a debt, not by promise, and so not be beholden to God for it (Gal
3:18). It must, then, be of grace, not of works, for the preventing
of these evils.

Again, it must not be of works, because if it should, then God would
be the debtor, and we the creditor. Now, much blasphemy would flow
from hence; as, (1.) God himself would not be his own to dispose
of; for the inheritance being God, as well as his kingdom (for so
it is written, 'heirs of God' (Rom 8:17)), himself, I say, must
needs be our purchase. (2.) If so, then we have right to dispose
of him, of his kingdom and glory, and all--'Be astonished, O heavens,
at this!'--for if he be ours by works, then he is ours of debt; if
he be ours of debt, then he is ours by purchase; and then, again,
if so, he is no longer his own, but ours, and at our disposal.

Therefore, for these reasons, were there sufficiency in our personal
works to justify us, it would be even inconsistent with the being
of God to suffer it. So then, 'men are justified from the curse,
in the sight of God, while sinners in themselves.'

Eleventh. 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness'
(Rom 4:5).

These words show how we must stand just in the sight of God from
the curse of the law, both as it respecteth justification itself,
as also the instrument or means that receiveth that righteousness
which justifieth.

1. As for that righteousness that justifieth, it is not personal
performances in us; for the person here justified stands, in that
respect, as one that worketh not, as one that is ungodly. 2. As
it respecteth the instrument that receiveth it, that faith, as in
the point of justifying righteousness, will not work, but believe,
but receive the works and righteousness of another; for works and
faith in this are set in opposition. He doth not work, he doth
believe' (Gal 3:12). He worketh not, but believeth on him who
justifieth us, ungodly. As Paul also saith in another place, The
law is not of faith (Rom 10:5,6). And again, Works saith on this
wise; faith, far different. The law saith, Do this, and live. But
the doctrine of faith saith, 'If thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness,' &c. (Rom 10:9,10).

Object. But faith is counted for righteousness.

Answ. True, but yet consider, that by faith we do oft understand
the doctrine of remission of sins, as well as the act of believing.

But again; faith when it hath received the Lord Jesus, it hath
done that which pleaseth God; therefore, the very act of believing
is the most noble in the world; believing sets the crown upon the
head of grace; it seals to the truth of the sufficiency of the
righteousness of Christ, and giveth all the glory to God (John
3:33). And therefore it is a righteous act; but Christ himself,
he is the Righteousness that justifieth' (Rom 4:20,25). Besides,
faith is a relative, and hath its relation as such. Its relation
is the righteousness that justifieth, which is therefore called the
righteousness of faith, or that with which faith hath to do (Rom
10:6). Separate these two, and justification cannot be, because
faith now wants his righteousness. And hence it is you have so often
such sayings as these--'He that believeth in me; he that believeth
on him; believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved'
(John 6:35,40). Faith, then, as separate from Christ, doth nothing;
nothing, neither with God nor man; because it wants its relative;
but let it go to the Lord Jesus--let it behold him as dying, &c.,
and it fetches righteousness, and life, and peace out of the virtue
of his blood, &c. (Acts 10:29,31,33). Or rather, sees it there as
sufficient for me to stand just thereby in the sight of Eternal
Justice For him 'God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith [belief] in his blood,' with intent to justify him that
believeth in Jesus (Rom 3:25,26).

Twelfth. 'Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man
to whom God imputeth righteousness without works' (Rom 4:6).

Did our adversaries understand this one text, they would not
so boldly affirm, as they do, that the words, 'impute, imputed,
imputeth, imputing,' &c., are not used in scripture but to express
men really and personally to be that which is imputed unto them;
for men are not really and personally faith, yet faith is imputed
to men; nay, they are not really and personally sin, nor really and
personally righteousness, yet these are imputed to men: so, then,
both good things and bad may sometimes be imputed to men, yet
themselves be really and personally neither. But to come to the
point: what righteousness hath that man that hath no works? Doubtless
none of his own; yet God imputeth righteousness to him. Yea, what
works of that man doth God impute to him that he yet justifies as
ungodly?

Further, He that hath works as to justification from the curse before
God, not one of them is regarded of God; so, then, it mattereth
not whether thou hast righteousness of thine own, or none. 'Blessed
is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works.'
Man's blessedness, then, the blessedness of justification from the
curse in the sight of God, lieth not in good works done by us,
either before or after faith received, but in a righteousness which
God imputeth without works; as we 'work not' as we 'are ungodly.'
'Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sin is
covered' (v 7). To forgive and to cover are acts of mercy, not the
cause of our merit. Besides, where sin is real, there can be no
perfect righteousness; but the way of justification must be through
perfect righteousness, therefore by another than our own, 'Blessed
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin' (v 8). The first
cause, then, of justification before God, dependeth upon the will
of God, who will justify because he will; therefore the meritorious
cause must also be of his own providing, else his will cannot
herein be absolute; for if justification depend upon our personal
performances, then not upon the will of God. He may not have mercy
upon whom he will, but on whom man's righteousness will give him leave.
But his will, not ours, must rule here; therefore his righteousness,
and his only (Rom 9:15,18). So, then, 'men are justified from the
curse, in the sight of God, while sinners in themselves.'

Having passed over these few scriptures, I shall come to particular
instances of persons who have been justified; and shall briefly
touch their qualifications in the act of God's justifying them.
First, By the Old Testament types. Second, By the New.

[First Position illustrated by Scripture types.]

First. By the Old [Testament types]. First. 'Unto Adam also and to
his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them'
(Gen 3:21).

In the beginning of this chapter you find these two persons reasoning
with the serpent, the effect of which discourse was, they take of
the forbidden fruit, and so break the command of God (vv 7-15).
This done, they hide themselves, and cover their nakedness with
aprons. But God finds out their sin, from the highest branch even
to the roots thereof. What followeth? Not one precept by which
they should by works obtain the favour of God, but the promise of
a Saviour; of which promise this twenty-first verse is a mystical
interpretation: 'The Lord God made them coats of skins, and clothed
them.'

Hence observe--1. That these coats were made, not before, but after
they had made themselves aprons; a plain proof their aprons were
not sufficient to hide their shame from the sight of God. 2. These
coats were made, not of Adam's inherent righteousness, for that
was lost before by sin, but of the skins of the slain, types of the
death of Christ, and of the righteousness brought in thereby--'By
whose stripes we are healed' (Isa 53).[14] 3. This is further
manifest; for the coats, God made them; and for the persons, God
clothed them therewith; to show that as the righteousness by which
we must stand just before God from the curse is a righteousness of
Christ's performing, not of theirs; so he, not they, must put it on
them also, for of God we are in Christ, and of God his righteousness
is made ours (1 Cor 1:30).

But, I say, if you would see their antecedent qualifications, you
find them under two heads--rebellion [and] hypocrisy. Rebellion,
in breaking God's command; hypocrisy, in seeking how to hide their
faults from God. Expound this by gospel language, and then it
shows 'that men are justified from the curse, in the sight of God,
while sinners in themselves.'

Second. 'The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering' (Gen
4:4).

By these words we find the person first accepted: 'The Lord
had respect unto Abel.' And indeed, where the person is not first
accepted, the offering will not be pleasing; the altar sanctifies
the gift, and the temple sanctifieth the gold; so the person, the
condition of the person, is that which makes the offering either
pleasing or despising (Matt 23:16-21). In the epistle to the
Hebrews it is said, 'By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was
righteous' (Heb 11:4). Righteous before he offered his gift, as
his sacrifice testified; for God accepted of it.

'By faith he offered.' Wherefore faith was precedent, or before
he offered. Now faith hath to do with God through Christ; not with
him through our works of righteousness. Besides, Abel was righteous
before he offered, before he did do good, otherwise God would not
have testified of his gift. 'By faith he obtained witness that he
was righteous,' for God approved of his gifts. Now faith, I say,
as to our standing quit before the Father, respects the promise
of forgiveness of sins through the undertaking of the Lord Jesus.
Wherefore Abel's faith as to justifying righteousness before God
looked not forward to what should be done by himself, but back to
the promise of the seed of the woman, that was to destroy the power
of hell, and 'to redeem them that were under the law' (Gen 3:15;
Gal 4:4,5). By this faith he shrouds himself under the promise of
victory, and the merits of the Lord Jesus. Now being there, God
finds him righteous; and being righteous, 'he offered to God a
more excellent sacrifice than his brother'; for Cain's person was
not first accepted through the righteousness of faith going before,
although he seemed foremost as to personal acts of righteousness
(Gen 4). Abel therefore was righteous before he did good works;
but that could not be but alone through that respect God had to him
for the sake of the Messias promised before (3:15). But the Lord's
so respecting Abel presupposeth that at that time he stood in
himself by the law a sinner, otherwise he needed not to be respected
for and upon the account of another. Yea, Abel also, forasmuch as
he acted faith before he offered sacrifice, must thereby entirely
respect the promise, which promise was not grounded upon a condition
of works to be found in Abel, but in and for the sake of the seed
of the woman, which is Christ; which promise he believed, and so
took it for granted that this Christ should break the serpent's
head--that is, destroy by himself the works of the devil; to wit,
sin, death, the curse, and hell (Gal 4:4). By this faith he stood
before God righteous, because he had put on Christ; and being thus,
he offered; by which act of faith God declared he was pleased with
him, because he accepted of his sacrifice.

Third. 'And the Lord said unto her, The elder shall serve the
younger' (Gen 25:23).

These words, after Paul's exposition, are to be understood of
justification in the sight of God, according to the purpose and
decree of electing love, which had so determined long before, that
one of these children should be received to eternal grace; but mark,
not by works of righteousness which they should do, but 'before
they had done either good or evil'; otherwise 'the purpose of God
according to election,' not of works, but of him that calleth,
'could not stand,' but fall in pieces (Rom 9:10-12). But none are
received into eternal mercy but such as are just before the Lord
by a righteousness that is complete; and Jacob having done no good,
could by no means have that of his own, and therefore it must be
by some other righteousness, 'and so himself be justified from the
curse, in the sight of God, while a sinner in himself.'

Fourth. The same may be said concerning Solomon, whom the Lord
loved with special love, as soon as born into the world; which he
also confirmed with signal characters. 'He sent,' saith the Holy
Ghost, 'by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name
Jedidiah, because the Lord loved him (2 Sam 12:24,25).[15] Was
this love of God extended to him because of his personal virtues?
No, verily; for he was yet an infant.[16] He was justified then in
the sight of God from the curse by another than his own righteousness.

Fifth. 'And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine
own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea,
I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live' (Eze 16:6).

The state of this people you have in the former verses described,
both as to their rise and practice in the world (vv 1-5). 1. As
to their rise. Their original was the same with Canaan, the men of
God's curse (Gen 9:25). 'Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land
of Canaan'; the same with other carnal men (Rom 3:9). 'Thy father
was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite' (Eze 16:3). Their
condition, that is showed us by this emblem--(1.) They had not been
washed in water. (2.) They had not been swaddled. (3.) They had
not been salted. (4.) They brought filth with them into the world.
(5.) They lay stinking in their cradle. (6.) They were without
strength to help themselves. Thus they appear and come by generation.
2. Again, as to their practice--(1.) They polluted themselves in
their own blood. (2.) They so continued till God passed by--'And when
I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood';--'in
thy blood, in thy blood'; it is doubled. Thus we see they were
polluted born, they continued in their blood till the day that the
Lord looked upon them; polluted, I say, to the loathing of their
persons, &c. Now this was the time of love--'And when I passed by
thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee
when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou
wast in thy blood, Live' (Eze 16:6).

Quest. But how could a holy God say, 'Live,' to such a sinful
people?

Answ. Though they had nought but sin, yet he had love and righteousness.
He had love to pity them; righteousness to cover them--'Now when
I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the
time of love' (Eze 16:8). What follows? (1) 'I spread my skirt
over thee'; and (2) 'Covered thy nakedness'; yea, (3) 'I sware unto
thee'; and (4) 'Entered into covenant with thee'; and (5) 'Thou
becamest mine.' My love pitied thee; my skirt covered thee. Thus
God delivered them from the curse in his sight. 'Then I washed thee
with water, after thou wast justified; yea, I thoroughly washed
away thy blood from thee, and anointed thee with oil' (v 9).

Sanctification, then, is consequential, justification goes before.
The Holy Ghost by this scripture setteth forth to the life, free
grace to the sons of men, while they themselves are sinners. I say,
while they are unwashed, unswaddled, unsalted, but bloody sinners;
for by these words, 'not washed, not salted, not swaddled,' he
setteth forth their unsanctified state; yea, they were not only
unsanctified, but also cast out, without pity, to the loathing of
their persons; yea, 'no eye pitied them, to do any of these things
for them'; no eye but his, whose glorious grace is unsearchable;
no eye but his, who could look and love; all others looked and
loathed; but blessed be God that hath passed by us in that day
that we wallowed in our own blood; and blessed be God for the skirt
of his glorious righteousness wherewith he covered us when we lay
before him naked in blood. It was when we were in our blood that
he loved us; when we were in our blood he said, Live. Therefore,
'men are justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while
sinners in themselves.'

Sixth. 'Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood
before the angel' (Zech 3:3).

The standing of Joshua here is as men used to stand that were
arraigned before a judge. 'Joshua stood before the angel of the
Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him' (v 1).
The same posture as Judas stood in when he was to be condemned. 'Set
thou,' said David, 'a wicked man over him; and let Satan stand at
his right hand' (Psa 109:6). Thus, therefore, Joshua stood. Now
Joshua was clothed, not with righteousness, but with filthy rags!
Sin upon him, and Satan by him, and this before the angel! What
must he do now? Go away? No; there he must stand! Can he speak for
himself? Not a word; guilt had made him dumb! (Isa 53:12). Had he
no place clean? No; he was clothed with filthy garments! But his
lot was to stand before Jesus Christ, that maketh intercession
for transgressors. 'And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke
thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke
thee' (Zech 3:2). Thus Christ saveth from present condemnation
those that be still in their sin and blood.[17]

But is he now quit? No; he standeth yet in filthy garments; neither
can he, by aught that is in him, or done by him, clear himself from
him. How then? Why, the Lord clothes him with change of raiment.
The iniquities were his own, the raiment was the Lord's. 'This is
the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness
is of me, saith the Lord' (Isa 54:17). We will not here discourse
of Joshua's sin, what it was, or when committed; it is enough to
our purpose that he was clothed with filthy garments; and that the
Lord made a change with him, by causing his iniquity to pass from
him, and by clothing him with change of raiment. But what had
Joshua antecedent to this glorious and heavenly clothing? The devil
at his right hand to resist him, and himself in filthy garments.
'Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the
angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him,
saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he
said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and
I will clothe thee with change of raiment' (Zech 3: 3,4).

Second. But to pass [from] the Old Testament types, and to come to
the New.

First. 'And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed
with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus
suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things God hath done for thee, and hath had
compassion on thee' (Mark 5:18,19).

The present state of this man is sufficiently declared in these
particulars--1. He was possessed with a devil; with devils, with
many; with a whole legion, which some say is six thousand, or
thereabouts (Matt 8). 2. These devils had so the mastery of him
as to drive him from place to place into the wilderness among the
mountains, and so to dwell in the tombs among the dead (Luke 8). 3.
He was out of his wits; he would cut his flesh, break his chains;
nay, 'no man could tame him' (Mark 5:4-5). 4. When he saw Jesus, the
devil in him, as being lord and governor there, cried out against
the Lord Jesus (v 7). In all this, what qualification shows itself
as precedent to justification? None but such as devils work, or as
rank bedlams have. Yet this poor man was dispossessed, taken into
God's compassion, and was bid to show it to the world. 'Go home
to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done
for thee, and hath had compassion on thee' (v 19); which last words,
because they are added over and above his being dispossessed of
the devils, I understand to be the fruit of electing love. 'I will
have compassion on whom I will have compassion,' which blesseth
us with the mercy of a justifying righteousness; and all this, as
by this is manifest, without the least precedent qualification of
ours.

Second. 'And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them
both' (Luke 7:42).

The occasion of these words was, for that the Pharisee murmured
against the woman that washed Jesus' feet, because 'she was a sinner';
for so said the Pharisee, and so saith the Holy Ghost (v 37). But,
saith Christ, Simon, I will ask thee a question, 'A certain man
had two debtors: the one owed him five hundred pence, and the other
fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them
both' (v 38).

Hence I gather these conclusions--1. That men that are wedded to their
own righteousness understand not the doctrine of the forgiveness of
sins. This is manifested by the poor Pharisee; he objected against
the woman because she was a sinner. 2. Let Pharisees murmur still,
yet Christ hath pity and mercy for sinners. 3. Yet Jesus doth not
usually manifest mercy until the sinner hath nothing to pay. 'And
when they had nothing to pay, he frankly,' or freely, or heartily,
'forgave them both.' If they had nothing to pay, then they were
sinners; but he forgiveth no man but with respect to a righteousness;
therefore that righteousness must be another's; for in the very
act of mercy they are found sinners. They had nothing but debt,
nothing but sin, nothing to pay [with]. Then they were 'justified
freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus.' So, then, 'men are justified from the curse, in the sight
of God, while sinners in themselves.'

Third. 'And when he saw their faith, he said unto the man, Thy sins
are forgiven thee' (Luke 5:20).

This man had not righteousness to stand just before God withal,
for his sins as yet remained unforgiven; wherefore, seeing guilt
remained until Christ remitted him, he was discharged while ungodly.
And observe it, the faith here mentioned is not to be reckoned so
much the man's, as the faith of them that brought him; neither did
it reach to the forgiveness of sins, but to the miracle of healing;
yet this man, in this condition, had his sins forgiven him.

But again; set the case, the faith was only his, as it was not,
and that it reached to the doctrine of forgiveness, yet it did it
without respect to righteousness in himself; for guilt lay still
upon him, he had now his sins forgiven him. But this act of grace
was a surprisal; it was unlooked for. 'I am found of them that
sought me not' (Isa 65:1). They came for one thing, he gave them
another; they came for a cure upon his body, but, to their amazement,
he cured first his soul. 'Thy sins are forgiven thee.' Besides,
to have his sins forgiven betokeneth an act of grace; but grace
and works as to this are opposite (Rom 11:6). Therefore 'men are
justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while sinners in
themselves.'

Fourth. 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight,
and am no more worthy to be called thy son' (Luke 15:21).

What this man was is sufficiently declared in verse 13, &c. As 1.
A riotous spender of all--of time, talent, body, and soul. 2. He
added to this his rebellion, great contempt of his father's house--he
joined himself to a stranger, and became an associate with swine (vv
15,17). At last, indeed, he came to himself. But then observe--(1.) He
sought not justification by personal performances of his own; (2.)
Neither did he mitigate his wickedness; (3.) Nor excuse himself
before his father; but first resolveth to confess his sin; and
coming to his father, did confess it, and that with aggravating
circumstances. 'I have sinned against heaven; I have sinned against
thee; I am no more worthy to be called thy son' (v 18). Now what
he said was true or false. If true, then he had not righteousness.
If false, he could not stand just in the sight of his father
by virtue of his own performances. And, indeed, the sequel of the
parable clears it. His 'father said to his servant, Bring forth
the best robe,' the justifying righteousness, 'and put it on him;
and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet' (v 22). This best
robe, then, being in the father's house, was not in the prodigal's
heart; neither stayed the father for further qualifications, but
put it upon him as he was, surrounded with sin and oppressed with
guilt. Therefore 'men are justified from the curse, in the sight
of God, while sinners in themselves.'

Fifth. 'For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost' (Luke 19:10).

The occasion of these words was, for that the Pharisees murmured
because 'Jesus was gone to be guest to one that was a sinner,' yea,
a sinner of the publicans, and are most fitly applied to the case
in hand. For though Zaccheus climbed the tree, yet Jesus Christ
found him first, and called him down by his name; adding withal,
'For to-day I must abide at thy house' (v 5); which being opened
by verse 9, is as much as to say, I am come to be thy salvation.
Now this being believed by Zaccheus, 'he made haste and came down,
and received him joyfully.' And not only so, but to declare to all
the simplicity of his faith, and that he unfeignedly accepted of
this word of salvation, he said unto the Lord, and that before all
present, 'Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation,' a
supposition intimating an affirmative, 'I restore him fourfold.'[18]
This being thus, Christ doubleth his comfort, saying to him also,
and that before the people, 'This day is salvation come to this
house.' Then, by adding the next words, he expounds the whole of
the matter, 'For I am come to seek and save that which was lost';
to seek it till I find it, to save it when I find it. He finds
them that sought him not (Rom 10:20); and saith, Zaccheus, Behold
me! to a people that asked not after him. So, then, seeing Jesus
findeth this publican first, preaching salvation to him before he
came down from the tree, it is evident he received this as he was
a sinner; from which faith flowed his following words and works as
a consequence.

Sixth. 'Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise' (Luke 23:43).

This was spoken to the thief upon the cross, who had lived in
wickedness all his days; neither had he so much as truly repented--no,
not till he came to die; nay, when he first was hanged he then fell
to railing on Christ; for though Luke leaves it out, beginning but
at his conversion; yet by Matthew's relating the whole tragedy,
we find him at first as bad as the other (Matt 27:44). This man,
then, had no moral righteousness, for he had lived in the breach
of the law of God. Indeed, by faith he believed Christ to be King,
and that when dying with him. But what was this to a personal
performing the commandments? or of restoring what he had oft taken
away? Yea, he confesseth his death to be just for his sin; and so
leaning upon the mediation of Christ he goeth out of the world. Now
he that truly confesseth and acknowledgeth his sin, acknowledgeth
also the curse to be due thereto from the righteous hand of God. So
then, where the curse of God is due, that man wanteth righteousness.
Besides, he that makes to another for help, hath by that condemned
his own, had he any, of utter insufficiency. But all these did
this poor creature; wherefore he must stand 'just from the law in
the sight of God, while sinful in himself.'

Seventh. 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' (Acts 9:6).

What wilt thou have me to do? Ignorance is here set forth to the
full. Paul hitherto knew not Jesus, neither what he would have him
to do; yet a mighty man for the law of works, and for zeal towards
God according to that. Thus you see that he neither knew that Christ
was Lord, nor what was his mind and will--'I did it ignorantly, in
unbelief' (1 Tim 1:13-15). I did not know him; I did not believe
he was to save us; I thought I must be saved by living righteously,
by keeping the law of God. This thought kept me ignorant of Jesus,
and of justification from the curse by him. Poor Saul! how many
fellows hast thou yet alive!--every man zealous of the law of works,
yet none of them know the law of grace; each of them seeking for
life by doing the law, when life is to be had by nought but believing
in Jesus Christ.

Eighth. 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved'
(Acts 16:31).

A little before, we find Paul and Silas in the stocks for preaching
of Jesus Christ; in the stocks, in the inward prison, by the hands
of a sturdy jailer; but at midnight, while Paul and his companion
sang praises to God, the foundations of the prison shook, and every
man's bands were loosed. Now the jailer being awakened by the noise
of this shaking, and supposing he had lost his prisoners, drew his
sword, with intent to kill himself; 'But Paul cried out, Do thyself
no harm; for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang
in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and
brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

In all this relation here is not aught that can justify the jailer.
For, 1. His whole life was idolatry, cruelty, and enmity to God.
Yea, 2. Even now, while the earthquake shook the prison, he had
murder in his heart--yea, and in his intentions too; murder, I
say, and that of a high nature, even to have killed his own body
and soul at once.[19] Well, 3. When he began to shake under the
fears of everlasting burnings, yet then his heart was wrapped up
in ignorance as to the way of salvation by Jesus Christ: 'What must
I do to be saved?' He knew not what; no, not he. His condition,
then, was this: he neither had righteousness to save him, nor knew
he how to get it. Now, what was Paul's answer? Why, 'Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ,' look for righteousness in Christ, 'and then
thou shalt be saved.' This, then, still holdeth true, 'men are
justified from the curse, in the sight of God, whilst sinners in
themselves.'

[Reasons for the first position drawn from the texts.]

THIRD. I should now come to the second conclusion, viz., that this
can be done by no other righteousness than that long ago performed
by, and remaining with, the person of Christ. But before I speak to
that, I will a little further press this, by urging for it several
reasons.

The First Reason.--Men must be justified from the curse while
sinners in themselves, because by nature all are under sin--'All
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. He hath concluded
all in unbelief; he hath concluded all under sin' (Rom 3:23, 11:32;
Gal 3:22). Now having sinned, they are in body and soul defiled,
and become an unclean thing. Wherefore, whatever they touch, with
an intent to work out righteousness thereby, they defile that also
(Titus 1:15; Lev 15:11; Isa 64:6). And hence, as I have said, all
the righteousness they seek to accomplish is but as a menstruous
cloth and filthy rags; therefore they are sinners still.' Indeed,
to some men's thinking, the Pharisee is holier than the Publican;
but in God's sight, in the eyes of Divine justice, they stand alike
condemned. 'All have sinned'; there is the poison! Therefore, as
to God, without Christ, all throats are an open sepulchre (Matt
23:27; Rom 3:13).

The world in general is divided into two sorts of sinners--the
open profane, and the man that seeks life by the works of the law.
The profane is judged by all; but the other by a few. Oh! but God
judgeth him.

1. For a hypocrite; because that notwithstanding he hath sinned,
he would be thought to be good and righteous. And hence it is
that Christ calls such kind of holy ones, 'Pharisees, hypocrites!
Pharisees hypocrites!' because by their gay outside they deceived
those that beheld them. But, saith he, God sees your hearts; you
are but like painted sepulchres, within you are full of dead men's
bones (Prov 30:12; Matt 23:27-30; Luke 11:26, 16:15). Such is the
root from whence flows all their righteousness. But doth the blind
Pharisee think his state is such? No; his thoughts of himself are
far otherwise--'God, I thank thee,' saith he, 'I am not as other
men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican'
(Luke 18:11,12). Aye, but still God judgeth him for a hypocrite.

2. God judgeth him for one that spurneth against Christ, even by
every such work he doth. And hence it is, when Paul was converted
to Jesus Christ, that he calls the righteousness he had before,
madness, blasphemy, injury; because what he did to save himself
by works was in direct opposition to grace by Jesus Christ (Phil
3:7,8; Acts 22:3,4, 26:4; 1 Tim 1:14,15). Behold, then, the evil
that is in a man's own righteousness! (1.) It curseth and condemneth
the righteousness of Christ. (2.) It blindeth the man from seeing
his misery. (3.) It hardeneth his heart against his own salvation.

3. But again, God judgeth such, for those that condemn him of
foolishness--'The preaching of the cross,' that is, Christ crucified,
'is to them that perish foolishness' (1 Cor 1:18,23). What, saith
the merit-monger, will you look for life by the obedience of
another man? Will you trust to the blood that was shed upon the
cross, that run down to the ground, and perished in the dust? Thus
deridingly they scoff at, stumble upon, and are taken in the gin
that attends the gospel; not to salvation, but to their condemnation,
because they have condemned the Just, that they might justify their
own filthy righteousness (Isa 8:14).

But, I say, if all have sinned, if all are defiled, if the best
of a man's righteousness be but madness, blasphemy, injury; if
for their righteousness they are judged hypocrites, condemned as
opposers of the gospel, and as such have counted God foolish for
sending his Son into the world; then must the best of 'men be justified
from the curse in the sight of God while sinners in themselves';
because they still stand guilty in the sight of God, their hearts
are also still filthy infected--'Though thou wash thee with nitre,
and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before ME,
saith the Lord God' (Jer 2:22). It stands marked still before God.
So, then, what esteem soever men have of the righteousness of the
world, yet God accounts it horrible wickedness, and the greatest
enemy that Jesus hath. Wherefore, this vine is the vine of Sodom;
these clusters are the clusters of Gomorrah; these grapes are
grapes of gall; these clusters are bitter, they are the poison of
dragons, and the cruel venom of asps (Matt 3:7; 23). No marvel,
then, if John in his ministry gives the first rebuke and jostle to
such, still calling them serpents and vipers, and concluding it
is almost impossible they should escape the damnation of hell; for
of all sin, man's own righteousness, in special, bids defiance to
Jesus Christ.

The Second Reason.--A second reason why men must stand just in
the sight of God from the curse, while sinners in themselves, is,
because of the exactions of the law. For were it granted that men's
good works arose from a holy root, and were perfect in their kind,
yet the demand of the law--for that is still beyond them--would
leave them sinners before the justice of God. And hence it is that
holy men stand just in the sight of God from the curse; yet dare
not offer their gifts by the law, but through Jesus Christ; knowing
that not only their persons, but their spiritual service also,
would else be rejected of the heavenly Majesty (1 Peter 2:5; Rev
7:14-16; Heb 8:7,8).[20]

For the law is itself so perfectly holy and good as not to admit of
the least failure, either in the matter or manner of obedience--'Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in
the book of the law to do them' (Gal 3:10). For they that shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, are guilty of all, and
convicted of the law as transgressors (James 2:9,10). 'Tribulation,'
therefore, 'and anguish, upon every soul of man that doth evil,
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile' (Rom 2:9). And observe,
the law leaveth thee not to thy choice, when, or when not, to
begin to keep it; but requireth thy obedience so soon as concerned,
exactly, both as to the matter and manner, and that before thou
hast sinned against it; for the first sin breaks the law. Now, if
thou sinnest before thou beginnest to do, thou art found by the
law a transgressor, and so standest by that convicted of sin; so,
then, all thy after-acts of righteousness are but the righteousness
of a sinner, of one whom the law hath condemned already (John 3:18).
'The law is spiritual, but thou art carnal, sold under sin' (Rom
7:14).

Besides, the law being absolutely perfect, doth not only respect
the matter and manner as to outward acts, but also the rise and
root, the heart, from whence they flow; and an impediment there
spoils all, were the executive part never so good--'Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, with ALL thy soul, with
ALL thy mind, and with ALL thy strength' (Mark 12:30). Mark the
repetition, with all, with all, with all, with all; with all thy
heart, with all thy soul, in all things, at all times, else thou
hadst as good do nothing. But 'every imagination of the thought of
the heart of man is only evil continually' (Gen 6:5). The margin
hath it, 'the whole imagination, the purposes, and desires'; so
that a good root is here wanting. 'The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?' (Jer 17:9).
What thoughts, words, or actions can be clean, sufficiently to answer
a perfect law that flows from this original? It is impossible. 'Men
must therefore be justified from the curse, in the sight of God,
while sinners in themselves.' But further yet to open the case.
There are several things that make it impossible that a man should
stand just in the sight of God but while sinful in himself.

1. Because the law under which he at present stands, holds him
under the dominion of sin; for sin by the law hath dominion over
all that are under the law (Rom 6:14). Dominion, I say, both as
to guilt and filth. Guilt hath dominion over him, because he is
under the curse: and filth, because the law giveth him no power,
neither can he by it deliver his soul. And for this cause it is
that it is called beggarly, weak, unprofitable; imposing duty, but
giving no strength (Gal 3:2, 4:9). Expecting the duty should be
complete, yet bendeth not the heart to do the work; to do it, I say,
as is required (Rom 8:3). And hence it is again that it is called
a 'voice of words' (Heb 12:19);[21] for as words that are barely
such are void of spirit and quickening life, so are the impositions
of the law of works. Thus far, therefore, the man remains a sinner.
But,

2. The law is so far from giving life or strength to do it, that
it doth quite the contrary.[22]

(1.) It weakeneth, it discourageth, and dishearteneth the sinner,
especially when it shows itself in its glory; for then it is the
ministration of death, and killeth all the world. When Israel saw
this, they fled from the face of God; they could not endure that
which was commanded (Exo 20:18,19); yea, so terrible was the sight,
that Moses said, 'I exceedingly fear and quake' (Heb 12:20,21).
Yea, almost forty years after, Moses stood amazed to find himself
and Israel yet alive, 'Did ever people,' said he, 'hear the voice
of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard,
and live?' (Deut 4:32,33). Alas! he who boasteth himself in the
works of the law, he doth not hear the law; when that speaks, it
shakes Mount Sinai, and writeth death upon all faces, and makes
the church itself cry out, A mediator! else we die (Exo 20:19; Deut
5:25-27, 18:15,19).

(2.) It doth not only thus discourage, but abundantly increaseth
every sin. Sin takes the advantage of being by the law; the motions
of sin are by the law. Where no law is, there is no transgression
(Rom 4:15, 7:5). Sin takes an occasion to live by the law: 'When
the commandment came, sin revived; for without the law, sin was
dead' (Rom 7:8,9). Sin takes an occasion to multiply by the law: 'The
law entered, that the offence might abound' (Rom 5:20). 'And the
strength of sin is the law' (1 Cor 15:56). 'That sin by the commandment
might become' outrageous, 'exceeding sinful' (Rom 7:13). 'What shall
we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin,
but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said,
Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law,
sin was dead' (Rom 7:7,8)

These things, then, are not infused or operated by the law from its
own nature or doctrine, but are occasioned by the meeting of, and
having to do with, a thing directly opposite. 'The law is spiritual,
I am carnal'; therefore every imposition is rejected and rebelled
against. Strike a steel against a flint, and the fire flies about
you; strike the law against a carnal heart, and sin appears, sin
multiplies, sin rageth, sin is strengthened! And hence ariseth all
these doubts, murmurings, and sinful complainings that are found
in the hearts of the people of God; they have too much to do with
the law; the law of works is now in the conscience, imposing duty
upon the carnal part. This is the reason of the noise that you
hear, and of the sin that you see, and of the horror that you feel
in your own souls when tempted. But to pass this digression.

The law, then, having to do with carnal men, by this they become worse
sinners than before; for their heart now recoileth desperately,
opposeth blasphemously; it giveth way to despair; and then
to conclude there is no hope for hereafter; and so goeth on in a
sordid, ungodly course of life, till his time is come to die and be
damned, unless a miracle of grace prevent. From all this I conclude,
that 'a man cannot stand just from the curse, in the sight of God
but while sinful in himself.' But,

3. As the law giveth neither strength nor life to keep it, so it
neither giveth nor worketh repentance unto life if thou break it.
Do this and live, break it and die; this is the voice of the law.
All the repentance that such men have, it is but that of themselves,
the sorrow of the world, that endeth in death, as Cain's and Judas'
did, even such a repentance as must be repented of either here or
in hell-fire (2 Cor 7:10).

4. As it giveth none, so it accepteth none of them that are under
the law (Gal 5:4). Sin and die, is for ever its language; there is
no middle way in the law; they must bear their judgment, whosoever
they be, that stand and fall to the law. Therefore Cain was a
vagabond still, and Judas hangeth himself; their repentance could
not save them, they fell headlong under the law. The law stays no
man from the due reward of his deeds; it hath no ears to hear nor
heart to pity its penitent ones (Gen 4:9-11; Matt 27:3).

5. By the law, God will show no mercy; for, 'I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness,' is the tenor of another covenant (Heb
8:9,10,12). But by the law I regard them not, saith the Lord. For,

6. All the promises annexed to the law are, by the first sin, null
and void. Though, then, a man should live a thousand years twice
told, and all that while fulfil the law, yet having sinned first,
he is not at all the better. Our legalists, then, begin to talk too
soon of having life by the law; let them first begin without sin,
and so throughout continue to death, and then if God will save them,
not by Christ, but works, contrary to the covenant of grace, they
may hope to go to heaven.

7. But, lastly, to come close to the point. Thou hast sinned; the
law now calls for passive as well as active obedience; yea, great
contentedness in all thou sufferest for thy transgressing against
the law. So, then, wilt thou live by the law? Fulfil it, then,
perfectly till death, and afterwards go to hell and be damned, and
abide there till the law and curse for thy sin be satisfied for;
and then, but not till then, thou shalt have life by the law. Tell
me, now, you that desire to be under the law, can you fulfil all
the commands of the law, and after answer all its demands? Can you
grapple with the judgment of God? Can you wrestle with the Almighty?
Are you stronger than he that made the heavens, and that holdeth
angels in everlasting chains? 'Can thine heart endure, or can thy
hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord
have spoken it, and will do it' (Eze 22:14). O, it cannot be! 'These
must go away into everlasting punishment' (Matt 25:46). So, then,
men must stand just from the curse, in the sight of God, while
sinners in themselves, or not at all.

Objection [to the second reason]. But the apostle saith, 'That the
doers of the law shall be justified' (Rom 2). Plainly intimating
that, notwithstanding all you say, some by doing the law may stand
just before God thereby; and if so, then Christ fulfilled it for
us but as our example.

Answer. The consequences are not true; for by these words, 'The
doers of the law shall be justified,' there is no more proof of a
possibility of saving thyself by the law than there is by these:
'For by the works of the law shall no man living be justified in
his sight' (Gal 2:16). The intent, then, of the text objected, is
not to prove a possibility of man's salvation by the law, but to
insinuate rather an impossibility, by asserting what perfections
the law requireth. And were I to argue against the pretended
sufficiency of man's own righteousness, I would choose to frame
mine argument upon such a place as this--'The hearers of the law
are not just before God'; therefore the breakers of the law are not
just before God; not just, I say, by the law; but all have sinned
and broken the law; therefore none by the law are just before
God. For if all stand guilty of sin by the law, then that law that
judgeth them sinners cannot justify them before God. And what if the
apostle had said, 'Blessed are they that continue in all things,'
instead of pronouncing a curse for the contrary, the conclusion had
been the same; for where the blessing is pronounced, he is not the
better that breaks the condition; and where the curse is pronounced,
he is not the worse that keeps it. But neither doth the blessing
nor curse in the law intend a supposition that men may be just by
the law, but rather to show the perfection of the law, and that
though a blessing be annexed thereto, no man by it can obtain that
blessing; for not the hearers of the law are justified before God,
but the doers, when they do it, shall be justified. None but doers
can by it be just before God: but none do the law, no, not one,
therefore none by it can stand just before God (Rom 3:10,11).

And whereas it is said Christ kept the law as our example, that we
by keeping it might get to heaven, as he; it is false, as before
was showed--'He is the end of the law,' or, hath perfectly finished
it, 'for righteousness to every one that believeth' (Rom 10:4). But
a little to travel with this objection; no man can keep the moral
law as Christ, unless he be first without sin, as Christ; unless he
be God and man, as Christ. And again; Christ cannot be our pattern
in keeping the law for life, because of the disproportion that is
between him and us; for if we do it as he, when yet we are weaker
than he; what is this but to out-vie, outdo, and go beyond Christ?
Wherefore we, not he, have our lives exemplary: exemplary, I say,
to him; for who doth the greatest work, they that take it in hand
in full strength, as Christ; or he that takes it in hand in weakness,
as we? Doubtless the last, if he fulfils it as Christ. So, then,
by this doctrine, while we call ourselves his scholars, we make
ourselves indeed the masters. But I challenge all the angels in
heaven, let them but first sin as we have done, to fulfil the law,
as Christ, if they can!

But again; if Christ be our pattern in keeping the law for life from
the curse before God, then Christ fulfilled the law for himself;
if so, he was imperfect before he fulfilled it. And how far short
this is of blasphemy let sober Christians judge; for the righteousness
he fulfilled was to justify from sin; but if it was not to justify
us from ours, you know what remaineth (Dan 9:26; Isa 53:8-10).

But when must we conclude we have kept the law? Not when we begin,
because we have sinned first; nor when we are in the middle, for
we may afterwards miscarry. But what if a man in this his progress
hath one sinful thought? I query, is it possible to come up to the
pattern for justification with God? If yea, then Christ had such;
if no, then who can fulfil the law as he? But should I grant that
which is indeed impossible--namely, that thou art justified by the
law; what then? Art thou now in the favour of God? No, thou art
fallen by this thy perfection, from the love and mercy of God:
'Whosoever of you are justified by the law are fallen from grace'
(Gal 5:4). He speaks not this to them that are doing, but to such
as think they have done it, and shows that the blessing that these
have got thereby is to fall from the favour of God. Being fallen
from grace, Christ profits them nothing, and so they still stand
debtors to do the whole law. So, then, they must not be saved by
God's mercy, nor Christ's merits, but alone by the works of the
law! But what should such men do in that kingdom that comes by gift,
where grace and mercy reigns? Yea, what should they do among that
company that are saved alone by grace, through the redemption that
is in Jesus Christ? Let them go to that kingdom that God hath prepared
for them that are fallen from grace. 'Cast out the bond-woman and
her son; for he shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman'
and of promise (Gal 4:30).[23]

But to pass this objection. Before I come to the next reason, I
shall yet for the further clearing of this, urge these scriptures
more.

[Further scriptures to prove the second reason.]

1. The first is that in Galatians 3:10, 'As many as are of the
works of the law are under the curse.'

Behold how boldly Paul asserts it! And observe it, he saith not
here, so many as sin against the law--though that be true--but, 'As
many as are of the works of the law.' But what, then, are the works
of the law? Not whoredom, murder, theft, and the like; but works
that are holy and good, the works commanded in the ten commandments,
as to love God, abhor idols, reverence the name of God, keeping the
Sabbath, honouring thy parents, abstaining from adultery, murder,
theft, false-witness, and not to covet what is thy neighbour's--these
are the works of the law. Now he, saith Paul, that is of these is
under the curse of God. But what is it then to be of these? Why,
to be found in the practice of them, and there resting; this is the
man that is under the curse: not because the works of the law are
wicked in themselves, but because the man that is in the practice
of them comes short of answering the exactness of them, and therefore
dies for his imperfections (Rom 2:17).

2. The second scripture is that of the eleventh verse of the same
chapter, 'But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith.'

These words, 'the just shall live by faith,' are taken out of the
Old Testament, and are thrice used by this apostle in the New.
(1.) To show that nothing of the gospel can be apprehended but by
faith: 'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith
to faith.' 'As it is written, The just shall live by faith' (Rom
1:17). (2.) To show that the way to have relief and succour under
temptation is then to live by faith: 'Now the just shall live by
faith' (Heb 10:38) (3.) But in this of the Galatians it is urged
to show that how holy and just soever men be in themselves, yet as
such they are dead, and condemned to death by the law before God.
But that no man is justified by the law, in the sight of God, is
evident; for, 'the just shall live by faith.'

The word 'just,' therefore, in this place in special, respecteth
a man that is just, or that so esteems himself by the law, and is
here considered in a double capacity; first, what he is before men;
secondly, what he is before God. (1.) As he stands before men, he
is just by the law; as Paul before his conversion (Phil 3:4). (2.)
As he stands in the sight of God; so, without the faith of Christ,
he cannot be just, as is evident; for 'the just shall live,' not
by his justice or righteousness by the law.

This is the true intent of this place. Because they carry with them
a supposition that the just here intended may be excluded life,
he falling within the rejection asserted within the first part of
the verse. No man is just by the law in the sight of God; for 'the
just shall live by faith': his justice cannot make him live, he
must live by the faith of Christ.[24] Again, the words are a reason
dissuasive, urged to put a stop to those that are seeking life by
the law; as if the apostle had said, Ye Galatians! what are you
doing? Would you be saved by keeping the law? Would you stand just
before God thereby? Do you not hear the prophets, how they press
faith in Jesus, and life by faith in him? Come, I will reason with
you, by way of supposition. Were it granted that you all loved
the law, yet that for life, will avail you nothing; for, 'the just
shall live by faith.'

Were it granted that you kept the law, and that no man on earth
could accuse you; were you therefore just before God? No; neither
can you live by works before him; for 'the just shall live by faith.'
Why not live before him? Because when we have done our best, and
are applauded of all the world for just, yet then God sees sin in
our hearts: 'He putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens
are not clean in his sight' (Job 15:15, 4:18). There is then a just
man that perisheth in his righteousness, if he want the faith of
Christ, for that no man is justified by the law, in the sight of
God, is evident; for, 'the just shall live by faith'; and the law
is not of faith.

3. The third Scripture is this--'We who are Jews by nature, and
not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works
of the law shall no flesh be justified' (Gal 2:15,16).

These words are the result of the experienced Christians in
the primitive times; yea, of those among them that had given up
themselves before to the law, to get life and heaven thereby; the
result, I say, of believing Jews--We who are Jews by nature. But
how are they distinguished from the Gentiles? Why, they are such
that rest in the law, and make their boast of God; that know his
will, and approve the things that are excellent; that are guides
to the blind, and a light to them that are in darkness; that are
instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, and which have the
form of knowledge, and of the truth of the law (Rom 2:17-19). How
far these attained we find by that of the Pharisee--I pray, I fast,
I give tithes of all (Luke 18:11,12); and by the young man in the
gospel--'All these have I kept from my youth up'; and by that of
Paul--'Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless'
(Phil 3:6). This was the Jew by nature, to do and trust in this.[25]
Now these attaining afterwards the sound knowledge of sin, the
depravedness of nature, and the exactions of the law, fled from the
command of the law to the Lord Jesus for life. 'We knowing' is--We
that are taught of God, and that have found it by sad experience,
we, even we, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.
Surely, if righteousness had come by the law, Paul and the Jews
had found it, they being by many privileges far better than the
sinners of the Gentiles; but these, when they received the word of
the gospel, even these now fly to Christ from the law, that they
might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of
the law.

To conclude this. If righteous men, through the knowledge of the
gospel, are made to leave the law of God, as despairing of life
thereby, surely righteousness is not to be found in the law; I mean
that which can justify thee before God from the curse who livest
and walkest in the law. I shall, therefore, end this second reason
with what I have said before--'Men must be justified from the curse
in the sight of God while sinful in themselves.'

The Third Reason.--Another reason why not one under heaven can be
justified by the law, or by his own personal performances to it,
is, because since sin was in the world, God hath rejected the law
and the works thereof for life (Rom 7:10).

It is true, before man had sinned, it was ordained to be unto life;
but since, and because of sin, the God of love gave the word of
grace. Take the law, then, as God hath established it; to wit, to
condemn all flesh (Gal 3:21); and then there is room for the promise
and the law, the one to kill, the other to heal; and so the law is
not against the promises; but make the law a justifier, and faith
is made void, and the promise is made of none effect (Rom 4:14);
and the everlasting gospel, by so doing, thou endeavourest to root
out of the world. Methinks, since it hath pleased God to reject the
law and the righteousness thereof for life, such dust and ashes as
we are should strive to consent to his holy will, especially when
in the room of this [covenant] of works there is established a better
covenant, and that upon better promises. The Lord hath rejected the
law, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; for, finding
fault with them of the law, 'The days come, saith the Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,' &c. (Heb 8:8).
Give God leave to find fault with us, and to condemn our personal
performances to death, as to our justification before him thereby;
let him do it, I say; and the rather, because he doth by the gospel
present us with a better. And certainly, if ever he be pleased
with us, it will be when he findeth us in that righteousness that
is of his own appointing.

[Six things that incline the heart to seek to the law for life.]

To conclude. Notwithstanding all that hath or can be said, there
are six things that have great power with the heart to bend it to
seek life before God by the law; of all which I would caution that
soul to beware, that would have happiness in another world.

First. Take heed thou be not made to seek to the law for life,
because of that name and majesty of God which thou findest upon the
doctrine of the law (Exo 20:1). God indeed spake all the words of
the law, and delivered them in that dread and majesty to men that
shook the hearts of all that heard it. Now this is of great authority
with some, even to seek for life and bliss by the law. 'We know,'
said some, 'that God spake to Moses' (John 9:29). And Saul rejected
Christ even of zeal towards God (Acts 22:3). What zeal? Zeal towards
God according to the law, which afterwards he left and rejected,
because he had found out a better way. The life that he once lived,
it was by the law; but afterwards, saith he, 'The life which I now
live,' it is by faith, 'by the faith of Jesus Christ' (Gal 2:20).
So that though the law was the appointment of God, and had also
his name and majesty upon it, yet now he will not live by the law.
Indeed, God is in the law, but yet only as just and holy, not as
gracious and merciful; so he is only in Jesus Christ. 'The law,'
the word of justice, 'was given by Moses, but grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ' (John 1:17). Wherefore, whatever of God thou findest
in the law, yet seeing grace and mercy is not there, let neither
the name of God, nor that majesty that thou findest of him in the
law, prevail with thee to seek life by all the holy commandments
of the law.

Second. Take heed that the law, by taking hold on thy conscience,
doth not make thee seek life by the law (Rom 2:13-15). The heart
of man is the seat of the law. This being so, the understanding
and conscience must needs be in danger of being bound by the law.
Man is a law unto himself, and showeth that the works of the law
are written in his heart. Now, the law being thus nearly related
to man, it easily takes hold of the understanding and conscience;
by which hold, if it be not quickly broken off by the promise and
grace of the gospel, it is captivated to the works of the law;
for conscience is such a thing, that if it once be possessed with
a doctrine, yea, though but with the doctrine of an idol, it will
cleave so fast thereto that nothing but a hand from heaven can
loosen it; and if it be not loosed, no gospel can be there embraced
(1 Cor 8:7). Conscience is Little-ease, if men resist it, whether
it be rightly or wrongly informed.[26] How fast, then, will it
hold when it knows it cleaves to the law of God! Upon this account,
the condition of the unbeliever is most miserable; for not having
faith in the gospel of grace, through which is tendered the forgiveness
of sins, they, like men a-drowning, hold fast that they have found;
which being the law of God, they follow it; but because righteousness
flies from them, they at last are found only accursed and condemned
to hell by the law. Take heed, therefore, that thy conscience be
not entangled by the law (Rom 9:31,32).

Third. Take heed of fleshly wisdom. Reasoning suiteth much with
the law. 'I thought verily that I ought to do many things against
the name of Jesus,' and so to have sought for life by the law; my
reason told me so. For thus will reason say: Here is a righteous
law, the rule of life and death; besides, what can be better than
to love God, and my neighbour as myself? Again; God hath thus
commanded, and his commands are just and good; therefore, doubtless,
life must come by the law. Further, to love God and keep the law
are better than to sin and break it; and seeing men lost heaven
by sin, how should they get it again but by working righteousness?
Besides, God is righteous, and will therefore bless the righteous.
O the holiness of the law! It mightily swayeth with reason when
a man addicteth himself to religion; the light of nature teacheth
that sin is not the way to heaven; and seeing no word doth more
condemn sin than the words of the ten commandments, it must needs
be, therefore, the most perfect rule for holiness; wherefore, saith
reason, the safest way to life and glory is to keep myself close
to the law. But a little here to correct. Though the law indeed be
holy, yet the mistake as to the matter in hand is as wide as the
east from the west; for therefore the law can do thee no good,
because it is holy and just; for what can he that hath sinned
expect from a law that is holy and just? Nought but condemnation.
Let them lean to it while they will, 'there is one that accuseth
you,' saith Christ, 'even Moses, in whom you trust' (John 5:45).

Fourth. Man's ignorance of the gospel suiteth well with the
doctrine of the law; they, through their being ignorant of God's
righteousness, fall in love with that (Rom 10:1-4). Yea, they do
not only suit, but, when joined in act, the one strengtheneth the
other; that is, the law strengtheneth our blindness, and bindeth
the veil more fast about the face of our souls. The law suiteth
much our blindness of mind; for until this day remains the veil
untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; especially in the
reading of that which was written and engraven on stones; to wit,
the ten commandments, that perfect rule for holiness; which veil
was done away in Christ (2 Cor 3:15,16). But 'even to this day, when
Moses is read, the veil is over their hearts'; they are blinded
by the duties enjoined by the law from the sight and hopes of
forgiveness of sins by grace. 'Nevertheless when IT,' the heart,
'shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.' The law,
then, doth veil the heart from Christ, and holds the man so down to
doing and working for the kingdom of heaven, that he quite forgets
the forgiveness of sins by mercy through Christ. Now this veiling
or blinding by the law is occasioned--

1. By reason of the contrariety of doctrine that is in the law to
that which was in the gospel. The law requireth obedience to all
its demands upon pain of everlasting burnings; the gospel promiseth
forgiveness of sins to him that worketh not, but believeth. Now
the heart cannot receive both these doctrines; it must either let
go doing or believing. If it believe, it is dead to doing; if it
be set to doing for life, it is dead to believing.[27] Besides, he
that shall think both to do and believe for justification before
God from the curse, he seeks for life but as it were by the law,
he seeks for life but as it were by Christ; and he being not direct
in either, shall for certain be forsaken of either. Wherefore?
Because he seeks it not by faith, but as it were by the works of
the law' (Rom 9:32).

2. The law veils and blinds by that guilt and horror for sin that
seizeth the soul by the law; for guilt, when charged close upon
the conscience, is attended with such aggravations, and that with
such power and evidence, that the conscience cannot hear, nor see,
nor feel anything else but that. When David's guilt for murder and
blood did roar by the law in his conscience, notwithstanding he
knew much of the grace of the gospel, he could hear nothing else
but terror, the sound of blood; the murder of Uriah was the only
noise that he heard; wherefore he crieth to God that he would make
him hear the gospel. 'Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice' (Psa 51:8). And as he
could not hear, so neither could he see; the law had struck him
deaf and blind. 'I am,' saith he, 'not able to look up'; not up to
Christ for mercy. As if David had said, O Lord, the guilt of sin,
which is by the law, makes such a noise and horror in my conscience,
that I can neither hear nor see the word of peace unless it is
spoken with a voice from heaven! The serpents that bit the people
in the days of old were types of guilt and sin (Num 21:6). Now,
these were fiery serpents, and such as, I think, could fly (Isa
14:29). Wherefore, in my judgment, they stung the people about
their faces, and so swelled up their eyes, which made it the more
difficult for them to look up to the brazen serpent, which was the
type of Christ (John 3:14). Just so doth sin by the law do now.
It stings the soul, the very face of the soul, which is the cause
that looking up to Jesus, or believing in him, is so difficult a
task in time of terror of conscience.[28]

3. This is not only so at present, but so long as guilt is on the
conscience, so long remains the blindness; for guilt standing before
the soul, the grace of God is intercepted, even as the sun is hid
from the sight of mine eyes by the cloud that cometh between. 'My
sin,' said David, 'is ever before me,' and so kept other things
out of his sight; sin, I say, when applied by the law (Psa 51:3).
When the law came to Paul, he remained without sight until the good
man came unto him with the word of forgiveness of sins (Acts 9).

4. Again; where the law comes with power, there it begetteth many
doubts against the grace of God; for it is only a revealer of sin,
and the ministration of death; that is, a doctrine that sheweth
sin, and condemneth for the same; hence, therefore, as was hinted
before, the law being the revealer of sin, where that is embraced,
there sin must needs be discovered and condemned, and the soul for
the sake of that. Further, it is not only a revealer of sin, but
that which makes it abound; so that the closer any man sticks to
the law for life, the faster sin doth cleave to him. 'That law,'
saith Paul, 'which was ordained to be unto life, I found to be unto
death,' for by the law I became a notorious sinner; I thought to
have obtained life by obeying the law, 'but sin taking occasion by
the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me' (Rom 7:10-14). A
strange way of deceivableness, and it is hid from the most of men;
but, as I have already told you, you see how it comes to pass.
(1.) Man by nature is carnal, and the law itself is spiritual: now
betwixt these two ariseth great difference; the law is exceeding
good, the heart exceeding bad; these two opposites, therefore, the
heart so abiding, can by no means agree. (2.) Therefore, at every
approach of the law to the heart with intent to impose duty, or to
condemn for the neglect thereof; at every such approach the heart
starteth back, especially when the law comes home indeed, and is
heard in his own language. This being thus, the conscience perceiving
this is a fault, begins to tremble at the sense of judgment; the
law still continueth to command to duty, and to condemn for the
neglect thereof. From this struggling of these two opposites ariseth,
I say, those doubts and fears that drive the heart into unbelief,
and that make it blind to the word of the gospel, that it can neither
see nor understand anything but that it is a sinner, and that the
law must be fulfilled by it, if ever it be saved.

[Fifth.] But again; another thing that hath great influence upon
the heart to make it lean to the law for life is, the false names
that Satan and his instruments have put upon it; such as these--to
call the law the gospel; conscience, the Spirit of Christ; works,
faith; and the like: with these, weak consciences have been
mightily pestered; yea, thousands deluded and destroyed. This was
the way whereby the enemy attempted to overthrow the church of
Christ of old; as, namely, those in Galatia and at Corinth, &c. (2
Cor 11:3,4,13,14). I say, by the feigned notion that the law was
the gospel, the Galatians were removed from the gospel of Christ;
and Satan, by appropriating to himself and his ministers the names
and titles of the ministers of the Lord Jesus, prevailed with many
at Corinth to forsake Paul and his doctrine. Where the Lord Jesus
hath been preached in truth, and something of his doctrine known,
it is not there so easy to turn people aside from the sound of the
promise of grace, unless it be by the noise and sound of a gospel.
Therefore, I say, the false apostles came thus among the churches:
'another gospel, another gospel'; which, in truth, saith Paul,
'is not another; but some would pervert the gospel of Christ,' and
thrust that out of doors, by gilding the law with that glorious name
(Gal 1:6-8).[29] So again, for the ministers of Satan, they must
be called the apostles of Christ, and ministers of righteousness;
which thing, I say, is of great force, especially being accompanied
with so holy and just a doctrine as the word of the law is; for
what better to the eye of reason than to love God above all, and
our neighbour as ourselves, which doctrine, being the scope of the
ten words given on Sinai, no man can contradict; for, in truth,
they are holy and good.

But here is the poison; to set this law in the room of a mediator,
as those do that seek to stand just before God thereby; and then
nothing is so dishonourable to Christ, nor of so soul-destroying a
nature as the law; for that, thus placed, hath not only power when
souls are deluded, but power to delude, by its real holiness, the
understanding, conscience, and reason of a man; and by giving the
soul a semblance of heaven, to cause it to throw away Christ, grace,
and faith. Wherefore it behoveth all men to take heed of names,
and of appearances of holiness and goodness.

[Sixth.] Lastly, Satan will yet go further; he will make use
of something that may be at a distance from a moral precept, and
therewith bring souls under the law. Thus he did with some of old;
he did not make the Galatians fall from Christ by virtue of one of
the ten words, but by something that was aloof off; by circumcision,
days, and months, that were Levitical ceremonies; for he knows it
is no matter, nor in what Testament he found it, if he can therewith
hide Christ from the soul--'Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if
ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify
again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the
whole law' (Gal 5:2,3). Why so, seeing circumcision is not one of
the ten words [commandments]? Why, because they did it in conscience
to God, to stand just before him thereby. Now here we may behold
much cunning of the devil; he begins with some at a distance from
that law which curseth, and so by little and little bringeth them
under it; even as by circumcision the Galatians were at length
brought under the law that condemneth all men to the wrath and
judgment of God. I have often wondered when I have read how God
crieth out against the Jews, for observing his own commandment
(Isa 1:11-14). But I perceive by Paul that by these things a man
may reject and condemn the Lord Jesus; which those do, that for
life set up aught, whether moral or other institution, besides the
faith of Jesus. Let men therefore warily distinguish betwixt names
and things, betwixt statute and commandment, lest they by doing the
one transgress against the other (2 Cor 1:19,20). Study, therefore,
the nature and end of the law with the nature and end of the
gospel; and if thou canst keep them distinct in thy understanding
and conscience, neither names nor things, neither statutes nor
commandments, can draw thee from the faith of the gospel. And
that thou mayest yet be helped in this matter, I shall now come to
speak to the second conclusion.

[THE SECOND POSITION.]

SECOND. THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE
SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG
AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

For the better prosecuting of this position I shall observe two
things--FIRST, That the righteousness by which we stand just before
God, from the curse, was performed by the person of Christ. SECOND,
That this righteousness is inherent only in him.

FIRST. As to the first of these, I shall be but brief. Now, that
the righteousness that justifieth us was performed long ago by the
person of Christ, besides what hath already been said, is further
manifest thus--

First. He is said to have purged our sins by himself--'When he had
by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of God'
(Heb 1:3). I have showed that in Christ, for the accomplishing of
righteousness, there was both doing and suffering; doing, to fulfil
all the commands of the law; suffering, to answer its penalty for
sin. This second is that which in this to the Hebrews is in special
intended by the apostle, where he saith he hath purged our sins,
that is, by his precious blood; for it is that alone can purge our
sins, either out of the sight of God or out of the sight of the
soul (Heb 9:14). Now this was done by himself, saith the apostle;
that is, in or by his personal doings and sufferings. And hence it
is that when God had rejected the offerings of the law, he said,
'Lo, I come. A body hast thou prepared me,--to do thy will, O God'
(Heb 10:5-8). Now by this will of God, saith the Scripture, we are
sanctified. By what will? Why, by the offering up of the body of
Jesus Christ; for that was God's will, that thereby we might be a
habitation for him; as he saith again--'Jesus also, that he might
sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate'
(Heb 13:12).

Second. As it is said, he hath purged our sins by himself, so it
was by himself at once--'For by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified' (10:14). Now by this word 'at once,'
or by 'one offering,' is cut off all those imaginary sufferings of
Christ which foolish men conceive of; as that he in all ages hath
suffered or suffereth for sin in us.[30] No; he did this work but
once. 'Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for
then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world:
but now once in the end of the world,' in the time of Pilate,
'hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself' (Heb
9:25,26). Mark how to the purpose the Holy Ghost expresseth it: he
hath suffered but once; and that once, now; now once; now he is God
and man in one person; now he hath taken the body that was prepared
of God; now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself; by the offering up of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Third. It further appears, in that by his resurrection from the
dead the mercies of God are made sure to the soul, God declaring by
that, as was said before, how well pleased he is by the undertaking
of his Son for the salvation of the world: 'And as concerning that
he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption,
he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David'
(Acts 13:34). For Christ being clothed with man's flesh, and
undertaking for man's sins, did then confirm all sure to us by
his resurrection from the dead. So that by the rising of that man
again, mercy and grace are made sure to him that hath believed on
Jesus. Wherefore, from these things, together with what hath been
discovered about his addressing himself to the work, I conclude 'that
men can be justified from the curse, before God, while sinners in
themselves, by no other righteousness than that long ago performed
by the person of Christ.' Now the conclusion is true from all show
of contradiction; for the Holy Ghost saith he hath done it; hath
done it by himself, and that by the will of God, at once, even
then when he took the prepared body upon him--'By the will of God
we are sanctified, through the offering up of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.'

[SECOND.] This being so, the second position is also manifest--namely,
that the righteousness by which we stand just from the curse, before
God, is only inherent in Jesus Christ. For if he hath undertaken to
bring in a justifying righteousness, and that by works and merits
of his own, then that righteousness must of necessity be inherent
in him alone, and ours only by imputation; and hence it is called,
in that fifth to the Romans, the gift, the 'gift of righteousness';
because neither wrought nor obtained by works of ours, but bestowed
upon us, as a garment already prepared, by the mercy of God in
Christ (Rom 5:17; Isa 61:10). There are four things that confirm
this for a truth--

First. This righteousness is said to be the righteousness of one,
not of many; I mean of one properly and personally, as his own
particular personal righteousness. The gift of grace, which is
the gift of righteousness, it is 'by one man, Jesus Christ.' 'Much
more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by ONE, Jesus Christ. Therefore
as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of ONE, the free gift came upon all
men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of ONE shall many
be made righteous' (Rom 5:15-19). Mark, the righteousness of one,
the obedience of one; the righteousness of one man, of one man,
Jesus.[31] Wherefore, the righteousness that justifieth a sinner,
it is personally and inherently the righteousness of that person
only who, by works and acts of obedience, did complete it, even
the obedience of one, of one man, Jesus Christ; and so ours only by
imputation. It is improper to say, Adam's eating of the forbidden
fruit was personally and inherently an act of mine. It was personally
his, and imputatively mine; personally his, because he did it;
imputatively mine, because I was then in him. Indeed, the effects
of his personal eating is found in my person; to wit, defilement
and pravity. The effects also of the imputation of Christ's personal
righteousness are truly found in those that are in him by electing
love and unfeigned faith, even holy and heavenly dispositions; but
a personal act is one thing, and the effects of that another. The
act may be done by, and be only inherent in one; the imputation of
the merit of the act, as also the effects of the same, may be in
a manner universal, extending itself unto the most, or all. This
the case of Adam and Christ doth manifest. The sin of one is imputed
to his posterity; the righteousness of the other is reckoned the
righteousness of those that are his.

Second. The righteousness by which we stand just before God from the
curse is called, 'The righteousness of the Lord--the righteousness
of God--the righteousness of Jesus Christ,' &c. (Phil 3:6-9);
and that by way of opposition to the righteousness of God's
own holy law--'That I might be found in him, not having on my own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.' Now,
by this opposition, as by what was said before, the truth is made
exceeding clear; for by these words, 'not having my own righteousness,'
are not only excluded what qualifications we suppose to be in us,
but the righteousness through which we stand just in the sight of
God by them is limited and confined to a person absolutely distinct.
Distinct, I say, as to his person and performances, who here is
called God and Jesus Christ; as he saith also in the prophet Isaiah,
'In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall
glory' (Isa 45:25). In the Lord, not in the law; in the Lord, not
in themselves. 'And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.' Of
me, not of themselves; of me, not of the law (54:17). And again;
'Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength'
(45:24). Now, as I have already said, all this is to be understood
of the righteousness that was fulfilled by acts and works of obedience,
which the person of the Son of God accomplished in the days of his
flesh in the world; by that man, I say, 'The Lord our righteousness' (Jer
23:5). Christ, indeed, is naturally and essentially righteousness;
but as he is simply such, so he justifieth no man; for then he
need not to bear our sins in his flesh, and become obedient in all
points of the law for us; but the righteousness by which we stand
just before God is righteousness consisting of works and deeds, of
the doings and sufferings, of such a person who also is essentially
righteousness. And hence, as before I have hinted, we are said to
be justified by the obedience and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
by the doings and sufferings of the Son of God. And hence, again,
it is that he first is called King of righteousness; that is, a
King of righteousness as God-man, which of necessity supposeth his
personal performances; and after that, 'King of peace' (Heb 7:1-3).
For what he is naturally and eternally in his Godhead, he is not
to us, but himself; but what he is actively and by works, he is not
to himself, but to us; so, then, he is neither King of righteousness
nor of peace to us, as he is only the eternal Son of the Father,
without his being considered as our priest and undertaker. He hath
'obtained,' by works of righteousness, 'eternal redemption for
us' (Heb 9:12). So then, the righteousness by which we stand just
before God is a righteousness inherent only in Christ, because a
righteousness performed by him alone.

Now, that righteousness by which we stand just before God must be
a righteousness consisting of personal performances; the reason is,
because persons had sinned; this the nature of justice requireth,
that 'since by man came death, by man' should come 'also the
resurrection from the dead' (1 Cor 15:21). The angels, therefore, for
this very reason, abide under the chains of everlasting darkness,
because he 'took not hold on them' (Heb 2:16,17); that is,
by fulfilling righteousness for them in their nature. That is a
blessed word, to you. 'To you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' To YOU, not to angels; to
you is born a Saviour (Luke 2:11).

Third. It is yet further evident that the righteousness by which we
stand just before God from the curse, is a righteousness inherent,
not in us, but Christ; because it is a righteousness besides, and
without the law itself. Now take away the law, and you take away
the rule of righteousness. Again; take away the rule, and the act
as to us must cease. 'But now the righteousness of God without the
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets'
(Rom 3:21). So then, by such a righteousness we are justified as
is not within the power of the law to command of us.

Quest. But what law is that which hath not power to command our
obedience in the point of our justification with God?

Answ. The moral law, or that called the ten commandments. Therefore
we are neither commanded to love God, or our neighbour, as the
means or part of our justifying righteousness; nay, he that shall
attempt to do these things to be delivered from the curse thereby,
by the scripture is holden accursed of God. 'As many as are of
the works,' or duties, 'of the law, are under the curse,' &c. (Gal
3:10). Because we are justified not by that of the law, but by the
righteousness of God without the law; that is, without its commanding
of us, without our obedience to it--'Freely by his grace, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to
be a propitiation, through faith in his blood' (Rom 3:24,25). This
is the righteousness of God without the law; that is, without any
of our obedience to the law. Wherefore the righteousness by which
we stand just, in the sight of God, cannot be inherent in us, but
in Christ the King thereof.

Fourth. This is further made apparent, by the capacity that God will
consider that soul in, to whom he imputeth justifying righteousness;
and that is, 'as one that worketh not,' as one that stands ungodly
in the judgment of the law (Rom 4:4,5). But this I have handled
before, and therefore shall pass it here.

Fifth. To conclude. If any works of ours could justify us before
God, they would be works after faith received; but it is evident
that these do not; therefore the righteousness that justifies us from
the curse before God is a righteousness inherent only in Christ.

That works after faith do not justify us from the curse, in the
sight of God, is evident--

1. Because no works of the saints can be justified by the moral
law, considering it as the law of works for life (Gal 3:10). For
this must stand a truth for ever--Whatsoever justifieth us must be
justified by the moral law, for that is it that pronounceth the
curse; unless, then, that curse be taken away by the work, the
work cannot justify us before God (Rom 3:21). But the curse cannot
be taken away but by a righteousness that is first approved of by
that law that so curseth; for if that shall yet complain for want
of a full satisfaction, the penalty remaineth. This is evident to
reason, and confirmed by the authority of God's Word, as hath been
already proved; because the law, once broken, pronounceth death,
expecteth death, and executeth the same on him that will stand to
the judgment of the law; but no work of a believer is capable of
answering this demand of the law; therefore none of his works can
justify him before God; for the law, that notwithstanding, complaineth.

2. No works of faith can justify us from the curse before God,
because of the want of perfection that is in the greatest faith
in us. Now, if faith be not perfect, the work cannot be perfect;
I mean with that perfection as to please Divine justice. Consider
the person, one that hath to do with God immediately by himself.
Now, that faith is not capable of this kind of perfection, it is
evident, because when men here know most, they know but in part.
Now he that knows but in part, can do but in part; and he that doth
but in part, hath a part wanting in the judgment of the justice of
God. So then, when thou hast done all thou canst, thou hast done
but part of thy duty, and so art short of justification from the
curse by what thou hast done (1 Cor 8:2, 13:12).

3. Besides, it looks too like a monster that the works of faith
should justify us before God; because then faith is turned, as it
were, with its neck behind it.[32] Faith, in its own nature and
natural course, respecteth the mercy of God through the Mediator,
Jesus Christ; and as such, its virtue and excellency is to expect
justification by grace through him; but by this doctrine faith is
turned round about, and now makes a life out of what itself hath
done; but, methinks, faith should be as noble as its fruits, that
being the first, and they but the fruits of that.

Besides, seeing the work is only good because it floweth from
faith (for faith purifieth the heart), therefore faith is it that
justifies all its works (Acts 15:9). If, then, we be justified by
either, it is by faith, and not by his works; unless we will say
there is more virtue in the less than in the greater. Now, what
is faith but a believing, a trusting, or relying act of the soul?
What, then, must it rely upon or trust in? Not in itself; that is,
without Scripture; not in its works, they are inferior to itself;
besides, this is the way to make even the works of faith the
mediator between God and the soul, and so by them thrust Christ
out of doors; therefore it must trust in Christ; and if so, then
no man can be justified from the curse, before God, by the works
that flow from faith.

4. To put all out of doubt; the saint, when he hath done what he
can to bring forth good works by faith, yet he dares not show these
works before God but as they pass through the Mediator Christ, but
as they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore Peter
saith, those sacrifices of ours that are truly spiritual are only
then accepted of God, when offered up by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
And therefore it is said again, that the prayers of the saints,
which are the fruits of faith, come up before the throne of God
through the angel's hand; that is, through the hand of Christ, through
his golden censer, perfumed with his incense, made acceptable by
his intercession (Rev 8:3,4). It is said in the Book of Revelation,
that it is granted to the bride, the Lamb's wife, that she should
be 'arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; which white linen is
the righteousness of saints.' This fine linen, in my judgment, is
the works of godly men, their works that sprang from faith. But
how came they clean? How came they white? Not simply because they
were the works of faith. But mark, they 'washed their robes, and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' And 'therefore they
stand before the throne of God' (Rev 7:14,15). Yea, therefore it
is that their good works stand there too.

I conclude, then, 'our persons are justified while we are sinners
in ourselves.' Our works, even the works of faith, are no otherwise
accepted but as they come through Jesus Christ, even through his
intercession and blood. So then, Christ doth justify both our person
and works, not by way of approbation, as we stand in ourselves or
works before God, but by presenting of us to his Father by himself,
washing what we are and have from guilt in his blood, and clothing
us with his own performances. This is the cause of our acceptance
with God, and that our works are not cast forth of his presence.

THE USE.

USE FIRST.--Is justifying righteousness to be found in the person
of Christ only? Then this should admonish us to take heed of seeking
it in ourselves; that is, of working righteousness, thereby to appease
the justice of God, lest by so doing we affront and blaspheme the
righteousness of Christ. He that shall go about to establish his
own righteousness, he, as yet, doth defiance to that which is of
God, of God's appointing, of God's providing; and that only wherewith
the justice of the law must be well pleased. Wherefore take heed,
I say, of doing such a thing, lest it provoke the eyes of the Lord's
glory--'When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely
live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all
his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity
that he hath committed, he shall die for it' (Eze 33:13). Mark,
though he be righteous, yea, though he have a promise of life,
yet he shall die. But why? Because he sinned against the Lord by
trusting to his own righteousness, therefore he must die for it.
There are some things that will preserve a man from splitting upon
this rock. As,

First. Get good acquaintance with the covenant of grace, and of the
persons concerned in the conditions of that covenant. The conditions
of that covenant are, that a righteousness shall be brought into
the world that shall please the justice of God, and answer and so
remove the curse of the law. Now he that doth perform this condition
is Christ; therefore the covenant is not immediately with man, but
with him that will be the Mediator betwixt God and man: 'As for
thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy
prisoners,' speaking of Christ (Zech 9:11). So then, Christ, the
Man Christ, is he who was to bring in these conditions; to wit,
everlasting righteousness. And hence it is that God hath said,
Christ shall be the covenant of the people--that is, he shall be
our conditions to Godward (Dan 9:23,24). He, therefore, is all our
righteousness as to the point of our justification before God; he
is the covenant of the people, as well as the light of the Gentiles;
for as no man can see but in the light of his Spirit, so no man
can stand but in and by him; he is the covenant of the people, the
conditions and qualifications of the people (Isa 52:6). So that to
Godward Christ is all in all, and no man anything at all. He hath
made with me an everlasting covenant; with me, as I stand in my head,
Christ, who, because he hath brought in everlasting righteousness,
therefore hath removed the curse of the law; wherefore he adds, this
covenant 'is ordered in all things, and sure,' because all points
that concern me, as to redemption from the curse, are taken away
by Christ, as before is discoursed (2 Sam 23:5). Look, then, upon
Christ as the man, the mediator, undertaker, and accomplisher of
that righteousness in himself, wherein thou must stand just before
God; and that he is the covenant or conditions of the people to
Godward, always having in himself the righteousness that the law
is well pleased with, and always presenting himself before God as
our only righteousness.

Second. That this truth may be the more heartily inquired into by
thee, consider thine own perfections;[33] I say, study how polluted
thou art, even from the heart throughout. No man hath a high esteem
of the Lord Jesus that is a stranger to his own sore. Christ's
church is an hospital of sick, wounded, and afflicted people; even
as when he was in the world, the afflicted and distressed set the
highest price upon Jesus Christ. Why? They were sick, and he was
the Physician; but the whole had no need of him. And just thus
it is now: Christ is offered to the world to be the righteousness
and life of sinners, but no man will regard him save he that seeth
his own pollution; he that seeth he cannot answer the demands of
the law, he that sees himself from top to toe polluted, and that
therefore his service cannot be clean as to justify him from the
curse before God--he is the man that must needs die in despair and
be damned, or must trust in Jesus Christ for life.

Further, This rule I would have all receive that come to Jesus
Christ for life and salvation--

1. Not to stick at the acknowledgment of sin, but to make that of
it which the law makes of it: 'Acknowledge thine iniquity,' saith
the Lord (Jer 3:13). This is a hard pinch, I know what I say, for
a man to fall down under the sense of sins by acknowledging them
to be what the Lord saith they are; to acknowledge them, I say,
in their own defiling and polluting nature; to acknowledge them in
their unreasonable and aggravating circumstances; to acknowledge
them in their God-offending and soul-destroying nature, especially
when the conscience is burdened with the guilt of them. Yet
this is duty: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive' (1 John 1:9). Yea, to this is annexed the promise, 'He that
confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.' This made David,
as it were, lay claim to the mercy of God--'Wash me thoroughly,'
said he, 'from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I
acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me.' Though,
then, thou art to blush and be ashamed when thou rememberest thy
sins and iniquities, yet do not hide them--'He that covereth his
sins shall not prosper.' Do not lessen them; do not speak of them
before God after a mincing way--'Acknowledge thine iniquities, that
thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered
thy ways to the strangers under every green tree; and ye have not
obeyed my voice, saith the Lord' (Jer 3:13).

2. If we would come to Christ aright, we must only acknowledge our
sins; we must ONLY acknowledge them, and there stop; stop, I say,
from attempting to do aught to present us good before God, but only
to receive the mercy offered. 'Only acknowledge thine iniquities.'
Men are subject to two extremes, either to confess sins notionally
and by the halves; or else, together with the confession of them,
to labour to do some holy work, thereby to ease their burdened
consciences, and beget faith in the mercy of God (Hosea 5:15).
Now both these are dangerous, and very ungodly--dangerous, because
the wound is healed falsely; and ungodly, because the command is
transgressed: 'Only acknowledge thy sin,' and there stand, as David,
'till thy guilt is taken away.' Joshua stood before the angel, from
top to toe in filthy garments, till the Lord put other clothes upon
him (Zech 3:3-5). In the matter of thy justification thou must know
nothing, see nothing, hear nothing, but thine own sins and Christ's
righteousness--'Only acknowledge thine iniquities.' Now the Saviour
and the soul comes rightly together; the Saviour to do his work,
which is to spread his skirt over the sinner; and the sinner to
receive, by believing this blessed imputed righteousness. And hence
the church, when she came to God, lieth down in her shame, and her
confusion covereth her; and so lieth till pardon comes (Jer 3:25).

USE SECOND.--I come now to the second use--Have faith in Christ.

But what are we to understand by faith?

Answ. Faith importeth as much as to say, Receive, embrace, accept
of, or trust in, the benefit offered. All which are, by holy men
of God, words used on purpose to show that the mercy of God, the
forgiveness of sins, and eternal life, are not to be had by doing,
or by the law; but by receiving, embracing, accepting, or trusting
to the mercy of God through Christ: 'We believe that through the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they'
(Acts 15:11; John 1:12; 2 Cor 4:1, 11:4; Col 2:6; Heb 11:13; 1
Tim 1:15; Eph 1:12-13). Thus you see what the gospel is, and what
faith doth do in the salvation of the soul. Now, that faith might
be helped in this work, for great are they that oppose it, therefore
the Scriptures, the Word of truth, hath presented us with the
invitation in most plain and suitable sentences: as, 'That Christ
came into the world to save sinners--Christ died for our sins--Christ
gave himself for our sins--Christ bare our sins in his body on the
tree--and that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.' Further,
as the invitations are plain and easy, so the threatenings to the
opposers are sore and astonishing: 'He that believeth not shall be
damned--Because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved, God gave them up to strong delusions, that they
all might be damned' (Mark 16:16; 2 Thess 2:10-12).

Object. But faith is said to be an act of obedience.

Answ. And well it may, for it is the most submitting act that a man
can do; it throweth out all our righteousness; it makes the soul
poor in itself; it liveth upon God and Christ, as the almsman doth
upon his lord; it consenteth to the gospel that it is true; it
giveth God and Christ the glory of their mercy and merit; it loveth
God for his mercy, and Jesus Christ for his service; whatever good
it doth, it still crieth, Hereby am I not justified, but he that
justifieth me is the Lord. Well, but is there in truth such a thing
as the obedience of faith? Then let Christians labour to understand
it, and distinguish it aright, and to separate it from the law
and all man's righteousness; and remember that it is a receiving of
mercy, an embracing of forgiveness, an accepting of the righteousness
of Christ, and a trusting to these for life. Remember, again,
that it putteth the soul upon coming to Christ as a sinner, and to
receive forgiveness as a sinner, as such. We now treat of justification.

But a little to insert at large a few more of the excellencies of
it, and so draw towards a conclusion. The more thou believest for
remission of sins, the more of the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ thou receivest into thy soul--'For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith' (Rom 1:17). That is, according
to the degree of faith. Little faith seeth but little but great
faith seeth much; and therefore he saith again, that by faith we
have 'access into the grace of God' (Rom 5:2). The reason is,

1. Because faith, having laid hold upon Christ, hath found him 'in
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col 2:3).
In him therefore it finds and sees those heights and depths of
gospel mysteries that are nowhere else to be found; nay, let a man
be destitute of faith, and it is not possible he should once think
of some of them.

2. By this means the Holy Spirit is plentifully received (Gal 3:1-3).
Now the Spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom and revelation; but yet
so as in the knowledge of Christ; otherwise the Spirit will show
to man not any mighty thing, its great delight being to open Christ
and to reveal him unto faith (Eph 1:17). Faith indeed can see him,
for that is the eye of the soul; and the Spirit alone can reveal
him, that being the searcher of the deep things of God; by these
therefore the mysteries of heaven are revealed and received. And
hence it is that the mystery of the gospel is called the 'mystery
of faith,' or the mystery with which faith only hath to do (1 Tim
3:9).

Wouldst thou, then, know the greatest things of God? Accustom
thyself to the obedience of faith,[34] live upon thy justifying
righteousness, and never think that to live always on Christ for
justification is a low and beggarly thing, and as it were a staying
at the foundation; for let me tell you, depart from a sense of
the meritorious means of your justification with God, and you will
quickly grow light, and frothy, and vain. Besides, you will always
be subject to errors and delusions; for this is not to hold the
head from or through which nourishment is administered (Col 2:19).
Further, no man that buildeth forsakes the good foundation; that
is the ground of his encouragement to work, for upon that is laid
the stress of all; and without it nothing that is framed can be
supported, but must inevitably fall to the ground.

Again; why not live upon Christ alway? and especially as he standeth
the mediator between God, and the soul, defending thee with the
merit of his blood, and covering thee with his infinite righteousness
from the wrath of God and curse of the law. Can there be any
greater comfort ministered to thee than to know thy person stands
just before God? Just and justified from all things that would
otherwise swallow thee up? Is peace with God and assurance of
heaven of so little respect with thee that thou slightest the very
foundation thereof, even faith in the blood and righteousness of
Christ? and are notions and whimsies of such credit with thee that
thou must leave the foundation to follow them? But again; what
mystery is desirable to be known that is not to be found in Jesus
Christ, as Priest, Prophet, or King of saints? In him are hid all
the treasures of them, and he alone hath the key of David to open
them (Col 2:1,2; Rev 3:7). Paul was so taken with Jesus Christ,
and the knowledge of this, that he was crucified for us, that
he desired, nay, determined not to know any thing else among the
Corinthians, that itched after other wisdom (1 Cor 2:2).

Object. But I see not that in Christ now, that I have seen in him
in former days. Besides, I find the Spirit lead me forth to study
other things.

Answ. To the first part of this objection I would answer several
things.--The cause why thou seest not that in Christ now, which
thou hast seen in him in former days, is not in Christ, but in
thy faith; he is the same, as fresh, and as good, and as full of
blessedness, as when thou didst most rejoice in him (Heb 1:11,12).
And why not now, as well as formerly? God is never weary of being
delighted with Jesus Christ; his blood is always precious with God;
his merits being those in which justice hath everlasting rest, why
shouldst thou wander or go about to change thy way? (Prov 8:30;
Jer 2:36). Sin is the same as ever, and so is the curse of the law.
The devil is as busy as ever; and beware of the law in thy members.
Return, therefore, to thy rest, O soul! for he is thy life, and the
length of thy days. Guilt is to be taken off now, as it was years
ago; and whether thou seest it or no, thou sinnest in all thy
works. How, then, canst thou stand clear from guilt in thy soul who
neglectest to act faith in the blood of the Lamb? There thou must
wash thy robes, and there thou must make them white (Rev 7:14,15).
I conclude, then, thou art a polluted, surfeited, corrupted, hardened
creature, whosoever thou art, that thus objectest.

But I find, sayest thou, as if the Spirit led me forth to study
other matters.

Answ.--First. What other matters? What matters besides, above, or
beyond the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, and of our acceptance
with God through him? What spirit, or doctrine, or wisdom soever it
be that centres not in, that cometh not from, and that terminates
not within, the bonds of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is not worthy
the study of the sons of God; neither is it food for the faith of
Jesus Christ, for that is the flesh of Christ, and that is eternal
life (John 6:5). Whither will you go? Beware of the spirit of
Antichrist; for 'many false spirits are gone out into the world.'
I told you before, that the Spirit of God is 'the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Christ,' and that without and
besides the Lord Jesus it discovereth nothing (Eph 1:17). It is sent
to testify of him; it is sent to bring his words to our remembrance;
it is sent to take of his things and show them unto us (John
14,15,16). Wherefore, never call that the Spirit of Jesus which
leads you away from the blood and righteousness of Christ; that is
but the spirit of delusion and of the devil, whose teachings end
in perdition and destruction. Tempt not Christ as they of old did.
But how did they tempt him? Why, in loathing the manna, which was
the type of his flesh and blood, which we are to eat of by believing.
I say, tempt him not, lest you be destroyed by the serpents, by
the gnawing guilt of sin; for, take away Christ, and sin remains,
and there is no more sacrifice for sin: if so, thou wilt be destroyed
by the destroyer (Num 21:5-7; 1 Cor 10:10). But again--

Second. Living by faith begets in the heart a son-like boldness
and confidence to God-ward in all our gospel duties, under all our
weaknesses, and under all our temptations. It is a blessed thing
to be privileged with a holy boldness and confidence God-ward, that
he is on our side, that he taketh part with us and that he will
plead our cause 'with them that rise up against us' (2 Cor 2:14,
4:17,18; Gal 2:20). But this boldness faith helpeth us to do, and
also manageth in our heart. This is that which made Paul always
triumph and rejoice in God and the Lord Jesus (Phil 3:3; Rom 5:11).
He lived the life of faith; for faith sets a man in the favour of
God by Christ, and makes a man see that what befals him in this life,
it shall, through the wisdom and mercy of God, not only prove for
his forwarding to heaven, but to augment his glory when he comes
there. This man now stands on high, he lives, he is rid of slavish
fears and carking cares, and in all his straits he hath a God to go
to! Thus David, when all things looked awry upon him, 'encouraged
himself in the Lord his God' (1 Sam 30:6). Daniel also believed in
his God, and knew that all his trouble, losses, and crosses, would
be abundantly made up in his God (Dan 6:23). And David said, 'I had
fainted unless I had believed' (Psa 27:13). Believing, therefore,
is a great preservative against all such impediments, and makes us
confident in our God, and with boldness to come into his presence,
claiming privilege in what he is and hath (Jonah 3:4,5). For
by faith, I say, he seeth his acceptance through the Beloved, and
himself interested in the mercy of God, and riches of Christ, and
glory in the world to come (Heb 10:22,23; Eph 1:4-7). This man can
look upon all the dangers in hell and earth without paleness of
countenance; he shall meditate terror with comfort, 'because he
beholds the King in his beauty' (Isa 33:17,18). Again--

Third. Living by faith makes a man exercise patience and quietness
under all his afflictions; for faith shows him that his best part
is safe, that his soul is in God's special care and protection,
purged from sin in the blood of Christ. Faith also shows him that
after a little while he shall be in the full enjoyment of that which
now he believes is coming: 'We, through the Spirit, wait for the
hope of righteousness by faith' (Gal 5:5). Wherefore, upon this
ground it is that James exhorteth the saints to whom he wrote,
to patience, because they knew the harvest would in due time come
(James 5:7-11). Faith lodgeth the soul with Christ: 'I know,' saith
Paul, 'on whom I have believed,' and to whom I have committed my
soul, 'and am persuaded,' I believe it, 'that he is able to keep
that which I have committed unto him against that day'; therefore
it were no shame to him to wear a chain for his name and sake (2
Tim 1:12). O! it is a blessed thing to see, I say, by the faith
of the Lord Jesus, that we are embarked in the same ship with him;
this will help us greatly 'both to hope and quietly wait for the
salvation of the Lord' (Psa 46:1-6; Lam 3:26). Further--

Fourth. I might add, that living by faith is the way to receive
fresh strength from heaven, thereby to manage thine every day's work
with life and vigour; yea, every look by faith upon Jesus Christ,
as thine, doth this great work. It is said, when Paul saw the
brethren that came to meet him, 'he thanked God, and took courage'
(Acts 28:15). O! how much more, then, shall the Christian be blessed
with fresh strength and courage even at the beholding of Christ;
whom 'beholding as in a glass,' we 'are changed,' even by beholding
of him by faith in the word, 'into the same image, from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Cor 3:18). But to be
brief.

Fifth. Make conscience of the duty of believing, and be as afraid
of falling short here as in any other command of God. 'This is his
commandment, that you believe' (1 John 3:23). Believe, therefore,
in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, that
you believe. Believe, therefore, to the saving of the soul (John
6:46). Unbelief is a fine-spun thread, not so easily discerned as
grosser sins; and therefore that is truly 'The sin that doth so
easily beset us' (Heb 12:1). The light of nature will show those
sins that are against the law of nature; but the law of faith is
a command beyond what flesh or nature teacheth; therefore to live
by faith is so much the harder work; yet it must be done, otherwise
thine other duties profit thee nothing. For if a man give way to
unbelief, though he be most frequent in all other duties besides, so
often as he worshippeth God in these, he yet saith, God is a liar
in the other, even because he hath not believed: 'He that believeth
not God, hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son' (1 John
5:10,11). So then, when thou givest way to unbelief; when thou dost
not venture the salvation of thy soul upon the justifying life that
is in Christ--that is, in his blood, &c.,--at once, thou givest
the lie to the whole testament of God; yea, thou tramplest upon
the promise of grace, and countest this precious blood an unholy
and unworthy thing (Heb 10:29). Now how, thou doing thus, the Lord
should accept of thy other duties, of prayer, alms, thanksgiving,
self-denial, or any other, will be hard for thee to prove. In the
meantime remember, that faith pleaseth God; and that without faith
it is impossible to please him. Remember also, that for this cause
it was that the offering of Cain was not accepted: 'By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain'; for by
faith Abel first justified the promise of the Messias, by whom a
conquest should be obtained over the devil, and all the combination
of hell against us: then he honoured Christ by believing that he
was able to save him; and in token that he believed these things
indeed, he presented the Lord with the firstlings of his flock, as
a remembrance before God that he believed in his Christ (Heb 11:4).
And therefore it is said, 'By faith he offered'; by which means the
offering was accepted of God; for no man's offering can be accepted
with God but his that stands righteous before him first. But unbelief
holdeth men under their guilt, because they have not believed in
Christ, and by that means put on his righteousness. Again; he that
believeth not, hath made invalid--what in him lies--the promise of
God and merits of Christ, of whom the Father hath spoken so worthily;
therefore what duties or acts of obedience soever he performeth,
God by no means can be pleased with him.

By this, therefore, you see the miserable state of the people that
have not faith--'Whatever they do, they sin'; if they break the
law, they sin; if they endeavour to keep it, they sin. They sin, I
say, upon a double account: first, because they do it but imperfectly;
and, secondly, because they yet stay upon that, resisting that which
is perfect, even that which God hath appointed. It mattereth not,
as to justification from the curse, therefore; men wanting faith,
whether they be civil or profane, they are such as stand accursed
of the law, because they have not believed, and because they have
given the lie to the truth, and to the God of truth. Let all men,
therefore, that would please God make conscience of believing;
on pain, I say, of displeasing him; on pain of being, with Cain,
rejected, and on pain of being damned in hell. 'He that believeth
not shall be damned' (Mark 16:16). Faith is the very quintessence
of all gospel obedience, it being that which must go before other
duties, and that which also must accompany whatever I do in the
worship of God, if it be accepted of him.[35] Here you may see a
reason why the force and power of hell is so bent against believing.
Satan hateth all the parts of our Christian obedience, but the best
and chiefest most. And hence the apostle saith to the Thessalonians,
that he sent to know their faith, lest by some means the tempter
have tempted them, and so his labour had been in vain (1 Thess
3:5). Indeed, where faith is wanting, or hath been destroyed, all
the labour is in vain, nothing can profit any man, neither as to
peace with God, nor the acceptance of any religious duty; and this,
I say, Satan knows, which makes him so bend his force against us.

There are three things in the act of believing which make this
grace displeasing to the wicked one--

1. Faith discovereth the truth of things to the soul; the truth of
things as they are, whether they be things that are of this world,
or of that which is to come; the things and pleasures above, and
also those beneath. Faith discovereth to the soul the blessedness,
and goodness, and durableness of the one; the vanity, foolishness,
and transitoriness of the other. Faith giveth credit to all things
that are written in the law and in the prophets (Acts 24:14),
both as to the being, nature, and attributes of God; the blessed
undertaking of the Lord Jesus Christ; the glory of heaven and torments
of hell; the sweetness of the promise and terror of the threatenings
and curses of the Word; by which means Satan is greatly frustrated in
his assaults when he tempteth either to love this world or slight
that which is to come, for he can do no great matter in these
things to any but those who want the faith. 'In vain is the snare
laid in the sight of any bird' (Prov 1:17); therefore he must
first blind, and hold blind, the minds of men, 'that the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should not
shine unto them,' else he can do no harm to the soul (2 Cor 4:4).
Now, faith is the eye of the godly man, and that sees the truth
of things, whatever Satan suggests, either about the glory of this
world, the sweetness of sin, the uncertainty of another world, or
the like (1 John 5:4,5; Heb. 11:27).

2. Faith wraps the soul up in the bundle of life with God;
it encloseth it in the righteousness of Jesus, and presents it so
perfect in that, that whatever he can do, with all his cunning,
cannot render the soul spotted or wrinkled before the justice of
the law; yea, though the man, as to his own person and acts, be
full of sin from top to toe, Jesus Christ covereth all; faith sees
it, and holds the soul in the godly sense and comfort of it. The
man, therefore, standing here, stands shrouded under that goodly
robe that makes him glisten in the eye of justice. Yea, all the
answer that Satan can get from God against such a soul is, that he
'doth not see iniquity in Jacob, nor behold perverseness in Israel';
for here 'Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of
the Lord of hosts, though,' as to their own persons, 'their land
was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel' (Num 23:21-23;
Jer 51:5; Rom 6:14; Deut 33:12). Thus, therefore, the soul believing,
is hid from all the power of the enemy, and dwells safely under
the dominion of grace.

3. Faith keeps the soul from giving credit to any of his insinuations;
for whatever Satan saith, either about the acceptance of my person
or performances, so long as I believe that both are accepted of
God for Christ's sake, he suggesteth to the wind; wherefore faith
doth the same against the devil that unbelief doth to God. Doth
unbelief count God a liar? Faith counts the devil a liar. Doth
unbelief hold the soul from the mercy of God? Faith holds the soul
from the malice of the devil. Doth unbelief quench thy graces?
Faith kindleth them even into a flame. Doth unbelief fill the soul
full of sorrow? Faith fills it full of the joy of the Holy Ghost.
In a word, doth unbelief bind down thy sins upon thee? Why, faith
in Jesus Christ releaseth thee of them all.

4. As faith keeps the soul from giving credit to the insinuations
of Satan, so, when he makes his assaults, it over-masters him,
and makes him retreat; 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.--Whom resist steadfast in the faith' (James 4:7; 1 Peter
5:9). Believe, as I have already said, that God loveth you, that
the blood of Christ was shed for you, that your person is presented
complete before him, through the righteousness of Christ, and Satan
must give place; thy crediting of the gospel makes him fly before
thee; but thou must do it steadfast in the faith; every waverer
giveth him advantage. And, indeed, this is the reason that the godly
are so foiled with his assaults, they do not resist him steadfast
in the faith; they often stagger through unbelief. Now, at every
stagger he recovereth lost ground again, and giveth battle another
time. Besides, by this and the other stagger he taketh heart
to attempt by other means, and so doubleth the affliction with
manifold temptations. This is, I say, for want of being steadfast.
'Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked' (Eph 6:16). To quench
them, though they come from him as kindled with the very fire
of hell. None knows, save him that feels it, how burning hot the
fiery darts of Satan are; and how, when darted, they kindle upon
our flesh and unbelief; neither can any know the power and worth
of faith to quench them but he that hath it, and hath power to act
it.

5. Lastly, if justifying righteousness be alone to be found in the
person of Jesus Christ, then this shows us the sad condition of
two sorts of men--1. Of those that hang in doubt betwixt Christ
and the law. 2. Of those that do professedly make denial of the
sufficiency of this most blessed righteousness.

First. The first sort, though they may seek life, yet, thus continuing,
are never like to find it. Wherefore? Because they seek it not by
faith, but, as it were, by the works of the law. Indeed, they will
not be merit-mongers; they will not wholly trust to the law; they
will partly venture on Christ, and partly trust to the law. Well,
but therefore they shall be damned, because they trust to Christ
but in part, and in part, as it were, to the works of the law; for
such sinners make Christ but a Saviour in part--why, then, should
he be their Saviour in whole? No; because they halt between Christ
and the law, therefore they shall fall between Christ and the law;
yea, because they will trust to their works in part, they shall be
but almost saved by Christ. Let not that man think that he shall
obtain any thing from the Lord. What man? Why, he that doubteth or
wavereth in his mind about the truth of the mercy of God in Christ.
Therefore the exhortation is, 'But let him ask in faith.--For he
that wavereth,' or, that halteth between the law and Christ for
life, 'is like a wave of the sea, driven of the wind and tossed'
(James 1:6). In conclusion, he resteth nowhere--'a double-minded
man is unstable in all his ways' (v 8). This man, therefore, must
miscarry; he must not see the good land that flows with milk and
honey; no, let him not have a thought of life in his heart; let
not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.[36]

This was the case of many in the primitive times, for whose sake
this caution was written; for the devout and religious Jew and
proselyte, when they fell away from the word of the gospel, they
did not fall to those gross and abominable pollutions in which the
open profane, like sows and swine, do wallow, but they fell from
the grace of God to the law; or, at least, did rest betwixt them
both, doubting of the sufficiency of either; and thus, being fearful,
they distrust; wherefore, being found at length unbelieving, they
are reputed of God abominable, as murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers,
idolators, and liars, and so must have their portion in the lake,
with them, that burns with fire and brimstone (Rev 21:8). The
reason is, because where Christ is rejected sin remaineth, and so
the wrath of God for sin. Neither will he be a Saviour in part; he
must be all thy salvation, or none. 'Let not that man think that
he shall receive any thing of the Lord' (James 1:7; John 3:36).
Not any thing. There is no promise for him, no pardon for him,
no heaven for him, no salvation for him, no escaping of his fire!
What condition is this man in? Yet he is a religious man, for he
prays; he is a seeking man, a desiring man, for he prays; but he
halts between two, he leaneth to his righteousness, and committeth
iniquity. He is afraid to venture all upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let not that man think of receiving any thing from the Lord!

Yet the words suggest that he is apt to think he shall receive
something, because God is merciful, because his promise is great;
but this expectation is by this word cut off, and this sinner is
cast away. Let not that man think, let him forbear to think, of
having anything at the hand of God. The Israelites thought to go
up to the land the day after they had despised it. Agag thought
the bitterness of death was past even that day in which he was hewn
to pieces. Rechab and Baanah his brother thought to have received
reward of David that day they were hanged over the pool in Hebron.
Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord'
(Num 14:40-45; 1 Sam 15:32,33; 2 Sam 4:12).

Second. As for those that do professedly make denial of the
sufficiency of this most blessed righteousness, the whole book is
conviction to them, and shall assuredly, if it comes to their hands,
rise up in judgment against them. They have rejected the wisdom
and mercy of God; they have rejected the means of their salvation;
they have trampled upon the blood of the Son of God; wherefore
judgment waiteth for them, and fiery indignation, which shall devour
the adversaries.

[A word to neglecters of Christ.]

To conclude. One word also to you that are neglecters of Jesus
Christ: 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?'
Here then, we may see how we ought to judge of all such persons as
neglect the Lord Jesus, under what guise, name, or notion soever
they be. We ought, I say, to judge of such, that they are at present
in a state of condemnation; of condemnation, 'because they have
not believed in the only-begotten Son of God' (John 3:18). It is
true, there is no man more at ease in his mind, with such ease as
it is, than the man that hath not closed with the Lord Jesus, but
is shut up in unbelief. O! but that is the man that stands convict
before God, and that is bound over to the great assize; that is
the man whose sins are still his own, and upon whom the wrath of
God abideth (v 36); for the ease and peace of such, though it keep
them far from fear, is but like to that of the secure thief, that
is ignorant that the constable standeth at the door; the first sight
of an officer makes his peace to give up the ghost (1 John 5:12).
Ah, how many thousands that can now glory that they never were
troubled for sin against God; I say, how many be there that God will
trouble worse than he troubled cursed Achan, because their peace,
though false, and of the devil, was rather chosen by them than peace
by Jesus Christ, than 'peace with God by the blood of his cross'
(Col 1:20). Awake, careless sinners, awake! and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give you light. Content not yourselves either
with sin or righteousness, if you be destitute of Jesus Christ,
but cry, cry, O cry to God for light to see your condition by;
for light in the Word of God, for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed (Eph 5:14). Cry, therefore, for light to see this
righteousness by; it is a righteousness of Christ's finishing, of
God's accepting, and that which alone can save the soul from the
stroke of eternal justice! (Rom 1:17).

There are six things that on man's part are the cause he receiveth
not the gospel of Christ, and so life by him--1. They see not their
state by nature, how polluted they are with original sin (Eph 2:2).
2. They see not the justice of God against sin; they know not him
that hath said, 'Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense'
(Heb 10:30). 3. They cannot see the beauty of Jesus Christ (2 Cor
4:4). 4. Unbelief being mighty in them, they dare not venture their
souls with Jesus Christ. They dare not trust to his righteousness,
and to that only (Rev 21:8). For, 5. Their carnal reason also sets
itself against the word of faith, and cannot stoop to the grace
of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:14). 6. They love to have honour one
of another, they love to be commended for their own vain-glorious
righteousness; and the fools think that because they are commended
of men, they shall be commended of God also: 'How can ye believe,
which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that
cometh from God only?' (John 5:44). This last thing--to wit, desire
of vain-glory, is the bane of thousands; it is the legalist's bane,
it is the civilian's[37] bane, it is the formalist's bane, yea,
which yet is stranger, it is the bane of the vicious and debauched
also;[38] for though there be a generation that, to one's thinking,
have not regard to righteousness, yet watch them narrowly, and
they have their times of doing something that looks like good, and
though possibly it be but seldom, yet this wretch counteth that,
for the sake of that, God accepteth him, and counteth his, glorious
righteousness. I might add a seventh cause, which is, want of
serious meditation upon eternal judgment, and what shall follow.
This consideration, did it take a deep place in the heart, would
doubtless produce these workings of spirit after Jesus Christ for
justification that now are wanting in the most of men. This made
Felix, yea, it makes the devils, tremble; and would, I say, couldst
thou deeply meditate, make thee start and turn thy wanton thoughts
into heavy sighs after God's mercy in Jesus Christ, lest thou also
come into their place of torment.

Before I conclude this use, I would lay down a few motives, if so
be thou mayest be prevailed with to look after thine own everlasting
state.

1. Consider, God hath put man above all the creatures in this
visible world, into a state of abiding for ever; they cannot be
annihilated, they shall never again be turned into nothing, but
must live with God or the devil for ever and ever. And though the
scripture saith, 'Man hath not pre-eminence over a beast in his
death,' yet the beast hath pre-eminence above many men, for he
shall not rise again to come into judgment as man must, nor receive
that dismal sentence for sin and transgression as man shall; this,
therefore, is worthy to be considered with seriousness of all
that have souls to be saved or damned--'They must one day come to
judgment,' there to stand before that Judge of all the earth whose
eyes are like a flame of fire, from the sight of which thou canst
not hide one of thy words, or thoughts, or actions, because thou
wantest the righteousness of God. The fire of his justice shall
burn up all thy rags of righteousness wherewith by the law thou
hast clothed thyself, and will leave thee nothing but a soul full
of sin to bemoan, and eternal burnings to grapple with. O the
burnings that will then beset sinners on every side, and that will
eat their flesh and torment their spirit with far more terror than
if they were stricken with scorpions! And observe it, the torment
will there be higher than other where there is the guilt of neglecting
Jesus Christ, he being indeed the Saviour, and him that was sent
on purpose to deliver men from the wrath to come.

2. Consider, once past grace, and ever past grace. When the door
is shut against thee, it will open no more, and then repentings,
desires, wishings, and wouldings, come all too late (Luke 13).
Good may be done to others, but to thee, none; and this shall be
because, even because thou hast withstood the time of thy visitation,
and not received grace when offered: 'My God will cast them away,
because they did not hearken unto him' (Luke 19:41-43; Hosea 9:17).
Cain was driven out from the presence of God, for aught I know,
some hundreds of years before his death; Ishmael was cast away after
seventeen years of age; Esau lived thirty or forty years after he
had sold his birthright. O! many, very many are in this condition!
for though God be gracious, yet he will not be slighted nor abused
always; there are plenty of sinners in the world--if one will not,
another will. Christ was soon repulsed by and sent away from the
country of the Gadarenes; but on the other side of the sea there
were many ready with joy to receive him (Luke 8:37,40). So, when
the Jews contradicted and blasphemed, 'the Gentiles gladly received
the word' (Acts 13:46-48). Look to it, sinner, here is life and
death set before thee; life, if it be not too late to receive it;
but if it be, it is not too late for death to swallow thee up.
And tell me, will it not be dreadful to be carried from under the
gospel to the damned, there to lie in endless torment, because thou
wouldst not be delivered therefrom?[39] Will it be comfort to thee
to see the Saviour turn Judge? to see him that wept and died for
the sin of the world now ease his mind on Christ-abhorring sinners
by rendering to them the just judgment of God? For all their
abominable filthiness, had they closed with Christ, they had been
shrouded from the justice of the law, and should not have come into
condemnation. 'But had been passed from death to life'; but they
would not take shelter there; they would venture to meet the justice
of God in its fury, wherefore now it shall swallow them up for ever
and ever. And let me ask further, is not he a madman who, being
loaded with combustible matter, will run headlong into the fire
upon a bravado? or that, being guilty of felony or murder, will
desperately run himself into the hand of the officer, as if the law,
the judge, the sentence, execution, were but a jest, or a thing to
be played withal? And yet thus mad are poor, wretched, miserable
sinners, who, flying from Christ as if he were a viper, they are
overcome, and cast off for ever by the just judgment of the law.
But ah! how poorly will these be able to plead the virtues of the
law to which they have cleaved, when God shall answer them, 'Whom
dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the
uncircumcised' (Eze 32:19). Go down to hell, and there be laid with
those that refused the grace of God.

Sinners, take my advice, with which I shall conclude this use--Call
often to remembrance that thou hast a precious soul within thee; that
thou art in the way to thine end, at which thy precious soul will
be in special concerned, it being then time to delay no longer,
the time of reward being come. I say again, bring thy end home; put
thyself in thy thoughts into the last day thou must live in this
world, seriously arguing thus--How if this day were my last? How if
I never see the sun rise more? How if the first voice that rings
to-morrow morning in my heavy ears be, 'Arise, ye dead, and come
to judgment?' Or how, if the next sight I see with mine eyes be
the Lord in the clouds, with all his angels, raining floods of fire
and brimstone upon the world? Am I in a case to be thus near mine
end? to hear this trump of God? or to see this great appearance of
this great God, and the Lord Jesus Christ? Will my profession, or
the faith I think I have, carry me through all the trials of God's
tribunal? Cannot his eyes, which are as a flame of fire, see in my
words, thoughts, and actions enough to make me culpable of the wrath
of God? O how serious should sinners be in this work of remembering
things to come, of laying to their heart the greatness and terror
of that notable day of God Almighty, and in examining themselves,
how it is like to go with their souls when they shall stand before the
Judge indeed! To this end, God make this word effectual. Amen.[40]

FOOTNOTES:

1. These are most important distinctions, upon which depends a
right understanding of this doctrine. God sees the soul either in
Christ or in sin. He may see apparently good works arising from the
foulest motives. Uriah doubtless thought himself highly honoured
as a confidential messenger of great king David; God saw the murder
and adultery in David's heart. He was justified in the sight of
man for the very act that condemned him in the sight of God; and
for which he was sorely punished in this world, although saved by
the blood of atonement.--Ed.

2. Let not a scoffer say, 'See how Christians cast away the law of
God!' They are under the law to Christ; bound by the most sacred
obligations to obey all its requirements; not to merit pardon, but
to prove, to the comfort of their souls, that they have received
pardon, and are living under a sense of the unmerited grace of God
in Christ.--Ed.

3. This is a clear statement of a most important truth. The sins
of believers were laid upon Christ, or imputed to him, and he bore
them away, but was undefiled. His righteousness covers us, and we
are justified, but it is still HIS. Not unto us, but unto his name,
be all the glory.--Ed.

4. By 'common,' is here meant that Christ is the federal head
of all his saints; they have an equal or common right equally to
participate in his merits.--Ed.

5. How full of consolation is this voice from the tomb! Lowth's
translation is very striking--'Thy dead shall live, my deceased;
they SHALL arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for
thy dew is as the dew of the dawn! But the earth shall cast forth,
as an abortion, thy deceased tyrants.' Antichrist shall 'cease from
troubling,' and be only seen afar off in torments.--Ed.

6. Christ (amazing love!) 'was made a curse for us,' and thereby
redeemed us from the curse of the law. He subjected himself to the
law in active as well as passive obedience, and his obedience even
to death was for our justification.--Mason.

7. Those whom God justifies, he also glorifies; and because Christ
lives, blessed be God! we shall live also. Nevertheless, the
strongest believer has as much need to come to Christ every day
for fresh strength, as if he had never believed before; and if he
were to depend on his own faithfulness, and not on the faithfulness
of the Son of God, he would soon desert the Lord Jesus Christ.--Mason.

8. The symbol of regeneration, or water baptism. Although the
regenerate believer feels an assurance that he forms part of Christ's
mystical body, and is saved by grace, and loves God because God
first loved him, this does not prevent, but approves, his following
the example of his Redeemer, in a symbolical or water baptism. Thus
he publicly puts on Christ; he is buried with him in baptism, and
rises to newness of life. Colossians 2:12, 13.--Ed.

9. Believer, if thou art rejoicing in this great and finished
salvation, never forget that thine only evidence is--sorrow for
thy sins, which caused the shedding of this precious blood, and a
love of holiness. If sin be deplored, not only art thou redeemed
from its curse, but also delivered from its power. The grace that
justifies quickens us to good works, that we may walk therein.--Ed.

10. Because it is tainted by sin.--Ed.

11. The best righteousness that can be produced by fallen man is
impressively designated by Isaiah, 'A bed shorter than a man can
stretch himself on, and a covering narrower than he can wrap himself
in.'--Ed.

12. The way of salvation by works was blasted by the curse upon
Adam's sin, so that it cannot work life in us, or holiness, but
only death.--Ed.

13. To divert or turn aside from an intended course; not to divert
or amuse.--Ed.

14. Bunyan, in his Creation Spiritualized, or Exposition on Genesis,
has shown that the fig-leaf aprons are a type of man's attempt to
cover his sins by his own good works, which soon fade, become dung,
or are burned up. But the righteousness that God provides endureth
for ever. See vol. i., p. 440.--Ed.

15. The marginal notes to the Bible are exceedingly valuable,
especially to the unlearned. There we find that Jedidiah means
'beloved of the Lord.'--Ed.

16. The birth of a babe is a period of excitement. Parents should
hope that the new comer is a Jedidiah. On such occasions, it is a
delightful service when the father, mother, and family specially
attend public worship, to bless God for his mercies, and to beseech
grace that they may train up the child for heaven. Such is the
practice among the Baptists. But even in this, watchfulness is
requisite, lest it degenerate into mere parade.--Ed.

17. The non-imputation of sin, and the imputation of Christ's
righteousness, always go together. David knew this; while he describes
the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,
he, at the same time, describes the blessedness of the man to whom
God imputeth Christ's righteousness.--Mason.

18. However excellent the conduct of Zaccheus, still he was a sinner,
and under the curse. His curiosity leads him to climb a tree to
see Jesus, and most unexpectedly salvation is brought to one who
sought it not. Christ called, and he instantly obeyed. O may our
hearts be so inclined to receive the invitations of his gospel!.--Ed.

19. We are all, by nature and practice, in a spiritual sense, robbers,
idolaters, and murderers. God make us to know and feel it! We may
adopt the language of the poet, and say--


   'Sinful soul, what hast thou done?
    Murder'd God's eternal Son!'--Mason.


20. Works justify us from such accusations of men as will deny us
to have justification by faith--not as being our righteousness, or
conditions of our having Christ's righteousness, or as qualifying
us for it.--Mason.

21. Every edition of Bunyan's works calls this a 'void of words,'
and gives a false reference to Hebrews 12:14.--Ed.

22. The law condemns all sinners, and strikes them dead as with a
thunderbolt; adjudging them to shame and misery, instead of glory
and happiness. None can fulfil its strict terms, neither Jew nor
Gentile. There is no hope, if free grace restore them not. Romans
3:20, 2:6-29; 8:7.--Mason.

23. Hagar, by which is meant the law or covenant of works. This
is said to gender unto bondage, because it makes them bondmen who
look to be saved and justified thereby. It is called the 'ministration
of death' (2 Cor 3:6). Whereas the gospel and new covenant is a
dispensation of liberty and life.--Mason.

24. We will hold and extol this faith which doubteth not of God,
nor of the Divine promises, nor of the forgiveness of sins through
Christ; that we may dwell sure and safe in this our object Christ,
and may keep still before our eyes the passion and blood of the
Mediator and all his benefits.--Luther on Galatians 3:11.

25. Multitudes of professors set up their rest in outward duties,
and repose a carnal confidence in ordinances, without endeavouring
after any lively communion with Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, in
the exercise of faith and love.--Mason.

26. Conscience, if resisted, is little case, whether rightly or
wrongly informed. By little ease, is meant a prison not large enough
either to lie down or stand upright in, with spikes in the walls;
places of torment well known in former times of persecution for
conscience sake.--Ed.

27. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. We must either, as lost sinners,
fall into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free
gift through the merits of the Saviour, or we must perish. It is
a solemn, searching consideration.--Ed.

28. Difficult at any time, and impossible without Divine power; but
most difficult when all the faculties of the soul become harrowed
by a 'certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation'
(Heb 10:27).--Ed.

29. If we seek salvation by works, such as sincere obedience or
Christian perfection, we thereby bring ourselves under the law, and
become debtors to fulfil all its requirements, though we intended
to engage ourselves to fulfil it only in part (Gal 5:3). Let this
be seriously considered.--Mason.

30. These 'foolish men' were a sect which sprung up in Bunyan's
time, and soon became extinct. They believed that the sufferings
of Christ, to his death on Calvary, were only typical of what he
suffers in the body of every believer. This was as contrary to the
express declaration of Holy Writ, 'He was ONCE offered' (Heb 9:28),
as is the absurd notion of the Papists in the mass, or continual
sacrifice of Christ. What impious mortal dares pretend to offer up
Christ to his Father.--Ed.

31. As the carnal Adam, having lost his original righteousness,
imparts a corrupt nature to all his descendants; so the spiritual
Adam, Christ Jesus, by his obedience unto death, conveys spiritual life
to us; believers are made 'the righteousness of God in him.'--Mason.

32. 'Neck' is from hniga, to bend or incline. In Bunyan's time,
these ancient words were well understood by the peasantry. To have
the neck turned, so as to bend the back of the head towards the
back of the body, would be as absurd as for faith to look to its
own works for justification. This would indeed be bowing backward,
instead of bending before, and looking to Jesus and his finished
work for justification.--Ed.

33. Modern editors have altered this to 'imperfections,' but Bunyan
would have us look to the most perfect of our works, and see how
polluted they are.--Ed.

34. Faith looks at things which be not, as though they were. Sense
judges from what it sees and feels, faith from what God says;
sense looks inward to self, faith looks outward to Christ and his
fullness.--Mason.

35. How strangely does the world mistake the source of good works!
The common and fatal error is, that if salvation is all of faith,
then good works will fail; whereas faith is the prolific fountain,
yea, the only source of really good works and holy obedience.--Ed.

36. How universal to fallen nature is that soul-destroying heresy--the
attempt to justify ourselves partly by our own good works, and to
make up the deficiency by the merits of the Saviour! Ye might as
well attempt to serve God and mammon, as to unite our impure works
with those of the pure and holy Jesus. We must, as perishing sinners,
fall into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free
gift, wholly through the merits of the Saviour, or we must for ever
perish. It is an awful consideration.--Ed.

37. 'The civilian'; one who is versed in law and government. See
Imperial Dictionary.--Ed.

38. When the pilgrims Christian and Hopeful had wandered in By-path
Meadow, one that walked before them said that the way led to the
celestial gate. 'He therefore that went before, Vain-confidence by
name, not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which
was on purpose there made by Giant Despair to catch vain-glorious
fools withal, and was dashed in pieces with his fall.' Beware, O
legalist, civilian, or formalist!--Ed.

39. How deplorably and inexcusably they will perish, who perish by
their own willful unbelief under the gospel! It will be dreadful
indeed to be driven, as it were, from the very gate of heaven to
the lowermost and hottest hell. Lord, send forth thy light, truth,
and power, that sinners may be saved and comforted by coming unto
thee for life and peace!--Mason.

40. This is a striking and soul-searching appeal. O that the Holy
Spirit may 'search me and try me, and see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,' before we go hence
into the eternal state!--Ed.

***

SAVED BY GRACE;

OR,

A DISCOURSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD:

SHOWING--

I. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED BY GRACE.
III. WHO THEY AEE THAT ABE SAVED BY GRACE. IV. HOW IT APPEARS THAT
THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE. V. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT GOD SHOULD
CHOOSE TO SAVE SINNERS BY GRACE RATHER THAN BY ANY OTHER MEANS.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

THIS admirable Treatise upon the most important of all subjects,
that of the soul's salvation, was first published in a pocket volume,
in the year 1675. This has become very rare, but it is inserted in
every edition of the author's collected works. Our copy is reprinted
from the first edition published after the author's decease, in
a small folio volume of his works, 1691. Although it is somewhat
encumbered with subdivisions, it is plain, practical, and written
in Bunyan's strong and energetic style; calculated to excite the
deepest attention, and to fix the mind upon those solemn realities
which alone can unite earth with heaven.

Ho extensive is the meaning of that little sentance, 'Saved by
Grace!' It includes in it redemption from the curse of sin, which
oppresses the poor sinner with the fears of everlasting burnings;
while it elevates the body, soul, and spirit, to an eternal and an
exceeding weight of glory--to the possession of infinite treasures,
inconceivable, and that never fade away.

Bunyan, in opening and deeply investigating this subject, shows his
master hand in every page. It was a subject which, from his first
conviction of sin, while playing a gat at cat on a Sunday, ahd
excited his feelings to an intense degree, absorbing all the powers
of his soul. It was eminently to him the one thing needful--the
sum and substance of human habbiness. He felt that it included the
preservation and re-structure of the body--raised from filth and
vileness--from sickness, pain, and disease--from death and the
grave--to be perfected in immortality like the Saviour's glorious
body. That included in this salvation, is the death ofdeath, and the
swallowing up of the grave, to be no more seen for ever. The soul
will be perfect, and, re-united with the body, be filled 'with
bliss and glory, as much as ever it can hold;' all jars and discord
between sould and body will be finished; and the perfect man be
clothed with righteousness; in a word, be like Christ and with him.
All this is the work of grace, performed by the ever-blessed Trinity.

In displaying the feelings and experience of the inquiring, alarmed,
quickened sinner, we are instructed by a continual illustration of
the Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. He manifests profound
knowledge of the devices of Satan--the workings of unbelief--the
difficulties thrown by the wicked one in the way of the sinner,
to prevent his approach to Christ. He fastens conviction upon
conviction--gives blow upon blow to human pride; proving that there
can be found nothing in our fallen nature to recommend the sinner
to God--all is of grace--from the foundation to the top-stone of a
sinner's salvation. And above all, he clearly shows that salvation
by grace is the most sin-killing doctrine in the world, as well as
the most consoling tidings that can be brought to a sin-sick soul.
'O, when a God of grace is upon a throne of grace, and a poor sinner
stands by and begs for grace, and that in the name of a gracious
Christ, in and by the help of the Spirit of grace, can it be otherwise
but that such a sinner must obtain mercy and grace to help in time
of need? O, then, COME BOLDLY!' p. 360.

But I must not detain the reader from entering upon this solemn
subject; only for a moment, while I quote another passage conceived
in all the ardour of Bunyan's feelings:--'O Son of God! grace was
in all thy tears--grace came out where the. whip smote thee, where
the thorns pricked thee, where the nails and spear pierced thee! O
blessed Son of God! Here is grace indeed!' Unsearchable riches of
grace! Grace to make angels wonder, grace to make sinners happy,
grace to astonish devils! And what will become of them that trample
under foot this Son of God?'

Reader, may this searching, comforting, reviving subject be blessed
to our well-grounded consolation!

GEO. OFFOR.

TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

In this little book thou art presented with a discourse of the
GRACE of God, and of salvation by that grace. In which discourse,
thou shalt find how each Person in the Godhead doth his part in
the salvation of the sinner. I. The Father putteth forth his grace,
thus. II. The Son putteth forth his grace, thus. III. And the Spirit
putteth forth his grace, thus. Which things thou shalt find here
particularly handled.

Thou shalt also find, in this small treatise, the way of God with
the sinner, as to his CONVERSATION, 1 and the way of the sinner with
God in the same; where[in] the grace of God, and the wickedness of
the sinner, do greatly show themselves.

If thou findest me short in things, impute that [to] my love to
brevity. If thou findest me besides the truth in aught, impute that
to mine infirmity. But if thou findest anything here that serveth
to thy furtherance and joy of faith, impute that to the mercy of
God bestowed on thee and me.

Thine to serve thee with that little I have,

J.B.

SAVED BY GRACE.

"BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED."--EPHESIANS 2:5.

In the first chapter, from the fourth to the twelfth verse, the
apostle is treating of the doctrine of election, both with respect
to the act itself, the end, and means conducing thereto. The act,
he tells us, was God's free choice of some (verse 4,5,11). The end
was God's glory in their salvation (verse 6,14). The means conducing
to that end was Jesus Christ himself--"In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace" (verse 7). This done, he treateth of the subjection
of the Ephesians to the faith, as it was held forth to them in the
Word of the truth of the gospel, as also of their being sealed by
the Holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption (verse 12-14).
Moreover, he telleth them how he gave thanks to God for them,
making mention of them in his prayers, even that he would make them
see "what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead," &c. (verse 15-20).

And lest the Ephesians, at the hearing of these their so many
privileges, should forget how little they deserved them, he tells
them that in time past they were dead in trespasses and sins, and
that then they walked in them "according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph 2:2,3).

Having thus called them back to the remembrance of themselves--to
wit, what they were in their state of unregeneracy, he proceedeth
to show them that their first quickening was by the resurrection
of Christ their Head, in whom they before were chosen, and that
by him they were already set down in heavenly places, (verse 5,6);
inserting, by the way, the true cause of all this blessedness,
with what else should be by us enjoyed in another world; and that
is, the love and grace of God: "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 [by grace ye are saved]."
These last words seen to be the apostle's conclusion rightly drawn
from the premises; as who should say, If you Ephesians were indeed
dead in trespasses and sins; if indeed you were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others, then you deserve no more than others. 2

Again, if God hath chosen you, if God hath justified and saved you
by his Christ, and left others as good as you by nature to perish
in their sins, then the true cause of this your blessed condition
is, the free grace of God. But just thus it is, therefore by grace
ye are saved; therefore all the good which you enjoy more than
others, it is of mere goodwill.

"BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED."

The method that I shall choose to discourse upon these words shall
be this--I will propound certain questions upon the words, and
direct particular answers to them; in which answers I hope I shall
answer also, somewhat at least, the expectation of the godly and
conscientious reader, and so shall draw towards a conclusion.

THE QUESTIONS ARE--

I. What is it to be saved? II. What is it to be saved by grace? III.
Who are they that are saved by grace? IV. How it appears that they
that are saved, are saved by grace? V. What might be the reasons
which prevailed with God to save us by grace, rather than by any
other means?

Now the reason why I propound these five questions upon the words,
it is, because the words themselves admit them; the first three
are grounded upon the several phrases in the text, and the two last
are to make way for demonstration of the whole.

QUEST. I.--WHAT IS IT TO BE SAVED?

This question supposeth that there is such a thing as damnation
due to man for sin; for to save supposeth the person to be saved to
be at present in a sad condition; saving, to him that is not lost,
signifies nothing, neither is it anything in itself. "To save, to
redeem, to deliver," are in the general terms equivalent, and they
do all of them suppose us to be in a state of thraldom and misery;
therefore this word "saved," in the sense that the apostle here
doth use it, is a word of great worth, forasmuch as the miseries
from which we are saved is the misery of all most dreadful.

The miseries from which they that shall be saved shall by their
salvation be delivered, are dreadful; they are no less than sin,
the curse of God, and flames of hell for ever. What more abominable
than sin? What more insupportable than the dreadful wrath of an
angry God? And what more fearful than the bottomless pit of hell?
I say, what more fearful than to be tormented there for ever with
the devil and his angels? Now, to "save," according to my text, is
to deliver the sinner from these, with all things else that attend
them. And although sinners may think that it is no hard matter to
answer this question, yet I must tell you there is no man, that can
feelingly know what it is to be saved, that knoweth not experimentally
something of the dread of these three things, as is evident, because
all others do even by their practice count it a thing of no great
concern, when yet it is of all other of the highest concern among
men; "For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?" (Matt 16:26).

But, I say, if this word "saved" concludeth our deliverance from
sin, how can he tell what it is to be saved that hath not in his
conscience groaned under the burden of sin? yea, it is impossible
else that he should ever cry out with all his heart, "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?"--that is, do to be saved (Acts 2:37).
The man that hath no sores or aches cannot know the virtue of the
salve; I mean, not know it from his own experience, and therefore
cannot prize, nor have that esteem of it, as he that hath received
cure thereby. Clap a plaster to a well place, and that maketh not its
virtue to appear; neither can he to whose flesh it is so applied,
by that application understand its worth. Sinners, you, I mean, that
are not wounded with guilt, and oppressed with the burden of sin,
you cannot--I will say it again--you cannot know, in this senseless
condition of yours, what it is to be saved.

Again; this word "saved," as I said, concludeth deliverance from
the wrath of God. How, then, can he tell what it is to be saved
that hath not felt the burden of the wrath of God? He--he that is
astonished with, and that trembleth at, the wrath of God--he knows
best what it is to be saved (Acts 16:29).

Further, this word "saved," it concludeth deliverance from death and
hell. How, then, can he tell what it is to be saved that never was
sensible of the sorrows of the one, nor distressed with the pains
of the other? The Psalmist says, "The sorrows of death compassed
me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and
sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord"--(mark, then),
"then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee,
deliver my soul,"--then, in my distress. When he knew what it was
to be saved, then he called, because, I say, then he knew what it
was to be saved (Psa 18:4,5; 116:3,4). I say, this is the man, and
this only, that knows what it is to be saved. And this is evident,
as is manifest by the little regard that the rest have to saving,
or the little dread they have of damnation. Where is he that seeks
and groans for salvation? I say, where is he that hath taken his
flight for salvation, because of the dread of the wrath to come? "O
generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?" (Matt 3:7). Alas! do not the most set light by salvation?--as
for sin, how do they love it, embrace it, please themselves with
it, hide it still within their mouth, and keep it close under their
tongue. Besides, for the wrath of God, they feel it not, they fly
not from it; and for hell, it is become a doubt to many if there
be any, and a mock to those whose doubt is resolved by atheism.

But to come to the question--What is it to be saved? To be saved
may either respect salvation in the whole of it, or salvation in
the parts of it, or both. I think this text respecteth both--to
wit, salvation completing, and salvation completed; for "to save"
is a work of many steps; or, to be as plain as possible, "to save"
is a work that hath its beginning before the world began, and shall
not be completed before it is ended.

First, then, we may be said to be saved in the purpose of God before
the world began. The apostle saith that "he saved us, and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began" (2 Tim 1:9). This is the beginning of
salvation, and according to this beginning all things concur and
fall out in conclusion--"He hath saved us according to his eternal
purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus." God in thus saving
may be said to save us by determining to make those means effectual
for the blessed completing of our salvation; and hence we are said
"to be chosen in Christ to salvation." And again, that he hath in
that choice given us that grace that shall complete our salvation.
Yea, the text is very full, "He hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:3,4).

Second. As we may be said to be saved in the purpose of God before
the foundation of the world, so we may be said to be saved before
we are converted, or called to Christ. And hence "saved" is put
before "called"; "he hath saved us, and called us"; he saith not,
he hath called us, and saved us; but he puts saving before calling
(2 Tim 1:9). So again, we are said to be "preserved in Christ and
called"; he saith not, called and preserved (Jude 1). And therefore
God saith again, "I will pardon them whom I reserve"--that is, as
Paul expounds it, those whom I have "elected and kept," and this part
of salvation is accomplished through the forbearance of God (Jer
50:20; Rom 11:4,5). God beareth with is own elect, for Christ's sake,
all the time of their unregeneracy, until the time comes which he
hath appointed for their conversion. The sins that we stood guilty
of before conversion, had the judgment due to them been executed
upon us, we had not now been in the world to partake of a heavenly
calling. But the judgment due to them hath been by the patience
of God prevented, and we saved all the time of our ungodly and
unconverted state, from that death, and those many hells, that for
our sins we deserved at the hands of God.

And here lies the reason that long life is granted to the elect
before conversion, and that all the sins they commit and all the
judgments they deserve, cannot drive them out of the world before
conversion. Manasseh, you know, was a great sinner, and for the
trespass which he committed he was driven from his own land, and
carried to Babylon; but kill him they could not, though his sins
had deserved death ten thousand times. But what was the reason?
Why, he was not yet called; God had chosen him in Christ, and laid
up in him a stock of grace, which must be given to Manasseh before
he dies; therefore Manasseh must be convinced, converted, and saved.
That legion of devils that was in the possessed, with all the sins
which he had committed in the time of his unregeneracy, could not
take away his life before his conversion (Mark 5). How many times
was that poor creature, as we may easily conjecture, assaulted for
his life by the devils that were in him, yet could they not kill
him, yea, though his dwelling was near the sea-side, and the devils
had power to drive him too, yet could they not drive him further
than the mountains that were by the sea-side; yea, they could help
him often to break his chains and fetters, and could also make him
as mad as a bedlam, 3 they could also prevail with him to separate
from men, and cut himself with stones, but kill him they could
not, drown him they could not; he was saved to be called; he was,
notwithstanding all this, preserved in Christ, and called. As it
is said of the young lad in the gospel, he was by the devil cast
oft into the fire, and oft into the water, to destroy him, but it
could not be; even so hath he served others, but they must be "saved
to be called" (Mark 9:22). How many deaths have some been delivered
from and saved out of before conversion! Some have fallen into
rivers, some into wells, some into the sea, some into the hands
of men; yea, they have been justly arraigned and condemned, as
the thief upon the cross, but must not die before they have been
converted. They were preserved in Christ, and called.

Called Christian, how many times have thy sins laid thee upon
a sick-bed, and, to thine and others' thinking, at the very mouth
of the grave? yet God said concerning thee, Let him live, for he
is not yet converted. Behold, therefore, that the elect are saved
before they are called. 4 "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins," hath
preserved us in Christ, and called us (Eph 2:4,5).

Now this "saving" of us arises from six causes. 1. God hath chosen
us unto salvation, and therefore will not frustrate his own purposes
(1 Thess 5:9). 2. God hath given us to Christ; and his gift, as
well as his calling, is without repentance (Rom 11:29; John 6:37).
3. Christ hath purchased us with his blood (Rom 5:8,9). 4. They
are, by God, counted in Christ before they are converted (Eph
1:3,4). 5. They are ordained before conversion to eternal life;
yea, to be called, to be justified, to be glorified, and therefore
all this must come upon them (Rom 8:29,30). 6. For all this, he
hath also appointed them their portion and measure of grace, and
that before the world began; therefore, that they may partake of all
these privileges, they are saved and called, preserved in Christ,
and called.

Third. To be saved is to be brought to, and helped to lay hold on,
Jesus Christ by faith. And this is called saving by grace through
faith. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

1. They must be brought unto Christ, yea, drawn unto him; for "no
man," saith Christ, "can come to me, except the Father which hath
sent me draw him" (John 6:44). Men, even the elect, have too many
infirmities to come to Christ without help from heaven; inviting
will not do. "As they called them, so they went from them," therefore
he "drew them with cords" (Hosea 11:2,4).

2. As they must be brought to, so they must be helped to lay hold
on Christ by faith; for as coming to Christ, so faith, is not in our
own power; therefore we are said to be raised up with him "through
the faith of the operation of God." And again, we are said to
believe, "according to the working of his mighty power, which he
wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead" (Col 2:12; Eph
1:19,20). Now we are said to be saved by faith, because by faith
we lay hold of, venture upon, and put on Jesus Christ for life.
For life, I say, because God having made him the Saviour, hath
given him life to communicate to sinners, and the life that he
communicates to them is the merit of his flesh and blood, which
whoso eateth and drinketh by faith, hath eternal life, because that
flesh and blood hath merit in it sufficient to obtain the favour of
God. Yea, it hath done so [since] that day it was offered through
the eternal Spirit a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to him;
wherefore God imputeth the righteousness of Christ to him that
believeth in him, by which righteousness he is personally justified,
and saved from that just judgment of the law that was due unto him
(John 5:26, 6:53-58; Eph 4:32; 5:2; Rom 4:23-25).

"Saved by faith." For although salvation beginneth in God's purpose,
and comes to us through Christ's righteousness, yet is not faith
exempted from having a hand in saving of us. Not that it meriteth
aught, but is given by God to those which he saveth, that thereby
they may embrace and put on that Christ by whose righteousness they
must be saved. Wherefore this faith is that which here distinguisheth
them that shall be saved from them that shall be damned. Hence it
is said, "He that believeth not, shall be damned"; and hence again
it is that the believers are called "the children, the heirs, and
the blessed with faithful Abraham;" that the promise by faith in
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe (Gal 3:6-9,26;
Rom 4:13,14).

And here let Christians warily distinguish betwixt the meritorious
and the instrumental cause of their justification. Christ, with
what he hath done and suffered, is the meritorious cause of our
justification; therefore he is said to be made to us of God, "wisdom
and righteousness;" and we are said to be "justified by his blood,
and saved from wrath through him," for it was his life and blood
that were the price of our redemption (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 5:9,10).
"Redeemed," says Peter, "not with corruptible things, as silver
and gold," alluding to the redemption of money under the law, "but
with the precious blood of Christ." Thou art, therefore, as I have
said, to make Christ Jesus the object of thy faith for justification;
for by his righteousness thy sins must be covered from the sight
of the justice of the law. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved." "For he shall save his people from their
sins" (Acts 16:31; Matt 1:21).

Fourth. To be saved is to be preserved in the faith to the end.
"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt
24:13). Not that perseverance is an accident in Christianity, or
a thing performed by human industry; they that are saved "are kept
by the power of God, through faith unto salvation" (1 Peter 1:3-6).

But perseverance is absolutely necessary to the complete saving
of the soul, because he that falleth short of the state that they
that are saved are possessed of, as saved, cannot arrive to that
saved state. He that goeth to sea with a purpose to arrive at
Spain, cannot arrive there if he be drowned by the way; wherefore
perseverance is absolutely necessary to the saving of the soul,
and therefore it is included in the complete saving of us--"Israel
shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall
not be ashamed nor confounded world without end" (Isa 45:17).
Perseverance is here made absolutely necessary to the complete
saving of the soul.

But, as I said, this part of salvation dependeth not upon human
power, but upon him that hath begun a good work in us (Phil 1:6).
This part, therefore, of our salvation is great, and calleth for
no less than the power of God for our help to perform it, as will
be easily granted by all those that consider--

1. That all the power and policy, malice and rage, of the devils
and hell itself are against us. Any man that understandeth this will
conclude that to be saved is no small thing. The devil is called
a god, a prince, a lion, a roaring lion; it is said that he hath
death and the power of it, &c. But what can a poor creature, whose
habitation is in flesh, do against a god, a prince, a roaring lion,
and the power of death itself? Our perseverance, therefore, lieth
in the power of God; "the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it."

2. All the world is against him that shall be saved. But what
is one poor creature to all the world, especially if you consider
that with the world is terror, fear, power, majesty, laws, jails,
gibbets, hangings, burnings, drownings, starvings, banishments,
and a thousand kinds of deaths? (1 John 5:4,5; John 16:33).

3. Add to this, that all the corruptions that dwell in our flesh
are against us, and that not only in their nature and being, but
they lust against us, and war against us, to "bring us into captivity
to the law of sin and death" (Gal 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11; Rom 7:23).

4. All the delusions in the world are against them that shall be
saved, many of which are so cunningly woven, so plausibly handled,
so rarely5 polished with Scripture and reason, that it is ten
thousand wonders that the elect are not swallowed up with them;
and swallowed up they would be, were they not elect, and was not
God himself engaged, either by power to keep them from falling, or
by grace to pardon if they fall, and to lift them up again (Matt
24:24; Eph 4:14; Rom 3:12).

5. Every fall of the saved is against the salvation of his soul;
but a Christian once fallen riseth not but as helped by Omnipotent
power--"O Israel, thou hast fallen by thine iniquity," "but in me
is thy help," says God (Hosea 13:9; 14:1; Psa 37:23).

Christians, were you awake, here would be matter of wonder to you,
to see a man assaulted with all the power of hell, and yet to come
off a conqueror! Is it not a wonder to see a poor creature, who
in himself is weaker than the moth, to stand against and overcome
all devils, all the world, all his lusts and corruptions? (Job
4:19). Or if he fall, is it not a wonder to see him, when devils
and guilt are upon him, to rise again, stand upon his feet again,
walk with God again, and persevere after all this in the faith and
holiness of the gospel? He that knows himself, wonders; he that
knows temptation, wonders; he that knows what falls and guilt mean,
wonders; indeed, perseverance is a wonderful thing, and is managed
by the power of God; for he only "is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy" (Jude 24). Those of the children of Israel that went
from Egypt, and entered the land of Canaan, how came they thither?
Why, the text says, that "as an eagle spreadeth abroad her wings,
so the Lord alone did lead them." And again, "he bore them, and
carried them all the days of old" (Deu 32:11,12; Isa 63:9). David
also tells us that mercy and goodness should follow him all the
days of his life, and so he should dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever (Psa 23:6).

Fifth. To be saved calls for more than all this; he that is saved,
must, when this world can hold him no longer, have a safe-conduct
to heaven, for that is the place where they that are saved must to
the full enjoy their salvation. This heaven is called "the end of
our faith," because it is that which faith looks at; as Peter says,
"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
And again, "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition;
but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (1 Peter 1:9;
Heb 10:39). For, as I said, heaven is the place for the saved to
enjoy their salvation in, with that perfect gladness that is not
attainable here. Here we are saved by faith and hope of glory;
but there, we that are saved shall enjoy the end of our faith and
hope, even the salvation of our souls. There is "Mount Zion, the
heavenly Jerusalem, the general assembly and church of the firstborn;"
there is the "innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of
just men made perfect;" there is "God the judge of all, and Jesus
the Mediator of the new covenant;" there shall our soul have
as much of heaven as it is capable of enjoying, and that without
intermission; wherefore, when we come there we shall be saved indeed!
But now for a poor creature to be brought hither, this is the life
of the point. But how shall I come hither? there are heights and
depths to hinder (Rom 8:38,39).

Suppose the poor Christian is now upon a sick-bed, beset with a
thousand fears, and ten thousand at the end of that; sick-bed fears!
and they are sometimes dreadful ones; fears that are begotten by
the review of the sin, perhaps, of forty years' profession; fears
that are begotten by dreadful and fearful suggestions of the devil,
the sight of death, and the grave, and it may be of hell itself;
fears that are begotten by the withdrawing and silence of God and
Christ, and by, it may be, the appearance of the devil himself;
some of these made David cry, "O spare me" a little, "that I may
recover strength before I go hence, and be no more" (Psa 39:13).
"The sorrows of death," said he, "compassed me, and the pains of
hell gat hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow" (Psa 116:3).
These things, in another place, he calls the bands that the godly
have in their death, and the plagues that others are not aware of.
"They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued
like other men" (Psa 73:9). But now, out of all these, the Lord
will save his people; not one sin, nor fear, nor devil shall hinder;
nor the grave nor hell disappoint thee. But how must this be? Why,
thou must have a safe-conduct to heaven? 6 What conduct? A conduct
of angels: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb 1:14).

These angels, therefore, are not to fail them that are the saved;
but must, as commissioned of God, come down from heaven to do this
office for them; they must come, I say, and take the care and charge
of our soul, to conduct it safely into Abraham's bosom. It is not
our meanness in the world, nor our weakness of faith, that shall
hinder this; nor shall the loathsomeness of our diseases make these
delicate spirits shy of taking this charge upon them. Lazarus the
beggar found this a truth; a beggar so despised of the rich glutton
that he was not suffered to come within his gate; a beggar full
of sores and noisome putrefaction; yet, behold, when he dies, the
angels come from heaven to fetch him thither: "And it came to pass
that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom" (Luke 16:22). True, sick-bed temptations are ofttimes the
most violent, because then the devil plays his last game with us,
he is never to assault us more; besides, perhaps God suffereth it
thus to be, that the entering into heaven may be the sweeter, and
ring of this salvation the louder! O it is a blessed thing for
God to be our God and our guide even unto death, and then for his
angels to conduct us safely to glory; this is saving indeed. And
he shall save Israel "out of all his troubles;" out of sick-bed
troubles as well as others (Psa 25:22; 34:6; 48:14).

Sixth. To be saved, to be perfectly saved, calls for more than all
this; the godly are not perfectly saved when their soul is possessed
of heaven. True, their spirit is made perfect, and hath as much of
heaven as at present it can hold, but man, consisting of body and
soul, cannot be said to be perfectly saved so long as but part of
him is in the heavens; his body is the price of the blood of Christ
as well as his spirit; his body is the temple of God, and a member
of the body, and of the flesh, and of the bones of Christ; he cannot,
then, be completely saved until the time of the resurrection of the
dead (1 Cor 6:13-19; Eph 5:30). Wherefore, when Christ shall come
the second time, then will he save the body from all those things
that at present make it incapable of the heavens. "For our conversation
is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ; who shall change" this "our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Phil 3:20,21). O what a
great deal of good God hath put into this little word "saved"! We
shall not see all the good that God hath put into this word "saved"
until the Lord Jesus comes to raise the dead. "It doth not yet
appear what we shall be" (1 John 3:2). But till it appears what we
shall be, we cannot see the bottom of this word "saved." True, we
have the earnest of what we shall be, we have the Spirit of God,
"which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession" (Eph 1:14). The possession is our body--it is
called "a purchased possession," because it is the price of blood;
now the redemption of this purchased possession is the raising
of it out of the grave, which raising is called the redemption of
our body (Rom 8:23). And when this vile body is made like unto his
glorious body, and this body and soul together possessed of the
heavens, then shall we be every way saved.

There are three things from which this body must be saved--1. There
is that sinful filth and vileness that yet dwells in it, under
which we groan earnestly all our days (2 Cor 5:1-3). 2. There
is mortality, that subjecteth us to age, sickness, aches, pains,
diseases, and death. 3. And there is the grave and death itself,
for death is the last enemy that is to be destroyed. "So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor 15:54).
So then, when this comes to pass, then we shall be saved; then
will salvation, in all the parts of it, meet together in our glory;
then we shall be every way saved--saved in God's decree, saved
in Christ's undertakings, saved by faith, saved in perseverance,
saved in soul, and in body and soul together in the heavens, saved
perfectly, everlastingly, gloriously.

[Of the state of our body and soul in heaven.]

Before I conclude my answer to the first question, I would discourse
a little of the state of our body and soul in heaven, when we shall
enjoy this blessed state of salvation.

First. Of the soul; it will then be filled in all the faculties of
it with as much bliss and glory as ever it can hold.

1. The understanding shall then be perfect in knowledge--"Now
we know but in part;" we know God, Christ, heaven, and glory, but
in part; "but when that which is perfect is come, then that which
is in part shall be done away" (1 Cor 13:10). Then shall we have
perfect and everlasting visions of God, and that blessed one his
Son Jesus Christ, a good thought of whom doth sometimes so fill us
while in this world, that it causeth "joy unspeakable and full of
glory." 2. Then shall our will and affections be ever in a burning
flame of love to God and his Son Jesus Christ; our love here hath
ups and downs, but there it shall be always perfect with that
perfection which is not possible in this world to be enjoyed. 3.
Then will our conscience have that peace and joy that neither tongue
nor pen of men or angels can express. 4. Then will our memory be
so enlarged to retain all things that happened to us in this world,
so that with unspeakable aptness we shall call to mind all God's
providences, all Satan's malice, all our own weaknesses, all the
rage of men, and how God made all work together for his glory and
our good, to the everlasting ravishing of our hearts.

Second. For our body; it shall be raised in power, in incorruption,
a spiritual body and glorious (1 Cor 15:44). The glory of which is
set forth by several things--1. It is compared to "the brightness
of the firmament," and to the shining of the stars "for ever and
ever" (Dan 12:3; 1 Cor 15:41,42). 2. It is compared to the shining
of the sun--"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear"
(Matt 13:43). 3. Their state is then to be equally glorious with
angels; "But they which shall be counted worthy to obtain that
world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are
given in marriage; neither can they die any more, for they are equal
unto the angels" (Luke 20:35,36). 4. It is said that then this our
vile body shall be like the glorious body of Jesus Christ (Phil
3:20,21; 1 John 3:2,3). 5. And now, when body and soul are thus
united, who can imagine what glory they both possess? They will now
be both in capacity, without jarring, to serve the Lord with shouting
thanksgivings, and with a crown of everlasting joy upon their head. 8

In this world there cannot be that harmony and oneness of body
and soul as there will be in heaven. Here the body sometimes sins
against the soul, and the soul again vexes and perplexes the body
with dreadful apprehensions of the wrath and judgment of God. While
we be in this world, the body oft hangs this way, and the soul the
quite contrary; but there, in heaven, they shall have that perfect
union as never to jar more; but now the glory of the body shall so
suit with the glory of the soul, and both so perfectly suit with
the heavenly state, that it passeth words and thoughts.

Third. Shall I now speak of the place that this saved body and soul
shall dwell in?

Why, 1. It is a city (Heb 11:16; Eph 2:19,22). 2. It is called
heaven (Heb 10:34). 3. It is called God's house (John 14:1-3). 4.
It is called a kingdom (Luke 12:32). 5. It is called glory (Col
3:4; Heb 2:10). 6. It is called paradise (Rev 2:7). 7. It is called
everlasting habitations (Luke 16:9).

Fourth. Shall I speak of their company?

Why, 1. They shall stand and live in the presence of the glorious
God, the Judge of all (Heb 12:23). 2. They shall be with the Lamb,
the Lord Jesus. 3. They shall be with an innumerable company of
holy angels (Heb 12:22). 4. They shall be with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 13:28).

Fifth. Shall I speak of their heavenly raiment?

1. It is salvation; they shall be clothed with the garment of
salvation (Psa 132:16; 149:4; Isa 61:10). 2. This raiment is called
white raiment, signifying their clean and innocent state in heaven.
"And they," says Christ, "shall walk with me in white, for they
are worthy" (Rev 3:4; 19:8; Isa 57:2). 3. It is called glory--"When
he shall appear, we shall appear with him in glory" (Col 3:4). 4.
They shall also have crowns of righteousness, everlasting joy and
glory (Isa 35:10; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

Sixth. Shall I speak of their continuance in this condition?

1. It is for ever and ever. "And they shall see his face, and his
name shall be in their foreheads; and they shall reign for ever and
ever" (Rev 22:4,5). 2. It is everlasting. "And this is the will of
him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life" (John 6:40,47). 3. It is life
eternal. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me; and I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:27,28). 4. It is
world without end. "But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an
everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world
without end" (Isa 45:17; Eph 3:20,21).

O sinner! what sayest thou? How dost thou like being saved? Doth
not thy mouth water? Doth not thy heart twitter at being saved? Why,
come then: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev 22:17).

QUEST. II.--WHAT IS IT TO BE SAVED BY GRACE?

Now I come to the second question--to wit, What is it to be saved
by grace? For so are the words of the text, "By grace ye are saved."
But,

First. I must touch a little upon the word GRACE, and show you
how diversely it is taken. Sometimes it is taken for the goodwill
and favour of men (Esth 2:17: Ruth 2:2: 1 Sam 1:18: 2 Sam 16:4).
Sometimes it is taken for those sweet ornaments that a life
according to the Word of God putteth about the neck 9 (Prov 1:9;
3:22). Sometimes it is taken for the charity of the saints, as 2
Corinthians 9:6-8.

But "grace" in the text is taken for God's goodwill, "the goodwill of
him that dwelt in the bush;" and is expressed variously. Sometimes
it is called "his good pleasure." Sometimes, "the good pleasure
of his will," which is all one with "the riches of his grace" (Eph
1:7). Sometimes it is expressed by goodness, pity, love, mercy,
kindness, and the like (Rom 2:4; Isa 63:9; Titus 3:4,5). Yea, he
styles himself, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and
that will by no means clear the guilty" (Exo 34:6,7).

Second. As the word "grace" signifieth all these, so it intimates
to us that all these are free acts of God, free love, free mercy,
free kindness; hence we have other hints in the Word about the nature
of grace, as, 1. It is an act of God's will, which must needs be
free; an act of his own will, of the good pleasure of his will; by
each of these expressions is intimated that grace is a free act of
God's goodness towards the sons of men. 2. Therefore it is expressly
said--"Being justified freely by his grace" (Rom 3:24). 3. "And
when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both" (Luke
7:42). 4. And again, "Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord
God, be it known unto you" (Eze 36:32; Deu 9:5). 5. And therefore
"grace," and the deservings of the creature, are set in flat
opposition one to another--"And if by grace, then is it no more
of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works,
then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work" (Rom
11:6).

The word "grace," therefore, being understood, doth most properly
set forth the true cause of man's happiness with God, not but that
those expressions, love, mercy, goodness, pity, kindness, &c., and
the like, have their proper place in our happiness also. Had not
God loved us, grace had not acted freely in our salvation; had not
God been merciful, good, pitiful, kind, he would have turned away
from us when he saw us in our blood (Eze 16).

So then, when he saith, "By grace ye are saved," it is all one as
if he had said, By the goodwill, free mercy, and loving-kindness
of God ye are saved; as the words conjoined with the text do also
further manifest: "But God," saith Paul, "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 [by grace ye are
saved]."

[Third.] The words thus understood admit us these few conclusions--1.
That God, in saving of the sinner, hath no respect to the sinner's
goodness; hence it is said he is frankly forgiven, and freely
justified (Luke 7:42; Rom 3:24). 2. That God doth this to whom
and when he pleases, because it is an act of his own good pleasure
(Gal 1:15,16). 3. This is the cause why great sinners are saved,
for God pardoneth "according to the riches of his grace" (Eph
1:7). 4. This is the true cause that some sinners are so amazed and
confounded at the apprehension of their own salvation; his grace
is unsearchable; and by unsearchable grace God oft puzzles and
confounds our reason (Eze 16:62,63; Acts 9:6). 5. This is the cause
that sinners are so often recovered from their backslidings, healed
of their wounds that they get by their falls, and helped again to
rejoice in God's mercy. Why, he will be gracious to whom he will
be gracious, and he will have compassion on whom he will have
compassion (Rom 9:15).

[Fourth.] But I must not here conclude this point. We are here
discoursing of the grace of God, and that by it we are saved; saved,
I say, by the grace of God.

Now, God is set forth in the Word unto us under a double consideration--1.
He is set forth in his own eternal power and Godhead; and as thus
set forth, we are to conceive of him by his attributes of power,
justice, goodness, holiness, everlastingness, &c. 2. But then, we
have him set forth in the Word of truth as consisting of Father,
Son, and Spirit; and although this second consideration containeth
in it the nature of the Godhead, yet the first doth not demonstrate
the persons in the Godhead. We are saved by the grace of God--that
is, by the grace of the Father, who is God; by the grace of the
Son, who is God; and by the grace of the Spirit, who is God.

Now, since we are said to be "saved by grace," and that the grace
of God; and since also we find in the Word that in the Godhead
there are Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we must conclude that it is
by the grace of the Father, Son, and Spirit that we are saved; wherefore
grace is attributed to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost distinctly.
1. Grace is attributed to the Father, as these scriptures testify;
Romans 7:25, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3,
Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians
1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4,
Philemon 3. 2. Grace is also attributed to the Son, and I first
manifest it by all those texts above-mentioned, as also by these
that follow: 2 Corinthians 8:9, 13:14, Galatians 6:18, Philippians
4:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:18, Philemon 25,
Revelation 22:21. 3. It is also attributed to the Holy Ghost. Now,
he is here called the Spirit of grace, because he is the author of
grace as the Father, and the Son (Zech 12:10; Heb 10:29).

So then, it remaineth that I show you, FIRST, How we are saved by
the grace of the Father. SECOND, How we are saved by the grace of
the Son. And, THIRD, How we are saved by the grace of the Spirit.

Of the Father's grace.

FIRST. How we are saved by the grace of the Father. Now this will
I open unto you thus--

1. The Father by his grace hath bound up them that shall go to
heaven in an eternal decree of election; and here, indeed, as was
showed at first, is the beginning of our salvation (2 Tim 1:9). And
election is reckoned not the Son's act, but the Father's--"Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world" (Eph 1:3,4). Now this election is counted an act of grace--"So
then, at this present time also, there is a remnant according to
the election of grace" (Rom 11:5).

2. The Father's grace ordaineth and giveth the Son to undertake
for us our redemption. The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour
of the world--"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; that in
the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace,
in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph 1:7; 2:7; 1
John 4:14; John 3:16; 6:32,33; 12:49).

3. The Father's grace giveth us to Christ to be justified by his
righteousness, washed in his blood, and saved by his life. This
Christ mentioneth, and tells us it is his Father's will that they
should be safe-coming at the last day, and that he had kept them
all the days of his life, and they shall never perish (John 6:37-39;
17:2,12).

4. The Father's grace giveth the kingdom of heaven to those that
he hath given to Jesus Christ--"Fear not, little flock, for it is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).

5. The Father's grace provideth and layeth up in Christ, for those
that he hath chosen, a sufficiency of all spiritual blessings, to
be communicated to them at their need, for their preservation in the
faith, and faithful perseverance through this life; "not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim 1:9;
Eph 1:3,4).

6. The Father's grace saveth us by the blessed and effectual call
that he giveth us to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ (1 Col
1:9; Gal 1:15).

7. The Father's grace saveth us by multiplying pardons to us, for
Christ's sake, day by day--"In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his
grace" (Eph 1:7).

8. The Father's grace saves us by exercising patience and forbearance
towards us all the time of our unregeneracy (Rom 3:24).

9. The Father's grace saveth us by holding of us fast in his hand,
and by keeping of us from all the power of the enemy--"My Father,"
said Christ, "that gave them me, is greater than all, and no man
is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:29).

10. What shall I say? The Father's grace saveth us by accepting of
our persons and services, by lifting up the light of his countenance
upon us, by manifesting of his love unto us, and by sending of his
angels to fetch us to himself, when we have finished our pilgrimage
in this world.

Of the grace of the Son.

SECOND. I come now to speak of the grace of the Son; for as the
Father putteth forth his grace in the saving of the sinner, so doth
the Son put forth his--"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor 8:9).

Here you see also that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is brought
in as a partner with the grace of his Father in the salvation of
our souls. Now this is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; he was
rich, but for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty
might be made rich.

To inquire, then, into this grace, this condescending grace of
Christ, and that by searching out how rich Jesus Christ was, and
then how poor he made himself, that we through his poverty might
have the riches of salvation.

First. How rich was Jesus Christ? To which I answer--1. Generally;
2. Particularly.

1. Generally. He was rich as the Father--"All things that the Father
hath," saith he, "are mine." Jesus Christ is the Lord of all, God
over all, blessed for ever. "He thought it not robbery to be equal
with God," being naturally and eternally God, as the Father, but
of his Godhead he could not strip himself (John 10:30; 16:15; Acts
10:36; Phil 2:6; Rom 9:4,5).

2. Particularly. Jesus Christ had glory with the Father; yea, a
manifold glory with him, which he stripped himself of.

(1.) He had the glory of dominion, he was Lord of all the creatures;
they were under him upon a double account--(a) as he was their
Creator (Col 1:16); (b) as he was made the heir of God (Heb 1:2).

(2.) Therefore the glory of worship, reverence, and fear from all
creatures, was due unto him; the worship, obedience, subjection,
and service of angels were due unto him; the fear, honour, and glory
of kings, and princes, and judges of the earth were due unto him;
the obedience of the sun, moon, stars, clouds, and all vapours,
were due unto him; all dragons, deeps, fire, hail, snow, mountains
and hills, beasts, cattle, creeping things, and flying fowls, the
service of them all, and their worship, were due unto him (Psa
148).

(3.) The glory of the heavens themselves was due unto him; in a
word, heaven and earth were his.

(4.) But above all, the glory of communion with his Father was his;
I say, the glory of that unspeakable communion that he had with the
Father before his incarnation, which alone was worth ten thousand
worlds, that was ever his.

(5.) But again; as Jesus Christ was possessed with this, so,
besides, he was Lord of life; this glory also was Jesus Christ's:
"In him was life," therefore he is called the Prince of it; because
it was in him originally as in the Father (Acts 3:15). He gave to
all life and breath, and all things; angels, men, beasts, they had
all their life from him.

(6.) Again, as he was Lord of glory, and Prince of life, so he was
also Prince of peace, (Isa 9:6); and by him was maintained that
harmony and goodly order which were among things in heaven and
things on earth.

Take things briefly in these few particulars--(a.) The heavens were
his, and he made them. (b.) Angels were his, and he made them. (c.)
The earth was his, and he made it. (d.) Man was his, and he made
him.

[Second. How poor he made himself.] Now this heaven he forsook for
our sakes--"He came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim 1:15).

[1.] He was made lower than the angels, for the suffering of death
(Heb 2:9). When he was born, he made himself, as he saith, a worm,
or one of no reputation; he became the reproach and byword of the
people; he was born in a stable, laid in a manger, earned his bread
with his labour, being by trade a carpenter (Psa 22:6; Phil 2:7;
Luke 2:7; Mark 6:3). When he betook himself to his ministry, he
lived upon the charity of the people; when other men went to their
own houses, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Hark what himself
saith for the clearing of this--"Foxes have holes, and birds of
the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his
head." He denied himself of this world's good (Luke 8:2,3; 9:58;
John 7:35; 8:1).

[2.] Again, as he was Prince of life, so he for our sakes laid
down that also; for so stood the matter, that he or we must die;
but the grace that was in his heart wrought with him to lay down
his life: "He gave his life a ransom for many." He laid down his
life that we might have life; he gave his flesh and blood for the
life of the world; he laid down his life for his sheep.

[3.] Again; he was Prince of peace, but he forsook his peace also.
(1.) He laid aside peace with the world, and chose upon that account
to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and therefore
was persecuted from his cradle to his cross, by kings, rulers, &c.
(2.) He laid aside his peace with his Father, and made himself the
object of his Father's curse, insomuch that the Lord smote, struck,
and afflicted him; and, in conclusion, hid his face from him (as
he expressed, with great crying) at the hour of his death.

[Object.] But perhaps some may say, What need was there that Jesus
Christ should do all this? Could not the grace of the Father save
us without this condescension of the Son?

Answ. As there is grace, so there is justice in God; and man
having sinned, God concluded to save him in a way of righteousness;
therefore it was absolutely necessary that Jesus Christ should put
himself into our very condition, sin only excepted. 1. Now by sin
we had lost the glory of God, therefore Jesus Christ lays aside the
glory that he had with the Father (Rom 3:23; John 17:5). 2. Man by
sin had shut himself out of an earthly paradise, and Jesus Christ
will leave his heavenly paradise to save him (Gen 3:24; 1 Tim 1:15;
John 6:38,39). 3. Man by sin had made himself lighter than vanity,
and this Lord God, Jesus Christ, made himself lower than the angels
to redeem him (Isa 40:17; Heb 2:7). 4. Man by sin lost his right to
the creatures, and Jesus Christ will deny himself of a whole world
to save him (Luke 9:58). 5. Man by sin had made himself subject to
death; but Jesus Christ will lose his life to save him (Rom 6:23).
6. Man by sin had procured to himself the curse of God; but Jesus
Christ will bear that curse in his own body to save him (Gal 3:13).
7. Man by sin had lost peace with God; but this would Jesus Christ
lose also, to the end man might be saved. 8. Man should have been
mocked of God, therefore Christ was mocked of men. 9. Man should
have been scourged in hell; but, to hinder that, Jesus was scourged
on earth. 10. Man should have been crowned with ignominy and shame;
but, to prevent that, Jesus was crowned with thorns. 11. Man should
have been pierced with the spear of God's wrath; but, to prevent
that, Jesus was pierced both by God and men. 12. Man should have
been rejected of God and angels; but, to prevent that, Jesus was
forsaken of God, and denied, hated, and rejected of men (Isa 48:22;
Prov 1:24-26; Matt 27:26,39,46; Psa 9:17; 11:6; 22:7; Dan 12:2;
John 19:2-5,37; Num 24:8; Zech 12:10; Luke 9:22).

I might thus enlarge, and that by authority from this text--"He became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." All the riches
he stripped himself of, it was for our sakes; all the sorrows he
underwent, it was for our sakes; to the least circumstance of the
sufferings of Christ there was necessity that so it should be, all
was for our sakes: "For our sakes he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich."

And you see the argument that prevailed with Christ to do this
great service for man, the grace that was in his heart; as also
the prophet saith, "In his love and in his pity he redeemed them."
According to this in the Corinthians, "Ye know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ"; both which agree with the text, "By grace ye
are saved."

I say, this was the grace of the Son, and the exercise thereof. The
Father therefore shows his grace one way, and the Son his another.
It was not the Father, but the Son, that left his heaven for
sinners; it was not the Father, but the Son, that spilt his blood
for sinners. The Father indeed gave the Son, and blessed be the
Father for that; and the Son gave his life and blood for us, and
blessed be the Son for that.

But methinks we should not yet have done with this grace of
the Son. Thou Son of the Blessed, what grace was manifest in thy
condescension! Grace brought thee down from heaven, grace stripped
thee of thy glory, grace made thee poor and despicable, grace made
thee bear such burdens of sin, such burdens of sorrow, such burdens
of God's curse as are unspeakable. O Son of God! grace was in all
thy tears, grace came bubbling out of thy side with thy blood,
grace came forth with every word of thy sweet mouth (Psa 45:2; Luke
4:22). Grace came out where the whip smote thee, where the thorns
pricked thee, where the nails and spear pierced thee. O blessed
Son of God! Here is grace indeed! Unsearchable riches of grace!
Unthought-of riches of grace! Grace to make angels wonder, grace to
make sinners happy, grace to astonish devils. And what will become
of them that trample under foot this Son of God?

Of the grace of the Spirit. THIRD. I come now to speak of the grace
of the Spirit; for he also saveth us by his grace. The Spirit, I
told you, is God, as the Father and the Son, and is therefore also
the author of grace; yea, and it is absolutely necessary that he
put forth his grace also, or else no flesh can be saved. The Spirit
of God hath his hand in saving of us many ways; for they that go
to heaven, as they must be beholding to the Father and the Son,
so also to the Spirit of God. The Father chooseth us, giveth us to
Christ, and heaven to us, and the like. The Son fulfills the law
for us, takes the curse of the law from us, bears in his own body
our sorrows, and sets us justified in the sight of God. The Father's
grace is showed in heaven and earth; the Son's grace is showed on
the earth, and on the cross; and the Spirit's grace must be showed
in our souls and bodies, before we come to heaven.

Quest. But some may say, Wherein doth the saving grace of the Spirit
appear?

Answ. In many things.

In taking possession of us for his own, in his making of us his
house and habitation, so that though the Father and the Son have
both gloriously put forth gracious acts in order to our salvation,
yet the Spirit is the first that makes seizure of us (1 Cor 3:16;
6:19; Eph 2:21,22). Christ, therefore, when he went away, said not
that he would send the Father, but the Spirit, and that he should
be in us for ever--"If I depart," said Christ, "I will send him,
the Spirit of truth, the Comforter" (John 14:16; 16:7,13).

The Holy Spirit coming into us, and dwelling in us, worketh out
many salvations for us now, and each of them in order also to our
being saved for ever.

1. He saveth us from our darkness by illuminating of us; hence he
is called "the Spirit of revelation," because he openeth the blind
eyes, and so consequently delivereth us from that darkness which
else would drown us in the deeps of hell (Eph 1:17,19).

2. He it is that convinceth us of the evil of our unbelief, and
that shows us the necessity of our believing in Christ; without
the conviction of this we should perish (John 16:9).

3. This is that finger of God by which the devil is made to give
place unto grace, by whose power else we should be carried headlong
to hell (Luke 11:20-22).

4. This is he that worketh faith in our hearts, without which
neither the grace of the Father nor the grace of the Son can save
us, "For he that believeth not, shall be damned" (Mark 16:16; Rom
15:13).

5. This is he by whom we are born again; and he that is not so born
can neither see nor inherit the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-7).

6. This is he that setteth up his kingdom in the heart, and by that
means keepeth out the devil after he is cast out, which kingdom of
the Spirit, whoever wanteth, they lie liable to a worse possession
of the devil than ever (Matt 12:43-45; Luke 11:24,25).

7. By this Spirit we come to see the beauty of Christ, without
a sight of which we should never desire him, but should certainly
live in the neglect of him, and perish (John 16:14; 1 Cor 2:9-13;
Isa 53:1,2).

8. By this Spirit we are helped to praise God acceptably, but
without it, it is impossible to be heard unto salvation (Rom 8:26;
Eph 6:18; 1 Cor 14:15).

9. By this blessed Spirit the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts, and our hearts are directed into the love of God (Rom 5:5;
2 Thess 2:13).

10. By this blessed Spirit we are led from the ways of the flesh
into the ways of life, and by it our mortal body, as well as our
immortal soul, is quickened in the service of God (Gal 5:18,25;
Rom 8:11).

11. By this good Spirit we keep that good thing, even the seed of
God, that at the first by the Word of God was infused into us, and
without which we are liable to the worst damnation (1 John 3:9; 1
Peter 1:23; 2 Tim 1:14).

12. By this good Spirit we have help and light against all the
wisdom and cunning of the world, which putteth forth itself in its
most cursed sophistications to overthrow the simplicity that is in
Christ (Matt 10:19,20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11,12).

13. By this good Spirit our graces are maintained in life and
vigour, as faith, hope, love, a spirit of prayer, and every grace
(2 Cor 4:13; Rom 15:13; 2 Tim 1:7; Eph 6:18; Titus 3:5).

14. By this good Spirit we are sealed to the day of redemption (Eph
1:14).

15. And by this good Spirit we are made to wait with patience until
the redemption of the purchased possession comes (Gal 5:5).

Now all these things are so necessary to our salvation, that I
know not which of them can be wanting; neither can any of them be
by any means attained but by this blessed Spirit.

And thus have I in few words showed you the grace of the Spirit,
and how it putteth forth itself towards the saving of the soul.
And verily, Sirs, it is necessary that you know these things
distinctly--to wit, the grace of the Father, the grace of the Son,
and the grace of the Holy Ghost; for it is not the grace of one,
but of all these three, that saveth him that shall be saved indeed.

The Father's grace saveth no man without the grace of the Son;
neither doth the Father and the Son save any without the grace
of the Spirit; for as the Father loves, the Son must die, and the
Spirit must sanctify, or no soul must be saved.

Some think that the love of the Father, without the blood of the
Son, will save them, but they are deceived; for "without shedding
of blood is no remission" (Heb 9:22).

Some think that the love of the Father and blood of the Son will
do, without the holiness of the Spirit of God; but they are deceived
also; for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his"; and again, "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Rom
8:9; Heb 12:14).

There is a third sort, that think the holiness of the Spirit is
sufficient of itself; but they (if they had it) are deceived also;
for it must be the grace of the Father, the grace of the Son, and
the grace of the Spirit, jointly, that must save them.

But yet, as these three do put forth grace jointly and truly in the
salvation of a sinner, so they put it forth, as I also have showed
you before, after a diverse manner. The Father designs us for heaven,
the Son redeems from sin and death, and the Spirit makes us meet
for heaven; not by electing, that is the work of the Father; not
by dying, that is the work of the Son; but by his revealing Christ,
and applying Christ to our souls, by shedding the love of God abroad
in our hearts, by sanctifying of our souls, and taking possession
of us as an earnest of our possession of heaven.

QUEST. III.--WHO ARE THEY THAT ARE TO BE SAVED BY GRACE?

I come now to the third particular--namely, to show you who they
are that are to be saved by grace.

[Who are not saved.]

First. Not the self-righteous, not they that have no need of the
physician. "The whole have no need of the physician," saith Christ.
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark
2:17). And again, "He hath filled the hungry with good things, and
the rich he hath sent empty away" (Luke 1:53). Now when I say not
the self-righteous nor the rich, I mean not that they are utterly
excluded; for Paul was such an one; but he saveth not such without
he first awaken them to see they have need to be saved by grace.

Second. The grace of God saveth not him that hath sinned the unpardonable
sin. There is nothing left for him "but a certain fearful looking
for of judgment,--which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb 10:26,27).

Third. That sinner that persevereth in final impenitency and unbelief
shall be damned (Luke 13:3,5; Rom 2:2-5; Mark 16:15,16).

Fourth. That sinner whose mind the god of this world hath blinded,
that the glorious light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, can never shine into him, is lost, and must be damned (2
Cor 4:3,4).

Fifth. The sinner that maketh religion his cloak for wickedness, he
is a hypocrite, and, continuing so, must certainly be damned (Psa
125:5; Isa 33:14; Matt 24:50,51).

Sixth. In a word, every sinner that persevereth in his wickedness,
shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven--"Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God." "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children
of disobedience" (1 Cor 6:9-12; Eph 5:5,6).

[Who are saved.] Question. But what kind of sinners shall then be
saved?

Answ. Those of all these kinds that the Spirit of God shall bring
[to] the Father by Jesus Christ; these, I say, and none but these,
can be saved, because else the sinners might be saved without the
Father, or without the Son, or without the Spirit.

Now, in all that I have said, I have not in the least suggested
that any sinner is rejected because his sins, in the nature of them,
are great; Christ Jesus came into the world to save the chief of
sinners. It is not, therefore, the greatness of, but the continuance
in, sins that indeed damneth the sinner. But I always exclude him
that hath sinned against the Holy Ghost. That it is not the greatness
of sin that excludeth the sinner is evident--

1. From the words before the text, which doth give an account
of what kind of sinners were here saved by grace, as namely, they
that were dead in trespasses and sins, those that walked in these
sins, "according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others" (Eph 2:2,3).

2. It is evident also from the many sinners that we find to be saved,
by the revealed will of God. For in the Word we have mention made
of the salvation of great sinners, where their names and their
sins stand recorded for our encouragement; as, (1.) You read of
Manasseh, who was an idolater, a witch, a persecutor, yea, a rebel
against the word of God, sent unto him by the prophets; and yet
this man was saved (2 Chron 33:2-13; 2 Kings 21:16). (2.) You read
of Mary Magdalene, in whom were seven devils; her condition was
dreadful, yet she was saved (Luke 8:2; John 20). (3.) You read
of the man that had a legion of devils in him. O how dreadful was
his condition! and yet by grace he was saved (Mark 5:1-10). (4.)
You read of them that murdered the Lord Jesus, and how they were
converted and saved (Acts 2:23). (5.) You read of the exorcists,
how they closed with Christ, and were saved by grace (Acts 19:13).
(6.) You read of Saul the persecutor, and how he was saved by grace
(Acts 9:15).

Object. But, thou sayest, I am a backslider.

Answ. So was Noah, and yet he found grace in the eyes of the Lord
(Gen 9:21,22). So was Lot, and yet God saved him by grace (Gen
19:35; 2 Peter 2:7-9). So was David, yet by grace he was forgiven
his iniquities (2 Sam 12:7-13). So was Solomon, and a great one
too; yet by grace his soul was saved (Psa 89:28-34). So was Peter,
and that a dreadful one; yet by grace he was saved (Matt 26:69-74;
Mark 16:7; Acts 15:7-11). Besides, for further encouragement, read
Jeremiah 3, 33:25,26, 51:5, Ezekiel 36:25, Hosea 14:1-4; and stay
thyself, and wonder at the riches of the grace of God.

Quest. But how should we find out what sinners shall be saved? All,
it seems, shall not. Besides, for aught can be gathered by what
you have said, there is as bad saved as damned, set him that hath
sinned the unpardonable sin aside.

Answ. True, there are as bad saved as damned; but to this question:
They that are effectually called, are saved. They that believe on
the Son of God shall be saved. They that are sanctified and preserved
in Christ shall be saved. They that take up their cross daily, and
follow Christ, shall be saved.

Take a catalogue of them thus: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved" (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31). "If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved"
(Rom 10:9). Be justified by the blood of Christ, and thou shalt
be saved (Rom 5:9). Be reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
and thou shalt be saved by his life (Rom 5:10). "And it shall come
to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall
be saved" (Acts 2:21).

See some other scriptures. "He shall save the humble person" (Job
22:29). "Thou wilt save the afflicted people" (Psa 18:27). "He
shall save the children of the needy" (Psa 72:4). "He shall save
the souls of the needy" (Psa 72:13). "O thou, my God, save thy
servant that trusteth in thee" (Psa 86:2). "He will fulfill the
desire of them that fear him, he also will hear their cry, and will
save them" (Psa 145:19).

[Caution.] But, sinner, if thou wouldst indeed be saved, beware of
these four things--

1. Beware of delaying repentance; delays are dangerous and
damnable; they are dangerous, because they harden the heart; they
are damnable, because their tendency is to make thee outstand the
time of grace (Psa 95:7; Heb 3-12).

2. Beware of resting in the word of the kingdom, without the spirit
and power of the kingdom of the gospel; for the gospel coming in
word only saves nobody, for the kingdom of God or the gospel, where
it comes to salvation, is not in word but in power (1 Thess 1:4-6;
1 Cor 4:19).

3. Take heed of living in a profession, a life that is provoking
to God; for that is the way to make him cast thee away in his anger.

4. Take heed that thy inside and outside be alike;, and both
conformable to the Word of his grace; labour to be like the living
creatures which thou mayest read of in the book of the prophet
Ezekiel, whose appearance and themselves were one 10 (Eze 10:22).

In all this, I have advertised you not to be content without the
power and Spirit of God in your hearts, for without him you partake
of none of the grace of the Father or Son, but will certainly miss
of the salvation of the soul.

QUEST. IV.--HOW IT APPEARS THAT THEY THAT ARE SAVED, ARE SAVED BY
GRACE?

This fourth question requireth that some demonstration be given of
the truth of this doctrine--to wit, that they that are saved are
saved by grace.

What hath been said before hath given some demonstration of the
truth; wherefore, first repeating in few words the sum of what hath
been said already, I shall come to further proof. 1. That this is
true, the Scriptures testify, because God chose them to salvation
before they had done good (Rom 9:11). 2. Christ was ordained to be
their Saviour before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4; 1 Peter
1:19-21). 3. All things that concur and go to our salvation were
also in the same laid up in Christ, to be communicated in the
dispensation of the fullness of times, to them that shall be saved
(Eph 1:3,4; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:10; 3:8-11; Rom 8:30).

[That salvation is by grace appears in its contrivance.] Again,
as their salvation was contrived by God, so, as was said, this
salvation was undertaken by one of the three; to wit, the Son of
the Father (John 1:29; Isa 48:16).

Had there been a contrivance in heaven about the salvation of
sinners on earth, yet if the result of that contrivance had been
that we should be saved by our own good deeds, it would not have
been proper for an apostle, or an angel, to say, "By grace ye
are saved." But now, when a council is held in eternity about the
salvation of sinners in time, and when the result of that council
shall be, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost will
themselves accomplish the work of this salvation, this is grace,
this is naturally grace, grace that is rich and free; yea, this
is unthought-of grace. I will say it again, this is unthought-of
grace; for who could have thought that a Saviour had been in the
bosom of the Father, or that the Father would have given him to be
the Saviour of men, since he refused to give him to be the Saviour
of angels? (Heb 2:16,17).

[Grace appears in the Son's undertaking this work.] Again; could
it have been thought that the Father would have sent his Son to be
the Saviour, we should, in reason, have thought also that he would
never have taken the work wholly upon himself, especially that
fearful, dreadful, soul-astonishing, and amazing part thereof!
Who could once have imagined that the Lord Jesus would have made
himself so poor as to stand before God in the nauseous rags of our
sins, and subject himself to the curse and death that were due to
our sin? but thus he did to save us by grace.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to 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, according to the riches of his
grace" (Eph 1:3-7).

[Grace appears in the terms and conditions on which salvation is
made over.] Again; if we consider the terms and conditions upon
which this salvation is made over to them that are saved, it will
further appear we are saved by grace.

1. The things that immediately concern our justification and
salvation, they are offered, yea, given to us freely, and we are
commanded to receive them by faith. Sinner, hold up thy lap. God
so loved the world, that he giveth his Son, that he giveth his
righteousness, that he giveth his Spirit, and the kingdom of heaven
(John 3:16; Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 1:21,22; Luke 12:32).

2. He also giveth repentance, he giveth faith, and giveth everlasting
consolation, and good hope through grace (Acts 5:30,31; Phil 1:29;
2 Thess 2:16).

3. He giveth pardon, and giveth more grace, to keep us from sinking
into hell, than we have sin to sink us in thither (Acts 5:31; Prov
3:34; John 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

4. He hath made all these things over to us in a covenant of grace.
We call it a covenant of grace, because it is set in opposition to
the covenant of works, and because it is established to us in the
doings of Christ, founded in his blood, established upon the best
promises made to him, and to us by him. "For all the promises of
God in him are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us" (2
Cor 1:20).

But to pass these, and to come to some other demonstrations for
the clearing of this--

Let us a little consider,

What man is, upon whom the Father, the Son, and the Spirit bestows
this grace.

1. [An enemy to God.] By nature he is an enemy to God, an enemy
in his mind. "The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom 8:7; Col
1:21).

2. [A slave to sin.] So that the state of man was this--he was not
only over persuaded on a sudden to sin against God, but he drank
this sin, like water, into his very nature, mingled it with every
faculty of his soul and member of his body; by the means of which he
became alienated from God, and an enemy to him in his very heart;
and wilt thou, O Lord, as the Scripture hath it, "And dost thou
open thine eyes upon such an one?" (Job 14:3). Yea, open thy heart,
and take this man, not into judgment, but into mercy with thee?

3. [In covenant with death and hell.] Further, man by his sin had
not only given himself to be a captive slave to the devil, but,
continuing in his sin, he made head against his God, struck up a
covenant with death, and made an agreement with hell; but for God
to open his eyes upon such an one, and to take hold of him by riches
of grace, this is amazing (Isa 28:16-18).

See where God found the Jew when he came to look upon him to save
him--"As for thy nativity," says God, "in the day thou wast born
thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple
thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye
pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon
thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of
thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by
thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee,
when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee, when thou
wast in thy blood, Live.--Now when I passed by thee, and looked
upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my
skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness; yea, I sware unto thee,
and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou
becamest mine." Sinner, see further into the chapter, Ezekiel 16.
All this is the grace of God; every word in this text smells of
grace.

But before I pass this, let us a little take notice of

The carriage of God to man, and again of man to God, in his
conversion.

FIRST. OF GOD'S CARRIAGE TO MAN. He comes to him while he is in his
sins, in his blood; he comes to him now, not in the heat and fire
of his jealousy, but "in the cool of the day," in unspeakable
gentleness, mercy, pity, and bowels of love; not in clothing himself
with vengeance, but in a way of entreaty, and meekly beseecheth
the sinner to be reconciled unto him (2 Cor 5:19,20).

It is expected among men that he which giveth the offence should
be the first in seeking peace; but, sinner, betwixt God and man it
is not so; not that we loved God, not that we chose God; but "God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them." God is the first that seeketh peace;
and, as I said, in a way of entreaty he bids his ministers pray you
in Christ's stead; "as though God did beseech you by us, we pray
you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." O sinner, wilt
thou not open? Behold, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ
stand both at the door of thy heart, beseeching there for favour
from thee, that thou wilt be reconciled to them, with promise, if
thou wilt comply, to forgive thee all thy sins. O grace! O amazing
grace! To see a prince entreat a beggar to receive an alms would
be a strange sight; to see a king entreat the traitor to accept of
mercy would be a stranger sight than that; but to see God entreat
a sinner, to hear Christ say, "I stand at the door and knock," with
a heart full and a heaven full of grace to bestow upon him that
opens, this is such a sight as dazzles the eyes of angels. What
sayest thou now, sinner? Is not this God rich in mercy? Hath not
this God great love for sinners? Nay, further, that thou mayest not
have any ground to doubt that all this is but complementing, thou
hast also here declared that God hath made his Christ "to be sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him." If God would have stuck at anything, he would have
stuck at the death of his Son; but he "delivered him up for us"
freely; "how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
(Rom 8:32). 11

But this is not all. God doth not only beseech thee to be reconciled
to him, but further, for thy encouragement, he hath pronounced,
in thy hearing, exceeding great and precious promises; "and hath
confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it
was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us"
(Heb 6:18,19; Isa 1:18; 55:6,7; Jer 51:5).

SECOND. OF MAN'S CARRIAGE TO GOD. Let us come now to the carriage
of these sinners to God, and that from the first day he beginneth
to deal with their souls, even to the time that they are to be
taken up into heaven. And,

First. To begin with God's ordinary dealing with sinners, when at
first he ministereth conviction to them by his Word, how strangely
do they behave themselves! They love not to have their consciences
touched; they like not to ponder upon what they have been, what they
are, or what is like to become of them hereafter; such thoughts they
count unmanly, hurtful, disadvantageous; therefore "they refused
to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears,
that they should not hear" (Zech 7,11). And now they are for anything
rather than the Word; an alehouse, a whorehouse, a playhouse, sports,
pleasures, sleep, the world, and what not so they may stave12 off
the power of the word of God.

Second. If God now comes up closer to them, and begins to fasten
conviction upon the conscience, though such conviction be the first
step to faith and repentance, yea, and to life eternal, yet what
shifts will they have to forget them, and wear them off! Yea,
although they now begin to see that they must either turn or burn,
13 yet oftentimes even then they will study to wave a present
conversion: they object, they are too young to turn yet; seven
years hence time enough, when they are old, or come upon a sick-bed.
O what an enemy is man to his own salvation! I am persuaded that
God hath visited some of you often with his Word, even twice and
thrice, and you have thrown water as fast as he hath by the Word
cast fire upon your conscience. 14

Christian, what had become of thee if God had taken thy denial
for an answer, and said, Then will I carry the word of salvation
to another, and he will hear it? Sinner, turn, says God. Lord, I
cannot tend15 it, says the sinner. Turn or burn, says God. I will
venture that, says the sinner. Turn, and be saved, says God. I cannot
leave my pleasures, says the sinner: sweet sins, sweet pleasures,
sweet delights, says the sinner. But what grace is it in God thus
to parley with the sinner! O the patience of God to a poor sinner!
What if God should now say, Then get thee to thy sins, get thee to
thy delights, get thee to thy pleasures, take them for thy portion,
they shall be all thy heaven, all thy happiness, and all thy portion?

Third. But God comes again, and shows the sinner the necessity of
turning now; now or not at all; yea, and giveth the sinner this
conviction so strongly, that he cannot put it off. But behold, the
sinner has one spark of enmity still. If he must needs turn now,
he will either turn from one sin to another, from great ones to
little ones, from many to few, or from all to one, and there stop.
But perhaps convictions will not thus leave him. Why, then, he will
turn from profaneness to the law of Moses, and will dwell as long
as God will let him upon his own seeming goodness. And now observe
him, he is a great stickler for legal performance; now he will be
a good neighbour, he will pay every man his own, will leave off his
swearing, the alehouse, his sports, and carnal delights; he will
read, pray, talk of Scripture, and be a very busy one in religion,
such as it is; now he will please God, and make him amends for all
the wrong he hath done him, and will feed him with chapters, and
prayers, and promises, and vows, and a great many more such dainty
dishes as these, persuading himself that now he must needs be fair
for heaven, and thinks besides that he serveth God as well as any
man in England can. 16

But all this while he is as ignorant of Christ as the stool he sits
on, and no nearer heaven than was the blind Pharisee; only he has
got in a cleaner way to hell than the rest of his neighbours are
in--"There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and
yet is not washed from their filthiness" (Prov 30:12).

Might not God now cut off this sinner, and cast him out of his
sight; might he not leave him here to his own choice, to be deluded
by, and to fall in his own righteousness, because he "trusteth to
it, and commits iniquity"? (Eze 33:13). But grace, preventing grace,
preserves him. It is true, this turn of the sinner, as I said, is
a turning short of Christ; but,

Fourth. God in this way of the sinner will mercifully follow him,
and show him the shortness of his performances, the emptiness of
his duties, and the uncleanness of his righteousness (Isa 28:20;
64:6). Thus I speak of the sinner, the salvation of whose soul is
graciously intended and contrived of God; for he shall by gospel
light be wearied out of all; he shall be made to see the vanity of
all, and that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ, and that
only, is it which of God is ordained to save the sinner from the
due reward of his sins. But behold, the sinner now, at the sight
and sense of his own nothingness, falleth into a kind of despair;
for although he hath it in him to presume of salvation, through
the delusiveness of his own good opinion of himself, yet he hath it
not in himself to have a good opinion of the grace of God in the
righteousness of Christ; wherefore he concludeth, that if salvation be
alone of the grace of God, through the righteousness of Christ, and
that all of a man's own is utterly rejected, as to the justification
of his person with God, then he is cast away. Now the reason of this
sinking of heart is the sight that God hath given him, a sight of
the uncleanness of his best performance; the former sight of his
immoralities did somewhat distress him, and make him betake himself
to his own good deeds to ease his conscience, wherefore this was
his prop, his stay; but behold, now God hath taken this from under
him, and now he falls; wherefore his best doth also now forsake
him, and flies away like the morning dew, or a bird, or as the chaff
that is driven with the whirlwind, and the smoke out of a chimney
(Hosea 9:11; 13:3). Besides, this revelation of the emptiness of
his own righteousness, brings also with it a further discovery of
the naughtiness of his heart, in its hypocrisies, pride, unbelief,
hardness of heart, deadness, and backwardness to all gospel and
new-covenant obedience, which sight of himself lies like millstones
upon his shoulders, and sinks him yet further into doubts and fears of
damnation. For, bid him now receive Christ, he answers he cannot,
he dares not. Ask him why he cannot, he will answer he has no faith,
nor hope in his heart. Tell him that grace is offered him freely,
he says, but I have no heart to receive it; besides, he finds not,
as he thinks, any gracious disposition in his soul, and therefore
concludes he doth not belong to God's mercy, nor hath an interest
in the blood of Christ, and therefore dares not presume to believe;
wherefore, as I said, he sinks in his heart, he dies in his thoughts,
he doubts, he despairs, and concludes he shall never be saved.

Fifth. But behold, the God of all grace leaveth him not in this
distress, but comes up now to him closer than ever; he sends the
Spirit of adoption, the blessed Comforter, to him, to tell him,
"God is love," and therefore not willing to reject the broken in
heart; bids him cry and pray for an evidence of mercy to his soul,
and says, "Peradventure you may be hid in the day of the Lord's
anger." At this the sinner takes some encouragement, yet he can get
no more than that which will hang upon a mere probability, which
by the next doubt that ariseth in the heart is blown quite away,
and the soul left again in his first plight, or worse, where he
lamentably bewails his miserable state, and is tormented with a
thousand fears of perishing, for he hears not a word from heaven,
perhaps for several weeks together. Wherefore unbelief begins to
get the mastery of him, and takes off the very edge and spirit of
prayer, and inclination to hear the Word any longer; yea, the devil
also claps in with these thoughts, saying that all your prayers,
and hearing, and reading, and godly company which you frequent,
will rise up in judgment against you at last; therefore better it
is, if you must be damned, to choose as easy a place in hell as
you can. The soul at this, being quite discouraged, thinks to do
as it hath been taught, and with dying thoughts it begins to faint
when it goeth to prayer or to hear the word; but behold, when
all hope seems to be quite gone, and the soul concludes, I DIE, I
PERISH, in comes, on a sudden, the Spirit of God again, with some
good word of God, which the soul never thought of before, which
word of God commands a calm in the soul, makes unbelief give place,
encourageth to hope and wait upon God again; perhaps it gives some
little sight of Christ to the soul, and of his blessed undertaking
for sinners. But behold, so soon as the power of things does again
begin to wear off the heart, the sinner gives place to unbelief,
questions God's mercy, and fears damning again; he also entertains
hard thoughts of God and Christ, and thinks former encouragements
were fancies, delusions, or mere think-so's. And why doth not God
now cast the sinner to hell for his thus abusing his mercy and
grace. O no! "He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and
he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion"; wherefore
"goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life, that
he may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Psa 23:6).

Sixth. God, therefore, after all these provocations, comes by his
Spirit to the soul again, and brings sealing grace and pardon to
the conscience, testifying to it that its sins are forgiven, and
that freely, for the sake of the blood of Christ; and now has the
sinner such a sight of the grace of God in Christ as kindly breaks
his heart with joy and comfort; now the soul knows what it is to
eat promises; it also knows what it is to eat and drink the flesh
and blood of Jesus Christ by faith; now it is driven by the power
of his grace to its knees, to thank God for forgiveness of sins
and for hopes of an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified
by faith which is in Christ; now it hath a calm and sunshine; now
"he washeth his steps with butter, and the rock pours him out rivers
of oil" (Job 29:6).

Seventh. But after this, perhaps the soul grows cold again, it
also forgets this grace received, and waxeth carnal, begins again
to itch after the world, loseth the life and savour of heavenly
things, grieves the Spirit of God, woefully backslides, casteth off
closet duties quite, or else retains only the formality of them, is
a reproach to religion, grieves the hearts of them that are awake,
and tender of God's name, &c. But what will God do now? Will
he take this advantage to destroy the sinner? No. Will he let him
alone in his apostasy? No. Will he leave him to recover himself by
the strength of his now languishing graces? No. What then? Why, he
will seek this man out till he finds him, and bring him home to
himself again: "For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will
both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out
his flock in the day that he is among the sheep that are scattered;
so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places
where they have been scattered.--I will seek that which was lost,
and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that
which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick" (Eze
34:11,16).

Thus he dealt with the man that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and fell among thieves; and thus he dealt with the prodigal you
read of also (Luke 10:30-35; 15:20).

Of God's ordinary way of fetching the backslider home I will not
now discourse--namely, whether he always breaketh his bones for his
sins, as he broke David's; or whether he will all the days of their
life, for this, leave them under guilt and darkness; or whether
he will kill them now, that they may not be damned in the day of
judgment, as he dealt with them at Corinth (1 Cor 11:30-32). He is
wise, and can tell how to embitter backsliding to them he loveth.
He can break their bones, and save them; he can lay them in the
lowest pit, in darkness, in the deep, and save them; he can slay
them as to this life, and save them. And herein again appears
wonderful grace, that "Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah of his
God, though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of
Israel" (Jer 51:5).

Eighth. But suppose God deals not either of these ways with the
backslider, but shines upon him again, and seals up to him the
remission of his sins a second time, saying, "I will heal their
backslidings, and love them freely," what will the soul do now?
Surely it will walk humbly now, and holily all its days. It will
never backslide again, will it? It may happen it will not, it may
happen it will; it is just as his God keeps him; for although his
sins are of himself, his standing is of God; I say, his standing,
while he stands, and his recovery, if he falls, are both of God;
wherefore, if God leaves him a little, the next gap he finds, away
he is gone again. "My people," says God, "are bent to backsliding
from me." How many times did David backslide; yea, Jehoshaphat and
Peter! (2 Sam 11,24; 2 Chron 19:1-3; 20:1-5; Matt 26:69-71; Gal
2:11-13). As also in the third of Jeremiah it is said, "But thou hast
played the harlot with many lovers, yet return unto me, saith the
Lord" (verse 1). Here is grace! So many time as the soul backslides,
so many times God brings him again--I mean, the soul that must be
saved by grace--he renews his pardons, and multiplies them. "Lo,
all these things worketh God oftentimes with man" (Job 33:29).

Ninth. But see yet more grace. I will speak here of heart-wanderings,
and of daily miscarriages--I mean, of these common infirmities that
are incident to the best of saints, and that attend them in their
best performances; not that I intend, for I cannot, mention them
particularly, that would be a task impossible; but such there are,
worldly thoughts, unclean thoughts, too low thoughts of God, of
Christ, of the Spirit, words, ways, and ordinances of God, by which
a Christian transgresses many times; may I not say, sometimes many
hundred times a day; yea, for aught I know, there are some saints,
and them not long-lived either, that must receive, before they
enter into life, millions of pardons from God for these; and every
pardon is an act of grace, through the redemption that is in Christ's
blood. 17

Seventy times seven times a day we sometimes sin against our
brother; but how many times, in that day, do we sin against God?
Lord, "who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret
faults" [sins], said David. And again, "If thou, Lord, shouldest
mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared" (Matt 18:21,22; Psa 19:12;
130:3,4).

But to mention some of them. Sometimes they question the very being
of God, or foolishly ask how he came to be at first; sometimes they
question the truth of his Word, and suspect the harmony thereof,
because their blind hearts and dull heads cannot reconcile it; yea,
all fundamental truths lie open sometimes to the censure of their
unbelief and atheism; as, namely, whether there be such an one as
Christ, such a thing as the day of judgment, or whether there will
be a heaven or hell hereafter, and God pardons all these by his
grace. When they believe these things, even then they sin, by not
having such reverent, high, and holy thoughts of them as they ought;
they sin also by having too, too good thoughts of themselves, of
sin, and the world; sometimes, let me say, often, they wink too much
at known sin, they bewail not, as they should, the infirmities of
the flesh; the itching inclinations which they find in their hearts
after vanity go too often from them unrepented of. I do not say
but they repent them in the general. But all these things, O how
often doth God forgive, through the riches of his grace!

They sin by not walking answerably to mercies received; yea, they
come short in their thanks to God for them, even then when they
most heartily acknowledge how unworthy they are of them; also, how
little of the strength of them is spent to his praise, who freely
poureth them into their bosoms; but from all these sins are they
saved by grace. They sin in their most exact and spiritual performance
of duties; they pray not, they hear not, they read not, they give
not alms, they come not to the Lord's table, or other holy appointments
of God, but in and with much coldness, deadness, wanderings of
heart, ignorance, misapprehensions, &c. They forget God while they
pray unto him; they forget Christ while they are at his table; they
forget his Word even while they are reading of it.

How often do they make promises to God, and afterwards break them!
Yea, or if they keep promise in show, how much doth their heart even
grudge the performing of them; how do they shuck18 at the cross;
and how unwilling are they to lose that little they have for God,
though all they have was given them to glorify him withal! 19

All these things, and a thousand times as many more, dwell in the
flesh of man; and they may as soon go away from themselves as from
these corruptions; yea, they may sooner cut the flesh from their
bones than these motions of sin from their flesh; these will be
with them in every duty--I mean, some or other of them; yea, as
often as they look, or think, or hear, or speak. These are with
them, especially when the man intends good in so doing: "When
I would do good," says Paul, "evil is present with me." And God
himself complains that "every imagination of the thoughts of the
heart of man is only evil," and that "continually" (Rom 7:21; Gen
6:5).

By these things, therefore, we continually defile ourselves,
and every one of our performances--I mean, in the judgment of the
law--even mixing iniquity with those things which we hallow unto
the Lord. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,
foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile
the man" (Mark 7:21-23). Now what can deliver the soul from these
but grace? "By grace ye are saved." QUEST. V.--WHAT MIGHT BE THE
REASON MOVED GOD TO ORDAIN AND CHOOSE TO SAVE THOSE THAT HE SAVETH
BY HIS GRACE, RATHER THAN BY ANY OTHER MEANS?

I come now to answer the fifth question; namely, to show why God
saveth those that he saveth by grace, rather than by any other
means.

First. God saveth us by grace, because since sin is in the world,
he can save us no other way; sin and transgression cannot be removed
but by the grace of God through Christ; sin is the transgression
of the law of God, who is perfectly just. Infinite justice cannot
be satisfied with the recompence that man can make; for if it could,
Christ Jesus himself needed not to have died; besides, man having
sinned, and defiled himself thereby, all his acts are the acts of
a defiled man; nay, further, the best of his performances are also
defiled by his hands; these performances, therefore, cannot be a
recompence for sin. Besides, to affirm that God saveth defiled man
for the sake of his defiled duties--for so, I say, is every work
of his hand--what is it but to say, God accepteth of one sinful act
as a recompence and satisfaction for another? (Hag 2:14). But God,
even of old, hath declared how he abominates imperfect sacrifices,
therefore we can by no means be saved from sin but by grace (Rom
3:24).

Second. To assert that we may be saved any other way than by
the grace of God, what is it but to object against the wisdom and
prudence of God, wherein he aboundeth towards them whom he hath
saved by grace? (Eph 1:5-8). His wisdom and prudence found out no
other way, therefore he chooseth to save us by grace.

Third. We must be saved by grace, because else it follows that God
is mutable in his decrees, for so hath he determined before the
foundation of the world; therefore he saveth us not, nor chooseth
to save us by any other way, than by grace (Eph 1:3,4; 3:8-11; Rom
9:23).

Fourth. If man should be saved any other way than by grace, God
would be disappointed in his design to cut off boasting from his
creature; but God's design to cut off boasting from his creature
cannot be frustrated or disappointed; therefore he will save man
by no other means than by grace; he, I say, hath designed that
no flesh should glory in his presence, and therefore he refuseth
their works; "Not of works, lest any man should boast." "Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by
the law of faith" (Eph 2:8,9; Rom 3:24-28).

Fifth. God hath ordained that we should be saved by grace, that he
might have the praise and glory of our salvation; that we should
be "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6). Now God will not lose his
praise, and his glory he will not give to another; therefore God
doth choose to save sinners but by his grace.

Sixth. God hath ordained, and doth choose to save us by grace,
because, were there another way apparent, yet this is the way that
is safest, and best secureth the soul. "Therefore it is of faith,
that it might be by grace; to the end the promise [the promise of
eternal inheritance, (Heb 9:14-16)] might be sure to all the seed"
(Rom 4:16). No other way could have been sure. This is evident in
Adam, the Jews, and, I will add, the fallen angels, who being turned
over to another way than grace, you see in short time what became
of them.

To be saved by grace supposeth that God hath taken the salvation
of our souls into his own hand; and to be sure it is safer in God's
hand than ours. Hence it is called the salvation of the Lord, the
salvation of God, and salvation, and that of God.

When our salvation is in God's hand, himself is engaged to accomplish
it for us. 1. Here is the mercy of God engaged for us (Rom 9:15).
2. Here is the wisdom of God engaged for us (Eph 1:7,8). 3. Here
is the power of God engaged for us (1 Peter 1:3-5). 4. Here is the
justice of God engaged for us (Rom 3:24,25). 5. Here is the holiness
of God engaged for us (Psa 89:30-35). 6. Here is the care of God
engaged for us, and his watchful eye is always over us for our good
(1 Peter 5:7; Isa 27:1-3).

What shall I say? Grace can take us into favour with God, and that
when we are in our blood (Eze 16:7,8). Grace can make children of
us, though by nature we have been enemies to God (Rom 9:25,26).
Grace can make them God's people which were not God's people (1
Peter 2:9,10). Grace will not trust our own salvation in our own
hands--"He putteth no trust in his saints" (Job 15:15). Grace can
pardon our ungodliness, justify us with Christ's righteousness;
it can put the spirit of Jesus Christ within us, it can help us
up when we are down, it can heal us when we are wounded, it can
multiply pardons, as we, through frailty, multiply transgressions.

What shall I say? Grace and mercy are everlasting. They are built
up for ever. They are the delight of God. They rejoice against
judgment. And therefore it is the most safe and secure way of
salvation, and therefore hath God chosen to save us by his grace
and mercy rather than any other way (Isa 43:25; Rom 3:24,25; Isa
44:2,4; Psa 37:23; Luke 10:33,34; Isa 55:7,8; Psa 136; 89:2; Mal
3:18; James 2:13).

Seventh. We must be saved by the grace of God, or else God will
not have his will. They that are saved are "predestinated unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the
good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace"
(Eph 1:5,6).

1. But if it be his will that men should be saved by grace, then
to think of another way is against the will of God. Hence they that
seek to establish their own righteousness are such as are accounted
to stand out in defiance against, and that do not submit to, the
righteousness of God--that is, to the righteousness that he hath
willed to be that through which alone we are saved by grace (Rom
10:3).

2. If it be his will that men should be saved through grace, then
it is his will that men should be saved by faith in that Christ
who is the contrivance of grace; therefore they that have sought
to be justified another way have come short of, and perished
notwithstanding, that salvation that is provided of God for men by
grace (Rom 9:31-33).

3. God is not willing that faith should be made void, and the
promise of none effect; therefore they of the righteousness of the
law are excluded: "for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no
more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise" (Rom 4:14
Gal 3:18).

4. God is not willing that men should be saved by their own natural
abilities; but all the works of the law which men do to be saved
by, they are the works of men's natural abilities, and are therefore
called the work of the flesh, but God is not willing that men should
be saved by these, therefore no way but by his grace (Rom 4:1; Gal
3:1-3; Phil 3:3).

Eighth. We must be saved by grace, or else the main pillars and
foundations of salvation are not only shaken, but overthrown--to
wit, election, the new covenant, Christ, and the glory of God; but
these must not be overthrown; therefore we must be saved by grace.

1. Election, which layeth hold of men by the grace of God, God
hath purposed that that shall stand--the election of God standeth
sure; therefore men must be saved by virtue of the election of
grace (Rom 9:11; 2 Tim 2:19).

2. The covenant of grace, that must stand--"Brethren, I speak after
the manner of men. Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be
confirmed [as this is, by the death of the testator, (Heb 9:16,17)]
no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto"; therefore man must be
saved by virtue of a covenant of grace (Gal 3:15).

3. Christ, who is the gift of the grace of God to the world, he
must stand, because he is a sure foundation, "the same yesterday,
to-day, and for ever"; therefore men must be saved by grace, through
the redemption that is in Christ (Isa 28:16; Heb 13:8).

4. God's glory, that also must stand; to wit, the glory of his
grace; for that he will not give to another; therefore men must
so be saved from the wrath to come, that in their salvation praise
may redound to the glory of his grace.

Ninth. There can be but one will the master in our salvation; but
that shall never be the will of man, but of God; therefore man must
be saved by grace (John 1:13; Rom 9:16).

Tenth. There can be but one righteousness that shall save a
sinner; but that shall never be the righteousness of men, but of
Christ (therefore men must be saved by grace), that imputeth this
righteousness to whom he will.

Eleventh. There can be but one covenant by which men must be saved;
but that shall never be the covenant of the law, for the weakness
and unprofitableness thereof; therefore men must be saved by the covenant
of grace, by which God will be merciful to our unrighteousnesses,
and our sins and iniquities will remember no more (Heb 8:6-13).

POSTSCRIPT.

A few words by way of use, and so I shall conclude.

THE FIRST USE.

First. Is the salvation of the sinner by the grace of God? Then
here you see the reason why God hath not respect to the personal
virtues of men in the bringing of them to glory. Did I say, personal
virtues? How can they have any to Godward that are enemies to him
in their minds by wicked works? Indeed, men one to another seem
to be, some better, some worse, by nature, but to God they are all
alike, dead in trespasses and sins. 20

We will, therefore, state it again--Are men saved by grace? Then
here you may see the reason why conversion runs at that rate among
the sons of men, that none are converted for their good deeds,
nor rejected for their bad, but even so many of both, and only so
many, are brought home to God as grace is pleased to bring home to
him.

1. None are received for their good deeds; for then they would not
be saved by grace, but by works. Works and grace, as I have showed,
are in this matter opposite each to other; if he be saved by works,
then not by grace; if by grace, then not by works (Rom 11). That
none are received of God for their good deeds is evident, not
only because he declares his abhorrence of the supposition of such
a thing, but hath also rejected the persons that have at any time
attempted to present themselves to God in their own good deeds for
justification. This I have showed you before.

2. Men are not rejected for their bad deeds. This is evident by
Manasseh, by the murderers of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the men
that you read of in the nineteenth of the Acts, with many others,
whose sins were of as deep a dye as the sins of the worst of men
(2 Chron 33:2,13; Acts 2:23,41; 19:19).

Grace respecteth, in the salvation of a sinner, chiefly the purpose
of God; wherefore those that it findeth under that purpose, those
it justifies freely, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
At Saul's conversion, Ananias of Damascus brought in a most dreadful
charge against him to the Lord Jesus Christ, saying, "Lord, I have
heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints
at Jerusalem; and here he hath authority from the chief priests to
bind all that call on thy name." But what said the Lord unto him?
"Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me" (Acts 9:13-15). This
man's cruelty and outrage must not hinder his conversion, because
he was a chosen vessel. Men's good deeds are no argument with God
to convert them; men's bad deeds are no argument with him to reject
them. I mean, those that come to Christ, by the drawings of the
Father; besides, Christ also saith, "I will in no wise cast" such
"out." (John 6:37-44).

Second. Is the salvation of the sinner by the grace of God? Then
here you see the reason why some sinners, that were wonderfully
averse to conversion by nature, are yet made to stoop to the God
of their salvation. Grace takes them to do, because grace hath
designed them to this very thing. Hence some of the Gentiles were
taken from among the rest; God granted them repentance unto life,
because he had taken them from among the rest, both by election
and calling, for his name (Acts 11:18; 15:14). These men that were
not a people, are thus become the people of God; these men that
were not beloved for their works, were yet beloved by the grace
of God. "I will call them my people which were not my people; and
her beloved which was not beloved." But their minds are averse.
But are they the people on whom God doth magnify the riches of
his grace? Why, then, they shall be, in the day of his power, made
willing, and be able to believe through grace (Psa 110:3; Rom 9:25;
Acts 18:27). But doth the guilt and burden of sin so keep them
down that they can by no means lift up themselves? Why, God will,
by the exceeding greatness of that power by which he raised Christ
from the dead, work in their souls also by the Spirit of grace, to
cause them to believe and to walk in his ways (Eph 1:18-20).

Paul tells us, in that epistle of his to the Corinthians, that it
was by grace he was what he was--"By the grace of God I am what
I am," says he, "and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not
in vain" (1 Cor 15:10). This man kept always in his mind a warm
remembrance of what he was formerly by nature, and also how he had
added to his vileness by practice; yea, moreover, he truly concluded
in his own soul, that had not God, by unspeakable grace, put a
stop to his wicked proceedings, he had perished in his wickedness;
hence he lays his call and conversion at the door of the grace
of God--"When it pleased God," says he, "who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me"
(Gal 1:15,16). and hence it is, again, that he saith, "He obtained
grace and apostleship"; grace to convert his soul, and the gifts
and authority of an apostle, to preach the gospel of the grace of
God.

This blessed man ascribes all to the grace of God. 1. His call he
ascribes to the grace of God. 2. His apostleship he ascribes to the
grace of God. 3. And all his labour in that charge he also ascribes
to the grace of God.

This grace of God it was that which saved from the beginning.
1. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and was therefore
converted and preserved from the flood (Gen 6:8). 2. Abraham found
grace in the sight of the Lord, and therefore he was called out of
his country (Gen 12:1,2). 3. Moses found grace in the eyes of the
Lord, and therefore he must not be blotted out of God's book (Exo
33:12,17).

Neither may it be imagined that these men were, before grace laid
hold on them, better than other men; for then they would not have
been saved by grace; grace should not have had the dominion and
glory of their salvation. But, as Paul says of himself, and of
those that were saved by grace in his day, "What then? are we better
than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and
Gentiles that they are all under sin" (Rom 3:9). So it may be said
of these blessed ones; for indeed this conclusion is general, and
reacheth all the children of men, Christ Jesus alone only excepted.
But,

Third. Is the salvation of the sinner by the grace of God? Then
here you may see the reason why one backslider is recovered, and
another left to perish in his backsliding.

There was grace for Lot, but none for his wife; therefore she was
left in her transgression, but Lot was saved notwithstanding. There
was grace for Jacob, but none for Esau; therefore Esau was left in
his backsliding, but Jacob found mercy notwithstanding. There was
grace for David, but none for Saul; therefore David obtained mercy,
and Saul perished in his backsliding. There was grace for Peter,
but none for Judas; therefore Judas is left to perish in his
backsliding, and Peter is saved from his sin. That text stands
good to none but those that are elect by grace--"Sin shall not have
dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace"
(Rom 6:14).

It will be said, repentance was found in one, but not in the other.
Well, but who granted and gave the one repentance; The Lord turned,
and looked upon Peter; he did not turn and look upon Judas; yea,
the Lord told Peter before he fell that he should follow him to
the kingdom of heaven, but told him that he should deny him first;
but withal told him also he should not let his heart be troubled,
that is, utterly dejected, for he would go and prepare a place
for him, and come again and receive him to himself (John 13:36-38;
14:1-3). That is a blessed word of God, "The steps of a good man
are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he
fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth
him with his hand" (Psa 37:23,24).

THE SECOND USE.

My second use shall be to them that are dejected in their souls at
the sight and sense of their sins.

First. Are they that are saved, saved by grace? Then they that
would have their guilty consciences quieted, they must study the
doctrine of grace.

It is Satan's great design either to keep the sinner senseless of
his sins, or if God makes him sensible of them, then to hide and
keep from his thoughts the sweet doctrine of the grace of God, by
which alone the conscience getteth health and cure; "for everlasting
consolation, and good hope" is given "through grace" (1 Thess 2:16).
How then shall the conscience of the burdened sinner by rightly
quieted, if he perceiveth not the grace of God?

Study, therefore, this doctrine of the grace of God. Suppose thou
hast a disease upon thee which is not to be cured but by such or
such medicines, the first step to thy cure is to know the medicines.
I am sure this is true as to the case in hand; the first step to
the cure of a wounded conscience is for thee to know the grace of
God, especially the grace of God as to justification from the curse
in his sight.

A man under a wounded conscience naturally leaneth to the works of
the law, and thinks God must be pacified by something that he should
do, whereas the Word says, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice:
for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"
(Matt 9:13).

Wherefore thou must study the grace of God. "It is a good thing,"
saith the apostle, "that the heart be established with grace";
thereby insinuating that there is no establishment in the soul that
is right but by the knowledge of the grace of God (Heb 13:9).

I said, that when a man is wounded in his conscience, he naturally
leaneth to the works of the law; wherefore thou must therefore
be so much the more heedful to study the grace of God; yea, so to
study it as rightly, not only in notion, but in thy practices, to
distinguish it from the law. "The law was given by Moses, but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Study it, I say, so
as to distinguish it, and that, not only from the law, but from
all those things that men blasphemously call this grace of God.

There are many things which men call the grace of God, that are
not.

1. The light and knowledge that are in every man. 2. That natural
willingness that is in man to be saved. 3. That power that is in man
by nature to do something, as he thinketh, towards his own salvation.

I name these three; there are also many other which some will have
entitled the grace of God. But do thou remember that the grace
of God is his goodwill and great love to sinners in his Son Jesus
Christ; "by the which" good "will we are sanctified, through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb 10:10).

Again; when thou hast smelt out this grace of God, and canst
distinguish it from that which is not, then labour to strengthen
thy soul with the blessed knowledge of it. "Thou therefore, my
son," said Paul, "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus"
(2 Tim 2:1). Fortify thy judgment and understanding; but especially
labour to get down all into thy conscience, that that may be "purged
from dead works, to serve the living God."

[Second.] And to enforce this use upon thee yet further, consider,
a man gets yet more advantage by the knowledge of, and by growing
strong in, this grace of God.

1. It ministereth to him matter of joy; for he that knows this grace
aright, he knows God is at peace with him, because he believeth
in Jesus Christ, who by grace tasted death for every man; "by whom
also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:2). And indeed what
joy or what rejoicing is like rejoicing here? To rejoice in hope of
the glory of God, it is to rejoice in hope to enjoy him for ever,
with that eternal glory that is in him.

2. As it manifesteth matter of joy and rejoicing, so it causeth
much fruitfulness in all holiness and godliness. "For the grace of
God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world" (Titus 2:11,12). Yea,
it so naturally tendeth this way, that it can no sooner appear to
the soul, but it causeth this blessed fruit in the heart and life.
"We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and
love of God our Saviour appeared"--what then? Why then, he that
believeth, being justified by his grace, and expecting to be an
heir according to the hope of eternal life, is "careful to maintain
good works" (Titus 3:3-8). See also that in Paul's epistle to the
Colossians--"We give thanks," says he, "to God and the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all
the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is
come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit,
as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the
grace of God in truth" (Col 1:3-6).

3. The knowledge of, and strength that comes by, the grace of God
is a sovereign antidote against all, and all manner of delusions
that are or may come into the world. Wherefore Peter, exhorting
the believers to take heed that they were not carried away with
the errors of the wicked, and so fall from their own steadfastness,
adds, as their only help, this exhortation--"But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter
3:18).

(1.) Suppose it should be urged, that man's own righteousness saveth
the sinner; why, then, we have this at hand--God "hath saved us,
and called us, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ" &c. (2 Tim 1:9).

(2.) Suppose it should be urged, that by the doctrine of free grace
we must not understand God's extending free forgiveness as far as
we have or do sin; the answer is--"But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so
might grace reign through righteousness," through the justice of
God being satisfied by his Son, "unto eternal life" (Rom 5:20,21).

(3.) Suppose it should be urged, that this is a doctrine tending
to looseness and lasciviousness; the answer is ready--"What shall
we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?" for the doctrine of free grace believed is the most
sin-killing doctrine in the world (Rom 6:1,2).

(4.) Suppose men should attempt to burden the church of God with
unnecessary ceremonies, and impose them, even as the false apostles21
urged circumcision of old, saying, Unless you do these things, ye
cannot be saved; why, the answer is ready--"Why tempt ye God, to put
a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers
nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts
15:1,10,11). But not to enlarge, 22

[Third.] This doctrine, "By grace ye are saved," it is the only
remedy against despairing thoughts at the apprehension of our own
unworthiness; as,

1. Thou criest out, O cursed man that I am! my sins will sink me
into hell.

Answ. Hold, man; there is a God in heaven that is "the God of all
grace" (1 Peter 5:10). Yet thou art not the man of all sin. If God
be the God of all grace, then if all the sins in the world were
thine, yet the God of all grace can pardon, or else it should seem
that sin is stronger in a man penitent, to damn, than the grace of
God can be to save.

2. But my sins are of the worst sort--blasphemy, adultery,
covetousness, murder, &c.

Answ. "All manner of sins and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men,
wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme.--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" (Matt 12:31; Mark 3:28; Isa 55:7,8).

3. But I have a stout and rebellious heart, a heart that is far
from good.

Answ. "Hearken unto me," saith God, "ye stout-hearted, that are
far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness"; that is,
the righteousness of Christ, by which stout-hearted sinners are
justified, though ungodly (Isa 46:12,13; Phil 3:7,8; Rev 4:5).

4. But I have a heart as hard as any stone.

Answ. "A new heart also will I give you," says God, "and a new
spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Eze
36:26).

5. But I am as blind as a beetle; I cannot understand anything of
the gospel.

Answ. "I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will
lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness
light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will
I do unto them, and not forsake them" (Isa 42:16).

6. But my heart will not be affected with the sufferings and blood
of Christ.

Answ. "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born" (Zech
12:10).

7. But though I see what is like to become of me if I find
not Christ, yet my spirit, while I am thus, will be running after
vanity, foolishness, uncleanness, wickedness.

Answ. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be
clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I
cleanse you" (Eze 36:25).

8. But I cannot believe in Christ.

Answ. But God hath promised to make thee believe. "I will also
leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they
shall trust in the name of the Lord." And again, "There shall be a
root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
in him shall the Gentiles trust" (Zeph 3:12; Rom 15:12).

9. But I cannot pray to God for mercy.

Answ. But God hath graciously promised a spirit of prayer--"Yea,
many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts
in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.--They shall call on my
name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they
shall say, The Lord is my God" (Zech 8:22; 12:10; 13:9).

10. But I cannot repent. Answ. "The God of our fathers raised up
Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with
his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance
to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:30,31).

Thus might I enlarge, for the holy Bible is full of this exceeding
grace of God. O these words, "I will" and "you shall"! they are
the language of a gracious God; they are promises by which our God
has engaged himself to do that for poor sinners which would else
be left undone for ever.

THE THIRD USE.

Are they that are saved, saved by grace? Then let Christians labour
to advance God's grace. FIRST. In heart. SECOND. In life.

FIRST. In heart; and that in this manner--

First. Believe in God's mercy through Jesus Christ, and so advance
the grace of God; I mean, venture heartily, venture confidently,
for there is a sufficiency in the grace of God. Abraham magnified
the grace of God when "he considered not his own body now dead,--neither
yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God" (Rom 4:19,20).

Second. Advance it by heightening of it in thy thoughts. Have always
good and great thoughts of the grace of God; narrow and slender
thoughts of it are a great disparagement to it.

And to help thee in this matter, consider--1. This grace is compared
to a sea--"And thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the
sea" (Micah 7:19). Now a sea can never be filled by casting into
it. 23

2. This grace is compared to a fountain, to an open fountain--"In
that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David,
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."
Now a fountain can never be drawn dry (Zech 12:1). 3. The Psalmist
cries out concerning the grace and mercy of God, "It endureth for
ever"; he says so twenty-six times in one psalm. Surely he saw
a great deal in it, surely he was taken a great deal with it (Psa
136). 4. Paul says the God of all grace can do more than "we ask
or think" (Eph 3:20). 5. Therefore as God's Word says, so thou
shouldst conclude of the grace of God.

Third. Come boldly to the throne of grace by hearty prayer; for this
is the way also to magnify the grace of God. This is the apostle's
exhortation, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"
(Heb 4:16). See here a little, and wonder.

We have been all this while discoursing of the grace of God; and
now we are come to his throne, as Job says, "even to his seat";
and behold, "that is a throne of grace." O, when a God of grace is
upon a throne of grace, and a poor sinner stands by and begs for
grace, and that in the name of a gracious Christ, in and by the
help of the Spirit of grace, can it be otherwise but such a sinner
must obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need? But not to
forget the exhortation, "Come boldly." Indeed, we are apt to forget
this exhortation; we think, seeing we are such abominable sinners,
we should not presume to come boldly to the throne of grace; but
yet so we are bidden to do; and to break a commandment here is as
bad as to break it in another place.

You may ask me, What is it to come boldly? [I] answer--

1. It is to come confidently--"Let us draw near with a true heart,
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb 10:22).

2. To come boldly, it is to come frequently--"At morning, at noon,
and at night, will I pray." We use to count them bold beggars that
come often to our door.

3. To come boldly, it is to ask for great things when we come.
That is the bold beggar that will not only ask, but also choose
the thing that he asketh.

4. To come boldly, it is to ask for others as well as ourselves, to
beg mercy and grace for all the saints of God under heaven as well
as for ourselves--"Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit--for all saints" (Eph 6:18).

5. To come boldly, it is to come and take no nay; thus Jacob came
to the throne of grace--"I will not let thee go except thou bless
me" (Gen 32:26).

6. To come boldly, it is to plead God's promises with him both in
a way of justice and mercy, and to take it for granted God will
give us--because he hath said it--whatever we ask in the name of
his Son.

Fourth. Labour to advance God's grace in thy heart, by often
admiring, praising, and blessing God in secret for it; God expects
it--"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me," says he. "By Jesus Christ
therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually;
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name" (Psa
50:23; Heb 13:15).

SECOND. [In life.] But again; as we should advance this grace
in our hearts, so we should do it in our life. We should in our
conversation adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
It is a great word of the apostle, "Only let your conversation be
as it becometh the gospel of Christ," which is the gospel of the
grace of God (Phil 1:27). God expecteth that there should in our
whole life be a blessed tang24 of the gospel, or that in our life
among men there should be preached to them the grace of the gospel
of God.

The gospel shows us that God did wonderfully stoop and condescend
for our good; and to do accordingly, it is to stoop and condescend
to others.

The gospel shows us that there was abundance of pity, love, bowels,
and compassion in God towards us; and accordingly we should be full
of bowels, pity, love, and compassion to others.

The gospel shows us that in God there is a great deal of willingness
to do good to others.

The gospel shows us that God acteth towards us according to his
truth and faithfulness, and so should we be in all our actions one
to another.

By the gospel, God declares that he forgiveth us ten thousand
talents, and we ought likewise to forgive our brother the hundred
pence.

And now, before I conclude this use, let me give you a few
heart-endearing considerations to this so good and so happy a work.

[Heart-endearing Considerations.]

First. Consider, God hath saved thee by his grace. Christian,
God hath saved thee, thou hast escaped the lion's mouth, thou art
delivered from wrath to come; advance the grace that saves thee,
in thy heart and life.

Second. Consider, God left millions in their sins that day he saved
thee by his grace; he left millions out, and pitched upon thee;
it may be hundreds also, yea, thousands, were in the day of thy
conversion lying before him under the preaching of the word as thou
wert, yet he took thee. 25 Considerations of this nature affected
David much; and God would have them affect thee, to the advancing
of his grace in thy life and conversation (Psa 78:67-72; Deu 7:7).

Third. Consider, perhaps the most part of those that God refused
that day that he called thee by his grace were, as to conversation,
far better than ever thou wert--I was a blasphemer, I was a
persecutor, I was an injurious person, but I obtained mercy! O this
should affect thy heart, this should engage thy heart to study to
advance this grace of God (1 Tim 1:14,15).

Fourth. Perhaps in the day of thy conversion thou wast more unruly
than many. Like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, hardly tamed,
thou wast brought home by strong hands; thou wouldst not drive,
the Lord Jesus must take thee up, lay thee upon his shoulder, and
carry thee home to his Father's house. This should engage thy heart
to study to advance the grace of God (Luke 15:1-6).

Fifth. It may be many did take even offence at God in his converting
and saving of thee by his grace, even as the elder son was offended
with his father for killing the fatted calf for his brother, and
yet that did not hinder the grace of God, nor make God abate his
love to thy soul. This should make thee study to advance the grace
of God in thy heart and life (Luke 15:21-32).

Sixth. Consider again, that God hath allowed thee but a little
time for this good work, even the few days that thou hast now to
live--I mean, for this good work among sinful men, and then thou
shalt go to receive that wages that grace also will give thee for
thy work to thy eternal joy.

Seventh. Let this also have some place upon thy heart--every man
shows subjection to the god that he serveth; yea, though that god be
none other but the devil and his lusts; and wilt not thou, O man!
saved of the Lord, be much more subject "to the Father of spirits,
and live"?26

Alas! they are pursuing their own damnation, yet they sport it,
and dance all the way they go. They serve that "god" (Satan) with
cheerfulness and delight, who at last will plunge them into the
everlasting gulf of death, and torment them in the fiery flames
of hell; but thy God is the God of salvation, and to God thy Lord
belong the issues from death. Wilt not thou serve him with joyfulness
in the enjoyment of all good things, even him by whom thou art to
be made blessed for ever?

Object. This is that which kills me--honour God I cannot; my heart
is so wretched, so spiritless, and desperately wicked, I cannot.

Answ. What dost thou mean by cannot? 1. If thou meanest thou hast
no strength to do it, thou hast said an untruth, for "greater is he
that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). 2. If
thou meanest thou hast no will, then thou art out also; for every
Christian, in his right mind, is a willing man, and the day of
God's power hath made him so (Psa 110:3). 3. If thou meanest that
thou wantest wisdom, that is thine own fault--"If any man lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not" (James 1:5).

Object. I cannot do things as I would.

Answ. No more could the best of the saints of old--"To will is
present with me," said Paul; "but how to perform that which is good
I find not." And again, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Rom 7:18;
Gal 5:17).

And here indeed lies a great discovery of this truth, "ye are saved
by grace"; for the children of God whilst here, notwithstanding
their conversion to God, and salvation by Christ through grace, are
so infirm and weak by reason of a body of death that yet remaineth
in them, that should even the sin that is in the best of their
performances be laid to their charge, according to the tenor of a
covenant of works, they would find it impossible ever to get into
glory. But why do I talk thus? It is impossible that those that
are saved by grace should have their infirmities laid to their
charge as afore, "for they are not under the law"; they are included
by the grace of God in the death and blood of the Son of God, who
ever liveth to make intercession for them at the right hand of God;
whose intercession is so prevalent with the Father as to take away
the iniquity of our holy things from his sight, and to present
us holy, and unreprovable, and unblamable in his sight. To him,
by Christ Jesus, through the help of the blessed Spirit of grace,
be given praise, and thanks, and glory, and dominion, by all his
saints, now and for ever. Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

1 General course of manners, behaviour, deportment, especially as
it regards morals (see Phil 1:27, 1 Peter 1:15).

2 Their conduct proved to the living that they were dead, they
themselves having no feeling or sense of spiritual life; but,
when quickened, their penitence and good works were brought into
existence by Divine power; they feel the joys of salvation, but
feel also their total unworthiness of this new creating power, and
sing, "O to grace how great a debtor!"--Ed.

3 The hospital of St. Mary Bethlem, vulgarly called "Bedlam,"
bestowed, in 1545, upon the citizens of London, who appropriated
it to the reception of lunatics. It being the only public hospital
for that class of the afflicted in England, it gave the name of
"bedlam" to all whose conduct could only be accounted for on the
score of madness.--Ed.

4 The person who writes this, was a singular instance of the truth
of our author's remark; having been twice providentially preserved
from drowning, and once from the fatal effects of a violent fever,
before effectual saving grace had reached his soul. The same rich
and abundant mercy follows all the elect, quickens them when dead,
saves them when lost, and restores them when ruined. God hath
chosen us unto salvation, and enables us to live holily on earth,
in order to a life of happiness in heaven. The Father's good will
and pleasure is the only fountain from whence the salvation of
believers flows; and such as are given to Christ by the Father he
considers as his charge, and stands engaged for their preservation;
and the death of Christ for sinners, is an evident demonstration
of the love of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, towards
them; this love manifested in time was in and upon the heart of God
before the world began.--Mason. What a multitude of unseen dangers,
both spiritual and temporal, the Christian escapes before he is
called!--Ed.

5 "Rarely," finely, nicely.

6 A safe-conduct is a military term, either a convoy or guard for
protection in an enemy's land, or a passport, by the sovereign of
a country, to enable a subject to travel with safety.--Imperial
Dict.--Ed.

7 What amazing love! Christ visited this poor beggar, yea, was formed
in him the hope of glory; his body, so miserable in the sight of
man, was a temple of the Holy Ghost, and the angels carry his soul
to heaven. O the riches of grace!--Ed.

8 What heart can conceive the glorious worship of heaven? The new
song shall be as the voice of many waters, and a great thunder,
when the "ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand of thousands"
shall sing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and blessing."
O that my poor voice may join that celestial choir!--Ed.

9 The fear of the Lord--an ornament of grace unto thy head, and
chains about thy neck, and life unto thy soul.--Solomon.

10 "Their appearance and themselves"; this beautiful illustration
might escape the reader's notice, unless specially directed to it.
The living creatures were always the same, although seen under
different circumstances, and in diverse places. Inside and out they
were the same; without deviation or turning, they went straight
forward. It is well said that Bunyan has here snatched a grace
beyond the reach of art, and has applied it to exalt and beautify
consistency of Christian character.--Ed.

11 This is one of Bunyan's peculiarly affecting representations,
which in preaching went to the heart, producing intense interest,
and tears of contrition over the stubbornness of human nature.
Reader, Bunyan, being dead, yet speaketh; can you feel unaffected
under such an appeal?--Ed.

12 "To stave," to thrust, to push, to delay.--Ed.

13 These terms are taken from Foxe's Martyrology. It was frequently
the brutal remark of the Judges, You must turn or burn. Bunyan here
applies it to turning from sin or burning in hell.--Ed.

14 This treatise having been written some years after the Pilgrim's
Progress, Bunyan very naturally refers to the well-known scene in
the Interpreter's House, where the fire is kept burning by oil from
behind the wall, in spite of all the water thrown upon its flames.--Ed.

15 "To tend," to watch, to guard, to attend.--Ed.

16 How pointedly, how admirably, does this illustrate the fond
absurdities, the extreme follies of the human heart! "To serve God
with such dainty dishes," the cleanest being befouled with sin. "A
cleaner way to hell than our neighbours!"--Ed.

17 O how humbling a consideration! Our sins are numberless, of
omission, of commission, openly and secretly; nay, in a thousand
cases they escape the sinner's observation. "Cleanse thou me from
secret faults."--Ed.

18 "Shuck," to shake or start back.--Ed.

19 In Bunyan's time, the saints of God were sorely tormented by
penalties, fines, and imprisonments. It required great faith in a
mother, who saw all her goods seized, for not going to church, the
incarnate devils throwing the milk that was warming for her infant
on the dunghill, and the skillet in which it was contained into the
cart, answering her prayers for mercy on her babe. Let the brat of
a heretic starve.--Ed.

20 How abasing and humbling to human pride is it thus to conceive,
that all have sinned, and, in the sight of God, are hell-deserving.
What! says the honourable man, must I take mercy upon no higher
consideration than the thief on the cross? Or the highly virtuous
dame, Must I sue for mercy upon the same terms as the Magdalene?
The faithful answer to both is, YES, or you must perish.--Ed.

21 "False apostles," mentioned in Acts 15, who would have blended
Jewish observances with Christianity, and have brought the converts
into misery and thraldom. They are specially referred to in 2
Corinthians 11:13, "false apostles," deceitful workers, that devour
you and take from you (verse 20). In contradistinction to Paul,
who was "chargeable to no man" (verse 9).--Ed.

22 We must not for a moment imagine that Bunyan was afraid of
temporal consequences, which prevents his enlarging upon this part
of his subject. His contemptuous answer to Fowler for attacking
the doctrine of justification, although a great man with the state,
and soon afterwards made a bishop, is a proof that he was a stranger
to the fear of man. He had said enough, and therefore there was no
need to enlarge.--Ed.

23 How does Bunyan here exhibit the perfection as well as the
freeness of the pardon that Micah celebrates! That which is sunk
in the depths of the sea is lost for ever.--Ed.

24 "Tang," taste, touch, savour, flavour, relish, tone, sound.
A word of extensive meaning, but now nearly obsolete. "No tang of
prepossession or fancy appears in the morality of our Saviour or
his apostles."--Locke.--Ed.

25 What can I render unto thee, my God, for such unspeakable
blessedness? The cattle upon a thousand hills, yea, all creation,
all that I have and am, is thine: all that I can do is "to take
the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." Not unto
us, but unto thy name, be all the praise and honour of salvation!--Ed.

26 In the edition of 1692, this sentence is "subject to the Father
of spirits and love." It is a very singular mode of expression to call
God "the Father of love." God is love, and that author and source
of all holy love. Bunyan was at all times governed by Scripture
phrases, with which his mind was so richly imbued as to cause him,
if we may so speak, to live in a scriptural atmosphere; and this
sentence bears a great affinity to Hebrews 12:9, "Shall we not
much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live."
I have been, for these reasons, induced to consider the letter o in
"love" a typographical error, and have altered the word to "live,"
but could not take such a liberty without a public notice.--Ed.

***

THE STRAIT GATE;

OR,

GREAT DIFFICULTY OF GOING TO HEAVEN:

PLAINLY PROVING, BY THE SCRIPTURES, THAT NOT ONLY THE RUDE AND
PROFANE, BUT MANY GREAT PROFESSORS, WILL COME SHORT OF THAT KINGDOM.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad
is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."--Matthew
7:13, 14

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

If any uninspired writer has been entitled to the name of Boanerges,
or a son of thunder, it is the author of the following treatise.
Here we have a most searching and faithful display of the straitness
or exact dimensions of that all-important gate, which will not suffer
many professors to pass into the kingdom of heaven, encumbered as
they are with fatal errors. Still "it is no little pinching wicket,
but wide enough for all the truly gracious and sincere lovers
of Jesus Christ; while it is so strait, that no others can by any
means enter in." This is a subject calculated to rouse and stimulate
all genuine professors to solemn inquiry; and it was peculiarly
intended to dart at, and fix convictions upon, the multitudes of
hypocritical professors who abounded in Bunyan's time, especially
under the reigns of the later Stuarts.

During the Protectorate, wickedness was discountenanced, and skulked
in the holes and corners of Mansoul; but when a debauched monarch,
who had taken refuge in the most licentious court in Europe, was
called to occupy the throne of his fathers, the most abandoned
profligacy and profaneness were let loose upon the nation. Vice
was openly patronized, while virtue and religion were as openly
treated with mockery and contempt. Bunyan justly says, "The text
calls for sharpness, so do the times." "With those whose religion
lieth in some circumstantials, the kingdom swarms at this day."
When they stand at the gate, they will "shake like a quagmire--their
feigned faith, pretended love, shows of gravity, and holiday words,
will stand them in little stead; some professors do with religion
just as people do with their best apparel--hang it on the wall all
the week, and put it on on Sundays; they save it till they go to
a meeting, or meet with a godly chapman." This state of society
called for peculiar sharpness, and Bunyan preached and published,
in 1676, this awful alarm to professors. No subject could be more
peculiarly applicable than "The Gate of heaven," and "the difficulties
of entering in thereat"; a subject of the deepest interest to all
mankind--to stimulate the careless to find, and to enter the gate
of this the only city of refuge from eternal misery--to fill the
heart of God's children with love and joy in their prospects of
a blessed immortality--and to sting the hypocrites with the awful
thought of finding the gate shut against them for ever. Their cries
and tears will be too late; they will stand without and vehemently
cry, "Lord, Lord, open unto us"; in vain will be their outcry,
"the devils are coming; Lord, Lord, the pit opens her mouth upon
us; Lord, Lord, there is nothing but hell and damnation left us, if
thou hast not mercy upon us." These were professors who pretended
to have found the gate and way to heaven; who passed for pilgrims
who were seeking a better, even a heavenly country; such deluded
victims must be, of all men, the most miserable.

Faithfulness becomes the ministers of Christ in dealing with the
souls of men; and pre-eminently faithful is John Bunyan in this
treatise. Reader, he will be clear of thy blood. Enter upon the
solemn inquiry, Have I sought the gate? Shall I be admitted into,
or shut out from, that blessed kingdom? The openly profane can have
no hope. Are you a professor?--there is danger sill. In vain will
it be to urge, "We have prophesied in thy name, and in thy name
cast out devils." To the secretly profane, whatever may be their
profession, there can be no well-grounded hope of entrance in at
this gate. Those only will be admitted whom the Lord knows to be
his--the sheep of his pasture, who have heard his voice, and obeyed
it. Against all others the door will be shut, and the awful words,
"I know you not--depart, ye cursed," will hurry them to eternal
darkness. The question, "Are there few that be saved?" will suggest
itself to our minds; may the answer fix upon our conscience, "STRIVE
to enter in." It is very probable that it was in preaching upon
this text, Bunyan was assailed with a want of charity. The anecdote
is thus narrated by Mr. Doe in The Struggler:--"As Mr. Bunyan was
preaching in a barn, and showing the fewness of those that should
be saved, there stood one of the learned to take advantage of his
words; and having done preaching, the schoolman said to him, You
are a deceiver, a person of no charity, and therefore not fit to
preach; for he that [in effect] condemneth the greatest part of his
hearers hath no charity, and therefore is not fit to preach. Then
Mr. Bunyan answered, The Lord Jesus Christ preached in a ship to
his hearers on the shore (Mat 13), and showed that they were as
four sorts of ground, the highway, the stony, the thorny, and the
good ground, but those represented by the good ground were the only
persons to be saved. And your position is, That he that in effect
condemneth the greatest part of his hearers, hath no charity, and
therefore is not fit to preach the gospel. But here the Lord Jesus
Christ did so, then your conclusion is, The Lord Jesus Christ wanted
charity, and therefore was not fit to preach the gospel. Horrid
blasphemy; away with your hellish logic, and speak Scripture." Of
one thing we are certain, that while hollow-hearted hypocritical
professors will ever complain of faithful dealing with their soul's
eternal interests; the sincere and humble Christina will be most
thankful for searching inquiries, that, if wrong, he may be set
right before his final destiny is irrevocably fixed. May our souls
submit to a scriptural measurement of this gate, and the terms upon
which alone it can be opened unto us.

The difficulties that prevent "the many" from entering in are, 1.
Forgetfulness that we can only enter heaven by the permission of
the law--every jot and tittle must be fulfilled. Now, if we could
live from our conversion to our death in the holiest obedience to
all its precepts, yet, having previously violated them, the stain
must not only be washed away in the blood of atonement, but we, as
part of the body of Christ, must, in him, render perfect obedience.
2. In addition to the disinclination of our hearts to submit to
this perfect righteousness, we have outward storms of temptation
and persecution. "The world will seek to keep thee out of heaven
with mocks, flouts, taunts, threats, jails, gibbets, halters,
burnings, and a thousand deaths; therefore strive! Again, if it
cannot overcome thee with these, it will flatter, promise, allure,
entice, entreat, and use a thousand tricks on this hand to destroy
thee; and many that have been stout against the threats of the world
have yet been overcome with the bewitching flatteries of the same.
O that we may by grace escape all these enemies, and so strive as
to enter into the joy of our Lord."

GEO. OFFOR.

TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

God, I hope, hath put it into my heart to write unto thee another
time, and that about matters of greatest moment--for now we discourse
not about things controverted among the godly, but directly about
the saving or damning of the soul; yea, moreover, this discourse is
about the fewness of them that shall be saved, and it proves that
many a high professor will come short of eternal life; wherefore
the matter must needs be sharp, and so disliked by some, but let
it not be rejected by thee. The text calls for sharpness, so do
the times, yea, the faithful discharge of my duty towards thee hath
put me upon it.

I do not now pipe, but mourn; and it will be well for thee if thou
canst graciously lament. (Matt 11:17) Some, say they, make the
gate of heaven too wide, and some make it too narrow; for my part,
I have here presented thee with as true a measure of it as by the
Word of God I can. Read me, therefore, yea, read me, and compare
me with the Bible; and if thou findest my doctrine and that book
of God concur, embrace it, as thou wilt answer the contrary in the
day of judgment. This awakening work--if God will make it so--was
prepared for thee: if there be need, and it wounds, get healing by
blood: if it disquiets, get peace by blood: if it takes away all
thou hast, because it was naught (for this book is not prepared to
take away true grace from any), then buy of Christ "gold tried in
the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou
mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear,
and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." (Rev
3:18) Self-flatteries, self-deceivings, are easy and pleasant,
but damnable. The Lord give thee a heart to judge right of thyself,
right of this book, and so to prepare for eternity, that thou
mayest not only expect entrance, but be received into the kingdom
of Christ and of God. Amen.

So prays thy Friend,

JOHN BUNYAN.

THE STRAIT GATE.

"STRIVE TO ENTER IN AT THE STRAIT GATE; FOR MANY, I SAY UNTO YOU,
WILL SEEK TO ENTER IN, AND SHALL NOT BE ABLE."--LUKE 13:24

These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are, therefore,
in especial manner to be heeded; besides, the subject matter of the
words is the most weighty, to wit, how we should attain salvation,
and therefore also to be heeded.

The occasion of the words was a question which one that was at
this time in the company of the disciples put to Jesus Christ; the
question was this, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" (verse 23)
A serious question, not such as tended to the subversion of the
hearers, as too many now-a-days do; but such as in its own nature
tended to the awakening of the company to good, and that called
for such an answer that might profit the people also. This question
also well pleased Jesus Christ, and he prepareth and giveth such an
answer as was without the least retort, or show of distaste; such
an answer, I say, as carried in it the most full resolve to the
question itself, and help to the persons questioning. "And he said
unto them, Strive to enter in," &c. The words are an answer, and
an instruction also. First. An answer, and that in the affirmative;
the gate is strait--many that seek will not be able, therefore
but few shall be saved. Second. The answer is an instruction also;
"strive to enter in," &c., good counsel and instruction; pray God
help me, and my reader, and all that love their own salvation, to
take it.

My manner of handling the words will be--[FIRST], By way of
explication; and then [SECOND], By way of observation.

[FIRST. THE WORDS BY WAY OF EXPLICATION.]

The words are to be considered, [FIRST], with reference to their
general scope; and then [SECOND], with reference to their several
phrases.

FIRST. The general scope of the text is to be considered, and that
is that great thing--salvation; for these words do immediately look
at, point to, and give directions about salvation: "Are there few
that be saved? Strive to enter in at the strait gate."

The words, I say, are to direct us not only to talk of, or to wish
for, but to understand how we shall, and to seek that we may be,
effectually saved, and therefore of the greatest importance. To be
saved! what is like being saved? To be saved from sin, from hell,
from the wrath of God, from eternal damnation, what is like it? To
be made an heir of God, of his grace, of his kingdom, and eternal
glory, what is like it? and yet all this is included in this word
saved, and in the answer to that question, "Are there few that be
saved?" Indeed this word SAVED is but of little use in the world,
save to them that are heartily afraid of damning. This word lies
in the Bible as excellent salves lie in some men's houses, thrust
into a hole, and not thought on for many months, because the household
people have no wounds nor sores. In time of sickness, what so set
by as the doctor's glasses and gally-pots full of his excellent
things? but when the person is grown well, the rest is
thrown to the dunghill. 1

O when men are sick of sin, and afraid of damning, what a text is
that where this word saved is found! Yea, what a word of worth,
and goodness, and blessedness, is it to him that lies continually
upon the wrath of a guilty conscience? "But the whole need not a
physician"; he therefore, and he only, knows what saved means, that
knows what hell, and death, and damnation means. "What shall I do
to be saved?" is the language of the trembling sinner. "Lord save
me," is the language of the sinking sinner; and none admire the
glory that is in that word saved, but such as see, without being
saved, all things in heaven and earth are emptiness to them. They
also that believe themselves privileged in all the blessedness
that is wrapt up in that word, bless and admire God that hath saved
them. Wherefore, since the thing intended, both in the question
and the answer, is no less than the salvation of the soul, I beseech
you to give the more earnest heed. (Heb 12) But,

SECOND. To come to the particular phrases in the words, and to
handle them orderly, in the words I find four things. First. An
intimation of the kingdom of heaven. Second. A description of the
entrance into it. Third. An exhortation to enter into it. And,
Fourth, A motive to enforce that exhortation.

[AN INTIMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.]

First. An intimation of the kingdom of heaven; for when he saith,
"Strive to enter in," and in such phrases, there is supposed a place
or state, or both, to be enjoyed. "Enter in"; enter into what, or
whither, but into a state or place, or both? and therefore when
you read this word, "enter in," you must say there is certainly
included in the text that good thing that yet is not expressed.
"Enter in"; into heaven, that is the meaning, where the saved are,
and shall be; into heaven, that place, that glorious place, where
God, and Christ, and angels are, and the souls or spirits of just
men made perfect. "Enter in"; that thing included, though not
expressed in the words, is called in another place, the Mount Zion,
the heavenly Jerusalem, the general assembly and church of the
first-born which are written in heaven. (Heb 12:23) And therefore
the words signify unto us, that there is a state most glorious,
and that when this world is ended; and that this place and state
are likewise to be enjoyed, and inherited by a generation of men
for ever. Besides, this word, "enter in," signifieth that salvation
to the full is to be enjoyed only there, and that there only
is eternal safety; all other places and conditions are hazardous,
dangerous, full of snares, imperfections, temptations, and afflictions,
but there all is well; there is no devil to tempt, no desperately
wicked heart to deliver us up, no deceitful lust to entangle, nor
any enchanting world to bewitch us. There all shall be well to all
eternity. Further, all the parts of, and circumstances that attend
salvation, are only there to be enjoyed; there only is immortality
and eternal life; there is the glory and fulness of joy, and the
everlasting pleasures; there is God and Christ to be enjoyed by
open vision, and more; there are the angels and the saints; further,
there is no death, nor sickness, no sorrow nor sighing for ever;
there is no pain, nor persecutor, nor darkness, to eclipse our
glory. O this Mount Zion! O this heavenly Jerusalem! (2 Cor 5:1-4,
Psa 16:11, Luke 20:35,36, Heb 12:22-24)

Behold, therefore, what a great thing the Lord Jesus hath included
by this little word, "IN." In this word is wrapt up a whole heaven
and eternal life; even as there is also by other little words in
the holy Scriptures of truth: as where he saith, "Knock, and it
shall be opened unto you," and "the election hath obtained it."
This should teach us, not only to read, but to attend in reading;
not only to read, but to lift up our hearts to God in reading; for
if we be not heedful, if he gives us not light and understanding,
we may easily pass over, without any great regard, such a word as
may have a glorious kingdom and eternal salvation in the bowels
of it; yea, sometimes, as here, a whole heaven is intimated, where
it is not at all expressed. The apostles of old did use to fetch
great things out of the Scriptures, even out of the very order and
timing of the several things contained therein. See Romans 4:9-11,
Galatians 3:16,17, Hebrews 8:13. But,

[DESCRIPTION OF THE ENTRANCE INTO THIS KINGDOM.]

Second. As we have here an intimation of the kingdom of heaven, so
we have a description of the entrance into it, and that by a double
similitude: I. It is called a gate; II. A strait gate--"Strive to
enter in at the strait gate."

[It is called a gate.]

I. It is set forth by the similitude of a gate. A gate, you know,
is of a double use. It is to open and shut, and so, consequently,
to let in or to keep out; and to do both these at the season; as
he said, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun
be hot"; and again, "I commanded that the gates should be shut,
and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath."
(Neh 7:3, 13:19,20) And so you find of this gate of heaven, when
the five wise virgins came, the gate was opened; but afterwards
came the other virgins, and the door was shut. (Matt 25) So then,
the entrance into heaven is called a gate, to show there is a time
when there may be entrance, and there will come a time when there
shall be none; and, indeed, this is a chief truth contained in the
text--"Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." I read in the
Scriptures of two gates or doors, through which they that
go to heaven must enter. 2

1. There is the door of faith, the door which the grace of God hath
opened to the Gentiles. This door is Jesus Christ, as also himself
doth testify, saying, "I am the door," &c. (John 10:9, Acts 14:27)
By this door men enter into God's favour and mercy, and find
forgiveness through faith in his blood, and live in hope of eternal
life; and therefore himself also hath said, "I am the door; by me
if any man enter in, he shall be saved"; that is, received to mercy,
and inherit eternal life. But,

2. There is another door or gate--for that which is called in the
text a gate, is twice in the next verse called a door--there is,
I say, another gate, and that is the passage into the very heaven
itself; the entrance into the celestial mansion-house, and that is
the gate mentioned in the text, 3 and the door mentioned twice in
the verse that follows. And this Jacob called it, when he said,
Bethel was the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven; that
is, the entrance, for he saw the entrance into heaven. One end of
Jacob's ladder stands in Bethel, God's house, and the other end
reacheth up to the gate of heaven. (Gen 28:10-17) Jacob's ladder
was the figure of Christ, which ladder was not the gate of heaven,
but the way from the church to that gate which he saw above at the
top of the ladder. (Gen 28:12, John 1:51) But again, that the gate
in the text is the gate or entrance into heaven, consider--

(1.) It is that gate that letteth men into, or shutteth men out
of that place or kingdom where Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob is,
which place is that paradise where Christ promised the thief that
he should be that day, that he asked to be with him in his kingdom;
it is that place into which Paul said he was caught, when he heard
words unlawful or impossible for a man to utter. (Luke 13:28, 23:42,
2 Cor 12:1-6)

Quest. But is not Christ the gate or entrance into this heavenly
place?

Answ. He is he without whom no man can get thither, because by his
merits men obtain that world, and also because he, as the Father,
is the donor and disposer of that kingdom to whom he will. Further,
this place is called his house, and himself the Master of it--"When
once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the
door." (Luke 13:25) But we use to say, that the master of the house
is not the door. Men enter into heaven, then, by him, not as he is
the gate, or door, or entrance, into the celestial mansion-house,
but as he is the giver and disposer of that kingdom to them whom
he shall count worthy, because he hath obtained it for them.

(2.) That this gate is the very passage into heaven, consider the
text hath special reference to the day of judgment, when Christ
will have laid aside his mediatory office, which before he exercised
for the bringing to the faith his own elect; and will then act,
not as one that justifieth the ungodly, but as one that judgeth
sinners. He will now be risen up from the throne of grace, and
shut up the door against all the impenitent, and will be set upon
the throne of judgment, from thence to proceed with ungodly sinners.

Object. But Christ bids strive: "Strive" now "to enter in at the
strait gate"; but if that gate be as you say, the gate or entrance
into heaven, then it should seem that we should not strive till
the day of judgment, for we shall not come at that gate till then.

Answ. Christ, by this exhortation, Strive, &c., doth not at all
admit of, or countenance delays, or that a man should neglect his
own salvation; but putteth poor creatures upon preparing for the
judgment, and counselleth them now to get those things that will
then give them entrance into glory. This exhortation is much like
these: "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think
not the Son of man cometh.--And they that were ready went in with
him to the marriage, and the door was shut." (Matt 24:44, 25:10)

So that when he saith, "Strive to enter in," it is as if he should
say, Blessed are they that shall be admitted another day to enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but they that shall be counted worthy
of so unspeakable a favour, must be well prepared and fitted for it
beforehand. Now, the time to be fitted is not the day of judgment,
but the day of grace; not then, but now. Therefore, strive now for
those things that will then give you entrance into the heavenly
kingdom. But,

[It is called a strait gate.]

II. As it is called a gate, so it is called a strait gate--"Strive
to enter in at the strait gate."

The straitness of this gate is not to be understood carnally, but
mystically. You are not to understand it, as if the entrance into
heaven was some little pinching wicket; no, the straitness of this
gate is quite another thing. This gate is wide enough for all them
that are the truly gracious and sincere lovers of Jesus Christ,
but so strait, as that not one of the other can by any means enter
in: "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them,
and I will praise the Lord: this gate of the Lord, into which the
righteous shall enter." (Psa 118:19,20) By this word, therefore,
Christ Jesus hath showed unto us, that without due qualifications
there is no possibility of entering into heaven; the strait gate
will keep all others out. When Christ spake this parable, he had
doubtless his eye upon some passage or passages of the Old Testament,
with which the Jews were well acquainted. I will mention two, and
so go on.

1. The place by which God turned Adam and his wife out of paradise.
Possibly our Lord might have his eye upon that; for though that
was wide enough for them to come out at, yet it was too strait for
them to go in at. But what should be the reason of that? Why, they
had sinned; and therefore God "placed at the east of that garden
cherubims, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep
the way of the tree of life." (Gen 3:24) The cherubims, and the
flaming sword, they made the entrance too strait for them to enter
in. Souls, there are cherubims and a flaming sword at the gates
of heaven to keep the way of the tree of life; therefore none but
them that are duly fitted for heaven can enter in at this strait
gate; the flaming sword will keep all others out. "Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor 6:9,10)

(2.) Perhaps our Lord might have his eye upon the gates of the temple
when he spoke this word unto the people; for though the gates of
the temple were six cubits wide, yet they were so strait, that none
that were unclean in anything might enter in thereat (Eze 40:48),
because there were placed at these gates, porters, whose office
was to look that none but those that had right to enter might go in
thither. And so it is written, Jehoiada set "porters at the gates
of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in anything
should enter in." (2 Chron 23:19) Souls, God hath porters at the
gates of the temple, at the gate of heaven; porters, I say, placed
there by God, to look that none that are unclean in anything may
come in thither. In at the gate of the church, none may enter now
that are openly profane, and scandalous to religion; no, though
they plead they are beloved of God: "What hath my beloved to do
in mine house," saith the Lord, "seeing she hath wrought lewdness
with many?" (Jer 11:15)

I say, I am very apt to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ had his
thoughts upon these two texts, when he said the gate is strait:
and that which confirms me the more in the things is this, a little
below the text he saith, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets, in the kingdom of heaven, and you yourselves thrust
out." (Luke 13:28) Thrust out, which signifieth a violent act,
resisting with striving those that would--though unqualified--enter.
The porters of the temple were, for this very thing, to wear arms,
if need were, and to be men of courage and strength, lest the
unsanctified or unprepared should by some means enter in. We read,
in the book of Revelations, of the holy city, and that it had twelve
gates, and at the gates twelve angels; but what did they do there?
Why, amongst the rest of their service, this was one thing, that
there might "in no wise enter in to it any thing that defileth, or
worketh abomination, or that maketh a lie." (Rev 21:27)

[Three things that make this gate so strait.]

But more particularly, to show what it is that maketh this gate
so strait. There are three things that make it strait--1. There is
sin. 2. There is the word of the law. 3. There are the angels of
God.

1. There is sin; the sin of the profane, and the sin of the professor.

(1.) The sin of the profane. But this needs not be enlarged upon,
because it is concluded upon at all hands, where there is the
common belief of the being of God, and the judgment to come, that
"the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God." (Psa 9:17)

(2.) But there is the sin of professors; or take it rather thus,
there is a profession that will stand with an unsanctified heart
and life. The sin of such will overpoise the salvation of their
souls, the sin end being the heaviest end of the scale; I say,
that being the heaviest end which hath sin in it, they tilt over,
and so are, notwithstanding their glorious profession, drowned in
perdition and destruction; for none such hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God; therefore "let no man deceive
you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath
of God upon the children of disobedience"; neither will a profession
be able to excuse them. (Eph 5:3-6) The gate will be too strait for
such as these to enter in thereat. A man may partake of salvation
in part, but not of salvation in whole. God saved the children of
Israel out of Egypt, but overthrew them in the wilderness:--"I will
therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how
that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,
afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5) So we see
that, notwithstanding their beginning, "they could not enter in,
because of unbelief." (Heb 3:19)

2. There is the word of the law, and that will make the gate strait
also. None must go in thereat but those that can go in by the leave
of the law; for though no man be, or can be, justified by the works
of the law, yet unless the righteousness and holiness by which they
attempt to enter into this kingdom be justified by the law, it is
in vain once to think of entering in at this strait gate. Now the
law justifieth not, but upon the account of Christ's righteousness;
if therefore thou be not indeed found in that righteousness, thou
wilt find the law lie just in the passage into heaven to keep thee
out. Every man's work must be tried by fire, that it may be manifest
of what sort it is. There are two errors in the world about the
law; one is, when men think to enter in at the strait gate by the
righteousness of the law; the other is, when men think they may enter
into heaven without the leave of the law. Both these, I say, are
errors; for as by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified;
so without the consent of the law, no flesh shall be saved. "Heaven
and earth shall pass away, before one jot or tittle of the law
shall fail, till all be fulfilled." He therefore must be damned
that cannot be saved by the consent of the law. And, indeed, this
law is the flaming sword that turneth every way; yea, that lieth
to this day in the way to heaven, for a bar to all unbelievers and
unsanctified professors; for it is taken out of the way for the
truly gracious only. It will be found as a roaring lion to devour
all others. Because of the law, therefore, the gate will be found
too strait for the unsanctified to enter in. When the apostle had
told the Corinthians that "the unrighteous should not inherit the
kingdom of God," and that such were some of them, he adds, "But ye
are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name
of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11)
Closely concluding, that had they not been washed, and sanctified,
and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, the law, for their
transgressions, would have kept them out; it would have made the
gate too strait for them to enter in.

3. There are also the angels of God, and by reason of them the gate
is strait. The Lord Jesus calleth the end of the world his harvest;
and saith, moreover, that the angels are his reapers. These angels
are therefore to gather his wheat into his barn, but to gather
the ungodly into bundles to burn them. (Matt 13:39,41,49) Unless,
therefore, the man that is unsanctified can master the law, and
conquer angels; unless he can, as I may say, pull them out of the
gateway of heaven, himself is not to come thither for ever. No man
goeth to heaven but by the help of the angels--I mean at the day
of judgment. For the Son of man "shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from
the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matt 24:31)
If those that shall enter in at the strait gate shall enter in
thither by the conduct of the holy angels, pray when do you think
those men will enter in thither, concerning whom the angels are
commanded to gather them, to "bind them in bundles to burn them?"
This, therefore, is a third difficulty. The angels will make this
entrance strait; yea, too strait for the unjustified and unsanctified
to enter in thither.

[AN EXHORTATION TO STRIVE TO ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM.]

Third. I come not to the exhortation, which is, to strive to enter
in. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." These words are fitly
added; for since the gate is strait, it follows that they that will
enter in must strive.

"Strive." This word strive supposeth that great idleness is natural
to professors; they think to get to heaven by lying, as it were, on
their elbows. It also suggesteth that many will be the difficulties
that professors will meet with, before they get to heaven. It also
concludeth that only the labouring Christian, man or woman, will
get in thither. "Strive," &c.

Three questions I will propound upon the word, an answer to which
may give us light into the meaning of it: I. What doth
this word strive import? 4

II. How should we strive? III. Why should we strive?

[Import of the word STRIVE.]

I. What doth this word strive import? Answer,

1. When he saith, Strive, it is as much as to say, Bend yourselves
to the work with all your might. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest." (Eccl 9:10)
Thus Samson did when he set himself to destroy the Philistines;
"He bowed himself with all his might." (Judg 16:30) Thus David did
also, when he made provision for the building and beautifying of
the temple of God. (1 Chron 29:2) And thus must thou do, if ever
thou enterest into heaven.

2. When he saith, Strive, he calleth for the mind and will, that
they should be on his side, and on the side of the things of his
kingdom; for none strive indeed, but such as have given the Son of
God their heart; of which the mind and will are a principal part;
for saving conversion lieth more in the turning of the mind and
will to Christ, and to the love of his heavenly things, than in
all knowledge and judgment. And this the apostle confirmeth, when
he saith, "Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving," &c.
(Phil 1:27)

3. And, more particularly, this word strive is expressed by several
other terms; as, (1.) It is expressed by that word, "So run that
ye may obtain." (1 Cor 9:24,25) (2.) It is expressed by that word,
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." (1 Tim
6:12) (3.) It is expressed by that word, "Labour not for the meat
which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting
life." (John 6:27) (4.) It is expressed by that word, "We wrestle--with
principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this
world." (Eph 6:12) Therefore, when he saith, Strive, it is as much
as to say, Run for heaven, Fight for heaven, Labour for heaven,
Wrestle for heaven, or you are like to go without it.

[How should we strive?]

II. The second question is, How should we strive?

Answ. The answer in general is, Thou must strive lawfully. "and if
a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he
strive lawfully." (2 Tim 2:5) But you will say, What is it to strive
lawfully? [I] answer--

1. To strive against the things which are abhorred by the Lord
Jesus; yea, to resist to the spilling of your blood, striving against
sin. (Heb 12:4) To have all those things that are condemned by the
Word; yea, though they be thine own right hand, right eye, or right
foot, in abomination; and to seek by all godly means the utter
suppressing of them. (Mark 9:43,45,47)

2. To strive lawfully, is to strive for those things that are
commanded in the Word.--"But thou, O man of God, flee the world,
and follow after," that is, strive for, "righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, meekness; fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life," &c. (1 Tim 6:11,12)

3. He that striveth lawfully, must be therefore very temperate in
all the good and lawful things of this life. "And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." (1 Cor
9:25) Most professors give leave to the world and the vanity of
their hearts, to close with them, and to hang about their necks, and
make their striving to stand rather in an outcry of words, than a
hearty labour against the lusts and love of the world, and their
own corruptions; but this kind of striving is but a beating of the
air, and will come to just nothing at last. (1 Cor 9:26)

4. He that striveth lawfully, must take God and Christ along with
him to the work, otherwise he will certainly be undone. "Whereunto,"
said Paul, "I also labour, striving according to his working, which
worketh in me mightily." (Col 1:29) And for the right performing
of this, he must observe these following particulars:--

(1.) He must take heed that he doth not strive about things, or
words, to no profit; for God will not then be with him. "Of these
things," saith the apostle, "put them in remembrance; charging them
before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but
to the subverting of the hearers." (2 Tim 2:14) But, alas! how many
professors in our days are guilty of this transgression, whose
religion stands chiefly, if not only, in a few unprofitable questions
and vain wranglings about words and things to no profit, but to
the destruction of the hearers!

(2.) He must take heed that whilst he strives against one sin, he
does not harbour and shelter another; or that whilst he cries out
against other men's sin, he does not countenance his own.

(3.) In the striving, strive to believe, strive for the faith of
the gospel; for the more we believe the gospel, and the reality of
the things of the world to come, with the more stomach and courage
shall we labour to possess the blessedness. (Phil 1:27) "Let us
labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief." (Heb 4:11)

(4.) As we should strive for, and by faith, so we should strive
by prayer, by fervent and effectual prayer. (Romans 15:30) O the
swarms of our prayerless professors! What do they think of themselves?
Surely the gate of heaven was heretofore as wide as in these our
days; but what striving by prayer was there then among Christians
for the thing that gives admittance into this kingdom, over [what]
there is in these latter days!

(5.) We should also strive by mortifying our members that are upon
the earth. "I therefore so run," said Paul, "not as uncertainly;
so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my
body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I
have preached the gospel to others, I myself should be a cast-away."
(1 Cor 9:26,27) But all this is spoken principally to professors;
so I would be understood.

[Why should we strive?]

III. I come now to the third question, namely, But why should we
strive? Answer--

1. Because the thing for which you are here exhorted to strive,
it is worth the striving for; it is for not less than for a whole
heaven, and an eternity of felicity there. How will men that have
before them a little honour, a little profit, a little pleasure,
strive? I say again, how will they strive for this? Now they do
it for a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. Methinks this
word heaven, and this eternal life, ought verily to make us strive,
for what is there again either in heaven or earth like them to
provoke a man to strive?

2. Strive, because otherwise the devil and hell will assuredly
have thee. He goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour. (1 Peter 5:8) These fallen angels, they are always watchful,
diligent, unwearied; they are also mighty, subtle, and malicious,
seeking nothing more than the damnation of thy soul. O thou that
art like the artless dove, strive!

3. Strive, because every lust strives and wars against thy soul.
"The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." (Gal 5:17) "Dearly beloved,
I beseech you," said Peter, "as strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11)
It is a rare thing to see or find out a Christian that indeed can
bridle his lusts; but no strange thing to see such professors that
are "not only bridled, but saddled too," yea, and ridden from lust
to sin, from one vanity to another, by the very devil himself, and
the corruptions of their hearts.

4. Strive, because thou hast a whole world against thee. The world
hateth thee if thou be a Christian; the men of the world hate
thee; the things of the world are snares for thee, even thy bed and
table, thy wife and husband, yea, thy most lawful enjoyments have
that in them that will certainly sink thy soul to hell, if thou
dost not strive against the snares that are in them. (Rom 11:9)

The world will seek to keep thee out of heaven with mocks, flouts,
taunts, threatenings, jails, gibbets, halters, burnings, and
a thousand deaths; therefore strive! Again, if it cannot overcome
thee with these, it will flatter, promise, allure, entice, entreat,
and use a thousand tricks on this hand to destroy thee; and observe,
many that have been stout against the threats of the world, have
yet been overcome with the bewitching flatteries of the same. 5

There ever was enmity betwixt the devil and the church, and betwixt
his seed and her seed too; Michael and his angels, and the dragon
and his angels, these make war continually. (Gen 3, Rev 12) There
hath been great desires and endeavours among men to reconcile
these two in one, to wit, the seed of the serpent and the seed of
the woman, but it could never yet be accomplished. The world says,
they will never come over to us; and we again say, by God's grace,
we will never come over to them. But the business hath not ended
in words; both they and we have also added our endeavours to make
each other submit, but endeavours have proved ineffectual too. They,
for their part, have devised all manner of cruel torments to make
us submit, as slaying with the sword, stoning, sawing asunder,
flames, wild beasts, banishments, hunger, and a thousand miseries.
We again, on the other side, have laboured by prayers and tears,
by patience and long-suffering, by gentleness and love, by sound
doctrine and faithful witness-bearing against their enormities,
to bring them over to us; but yet the enmity remains; so that they
must conquer us, or we must conquer them. One side must be overcome;
but the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God.

5. Strive, because there is nothing of Christianity got by idleness.
Idleness clothes a man with rags, and the vineyard of the slothful
is grown over with nettles. (Prov 23:21, 24:30-32) Profession that
is not attended with spiritual labour cannot bring the soul to
heaven. The fathers before us were "not slothful in business," but
"fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." Therefore "be not slothful,
but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the
promises." (Rom 12:11, Heb 6:12)

"Strive to enter in." Methinks the words, at the first reading,
do intimate to us, that the Christian, in all that ever he does in
this world, should carefully heed and regard his soul--I say, in
all that ever he does. Many are for their souls by fits and starts;
but a Christian indeed, in all his doing and designs which he
contriveth and manageth in this world, should have a special eye to
his own future and everlasting good; in all his labours he should
strive to enter in: "Wisdom [Christ] is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."
(Prov 4:7) Get nothing, if thou canst not get Christ and grace, and
further hopes of heaven in that getting; get nothing with a bad
conscience, with the hazard of thy peace with God, and that in
getting it thou weakenest thy graces which God hath given thee;
for this is not to strive to enter in. Add grace to grace, both by
religious and worldly duties; "For so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:8-11) Religious duties are not
the only striving times; he that thinks so is out. Thou mayest help
thy faith and thy hope in the godly management of thy calling, and
mayest get further footing in eternal life, by studying the glory
of God in all thy worldly employment. I am speaking now to Christians
that are justified freely by grace, and am encouraging, or rather
counselling of them to strive to enter in; for there is an entering
in by faith and good conscience now, as well as our entering in
body and soul hereafter; and I must add, that the more common it
is to thy soul to enter in now by faith, the more steadfast hope
shalt thou have of entering in hereafter in body and soul.

"Strive to enter in." By these words also the Lord Jesus giveth
sharp rebuke to those professors that have not eternal glory, but
other temporal things in their eye, by all the bustle that they
make in the world about religion. Some there be, what a stir they
make, what a noise and clamour, with their notions and forms, and
yet perhaps all is for the loaves; because they have eaten of the
loaves, and are filled. (John 6:26) These strive indeed to enter,
but it is not into heaven; they find religion hath a good trade at
the end of it, or they find that it is the way to credit, repute,
preferment, and the like, and therefore they strive to enter into
these. But these have not the strait gate in their eye, nor yet
in themselves have they love to their poor and perishing souls;
wherefore this exhortation nippeth such, by predicting of their
damnation.

"Strive to enter in." These words also sharply rebuke them who
content themselves as the angel of the church of Sardis, did, to
wit, "to have a name to live, and be dead" (Rev 3:1), or as they
of the Laodiceans, who took their religion upon trust, and were
content with a poor, wretched, lukewarm profession; for such as
these do altogether unlike to the exhortation in the text, that
says, Strive, and they sit and sleep; that says, Strive to enter
in, and they content themselves with a profession that is never
like to bring them thither.

"Strive to enter in." Further, these words put us upon proving the
truth of our graces now; I say, they put us upon the proof of the
truth of them now; for if the strait gate be the gate of heaven,
and yet we are to strive to enter into it now, even while we live,
and before we come thither, then doubtless Christ means by this
exhortation, that we should use all lawful means to prove our
graces in this world, whether they will stand in the judgment or
no. Strive to enter in; get those graces now that will prove true
graces then, and therefore try those you have; and if, upon trial,
they prove not right, cast them away, and cry for better, lest they
cast thee away, when better are not to be had. "Buy of me gold tried
in the fire"; mark that. (Rev 3:18) Buy of me faith and grace that
will stand in the judgment; strive for that faith; buy of me that
grace, and also white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, that
the shame of thy wickedness doth not appear, and anoint thine eyes
with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. Mind you this advice; this
is right striving to enter in.

But you will say, How should we try our graces? Would you have us
run into temptation, to try if they be sound or rotten? Answ. You
need not run into trials; God hath ordained that enough of them
shall overtake thee to prove thy graces either rotten or sound before
the day of thy death; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof,
if thou hast but a sufficiency of grace to withstand. I say, thou
shalt have trials enough overtake thee, to prove thy grace sound
or rotten. Thou mayest, therefore, if God shall help thee, see how
it is like to go with thee before thou goest out of this world, to
wit, whether thy graces be such as will carry thee in at the gates
of heaven or no.

But how should we try our graces now? Answ. (a.) How dost thou find
them in outward trials? See Hebrews 11:15,16. (b.) How dost thou
find thyself in the inward workings of sin? (Rom 7:24) (c.) How
dost thou find thyself under the most high enjoyment of grace in
this world? (Phil 3:14)

But what do you mean by these three questions? I mean graces show
themselves at these their seasons, whether they be rotten or sound.

(a.) How do they show themselves to be true under the first of
these? Answ. By mistrusting our own sufficiency, by crying to God
for help, by desiring rather to die than to bring any dishonour to
the name of God, and by counting that, if God be honoured in the
trial, thou hast gained more than all the world could give thee.
(2 Chron 20:12, 14:11, Acts 4, 20:22, 2 Cor 4:17,18, Heb 11:24,25)

(b.) How do they show themselves to be true under the second? Answ.
By mourning, and confessing, and striving, and praying, against
them; by not being content, shouldst thou have heaven, if they live,
and defile thee; and by counting of holiness the greatest beauty
in the world; and by flying to Jesus Christ for life. (Zech 12:10,
John 19, Heb 12:14, Psa 19:12)

(c.) How do they show themselves to be true under the third? Answ.
By prizing the true graces above all the world, by praying heartily
that God will give thee more; by not being content with all the
grace thou canst be capable of enjoying on this side heaven and
glory. (Psa 84:10, Luke 17:5, Phil 3)

"Strive to enter in." The reason why Christ addeth these words,
"to enter in," is obvious, to wit, because there is no true and
lasting happiness on this side heaven; I say, none that is both
true and lasting, I mean, as to our sense and feeling as there
shall [be]; "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one
to come." (Heb 13:14) The heaven is within, strive therefore to
enter in; the glory is within, strive therefore to enter in; the
Mount Zion is within, strive therefore to enter in; the heavenly
Jerusalem is within, strive therefore to enter in; angels and saints
are within, strive therefore to enter in; and, to make up all, the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that glorious Redeemer,
is within, strive therefore to enter in.

"Strive to enter in." "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie." Without are also the devils, and hell, and death,
and all damned souls; without is howling, weeping, wailing, and
gnashing of teeth; yea, without are all the miseries, sorrows, and
plagues that an infinite God can in justice and power inflict upon
an evil and wicked generation; "Strive therefore to enter in at the
strait gate." (Rev 22:15, Matt 25:41, Rev 12:9, Is 65:13,14, Matt
22:13, Deu 29:18-20)

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

[MOTIVE TO STRIVE TO ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM.]

Fourth. We are come now to the motive which our Lord urges to
enforce his exhortation.

He told us before that the gate was strait; he also exhorted us to
strive to enter in thereat, or to get those things now that will
further our entrance then, and to set ourselves against those things
that will hinder our entering in.

In this motive there are five things to be minded.

1. That there will be a disappointment to some at the day of
judgment; they will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

2. That not a few, but many, will meet with this disappointment;
"For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

3. This doctrine of the miscarriage of many then, it standeth upon
the validity of the word of Christ; "For many, I say, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able."

4. Professors shall make a great heap among the many that shall
fall short of heaven; "For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able."

5. Where grace and striving are wanting now, seeking and contending
to enter in will be unprofitable then; "For many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

But I will proceed in my former method, to wit, to open the words
unto you.

[Import of the words FOR MANY.]

"For many," &c. If he had said, For some will fall short, it had
been a sentence to be minded; if he had said, For some that seek
will fall short, it had been very awakening; but when he saith,
Many, many will fall short, yea, many among professors will fall
short, this is not only awakening, but dreadful!

[Various applications of the word MANY.]--"For many," &c. I find
this word many variously applied in Scripture.

1. Sometimes it intendeth the open profane, the wicked and ungodly
world, as where Christ saith, "Wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat." (Matt 7:13) I say, by the many here, he intends those
chiefly that go on in the broad way of sin and profaneness, bearing
the "tokens" of their damnation in their foreheads, those whose
daily practice proclaims that their "feet go down to death, and
their steps take hold on hell." (Job 21:29,30, Isa 3:9, Prov 4)

2. Sometimes this word many intendeth those that cleave to the
people of God deceitfully, and in hypocrisy, or, as Daniel hath it,
"Many shall cleave to them with flatteries." (Dan 11:34) The word
many in this text includeth all those who feign themselves better
than they are in religion; it includeth, I say, those that have
religion only for a holiday suit6 to set them out at certain times,
and when they come among suitable company.

3. Sometimes this word many intendeth them that apostatize from
Christ; such as for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away; as John saith of some of Christ's disciples: "From that time
many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."
(John 6:66)

4. Sometimes this word many intendeth them that make a great noise,
and do many great things in the church, and yet want saving grace:
"Many," saith Christ, "will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" (Matt 7:22)
Mark, there will be many of these.

5. Sometimes this word many intendeth those poor, ignorant, deluded
souls that are led away with every wind of doctrine; those who are
caught with the cunning and crafty deceiver, who lieth in wait to
beguile unstable souls: "And many shall follow their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
(2 Peter 2:2)

6. Sometimes this word many includeth all the world, good and bad:
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
(Dan 12:2) Compare with John 5:28,29.

7. Lastly. Sometimes this word many intendeth the good only, even
them that shall be saved. (Luke 1:16, 2:34)

[How MANY is applied in the text.] Since then that the word is so
variously applied, let us inquire how it must be taken in the text.
And,

1. It must not be applied to the sincerely godly, for they shall never
perish. (John 10:27,28) 2. It cannot be applied to all the world,
for then no flesh should be saved. 3. Neither is it to be applied
to the open profane only, for then the hypocrite is by it excluded.
4. But by the many in the text our Lord intendeth in special the
professor; the professor, I say, how high soever he seems to be
now, that shall be found without saving grace in the day of judgment.

Now that the professor is in special intended in this text,
consider, so soon as the Lord had said, "Many will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able," he pointeth, as with his finger, at
the many that then he in special intendeth; to wit, them among whom
he had taught; them that had eat and drunken in his presence; them
that had prophesied, and cast out devils in his name, and in his
name had done many wonderful works. (Luke 13:26, Matt 7:22) These
are the many intended by the Lord in this text, though others also
are included under the sentence of damnation by his word in other
places. "For many," &c. Matthew saith, concerning this strait gate,
that there are but few that find it. But it seems the cast-always
in my text did find it; for you read, that they knocked at it, and
cried, "Lord, open unto us." So then, the meaning may seem to be
this--many of the few that find it will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able. I find, at the day of judgment, some will be crying
to the rocks to cover them, and some at the gates of heaven for
entrance. Suppose that those that cry to the rocks to cover them,
are they whose conscience will not suffer them once to look God
in the face, because they are fallen under present guilt, and the
dreadful fears of the wrath of the Lamb. (Rev 6:16) And that those
that stand crying at the gate of heaven, are those whose confidence
holds out to the last,--even those whose boldness will enable them
to contend even with Jesus Christ for entrance; them, I say, that
will have profession, casting out of devils, and many wonderful
works, to plead; of this sort are the many in my text: "For many,
I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
Could we compare the professors of the times with the everlasting
word of God, this doctrine would more easily appear to the children
of men. How few among the many, yea, among the swarms of professors,
have heart to make conscience of walking before God in this world,
and to study his glory among the children of men! How few, I say,
have his name lie nearer their hearts than their own carnal concerns!
Nay, do not many make his Word, and his name, and his ways,
a stalking-horse to their own worldly advantages? 7

God calls for faith, good conscience, moderation, self-denial,
humility, heavenly-mindedness, love to saints, to enemies, and for
conformity in heart, in word, and life, to his will: but where is
it? (Mark 11:22, 1 Peter 3:16, Heb 13:5, Phil 4:5, Matt 10:37-39,
Col 3:1-4, Micah 6:8, Rev 2:10, John 15:17, 1 John 4:21, Matt 5:44,
Prov 23:26, Col 4:6)

[Import of the words I SAY UNTO YOU.]

"For many, I say unto you." These latter words carry in them a
double argument to prove the truth asserted before: First, in that
he directly pointeth at his followers: "I say unto you": Many, I say
unto you, even to you that are my disciples, to you that have eat
and drunk in my presence. I know that sometimes Christ hath directed
his speech to his disciples, not so much upon their accounts, as
upon the accounts of others; but here it is not so; the "I say unto
you," in this place, it immediately concerned some of themselves:
I say unto you, ye shall begin to stand without, and to knock,
"saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and he shall answer and say unto
you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We
have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our
streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye
are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity"; it is you, you,
YOU, that I mean! "I say unto you." It is common with a professing
people, when they hear a smart and a thundering sermon, to say, Now
has the preacher paid off the drunkard, the swearer, the liar, the
covetous, and adulterer; forgetting that these sins may be committed
in a spiritual and mystical way. There is spiritual drunkenness,
spiritual adultery, and a man may be a liar that calls God his Father
when he is not, or that calls himself a Christian, and is not. 8

Wherefore, perhaps all these thunders and lightnings in this terrible
sermon may more concern thee than thou art aware of: "I say unto
you"; unto you, professors, may be the application of all this
thunder. (Rev 2:9, 3:9)

"I say unto you!" Had not the Lord Jesus designed by these words
to show what an overthrow will one day be made among professors,
he needed not to have you'd it at this rate, as in the text, and
afterwards, he has done; the sentence had run intelligible enough
without it; I say, without his saying, "I say unto you." But the
truth is, the professor is in danger; the preacher and the hearer,
the workers of miracles, and workers of wonders, may all be in
danger of damning, notwithstanding all their attainments. And to
awaken us all about this truth, therefore, the text must run thus:
"For many, I say unto YOU, shall seek to enter in, and shall not
be able."

See you not yet that the professor is in danger, and that those
words, "I say unto you," are a prophecy of the everlasting perdition
of some that are famous in the congregation of saints? I say, if
you do not see it, pray God your eyes may be opened, and beware
that thy portion be not as the portion of one of those that are
wrapped up in the 28th verse of the chapter: "There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of heaven, and you
yourselves thrust out."

"For many, I say unto you." These words, I told you, carry in them
a double argument for confirmation of the truth asserted before:
first, that professors are here particularly pointed at; and,
secondly, it is the saying of the Truth himself: for these words,
"I say," are words full of authority; I say it, I say unto you, says
Christ, as he saith in another place, "It is I that speak; behold
it is I!" The person whose words we have now under consideration
was no blundering raw-headed preacher, 9 but the very wisdom of
God, his Son, and him that hath lain in his bosom from everlasting,
and consequently had the most perfect knowledge of his Father's
will, and how it would fare with professors at the end of this
world. And now hearken what himself doth say of the words which he
hath spoken; "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away." (Matt 24:35)

"I say unto you." The prophets used not to speak after this manner,
nor yet the holy apostles; for thus to speak, is to press things
to be received upon their own authority. They used to say, Thus
saith the Lord, or Paul, or Peter, an apostle, or a servant of God.
But now we are dealing with the words of the Son of God; it is HE
that hath said it; wherefore we find the truth of the perishing
of many professors asserted, and confirmed by Christ's own mouth.
This consideration carrieth great awakening in it; but into such
a fast sleep are many now-a-days fallen, that nothing will awaken
them but that shrill and terrible cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him."

[Two things that befall Professors.]

"I SAY UNTO YOU." There are two things upon which this assertion
may be grounded--1. There is in the world a thing like grace, that
is not. 2. There is a sin called the sin against the Holy Ghost,
from which there is no redemption. And both these things befall
professors.

1. There is in the world a thing like grace, that is not. (1.)
This is evident, because we read that there are some that not only
"make a fair show in the flesh," that "glory in appearance," that
"appear beautiful outward," that do as God's people, but have not
the grace of God's people. (Gal 6:12, 2 Cor 5:12, Matt 23:27, Isa
57:3,4) (2.) It is evident also from those frequent cautions that
are everywhere in the Scriptures given us about this thing: "Be
not deceived: Let a man examine himself: Examine yourselves whether
ye be in the faith." (Gal 6:7, 1 Cor 11:28, 2 Cor 13:5) All these
expressions intimate to us that there may be a show of, or a thing
like grace, where there is no grace indeed. (3.) This is evident
from the conclusion made by the Holy Ghost upon this very thing:
"For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing,
he deceiveth himself." (Gal 6:3) The Holy Ghost here concludeth,
that a man may think himself to be something, may think he hath
grace, when he hath none; may think himself something for heaven
and another world, when indeed he is just nothing at all with
reference thereto. The Holy Ghost also determines upon this point,
to wit, that they that do so deceive themselves: "For if a man think
himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself";
he deceiveth his own soul, he deceiveth himself of heaven and
salvation. So again: "Let no man beguile you of your reward." (Col
2:18) (4.) It is manifest from the text; "For many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Alas! great light,
great parts, great works, and great confidence of heaven, may be
where there is no faith of God's elect, no love of the Spirit, no
repentance unto salvation, no sanctification of the Spirit, and so
consequently no saving grace. But,

2. As there is a thing like grace, which is not, so there is a
sin, called the sin against the Holy Ghost, from which there is no
redemption; and this sin doth more than ordinarily befall professors.

There is a sin, called the sin against the Holy Ghost, from which
there is no redemption. This is evident both from Matthew and Mark:
"But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be
forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." (Matt 12:32,
Mark 3:29) Wherefore, when we know that a man hath sinned this sin,
we are not to pray for him, or to have compassion on him. (1 John
5:16, Jude 22)

This sin doth most ordinarily befall professors; for there are
few, if any, that are not professors, that are at present capable
of sinning this sin. They which "were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy
Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the
world to come," of this sort are they that commit this sin. (Heb
6:4,5) Peter also describes them to be such, that sin the unpardonable
sin. "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they
are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse
with them than the beginning." (2 Peter 2:20) The other passage in
the tenth of Hebrews holdeth forth the same thing. "For if we sin
willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour
the adversaries." (Heb 10:26,27) THESE, therefore, are the persons
that are the prey for this sin; this sin feedeth upon PROFESSORS,
and they that are such do very often fall into the mouth of
this eater. Some fall into the mouth of the sin by delusions and
doctrines of devils; and some fall into the mouth of it by returning
with the dog to his own vomit again, and with the sow that was
washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:22) I shall not
here give you a particular description of this sin--that I have
done elsewhere; 10 but such a sin there is, and they that commit it
shall never have forgiveness. And I say again, there be professors
that commit this unpardonable sin, yea, more than most are aware
of. Let all, therefore, look about them. The Lord awaken them
that they may so do; for what with a profession without grace, and
by the venom of the sin against the Holy Ghost, many will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able.

[Import of the words WILL SEEK TO ENTER IN.]

"Will seek to enter in." This kingdom, at the gate of which the
reprobate will be stopped, will be, at the last judgment, the desire
of all the world; and they, especially THEY in my text, will seek
to enter in; for then they will see that the blessedness is to
those that shall get into this kingdom, according to that which
is written, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city." (Rev 21:14) To prove that they will seek,
although I have done it already, yet read these texts at your
leisure--Matthew 25:11, 7:22, Luke 13:28. And, in a word, to give
you the reason why they will seek to enter in.

[Why they will seek to enter in.]

1. Now they will see what a kingdom it is, what glory there is in
it, and now they shall also see the blessedness which they shall
have that shall then be counted worthy to enter in. The reason why
this kingdom is so little regarded, it is because it is not seen;
the glory of it is hid from the eyes of the world. "Their eye hath
not seen, nor their ear heard," &c. Aye, but then they shall hear
and see too; and when this comes to pass, then, even then, he that
now most seldom thinks thereof will seek to enter in.

2. They will now see what hell is, and what damnation in hell is,
more clear than ever. They will also see how the breath of the
Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. O the sight of
the burning fiery furnace, which is prepared for the devil and his
angels! This, this will make work in the souls of cast-always at
that day of God Almighty, and then they will seek to enter in.

3. Now they will see what the meaning of such words as these are,
hell-fire, everlasting fire, devouring fire, fire that never shall
be quenched. Now they will see what "for ever" means, what eternity
means; now they will see what this word means, "the bottomless
pit"; now they will hear roaring of sinners in this place, howling
in that, some crying to the mountains to fall upon them, and others
to the rocks to cover them; now they will see blessedness is nowhere
but within!

4. Now they will see what glory the godly are possessed with; how
they rest in Abraham's bosom, how they enjoy eternal glory, how
they walk in their white robes, and are equal to the angels. O the
favour, and blessedness, and unspeakable happiness that now God's
people shall have! and this shall be seen by them that are shut
out, by them that God hath rejected for ever; and this will make
them seek to enter in. (Luke 16:22,23, 13:28)

[How will they seek to enter in.]

"Will seek to enter in." Quest. But some may say, How will they
seek to enter in? [I] answer,

1. They will put on all the confidence they can, they will trick
and trim up their profession, and adorn it with what bravery they
can. Thus the foolish virgins sought to enter in; they did trim
up their lamps, made themselves as fine as they could. They made
shift to make their lamps to shine awhile; but the Son of God
discovering himself, their confidence failed, their lamps went out,
the door was shut upon them, and they were kept out. (Matt 25:1-12)

2. They will seek to enter in by crowding themselves in among the
godly. Thus the man without the wedding garment sought to enter in.
He goes to the wedding, gets into the wedding chamber, sits close
among the guests, and then, without doubt, concluded he should escape
damnation. But, you know, one black sheep is soon seen, though it
be among a hundred white ones. Why, even thus it fared with this
poor man. "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there
a man that had not on a wedding garment." He spied him presently,
and before one word was spoken to any of the others, he had this
dreadful salutation, "Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having
on a wedding garment?" 11

"And he was speechless"; though he could swagger it out among the
guests, yet the master of the feast, at first coming in, strikes
him dumb; and having nothing to say for himself, the king had
something to say against him. "Then the king said to the servants,"
the angels, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast
him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth." (Matt 22:11-13)

3. They will seek to enter in by pleading their profession and
admittance to the Lord's ordinances when they were in the world.
"Lord, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast
taught in our streets"; we sat at thy table, and used to frequent
sermons and Christian assemblies; we were well thought of by thy
saints, and were admitted into thy churches; we professed the same
faith as they did; "Lord, Lord, open unto us."

4. They will seek to enter in by pleading their virtues; how they
subjected [themselves] to this ministry, how they wrought for him,
what good they did in the world, and the like, but neither will
this help them; the same answer that the two former had, the same
have these--"Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt 7:22)

5. They will seek to enter in by pleading excuses where they cannot
evade conviction. The slothful servant went this way to work,
when he was called to account for not improving his Lord's money.
"Lord," says he, "I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping
where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed,
and I was afraid," &c., either that I should not please in laying
out thy money, or that I should put it into hands out of which I
should not get it again at thy need, "and I went a hid thy talent
in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine"; as if he had said,
True, Lord, I have not improved, I have not got; but consider also
I have not embezzled, I have not spent nor lost thy money; lo,
there thou hast what is thine. (Matt 25:24-28) There are but few
will be able to say these last words at the day of judgment. The
most of professors are for embezzling, misspending, and slothing
away their time, their talents, their opportunities to do good in.
But, I say, if he that can make so good an excuse as to say, Lo,
there thou hast that is thine; I say, if such an one shall be called
a wicked and slothful servant, if such an one shall be put to shame
at the day of judgment, yea, if such an one shall, notwithstanding
this care to save his Lord's money, be cast as unprofitable into
outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, what
will they do that have neither taken care to lay out, nor care to
keep what was committed to their trust?

6. They will seek to enter in by pleading that ignorance was the
ground of their miscarrying in the things wherein they offended.
Wherefore, when Christ charges them with want of love to him,
and with want of those fruits that should prove their love to be
true--as, that they did not feed him, did not give him drink, did
not take him in, did not clothe him, visit him, come unto him, and
the like--they readily reply, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered,
or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did
not minister unto thee?" (Matt 25:44) As who should say, Lord, we
are not conscious to ourselves that this charge is worthily laid at
our door! God forbid that we should have been such sinners. But,
Lord, give an instance; when was it, or where? True, there was
a company of poor sorry people in the world, very inconsiderable,
set by with nobody; but for thyself, we professed thee, we loved
thee, and hadst thou been with us in the world, wouldst thou have
worn gold, wouldst thou have eaten the sweetest of the world, we
would have provided it for thee; and therefore, Lord, Lord, open to
us! But will the plea do? No. Then shall he answer them, "Inasmuch
as ye did it not to one of the least of these" my brethren, "ye
did it not to me." This plea, then, though grounded upon ignorance,
which is one of the strangest pleas for neglect of duty, would not
give them admittance into the kingdom. "These shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."

I might add other things by which it will appear how they will seek
to enter in. As,

1. They will make a stop at this gate, this beautiful gate of heaven.
They will begin to stand without at the gate, as being loath to
go any further. Never did malefactor so unwillingly turn off the
ladder when the rope was about his neck, as these will turn away
in that day from the gates of heaven to hell.

2. They will not only make a stop at the gate; but there they will
knock and call. This also argueth them willing to enter. They will
begin to stand without, and to knock at the gate, saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us. This word, Lord, being doubled, shows the vehemency of
their desires, "Lord, Lord, open unto us." The devils are coming;
Lord, Lord, the pit opens her mouth upon us; Lord, Lord, there is
nothing but hell and damnation left us, if, Lord, Lord, thou hast
not mercy upon us; "Lord, Lord, open unto us!"

3. Their last argument for entrance is their tears, when groundless
confidence, pleading of virtues, excuses, and ignorance, will not
do; when standing at the gate, knocking, and calling, "Lord, Lord,
open unto us," will not do, then they betake themselves to their
tears. Tears are sometimes the most powerful arguments, but they
are nothing worth here. Esau also sought it carefully with tears,
but it helped him nothing at all. (Heb 12:17) There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth; for the gate is shut for ever, mercy
is gone for ever, Christ hath rejected them for ever. All their
pleas, excuses, and tears will not make them able to enter into
this kingdom. "For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able."

[Import of the words SHALL NOT BE ABLE.]

I come now to the latter part of the words, which closely show
us the reason of the rejection of these many that must be damned;
"They will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

A hypocrite, a false professor, may go a great way; they may pass
through the first and second watch, to wit, may be approved of
Christians and churches; but what will they do when they come at
this iron gate that leadeth into the city? "There the workers of
iniquity are fallen, they are cast down, and shall not be able to
rise!" (Psa 36:12)

"And shall not be able." The time, as I have already hinted, which
my text respecteth, it is the day of judgment, a day when all masks
and vizards shall be taken off from all faces. It is a day wherein
God "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will
make manifest the counsel of the hearts." (1 Cor 4:5) It is also
the day of his wrath, the day in which he will pay vengeance, even
a recompence to his adversaries.

At this day, those things that now these "many" count sound and good,
will then shake like a quagmire, even all their naked knowledge,
their feigned faith, pretended love, glorious shows of gravity in
the face, their holiday words and specious carriages, will stand
them in little stead. I call them holiday ones, for I perceive that
some professors do with religion just as people do with their best
apparel--hang it against the wall all the week, and put it on on
Sundays. For as some scarce ever put on a suit but when they go
to a fair or a market, so little house religion will do with some;
they save religion till they go to a meeting, or till they meet
with a godly chapman. O poor religion! O poor professor! What wilt
thou do at this day, and the day of thy trial and judgment? Cover
thyself thou canst not; go for a Christian thou canst not; stand
against the Judge thou canst not! What wilt thou do? "The ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous." 12 "And shall not be able." The ability here
intended is not that which standeth in carnal power or fleshly
subtlety, but in the truth and simplicity of those things for the
sake of which God giveth the kingdom of heaven to his people.

There are five things, for the want of which this people will not
be able to enter.

1. This kingdom belongs to the elect, to those for whom it
was prepared from the foundation of the world. (Matt 25:34) Hence
Christ saith, when he comes, he will send forth his angels with a
great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another. (Matt 24:31)
And hence he saith again, "I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob,
and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect
shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there." "They shall
deceive, if it were possible, the very elect." "But the election
hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." (Rom 11:7)

2. They will not be able to enter, because they will want the
birthright. The kingdom of heaven is for the heirs--and if children, then
heirs; if born again, then heirs. Wherefore it is said expressly,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
By this one word, down goes all carnal privilege of being born of
flesh and blood, and of the will of man. Canst thou produce the
birthright? But art thou sure thou canst? For it will little profit
thee to think of the blessed kingdom of heaven, if thou wantest
a birthright to give thee inheritance there. Esau did despise his
birthright, saying, What good will this birthright do me? And there
are many in the world of his mind to this day. "Tush," say they,
"they talk of being born again; what good shall a man get by that?
They say, no going to heaven without being born again. But God is
merciful; Christ died for sinners; and we will turn when we can
tend it, 13 and doubt not but all will be well at last." But I will
answer thee, thou child of Esau, that the birthright and blessing
go together; miss of one, and thou shalt never have the other! Esau
found this true; for, having first despised the birthright, when
he would afterwards "have inherited the blessing, he was rejected;
for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears." (Gen 25, Heb 12:16,17)

3. They shall not be able to enter in who have not believed with
the faith of God's operation; the faith that is most holy, even
the faith of God's elect. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath
everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) But now
this faith is the effect of electing love, and of a new birth.
(John 1:11-13) Therefore, all the professors that have not faith
which floweth from being born of God, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.

4. They shall not be able to enter in that have not gospel-holiness.
Holiness that is the effect of faith is that which admits into the
presence of God, and into his kingdom too. "Blessed and holy is
he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second
death," that is, hell and eternal damnation, "hath no power." (Rev
20:6,14) Blessed and holy, with the holiness that flows from faith
which is in Christ; for to these the inheritance belongs. "That
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified, by faith," saith Christ, "that is in me."
(Acts 26:18) This holiness, which is the natural effect of faith
in the Son of God, Christ Jesus the Lord will, at this day of
judgment, distinguish from all other shows of holiness and sanctity,
be they what they will, and will admit the soul that hath this
holiness into his kingdom, when the rest will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able.

5. They shall not be able to enter in that do not persevere in this
blessed faith and holiness; not that they that have them indeed can
finally fall away, and everlastingly perish; but it hath pleased
Jesus Christ to bid them that have the right to hold fast that
they have: to endure to the end; and then tells them they shall be
saved--though it is as true that none is of power to keep himself;
but God worketh together with his children, and they are "kept by
the power of God, through faith unto salvation," which is also laid
up in heaven for them. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all workers
of iniquity." (Psa 5:5) The foolish are the unholy ones, that
neither have faith, nor holiness, nor perseverance in godliness,
and yet lay claim to the kingdom of heaven; but "better is a little
with righteousness, than great revenues without right." (Prov 16:8)
What is it for me to claim a house, or a farm, without right? or
to say, all this is mine, but have nothing to show for it? This
is but like the revenues of the foolish; his estate lieth in his
conceit. He hath nothing by birthright and law, and therefore shall
not be able to inherit the possession. "For many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Thus you see, that the non-elect shall not be able to enter, that
he that is not born again shall not be able to enter, that he
that hath not saving faith, with holiness and perseverance flowing
therefrom, shall not be able to enter; wherefore consider of what
I have said.

[SECOND. THE WORDS BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]

I come now to give you some observations from the words, and they
may be three.

FIRST. When men have put in all the claim they can for heaven,
but few will have it for their inheritance. "For many, I say unto
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." SECOND. Great,
therefore, will be the disappointment that many will meet with at
the day of judgment: "For many will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able." THIRD. Going to heaven, therefore, will be no trivial
business; salvation is not got by a dream; they that would then
have that kingdom must now strive lawfully to enter: "For many, I
say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

FIRST. I shall speak chiefly, and yet but briefly, to the first
of these observations; to wit, That when men have put in all the
claim they can to the kingdom of heaven, but few will have it for
their inheritance. The observation standeth of two parts. First.
That the time is coming, when every man will put in whatever claim
they can to the kingdom of heaven. Second. There will be but few
of them that put in claim thereto, that shall enjoy it for their
inheritance.

[First. ALL WILL PUT IN WHAT CLAIM THEY CAN TO THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN.]

I shall speak but a word or two to the first part of the observation,
because I have prevented my enlargement thereon by my explication
upon the words; but you find in the 25th of Matthew, that all they
on the left hand of the Judge did put in all the claim they could
for this blessed kingdom of heaven. If you should take them on the
left hand as most do, for all the sinners that shall be damned,
then that completely proveth the first part of the observation;
for it is expressly said, "Then shall they," all of them jointly,
and every one apart, "also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thus and thus, and did not minister unto thee?" (Matt 25:44) I
could here bring you in the plea of the slothful servant, the cry
of the foolish virgins; I could also here enlarge upon that passage,
"Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou
hast taught in our streets?" But these things are handled already
in the handling of which this first part of the observation is
proved; wherefore, without more words, I will, God assisting by
his grace, descend to the second part thereof, to wit,

[Second. THERE WILL BE BUT FEW OF THEM THAT PUT IN CLAIM THERETO
THAT WILL ENJOY IT FOR THEIR INHERITANCE.]

I shall speak distinctly to this part of the observation, and shall
first confirm it by a Scripture or two. "Strait is the gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it." (Matt 7:14) "Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32) By
these two texts, and by many more that will be urged anon, you may
see the truth of what I have said.

To enlarge, therefore, upon the truth; and, First, more generally;
Second, more particularly. More generally, I shall prove that in
all ages but few have been saved. More particularly, I shall prove
but few of them that profess have been saved.

[First, Generally--in all ages but few have been saved.]

1. In the old world, when it was most populous, even in the days
of Noah, we read but of eight persons that were saved out of it;
well, therefore, might Peter call them but few; but how few? why,
but eight souls; "wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by
water." (1 Peter 3:20) He touches a second time upon this truth,
saying, He "spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly." (2 Peter 2:5) Mark, all the rest are called
the ungodly, and there were also a world of them. These are also
taken notice of in Job, and go there also by the name of wicked
men: "Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown
with a flood, which said unto God, Depart from us, and what can
the Almighty do for them?" (Job 22:15-17)

There were therefore but eight persons that escaped the wrath of
God, in the day that the flood came upon the earth; the rest were
ungodly; there was also a world of them, and they are to this day
in the prison of hell. (Heb 11:7, 1 Peter 3:19,20) Nay, I must
correct my pen, there were but seven of the eight that were good;
for Ham, though he escaped the judgment of the water, yet the curse
of God overtook him to his damnation. 2. When the world began again
to be replenished, and people began to multiply therein: how few,
even in all ages, do we read of that were saved from the damnation
of the world!

(1.) One Abraham and his wife, God called out of the land of the
Chaldeans; "I called," said God, "Abraham alone." (Isa 51:2)

(2.) One Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, out of Admah and Zeboim;
one Lot out of four cities! Indeed his wife and two daughters went
out of Sodom with him; but they all three proved naught, as you
may see in the 19th of Genesis. Wherefore Peter observes, that Lot
only was saved: "He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into
ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an example
unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot,
that righteous man." (Read 2 Peter 2:6-8) Jude says, that in this
condemnation God overthrew not only Sodom and Gomorrah, but the
cities about them also; and yet you find none but Lot could be
found that was righteous, either in Sodom or Gomorrah, or the cities
about them; wherefore they, all of them, suffer the vengeance of
eternal fire. (verse 7)

(3.) Come we now to the time of the Judges, how few then were godly,
even then when the inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased
in Israel! "the highways" of God "were" then "unoccupied." (Judg
5:6,7)

(4.) There were but few in the days of David: "Help, Lord," says
he, "for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among
the children of men." (Psa 12:1)

(5.) In Isaiah's time the saved were come to such a few, that he
positively says that there were a very small number left: "God had
made them like Sodom, and they had been like unto Gomorrah." (Isa
1:8,9)

(6.) It was cried unto them in the time of Jeremiah, that they
should "run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see
now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can
find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh
the truth, and I will pardon it." (Jer 5:1)

(7.) God showed his servant Ezekiel how few there would be saved
in his day, by the vision of a few hairs saved out of the midst of
a few hairs; for the saved were a few saved out of a few. (Eze 5:5)

(8.) You find in the time of the prophet Micah, how the godly
complain, that as to number they then were so few, that he compares
them to those that are left behind when they had gathered the
summer-fruit. (Micah 7:1)

(9.) When Christ was come, how did he confirm this truth, that but
few of them that put in claim for heaven will have it for their
inheritance! But the common people could not hear it, and therefore,
upon a time when he did but a little hint at this truth, the people,
even all in the synagogue where he preached it, "were filled with
wrath, rose up, thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the
brow of the hill," whereon their city was built, "that they might
cast him down headlong." (Luke 4:24-29)

(10.) John, who was after Christ, saith, "The whole world lieth in
wickedness; that all the world wondered after the beast; and that
power was given to the beast over all kindreds, tongues, and nations."
Power to do what? Why, to cause all, both great and small, rich
and poor, bond and free, to receive his mark, and to be branded
for him. (1 John 5:10, Rev 13:3,7,16)

(11.) Should we come to observation and experience, the show of
the countenance of the bulk of men doth witness against them; "they
declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not." (Isa 3:9) Where is
the man that maketh the Almighty God his delight, and that designeth
his glory in the world? Do not even almost all pursue this world,
their lusts and pleasures? and so, consequently, say unto God,
"Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; or,
What is the Almighty that we should serve him? It is in vain to
serve God," &c.

So that without doubt it will appear a truth in the day of God,
that but few of them that shall put in their claim to heaven will
have it for their inheritance.

Before I pass this head, I will show you to what the saved are
compared in the Scriptures.

[To what the saved are compared in Scripture.]

1. They are compared to a handful: "There shall be a handful of
corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains," &c. (Psa 72:16)
This corn is nothing else but them that shall be saved. (Matt 3:12,
13:30) But mark, "There shall be a handful": What is a handful,
when compared with the whole heap? or, what is a handful out of
the rest of the world?

2. As they are compared to a handful, so they are compared to
a lily among the thorns, which is rare, and not so commonly seen:
"As the lily among thorns," saith Christ, "so is my love among the
daughters." (Cant 2:2) By thorns, we understand the worst and best
of men, even all that are destitute of the grace of God, for "the
best of them is a brier, the most upright" of them "as a thorn-hedge."
(Micah 7:4, 2 Sam 23:6) I know that she may be called a lily amongst
thorns also, because she meets with the pricks of persecution. (Eze
2:6, 28:24) She may also be thus termed, to show the disparity that
is betwixt hypocrites and the church. (Luke 8:14, Heb 8) But this
is not all; the saved are compared to a lily among thorns, to show
you that they are but few in the world; to show you that they are
but few and rare; for as Christ compares her to a lily among thorns,
so she compares him to an apple-tree among the trees of the wood,
which is rare and scarce; not common.

3. They that are saved are called but one of many; for though
there be "threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins
without number," yet my love, saith Christ, is but one, my undefiled
is but one. (Cant 6:8,9) According to that of Jeremiah, "I will
take you one of a city." (Jer 3:14) That saying of Paul is much
like this, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but
one receiveth the prize?" (1 Cor 9:24) But one, that is, few of
many, few of them that run; for he is not here comparing them that
run with them that sit still, but with them that run, some run and
lose, some run and win; they that run and win are few in comparison
with them that run and lose: "They that run in a race run all, but
one receives the prize"; let there then be "threescore queens, and
fourscore concubines, and virgins without number," yet the saved
are but few.

4. They that are saved are compared to the gleaning after the vintage
is in: "Woe is me," said the church, "for I am as when they have
gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape-gleanings" after the
vintage is in. (Micah 7:1) The gleanings! What are the gleanings
to the whole crop? and yet you here see, to the gleanings are
the saved compared. It is the devil and sin that carry away the
cartloads, while Christ and his ministers come after a gleaning. But
the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim are better than the vintage
of Abiezer. (Judg 8:2) Them that Christ and his ministers glean up
and bind up in the bundle of life, are better than the loads that
go the other way. You know it is often the cry of the poor in
harvest, Poor gleaning, poor gleaning. And the ministers of the
gospel they also cry, Lord, "who hath believed our report? and to
whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" (Isa 53:1) When the prophet
speaks of the saved under this metaphor of gleaning, how doth he
amplify the matter? "Gleaning-grapes shall be left," says he, "two
or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five
in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord." (Isa
17:6) Thus you see what gleaning is left in the vineyard, after the
vintage is in; two or three here, four or five there. Alas! they
that shall be saved when the devil and hell have had their due,
they will be but as the gleaning, they will be but few; they that
go to hell, go thither in clusters, but the saved go not so to
heaven. (Matt 13:30, Micah 7) Wherefore when the prophet speaketh
of the saved, he saith there is no cluster; but when he speaketh of
the damned, he saith they are gathered by clusters. (Rev 14:18,19)
O sinners! but few will be saved! O professors! but few will be
saved!

5. They that shall be saved are compared to jewels: "and they shall
be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my
jewels." (Mal 3:17) Jewels, you know, are rare things, things that
are not found in every house. Jewels will lie in little room, being
few and small, though lumber takes up much. In almost every house,
you may find brass, and iron, and lead; and in every place you may
find hypocritical professors, but the saved are not these common
things; they are God's peculiar treasure. (Psa 135:4) Wherefore Paul
distinguisheth betwixt the lumber and the treasure in the house.
There is, saith he, in a great house, not only vessels of gold and
silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some
to dishonour. (2 Tim 2:20) Here is a word for wooden and earthy
professors; the jewels and treasures are vessels to honour, they
of wood and earth are vessels of dishonour, that is, vessels for
destruction. (Rom 9:21) 6. They that shall be saved are compared
to a remnant: "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very
small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have
been like unto Gomorrah." (Isa 1:9) A remnant, a small remnant, a
very small remnant! O how doth the Holy Ghost word it! and all to
show you how few shall be saved. Every one knows what a remnant
is, but this is a small remnant, a very small remnant. So again,
"Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the
nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people,
the remnant of Israel." (Jer 31:7) What shall I say? the saved
are often in Scripture called a remnant. (Eze 9:4,8, Isa 10:20-22,
11:11,16, Jer 23:3, Joel 2:32) But what is a remnant to the whole
piece? What is a remnant of people to the whole kingdom? or what
is a remnant of wheat to the whole harvest?

7. The saved are compared to the tithe or tenth part; wherefore
when God sendeth the prophet to make the hearts of the people fat,
their ears dull, and to shut their eyes, the prophet asketh, "How
long?" to which God answereth, "Until the cities be wasted without
inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly
desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a
great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet," as God saith
in another place, "I will not make a full end," "in it shall be
a tenth,--so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." (Isa
6:10-13) But what is a tenth? What is one in ten? And yet so speaks
the Holy Ghost, when he speaks of the holy seed, of those that were
to be reserved from the judgment. And observe it, the fattening
and blinding of the rest, it was to their everlasting destruction;
and so both Christ and Paul expounds it often in the New Testament.
(Matt 13:14,15, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, John 12:40, Acts 28:26, Rom
11:8) So that those that are reserved from them that perish will
be very few, one in ten: "A tenth shall return, so the holy seed
shall be the substance thereof." 14

I shall not add more generals at this time. I pray God that the
world be not offended at these. But without doubt, but few of them
that shall put in their claim for heaven will have it for their
inheritance; which will yet further appear in the reading of that
which follows.

[Second. Particularly--but few of them that profess have been
saved.]

Therefore I come more particularly to show you that but few shall
be saved. I say, but few of professors themselves will be saved;
for that is the truth that the text doth more directly look at
and defend. Give me, therefore, thy hand, good reader, and let us
soberly walk through the rest of what shall be said; and let us
compare as we go each particular with the holy Scripture.

1. It is said, "The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a
vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city."
(Isa 1:8) The vineyard was the church of Israel, the cottage in that
vineyard was the daughter of Zion, or the truly gracious amongst,
or in that church. (Isa 5:1) A cottage; God had but a cottage there,
but a little habitation in the church, a very few that were truly
gracious amongst that great multitude that professed; and had it
not been for these, for this cottage, the rest had been ruined as
Sodom: "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us," in the church,
a very few, they had been as Sodom. (Isa 1:9) Wherefore, among
the multitude of them that shall be damned, professors will make
a considerable party.

2. "For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea,
a remnant of them shall return," "a remnant shall be saved." (Isa
10:22, Rom 9:27) For though thy people Israel, whom thou broughtest
out of Egypt, to whom thou hast given church-constitution, holy laws,
holy ordinances, holy prophets, and holy covenants; thy people by
separation from all people, and thy people by profession; though
this thy people be as the sand of the sea, "a remnant shall be
saved"; wherefore, among the multitude of them that shall be damned,
professors will make a considerable party.

3. "Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath
rejected them." (Jer 6:30) The people here under consideration
are called, in verse 27, God's people, his people by profession:
"I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that
thou mayest know, and try their way." What follows? They are all
grievous revolters, walking with slanders, reprobate silver; the
Lord hath rejected them. In chapter 7, verse 29, they are called
also the generation of his wrath: "For the Lord hath rejected and
forsaken the generation of his wrath." This, therefore, I gather
out of these holy Scriptures,--that with reference to profession
and church-constitution, a people may be called the people of God;
but, with reference to the event and final conclusion that God
will make with some of them, they may be truly the generation of
his wrath.

4. In the fifth of Isaiah, you read again of the vineyard of God,
and that it was planted on a very fruitful hill, planted with
the choicest vines, had a wall, a tower, a wine-press belonging
to it, and all things that could put it into right order and good
government, as a church; but this vineyard of the Lord of hosts
brought forth wild grapes, fruits unbecoming her constitution and
government, wherefore the Lord takes from her his hedge and wall,
and lets her be trodden down. Read Christ's exposition upon it in
Matthew 21:33, &c. Look to it, professors, these are the words of
the text, "For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able."

5. "Son of man," said God to the prophet, "the house of Israel is
to me become dross, all they are brass and tin, and iron and lead,
in the midst of the furnace they even are the dross of silver." (Eze
22:18) God had silver there, some silver, but it was but little;
the bulk of that people was but the dross of the church, though
they were the members of it. But what doth he mean by the dross?
why, he looked upon them as no better, notwithstanding their
church-membership, than the rabble of the world, that is, with
respect to their latter end; for to be called dross, it is to be
put amongst the rest of the sinners of the world, in the judgment
of God, though at present they abide in his house: "Thou puttest
away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love thy
testimonies." (Psa 119:119)

God saith of his saved ones, "He hath chosen them in the furnace
of affliction." The refiner, when he putteth his silver into his
furnace, he puts lead in also among it; now this lead being ordered
as he knows how, works up the dross from the silver, which dross,
still as it riseth, he putteth by, or taketh away with an instrument.
And thus deals God with his church; there is silver in his church,
aye, and there is also dross: now the dross are the hypocrites and
graceless ones that are got into the church, and these will God
discover, and afterwards put away as dross. So that it will without
doubt prove a truth of God, that many of their professors that
shall put in claim for heaven, will not have it for their inheritance.

6. It is said of Christ, his "fan is in his hand, and he will
thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather his wheat into the
garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
(Matt 3:12) The floor is the church of God: "O my threshing, and
the corn of my floor!" said God by the prophet, to his people. (Isa
21:10) The wheat are these good ones in his church that shall be
undoubtedly saved; therefore he saith, "Gather my wheat into my
garner." The chaff groweth upon the same stalk and ear, and so is
in the same visible body with the wheat, but there is not substance
in it: wherefore in time they must be severed one from the other;
the wheat must be gathered into the garner, which is heaven; and
the chaff, or professors that want true grace, must be gathered into
hell, that they may be burned up with unquenchable fire. Therefore
let professors look to it! 15

7. Christ Jesus casts away two of the three grounds that are said
to receive the word. (Luke 8)

The stony ground received it with joy, and the thorny ground brought
forth fruit almost to perfection. Indeed the highway ground was to
show us that the carnal, whilst such, receive not the word at all;
but here is the pinch, two of the three that received it, fell
short of the kingdom of heaven; for but one of the three received
it so as to bring forth fruit to perfection. Look to it, professors!

8. The parable of the unprofitable servant, the parable of the man
without a wedding garment, and the parable of the unsavoury salt,
do each of them justify this for truth. (Matt 25:24,29, 22:11-13,
5:13) That of the unprofitable servant is to show us the sloth
and idleness of some professors; that of the man without a wedding
garment is to show us how some professors have the shame of their
wickedness seen by God, even when they are among the children of
the bridegroom; and that parable of the unsavoury salt is to show,
that as the salt that hath lost its savour is fit for nothing, no,
not for the dunghill, but to be trodden under foot of men; so some
professors, yea, and great ones too, for this parable reached one
of the apostles, will in God's day be counted fit for nothing but
to be trodden down as the mire in the streets. O the slothful, the
naked, and unsavoury professors, how will they be rejected of God
and his Christ in the judgment! Look to it, professors!

9. The parable of the tares also giveth countenance to this truth:
for though it be said the field is the world, yet it is said, the
tares were sown even in the church. "And while men slept, his enemy
came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way." (Matt
13:24,25) Object. But some may object, The tares might be sown in
the world among the wheat, though not in the churches. Answ. But
Christ, by expounding this parable, tells us the tares were sown
in his kingdom; the tares, that is, the children of the devil. "As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall
it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things
that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into
a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
(verse 30,39-43) Look to it, professors!

10. The parable of the ten virgins also suiteth our purpose; these
ten are called the kingdom of heaven, that is, the church of Christ,
the visible rightly-constituted church of Christ; for they went
all out of the world, had all lamps, and all went forth to meet
the bridegroom; yet behold what an overthrow the one-half of them
met with at the gate of heaven; they were shut out, bid to depart,
and Christ told them he did not know them. (Matt 25:1-13) Tremble,
professors! Pray, professors!

11. The parable of the net that was cast into the sea, that also
countenanceth this truth. The substance of that parable is to
show that souls may be gathered by the gospel--there compared to a
net--may be kept in that net, drawn to shore, to the world's end,
by that net, and yet may then prove bad fishes, and be cast away.
The parable runs thus:--"The kingdom of heaven," the gospel, "is like
unto a net which was cast into the sea," the world, "and gathered
of every kind," good and bad, "which when it was full, they drew
to shore," to the end of the world, "and sat down," in judgment,
"and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away." Some
bad fishes, nay, I doubt a great many, will be found in the net of
the gospel, at the day of judgment. (Matt 13:47,49) Watch and be
sober, professors!

12. "And--many shall come from the east and from the west, and
shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom
of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out."
(Matt 8:11,12) The children of the kingdom, whose privileges were
said to be these, "to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory,
and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of
God, and the promises." (Rom 9:4) I take liberty to harp the more
upon the first church, because that that happened to them, happened
as types and examples, intimating, there is ground to think, that
things of as dreadful a nature are to happen among the church of
the Gentiles. (1 Cor 10:11,12) Neither, indeed, have the Gentile
churches security from God that there shall not as dreadful things
happen to them. And concerning this very thing, sufficient caution
is given to us also. (1 Cor 6:9,10, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:3-6, Phil
3:17,19, 2 Thess 2:11,12, 2 Tim 2:20,21, Heb 6:4-8, 10:26-28, 2
Peter 2, 3, 1 John 5:10, Rev 2:20-22)

13. The parable of the true vine and its branches confirm what I
have said. By the vine there I understand Christ, Christ as head;
by the branches, I understand this church. Some of these branches
proved fruitless cast-always, were in time cast out of the church,
were gathered by men, and burned. (John 15:1-6)

14. Lastly, I will come to particular instances.

(1.) The twelve had a devil among them. (John 6:70) (2.) Ananias
and Sapphira were in the church of Jerusalem. (Acts 5) (3.) Simon
Magus was among them at Samaria. (Acts 8) (4.) Among the church of
Corinth were them that had not the knowledge of God. (1 Cor 15:34)
(5.) Paul tells the Galatians that false brethren crept in unawares;
and so does the apostle Jude, and yet they were as quick-sighted to
see as any now-a-days. (Gal 2:4, Jude 4) (6.) The church in Sardis
had but a few names in her, to whom the kingdom of heaven belonged.
"Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled
their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are
worthy." (Rev 3:4) (7.) As for the church of the Laodiceans, it is
called "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
(Rev 3:17) So that put all things together, and I may boldly say,
as I also have said already, that among the multitude of them that
shall be damned, professors will make a considerable party; or,
to speak in the words of the observation, "when men have put in
all the claim they can for heaven, but few will have it for their
inheritance."

[REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED.]

I will show you some reasons of the point, besides those five that
I showed you before. And, First, I will show you why the poor,
carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven; and then, Second, why the
knowing professors miss of it also.

[First, Why the poor, carnal, ignorant world miss heaven.]

1. The poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven even because
they love their sins, and cannot part with them. "Men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) The
poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they are enemies in
their minds to God, his Word, and holiness; they must be all damned
who take pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2:10-12) The poor
ignorant world miss of heaven, because they stop their ears against
convictions, and refuse to come when God calls. "Because I have
called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man
regarded, but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none
of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock
when your fear cometh--as desolation, and your destruction--as a
whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you; then shall
they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early,
but they shall not find me." (Prov 1:24-29)

2. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because the god of this
world hath blinded their eyes, that they can neither see the evil
and damnable state they are in at present, nor the way to get out
of it; neither do they see the beauty of Jesus Christ, nor how
willing he is to save poor sinners. (2 Cor 4:2,3)

3. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they put off
and defer coming to Christ, until the time of God's patience and
grace is over. Some, indeed, are resolved never to come; but some,
again, say, We will come hereafter; and so it comes to pass, that
because God called, and they did not hear; so they shall cry, and
I will not hear, saith the Lord. (Zech 7:11-13)

4. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they have false
apprehensions of God's mercy. They say in their hearts, We shall
have peace, though we walk in the imagination of our heart, to add
drunkenness to thirst. But what saith the Word? "The Lord will not
spare him; but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy, shall
smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this
book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from
under heaven." (Deu 29:19-21)

5. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they make light
of the gospel that offereth mercy to them freely, and because they
lean upon their own good meanings, and thinkings, and doings. (Matt
22:1-5, Rom 9:30,31)

6. The poor carnal world miss of heaven because by unbelief, which
reigns in them, they are kept for ever from being clothed with
Christ's righteousness, and from washing in his blood, without which
there is neither remission of sin, nor justification. But to pass
these till anon.

[Second.] I come, in the next place, to show you some reasons why
the professor falls short of heaven.

First. In the general, they rest in things below special grace; as
in awakenings that are not special, in faith16 that is not special,
&c.; and, a little to run a parallel betwixt the one and the other,
that, if God will, you may see and escape.

1. Have they that shall be saved, awakenings about their state by
nature? So have they that shall be damned. They that never go to
heaven may see much of sin, and of the wrath of God due thereto.
This had Cain and Judas, and yet they came short of the kingdom.
(Gen 4, Matt 27:4) The saved have convictions, in order to their
eternal life; but the others' convictions are not so. The convictions
of the one doth drive them sincerely to Christ; the convictions of
the other doth drive them to the law, and the law to desperation
at last.

2. There is a repentance that will not save, a repentance to
be repented of; and a repentance to salvation, not to be repented
of. (2 Cor 7:10) Yet so great a similitude and likeness there is
betwixt the one and the other, that most times the wrong is taken
for the right, and through this mistake professors perish. As,
(1.) In saving repentance there will be an acknowledgment of sin;
and one that hath the other repentance may acknowledge his sins also.
(Matt 27:4) (2.) In saving repentance there is a crying out under
sin; but one that hath the other repentance may cry out under sin
also. (Gen 4:13) (3.) In saving repentance there will be humiliation
for sin; and one that hath the other repentance may humble himself
also. (1 Kings 21:29) (4.) Saving repentance is attended with
self-loathing; but he that hath the other repentance may have
loathing of sin too; a loathing of sin, because it is sin, that
he cannot have; but a loathing of sin, because it is offensive to
him, that he may have. The dog doth not loath that which troubleth
his stomach because it is there, but because it troubleth him; when
it has done troubling of him, he can turn to it again, and lick it
up as before it troubled him. (2 Peter 2:22) (5.) Saving repentance
is attended with prayers and tears; but he that hath none but the
other repentance, may have prayers and tears also. (Gen 27:34,35,
Heb 12:16,17) (6.) In saving repentance there is fear and reverence
of the Word and ministers that bring it; but this may be also where
there is none but the repentance that is not saving; for Herod
feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and observed
him; when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
(Mark 6:20) (7.) Saving repentance makes a man's heart very tender
of doing anything against the Word of God. But Balaam could say,
"If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot
go beyond the commandment of the Lord." (Num 24:13)

Behold, then, how far a man may go in repentance, and yet be short
of that which is called, "Repentance unto salvation, not to be
repented of." (a.) He may be awakened; (b.) He may acknowledge his
sin; (c.) He may cry out under the burden of sin; (d.) He may have
humility for it; (e.) He may loath it; (f.) May have prayers and
tears against it; (g.) may delight to do many things of God; (h.)
May be afraid of sinning against him--and, after all this, may
perish, for want of saving repentance.

Second. Have they that shall be saved, faith? Why, they that shall
not be saved may have faith also; yea, a faith in many things so
like the faith that saveth, that they can hardly be distinguished,
though they differ both in root and branch. To come to particulars.

1. Saving faith hath Christ for its object, and so may the faith
have that is not saving. Those very Jews of whom it is said they
believed on Christ, Christ tells them, and that after their believing,
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye
will do." (John 8:30-44) 2. Saving faith is wrought by the Word
of God, and so may the faith be that is not saving. (Luke 8:13)
3. Saving faith looks for justification without works, and so may
a faith do that is not saving. (James 2:18) 4. Saving faith will
sanctify and purify the heart, and the faith that is not saving may
work a man off from the pollutions of the world, as it did Judas,
Demas, and others. (2 Peter 2) 5. Saving faith will give a man
tastes of the world to come, and also joy by those tastes, and so
will the faith do that is not saving. (Heb 6:4,5, Luke 8:13) 6.
Saving faith will help a man, if called thereto, to give his body
to be burned for his religion, and so will the faith do that is
not saving. (1 Cor 13:1-5) 7. Saving faith will help a man to look
for an inheritance in the world to come, and that may the faith do
that is not saving. All those virgins "took their lamps, and went
forth to meet the bridegroom." (Matt 25:1) 8. Saving faith will
not only make a man look for, but prepare to meet the bridegroom,
and so may the faith do that is not saving. "Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps." (Matt 25:7) 9. Saving faith will
make a man look for an interest in the kingdom of heaven with
confidence, and the faith that is not saving will even demand
entrance of the Lord. "Lord, Lord, open to us." (Matt 25:11) 10.
Saving faith will have good works follow it into heaven, and the
faith that is not saving may have great works follow it, as far as
to heaven gates. "Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in
thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works?" (Matt 7:22)

Now, then, if the faith that is not saving may have Christ for
its object, be wrought by the Word, look for justification without
works, work men off from the pollutions of the world, and give men
tastes of, and joy in the things of another world--I say again,
if it will help a man to burn for his judgment, and to look for an
inheritance in another world; yea, if it will help a man to prepare
for it, claim interest in it; and if it can carry great works, many
great and glorious works, as far as heaven gates, then no marvel
if abundance of people take this faith for the saving faith, and
so fall short of heaven thereby. Alas, friends! There are but few
that can produce such [works] for repentance; and such faith, as
yet you see I have proved even reprobates have had in several ages
of the church. 17

But,

Third. They that go to heaven are a praying people; but a man may
pray that shall not be saved. Pray! He may pray, pray daily; yea,
he may ask of God the ordinances of justice, and may take delight
in approaching to God; nay, further, such souls may, as it were,
cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying
out. (Isa 28:2, Mal 2:13)

Fourth. Do God's people keep holy fasts? They that are not his
people may keep fasts also--may keep fasts often--even twice a
week. "The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself: God, I
thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess." (Luke 18:11,12) I might enlarge
upon things, but I intend but a little book. I do not question but
many Balaamites will appear before the judgment-seat to condemnation;
men that have had visions of God, and that knew the knowledge of
the Most High; men that have had the Spirit of God come upon them,
and that have by that been made other men; yet these shall go to
the generations of their fathers, they shall never see light. (Num
24:2,4,16, 1 Sam 10:6,10, Psa 49:19)

I read of some men whose excellency in religion mounts up to the
heavens, and their heads reach unto the clouds, who yet shall perish
for ever like their own dung; and he that in this world hath seen
them, shall say at the judgment, Where are they? (Job 20:5-7) There
will be many a one, that were gallant professors in this world, be
wanting among the saved in the day of Christ's coming; yea, many
whose damnation was never dreamed of. Which of the twelve ever
thought that Judas would have proved a devil? Nay, when Christ
suggested that one among them was naught, they each were more
afraid of themselves than of him. (Matt 26:21-23) Who questioned
the salvation of the foolish virgins? The wise ones did not; they
gave them the privilege of communion with themselves. (Matt 25) The
discerning of the heart, and the infallible proof of the truth of
saving grace, is reserved to the judgment of Jesus Christ at his
coming. The church and best of saints sometimes hit, and sometimes
miss in their judgments about this matter; and the cause of our
missing in our judgment is, 1. Partly because we cannot infallibly,
at all times, distinguish grace that saveth from that which doth
but appear to do so. 2. Partly also because some men have the art
to give right names to wrong things. 3. And partly because we,
being commanded to receive him that is weak, are afraid to exclude
the least Christian. By a hid means hypocrites creep into the
churches. But what saith the Scripture? "I the Lord search the
heart, I try the reins." And again, "All the churches shall know
that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give
unto every one of you according to your works." (Jer 11:20, 17:10,
Rev 2:23) To this Searcher of hearts is the time of infallible
discerning reserved, and then you shall see how far grace that is
not saving hath gone; and also how few will be saved indeed. The
Lord awaken poor sinners by my little book.

[USE AND APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE.]

I come now to make some brief use and application of the whole:
and

[USE FIRST.]--My first word shall be to the open profane.
Poor sinner, thou readest here that but a few will be saved; that
many that expect heaven will go without heaven. What sayest thou
to this, poor sinner? Let me say it over again. There are but few
to be saved, but very few. Let me add, but few professors--but
few eminent professors. What sayest thou now, sinner? If judgment
begins at the house of God, what will the end of them be that obey
not the gospel of God? This is Peter's question. Canst thou answer
it, sinner? Yea, I say again, if judgment must begin at them, will
it not make thee think, What shall become of me? And I add, when
thou shalt see the stars of heaven to tumble down to hell, canst
thou think that such a muck-heap of sin as thou art shall be lifted
up to heaven? Peter asks thee another question, to wit, "If the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear?" (1 Peter 4:18) Canst thou answer this question, sinner?
Stand among the righteous thou mayest not: "The ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous." (Psa 1:5) Stand among the wicked thou then wilt not
dare to do. Where wilt thou appear, sinner? To stand among the
hypocrites will avail thee nothing. The hypocrite "shall not come
before him," that is, with acceptance, but shall perish. (Job
13:16) Because it concerns thee much, let me over with it again!
When thou shalt see less sinners than thou art, bound up by angels
in bundles, to burn them, where wilt thou appear, sinner? Thou mayest
wish thyself another man, but that will not help thee, sinner. Thou
mayest wish, Would I had been converted in time; but that will not
help thee either. And if, like the wife of Jeroboam, thou shouldst
feign thyself to be another woman, the Prophet, the Lord Jesus,
would soon find thee out! What wilt thou do, poor sinner? Heavy
tidings, heavy tidings, will attend thee, except thou repent, poor
sinner! (1 Kings 14:2,5,6, Luke 13:3,5) O the dreadful state of
a poor sinner, of an open profane sinner! Everybody that hath but
common sense knows that this man is in the broad way to death, yet
he laughs at his own damnation.

Shall I come to particulars with thee?

1. Poor unclean sinner, the "harlot's house is the way to hell,
going down to the chambers of death." (Prov 2:18, 5:5, 7:27)

2. Poor swearing and thievish sinner, God hath prepared the curse,
that "every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side
according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as
on that side, according to it." (Zech 5:3)

3. Poor drunken sinner, what shall I say to thee? "Woe to the
drunkards of Ephraim," "woe unto them that are mighty to drink
wine, and men of--strong drink; they shall not inherit the kingdom
of heaven." (Isa 28:1, 5:22, 1 Cor 6:9,10)

4. Poor covetous worldly man, God's Word says, that "the covetous
the Lord abhorreth"; that the "covetous man is an idolater"; and
that the covetous "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Psa
10:3, Eph 5:5, John 2:15, 1 Cor 6:9,10)

5. And thou liar, what wilt thou do? "All liars shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." (Rev 21:8,27)

I shall not enlarge, poor sinner, let no man deceive thee; "for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children
of disobedience." (Eph 5:6) I will therefore give thee a short
call, and so leave thee.

Sinner, awake: yea, I say unto thee, awake! Sin lieth at thy door,
and God's axe lieth at thy root, and hell-fire is right underneath
thee. (Gen 4:7) I say again, Awake! "Therefore every tree which
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
(Matt 3:10)

Poor sinner, awake; eternity is coming, and HIS SON, they are both
coming to judge the world; awake, art yet asleep, poor sinner? let
me set the trumpet to thine ear once again! The heavens will be
shortly on a burning flame; the earth, and the works thereof, shall
be burned up, and then wicked men shall go into perdition; dost
thou hear this, sinner? (2 Peter 3) Hark again, the sweet morsels
of sin will then be fled and gone, and the bitter burning fruits
of them only left. What sayest thou now, sinner? Canst thou drink
hell-fire? Will the wrath of God be a pleasant dish to thy taste?
This must be thine every day's meat and drink in hell, sinner!

I will yet propound to thee God's ponderous question, and then for
this time leave thee: "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands
be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?" saith the Lord.
(Eze 22:14) What sayest thou? Wilt thou answer this question now,
or wilt thou take time to do it? or wilt thou be desperate, and
venture all? And let me put this text in thine ear to keep it open;
and so the Lord have mercy upon thee: "Upon the wicked shall the
Lord rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this
shall be the portion of their cup." (Psa 11:6) Repent, sinners!

[USE SECOND.]--My second word is to them that are upon the potter's
wheel; concerning whom we know not as yet whether their convictions
and awakenings will end in conversion or not. Several things I
shall say to you, both to further your convictions, and to caution
you from staying anywhere below or short of saving grace.

1. Remember that but few shall be saved; and if God should count
thee worthy to be one of that few, what a mercy would that be!

2. Be thankful, therefore, for convictions; conversion begins at
conviction, though all conviction doth not end in conversion. It
is a great mercy to be convinced that we are sinners, and that we
need a Saviour; count it therefore a mercy, and that thy convictions
may end in conversion, do thou take heed of stifling of them. It
is the way of poor sinners to look upon convictions as things that
are hurtful; and therefore they use to shun the awakening ministry,
and to check a convincing conscience. Such poor sinners are much
like to the wanton boy that stands at the maid's elbow, to blow out
her candle as fast as she lights it at the fire. Convinced sinner,
God lighteth thy candle, and thou puttest it out; God lights it
again, and thou puttest it out. Yea, "how oft is the candle of the
wicked put out?" (Job 21:17) At last, God resolveth he will light
thy candle no more; and then, like the Egyptians, you dwell all
your days in darkness, and never see light more, but by the light
of hell-fire; wherefore give glory to God, and if he awakens thy
conscience, quench not thy convictions. Do it, saith the prophet,
"before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the
dark mountains, and he turn" your convictions "into the shadow of
death, and make them gross darkness." (Jer 13:16)

(1.) Be willing to see the worst of thy condition. It is better
to see it here than in hell; for thou must see thy misery here or
there. (2.) Beware of little sins; they will make way for great
ones, and they again will make way for bigger, upon which God's
wrath will follow; and then may thy latter end be worse than thy
beginning. (2 Peter 2:20) (3.) Take heed of bad company, and evil
communication, for that will corrupt good manners. God saith, evil
company will turn thee away from following him, and will tempt
thee to serve other gods, devils. "So the anger of the Lord will
be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly." (Deu 7:4) (4.)
Beware of such a thought as bids thee delay repentance, for that is
damnable. (Prov 1:24, Zech 7:12,13) (5.) Beware of taking example
by some poor, carnal professor, whose religion lies in the tip of
his tongue. Beware, I say, of the man whose head swims with notions,
but "his life is among the unclean." (Job 36:14) "He that walketh
with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed." (Prov 13:20) (6.) Give thyself much to the Word, and
prayer, and good conference. (7.) Labour to see the sin that cleaveth
to the best of thy performances, and know that all is nothing if
thou be not found in Jesus Christ. (8.) Keep in remembrance that
God's eye is upon thy heart, and upon all thy ways. "Can any hide
himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." (Jer 23:24) (9.)
Be often meditating upon death and judgment. (Eccl 11:9, 12:14) (10.)
Be often thinking what a dreadful end sinners that have neglected
Christ will make at that day of death and judgment. (Heb 10:31) (11.)
Put thyself often, in thy thoughts, before Christ's judgment-seat,
in thy sins, and consider with thyself, Were I now before my Judge,
how should I look, how should I shake and tremble? (12.) Be often
thinking of them that are now in hell, past all mercy; I say, be
often thinking of them, thus: They were once in the world, as I
now am; they once took delight in sin, as I have done; they once
neglected repentance, as Satan would have me do. But now they are
gone; now they are in hell, now the pit hath shut her mouth upon
them!

Thou mayest also doubt18 thy thoughts of the damned thus: If these
poor creatures were in the world again, would they sin as they did
before? would they neglect salvation as they did before? If they
had sermons, as I have; if they had the Bible, as I have; if they
had good company, as I have; yea, if they had a day of grace, as
I have, would they neglect it as they did before?

Sinner, couldst thou soberly think of these things, they might
help, God blessing them, to awaken thee, and to keep thee awake
to repentance, to the repentance that is to salvation, never to be
repented of.

Object. But you have said few shall be saved; and some that go a great
way, yet are not saved. At this, therefore, I am even discouraged
and weakened; I think I had as good go no further. I am, indeed,
under conviction, but I may perish; and if I go on in my sins, I
can but perish; and it is ten, twenty, and an hundred to one if I
be saved, should I be ever so earnest for heaven.

Answ. That few will be saved must needs be a truth, for Christ hath
said it; that many go far, and come short of heaven, is as true,
being testified by the same hand. But what then? "Why, then had
I as good never seek." Who told thee so? Must nobody seek because
few are saved? This is just contrary to the text, that bids us
therefore strive; strive to enter in, because the gate is strait,
and because many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. But
why go back again, seeing that is the next way to hell? Never go
over hedge and ditch to hell. If I must needs go thither, I will
go the furthest way about. But who can tell, though there should
not be saved so many as there shall, but thou mayest be one of that
few? They that miss of life perish, because they will not let go
their sins, or because they take up a profession short of the saving
faith of the gospel. They perish, I say, because they are content
with such things as will not prove graces of a saving nature when
they come to be tried in the fire. Otherwise, the promise is free,
and full, and everlasting--"Him that cometh to me," saith Christ,
"I will in no wise cast out"; "for God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 6:37, 3:16) Wherefore
let not this thought, Few shall be saved, weaken thy heart; but let
it cause thee to mend thy pace, to mend thy cries, to look well to
thy grounds for heaven; let it make thee fly faster from sin to
Christ; let it keep thee awake, and out of carnal security, and
thou mayest be saved.

[USE THIRD.]--My third word is to professors. Sirs, give me leave
to set my trumpet to your ears again a little. When every man hath
put in all the claim they can for heaven, but few will have it
for their inheritance; I mean but few professors, for so the text
intendeth, and so I have also proved. "For many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Let me, therefore, a
little expostulate the matter with you, O ye thousands of professors!

1. I begin with you whose religion lieth only in your tongues;
I mean you who are little or nothing known from the rest of the
rabble of the world, only you can talk better than they. Hear me
a word or two. If "I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity," that is, love to God, and Christ, and saints,
and holiness, "I am nothing"; no child of God, and so have nothing
to do with heaven. (1 Cor 13:1,2) A prating tongue will not unlock
the gates of haven, nor blind the eyes of the Judge. Look to it.
"The wise in heart will receive commandments; but a prating fool
shall fall." 19 (Prov 10:8)

2. Covetous professor, thou that makest a gain of religion, that
usest thy profession to bring grist to thy mill, look to it also.
Gain is not godliness. Judas' religion lay much in the bag, but
his soul is now burning in hell. All covetousness is idolatry; but
what is that, or what will you call it, when men are religious for
filthy lucre's sake? (Eze 33:31)

3. Wanton professors, I have a word for you; I mean you that
can tell how to misplead Scripture, to maintain your pride, your
banqueting, and abominable idolatry. Read what Peter says. You are
the snare and damnation of others. You "allure through the lust of
the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error." (2 Peter 2:18) Besides, the Holy
Ghost hath a great deal against you, for your feastings, and eating
without fear, not for health, but gluttony. (Jude 12) Further, Peter
says, that you that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time are
spots and blemishes, sporting yourselves with your own deceivings.
(2 Peter 2:13) And let me ask, Did God give his Word to justify
your wickedness? or doth grace teach you to plead for the flesh,
or the making provision for the lusts thereof? Of these also are
they that feed their bodies to strengthen their lusts, under pretence
of strengthening frail nature. But pray, remember the text, "Many,
I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

4. I come next to the opinionist; I mean, to him whose religion
lieth in some circumstantials of religion. With this sort this
kingdom swarms at this day. These think all out of the way that
are not of their mode, when themselves may be out of the way in the
midst of their zeal for their opinions. Pray, do you also observe
the text; "Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able."

5. Neither is the formalist exempted from this number. He is a man
that hath lost all but the shell of religion. He is hot, indeed,
for his form; and no marvel, for that is his all to contend for.
But his form being without the power and spirit of godliness, it
will leave him in his sins; nay, he standeth now in them in the
sight of God, and is one of the many that "will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able." (2 Tim 3:5)

6. The legalist comes next, even him that hath no life but what he
makes out of his duties. This man hath chosen to stand or fall by
Moses, who is the condemner of the world. "There is one that accuseth
you, even Moses, in whom ye trust." (John 5:45)

7. There is, in the next place, the libertine--he that pretendeth
to be against forms and duties, as things that gender to bondage,
neglecting the order of God. This man pretends to pray always, but,
under that pretence, prays not at all; he pretends to keep every
day a Sabbath, but this pretence serves him only to cast off all
set times for the worship of God. This is also one of the many that
"will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Titus 1:16)

8. There is the temporizing latitudinarian. He is a man that hath
no God but his belly, nor any religion but that by which his belly
is worshipped. His religion is always, like the times, turning
this way and that way, like the cock on the steeple; neither hath
he any conscience but a benumbed and seared one, and is next door
to a downright atheist; and also is one of the many that "will seek
to enter in, and shall not be able."

9. There is also the willfully ignorant professor, or him that is
afraid to know more, for fear of the cross. He is for picking and
choosing of truth, and loveth not to hazard his all for that worthy
name by which he would be called. When he is at any time overset by
arguments, or awakenings of conscience, he uses to heal all by--I
was not brought up in this faith; as if it were unlawful for Christians
to know more than hath been taught them at first conversion. There
are many Scriptures that lie against his man, as the mouths of
great guns, and he is one of the many that "will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able."

10. We will add to all these, the professor that would prove
himself a Christian, by comparing himself with others, instead of
comparing himself with the Word of God. This man comforts himself,
because he is as holy as such and such; he also knows as such as
that old professor, and then concludes he shall go to heaven: as
if he certainly knew, that those with whom he compareth himself
would be undoubtedly saved; but how if he should be mistaken? nay,
may they not both fall short? But to be sure he is in the wrong that
hath made the comparison; and a wrong foundation will not stand in
the day of judgment. (2 Cor 10:12) This man, therefore, is one of
the many that "will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

11. There is yet another professor; and he is for God and for Baal
too; he can be anything for any company; he can throw stones with
both hands; his religion alters as fast as his company; he is a
frog of Egypt, and can live in the water and out of the water; he
can live in religious company, and again as well out. Nothing that
is disorderly comes amiss to him; he will hold with the hare, and
run with the hound; he carries fire in the one hand, and water in
the other; he is a very anything but what he should be. This is
also one of the many that "will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able." 20

12. There is also that free-willer, who denies to the Holy Ghost the
sole work in conversion; and that Socinian, who denieth to Christ
that he hath made to God satisfaction for sin; and that Quaker,
who takes from Christ the two natures in his person: and I might
add as many more, touching whose damnation, they dying as they are,
the Scripture is plain: these "will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able." But,

[USE FOURTH.]--If it be so, what a strange disappointment will
many professors meet with at the day of judgment! I speak not now
to the open profane; everybody, as I have said, that hath but common
understanding between good and evil, knows that they are in the
broad way to hell and damnation, and they must needs come thither;
nothing can hinder it but repentance unto salvation, except God
should prove a liar to save them, and it is hard venturing of that.

Neither is it amiss, if we take notice of the examples that are
briefly mentioned in the Scriptures, concerning professors that
have miscarried. 1. Judas perished from among the apostles. (Acts
1) 2. Demas, as I think, perished from among the evangelists. (2
Tim 4:10) 3. Diotrephes from among the ministers, or them in office
in the church. (3 John 9) 4. And s for Christian professors, they
have fallen by heaps, and almost by whole churches. (2 Tim 1:15,
Rev 3:4,15-17) 5. Let us add to these, that the things mentioned in
the Scriptures about these matters, are but brief hints and items
of what is afterwards to happen; as the apostle said, "Some men's
sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men
they follow after." (1 Tim 5:24)

So that, fellow-professors, let us fear, lest a promise being left
us of entering into this rest, any of us should seem to come short
of it. O! to come short! nothing kills like it, nothing will burn
like it. I intend not discouragements, but awakenings; the churches
have need of awakening, and so have all professors. Do not despise
me, therefore, but hear me over again. What a strange disappointment
will many professors meet with at the day of God Almighty!--a
disappointment, I say, and that as to several things.

(1.) They will look to escape hell, and yet fall just into the
mouth of hell: what a disappointment will be here! (2.) They will
look for heaven, but the gate of heaven will be shut against them:
what a disappointment is here! (3.) They will expect that Christ
should have compassion for them, but will find that he hath shut
up all bowels of compassion form them: what a disappointment is
here! Again,

[USE FIFTH.]--As this disappointment will be fearful, so certainly
it will be very full of amazement.

1. Will it not amaze them to be unexpectedly excluded from life
and salvation? 2. Will it not be amazing to them to see their own
madness and folly, while they consider how they have dallied with
their own souls, and took lightly for granted that they had that
grace that would save them, but hath left them in a damnable state?
3. Will they not also be amazed one at another, while they remember
how in their lifetime they counted themselves fellow-heirs of
life? To allude to that of the prophet, "They shall be amazed one
at another, their faces shall be as flames." (Isa 13:8) 4. Will it
not be amazing to some of the damned themselves, to see some come
to hell that then they shall see come thither? to see preachers of
the Word, professors of the Word, practisers in the Word, to come
thither. What wondering was there among them at the fall of the king
of Babylon, since he thought to have swallowed up all, because he
was run down by the Medes and Persians! "How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to
the ground which didst weaken the nations!" If such a thing as this
will with amazement surprise the damned, what an amazement will
it be to them to see such a one as he whose head reached to the
clouds, to see him come down to the pit, and perish for ever like
his own dung. "Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee
at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief
ones of the earth." (Isa 14) They that see thee shall narrowly look
upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man? Is this he
that professed, and disputed, and forsook us; but now he is come to
us again? Is this he that separated from us, but now he is fallen
with us into the same eternal damnation with us?

[USE SIXTH.]--Yet again, one word more, if I may awaken professors.
Consider, though the poor carnal world shall certainly perish, yet
they will want these things to aggravate their sorrow, which thou
wilt meet with in every thought that thou wilt have of the condition
thou wast in when thou wast in the world.

1. They will not have a profession, to bite them when they come
thither. 2. They will not have a taste of a lost heaven, to bite
them when they come thither. 3. They will not have the thoughts
of, "I was almost at heaven," to bite them when they come thither.
4. They will not have the thoughts of, how they cheated saints,
ministers, churches, to bite them when they come thither. 5. They
will not have the dying thoughts of false faith, false hope, false
repentance, and false holiness, to bite them when they come thither.
I was at the gates of heaven, I looked into heaven, I thought
I should have entered into heaven; O how will these things sting!
They will, if I may call them so, be the sting of the sting of
death in hell-fire.

[USE SEVENTH.]--Give me leave now in a word to give you a little
advice.

1. Dost thou love thine own soul? then pray to Jesus Christ for
an awakened heart, for a heart so awakened with all the things of
another world, that thou mayest be allured to Jesus Christ. 2. When
thou comest there, beg again for more awakenings about sin, hell,
grace, and about the righteousness of Christ. 3. Cry also for a
spirit of discerning, that thou mayest know that which is saving
grace indeed. 4. Above all studies apply thyself to the study of
those things that show thee the evil of sin, the shortness of man's
life, and which is the way to be saved. 5. Keep company with the
most godly among professors. 6. When thou hearest what the nature
of true grace is, defer not to ask thine own heart if this grace
be there. And here take heed--

(1.) That the preacher himself be sound, and of good life. (2.) That
thou takest not seeming graces for real ones, nor seeming fruits
for real fruits. (3.) Take heed that a sin in thy life goes
not unrepented of; for that will make a flaw in thine evidence, a
wound in thy conscience, and a breach in thy peace; and a hundred
to one, if at last it doth not drive all the grace in thee into
so dark a corner of thy heart, that thou shalt not be able, for a
time, by all the torches that are burning in the gospel, to find
it out to thine own comfort and consolation. 21

FOOTNOTES:

1 However homely this illustration, yet how striking. No family
has been many years without that uneasy anxiety--earnest seeking
the doctor to alleviate their sufferings, or those of a beloved
relative, and then the trembling hope that "his excellent things"
may produce the desired effect. Reader, have you had, at any time,
equal anxiety for your soul's health and salvation? What has been
the result?--Ed.

2 How delightfully but solemnly is this illustrated in the "Pilgrim's
Progress." The wicket-gate, at the head of the way, at which the
poor burdened sinner must knock and obtain an entrance by Christ
the door. It may be like Mercy, with a trembling but sure hope.
And then the glorious entrance into the Celestial City itself,
after crossing the river which has no bridge. This was opened to
Christian, but shut against Ignorance and against Turnaway of the
Town of Apostasy.--Ed.

3 Much confusion appears to exist in the minds of many in reference
to the "strait gate" mentioned in the text, as this passage
is frequently introduced into exhortations to the unconverted. It
is addressed exclusively to professors of religion--to those who
profess to have set out for the Celestial City, and seems to say,
Beware of the form of godliness without its power--of the profession
without the possession! For, as old Mason truly said, "They fall
deepest into hell that fall backward." The "striving" here alluded
to refers to the whole course of the believers' life, with its end
in view--"We labour to be accepted of him" "Give diligence," by
adding to faith virtue, &c., "to make your calling and election
sure; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
(2 Peter 1:5-11)

4 How well does our unlettered author give the meaning of strive,
agonize.--Ed.

5 Reader, while we bless God for being mercifully relieved from
those bodily privations and sufferings through which our pilgrim
fathers passed, forget not that Satan plies all his arts to allure
our souls from the narrow path. If we are saved from tedious
imprisonments in damp dungeons--if Antichrist has lost much of his
power, the flatterer is ever at hand to entangle us in his net--the
atheist is ever ready, by his derision and scorn, to drive us back
to the City of Destruction.--Ed.

6 In the edition printed 1692, "an holiday saint" is used. Saints'
days were holidays upon which the gayest dress was put on; but the
outward affectation of religion in pious company is better expressed
by "holiday suit," and I have followed all the modern editors in
concluding that the word "saint" is a typographical error.--Ed.

7 See the character of By-ends and his companions in the "Pilgrim's
Progress."

8 O how few professors feel that the judgment of man is as nothing
in comparison with that of a heart-searching God. Thousands would
tremble at the thought of outwardly committing these great crimes,
but who inwardly, in spirit, are daily guilty of them before God.
He who is kept by Divine power from spiritual sins, is alone safe
from the commission of carnal sins.--Ed.

9 It is an awful fact that in every age of the church these
"blundering raw-headed preachers" have abounded. It is a singular
appellation to make use of to those who strut in black, and vainly
pride themselves upon being descended from the apostles. Alas!
how many are those whose hearts and heads are raw indeed as to any
influences of vital religion, and whose whole ministry is calculated
to mislead the souls of their fellow-sinners as to their eternal
hopes. Reader, how solemn is our duty to examine what we hear by
the unerring Word--to try all things, and hold fast that only which
is good.--Ed.

10 More particularly in the "Jerusalem Sinner Saved"--"He that
would be saved by Jesus Christ, through faith in his blood, cannot
be counted for such," &c. The sin against the Holy Ghost is an
abandonment of Christianity--"to crucify the Son of God afresh, and
put him to an open shame." (Heb 6:6) Poor trembler, wouldst thou
crucify the Son of God afresh? If thy conscience says, Never! never!
thou hast not committed this unpardonable sin.--Ed.

11 The wedding garments being provided by the host, this man must
have refused it, and insults his King by sitting among the guests
in his ordinary apparel. O reader, before you take a seat at the
Lord's table, take prayerful care to be clothed with the robe of
righteousness, otherwise you will eat to your utter condemnation
and may, after all, be cast into outer darkness.--Ed.

12 May these searching words make an indelible impression upon the
heart of every reader. How striking, and alas! how true, is this
delineation of character. Religious when in company with
professors--profane when with the world; pretending to be a
Christian on a Sunday; striving to climb with Christian the Hill
Difficulty--every other day running down the hill with Timorous
and Mistrust. Such may get to the bottom of the hill, and hide
themselves in the world; but they can never lie concealed from God's
anger, either in this world, or in the bottomless pit, whither they
are hurrying to destruction.

"Sinner, O why so thoughtless grown? Why in such dreadful hast to
die?"--Ed.

13 "Tend it," or attend to it. What madness does sin engender and
foster! The trifles of time entirely occupy the attention, while
the momentous affairs of eternity are put off to a more convenient
opportunity.--Ed.

14 Lowth's translation of this passage in Isaiah 6:13 not only confirms
Bunyan, but exhibits his view in a more prominent light:--"And
though there be a tenth part remaining in it, even this shall
undergo a repeated destruction; yet as the ilex and the oak, though
cut down, hath its stock remaining, a holy seed shall be the stock
of the nation."--Ed.

15 How solemn the thought--there is but little wheat in comparison
with all the grass and vegetable produce of the earth; and in the
harvest how much chaff and straw, which grew with the wheat, will
be cast out! Well may it be said, Look to it, professors.--Ed.

16 The word "faith" was changed in 1737 for "repentance," which has
been continued in subsequent editions; "faith" is right. Awakenings
and repentance are classed together under the first head, and faith
under the second.--Ed.

17 Many readers will cry out, Who then can be saved? Without
charity, or the love of Christ in the heart, all faith and works
are but dross. Love is the touchstone of faith and works--not
to glorify ourselves, but him who has bought us with his own most
precious blood. Carry the solemn inquiry to the throne of grace,
Have I passed from death unto life? for whosoever thus liveth
believeth in Christ, and amidst the fatal wreck of professors, he
shall never die.--Ed.

18 "To doubt"; to suspect, make a question of, reconsider.--Ed.

19 When Talkative asked Faithful what difference there is between
crying out against and abhorring sin, he answered, "O! a great
deal; a man may cry out against sin of policy, but he cannot abhor
it but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it. I have heard
many cry out against sin in the pulpit, who yet can abide it well
enough in the heart, house, and conversation."--Pilgrim's Progress.

20 Similar to By-ends who never strove for heaven against wind
or weather; was most zealous when religion walked in his silver
slippers, and walked with him in the streets, while the sun shone,
and people applauded him.--Pilgrim's Progress.

21 The striving inculcated in this treatise reminds us of Hopkins'
bold appeal to conscience. He says, "There must be a holy roughness
and violence, to break through all that stands in our way; neither
caring for allurements, nor fearing opposition, but by a pious
obstinacy and frowardness, we must thrust away the one and bear down
the other. This is the Christian who will carry heaven by force,
when the whining pusillanimous professor, who only complains of
difficulty, but never attempts to conquer it, will be for ever shut
out!"--Ed.

***

LIGHT FOR THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS;

OR,

A DISCOURSE OF JESUS CHRIST:

AND THAT HE UNDERTOOK TO ACCOMPLISH BY HIMSELF THE ETERNAL REDEMPTION
OF SINNERS:

ALSO, HOW THE LORD JESUS ADDRESSED HIMSELF TO THIS WORK; WITH
UNDENIABLE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT HE PERFORMED THE SAME.

OBJECTIONS TO THE CONTRARY ANSWERED.

'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us.'--Galatians 3:13.

by John Bunyan--1674

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

This solemn and searching treatise was first published in 1674, a
copy of which is in the Editor's possession. The author's object
is to correct some fatal errors which then peculiarly abounded,
and to recommend the gospel in its purity to the acceptation of his
fellow-sinners. Possessing that inward peace, serenity, happiness,
and safety, arising from a scriptural knowledge of Christ and him
crucified, he proclaims, 'I have ventured my own soul thereon with
gladness,' and 'if all the souls in the world were mine, I would
venture them all.' His prayer is that others may receive the same
light and life by faith.

Every age has had its peculiar delusions for the trial of the
spirit--mysticism in Bunyan's time, Puseyism in our days. Prior to
the Reformation, the clergy, called the church, claimed implicit
obedience from the laity as essential to salvation, and taught
that inquiry was the high road to eternal ruin. After the Bible had
been extensively circulated, many regarded it as the letter which
killeth--that it was of no importance, compared with the light
within, which alone was essential. These were not the notions of any
one or two sects, but had spread their influence to a considerable
extent over the Christian church. To check the growth of these
errors, and to recover those who had been misled by them, Bunyan
published this 'Light for them that sit in darkness.' His object
is to prove that all our knowledge of the Saviour must be received
directly from the written Word--that to understand these holy oracles,
we must seek and obtain Divine light. By this light we shall find
that Christ took upon himself our nature, and, by his holy and perfect
obedience to the law, and sacrifice of himself as a sin-atoning
offering, he redeemed all his saints, paid the FULL price of their
redemption, and will present them unblameable, unreprovable, and
acceptable to him that is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.
Their robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb;
they are perfect as Christ is perfect; there is no condemnation to
them; their salvation is sure. To those whose spirits are dismayed
under a fear that they have sinned the unpardonable sin, the
arguments on the following pages are most consoling. Those who are
under that awful curse are sunk in a deathly state of insensibility,
while they sit in the seat of the scorner. To be alarmed with the
fear of having so offended the Saviour, is the best evidence that
no such sin can have been committed. The closing chapter is full
of striking solemnity. May its beneficial effects be felt, to the
glory of God and the reader's solid peace.

GEO. OFFOR.

THE AUTHOR TO THE READER.

Gentle Reader,

It was the great care of the apostle Paul to deliver his gospel to
the churches in its own simplicity, because so it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth. And if it was his
care so to deliver it to us, it should be ours to seek so to continue
it; and the rather, because of the unaptness of the minds, even
of the saints themselves, to retain it without commixture. For, to
say nothing of the projects of hell, and of the cunning craftiness
of some that lie in wait to deceive even the godly themselves, as
they are dull of hearing, so much more dull in receiving and holding
fast the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. From their sense,
and reason, and unbelief, and darkness, arise many imaginations
and high thoughts, which exalt themselves against the knowledge of
God and the obedience of Jesus Christ, wherefore they themselves
have much ado to stand complete in all the will of God. And were
they not concerned in electing love, by which they are bound up
in the bundle of life, and blessed with the enjoyment of saving
grace, which enlighteneth their souls and maintaineth their fath
and hope, they would not only be assaulted and afflicted with their
own corruptions, but, as others, overcome thereby.

Alas! how ordinary a thing is it for professors to fall from the
knowledge they have had of the glorious gospel of the blessed God,
and to be turned unto fables, seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils, through the intoxications of delusions and the witchcraft
of false preachers.

Now, this their swerving from the gospel ariseth, 1. Either from
their not having, or, having, not retaining, the true knowledge of
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; or, 2. From their not believing
the true causes of his coming into the world, with his doing and
suffering there. Upon one or both these accounts, I say, it is that
they everlastingly perish; for if they have not, and do not also
retain the knowledge of his person, they want the HE, on whom, if
they believe not, they must die in their sins; and if they know
not the reason of his coming, doing, and suffering, they are in
the same condition also.

Now, those professors that have had some knowledge of these things,
and yet have lost them, it hath come thus to pass with them because
they first lost the knowledge of themselves and of their sins.
They know not themselves to be such nothing ones as the Scriptures
reporteth them to be, nor their sins to be so heinous as the
law hath concluded; therefore they either turn again with the dog
to his vomit, or adhere to a few of the rags of their own fleshly
righteousness, and so become pure in their own eyes, yet are not
purged by blood from their filthiness.

For the person and doings of Jesus Christ are only precious to them
that get and retain the true knowledge of themselves, and the due
reward of their sins by the law. These are desolate, being driven
out of all; these embrace the rock instead of a shelter. The sensible
sinner receiveth him joyfully.

And because a miscarriage in this great truth is the most dangerous
and damning miscarriage, therefore should professors be the more
fearful of swerving aside therefrom. The man that rejecteth the true
knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus, and the causes of his
doing and suffering in the world, takes the next way to be guilty
of that transgression that is not to be purged with sacrifice for
ever; that fearful transgression for which is left no offering at
all, nor anything to be expected by the person transgressing but
fearful judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversary.

Now, for their sakes that have not sinned this sin, for their sakes
that are in danger thereof, but yet not overcome, for their sakes
have I written this little book, wherein is largely, and yet with
few words, discovered the doctrine of the person, and doings, and
sufferings of Christ, with the true cause thereof, also a removal
of those objections that the crafty children of darkness have framed
against the same.

And I have been the more plain and simple in my writing, because
the sin against the Holy Ghost is in these days more common than
formerly, and the way unto it more beautified with colour and
pretence of truth. I may say of the way to this sin, it is, as was
once the way to Jerusalem, strewed with boughs and branches; and
by some there is cried a kind of hosanna to them that are treading
these steps to hell. O the plausible pretences, the golden names,
the feigned holiness, the demure behaviours, mixed with damnable
hypocrisy, that attend the persons that have forsaken the Lord Jesus,
that have despised his person, trampled upon him, and counted the
blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing!
They have crucified him to themselves, and think that they can go
to heaven without him; yea, pretend they love him, when they hate
him; pretend they have him, when they have cast him off; pretend
they trust in him, when they bid defiance to his undertakings for
the world.

Reader, let me beseech thee to hear me patiently; read, and consider,
and judge. I have presented thee with that which I have received
from God; and the holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost, do bear me witness. Thou wilt say, All pretend to
this. Well, but give me the hearing, take me to the Bible, and let
me find in thy heart no favour if thou find me to swerve from the
standard.

I say again, receive my doctrine; I beseech thee, in Christ's stead,
receive it; I know it to be the way of salvation. I have ventured
my own soul thereon with gladness; and if all the souls in the
world were mine, as mine own soul is, I would, through God's grace,
venture every one of them there. I have not writ at a venture,
nor borrowed my doctrine from libraries. I depend upon the sayings
of no man. I found it in the Scriptures of truth, among the true
sayings of God.

I have done, when I have exhorted thee to pray, and give heed to the
words of God as revealed in the Holy Writ. The Lord Jesus Christ
himself give thee light and life by faith in him; to whom, with
the Father and the good Spirit of grace, be glory and dominion,
now and for ever. Amen.

JOHN BUNYAN.

LIGHT FOR THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS.

'OF THIS MAN'S SEED HATH GOD, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, RAISED UNTO
ISRAEL A SAVIOUR, JESUS.'--ACTS 13:23.

These words are part of a sermon which Paul preached to the people
that lived at Antioch in Pisidia, where also inhabited many of the
Jews. The preparation to his discourse he thus begins--'Men of
Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience' (v 16); by which having
prepared their minds to attend, he proceeds and gives a particular
relation of God's peculiar dealings with his people Israel, from Egypt
to the time of David their king, of whom he treateth particularly--

That he was the son of Jesse, that he was a king, that God raised
him up in mercy, that God gave testimony of him, that he was a man
after God's own heart, that he should fulfil all his will (v 22).

And this he did of purpose both to engage them the more to attend,
and because they well knew that of the fruit of his loins God hath
promised the Messiah should come.

Having thus therefore gathered up their minds to hearken, he presenteth
them with his errand--to wit, that the Messiah was come, and that
the promise was indeed fulfilled that a Saviour should be born to
Israel--'Of this man's seed,' saith he, 'hath God, according to
his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.'

In this assertion he concludeth--1. That the promise had kept its
due course in presenting a Saviour to Israel--to wit, in David's
loins--'Of this man's seed.' 2. That the time of the promise was
come, and the Saviour was revealed--'God hath raised unto Israel a
Saviour.' 3. That Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, was he--'He
hath raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.'

From these things we may inquire, for the explication of the words,
First. What this Jesus is? Second. What it was for this Jesus to
be of the seed of David? Third. What it was for Jesus to be of this
man's seed according to the promise? And, Fourth, what it was for
him to be raised unto Israel? These things may give us light into
what shall be spoken after.

Quest. First. What this Jesus is?

He is God, and had personal being from before all worlds; therefore
not such an one as took being when he was formed in the world; he is
God's natural Son, the Eternal Son of his begetting and love--'God
sent forth his Son.' He was, and was his Son, before he was
revealed--'What is his name, and what is his Son's name, if thou
canst tell?' (Prov 30:4; Eze 21:10). He hath an eternal generation,
such as none can declare, not man, not angel (Isa 53:8). He was the
delight of his Father before he had made either mountain or hill.
While as yet he had not made the earth or the fields, or the highest
part of the dust of the world, all things were made by him, and
without him was not anything made that was made, and he is before
all things, and by him all things consist. It is he with whom the
Father consulted when he was about to make man, when he intended
to overthrow Babel, and when he sent Isaiah to harden the hearts of
Israel (Prov 8:26; John 1:3; Heb 1:2,3; Col 1:17; Gen 1:26, 11:7;
Isa 6:8). This is the person intended in the text. Hence also he
testifies of himself that he came down from the Father; that he
had glory with him before the world was. And 'what and if ye shall
see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?' (John 6:62,
16:28, 17:5).

Quest. Second. What was it for Jesus to be of David's seed?

To be of David's seed is to spring from his loins, to come of his
race according to the flesh; and therefore as he is David's God,
so likewise is he David's Son; the root and also the offspring of
David. And this the Lord himself acknowledgeth, saying, 'I am the
root,' or God, 'and the offspring,' and Son, 'of David, and the
bright and morning star' (Rev 22:16). This is indeed the great
mystery, the mystery of godliness. 'If David then call him Lord,
how is he his Son?' (Matt 22:45; Luke 2:4; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8). And
hence it is that he is said to be 'wonderful,' because he is both
God and man in one person--'Unto us a child is born, unto us a
Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and
his name shall be called Wonderful' (Isa 9:6). Wonderful indeed!
Wonderful God, Wonderful man, Wonderful God-man, and so a Wonderful
Jesus and Saviour. He also hath wonderful love, bore wonderful
sorrows for our wonderful sins, and obtained for HIS a wonderful
salvation.

Quest. Third. What was it for Jesus to be of this man's seed
according to the promise?

This word 'promise' doth sometimes comprehend all the promises
which God made to our fathers, from the first promise to the last,
and so the Holy Ghost doth call them--'The promise made unto the
fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children' (Acts
13:32,33). But the word 'promise' here doth in special intend that
which God made to David himself--'Men and brethren,' said Peter,
'let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is
both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with
an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the
flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this
before, spake of the resurrection of Christ,' &c. (Acts 2:29,30).

Quest. Fourth. What was it for Jesus to be raised thus up of God
to Israel?

Here we have two things to consider of--1. Who Israel is. 2. What
it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them.

1. Who Israel is. By 'Israel' sometimes we should understand the
whole stock of Jacob, the natural children of his flesh; for that
name they have of him, for he obtained it when he wrestled with
the angel, and prevailed, and it remained with his seed in their
generations (Gen 32). By 'Israel' we are to understand all those
that God hath promised to Christ--'The children of the promise
are counted for the seed,' the elect Jews and Gentiles. These are
called 'the Israel of God,' and the seed of Abraham, whom Jesus in
special regarded in his undertaking the work of man's redemption
(Rom 9:8; Gal 6:16; Heb 2:14-16).

2. What it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them. This word
'raised up' is diversely taken in the Scripture. (1.) It is taken
for 'sending'; as when he saith he raised them up judges, saviours,
and prophets, he means he sent them such, and thus he raised up
Jesus--that is, 'he sent him' (Judg 2:16,18, 3:9,15; Amos 2:11).
'I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment' (John 12:49). (2.) To be raised up, intimateth
one invested with power and authority. Thus he raised up David to
be the king of Israel, he anointed him and invested him with kingly
power (1 Sam 16:13; Acts 13:22). And thus was Jesus Christ raised
up. Hence he is called 'the horn of salvation'--'He hath raised
up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David'
(Luke 1:69). (3.) To be raised up, intimateth quickening and
strengthening, to oppose and overcome all opposition. Thus was
Jesus raised up from under sin, death, the rage of the world, and
hell, that day that God raised him out of the grave.

Thus, therefore, was Jesus raised up to Israel--that is, he was
sent, authorized, and strengthened to, and in the work of, their
salvation, to the completing of it.

The words thus opened do lay before us these two observations--FIRST.
That in all ages God gave his people a promise, and so ground for
a believing remembrance, that he would one day send them a Saviour.
SECOND. That when Jesus was come into the world, then was that
promise of God fulfilled.

[OBSERVATION FIRST.]

To begin with the first, THAT IN ALL AGES GOD GAVE HIS PEOPLE A
PROMISE, AND SO GROUND FOR A BELIEVING REMEMBRANCE, THAT HE WOULD
ONE DAY SEND THEM A SAVIOUR.

This Zacharias testifies when he was filled with the Holy Ghost;
for, speaking of the Messiah or the Saviour, he saith that God spake
of him by the mouth of all the prophets which have been since the
world began; to which I will add that of Peter, 'Yea, and all the
prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have
spoken, have likewise foretold of these days' (Luke 1:69,70; Acts
3:24).

From these texts it is evident that in every generation or age of
the world God did give his people a promise, and so ground for a
believing remembrance, that he would one day send them a Saviour;
for indeed the promise is not only a ground for a remembrance, but
for a believing remembrance. What God saith is sufficient ground for
faith, because he is truth, and cannot lie or repent. But that is
not all; his heart was engaged, yea, all his heart, in the promise
which he spoke of sending us a Saviour.

From this observation I shall make inquiry into these three
things--FIRST. What it is to be a Saviour. SECOND. How it appears
that God in all ages gave his people a promise that he would one
day send them a Saviour. THIRD. That this was ground for believing
remembrance that a Saviour should one day come.

FIRST. What it is to be a Saviour.

First. This word 'Saviour' is easy to be understood, it being all
one with Deliverer, Redeemer, &c. 'A Saviour, Jesus,' both words
are of the same signification, and are doubled, perhaps to teach
us that the person mentioned in the text is not called 'Jesus'
only to distinguish him from other men--for names are given to
distinguish--but also and especially to specify his office; his
name is Saviour, because it was to be his work, his office, his
business in the world. His name shall be called Jesus, 'for he
shall save his people from their sins' (Matt 1:21).

Second. This word 'Saviour' is a word so large that it hath place
in all the undertakings of Christ: for whatever he doth in his
mediation he doth as a Saviour. He interposeth between God and man
as a Saviour; he engageth against sin, the devil, death, and hell,
as a Saviour, and triumphed over them by himself as a Saviour.

Third. The word 'Saviour,' as I said, is all one with Redeemer,
Deliverer, Reconciler, Peace-maker, or the like; for though there
be variation in the terms, yet Saviour is the intendment of them
all. By redeeming he becomes a Saviour, by delivering he becomes
a Saviour, by reconciling he becomes a Saviour, and by making peace
he becometh a Saviour. But I pass this now, intending to speak more
to the same question afterwards.

SECOND. How it appears that God in all ages gave his people a
promise that he would one day send them a Saviour.

It appears evidently; for so soon as man had sinned, God came to
him with a heart full of promise, and continued to renew, and renew,
till the time of the promised Messiah to be revealed was come.

[First.] He promised him under the name of 'the seed of the women,'
after our first father had sinned--'I will also put enmity between
thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel' (Gen 3:15).[1] This
the apostle hath his eye upon when he saith, 'When the fulness 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' (Gal 4:4,5).

Second. God renewed this promise to Abraham, and there tells him
Christ should be his seed, saying, 'In thy seed shall all families
of the earth be blessed' (Gen 12:3). 'Now,' saith Paul, 'to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds,
as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ' (Gal
3:16).

Third. He was promised in the time of Moses under the name of
a 'prophet'--'I will raise them up,' saith God to him, 'a prophet
from among their brethren like unto thee' (Deut 18:18). This
Peter expounds of Christ, 'For Moses truly said unto the fathers,
A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall
say unto you' (Acts 3:22).

Fourth. He promised him to David under the title of a 'son,' saying,
'I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son' (2 Sam 7:14). For
this the apostle expounded of the Saviour, saying, 'Thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee'; and again, 'I will be to him
a Father, and he shall be to me a Son' (Heb 1:5).

Fifth. He was promised in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, kings of Judah--

1. By the name of a 'branch'--'In that day shall the branch of the
Lord be beautiful and glorious' (Isa 4:2).

2. Under the name of the 'son of a virgin'--'Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.' This Matthew
expounds of Christ (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23).

3. He was promised under the name of a 'rod'--'There shall come
forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out
of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.' This
answereth the text, David was the son of Jesse, and Christ the Son
of David (Isa 11:1,2).

4. He is promised under the title of a 'king'--'Behold, a king
shall reign in righteousness,--and a man shall be as an hiding-place
from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water
in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land' (Isa
32:1,2).

5. He was promised under the name of an 'elect servant'--'Behold
my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;
I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice
to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and
the smoking flax shall he not quench' (Isa 42:1-3; Matt 12:17-20).

6. He was promised to Jeremiah under the name of 'the Lord our
Righteousness'--'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I
will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign
and prosper; and shall execute judgment--in the earth. In his days
Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is
his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS'
(Jer 23:5,6).

7. He was promised by the prophet Ezekiel under the name of 'David,
a shepherd'--'And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he
shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he
shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my
servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it' (Eze
24:23; John 10:1-3).

8. He was promised by the prophet Daniel under the name of 'Messiah,
or Christ, the most holy'--'And after threescore and two weeks
shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for himself' (Dan 9:26).

9. He was promised by the prophet Micah under the name of the 'ruler
in Israel'--'But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come--that
is to be ruler in Israel' (Micah 5:2; Matt 2:6).

10. He was promised to Haggai as 'the desire of all nations'--'I
will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come,
and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts'
(Hagg 2:7).

11. He was promised by Zechariah under the name of 'servant and
branch'--'For, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.'
And again, 'Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and he shall
grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the
Lord; and he shall bear the glory' (Zech 3:8, 6:12,13).

12. He was promised by Malachi under the name of 'the Lord, and
the messenger of the covenant'--'Behold, I will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye
seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the
covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord
of hosts' (Mal 3:1).

Indeed, the Scriptures of the Old Testament are filled with promises
of the Messias to come, prophetical promises, typical promises;
for all the types and shadows of the Saviour are virtually so many
promises.

Sixth. Having therefore touched upon the prophetical, I will
briefly touch the typical promises also; for as God spake at sundry
times to the fathers, so also in diverse manners, prophetically,
providentially, typically, and all of the Messias (Heb 1:1). The
types of the Saviour were various--1. Sometimes he was typed out
by men; 2. Sometimes by beasts; 3. Sometimes by insensible creatures.

1. He was typed forth sometimes by men. Adam was his type in many
things, especially as he was the head and father of the first world.
He was 'the figure of him that was to come' (Rom 5:14). Moses was
his type as Mediator, and as builder of the tabernacle (Heb 3:2,3).
Aaron was his type as he was high-priest, and so was Melchisedec
before him (Heb 5:4,5, 7:1,21). Samson was his type in the effects
of his death; for as Samson gave his life for the deliverance of
Israel from the Philistines, Christ gave his life to deliver us from
sin and devils. Joshua was his type in giving the land of Canaan
to Israel, as Jesus will give the kingdom of heaven to the elect
(Heb 4:8). David was his type in many things, especially in his
subduing of Israel's enemies, and feeding them [Israel]: hence he
is sometimes called David their king, and David their shepherd (Eze
34:23,24). Solomon was his type in his building the temple, and in
his peaceable kingdom. Hence it is said, 'He shall build the temple
of the Lord'; and again, 'Of his government and peace there shall
be no end.'

2. Beasts were his types. To instance some--

(1.) The paschal lamb was his type (Exo 12). In its spotlessness;
Christ was 'a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Peter
1:18,19). In its being roasted it was a figure of the cursed death
of Christ; for to be roasted bespake one accursed (Jer 29:22;
Gal 3:13). In that it was to be eaten--'Whoso eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood,' saith Christ, 'hath eternal life' (John 6:54).
In that its blood was to be sprinkled upon the doors of their
houses, for the destroying angel to look on; the blood of Christ
is sprinkled upon the elect for the justice of God to look on (Heb
9; 1 Peter 1:2). By eating the paschal lamb, the people went out
of Egypt; by feeding upon Christ by faith we come from under the
Egyptian darkness, tyranny of Satan, &c.

(2.) The red cow was his type (Num 19:2, &c.).[2] In that she was
to be without blemish. In that she was to be slain without the
camp--'Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own
blood, suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:12). In that her flesh
was to be burnt; a type of the grievous death of Christ. Her ashes
were to be carried into a clean place without the camp; a type of
the clean sepulchre where the body of Jesus was laid (John 19:38-41).

There were also divers other sacrifices, as bulls, goats, and birds,
which were types of him, which I here omit.

3. Insensible creatures were his types. As,

(1.) The man in the wilderness (Exo 16). And that as it came down
from heaven, for so did Christ--'I came down from heaven,' saith
he; and again, 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven'
(John 6:51). The manna was to be eaten; so is Christ by faith--'If
any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world' (John 6:51). The manna was to be gathered daily; so is
Christ to be daily eaten. The manna was all the bread that Israel
had in the wilderness; Christ is all the bread that believers have
in this life for their souls. The manna came not by Moses' law,
neither comes Christ by our merits--'Moses gave you not that bread
from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven'
(John 6:32).

(2.) Again; the rock that gave them out water for their thirst
was a type of him (Num 20). They 'did all drink the same spiritual
drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them;
and that Rock was Christ' (1 Cor 10:4). This rock was his type in
four things--

(a.) It gave drink to the people in the wilderness when they were
come out of Egypt; Christ gives drink to them that forsake the
world for him. (b.) The rock yielded water by being smitten by
Moses' rod; Christ giveth drink, even his blood, by being stricken
by Moses' law (Num 20:11; Isa 53). (c.) The water out of this rock
was given to the thirsty--'I will give unto him that is athirst,'
saith Christ, 'of the fountain of the water of life freely' (Rev
21:6). (d.) The water of the rock in the wilderness ran after the
people; they drank of that rock that followed them--'He opened the
rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like
a river' (Psa 110:41). Christ also is said by that type to follow
us--'They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that
Rock was Christ' (1 Cor 10:4).

(3.) Again, the mount Moriah was his type. That mount stood in
Jerusalem; Christ also stands in his church. Upon that rock was
built the temple (2 Chron 3:1)--'And upon this rock,' said Christ,
'I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it' (Matt 16:18).

Other things might be urged, but these being virtually of the
force of the promises, and also as a key to open them, therefore
I thought good to place them here with the promises; because, as
they are standing with them, so they are written to beget faith in
the same Lord Jesus Christ.

THIRD. I come now to the third thing--to wit, That these promises
were ground for a believing remembrance that a Saviour should one
day come.

There is a remembering, and a believing remembering, or such
a remembering that begetteth and maintaineth faith in the heart.
Jacob had a believing remembrance when he said, 'I have waited for
thy salvation, O Lord' (Gen 49:18). And so had David when he cried,
'O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion' (Psa 53:6).
These, with Simeon and Anna, had not a remembrance only, but a
believing remembrance that God would send them a Saviour. They had
the promise not in the book only, but in their hearts; this gospel
was mixed in them with faith; therefore they with their fellows
remembered and believed, or made the promise the ground of their
believing that God would one day send them a Saviour.

Let me make some

Use of this Doctrine.

Here we may see how much the heart of God was set upon the salvation
of sinners--he studied it, contrived it, set his heart on it, and
promised, and promised, and promised to complete it, by sending
one day his Son for a Saviour (2 Same 14:14; Eph 1:3; Titus 1:2).
No marvel, therefore, if when he treateth of the new covenant, in
which the Lord Jesus is wrapped, and presented in a word of promise
to the world, that he saith, I will do it 'assuredly with my whole
heart, and with my whole soul' (Jer 32:41).

Now this is of singular comfort to sensible sinners; yea, what
greater ground of consolation to such than to hear that the God
against whom they have sinned should himself take care to provide
them a Saviour. There are some poor sinners in the world that have
given such way to discouragement, from the sense of the greatness
of their sins, that they dare not think upon God, nor the sins which
they have committed; but the reason is, because they are ignorant
that God's heart was wrapt up in this good work of providing and
sending a Saviour. Let such hearken now to the call of God--'Return
unto me, for I have redeemed thee' (Isa 44:22). Ho! turn again,
hearken; the heart of God is much set upon mercy; from the beginning
of the world he resolved and promised, aye, and sware we should
have a Saviour.

[OBSERVATION SECOND.]

I now proceed to the second observation--THAT WHEN JESUS WAS COME
INTO THE WORLD, THEN WAS THE PROMISE OF GOD FULFILLED--namely, THAT
HE WOULD ONE DAY SEND US A SAVIOUR.

Take three texts for the confirmation of this point--1. 'This is of
a truth that prophet that should come into the world' (John 6:14).
These words were spoken of them that were present at that miracle
of Jesus, when he fed five thousand with five barley loaves, which
a lad had about him in the company; for these men, when they had
seen the marvel, being amazed at it, made confession of him to be
the Saviour. 2. 'Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son
of God, which should come into the world' (John 11:27). 3. 'This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners' (1 Tim 1:15).

For the explaining of this observation I will briefly handle three
questions--FIRST. How this Jesus is to be distinguished from others
of that name. SECOND. What it was for this Jesus to come into the
world. THIRD. What it was for him to come to be a Saviour.

[HOW THIS JESUS IS TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHERS.]

QUEST. FIRST. For the first, the Jesus in the text is distinguished
from all others of that name.

First. By the manner of his birth; he was born of a virgin, a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph; but he 'knew her not till
she had brought forth her first-born son, and he called his name
JESUS' (Matt 1:25).

Second. He is distinguished from others of that name by the place
of his birth--to wit, Bethlehem, the city of David; there he must
be born, there he was born (John 7:42; Matt 2:4-6).

Third. He is distinguished by his lineage--he came 'of the house
and lineage of David' (Luke 2:4-6).

Fourth. He is distinguished by the time of his birth--to wit, the
time of the prophets prefixed (Gal 4:4).

Fifth. But his common distinction is Jesus of Nazareth; by this name
he is distinguished one and twenty times in the New Testament--1.
His enemies called him 'Jesus of Nazareth' (Matt 26:71; Mark 14:67;
John 18:5). 2. His disciples called him 'Jesus of Nazareth' (Matt
21:11; Luke 24:19; John 1:45; Acts 2:22). 3. The angels called him
'Jesus of Nazareth' (Mark 16:6). 4. And he calleth himself 'Jesus
of Nazareth' (Acts 22:8). 5. Yea, and he goeth also by the name of
'Jesus of Nazareth' among the devils (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34).

He was called 'Jesus of Nazareth' because he dwelt there with his
mother Mary and her husband. Nazareth was his city, where he had
been brought up, whither for shelter Joseph carried him when he
came out of Egypt with him; in Nazareth was his common abode until
the time that John was cast into prison; wherefore he might well
say, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth' (Luke 4:16; Matt 2:23, 4:12,13). Yea,
though he was now in heaven, for heaven shall not make us forget
what countrymen we were when we lived in the world. Jesus, you see
here, though glorified in heaven, yet forgets not what countryman
he was when he dwelt in the world. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth,' saith
he; I am the Jesus that thou persecutest; and that thou mayest
know I am he, I tell thee I dwelt once in the city of Nazareth in
Galilee; Joseph and my mother Mary brought me up there, and there
I dwelt with them many years. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou
persecutest' (Acts 22:8).

[WHAT IT WAS FOR JESUS TO COME INTO THE WORLD.]

QUEST. SECOND. What it was for Jesus to come into the world.

Answ. Not his coming in, or by his Spirit in his people; for so
he was never out of the world. Neither is it his appearance in his
ordinances. Nor that coming of his by which he destroyeth Antichrist.
Nor his appearing in his dreadful providences or judgments. But by
the coming of Jesus, according to the text, we are to understand
that, or such a coming, whereby he was manifest to be God-man in
one person; God in our flesh without us, or distinct in his own
person by himself; such a coming by which he was manifested to be
in all points like as men are, sin only excepted; such a coming
wherein, or by which, the Son of God became also the Son of man.

[First.] For the further clearing of this, you find it expressly
said, he was 'born into the world'; Mary, 'of whom was born Jesus.'
Now, when Jesus was born, it is said, 'Where is he that is born
King of the Jews?' Herod 'demanded of them where Christ should be
born' (Matt 1:16, 2:1,2,4; Luke 1:35, 2:11).

Now, that this was fulfilled according to the very word of the text,
without any juggle, evasion, or cunningly-devised fable, consider--

1. He is called the first-born of this woman; the male child that
opened her womb (Luke 2:7,23).

2. He was not born till nourished in her womb the full time,
according to the time of life: 'And so it was, that while they were
there [at Bethlehem], the days were accomplished that she should
be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped
him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger' (Luke 2:6,7).

3. She also continued in her separation at the birth of Jesus,
as other women at the birth of their children, until 'the days of
her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished'
(Luke 2:22).

4. Himself also, as other Hebrew children, was brought to Jerusalem
to present him unto the Lord--'As it is written in the law of the
Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the
Lord' (Luke 2:23,24).

5. Thus Jesus also, as other Hebrew children, when the set day was
come, was circumcised--'And when eight days were accomplished for
the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was
so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb' (Luke
2:21).

6. After this he is often called the young child, the child Jesus;
and further, it is said of him, that he grew, that he increased in
wisdom and stature (Matt 2:20,21; Luke 2:40,52).

Behold with what diligence, even to a circumstance, the Holy Ghost
sets forth the birth of the Lord Jesus, and all to convince the
incredulous world of the true manner of the coming of the Saviour
into the world.

Second. The reality of the manhood of this Lord Jesus is yet further
manifest, and that, 1. By those natural infirmities that attend
human flesh; 2. By the names the prophets gave him in the days of
the Old Testament and the New.

1. By those natural infirmities that attend human flesh. As, at
his birth he could not go but as carried by his parents. He was
sensible of hunger (Luke 4:2). He was sensible of thirst (John
19:28). He was sensible of weariness (John 4:6). He was nourished
by sleep (Mark 4:38). He was subject to grief (Mark 3:5). He was
subject to anger (Mark 3:5). He was subject to weep (John 11:35;
Luke 19:41). He had joy as a man, and rejoiced (Matt 11:25; Luke
10:21). These things, I say, Jesus was subject to as a man, as the
son of the Virgin.

2. The reality of his manhood is yet made manifest by the names the
prophets gave him, both in the Old Testament and in the New. As,

(1.) He is called the 'seed'--the seed of the woman, the seed of
Abraham, the seed of David, by which is meant he was to come of
their children (Gen 3:15, 12, 22; Gal 3:16,17; Rom 1:3).

(2.) Therefore it is added (where mention is made of the fathers),
'of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came.' He was made of the
seed of David according to the flesh; and hence again he calleth
himself the offspring of David; therefore, I say, he is said to
be of their flesh, their loins, and is called their Son (Rom 1:3,
4:5; Acts 2:30; Rev 22:16).

(3.) He therefore is frequently called 'a man, and the Son of
man'--'Then shall you see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven.' 'When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him.' 'This man, because he continueth ever, hath
an unchangeable priesthood.' 'Wherefore, it is necessary that this
man have somewhat also to offer' (Matt 25:31, 26:64; Heb 7:24, 8:3,
10:12).

(4.) What shall I say? He himself gave undeniable demonstration of
all this when he said he 'was dead'; when he called to Thomas to
put his finger to, and behold his hands, to reach to him his hand
and thrust it into his side, and bid him he should not be faithless,
but believing. At another time, when he stood in the midst of the
eleven, as they were troubled with the thoughts of unbelief, he
said, 'Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle
me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have' (John 20:27; Luke 24:39).

Thus have I showed you what it was for Jesus to come into the
world--namely, to be born of a woman, to take flesh, and to become
God-man in one person. I come now to the third question; but before
I speak particularly to that, I will produce further testimony that
we find upon record concerning the truth of all this.

Particular testimonies that this coming of Jesus is his coming to
save us.

The Testimony of Simeon.--Simeon the Just gives testimony of him:
'And the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by
the Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen
the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and
when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the
custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God,
and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,--for
mine eyes have seen thy salvation' (Luke 2:25-32).

The Testimony of Anna.--Anna, a prophetess, one 'of a great age,--which
departed not from the temple, but served God with fasting and
prayers night and day. And she, coming in at that instant, gave
thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that
looked for redemption in Jerusalem' (Luke 2:36-38).

The Testimony of John Baptist.--John Baptist, as he fulfilled his
ministry, he cried concerning this Jesus, 'Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world.--And he,' saith John, 'that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining' or abiding,
'the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw,
and bare record that this is the Son of God' (John 1:29-34).

The Testimony of the Star and Wise Men.--The star that appeared at
his birth in the east, and that coasted through the heavens till
it came over the place where the young child Jesus was, that star
gave testimony that he was the Saviour. This star alarmed many,
especially the wise men of the east, who were brought by it from
afar to worship him: 'And lo, the star which they saw in the east,
went before them till it came and stood over where the young child
was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great
joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young
child, with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him;
and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him
gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh' (Matt 2:9-11).

The Testimony of the Angels.--1. To Mary herself--'And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,
-and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her,
and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured.--And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God. And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the
throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end' (Luke
1:26-33). 2. The angels' testimony to the shepherds, as they were
feeding their flocks in the fields by night--'And, lo, the angel
of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:9-11).
3. How the angels solemnized his birth among themselves--'And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, goodwill towards men' (vv 13,14).

The Testimony of God the Father.--1. When he was baptized--'And
Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water;
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo,
a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased' (Matt 3:16,17). 2. The Father's testimony of him at
his transfiguration--'And he took Peter and John and James, and went
up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his
countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.'
And there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him, and a cloud
from heaven overshadowed them; at which the three disciples began
to be afraid. Then 'there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This
is my beloved Son, hear him' (Luke 9:28-35). This is that testimony
of God which Peter speaks of, saying, 'We have not followed cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came
from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount'
(2 Peter 1:16-18). 3. God gave testimony of him by signs and
wonders--'Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father
in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but
the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.' 'God also
bearing them witness,' that preached salvation by Jesus, 'both with
signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy
Ghost, according to his own will' (John 14:10; Heb 2:4).

Concerning Jesus, how he put himself upon the test among his
adversaries.

The Lord Jesus also putteth himself upon the test among his
adversaries divers ways.

First. He urgeth the time of the appearing of the Messias to be
come--'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel' (Mark 1:15).

For this he had a threefold proof--1. The heathens had invaded
and taken the land, according to that of Daniel (9:25,26). 2. The
sceptre was departed from Judah, according to that of Jacob (Gen
49:10). To which also suited that prophecy: 'Before the child shall
know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou
abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings' (Isa 7:16). 3. The
Roman emperor had not only subdued the nation, and put down the
kingly race of the Jews, but had set up and established his own
power over them. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod was tetrarch
of Galilee; Philip, tetrarch of Iturea; and Lysanias, tetrarch of
Abilene; all heathens, and of Tiberius' making.

Besides, the kingly race of Judah was at this time become so low
by reason of the Roman oppression, that the chief of them were put
to get their living by their own hands; even Joseph, the supposed
father of Jesus, was then become a carpenter. Poor man! when Jesus
was born, he was fain to thrust into a stable, for there was in
the inn no room for such guests as they. The offering also which
was brought unto God at the time when Jesus was presented unto
the Lord, was two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons--a sacrifice
allowed only for them that were poor, and could provide no bigger--'And if
she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles,
or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt-offering, and the
other for a sin-offering' (Lev 12:8). Besides, Jesus himself saith,
'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of
man hath not where to lay his head.'

Now, I say, all these things were so apparent to the Jews, that
they could not object; they felt the Romans were come, they knew
the sceptre was gone, they smarted under the Roman tyranny, and
knew the kingly race of Judea was overthrown. How, then, could they
object that the time was not come for Christ to be born?

Further, the people were generally convinced that the time was come,
and therefore, saith the text, they were in expectation. 'And as
the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts
of John, whether he were the Christ or not' (Luke 3:15). The unbiased
people, observing the face of things, could do no other but look
for the Messias. And hence it is that the Lord Jesus gives the
Pharisees, those mortal enemies of his, such sore rebukes, saying,
'O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not
discern the signs of the times?' The kingdom is lost, the heathens
are come, and the sceptre is departed from Judah. 'Ye hypocrites,
ye can discern the face of the sky, and of the earth, but how is
it that ye do not discern this time?' (Matt 16:3; Luke 12:56).

Second. He yet again puts himself upon the test by the miracles
which he wrought before them--'Believe me, that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works'
sake' (John 14:11). 'For the works which the Father hath given me
to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the
Father hath sent me' (John 5:36.)

This proof they could not withstand, but granted that he did many
miracles, while they did nothing. 'Then gathered the chief priests
and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man
doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe
on him, and the Romans shall come, and take away both our place
and nation' (John 11:47,48).

Yea, so did Jesus confound them, that by their own records and
laws, by which they were to prove persons clean or unclean, they,
in reading their lectures, did justify him, and overthrow themselves.

For instance, it was written in their law, 'If he that hath an
issue spit upon him that is clean,' that spittle should make him
unclean (Lev 15:8). Now Jesus, whom they counted most unclean,
because he said he was the Son of God, as they thought, speaking
blasphemy, he spits upon people, and makes them whole. He spat,
and made clay with the spittle, and with that clay made a blind man
see (John 9:6). Also he spat on the eyes of another, and made him
see (Mark 8:23-25). Again, he spat, and with his spittle touched
the tongue of one that was dumb, and made him speak immediately
(Mark 7:33-35). Thus he proved himself clear of their accusations,
and maintained before them that by their law he was guiltless, and
the Son of God; for the miracles which he wrought were to prove
him so to be.

Again, in their law it was written that whoso toucheth the altar
of incense should be holy (Exo 29:37). A woman with a bloody issue
touched him, and is whole of her plague (Mark 5:28). Yea, they
brought to him many diseased persons, 'and besought him that they
might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched
were made perfectly whole' (Matt 14:36).

Thus was he justified before them out of their own law, and had his
glory manifest before their faces, to their everlasting confusion
and contempt.

Indeed, the Jews did make one objection against Jesus Christ that
seemed to them to have weight in it, and that was, because he first
began to appear and manifest his glory in Cana of Galilee. At this,
I say, they stumbled. It was their sore temptation; for still, as
some affirmed him to be the Christ, others as fast objected, 'Shall
Christ come out of Galilee?' 'Art thou also of Galilee? Search and
look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet' (John 2:1,11, 7:40-42,52).

But this their stumble might arise either from the cruelty of
Herod, or from their own not observing and keeping mind the alarm
that God gave them at his birth.

1. It might arise or be occasioned through the cruelty of Herod;
for Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city where David dwelt. But
when Herod sent out to kill him, and for his sake killed all the
young children in Bethlehem, then was Joseph warned by an angel of
God to take the young child and his mother, and fly into Egypt, and
so he did, and was there till the death of Herod (Matt 2:1,13,16).
After this, the angel comes to them in Egypt, and bids them take
the young child, and return into the land of Israel; wherefore they
arose and went. But hearing that Herod's son, that tyrant, ruled
in the room of his father, they were afraid to go to Bethlehem, but
turned aside into the parts of Galilee, where they remained till
the time of his showing to Israel (Matt 2:19-23).

2. This stumble of theirs might arise from their not observing and
keeping in mind the alarm that God gave them of his birth. (1.)
God began to give them the alarm at the birth of John the Baptist,
where was asserted that he was to go before the face of the Lord
Jesus, and to prepare his ways. 'And fear came on all that dwelt
round about them, and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout
all the hill country of Judea' (Luke 1:65). (2.) Again, what a
continuation of this alarm was there also at the birth of Jesus,
which was about three months after John Baptist was born? Now come
the angels from heaven. Now comes a strange star over the country
to lead the men of the east to the stable where Jesus was born; now
was Herod, the priests, the scribes, and also the city of Jerusalem,
awakened and sore troubled; for it was noised by the wise men that
Christ the King and Saviour was born. Besides the shepherds, Simeon
and Anna gave notice of him to the people. They should, therefore,
have retained the memory of these things, and have followed God
in all his dark providences, until his Sun of Righteousness should
arise among them with healing under his wings.

3. I may add another cause of their stumble--they did not understand
the prophecies that went before of him. (1.) He was to come to
them out of Egypt--'Out of Egypt have I called my Son' (Matt 2:15;
Hosea 11:1). (2.) He turned aside into Cana of Galilee, and dwelt
in the city of Nazareth, 'that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene' (Matt 2:23). (3.)
That saying also was to be fulfilled, 'The land of Zabulon, and the
land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee
of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light,
and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is
sprung up' (Matt 4:15,16; Isa 9:2, 42:7).

At these things, then, they stumbled, and it was a great judgment
of God upon them. Besides, there seemed to be a contradiction in
the prophecies of the Scripture concerning his coming. He was to
be born in Bethlehem, and yet to come out of Egypt. How should he
be the Christ, and yet come out of Galilee, out of which ariseth
no prophet? Thus they stumbled.

Hence note, that though the prophecies and promises be full and plain
as these were, that he should be born in Bethlehem, yet men's sins
may cause them to be fulfilled in such obscurity, that instead
of having benefit thereby, they may stumble and split their souls
thereat. Take heed then; hunt not Christ from plain promises with
Herod, hunt him not from Bethlehem, lest he appear to your amazement
and destruction from Egypt, or in the land of Zabulon! But this
much to the second question; to wit, What it was for Jesus to come
into the world.

I come now to the third question.

[WHAT IT WAS FOR JESUS TO COME TO BE A SAVIOUR.]

QUEST. THIRD. What it was for him to come to be a Saviour.

For the further handling of this question I must show--First. What
it is to be a Saviour. Second. What it is to come to be a Saviour.
Third. What it is for Jesus to come to be a Saviour. To these three
briefly--

First. What it is TO BE a Saviour. 1. A saviour supposeth some in
misery, and himself one that is to deliver them. 2. A saviour is
either such an one ministerially or meritoriously.

Ministerially is, when one person engageth or is engaged by virtue
of respect or command from superiors, to go and obtain, by conquest
or the king's redemption, the captives, or persons grieved by
the tyranny of an enemy. And thus were Moses and Joshua, and the
judges and kings of Israel, saviours--'Thou deliveredst them into
the hands of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of
their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from
heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them
saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies' (Neh
9:27). Thus was Jesus Christ a Saviour; he was engaged by virtue of
respect and command from God to obtain, by conquest and redemption,
the captives or persons grieved. God sent his Son to be 'the Saviour
of the world' (John 4:42).

Meritoriously is, when the person engaging shall, at his own
proper cost and charge, give a sufficient value or price for those
he redeemeth. Thus those under the law were redeemed by the money
called the redemption-money--'And Moses gave the money of those that
were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons' (Num 3:46-51). And thus
was Jesus Christ a Saviour. He paid full price to Divine justice
for sinners, even his own precious blood--'Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ' (1 Peter 1:18,19).

And forasmuch as, in man's redemption, the undertaker must have
respect, not only to the paying of a price, but also to the getting
of a victory; for there is not only justice to satisfy, but death,
devil, hell, and the grave, to conquer; therefore hath he also by
himself gotten the victory over these. He hath abolished death (2
Tim 1:10). He hath destroyed the devil (Heb 2:14,15). He hath been
the destruction of the grave (Hosea 13:14). He hath gotten the keys
of hell (Rev 1:18). And this, I say, he did by himself, at his own
proper cost and charge, when he triumphed over them upon his cross
(Col 2:14,15).

Second. What it is TO COME to be a Saviour.

1. To come to be one, supposeth one ordained and fore-prepared for
that work--'Then said he, Lo, I come, a body hast thou prepared
me' (Heb 10).

2. To come to be a Saviour supposeth one commissionated or authorized
to that work--'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me,' authorized me, 'to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent met to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised' (Luke 4:18). And upon this account
it is that he is so often called Christ, or the Anointed One;
the anointed Jesus, or Jesus the Anointed Saviour. 'Thou art the
Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.' 'This
Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ.' He 'testified to the Jews
that Jesus was Christ,' 'and confounded the Jews which dwelt at
Damascus, proving' by the Scriptures 'that this is very Christ'
(John 11:27; Acts 9:22, 17:3, 18:5); the very anointed of God, or
he whom God authorized and qualified to be the Saviour of the world.

3. To come to be a Saviour supposeth a resolution to do that work
before he goeth back--'I will ransom them from the power of the
grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues;
O grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be hid from
mine eyes' (Hosea 13:14).

And as he resolved, so he hath done. He hath purged our sins (Heb
1:3). By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified (Heb 10:14). He hath obtained eternal redemption for
them (Heb 9:12; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 9:26; Col 2:15; Heb 6:18-20).

Third. I come now to the third question--What it is for JESUS to
come to be a Saviour.

1. It is the greatest discovery of man's misery and inability to
save himself therefrom that ever was made in the world. Must the Son
of God himself come down from heaven? or can there be no salvation?
Cannot one sinner save another? Cannot man by any means redeem his
brother, nor give to God a ransom for him? Cannot an angel do it?
Cannot all the angels do it? No; Christ must come and die to do
it.

2. It is the greatest discovery of the love of God that ever the
world had, for God so to love the world as to send his Son! For
God so to commend his love to the world as to send it to them in
the blood of his Son! Amazing love! (John 3:16; Rom 5:8).

3. It is the greatest discovery of the condescension of Christ
that ever the world had, that he should not come 'to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many'
(Matt 20:28). That he should be manifest for this purpose, 'that he
might destroy the works of the devil' (1 John 3:8). That he should
come that we 'might have life, and that we might have it more
abundantly' (John 10:10). That the Son of God should 'come to seek
and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10). That he should not
come 'to judge the world, but to save the world' (John 12:47). That
'Christ Jesus should come into the world to save sinners, of whom
I am the chief' (1 Tim 1:15). That he should 'love us, and wash us
from our sins in his own blood' (Rev 1:5). What amazing condescension
and humility is this! (Phil 2:6-9).

HOW JESUS CHRIST ADDRESSED HIMSELF TO THE WORK OF OUR REDEMPTION.

I come, then, in the next place, to show you how Jesus Christ
addressed himself to the work of man's redemption.

The Scripture saith, 'he became poor,' that he made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, that he humbled
himself unto death, even the death of the cross. But particularly,
FIRST. He took upon him our flesh. SECOND. He was made under the
law. THIRD. He took upon him our sins. FOURTH. He bore the curse
due to our sins.

[HE TOOK UPON HIM OUR FLESH.]

FIRST. He took upon him our flesh. I showed you before that he came
in our flesh, and now I must show you the reason of it--namely,
because that was the way to address himself to the work of our
redemption.

Wherefore, when the apostle treated of the incarnation of Christ,
he added withal the reason--to wit, that he might be capable to
work out the redemption of men.

There are three things to be considered in this first head. First.
That he took our flesh for this reason--that he might be a Saviour.
Second. How he took flesh, that he might be our Saviour. Third.
That it was necessary that he should take our flesh, if indeed he
will be our Saviour.

[He took our flesh, that he might be a Saviour.]

[First.] For the first. That he took our flesh for this reason--that
he might be a Saviour: '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' (Rom
8:3).

The sum of the words is, Forasmuch as the law could do us no good,
by reason of the inability that is in our flesh to do it--for the
law can do us no good until it be fulfilled--and because God had a
desire that good should come to us, therefore did he send his Son
in our likeness, clothed with flesh, to destroy, by his doing the
law, the tendency of the sin that dwells in our flesh. He therefore
took our flesh, that our sin, with its effects, might by him be
condemned and overcome.

The reason, therefore, why he took flesh is, because he would be
our Saviour--'Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage' (Heb 2:14,15).

In these words it is asserted that he took our flesh for certain
reasons.

1. Because the children, the heirs of heaven, are partakers of
flesh and blood--'Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same.' Had the
children, the heirs, been without flesh, he himself had not taken
it upon him; had the children been angels, he had taken upon him
the nature of angels; but because the children were partakers of
flesh, therefore leaving angels, or refusing to take hold of angels,
he took flesh and blood, the nature of the children, that he might
put himself into a capacity to save and deliver the children;
therefore it follows, that 'through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil.'

2. This, therefore, was another reason--that he might destroy the
devil.

The devil had bent himself against the children; he is their
adversary, and goeth forth to make war with them--'Your adversary,
the devil.--And he went to make war with the remnant of her seed'
(1 Peter 5:8; Rev 12:17). Now the children could not destroy him,
because he had already cast them into sin, defiled their nature,
and laid them under the wrath of God. Therefore Christ puts himself
among the children, and into the nature of the children, that he
might, by means of his dying in their flesh, destroy the devil--that
is, take away sin, his [the devil's] work, that he might destroy
the works of the devil; for sin is the great engine of hell, by
which he overthroweth all that perish. Now this did Christ destroy
by taking on him the similitude of sinful flesh; of which more
anon.

3. 'That he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and deliver them.' This was the thing in chief intended,
that he might deliver the children, that he might deliver them
from death, the fruit of their sin, and from sin, the sting of that
death--'That he might deliver them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage.'

He took flesh, therefore, because the children had it; he took it
that he might die for the children; he took it that he might deliver
the children from the works of the devil--'that he might deliver
them.' No deliverance had come to the children if the Son of God
had not taken their flesh and blood; therefore he took our flesh,
that he might be our Saviour.

Again, in a Saviour there must be not only merit, but compassion and
sympathy, because the children are yet to live by faith, are not
yet come to the inheritance--'Wherefore it behoved him in all things
to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful
and faithful High-priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people' (Heb 2:17,18).

Two reasons are rendered in this text why he must take flesh--namely,
that he might be their priest to offer sacrifice, to wit, his body
and blood for them; and that he might be merciful and faithful, to
pity and preserve them unto the kingdom appointed for them.

Mark you, therefore, how the apostle, when he asserteth that
the Lord Jesus took our flesh, urgeth the reason why he took our
flesh--that he might destroy the devil and death, that he might
deliver them. It behoveth him to be made like unto his brethren, that
he might be merciful and faithful, that he might make reconciliation
for the sins of the people. The reason, therefore, why he took our
flesh is declared--to wit, that he might be our Saviour. And hence
you find it so often recorded. He hath 'abolished in his flesh the
enmity.' He hath 'slain the enmity' by his flesh. 'And you that
were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death,
to present you holy and unblameable--in his sight' (Eph 2:15,16;
Col 1:21,22).

How he took flesh.

Second. I come now to the second question--to wit, How he took our
flesh. This must be inquired into; for his taking flesh was not
after the common way; never any took man's flesh upon him as he,
since the foundation of the world.

1. He took not our flesh like Adam, who was formed out of the
ground; 'who was made of the dust of the ground' (Gen 2:7, 3:19).
2. He took not our flesh as we do, by carnal generation. Joseph
knew not his wife, neither did Mary know any man, till she had
brought forth her first-born son (Matt 1:25; Luke 1:34). 3. He took
flesh, then, by the immediate working and overshadowing of the Holy
Ghost. And hence it is said expressly, 'She was found with child
of the Holy Ghost.' 'Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this
wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they
came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost' (Matt
1:18). And hence again, when Joseph doubted of her honesty, for
he perceived she was with child, and knew he had not touched her,
the angel of God himself comes down to resolve his doubt, and
said, 'Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost'
(Matt 1:20).

But again, though the Holy Ghost was that by which the child Jesus
was formed in the womb, so as to be without carnal generation, yet
was he not formed in her without, but by, her conception--'Behold,
thou shalt conceive in they womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt
call his name JESUS' (Luke 1:31). Wherefore he took flesh not only
in, but of, the Virgin. Hence he is called her son, the seed of the
woman; and hence it is also that he is called the seed of Abraham,
the seed of David; their seed, according to the flesh (Gen 12,
13:15, 22; Luke 1:31, 2:7; Rom 1:3, 9:5; Gal 3:16, 4:4).

And this, the work he undertook, required, 1. It required that
he should take our flesh. 2. It required that he should take our
flesh without sin, which could not be had he taken it by reason
of a carnal generation; for so all children are conceived in, and
polluted with, sin (Psa 51). And the least pollution, either of
flesh or spirit, had utterly disabled him for the work, which to
do, he came down from heaven. Therefore, 'such an High-priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens' (Heb 7:26).

This mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God was thus completed,
I say, that he might be in all points like as we are, yet without
sin; for sin in the flesh disableth and maketh incapable to do
the commandment. Therefore was he thus made, thus made of a woman;
and this the angel assigneth as the reason of this his marvellous
incarnation. 'The Holy Ghost,' saith he, 'shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also
that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God' (Luke 1:35).

The overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and the power of the Highest--the
Father and the Holy Ghost--brought this wonderful thing to pass,
for Jesus is a wonderful one in his conception and birth. This
mystery is that next to the mystery of three persons in one God;
it is a great mystery. 'Great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh.'

The conclusion is, that Jesus Christ took our flesh that he might
be our Saviour; and that he might be our Saviour indeed, he thus
took our flesh.

That it was necessary that he should take our flesh if he will be
our Saviour.

Third. I come now to the third thing--namely, that it was necessary
that he should take our flesh if he will be our Saviour.

1. And that, first, from the nature of the work; his work was to
save, to save man, sinking man, man that was 'going down to the
pit' (Job 33:24). Now, he that will save him that is sinking must
take hold on him. And since he was not to save a man, but men,
therefore it was necessary that he should take hold, not of one
person, but of the common nature, clothing himself with part of the
same. He took not hold of angels, 'but he took on him the seed of
Abraham' (Heb 2:16). For that flesh was the same with the whole
lump of the children to whom the promise was made, and comprehended
in it the body of them that shall be saved, even as in Adam was
comprehended the whole world at first (Rom 5).

Hence we are said to be chosen in him, to be gathered, being in
him, to be dead by him, to be risen with him, and to be set with
him, or in him, in heavenly places already (Rom 7:4; Eph 1:4,10;
Col 2:12,13, 3:1-3). This, then, was the wisdom of the great God,
that the Eternal Son of his love should take hold of, and so secure
the sinking souls of perishing sinners by assuming their flesh.

2. The manner of his doing the work of a Saviour did call for his
taking of our flesh.

He must do the work by dying. 'Ought not Christ to have suffered?
Christ must needs have suffered,' or else no glory follows (Luke
24:26; Acts 17:3). 'The prophets testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that should follow' (1 Peter 1:11). Yea,
they did it by the Spirit, even by the Spirit of Christ himself.
This Spirit, then, did bid them tell the world, yea, testify,
that Christ must suffer, or no man be blest with glory; for the
threatening of death and the curse of the law lay in the way between
heaven gates and the souls of the children, for their sins; wherefore
he that will save them must answer Divine justice, or God must
lie, in saving them without inflicting the punishment threatened.
Christ, then, must needs have suffered; the manner of the work laid
a necessity upon him to take our flesh upon him; he must die, he
must die for us, he must die for our sins. And this was effectually
foretold by all the bloody sacrifices that were offered under the
law--the blood of bulls, the blood of lambs, the blood of rams,
the blood of calves, and the blood of goats and birds. These bloody
sacrifices, what did they signify, what were they figures of, but
of the bloody sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ? their blood
being a shadow of his blood, and their flesh being a shadow of his
flesh.

Therefore, when God declared that he took no pleasure in them,
because they could not make the worshippers perfect as pertaining
to the conscience, then comes Jesus Christ to offer his sinless body
and soul for the sin of the people--'For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. Wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifices and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me; in burnt-offerings
and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo,
I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy
will, O God.' Since burnt-offerings cannot do thy will, my body
shall; since the blood of bulls and goats cannot do thy will, my
blood shall. Then follows, By the will of God 'we are sanctified,
through the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'
(Heb 10:4-10).

3. The end of the work required that Christ, if he will be our
Saviour, should take upon him our flesh.

The end of our salvation is, that we might enjoy God, and that he
by us might be glorified for ever and ever.

(1.) That we might enjoy God. 'I will dwell in them, and they shall
be my people, and I will be their God.' This indwelling of God, and
consequently our enjoyment of him, begins first in its eminency by
his possessing our flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Hence his
name is called 'Immanuel, God with us'; and 'the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us.' The flesh of Christ is the tabernacle
which the Lord pitched, according to that saying, 'The tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God'
(Rev 21:3). Here God beginneth to discover his glory, and to be
desirable to the sons of men.

God could not communicate himself to us, nor take us into the
enjoyment of himself, but with respect to that flesh which his Son
took of the Virgin, because sin stood betwixt. Now this flesh only
was the holy lump, in this flesh God could dwell; and forasmuch
as this flesh is the same with ours, and was taken up with intent
that what was done in and by that, should be communicated to all
the children; therefore through that doth God communicate of himself
unto his people--'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself' (2 Cor 5:19). And 'I am the way,' saith Christ, 'no man
cometh unto the Father but by me' (John 14:6).

That passage to the Hebrews is greatly to our purpose. We have
boldness, brethren, 'to enter into the holiest,' the place where
God is, 'by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which
he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh' (Heb 10:19,20).

Wherefore by the flesh and blood of Christ we enter into the holiest;
through the veil, saith he, that is to say, his flesh.

(2.) As the end of our salvation is that we might enjoy God, so
also it is that he by us might be glorified for ever--'That God in
all things might be glorified, through Jesus Christ our Lord.'

Here indeed will the mystery of his grace, wisdom, justice, power,
holiness, and glory, inhabit eternal praise, while we that are
counted worthy of the kingdom of God shall admire at the mystery,
and see ourselves, without ourselves, even by the flesh and blood
of Christ through faith therein, effectually and eternally saved.
Oh, this will be the burden of our eternal joy--God loved us, and
gave his Son for us; Christ loved us, and gave his flesh for our
life, and his blood for our eternal redemption and salvation!

THAT CHRIST WAS MADE UNDER THE LAW.

SECOND. But, secondly CHRIST WAS MADE UNDER THE LAW--'When the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law' (Gal 4:4).

Of right, being found in flesh, he must needs be under the law,
for that there is not any creature above or without law to God; but
this is not to the point in hand. Christ was not therefore under
the law because he was found in flesh, but he took flesh, and
designedly put himself, or was made under the law; wherefore it
is added, He was made under the law to 'redeem,' to redeem them
that were under that law. Wherefore, here is a design, a heavenly
contrivance and device on foot; Christ is made--that is, by design
subjected--under the law, for the sake and upon the account of
others, 'to redeem them that were under the law.'

Made under the law--that is, put himself into the room of sinners,
into the condition of sinners; made himself subject to the same
pains and penalties we were obnoxious to. We were under the law,
and it had dominion over us, bound us upon pain of eternal damnation
to do completely all things written in the law. This condition
Christ put himself into that 'he might redeem'; for assuredly we
had else perished.

The law had dominion over us, and since we had sinned, of right
it pronounced the curse, and made all men subject to the wrath of
God. Christ, therefore, did not only come into our flesh, but also
into our condition, into the valley and shadow of death where we
were, and where we are, as we are sinners. He that is under the
law is under the edge of the axe. When David was to go to visit
his brethren, and to save them from the hand of Goliath, he was
to look how his brethren fared, and to 'take their pledge' (1 Sam
17:18). This is true of Jesus Christ when he came to save us from
the hand of death and the law; he looked how his brethren fared,
took to heart their deplorable condition, and put himself into the
same plight--to wit, under the law, that he might redeem them that
were under the law.

I told you before that he came sinless into the world, that he had
a miraculous conception, and wonderful birth; and here you see a
reason for it, he was to be put, or made, under the law, 'to redeem.'
He that will be made under the law to redeem, had need be sinless
and spotless himself; for the law findeth fault with the least,
and condemneth man for the first beginning of, sin.

Without this, then, there could not have been redemption, nor any
the sons of God by adoption: no redemption, because the sentence
of death had already passed upon all; no sons by adoption, because
that is the effect of redemption. '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.' Christ, then, by
being made under the law, hath recovered his from under the law,
and obtained for them the privilege of the adoption of sons.

For, as I told you before, Christ stood a common[3] person,
presenting in himself the whole lump of the promised seed, or the
children of the promise; wherefore he comes under the law for them,
takes upon him to do what the law required of them, takes upon him
to do it for them.

He began, therefore, at the first tittle of the law, and going in
man's flesh, for man, through the law, he becomes 'the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' The END of the
law--what is the end of the law but perfect and sinless obedience?
that is the end of the law, both with respect to its nature, and
the cause of its being imposed. God gave the law, that complete
righteousness should by that be found upon men; but because sin was
got into man's flesh, therefore this righteousness, by us, could
not be completed. Now comes Christ the Lord into the world, clothes
himself with the children's flesh, addresseth himself to the work
of their redemption, is made under the law; and going through every
part of the law without sin, he becometh 'the end of the law for'
justifying 'righteousness to every one that believeth' (Rom 10:4).
For he obeyed not the law for himself, he needed no obedience
thereto; it was we that needed obedience, it was we that wanted to
answer the law; we wanted it but could not obtain it, because then
the law was weak through the flesh; therefore God sent his own
Son, and he did our duty for us, even to become the end of the law
to every one that believeth. In this, therefore, Christ laboured
for us, he was made under the law to redeem. Therefore, as I said
before, it behoved him to be sinless, because the law binds over
to answer for sin at the bar of the judgment of God. Therefore did
his Godhead assume our human flesh, in a clean and spotless way,
that he might come under 'the law, to redeem them that were under
the law.'

For, consisting of two natures, and the personality lying in the
Godhead, which gave value and worth to all things done for us by
the manhood, the obedience takes denomination from thence, to be
the obedience of God. The Son's righteousness, the Son's blood; the
righteousness of God, the blood of God (Heb 5:8,9; Phil 3:9; Acts
20:28; 1 John 3:16).

Thus Jesus Christ came into the world under the law to redeem, not
simply as God, but God-man, both natures making one Christ. The
Godhead, therefore, did influence and give value to the human flesh
of Christ in all its obedience to the law, else there would have
been wanting that perfection of righteousness which only could
answer the demands and expectation of the justice of God; to wit,
perfect righteousness by flesh.

But the second Person in the Godhead, the Son, the Word, coming
under the law for men in their flesh, and subjecting himself by
that flesh to every tittle and demand of the law; all and every
whit of what was acted and done by Jesus Christ, God-man, for us,
it was and is the righteousness of God; and since it was not done
for himself, but for us, as he saith in the text, 'to redeem,' the
righteousness by which we are set free from the law is none other
but the righteousness that alone resideth in the person of the Son
of God.

And that it is absolutely necessary thus it should be, is evident,
both with respect to God and also with respect to man.

With respect to God. The righteousness is demanded by God; therefore
he that comes to redeem must present before God a righteousness
absolutely perfect; this can be done by none but God.

With respect to man. Man was to present this righteousness to God;
therefore must the undertaker be man. Man for man, and God for God,
God-man between God and man. This daysman can lay his hand upon us
both, and bring God and man together in peace (Job 9:33).

Quest. But some may say, what need of the righteousness of one
that is naturally God? Had Adam, who was but a mere man, stood in
his innocency, and done his duty, he had saved himself and all his
posterity.

Answ. Had Adam stood, he had so long secured himself from the wages
of sin, and posterity so long as they were in him. But had Adam
sinned, yea, although he had not defiled his nature with filth,
he could never after that have redeemed himself from the curse of
the law, because he was not equal with God; for the curse of the
law is the curse of God; but no man can deliver himself from the
curse of God, having first transgressed. This is evident, because
angels, for sin, lie bound in chains, and can never deliver
themselves. He, therefore, that redeemeth man from under the law
must not only do all the good that the law requireth, but bear all
the penalty that is due by the law for sin.

Should an angel assume human flesh, and in that flesh do the law,
this righteousness would not redeem a sinner; it would be but the
righteousness of an angel, and so, far short of such a righteousness
as can secure a sinner from the wrath of God. But 'thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy heart, with all
thy mind, with all thy strength.' If there were no more required
of us now to redeem ourselves, it would be utterly impossible for
us to do it, because in the best there is sin, which will intermix
itself with every duty of man. This being so, all the heart, all the
soul, all the strength, and all the mind, to the exact requirement
of the justice of the law, can never be found in a natural man.

Besides, for this work there is required a perfect memory, always
to keep in mind the whole duty of man, the whole of every tittle of
all the law, lest sin come in by forgetfulness; a perfect knowledge
and judgment, lest sin come in by ignorance; an everlasting
unweariedness in all, lest sin and continual temptation tire the
soul, and cause it to fail before the whole be done.

For the accomplishing of this last, he must have--1. A perfect
willingness, without the least thought to the contrary. 2. Such a
hatred of sin as is not to be found but in the heart of God. 3. A
full delight in every duty, and that in the midst of all temptations.
4. A continuing in all things to the well-pleasing of the justice
of God.

I say, should the penalty of the law be taken off, should God
forgive the penalty and punishment due to sins that are past, and
only demand good works now, according to the tenor of the law, no
man could be saved; there would not be found that heart, that soul,
that mind, and that strength, anywhere in the world.

This, therefore, must cease for ever, unless the Son of God will
put his shoulder to the work; but, blessed be God, he hath done
it--'When the fulness 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.'

CHRIST TOOK UPON HIM OUR SINS.

THIRD. But thirdly, CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR TAKES UPON HIM OUR SINS.
This is another step to the work of our redemption. 'He hath made
him to be sin for us.' Strange doctrine! A fool would think it
blasphemy; but Truth hath said it. Truth, I say, hath said, not
that he was made to sin, but that God made him to be sin--'He hath
made him to be sin for us' (2 Cor 5:21).

This, therefore, showeth us how effectually Christ Jesus undertook
the work of our redemption--He was made to be sin for us. Sin is the
great block and bar to our happiness; sin is the procurer of all
miseries to men both here and for ever. Take away sin, and nothing
can hurt us; for death temporal, death spiritual, and death eternal,
are the wages of sin (Rom 6:23).

Sin, then, and man for sin, is the object of the wrath of God. If
the object of the wrath of God, then is his case most dreadful; for
who can bear, who can grapple with the wrath of God? Men cannot,
angels cannot, the whole world cannot. All, therefore, must sink
under sin, but he who is made to be sin for us; he only can bear
sins, he only can bear them away, and therefore were they laid
upon him--'The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all' (Isa
53:6).

Mark, therefore, and you shall find that the reason why God made
him to be sin for us was, 'that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.' He took our flesh, he was made under the law, and
was made to be sin for us, that the devil might be destroyed, that
the captives might be redeemed, and made the righteousness of God
in him.

And forasmuch as he saith that God 'hath made him to be sin,' it
declareth that the design of God and the mystery of his will and
grace was in it. 'He hath made him to be sin.' God hath done it,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. There was no
other way; the wisdom of heaven could find no other way; we could
not by other means stand just before the justice of God.

Now, what remains but that we who are reconciled to God by faith
in his blood are quit, discharged, and set free from the law of sin
and death? Yea, what encouragement to trust in him, when we read
that God 'made him to be sin for us.'

Quest. But how was Jesus Christ made of God to be sin for us?

Answ. Even so as if himself had committed all our sins; that is,
they were as really charged upon him as if himself had been the actor
and committer of them all. 'He hath made him to be sin,' not only
as a sinner, but as sin itself. He was as the sin of the world that
day he stood before God in our stead. Some, indeed, will not have
Jesus Christ our Lord to be made sin for us; their wicked reasons
think this to be wrong judgment in the Lord; it seems, supposing
that because they cannot imagine how it should be, therefore God,
if he does it, must do it at his peril, and must be charged with
doing wrong judgment, and so things that become not his heavenly
Majesty; but against this duncish sophistry[4] we set Paul and
Isaiah, the one telling us still, 'the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all'; and the other, that 'God made him to be sin
for us.'

But these men, as I suppose, think it enough for Christ to die
under that notion only, not knowing nor feeling the burden of sin,
and the wrath of God due thereto. These make him as senseless in
his dying, and as much without reason, as a silly sheep or goat,
who also died for sin, but so as in name, in show, in shadow only.
They felt not the proper weight, guilt, and judgment of God for
sin. But thou, sinner, who art so in thine own eyes, and who feelest
guilt in thine own conscience, know thou that Jesus Christ, the Son
of the living God in flesh, was made to be sin for thee, or stood
sensibly guilty of all thy sins before God, and bare them in his
own body upon the cross.

God charged our sins upon Christ, and that in their guilt and burden,
what remaineth but that the charge was real or feigned? If real,
then he hath either perished under them, or carried them away from
before God; if they were charged but feignedly, then did he but
feignedly die for them, then shall we have but feigned benefit by
his death, and but a feigned salvation at last--not to say how this
cursed doctrine chargeth God and Christ with hypocrisy, the one in
saying, He made Christ to be sin; the other in saying that he bare
our sin; when, in deed and in truth, our guilt and burden never
was really upon him.

Quest. But might not Christ die for our sins but he needs must bear
their guilt or burden?

Answ. He that can sever sin and guilt, sin and the burden, each from
other, laying sin and no guilt, sin and no burden on the person
that dieth for sin, must do it only in his own imaginative head.
No scripture, nor reason, nor sense, understandeth or feeleth sin
when charged without its guilt and burden.

And here we must distinguish between sin charged and sin forgiven.
Sin forgiven may be seen without guilt or burden, though I think
not without shame in this world; but sin charged, and that by the
justice of God--for so it was upon Christ--this cannot be but guilt
and the burden, as inseparable companions, must unavoidably lie on
that person. Poor sinner, be advised to take heed of such deluded
preachers who, with their tongues smoother than oil, would rob
thee of that excellent doctrine, 'God hath made him to be sin for
us'; for such, as I said, do not only present thee with a feigned
deliverance and forgiveness, with a feigned heaven and happiness,
but charge God and the Lord Jesus as mere impostors, who, while
they tell us that Christ was made of God to be sin for us, affirm
that it was not so really, suggesting this sophistical reason,
'No wrong judgment comes from the Lord.' I say again, this wicked
doctrine is the next way to turn the gospel in thy thoughts to no
more than a cunningly-devised fable (2 Peter 1:16), and to make
Jesus Christ, in his dying for our sins, as brutish as the paschal
lamb in Moses' law.

Wherefore, distressed sinner, when thou findest it recorded in
the Word of truth that Christ died for our sins, and that God hath
made him to be sin for us, then do thou consider of sin as it is a
transgression against the law of God, and that as such it procureth
the judgment of God, torments and afflicts the mind with guilt,
and bindeth over the soul to answer it. Sever not sin and guilt
asunder, lest thou be an hypocrite like these wicked men, and rob
Christ of his true sufferings. Besides, to see sin upon Christ, but
not its guilt; to see sin upon Christ, but not the legal punishment,
what is this but to conclude that either there is no guilt and
punishment in sin, or that Christ bare our sin, but we the punishment?
for the punishment must be borne, because the sentence is gone out
from the mouth of God against sin.

Do thou therefore, as I have said, consider of sin as a transgression
of the law (1 John 3:4), and a provoker of the justice of God;
which done, turn thine eye to the cross, and behold those sins, in
the guilt and punishment of them, sticking in the flesh of Christ.
'God condemned sin in the flesh' of Christ (Rom 8:3). He 'bare our
sins in his own body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24).

I would only give thee this caution--Not sin in the nature of
sin--sin was not so in the flesh of Christ; but sin in the natural
punishment of it--to wit, guilt, and the chastising hand of justice.
'He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with
his stripes we are healed' (Isa 53:5).

Look, then, upon Christ crucified to be as the sin of the world,
as if he only had broken the law; which done, behold him perfectly
innocent in himself, and so conclude that for the transgression
of God's people he was stricken; that when the Lord made him to be
sin, he made him to be sin for us.[5]

HE WAS MADE A CURSE FOR US.

FOURTH. As he was made flesh under the law, and also sin, SO HE
WAS MADE A CURSE FOR US--'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us; as it is written, Cursed
is every one that hangeth on a tree.' This sentence is taken out
of Moses, being passed there upon them that for sin are worthy
of death--'And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and
thou hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon
the tree, but thou shalt in anywise bury him that day, for he that
is hanged is accursed of God' (Deut 21:22,23). By this sentence
Paul concludeth that Jesus Christ was justly hanged, because sin
worthy of death was upon him; sin, not of his own, but ours. Since,
then, he took our sins, he must be cursed of God; for sin is sin
wherever it lies, and justice is justice wherever it finds it;
wherefore since Jesus Christ will bear our sin, he must be 'numbered
with the transgressors,' and counted worthy to die the death.

He that committeth sin is worthy of death. This, though Christ did
not personally do, his members, his body, which is his church did;
and since he would undertake for them with God, and stand in their
sins before the eyes of his justice, he must die the death by the
law.

Sin and the curse cannot be severed. Sin must be followed with the
curse of God. Sin therefore being removed from us to the back of
Christ, thither goes also the curse; for if sin be found upon him,
he is the person worthy to die--worthy by our sins.

Wherefore Paul here setteth forth Christ clothed with our sins,
and so taking from us the guilt and punishment. What punishment,
but the wrath and displeasure of God?--'Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.'

In this word 'curse' are two things comprised,

1. The reality of sin; for there can be no curse where there is
no sin, either of the person's own, or made to be his by his own
consent or the imputation of Divine justice. And since sins are made
to be Christ's by imputation, they are his, though not naturally,
yet really, and consequently the wages due. He hath made him to be
sin; he was made a curse for us.

2. This word 'curse' compriseth, therefore, the punishment of sin,
that punishment properly due to sin from the hand of God's justice,
which punishment standeth in three things--(1.) In charging sin
upon the body and soul of the person concerned; and hence we read
that both the body and soul of Christ 'were made an offering for
sin' (Isa 53:10; Heb 10:10). (2.) The punishment standeth in God's
inflicting of the just merits of sin upon him that standeth charged
therewith, and that is death in its own nature and strength; to
wit, death with the sting thereof--'The sting of death is sin.'
This death did Christ die because he died for our sins. (3.) The
sorrows and pains of this death, therefore, must be undergone by
Jesus Christ.

Now there are divers sorrows in death--such sorrows as brutes are
subject to; such sorrows as persons are subject to that stand in
sin before God; such sorrows as those undergo who are swallowed up
of the curse and wrath of God for ever.

Now so much of all kinds of sorrow as the imputation of our sin
could justly bring from the hand of Divine justice, so much of it
he had. He had death. He had the sting of death, which is sin. He
was forsaken of God; but could not by any means have those sorrows
which they have that are everlastingly swallowed up of them. 'It
was not possible that he should be holden of it' (Acts 2:24).

For where sin is charged and borne, there must of necessity follow
the wrath and curse of God. Now where the wrath and curse of God is,
there must of necessity follow the effects, the natural effects--I
say, the natural effects--to wit, the sense, the sorrowful sense
of the displeasure of an infinite Majesty, and his chastisements
for the sin that hath provoked him. There are effects natural,
and effects accidental; those accidental are such as flow from
our weakness, whilst we wrestle with the judgment of God--to wit,
hellish fear, despair, rage, blasphemy, and the like; these were
not incident to Jesus Christ, he being in his own person every
way perfect. Neither did he always endure the natural effects; his
merits relieved and delivered him. God loosed the pains of death,
'because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.'

Christ then was made a curse for us, for he did bear our sin; the
punishment therefore from the revenging hand of God must needs fall
upon him.

Wherefore by these four things we see how Christ became our
Saviour--he took hold of our nature, was born under the law, was
made to be sin, and the accursed of God for us. And observe it--all
this, as I said before, was the handiwork of God. God made him
flesh, made him under the law, God made him to be sin, and also
a curse for us. The Lord bruised him, the Lord put him to grief,
the Lord made his soul an offering for sin (Isa 53:10). Not for
that he hated him, considering him in his own harmless, innocent,
and blessed person, for he was daily his delight; but by an act
of grace to us-ward, were our iniquities laid upon him, and he in
our stead was bruised and chastised for them. God loved us, and
made him a curse for us. He was made a curse for us, 'that the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through [faith in]
Jesus Christ' (Gal 3:14).

FURTHER DEMONSTRATION OF THIS TRUTH.

Before I pass this truth, I will present thee, courteous reader,
with two or three demonstrations for its further confirmation.

First. That Christ did bear our sins and curse is clear, because
he died, and that without a mediator.

He died--'The wages of sin is death' (Rom 6:23). Now if death
be the wages of sin, and that be true that Christ did die and not
sin, either the course of justice is perverted, or else he died for
our sins; there was 'no cause of death in him,' yet he died (Acts
13:28). He did no evil, guile was not found in his mouth, yet he
received the wages of sin (1 Peter 2:22). Sin, therefore, though
not of his own, was found upon him, and laid to his charge, because
'he died.' 'Christ died for our sins,' Christ 'gave himself for
our sins' (1 Cor 15:1-3; Gal 1:4).

He, then, that will conclude that Christ did not bear our sin,
chargeth God foolishly, for delivering him up to death; for laying
on him the wages, when in no sense he deserved the same. Yea, he
overthroweth the whole gospel, for that hangeth on this hinge--'Christ
died for our sins.'

Object. But all that die do not bear the curse of God for sin.

Answ. But all that die without a mediator do. Angels died the
cursed death because Christ took not hold of them; and they for whom
Christ never prayeth, they die the cursed death, for they perish
everlastingly in the unutterable torments of hell. Christ, too,
died that death which is the proper wages of sin, for he had none
to stand for him. 'I looked,' saith he, 'and there was none to
help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine
own arm brought salvation unto me.--And he saw that there was no
man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm
brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it sustained him'
(Isa 63:5, 54:16).

Christ then died, or endured the wages of sin, and that without an
intercessor, without one between God and him; he grappled immediately
with the eternal justice of God, who inflicted on him death, the
wages of sin; there was no man to hold off the hand of God; justice
had his full blow at him, and made him a curse for sin. He died
for sin without a mediator, he died the cursed death.

Second. A second thing that demonstrateth that Christ died the
cursed death for sin; it is, the frame of spirit that he was in at
the time that he was to be taken.

Never was poor mortal so beset with the apprehensions of approaching
death, as was this Lord Jesus Christ; amazement beyond measure,
sorrow that exceeded, seized upon his soul. 'My soul,' saith he,
'is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.' 'And he began,' saith
Mark, 'to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy' (Matt 26:38; Mark
14:33).

Add to this, that Jesus Christ was better able to grapple with
death, even better able to do it alone, than the whole world joined
all together. 1. He was anointed with the Spirit without measure
(John 3:34). 2. He had all grace perfect in him (John 1:16). 3.
Never none so soaked in the bosom of his Father's love as himself
(Prov 8:23-30). 4. Never none so harmless and without sin as he
was, and, consequently, never man had so good a conscience as he
had (Heb 7:26). 5. Never none prepared such a stock of good works
to bear him company at the hour of death as he. 6. Never none had
greater assurance of being with the Father eternally in the heavens
than he. And yet, behold, when he comes to die, how weak is he,
how amazed at death, how heavy, how exceeding sorrowful! and, I
say, no cause assigned but the approach of death.

Alas! how often is it seen that we poor sinners can laugh at
destruction when it cometh; yea, and 'rejoice exceedingly when we
find the grave,' looking upon death as a part of our portion; yea,
as that which will be a means of our present relief and help (Job
3:22; 1 Cor 3:22). This Jesus Christ could not do, considered as
dying for our sin, but the nearer death, the more heavy and oppressed
with the thoughts of the revenging hand of God. Wherefore he falls
into an agony, and sweats; not after the common rate as we do when
death is severing body and soul--'His sweat was as it were great
drops [clodders] of blood falling down to the ground' (Luke 22:44).

What, I say, should be the reason, but that death assaulted him
with his sting? If Jesus Christ had been to die for his virtues
only, doubtless he would have borne it lightly, and so he did
as he died, bearing witness to the truth, 'He endured the cross,
despising the shame' (Heb 12:2). How have the martyrs despised
death, and, as it were, not been careful of that, having peace with
God by Jesus Christ, scorning the most cruel torments that hell and
men could devise and invent! but Jesus Christ could not do so, as
he was a sacrifice for sin; he died for sin, he was made a curse
for us. O my brethren, Christ died many deaths at once, he made
his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. Look
how many thousands shall be saved--so many deaths did Jesus die;
yet it was but once he died. He died thy death, and my death, and
so many deaths as all our sins deserved who shall be saved from
the wrath to come.

Now, to feign that these sorrows and this bloody agony, was not
real, but in show only, what greater condemnation can be passed
upon Jesus Christ, who loved to do all things in the most unfeigned
simplicity? It was, therefore, because of sin, the sin that was put
into the death he died, and the curse of God that was due to sin,
that made death so bitter to Jesus Christ--'It is Christ that died.'
The apostle speaks as if never any died but Christ, nor indeed did
there, so wonderful a death as he (Rom 8:34). Death, considered
simply as it is a deprivation of natural life, could not have these
effects in a person, personally more righteous than an angel. Yea,
even carnal, wicked men, not awakened in their conscience, how
securely can they die! It must therefore also be concluded that the
sorrows and agony of Jesus Christ came from a higher cause, even
from the guilt of sin, and from the curse of God that was now
approaching for that sin.

It cannot be attributed to the fear of men; their terror could not
make him afraid; that was contrary to his doctrine, and did not
become the dignity of his person; it was sin, sin, sin, and the
curse due to sin.

Third. It is evident that Christ did bear and die the cursed death
for sin, from the carriage and dispensations of God towards him.

1. From the carriage of God. God now becomes as an enemy to him.
(1.) He forsakes him--'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Yea, the sense of the loss of God's comfortable presence abode
with him even till he gave up the ghost. (2.) He dealeth with him
as with one that hath sinned, he chastiseth him, he bruiseth him,
he striketh and smiteth him, and was pleased--that is, his justice
was satisfied--in so doing. 'It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he
hath put him to grief' (Isa 53:10).

These things could not be, had he only considered him in his own
personal standing. Where was the righteous forsaken? Without the
consideration of sin, he doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the
children of men--that is, not out of pleasure, or without sufficient
cause.

Jesus Christ, then, since he is under this withdrawing, chastising,
bruising, and afflicting displeasure of God, he is all that time
under sin, under our sins, and therefore thus accursed of God, his
God.

2. Not only the carriage of God, but his dispensations, his visible
dispensations, plainly declare that he stood before God in our
sins. Vengeance suffered him not to live. Wherefore God delivered
him up--'He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all' (Rom 8:32). (1.) He delivered him into the hands of men (Mark
9:31). (2.) He was delivered into the hands of sinners (Luke 24:7).
(3.) He was delivered unto death (Rom 4:25). (4.) Yea, so delivered
up as that they both had him to put him to death, and God left him
for that purpose in their hands; yea, was so far off from delivering
him, that he gave way to all things that had a tendency to take
his life from the earth.

Now many men do what they will with him, he was delivered to their
will--Judas may sell him; Peter may deny him; all his disciples
forsake him; the enemy apprehends him, binds him, they have him
away like a thief to Caiaphas the high-priest, in whose house he
is mocked, spit upon, his beard is twitched from his cheeks; now
they buffet him and scornfully bow the knee before him; yea, 'his
visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the
sons of men' (Isa 52:14).

Now he is sent to the governor, defaced with blows and blood;
who delivereth him into the hand of his soldiers; they whip him,
crown him with thorns, and stick the points of the thorns fast in
his temples by a blow with a staff in their hand; now he is made
a spectacle to the people, and then sent away to Herod, who, with
his men of war, set him at nought, no God appearing for his help.

In fine, they at last condemn him to death, even to the death of
the cross, where they hang him up by wounds made through his hands
and his feet, between the earth and the heavens, where he hanged
for the space of six hours--to wit, from nine in the morning till
three in the afternoon. No God yet appears for his help; while
he hangs there some rail at him, others wag their heads, others
tauntingly say, 'He saved others, himself he cannot save'; some
divide his raiment, casting lots for his garments before his face;
others mockingly bid him come down from the cross, and when he
desireth succour, they give him vinegar to drink. No God yet appears
for his help.

Now the earth quakes, the rocks are rent, the sun becomes black,
and Jesus still cries out that he was forsaken of God; and presently
boweth his head and dies (Matt 26, 27; Mark 14, 15; Luke 22, 23;
John 18, 19).

And for all this there is no cause assigned from God but sin--'He
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes
we are healed' (Isa 53:5).

The sum then is, that Jesus Christ the Lord, by taking part of
our flesh, became a public person, not doing or dying in a private
capacity, but in the room and stead of sinners, whose sin deserved
death and the curse of God; all which Jesus Christ bare in his
own body upon the tree. I conclude, then, that my sin is already
crucified and accursed in the death and curse Christ underwent.

[Objections to this doctrine.]

I come now to some objections.

Objection First. Christ never was a sinner, God never supposed him
to be a sinner, neither did our sins become really his; God never
reputed him so to have been; therefore hate or punish him as a
sinner he could not; for no false judgment can belong to the Lord.

Answer.--First. That Christ was not a sinner personally, by acts
or doings of his own, is granted; and in this sense it is true that
God did never suppose him to be a sinner, nor punished him as such
a sinner, nor did he really, if by really you understand naturally,
become our sin, nor did God ever repute him so. Second. But that
Christ stood before God in our sins, and that God did not only
suppose him so to stand, but set him in them, put them upon him,
and counted them as his own, is so true that he cannot at present
be a Christian that denies it--'The Lord hath laid upon him the
iniquities of us all' (Isa 53:6; 1 Peter 2:22). Third. So, then,
though God did not punish him for sin of his own committing, yet
he punished him for sin of our committing--'The just suffered for
the unjust' (1 Peter 3:18). Fourth. Therefore it is true, that
though Christ did never really become sin of his own, he did really
become our sin, did really become our curse for sin. If this be
denied, it follows that he became our sin but feignedly, that he
was made our curse, or a curse for us but in appearance, show, or
in dissimulation; but no such action or work can proceed of the
Lord. He did then really lay our sin and his curse upon him for
our sin.

Objection Second. But if Christ indeed hath suffered for our sins,
and endured for them that curse that of justice is due thereto,
then hath he also endured for us the proper torments of hell, for
they are the wages of our sins.

Answer. Many things might be said in answer to this objection; but
briefly--First. What God chargeth upon the soul for sin is one
thing, and what followeth upon that charge is another. Second.
A difference in the person suffering may make a difference in the
consequences that follow upon the charge. Let us then consider of
both these things.

First. The charge is sin--God charge him with our sins. The person
then stands guilty before the judgment of God. The consequences
are--1. The person charged sustains or suffereth the wrath of God.
2. This wrath of God is expressed and inflicted on body and soul.

The consequences are--God forsaketh the person charged, and being
left, if he cannot stand, he falleth under the power of guilt and
horror of the same.

If the person utterly fall under this charge, as not being able to
wrestle with and overcome this wrath of God, then despair, horror
of hell, rage, blasphemy, darkness, and damnable anguish, immediately
swallow him up, and he lieth for ever and ever in the pains of
hell, a monument of eternal vengeance.

Now that Christ underwent the wrath of God it is evident, because he
bare our curse; that God forsook him, he did with strong crying and
tears acknowledge; and therefore that he was under the soul-afflicting
sense of the loss of God's favour, and under the sense of his
displeasure, must needs flow from the premises.

[Second.] But now, because Christ Jesus the Lord was a person
infinitely differing from all others that fall under the wrath of
God, therefore those things that flow from damned sinners could
not flow from him.

1. Despair would not rise in his heart, for his flesh did rest in
hope; and said, even when he suffered, 'Thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell' (Acts 2:27).

2. The everlastingness of the punishment, therefore, nor the terrors
that accompany such, could not fasten upon him; for he knew at last
that God would justify him, or approve of his works that they were
meritorious.

And mark, everlasting punishment is not the proper wages of sin
but under a supposition that the person suffering be not able to
pay the debt--'Thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid
the very last mite' (Luke 12:59).

The difference, then, of the persons suffering may make a difference,
though not in the nature of the punishment, yet in the duration
and consequences of it.

Christ under the sentence was, as to his own personal acts only,
altogether innocent; the damned only altogether sinners. Christ had
in him even then the utmost perfection of all graces and virtues; but
the damned, the perfection of sin and vileness. Christ's humanity
had still union with his Godhead; the damned, union only with sin.
Now, an innocent person, perfect in all graces, as really God as
man, can better wrestle with the curse for sin than either sinful
men or angels.

While they despair, Christ hopes. While they blaspheme, Christ
submits. While they rage, Christ justifies God. While they sink
under the burden of sin and wrath, Christ recovereth by virtue of
his worthiness--'Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.' He was God's Holy
One, and his holiness prevailed.

So that it follows not, that because Christ did undergo the curse
due to our sins, he therefore must have those accidental consequences
which are found to accompany damned souls.

Objection Third. But the Scripture saith, that the wages of sin is
everlasting punishment: 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matt 25:41).

Answer. This objection is partly answered already in the answer to
that foregoing. But further,

First. Consider, the wages of sin is death, and punishment under
the wrath of God--till those that die the death for sin have paid
the utmost farthing (Matt 5:26; Luke 12:58,59).

Second. So, then, the everlastingness of the punishment lieth here,
if the person suffering be not able to make amends to justice for
the sins for which he suffereth; else justice neither would nor
could, because it is just, keep such still under punishment.

Third. The reason, then, why fallen angels and damned souls have
an everlastingness of punishment allotted them is, because, by what
they suffer, they cannot satisfy the justice of God.

Fourth. The conclusion then is, though the rebukes of God for sin
by death, and punishment after, be the rebukes of eternal vengeance,
yet the eternity of that punishment is for want of merit. Could
the damned merit their own deliverance, justice would let them go.

Fifth. It is one thing, therefore, to suffer for sin by the stroke
of eternal justice, and another thing to abide for ever a sufferer
there: Christ did the first, the damned do the second.

Sixth. His rising, therefore, from the dead the third day doth
nothing invalidate his sufferings, but rather showeth the power of
his merit. And here I would ask a question, Had Christ Jesus been
more the object of faith, if weakness and endless infirmity had
kept him under the curse, than by rising again from the dead; want
of merit causing the one, sufficiency thereof causing the other?

Seventh. If men will not believe that Christ hath removed the
curse because he is risen again, they would much more strongly have
doubted it had he been still in the grave. But, O amazing darkness!
to make that an argument that his sufferings wanted merit, which
to God himself is sufficient proof that he hath purged our sins for
ever--'For this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins
for ever, sat down on the right hand of God' (Heb 10:12).

Objection Fourth. But the Scripture saith, Christ is our example,
and that in his very death (1 Peter 2:21).

Answer. Christ in his sufferings and death is both sacrifice and
example.

First. A sacrifice--'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.'
And again, 'He gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God, for a sweet-smelling savour.' And thus he made reconciliation
for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness (1 Cor 5:7;
Eph 5:1,2; Dan 9:24).

Second. He was also in his sufferings exemplary, and that in several
particulars--(1.) In his meek deportment while he was apprehended
(Isa 53:7). (2.) In doing them good that sought his life (Luke
22:50,51). (3.) In his praying for his enemies when they were in
their outrage (Luke 23:34). (4.) 'When he was reviled, he reviled
not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed
himself to him that judgeth righteously' (1 Peter 2:23).

In these respects, I say, he was exemplary, and brought honour to
his profession by his good behaviour; and O how beautiful would
Christianity be in the eyes of men, if the disciples of our Lord
would more imitate him therein!

But what? because Christ is our pattern, is he not our passover?
or, because we should in these things follow his steps, died he
not for our sins? Thus to conclude would not only argue thee very
erroneous, but such a conclusion would overthrow the gospel, it
being none other but a great sleight of Satan to shut out the whole
by a part, and to make us blasphemers while we plead for holiness.

Look, then, upon the death of Christ under a double consideration--1.
As he suffered from the hand of God. 2. As he suffered from the
hand of men. Now, as he suffered by God's hand, so he suffered for
sin; but as he suffered from men, so he suffered for righteousness'
sake.

Observe, then, that as he suffered for sin, so no man took away
his life; but as he suffered for righteousness, so they slew him
by wicked hands. What is it then? Christ must needs have suffered,
and the wisdom of God had so ordained that 'those things which God
before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ
should suffer, he hath so fulfilled' (Acts 3:18). Thus, therefore,
we ought to distinguish of the causes and ends of the death of
Christ.

Again; as Christ suffered for sin, so he would neither be taken at
man's pleasure, nor die at man's time. 1. Not at man's pleasure;
and hence it was that they so often sought his life in vain, 'for
his hour was not yet come'--to wit, the hour in which he was to be
made a sacrifice for our sin (John 13, 17:1,2, 18:1,2). 2. Not at
their time; but, contrary to all expectation, when the due time
was come, 'he bowed his head and gave up the ghost' (John 19:30).

And for this last work, he had power given him of God--that is,
power to die when he would. 'I have power,' said he, 'to lay down
my life, and I have power to take it again.' This power never man
had before. This made the centurion wonder, and made Pontius Pilate
marvel; and indeed well they might, for it was as great a miracle
as any he wrought in his life; it demonstrated him to be the Son
of God (Mark 15:38,39). The centurion, knowing that according to
nature he might have lived longer, concluded therefore that his
dying at that instant was not but miraculously. And when he 'saw
that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this
man was the Son of God.'

And the reason why he had power to die was, that he might offer
his offering willingly, and at the season. 1. Willingly--'If his
offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male
without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will, at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord'
(Lev 1:3). 2. He must offer it at the season--'Thou shalt keep this
ordinance,' the passover, 'in his season' (Exo 13:10).

Now, both these offerings having immediate respect to the offering
of the body of Christ for sin--for he came in the room of all burnt
sacrifices--the passover also was a type of him (Heb 10:3-6; 1 Cor
5:7,8). Therefore, he being now the priest as well as sacrifice,
must have power and will to offer his sacrifice with acceptation;
and this the Scripture testifieth he did, where it saith, 'In due
time Christ died for the ungodly' (Rom 5:6). In due time, that is,
at the time appointed, at the acceptable time.

Thou must, therefore, unless thou art willing to be deceived, look
upon the sufferings of Christ under a double consideration, and
distinguish between his sufferings as our example and his suffering
for our sins. And know, that as he suffered as our example, so
he suffered only for righteousness' sake from the hands of wicked
men; but as he suffered for our sins, so he suffered, as being by
God imputed wicked, the punishment that was due to sin, even the
dreadful curse of God. Not that Christ died two deaths, one after
another; but he died at the same time upon a double account--for
his righteousness' sake from men, for our sins from the hand of
God. And, as I said before, had he only suffered for righteousness'
sake, death had not so amazed him, nor had he been so exceeding
heavy in the thoughts of it; that had never put him into an agony,
nor made him sweat as it were great drops of blood. Besides, when
men suffer only for righteousness' sake, God doth not use to hide
his face from them, to forsake them, and make them accursed; 'but
Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us.'

Objection Fifth. But if indeed Christ hath paid the full price for
us by his death, in suffering the punishment that we should have
done, wherefore is the Scripture so silent as not to declare that
by his death he hath made satisfaction?

Answer. No man may teach God knowledge; he knoweth best how to
deliver his mind in such words and terms as best agree with his
eternal wisdom, and the consciences of those that are truly desirous
of salvation, being overburdened with the guilt of sin. Perhaps the
word 'satisfaction' will hardly be found in the Bible; and where
is it said in so many words, 'God is dissatisfied with our sins?'
yet it is sufficiently manifest that there is nothing that God
hateth but sin, and sinners for the sake of sin. What meant he by
turning Adam out of paradise, by drowning the old world, by burning
up Sodom with fire and brimstone from heaven? What meant he by
drowning of Pharaoh, by causing the ground to swallow up Korah and
his company, and by his destroying Israel in the wilderness, if
not to show that he was dissatisfied with sin? That God is also
satisfied, yea, more than satisfied, by Christ's sufferings for
our sins, is apparent; for, granting that he died for them as these
scriptures declare--Isaiah 49:4-6, 53; 1 Corinthians 5:8, 15:1-4;
2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4, 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; 1 John
2:2, 3:16, 4:14; Revelation 1:5, 5:9.--

First. It is apparent, because it is said that God smelled in
that offering of the body of Christ for our sins a sweet-smelling
savour--'He gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God,
for a sweet-smelling savour' (Eph 5:2).

Second. It is apparent, because it is said expressly that God
for Christ's sake doth now forgive--'Be ye kind one to another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you' (Eph 4:32).

Third. It is apparent that God is satisfied with Christ's blood for
our sins, because he hath declared that he can justify those that
believe in, or rely upon, that blood for life, in a way of justice
and righteousness--'Being justified freely by his grace, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in
Jesus' (Rom 3:24-26).

Now, I say, to object against such plain testimonies, what is it
but to deny that Christ died for sin; or to conclude, that having
so done, he is still in the grave; or, that there is no such thing
as sin; or, no such thing as revenging justice in God against it;
or, that we must die ourselves for our sins; or, that sin may be
pardoned without a satisfaction; or, that every man may merit his
own salvation? But 'without shedding of blood is no remission' (Heb
9:22).

To avoid, therefore, these cursed absurdities, it must be granted
that Jesus Christ by his death did make satisfaction for sin.

But the word 'satisfaction' may not be used by the Holy Ghost,
perhaps for that it is too short and scanty a word to express the
blessedness that comes to sinners by the blood of Christ.

1. To make satisfaction amounts to no more than completely to
answer a legal demand for harms and injuries done. Now this, when
done to the full, leaveth the offender there where he was before
he committed the injury. Now, if Christ had done no more than this,
he had only paid our debt, but had not obtained eternal redemption
for us.

2. For a full satisfaction given by this man for harms done by
another may neither obtain the love of the person offended, nor
the smallest gift which the person offending hath not deserved.
Suppose I owe to this man ten thousand talents, and another should
pay him every farthing, there remaineth over and above by that
complete satisfaction not one single halfpenny for me. Christ hath
therefore done more than to make satisfaction for sin by his blood.
He hath also 'made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,'
and we 'shall reign with him for ever and ever' (Rev 1:6, 22:5).

[Additional scriptures in proof of this doctrine.]

But take a few more scriptures for the proof of the doctrine before
asserted.

First. 'We have redemption through his blood' (Col 1:14). 1. Redemption
from sin (Eph 1:7). 2. Redemption from death (Heb 2:14,15; Hosea
13:14). 3. Redemption from Satan (Heb 2:14). 4. Redemption from
the world (Gal 1:4). 5. Redemption to God (Rev 5:9). 6. Eternal
redemption--'Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his
own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us' (Heb 9:12).

Second. We are said also to be washed in his blood. 1. Our persons
are washed--He 'loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood' (Rev 1:5). 2. His blood washeth also our performances--'Our
robes are washed, and made white in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev
7:14).

Third. We are said to be purged by his blood. 1. Purged from sin
before God--'When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on
the right hand of God' (Heb 1:3). 2. Purged from evil consciences--'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?' (Heb 9:14).

Fourth. We are said to be made nigh to God by his blood--'But now
in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by
the blood of Christ' (Eph 2:13).

Fifth. Peace is said to be made by his blood. 1. Peace with God
(Col 1:20). 2. Peace of conscience (Heb 10:19-23). 3. Peace one
with another (Eph 2:14).

Sixth. We are said to be justified by his blood. 'Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him' (Rom 5:9). Justified, that is, acquitted--1. Acquitted
before God (Eph 5:26,27). 2. Acquitted before angels (Matt 28:5-8).
3. Acquitted by the law (Rom 3:21-23). 4. Acquitted in the court
of conscience (Heb 9:14).

Seventh. We are said to be saved by his blood (Rom 5:8,9).

Eighth. We are said to be reconciled by his blood (Col 1:20-22).

Ninth. We are said to be sanctified by his blood (Heb 13:12).

Tenth. We are said to be admitted into the holiest by his blood
(Heb 10:19).

Eleventh. We are said to have eternal redemption by his blood (Heb
9:12).

Yea, lastly, this blood which was once spilt upon the cross, will
be the burden of our song in heaven itself for ever and ever (Rev
5:9).

Now, if we be redeemed, washed, purged, made nigh to God, have
peace with God; if we stand just before God, are saved, reconciled,
sanctified, admitted into the holiest; if we have eternal redemption
by his blood, and if his blood will be the burden of our song for
ever; then hath Christ paid the full price for us by his death,
then hath he done more than made satisfaction for our sins.

SEVERAL DEMONSTRATIONS MORE, PROVING THE FORMER DOCTRINE.

But before I conclude this answer, I will give you nine or ten more
undeniable demonstrations to satisfy you, if God will bless them
to you, in the truth of this great doctrine--to wit, that Jesus
Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid the full price to God for
the souls of sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them.

THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION.

FIRST. And, first, I begin with his resurrection. That God that
delivered him up unto death, and that made him a curse for sin,
that God raised him up from the dead--'But God raised him from the
dead' (Acts 3:15, 13:30). Now, considering that at his death he was
charged with our sins, and accursed to death for our sins, that
justice that delivered him up for them must have amends made to
him before he acquits him from them; for there can be no change
in justice. Had he found him in our sins in the grave, as he found
him in them upon the tree (for he had them in his body on the tree),
he had left him there as he had left him upon the tree; yea, he
had as surely rotted in the grave, as ever he died on the tree (1
Peter 2:24). But when he visited Christ in the grave, he found him
a holy, harmless, undefiled, and spotless Christ, and therefore
he raised him up from the dead--'He raised him up from the dead,
having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that
he should be holden of it' (Acts 2:24).

Quest. But why not possible now to be holden of death?

Answ. Because the cause was removed. Sin was the cause--'He died
for our sins.--He gave himself for our sins' (1 Cor 15:1-3; Gal
1:4). These sins brought him to death; but when God, that had
made him a curse for us, looked upon him in the grave, he found
him there without sin, and therefore loosed the pains of death;
for justice saith, this is not possible, because not lawful, that
he who lieth sinless before God should be swallowed up of death;
therefore he raised him up.

Quest. But what did he do with our sins, for he had them upon his
back?

Answ. It is said he took them away--'Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world.' It is said he put them away--'Now
once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself' (John 1:29; Heb 9:26). That is, by the
merit of his undertaking he brought into the world, and set before
the face of God, such a righteousness that outweigheth and goeth far
beyond that sin, and so did hide sin from the sight of God; hence,
he that is justified is said to have his sins hid and covered--'Blessed
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered' (Psa
32:1). Covered with the righteousness of Christ--'I spread my skirt
over thee, and covered thy nakedness,' thy sins (Eze 16:8). Christ
Jesus, therefore, having by the infiniteness of his merit taken
away, put away, or hidden our sins from the face of God, therefore
he raised him up from the dead.

You find in that sixteenth of Leviticus mention made of two goats,
one was to be slain for a sin-offering, the other to be left
alive; the goat that was slain was a type of Christ in his death,
the goat that was not slain was a type of Christ in his merit. Now
this living goat, he carried away the sins of the people into the
land of forgetfulness--'And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the
head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of
the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their
sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him
away by the hands of a fit man into the wilderness; and the goat
shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited'
(Lev 16:21,22). Thus did Jesus Christ bear away by the merit of
his death the sins and iniquities of them that believe; wherefore,
when God came to him in the grave, he found him holy and undefiled,
and raised him up from the dead.

And observe it, as his death was for our sin, so his rising again
was for our discharge; for both in his death and resurrection he
immediately respected our benefits; he died for us, he rose from
the dead for us--'He was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification' (Rom 4:25). By his death he carried
away our sins, by his rising he brought to us justifying righteousness.

There are five circumstances also attending his resurrection that
show us how well pleased God was with his death.

First. It must be solemnized with the company, attendance, and
testimony of angels (Matt 28:1-8; Luke 24:3-7; John 20:11,12).

Second. At, or just upon, his resurrection, the graves where many
of the saints for whom he died lay asleep, did open, and they
followed their Lord in full triumph over death--'The graves were
opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came
out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many' (Matt 27:52,53). These saints coming
out of their graves after him, what a testimony is it that he for
them had taken away sin, and destroyed him that had the power of
death; yea, what a testimony was it that he had made amends to God
the Father, who granted him at his resurrection to have presently
out of the grave, of the price of his blood, even the bodies of
many of the saints which slept! He was declared to be the Son of
God with power by the Spirit of holiness, and the resurrection from
the dead (Rom 1:4). It saith not, by his resurrection, though that
be true; but by the resurrection, meaning the resurrection of the
bodies of the saints which slept, because they rose by virtue of
his blood; and by that he was with power declared to be the Son of
God. They, I say, were part of his purchase, some of them for whom
Christ died. Now for God to raise them, and that upon and by virtue
of his resurrection, what is it but an open declaration from heaven
that Christ by his death hath made amends for us, and obtained
eternal redemption for us?

Third. When he was risen from the dead, God, to confirm his
disciples in the faith of the redemption that Christ had obtained
by his blood, brings him to the church, presents him to them alive,
shows him openly, sometimes to two or three, sometimes to eleven
or twelve, and once to above five hundred brethren at once (Acts
1:3, 10:40; Luke 24:13-16; John 20:19, 21:1-23; 1 Cor 15:3-8).

Fourth. At his resurrection, God gives him the keys of hell and
of death (Rev 1:18). Hell and death are the effects and fruits of
sin. 'The wicked shall be turned into hell,' and the wages of sin
is death. But what then are sinners the better for the death and
blood of Christ? O! they that dare venture upon him are much the
better, for they shall not perish, unless the Saviour will damn
them, for he hath the keys of hell and of death. 'Fear not,' saith
he, 'I am the first and the last, I am he that liveth, and was
dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of
hell and death.' These were given him at his resurrection, as if
God had said, My Son, thou hast spilt thy blood for sinners, I am
pleased with it, I am delighted in thy merits, and in the redemption
which thou hast wrought; in token hereof I give thee the keys of
hell and of death; I give thee all power in heaven and earth; save
who thou wilt, deliver who thou wilt, bring to heaven who thou
wilt.

Fifth. At Christ's resurrection, God bids him ask the heathen of
him, with a promise to give him the uttermost parts of the earth
for his possession. This sentence is in the second Psalm, and
is expounded by Paul's interpretation of the words before, to be
spoken to Christ at his resurrection--'Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee.' I have begotten thee--that is, saith Paul,
from the dead (Acts 13:33,34).

He hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second
Psalm--'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' Now mark,
at his raising him from the dead, he bids him ask, 'Ask of me,'
and that 'the heathen'; as if God had said, My Son, thy blood hath
pacified and appeased my justice; I can now in justice, for thy
sake, forgive poor mortals their sin. Ask them of me; ask them,
though they be heathens, and I will give them to thee, to the utmost
ends of the earth. This is, then, the first demonstration to prove
that Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price to
God for the souls of sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for
them--namely, his being raised again from the dead.

THE SECOND DEMONSTRATION.

SECOND. A second thing that demonstrateth this truth is, that he
ascended and was received up into heaven. 'So then, after the Lord
had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven' (Mark 16:19).
This demonstration consisteth of two parts--First, Of his ascending.
Second, Of his being received.

First. For his ascending--'He ascended up on high' (Eph 4:8). This
act of ascending answereth to the high-priest under the law, who,
after they had killed the sacrifice, he was to bring the blood into
the most holy place--to wit, the inner temple, the way to which
was ascending or going up (2 Chron 9).

Now, consider the circumstances that attended his ascending, when
he went to carry his blood to present it before the mercy-seat,
and you will find they all say amends is made to God for us.

1. At this he is again attended and accompanied with angels (Acts
1:10,11).

2. He ascendeth with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet, with
'Sing praises, sing praises, sing praises' (Psa 47:6).

3. The enemies of man's salvation are now tied to his chariot-wheels--'When
he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive' (Eph 4:8). That
is, he led death, devils, and hell, and the grave, and the curse,
captive, for these things were our captivity. And thus did Deborah
prophesy of him when she cried, 'Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity
captive, thou son of Abinoam' (Judg 5:12). This David also foresaw
when he said, 'Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity
captive' (Psa 68:18).

4. The apostles must be the beholders of his going up, and must
see the cloud receive him out of their sight (Acts 1:9-12).

The consideration of these things strongly enforceth this conclusion,
that he hath spoiled what would have spoiled us, had he not by his
blood shed taken them away. And I say, for God to adorn him with
all this glory in his ascension, thus to make him ride conqueror up
into the clouds, thus to go up with sound of trumpet, with shout of
angels, and with songs of praises, and, let me add, to be accompanied
also with those that rose from the dead after his resurrection,
who were the very price of his blood; this doth greatly demonstrate
that Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price to
God for the souls of sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for
them; he had not else rode thus in triumph to heaven.

Second. I come now to his being received--'He was received up into
heaven.' The high-priest under the law, when he ascended into the
holiest, he was there to offer the blood, which holiest was the
type of heaven (Exo 19:10,11; Heb 9:24). But because the sacrifices
under the law could not make them that did the service perfect as
pertaining to the conscience, therefore they were to stand, not
to sit; to come out again, not tarry there. 'For it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and
offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in
burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written
of me), to do thy will, O God' (Heb 10:4-6).

Christ, therefore, in his entering into heaven, did it as high-priest
of the church of God; therefore neither did he go in without
blood. Wherefore, when he came to be 'an high-priest of good things
to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with
hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood; he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us' (Heb
9:12-14). He entered in, having obtained, or because he obtained,
eternal redemption for us. But to pass that.

[Glorious circumstances attending his entrance into heaven.]

Consider ye now also those glorious circumstances that accompany
his approach to the gates of the everlasting habitation.

First. The everlasting gates are set, yea, bid stand open--Be ye
open, 'ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.'
This King of glory is Jesus Christ, and the words are a prophecy
of his glorious ascending into the heavens, when he went up as the
high-priest of the church, to carry the price of his blood into
the holiest of all. 'Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in' (Psa
24:7,9).

Second. At his entrance he was received, and the price accepted
which he paid for our souls. Hence it is said, he entered in by
his blood--that is, by the merit of it. 'To receive' is an act of
complacency and delight, and includeth well-pleasedness in the person
receiving, who is God the Father; and considering that this Jesus
now received is to be received upon our account, or as undertaking
the salvation of sinners--for he entered into the heavens for
us--it is apparent that he entered thither by virtue of his infinite
righteousness, which he accomplished for us upon the earth.

Third. At his reception he received glory, and that also for our
encouragement--'God raised him up, and gave him glory, that your
faith and hope might be in God' (1 Peter 1:19-21). He gave him glory,
as a testimony that his undertaking the work of our redemption was
accepted of him.

1. He gave glory to his person, in granting him to sit at his own
right hand; and this he had, I say, for or upon the account of the
work he accomplished for us in the world. When he had offered up
one sacrifice for sins for ever, he sat down on the right hand of
God, and this by God's appointment--'Sit thou at my right hand'
(Heb 10:12,13). This glory is the highest; it is above all kings,
princes, and potentates in this world; it is above all angels,
principalities, and powers in heaven. 'He is gone into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him' (1 Peter 3:32).

2. He gave glory to his name, to his name Jesus, that name being
exalted above every name--'He hath given him a name above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father' (Phil 2:9-11).

This name is said, in another place, to be a name above every name
that is named, 'not only in this world, but also in that which is
to come' (Eph 1:21).

But should JESUS have been such a name, since he undertook for
sinners, had this undertaker failed in his work, if his work had
not been accepted with God, even the work of our redemption by
his blood? No, verily; it would have stunk in the nostrils both of
God and man; it would have been the most abhorred name. But Jesus
is the name; Jesus he was called, in order to his work--'His name
shall be called JESUS, for he shall save'; he was so named of the
angel before he was conceived in the womb; and he goeth by that
name now he is in heaven; by the name Jesus--'Jesus of Nazareth,'
because he once dwelt there. This name, I say, is the highest name,
the everlasting name, the name that he is to go by, to be known
by, to be worshipped by, and to be glorified by; yea, the name by
which also most glory shall redound to God the Father. Now, what
is the signification of this name but SAVIOUR? This name he hath,
therefore, for his work's sake; and because God delighted in his
undertaking, and was pleased with the price he had paid for us,
therefore the Divine Majesty hath given him it, hath made it high,
and hath commanded all angels to bow unto it; yea, it is the name in
which he resteth, and by which he hath magnified all his attributes.

(1.) This is the name by which sinners should go to God the Father.

(2.) This is the name through which they obtain forgiveness of
sins, and 'anything'--'If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will
do it' (John 14:14).

(3.) This is the name through which our spiritual services and
sacrifices are accepted, and by which an answer of peace is returned
into our bosoms (1 Peter 2). But more of this anon.

(4.) At this name devils tremble, at this name angels bow the head,
at this name God's heart openeth, at this name the godly man's
heart is comforted; this name, none but devils hate it, and none
but those that must be damned despise it. 'No man speaking by the
Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed,' or accounteth him still
dead, and his blood ineffectual to save the world.

3. He hath also given him the glory of office.

(1.) He is there a priest for ever, intercepting betwixt the Divine
presence and all that hate us, by his blood; sin, Satan, death, hell,
the law, the grave, or the like, cannot be heard, if his blood be
presented to God as the atonement for us. This is called the blood
of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel
(Heb 12:24). By this blood he entered into heaven, by this blood
he secureth from wrath 'all that come unto God by him.' But should
his blood have had a voice in heaven to save withal, had it not
merited first, even in the shedding of it, the ransom and redemption
of souls? It is true, a man whose blood cannot save, may, with
Abel's, cry out for vengeance and wrath on the head of him that shed
it. But this blood speaks for better things, this blood speaks for
souls, for sinners, for pardon, 'having obtained eternal redemption
for us.'

(2.) He is there a forerunner for us--'Whither the forerunner is
for us entered, even Jesus' (Heb 6:20). This office of harbinger is
distinct from, though it comes by virtue of, his priestly office;
therefore they are both mentioned in the text--'Whither the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high-priest for
ever, after the order of Melchisedec.' He is therefore our forerunner
by virtue of his priesthood, his blood giving worth to all he does.

In this office of harbinger or forerunner, he prepareth for believers
their dwelling-places in the heavens; their dwelling-places according
to their place, state, calling, service, or work, in his body, the
church--'In my Father's house,' saith he, 'are many mansions; if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you' (John 14:2).

This is that mentioned in the forty-seventh Psalm--'He shall choose
our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob, whom he loved.'
But should he have had power to choose our inheritance for us, to
prepare for us our dwelling-places; should he have power to give
even heaven itself to a company of poor men, had he not in the first
place obtained by his blood the deliverance of our souls from death?

(3.) He is there a prophet for us, by which office of his he hath
received to communicate the whole will of the eternal God, so far
as is fit for us to know in this world, or in that which is to come.
Hence he is called the prophet of the church--'The Lord shall raise
you up a prophet,' 'and this is of a truth that prophet that should
come into the world.' But this office he hath also now in heaven,
by virtue of the blood he shed for us upon earth. Hence the new
testament is called, 'the new testament in his blood'; and his blood
is said to be 'the blood of the everlasting covenant' or testament;
yea, such virtue doth his blood give to the new testament, or
covenant of grace, as that severed from that it is nothing worth;
'for a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of
no strength at all while the testator liveth' (Heb 9:17). So that
every word of God which he hath by Christ given to us for our
everlasting consolation, is dipped in blood, is founded in blood,
and stands good to sinners purely--I mean with respect to merit--upon
the account of blood, or because his blood that was shed for us on
the cross prevailed for us for the remission of our sins. Let not
man think to receive any benefit by Christ's prophetical office,
by any of the good words of grace, and forgiveness of sins that
are sprinkled up and down in the new testament; that looketh not
for that good to come to him for the sake of that blood by which
this testament is established; for 'neither was the first testament
dedicated without blood; for when Moses had spoken every precept
to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves
and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled
both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of
the testament which God hath enjoined unto you' (Heb 9:18-20).

The prophetical office of Christ standeth of two parts--first, in
promises of grace: secondly, in directions of worship. But neither
is this last--to wit, the doctrine of worship, or our subjection
to that worship--of any value any further than as sprinkled also
with his blood; for as in the first testament, the tabernacle and
all the vessels of the ministry were sprinkled with blood, and it was
necessary that so it should be, so the heavenly things themselves
must be also purified with sacrifices, but yet 'with better sacrifices
than these'; for now, not Moses, but Christ, doth sprinkle, not
with blood of calves, but with his own blood; neither as entered
into places made with hands, but from heaven doth Jesus sprinkle
all that doctrine of worship, and subjection of his saints thereto,
which is of his own instituting and commanding (Heb 9:23-26).

(4.) He hath received there the office of a king, by which he ruleth
in the church, and over all things for her sake. 'The government
shall be upon his shoulder'; the Lord God hath given him the throne
of his father David. Hence it is that he saith, 'All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth'; but now this kingly office, he
hath it by his blood, because he humbled himself to death, therefore
God hath highly exalted him, and given him the highest name. And
hence, again, he is called a Lamb upon the throne--'In the midst
of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns';
a demonstration of kingly power. But mark, he was a Lamb upon the
throne, he had his horns as a lamb. Now by 'Lamb' we are to understand,
not only his meek and sweet disposition, but his sacrifice; for
he was as a lamb to be slain and sacrificed; and so his having a
throne and seven horns, as a lamb, giveth us to understand that he
obtained this dignity of king by his blood (Rev 5). 'When he had
by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high' (Heb 1:3). When 'he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, he sat down on the right hand of God' (Heb 10:12).

Now, put all these together--to wit, his resurrection from the
dead, his ascension, and exaltation to office; and remember also
that the person thus exalted is the same Jesus of Nazareth that
sometime was made accursed of God for sin, and also that he obtained
this glory by virtue of the blood that was shed for us, and it must
unavoidably follow that Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath
paid a full price to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption
for them.

THE THIRD DEMONSTRATION.

THIRD. But to proceed. A third demonstration that Jesus Christ,
by what he hath done, hath paid full price to God for sinners, and
obtained eternal redemption for them, is, because he hath received
for them the Holy Spirit of God.

'This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof,' said Peter, 'we all are
witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and
having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear' (Acts 2:32,33).

The receiving of the Holy Ghost at the hand of the Father, who
had bruised him before for the transgressions of his people; the
receiving of it, I say, upon his resurrection, and that to give them
for whom, just before, he had spilt his blood to make an atonement
for their souls, argueth that the Divine Majesty found rest and
content in that precious blood, and found it full price for the
sinners for whom he shed it.

And if you consider the necessity of the giving of this good Spirit
to men, and the benefit that they receive by his coming upon them,
you will see yet more into the truth now contended for. First, then,
Of the necessity of giving this good Spirit; and then, Second, Of
the benefit which we receive at his coming.

First. Of the necessity of its being given.

1. Otherwise, Jesus could never have been proved to be the Saviour;
for the promise was, that Messias should have the Spirit given
him; given him to communicate--'As for me, this is my covenant with
them, saith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words
which I have put in thy mouth,' meaning the Redeemer, 'shall not
depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out
of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth
and for ever' (Isa 59:20,21).

Here is the promise of the Spirit to be given to Christ, and by
him to his seed for ever. And this was signified long before in
the anointing of Aaron and his sons--'And thou shalt anoint Aaron
and his sons, and consecrate them' (Exo 30:30).

This Spirit Jesus promised to send unto his at his exaltation on
the right hand of God; the Spirit, I say, in the plentiful pourings
of it out. True, the church in all ages had something of it by
virtue of the suretyship of the Lord Jesus; but this, in comparison
of what was to come into the church after his resurrection, is not
reckoned a pouring forth; therefore pourings forth are reserved
to the time of the ascension and exaltation of this Jesus. 'I will
pour out of my Spirit in those days.'

Hence Jesus reserves it till his going away, and it is expressly
said, 'The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was
not yet glorified.' Accordingly did the apostles wait after his
resurrection for the pouring forth of the Holy Ghost, and at the
set time did receive it; by the giving of which he declared himself
to be the Son of God and Saviour of the world (John 7:39, 14:26,
15:26, 16:7; Acts 1:4,5, 2:16,17; Joel 2:28; Rom 1:4).

2. Without the giving of the Holy Ghost, there had wanted a testimony
that his gospel was the gospel of Messias. Moses' ministration was
confirmed by signs and wonders and mighty deeds, both in Egypt,
in the wilderness, and at the Red Sea; wherefore it was necessary
that the doctrine of redemption by blood, which is the doctrine
of the gospel of this Jesus, should be also 'confirmed with signs
following.' Hence both himself and apostles did as frequently work
miracles and do mighty deeds as his ministers now do preach; which
signs and miracles and wonders confirmed their doctrine, though
themselves, both master and scholar, were in appearance the
most considerable mean [in outward show the meanest of men]; yea,
they by the means of the Holy Ghost have so ratified, confirmed,
and settled the gospel in the world, that no philosopher, tyrant,
or devil, hath been able hitherto to move it out of its place. He
confirmed 'the word with signs following' (Mark 16:20; Heb 2:4).

3. As the giving of the Holy Ghost was necessary thus, so was
it necessary also to strengthen them that were intrusted with the
gospel, (1.) To preach it effectually; (2.) To stand to it boldly;
and (3.) To justify it to be the doctrine of Messias incontrollably.
(1.) To preach it effectually, in demonstration of the Spirit (1
Cor 2:4; John 16:8,9; Acts 8:13). (2.) To stand to it boldly--'Then
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said.' 'And they saw the boldness
of Peter and John' (2 Cor 6:4-6; Acts 4:8,13). (3.) To justify the
doctrine incontrollably--'I will give you a mouth and wisdom which
all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist' (Luke
21:15). 'And they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by
which he spake' (Acts 6:10).

Now I say, that God should give the Holy Ghost to Jesus to confirm
this gospel, redemption from sin by his blood, what is it but
that by his blood he hath paid full price to God for sinners, and
obtained eternal redemption for them?

[Second.] But again; the benefit which we receive at the coming
of the Holy Ghost doth more demonstrate this truth; hath Christ
purchased sinners, and are they the price of his blood? Yes. But
how doth that appear? Why, because by the Holy Ghost which he hath
received to give us, we are fitted for the inheritance which by
his blood is prepared for us.

1. By the Spirit of God we are quickened and raised from a state
of sin, but that we could not be were it not that an atonement
is made for us first, by the blood of Christ our Saviour. This is
true; for they that are quickened by the Holy Ghost are quickened
by it through the word of the gospel, which offereth justification
to sinners through faith in his blood; yea, we are said to be
quickened together with him, dead and risen with him, yet so as by
the Spirit of God.

2. We are not only quickened by the Holy Ghost, but possessed
therewith; it is given to dwell in our hearts--'Because ye are
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts'
(Gal 4:6). Which Spirit is also our earnest for heaven, until the
redemption of the purchased possession--that is, until our body,
which is the purchased possession, be redeemed also out of the
grave by the power of the same mighty Spirit of God (Eph 1:13,14).

3. By this Holy Spirit we are made to believe (Rom 15:13).

4. By this Holy Spirit we are helped to pray and call God Father.

5. By this Holy Spirit we are helped to understand and apply the
promises.

6. By this Holy Spirit the joy of heaven and the love of God is
shed abroad in the heart of the saved.

7. By this Holy Spirit we are made to wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith; that is, to stand fast through our Lord Jesus in the day
when he shall judge the world.

And all this is the fruit of redemption by blood, of redemption by
the blood of Christ.

This is yet further evident, (1.) Because the work of the Spirit is
to lead us into the sayings of Christ, which, as to our redemption
from death, are such as these--'I lay down my life, that you may
have life'; 'I give my life a ransom for many'; and, 'The bread
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life
of the world' (John 6:51). (2.) Because the Spirit, in the wisdom
of heaven, is not counted a sufficient testimony on earth, but as
joined with the blood of Christ--'There are three that bear witness
on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood'; these are the
witnesses of God. The Spirit, because it quickeneth; the blood,
because it hath merited; and the water--to wit, the word--because
by that we are clean as to life and conversation (1 John 5:8; Eph
5:26; Rom 8:16; Psa 119:9). (3.) Because, as by the Spirit, so we
are sanctified by faith in the blood of Jesus (Heb 13:12). (4.)
Because, when most full of the Spirit, and when that doth work
most mightily in us, we are then most in the belief and admiring
apprehensions of our deliverance from death by the blood of Jesus
(Rev 5:9, 15). (5.) The Holy Ghost breatheth nowhere so as in the
ministry of this doctrine, this doctrine is sent with the Holy Ghost
from heaven; yea, as I have hinted, one of the great works of the
Holy Ghost, under the Old Testament, was to testify 'of the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that should follow' (1 Peter 1:11,12).

Put all these things together, and see if Jesus Christ, by what
he hath done, hath not paid full price to God for sinners, if he
'hath not obtained eternal redemption for them?'

THE FOURTH DEMONSTRATION.

FOURTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full
price to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them,
is evident, if you consider how the preaching thereof hath been,
from that time to this, a mighty conqueror over all kinds of
sinners. What nation, what people, what kind of sinners have not
been subdued by the preaching of a crucified Christ? He upon the
white horse with his bow and his crown hath conquered, doth conquer,
and goeth forth yet 'conquering and to conquer' (Rev 6:2). 'And
I,' saith he, 'if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me' (John 12:32). But what was it to be lifted up from the
earth? Why, it may be expounded by that saying, 'As Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life' (John 3:14,15).

He was then lifted up when he was hanged upon a tree between the
heavens and the earth, as the accursed of God for us. The revelation
of this, it conquers all nations, tongues, and people. 'And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation' (Rev 5:9). Hence the apostle Paul chose above all
doctrines to preach up a crucified Christ, and resolved so to do;
'for I determined,' saith he, 'not to know anything among you, save
Jesus Christ and him crucified' (1 Cor 2:2).

First. The doctrine of forgiveness of sin conquered his very
murderers; they could not withstand the grace; those bloody ones
that would kill him, whatever it cost them, could stand no longer,
but received his doctrine, fell into his bosom, and obtained the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus--'They shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that
is in bitterness for his first-born' (Zech 12:10). Now was this
scripture eminently fulfilled, when the kindness of a crucified
Christ broke to pieces the hearts of them that had before been his
betrayers and murderers. Now was there a great mourning in Jerusalem;
now was there wailing and lamentation, mixed with joy and rejoicing.

Second. Though Paul was mad, exceeding mad against Jesus Christ of
Nazareth; yea, though he was his avowed enemy, seeking to put out
his name from under heaven, yet the voice from heaven, 'I am Jesus,'
&c., 'I am the Saviour,' how did it conquer him, make him throw down
his arms, fall down at his feet, and accept of the forgiveness of
sins freely by grace, through redemption by faith in his blood!

Third. They at Samaria (though before Philip preached to them)
worshipped and admired the devil in Magus, yet when they believed
Philip's preaching of Christ unto them, and forgiveness of sins
through faith in his name, great joy was amongst them, and they
were baptized, both men and woman (Acts 8). 'He preached,' saith
the text, 'the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name
of Jesus Christ'--that is, all the blessings of life, through the
name of Jesus Christ; for he is the Mediator, and without his blood
come no spiritual blessings to men.

Fourth. How was the sturdy jailer overcome by a promise of
forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus Christ! It stopped his hand
of self-murder, it eased him of the gnawings of a guilty conscience
and fears of hell-fire, and filled his soul with rejoicing in God
(Acts 16:30-34).

Fifth. How were those that used curious arts, that were next to,
if not witches indeed; I say, how were they prevailed upon and
overcome by the word of God, which is the gospel of good tidings,
through faith in the blood of Christ! (Acts 19:17,18).

Sixth. How were the Ephesians, who were sometimes far from God;
how, I say, were they made nigh by the blood of Christ! (Eph 2:13).

Seventh. The Colossians, though sometimes dead in their sins, yet
how were they quickened by God, through the forgiveness of all
their trespasses; and they had that through his blood! (Col 1:14,
2:13).

What shall I say? No man could as yet stand before and not fall
under the revelation of the forgiveness of sins through a crucified
Christ, as hanged, as dying, as accursed for sinners; he draws all
men unto him, men of all sorts, of all degrees.

Shall I add, how have men broken through the pricks to Jesus when
he hath been discovered to them! Neither lions, nor fires, nor sword,
nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, 'neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord' (Rom 8:35-39).

THE FIFTH DEMONSTRATION.

FIFTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price
to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them, is
evident, by the peace and holiness that by that doctrine possesseth
men's souls; the souls of men awakened, and that continue so. By
awakened men I mean such as, through the revelation of their sin
and misery, groan under the want of Jesus to save them, and that
continue sensible that they needs must perish if his benefits be
not bestowed upon them; for otherwise the gospel ministereth neither
peace nor holiness to any of the souls of the sons of men; that
is to say, not saving peace and holiness. The gospel of grace and
salvation is above all doctrines the most dangerous, if in word
only it be received by graceless men; if it be not attended with
a revelation of men's need of a Saviour; if it be not accompanied
in the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost. For such men as have
only the notions of it are of all men liable to the greatest sins,
because there wanteth in their notions the power of love, which
alone can constrain them to love Jesus Christ. And this is the reason
of these scriptures--They turn the grace of God into wantonness.
'They turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness' (Jude 4).

For some, when they hear of the riches of grace through Christ,
that hearing not being attended with the faith and love which is in
Christ Jesus, those men receive the notions of this good doctrine
only to cloak their wickedness, and to harden themselves in their
villainies.

Others, when they hear, being leavened before with the leaven
of some other doctrine, some doctrine of the righteousness of the
world, or doctrine of devils, forthwith make head against and speak
evil of the blessed doctrine; and because some that profess it are
not cleansed from their filthiness of flesh and spirit, and do not
perfect holiness in the fear of God, therefore others conclude that
all that profess it are such, and that the doctrine itself tendeth
to encourage, or at least to tolerate, licentiousness, as they
imagined and affirmed of Paul that he should say, 'Let us do evil,
that good may come' (Rom 3:8).

The ground of that wicked conclusion of theirs was, because he by
the allowance of God affirmed that, as sin had reigned unto death,
so grace reigned unto life in a way of righteousness by Jesus Christ
our Lord. Nay, then, says the adversary, we may be as unholy as we
will, and that by the doctrine you preach; for if where sin abounds
grace abounds more, the consequence of a wicked life is but the
heightening, advancing, and magnifying of grace. But what saith the
apostle? My conclusions are true that grace doth reign above sin,
but to say, 'Let us therefore sin,' that man's damnation is just;
because such an one abuseth and maketh the most devilish use of
the blessedest doctrine that ever was heard of in the world amongst
men. Besides, it is evident that such know not the power thereof,
nor have felt or savoured its blessedness; for where this gospel
cometh in truth, it naturally produceth peace and holiness.

First. Peace. He is our peace, he is the Prince of peace, he giveth
peace in his high places. This word 'peace' hath in it a double
respect.

1. It respecteth God--He hath 'made peace by the blood of his cross';
that is, he hath made peace for us with God, having appeased the
rigour of his law, and satisfied justice for us. Hence it is said,
'The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus' (Col 1:20; Phil 4:7). 'The
peace of God'--that is, the doctrine of reconciliation by Christ's
being made to be sin for us, THAT shall keep the heart--that is, from
despair or fainting, under apprehensions of weakness and justice.
But yet this peace of God cannot be apprehended, nor be of any
comfort to the heart, but as the man looks for it through Christ
Jesus; therefore that clause is added, 'through Christ Jesus';
for he is peace-maker, it is he that reconcileth us to God 'in the
body of his flesh through death'; for by his doing and suffering
he presented God with everlasting righteousness, with everlasting
righteousness for sinners. Upon this we have peace with God. Hence
Christ is called King of righteousness first; 'first being by
interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of
Salem, which is, King of peace' (Heb 7:1,2). For he could not make
peace with God betwixt us and him but by being first the Lord of
righteousness, the Lord our righteousness; but having first completed
righteousness, he then came and preached peace, and commanded his
ambassadors to make proclamation of it to the world, for it was
want of righteousness that caused want of peace (2 Cor 5:19-21).
Now, then, righteousness being brought in, it followeth that he
hath made peace. 'For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new
man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came
and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto
the Father' (Eph 2:14-18).

2. This word 'peace' respecteth our inward quietness of heart which
we obtain by beholding this reconciliation made by Christ with God
for us--'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through
our Lord Jesus Christ' (Rom 5:1). 'The God of peace fill you with
all joy and peace in believing' (Rom 15:13).

This peace is expressed diversely--(1.) Sometimes it is called
'quietness,' for it calms the soul from those troublous fears of
damning because of sin--'And the work of righteousness shall be
peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance
for ever' (Isa 32:17). (2.) Sometimes it is called 'boldness'; for
by the blood of Christ a man hath encouragement to approach unto
God--'Having, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh' (Heb 10:19,20).
(3.) It is sometimes called 'confidence'; because by Jesus Christ
we have not only encouragement to come to God, but confidence, that
if we ask anything according to his will, he not only heareth, but
granteth the request which we put up to him (1 John 5:14,15). 'In
whom we have boldness and access with confidence, by the faith of
Jesus' (Eph 3:12). (4.) Sometimes this peace is expressed by 'rest';
because a man having found a sufficient fulness to answer all his
wants, he sitteth down, and looks no further for satisfaction--'Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest' (Matt 11:28). (5.) It is also expressed by 'singing';
because the peace of God when it is received into the soul by faith
putteth the conscience into a heavenly and melodious frame. 'And
the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away' (Isa 35:10). (6.)
Sometimes it is expressed or discovered by a heavenly glorying and
boasting in Jesus Christ; because this peace causeth the soul to
set its face upon its enemies with faith of a victory over them
for ever by its Lord Jesus--'Let him that glorieth, glory in the
Lord' (Jer 9:23,24). And, 'My soul shall make her boast in the
Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad' (Psa 34:2). (7.)
Sometimes it is expressed or discovered by joy, 'joy unspeakable':
because the soul, having seen itself reconciled to God, hath not
only quietness, but such apprehensions do now possess it of the
unspeakable benefits it receiveth by Christ with respect to the
world to come, that it is swallowed up with them--'Whom having not
seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory' (1 Peter 1:8).
(8.) Lastly, it is expressed or discovered by the triumph that
ariseth sometimes in the hearts of the believers, for they at times
are able to see death, sin, the devil, and hell, and all adversity,
conquered by, and tied as captives at the chariot-wheels of Jesus
Christ; taken captive, I say, and overthrown for ever. 'Thanks
be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ' (2 Cor
2:14). 'O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the
voice of triumph' (Psa 47:1).

[The Authors of this peace.]--Now that all this should be a cheat
is impossible--that is, it is impossible that believers should thus
have peace with God through the blood of his cross, he having not
paid full price to God for them; especially if you consider that
the authors of this peace are all the three in the Godhead, and
that upon a double account.

1. In that they have given us a gospel of peace (Rom 10:15). Or a
new testament which propoundeth peace with God through the redemption
that is in Christ. Now as this is called the gospel of peace, so
it is called the gospel of God (1 Thess 2:9). The gospel of Christ
(Rom 15:19; 2 Thess 1:8). A gospel indited by the Holy Ghost (1
Thess 4:8). I say, therefore, that redemption and salvation being
that through Christ, and the truth thereof proclaimed by the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, in the word of the truth of
the gospel, it must needs be that we who believe shall be saved,
'if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm
unto the end.'

2. As the three in the Godhead are the authors of this peace by
inditing for us the gospel of peace, or the good tidings of salvation
by Jesus Christ, so they are the authors of our peace by working
with that word of the gospel in our hearts. And hence, (1.) The
Father is called the God of peace, 'Now the God of peace be with
you all' (Rom 15:33). 'And the very God of peace sanctify you'
(1 Thess 5:23). And because he is the God of peace, therefore he
filleth those that believe in his Christ with joy and peace through
believing (Rom 15:13). (2.) Again, Christ is called the Prince of
peace; therefore the prayer is, 'Grace unto you, and peace, from
God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:2). (3.) The
Holy Ghost also is the author of this peace, this inward peace, even
'righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost' (Rom 14:17).

And I say, as I also already have said, the procuring or meritorious
cause of this peace is the doings and sufferings of Christ; therefore
by his doings and sufferings he paid full price to God for sinners,
and obtained eternal redemption for them; else God would never have
indited a proclamation of peace for them, and the tenor of that
proclamation to be the worthiness of the Lord Jesus; yea, he would
never have wrought with that word in the heart of them that believe,
to create within them peace, peace.

Second. [Holiness.] As peace with God is an evidence--the blood of
Christ being the cause thereof--that Christ hath by it paid full
price to God for sinners, so holiness in their hearts, taking its
beginning from this doctrine, makes its fifth demonstration of
double strength.

1. That holiness, true gospel holiness, possesseth our hearts by
this doctrine it is evident, because the ground of holiness, which
is the Spirit of God in us, is ministered to us by this doctrine.
When the apostle had insinuated that the Galatians were bewitched
because they had turned from the doctrine of Christ crucified, he
demands of them whether 'they received the Spirit by the works of
the law, or by the hearing of faith?' (Gal 3:1-4). That is, whether
the Spirit took possession of their souls by their obedience to
the ten commandments, or by their giving credit to the doctrine of
the forgiveness of their sins by faith in this crucified Christ,
strongly concluding, not by the law, but by the hearing or preaching
of faith--that is, of the Lord Jesus as crucified, who is the object
of faith.

2. As this doctrine conveyeth the ground or groundwork, which is
the Spirit, so also it worketh in the heart those three graces,
faith, hope, love, all which as naturally purify the heart from
wickedness as soap and nitre cleanseth the cloth. He purified 'their
hearts by faith,' by faith in Christ's blood. 'And every man that
hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.' And
also love, you shall see what that doth if you look into the text
(Acts 15:9; 1 John 3:3,4; 1 Cor 13). Now, I say, this faith groundeth
itself in the blood of Christ; hope waiteth for the full enjoyments
of the purchase of it in another world; and love is begot, and
worketh by the love that Christ hath expressed by his death, and by
the kindness he presented us with in his heart's blood (Rom 3:24;
1 Cor 15:19; 2 Cor 5:14).

Besides, what arguments so prevailing as such as are purely gospel?
To instance a few--(1.) What stronger than a free forgiveness of
sins? 'A certain man had two debtors, the one owed five hundred
pence, and the other fifty; and when they had nothing to pay, he
frankly forgave them both; tell me therefore which of them will
love him most?' (Luke 7:41,42,47). (2.) What stronger argument to
holiness than to see that though forgiveness comes free to us, yet
it cost Christ Jesus heart-blood to obtain it for us. 'Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' And this love of God
in giving his Christ, and of Christ in dying for us, there is no
argument stronger to prevail with a sensible and awakened sinner
to judge 'he should live to him that died for him, and rose again'
(2 Cor 5:15). (3.) What stronger argument to holiness than this:
'If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous?' (1 John 2:1). Unsanctified and graceless wretches
know not how to use these words of God; the hypocrites also fly in
our faces because we thus urge them; but a heart that is possessed
with gospel ingenuity, or, to speak more properly, that is possessed
with gospel grace, and with divine considerations, cries, If it
be thus, O let me never sin against God, 'for the love of Christ
constraineth me' (2 Cor 5:14). (4.) What greater argument to
holiness than to see the holy Scriptures so furnished with promises
of grace and salvation by Christ, that a man can hardly cast his
eye into the Bible but he espieth one or other of them? Who would
not live in such a house, or be servant to such a prince, who,
besides his exceeding in good conditions, hath gold and silver as
common in his palace as stones are by the highway side? 'Having,
therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God' (2 Cor 7:1). (5.) What greater argument
to holiness than to have our performances, though weak and infirm
from us, yet accepted of God in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-6). (6.)
What greater argument to holiness than to have our soul, our body,
our life, hid and secured with Christ in God? 'Mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which
is idolatry' (Col 3:1-5). (7.) What greater argument to holiness
than to be made the members of the body, of the flesh, and of the
bones of Jesus Christ? 'Shall I then take the members of Christ,
and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid' (Eph 5:30; 1
Cor 6:15).

Now all these, and five times as many more, having their foundation
in the love, blood, and righteousness of Christ, and operating in
the soul by faith, are the great arguments unto that holiness to
which is annexed eternal life. It is worth our observing, that in
Acts 26:18, the inheritance belongs 'to them which are sanctified
by faith in Jesus Christ'; for all other pretences to holiness, they
are but a stolen semblance of that which is true and acceptable,
though it is common for even that which is counterfeit to be called
by the deluded the true, and to be reckoned to be in them that are
utter strangers to faith, and the holiness that comes by faith. 'But
whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it
upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people' (Exo 30:23).
God knoweth which is holiness that comes by faith in forgiveness of
sins, and acceptance with God through Christ; and God knows which
is only such feignedly; and accordingly will he deal with sinners
in that great day of God Almighty.

THE SIXTH DEMONSTRATION.

SIXTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price
to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them, is
evident, because prayers are accepted of God only upon the account
and for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ--'Verily, verily,
I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he
will give it you' (John 16:23). In my name, in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, in the name of him that came into the world
to save sinners, by dying for them a grievous, bloody death; in
his name that hath by himself put away sin, and brought unto God
acceptable righteousness for sinners; in his name. Why in his name,
if he be not accepted of God? why in his name if his undertakings
for us are not well-pleasing to God? But by these words, 'in
my name,' are insinuated that his person and performances, as our
undertaker, are accepted by the Father of spirits. We may not go
in our own names, because we are sinners; not in the name of one
another, because all are sinners. But why not in the name of an
angel? Because they are not those that did undertake for us; or
had they, they could not have done our work for us. 'He putteth no
trust in his saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight'
(Job 4:18, 15:15). It may further be objected--

Since Jesus Christ is God, equal with the Father, and so hath
naturally the same power to give us the Father, why should the
Father rather than the Son be the great giver to the sinners of the
world? and why may we not go to Christ in the name of the Father,
as well as to the Father in the name of Christ? I say, how can
these things be solved, but by considering that sin and justice
put a necessity upon it that thus must our salvation be obtained.
Sin and justice could not reconcile, nor could a means be found out
to bring the sinner and a holy God together, but by the intercepting
of the Son, who must take upon him to answer justice, and that by
taking our sins from before the face of God by bloody sacrifice, not
by blood of others, as the high-priests under the law--'For every
high-priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore
it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer' (Heb
8:3). Which offering and sacrifice of his being able to perfect
for ever them that are sanctified and set apart for eternal life,
therefore the name of the person that offered--even Jesus, made of
God a high-priest--is acceptable with God; yea, therefore is he
made for ever, by his doing for us, the appeaser of the justice
of God, and the reconciler of sinners to him. Hence it is that HIS
name is that which it behoveth us to mention when we come before
God, for what God hath determined in his counsels of grace to bestow
upon sinners, because for his name's sake he forgiveth them. 'I
write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you
for his name's sake' (1 John 2:12). 'To him give all the prophets
witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins' (Acts 10:43).

They therefore that would obtain the forgiveness of sins must ask
it of God, through the name of Jesus; and he that shall sensibly
and unfeignedly do it, he shall receive the forgiveness of
them--'Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give
it you.' Hence it is evident that he hath not only paid full price
to God for them, but also obtained eternal redemption for them.

And it is observable, the Lord Jesus would have his disciples
make a proof of this, and promiseth that if they do, they shall
experimentally find it so--'Hitherto,' saith he, 'have ye asked
nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may
be full' (John 16:24). As who should say, O my disciples, you have
heard what I have promised to you, even that my Father shall do
for you whatsoever ye shall ask him in my name. Ask now, therefore,
and prove me, if I shall not make my words good: ask, I say, what
you need, and see if you do not receive it to the joying of your
hearts. 'At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto
you that I will pray the Father for you.' I do not bid you ask in
my name as if the Father was yet hard to be reconciled, or unwilling
to accept you to mercy; my coming into the world was the design
of my Father, and the effect of his love to sinners; but there is
sin in you and justice in God; therefore that you to him might be
reconciled, I am made of my Father mediator; wherefore ask in my
name, for 'there is none other name under heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved' (Acts 4:12). Ask in my name; love is
let out to you through me; it is let out to you by me in a way of
justice, which is the only secure way for you. Ask in my name, and
my Father will love you--'The Father himself loveth you, because
ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God' (John
16:27). My Father's love is set first upon me, for my name is chief
in his heart, and all that love me are beloved of my Father, and
shall have what they need, if they ask in my name.

But, I say, what cause would there be to ask in his name more than
in the name of some other, since justice was provoked by our sin,
if he had not undertook to make up the difference that by sin was
made betwixt justice and us? For though there be in this Jesus
infinite worth, infinite righteousness, infinite merit, yet if he
make not with these interest for us, we get no more benefit thereby
than if there were no mediator. But this worth and merit is in him
for us, for he undertook to reconcile us to God; it is therefore
that his name is with God so prevailing for us poor sinners, and
therefore that we ought to go to God in his name. Hence, therefore,
it is evident that Jesus Christ hath paid full price to God for
sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them.

THE SEVENTH DEMONSTRATION.

SEVENTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full
price to God for sinners, &c., is evident, because we are commanded
also to give God thanks in his name--'By him, therefore, let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of
our lips, giving thanks to his name' (Heb 3:15).

'By him therefore.' Wherefore? Because he also, that he might
'sanctify us with his own blood, suffered without the gate' (v 12).

He sanctified us with his blood; but why should the Father have
thanks for this? Even because the Father gave him for us, that he
might die to sanctify us with his blood--'Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son;
in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins' (Col 1:12-14). The Father is to be thanked, for the
contrivance was also his; but the blood, the righteousness, or
that worthiness, for the sake of which we are accepted of God, is
the worthiness of his own dear Son. As it is meet, therefore, that
God should have thanks, so it is necessary that he have it in his
name for whose sake we indeed are accepted of him.

Let us therefore by him offer praise first for the gift of his Son,
and for that we stand quit through him in his sight, and that in
despite of all inward weakness, and that in despite of all outward
enemies.

When the apostle had taken such a view of himself as to put himself
into a maze, with an outcry also, 'Who shall deliver me?' he quiets
himself with this sweet conclusion, 'I thank God through Jesus
Christ' (Rom 7:24,25). He found more in the blood of Christ to
save him than he found in his own corruptions to damn him; but that
could not be, had he not paid full price for him, had he not obtained
eternal redemption for him. And can a holy and just God require
that we give thanks to him in his name, if it was not effectually
done for us by him?

Further, when the apostle looks upon death and the grave, and
strengtheneth them by adding to them sin and the law, saying, 'The
sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law,' he
presently addeth, 'But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory,
through Jesus Christ' (1 Cor 15)--the victory over sin, death, and
the law, the victory over these through our Lord Jesus Christ: but
God hath given us the victory; but it is through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through his fulfilling the law, through his destroying death,
and through his bringing in everlasting righteousness. Elisha said
to the king of Israel, that had it not been that he regarded the
presence of Jehoshaphat, he would not look to him nor regard him
(2 Kings 3:14); nor would God at all have looked to or regarded
thee, but that he respected the person of Jesus Christ.

'Let the peace of God [therefore] rule in our hearts, to the which
also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful' (Col 3:15). The
peace of God, of that we have spoken before. But how should this
rule in our hearts? He by the next words directs you--'Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly'--that is, the word that makes
revelation of the death and blood of Christ, and of the peace that
is made with God for you thereby.

'Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Eph 5:20). For all things;
for all things come to us through this name Jesus--redemption,
translation, the kingdom, salvation, with all the good things
wherewith we are blessed.

These are the works of God; he gave his Son, and he brings us to
him, and puts us into his kingdom--that is, his true body, which
Jeremiah calleth a putting among the children, and a 'giving us a
goodly heritage of the hosts of nations' (Jer 3:19; John 6).

'Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in
Christ' (2 Cor 2:14).

See here our cause of triumph is through Christ Jesus; and God causeth
us through him to triumph, first and chiefly, because Christ Jesus
hath done our work for us, hath pleased God for our sins, hath
spoiled the powers of darkness. God gave Jesus Christ to undertake
our redemption; Christ did undertake it, did engage our enemies,
and spoiled them--He 'spoiled principalities and powers, and made
a show of them openly, triumphing over them' upon the cross (Col
2:14,15). Therefore it is evident that he paid full price to God
for sinners with his blood, because God commands us to give thanks
to him in his name, through his name--'And whatsoever ye do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God and the Father by him' (Col 3:17).

Take this conclusion from the whole: no thanks are accepted of God
that come not to him in the name of his Son; his Son must have the
glory of conveying our thanks to God, because he was he that by
his blood conveyeth his grace to us.

THE EIGHTH DEMONSTRATION.

EIGHTH. In the next place, that Jesus Christ, by what he hath
done, hath paid full price to God for sinners, and obtained eternal
redemption for them, is evident, because we are exhorted to wait
for, and to expect, the full and glorious enjoyment of that eternal
redemption, at the second coming of the Lord from heaven--'Let your
loins by girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves
like unto men that wait for their Lord,--that when he cometh and
knocketh, they may open unto him immediately' (Luke 12:35,36).

Jesus Christ hath obtained by his blood eternal redemption for
us, and hath taken it up now in the heavens, is, as I have showed,
preparing for us there everlasting mansions of rest; and then he
will come again for us. This coming is intended in this text, and
this coming we are exhorted to wait for; and that I may more fully
show the truth of this demonstration, observe these following
texts--

First. It is said, he shall choose our inheritance for us--'He
shall choose our inheritance for us; the excellency of Jacob whom
he loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout,' &c. (Psa 47:4,5). These
latter words intend the ascension of Jesus Christ; his ascension,
when he had upon the cross made reconciliation for iniquity; his
ascension into the heavens to prepare our mansions of glory for
us; for our inheritance is in the heavens; our house, our hope, our
mansion-house, and our incorruptible and undefiled inheritance is
in heaven (2 Cor 5:1,2; Col 1:5,6; John 14:1,2; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

This is called the eternal inheritance, of which we that are called
have received the promise already (Heb 9:14,15).

This inheritance, I say, he is gone to choose for us in the heavens,
because by his blood he obtained it for us (Heb 9:12). And this
we are commanded to wait for; but how ridiculous, yea, how great
a cheat would this be, had he not by his blood obtained it for us.

Second. 'We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead, even Jesus [Christ], which delivered us from the wrath to
come' (1 Thess 1:10). He delivered us by his blood, and obtained
the kingdom of heaven for us, and hath promised that he would go
and prepare our places, and come again and fetch us thither--'And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also' (John
14:3). This, then, is the cause that we wait for him, we look for
the reward of the inheritance at his coming who have served the
Lord Christ in this world.

Third. 'For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ' (Phil 3:20). We look
for him to come yet as a Saviour--a Saviour he was at his first
coming, and a Saviour he will be at his second coming. At his first
coming, he bought and paid for us; at his second coming, he will
fetch us to himself. At his first coming, he gave us promise of
the kingdom; at his second coming, he will give us possession of
the kingdom. At his first coming, he also showed us how we should
be, by his own transfiguration; at his second coming, 'he will
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body' (Phil 3:21).

Fourth. Hence therefore it is that his coming is called our blessed
hope--'Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ' (Titus 2:13). A
blessed hope indeed, if he hath bought our persons with his blood,
and an eternal inheritance for us in the heavens; a blessed hope
indeed, if also at his coming we be certainly carried thither.
No marvel, then, if saints be bid to wait for it, and if saints
themselves long for it. But what a disappointment would these
waiting believers have, should all their expectations be rewarded
with a fable! and the result of their blessed hope can amount to
no more, if our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ either denieth to
come, or coming, bringeth not with him the hope, the blessed hope
that is laid up for us in heaven, whereof we have certainly been
informed by 'the word of the truth of the gospel' (Col 1:5).

Fifth. 'For Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation' (Heb 9:28). Here we have it promised that he
shall come, that he shall appear the second time, but not with sin,
as he did before--to wit, with and in the sin of his people, when
he bare them in his own body; but now without sin, for he before
did put them away by the sacrifice of himself. Now, then, let the
saints look for him, not to die for the purchasing of their persons
by blood, but to bring to them, and to bring them also to that
salvation that before when he died he obtained of God for them by
his death.

These things are to be expected therefore by them that believe in
and love Jesus Christ, and that from faith and love serve him in
this world; they are to be expected by them, being obtained for
them by Jesus Christ. And he shall give the crown, saith Paul,
'not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing' (2
Tim 4:8,9).

Now forasmuch as this inheritance in the heavens is the price,
purchase, and reward of his blood, how evidently doth it appear
that he hath paid full price to God for sinners! Would God else
have given him the heaven to dispose of to us that believe, and
would he else have told us so? Yea, and what comfort could we have
to look for his coming, and kingdom, and glory as the fruits of
his death, if his death had not for that purpose been sufficiently
efficacious? O 'the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that shall
follow!' (1 Peter 1:11).

THE NINTH DEMONSTRATION.

NINTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price
to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for sinners, is
evident, because of the threatenings wherewith God hath threatened,
and the punishments wherewith he punisheth those that shall refuse
to be saved by Christ, or seek to make insignificant the doctrine
of righteousness by faith in him.

This demonstration consisteth of three parts--First. It suggesteth
that some refuse to be justified or saved by Christ, and also seek
to make insignificant the doctrine of righteousness by faith in
him. Second. That God doth threaten these. Third. That God will
punish these.

[First.] That some refuse to be saved by Christ is evident from
many texts. He is the stone which the builders have rejected; he is
also disallowed of men; the Jews stumble at him, and to the Greeks
he is foolishness; both saying, This man shall not rule over us,
or, How can this man save us? (Psa 118:22; Matt 21:44; Luke 19:14;
1 Cor 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4).

The causes of men's refusing Christ are many--1. Their love to sin.
2. Their ignorance of his excellency. 3. Their unbelief. 4. Their
deferring to come to him in the acceptable time. 5. Their leaning
to their own righteousness. 6. Their entertaining damnable doctrines.
7. Their loving the praise of men. 8. The meanness of his ways, his
people, &c. 9. The just judgment of God upon them. 10. The kingdom
is given to others.

Now these, as they all refuse him, so they seek, more or less, some
practically, others in practice and judgment also, to make insignificant
the doctrine of righteousness by faith in him. One does it by
preferring his sins before him. Another does it by preferring his
righteousness before him. Another dies it by preferring his delusions
before him. Another does it by preferring the world before him.

Now these God threateneth, these God punisheth.

Second. God threateneth them.

1. Whosoever shall 'not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from
amongst the people' (Acts 3:23). The prophet is Jesus Christ; the
doctrine that he preached was, that he would lay down his life for
us, that he would give us his flesh to eat, and his blood to drink
by faith; and promised, that if we did eat his flesh, and drink his
blood, we should have eternal life. He therefore that seeth not,
or that is afraid to venture his soul for salvation on the flesh
and blood of Christ by faith, he refuseth this prophet, he heareth
not this prophet, and him God hath purposed to cut off. But would
God thus have threatened, if Christ by his blood, and the merits of
the same, had not paid full price to God for sinners, and obtained
eternal redemption for them?

2. 'Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool' (Psa 110:1; Matt 22:44; Heb 1:13). The honour of sitting
at God's right hand was given him because he died, and offered his
body once for all. 'This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool' (Heb 10:12,13).
Expecting, since God accepted his offering, that those that refused
him should be trodden under foot; that is, sunk by him into and
under endless and insupportable vengeance. But would God have given
the world such an account of his sufferings, that by one offering
he did perfect for ever them that are sanctified? yea, and would he
have threatened to make those foes his footstool that shall refuse
to venture themselves upon his offering--for they are indeed his
foes--had not his eternal Majesty been well pleased with the price
he paid to God for sinners; had he not obtained eternal redemption
for them?

3. He shall come 'from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:7,8).

Here he expressly telleth us wherefore they shall be punished;
because 'they know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ'; where also is notably intimated that he that obeyeth
not the gospel of Christ knoweth not God, neither in his justice
nor mercy. But what is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but
good tidings of good things--to wit, forgiveness of sins by faith
in his blood, an inheritance in heaven by faith in his blood, as
the whole of all the foregoing discourse hath manifested? Now, I
say, can it be imagined that God would threaten to come upon the
world with this flaming, fiery vengeance to punish them for their
non-subjection to his Son's gospel, if there had not been by
himself paid to God full price for the souls of sinners, if he had
not obtained eternal redemption by his blood for sinners?

4. 'And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against him' (Jude 14,15).

The Lord that is here said to come with ten thousands of his saints
is Jesus Christ himself; and they that come with him are called
his saints, because given to him by the Father, for the sake of the
shedding of his blood. Now in that he is said to come to execute
judgment upon all, and especially those that speak hard speeches
against him, it is evident that the Father tendereth his name,
which is Jesus, a Saviour, and his undertaking for our redemption;
and as evident that the hard speeches intended by the text are
such as vilify him as Saviour, counting the blood of the covenant
unholy, and trampling him that is Prince of the covenant under the
feet of their reproachful language; this is counted a putting of
him to open shame, and a despising the riches of his goodness (Heb
6:10; Rom 2). Time would fail to give you a view of the revilings,
despiteful sayings, and of the ungodly speeches which these
abominable children of hell let fall in their pamphlets, doctrines,
and discourses against the Lord the King. But the threatening is,
he shall 'execute judgment upon them for all their ungodly deeds,
and for all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.'

5. 'Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in
the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I
work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe,
though a man declare it unto you' (Acts 13:40,41).

This work is the same we have been all this while treating of--to
wit, redemption by the blood of Christ for sinners, or that Christ
hath paid full price to God for sinners, and obtained eternal
redemption for them. This is manifest from verses 23 to 29 of this
chapter.

Now, observe, there are and will be despisers of this doctrine, and
they are threatened with the wrath of God--'Behold, ye despisers,
and wonder, and perish.' But would God so carefully have cautioned
sinners to take heed of despising this blessed doctrine, and have
backed his caution with a threatening that they shall perish, if
they persist, had not he himself received by the blood of Christ
full price for the souls of sinners?

Third. As God threateneth, so he punisheth those that refuse his
Son, or that seek to vilify or make insignificant the doctrine of
righteousness by faith in him.

1. He punished them with the abidings of his wrath--'He that believeth
not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on
him' (John 3:36).

The wrath of God for men; for sin stands already condemned by
the law; and the judgment is, that they who refuse the Lord Jesus
Christ shall have this wrath of God for ever lie and abide upon
them; for they want a sacrifice to pacify wrath for the sin they
have committed, having resisted and refused the sacrifice of the
body of Christ. Therefore it cannot be that they should get from
under their present condition who have refused to accept of the
undertaking of Christ for them.

Besides, God, to show that he taketh it ill at the hands of sinners
that they should refuse the sacrifice of Christ, hath resolved
that there shall be no more sacrifice for sin. Therefore 'if we sin
willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins' (Heb 10:26). God doth
neither appoint another, neither will he accept another, whoever
brings it. And here those sayings are of their own natural force:
'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' And again,
'See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not
who refused him that spake on earth (Moses), much more shall not
we escape, if we turn away from him (Christ) that speaketh from
heaven' (Heb 2:3, 12:25).

This therefore is a mighty demonstration that Christ by what he
hath done hath paid full price to God for the souls of sinners,
because God so severely threateneth, and also punisheth them that
refuse to be justified by his blood: he threateneth, as you have
heard, and punisheth, by leaving such men in their sins, under his
heavy and insupportable vengeance here.

2. 'He that believeth not shall be damned,' damned in hell-fire
(Mark 16:16). 'He that believeth not.' But what should he believe?
Why,

(1.) That Jesus is the Saviour. 'If,' saith he, 'ye believe not
that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.'

(2.) He that believeth not that he [Jesus] hath undertaken and
completely perfected righteousness for us, shall die in his sins,
shall be damned, and perish in hell-fire; for such have no cloak for
their sin, but must stand naked to the show of their shame before
the judgment of God, that fearful judgment. Therefore, after he
had said, 'there remaineth' for such 'no more sacrifice for sin,'
he adds, 'but a certain fearful looking for of judgment'; there
is for them left nothing but the judgment of God, and his fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 'He that despised
Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and
hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace' (Heb 10:28,29).

See here, if fury comes not up now into the face of God; now is
mention made of his fearful judgment and fiery indignation. Now, I
say, is mention made thereof, when it is suggested that some have
light thoughts of him, count his blood unholy, and trample his
sacrificed body under the feet of their reproaches; now is he a
consuming fire, and will burn to the lowest hell. 'For we know him
that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense,
saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people' (Heb
10:30). These words are urged by the Holy Ghost on purpose to beget in
the hearts of the rebellious reverend thoughts, and a high esteem
of the sacrifice which our Lord Jesus offered once for all upon
Mount Calvary unto God the Father for our sins; for that is the
very argument of the whole epistle.

It is said to this purpose, in one of Paul's epistles to the
Thessalonians, that because men receive not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved; 'for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they might
be damned' (2 Thess 2:11,12).

'The truth' mentioned in this place is Jesus Christ. 'I am the
truth,' saith he (John 14:6). The love of the truth is none else
but the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in shedding his blood
for man's redemption. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13). This, then, is
the love of the Truth (of Jesus), that he hath laid down his life
for us. Now, that the rejecters of this love should by this their
rejecting procure such wrath of God against them, that rather than
they shall miss of damnation, himself will choose their delusions
for them, and also give them up to the effectual working of these
delusions, what doth this manifest but that God is displeased with
them that accept not of Jesus Christ for righteousness, and will
certainly order that their end shall be everlasting damnation?
therefore Jesus Christ hath paid full price to God for sinners,
and obtained eternal redemption for them.

THE USE OF THE DOCTRINE.

I come now to make some use of and to apply this blessed doctrine
of the undertaking of Jesus Christ, and of his paying full price to
God for sinners, and of his obtaining eternal redemption for them.

THE FIRST USE.

[FIRST.] By this doctrine we come to understand many things which
otherwise abide obscure and utterly unknown, because this doctrine
is accompanied with the Holy Ghost, that revealer of secrets, and
searcher of the deep things of God (1 Peter 1:2; Eph 1:17; 1 Cor
2). The Holy Ghost comes down with this doctrine as that in which
it alone delighteth; therefore is it called 'the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge' of Jesus Christ. He giveth also
'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ' (2 Cor 4:6). Little of God is known in the world where the
gospel is rejected; the religious Jew and the wise Gentile may see
more of God in a crucified Christ than in heaven and earth besides;
for in him 'are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' not
only in his person as God, but also in his undertakings as Mediator
(Col 2:3). Hence Paul telleth us, that he 'determined not to know
anything among' the Corinthians but 'Jesus Christ and him crucified'
(1 Cor 2:2). I say, more of God is revealed to us in this doctrine
than we can see of him in heaven and earth without it.

First. Here is more of his WISDOM seen than in his making and
upholding all the creatures. His wisdom, I say, in devising means
to reconcile sinners to a holy and infinite Majesty; to be a just God,
and YET a Saviour; to be just to his law, just to his threatening,
just to himself, and yet save sinners, can no way be understood
till thou understandest why Jesus Christ did hang on the tree; for
here only is the riddle unfolded, 'Christ died for our sins,' and
therefore can God in justice save us (Isa 45:21). And hence is Christ
called the Wisdom of God, not only because he is so essentially,
but because by him is the greatest revelation of his wisdom towards
man. In redemption, therefore, by the blood of Christ, God is said
to abound towards us in all wisdom (Eph 1:7,8). Here we see the
highest contradictions reconciled, here justice kisseth the sinner,
here a man stands just in the sight of God while confounded at
his own pollutions, and here he that hath done no good hath yet a
sufficient righteousness, even the righteousness of God, which is
by faith of Jesus Christ.

Second. The JUSTICE of God is here more seen than in punishing all
the damned. 'He spared not his own Son,' is a sentence which more
revealeth the nature of the justice of God than if it had said,
He spared not all the world. True, he cast angels from heaven, and
drowned the old world; he turned Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, with
many more of like nature; but what were all these to the cursing
of his Son? Yea, what were ten thousand such manifestations of his
ireful indignation against sin, to that of striking, afflicting,
chastising, and making the darling of his bosom the object of his
wrath and judgment? Here it is seen he respecteth not persons, but
judgeth sin, and condemneth him on whom it is found; yea, although
on Jesus Christ his well-beloved (Rom 8:32; Gal 3:13).

Third. The mystery of God's WILL is here more seen than in hanging
the earth upon nothing, while he condemneth Christ, though righteous,
and justifieth us, though sinners, while he maketh him to be sin
for us, and us the righteousness of God in him (1 Peter 3:18; 2
Cor 5:20).

Fourth. The POWER of God is here more seen than in making of
heaven and earth; for one to bear, and get the victory over sin,
when charged by the justice of an infinite majesty, in so doing he
showeth the height of the highest power; for where sin by the law
is charged, and that by God immediately, there an infinite majesty
opposeth, and that with the whole of his justice, holiness, and
power; so then, he that is thus charged and engaged for the sin of
the world, must not only be equal with God, but show it by overcoming
that curse and judgment that by infinite justice is charged upon
him for sin.

When angels and men had sinned, how did they fall and crumble before
the anger of God! they had not power to withstand the terror, nor
could there be worth found in their persons or doings to appease
displeased justice. But behold here stands the Son of God before
him in the sin of the world; his Father, finding him there, curseth
and condemns him to death; but he, by the power of his Godhead, and
the worthiness of his person and doings, vanquisheth sin, satisfieth
God's justice, and so becomes the Saviour of the world. Here, then,
is power seen: sin is a mighty thing, it crusheth all in pieces save
him whose Spirit is eternal (Heb 9:14). Set Christ and his sufferings
aside, and you neither see the evil of sin nor the displeasure
of God against it; you see them not in their utmost. Hadst thou
a view of all the legions that are now in the pains of hell, yea,
couldst thou hear their shrieks and groans together at once, and
feel the whole of all their burden, much of the evil of sin and of
the justice of God against it would be yet unknown by thee, for
thou wouldest want power to feel and bear the utmost. A giant shows
not his power by killing of a little child, nor yet is his might
seen by the resistance that such a little one makes, but then
he showeth his power when he dealeth with one like himself; yea,
and the power also of the other is then made manifest in saving
himself from being swallowed up with his wrath. Jesus Christ also
made manifest his eternal power and Godhead, more by bearing and
overcoming our sins, than in making or upholding the whole world;
hence Christ crucified is called 'the power of God' (1 Cor 1:23,24).

Fifth. The LOVE and MERCY of God are more seen in and by this
doctrine than any other way. Mercy and love are seen, in that God
gives us rain and fruitful seasons, and in that he filleth our
hearts with food and gladness; from that bounty which he bestoweth
upon us as men, as his creatures. O! but herein is love made manifest,
in that 'Christ laid down his life for us.' 'And God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us' (1 John 3:16; Rom 5:8).

Never love like this, nor did God ever give such discovery of his
love from the beginning to this day. 'Herein is love, not that
we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins' (1 John 4:10).

Here is love, that God sent his Son, his darling, his Son that never
offended, his Son that was always his delight! Herein is love, that
he sent him to save sinners, to save them by bearing their sins,
by bearing their curse, by dying their death, and by carrying their
sorrows! Here is love, in that while we were yet enemies, Christ
died for us; yea, here is love, in that while 'we were yet without
strength, Christ died for the ungodly' (Rom 5:6).

THE SECOND USE.

[SECOND.] But as this doctrine giveth us the best discovery of
God, so also it giveth us the best discovery of ourselves and our
own things.

First. It giveth us the best discovery of ourselves. Wouldst thou
know, sinner, what thou art? look up to the cross, and behold a
weeping, bleeding, dying Jesus: nothing could do but that, nothing
could save thee but his blood; angels could not, saints could not,
God could not, because he could not lie, because he could not deny
himself. What a thing is sin, that it should sink all that bear
its burden! yea, it sunk the Son of God himself into death and the
grave, and had also sunk him into hell-fire for ever had he not
been the Son of God, had he not been able to take it on his back,
and bear it away! O this Lamb of God! Sinners were going to hell,
Christ was the delight of his Father, and had a whole heaven to
himself; but that did not content him, heaven could not hold him;
he must come into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Aye, and
had he not come, thy sins had sunk thee, thy sins had provoked the
wrath of God against thee, to thy perdition and destruction for
ever. There is no man but is a sinner, there is no sin but would
damn an angel, should God lay it to his charge. Sinner, the doctrine
of Christ crucified crieth therefore aloud unto thee, that sin
hath made thy condition dreadful. See yourselves, your sin, and
consequently the condition that your souls are in, by the death and
blood of Christ; Christ's death giveth us the most clear discovery
of the dreadful nature of our sins. I say again, if sin be so
dreadful a thing as to break the heart of the Son of God, for so he
said it did, how shall a poor, wretched, impenitent, damned sinner
wrestle with the wrath of God? Awake, sinners; you are lost, you
are undone, you are damned, hell-fire is your portion for ever,
if you abide in your sins, and be found without a Saviour in the
dreadful day of judgment.

Second. For your good deeds cannot help you; the blood of Christ
tells you so. For by this doctrine, 'Christ died for our sins,'
God damneth to death and hell the righteousness of the world.
Christ must die, or man be damned. Where is now any room for the
righteousness of men? room, I say, for man's righteousness, as to
his acceptance and justification? Bring, then, thy righteousness
to the cross of Jesus Christ, and in his blood behold the demands
of justice; behold them, I say, in the cries and tears, in the
blood and death of Jesus Christ. Look again, and behold the person
dying; such an one as never sinned nor offended at any time, yet
he dies. Could a holy life, an innocent, harmless conversation,
have saved one from death, Jesus had not died. But he must die;
sin was charged, therefore Christ must die.

Men, therefore, need to go no further to prove the worth of their
own righteousness than to the death of Christ; they need not be
waiting to seek in that matter till they stand before the judgment-seat.

Quest. But how should I prove [or try] the goodness of mine own
righteousness by the death and blood of Christ?

Answ. Thus: if Christ must die for sin, then all thy righteousness
cannot save thee. 'If righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain' (Gal 2:21). By this text it is manifest that
either Christ died in vain, or thy righteousness is vain. If thy
righteousness can save thee, then Christ died in vain; if nothing
below or besides the death of Christ could save thee, then thy
righteousness is in vain; one of the two must be cast away, either
Christ's or thine. Christ crucified to save the world, discovereth
two great evils in man's own righteousness; I mean, when brought
for justification and life. 1. It opposeth the righteousness of
Christ. 2. It condemneth God of foolishness.

1. It opposeth the righteousness of Christ, in that it seeketh
itself to stand where should the righteousness of Christ--to wit,
in God's affection for the justification of thy person; and this
is one of the highest affronts to Christ that poor man is capable
to give him: right worthily, therefore, doth the doctrine of the
gospel damn the righteousness of men, and promiseth the kingdom of
God to publicans and harlots rather.

2. It condemneth God of foolishness; for if works of righteousness
which we can do can justify from the curse of the law in the sight
of God, then are not all the treasures of wisdom found in the heart
of God and Christ; for this dolt-headed sinner hath now found out
a way of his own, unawares to God, to secure his soul from wrath
and vengeance; I say, unawares to God, for he never imagined that
such a thing could be; for had he, he would never have purposed
before the world began to send his Son to die for sinners. Christ
is the wisdom of God, as you have heard, and that as he is our
justifying righteousness. God was manifest in the flesh to save us,
is the great mystery of godliness. But wherein lieth the depth of
this wisdom of God in our salvation, if man's righteousness can
save him? (Job 40:10-14).

Yea, wherefore hath God also given it out that there is none other
name given to men under heaven whereby we must be saved? I say again,
why is it affirmed 'without shedding of blood is no remission,' if
man's good deeds can save him?

This doctrine, therefore, of the righteousness of Christ being
rightly preached, and truly believed, arraigneth and condemneth
man's righteousness to hell; it casteth it out as Abraham cast out
Ishmael. Blood, blood, the sound of blood, abaseth all the glory
of it! When men have said all, and showed us what they can, they
have no blood to present God's justice with; yet it is blood that
maketh an atonement for the soul, and nothing but blood can wash
away from us our sins (Lev 17:11; Rev 1:5; Heb 9).

Justice calls for blood, sins call for blood, the righteous law
calls for blood, yea, the devil himself must be overcome by blood.
Sinner, where is now thy righteousness? Bring it before a consuming
fire, for our God is a consuming fire; bring it before the justice
of the law; yea, try if aught but the blood of Christ can save thee
from thy sins, and devils; try it, I say, by this doctrine; go not
one step further before thou hast tried it.

Third. By this doctrine we are made to see the worth of souls. It
cannot be but that the soul is of wonderful price, when the Son of
God will not stick to spill his blood for it. O sinners, you that
will venture your souls for a little pleasure, surely you know not
the worth of your souls. Now, if you would know what your souls
are worth, and the price which God sets them at, read that price by
the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ was spilt to save souls.
'For ye are bought with a price,' and that price none other than
the blood of Christ; 'therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God's (1 Cor 6:20). Sinners, you have souls,
can you behold a crucified Christ, and not bleed, and not mourn,
and not fall in love with him?

THE THIRD USE.

[THIRD.] By this doctrine sinners, as sinners, are encouraged to
come to God for mercy, for the curse due to sin is taken out of
the way. I speak now to sinners that are awake, and see themselves
sinners.

There are two things in special when men begin to be awakened, that
kill their thoughts of being saved. 1. A sense of sin. 2. The wages
due thereto. These kill the heart; for who can bear up under the
guilt of sin? 'If our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them,
how should we then live?' (Eze 33:10). How indeed! it is impossible.
So neither can man grapple with the justice of God. 'Can thine heart
endure, or can thine hands be strong?' They cannot (Eze 22:14).
'A wounded spirit who can bear?' (Prov 18:14). Men cannot, angels
cannot. Wherefore, if now Christ be hid, and the blessing of faith
in his blood denied, woe be to them; such go after Saul and Judas,
one to the sword, and the other to the halter, and so miserably
end their days; for come to God they dare not; the thoughts of that
eternal Majesty strike them through.

But now, present such poor dejected sinners with a crucified Christ,
and persuade them that the sins under which they shake and tremble
were long ago laid upon the back of Christ, and the noise and sense
and fear of damning begins to cease, depart, and fly away; dolors
and terrors fade and vanish, and that soul conceiveth hopes of
life; for thus the soul argueth, Is this indeed the truth of God,
that Christ was made to be sin for me? was made the curse of God for
me? Hath he indeed borne all my sins, and spilt his blood for my
redemption! O Blessed tidings! O welcome grace! 'Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.' Now is
peace come; now the face of heaven is altered; 'Behold, all things
are become new.' Now the sinner can abide God's presence, yea,
sees unutterable glory and beauty in him; for here he sees justice
smite. While Jacob was afraid of Esau, how heavily did he drive
even towards the promised land? but when killing thoughts were
turned into kissing, and the fears of the sword's point turned into
brother embraces, what says he?--'I have seen thy face as though
it had been the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me' (Gen
33:10).

So and far better is it with a poor distressed sinner at
the revelation of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. 'God was
in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them.' O what work will such a word make upon a
wounded conscience, especially when the next words follow--'For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him!'

Now, the soul sees qualifications able to set him quit in the sight
of God; qualifications prepared already. Prepared, I say, already;
and that by God through Christ; even such as can perfectly answer
the law. What doth the law require? If obedience, here it is; if
bloody sacrifice, here it is; if infinite righteousness, here it
is! Now, then, the law condemns him that believes before God no
more; for all its demands are answered, all its curses are swallowed
up in the death and curse Christ underwent.

Object. But reason saith, since personal sin brought the death,
surely personal obedience must bring us life and glory.

Answ. True reason saith so, and so doth the law itself (Rom 10:5);
but God, we know, is above them both, and he in the covenant of
grace saith otherwise; to wit, that 'if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved' (Rom 10:9).

Let reason, then, hold its tongue, yea, let the law with all its
wisdom subject itself to him that made it; let it look for sin
where God hath laid it; let it approve the righteousness which
God approveth; yea, though it be not that of the law, but that by
faith of Jesus Christ.

God hath made him our righteousness, God hath made him our sin, God
hath made him our curse, God hath made him our blessing; methinks
this word, 'God hath made it so,' should silence all the world.

THE FOURTH USE.

[FOURTH.] By this doctrine, sufficiency of argument is ministered
to the tempted to withstand hereby the assaults of the devil.

When souls begin to seek after the Lord Jesus, then Satan begins
to afflict and distress, as the Canaanites did the Gibeonites, for
making peace with Joshua (Josh 10:1,6).

There are three things that do usually afflict the soul that is
earnestly looking after Jesus Christ. First. Dreadful accusations
from Satan. Second. Grievous defiling and infectious thoughts.
Third. A strange readiness in our nature to fall in with both.

First. By the first of these, the heart is made continually to
tremble. Hence his temptations are compared to the roaring of a
lion, for as the lion by roaring killeth the heart of his prey, so
doth Satan kill the spirit of these that hearken to him (1 Peter
5:8); for when he tempteth, especially by way of accusation, he
doth to us as Rabshakeh did to the Jews; he speaks to us in our own
language; he speaks our sin at every word, our guilty conscience
knows it; he speaks our death at every word, our doubting conscience
feels it.

Second. Besides this, there doth now arise, even in the heart,
such defiling and foul infectious thoughts that putteth the tempted
to their wits' end; for now it seems to the soul that the very
flood-gates of the flesh are opened, and that to sin there is no
stop at all; now the air seems to be covered with darkness, and
the man is as if he was changed into the nature of a devil; now if
ignorance and unbelief prevail, he concludeth that he is a reprobate,
made to be taken and destroyed.

Third. Now also he feeleth in him a readiness to fall in with every
temptation; a readiness, I say, continually present (Rom 7:21). This
throws all down. Now despair begins to swallow him up; now he can
neither pray, nor read, nor hear, nor meditate on God, but fire
and smoke continually bursteth forth of the heart against him. Now
sin and great confusion puts forth itself in all; yea, the more the
sinner desireth to do a duty sincerely, the further off it always
find itself; for by how much the soul struggleth under these distresses,
by so much the more doth Satan put forth himself to resist, still
infusing more poison, that if possible it might never struggle
more, for strugglings are also as poison to Satan. The fly in the
spider's web is an emblem of the soul in such a condition--the fly
is entangled in the web; at this the spider shows himself; if the
fly stir again, down comes the spider to her, and claps a foot
upon her; if yet the fly makes a noise, then with poisoned mouth
the spider lays hold upon her; if the fly struggle still, then
he poisons her more and more. What shall the fly do now? Why, she
dies, if somebody does not quickly release her. This is the case
of the tempted; they are entangled in the web, their feet and wings
are entangled; now Satan shows himself; if the soul now struggleth,
Satan laboureth to hold it down; if it now shall make a noise, then
he bites with blasphemous mouth, more poisonous than the gall of
a serpent; if it struggle again, then he poisoneth more and more,
insomuch that it needs, at last, must die in the net, if the man,
the lord Jesus, help not out.[6]

The afflicted conscience understands my words.

Further, though the fly in the web is altogether incapable of
looking for relief, yet this awakened, tempted Christian is not.
What must he do therefore? How should he contain hopes of life? If
he look to his heart, there is blasphemy; if he look to his duties,
there is sin; if he strive to mourn and lament, perhaps he cannot;
unbelief and hardness hinder. Shall this man lie down and despair?
No. Shall he trust to his duties? No. Shall he stay from Christ
till his heart is better? No. What then? Let him NOW look to Jesus
Christ crucified, then shall he see his sins answered for, then
shall he see death a-dying, then shall he see guilt borne by another,
and there shall he see the devil overcome. This sight destroys the
power of the first temptation, purifies the heart, and inclines
the mind to all good things.

And to encourage thee, tempted creature, to this most gospel duty,
consider that when Jesus Christ read his commission upon the entering
into his ministry, he proclaimed, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord' (Luke 4:18,19).

These things therefore should the tempted believe; but believing
is now sweating work; for Satan will hold as long as possible, and
only steadfast faith can make him fly. But O, the toil of a truly
gracious heart in this combat! If faith be weak, he can scarce get
higher than his knees; Lord, help! Lord, save! and then down again,
till an arm from heaven takes him up, until Jesus Christ be evidently
set forth crucified for him, and cursed for his sin; for then, and
not till then, the temptation rightly ceaseth, at leastwise for a
season. Now the soul can tend to look about it, and thus consider
with itself: if Christ hath borne my sin and curse, then it is taken
away from me; and seeing thus to take away sin was the contrivance
of the God of heaven, I will bless his name, hope in his mercy, and
look upon death and hell with comfort. 'Thine heart shall meditate
terror,' thou shalt see the land that is very far off (Isa 33:16-18).

THE FIFTH USE.

[FIFTH.] this doctrine makes Christ precious to the believers--'Unto
you therefore which believe, he is precious' (1 Peter 2:7).

This head might be greatly enlarged upon, and branched out into
a thousand particulars, and each one full of weight and glory. 1.
By considering what sin is. 2. By considering what hell is. 3. By
considering what wrath is. 4. By considering what eternity is. 5.
By considering what the loss of a soul is. 6. What the loss of God
is. 7. What the loss of heaven is. 8. And what it is to be in utter
darkness with devils and damned souls for ever and ever. And after
all to conclude, from all the miseries the Lord Jesus delivered
me.

Further, this makes Christ precious, if I consider, in the next
place,

1. How he did deliver me; it was with his life, his blood; it cost
him tears, groans, agony, separation from God; to do it he endured
his Father's wrath, bore his Father's curse, and died thousands of
deaths at once.

2. He did this while I was his enemy, without my desires, without
my knowledge, without my deserts; he did it unawares to me.

3. He did it freely, cheerfully, yea, he longed to die for me;
yea, heaven would not hold him for the love he had to my salvation,
which also he hath effectually accomplished for me at Jerusalem.
Honourable Jesus! precious Jesus! loving Jesus! Jonathan's kindness
captivated David, and made him precious in his eyes for ever. 'I am
distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan,' said he; 'very pleasant
hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the
love of women' (2 Sam 1:26). Why, what had Jonathan done? O, he had
delivered David from the wrath of Saul. But how much more should he
be precious to me who hath saved me from death and hell! who hath
delivered me from the wrath of God! 'The love of Christ constraineth
us.' Nothing will so edge the spirit of a Christian as, 'Thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.' This makes the
heavens themselves ring with joy and shouting. Mark the words,
'Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us
unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.'
What follows now? 'And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many
angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and
the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is
in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are
in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing,
and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever' (Rev 5:9-14).

Thus also is the song, that new song that is said to be sung by
the hundred forty and four thousand which stand with the Lamb upon
Mount Sion, with his Father's name written in their foreheads. These
are also called harpers, harping with their harps: 'And they sung
as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts,
and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth'
(Rev 14:1-3).

But why could they not learn that song? Because they were not
redeemed: none can sing of this song but the redeemed; they can
give glory to the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain, and that redeemed
them to God by his blood. It is faith in his blood on earth that
will make us sing this song in heaven. These shoutings and heavenly
songs must needs come from love put into a flame by the sufferings
of Christ.

THE LAST USE.

If all these things be true, what follows but a demonstration of
the accursed condition of those among the religious in these nations
whose notions put them far off from Jesus, and from venturing their
souls upon his bloody death? I have observed such a spirit as this
in the world that careth not for knowing of Jesus; the possessed
therewith do think that it is not material to salvation to venture
upon a crucified Christ, neither do they trouble their heads or
hearts with inquiring whether Christ Jesus be risen and ascended
into heaven, or whether they see him again or no, but rather are
for concluding that there will be no such thing: these men speak
not by the Holly Ghost, for in the sum they call Jesus accursed;
but I doubt not to say that many of them are anathematized of God,
and shall stand so, till the coming of the Lord Jesus, to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen.[7]

FOOTNOTES:

1. In this quotation, Bunyan has followed the Genevan or Puritan
version. It was a favourite version with our pilgrim forefathers,
and is in many texts more faithful than our authorized translation;
but, in this passage, our present version is more literal. The same
Hebrew word, to 'break' or 'bruise,' is used as to Satan's head
and the Saviour's heel.--Ed.

2. Genevan or Puritan version.--Ed.

3. 'Common' means public. 'Not doing nor dying in a private capacity,
but in the room and stead of sinners.'--Ed.

4. It was common with the Reformers and Puritans, when condemning
the absurdities of Aquinas and the schoolmen, to call it 'Dunsish
sophistry,' from one of the chief of these writers named Duns,
usually called, from the place of his birth, Duns Scotus.--Ed.

5. The apostle evidently means by 'Christ made sin for us,' that
he was made an offering or sacrifice for our sins. He was made sin
who knew no sin. Our sins were laid upon him; he bore them away
in his own body on the tree. The clean animals sacrificed by the
patriarchs, and under the law, were types of this great sacrifice
of Christ.--Ed.

6. 'I hid myself when I for flies do wait, So doth the devil when
he lays his bait; If I do fear the losing of my prey, I stir me,
and more snares upon her lay, This way and that her wings and legs
I tie, That sure as she is caught, so she must die.'--Bunyan's
Divine Emblems, No. XVIII. 'Dialogue between a spider and a sinner.'

7. Here is faithful dealing! This is a most solemn and awful
appeal to the consciences of those who, forsaking the fountain of
salvation, venture to build their hopes of pardon upon some other
foundation than Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages. They seek refuge
in lies, which, at the great and trying day, will be fearfully and
swiftly swept away, leaving them, with all their guilt upon their
heads, to suffer under the curse. Reader, do not indulge in vain
imaginations as to whether any sect is here alluded to; Bunyan's
appeal is to persons--to you and me. If WE, either by secret or
open sins, or by carelessness of eternal realities, or by departing
from a simple and entire reliance by faith in the work and merits
of Christ--we trample under foot the blood of the covenant, there
is nothing left us but a fearful looking for of judgment, and
fiery indignation to devour us. May we appeal to our God, Lord, is
it I? Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. O lead me in the way
everlasting.--Ed

***

A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD;

SHOWING

WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO.

ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT
THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS.

London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over
against the Stocks market: 1679.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain
of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the
source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle so vastly important,
all the subtle malignity of Satan has been directed, if possible
to mislead the very elect; while the ungodly and impenitent fall
under his devices. To the mind enlightened by Divine truth, the
difference between a filial fear of offending God and the dread of
punishment is very plain. Still, by the devil's sophistry, some of
the most pious Christians have been puzzled and bewildered. Bunyan
was not ignorant of Satan's devices, and he has roused the energies
of his powerful mind, guided by Divine truth, to render this important
doctrine so clear and easy to be understood, that the believer may
not err.

This rare volume, first published in 1679, soon became so scarce
that Chandler, Wilson, Whitefield, and others, omitted it from
their editions of Bunyan's works. At length it appeared in the more
complete collection by Ryland and Mason, about 1780. Since then,
it has been reprinted, somewhat modernized, by the Tract Society,
from an original copy, discovered by that ardent lover of Bunyan,
the Rev. Joseph Belcher. Of this edition, four thousand copies have
been printed.

The great line of distinction that Bunyan draws is between that
terror and dread of God, as the infinitely Holy One, before whom
all sin must incur the intensity of punishment; and the love of
God, as the Father of mercies, and fountain of blessedness, in the
gift of his Son, and a sense of adoption into his family; by the
influences of which the soul fears to offend him. This fear is purely
evangelical; for if the slightest dependence is placed upon any
supposed good works of our own, the filial fear of God is swallowed
up in dread and terror--for salvation depends upon the perfection
of holiness, without which none can enter heaven, and which can
only be found in Christ.

Mr. Mason, on reading this treatise, thus expressed his feelings--"When
the fear of the Lord is a permanent principle, inwrought in the
soul by the Divine Spirit, it is an undoubted token of election
to life eternal; for the most precious promises are made to God's
fearers, even the blessings of the everlasting covenant. Such are
sure to be protected from every enemy; to be guided by unerring
counsel; and what will crown all, to be beloved of God the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost; till, by almighty and effectual grace, he will
be translated to those mansions of glory and blessedness prepared
for him, where he will sing the praises of his covenant-God while
eternity endures."

May this be the blessed experience of all those who prayerfully
read this important treatise.

Geo. Offor.

A TREATISE ON THE FEAR OF GOD

"BLESSED IS EVERY ONE THAT FEARETH THE LORD."--PSALM 128:1

"FEAR GOD."--REVELATION 14:7

This exhortation is not only found here in the text, but is in
several other places of the Scripture pressed, and that with much
vehemency, upon the children of men, as in Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1
Peter 1:17, &c. I shall not trouble you with a long preamble, or
forespeech to the matter, nor shall I here so much as meddle with
the context, but shall immediately fall upon the words themselves,
and briefly treat of the fear of God. The text, you see, presenteth
us with matter of greatest moment, to wit, with God, and with the
fear of him.

First they present us with God, the true and living God, maker of
the worlds, and upholder of all things by the word of his power:
that incomprehensible majesty, in comparison of whom all nations
are less than the drop of a bucket, and than the small dust of the
balance. This is he that fills heaven and earth, and is everywhere
present with the children of men, beholding the evil and the good;
for he hath set his eyes upon all their ways.

So that, considering that by the text we have presented to our
souls the Lord God and Maker of us all, who also will be either
our Saviour or Judge, we are in reason and duty bound to give the
more earnest heed to the things that shall be spoken, and be the
more careful to receive them, and put them in practice; for, as I
said, as they present us with the mighty God, so they exhort us to
the highest duty towards him; to wit, to fear him. I call it the
highest duty, because it is, as I may call it, not only a duty in
itself, but, as it were, the salt that seasoneth every duty. For
there is no duty performed by us that can by any means be accepted
of God, if it be not seasoned with godly fear. Wherefore the apostle
saith, "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with
reverence and godly fear." Of this fear, I say, I would discourse
at this time; but because this word fear is variously taken in
the Scripture, and because it may be profitable to us to see it in
its variety, I shall therefore choose this method for the managing
of my discourse, even to show you the nature of the word in its
several, especially of the chiefest, acceptations. FIRST. Then by
this word fear we are to understand even God himself, who is the
object of our fear. SECOND. By this word fear we are to understand
the Word of God, the rule and director of our fear. Now to speak
to this word fear, as it is thus taken.

[THIS WORD FEAR AS TAKEN FOR GOD HIMSELF.]

FIRST. Of this word "fear," AS IT RESPECTETH GOD HIMSELF, who is
the object of our fear.

By this word fear, as I said, we are to understand God himself,
who is the object of our fear: For the Divine majesty goeth often
under this very name himself. This name Jacob called him by, when
he and Laban chid together on Mount Gilead, after that Jacob had
made his escape to his father's house; "Except," said he, "the
God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had
been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty." So again,
a little after, when Jacob and Laban agree to make a covenant of
peace each with other, though Laban, after the jumbling way of the
heathen by his oath, puts the true God and the false together, yet
"Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac" (Gen 31:42,53).[1]

By the fear, that is, by the God of his father Isaac. And, indeed,
God may well be called the fear of his people, not only because they
have by his grace made him the object of their fear, but because
of the dread and terrible majesty that is in him. "He is a mighty
God, a great and terrible, and with God is terrible majesty" (Dan
7:28, 10:17; Neh 1:5, 4:14, 9:32; Job 37:22). Who knows the power
of his anger? "The mountains quake at him, the hills melt, and
the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that
dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? who can abide
in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are thrown down by him" (Nahum 1:5,6). His people
know him, and have his dread upon them, by virtue whereof there is
begot and maintained in them that godly awe and reverence of his
majesty which is agreeable to their profession of him. "Let him be
your fear, and let him be your dread." Set his majesty before the
eyes of your souls, and let his excellency make you afraid with
godly fear (Isa 8:13).

There are these things that make God to be the fear of his people.

First. His presence is dreadful, and that not only his presence
in common, but his special, yea, his most comfortable and joyous
presence. When God comes to bring a soul news of mercy and salvation,
even that visit, that presence of God, is fearful. When Jacob went
from Beersheba towards Haran, he met with God in the way by a dream,
in the which he apprehended a ladder set upon the earth, whose top
reached to heaven; now in this dream, from the top of this ladder,
he saw the Lord, and heard him speak unto him, not threateningly;
not as having his fury come up into his face; but in the most sweet
and gracious manner, saluting him with promise of goodness after
promise of goodness, to the number of eight or nine; as will appear
if you read the place. Yet I say, when he awoke, all the grace that
discovered itself in this heavenly vision to him could not keep him
from dread and fear of God's majesty. "And Jacob awaked out of his
sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it
not; and he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this
is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven"
(Gen 28:10-17).

At another time, to wit, when Jacob had that memorable visit from
God, in which he gave him power as a prince to prevail with him;
yea, and gave him a name, that by his remembering it he might
call God's favour the better to his mind; yet even then and there
such dread of the majesty of God was upon him, that he went away
wondering that his life was preserved (Gen 32:30). Man crumbles to
dust at the presence of God; yea, though he shows himself to us in
his robes of salvation. We have read how dreadful and how terrible
even the presence of angels have been unto men, and that when they
have brought them good tidings from heaven (Judg 13:22; Matt 28:4;
Mark 16:5,6). Now, if angels, which are but creatures, are, through
the glory that God has put upon them, so fearful and terrible in
their appearance to men, how much more dreadful and terrible must
God himself be to us, who are but dust and ashes! When Daniel had
the vision of his salvation sent him from heaven, for so it was,
"O Daniel," said the messenger, "a man greatly beloved"; yet behold
the dread and terror of the person speaking fell with that weight
upon this good man's soul, that he could not stand, nor bear up under
it. He stood trembling, and cries out, "O my lord, by the vision
my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For
how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as
for me, straightway there remained no strength in me" (Dan 10:16-17).
See you here if the presence of God is not a dreadful and a fearful
thing; yea, his most gracious and merciful appearances; how much
more then when he showeth himself to us as one that disliketh our
ways, as one that is offended with us for our sins?

And there are three things that in an eminent manner make his
presence dreadful to us.

1. The first is God's own greatness and majesty; the discovery
of this, or of himself thus, even as no poor mortals are able to
conceive of him, is altogether unsupportable. The man dies to whom
he thus discovers himself. "And when I saw him," says John, "I fell
at his feet as dead" (Rev 1:17). It was this, therefore, that Job
would have avoided in the day that he would have approached unto
him. "Let not thy dread," says he, "make me afraid. Then call
thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me" (Job
13:21,22). But why doth Job after this manner thus speak to God?
Why! it was from a sense that he had of the dreadful majesty of
God, even the great and dreadful God that keepeth covenant with his
people. The presence of a king is dreadful to the subject, yea,
though he carries it never so condescendingly; if then there be
so much glory and dread in the presence of the king, what fear and
dread must there be, think you, in the presence of the eternal God?

2. When God giveth his presence to his people, that his presence
causeth them to appear to themselves more what they are, than at
other times, by all other light, they can see. "O my lord," said
Daniel, "by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me"; and why
was that, but because by the glory of that vision, he saw his own
vileness more than at other times. So again: "I was left alone,"
says he, "and saw this great vision"; and what follows? Why, "and
there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned
into corruption, and I retained no strength" (Dan 10:8,16). By the
presence of God, when we have it indeed, even our best things, our
comeliness, our sanctity and righteousness, all do immediately turn
to corruption and polluted rags. The brightness of his glory dims
them as the clear light of the shining sun puts out the glory of
the fire or candle, and covers them with the shadow of death. See
also the truth of this in that vision of the prophet Isaiah. "Wo
is me," said he, "for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Why,
what is the matter? how came the prophet by this sight? Why, says
he, "mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa 6:5).
But do you think that this outcry was caused by unbelief? No; nor
yet begotten by slavish fear. This was to him the vision of his
Saviour, with whom also he had communion before (vv 2-5). It was
the glory of that God with whom he had now to do, that turned, as
was noted before of Daniel, his comeliness in him into corruption,
and that gave him yet greater sense of the disproportion that was
betwixt his God and him, and so a greater sight of his defiled and
polluted nature.

3. Add to this the revelation of God's goodness, and it must needs
make his presence dreadful to us; for when a poor defiled creature
shall see that this great God hath, notwithstanding his greatness,
goodness in his heart, and mercy to bestow upon him: this makes
his presence yet the more dreadful. They "shall fear the Lord and
his goodness" (Hosea 3:5). The goodness as well as the greatness
of God doth beget in the heart of his elect an awful reverence of
his majesty. "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord; will ye not tremble
at my presence?" And then, to engage us in our soul to the duty,
he adds one of his wonderful mercies to the world, for a motive,
"Fear ye not me?" Why, who are thou? He answers, Even I, "which have"
set, or "placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual
decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss
themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can
they not pass over it?" (Jer 5:22). Also, when Job had God present
with him, making manifest the goodness of his great heart to him,
what doth he say? how doth he behave himself in his presence? "I
have heard of thee," says he, "by the hearing of the ear, but now
mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust
and ashes" (Job 42:5,6).

And what mean the tremblings, the tears, those breakings and shakings
of heart that attend the people of God, when in an eminent manner
they receive the pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins at his
mouth, but that the dread of the majesty of God is in their sight
mixed therewith? God must appear like himself, speak to the soul like
himself; nor can the sinner, when under these glorious discoveries
of his Lord and Saviour, keep out the beams of his majesty from the
eyes of his understanding. "I will cleanse them," saith he, "from
all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me, and I will
pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby
they have transgressed against me." And what then? "And they shall
fear and tremble for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity
that I procure unto it" (Jer 33:8,9). Alas! there is a company of
poor, light, frothy professors in the world, that carry it under
that which they call the presence of God, more like to antics,
than sober sensible Christians; yea, more like to a fool of a play,
than those that have the presence of God. They would not carry it
so in the presence of a king, nor yet of the lord of their land,
were they but receivers of mercy at his hand. They carry it even
in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and sight of God,
and his blessed grace to their souls in Christ, had a tendency in
them to make men wanton: but indeed it is the most humbling and
heart-breaking sight in the world; it is fearful.[2]

Object. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense
of the forgiveness of our sins?

Answ. Yes; but yet I would have you, and indeed you shall, when God
shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed, "rejoice with
trembling" (Psa 2:11). For then you have solid and godly joy; a
joyful heart, and wet eyes, in this will stand very well together;
and it will be so more or less. For if God shall come to you indeed,
and visit you with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth
the guilt, but increaseth the sense of thy filth, and the sense of
this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both
rejoice and tremble. O, the blessed confusion that will then cover
thy face whilst thou, even thou, so vile a wretch, shalt stand
before God to receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the firstfruits
of thy eternal salvation--"That thou mayest remember, and be
confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame
(thy filth), when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast
done, saith the Lord God" (Eze 16:63). But,

Second. As the presence, so the name of God, is dreadful and
fearful: wherefore his name doth rightly go under the same title,
"That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD
THY GOD" (Deut 28:58). The name of God, what is that, but that by
which he is distinguished and known from all others? Names are to
distinguish by; so man is distinguished from beasts, and angels
from men; so heaven from earth, and darkness from light; especially
when by the name, the nature of the thing is signified and expressed;
and so it was in their original, for then names expressed the
nature of the thing so named. And therefore it is that the name of
God is the object of our fear, because by his name his nature is
expressed: "Holy and reverend is his name" (Psa 111:9). And again,
he proclaimed the name of the Lord, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression,
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" (Exo 34:6,7).

Also his name, I am, Jah, Jehovah, with several others, what is
by them intended but his nature, as his power, wisdom, eternity,
goodness, and omnipotency, &c., might be expressed and declared.
The name of God is therefore the object of a Christian's fear. David
prayed to God that he would unite his heart to fear his name (Psa
86:11). Indeed, the name of God is a fearful name, and should
always be reverenced by his people: yea his "name is to be feared
for ever and ever," and that not only in his church, and among
his saints, but even in the world and among the heathen--"So the
heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all kings thy glory"
(Psa 102:15). God tells us that his name is dreadful, and that he
is pleased to see men be afraid before his name. Yea, one reason
why he executeth so many judgments upon men as he doth, is that
others might see and fear his name. "So shall they fear the name of
the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun"
(Isa 59:19; Mal 2:5).

The name of a king is a name of fear--"And I am a great king,
saith the Lord of hosts" (Mal 1:14). The name of master is a name
of fear--"And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord" (v
6). Yea, rightly to fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart.
And again, "To you that fear my name," saith he, "shall the Sun
of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Mal 4:2). Yea,
when Christ comes to judge the world, he will give reward to his
servants the prophets, and to his saints, "and to them that fear his
name, small and great" (Rev 11:18). Now, I say, since the name of
God is that by which his nature is expressed, and since he naturally
is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name must needs be the
object of our fear, and we ought always to have a reverent awe
of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of, or hear
his name, but most of all, when we ourselves do take his holy and
fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner,
that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference. I do not by
thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name
in light and vain discourses; for we ought always to speak of it
with reverence and godly fear, but I speak it to put Christians
in mind that they should not in religious duties show lightness of
mind, or be vain in their words when yet they are making mention
of the name of the Lord--"Let every one that nameth the name of
Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim 2:19).

Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great
dread of his majesty upon our hearts, and in great soberness and
truth. To do otherwise is to profane the name of the Lord, and to
take his name in vain; and "the Lord will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name in vain." Yea, God saith that he will cut off
the man that doth it; so jealous is he of the honour due unto his
name (Exo 20:7; Lev 20:3). This therefore showeth you the dreadful
state of those that lightly, vainly, lyingly, and profanely make use
of the name, this fearful name of God, either by their blasphemous
cursing and oaths, or by their fraudulent dealing with their
neighbour; for some men have no way to prevail with their neighbour
to bow under a cheat, but by calling falsely upon the name of the
Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest; but how
these men will escape, when they shall be judged, devouring fire and
everlasting burnings, for their profaning and blaspheming of the
name of the Lord, becomes them betimes to consider of (Jer 14:14,15;
Eze 20:39; Exo 20:7).[3]

But,

Third. As the presence and name of God are dreadful and fearful in
the church, so is his worship and service. I say his worship, or
the works of service to which we are by him enjoined while we are
in this world, are dreadful and fearful things. This David conceiveth,
when he saith, "But as for me, I will come into thy house in the
multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy
holy temple" (Psa 5:7). And again, saith he, "Serve the Lord with
fear." To praise God is a part of his worship. But, says Moses, "Who
is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders?" (Exo 15:11). To rejoice before him is a part of
his worship; but David bids us "rejoice with trembling" (Psa 2:11).
Yea, the whole of our service to God, and every part thereof, ought
to be done by us with reverence and godly fear. And therefore let
us, as Paul saith again, "Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2
Cor 7:1; Heb 12).

1. That which makes the worship of God so fearful a thing, is, for
that it is the worship of GOD: all manner of service carries more
or less dread and fear along with it, according as the quality
or condition of the person is to whom the worship and service is
done. This is seen in the service of subjects to their princes,
the service of servants to their lords, and the service of children
to their parents. Divine worship, then, being due to God, for it is
now of Divine worship we speak, and this God so great and dreadful
in himself and name, his worship must therefore be a fearful thing.

2. Besides, this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his
worshippers in their worshipping him. "When two or three of you
are gathered together in my name, I am there." That is, gathered
together to worship him, "I am there," says he. And so, again, he
is said to walk "in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks"
(Rev 1:13). That is, in the churches, and that with a countenance
like the sun, with a head and hair as white as snow, and with eyes
like a flame of fire. This puts dread and fear into his service;
and therefore his servants should serve him with fear.

3. Above all things, God is jealous of his worship and service.
In all the ten words, he telleth us not anything of his being a
jealous God, but in the second, which respecteth his worship (Exo
20). Look to yourselves therefore, both as to the matter and manner
of your worship; "for I the Lord thy God," says he, "am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." This
therefore doth also put dread and fear into the worship and service
of God.

4. The judgments that sometimes God hath executed upon men for
their want of godly fear, while they have been in his worship and
service, put fear and dread upon his holy appointments. (1.) Nadab
and Abihu were burned to death with fire from heaven, because they
attempted to offer false fire upon God's altar, and the reason
rendered why they were so served, was, because God will be sanctified
in them that come nigh him (Lev 10:1-3). To sanctify his name
is to let him be thy dread and thy fear, and to do nothing in his
worship but what is well-pleasing to him. But because these men had
not grace to do this, therefore they died before the Lord. (2.)
Eli's sons, for want of this fear, when they ministered in the
holy worship of God, were both slain in one day by the sword of the
uncircumcised Philistines (see 1 Sam 2). (3.) Uzzah was smitten,
and died before the Lord, for but an unadvised touching of the
ark, when the men forsook it (1 Chron 13:9,10). (4.) Ananias and
Sapphira his wife, for telling a lie in the church, when they were
before God, were both stricken dead upon the place before them all,
because they wanted the fear and dread of God's majesty, name, and
service, when they came before him (Acts 5).

This therefore should teach us to conclude, that, next to God's
nature and name, his service, his instituted worship, is the most
dreadful thing under heaven. His name is upon his ordinances, his
eye is upon the worshippers, and his wrath and judgment upon those
that worship not in his fear. For this cause some of those at Corinth
were by God himself cut off, and to others he has given the back,
and will again be with them no more (1 Cor 11:27-32).[4]

This also rebuketh three sorts of people.

[Three sorts of people rebuked.]

1. Such as regard not to worship God at all; be sure they have
no reverence of his service, nor fear of his majesty before their
eyes. Sinner, thou dost not come before the Lord to worship him;
thou dost not bow before the high God; thou neither worshippest
him in thy closet nor in the congregation of saints. The fury of
the Lord and his indignation must in short time be poured out upon
thee, and upon the families that call not upon his name (Psa 79:6;
Jer 10:25).

2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body in
the place where God is worshipped, not minding with what heart, or
with what spirit they come thither. Some come into the worship of
God to sleep there; some come thither to meet with their chapmen,
and to get into the wicked fellowship of their vain companions.
Some come thither to feed their lustful and adulterous eyes with
the flattering beauty of their fellow-sinners. O what a sad account
will these worshippers give, when they shall count for all this,
and be damned for it, because they come not to worship the Lord
with that fear of his name that became them to come in, when they
presented themselves before him![5]

3. This also rebukes those that care not, so they worship, how they
worship; how, where, or after what manner they worship God. Those,
I mean, whose fear towards God "is taught by the precept of men."
They are hypocrites; their worship also is vain, and a stink in
the nostrils of God. "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this
people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour
me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward
me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold I will proceed
to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work
and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and
the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Isa 29:13,14;
Matt 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7).[6] Thus I conclude this first thing,
namely, that God is called our dread and fear.

OF THIS WORD FEAR AS IT IS TAKEN FOR THE WORD OF GOD.

I shall now come to the second thing, to wit, to the rule and
director of our fear.

SECOND. But again, this word FEAR is sometimes to be taken for THE
WORD, the written Word of God; for that also is, and ought to be,
the rule and director of our fear. So David calls it in the nineteenth
Psalm: "the fear of the Lord," saith he, "is clean, enduring for
ever." The fear of the Lord, that is, the Word of the Lord, the
written word; for that which he calleth in this place the fear
of the Lord, even in the same place he calleth the law, statutes,
commandments, and judgments of God. "The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making
wise the simple: the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the
heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes:
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of
the Lord are true and righteous altogether." All these words have
respect to the same thing, to wit, to the Word of God, jointly
designing the glory of it. Among which phrases, as you see, this
is one, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever." This
written Word is therefore the object of a Christian's fear. This
is that also which David intended when he said, "Come, ye children,
hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa
34:11). I will teach you the fear, that is, I will teach you the
commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, even as Moses
commanded the children of Israel--"Thou shalt teach them diligently
unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up" (Deut 6:4-7).

That also in the eleventh of Isaiah intends the same, where the
Father saith of the Son, that he shall be of quick understanding
in the fear of the Lord; that he may judge and smite the earth with
the rod of his mouth. This rod in the text is none other but the
fear, the Word of the Lord; for he was to be of a quick understanding,
that he might smite, that is, execute it according to the will of
his Father, upon and among the children of men. Now this, as I said,
is called the fear of the Lord, because it is called the rule and
director of our fear. For we know not how to fear the Lord in a
saving way without its guidance and direction. As it is said of the
priest that was sent back from the captivity to Samaria to teach
the people to fear the Lord, so it is said concerning the written
Word; it is given to us, and left among us, that we may read
therein all the days of our life, and learn to fear the Lord (Deut
6:1-3,24, 10:12, 17:19). And here it is that, trembling at the
Word of God, is even by God himself not only taken notice of, but
counted as laudable and praiseworthy, as is evident in the case of
Josiah (2 Chron 34:26,27). Such also are the approved of God, let
them be condemned by whomsoever: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye
that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast
you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but
he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa 66:5).

Further, such shall be looked to, by God himself cared for,
and watched over, that no distress, temptation, or affliction may
overcome them and destroy them--"To this man will I look," saith
God, "even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that
trembleth at my word." It is the same in substance with that in
the same prophet in chapter 57: "For thus saith the high and lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart
of the contrite ones." Yea, the way to escape dangers foretold,
is to hearken to, understand, and fear the Word of God--"He that
feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, made
his servants and his cattle flee into the houses," and they were
secured; but "he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his
servants and his cattle in the field," and they were destroyed of
the hail (Exo 9:20-25).

If at any time the sins of a nation or church are discovered and
bewailed, it is by them that know and tremble at the word of God.
When Ezra heard of the wickedness of his brethren, and had a desire
to humble himself before God for the same, who were they that would
assist him in that matter, but they that trembled at the word of
God?--"Then," saith he, "were assembled unto me every one that trembled
at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of
those that had been carried away" (Ezra 9:4). They are such also
that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the
matters of God, for their judgment best suiteth with his mind and
will: "Now therefore," said he, "let us make a covenant with our
God to put away all the (strange) wives,--according to the counsel
of my Lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our
God, and let it be done according to the law" (Ezra 10:3). Now
something of the dread and terror of the Word lieth in these things.

First. As I have already hinted, from the author of them, they are
the words of God. Therefore you have Moses and the prophets, when
they came to deliver their errand, their message to the people,
still saying, "Hear the word of the Lord," "Thus saith the Lord,"
and the like. So when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel, in
their state of religion, thus was he bid to say unto them, "Thus
saith the Lord God"; "Thus saith the Lord God" (Eze 2:4, 3:11).
This is the honour and majesty, then, that God hath put upon his
written Word, and thus he hath done even of purpose, that we might
make them the rule and directory of our fear, and that we might
stand in awe of, and tremble at them. When Habakkuk heard the word
of the Lord, his belly trembled, and rottenness entered into his
bones. "I trembled in myself," said he, "that I might rest in the
day of trouble" (Hab 3:16). The word of a king is as the roaring
of a lion; where the word of a king is, there is power. What is it,
then, when God, the great God, shall roar out of Zion, and utter
his voice from Jerusalem, whose voice shakes not only the earth,
but also heaven? How doth holy David set it forth; "The voice of
the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty,"
&c. (Psa 29).

Second. It is a Word that is fearful, and may well be called the
fear of the Lord, because of the subject matter of it; to wit, the
state of sinners in another world; for that is it unto which the
whole Bible bendeth itself, either more immediately or more mediately.
All its doctrines, counsels, encouragements, threatenings, and
judgments, have a look, one way or other, upon us, with respect to
the next world, which will be our last state, because it will be
to us a state eternal. This word, this law, these judgments, are
they that we shall be disposed of by--"The word that I have spoken,"
says Christ, "it shall judge you (and so consequently dispose of
you) in the last day" (John 12:48). Now, if we consider that our
next state must be eternal, either eternal glory or eternal fire,
and that this eternal glory or this eternal fire must be our portion,
according as the words of God, revealed in the holy Scriptures,
shall determine; who will not but conclude that therefore the words
of God are they at which we should tremble, and they by which we
should have our fear of God guided and directed, for by them we
are taught how to please him in everything?

Third. It is to be called a fearful Word, because of the truth and
faithfulness of it. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Here they are
called the Scriptures of truth, the true sayings of God, and also
the fear of the Lord, for that every jot and tittle thereof is
for ever settled in heaven, and stand more steadfast than doth the
world--"Heaven and earth," saith Christ, "shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away" (Matt 24:35). Those, therefore, that are
favoured by the Word of God, those are favoured indeed, and that
with the favour that no man can turn away; but those that by the
word of the Scriptures are condemned, those can no man justify and
set quit in the sight of God. Therefore what is bound by the text,
is bound, and what is released by the text, is released; also the
bond and release is unalterable (Dan 10:21; Rev 19:9; Matt 24:35;
Psa 119:89; John 10:35). This, therefore, calleth upon God's people
to stand more in fear of the Word of God than of all the terrors
of the world.[7] There wanteth even in the hearts of God's people
a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day appeareth
among us, and this let me say, that want of reverence of the
Word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart, life,
conversation, and in Christian communion. Besides, the want of
reverence of the Word layeth men open to the fearful displeasure
of God--"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed; but he that
feareth the commandment shall be rewarded" (Prov 13:13).

All transgression beginneth at wandering from the Word of God; but,
on the other side, David saith, "Concerning the works of men, by
the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer"
(Psa 17:4). Therefore Solomon saith, "My son, attend to my words;
incline thine ear unto my sayings; let them not depart from thine
eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart; for they are life
unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Prov
4:20-22). Now, if indeed thou wouldest reverence the Word of the
Lord, and make it thy rule and director in all things, believe that
the Word is the fear of the Lord, the Word that standeth fast for
ever; without and against which God will do nothing, either in
saving or damning of the souls of sinners. But to conclude this,

1. Know that those that have no due regard to the Word of the Lord,
and that make it not their dread and their fear, but the rule of
their life is the lust of their flesh, the desire of their eyes,
and the pride of life, are sorely rebuked by this doctrine, and
are counted the fools of the world; for "lo, they have rejected
the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9). That
there are such a people is evident, not only by their irregular
lives, but by the manifest testimony of the Word. "As for the word
of the Lord," said they to Jeremiah, "that thou hast spoken to us
in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will
certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth"
(Jer 44:16). Was this only the temper of wicked men then? Is not
the same spirit of rebellion amongst us in our days? Doubtless
there is; for there is no new thing--"The thing that hath been, it
is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall
be done; and there is no new thing under the sun" (Eccl 1:9).
Therefore, as it was then, so it is with many in this day.

As for the Word of the Lord, it is nothing at all to them; their
lusts, and whatsoever proceedeth out of their own mouths, that they
will do, that they will follow. Now, such will certainly perish
in their own rebellion; for this is as the sin of witchcraft; it
was the sin of Korah and his company, and that which brought upon
them such heavy judgments; yea, and they are made a sign that thou
shouldest not do as they, for they perished (because they rejected
the word, the fear of the Lord) from among the congregation of
the Lord, "and they became a sign." The word which thou despisest
still abideth to denounce its woe and judgment upon thee; and
unless God will save such with the breath of his word--and it is
hard trusting to that--they must never see his face with comfort
(1 Sam 15:22,23; Num 26:9,10).

2. Are the words of God called by the name of the fear of the
Lord? Are they so dreadful in their receipt and sentence? Then
this rebukes them that esteem the words and things of men more than
the words of God, as those do who are drawn from their respect of,
and obedience to, the Word of God, by the pleasures or threats of
men. Some there be who verily will acknowledge the authority of
the Word, yet will not stoop their souls thereto. Such, whatever
they think of themselves, are judged by Christ to be ashamed of the
Word; wherefore their state is damnable as the other. "Whosoever,"
saith he, "shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in the glory of the Father, with the holy angels"
(Mark 8:38).

3. And if these things be so, what will become of those that mock
at, and professedly contemn, the words of God, making them as a
thing ridiculous, and not to be regarded? Shall they prosper that do
such things? From the promises it is concluded that their judgment
now of a long time slumbereth not, and when it comes, it will devour
them without remedy (2 Chron 36:15). If God, I say, hath put that
reverence upon his Word as to call it the fear of the Lord, what will
become of them that do what they can to overthrow its authority,
by denying it to be his Word, and by raising cavils against
its authority? Such stumble, indeed, at the Word, being appointed
thereunto, but it shall judge them in the last day (1 Peter 2:8;
John 12:48). But thus much for this.

OF SEVERAL SORTS OF FEAR OF GOD IN THE HEART OF THE CHILDREN OF
MEN.

Having thus spoken of the object and rule of our fear, I should come
now to speak of fear as it is a grace of the Spirit of God in the
hearts of his people; but before I do that, I shall show you that
there are divers sorts of fear besides. For man being a reasonable
creature, and having even by nature a certain knowledge of God,
hath also naturally something of some kind of fear of God at times,
which, although it be not that which is intended in the text,
yet ought to be spoken to, that that which is not right may be
distinguished from that that is.

There is, I say, several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of
the sons of men, I mean besides that fear of God that is intended
in the text, and that accompanieth eternal life. I shall here make
mention of three of them. FIRST. There is a fear of God that flows
even from the light of nature. SECOND. There is a fear of God that
flows from some of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither
universal nor saving. THIRD. There is a fear of God in the heart
of some men that is good and godly, but doth not for ever abide so.
To speak a little to all these, before I come to speak of fear, as
it is a grace of God in the hearts of his children, And,

FIRST. To the first, to wit, that there is a fear of God that flows
even from the light of nature. A people may be said to do things
in a fear of God, when they act one towards another in things
reasonable, and honest betwixt man and man, not doing that to others
they would not have done to themselves. This is that fear of God
which Abraham thought the Philistines had destroyed in themselves,
when he said of his wife to Abimelech, "She is my sister." For when
Abimelech asked Abraham why he said of his wife, She is my sister;
he replied, saying, "I thought surely the fear of God is not in
this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake" (Gen 20:11).
I thought verily that in this place men had stifled and choked that
light of nature that is in them, at least so far forth as not to
suffer it to put them in fear, when their lusts were powerful in
them to accomplish their ends on the object that was present before
them. But this I will pass by, and come to the second thing, namely--

SECOND. To show that there is a fear of God that flows from some
of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor
saving. This fear, when opposed to that which is saving, may be
called an ungodly fear of God. I shall describe it by these several
particulars that follow--

First. There is a fear of God that causeth a continual grudging,
discontent, and heart-risings against God under the hand of God;
and that is, when the dread of God in his coming upon men, to
deal with them for their sins, is apprehended by them, and yet by
this dispensation they have no change of heart to submit to God
thereunder. The sinners under this dispensation cannot shake God out
of their mind, nor yet graciously tremble before him; but through
the unsanctified frame that they now are in, they are afraid with
ungodly fear, and so in their minds let fly against him. This fear
oftentimes took hold of the children of Israel when they were in
the wilderness in their journey to the promised land; still they
feared that God in this place would destroy them, but not with
that fear that made them willing to submit, for their sins, to the
judgment which they fear, but with that fear that made them let fly
against God. This fear showed itself in them, even at the beginning
of their voyage, and was rebuked by Moses at the Red Sea, but it
was not there, nor yet at any other place, so subdued, but that
it would rise again in them at times to the dishonour of God, and
the anew making of them guilty of sin before him (Exo 14:11-13;
Num 14:1-9). This fear is that which God said he would send before
them, in the day of Joshua, even a fear that should possess the
inhabitants of the land, to wit, a fear that should arise for that
faintness of heart that they should be swallowed up of, at their
apprehending of Joshua in his approaches towards them to destroy
them. "I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the
people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies
turn their backs unto thee" (Exo 23:27). "This day," says God,
"will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon
the nations that are under the whole heaven who shall hear report
of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee"
(Deut 2:25, 11:25).

Now this fear is also, as you here see, called anguish, and in
another place, an hornet; for it, and the soul that it falls upon,
do greet each other, as boys and bees do. The hornet puts men in
fear, not so as to bring the heart into a sweet compliance with
his terror, but so as to stir up the spirit into acts of opposition
and resistance, yet withal they flee before it. "I will send hornets
before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite," &c. (Exo 23:28).
Now this fear, whether it be wrought by misapprehending of the
judgments of God, as in the Israelites, or otherwise as in the
Canaanites, yet ungodliness is the effect thereof, and therefore
I call it an ungodly fear of God, for it stirreth up murmurings,
discontents, and heart-risings against God, while he with his
dispensations is dealing with them.

Second. There is a fear of God that driveth a man away from God--I
speak not now of the atheist, nor of the pleasurable sinner, nor
yet of these, and that fear that I spoke of just now--I speak now
of such who through a sense of sin and of God's justice fly from
him of a slavish ungodly fear. This ungodly fear was that which
possessed Adam's heart in the day that he did eat of the tree
concerning which the Lord has said unto him, "In the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." For then was he possessed
with such a fear of God as made him seek to hide himself from his
presence. "I heard," said he, "thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10). Mind it,
he had a fear of God, but it was not godly. It was not that that
made him afterwards submit himself unto him; for that would have
kept him from not departing from him, or else have brought him to
him again, with bowed, broken, and contrite spirit. But this fear,
as the rest of his sin, managed his departing from his God, and
pursued him to provoke him still so to do; by it he kept himself
from God, by it his whole man was carried away from him. I call
it ungodly fear, because it begat in him ungodly apprehensions of
his Maker; because it confined Adam's conscience to the sense of
justice only, and consequently to despair.

The same fear also possessed the children of Israel when they heard
the law delivered to them on Mount Sinai; as is evident, for it
made them that they could neither abide his presence nor hear his
word. It drove them back from the mountain. It made them, saith
the apostle to the Hebrews, that "they could not endure that which
was commanded" (Heb 12:20). Wherefore this fear Moses rebukes,
and forbids their giving way thereto. "Fear not," said he; but had
that fear been godly, he would have encouraged it, and not forbid
and rebuke it as he did. "Fear not," said he, "for God is come to
prove you"; they thought otherwise. "God," saith he, "is come to
prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces." Therefore
that fear that already had taken possession of them, was not the
fear of God, but a fear that was of Satan, of their own misjudging
hearts, and so a fear that was ungodly (Exo 20:18-20). Mark you,
here is a fear and a fear, a fear forbidden, and a fear commended;
a fear forbidden, because it engendered their hearts to bondage,
and to ungodly thoughts of God and of his word; it made them that
they could not desire to hear God speak to them any more (vv 19-21).

Many also at this day are possessed with this ungodly fear; and
you may know them by this,--they cannot abide conviction for sin,
and if at any time the word of the law, by the preaching of the
word, comes near them, they will not abide that preacher, nor such
kind of sermons any more. They are, as they deem, best at ease,
when furthest off of God, and of the power of his word. The word
preached brings God nearer to them than they desire he should come,
because whenever God comes near, their sins by him are manifest, and
so is the judgment too that to them is due. Now these not having
faith in the mercy of God through Christ, nor that grace that
tendeth to bring them to him, they cannot but think of God amiss,
and their so thinking of him makes them say unto him, "Depart
from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways" (Job 21:14).
Wherefore their wrong thoughts of God beget in them this ungodly fear;
and again, this ungodly fear doth maintain in them the continuance
of these wrong and unworthy thoughts of God, and therefore, through
that devilish service wherewith they strengthen one another, the
sinner, without a miracle of grace prevents him, is drowned in
destruction and perdition.

It was this ungodly fear of God that carried Cain from the presence
of God into the land of Nod, and that put him there upon any carnal
worldly business, if perhaps he might by so doing stifle convictions
of the majesty and justice of God against his sin, and so live
the rest of his vain life in the more sinful security and fleshly
ease. This ungodly fear is that also which Samuel perceived at the
people's apprehension of their sin, to begin to get hold of their
hearts; wherefore he, as Moses before him, quickly forbids their
entertaining of it. "Fear not," said he, "ye have done all this
wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord." For to
turn them aside from following of him, was the natural tendency of
this fear. "But fear not," said he, that is, with that fear that
tendeth to turn you aside. Now, I say, the matter that this fear
worketh upon, as in Adam, and the Israelites mentioned before, was
their sin. You have sinned, says he, that is true, yet turn not
aside, yet fear not with that fear that would make you so do (1 Sam
12:20). Note by the way, sinner, that when the greatness of thy
sins, being apprehended by thee, shall work in thee that fear of
God, as shall incline thy heart to fly from him, thou art possessed
with a fear of God that is ungodly, yea, so ungodly, that not any
of thy sins for heinousness may be compared therewith, as might be
made manifest in many particulars, but Samuel having rebuked this
fear, presently sets before the people another, to wit, the true
fear of God; "fear the Lord," says he, "serve him--with all your
heart" (v 24). And he giveth them this encouragement so to do, "for
the Lord will not forsake his people." This ungodly fear is that
which you read of in Isaiah 2, and in many other places, and God's
people should shun it, as they would shun the devil, because its
natural tendency is to forward the destruction of the soul in which
it has taken possession.[8]

Third. There is a fear of God, which, although it hath not in it that
power as to make men flee from God's presence, yet it is ungodly,
because, even while they are in the outward way of God's ordinances,
their hearts are by it quite discouraged from attempting to exercise
themselves in the power of religion. Of this sort are they which
dare not cast off the hearing, reading, and discourse of the word
as others; no, nor the assembly of God's children for the exercise
of other religious duties, for their conscience is convinced this
is the way and worship of God. But yet their heart, as I said,
by this ungodly fear, is kept from a powerful gracious falling in
with God. This fear takes away their heart from all holy and godly
prayer in private, and from all holy and godly zeal for his name
in public, and there be many professors whose hearts are possessed
with this ungodly fear of God; and they are intended by the slothful
one. He was a servant, a servant among the servants of God, and had
gifts and abilities given him, therewith to serve Christ, as well
as his fellows, yea, and was commanded too, as well as the rest,
to occupy till his master came. But what does he? Why, he takes his
talent, the gift that he was to lay out for his master's profit,
and puts it in a napkin, digs a hole in the earth, and hides his
lord's money, and lies in a lazy manner at to-elbow all his days,
not out of, but in his lord's vineyard;[9] for he came among the
servants also at last. By which it is manifest that he had not cast
off his profession, but was slothful and negligent while he was in
it. But what was it that made him thus slothful? What was it that
took away his heart, while he was in the way, and that discouraged
him from falling in with the power and holy practice of religion
according to the talent he received? Why, it was this, he gave way
to an ungodly fear of God, and that took away his heart from the
power of religious duties. "Lord," said he, "behold, here is thy
pound, which I have kept, laid up in a napkin, for I feared thee."
Why, man, doth the fear of God make a man idle and slothful? No,
no; that is, if it be right and godly. This fear was therefore
evil fear; it was that ungodly fear of God which I have here been
speaking of. For I feared thee, or as Matthew hath it, "for I
was afraid." Afraid of what? Of Christ, "that he was an hard man,
reaping where he sowed not, and gathering where he had not strawed."
This his fear, being ungodly, made him apprehend of Christ contrary
to the goodness of his nature, and so took away his heart from
all endeavours to be doing of that which was pleasing in his sight
(Luke 19:20; Matt 25:24, 25). And thus do all those that retain
the name and show of religion, but are neglecters as to the power
and godly practice of it. These will live like dogs and swine in
the house; they pray not, they watch not their hearts, they pull
not their hands out of their bosoms to work, they do not strive
against their lusts, nor will they ever resist unto blood, striving
against sin; they cannot take up their cross, or improve what
they have to God's glory. Let all men therefore take heed of this
ungodly fear, and shun it as they shun the devil, for it will
make them afraid where no fear is. It will tell them that there is
a lion in the street, the unlikeliest place in the world for such
a beast to be in; it will put a vizard upon the face of God, most
dreadful and fearful to behold, and then quite discourage the soul
as to his service; so it served the slothful servant, and so it
will serve thee, poor sinner, if thou entertainest it, and givest
way thereto. But,

Fourth. This ungodly fear of God shows itself also in this. It
will not suffer the soul that is governed thereby to trust only to
Christ for justification of life, but will bend the powers of the
soul to trust partly to the works of the law. Many of the Jews
were, in the time of Christ and his apostles, possessed with this
ungodly fear of God, for they were not as the former, to wit, as
the slothful servant, to receive a talent and hide it in the earth
in a napkin, but they were an industrious people, they followed
after the law of righteousness, they had a zeal of God and of the
religion of their fathers; but how then did they come to miscarry?
Why, their fear of God was ungodly; it would not suffer them
wholly to trust to the righteousness of faith, which is the imputed
righteousness of Christ. They followed after the law of righteousness,
but attained not to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because
they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the
law. But what was it that made them join their works of the law
with Christ, but their unbelief, whose foundation was ignorance and
fear? They were afraid to venture all in one bottom, they thought
two strings to one bow would be best, and thus betwixt two stools
they came to the ground. And hence, to fear and to doubt, are
put together as being the cause one of another; yea, they are put
ofttimes the one for the other; thus ungodly fear for unbelief:
"Be not afraid, only believe," and therefore he that is overruled
and carried away with this fear, is coupled with the unbeliever that
is thrust out from the holy city among the dogs. But the fearful
and unbelievers, and murderers are without (Rev 21:8). "The fearful
and unbelieving," you see, are put together; for indeed fear, that
is, this ungodly fear, is the ground of unbelief, or, if you will,
unbelief is the ground of fear, this fear: but I stand not upon
nice distinctions. This ungodly fear hath a great hand in keeping
of the soul from trusting only to Christ's righteousness for
justification of life.

Fifth. This ungodly fear of God is that which will put men upon
adding to the revealed will of God their own inventions, and their
own performances of them, as a means to pacify the anger of God.
For the truth is, where this ungodly fear reigneth, there is no end
of law and duty. When those that you read of in the book of Kings
were destroyed by the lions, because they had set up idolatry in
the land of Israel, they sent for a priest from Babylon that might
teach them the manner of the God of the land; but behold when they
knew it, being taught it by the priest, yet their fear would not
suffer them to be content with that worship only. "They feared
the Lord," saith the text, "and served their own gods." And again,
"So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images"
(2 Kings 17). It was this fear also that put the Pharisees upon
inventing so many traditions, as the washing of cups, and beds,
and tables, and basins, with abundance of such other like gear,[10]
none knows the many dangers that an ungodly fear of God will drive
a man into (Mark 7). How has it racked and tortured the Papists
for hundreds of years together! for what else is the cause but this
ungodly fear, at least in the most simple and harmless of them,
of their penances, as creeping to the cross, going barefoot on
pilgrimage, whipping themselves, wearing of sackcloth, saying so
many Pater-nosters, so many Ave-marias, making so many confessions
to the priest, giving so much money for pardons, and abundance of
other the like, but this ungodly fear of God? For could they be
brought to believe this doctrine, that Christ was delivered for our
offences, and raised again for our justification, and to apply it
by faith with godly boldness to their own souls, this fear would
vanish, and so consequently all those things with which they so
needlessly and unprofitably afflicted themselves, offend God, and
grieve his people. Therefore, gentle reader, although my text doth
bid that indeed thou shouldest fear God, yet it includeth not, nor
accepteth of any fear; no, not of any [or every] fear of God. For
there is, as you see, a fear of God that is ungodly, and that is to
be shunned as their sin. Wherefore thy wisdom and thy care should
be, to see and prove thy fear to be godly, which shall be the next
thing that I shall take in hand.

THIRD. The third thing that I am to speak to is, that there is a
fear of God in the heart of some men that is good and godly, but
yet doth not for ever abide so. Or you may take it thus--There
is a fear of God that is godly but for a time. In my speaking to,
and opening of this to you, I shall observe this method. First. I
shall show you what this fear is. Second. I shall show you by whom
or what this fear is wrought in the heart. Third. I shall show you
what this fear doth in the soul. And, Fourth, I shall show you when
this fear is to have an end.

First. For the first, this fear is an effect of sound awakenings
by the word of wrath which begetteth in the soul a sense of its
right to eternal damnation; for this fear is not in every sinner;
he that is blinded by the devil, and that is not able to see that
his state is damnable, he hath not this fear in his heart, but he
that is under the powerful workings of the word of wrath, as God's
elect are at first conversion, he hath this godly fear in his
heart; that is, he fears that that damnation will come upon him,
which by the justice of God is due unto him, because he hath broken
his holy law. This is the fear that made the three thousand cry
out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" and that made the jailer
cry out, and that with great trembling of soul, "Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?" (Acts 2, 16). The method of God is to kill and
make alive, to smite and then heal; when the commandment came to
Paul, sin revived, and he died, and that law which was ordained
to life, he found to be unto death; that is, it passed a sentence
of death upon him for his sins, and slew his conscience with that
sentence. Therefore from that time that he heard that word, "Why
persecutest thou me?" which is all one as if he had said, Why dost
thou commit murder? he lay under the sentence of condemnation by
the law, and under this fear of that sentence in his conscience.
He lay, I say, under it, until that Ananias came to him to comfort
him, and to preach unto him the forgiveness of sin (Acts 9). The
fear therefore that now I call godly, it is that fear which is
properly called the fear of eternal damnation for sin, and this
fear, at first awakening, is good and godly, because it ariseth in
the soul from a true sense of its very state. Its state by nature
is damnable, because it is sinful, and because he is not one that
as yet believeth in Christ for remission of sins: "He that believeth
not shall be damned."--"He that believeth not is condemned already,
and the wrath of God abideth on him" (Mark 16:16; John 3:18,36).
The which when the sinner at first begins to see, he justly fears
it; I say, he fears it justly, and therefore godly, because by
this fear he subscribes to the sentence that is gone out against
him for sin.

Second. By whom or by what is this fear wrought in the heart? To
this I shall answer in brief. It is wrought in the heart by the
Spirit of God, working there at first as a spirit of bondage, on
purpose to put us in fear. This Paul insinuateth, saying, "Ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (Rom 8:15). He
doth not say, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage; for that
they had received, and that to put them in fear, which was at their
first conversion, as by the instances made mention of before is
manifest; all that he says is, that they had not received it again,
that is, after the Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, is come; for
then, as a spirit of bondage, it cometh no more. It is then the
Spirit of God, even the Holy Ghost, that convinceth us of sin,
and so of our damnable state because of sin (John 16:8,9). For it
cannot be that the Spirit of God should convince us of sin, but it
must also show us our state to be damnable because of it, especially
if it so convinceth us, before we believe, and that is the intent
of our Lord in that place, "of sin," and so of their damnable state
by sin, because they believe not on me. Therefore the Spirit of
God, when he worketh in the heart as a spirit of bondage, he doth
it by working in us by the law, "for by the law is the knowledge
of sin" (Rom 3:20). And he, in this his working, is properly called
a spirit of bondage.

1. Because by the law he shows us that indeed we are in bondage to
the law, the devil, and death and damnation; for this is our proper
state by nature, though we see it not until the Spirit of God shall
come to reveal this our state of bondage unto our own senses by
revealing to us our sins by the law.

2. He is called, in this his working, "the spirit of bondage,"
because he here also holds us; to wit, in this sight and sense of
our bondage-state, so long as is meet we should be so held, which
to some of the saints is a longer, and to some a shorter time. Paul
was held in it three days and three nights, but the jailer and the
three thousand, so far as can be gathered, not above an hour; but
some in these later times are so held for days and months, if not
years.[11] But, I say, let the time be longer or shorter, it is
the Spirit of God that holdeth him under this yoke; and it is good
that a man should be in HIS time held under it, as is that saying
of the lamentation, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in
his youth" (Lam 3:27). That is, at his first awakening; so long as
seems good to this Holy Spirit to work in this manner by the law.
Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit of God held
in this bondage, that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of
his damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under
the sense thereof, that it is not in the power of any man, nor
yet of the very angels in heaven, to release him or set him free,
until the Holy Spirit changeth his ministration, and comes in the
sweet and peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel
to his poor, dejected, and afflicted conscience.

Third. I now come to show you what this fear doth in the soul.
Now, although this godly fear is not to last always with us, as I
shall further show you anon, yet it greatly differs from that which
is wholly ungodly of itself, both because of the author, and also
of the effects of it. Of the author I have told you before; I now
shall tell you what it doth.

1. This fear makes a man judge himself for sin, and to fall down
before God with a broken mind under this judgment; the which is
pleasing to God, because the sinner by so doing justifies God in
his saying, and clears him in his judgment (Psa 51:1-4).

2. As this fear makes a man judge himself, and cast himself down
at God's foot, so it makes him condole and bewail his misery before
him, which is also well-pleasing in his sight: "I have surely heard
Ephraim bemoaning himself," saying, "Thou hast chastised me, and
I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," &c. (Jer
31:18,19).

3. This fear makes a man lie at God's foot, and puts his mouth in
the dust, if so be there may be hope. This also is well-pleasing
to God, because now is the sinner as nothing, and in his own eyes
less than nothing, as to any good or desert: "He sitteth alone
and keepeth silence," because he hath now this yoke upon him; "he
putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope" (Lam
3:28,29).

4. This fear puts a man upon crying to God for mercy, and that
in most humble manner; now he sensibly cries, now he dejectedly
cries, now he feels and cries, now he smarts and criest out, "God
be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

5. This fear makes a man that he cannot accept of that for support
and succour which others that are destitute thereof will take up,
and be contented with. This man must be washed by God himself, and
cleansed from his sin by God himself (Psa 51).

6. Therefore this fear goes not away until the Spirit of God doth
change his ministration as to this particular, in leaving off
to work now by the law, as afore, and coming to the soul with the
sweet word of promise of life and salvation by Jesus Christ. Thus
far this fear is godly, that is, until Christ by the Spirit in the
gospel is revealed and made over unto us, and no longer.

Thus far this fear is godly, and the reason why it is godly is
because the groundwork of it is good. I told you before what this
fear is; namely, it is the fear of damnation. Now the ground for
this fear is good, as is manifest by these particulars. 1. The soul
feareth damnation, and that rightly, because it is in its sins.
2. The soul feareth damnation rightly, because it hath not faith
in Christ, but is at present under the law. 3. The soul feareth
damnation rightly now, because by sin, the law, and for want of
faith, the wrath of God abideth on it. But now, although thus far
this fear of God is good and godly, yet after Christ by the Spirit
in the word of the gospel is revealed to us, and we made to accept
of him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith;
this fear, to wit, of damnation, is no longer good, but ungodly.
Nor doth the Spirit of God ever work it in us again. Now we do not
receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, that is to say, to
fear damnation, but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Father, Father. But I would not be mistaken, when I say,
that this fear is no longer godly. I do not mean with reference to
the essence and habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the
seed which shall afterwards grow up to a higher degree, and into
a more sweet and gospel current and manner of working, but I mean
reference to this act of fearing damnation, I say it shall never
by the Spirit be managed to that work; it shall never bring forth
that fruit more. And my reasons are,

[Reasons why the Spirit of God cannot work this ungodly fear.]

1. Because that the soul by closing through the promise, by the
Spirit, with Jesus Christ, is removed off of that foundation upon
which it stood when it justly feared damnation. It hath received
now forgiveness of sin, it is now no more under the law, but in
Jesus Christ by faith; there is "therefore now no condemnation to
it" (Acts 26:18; Rom 6:14, 8:1). The groundwork, therefore, being
now taken away, the Spirit worketh that fear no more.

2. He cannot, after he hath come to the soul as a spirit of adoption,
come again as a spirit of bondage to put the soul into his first
fear; to wit, a fear of eternal damnation, because he cannot say
and unsay, do and undo. As a spirit of adoption he told me that
my sins were forgiven me, that I was included in the covenant of
grace, that God was my Father through Christ, that I was under the
promise of salvation, and that this calling and gift of God to me
is permanent, and without repentance. And do you think, that after
he hath told me this, and sealed up the truth of it to my precious
soul, that he will come to me, and tell me that I am yet in my
sins, under the curse of the law and the eternal wrath of God? No,
no, the word of the gospel is not yea, yea; nay, nay. It is only
yea, and amen; it is so, "as God is true" (2 Cor 1:17-20).

3. The state therefore of the sinner being changed, and that, too,
by the Spirit's changing his dispensation, leaving off to be now
as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear, and coming to our heart
as the spirit of adoption to make us cry, Father, Father, he cannot
go back to his first work again; for if so, then he must gratify,
yea, and also ratify, that profane and popish doctrine, forgiven
to-day, unforgiven to-morrow--a child of God to-day, a child of
hell to-morrow; but what saith the Scriptures? "Now therefore ye
are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:19-22).

Object. But this is contrary to my experience. Why, Christian, what
is thy experience? Why, I was at first, as you have said, possessed
with a fear of damnation, and so under the power of the spirit of
bondage. Well said, and how was it then? Why, after some time of
continuance in these fears, I had the spirit of adoption sent to
me to seal up to my soul the forgiveness of sins, and so he did;
and was also helped by the same Spirit, as you have said, to call
God Father, Father. Well said, and what after that? Why, after that
I fell into as great fears as ever I was in before.[12]

Answ. All this may be granted, and yet nevertheless what I have
said will abide a truth; for I have not said that after the spirit
of adoption is come, a Christian shall not again be in as great fears,
for he may have worse than he had at first; but I say, that after
the spirit of adoption is come, the spirit of bondage, as such, is
sent of God no more, to put us into those fears. For, mark, for we
"have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." Let the
word be true, whatever thy experience is. Dost thou not understand
me?

After the Spirit of God has told me, and also helped me to believe
it, that the Lord for Christ's sake hath forgiven mine iniquities:
he tells me no more that they are not forgiven. After the Spirit
of God has helped me, by Christ, to call God my Father, he tells
me no more that the devil is my father. After he hath told me that
I am not under the law, but under grace, he tells me no more that
I am not under grace, but under the law, and bound over by it, for
my sins, to the wrath and judgment of God; but this is the fear that
the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage, worketh in the soul at first.

Quest. Can you give me further reason yet to convict me of the
truth of what you say?

Answ. Yes.

1. Because as the Spirit cannot give himself the lie, so he cannot
overthrow his own order of working, nor yet contradict that testimony
that his servants, by his inspiration, hath given of his order of
working with them. But he must do the first, if he saith to us--and
that after we have received his own testimony, that we are under
grace--that yet we are under sin, the law, and wrath.

And he must do the second, if--after he hath gone through the first
work on us as a spirit of bondage, to the second as a spirit of
adoption--he should overthrow as a spirit of bondage again what
before he had built as a spirit of adoption.

And the third must therefore needs follow, that is, he overthroweth
the testimony of his servants; for they have said, that now we
receive the spirit of bondage again to fear no more; that is, after
that we by the Holy Ghost are enabled to call God Father, Father.

2. This is evident also, because the covenant in which now the soul
is interested abideth, and is everlasting, not upon the supposition
of my obedience, but upon the unchangeable purpose of God, and the
efficacy of the obedience of Christ, whose blood also hath confirmed
it. It is "ordered in all things, and sure," said David; and this,
said he, "is all my salvation" (2 Sam 23:5). The covenant then is
everlasting in itself, being established upon so good a foundation,
and therefore standeth in itself everlastingly bent for the good
of them that are involved in it. Hear the tenor of the covenant,
and God's attesting of the truth thereof--"This is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith
the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in
their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to
me a people; and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know
me, from the least to the greatest; for I will be merciful to
their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will
remember no more" (Heb 8:10-12). Now if God will do thus unto those
that he hath comprised in his everlasting covenant of grace, then
he will remember their sins no more, that is, unto condemnation--for
so it is that he doth forget them; then cannot the Holy Ghost, who
also is one with the Father and the Son, come to us again, even
after we are possessed with these glorious fruits of this covenant,
as a spirit of bondage, to put us in fear of damnation.

3. The Spirit of God, after it has come to me as a spirit of adoption,
can come to me no more as a spirit of bondage, to put me in fear,
that is, with my first fears; because, by that faith that he, even
he himself, hath wrought in me, to believe and call God "Father,
Father," I am united to Christ, and stand no more upon mine
own legs, in mine own sins, or performances; but in his glorious
righteousness before him, and before his Father; but he will not
cast away a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; nor
will he, that the Spirit of God should come as a spirit of bondage
to put him into a grounded fear of damnation, that standeth complete
before God in the righteousness of Christ; for that is an apparent
contradiction.[13]

Quest. But may it not come again as a spirit of bondage, to put me
into my first fears for my good?

Answ. The text saith the contrary; for we "have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear." Nor is God put to it for want of
wisdom, to say and unsay, do and undo, or else he cannot do good.
When we are sons, and have received the adoption of children, he
doth not use to send the spirit after that to tell us we are slaves
and heirs of damnation, also that we are without Christ, without
the promise, without grace, and without God in the world; and yet
this he must do if it comes to us after we have received him as a
spirit of adoption, and put us, as a spirit of bondage, in fear as
before.

[This ungodly fear wrought by the spirit of the devil.]

Quest. But by what spirit is it then that I am brought again into
fears, even into the fears of damnation, and so into bondage?

Answ. By the spirit of the devil, who always labours to frustrate
the faith, and hope, and comfort of the godly.

Quest. How doth that appear?

Answ. 1. By the groundlessness of such fears. 2. By the unseasonableness
of them. 3. By the effects of them.

1. By the groundlessness of such fears. The ground is removed;
for a grounded fear of damnation is this--I am yet in my sins, in
a state of nature, under the law, without faith, and so under the
wrath of God. This, I say, is the ground of the fear of damnation,
the true ground to fear it; but now the man that we are talking of,
is one that hath the ground of this fear taken away by the testimony
and seal of the spirit of adoption. He is called, justified, and
has, for the truth of this his condition, received the evidence of
the spirit of adoption, and hath been thereby enabled to call God
"Father, Father." Now he that hath received this, has the ground of
the fear of damnation taken from him; therefore his fear, I say,
being without ground, is false, and so no work of the Spirit of
God.

2. By the unseasonableness of them. This spirit always comes too
late. It comes after the spirit of adoption is come. Satan is always
for being too soon or too late. If he would have men believe they
are children, he would have them believe it while they are slaves,
slaves to him and their lusts. If he would have them believe they
are slaves, it is when they are sons, and have received the spirit
of adoption, and the testimony, by that, of their sonship before.
And this evil is rooted even in his nature--"He is a liar, and the
father of it"; and his lies are not known to saints more than in
this, that he labours always to contradict the work and order of
the Spirit of truth (John 8).

3. It also appears by the effects of such fears. For there is a
great deal of difference betwixt the natural effects of these fears
which are wrought indeed by the spirit of bondage, and those which
are wrought by the spirit of the devil afterwards. The one, to
wit, the fears that are wrought by the spirit of bondage, causeth
us to confess the truth, to wit, that we are Christless, graceless,
faithless, and so at present; that is, while he is so working in
a sinful and damnable case; but the other, to wit, the spirit of
the devil, when he comes, which is after the spirit of adoption is
come, he causeth us to make a lie; that is, to say we are Christless,
graceless, and faithless. Now this, I say, is wholly, and in all
part of it, a lie, and HE is the father of it.

Besides, the direct tendency of the fear that the Spirit of God,
as a spirit of bondage, worketh in the soul, is to cause us to come
repenting home to God by Jesus Christ, but these latter fears tend
directly to make a man, he having first denied the work of God, as
he will, if he falleth in with them, to run quite away from God, and
from his grace to him in Christ, as will evidently appear if thou
givest but a plain and honest answer to these questions following.

[This fear driveth a man from God.]

Quest. 1. Do not these fears make thee question whether there was
ever a work of grace wrought in thy soul? Answ. Yes, verily, that
they do. Quest. 2. Do not these fears make thee question whether
ever thy first fears were wrought by the Holy Spirit of God? Answ.
Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 3. Do not these fears make thee
question whether ever thou hast had, indeed, any true comfort from
the Word and Spirit of God? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest.
4. Dost thou not find intermixed with these fears plain assertions
that thy first comforts were either from thy fancy, or from the
devil, and a fruit of his delusions? Answ. Yes, verily, that I do.
Quest. 5. Do not these fears weaken thy heart in prayer? Answ.
Yes, that they do. Quest. 6. Do not these fears keep thee back
from laying hold of the promise of salvation by Jesus Christ? Answ.
Yes; for I think if I were deceived before, if I were comforted by
a spirit of delusion before, why may it not be so again? so I am
afraid to take hold of the promise. Quest. 7. Do not these fears
tend to the hardening of thy heart, and to the making of thee
desperate? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 8. Do not these
fears hinder thee from profiting in hearing or reading of the Word?
Answ. Yes, verily, for still whatever I hear or read, I think
nothing that is good belongs to me. Quest. 9. Do not these fears
tend to the stirring up of blasphemies in thy heart against God?
Answ. Yes, to the almost distracting of me. Quest. 10. Do not these
fears make thee sometimes think, that it is in vain for thee to
wait upon the Lord any longer? Answ. Yes, verily; and I have many
times almost come to this conclusion, that I will read, pray, hear,
company with God's people, or the like, no longer.

Well, poor Christian, I am glad that thou hast so plainly answered
me; but, prithee, look back upon thy answer. How much of God dost
thou think is in these things? how much of his Spirit, and the grace
of his Word? Just none at all; for it cannot be that these things
can be the true and natural effects of the workings of the Spirit
of God: no, not as a spirit of bondage. These are not his doings.
Dost thou not see the very paw of the devil in them; yea, in every
one of thy ten confessions? Is there not palpably high wickedness
in every one of the effects of this fear? I conclude, then, as I
began, that the fear that the spirit of God, as a spirit of bondage,
worketh, is good and godly, not only because of the author, but
also because of the ground and effects; but yet it can last no
longer as such, as producing the aforesaid conclusion, than till
the Spirit, as the spirit of adoption, comes; because that then
the soul is manifestly taken out of the state and condition into
which it had brought itself by nature and sin, and is put into
Christ, and so by him into a state of life and blessedness by grace.
Therefore, if first fears come again into thy soul, after that the
spirit of adoption hath been with thee, know they come not from
the Spirit of God, but apparently from the spirit of the devil,
for they are a lie in themselves, and their effects are sinful and
devilish.

Object. But I had also such wickedness as those in my heart at my
first awakening, and therefore, by your argument, neither should
that be but from the devil.

Answ. So far forth as such wickedness was in thy heart, so far did
the devil and thine own heart seek to drive thee to despair, and
drown thee there; but thou hast forgot the question; the question
is not whether then thou wast troubled with such iniquities, but
whether thy fears of damnation at that time were not just and good,
because grounded upon thy present condition, which was, for that
thou wast out of Christ, in thy sins, and under the curse of the
law; and whether now, since the spirit of adoption is come unto thee,
and hath thee, and hath done that for thee as hath been mentioned;
I say, whether thou oughtest for anything whatsoever to give way
to the same fear, from the same ground of damnation; it is evident
thou oughtest not, because the ground, the cause, is removed.

Object. But since I was sealed to the day of redemption, I have
grievously sinned against God, have not I, therefore, cause to
fear, as before? may not, therefore, the spirit of bondage be sent
again to put me in fear, as at first? Sin was the first cause, and
I have sinned now.

Answ. No, by no means; for we have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; that is, God hath not given it us, "for God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7). If, therefore, our first fears
come upon us again, after that we have received at God's hands the
spirit of love, of power, and of a sound mind, it is to be refused,
though we have grievously sinned against our God. This is manifest
from 1 Samuel 12:20; "Fear not; ye have done all this wickedness."
That is, not with that fear which would have made them fly from God,
as concluding that they were not now his people. And the reason
is, because sin cannot dissolve the covenant into which the sons of
God, by his grace, are taken. "If his children forsake my law, and
walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not
my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod,
and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to
fail" (Psa 89:30-33). Now, if sin doth not dissolve the covenant;
if sin doth not cast me out of this covenant, which is made personally
with the Son of God, and into the hands of which by the grace of
God I am put, then ought I not, though I have sinned, to fear with
my first fears.

Sin, after that the spirit of adoption is come, cannot dissolve
the relation of Father and son, of Father and child. And this the
church did rightly assert, and that when her heart was under great
hardness, and when she had the guilt of erring from his ways, saith
she. "Doubtless thou art our Father" (Isa 63:16,17). Doubtless
thou art, though this be our case, and though Israel should not
acknowledge us for such.

That sin dissolveth not the relation of Father and son is further
evident--"When the fulness 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, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, [Abba, or] Father, Father." Now mark,
"wherefore thou art no more a servant"; that is, no more under the
law of death and damnation, "but a son; and if a son, then an heir
of God through Christ" (Gal 4:4-7).

Suppose a child doth grievously transgress against and offend his
father, is the relation between them therefore dissolved? Again,
suppose the father should scourge and chasten the son for such
offence, is the relation between them therefore dissolved? Yea,
suppose the child should now, through ignorance, cry, and say,
This man is now no more my father; is he, therefore, now no more
his father? Doth not everybody see the folly of such arguings? Why,
of the same nature is that doctrine that saith, that after we have
received the spirit of adoption, that the spirit of bondage is sent
to us again to put us in fear of eternal damnation.

Know then that thy sin, after thou hast received the spirit of adoption
to cry unto God, Father, Father, is counted the transgression of a
child, not of a slave, and that all that happeneth to thee for that
transgression is but the chastisement of a father--and "what son is
he whom the father chasteneth not?" It is worth your observation,
that the Holy Ghost checks those who, under their chastisements
for sin, forget to call God their Father--"Ye have," said Paul,
"forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children,
My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint
when thou art rebuked of him." Yea, observe yet further, that God's
chastising of his children for their sin, is a a sign of grace and
love, and not of his wrath, and thy damnation; therefore now there
is no ground for the aforesaid fear--"For whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Heb 12).
Now, if God would not have those that have received the Spirit of
the Son, however he chastises them, to forget the relation that by
the adoption of sons they stand in to God, if he checks them that
do forget it, when his rod is upon their backs for sin, then it
is evident that those fears that thou hast under a colour of the
coming again of the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage, to put thee
in fear of eternal damnation, is nothing else but Satan disguised,
the better to play his pranks upon thee.

I will yet give you two or three instances more, wherein it will be
manifest that whatever happeneth to thee, I mean as a chastisement
for sin, after the spirit of adoption is come, thou oughtest to hold
fast by faith the relation of Father and son. The people spoken
of by Moses are said to have lightly esteemed the rock of their
salvation, which rock is Jesus Christ, and that is a grievous sin
indeed, yet, saith he, "Is not God thy Father that hath bought
thee?" and then puts them upon considering the days of old (Deut
32:6). They in the prophet Jeremiah had played the harlot with
many lovers, and done evil things as they could; and, as another
scripture hath it, gone a-whoring from under their God, yet God calls
to them by the prophet, saying, "Wilt thou not from this time cry
unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" (Jer 3:4).
Remember also that eminent text made mention of in 1 Samuel 12:20,
"Fear not; ye have done all this wickedness"; and labour to maintain
faith in thy soul, of thy being a child, it being true that thou hast
received the spirit of adoption before, and so that thou oughtest
not to fall under thy first fears, because the ground is taken
away, of thy eternal damnation.

Now, let not any, from what hath been said, take courage to live
loose lives, under a supposition that once in Christ, and ever
in Christ, and the covenant cannot be broken, nor the relation of
Father and child dissolved; for they that do so, it is evident,
have not known what it is to receive the spirit of adoption. It is
the spirit of the devil in his own hue that suggesteth this unto
them, and that prevaileth with them to do so. Shall we do evil that
good may come? shall we sin that grace may abound? or shall we be
base in life because God by grace hath secured us from wrath to
come? God forbid; these conclusions betoken one void of the fear
of God indeed, and of the spirit of adoption too. For what son is
he, that because the father cannot break the relation, nor suffer
sin to do it--that is, betwixt the Father and him--that will
therefore say, I will live altogether after my own lusts, I will
labour to be a continual grief to my Father?

[Considerations to prevent such temptations.]

Yet lest the devil (for some are "not ignorant of his devices" ),
should get an advantage against some of the sons, to draw them away
from the filial fear of their Father, let me here, to prevent such
temptations, present such with these following considerations.

First. Though God cannot, will not, dissolve the relation which
the spirit of adoption hath made betwixt the Father and the Son,
for any sins that such do commit, yet he can, and often doth, take
away from them the comfort of their adoption, not suffering children
while sinning to have the sweet and comfortable sense thereof on
their hearts. He can tell how to let snares be round about them,
and sudden fear trouble them. He can tell how to send darkness that
they may not see, and to let abundance of waters cover them (Job
22:10,11).

Second. God can tell how to hide his face from them, and so to
afflict them with that dispensation, that it shall not be in the
power of all the world to comfort them. "When he hideth his face,
who then can behold him?" (Job 23:8,9, 34:29).

Third. God can tell how to make thee again to possess the sins
that he long since hath pardoned, and that in such wise that things
shall be bitter to thy soul. "Thou writest bitter things against
me," says Job, "and makest me to possess the iniquities of my
youth." By this also he once made David groan and pray against it
as an insupportable affliction (Job 13:26; Psa 25:7).

Fourth. God can lay thee in the dungeon in chains, and roll a stone
upon thee, he can make thy feet fast in the stocks, and make thee
a gazing-stock to men and angels (Lam 3:7,53,55; Job 13:27; Nahum
3:6).

Fifth. God can tell how to cause to cease the sweet operations
and blessed influences of his grace in thy soul, and to make those
gospel showers that formerly thou hast enjoyed to become now to
thee nothing but powder and dust (Psa 51; Deut 28:24).

Sixth. God can tell how to fight against thee "with the sword of
his mouth," and to make thee a butt for his arrows; and this is a
dispensation most dreadful (Rev 2:16; Job 6:4; Psa 38:2-5).

Seventh. God can tell how so to bow thee down with guilt and distress
that thou shalt in no wise be able to lift up thy head (Psa 40:12).

Eighth. God can tell how to break thy bones, and to make thee by
reason of that to live in continual anguish of spirit: yea, he can
send a fire into thy bones that shall burn, and none shall quench
it (Psa 51:8; Lam 3:4, 1:13; Psa 102:3; Job 30:30).

Ninth. God can tell how to lay thee aside, and make no use of thee
as to any work for him in thy generation. He can throw thee aside
"as a broken vessel" (Psa 31:12; Eze 44:10-13).

Tenth. God can tell how to kill thee, and to take thee away from
the earth for thy sins (1 Cor 11:29-32).

Eleventh. God can tell how to plague thee in thy death, with great
plagues, and of long continuance (Psa 78:45; Deut 28).

Twelfth. What shall I say? God can tell how to let Satan loose upon
thee; when thou liest a dying he can license him then to assault
thee with great temptations, he can tell how to make thee possess
the guilt of all thy unkindness towards him, and that when thou,
as I said, art going out of the world, he can cause that thy life
shall be in continual doubt before thee, and not suffer thee to
take any comfort day nor night; yea, he can drive thee even to a
madness with his chastisements for thy folly, and yet all shall be
done by him to thee, as a father chastiseth his son (Deut 28:65-67).

Thirteenth. Further, God can tell how to tumble thee from off thy
deathbed in a cloud, he can let thee die in the dark; when thou art
dying thou shalt not know whither thou art going, to wit, whether
to heaven or to hell. Yea, he can tell how to let thee seem to come
short of life, both in thine own eyes, and also in the eyes of them
that behold thee. "Let us therefore fear," says the apostle,--though
not with slavish, yet with filial fear--"lest a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it" (Heb 4:1).

Now all this, and much more, can God do to his as a Father by his
rod and fatherly rebukes; ah, who know but those that are under
them, what terrors, fears, distresses, and amazements God can bring
his people into; he can put them into a furnace, a fire, and no
tongue can tell what, so unsearchable and fearful are his fatherly
chastisements, and yet never give them the spirit of bondage again
to fear. Therefore, if thou art a son, take heed of sin, lest all
these things overtake thee, and come upon thee.

Object. But I have sinned, and am under this high and mighty hand
of God.

Answ. Then thou knowest what I say is true, but yet take heed of
hearkening unto such temptations as would make thee believe thou
art out of Christ, under the law, and in a state of damnation; and
take heed also, that thou dost not conclude that the author of
these fears is the Spirit of God come to thee again as a spirit
of bondage, to put thee into such fears, lest unawares to thyself
thou dost defy the devil, dishonour thy Father, overthrow good
doctrine, and bring thyself into a double temptation.

Object. But if God deals thus with a man, how can he otherwise think
but that he is a reprobate, a graceless, Christless, and faithless
one?

Answ. Nay, but why dost thou tempt the Lord thy God? Why dost
thou sin and provoke the eyes of his glory? Why "doth a living man
complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" (Lam 3:39). He
doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men; but if
thou sinnest, though God should save thy soul, as he will if thou
art an adopted son of God, yet he will make thee know that sin is
sin, and his rod that he will chastise thee with, if need be, shall
be made of scorpions; read the whole book of the Lamentations; read
Job's and David's complaints; yea, read what happened to his Son,
his well-beloved, and that when he did but stand in the room of
sinners, being in himself altogether innocent, and then consider,
O thou sinning child of God, if it is any injustice in God, yea, if
it be not necessary, that thou shouldest be chastised for thy sin.
But then, I say, when the hand of God is upon thee, how grievous soever
it be, take heed, and beware that thou give not way to thy first
fears, lest, as I said before, thou addest to thine affliction; and
to help thee here, let me give you a few instances of the carriages
of some of the saints under some of the most heavy afflictions that
they have met with for sin.

[Carriages of some of the saints under heavy afflictions for sin.]

First. Job was in great affliction and that, as he confessed, for
sin, insomuch that he said God had set him for his mark to shoot
at, and that he ran upon him like a giant, that he took him by the
neck and shook him to pieces, and counted him for his enemy; that
he hid his face from him, and that he could not tell where to find
him; yet he counted not all this as a sign of a damnable state, but
as a trial, and chastisement, and said, when he was in the hottest
of the battle, "when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold."
And again, when he was pressed upon by the tempter to think that
God would kill him, he answers with greatest confidence, "Though
he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 7:20, 13:15, 14:12, 16,
19:11, 23:8-10).

Second. David complained that God had broken his bones, that he
had set his face against his sins, and had taken from him the joy
of his salvation: yet even at this time he saith, "O God, thou God
of my salvation" (Psa 51:8,9,12,14).

Third. Heman complained that his soul was full of troubles, that
God had laid him in the lowest pit, that he had put his acquaintance
far from him, and was casting off his soul, and had hid his face
from him. That he was afflicted from his youth up, and ready to die
with trouble: he saith, moreover, that the fierce wrath of God went
over him, that his terrors had cut him off; yea, that by reason
of them he was distracted; and yet, even before he maketh any of
these complaints, he takes fast hold of God as his, saying, "O Lord
God of my salvation" (Psa 88).

Fourth. The church in the Lamentations complains that the Lord had
afflicted her for her transgressions, and that in the day of his
fierce anger; also that he had trodden under foot her mighty men,
and that he had called the heathen against her; she says, that he
had covered her with a cloud in his anger, that he was an enemy,
and that he had hung a chain upon her; she adds, moreover, that he
had shut out her prayer, broken her teeth with gravel stones, and
covered her with ashes, and in conclusion, that he had utterly
rejected her. But what doth she do under all this trial? doth she
give up her faith and hope, and return to that fear that begot the
first bondage? No: "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore
will I hope in him"; yea, she adds, "O Lord, thou hast pleaded the
causes of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life" (Lam 1:5, 2:1,2,5,
3:7,8,16, 5:22, 3:24,31,58).

These things show, that God's people even after they have received
the spirit of adoption, have fell foully into sin, and have been
bitterly chastised for it; and also, that when the rod was most
smart upon them, they made great conscience of giving way to their
first fears wherewith they were made afraid by the Spirit as it
wrought as a spirit of bondage; for indeed there is no such thing
as the coming of the spirit of bondage to put us in fear the second
time, as such, that is, after he is come as the spirit of adoption
to the soul.

I conclude then, that that fear that is wrought by the spirit of
bondage is good and godly, because the ground for it is sound; and
I also conclude, that he comes to the soul as a spirit of bondage
but once, and that once is before he comes as a spirit of adoption:
and if therefore the same fear doth again take hold of thy heart,
that is, if after thou hast received the spirit of adoption thou
fearest again the damnation of thy soul, that thou art out of Christ
and under the law, that fear is bad and of the devil, and ought by
no means to be admitted by thee.

[How the devil worketh these fears.]

1. Quest. But since it is as you say, how doth the devil, after
the spirit of adoption is come, work the child of God into those
fears of being out of Christ, not forgiven, and so an heir of
damnation again?

Answ. 1. By giving the lie, and by prevailing with us to give it
too, to the work of grace wrought in our hearts, and to the testimony
of the Holy Spirit of adoption. Or, 2. By abusing of our ignorance
of the everlasting love of God to his in Christ, and the duration
of the covenant of grace. Or, 3. By abusing some scripture that
seems to look that way, but doth not. Or, 4. By abusing our senses
and reason. Or, 5. By strengthening of our unbelief. Or, 6. By
overshadowing of our judgment with horrid darkness. Or, 7. By giving
of us counterfeit representations of God. Or, 8. By stirring up,
and setting in a rage, our inward corruptions. Or, 9. By pouring
into our hearts abundance of horrid blasphemies. Or, 10. By putting
of wrong constructions on the rod, and chastising hand of God. Or,
11. By charging upon us, that our ill behaviours under the rod,
and chastising hand of God, is a sign that we indeed have no grace,
but are downright graceless reprobates. By these things and other
like these, Satan, I say, Satan bringeth the child of God, not only
to the borders, but even into the bowels of the fears of damnation,
after it hath received a blessed testimony of eternal life, and
that by the Holy Spirit of adoption.

[The people of God should fear his rod.]

Quest. But would you not have the people of God stand in fear of
his rod, and be afraid of his judgments?

Answ. Yes, and the more they are rightly afraid of them, the less
and the seldomer will they come under them; for it is want of fear
that brings us into sin, and it is sin that brings us into these
afflictions. But I would not have them fear with the fear of slaves;
for that will add no strength against sin; but I would have them
fear with the reverential fear of sons, and that is the way to
depart from evil.

Quest. How is that?

Answ. Why, having before received the spirit of adoption; still
to believe that he is our father, and so to fear with the fear
of children, not as slaves fear a tyrant. I would therefore have
them to look upon his rod, rebukes, chidings, and chastisements,
and also upon the wrath wherewith he doth inflict, to be but the
dispensations of their Father. This believed, maintains, or at least
helps to maintain, in the heart, a son-like bowing under the rod.
It also maintains in the soul a son-like confession of sin, and a
justifying of God under all the rebukes that he grieveth us with.
It also engageth us to come to him, to claim and lay hold of former
mercies, to expect more, and to hope a good end shall be made of
all God's present dispensations towards us (Micah 7:9; Lam 1:18;
Psa 77:10-12; Lam 3:31-34).[14]

Now God would have us thus fear his rod, because he is resolved
to chastise us therewith, if so be we sin against him, as I have
already showed; for although God's bowels turn within him, even
while he is threatening his people, yet if we sin, he will lay on
the rod so hard as to make us cry, "Woe unto us that we have sinned"
(Lam 5:16); and therefore, as I said, we should be afraid of his
judgments, yet only as afore is provided as of the rod, wrath, and
judgment of a Father.

[Five considerations to move to child-like fear.]

Quest. But have you yet any other considerations to move us to fear
God with child-like fear?

Answ. I will in this place give you five. 1. Consider that God thinks
meet to have it so, and he is wiser in heart than thou; he knows
best how to secure his people from sin, and to that end hath given
them law and commandments to read, that they may learn to fear him
as a Father (Job 37:24; Eccl 3:14; Deut 17:18,19). 2. Consider he
is mighty in power; if he touch but with a fatherly touch, man nor
angel cannot bear it; yea, Christ makes use of that argument, he
"hath power to cast into hell; Fear him" (Luke 12:4,5). 3. Consider
that he is everywhere; thou canst not be out of his sight or
presence; nor out of the reach of his hand. "Fear ye not me? saith
the Lord." "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not
see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the
Lord" (Jer 5:22, 23:24). 4. Consider that he is holy, and cannot
look with liking upon the sins of his own people. Therefore, says
Peter, be "as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according
to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he which hath called
you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because
it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on the
Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every
man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear." 5.
Consider that he is good, and has been good to thee, good in that
he hath singled thee out from others, and saved thee from their
death and hell, though thou perhaps wast worse in thy life than
those that he left when he laid hold on thee. O this should engage
thy heart to fear the Lord all the days of thy life. They "shall
fear the Lord, and his goodness in the latter days" (Hosea 3:5).
And now for the present, I have done with that fear, I mean as to
its first workings, to wit, to put me in fear of damnation, and
shall come, in the next place, to treat

OF THE GRACE OF FEAR MORE IMMEDIATELY INTENDED IN THE TEXT.

I shall now speak to this fear, which I call a lasting godly fear;
first, by way of explication; by which I shall show, FIRST. How by
the Scripture it is described. SECOND. I shall show you what this
fear flows from. And then, THIRD. I shall also show you what doth
flow from it.

[How this Fear is described by the Scripture.]

FIRST. For the first of these, to wit, how by the Scripture this
fear is described; and that, First. More generally. Second. More
particularly.

First. More generally.

1. It is called a grace, that is, a sweet and blessed work of the
Spirit of grace, as he is given to the elect by God. Hence the
apostle says, "let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably,
with reverence and godly fear" (Heb 12:28). For as that fear that
brings bondage is wrought in the soul by the Spirit as a spirit of
bondage, so this fear, which is a fear that we have while we are
in the liberty of sons, is wrought by him as he manifesteth to us
our liberty; "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,"
that is, where he is as a spirit of adoption, setting the soul
free from that bondage under which it was held by the same Spirit
while he wrought as a spirit of bondage. Hence as he is called
a spirit working bondage to fear, so he, as the Spirit of the Son
and of adoption, is called "the Spirit of the fear of the Lord"
(Isa 11:2). Because it is that Spirit of grace that is the author,
animater, and maintainer of our filial fear, or of that fear that
is son-like, and that subjecteth the elect unto God, his word, and
ways; unto him, his word, and ways, as a Father.

2. This fear is called also the fear of God, not as that which is
ungodly is, nor yet as that may be which is wrought by the Spirit
as a spirit of bondage, but by way of eminency; to wit, as a
dispensation of the grace of the gospel, and as a fruit of eternal
love. "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not
depart from me" (Jer 32:38-41).

3. This fear of God is called God's treasure, for it is one of his
choice jewels, it is one of the rarities of heaven, "The fear of
the Lord is his treasure" (Isa 33:6). And it may well go under such
a title; for as treasure, so the fear of the Lord is not found in
every corner. It is said all men have not faith, because that also
is more precious than gold; the same is said about this fear--"There
is no fear of God before their eyes"; that is, the greatest part
of men are utterly destitute of this godly jewel, this treasure,
the fear of the Lord. Poor vagrants, when they come straggling to
a lord's house, may perhaps obtain some scraps and fragments, they
may also obtain old shoes, and some sorry cast-off rags, but they
get not any of his jewels, they may not touch his choicest treasure;
that is kept for the children, and those that shall be his heirs.
We may say the same also of this blessed grace of fear, which is
called here God's treasure. It is only bestowed upon the elect,
the heirs and children of the promise; all others are destitute of
it, and so continue to death and judgment.

4. This grace of fear is that which maketh men excel and go beyond
all men, in the account of God; it is that which beautifies a man,
and prefers him above all other; "Hast thou," says God to Satan,
"considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth,
a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth
evil?" (Job 1:8, 2:3). Mind it, "There is none like him, none alike
him in the earth." I suppose he means either [that Job was the
only most perfect and upright man] in those parts, or else he was
the man that abounded in the fear of the Lord; none like him to fear
the Lord, he only excelled others with respect to his reverencing
of God, bowing before him, and sincerely complying with his will;
and therefore is counted the excellent man. It is not the knowledge
of the will of God, but our sincere complying therewith, that proveth
we fear the Lord; and it is our so doing that putteth upon us the
note of excelling; hereby appears our perfection, herein is manifest
our uprightness. A perfect and an upright man is one that feareth
God, and that because he escheweth evil. Therefore this grace of
fear is that without which no part or piece of service which we do
to God, can be accepted of him. It is, as I may call it, the salt
of the covenant, which seasoneth the heart, and therefore must not
be lacking there; it is also that which salteth, or seasoneth all
our doings, and therefore must not be lacking in any of them (Lev
2:13).

5. I take this grace of fear to be that which softeneth and mollifieth
the heart, and that makes it stand in awe both of the mercies and
judgments of God. This is that that retaineth in the heart that due
dread, and reverence of the heavenly majesty, that is meet should
be both in, and kept in the heart of poor sinners. Wherefore when
David described this fear, in the exercise of it, he calls it an
awe of God. "Stand in awe," saith he, "and sin not"; and again, "my
heart standeth in awe of thy word"; and again, "Let all the earth
fear the Lord"; what is that? or how is that? why? "Let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him" (Psa 4:4, 119:161,
33:8). This is that therefore that is, as I said before, so excellent
a thing in the eyes of God, to wit, a grace of the Spirit, the fear
of God, his treasure, the salt of the covenant, that which makes
men excel all others; for it is that which maketh the sinner to
stand in awe of God, which posture is the most comely thing in us,
throughout all ages. But,

Second. And more particularly.

1. This grace is called "the beginning of knowledge," because by the
first gracious discovery of God to the soul, this grace is begot:
and again, because the first time that the soul doth apprehend God
in Christ to be good unto it, this grace is animated, by which the
soul is put into an holy awe of God, which causeth it with reverence
and due attention to hearken to him, and tremble before him (Prov
1:7). It is also by virtue of this fear that the soul doth inquire
yet more after the blessed knowledge of God. This is the more
evident, because, where this fear of God is wanting, or where the
discovery of God is not attended with it, the heart still abides
rebellious, obstinate, and unwilling to know more, that it might
comply therewith; nay, for want of it, such sinners say rather, As
for God, let him "depart from us," and for the Almighty, "we desire
not the knowledge of his ways."

2. This fear is called "the beginning of wisdom," because then,
and not till then, a man begins to be truly spiritually wise;
what wisdom is there where the fear of God is not? (Job 28:28; Psa
111:10). Therefore the fools are described thus, "For that they
hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord" (Prov
1:29). The Word of God is the fountain of knowledge, into which
a man will not with godly reverence look, until he is endued with
the fear of the Lord. Therefore it is rightly called "the beginning
of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov
1:7). It is therefore this fear of the Lord that makes a man wise
for his soul, for life, and for another world. It is this that
teacheth him how he should do to escape those spiritual and eternal
ruins that the fool is overtaken with, and swallowed up of for
ever. A man void of this fear of God, wherever he is wise, or in
whatever he excels, yet about the matters of his soul, there is
none more foolish than himself; for through the want of the fear of
the Lord, he leaves the best things at sixes and sevens, and only
pursueth with all his heart those that will leave him in the snare
when he dies.

3. This fear of the Lord is to hate evil. To hate sin and vanity.
Sin and vanity, they are the sweet morsels of the fool, and such
which the carnal appetite of the flesh runs after; and it is only
the virtue that is in the fear of the Lord that maketh the sinner
have an antipathy against it (Job 20:12). "By the fear of the Lord
men depart from evil" (Prov 16:6). That is, men shun, separate
themselves from, and eschew it in its appearances. Wherefore it is
plain that those that love evil, are not possessed with the fear
of God.

There is a generation that will pursue evil, that will take it in,
nourish it, lay it up in their hearts, hide it, and plead for it,
and rejoice to do it. These cannot have in them the fear of the
Lord, for that is to hate it, and to make men depart from it: where
the fear of God and sin is, it will be with the soul, as it was
with Israel when Omri and Tibni strove to reign among them both at
once, one of them must be put to death, they cannot live together
(see 1 Kings 16): sin must down, for the fear of the Lord begetteth
in the soul a hatred against it, an abhorrence of it, therefore
sin must die, that is, as to the affections and lusts of it; for
as Solomon says in another case, "where no wood is, the fire goeth
out." So we may say, where there is a hatred of sin, and where men
depart from it, there it loseth much of its power, waxeth feeble,
and decayeth. Therefore Solomon saith again, "Fear the Lord, and
depart from evil" (Prov 3:7). As who should say, Fear the Lord,
and it will follow that you shall depart from evil: departing from
evil is a natural consequence, a proper effect of the fear of the
Lord where it is. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil,
that is, in their judgment, will, mind, and affections. Not that
by the fear of the Lord sin is annihilated, or has lost its being
in the soul; there still will those Canaanites be, but they are
hated, loathed, abominated, fought against, prayed against, watched
against, striven against, and mortified by the soul (Rom 7).

4. This fear is called a fountain of life--"The fear of the Lord
is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" (Prov
14:27). It is a fountain, or spring, which so continually supplieth
the soul with variety of considerations of sin, of God, of death,
and life eternal, as to keep the soul in continual exercise of
virtue and in holy contemplation. It is a fountain of life; every
operation thereof, every act and exercise thereof, hath a true and
natural tendency to spiritual and eternal felicity. Wherefore the
wise man saith in another place, "The fear of the Lord tendeth to
life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be
visited with evil" (Prov 19:23). It tendeth to life; even as of
nature, everything hath a tendency to that which is most natural
to itself; the fire to burn, the water to wet, the stone to fall,
the sun to shine, sin to defile, &c. Thus I say, the fear of the Lord
tendeth to life; the nature of it is to put the soul upon fearing
of God, of closing with Christ, and of walking humbly before him.
"It is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." What
are the snares of death, but sin, the wiles of the devil, &c. From
which the fear of God hath a natural tendency to deliver thee, and
to keep thee in the way that tendeth to life.

5. This fear of the Lord, it is called "the instruction of wisdom"
(Prov 15:33). You heard before that it is the beginning of wisdom,
but here you find it called the instruction of wisdom; for indeed
it is not only that which makes a man begin to be wise, but to
improve, and make advantage of all those helps and means to life,
which God hath afforded to that end; that is, both to his own, and
his neighbour's salvation also. It is the instruction of wisdom;
it will make a man capable to use all his natural parts, all his
natural wisdom to God's glory, and his own good. There lieth, even
in many natural things, that, into which if we were instructed,
would yield us a great deal of help to the understanding of spiritual
matters; "For in wisdom has God made all the world"; nor is there
anything that God has made, whether in heaven above, or on earth
beneath, but there is couched some spiritual mystery in it. The
which men matter no more than they do the ground they tread on,
or than the stones that are under their feet, and all because they
have not this fear of the Lord; for had they that, that would teach
them to think, even from that knowledge of God, that hath by the
fear of him put into their hearts, that he being so great and so
good, there must needs be abundance of wisdom in the things he hath
made: that fear would also endeavour to find out what that wisdom
is; yea, and give to the soul the instruction of it. In that it
is called the instruction of wisdom, it intimates to us that its
tendency is to keep all even, and in good order in the soul. When
Job perceived that his friends did not deal with him in an even
spirit and orderly manner, he said that they forsook "the fear of
the Almighty" (Job 6:14). For this fear keeps a man even in his
words and judgment of things. It may be compared to the ballast of
the ship, and to the poise of the balance of the scales; it keeps
all even, and also makes us steer our course right with respect to
the things that pertain to God and man.

What this fear of God flows from.

SECOND. I come now to the second thing, to wit, to show you what
this fear of God flows from.

First. This fear, this grace of fear, this son-like fear of God,
it flows from the distinguishing love of God to his elect. "I will
be their God," saith he, "and I will put my fear in their hearts."
None other obtain it but those that are enclosed and bound up
in that bundle. Therefore they, in the same place, are said to be
those that are wrapt up in the eternal or everlasting covenant of
God, and so designed to be the people that should be blessed with
this fear. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them" saith
God, "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 depart from
me" (Jer 32:38-40). This covenant declares unto men that God hath,
in his heart, distinguishing love for some of the children of men;
for he saith he will be their God, that he will not leave them, nor
yet suffer them to depart, to wit, finally, from him. Into these
men's hearts he doth put his fear, this blessed grace, and this
rare and effectual sign of his love, and of their eternal salvation.

Second. This fear flows from a new heart. This fear is not in men
by nature; the fear of devils they may have, as also an ungodly
fear of God; but this fear is not in any but where there dwelleth
a new heart, another fruit and effect of this everlasting covenant,
and of this distinguishing love of God. "A new heart also will I
give them"; a new heart, what a one is that? why, the same prophet
saith in another place, "A heart to fear me," a circumcised one, a
sanctified one (Jer 32:39; Eze 11:19, 36:26). So then, until a man
receive a heart from God, a heart from heaven, a new heart, he
has not this fear of God in him. New wine must not be put into old
bottles, lest the one, to wit, the bottles, mar the wine, or the
wine the bottles; but new wine must have new bottles, and then
both shall be preserved (Matt 9:17). This fear of God must not be,
cannot be found in old hearts; old hearts are not bottles out of
which this fear of God proceeds, but it is from an honest and good
heart, from a new one, from such an one that is also an effect of
the everlasting covenant, and love of God to men.

" I will give them one heart" to fear me; there must in all actions
be heart, and without heart no action is good, nor can there be
faith, love, or fear, from every kind of heart. These must flow
from such an one, whose nature is to produce, and bring forth such
fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? so
from a corrupt heart there cannot proceed such fruit as the fear of
God, as to believe in God, and love God (Luke 6:43-45). The heart
naturally is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;
how then should there flow from such an one the fear of God? It
cannot be. He, therefore, that hath not received at the hands of
God a new heart, cannot fear the Lord.

Third. This fear of God flows from an impression, a sound impression,
that the Word of God maketh on our souls; for without an impress of
the Word, there is no fear of God. Hence it is said that God gave
to Israel good laws, statutes, and judgments, that they might learn
them, and in learning them, learn to fear the Lord their God.
Therefore, saith God, in another place, "Gather the people together,
men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy
gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear the Lord
your God" (Deut 6:1,2, 31:12). For as a man drinketh good doctrine
into his soul, so he feareth God. If he drinks it in much, he
feareth him greatly; if he drinketh it in but little, he feareth
him but little; if he drinketh it not in at all, he feareth him
not at all. This, therefore, teacheth us how to judge who feareth
the Lord; they are those that learn, and that stand in awe of the
Word. Those that have by the holy Word of God the very form of
itself engraven upon the face of their souls, they fear God (Rom
6:17).[15]

But, on the contrary, those that do not love good doctrine, that
give not place to the wholesome truths of the God of heaven, revealed
in his Testament, to take place in their souls, but rather despise
it, and the true possessors of it, they fear not God. For, as
I said before, this fear of God, it flows from a sound impression
that the Word of God maketh upon the soul; and therefore,

Fourth. This godly fear floweth from faith; for where the Word
maketh a sound impression on the soul, by that impression is faith
begotten, whence also this fear doth flow. Therefore right hearing
of the Word is called "the hearing of faith" (Gal 3:2). Hence it
is said again, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not
seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his
house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith" (Heb 11:7). The Word, the warning
that he had from God of things not seen as yet, wrought, through
faith therein, that fear of God in his heart that made him prepare
against unseen dangers, and that he might be an inheritor of unseen
happiness. Where, therefore, there is not faith in the Word of God,
there can be none of this fear; and where the Word doth not make
sound impression on the soul, there can be none of this faith. So that
as vices hang together, and have the links of a chain, dependence
one upon another, even so the graces of the Spirit also are the
fruits of one another, and have such dependence on each other,
that the one cannot be without the other. No faith, no fear of God;
devil's faith, devil's fear; saint's faith, saint's fear.

Fifth. This godly fear also floweth from sound repentance for and
from sin; godly sorrow worketh repentance, and godly repentance
produceth this fear--"For behold," says Paul, "this self-same thing,
that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought
in you! yea, what clearing of yourselves! yea, what indignation!
yea, what fear!" (2 Cor 7:10,11). Repentance is the effect of sorrow,
and sorrow is the effect of smart, and smart the effect of faith.
Now, therefore, fear must needs be an effect of, and flow from
repentance. Sinner, do not deceive thyself; if thou art a stranger
to sound repentance, which standeth in sorrow and shame before God
for sin, as also in turning from it, thou hast no fear of God; I
mean none of this godly fear; for that is the fruit of, and floweth
from, sound repentance.

Sixth. This godly fear also flows from a sense of the love and
kindness of God to the soul. Where there is no sense of hope of
the kindness and mercy of God by Jesus Christ, there can be none
of this fear, but rather wrath and despair, which produceth that
fear that is either devilish, or else that which is only wrought
in us by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; but these we do
not discourse of now; wherefore the godly fear that now I treat
of, it floweth from some sense or hope of mercy from God by Jesus
Christ--"If thou, Lord," says David, "shouldest mark iniquities,
O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that
thou mayest be feared" (Psa 130:3,4). "There is mercy with thee";
this the soul hath sense of, and hope in, and therefore feareth
God. Indeed nothing can lay a stronger obligation upon the heart
to fear God, than sense of, or hope in mercy (Jer 33:8,9). This
begetteth true tenderness of heart, true godly softness of spirit;
this truly endeareth the affections to God; and in this true
tenderness, softness, and endearedness of affection to God, lieth
the very essence of this fear of the Lord, as is manifest by the
fruit of this fear when we shall come to speak of it.

Seventh. This fear of God flows from a due consideration of the
judgments of God that are to be executed in the world; yea, upon
professors too. Yea further, God's people themselves, I mean as
to themselves, have such a consideration of his judgments towards
them, as to produce this godly fear. When God's judgments are in
the earth, they effect the fear of his name, in the hearts of his
own people--"My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am," said
David, "afraid of thy judgments" (Psa 119:120). When God smote
Uzzah, David was afraid of God that day (1 Chron 13:12). Indeed,
many regard not the works of the Lord, nor take notice of the
operation of his hands, and such cannot fear the Lord. But others
observe and regard, and wisely consider of his doings, and of the
judgments that he executeth, and that makes them fear the Lord.
This God himself suggesteth as a means to make us fear him. Hence
he commands the false prophet to be stoned, "that all Israel might
hear and fear." Hence also he commanded that the rebellious son
should be stoned, "that all Israel might hear and fear." A false
witness was also to have the same judgment of God executed upon
him, "that all Israel might hear and fear." The man also that did
ought presumptuously was to die, "that all Israel might hear and
fear" (Deut 13:11, 21:21, 17:13, 19:20). There is a natural tendency
in judgments, as judgments, to beget a fear of God in the heart
of man, as man; but when the observation of the judgment of God is
made by him that hath a principle of true grace in his soul, that
observation being made, I say, by a gracious heart, produceth a
fear of God in the soul of its own nature, to wit, a gracious or
godly fear of God.

Eighth. This godly fear also flows from a godly remembrance of our
former distresses, when we were distressed with our first fears; for
though our first fears were begotten in us by the Spirit's working
as a spirit of bondage, and so are not always to be entertained
as such, yet even that fear leaveth in us, and upon our spirits,
that sense and relish of our first awakenings and dread, as also
occasioneth and produceth this godly fear. "Take heed," says God,
"and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which
thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the
days of thy life, but teach them thy sons, and thy son's sons."
But what were the things that their eyes had seen, that would so
damnify them should they be forgotten? The answer is, the things
which they saw at Horeb; to wit, the fire, the smoke, the darkness,
the earthquake, their first awakenings by the law, by which they
were brought into a bondage fear; yea, they were to remember this
especially--"Specially," saith he, "the day that thou stoodest before
the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me
the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they
may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the
earth" (Deut 4:9-11). The remembrance of what we saw, felt, feared,
and trembled under the sense of, when our first fears were upon us,
is that which will produce in our hearts this godly filial fear.

Ninth. This godly fear flows from our receiving of an answer
of prayer, when we supplicated for mercy at the hand of God. See
the proof for this--"If there be in the land famine, if there be
pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar;
if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever
plague, whatsoever sickness there be: what prayer and supplication
soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall
know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his
hands toward this house: then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place,
and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways,
whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only, knowest the
hearts of all the children of men). That they may fear thee all the
days of their life, that they live in the land which thou gavest
unto our fathers" (1 Kings 8:37-40).

Tenth. This grace of fear also flows from a blessed conviction of
the all-seeing eye of God; that is, from a belief that he certainly
knoweth the heart, and seeth every one of the turnings and returnings
thereof; this is intimated in the text last mentioned--"Whose heart
thou knowest, that they may fear thee," to wit, so many of them as
be, or shall be convinced of this. Indeed, without this conviction,
this godly fear cannot be in us; the want of this conviction made
the Pharisees such hypocrites--"Ye are they," said Christ, "which
justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts" (Luke
16:15). The Pharisees, I say, were not aware of this; therefore they
so much preferred themselves before those that by far were better
than themselves, and it is for want of this conviction that men go
on in such secret sins as they do, so much without fear either of
God or his judgments.[16]

Eleventh. This grace of fear also flows from a sense of the
impartial judgment of God upon men according to their works. This
also is manifest from the text mentioned above. And give unto every
man according to his works or ways, "that they may fear thee," &c.
This is also manifest by that of Peter--"And if ye call on the
Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every
man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter
1:17). He that hath godly conviction of this fear of God, will
fear before him; by which fear their hearts are poised, and works
directed with trembling, according to the will of God. Thus you see
what a weighty and great grace this grace of the holy fear of God
is, and how all the graces of the Holy Ghost yield mutually their
help and strength to the nourishment and life of it; and also how
it flows from them all, and hath a dependence upon every one of
them for its due working in the heart of him that hath it. And thus
much to show you from whence it flows. And now I shall come to the
third thing, to wit, to show you

What flows from this godly fear.

THIRD. Having showed you what godly fear flows from, I come now, I
say, to show you what proceedeth or flows from this godly fear of
God, where it is seated in the heart of man. And,

First. There flows from this godly fear a godly reverence of God.
"He is great," said David, "and greatly to be feared in the assembly
of his saints." God, as I have already showed you, is the proper
object of godly fear; it is his person and majesty that this fear
always causeth the eye of the soul to be upon. "Behold," saith David,
"as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and
as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes
wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us" (Psa
123:2). Nothing aweth the soul that feareth God so much as doth the
glorious majesty of God. His person is above all things feared by
them; "I fear God," said Joseph (Gen 42:18). That is, more than any
other; I stand in awe of him, he is my dread, he is my fear, I do
all mine actions as in his presence, as in his sight; I reverence
his holy and glorious majesty, doing all things as with fear and
trembling before him. This fear makes them have also a very great
reverence of his Word; for that also, I told you, was the rule of
their fear. "Princes," said David, "persecuted me without a cause,
but my heart standeth in awe," in fear, "of thy word." This grace
of fear, therefore, from it flows reverence of the words of God; of
all laws, that man feareth the word; and no law that is not agreeing
therewith (Psa 119:116). There flows from this godly fear tenderness
of God's glory. This fear, I say, will cause a man to afflict his
soul, when he seeth that by professors dishonour is brought to the
name of God and to his Word. Who would not fear thee, said Jeremiah,
O king of nations, for to thee doth it appertain? He speaks it as
being affected with that dishonour, that by the body of the Jews
was continually brought to his name, his Word, and ways; he also
speaks it of a hearty wish that they once would be otherwise minded.
The same saying in effect hath also John in the Revelation--"Who
shall not fear thee, O Lord," said he, "and glorify thy name?"
(Rev 15:4); clearly concluding that godly fear produceth a godly
tenderness of God's glory in the world, for that appertaineth unto
him; that is, it is due unto him, it is a debt which we owe unto
him. "Give unto the Lord," said David, "the glory due unto his name."
Now if there be begotten in the heart of the godly, by this grace
of fear, a godly tenderness of the glory of God, then it follows
of consequence, that where they that have this fear of God do see
his glory diminished by the wickedness of the children of men,
there they are grieved and deeply distressed. "Rivers of waters,"
said David, "run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law"
(Psa 119:136). Let met give you for this these following instances--

How was David provoked when Goliath defied the God of Israel (1
Sam 17:23-29,45,46). Also, when others reproached God, he tells us
that that reproach was even as "a sword in his bones" (Psa 42:10).
How was Hezekiah afflicted when Rabshakeh railed upon his God (Isa
37). David also, for the love that he had to the glory of God's
word, ran the hazard and reproach "of all the mighty people" (Psa
119:151, 89:50). How tender of the glory of God was Eli, Daniel, and
the three children in their day. Eli died with fear and trembling
of heart when he heard that "the ark of God was taken" (1 Sam
4:14-18). Daniel ran the danger of the lions' mouths, for the tender
love that he had to the word and worship of God (Dan 6:10-16). The
three children ran the hazard of a burning fiery furnace, rather than
they would dare to dishonour the way of their God (Dan 3:13,16,20).
This therefore is one of the fruits of this godly fear, to wit, a
reverence of his name and tenderness of his glory.

Second. There flows from this godly fear, watchfulness. As it is
said of Solomon's servants, they "watched about his bed, because
of fear in the night," so it may be said of them that have this
godly fear--it makes them a watchful people. It makes them watch
their hearts, and take heed to keep them with all diligence, lest
they should, by one or another of its flights, lead them to do that
which in itself is wicked (Prov 4:23; Heb 12:15). It makes them
watch, lest some temptation from hell should enter into their heart
to the destroying of them (1 Peter 5:8). It makes them watch their
mouths, and keep them also, at sometimes, as with a bit and bridle,
that they offend not with their tongue, knowing that the tongue is
apt, being an evil member, soon to catch the fire of hell, to the
defiling of the whole body (James 3:2-7). It makes them watch over
their ways, look well to their goings, and to make straight steps
for their feet (Psa 39:1; Heb 12:13). Thus this godly fear puts the
soul upon its watch, lest from the heart within, or from the devil
without, or from the world, or some other temptation, something
should surprise and overtake the child of God to defile him, or
to cause him to defile the ways of God, and so offend the saints,
open the mouths of men, and cause the enemy to speak reproachfully
of religion.

Third. There flows from this fear a holy provocation to a reverential
converse with saints in their religious and godly assemblies, for
their further progress in the faith and way of holiness. "Then they
that feared the Lord spake often one to another." Spake, that is,
of God, and his holy and glorious name, kingdom, and works, for
their mutual edification; "a book of remembrance was written before
him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name"
(Mal 3:16). The fear of the Lord in the heart provoketh to this
in all its acts, not only of necessity, but of nature: it is the
natural effect of this godly fear, to exercise the church in the
contemplation of God, together and apart. All fear, good and bad,
hath a natural propenseness in it to incline the heart to contemplate
upon the object of fear, and though a man should labour to take
off his thoughts from the object of his fear, whether that object
was men, hell, devils, &c., yet do what he could the next time his
fear had any act in it, it would return again to its object. And
so it is with godly fear; that will make a man speak of, and think
upon, the name of God reverentially (Psa 89:7); yea, and exercise
himself in the holy thoughts of him in such sort that his soul
shall be sanctified, and seasoned with such meditations. Indeed,
holy thoughts of God, such as you see this fear doth exercise the
heart withal, prepare the heart to, and for God. This fear therefore
it is that David prayed for, for the people, when he said, "O Lord
God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel our fathers, keep this for
ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people,
and prepare their heart unto thee" (1 Chron 29:18).

Fourth. There flows from this fear of God great reverence of his
majesty, in and under the use and enjoyment of God's holy ordinances.
His ordinances are his courts and palaces, his walks and places,
where he giveth his presence to those that wait upon him in them,
in the fear of his name. And this is the meaning of that of the
apostle: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and
Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and, walking in the fear
of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied"
(Acts 9:31). "And walking"--that word intendeth their use of the
ordinances of God. They walked in all the commandments and ordinances
of the Lord blameless. This, in Old Testament language, is called,
treading God's courts, and walking in his paths. This, saith
the text, they did here, in the fear of God. That is, in a great
reverence of that God whose ordinances they were. "Ye shall keep
my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am the Lord" (Lev 19:30,
26:2).

It is one thing to be conversant in God's ordinances, and another
to be conversant in them with a due reverence of the majesty and
name of that God whose ordinances they are: it is common for men
to do the first, but none can do the last without this fear. "In
thy fear," said David, "will I worship" (Psa 5:7). It is this fear
of God, therefore, from whence doth flow that great reverence that
his saints have in them, of his majesty, in and under the use and
enjoyment of God's holy ordinances; and, consequently, that makes
our service in the performance of them acceptable to God through
Christ (Heb 12). For God expects that we serve him with fear and
trembling, and it is odious among men, for a man in the presence,
or about the service of his prince, to behave himself lightly, and
without due reverence of that majesty in whose presence and about
whose business he is. And if so, how can their service to God have
anything like acceptation from the hand of God, that is done, not
in, but without the fear of God? This service must needs be an
abomination to him, and these servers must come off with rebuke.

Fifth. There flows from this godly fear of God, self-denial. That
is, a holy abstaining from those things that are either unlawful or
inexpedient; according to that of Nehemiah, "The former governors
that had been before me, were chargeable unto the people, that had
taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver, yea,
even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I,
because of the fear of God" (Neh 5:15).[17]

Here not was self-denial; he would not do as they did that went
before him, neither himself, nor should his servants; but what was
it that put him upon these acts of self-denial? The answer is, the
fear of God: "but so did not I, because of the fear of God."

Now, whether by the fear of God in this place be meant his Word, or
the grace of fear in his heart, may perhaps be a scruple to some,
but in my judgment the text must have respect to the latter, to wit,
to the grace of fear, for without that being indeed in the heart,
the word will not produce that good self-denial in us, that here
you find this good man to live in the daily exercise of. The fear
of God, therefore, that was the cause of his self-denial, was
this grace of fear in his heart. This made him to be, as was said
before, tender of the honour of God, and of the salvation of his
brother: yea, so tender, that rather than he would give an occasion
to the weak to stumble, or be offended, he would even deny himself
of that which others never sticked to do. Paul also, through the
sanctifying operations of this fear of God in his heart, did deny
himself even of lawful things, for the profit and commodity of his
brother--"I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make
my brother to offend"; that is, if his eating of it would make his
brother to offend (1 Cor 8:13).

Men that have not this fear of God in them, will not, cannot deny
themselves--of love to God, and the good of the weak, who are
subject to stumble at indifferent things--but where this grace of
fear is, there follows self-denial; there men are tender of offending;
and count that it far better becomes their profession to be of a
self-denying, condescending conversation and temper, than to stand
sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient, whoever is
offended thereat. This grace of fear, therefore, is a very excellent
thing, because it yieldeth such excellent fruit as this. For this
self-denial, of how little esteem soever it be with some, yet the
want of it, if the words of Christ be true, as they are, takes
quite away from even a professor the very name of a disciple (Matt
10:37,38; Luke 14:26,27,33). They, says Nehemiah, lorded it over
the brethren, but so did not I. They took bread and wine, and
forty shekels of silver of them, but so did not I; yea, even their
servants bare rule over the people, "but so did not I, because of
the fear of God."

Sixth. There flows from this godly fear of God "singleness of heart"
(Col 3:22). Singleness of heart both to God and man; singleness of
heart, that is it which in another place is called sincerity and
godly simplicity, and it is this, when a man doth a thing simply
for the sake of him or of the law that commands it, without respect
to this by-end,[18]

or that desire of praise or of vain-glory from others; I say, when
our obedience to God is done by us simply or alone for God's sake,
for his Word's sake, without any regard to this or that by-end or
reserve, "not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness
of heart, fearing God." A man is more subject to nothing than to
swerve from singleness of heart in his service to God, and obedience
to his will. How doth the Lord charge the children of Israel, and
all their obedience, and that for seventy years together, with
the want of singleness of heart towards him--"When ye fasted and
mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years,
did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and
when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for
yourselves?" (Zech 7:5,6).

They wanted this singleness of heart in their fasting, and in their
eating, in their mourning, and in their drinking; they had double
hearts in what they did. They did not as the apostle bids; "whether
ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of
God." And the reason of their want of this thing was, they wanted
this fear of God; for that, as the apostle here saith, effecteth
singleness of heart to God, and makes a man, as John said of Gaius,
"do faithfully whatsoever he doth" (3 John 5). And the reason is,
as hath been already urged, for that grace of fear of God retaineth
and keepeth upon the heart a reverent and awful sense of the dread
majesty and all-seeing eye of God, also a due consideration of the
day of account before him; it likewise maketh his service sweet
and pleasing, and fortifies the soul against all discouragements;
by this means, I say, the soul, in its service to God or man, is
not so soon captivated as where there is not this fear, but through
and by it its service is accepted, being single, sincere, simple,
and faithful; when others, with what they do, are cast into hell
for their hypocrisy, for they mix not what they do with godly fear.
Singleness of heart in the service of God is of such absolute
necessity, that without it, as I have hinted, nothing can be accepted;
because where that is wanting, there wanteth love to God, and to
that which is true holiness indeed. It was this singleness of heart
that made Nathanael so honourable in the eyes of Jesus Christ.
"Behold," said he, "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no
guile" (John 1:47). And it was the want of it that made him so much
abhor the Pharisees. They wanted sincerity, simplicity, and godly
sincerity in their souls, and so became an abhorrence in his esteem.
Now, I say, this golden grace, singleness of heart, it flows from
this godly fear of God.

Seventh. There flows from this godly fear of God, compassion and
bowels to those of the saints that are in necessity and distress.
This is manifest in good Obadiah; it is said of him, "That he took
an hundred" of the Lord's "prophets, and hid them by fifty in a
cave, and fed them with bread and water," in the days when Jezebel,
that tyrant, sought their lives to destroy them (1 Kings 18:3,4).
But what was it that moved so upon his heart, as to cause him to
do this thing? Why, it was this blessed grace of the fear of God.
"Now Obadiah," saith the text, "feared the Lord greatly, for it
was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah
took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed
them with bread and water." This was charity to the distressed,
even to the distressed for the Lord's sake.

Had not Obadiah served the Lord, yea, had he not greatly feared him,
he would not have been able to do this thing, especially as the
case then stood with him, and also with the church at that time,
for then Jezebel sought to slay all that indeed feared the Lord;
yea, and the persecution prevailed so much at that time, that even
Elijah himself thought that she had killed all but him. But now,
even now, the fear of God in this good man's heart put forth itself
into acts of mercy though attended with so imminent danger. See
here, therefore, that the fear of God will put forth itself in the
heart where God hath put it, even to show kindness, and to have
compassion upon the distressed servants of God, even under Jezebel's
nose; for Obadiah dwelt in Ahab's house, and Jezebel was Ahab's
wife, and a horrible persecutor, as was said before: yet Obadiah
will show mercy to the poor because he feared God, yea, he will
venture her displeasure, his place, and neck, and all, but he will
be merciful to his brethren in distress. Cornelius, also, being
a man possessed with this fear of God, became a very free-hearted
and open-handed man to the poor--"He feared God, and gave much
alms to the people." Indeed this fear, this godly fear of God, it
is a universal grace; it will stir up the soul unto all good duties.
It is a fruitful grace; from it, where it is, floweth abundance of
excellent virtues; nor without it can there be anything good, or
done well, that is done. But,

Eighth. There flows from this fear of God hearty, fervent, and
constant prayer. This also is seen in Cornelius, that devout man.
He feared God; and what then? why, he gave much alms to the people,
"and prayed to God alway" (Acts 10:1,2).

Did I say that hearty, fervent, and constant prayer flowed from
this fear of God? I will add, that if the whole duty, and the
continuation of it, be not managed with this fear of God, it profiteth
nothing at all. It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, "He
was heard in that he feared." He prayed, then, because he feared,
because he feared God, and therefore was his prayer accepted of
him, even because he feared--"He was heard in that he feared" (Heb
5:7). This godly fear is so essential to right prayer, and right
prayer is such an inseparable effect and fruit of this fear, that
you must have both or none; he that prayeth not feareth not God,
yea, he that prayeth not fervently and frequently feareth him not;
and so he that feareth him not cannot pray; for if prayer be the
effect of this fear of God, then without this fear, prayer, fervent
prayer, ceaseth. How can they pray or make conscience of the duty
that fear not God? O prayerless man, thou fearest not God! Thou
wouldest not live so like a swine or a dog in the world as thou
dost, if thou fearest the Lord.

Ninth. There floweth from this fear of God a readiness or
willingness, at God's call, to give up our best enjoyments to his
disposal. This is evident in Abraham, who at God's call, without
delay, rose early in the morning to offer up his only and well-beloved
Isaac a burnt-offering in the place where God should appoint him.
It was a rare thing that Abraham did; and had he not had this rare
grace, this fear of God, he would not, he could not have done to
God's liking so wonderful a thing. It is true the Holy Ghost also
makes this service of Abraham to be the fruit of his faith--"By
faith Abraham offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises
offered up his only-begotten son" (Heb 11; James 2). Aye, and
without doubt love unto God, in Abraham, was not wanting in this
his service, nor was this grace of fear; nay, in the story where
it is recorded. There it is chiefly accounted for the fruit of his
godly fear, and that by an angel from heaven--"And the angel called
out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here am
I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
anything unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me" (Gen 22:11,12).
Now I know it; now, now thou hast offered up thine only Isaac, thine
all, at the bidding of thy God. Now I know it. The fear of God is
not presently discerned in the heart and life of a man. Abraham had
long before this done many a holy duty, and showed much willingness
of heart to observe and do the will of God; yet you find not, as
I remember, that he had this testimony from heaven that he feared
God till now; but now he has it, now he has it from heaven. "Now I
know that thou fearest God." Many duties may be done--though I do
not say that Abraham did them--without the fear of God; but when
a man shall not stick at, or withhold, his darling from God, when
called upon by God to offer it up unto him, that declareth, yea,
and gives conviction to angels, that now he feareth God.

Tenth. There floweth from this godly fear humility of mind. This
is evident, because, when the apostle cautions the Romans against
the venom of spiritual pride, he directs them to the exercise of
this blessed grace of fear as its antidote. "Be not high-minded,"
saith he, "but fear" (Rom 11:20). Pride, spiritual pride, which is
here set forth by the word "high-minded," is a sin of a very high
and damnable nature; it was the sin of the fallen angels, and is
that which causeth men to fall into the same condemnation--"Lest
being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the
devil." Pride, I say, it damns a professor with the damnation of
devils, with the damnation of hell, and therefore it is a deadly,
deadly sin. Now against this deadly sin is set the grace of
humility; that comely garment, for so the apostle calls it, saying,
"be clothed with humility." But the question is now, how we should
attain to, and live in, the exercise of this blessed and comely
grace? to which the apostle answers, Fear; be afraid with godly fear,
and thence will flow humility--"Be not high-minded, but fear." That
is, Fear, or be continually afraid and jealous of yourselves, and
of your own naughty hearts, also fear lest at some time or other
the devil, your adversary, should have advantage of you. Fear,
lest by forgetting what you are by nature, you also forget the need
that you have of continual pardon, support, and supplies from the
Spirit of grace, and so grow proud of your own abilities, or of
what you have received of God, and fall into the condemnation of
the devil. Fear, and that will make you little in your own eyes,
keep you humble, put you upon crying to God for protection, and
upon lying at his foot for mercy; that will also make you have low
thoughts of your own parts, your own doings, and cause you to prefer
your brother before yourself, and so you will walk in humiliation,
and be continually under the teachings of God, and under his conduct
in your way. The humble, God will teach--"The meek will he guide
in judgment, the meek will he teach his way." From this grace of
fear then flows this excellent and comely thing, humility; yea, it
also is maintained by this fear. Fear takes off a man from trusting
to himself, it puts a man upon trying of all things, it puts a man
upon desiring counsel and help from heaven, it makes a man ready
and willing to hear instruction, and makes a man walk lowly, softly,
and so securely in the way.

Eleventh. There flows from this grace of fear, hope in the mercy
of God--"The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them
that hope in his mercy" (Psa 147:11). The latter part of the text
is an explanation of the former: as if the psalmist had said, They
be the men that fear the Lord, even they that hope in his mercy;
for true fear produceth hope in God's mercy. And it is further
manifest thus. Fear, true fear of God inclineth the heart to a
serious inquiry after that way of salvation which God himself hath
prescribed; now the way that God hath appointed, by the which the
sinner is to obtain the salvation of his soul, is his mercy as so
and so set forth in the Word, and godly fear hath special regard
to the Word. To this way, therefore, the sinner with this godly
fear submits his soul, rolls himself upon it, and so is delivered
from that death into which others, for want of this fear of God,
do headlong fall.

It is, as I also hinted before, the nature of godly fear to be very
much putting the soul upon the inquiry which is, and which is not,
the thing approved of God, and accordingly to embrace it or shun
it. Now I say, this fear having put the soul upon a strict and
serious inquiry after the way of salvation, at last it finds it to
be by the mercy of God in Christ; therefore this fear putteth the
soul upon hoping also in him for eternal life and blessedness; by
which hope he doth not only secure his soul, but becomes a portion
of God's delight--"The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him,
in them that hope in his mercy."

Besides, this godly fear carrieth in it self-evidence that the state
of the sinner is happy, because possessed with this happy grace.
Therefore, as John saith, "We know we have passed from death unto
life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). So here, "The
Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in
his mercy." If I fear God, and if my fearing of him is a thing in
which he taketh such pleasure, then may I boldly venture to roll
myself for eternal life into the bosom of his mercy, which is
Christ. This fear also produceth hope; if therefore, poor sinner,
thou knowest thyself to be one that is possessed with this fear of
God, suffer thyself to be persuaded therefore to hope in the mercy
of God for salvation, for the Lord takes pleasure in thee. And it
delights him to see thee hope in his mercy.

Twelfth. There floweth from this godly fear of God an honest and
conscientious use of all those means which God hath ordained, that
we should be conversant in for our attaining salvation. Faith and
hope in God's mercy is that which secureth our justification and
hope, and as you have heard, they do flow from this fear. But now,
besides faith and hope, there is a course of life in those things
in which God hath ordained us to have our conversation, without
which there is no eternal life. "Ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life"; and again, "without holiness no man
shall see the Lord." Not that faith and hope are deficient, if they
be right, but they are both of them counterfeit when not attended
with a reverent use of all the means: upon the reverent use of which
the soul is put by this grace of fear. "Wherefore, beloved," said
Paul, "as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but
now much more in mine absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling" (Rom 6:22; Heb 12:14; Phil 2:11).

There is a faith and hope of mercy that may deceive a man (though
the faith of God's elect, and the hope that purifies the heart
never will), because they are alone, and not attended with those
companions that accompany salvation (Heb 6:3-8). But now this godly
fear carries in its bowels, not only a moving of the soul to faith
and hope in God's mercy, but an earnest provocation to the holy
and reverent use of all the means that God has ordained for a man
to have his conversation in, in order to his eternal salvation.
"Work out your salvation with fear." Not that work is meritorious,
or such that can purchase eternal life, for eternal life is obtained
by hope in God's mercy; but this hope, if it be right, is attended
with this godly fear, which fear putteth the soul upon a diligent
use of all those means that may tend to the strengthening of hope,
and so to the making of us holy in all manner of conversation, that
we may be meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light. For hope purifieth the heart, if fear of God shall be its
companion, and so maketh a man a vessel of mercy prepared unto
glory. Paul bids Timothy to fly pride, covetousness, doting about
questions, and the like, and to "follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience; to fight the good fight of faith,
and to lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6).

So Peter bids that we "add to our faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity"; adding, "for if these things
be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren
nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter
1:5-11). The sum of all which is that which was mentioned before;
to wit, "to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling."
For none of these things can be conscientiously done, but by and
with the help of this blessed grace of fear.

Thirteenth. There flows from this fear, this godly fear, a great delight
in the holy commands of God, that is, a delight to be conformable
unto them. "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth
greatly in his commandments" (Psa 112:1). This confirmeth that
which was said before, to wit, that this fear provoketh to a holy
and reverent use of the means; for that cannot be, when there is
not an holy, yea, a great delight in the commandments. Wherefore
this fear maketh the sinner to abhor that which is sin, because that
is contrary to the object of his delight. A man cannot delight
himself at the same time in things directly opposite one to another,
as sin and the holy commandment is; therefore Christ saith of the
servant, he cannot love God and mammon--"Ye cannot serve God and
mammon." If he cleaves to the one, he must hate and despise the
other; there cannot at the same time be service to both, because
that themselves are at enmity one with the other. So is sin
and the commandment. Therefore if a man delighteth himself in the
commandment, he hateth that which is opposite, which is sin: how
much more when he greatly delighteth in the commandment? Now, this
holy fear of God it taketh the heart and affections from sin, and
setteth them upon the holy commandment. Therefore such a man is
rightly esteemed blessed. For no profession makes a man blessed
but that which is accompanied with an alienation of the heart from
sin, nor doth anything do that when this holy fear is wanting.
It is from this fear then, that love to, and delight in, the holy
commandment floweth, and so by that the sinner is kept from those
falls and dangers of miscarrying that other professors are so
subject to: he greatly delights in the commandment.

Fourteenth. Lastly, There floweth from this fear of God, enlargement
of heart. "Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart
shall fear, and be enlarged" (Isa 60:5). "Thine heart shall fear,
and be enlarged," enlarged to God-ward, enlarged to his ways,
enlarged to his holy people, enlarged in love after the salvation
of others. Indeed when this fear of God is wanting, though the
profession be never so famous, the heart is shut up and straitened,
and nothing is done in that princely free spirit which is called
"the spirit of the fear of the Lord" (Psa 51:12; Isa 11:2). But with
grudging, legally, or with desire of vain-glory, this enlargedness
of heart is wanting, for that flows from this fear of the Lord.

Thus have I showed you both what this fear of God is, what it flows
from, and also what doth flow from it. I come now to show you some

OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THEM THAT THUS DO FEAR THE LORD.

Having thus briefly handled in particular thus far this fear of
God, I shall now show you certain of the excellent privileges of
them that fear the Lord, not that they are not privileges that have
been already mentioned; for what greater privileges than to have
this fear producing in the soul such excellent things so necessary
for us for good, both with reference to this world, and that which
is to come? But because those fourteen above named do rather flow
from this grace of fear where it is, than from a promise to the
person that hath it, therefore I have chosen rather to discourse
of them as the fruits and effects of fear, than otherwise. Now,
besides all these, there is entailed by promise to the man that hath
this fear many other blessed privileges, the which I shall now in
a brief way lay open unto you.

First Privilege, then. That man that feareth the Lord, has a grant
and a license "to trust in the Lord," with an affirmation that
he is their help, and their shield--"Ye that fear the Lord, trust
in the Lord; he is their help and their shield" (Psa 115:11). Now
what a privilege is this! an exhortation in general to sinners, as
sinners, to trust in him, is a privilege great and glorious; but
for a man to be singled out from his neighbours, for a man to be
spoken to from heaven, as it were by name, and to be told that God
hath given him a license, a special and peculiar grant to trust in
him, this is abundantly more; and yet this is the grant that God
hath given that man! He hath, I say, a license to do it--a license
indicted by the Holy Ghost, and left upon record for those to be
born that shall fear the Lord, to trust in him. And not only so, but
as the text affirmeth, "he is their help and their shield." Their
help under all their weaknesses and infirmities, and a shield to
defend them against all the assaults of the devil and this world.
So then, the man that feareth the Lord is licensed to make the
Lord his stay and God of his salvation, the succour and deliverer
of his soul. He will defend him because his fear is in his heart.
O ye servants of the Lord, ye that fear him, live in the comfort of
this; boldly make use of it when you are in straits, and put your
trust under the shadow of his wings, for indeed he would have you
do so, because you do fear the Lord.

Second Privilege. God hath also proclaimed concerning the man that
feareth the Lord, that he will also be his teacher and guide in
the way that he shall choose, and hath moreover promised concerning
such, that their soul shall dwell at ease--"What man is he that
feareth the Lord?" says David, "him shall he teach in the way that
he shall choose" (Psa 25:12). Now, to be taught of God, what like
it? yea, what like to be taught in the way that thou shalt choose?
Thou hast chosen the way to life, God's way; but perhaps thy
ignorance about it is so great, and those that tempt thee to turn
aside so many and so subtle, that they seem to outwit thee and
confound thee with their guile. Well, but the Lord whom thou fearest
will not leave thee to thy ignorance, nor yet to thine enemies'
power or subtlety, but will take it upon himself to be thy teacher
and thy guide, and that in the way that thou hast chosen. Hear,
then, and behold thy privilege, O thou that fearest the Lord; and
whoever wanders, turns aside, and swerveth from the way of salvation,
whoever is benighted, and lost in the midst of darkness, thou shalt
find the way to the heaven and the glory that thou hast chosen.

Further, He doth not only say, that he will teach them the way, for
that must of necessity be supplied, but he says also that he will
teach such in it--"Him shall he teach in the way that he shall
choose." This argueth that, as thou shalt know, so the way shall
be made, by the communion that thou shalt have with God therein,
sweet and pleasant to thee. For this text promiseth unto the man
that feareth the Lord, the presence, company, and discovery of the
mind of God, while he is going in the way that he hath chosen. It
is said of the good scribe, that he is instructed unto, as well as
into, the way of the kingdom of God (Matt 13:52). Instructed unto;
that is, he hath the heart and mind of God still discovered to him
in the way that he hath chosen, even all the way from this world
to that which is to come, even until he shall come to the very gate
and door of heaven. What the disciples said was the effect of the
presence of Christ, to wit, "that their hearts did burn within
them while he talked to them by the way," shall be also fulfilled
in thee, he will meet with thee in the way, talk with thee in the
way; he will teach thee in the way that thou shalt choose (Luke
24:32).

Third Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? he will open his secret
unto thee, even that which he hath hid and keeps close from all
the world, to wit, the secret of his covenant and of thy concern
therein--"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and
he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25:14). This, then, further
confirmeth what was said but just above; his secret shall be with
them, and his covenant shall be showed unto them. His secret, to
wit, that which hath been kept hid from ages and generations; that
which he manifesteth only to the saints, or holy ones; that is, his
Christ, for he it is that is hid in God, and that no man can know
but he to whom the Father shall reveal him (Matt 11:27).

But O! what is there wrapped up in this Christ, this secret of God?
why, all treasures of life, of heaven, and happiness--"In him are
hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." And "in him dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2).

This also is that hidden One, that is so full of grace to save
sinners, and so full of truth and faithfulness to keep promise and
covenant with them, that their eyes must needs convey, even by
every glance they make upon his person, offices, and relation, such
affecting ravishments to the heart, that it would please them that
see him, even to be killed with that sight. This secret of the
Lord shall be, nay is, with them that fear him, for he dwelleth in
their heart by faith. "And he will shew them his covenant." That is,
the covenant that is confirmed of God in Christ, that everlasting
and eternal covenant, and show him too that he himself is wrapped
up therein, as in a bundle of life with the Lord his God. These
are the thoughts, purposes, and promises of God to them that fear
him.

Fourth Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? his eye is always over
thee for good, to keep thee from all evil--"Behold the eye of the
Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine"
(Psa 33:18,19). His eye is upon them; that is, to watch over them
for good. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. His
eyes are upon them, and he will keep them as a shepherd doth his
sheep; that is, from those wolves that seek to devour them, and
to swallow them up in death. His eyes are upon them; for they are
the object of his delight, the rarities of the world, in whom, saith
he, is all my delight. His eye is upon them, as I said before, to
teach and instruct them--"I will instruct thee and teach thee in
the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psa
32:8; 2 Chron 7:15,16). The eye of the Lord, therefore, is upon
them, not to take advantage of them, to destroy them for their sins,
but to guide, to help, and deliver them from death; from that death
that would feed upon their souls--"To deliver their soul from
death and to keep them alive in famine." Take death here for death
spiritual, and death eternal; and the famine here, not for that
that is for want of bread and water, but for that which comes on
many for want of the Word of the Lord (Rev 20:14; Amos 8:11,12);
and then the sense is this, the man that feareth the Lord shall
neither die spiritually nor eternally; for God will keep him with
his eye from all those things that would in such a manner kill
him. Again, should there be a famine of the Word; should there want
both the Word and them that preach it in the place that thou dost
dwell, yet bread shall be given thee, and thy water shall be sure;
thou shalt not die of the famine, because thou fearest God. I say,
that man shall not, behold he shall not, because he feareth God,
and this the next head doth yet more fully manifest.

Fifth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? fear him for this advantage
more and more--"O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want
to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger,
but they that seek the Lord," that fear him, "shall not want any
good thing" (Psa 34:9,10). Not anything that God sees good for them
shall those men want that fear the Lord. If health will do them
good, if sickness will do them good, if riches will do them good,
if poverty will do them good, if life will do them good, if death
will do them good, then they shall not want them, neither shall any
of these come nigh them, if they will not do them good. The lions,
the wicked people [19] of the world that fear not God, are not
made sharers in this great privilege; all things fall out to them
contrary, because they fear not God. In the midst of their sufficiency,
they are in want of that good that God puts into the worst things
that the man that feareth God doth meet with in the world.

Sixth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? he hath given charge to the
armies of heaven to look after, take charge of, to camp about,
and to deliver thee--"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them" (Psa 34:7). This also is
a privilege entailed to them that in all generations fear the Lord.
The angels, the heavenly creatures, have it in commission to take
the charge of them that fear the Lord; one of them is able to slay of
men in one night 185,000. These are they that camped about Elisha
like horses of fire, and chariots of fire, when the enemy came
to destroy him. They also helped Hezekiah against the band of the
enemy, because he feared God (2 Kings 6:17; Isa 37:36; Jer 26:19).
"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them"; that is, lest
the enemy should set upon them on any side; but let him come where
he will, behind or before, on this side or that, the angel of the
Lord is there to defend them. "The angel." It may be spoken in the
singular number, perhaps, to show that every one that feareth God
hath his angel to attend on him, and serve him. When the church,
in the Acts, was told that Peter stood at the door and knocked; at
first they counted the messenger mad, but when she did constantly
affirm it, they said, It is his angel (Acts 12:13-15). So Christ
saith of the children that came unto him, "their angels behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven." Their angels; that is,
those of them that feared God, had each of them his angel, who had
a charge from God to keep them in their way. We little think of
this, yet this is the privilege of them that fear the Lord; yea,
if need be, they shall all come down to help them and to deliver
them, rather than, contrary to the mind of their God, they should
by any be abused--"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth
to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb 1:14).

[Quest.] But how do they deliver them? for so says the text--"The
angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and
delivereth them." Answ. The way that they take to deliver them
that fear the Lord, is sometimes by smiting of their enemies with
blindness, that they may not find them; and so they served the
enemies of Lot (Gen 19:10,11). Sometimes by smiting of them with
deadly fear; and so they served those that laid siege against
Samaria (2 Kings 7:6). And sometimes by smiting of them even with
death itself; and thus they served Herod, after he had attempted
to kill the apostle James, and also sought to vex certain others of
the church (Acts 12). These angels that are servants to them that
fear the Lord, are them that will, if God doth bid them, revenge
the quarrel of his servants upon the stoutest monarch on earth.
This, therefore, is a glorious privilege of the men that fear the
Lord. Alas! they are, some of them, so mean that they are counted
not worth taking notice of by the high ones of the world; but their
betters do respect them. The angels of God count not themselves
too good to attend on them, and camp about them to deliver them.
This, then, is the man that hath his angel to wait upon him, even
he that feareth God.

Seventh Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? salvation is nigh unto
thee--"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory
may dwell in our land" (Psa 85:9). This is another privilege for
them that fear the Lord. I told you before, that the angel of the
Lord did encamp about them, but now he saith, "his salvation is
also nigh them"; the which although it doth not altogether exclude
the conduct of angels,[20] but include them; yet it looketh further.
"Surely his salvation," his saving, pardoning grace, "is nigh them
that fear him"; that is, to save them out of the hand of their
spiritual enemies. The devil, and sin, and death, do always wait
even to devour them that fear the Lord, but to deliver them from
these his salvation doth attend them. So then, if Satan tempts,
here is their salvation nigh; if sin, by breaking forth, beguiles
them, here is God's salvation nigh them; yea, if death itself shall
suddenly seize upon them, why, here is their God's salvation nigh
them.

I have seen that great men's little children must go no whither
without their nurses be at hand. If they go abroad, their nurses
must go with them; if they go to meals, their nurses must go with
them; if they go to bed, their nurses must go with them; yea, and
if they fall asleep, their nurses must stand by them. O my brethren,
those little ones that fear the Lord, they are the children of the
highest, therefore they shall not walk alone, be at their spiritual
meats alone, go to their sick-beds, or to their graves alone; the
salvation of their God is nigh them, to deliver them from the evil.
This is then the glory that dwells in the land of them that fear
the Lord.

Eighth Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? hearken yet again--"The
mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them
that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children" (Psa
103:17). This still confirms what was last asserted, that is, that
his salvation is nigh unto them. His salvation, that is, pardoning
mercy, that is nigh them. But mind it, there he says it is nigh
them; but here it is upon them. His mercy is upon them, it covereth
them all over, it encompasseth them about as with a shield. Therefore
they are said in another place to be clothed with salvation,
and covered with the robe of righteousness. The mercy of the Lord
is upon them, that is, as I said, to shelter and defend them. The
mercy, the pardoning preserving mercy, the mercy of the Lord is
upon them, who is he then that can condemn them? (Rom 8).

But there yet is more behind, "The mercy of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them." It was designed for them
before the world was, and shall be upon them when the world itself
is ended; from everlasting to everlasting it is on them that fear
him. This from everlasting to everlasting is that by which, in another
place, the eternity of God himself is declared--"From everlasting
to everlasting, thou art God" (Psa 90:2). The meaning, then, may
be this; that so long as God hath his being, so long shall the
man that feareth him find mercy at his hand. According to that
of Moses--"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms; and he shall thrust out the enemy from before
thee, and shall say, Destroy them" (Deut 33:27).

Child of God, thou that fearest God, here is mercy nigh thee, mercy
enough, everlasting mercy upon thee. This is long-lived mercy. It
will live longer than thy sin, it will live longer than temptation,
it will live longer than thy sorrows, it will live longer than thy
persecutors. It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy salvation,
and mercy to everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries.
Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God
upon him? And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that
other blessed word, and O thou man that fearest the Lord, hang it
like a chain of gold about thy neck--"As the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him" (Psa
103:11). If mercy as big, as high, and as good as heaven itself
will be a privilege, the man that feareth God shall have a privilege.

Ninth Privilege. Dost thou fear God?--"Like as a father pitieth
his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (Psa 103:13).

" The Lord pitieth them that fear him"; that is, condoleth and is
affected, feeleth and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions.
It is a great matter for a poor man to be in this manner in the
affections of the great and mighty, but for a poor sinner to be
thus in the heart and affections of God, and they that fear him are
so, this is astonishing to consider. "In his love and in his pity
he redeemed them." In his love and in his pity! "In all their
affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved
them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare
them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isa 63:9). I say, in
that he is said to pity them, it is as much as to say, he condoleth,
feeleth, and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions and
temptations. So that this is the happiness of him that feareth God,
he has a God to pity him and to be touched with all his miseries.
It is said in Judges, "His soul was grieved for the misery of
Israel" (Judg 10:16). And in the Hebrews, he is "touched with the
feeling of our infirmities," and can "succour them that are tempted"
(4:15, 2:17,18).

But further, let us take notice of the comparison. "As a father
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Here
is not only pity, but the pity of a relation, a father. It is said
in another place; "Can a woman," a mother, "forget her sucking
child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
yea, they may, yet will not I forget thee." The pity of neighbours
and acquaintance helpeth in times of distress, but the pity of
a father and a mother is pity with an over and above. "The Lord,"
says James, "is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." Pharaoh called
Joseph his tender father,[21] because he provided for him against
the famine, but how tender a father is God! how full of bowels!
how full of pity! (James 5:11; Gen 41:43). It is said, that when
Ephraim was afflicted, God's bowels were troubled for him, and turned
within him towards him. O that the man that feareth the Lord did
but believe the pity and bowels that are in the heart of God and
his father towards him (Jer 31:18-20).

Tenth Privilege. Dost thou fear God?--"He will fulfil the desire
of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will save
them" (Psa 145:19). Almost all those places that make mention of
the men that fear God, do insinuate as if they still were under
affliction, or in danger by reason of an enemy. But I say, here
is still their privilege, their God is their father and pities
them--"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him." Where now
is the man that feareth the Lord? let him hearken to this. What
sayest thou, poor soul? will this content thee, the Lord will fulfil
thy desires? It is intimated of Adonijah, that David his father
did let him have his head and his will in all things. "His father,"
says the text, "had not displeased him at any time in (so much as)
saying, Why hast thou done so?" (1 Kings 1:6). But here is more,
here is a promise to grant thee the whole desire of thy heart,
according to the prayer of holy David, "The Lord grant thee, according
to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel." And again, "The
Lord fulfil all thy petitions" (Psa 20).

O thou that fearest the Lord, what is thy desire? All my desire,
says David, is all my salvation (2 Sam 23:5), so sayest thou, "All
my salvation" is "all my desire." Well, the desire of thy soul is
granted thee, yea, God himself hath engaged himself even to fulfil
this thy desire--"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him,
he also will hear their cry, and will save them." O this desire when
it cometh, what a tree of life will it be to thee! Thou desirest
to be rid of thy present trouble; the Lord shall rid thee out of
trouble. Thou desirest to be delivered from temptation; the Lord
shall deliver thee out of temptation. Thou desirest to be delivered
from thy body of death; and the Lord shall change this thy vile
body, that it may be like to his glorious body. Thou desirest to
be in the presence of God, and among the angels in heaven. This
thy desire also shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt be made equal
to the angels (Exo 6:6; 2 Peter 2:9; Phil 3:20,21; Luke 16:22,
20:35,36). O but it is long first! Well, learn first to live upon
thy portion in the promise of it, and that will make thy expectation
of it sweet. God will fulfil thy desires, God will do it, though
it tarry long. Wait for it, because it will surely come, it will
not tarry.

Eleventh Privilege. Dost thou fear God?--"The Lord taketh pleasure
in them that fear him" (Psa 147:11). They that fear God are among
his chief delights. He delights in his Son, he delights in his works,
and takes pleasure in them that fear him. As a man takes pleasure
in his wife, in his children, in his gold, in his jewels; so the
man that fears the Lord is the object of his delight. He takes
pleasure in their prosperity, and therefore sendeth them health from
the sanctuary, and makes them drink of the river of his pleasures
(Psa 35:27). "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness
of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy
pleasures" (Psa 36:8). That or those that we take pleasure in,
that or those we love to beautify and adorn with many ornaments.
We count no cost too much to be bestowed on those in whom we place
our delight, and whom we make the object of our pleasure. And even
thus it is with God. "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people,"
and what follows? "he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psa
149:4).

Those in whom we delight, we take pleasure in their actions; yea,
we teach them, and give them such rules and laws to walk by, as may
yet make them that we love more pleasurable in our eyes. Therefore
they that fear God, since they are the object of his pleasure, are
taught to know how to please him in everything (1 Thess 4:1). And
hence it is said, that he is ravished with their looks, that he
delighteth in their cry, and that he is pleased with their walking
(Can 4:9; Prov 15:8, 11:20).

Those in whom we delight and take pleasure, many things we will
bear and put up that they do, though they be not according to our
minds. A man will suffer that in, and put up that at, the hand
of the child or wife of his pleasure, that he will not pass by nor
put up in another. They are my jewels, says God, even them that
fear me; and I will spare them, in all their comings-short of my
will, "even as a man spareth his own son that serveth him" (Mal
3:16,17). O how happy is the man that feareth God! His good thoughts,
his good attempts to serve him, and his good life pleases him,
because he feareth God.

You know how pleasing in our eyes the actions of our children are,
when we know that they do what they do even of a reverent fear and
awe of us; yea, though that which they do amounts but to little, we
take it well at their hands, and are pleased therewith. The woman
that cast in her two mites into the treasury, cast in not much, for
they both did but make one farthing; yet how doth the Lord Jesus
trumpet her up,[22] he had pleasure in her, and in her action (Mark
12:41-44). This, therefore, that the Lord taketh pleasure in them
that fear him, is another of their great privileges.

Twelfth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? the least dram of that fear
giveth the privilege to be blessed with the biggest saint--"He will
bless them that fear the Lord, small and great" (Psa 115:13). This
word small may be taken three ways--1. For those that are small
in esteem, for those that are but little accounted of (Judg 6:15;
1 Sam 18:23). Art thou small or little in this sense, yet if thou
fearest God, thou art sure to be blessed. "He will bless them that
fear him, small and great," be thou never so small in the world's
eyes, in thine own eyes, in the saints' eyes, as sometimes one saint
is little in another saint's eye; yet thou, because thou fearest
God, art put among the blessed. 2. By small, sometimes is meant
those that are but small of stature, or young in years, little
children, that are easily passed by and looked over: as those that
sang Hosanna in the temple were, when the Pharisees deridingly said
of them to Christ, "Hearest thou what these say?" (Matt 21:16).
Well, but Christ would not despise them, of them that feared God,
but preferred them by the Scripture testimony far before those that
did contemn them. Little children, how small soever, and although
of never so small esteem with men, shall also, if they fear the
Lord, be blessed with the greatest saints--"He will bless them
that fear him, small and great." 3. By small may sometimes be meant
those that are small in grace or gifts; these are said to be the
least in the church, that is, under this consideration, and so are
by it least esteemed (Matt 25:45). Thus also is that of Christ to
be understood, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of
these, ye did it not to me" (1 Cor 6:4).

Art thou in thine own thoughts, or in the thoughts of others, of
these last small ones, small in grace, small in gifts, small in
esteem upon this account, yet if thou fearest God, if thou fearest
God indeed, thou art certainly blessed with the best of saints. The
least star stands as fixed, as the biggest of them all, in heaven.
"He will bless them that fear him, small and great." He will bless
them, that is, with the same blessing of eternal life. For the
different degrees of grace in saints doth not make the blessing,
as to its nature, differ. It is the same heaven, the same life,
the same glory, and the same eternity of felicity that they are
in the text promised to be blessed with. That is observable which
I mentioned before, where Christ at the day of judgment particularly
mentioneth and owneth the least--"Inasmuch as ye did it not to one
of the least." The least then was there, in his kingdom and in his
glory, as well as the biggest of all. "He will bless them that fear
him, small and great." The small are named first in the text, and
are so the first in rank; it may be to show that though they may
be slighted and little set by in the world, yet they are much set
by in the eyes of the Lord.

Are great saints only to have the kingdom, and the glory everlasting?
Are great works only to be rewarded? works that are done by virtue
of great grace, and the abundance of the gifts of the Holy Ghost?
No: "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones
a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say
unto you, he shall in no wise lose his (a disciple's) reward." Mark,
here is but a little gift, a cup of cold water, and that given to
a little saint, but both taken special notice of by our Lord Jesus
Christ (Matt 10:42). "He will give reward to his servants the
prophets, and to his saints, and to them that fear his name, small
and great" (Rev 11:18). The small, therefore, among them that
fear God, are blessed with the great, as the great, with the same
salvation, the same glory, and the same eternal life; and they
shall have, even as the great ones also shall, as much as they can
carry; as much as their hearts, souls, bodies, and capacities can
hold.

Thirteenth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? why, the Holy Ghost
hath on purpose indited for thee a whole psalm to sing concerning
thyself. So that thou mayest even as thou art in thy calling, bed,
journey, or whenever, sing out thine own blessed and happy condition
to thine own comfort and the comfort of thy fellows. The psalm is
called the 128th Psalm; I will set it before thee, both as it is
in the reading[23] and in the singing Psalms--

" Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his
ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt
thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a
fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy children, like olive
plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be
blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of
Zion; and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy
life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon
Israel."

AS IT IS SUNG.

Blessed art thou that fearest God, And walkest in his way: For of
thy labour thou shalt eat; Happy art thou, I say! Like fruitful
vines on thy house side, So doth thy wife spring out; Thy children
stand like olive plants Thy table round about.

Thus art thou blest that fearest God, And he shall let thee see
The promised Jerusalem, And her felicity. Thou shalt thy children's
children see, To thy great joy's increase; And likewise grace on
Israel, Prosperity and peace.[24]

And now I have done with the privileges when I have removed one
objection.

Object. But the Scripture says, "perfect love casteth our fear";
and therefore it seems that saints, after that a spirit of adoption
is come, should not fear, but do their duty, as another Scripture
saith, without it (1 John 4:18; Luke 1:74,75).

Answ. Fear, as I have showed you, may be taken several ways. 1.
It may be taken for the fear of devils. 2. It may be taken for the
fear of reprobates. 3. It may be taken for the fear that is wrought
in the godly by the Spirit as a spirit of bondage; or, 4. It may
be taken for the fear that I have been but now discoursing of.

Now the fear that perfect love casts out cannot be that son-like,
gracious fear of God, that I have in this last place been treating
of; because that fear that love casts out hath torment, but so has
not the son-like fear. Therefore the fear that love casts out is
either that fear that is like the fear of devils and reprobates,
or that fear that is begot in the heart by the Spirit of God as a
spirit of bondage, or both; for, indeed, all these kinds of fear
have torment, and therefore may be cast out; and are so by the
spirit of adoption, which is called the spirit of faith and love,
when he comes with power into the soul; so that without this fear
we should serve him. But to argue from these texts that we ought
not to fear God, or to mix fear with our worship of him, is as much
as to say that by the spirit of adoption we are made very rogues;
for not to fear God is by the Scripture applied to such (Luke
23:40). But for what I have affirmed the Scripture doth plentifully
confirm, saying, "Happy is the man that feareth alway." And again,
"It shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him."
Fear, therefore; the spirit of the fear of the Lord is a grace
that greatly beautifies a Christian, his words, and all his ways:
"Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed, and
do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect
of persons, nor taking of gifts" (2 Chron 19:7).

I come now to make some use and application of this doctrine.

THE USE OF THIS DOCTRINE.

Having proceeded thus far about this doctrine of the fear of God,
I now come to make some use and application of the whole; and my

[USE FIRST, of Examination.]

FIRST USE shall be a USE OF EXAMINATION. Is this fear of God such
an excellent thing? Is it attended with so many blessed privileges?
Then this should put us, every soul of us, upon a diligent examination
of ourselves, to wit, whether this grace be in us or not, for if
it be, then thou art one of these blessed ones to whom belong these
glorious privileges, for thou hast an interest in every of them;
but if it shall appear that this grace is not in thee, then thy
state is fearfully miserable, as hath partly been manifest already,
and will further be seen in what comes after. Now, the better to
help thee to consider, and not to miss in finding out what thou art
in thy self-examination, I will speak to this--First. In general.
Second. In particular.

First. In general. No man brings this grace into the world with
him. Every one by nature is destitute of it; for naturally none
fear God, there is no fear of God, none of this grace of fear before
their eyes, they do not so much as know what it is; for this fear
flows, as was showed before, from a new heart, faith, repentance
and the like; of which new heart, faith, and repentance, if thou be
void, thou art also void of this godly fear. Men must have a mighty
change of heart and life, or else they are strangers to this fear
of God. Alas, how ignorant are the most of this! Yea, and some
are not afraid to say they are not changed, nor desire so to be.
Can these fear God? can these be possessed with this grace of fear?
No: "Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God"
(Psa 55:19; Psa 36:1; Rom 3:18).

Wherefore, sinner, consider whoever thou art that art destitute
of this fear of God, thou art void of all other graces; for this
fear, as also I have showed, floweth from the whole stock of grace
where it is. There is not one of the graces of the Spirit, but
this fear is in the bowels of it; yea, as I may say, this fear is
the flower and beauty of every grace; neither is there anything,
let it look as much like grace as it will, that will be counted so
indeed, if the fruit thereof be not this fear of God; wherefore,
I say again, consider well of this matter, for as thou shalt be
found with reference to this grace, so shall thy judgment be. I
have but briefly treated of this grace, yet have endeavoured, with
words as fit as I could, to display it in its colours before thy
face, first by showing you what this fear of God is, then what it
flows from, as also what doth flow from it; to which, as was said
before, I have added several privileges that are annexed to this
fear, that by all, if it may be, thou mayest see it if thou hast
it, and thyself without it if thou hast it not. Wherefore I refer
thee thither again for information in this thing; or if thou art
loath to give the book a second reading, but wilt go on to the end
now thou art gotten hither; then

Second and particularly, I conclude with these several propositions
concerning those that fear not God.

1. That man that is proud, and of a high and lofty mind, fears not
God. This is plain from the exhortation, "Be not high-minded, but
fear" (Rom 11:20). Here you see that a high mind and the fear of
God are set in direct opposition the one to the other; and there
is in them, closely concluded by the apostle, that where indeed
the one is, there cannot be the other; where there is a high mind,
there is not the fear of God; and where there is the fear of God,
the mind is not high but lowly. Can a man at the same time be a
proud man, and fear God too? Why, then, is it said God beholdeth
every one that is proud, and abases him? and again, He beholds the
proud afar off? He therefore that is proud of his person, of his
riches, of his office, of his parts, and the like, feareth not God.
It is also manifest further, for God resisteth the proud, which he
would not do, if he feared him, but in that he sets him at such a
distance from him, in that he testifies that he will abase him and
resist him, it is evident that he is not the man that hath this
grace of fear; for that man, as I have showed you, is the man of
God's delight, the object of his pleasure (Psa 138:6; James 4:6;
1 Peter 5:5; Mal 4:1).

2. The covetous man feareth not God. This also is plain from
the Word, because it setteth covetousness and the fear of God in
direct opposition. Men that fear God are said to hate covetousness
(Exo 18:21). Besides, the covetous man is called an idolater, and
is said to have no part in the kingdom of Christ and of God. And
again, "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the
covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth" (Eze 33:31; Eph 5:5; Psa 10:3).
Hearken to this, you that hunt the world to take it, you that care
not how you get, so you get the world. Also you that make even
religion your stalking-horse to get the world, you fear not God.
And what will you do whose hearts go after your covetousness? you
who are led by covetousness up and down, as it were by the nose;
sometimes to swear, to lie, to cozen, and cheat and defraud, when
you can get the advantage to do it. You are far, very far, from the
fear of God. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses," for so the covetous
are called, "know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity
with God? whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is
the enemy of God" (James 4:4).

3. The riotous eaters of flesh have not the fear of God. For this
is done "without fear" (Jude 12). Gluttony is a sin little taken
notice of, and as little repented of by those that use it, but
yet it is odious in the sight of God, and the practice of it a
demonstration of the want of his fear in the heart: yea, so odious
is it, that God forbids that his people should so much as company
with such. "Be not," saith he, "among wine-bibbers, among riotous
eaters of flesh" (Prov 23:20). And he further tells us, that they
that are such, are spots and blemishes to those that keep them
company, for indeed they fear not God (2 Peter 2:13; Rom 13:13;
1 Peter 4:4). Alas! some men are as if they were for nought else
born but to eat and to drink, and pamper their carcasses with the
dainties of this world, quite forgetting why God sent them hither;
but such, as is said, fear not God, and so consequently are of the
number of them upon whom the day of judgment will come at unawares
(Luke 21:34).

4. The liar is one that fears not God. This also is evident from
the plain text, "Thou hast lied," saith the Lord, "and hast not
remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart: have not I held my peace
even of old," saith the Lord, "and thou fearest me not?" (Isa
57:11). What lie this was is not material; it was a lie, or a course
of lying that is here rebuked, and the person or persons in this
practice, as is said, were such as feared not God; a course of lying
and the fear of God cannot stand together. This sin of lying is a
common sin, and it walketh in the world in several guises. There
is the profane scoffing liar, there is the cunning artificial liar,
there is the hypocritical religious liar, with liars of other ranks
and degrees. But none of them all have the fear of God, nor shall
any of them, they not repenting, escape the damnation of hell--"All
liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone" (Rev 21:8). Heaven and the New Jerusalem are not a
place for such--"And there shall in no wise enter into it anything
that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh
a lie" (v 27). Therefore another scripture says that all liars are
without--"For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a
lie" (Rev 22:15). But this should not be their sentence, judgment,
and condemnation, if they that are liars were such as had in them
this blessed fear of God.

5. They fear not God who cry unto him for help in the time of their
calamity, and when they are delivered, they return to their former
rebellion. This, Moses, in a spirit of prophecy, asserteth at the
time of the mighty judgment of the hail. Pharaoh then desired him
to pray to God that he would take away that judgment from him. Well,
so I will, said Moses, "But as for thee and thy servants, I know
that ye will not yet fear the Lord God" (Exo 9:30). As who should
say, I know that so soon as this judgment is removed, you will to
your old rebellion again. And what greater demonstration can be
given that such a man feareth not God, than to cry to God to be
delivered from affliction to prosperity, and to spend that prosperity
in rebellion against him? This is crying for mercies that they may
be spent, or that we may have something to spend upon our lusts,
and in the service of Satan (John 4:1-3). Of these God complains in
the sixteenth of Ezekiel, and in the second of Hosea--"Thou hast,"
saith God, "taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which
I had given thee, and madest to thyself images" &c. (Eze 16:17).
This was for want of the fear of God. Many of this kind there be
now in the world, both of men, and women, and children; art not
thou that readest this book of this number? Hast thou not cried
for health when sick, for wealth when poor, when lame for strength,
when in prison for liberty, and then spent all that thou gottest
by thy prayer in the service of Satan, and to gratify thy lusts?
Look to it, sinner, these things are signs that with thy heart thou
fearest not God.

6. They fear not God that way-lay his people and seek to overthrow
them, or to turn them besides the right path, as they are journeying
from hence to their eternal rest. This is evident from the plain
text, "Remember," saith God, "what Amalek did unto thee by the way
when ye were come forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way,
and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind
thee, when thou wast faint and weary, and he feared not God" (Deut
25:17,18). Many such Amalekites there be now in the world that set
themselves against the feeble of the flock, against the feeble of
the flock especially, still smiting them, some by power, some with
the tongue, some in their lives and estates, some in their names and
reputations, by scandals, slanders, and reproach, but the reason
of this their ungodly practice is this, they fear not God. For did
they fear him, they would be afraid to so much as think, much more
of attempting to afflict and destroy, and calumniate the children
of God; but such there have been, such there are, and such there
will be in the world, for all men fear not God.

7. They fear not God who see his hand upon backsliders for their
sins, and yet themselves will be backsliders also. "I saw," saith
God, "when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed
adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce,
yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played
the harlot also" (Jer 3:8, 2:19). Judah saw that her sister was
put away, and delivered by God into the hands of Shalmaneser, who
carried her away beyond Babylon, and yet, though she saw it, she
went and played the harlot also--a sign of great hardness of heart,
and of the want of the fear of God indeed. For this fear, had it
been in her heart, it would have taught her to have trembled at
the judgment that was executed upon her sister, and not to have
gone and played the harlot also: and not to have done it while
her sister's judgment was in sight and memory. But what is it that
a heart that is destitute of the fear of God will not do? No sin
comes amiss to such: yea, they will sin, they will do that themselves,
for the doing of which they believe some are in hell-fire, and all
because they fear not God.

But pray observe, if those that take not warning when they see the
hand of God upon backsliders, are said to have none of the fear
of God, have they it, think you, that lay stumbling-blocks in the
way of God's people, and use devices to cause them to backslide,
yea, rejoice when they can do this mischief to any? and yet many
of this sort there are in the world, that even rejoice when they
see a professor fall into sin, and go back from his profession, as
if they had found some excellent thing.

8. They fear not God who can look upon a land as wallowing in
sin, and yet are not humbled at the sight thereof. "Have ye," said
God by the prophet to the Jews, "forgotten the wickedness of your
fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness
of their wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled to this day,
neither have they feared, nor walked in my law" (Jer 44:9,10).
Here is a land full of wickedness, and none to bewail it, for they
wanted the fear of God, and love to walk in his law. But how say
you, if they that are not humbled at their own and others' wickedness
are said not to fear, or have the fear of God, what shall we think
or say of such that receive, that nourish and rejoice in such
wickedness? Do they fear God? Yea, what shall we say of such that
are the inventors and promoters of wickedness, as of oaths, beastly
talk, or the like? Do they, do you think, fear God? Once again,
what shall we say of such that cannot be content to be wicked
themselves, and to invent and rejoice in other men's wickedness,
but must hate, reproach, vilify and abuse those that they cannot
persuade to be wicked? Do they fear God?

9. They that take more heed to their own dreams than to the Word
of God, fear not God. This also is plain from the Word--"For in
the multitude of dreams, there are also divers vanities, but fear
thou God"; that is, take heed unto his Word (Eccl 5:7; Isa 8:20).
Here the fearing of God is opposed to our overmuch heeding dreams:
and there is implied, that it is for want of the fear of God that
men so much heed those things. What will they say to this that give
more heed to a suggestion that ariseth from their foolish hearts,
or that is cast in thither by the devil, than they do to the holy
Word of God? These are "filthy dreamers." Also, what shall we
say to those that are more confident of the mercy of God to their
soul, because he hath blessed them with outward things, than they
are afraid of his wrath and condemnation, though the whole of the
Word of God doth fully verify the same? These are "filthy dreamers"
indeed.

A dream is either real, or so by way of semblance, and so some
men dream sleeping, and some waking (Isa 29:7). And as those that
a man dreams sleeping are caused either by God, Satan, business,
flesh, or the like; so are they that a man dreams waking, to pass
by those that we have in our sleep. Men, when bodily awake, may
have dreams, that is, visions from heaven; such are all they that
have a tendency to discover to the sinner his state, or the state
of the church according to the Word. But those that are from Satan,
business, and the flesh, are such--especially the first and last,
to wit, from Satan and the flesh--as tend to embolden men to hope
for good in a way disagreeing with the Word of God.[25]

These Jude calls "filthy dreamers," such whose principles were
their dreams, and they led them "to defile the flesh," that is, by
fornication and uncleanness; "to despise dominion," that the reins
might be laid upon the neck of their lusts; "to speak evil of
dignities," of those that God had set over them, for their governing
in all the law and testament of Christ, these dreamt that to live
like brutes, to be greedy of gain, and to take away for it, as Cain
and Balaam did by their wiles, the lives of the owners thereof,
would go for good coin in the best of trials. These also Peter
speaks of (2 Peter 2). And he makes their dreams, that Jude calls
so, their principle and errors in life and doctrine; you may read
of them in that whole chapter, where they are called cursed children,
and so by consequence such as fear not God.

10. They fear not God, who are sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers,
and that oppress the hireling of his wages. It is a custom with some
men to keep back by fraud from the hireling that which by covenant
they agreed to pay for their labour; pinching, I say, and paring
from them their due that of right belongs to them, to the making of
them cry in "the ears of the Lord of sabaoth" (James 5:4). These
fear not God; they are reckoned among the worst of men, and in
their day of account God himself will bear witness against them.
"And I," saith God, "will come near to you to judgment; and I will
be a swift witness against the adulterers, and against the false
swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages,
the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from
his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord" (Mal 3:5).

11. They fear not God, who instead of pitying of, rail at God's
people in their affliction, temptations, and persecutions, and
rather rejoice and skip for joy, than sympathize with them in their
sorrow. Thus did David's enemies, thus did Israel's enemies, and
thus did the thief, he railed at Christ when he hanged upon the
cross, and was for that, even by his fellow, accounted for one
that feared not God (Luke 23:40; Psa 35:1,22-26. Read Oba 10-15;
Jer 48:2-6). This is a common thing among the children of men, even
to rejoice at the hurt of them that fear God, and it ariseth even
of an inward hatred to godliness. They hate you, saith Christ,
because they hated me. Therefore Christ takes what is done to his,
in this, as done unto himself, and so to holiness of life. But
this falls hard upon such as despise at, and rejoice to see, God's
people in their griefs, and that take the advantage, as dogged
Shimei did, to augment the griefs and afflictions of God's people
(2 Sam 16:5-8). These fear not God, they do this of enmity, and
their sin is such as will hardly be blotted out (1 Kings 2:8,9).

12. They fear not God, who are strangers to the effects of fear.
"If I be a master, where is my fear?" That is, show that I am so
by your fear of me in the effects of your fear of me. "You offer
polluted bread upon mine altar." This is not a sign that you fear
me, ye offer the blind for sacrifices, where is my fear? ye offer
the lame and the sick, these are not the effects of the fear of
God (Mal 1:6-8). Sinner, it is one thing to say, I fear God, and
another to fear him indeed. Therefore, as James says, show me thy
faith by thy works, so here God calls for a testimony of thy fear
by the effects of fear. I have already showed you several effects
of fear; if thou art a stranger to them, thou art a stranger to this
grace of fear. Therefore, to conclude this, it is not a feigned
profession that will do; nothing is good here, but what is salted
with this fear of God, and they that fear him are men of truth,
men of singleness of heart, perfect, upright, humble, holy men;
wherefore, reader, examine, and again, I say examine, and lay the
Word and thy heart together, before that thou concludest that thou
fearest God.

What! fear God, and in a state of nature? fear God without a change
of heart and life? What! fear God and be proud, and covetous,
a wine-bibber, and a riotous eater of flesh? How! fear God and a
liar, and one that cries for mercies to spend them upon thy lusts?
This would be strange. True, thou mayest fear as devils do, but
what will that profit? Thou mayest by thy fear be driven away from
God, from his worship, people, and ways, but what will that avail?
It may be thou mayest so fear at present, as to be a little stopped
in thy sinful course; perhaps thou hast got a knock from the Word
of God, and are at present a little dazzled and hindered from being
in thy former and full career after sin; but what of that? if by
the fear that thou hast, thy heart is not united to God, and to the
love of his Son, Word, and people, thy fear is nothing worth.[26]
Many men also are forced to fear God, as underlings are forced to
fear those that are by force above them. If thou only thus fearest
God, it is but a false fear; it flows not from love to God: this
fear brings not willing subjection, which indeed brings the effect
of right fear; but being over-mastered like an hypocrite, thou
subjected thyself by feigned obedience, being forced, I say, by
mere dread to do it (Psa 66:3).

It is said of David, "that the fame of him went out into all lands,
and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations" (1 Chron
14:17). But what, did they now love David? did they now choose him
to be their king? no verily; they, many of them, rather hated him,
and, when they could, made resistance against him. They did even
as thou dost--feared, but did not love; feared, but did not choose
his government that ruled over them. It is also said of Jehoshaphat,
when God had subdued before him Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that
"the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of these countries, when
they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel"
(2 Chron 20:29). But, I say, was this fear, that is called now the
fear of God, anything else, but a dread of the greatness of power
of the king? No verily, nor did that dread bring them into a willing
subjection to, and liking of his laws and government; it only made
them like slaves and underlings, stand in fear of his executing
the vengeance of God upon them.

Therefore still, notwithstanding this fear, they were rebels to him
in their hearts, and when occasion and advantage offered themselves,
they showed it by rising in rebellion against Israel. This fear
therefore provoked but feigned and forced obedience, a right emblem
of the obedience of such, who being still enemies in their minds to
God, are forced by virtue of present conviction to yield a little,
even of fear to God, to his Word, and to his ordinances. Reader,
whoever thou art, think of this, it is thy concern, therefore
do it, and examine, and examine again, and look diligently to thy
heart in thine examination, that it beguile thee not about this
thy so great concern, as indeed the fear of God is.

One thing more, before I leave thee, let me warn thee of. Take
heed of deferring to fear the Lord. Some men, when they have had
conviction upon their heart that the fear of God is not in them,
have through the overpowering of their corruptions yet deferred
and put off the fear of God from them, as it is said of them in
Jeremiah: "This people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart;
they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let
us now fear the Lord" (Jer 5:23,24). They saw that the judgments
of God attended them because they did not yet fear God, but that
conviction would not prevail with them to say, "Let us now fear
the Lord." They were for deferring to fear him still; they were for
putting off his fear from them longer. Sinner, hast thou deferred
to fear the Lord? is thy heart still so stubborn as not to say
yet, "Let us fear the Lord?" O! the Lord hath taken notice of this
thy rebellion, and is preparing some dreadful judgment for thee.
"Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not
my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" (v 29). Sinner, why
shouldest thou pull vengeance down upon thee? why shouldest thou
pull vengeance down from heaven upon thee? Look up, perhaps thou
hast already been pulling this great while, to pull it down upon
thee. O! pull no longer; why shouldest thou be thine own executioner?
Fall down upon thy knees, man, and up with thy heart and thy hands
to the God that dwells in the heavens; cry, yea cry aloud, Lord,
unite mine heart to fear thy name, and do not harden mine heart
from thy fear. Thus holy men have cried before thee, and by crying
have prevented judgment.

[A few things that may provoke thee to fear the Lord.]

Before I leave this use, let me give thee a few things, that, if
God will, may provoke thee to fear the Lord.

1. The man that feareth not God, carrieth it worse towards him than
the beast, the brute beast, doth carry it towards that man. "The
fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the
earth," yea, "and upon every fowl of the air," and "upon all that
moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea" (Gen
9:2).

Mark, all my creatures shall fear you, and dread you, says God.
None of them shall be so hardy as to cast of all reverence of you.
But what a shame is this to man, that God should subject all his
creatures to him, and he should refuse to stoop his heart to God?
The beast, the bird, the fish, and all, have a fear and dread of
man, yea, God has put it in their hearts to fear man, and yet man
is void of fear and dread, I mean of godly fear of him, that thus
lovingly hath put all things under him. Sinner, art thou not ashamed,
that a silly cow, a sheep, yea, a swine, should better observe the
law of his creation, than thou dost the law of thy God?

2. Consider, he that will not fear God, God will make him fear him
whether he will or no. That is, he that doth not, will not now so
fear him, as willingly to bow before him, and put his neck into his
yoke. God will make him fear him when he comes to take vengeance
on him. Then he will surround him with terror, and with fear on
every side, fear within, and fear without; fear shall be in the
way, even in the way that thou goest when thou art going out of
this world; and that will be dreadful fear (Eccl 12:5). "I will
bring their fears upon them," saith the Lord (Isa 66:4).

3. He that fears not God now, the Lord shall laugh at his fears
then. Sinner, God will be even with all them that choose not to
have his fear in their hearts: for as he calls and they hear not
now, so they shall cry, yea, howl then, and he will laugh at their
fears. "I will laugh," saith he, "at their destruction; I will mock
when their fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation and
your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish
cometh upon you; then shall they call upon me, but I will not
answer: they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me, for
that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord"
(Prov 1:27-29).

Sinner! thou thinkest to escape the fear; but what wilt thou do
with the pit? Thou thinkest to escape the pit; but what wilt thou
do with the snare? The snare, say you, what is that? I answer, it
is even the work of thine own hands. "The wicked is snared in the
work of his own hands," he is "snared by the transgression of his
lips" (Psa 9:16; Prov 12:13).

Sinner! what wilt thou do when thou comest into this snare; that
is, into the guilt and terror that thy sins will snaffle[27] thee
with, when they, like a cord, are fastened about thy soul? This
snare will bring thee back again to the pit, which is hell, and
then how wilt thou do to be rid of thy fear? The fear, pit, and
the snare shall come upon thee, because thou fearest not God.

Sinner! art thou one of them that hast cast off fear? poor man,
what wilt thou do when these three things beset thee? whither wilt
thou fly for help? And where wilt thou leave thy glory? If thou
fliest from the fear, there is the pit; if thou fliest from the
pit, there is the snare.

[USE SECOND, an exhortation to fear God.]

SECOND USE. My next word shall be AN EXHORTATION TO FEAR GOD.
I mean an exhortation to saints--"O fear the Lord, ye his saints,
for there is no want to them that fear him." Not but that every
saint doth fear God, but as the apostle saith in another case, "I
beseech you, do it more and more." The fear of the Lord, as I have
showed you, is a grace of the new covenant, as other saving graces
are, and so is capable of being stronger or weaker, as other graces
are. Wherefore I beseech you, fear him more and more.

It is said of Obadiah, that he feared the Lord greatly: every saint
fears the Lord, but every saint does not greatly fear him. O there
are but few Obadiahs in the world, I mean among the saints on
earth: see the whole relation of him (1 Kings 18). As Paul said
of Timothy, "I have none like-minded," so it may be said of some
concerning the fear of the Lord; they have scarce a fellow. So it
was with Job, "There is none like him in the earth, one that feareth
God," &c. (Job 1:8). There was even none in Job's day that feared
God like him, no, there was not one like him in all the earth, but
doubtless there were more in the world that feared God; but this
fearing of him greatly, that is the thing that saints should do,
and that was the thing that Job did do, and in that he did outstrip
his fellows. It is also said of Hananiah, that "he was a faithful
man, and feared God above many" (Neh 7:2). He also had got, as to
the exercise of, and growth in, this grace, the start of many of
his brethren. He "feared God above many." Now then, seeing this
grace admits of degrees, and is in some stronger, and in some weaker,
let us be all awakened as to other graces, so to this grace also.
That like as you abound in everything, in faith, in utterance,
in knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see
that ye abound in this grace also. I will labour to enforce this
exhortation upon you by several motives.

First. Let God's distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to
fear him greatly. He hath put his fear in thy heart, and hath not
given that blessing to thy neighbour; perhaps not to thy husband,
thy wife, thy child, or thy parent. O what an obligation should
this consideration lay upon thy heart greatly to fear the Lord!
Remember also, as I have showed in the first part of this book,
that this fear of the Lord is his treasure, a choice jewel, given
only to favourites, and to those that are greatly beloved. Great
gifts naturally tend to oblige, and will do so, I trust, with thee,
when thou shalt ingeniously consider it. It is a sign of a very
bad nature when the contrary shows itself; could God have done more
for thee than to have put his fear in thy heart? This is better
than to have given thee a place even in heaven without it. Yea,
had he given thee all faith, all knowledge, and the tongue of men
and angels, and a place in heaven to boot, they had all been short
of this gift, of the fear of God in thy heart. Therefore love it,
nourish it, exercise it, use all means to cause it to increase and
grow in thy heart, that it may appear it is set by at thy hand,
poor sinner.

Second. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in this grace of the
fear of God may be the privileges that it lays thee under. What or
where wilt thou find in the Bible, so many privileges so affectionately
entailed to any grace, as to this of the fear of God? God speaks
of this grace, and of the privileges that belong unto it, as if,
to speak with reverence, he knew not how to have done blessing of
the man that hath it. It seems to me as if this grace of fear is
the darling grace, the grace that God sets his heart upon at the
highest rate. As it were, he embraces the hugs, and lays the man
in his bosom, that hath, and grows strong in this grace of the fear
of God. See again the many privileges in which the man is interested
that hath this grace in his heart: and see also that there are
but few of them, wherever mentioned, but have entailed to them the
pronunciation of a blessing, or else that man is spoken of by way
of admiration.

Third. Another motive may be this: The man that groweth in this
grace of the fear of the Lord will escape those evils that others
will fall into. Where this grace is, it keepeth the soul from final
apostasy, "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not
depart from me" (Jer 32:40). But yet, if there be not an increase
in this grace, much evil may attend, and be committed notwithstanding.
There is a child that is healthy, and hath its limbs, and can go,
but it is careless; now the evil of carelessness doth disadvantage
it very much; carelessness is the cause of stumblings, of falls,
of knocks, and that it falls into the dirt, yea, that sometimes
it is burned, or almost drowned. And thus it is, even with God's
people that fear him, because they add not to their fear a care
of growing more in the fear of God, therefore they reap damage;
whereas, were they more in his fear, it would keep them better,
deliver them more, and preserve them from these snares of death.

Fourth. Another motive may be this: To grow in this grace of
the fear of God, is the way to be kept always in a conscientious
performance of Christian duties. An increase in this grace, I say,
keeps every grace in exercise, and the keeping of our graces in
their due exercise, produceth a conscientious performance of duties.
Thou hast a watch perhaps in thy pocket, but the hand will not
as yet be kept in any good order, but does always give the lie as
to the hour of the day; well, but what is the way to remedy this,
but to look well to the spring, and the wheels within? for if they
indeed go right, so will the hand do also. This is thy case in
spiritual things; thou art a gracious man, and the fear of God is
in thee, but yet for all that, one cannot well tell, by thy life,
what time of day it is.[28] Thou givest no true and constant sign
that thou art indeed a Christian; why, the reason is, thou dost
not look well to this grace of the fear of God. Thou dost not grow
and increase in that, but sufferest thy heart to grow careless,
and hard, and so thy life remiss and worldly: Job's growing great
in the fear of God made him eschew evil (Job 1, 2:3).

Fifth. Another motive is: This is the way to be wise indeed. A
wise man feareth and departeth from evil. It doth not say a wise
man hath the grace of fear, but a wise man feareth, that is, putteth
this grace into exercise. There is no greater sign of wisdom than
to grow in this blessed grace. Is it not a sign of wisdom to depart
from sins, which are the snares of death and hell? Is it not a
sign of wisdom for a man yet more and more to endeavour to interest
himself in the love and protection of God? Is it not a high point
of wisdom for a man to be always doing of that which lays him under
the conduct of angels? Surely this is wisdom. And if it be a blessing
to have this fear, is it not wisdom to increase in it? Doubtless it
is the highest point of wisdom, as I have showed before, therefore
grow therein.

Sixth. Another motive may be this: It is seemly for saints to
fear, and increase in this fear of God. He is thy Creator; is it
not seemly for creatures to fear and reverence their Creator? He
is thy King; is it not seemly for subjects to fear and reverence
their King? He is thy Father; is it not seemly for children to
reverence and fear their Father? yea, and to do it more and more?

Seventh. Another motive may be: It is honourable to grow in this
grace of fear; "When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in
Israel" (Hosea 13:1). Truly, to fear, and to about in this fear, is
a sign of a very princely spirit; and the reason is, when I greatly
fear my God, I am above the fear of all others, nor can anything
in this world, be it never so terrible and dreadful, move me at all
to fear them. And hence it is that Christ counsels us to fear--"And
I say unto you, my friends," saith he, "be not afraid of them
that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do."
Aye, but this is a high pitch, how should we come by such princely
spirits? well, I will forewarn you whom you shall fear, and by
fearing of him, arrive to this pitch, "Fear him, which after he
hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you,
fear him" (Luke 12:4,5). Indeed this true fear of God sets a man
above all the world. And therefore it saith again, "Neither fear
ye their fear,"--but "sanctify the Lord God" in your hearts, "and
let him be your fear, and let him be your dread" (Isa 8:12,13).

Your great ranting, swaggering, roysters,[29] that are ignorant of
the nature of the fear of God, count it a poor, sneaking, pitiful,
cowardly spirit in men to fear and tremble before the Lord; but
whoso looks back to jails and gibbets, to the sword and burning
stake, shall see, that there, in them, has been the most mighty
and invincible spirit that has been in the world!

Yea, see if God doth not count that the growth of his people in
this grace of fear is that which makes them honourable, when he
positively excludeth those from a dwelling-place in his house, that
do not honour them that fear him (Psa 15:4). And he saith moreover,
"A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." If the world
and godless men will not honour these, they shall be honoured some
way else. Such, saith he, "that honour me I will honour," and they
shall be honoured in heaven, in the churches, and among the angels.

Eighth. Another motive to grow in this fear of God may be: This
fear, and the increase of it, qualifies a man to be put in trust
with heavenly and spiritual things, yea, and with earthly things
too.

1. For heavenly and spiritual things. "My covenant," saith God,
"was with [Levi] of life and peace, and I gave them to him, for the
fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name" (Mal
2:5).

Behold what a gift, what a mercy, what a blessing this Levi is
intrusted with; to wit, with God's everlasting covenant, and with
the life and peace that is wrapped up in this covenant. But why is
it given to him? the answer is, "for the fear wherewith he feared
me, and was afraid before my name." And the reason is good, for
this fear of God teaches a man to put a due estimation upon every
gift of God bestowed upon us; also it teaches us to make use of
the same with reverence of his name, and respect to his glory in
most godly-wise, all which becomes him that is intrusted with any
spiritual gift. The gift here was given to Levi to minister to his
brethren doctrinally thereof, for he, saith God, shall teach Jacob
my statutes and Israel my law. See also Exodus 18:21 and Nehemiah
7:2, with many other places that might be named, and you will find
that men fearing God and hating covetousness; that men that fear
God above others, are intrusted by God, yea, and by his church
too, with the trust and ministration of spiritual things before
any other in the world.

2. For earthly things. This fear of God qualifies a man to be put
in trust with them rather than with another. Therefore God made
Joseph lord of all Egypt; Obadiah, steward of Ahab's house; Daniel,
Mordecai, and the three children, were set over the province of
Babylon; and this by the wonderful working hand of God, because
he had to dispose of earthly things now, not only in a common way,
but for the good of his people in special. True, when there is
no special matter or thing to be done by God in a nation for his
people, then who will (that is, whether they have grace or no)
may have the disposal of those things; but if God has anything in
special to bestow upon his people of this world's goods, then he
will intrust it in the hands of men fearing God. Joseph must now
be made lord of Egypt, because Israel must be kept from starving;
Obadiah must now be made steward of Ahab's house, because the Lord's
prophets must be hid from and fed in despite of the rage and bloody
mind of Jezebel; Daniel, with his companions, and Mordecai also,
they were all exalted to earthly and temporal dignity, that they
might in that state, they being men that abounded in the fear of God,
be serviceable to their brethren in their straits and difficulties
(Gen 42:18, 41:39; 1 Kings 18:3; Esth 6:10; Dan 2:48, 3:30, 5:29,
6:1-3).

Ninth. Another motive to grow in this grace of fear is, Where the
fear of God in the heart of any is not growing, there no grace
thrives, nor duty done as it should.

There no grace thrives, neither faith, hope, love, nor any grace.
This is evident from that general exhortation, "Perfecting holiness
in the fear of God" (2 Cor 7:1). Perfecting holiness, what is that?
but as James says of patience, let every grace have its perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing (James
1:4).

But this cannot be done but in the fear of God, yea, in the exercise
of that grace, and so consequently in the growth of it, for there
is no grace but grows by being exercised. If then you would be
perfect in holiness, if you would have every grace that God has
put into your souls, grow and flourish into perfection; lay them,
as I may say, a-soak in this grace of fear,[30] and do all in the
exercise of it; for a little done in the fear of the Lord is better
than the revenues of the wicked. And again, the Lord will not suffer
the soul of the righteous, the soul that liveth in the fear of the
Lord, to famish, but he casteth away the abundance of the wicked.
Bring abundance to God, and if it be not seasoned with godly fear,
it shall not be acceptable to him, but loathsome and abominable
in his sight; for it doth not flow from the spirit of the fear of
the Lord.

Therefore, where there is not a growth in this fear, there is no
duty done so acceptably. This flows from that which goes before,
for if grace rather decays than grows, where this grace of fear is
not in the growth and increase thereof, then duties in their glory
and acceptableness decay likewise.

Tenth. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in the increase of
this grace of fear is, It is a grace, do but abound therein, that
will give thee great boldness both with God and men. Job was a man
a none-such in his day for one that feared God; and who so bold with
God as Job? who so bold with God, and who so bold with men as he?
How bold was he with God, when he wishes for nothing more than that
he might come even to his seat, and concludes that if he could come
at him, he would approach even as a prince unto him, and as such
would order his cause before him (Job 23:3-7, 31:35-37). Also before
his friends, how bold was he? For ever as they laid to his charge
that he was an hypocrite, he repels them with the testimony of a good
conscience, which good conscience he got, and kept, and maintained
by increasing in the fear of God; yea, his conscience was kept so
good by this grace of fear, for it was by that that he eschewed
evil, that it was common with him to appeal to God when accused,
and also to put himself for his clearing under most bitter curses
and imprecations (Job 13:3-9, 18, 19:23,24, 31).

This fear of God is it that keeps the conscience clean and tender,
and so free from much of that defilement that even a good man may
be afflicted with, for want of his growth in this fear of God.
Yea, let me add, if a man can with a good conscience say that he
desires to fear the name of God, it will add boldness to his soul
in his approaches into the presence of God. "O Lord," said Nehemiah,
"I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of
thy servant, and servants, who desire to fear thy name" (Neh 1:11).
He pleaded his desire of fearing the name of God, as an argument
with God to grant him his request; and the reason was, because God
had promised before "to bless them that fear him, both small and
great" (Psa 115:13).

Eleventh. Another motive to stir you up to fear the Lord, and to
grow in this fear is, By it thou mayest have thy labours blessed,
to the saving of the souls of others. It is said of Levi, of whom
mention was made before, that he feared God and was afraid before
his name--that he saved others from their sins. "The law of truth
was in his mouth, and he walked with me in peace and equity, and
did turn away many from iniquity" (Mal 2:6). The fear of God that
dwelt in his heart, showed its growth in the sanctifying of the Lord
by his life and words, and the Lord also blessed this his growth
herein, by blessing his labours to the saving of his neighbours.

Wouldest thou save thy husband, thy wife, thy children, &c., then
be greatly in the fear of God.

This Peter teaches, "Wives," saith he, "be in subjection to your
own husbands, that, if any obey not the word, they also may without
the word be won by the conversation of the wives, while they behold
your chaste conversation, coupled with fear" (1 Peter 3:1,2). So
then, if wives and children, yea, if husbands, wives, children,
servants, &c., did but better observe this general rule of Peter,
to wit, of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear,
they might be made instruments in God's hand of much more good than
they are. But the misery is, the fear of God is wanting in actions,
and that is the cause that so little good is done by those that profess.
It is not a conversation that is coupled with a profession--for a
great profession may be attended with a life that is not good, but
scandalous; but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God--that
is, with the impressions of the fear of God upon it--that is convincing
and that ministereth the awakenings of God to the conscience, in
order to saving the unbeliever. O they are a sweet couple, to wit,
a Christian conversation coupled with fear.

The want of this fear of God is that that has been a stumbling-block
to the blind oftentimes. Alas, the world will not be convinced by
your talk, by your notions, and by the great profession that you
make, if they see not, therewith mixed, the lively impressions of
the fear of God; but will, as I said, rather stumble and fall, even
at your conversation and at your profession itself. Wherefore, to
prevent this mischief, that is, of stumbling of souls while you
make your profession of God, by a conversation not becoming your
profession, God bids you fear him; implying that a good conversation,
coupled with fear, delivers the blind world from those falls that
otherwise they cannot be delivered from. "Thou shalt not curse the
deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear
thy God: I am the Lord" (Lev 19:14). But shalt fear thy God, that
is the remedy that will prevent their stumbling at you, at what
else soever they stumble. Wherefore Paul says to Timothy, "Take
heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in
doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee"
(1 Tim 4:16).

Twelfth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of God
is, This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward
dangers, whoever falls therein (Psa 34:7). This is proved from that
of the story of the Hebrew midwives. "The midwives," said Moses,
"feared God," and did not drown the men-children as the king
had commanded, but saved them alive. And what follows? "Therefore
God dealt well with the midwives; and it came to pass because the
midwives feared God, that he made them houses" (Exo 1). That is,
he sheltered them and caused them to be hid from the rage and fury
of the king, and that perhaps in some of the houses of the Egyptians
themselves for why might not the midwives be there hid as well
as was Moses even in the king's court?[31] And how many times are
they that fear God said to be delivered both by God and his holy
angels? as also I have already showed.

Thirteenth. Another motive to fear and to grow in this fear of
God is, This is the way to be delivered from errors and damnable
opinions. There are some that perish in their righteousness, that
is an error; there be some that perish in their wickedness, and
that is an error also. Some again prolong their lives by their
wickedness, and others are righteous over-much, and also some are
over-wise, and all these are snares, and pits, and holes. But then,
sayest thou, how shall I escape? Indeed that is the question, and
the Holy Ghost resolves it thus, "He that feareth God shall come
forth of them all" (Eccl 7:18).

Fourteenth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of
God, is, Such as have leave, be they never so dark in their souls,
to come boldly to Jesus Christ, and to trust in him for life. I told
you before, that they that fear God have in the general a license
to trust in him; but now I tell you, and that in particular, that
they, and they especially, may do it, and that though in the dark;
you that sit in darkness and have no light, if this grace of fear
be alive in your hearts, you have this boldness--"Who is among you
that feareth the Lord," mark, that feareth the Lord, "that obeyeth
the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no
light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his
God" (Isa 50:10). It is no small advantage, you know, when men
have to deal in difficult matters, to have a patent or license to
deal; now to trust in the Lord is a difficult thing, yet the best
and most gainful of all. But then, some will say, since it is
so difficult, how may we do without danger? Why, the text gives a
license, a patent to them to trust in his name, that have his fear
in their hearts--"Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay
upon his God." [32]

Fifteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this grace of fear,
is, God will own and acknowledge such to be his, whoever he rejecteth.
Yea he will distinguish and separate them from all others, in
the day of his terrible judgments. He will do with them as he did
by those that sighed for the abominations that were done in the
land--command the man that hath his ink-horn by his side "to set
a mark upon their foreheads," that they might not fall in that
judgment with others (Eze 9). So God said plainly of them that
feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name, that they should
be writ in his book--"A book of remembrance was written before
him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name;
and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when
I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his
own son that serveth him" (Mal 3:16,17). Mark, he both acknowledges
them for his, and also promises to spare them, as a man would spare
his own son; yea, and moreover, will wrap them up as his chief
jewels with himself in the bundle of life. Thus much for the motives.

How to grow in this fear of God.

Having given you these motives to the duty of growing in this fear
of God, before I leave this use, I will, in a few words, show you
how you may grow in this fear of God.

First. Then, if thou wouldest grow in this fear of God, learn aright
to distinguish of fear in general. I mean, learn to distinguish
between that fear that is godly, and that which in itself is indeed
ungodly fear of God; and know them well the one from the other,
lest the one, the fear that in itself indeed is ungodly, get the
place, even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear. And
remember the ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy
to him, and hurtful to his people, and is therefore most plentifully
forbidden in the Word (Gen 3:15, 26:24, 46:3; Exo 14:13, 20:20;
Num 14:9, 21:34; Isa 41:10,14, 43:1, 44:2,8; 54:4; Jer 30:10; Dan
10:12,19; Joel 2:21; Hagg 2:5; Zech 8:13).

Second. If thou wouldest grow in this godly fear, learn rightly
to distinguish it from that fear, in particular, that is godly but
for a time; even from that fear that is wrought by the Spirit, as
a spirit of bondage. I say, learn to distinguish this from that,
and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that
fear that is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; lest,
instead of growing in the fear that is to abide with thy soul for
ever, thou be over-run again with that first fear, which is to
abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come. And that thou
mayest not only distinguish them one from the other, but also keep
each in its due place and bounds, consider in general of what hath
already been said upon this head, and in particular that the first
fear is no more wrought by the Holy Spirit, but by the devil, to
distress thee, and make thee to live, not like a son, but a slave.
And for thy better help in this matter, know that God himself hath
set bounds to this fear, and has concluded that after the spirit
of adoption is come, that other fear is wrought in thy heart by
him no more (Rom 8:15; 2 Tim 1:7).

Again, before I leave this, let me tell thee that if thou dost not
well bestir thee in this matter, this bondage fear, to wit, that
which is like it, though not wrought in thee by the Holy Ghost,
will, by the management and subtlety of the devil, the author
of it, haunt, disturb, and make thee live uncomfortably, and that
while thou art an heir of God and his kingdom. This is that fear
that the apostle speaks of, that makes men "all their lifetime
subject to bondage" (Heb 2:14,15). For though Christ will deliver
thee indeed at last, thou having embraced him by faith, yet thy
life will be full of trouble; and death, though Jesus hath abolished
it, will be always a living bugbear to thee in all thy ways and
thoughts, to break thy peace, and to make thee to draw thy loins
heavily after him.

Third. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then, as thou shouldest
learn to distinguish of fears, so thou shouldest make conscience
of which to entertain and cherish. If God would have his fear--and
it is called HIS fear by way of eminency--"that his fear may be
before you, that ye sin not" (Exo 20:20; Jer 32:40)--I say, if God
would have his fear be with thee, then thou shouldest make conscience
of this, and not so lightly give way to slavish fear, as is common
for Christians to do.

There is utterly a fault among Christians about this thing; that
is, they make not that conscience of resisting of slavish fear as
they ought; they rather cherish and entertain it, and so weaken
themselves, and that fear that they ought to strengthen.

And this is the reason that we so often lie grabbling[33] under
the black and amazing thoughts that are engendered in our hearts
by unbelief; for this fear nourisheth unbelief; that is, now it
doth, to wit, if we give way to it after the spirit of adoption is
come, and readily closeth with all the fiery darts of the wicked.

But Christians are ready to do with this fear as the horse does
when the tines[34] of the fork are set against his side; even lean
to it until it entereth into his belly. We lean naturally to this
fear, I mean, after God has done good to our souls; it is hard
striving against it, because it has even our sense and feeling of
its side. But I say, if thou wouldest be a growing Christian--growing, I
say, in the fear that is godly, in the fear that is always so--then
make conscience of striving against the other, and against all
these things that would bring thee back to it. "Wherefore should
I fear," said David, "in the day of evil, when the iniquity of my
heels shall compass me about?" (Psa 49:5).

What! not fear in the day of evil? What! not when the iniquity of
thy heels compasseth thee about? No, not then, saith he, that is,
not with that fear that would bring him again into bondage to the
law; for he had received the spirit of adoption before. Indeed, if
ever a Christian has ground to give way to slavish fear, it is at
these two times, to wit, in the day of evil, and when the iniquity
of his heels compasseth him about; but you see, David would not
then, no, not then, give way thereto, nor did he see reason why
he should. "Wherefore should I," said he? Aye, wherefore indeed?
since now thou art become a son of God through Christ, and hast
received the Spirit of his Son into thy heart, crying, Father,
Father.

Fourth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of godly fear? then grow
in the knowledge of the new covenant, for that is indeed the girdle
of our reins, and the strength of our souls. Hear what Zacharias
saith: God, says he, "hath raised up an horn of salvation for
us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of
his holy prophets which have been since the world began." But what
was it? what was it that he spake? Why, "That he would grant unto
us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might
serve him without fear," without this slavish bondage fear, "in
holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life."
But upon what is this princely fearless service of God grounded?
Why, upon the holy covenant of God, upon the oath that he swore
unto Abraham (Luke 1:69-74). Now in this covenant is wrapped up all
thy salvation; in it is contained all thy desire, and I am sure,
that then it containeth the complete salvation of thy soul; and I
say, since this covenant is confirmed by promise, by oath, and by
the blood of the Son of God, and that on purpose that thou mightest
serve thy God without slavish fear, then the knowledge and faith
of this covenant is of absolute necessity to bring us into this
liberty, and out of our slavish terrors, and so, consequently, to
cause us to grow in that son-like, godly fear, which became even
the Son of God himself, and becomes all his disciples to live in
the growth and exercise of.

Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then labour even always
to keep thine evidences for heaven and of thy salvation alive upon
thy heart; for he that loseth his evidences for heaven, will hardly
keep slavish fear out of heart; but he that hath the wisdom and
grace to keep them alive, and apparent to himself, he will grow in
this godly fear. See how David words it, "From the end of the earth,"
saith he, "will I cry unto thee; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead
me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter
for me, and a strong tower from the enemy: I will abide in thy
tabernacle for ever. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast
given me the heritage of those that fear thy name" (Psa 61:2-5).
Mark a little, David doth by these words, in the first place,
suggest that sometimes, to his thinking, he was as far off of his
God as the ends of the earth are asunder, and that at such times he
was subject to be overwhelmed, afraid: [And] second, the way that
he took at such times, to help himself, was to cry to God to lead
him again to Jesus Christ--"lead me to the rock that is higher
than I"; for indeed without faith in him, and the renewing of that
faith, there can be no evidence for heaven made to appear unto the
soul. This therefore he prays for first. Then he puts that faith
into exercise, and that with respect to the time that was past,
and also of the time that was to come. For the time past, says
he, "Thou hast been a shelter to me, and a strong tower from the
enemy"; and for the time to come, he said, "I will abide in thy
tabernacle," that is, in thy Christ by faith, and in thy way of
worship by love, "forever." And observe it, he makes the believing
remembrance of his first evidences for heaven the ground of this
his cry and faith, "For thou," says he, "O God, hast given me the
heritage of those that fear thy name." Thou hast made me meet to
be a partaker of the mercy of thy chosen, and hast put me under
the blessing of goodness wherewith thou hast blessed those that
fear thee. Thus you see how David, in his distresses, musters up
his prayers, faith, and evidences for eternal life, that he might
deliver himself from being overwhelmed, that is, with slavish
fear, and that he might also abound in that son-like fear of
his fellow-brethren, that is not only comely, with respect to our
profession, but profitable to our souls.

Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this fear of God? then set before
thine eyes the being and majesty of God; for that both begetteth,
maintaineth, and increaseth this fear. And hence it is called the
fear of God, that is, an holy and awful dread and reverence of his
majesty. For the fear of God is to stand in awe of him, but how
can that be done if we do not set him before us? And again, if we
would fear him more, we must abide more in the sense and faith of
his glorious majesty. Hence this fear and God's name is so often
put together: as fear God, fear the Lord, fear thy God, do this in
the fear of the Lord, and thou shalt fear thy God, I am the Lord.
For these words, "I am the Lord thy God," and the like, are on
purpose put in, not only to show us whom we should fear, but also
to beget, maintain, and increase in us that fear that is due from
us to that "glorious and fearful name, the Lord our God" (Deut
28:58).

Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then keep
always close to thy conscience the authority of the Word; fear the
commandment as the commandment of a God both mighty and glorious,
and as the commandment of a father, both loving and pitiful; let
this commandment, I say, be always with thine eye, with thine ear,
and with thine heart; for then thou wilt be taught, not only to
fear, but to abound in the fear of the Lord. Every grace is nourished
by the Word, and without it there is no thrift in the soul (Prov
13:13, 4:20-22; Deut 6:1,2).

Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in
the faith of the promise, of the promise that maketh over to thy
soul an interest in God by Christ, and of all good things. The
promise naturally tendeth to increase in us the fear of the Lord,
because this fear, it grows by goodness and mercy; they shall fear
the Lord, and his goodness; now this goodness and mercy of God,
it is wrapt up in, and made over to us by promise; for God gave it
to Abraham by promise. Therefore the faith and hope of the promise
causeth this fear to grow in the soul--"Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God"
(2 Cor 7:1). "Perfecting holiness in the fear of God"; therefore
that fear by the promise must needs grow mighty, for by, with, and
in it, you see holiness is perfected.

Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember
the judgments of God that have, or shall certainly overtake, those
professors, that have either been downright hypocrites, or else
unwatchful Christians. For both these sorts partake of the judgments
of God; the one, to wit, the true Christian, for his unwatchfulness,
for his correction; the other, to wit, the hypocrite, for his
hypocrisy, to his destruction. This is a way to make thee stand in
awe, and to make thee tremble, and grow in the grace of fear before
thy God.

Judgments! you may say, what judgments? Answ. Time will fail me
here to tell thee of the judgments that sometimes overtake God's
people, and that always certainly overtake the hypocrite for his
transgressions. For those that attend God's people, I would have
thee look back to the place in this book where they are particularly
touched upon. And for those that attend the hypocrite, in general
they are these. 1. Blindness of heart in this world. 2. The death
of their hope at the day of their death. 3. And the damnation
of their souls at the day of judgment (Matt 23:15-19; Job 8:13,
11:20, 18:14, 20:4-7, Matt 23:33, 24:51; Luke 20:47). The godly
consideration of these things tend to make men grow in the fear of
God.

Tenth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then study the
excellencies of the grace of fear, and what profit it yieldeth
to them that have it, and labour to get thy heart into the love,
both of the exercise of the grace itself, and also of the fruit
it yieldeth; for a man hardly grows in the increase of any grace,
until his heart is united to it, and until it is made lovely in
his eyes (Psa 119:119,120). Now the excellencies of this grace of
fear have also been discoursed of in this book before, where by
reading thou shalt find the fruit it bears, and the promises that
are annexed to it, which, because they are many, I refer thee also
thither for thy instruction.

Eleventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember
what a world of privileges do belong to them that fear the Lord,
as also I have hinted; namely, that such shall not be hurt, shall
want no good thing, shall be guarded by angels, and have a special
license, though in never so dreadful a plight, to trust in the name
of the Lord, and stay upon their God.

Twelfth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in
prayer to God for abundance of the increase thereof. To fear God
is that which is according to his will, and if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us. Pray therefore that God will
unite thy heart to fear his name; this is the way to grow in the
grace of fear.

Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then devote
thyself to it (Psa 119:38). Devote myself to it, you will say, how
is that? I answer, why, give thyself to it, addict thyself to it.
Solace thyself in the contemplation of God, and of a reverence of
his name, and word, and worship. Then wilt thou fear, and grow in
this grace of fear.

What things they are that have a tendency in them to hinder the
growth of the fear of God in our hearts.

And that I may yet be helpful to thee, reader, I shall now give
thee caution of those things that will, if way be given to them,
hinder thy growth in this fear of God, the which, because they are
very hurtful to the people of God, I would have thee be warned by
them. And they are these which follow:

First. If thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear, take heed of
A HARD HEART, for that will hinder thy growth in this grace. "Why
hast thou hardened our heart from thy fear?" was a bitter complaint
of the church heretofore; for it is not only the judgment that in
itself is dreadful and sore to God's people, but that which greatly
hindereth the growth of this grace in the soul (Isa 63:17). A hard
heart is but barren ground for any grace to grow in, especially
for the grace of fear: there is but little of this fear where the
heart is indeed hard; neither will there ever be much therein.

Now if thou wouldest be kept from a hard heart, 1. Take heed of the
beginnings of sin. Take heed, I say, of that, though it should be
never so small; "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." There
is more in a little sin to harden, than in a great deal of grace
to soften. David's look upon Bathsheba was, one would think, but
a small matter; yet that beginning of sin contracted such hardness
of heart in him, that it carried him almost beyond all fear of
God. It did carry him to commit lewdness with her, murder upon the
body of Uriah, and to abundance of wicked dissimulation; which are
things, I say, that have direct tendency to quench and destroy all
fear of God in the soul.

2. If thou hast sinned, lie not down without repentance; for the
want of repentance, after one has sinned, makes the heart yet harder
and harder. Indeed a hard heart is impenitent, and impenitence
also makes the heart harder and harder. So that if impenitence be
added to hardness of heart, or to the beginning of sin which makes
it so, it will quickly be with that soul, as is said of the house
of Israel, it will have a whore's forehead, it will hardly be
brought to shame (Jer 3:3).

3. If thou wouldest be rid of a hard heart, that great enemy to the
growth of the grace of fear, be much with Christ upon the cross in
thy meditations; for that is an excellent remedy against hardness
of heart: a right sight of him, as he hanged there for thy sins,
will dissolve thy heart into tears, and make it soft and tender.
"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced,--and mourn" (Zech
12:10). Now a soft, a tender, and a broken heart, is a fit place
for the grace of fear to thrive in. But,

Second. If thou wouldest have the grace of fear to grow in thy soul,
take heed also of A PRAYERLESS HEART, for that is not a place for
this grace of fear to grow in. Hence he that restraineth prayer
is said to cast off fear. "Thou castest off fear," said one of his
friends to Job. But how must he do that? Why the next words show,
"Thou restrainest prayer before God" (Job 15:4). Seest thou a
professor that prayeth not? that man thrusteth the fear of God away
from him. Seest thou a man that prays but little, that man feareth
God but little; for it is the praying soul, the man that is mighty
in praying, that has a heart for the fear of God to grow in. Take
heed, therefore, of a prayerless heart, if you would grow in this
grace of the fear of God. Prayer is as the pitcher that fetcheth
water from the brook, therewith to water the herbs; break the pitcher,
and it will fetch no water, and for want of water the garden withers.

Third. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of
A LIGHT AND WANTON HEART, for neither is such a heart good ground
for the fear of God to grow in. Wherefore it is said of Israel,
"She feared not, but went and played the harlot also." She was
given to wantonness, and to be light and vain, and so her fear of
God decayed (Jer 3:8). Had Joseph been as wanton as his mistress,
he had been as void of the fear of God as she; but he was of a
sober, tender, godly, considerate spirit, therefore he grew in the
fear of God.

Fourth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed
of A COVETOUS HEART, for neither is that which is such an one good
ground for this grace of fear to grow in. Therefore this covetousness
and the fear of God are as enemies, set the one in opposition to the
other: one that feareth God and hateth covetousness (Exo 18:21).
And the reason why covetousness is such an obstruction to the growth
of this grace of fear, is because covetousness casteth those things
out of the heart which alone can nourish this fear. It casteth out
the Word and love of God, without which no grace can grow in the
soul; how then should the fear of God grow in a covetous heart?
(Eze 33:30-32; 1 John 2:15).

Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of
AN UNBELIEVING HEART, for an unbelieving heart is not good ground
for this grace of fear to grow in. An unbelieving heart is called
"an evil heart," because from it flows all the wickedness that is
committed in the world (Heb 3:12). Now it is faith, or a believing
heart, that nourisheth this fear of God, and not the other; and
the reason is, for that faith brings God, heaven, and hell, to the
soul, and maketh it duly consider of them all (Heb 11:7). This is
therefore the means of fear, and that which will make it grow in
the soul; but unbelief is a bane thereto.

Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of
A FORGETFUL HEART. Such a heart is not a heart where the grace of
fear will flourish, "when I remember, I am afraid," &c. Therefore
take heed of forgetfulness; do not forget but remember God, and
his kindness, patience, and mercy, to those that yet neither have
grace, nor special favour from him, and that will beget and nourish
his fear in thy heart, but forgetfulness of this, or of any other
of his judgments, is a great wound and weakening to this fear (Job
21:6). When a man well remembers that God's judgments are so great
a deep and mystery, as indeed they are, that remembrance puts a man
upon such considerations of God and of his judgments as to make him
fear--"Therefore," said Job, "I am afraid of him." See the place,
Job 23:15. "Therefore am I troubled at his presence; when I consider,
I am afraid of him"--when I remember and consider of the wonderful
depths of his judgments towards man.

Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed
of A MURMURING AND REPINING HEART, for that is not a heart for
this grace of fear to grow in. As for instance, when men murmur and
repine at God's hand, at his dispensations, and at the judgments that
overtake them, in their persons, estates, families, or relations,
that their murmuring tendeth to destroy fear; for a murmuring
spirit is such an one as seems to correct God, and to find fault
with his dispensations, and where there is that, the heart is far
from fear. A murmuring spirit either comes from that wisdom that
pretends to understand that there is a failure in the nature and
execution of things, or from an envy and spite at the execution of
them. Now if murmurings arise from this pretended wisdom of the
flesh, then instead of fearing of God, his actions are judged to be
either rigid or ridiculous, which yet are done in judgment, truth,
and righteousness. So that a murmuring heart cannot be a good one
for the fear of God to grow in. Alas! the heart where that grows
must be a soft one; as you have it in Job 23:15, 16; and a heart
that will stoop and be silent at the most abstruse of all his
judgments--"I was dumb, because THOU didst it." The heart in which
this fear of God doth flourish is such, that it bows and is mute,
if it can but espy the hand, wisdom, justice, or holiness of God in
this or the other of his dispensations, and so stirs up the soul
to fear before him. But if this murmuring ariseth from envy and
spite, that looketh so like to the spirit of the devil, that nothing
need be said to give conviction of the horrible wickedness of it.

Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed
of A HIGH AND CAPTIOUS SPIRIT, for that is not good ground for the
fear of God to grow in. A meek and quiet spirit is the best, and
there the fear of God will flourish most; therefore Peter puts
meekness and fear together, as being most suited in their nature
and natural tendency one to another (1 Peter 3:15). Meekness of
spirit is like that heart that hath depth of earth in it in which
things may take root and grow; but a high and captious spirit is
like to the stony ground, where there is not depth of earth, and
consequently, where this grace of fear cannot grow; therefore take
heed of this kind of spirit, if thou wouldest that the fear of God
should grow in thy soul.

Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed
of AN ENVIOUS HEART, for that is not a good heart for the fear of
God to grow in. "Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in
the fear of the Lord all the day long" (Prov 23:17). To envy any
is a sign of a bad spirit, and that man takes upon him, as I have
already hinted, to be a controller and a judge, yea, and a malicious
executioner too, and that of that fury that ariseth from his own
lusts and revengeful spirit, upon (perhaps) the man that is more
righteous than himself. But suppose he is a sinner that is the object
of thine envy, why, the text sets that envy in direct opposition
to the fear of God; "Envy not sinners, but be thou in the fear of
God." These two, therefore, to wit, envy to sinners and fearing of
God, are opposites. Thou canst not fear God, and envy sinners too.
And the reason is, because he that envieth a sinner, hath forgotten
himself, that he is as bad; and how can he then fear God? He that
envies sinners rejects his duty of blessing of them that curse,
and praying for them that despitefully use us; and how can he that
hath rejected this, fear God? He that envieth sinners, therefore,
cannot be of a good spirit, nor can the fear of God grow in his
heart.

Tenth. Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take
heed of HARDENING THY HEART at any time against convictions to
particular duties, as to prayer, alms, self-denial, or the like.
Take heed also of hardening thy heart, when thou art under any
judgment of God, as sickness, losses, crosses, or the like. I bid
you before to beware of a hard heart, but now I bid you beware of
hardening your soft ones. For to harden the heart is to make it
worse than it is; harder, more desperate, and bold against God,
than at the present it is. Now, I say, if thou wouldest grow in this
grace of fear, take heed of hardening thy heart, and especially of
hardening of it against convictions to good; for those convictions
are sent of God like seasonable showers of rain, to keep the tillage of
thy heart in good order, that the grace of fear may grow therein;
but this stifling of convictions makes the heart as hard as a
piece of the nether millstone. Therefore happy is he that receiveth
conviction, for so he doth keep in the fear of God, and that fear
thereby nourished in his soul; but cursed is he that doth
otherwise--"Happy is the man that feareth alway; but he that
hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief" (Prov 28:14).

USE THIRD, of encouragement.

USE THIRD. I come now to A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT to those that are
blessed with this grace of fear. The last text that was mentioned
saith, "Happy is the man that feareth alway," and so doth many
more. Happy already, because blessed with this grace; and happy
for time to come, because this grace shall abide, and continue till
the soul that hath it is brought unto the mansion-house of glory.
"I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from
me." Therefore, as here it saith, Happy is he, so it saith also,
It shall go well with him, that is, in time to come. "It shall be
well with them that fear God" (Eccl 8:12).

First. Had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been,
if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of
this world is a fading thing, but he that feareth the Lord shall
abide for ever and ever. This therefore is the first thing that I
would propound for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the Lord.
This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace,
and will abide with thee for ever. It is sent to thee from God,
not only to join thy heart unto him, but to keep thee from final
apostasy--"I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not
depart from me" (Jer 32:40). That thou mayest never forsake God,
is his design, and therefore, to keep thee from that wicked thing,
he hath put his fear in thy heart. Many are the temptations,
difficulties, snares, traps, trials, and troubles that the people
of God pass through in the world, but how shall they be kept, how
shall they be delivered, and escape? Why, the answer is, The fear
of God will keep them--"He that feareth God shall come forth of
them all."

Is it not therefore a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this
grace of fear, that thou by it mayest be kept from final, which
is damnable apostasy? Bless God, therefore, thou blessed man, that
hast this grace of fear in thy soul. There are five things in this
grace of fear that have a direct tendency in them to keep thee from
final apostasy.

1. It is seated in the heart, and the heart is, as I may call it,
the main fort in the mystical world, man. It is not placed in the
head, as knowledge is; nor in the mouth, as utterance is, but in
the heart, the seat of all, "I will put my fear in their hearts."
If a king will keep a town secure to himself, let him be sure to
man sufficiently the main fort thereof. If he have twenty thousand
men well armed, yet if they lie scattered here and there, the town
may be taken for all that, but if the main fort be well manned, then
the town is more secure. What if a man had all the parts, yea, all
the arts of men and angels? That will not keep the heart to God.
But when the heart, this principal fort, is possessed with the fear
of God, then he is safe, but not else.

2. As the heart in general, so the will in special. That chief and
great faculty of the soul is the principle that is acted by this
fear. The will, which way that goes, all goes; if it be to heaven
or hell. Now the will, I say, is that main faculty that is governed
by this fear that doth possess the soul, therefore all is like
to go well with it. This Samuel insinuateth, where he saith, "If
ye will fear the Lord." Fearing of God is a voluntary act of the
will, and that being so, the soul is kept from rebellion against
the commandment, because by the will where this fear of God is
placed, and which it governeth, is led all the rest of the powers
of the soul (1 Sam 12:14). In this will, then, is this fear of God
placed, that this grace may the better be able to govern the soul,
and so by consequence the whole man; for as I said before, look
what way the will goes, look what the will does, thither goes, and
that does, the whole man (Psa 110:3). Man, when his will is alienate
from God, is reckoned rebellious throughout, and that not without
ground, for the will is the principal faculty of the soul as to
obedience, and therefore things done without the will are as if
they were not done at all. The spirit is willing; if ye be willing;
"she hath done what she could," and the like; by these and such-like
sayings the goodness of the heart and action is judged, as to the
subjective part thereof. Now this fear that we have been speaking
of, is placed in the soul, and so consequently in the will, that the
man may thereby the better be kept from final and damnable apostasy.

3. This fear, as I may say, even above every other grace, is God's
well-wisher; and hence it is called, as I also have showed you, his
fear. As he also says in the text mentioned above, "I will put my
fear in their hearts." These words, his and my, they are intimate
and familiar expressions, bespeaking not only great favour to man,
but a very great trust put in him. As who should say, this fear
is my special friend, it will subject and bow the soul, and the
several faculties thereof, to my pleasure; it is my great favourite,
and subdueth sinners to my pleasure. You shall rarely find faith
or repentance, or parts, go under such familiar characters as this
blessed fear of the Lord doth. Of all the counsellors and mighties
that David had, Hushai only was called the king's friend (2 Sam
15:37, 16:16). So of all the graces of the Spirit this of the fear
of God goes mostly, if not always, by the title of MY fear, God's
fear, HIS fear, &c. I told you before, if the king will keep a town,
the main fort therein must be sufficiently manned: and now I will
add, that if he have not to govern those men some trusty and special
friend, such as Hushai was to David, he may find it lost when it
should stand him in greatest stead. If a soul should be possessed
with all things possible, yet if this fear of God be wanting, all
other things will give place in time of rebellion, and the soul
shall be found in, and under the conduct of hell, when it should
stand up for God and his truth in the world. This fear of God, it
is God's special friend, and therefore it has given unto it the
chief seat of the heart, the will, that the whole man may now be,
and also be kept hereafter, in the subjection and obedience of the
gospel. For,

4. This grace of fear is the softest and most tender of God's honour
of any other grace. It is that tender, sensible, and trembling
grace, that keepeth the soul upon its continual watch. To keep a
good watch is, you know, a wonderful safety to a place that is in
continual danger because of the enemy. Why, this is the grace that
setteth the watch, and that keepeth the watchmen awake (Can 3:7,8).
A man cannot watch as he should, if he be destitute of fear: let him
be confident, and he sleeps; he unadvisedly lets into the garrison
those that should not come there. Israel's fault when they came to
Canaan was, that they made a covenant with the inhabitants of the
land, to wit, the Gibeonites, without asking counsel of God. But
would they have done so, think you, if at the same time the fear
of God had had its full play in the soul, in the army? no, they at
that time forgot to fear. The grace of fear had not at that time
its full stroke and sway among them.

5. This grace of fear is that which, as I may so say, first affects
the hearts of saints with judgments, after we have sinned, and so
is as a beginning grace to bring again that to rights that by sin
is put out of frame. O it is a precious grace of God! I know what
I say in this matter, and also where I had been long ago, through
the power of my lusts, and the wiles of the devil, had it not been
for the fear of God.

Second. But secondly, another encouragement for those that are
blessed with this blessed grace of fear is this,--this fear fails
not to do this work for the soul, if there in truth, be it never
so small in measure. A little of this leaven "leaveneth the whole
lump." True, a little will not do, or help the soul to do those
worthy exploits in the heart or life as well as a bigger measure
thereof; nor, indeed, can a little of any grace do that which
a bigger measure will; but a little will preserve the soul from
final apostasy, and deliver it into the arms of the Son of God at
the final judgment. Wherefore, when he saith, "I will put my fear
in their hearts," he says not, I will put so much of it there, such
a quantity, or such a degree; but, "I will put my fear there." I
speak not this in the least to tempt the godly man to be content
with the least degree of the fear of God in his heart. True, men
should be glad that God hath put even the least degree of this
grace into their souls, but they should not be content therewith;
they should earnestly covet more, pray for more, and use all lawful,
that is, all the means of God's appointing, that they may get more.

There are, as I have said already, several degrees of this grace of
fear, and our wisdom is to grow in it, as in all the other graces
of the Spirit. The reasons why, I have showed you, and also the way
to grow therein; but the least measure thereof will do as I said,
that is, keep the soul from final apostasy. There are, as I have
showed you, those that greatly fear the Lord, that fear exceedingly,
and that fear him above many of their brethren; but the small in
this grace are saved as well as those that are great therein: "He
will bless" or save "them that fear him, both small and great."
This fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul; and as some pulses
beat stronger, some weaker, so is this grace of fear in the soul.
They that beat best are a sign of best life, but they that beat
worst show that life is [barely] present. As long as the pulse
beats, we count not that the man is dead, though weak; and this
fear, where it is, preserves to everlasting life. Pulses there are
also that are intermitting; to wit, such as have their times for
a little, a little time to stop, and beat again; true, these are
dangerous pulses, but yet too a sign of life. This fear of God also
is sometimes like this intermitting pulse; there are times when it
forbears to work, and then it works again. David had an intermitting
pulse, Peter had an intermitting pulse, as also many other of the
saints of God. I call that an intermitting pulse, with reference
to the fear we speak of, when there is some obstruction by the
workings of corruptions in the soul; I say, some obstruction from,
and hindrance of, the continual motion of this fear of God; yet
none of these, though they are various, and some of them signs
of weakness, are signs of death, but life. "I will put my fear in
their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."

Quest. But you may say, How shall I know that I fear God?

Answ. If I should say that desires, true sincere desires to fear
him, is fear itself. I should not say amiss (Neh 1:11). For although
a desire to be, or do so and so, makes not a man to be in temporal
or natural things what he desires to be--for a sick, or poor,
or imprisoned man may desire to be well, to be rich, or to be
at liberty, and yet be as they are, sick, poor, or in prison--yet
in spirituals, a man's desire to be good, to believe, to love, to
hope, and fear God, doth flow from the nature of grace itself.

I said before, that in temporals a man could not properly be said
to be what he was not; yet a man, even in naturals or temporals,
shows his love to that thing that he desires, whether it be health,
riches, or liberty; and in spirituals, desires of, from love to
this or that grace of God, sincere desires of it flow from the root
of the grace itself--"Thy servants who desire to fear thy name."
Nehemiah bore himself before God upon this, "that he desired to
fear his name." And hence again it is said concerning desires, true
desires, "The desire of man is his kindness" (Prov 19:22). For a
man shows his heart, his love, his affections, and his delights,
in his desires; and since the grace of the fear of God is a grace
so pleasant in the sight of God, and of so sanctifying a nature
in the soul where it is, a true sincere desire to be blessed with
that grace must needs flow from some being of this grace in the
soul already.

True desires are lower than higher acts of grace, but God will not
overlook desires--"But now they desire a better country, that is,
an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God;
for he hath prepared for them a city." Mark, they desire a country,
and they shall have a city. At this low place, to wit, sincere
desires, God will meet the soul and will tell him that he hath
accepted of his desires, that his desires are his kindness, and
flow from grace itself: "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear
him." Therefore desires are not rejected of God; but they would,
if they did not flow from a principle of grace already in the soul;
therefore desires, sincere desires to fear God, flow from grace
already in the soul. Therefore, since thou fearest God, and it is
evident by thy desires that thou dost so do, thou art happy now
in this thy fear, and shalt be happy for ever hereafter in the
enjoyment of that which God in another world hath laid up for them
that fear him.

Third. Another encouragement for those that have this grace of fear
is this; this grace can make that man, that in many other things
is not capable of serving of God, serve him better than those that
have all without it. Poor Christian man, thou hast scarce been able
to do anything for God all thy days, but only to fear the Lord.
Thou art no preacher, and so canst not do him service that way;
thou art no rich man, and so canst not do him service with outward
substance; thou art no wise man, and so canst not do anything that
way; but here is thy mercy, thou fearest God. Though thou canst
not preach, thou canst fear God. Though thou hast no bread to feed
the belly, nor fleece to clothe the back of the poor, thou canst
fear God. O how "blessed is the man that feareth the Lord"; because
this duty of fearing of God is an act of the mind, and may be
done by the man that is destitute of all things but that holy and
blessed mind.

Blessed therefore is that man, for God hath not laid the comfort
of his people in the doing of external duties, nor the salvation
of their souls, but in believing, loving, and fearing God. Neither
hath he laid these things in actions done in their health nor in the
due management of their most excellent parts, but in the receiving
of Christ, and fear of God. The which, good Christian, thou mayest
do, and do acceptably, even though thou shouldest lie bed-rid all
thy days; thou mayest also be sick and believe; be sick and love,
be sick and fear God, and so be a blessed man. And here the poor
Christian hath something to answer them that reproach him for his
ignoble pedigree, and shortness of the glory of the wisdom of the
world. True, may that man say, I was taken out of the dunghill, I
was born in a base and low estate, but I fear God. I have no worldly
greatness, nor excellency of natural parts, but I fear God.

When Obadiah met with Elijah, he gave him no worldly and fantastical
compliment, nor did he glory in his promotion by Ahab the king of
Israel, but gravely, and after a gracious manner, said, "I thy servant
fear the Lord from my youth." Also when the mariners inquired of
Jonah, saying, "What is thine occupation, and whence comest thou?
what is thy country, and of what people art thou?" This was the
answer he gave them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God
of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:8,9).
Indeed this answer is the highest, and most noble in the world,
nor are there any, save a few, that in truth can thus express
themselves, though other answers they had enough; most can say,
I have wisdom, or might, or riches, or friends, or health, or the
like; these are common, and are greatly boasted in by the most;
but he is the man that feareth God, and he that can say, when they
say to him, What art thou? "I thy servant fear the Lord," he is
the man of many, he is to be honoured of men: though this, to wit,
that he feareth the Lord, is all that he hath in the world. He
hath the thing, the honour, the life, and glory that is lasting;
his blessedness will abide when all men's but his is buried in the
dust, in shame and contempt.[35]

A word to hypocrites.

Hypocrites, my last word is to you; the hypocrite is one that would
appear to be that in men's eyes that is nothing of in God's--thou
hypocrite, that wouldest be esteemed to be one that loves and that
fears God, but does not; I have this to say to thee, thy condition
is damnable, because thou art a hypocrite, and seekest to deceive
both God and man with guises, vizards, masks, shows, pretences, and
thy formal, carnal, feigned subjection to the outside of statutes,
laws, and commandments; but within thou art full of rottenness and
all excess.

Hypocrite, thou mayest by thy cunning shifts be veiled and hid from
men, but thou art naked before the eyes of God, and he knoweth that
his fear is not in thy heart (Luke 16:15).

Hypocrite, be admonished that there is not obedience accepted of
God, where the heart is destitute of this grace of fear. Keeping
of the commandments is but one part of the duty of man, and Paul
did that, even while he was a hypocrite (Phil 3). To "fear God and
keep his commandments, this is the whole duty of man" (Eccl 12:13).
This--fear God--the hypocrite, as a hypocrite, cannot do, and
therefore, as such, cannot escape the damnation of hell.

Hypocrite, thou must fear God first, even before thou dost offer to
meddle with the commandments, that is, as to the keeping of them.
Indeed, thou shouldest read therein, that thou mayest learn to fear
the Lord, but yet, "fear God" goes before the command to keep his
commandments. And if thou dost not fear God first, thou transgressest,
instead of keeping of the commandments.

Hypocrite, this word, FEAR GOD, is that which the hypocrite quite
forgets, although it is that which sanctifies the whole duty of
man. For this is that, and nothing without it, that can make a man
sincere in his obedience; the hypocrite looks for applause abroad,
and forgets that he is condemned at home, and both these he does
because he wanteth the fear of God.

Hypocrite, be admonished that none of the privileges that are
spoken of in the former part of the book belongs to thee, because
thou art a hypocrite; and if thou hope, thy hope shall be cut off,
and if thou lean upon thy house, both thou and it shall fall into
hell-fire. Triumph then, thy triumph is but for awhile. Joy then,
but the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment (Job 8:13,15,
20:4-6).

Perhaps thou wilt not let go now, what, as a hypocrite, thou hast
got; but "what is the hope of the hypocrite, when God taketh away
his soul?" (Job 27:8). Hypocrite, thou shouldest have chosen the
fear of God, as thou hast chosen a profession without it, but thou
hast cast off fear, because thou art a hypocrite; and because thou
art such, thou shalt have the same measure that thou metest; God
will cast thee off, because thou art a hypocrite. God hath prepared
a fear for thee because thou didst not choose the fear of God, and
that fear shall come upon thee like desolation, and like an armed
man, and shall swallow thee up, thou and all that thou art (Prov
1:27).

Hypocrite, read this text and tremble--"The sinners in Zion are
afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us
shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings?" (Isa 33:13,14).

Hypocrite, thou art not under the fatherly protection of God,
because thou art a hypocrite, and wantest his fear in thine heart.
The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, to deliver them.
But the fearless man or hypocrite is left to the snares and wiles
of the devil, to be caught therein and overcome, because he is
destitute of the fear of God.

Hypocrite, thou art like to have no other reward of God for thy
labour than that which the goats shall have;[36] the hypocrite,
because he is a hypocrite, shall not stand in God's sight. The
gain of thy religion thou spendest as thou gettest it. Thou wilt
not have one farthing overplus at death and judgment.

Hypocrite, God hath not intrusted thee with the least dram of his
saving grace, nor will he, because thou art a hypocrite: and as for
what thou hast, thou hast stolen it, even every man of you from his
neighbour; still pilfering out of their profession, even as Judas
did out of the bag. Thou comest like a thief into thy profession,
and like a thief thou shalt go out of the same. Jesus Christ hath
not counted thee faithful to commit to thee any of his jewels to
keep, because thou fearest him not. He hath given his "banner to
them that fear him, that it may be displayed because of the truth"
(Psa 60:4).

Hypocrite, thou art not true to God nor man, nor thine own soul,
because thou art a hypocrite! How should the Lord put any trust
in thee? Why should the saints look for any good from thee? Should
God give thee his Word, thou wilt sell it. Should men commit their
souls to thee, thou wilt destroy them, by making merchandise of
them, for thy own hypocritical designs. Yea, if the sun waxes hot,
thou wilt throw all away, and not endure the heat, because thou
art a hypocrite!

FOOTNOTES:

[1]This is a very remarkable illustration of godly fear. Jacob does
not swear by the omnipresence or omniscience of God--nor by his
omnipotence--nor by his love or mercy in his covenant--nor by the
God of Abraham, but by the "fear of his father Isaac"--the sole
object of his adoration. A most striking and solemn appeal to
Jehovah, fixing upon our hearts that Divine proverb, "The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"--the source of all happiness,
both in time and in eternity.--Ed.

[2] It is of solemn importance that we feel the vast difference
between holy and unholy familiarity with God. Has he adopted us into
his family? Can we, by a new birth, say "Our Father?" Still he is
in heaven, we on earth. He is infinite in purity; Holy, Holy, Holy
is his name. We are defiled, and can only approach his presence
in the righteousness of the Saviour and Mediator. Then, O my soul,
if it is thy bliss to draw near to the throne of grace with holy
boldness, let it be with reverence and godly fear.--Ed.

[3] It is an awful thing to appeal to God for the truth of a lie!
All appeals to God, not required by law, are worse than useless;
they are wicked, and cast a doubt on the veracity of those who make
them--Ed.

[4] "To give the back"; to forsake, to depart, to treat with
contempt. See Imperial Dictionary, vol. i. p. 145.--Ed.

[5] The genuine disciple "who thinketh no evil" will say, Can this
be so now? Yes, reader, it is. Some go to God's house to worship
their ease and forgetfulness in sleep; some for worldly purposes;
some to admire the beauty of the frail body; but many to worship God
in spirit and in truth. Reader, inquire to which of these classes
you belong.--Ed.

[6] They worshipped God, not according to his appointment, but
their own inventions--the direction of their false prophets, or
their idolatrous kings, or the usages of the nations round about
them. The tradition of the elders was of more value and validity
with them than God's laws by Moses. This our Saviour applies to the
Jews in his time, who were formal in their devotions, and wedded to
their own inventions; and pronounces concerning them that in vain
do they worship God. How many still in worship regard the inventions
of man, and traditions of the church, more than the commands of
God.--Ed.

[7] The Word is the decree upon which we must depend or perish. In
vain, poor sinner, is any reliance upon churches or men; neither
Papist nor Protestant have any power "committed unto them" to
forgive sins. If they claim it, believe them not, but pity their
pride and delusion. Christ is the Rock, and not poor erring Peter,
as some have vainly imagined. Peter is dead, awaiting the resurrection
of his body, and the great day of judgment; but Christ ever liveth
at all times, and in all places, able to save unto the uttermost.
Put no trust in man, but in thy broken spirit seek the blessing of
Christ, that he may pardon thy sins.--Ed.

[8] The fear of the wicked arises from a corrupt, sinful,
self-condemning conscience; they fear God as an angry judge, and
therefore consider him as their enemy. As they love and will not part
with their sins, so they are in continual dread of punishment.--Mason.

[9] "To-elbow all his days in his lord's vineyard"; to sit or stand
idly resting upon his elbows, instead of labouring in the vineyard.
"A sovereign shame so elbows him."--King Lear, Act iv, Scene 3.--Ed.

[10] "Gear"; apparel, furniture, implements. "The apostles were
not fixed in their residence, but were ready in their gears to move
whither they were called."--Barrow.--Ed.

[11] God does not limit himself as to his mode of calling poor
sinners. The three thousand he convinced at one hour, and they
immediately made a profession, but Bunyan was for years in a state
of alarming uncertainty; some are driven by fiery terrors, others
by a still small voice. Reader, our anxious inquiry should be,
Have we entered in by Christ the gate? Are our fruits meet for
repentance? Let no one vaunt of his experience, because he go
well bedaubed with the dirt of the slough. Every soul that enters
the gate is equally a miracle of grace.--Ed.

[12] This is remarkably instanced in Bunyan's Grace Abounding.--Ed.

[13] Those who are adopted into the family of heaven are "justified
from all things"; being delivered from sin, the curse, and wrath,
"there is now no condemnation for them"; and trusting to Jesus'
precious blood of pardon, to his righteousness for acceptance, and
to his grace for sanctification, they are, by the indwelling of
the Spirit which adopted them, possessed of that love which casteth
out fear, and rejoiceth in hope of the glory of God. And to those
who, through their manifold infirmities and departures, are often
beset with unbelieving fears, the Lord says, for their encouragement,
"Fear thou not, for I am with thee; I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa 41:10).--Mason.

[14] Effectual grace in the soul is accompanied by doubts and
fears, owing to the remains of indwelling corruption; hence arises
a continual warfare. Believer, how needful is it ever to retain
your confidence and assurance of your Lord's love to you! Rely on
his faithfulness, persevere steadfastly in the way of duty, looking
to Jesus, and living upon his fulness.--Mason. How does all this
reasoning remind us of Bunyan's own experience, recorded in his
Grace Abounding; he was not ignorant of Satan's devices.--Ed.

[15] Alas! how few attain to this most blessed state. To delight
so in the Word--to make it so much our daily study, and the object
of our meditations at night, as to have "its very form engraven
upon the face of our souls." Happy is the man that is in such a
case. O my soul, why is it not thy case?--Ed.

[16] The filial fear of God is most prevalent when the heart
is impressed with a lively sense of the love of God manifested in
Christ. As a dutiful and obedient child fears to offend an affectionate
parent, or as a person of grateful heart would be extremely careful
not to grieve a kind and bountiful friend, who is continually loading
him with favours and promoting his true happiness; so, and much
more, will the gracious soul be afraid of displeasing the Lord,
his bountiful and unwearied benefactor, who is crowning him with
loving kindness and tender mercies.--Mason.

[17] It is no new thing for those who are in public places, to
seek themselves more than the public welfare; nay, and to serve
themselves by the public loss.--Henry.

[18] How does this remind us of the character of By-ends in the
"Pilgrim's Progress" !--Ed.

[19] So Ainsworth understands, p. 134, vol. 10. He renders it,
"lurking lions, which are lusty, strong-toothed, fierce, roaring,
and ravenous. And hereby," says he, "may be meant the rich and mighty
of the world, whom God often bringeth to misery." "They that are
ravenous, and prey on all about them, shall want, but the meek shall
inherit the earth; they shall not want who, with quiet obedience,
work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage
enough, when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish."
Henry.--Ed.

[20] "The conduct of angels" means not merely their guiding pilgrims
in the way, but also, in a military sense, a guard, or what is now
called a convoy.--Ed.

[21] See margin, Genesis 41:43, and 40:8.--Ed.

[22] To publish by sound of trumpet, to trumpet good tidings. In
Bunyan's time it was never used ironically.--Ed.

[23] This if from the Bible, and not from the inferior version in
the Book of Common Prayer, commonly called the reading Psalms.--Ed.

[24] Sternhold and Hopkin's edit. 1635.--The propriety of singing
in public worship was strongly debated by some of the Nonconformists.
There were very weighty reasons, in persecuting times, for meetings
being held as quietly as possible. The Quakers to this day do not
admit singing in their assemblies. The introduction of this psalm
proves that Bunyan was acquainted with the "singing" Psalms, and,
in all probability, practised singing in public worship. When
James I. improved this version for church use, called the Psalms
of KING David, translated by KING James, his last four lines are--


    Thou of Jerusalem shalt see
        While as thou liv'st the good,
    Thou shalt thy children's children see,
        And peace on Israel's brood.


How blessed are we in our day with the poetry of Watts, Wesley,
and a host of others, who have supplied the church with beautiful
soul-inspiring compositions, without fear to restrain us in using
them.--Ed.

[25] No one can charge Bunyan with a superstitious notion of dreams,
whether asleep or as if asleep. Such a mode of interpretation
as he recommends is both rational and scriptural. To dream awake
is thus explained--"They dream on in a course of reading without
digesting."--Locke.--Ed.

[26] Whoever thou art, beseech the Lord to weigh thee in the
balances of the sanctuary. No fear of God--no grace in the soul.
Of this class is the proud, the covetous, the glutton, the liar,
the apostate, the perverter of God's people from the right way;
obstinate and incorrigible backsliders; those who neither mourn
nor sigh for the wickedness of the land; they that prefer their
own fancies, dreams, frames, and feelings, to the Word of God;
swearers, adulterers, perjured persons, and oppressors of the poor;
they that insult the godly, and rejoice at their sufferings; they
that have no love, gratitude, nor sense of duty to God, as the
fountain of their unmerited mercies. O reader, give God no rest
until, by his Word and Spirit, he imparts to thee this holy fear as
the earnest of glory hereafter; without it you are perishing.--Mason.--Ed.

[27] "Snaffle"; a loose bridle with a curb. "To snaffle"; to be
easily led.


    "The third o' the' world is yours, which with a snaffle,
    You may pace easy, but not such a wise."
            Antony and Cleopatra.--Ed.


[28] How familiar but striking an illustration. Reader, look well
to the mainspring, and see also that the wheels are not clogged.
We ought to be living epistles, known and read of all men.--Ed.

[29] "A royster"; a violent, riotous, blustering, turbulent,
fellow--a species of men now much out of date, as are jails and
gibbets, sword and burning stake. How great and true that courage
which could look at, and expect, such trials, without shrinking,
when they were threatened as a reward for love to Christ and holy
obedience to his gospel!--Ed.

[30] This is a very strong and striking expression. "To soak,"
means to imbibe as much as we can contain; and as to the influence
of godly fear, happy shall we be in proportion as we are enabled
to follow Bunyan's advice.--Ed.

[31] The words, "he made them houses," we humbly suggest, may not
only mean that these God-fearing women had safe dwelling-places,
but, in a more extensive sense, God made them the heads of honourable
families, see 1 Samuel 2:35; 2 Samuel 7:11, 13, 27, 29; 1 Kings
2:24, 11:28. So David's prayer was, "Let my house be established
before thee; thou, O my God, wilt build me an house" (1 Chron
17:24,25).--Ed.

[32] Royal patents, in Bunyan's time, were lucrative but most oppressive,
conferring upon favourites, or their nominees, an exclusive right
to deal in any article of manufacture. But the patent to God's
fearers, to trust in him when involved in darkness and distress,
is a blessed privilege, injurious to none.--Ed.

[33] "Grabbling"; sprawling along, drawing the body, by the hands,
through a small aperture in a mine.--Ed.

[34] "Tines"; from the Saxon; the teeth or spikes in the rowel of
a spur.--Ed.

[35] "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord." Blessedness
shall attend him all the way to heaven, in proportion as that fear
abounds. It is a heaven on earth to live in the constant fear of
God--to have a reverential awe and fear of his majesty immovably
fixed and implanted in the soul. The grace of fear has an eminent
influence in a Christian's sanctification; it is a powerful restraint
from sin. A holy fear of God, and a humble fear of ourselves,
which are alike of Divine operation, will preserve us from sin and
engage us to obedience. God will be our protector and instructor,
our guide and our everlasting deliverer from all evil. Let us not
rest satisfied with the greatest attainments short of "perfecting
holiness in the fear of God."--Mason.

[36] By the goats we are to understand the hypocrites and the
finally impenitent, who will depart into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels; see Matthew 25:32, 33-41.--Ed.

***

THE DOCTRINE

OF

THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED;

OR,

A DISCOURSE TOUCHING THE LAW AND GRACE; THE NATURE OF THE ONE, AND
THE NATURE OF THE OTHER; SHOWING WHAT THEY ARE, AS THEY ARE THE
TWO COVENANTS; AND LIKEWISE, WHO THEY BE, AND WHAT THEIR CONDITIONS
ARE, THAT BE UNDER EITHER OF THESE TWO COVENANTS:

Wherein, for the better understanding of the reader, there are
several questions answered touching the law and grace, very easy to
be read, and as easy to be understood, by those that are the sons
of wisdom, the children of the second covenant.

"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God" (Heb 7:19).

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:28).

"To him [therefore] that worketh not, but believeth on Him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"
(Rom 4:5).

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

It is difficult to understand those peculiar trials which called
forth the mighty energies of Bunyan's mind, unless we are acquainted
with the times in which he lived. The trammels of statecraft and
priestcraft had been suddenly removed from religion, and men were
left to form their own opinions as to rites and ceremonies. In this
state of abrupt liberty, some wild enthusiasts ran into singular
errors; and Bunyan's first work on "Gospel Truths" was published
to correct them. Then followed that alarm to thoughtless souls--"A
Few Sighs from Hell"; and, in 1659, as a further declaration of the
most important truths of revelation, this work on the two covenants
was sent forth to chastise error, and comfort the saints of God.
It was published many times during the author's life; and since
then, to a late period, very large impressions have been circulated.
Upon a subject of such vast importance--upon which hangs all our
eternal interests--all our indescribable joys or sorrows in a future
and never-ending state--the requirements of our Creator--and His
gracious provision of pardoning mercy, upon our failing to keep
His Law--these are subjects of intense interest. How important is
it that all our researches into these solemn realities should be
guided simply by the revealed will of God! That was the fountain
at which Bunyan drunk in all his knowledge; and with simplicity,
and most earnest desire to promote the glory of God in the salvation
of sinners, he here gives the result of his patient, prayerful,
painful investigation. The humble dependence upon Divine mercy which
the author felt is very striking. He was sensible of his want of
education; "no vain, whimsical, scholar-like terms"--no philosophy
from Plato or Aristotle. He felt, as to human teaching, his weakness,
but proved that, "when he was weak, then was he strong." He claimed
an interest in the fervent prayers of his fellow saints--"My heart
is vile, the devil lieth at watch, trust myself I dare not; if
God do not help me, my heart will deceive me." This was the proper
spirit in which to enter upon so solemn a subject; and the aid he
sought was vouchsafed to him, and appears throughout this important
work. His first object is to define what is the Law, a strict
obedience to which is exacted upon all mankind. It was given to
Adam, and was afterwards more fully developed upon Mount Sinai.
It commands implicit, universal, perfect obedience, upon pain of
eternal ruin. He shows us that man, under the influence of that
law, and while a stranger to the Law of Grace, may repent and reform
his conduct, become a member of a Christian church, be a virgin
waiting for his Lord, "but not step even upon the lowest round of
the ladder that reacheth to heaven." While man is a stranger to the
new birth, "his destiny is the lion's den; yea, worse than that,
to be thrown into Hell to the very devils." Bunyan in this, as
well as all other of his works, is awfully severe upon those who
say, "Let us sin that grace may abound," perverting the consolatory
doctrine of Divine grace to their souls' destruction. "What!
because Christ is a Saviour, wilt thou be a sinner! because His
grace abounds, therefore thou wilt abound in sin! O wicked wretch!
rake Hell all over, and surely I think thy fellow will scarce
be found. If Christ will not serve their turn, but they must have
their sins too, take them, Devil; if Heaven will not satisfy them,
take them, Hell; devour them, burn them, Hell!" "Tell the hogs of
this world what a hog-sty is prepared for them, even such an one
as a God hath prepared to put the devil and his angels into."

To the distressed, sin-beaten Christian, this book abounds with
consolation, and instructions how to overcome the devices of Satan,
who will plant the Ten Commandments, like ten great guns, to destroy
thy hopes. "Learn to outshoot the devil in his own bow, and to cut
off his head with his own sword. Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest
but faintly and with cold devotions? Answer him, I am glad you told
me, I will trust the more to Christ's prayers, and groan, sigh,
and cry more earnestly at the Throne of Grace." To such readers
as have been driven to the verge of despair by a fear of having
committed the unpardonable sin, here is strong consolation, and a
very explicit scriptural definition of that awful crime. Want of
space prevents me adding more than my earnest desire that the reading
of this treatise may be productive of solid peace and comfort.--ED.

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER

READER,

If at any time there be held forth by the preacher the freeness
and fullness of the Gospel, together with the readiness of the Lord
of Peace to receive those that have any desire thereto, presently
it is the spirit of the world to cry out, Sure this man disdains
the law, slights the law, and counts that of none effect; and all
because there is not, together with the Gospel, mingled the doctrine
of the law, which is not a right dispensing of the Word according
to truth and knowledge. Again; if there be the terror, horror, and
severity of the law discovered to a people by the servants of Jesus
Christ, though they do not speak of it to the end people should
trust to it, by relying on it as it is a covenant of works; but
rather that they should be driven further from that covenant, even
to embrace the tenders and privileges of the second, yet, poor
souls, because they are unacquainted with the natures of these
two covenants, or either of them, therefore, "they say," "Here
is nothing but preaching of the law, thundering of the law"; when,
alas, if these two be not held forth--to wit, the Covenant of
Works and the Covenant of Grace, together with the nature of the
one and the nature of the other--souls will never be able either to
know what they are by nature or what they lie under. Also, neither
can they understand what grace is, nor how to come from under the
law to meet God in and through that other most glorious covenant,
through which and only through which, God can communicate of Himself
grace, glory, yea, even all the good things of another world.

I, having considered these things, together with others, have made
bold to present yet once more to thy view, my friend, something of
the mind of God, to the end, if it shall be but blessed to thee,
thou mayest be benefited thereby; for verily these things are not
such as are ordinary and of small concernment, but do absolutely
concern thee to know, and that experimentally too, if ever thou
do partake of the glory of God through Jesus Christ, and so escape
the terror and insupportable vengeance that will otherwise come
upon thee through His justice, because of thy living and dying in
thy transgressions against the Law of God. And therefore, while
thou livest here below, it is thy duty, if thou wish thyself happy
for the time to come, to give up thyself to the studying of these
two covenants treated of in the ensuing discourse; and so to study
them until thou, through grace, do not only get the notion of the
one and of the other in thy head, but until thou do feel the very
power, life, and glory of the one and of the other: for take this
for granted, he that is dark as touching the scope, intent, and
nature of the law, is also dark as to the scope, nature, and glory
of the Gospel; and also he that hath but a notion of the one, will
barely have any more than a notion of the other.

And the reason is this: because so long as people are ignorant of
the nature of the law, and of their being under it--that is, under
the curse and condemning power of it, by reason of their sin against
it--so long they will be careless, and negligent as to the inquiring
after the true knowledge of the Gospel. Before the commandment
came--that is, in the spirituality of it--Paul was alive--that is,
thought himself safe; which is clear, (Rom 7:9,10 compared with
Phil 3:5-11, etc). But when that came, and was indeed discovered
unto him by the Spirit of the Lord, then Paul dies (Rom 7) to all
his former life (Phil 3) and that man which before could content
himself to live, though ignorant of the Gospel, cries out now, "I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord" (verse 8). Therefore, I say, so long they will
be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel, and how glorious a thing
it is to be found within the bounds of it; for we use to say, that
man that knoweth not himself to be sick, that man will not look
out for himself a physician; and this Christ knew full well when
He saith, "The whole have no need of the physician, but the sick";1
that is, none will in truth desire the physician unless they know
they be sick. That man also that hath got but a notion of the
law--a notion, that is, the knowledge of it in the head, so as to
discourse and talk of it--if he hath not felt the power of it, and
that effectually too, it is to be feared will at the best be but a
notionist in the Gospel; he will not have the experimental knowledge
of the same in his heart; nay, he will not seek nor heartily desire
after it; and all because, as I said before, he hath not experience
of the wounding, cutting, killing nature of the other.

I say, therefore, if thou wouldst know the authority and power of
the Gospel, labour first to know the power and authority of the law;
for I am verily persuaded that the want of this one thing--namely,
the knowledge of the law, is one cause why so many are ignorant of
the other. That man that doth know the law doth not know in deed
and in truth that he is a sinner; and that man that doth not know
he is a sinner, doth not know savingly that there is a Saviour.

Again; that man that doth not know the nature of the law, that man
doth not know the nature of sin; and that man that knoweth not the
nature of sin, will not regard to know the nature of a Saviour;
this is proved (John 8:31-36). These people were professors, and
yet did not know the truth--the Gospel; and the reason was, because
they did not know themselves, and so not the law. I would not have
thee mistake me, Christian reader; I do not say that the law of
itself will lead any soul to Jesus Christ; but the soul being killed
by the law, through the operation of its severity seizing on the
soul, then the man, if he be enlightened by the Spirit of Christ
to see where remedy is to be had, will not, through grace, be
contented without the real and saving knowledge through faith of
Him.

If thou wouldst, then, wash thy face clean, first take a glass and
see where it is dirty; that is, if thou wouldst indeed have thy
sins washed away by the blood of Christ, labour first to see them
in the glass of the law, and do not be afraid to see thy besmeared
condition, but look on every spot thou hast; for he that looks on
the foulness of his face by the halves, will wash by the halves;
even so, he that looks on his sins by the halves, he will seek for
Christ by the halves. Reckon thyself, therefore, I say, the biggest
sinner in the world, and be persuaded that there is none worse than
thyself; then let the guilt of it seize on thy heart, then also
go in that case and condition to Jesus Christ, and plunge thyself
into His merits and the virtue of His blood; and after that, thou
shalt speak of the things of the law and of the Gospel experimentally,
and the very language of the children of God shall feelingly drop
from thy lips, and not till then (James 1).

Let this therefore learn thee thus much: he that hath not seen his
lost condition hath not seen a safe condition; he that did never
see himself in the devil's snare, did never see himself in Christ's
bosom. "This my Son was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and
is found." "Among whom we also had our conversation in time past."
2 "But now are (so many of us as believe) returned unto" Jesus
Christ, "the" chief "Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

I say, therefore, if thou do find in this treatise, in the first
place, something touching the nature, end, and extent of the law,
do not thou cry out, therefore, all of a sudden, saying, "Here is
nothing but the terror, horror, and thundering sentences of the
law."

Again; if thou do find in the second part of this discourse
something of the freeness and fullness of the Gospel, do not thou
say neither, "Here is nothing but grace, therefore, surely, an
undervaluing of the law." No; but read it quite through, and so
consider of it; and I hope thou shalt find the two covenants--which
all men are under, either the one or the other--discovered, and
held forth in their natures, ends, bounds, together with the state
and condition of them that are under the one, and of them that are
under the other.

There be some that through ignorance do say how that such men as
preach terror and amazement to sinners are beside the book, and
are ministers of the letter--the law, and not of the Spirit--the
Gospel; but I would answer them, citing them to the Sixteenth of
Luke, from the nineteenth verse to the end; and (1 Cor 6:9,10; Gal
3:10; Rom 3:9-19) only this caution I would give by the way, how
that they which preach terror to drive souls to the obtaining of
salvation by the works of the law, that preaching is not the right
Gospel preaching; yet when saints speak of the sad state that man
are in by nature, to discover to souls their need of the Gospel,
this is honest preaching, and he that doth do so, he doth the work
of a Gospel minister (Rom 3:9-25).

Again, there are others that say, because we do preach the free,
full, and exceeding grace discovered in the Gospel, therefore we
make void the law; when indeed, unless the Gospel be held forth in
the glory thereof without confusion, by mingling the Covenant of
Works therewith, the law cannot be established. "Do we then make
void the law through faith," or preaching of the Gospel; nay, stay,
saith Paul, "God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Rom 3:31).

And verily, he that will indeed establish the law, or set it in
its own place, for so I understand the words, must be sure to hold
forth the Gospel in its right colour and nature; for if a man be
ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace,
they, or he, will be very apt to remove the law out of its place,
and that because they are ignorant, not knowing "what they say,
nor whereof they affirm."

And let me tell you, if a man be ignorant of the Covenant of Grace,
and the bounds and boundlessness of the Gospel, though he speak and
make mention of the name of the Father, and of the Son, and also
of the name of the new covenant, and the blood of Christ, yet at
this very time, and in these very words, he will preach nothing
but the law, and that as a Covenant of Works.

Reader, I must confess it is a wonderfully mysterious thing, and
he had need have a wiser spirit than his own that can rightly set
these two covenants in their right places, that when he speaks of
the one he doth not jostle the other out of its place. O, to be so
well enlightened as to speak of the one--that is, the law--for to
magnify the Gospel; and also to speak of the Gospel so as to establish,
and yet not to idolize, the law, nor any particular thereof! It is
rare, and to be heard and found but in very few men's breasts.

If thou shouldst say, What is it to speak to each of these two
covenants so as to set them in their right places, and also to use
the terror of the one so as to magnify and advance the glory of
the other? To this I shall answer also, read the ensuing discourse,
but with an understanding heart, and it is like thou wilt find a
reply therein to the same purpose, which may be to thy satisfaction.

Reader, if thou do find this book empty of fantastical expressions,
and without light, vain, whimsical, scholar-like terms, thou must
understand it is because I never went to school to Aristotle,
or Plato, but was brought up at my father's house, in a very mean
condition, among a company of poor countrymen. But if thou do find
a parcel of plain, yet sound, true, and home sayings, attribute that
to the Lord Jesus His gifts and abilities, which He hath bestowed
upon such a poor creature as I am and have been. And if thou,
being a seeing Christian, dost find me coming short, though rightly
touching at some things, attribute that either to my brevity, or,
if thou wilt, to my weaknesses, for I am full of them. A word or
two more, and so I shall have done with this.

First. And the first is, Friend, if thou do not desire the salvation
of thy soul, yet I pray thee to read this book over with serious
consideration; it may be it will stir up in thee some desires to
look out after it, which at present thou mayest be without.

Secondly, If thou dost find any stirrings in thy heart by thy reading
such an unworthy man's works as mine are, be sure that in the first
place thou give glory to God, and give way to thy convictions,
and be not too hasty in getting them off from thy conscience; but
let them so work till thou dost see thyself by nature void of all
graces, as faith, hope, knowledge of God, Christ, and the Covenant
of Grace.

Thirdly, Then, in the next place, fly in all haste to Jesus Christ,
thou being sensible of thy lost condition without Him, secretly
persuading of thy soul that Jesus Christ standeth open-armed
to receive thee, to wash away thy sins, to clothe thee with His
righteousness, and is willing, yea, heartily willing, to present thee
before the presence of the glory of God and among the innumerable
company of angels with exceeding joy. This being thus, in the next
place, do not satisfy thyself with these secret and first persuasions,
which do or may encourage thee to come to Jesus Christ; but be
restless till thou dost find by blessed experience the glorious
glory of this the second covenant extended unto thee, and sealed
upon thy soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
that thou mayest not slight this my counsel, I beseech thee, in
the second place, consider these following things--

First, If thou dost get off thy convictions, and not the right
way (which is by seeing thy sins washed away by the blood of Jesus
Christ), it is a question whether ever God will knock at thy heart
again or no; but rather say, such an one "is joined to idols, let
him alone" (Hosea 4:17). Though he be in a natural state, "let him
alone." Though he be in or under the curse of the law, "let him
alone." Though he be in the very hand of the devil, "let him alone."
Though he be a-going post-haste to Hell, "let him alone." Though
his damnation will not only be damnation for sins against the law,
but also for slighting the Gospel, yet "let him alone." My Spirit,
My ministers, My Word, My grace, My mercy, My love, My pity, My
common providences, shall no more strive with him; "let him alone."
O sad! O miserable! who would slight convictions that are on their
souls, which (if not slighted) tend so much for their good?

Secondly, If thou shalt not regard how thou do put off convictions,
but put them off without the precious blood of Christ being savingly
applied to thy soul, thou art sure to have the mis-spending of that
conviction to prove the hardening of thy heart against the next
time thou art to hear the Word preached or read. This is commonly
seen, that those souls that have not regarded those convictions
that are at first set upon their spirits, do commonly, and that by
the just judgments of God upon them, grow more hard, more senseless,
more seared and sottish in their spirits; for some, who formerly
would quake and weep, and relent under the hearing of the Word, do
now for the present sit so senseless, so seared, and hardened in
their consciences, that certainly if they should have hell-fire
thrown in their faces, as it sometimes cried up in their ears, they
would scarce be moved; and this comes upon them as a just judgment
of God (2 Thess 2:11,12).

Thirdly, If thou do slight these, or those convictions that may
be set upon thy heart by reading of this discourse, or hearing of
any other good man preach the Word of God sincerely, thou wilt have
the stifling of these or those convictions to account and answer
for at the day of judgment; not only thy sins, that are commonly
committed by thee in thy calling and common discourse, but thou shalt
be called to a reckoning for slighting convictions, disregarding
of convictions, which God useth as a special means to make poor
sinners see their lost condition and the need of a Saviour. Now
here I might add many more considerations besides these, to the
end thou mayest be willing to tend and listen to convictions; as,

First, Consider thou hast a precious soul, more worth than the whole
world; and this is commonly worked upon, if ever it be saved, by
convictions.

Secondly, This soul is for certain to go to Hell, if thou shalt be
a slighter of convictions.

Thirdly, If that go to Hell, thy body must go thither too, and then
never to come out again. "Now consider this, ye that" are apt to
"forget God," and His convictions, "lest He tear you in pieces,
and there be none to deliver" (Psa 50:22).

But if thou shalt be such an one that shall, notwithstanding thy
reading of thy misery, and also of God's mercy, shall persist to
go on in thy sins, know, in the first place, that here thou shalt
be left, by the things that thou readest, without excuse; and in
the world to come thy damnation will be exceedingly aggravated for
thy not regarding of them, and turning from thy sins, which were
not only reproved by them, but also for rejecting of that Word of
Grace that did instruct thee how and which way thou shouldst be
saved from them. And so farewell; I shall leave thee, and also this
discourse, to God, who I know will pass a righteous judgment both
upon that and thee. I am yours, though not to serve your lusts
and filthy minds, yet to reprove, instruct, and, according to that
proportion of faith and knowledge which God hath given me, to declare
unto you the way of life and salvation. Your judgings, railings,
surmisings, and disdaining of me, that I shall leave till the fiery
judgment comes, in which the offender shall not go unpunished, be
he you or me; yet I shall pray for you, wish well to you, and do
you what good I can. And that I might not write or speak in vain,
Christian, pray for me to our God with much earnestness, fervency,
and frequently, in all your knockings at our Father's door, because
I do very much stand in need thereof; for my work is great, my heart
is vile, the devil lieth at watch, the world would fain be saying,
"Aha, aha, thus we would have it"; and of myself, keep myself I
cannot; trust myself I dare not; if God do not help me, I am sure
it will not be long before my heart deceive me, and the world would
have their advantage of me, and so God be dishonoured by me, and
thou also ashamed to own me. O, therefore, be much in prayer for
me, thy fellow! I trust, in that glorious grace that is conveyed
from Heaven to sinners, by which they are not only sanctified here
in this world, but shall be glorified in that which is to come;
unto which, the Lord of His mercy bring us all.

John Bunyan. ___________________

These are several titles which are set over the several TRUTHS
contained in this book, for thy sooner finding of them--

THE FIRST PART

1. The words of the text opened, and the doctrines laid down. [This
doctrine, that there are some that are under the law, or under the
Covenant of Works.] 2. What the Covenant of Works is, and when it
is given. 3. What it is to be under the Covenant of Works. 4. Who
they are that are under the Covenant of Works. 5. What men may
attain to that are under this Covenant of Works.

THE SECOND PART

1. The doctrine proved. 2. The new covenant made with Christ. 3.
The conditions of the new covenant. 4. The suretiship of Christ. 5.
Christ the Messenger of the new covenant. 6. Christ the Sacrifice
of the new covenant. 7. Christ the High Priest of the new covenant.
8. Christ completely fulfilled the conditions of the new covenant.
9. The Covenant of Grace unchangeable; the opposers answered. 10.
Who, and how men are actually brought into the new covenant. 11.
A word of experience. 12. The privileges of the new covenant. 13.
Two Hell-bred objections answered. 14. A use of examination about
the old covenant. 15. A legal spirit. 16. The use of the new covenant.
17. The unpardonable sin. 18. Objections answered for their comfort
who would have their part in the new covenant. ___________________

THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED; OR, A DISCOVERY OF THE
LAW AND GRACE; THE NATURE OF THE ONE, AND THE NATURE OF THE OTHER,
AS THEY ARE THE TWO COVENANTS, ETC.

"FOR YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE" (Rom 6:14).

[THE WORDS OF THE TEXT OPENED, AND THE DOCTRINES LAID DOWN.]

In the three former chapters, the Apostle is pleading for the
salvation of sinners by grace without the works of the law, to the
end he might confirm the saints, and also that he might win over
all those that did oppose the truth of this doctrine, or else leave
them the more without excuse; and that he might so do, he taketh
in hand, first, to show the state of all men naturally, or as they
come into the world by generation, saying, in the Third Chapter, "There
is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth;
there is none that doeth good," etc. As if he had said, It seems there
is a generation of men that think to be saved by the righteousness
of the law; but let me tell them that they are much deceived, in that
they have already sinned against the law; for by the disobedience
of one, many, yea all, were brought into a state of condemnation
(Rom 5:12-20). Now, in the Sixth Chapter he doth, as if he had
turned him round to the brethren, and said, My brethren, you see
now that it is clear and evident that it is freely by the grace of
Christ that we do inherit eternal life. And again, for your comfort,
my brethren, let me tell you that your condition is wondrous safe,
in that you are under grace; for, saith he, "Sin shall not have
dominion over you"; that is, neither the damning power, neither the
filthy power, so as to destroy your souls: "For ye are not under
the law"; that is, you are not under that that will damn you for
sin; "but" you are "under grace," or stand thus in relation to
God, that though you have sinned, yet you shall be pardoned. "For
ye are not under the law, but under grace." If any should ask what
is the meaning of the word "under," I answer, it signifieth, you
are not held, kept, or shut up by it so as to appear before God
under that administration, and none but that; or thus, you are
not now bound by the authority of the law to fulfill it and obey
it, so as to have no salvation without you so do; or thus, if you
transgress against any one tittle of it, you by the power of it
must be condemned. No, no, for you are not so under it; that is,
not thus under the law. Again, "For ye are not under the law." What
is meant by this word "law"? The word "law," in Scripture, may be
taken more ways than one, as might be largely cleared. There is the
law of faith, the law of sin, the law of men, the law of works,
otherwise called the Covenant of Works, or the first or old
covenant. "In that He saith a new covenant," which is the grace of
God, or commonly called the Covenant of Grace, "He hath made the
first old," that is, the Covenant of Works, or the law (Heb 8:13).
I say, therefore, the word "law" and the word "grace," in this
Sixth of the Romans, do hold forth the two covenants which all men
are under; that is, either the one or the other. "For ye are not
under the law"--that is, you to whom I do now write these words,
who are and have been effectually brought into the faith of Jesus,
you are not under the law, or under the Covenant of Works. He
doth not, therefore, apply these words to all, but to some, when
he saith, "But ye"; mark, ye, ye believers, ye converted persons,
ye saints, ye that have been born. (YE) "for ye are not under the
law," implying others are that are in their natural state, that
have not been brought in to the Covenant of Grace by faith in Jesus
Christ.

The words, therefore, being thus understood, there is discovered
these two truths in them--DOCTRINE FIRST. That there are some in
Gospel times that are under the Covenant of Works. DOCTRINE SECOND.
That there is never a believer under the law, as it is the Covenant
of Works, but under grace through Christ. "For ye," you believers,
you converted persons, ye "are not under the law but under grace";
or, for you are delivered and brought into or under the Covenant
of Grace.

DOCTRINE FIRST.

For the first, THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE UNDER THE LAW, OR UNDER
THE COVENANT OF WORKS, see, I pray you, that Scripture in the Third
of the Romans, where the Apostle, speaking before of sins against
the law, and of the denunciations thereof against those that are
in that condition, he saith, "What things soever the law saith, it
saith to them who are under the law"; mark, "it saith to them who
are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). That is, all those that
are under the law as a Covenant of Works, that are yet in their
sins, and unconverted, as I told you before. Again he saith, "But
if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law" (Gal 5:18).
Implying again, that those which are for sinning against the law,
or the works of the law, either as it is the old covenant, these
are under the law, and not under the Covenant of Grace. Again he
saith, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse" (Gal 3:10). That is, they that are under the law are under
the curse; for mark, they that are under the Covenant of Grace are
not under the curse. Now, there are but two covenants, therefore,
it must needs be that they that are under the curse are under the
law, seeing those that are under the other covenant are not under
the curse, but under the blessing. "So, then, they which be of
faith are blessed with faithful Abraham," but the rest are under
the law (Gal 3:9).

Now I shall proceed to what I do intend to speak unto. FIRST.
I shall show you what the Covenant of Works, or the law, is, and
when it was first given, together with the nature of it. SECOND. I
shall show you what it is to be under the law, or Covenant of Works,
and the miserable state of all those that are under it. THIRD. I
shall show you who they are that are under this covenant, or law.
FOURTH. I shall show you how far a man may go and yet be under
this covenant, or law.

[WHAT THE COVENANT OF WORKS IS, AND WHEN IT WAS GIVEN.]

FIRST. What this Covenant of Works is, and when it was given. [What
this covenant is.] The Covenant of Works or the law, here spoken
of, is the law delivered upon Mount Sinai to Moses, in two tables
of stone, in ten particular branches or heads; for this see Galatians
4. The Apostle, speaking there of the law, and of some also that
through delusions of false doctrine were brought again, as it were,
under it, or at least were leaning that way (verse 21) he saith,
As for you that desire to be under the law, I will show you the
mystery of Abraham's two sons, which he had by Hagar and Sarah;
these two do signify the two covenants; the one named Hagar signifies
Mount Sinai, where the law was delivered to Moses on two tables of
stone (Exo 24:12; 34:1; Deu 10:1). Which is that, that whosoever
is under, he is destitute of, and altogether without the grace of
Christ in his heart at the present. "For I testify again to every
man," saith he, speaking to the same people, that "Christ has become
of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law,"
namely, that given on Mount Sinai--"ye are fallen from grace" (Gal
5:3,4). That is, not that any can be justified by the law; but this
meaning is, that all those that seek justification by the works of
the law, they are not such as seek to be under the second covenant,
the Covenant of Grace. Also the Apostle, speaking again of these
two covenants, saith, "But if the ministration of death," or the
law, for it is all one, "written and engraven in stones," mark that,
"was glorious, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit," or
the Covenant of Grace, "be rather glorious?" (2 Cor 3:7,8). As if
he had said, It is true, there was a glory in the Covenant of Works,
and a very great excellency did appear in it--namely, in that given
in the stones on Sinai--yet there is another covenant, the Covenant
of Grace, that doth exceed it for comfort and glory.

[When it was given.] But, though this law was delivered to Moses
from the hands of angels in two tables of stones, on Mount Sinai,
yet this was not the first appearing of this law to man; but even
this in substance, though possibly not so openly, was given to the
first man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden, in these words: "And the
LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen 2:16,17). Which commandment
then given to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any of
those things that was and is accounted evil, although at that time
it did not appear so plainly, in so many particular heads, as it
did when it was again delivered on Mount Sinai; but yet the very
same. And that I shall prove thus--

God commanded Adam in Paradise to abstain from all evil against
the first covenant, and not from some sins only; but if God had
not commanded Adam to abstain from the sins spoken against in the
Ten Commandments, He had not commanded to abstain from all, but
from some; therefore it must needs be that He then commanded to
abstain from all sins forbidden in the law given on Mount Sinai. Now
that God commanded to abstain from all evil or sin against any of
the Ten Commandments, when He gave Adam the command in the garden,
it is evident that He did punish the sins that were committed
against those commands that were then delivered on Mount Sinai,
before they were delivered on Mount Sinai, which will appear as
followeth--

The First, Second, and Third Commandments were broken by Pharaoh and
his men; for they had false gods which the Lord executed judgment
against (Exo 12:12); and blasphemed their true God (Exo 5:2) which
escaped not punishment (Exo 7:17-25). For their gods could neither
deliver themselves nor their people from the hand of God; but
"in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them" (Exo
18:11).

Again; some judge that the Lord punished the sin against the
Second Commandment, which Jacob was in some measure guilty of in
not purging his house from false gods, with the defiling of his
daughter Dinah (Gen 34:2).

Again; we find that Abimelech thought the sin against the Third
Commandment so great, that he required no other security of Abraham
against the fear of mischief that might be done to him by Abraham,
his son, and his son's son, but only Abraham's oath (Gen 21:23).
The like we see between Abimelech and Isaac (Gen 31:53). The like
we find in Moses and the Israelites, who durst not leave the bones
of Joseph in Egypt, because of the oath of the Lord, whose name,
by so doing, would have been abused (Exo 13:19).

And we find the Lord rebuking His people for the breach of the
Fourth Commandment (Exo 16:27-29).

And for the breach of the Fifth, the curse came upon Ham (Gen
9:25-27). And Ishmael dishonouring his father in mocking Isaac
was cast out, as we read (Gen 21:9,10). The sons-in-law of Lot for
slighting their father perish in the overthrow of Sodom (Gen 19:14).

The Sixth Commandment was broken by Cain, and so dreadful a curse
and punishment came upon him that it made him cry out, "My punishment
is greater than I can bear" (Gen 4:13).

Again; when Esau threatened to slay his brother, Rebecca sent him
away, saying, "Why should I be deprived also of you both in one
day?" hinting unto us, that she knew murder was to be punished
with death (Gen 27:45) which the Lord Himself declared likewise to
Noah (Gen 9:6).3 Again; a notable example of the Lord's justice in
punishing murder we see in the Egyptians and Pharaoh, who drowned
the Israelites' children in the river (Exo 1:22); and they themselves
were drowned in the sea (Exo 14:27).

The sin against the Seventh Commandment was punished in the Sodomites,
etc., with the utter destruction of their city and themselves (Gen
19:24,25). Yea, they suffer "the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude
7). Also the male Shechemites, for the sin committed by Hamor's
son, were all put to the sword (Gen 34:25,26).

Our first parents sinned against the Eighth Commandment in taking
the forbidden fruit, and so brought the curse on themselves and
their posterity (Gen 3:16). Again; the punishment due to the breach
of this Commandment was by Jacob accounted death (Gen 31:30,32).
And also by Jacob's sons (Gen 44:9,10).

Cain sinning against the Ninth Commandment as in Genesis 4:9, was
therefore cursed as to the earth (Verse 11). And Abraham, though
the friend of God, was blamed for false-witness by Pharaoh, and
sent out of Egypt (Gen 12:18-20) and both he and Sarah reproved by
Abimelech (Gen 20:9,10,16).

Pharaoh sinned against the Tenth Commandment, and was therefore
plagued with great plagues (Gen 12:15,17). Abimelech coveted
Abraham's wife, and the Lord threatened death to him and his, except
he restored her again; yea, though he had not come near her, yet
for coveting and taking her the Lord fast closed up the wombs of
his house (Gen 20:3,18).

[Further Arguments.] I could have spoken more fully to this, but
that I would not be too tedious, but speak what I have to say with
as much brevity as I can. But before I pass it, I will besides
this give you an argument or two more for the further clearing of
this, that the substance of the law delivered on Mount Sinai was,
before that, delivered by the Lord to man in the garden. As, first,
"death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude
of Adam's transgression"--that is, though they did not take the
forbidden fruit as Adam did; but had the transgression been no
other, or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those
that did eat of that fruit, then those that were born to Adam
after he was shut out of the garden had not had sin, in that they
did not actually eat of that fruit, and so had not been slaves to
death; but, in that death did reign from Adam to Moses, of from
the time of his transgression against the first giving of the law,
till the time the law was given on Mount Sinai, it is evident that
the substance of the Ten Commandments was given to Adam and his
posterity under that command, "Eat not of the tree that is in the
midst of the garden." But yet, if any shall say that it was because
of the sin of their father that death reigned over them, to that I
shall answer, that although original sin be laid to the charge of
his posterity, yet it is also for their sins that they actually
committed that they were plagued. And again, saith the Apostle,
"For where no law is, there is no transgression" (Rom 4:15). For
"sin is not imputed when there is no law; nevertheless death reigned
from Adam to Moses." saith he (Rom 5:13,14). But if there had been
no law, then there had been no transgression, and so no death to
follow after as the wages thereof; for death is the wages of sin
(Rom 6:23) and sin is the breach of the law; an actual breach in
our particular persons, as well as an actual breach in
our public person (1 John 3:4). 4

Again; there are no other sins than those against that law given
on Sinai, for the which those sins before mentioned were punished;
therefore the law given before by the Lord to Adam and his posterity
is the same with that afterwards given on Mount Sinai. Again; the
conditions of that on Sinai and of that in the garden are all one;
the one saying, "Do this and live," the other saying the same. Also
judgment denounced against men in both kinds alike; therefore this
law it appeareth to be the very same that was given on Mount Sinai.

Again; the Apostle speaketh but of two covenants--to wit, grace
and works--under which two covenants all are; some under one, and
some under the other. Now this to Adam is one, therefore that on
Sinai is one, and all one with this; and that this is a truth, I
say, I know, because the sins against that on Sinai were punished
by God for the breech thereof before it was given there; so it doth
plainly appear to be a truth; for it would be unrighteous with God
for to punish for that law that was not broken; therefore it was
all one with that on Sinai.

Now the law given on Sinai was for the more clear discovery of
those sins that were before committed against it; for though the
very substance of the Ten Commandments were given in the garden
before they were received from Sinai, yet they lay so darkly in
the heart of man, that his sins were not so clearly discovered as
afterwards they were; therefore, saith the Apostle, the law was
added (Gal 3:19). Or, more plainly, given on Sinai, on tables of
stone, "that the offence might abound,"--that is, that it might
the more clearly be made manifest and appear (Rom 5:20).

Again; we have a notable resemblance of this at Sinai, even in giving
the law; for, first, the law was given twice on Sinai, to signify
that indeed the substance of it was given before. And, secondly,
the first tables that were given on Sinai were broken at the foot
of the mount, and the others were preserved whole, to signify that
though it was the true law that was given before, with that given
on Sinai, yet it was not so easy to be read and to be taken notice
of, in that the stones were not whole, but broken, and so the law
written thereon somewhat defaced and disfigured.

[Object.] But if any object and say, though the sins against the
one be the sins against the other, and so in that they do agree,
yet it doth not appear that the same is therefore the same Covenant
of Works with the other.

Answ. That which was given to Adam in Paradise you will grant was
the Covenant of Works; for it runs thus: Do this and live; do it
not and die; nay, "Thou shalt surely die." Now there is but one
Covenant of Works. If therefore I prove that that which was delivered
on Mount Sinai is the Covenant of Works, then all will be put out
of doubt. Now that this is so it is evident--

1. Consider the two covenants are thus called in Scripture, the
one the administration of death, and the other the administration
of life; the one the Covenant of Works, the other of grace; but
that delivered on Sinai is called the ministration of death; that,
therefore, is the Covenant of Works. "But if," saith he, "the
ministration of death, written and engraven on stones was glorious,"
(2 Cor 3:7).

2. The Apostle, writing to the Galatians, doth labour to beat
them off from trusting in the Covenant of Works; but when he comes
to give a discovery of that law or covenant--he labouring to take
them off from trusting in it--he doth plainly tell them it is that
which was given on Sinai (Gal 4:24,25). Therefore that which was
delivered in two tables of stone on Mount Sinai, is the very same
thing that was given before to Adam in Paradise, they running both
alike; that in the garden saying, Do this and live; but in the day
thou eatest thereof--or dost not do this--thou shalt surely die.

And so is this on Sinai, as is evident when he saith, "the man
which doeth those things shall live by them" (Rom 10:5). And in
case they break them, even any of them, it saith, "Cursed is every
one that continueth not in all things which are written in the
(whole) book of the law to do them" (Gal 3:10). Now this being thus
cleared, I shall proceed.

[WHAT IT IS TO BE UNDER THE COVENANT OF WORKS.]

SECOND. A second thing to be spoken to is this: to show what it is
to be under the law as it is a Covenant of Works; to which I shall
speak, and that thus--

To be under the law as it is a Covenant of Works, is to be bound,
upon pain of eternal damnation, to fulfill, and that completely
and continually, every particular point of the Ten Commandments, by
doing them--Do this, and then thou shalt live; otherwise, "cursed
is every one that continueth not in all," in every particular thing
or "things which are written in the book for the law to do them"
(Gal 3:10). That man that is under the first covenant stands thus,
and only thus, as he is under that covenant, or law. Poor souls,
through ignorance of the nature of that Covenant of Works, the law
that they are under, they do not think their state to be half so
bad as it is; when, alas! there is none in the world in such a sad
condition again besides themselves; for, indeed, they do not understand
these things. He that is under the law, as it is a Covenant of
Works, is like the man that is bound by the law of his king, upon
pain of banishment, or of being hanged, drawn, and quartered, not
to transgress any of the commandments of the king; so here, they
that are under the Covenant of Works, they are bound, upon pain of
eternal banishment and condemnation, to keep within the compass of
the law of the God of Heaven. The Covenant of Works may, in this
case, be compared to the laws of the Medes and Persians, which being
once made, cannot be altered. Daniel 6:8. You find that when there
was a law made and given forth that none should ask a petition of
any, God or man, but of the king only; this law being established
by the king (verse 9). Daniel breaking of it, let all do whatever
they can, Daniel must go into the lions' den (verse 16). So here,
I say, there being a law given, and sealed with the Truth and the
Word of God,--how that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Eze
18:4). Whosoever doth abide under this covenant, and dieth under
the same, they must and shall go into the lion's den; yea, worse
than that, for they shall be thrown into Hell, to the very devils.

But to speak in a few particulars for thy better understanding
herein, know,

First. That the Law of God, or Covenant of Works, doth not contain
itself in one particular branch of the law, but doth extend itself
into many, even into all the Ten Commandments, and those ten into
very many more, as might be showed; so that the danger doth not
lie in the breaking of one or two of these ten only, but it doth
lie even in the transgression of any one of them. As you know, if
a king should give forth ten particular commands to be obeyed by
his subjects upon pain of death; now if any man doth transgress
against any one of these ten, he doth commit treason, as if he had
broke them all, and lieth liable to have the sentence of the law
as certainly passed on him as if he had broken every particular of
them.

Second. Again; you know that the laws being given forth by the
king, which if a man keep and obey for a long time, yet if at the
last he slips and breaks those laws, he is presently apprehended,
and condemned by that law. These things are clear as touching the
Law of God, as it is a Covenant of Works. If a man doth fulfill nine
of the Commandments, and yet breaketh but one, that being broken
will as surely destroy him and shut him out from the joys of Heaven
as if he had actually transgressed against them all; for indeed,
in effect, so he hath. There is a notable Scripture for this in
the Epistle of James, Second Chapter, at the tenth verse, that runs
thus:--"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all,"--that is, he hath in effect broken
them all, and shall have the voice of them all cry out against him.
And it must needs be so, saith James, because "He that said," or
that law which said, "Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.
Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become
a transgressor of the law" (Verse 11). As thus; it may be thou didst
never make to thyself a god of stone or wood, or at least not to
worship them so greatly and so openly as the heathen do, yet if
thou hast stolen, born false witness, or lusted after a woman in
thy heart (Matt 5:28) thou hast transgressed the law, and must for
certain, living and dying under that covenant, perish for ever by
the law; for the law hath resolved on that before-hand, saying,
"Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things"; mark,
I pray you, "in all things"; that is the Word, and that seals the
doctrine.

Third. Again; though a man doth not covet, steal, murder, worship
gods of wood and stone, etc., yet if he do take the Lord's name in
vain, he is for ever gone, living and dying under that covenant.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain"; there
is the command. But how if we do? Then he saith, "the LORD will not
hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." No; though thou
live as holy as ever thou canst, and walk as circumspectly as ever
any did, yet if thou dost take the Lord's name in vain, thou art
gone by that covenant: "For I will not," mark "I will not," let
him be in never so much danger, "I will not hold him guiltless that
taketh My name in vain" (Exo 20:7). And so likewise for any other
of the ten, do but break them, and thy state is irrecoverable, if
thou live and die under that covenant.

Fourth. Though thou shouldest fulfill this covenant, or law, even
all of it, for a long time, ten, twenty, forty, fifty, or threescore
years, yet if thou do chance to slip and break one of them but once
before thou die, thou art also gone and lost by that covenant; for
mark, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things," that
continueth not in ALL things, mark that, "which are written in the
book of the law to do them." But if a man doth keep all the Law of
God his whole lifetime, and only sin one time before he dies, that
one sin is a breach of the law, and he hath not continued in doing
the things contained therein. For, so to continue, according to the
sense of this Scripture, is to hold on without any failing, either
in thought, word, or deed; therefore, I say, though a man doth walk
up to the law all his lifetime, but only at the very last sin one
time before he die, he is sure to perish for ever, dying under that
covenant. For, my friends, you must understand that the Law of God
is "yea," as well as the Gospel; and as they that are under the
Covenant of Grace shall surely be saved by it, so, even so, they that
are under the Covenant of Works and the law, they shall surely be
damned by it, if continuing there. This is the Covenant of Works
and the nature of it--namely, not to abate anything, no, not a mite,
to him that lives and dies under it: "I tell thee," saith Christ,
"thou shalt not depart thence," that is, from under the curse,
"till thou hast paid the very last mite" (Luke 12:59).

Fifth. Again; you must consider that this law doth not only condemn
words and actions, as I said before, but it hath authority to
condemn the most secret thoughts of the heart, being evil; so that
if thou do not speak any word that is evil, as swearing, lying,
jesting, dissembling, or any other word that tendeth to, or
savoureth of sin, yet if there should chance to pass but one vain
thought through thy heart but once in all thy lifetime, the law
taketh hold of it, accuseth, and also will condemn thee for it. You
may see one instance for all in (Matt 5:27,28) where Christ saith,
that though a man doth not lie with a woman carnally, yet if he doth
but look on her, and in his heart lust after her, he is counted by
the law, being rightly expounded, such an one that hath committed
the sin, and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of
the law. And so likewise of all the rest of the commands; if there
be any thought that is evil do but pass through thy heart, whether
it be against God or against man in the least measure, though
possibly not discerned of thee, or by thee, yet the law takes hold
of thee therefore, and doth by its authority, both cast, condemn,
and execute thee for thy so doing. "The thought of foolishness is
sin" (Prov 24:9).

Sixth. Again; the law is of that nature and severity, that it
doth not only inquire into the generality of thy life as touching
several things, whether thou art upright there or no; but the law
doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties, and watcheth over
thee there, to see whether thou dost do all things aright there--that
is to say, whether when thou dost pray thy heart hath no wandering
thoughts in it; whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly
without the least mixture of sin; and if it do find thee to slip,
or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou dost
perform, the law taketh hold on that, and findeth fault with that,
so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable
because of that. I say, if, when thou art a hearing, there is but
one vain thought, or in praying, but one vain thought, or in any
other thing whatsoever, let it be civil or spiritual, one vain
thought once in all thy lifetime will cause the law to take such
hold on it, that for that one thing it doth even set open all the
floodgates of God's wrath against thee, and irrecoverably by that
covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee; so that, I say,
look which ways thou wilt, and fail wherein thou wilt, and do it as
seldom as ever thou canst, either in civil or spiritual things, as
aforesaid--that is, either in the service of God, or in thy employments
in the world, as thy trade or calling, either in buying or selling
any way, in anything whatsoever; I say, if in any particular it
find thee tardy, or in the least measure guilty, it calleth thee
an offender, it accuseth thee to God, it puts a stop to all the
promises thereof that are joined to the law, and leaves thee there
as a cursed transgressor against God, and a destroyer of thy own soul. 5

Here I would have thee, by the way, for to take notice, that it is
not my intent at this time to enlarge on the several commands in
particular--for that would be very tedious both for me to write
and thee to read; only thus much I would have thee to do at the
reading hereof--make a pause, and sit still one quarter of an hour,
and muse a little in thy mind thus with thyself, and say, Did I
ever break the law; yea or no? Had I ever, in all my lifetime, one
sinful thought passed through my heart since I was born; yea or
no? And if thou findest thyself guilty, as I am sure thou canst
not otherwise choose but do, unless thou shut thy eyes against thy
every day's practice, then, I say, conclude thyself guilty of the
breach of the first covenant. And when that this is done, be sure,
in the next place, thou do not straightway forget it and put it
out of thy mind, that thou art condemned by the same covenant; and
then do not content thyself until thou do find that God hath sent
thee a pardon from Heaven through the merits of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the mediator of the second covenant. And if God shall but
give thee a heart to take this my counsel, I do make no question
but these words spoken by me, will prove an instrument for the
directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of
thy soul.

Thus much now touching the law, and the severity of it upon the person
that is found under it, having offended or broken any particular
of it, either in thought, word, or action; and now, before I do
proceed to the next thing, I shall answer four objections that do
lie in my way, and also, such as do stumble most part of the world.

[Four Objections.]

Object. First. But you will say, Methinks you speak very harsh;
it is enough to daunt a body. Set the case, therefore, that a man,
after he hath sinned and broken the law, repenteth of his wickedness
and promiseth to do so no more, will not God have mercy then, and
save a poor sinner then?

Answ. I told you before, that the covenant, once broken, will
execute upon the offender that which it doth threaten to lay upon
him; and as for your supposing that your repenting and promising to
do so no more may help well, and put you in a condition to attain
the mercy of God by the law, these thoughts do flow from gross
ignorance both of the nature of sin, and also of the nature of the
justice of God. And if I were to give you a description of one in
a lost condition for the present, I would brand him out with such
a mark of ignorance as this is.

Answ. 2. [The first answer is expounded by the second]. The law,
as it is a Covenant of Works, doth not allow of any repentance unto
life to those that live and die under it; for the law being once
broken by thee, never speaks good unto thee, neither doth God at
all regard thee, if thou be under that covenant, notwithstanding
all thy repenting and also promises to do so no more. No, saith
the law, thou hast sinned, therefore I must curse thee; for it is
My nature to curse, even, and nothing else but curse, every one
that doth in any point transgress against Me (Gal 3:10). They brake
My covenant "and I regarded them not, saith the Lord" (Heb 8:9).
Let them cry, I will not regard them; let them repent, I will not
regard them; they have broken My covenant, and done that in which
I delighted not; therefore, by that covenant I do curse, and not
bless; damn, and not save; frown, and not smile; reject, and not
embrace; charge sin and not forgive it. They brake My covenant
"and I regarded them not"; so that I say, if thou break the law,
the first covenant, and thou being found there, God looking on
thee through that, He hath no regard on thee, no pity for thee, no
delight in thee.

Object. Second. But hath not the law promises as well as threatenings?
saying, "The man which doeth these things shall live," mark, he
shall live, "by them," or in them (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12).

Answ. 1. To break the Commandments is not to keep or fulfill the
same; but thou hast broken them, therefore the promise doth not
belong to thee by that covenant. 2. The promises that are of the
law are conditional, and so not performed unless there be a full
and continual obedience to every particular of it, and that without
the least sin. "Do this"--mark, do this--and afterwards thou shalt
live; but if thou break one point of it once in all thy life, thou
hast not done the law; therefore the promises following the law
do not belong unto thee if one sin hath been committed by thee. As
thus, I will give you a plain instance--"Set the case, there be a
law made by the king, that if any man speak a word against him he
must be put to death, and this must not be revoked, but must for
certain be executed on the offender; though there be a promise made
to them that do not speak a word against him, that they should have
great love from him; yet this promise is nothing to the offender;
he is like to have no share in it, or to be ever the better for it;
but contrariwise, the law that he hath offended must be executed
on him; for his sin shutteth him out from a share of, or in, the
promises." So it is here, there is a promise made indeed, but to
whom? Why, it is to none but those that live without sinning against
the law; but if thou, I say, sin one time against it in all thy
lifetime, thou art gone, and not one promise belongs to thee if
thou continue under this covenant. Methinks the prisoners at the
bar, having offended the law, and the charge of a just judge towards
them, do much hold forth the law, as it is a Covenant of Works,
and how it deals with them that are under it. The prisoner having
offended, cries out for mercy; Good, my lord, mercy, saith he,
pray, my lord, pity me. The judge saith, What canst thou say for
thyself that sentence of death should not be passed upon thee?
Why, nothing but this, I pray my lord be merciful. But he answers
again, Friend, the law must take place, the law must not be broken.
The prisoner saith, Good, my lord, spare me, and I will never do
so any more. The judge, notwithstanding the man's outcries and sad
condition, must, according to the tenor of the law, pass judgment
upon him, and the sentence of condemnation must be read to the
prisoner, though it makes him fall down dead to hear it, if he
executes the law as he ought to do. And just thus it is concerning
the Law of God.

Object. Third. Ay, but sometimes, for all your haste, the judge doth
also give some pardons, and forgives some offenders, notwithstanding
their offences, though he be a judge.

Answ. It is not because the law is merciful, but because there is
manifested the love of the judge, not the love of the law. I beseech
you to mark this distinction; for if a man that hath deserved
death by the law be, notwithstanding this, forgiven his offence,
it is not because the law saith, "spare him"; but it is the love
of the judge or chief magistrate that doth set the man free from
the condemnation of the law. But mark; here the law of men and
the Law of God do differ; the law of man is not so irrevocable;
but if the Supreme please he may sometimes grant a pardon without
satisfaction given for the offence; but the Law of God is of this
nature, that if a man be found under it, and a transgressor, or
one that hath transgressed against it, before that prisoner can be
released there must be a full and complete satisfaction given to
it, either by the man's own life or by the blood of some other man;
for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb 9:22); that
is, there is no deliverance from under the curse of the Law of God;
and therefore, however the law of man may be made of none effect
sometimes by showing mercy without giving of a full satisfaction,
yet the Law of God cannot be so contented, nor at the least give
way, that the person offending that should escape the curse and not
be damned, except some one do give a full and complete satisfaction
to it for him, and bring the prisoner into another covenant--to
wit, the Covenant of Grace, which is more easy, and soul-refreshing,
and sin-pardoning.

I say, therefore, you must understand that if there be a law made
that reaches the life, to take it away for the offence given by
the offender against it, then it is clear that if the man be spared
and saved, it is not the law that doth give the man this advantage,
but it is the mere mercy of the king, either because he hath a ransom
or satisfaction some other way, or being provoked thereto out of
his own love to the person whom he saveth. Now, thou also having
transgressed and broken the Law of God, if the law be not executed
upon thee, it is not because the law is merciful, or can pass by
the least offence done by thee, but thy deliverance comes another
way; therefore, I say, however it be by the laws of men where they
be corrupted and perverted, yet the Law of God is of that nature,
that if it hath not thy own blood or the blood of some other
man--for it calls for no less, for to ransom thee from the curse
of it, being due to thee for thy transgression, and to satisfy the
cries, the doleful cries, thereof, and ever for to present thee
pure and spotless before God, notwithstanding this fiery law--thou
art gone if thou hadst a thousand souls; for "without shedding
of blood there is no remission" (Heb 9:22); no forgiveness of the
least sin against the law.

Object. Fourth. But, you will say, "I do not only repent me of
my former life, and also promise to do so no more, but now I do
labour to be righteous, and to live a holy life; and now, instead
of being a breaker of the law, I do labour to fulfill the same.
What say you to that?"

Answ. Set the case, thou couldst walk like an angel of God; set
the case, thou couldst fulfill the whole law, and live from this
day to thy life's end without sinning in thought, word, or deed,
which is impossible; but, I say, set the case it should be so, why,
thy state is as bad, if thou be under the first covenant, as ever
it was. For, first, I know thou darest not say but thou hast at
one time or other sinned; and if so, then the law hath condemned
thee; and if so, then I am sure that thou, with all thy actions
and works of righteousness, canst not remove the dreadful and
irresistible curse that is already laid upon thee by that law which
thou art under, and which thou hast sinned against; though thou
livest the holiest life that any man can live in this world, being
under the law of works, and so not under the Covenant of Grace,
thou must be cut off without remedy; for thou hast sinned, though
afterwards thou live never so well.

The reasons for this that hath been spoken are these--

First, The nature of God's justice calls for it--that is, it calls
for irrecoverable ruin on them that transgress against this law;
for justice gave it, and justice looks to have it completely and
continually obeyed, or else justice is resolved to take place, and
execute its office, which is to punish the transgressor against it.
You must understand that the justice of God is as unchangeable as
His love; His justice cannot change its nature; justice it is, if
it be pleased; and justice it is, if it be displeased. The justice
of God in this case may be compared to fire; there is a great fire
made in some place; if thou do keep out of it, it is fire; if thou
do fall into it, thou wilt find it fire; and therefore the Apostle
useth this as an argument to stir up the Hebrews to stick close
to Jesus Christ, lest they fall under the justice of God by these
words, "For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:29); into which,
if thou fall, it is not for thee to get out again, as it is with
some that fall into a material fire; no, but he that falls into
this, he must lie there for ever; as it is clear where he saith,
"Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings, and with
devouring fire?" (Isa 33:14). For justice once offended knoweth
not how to show any pity or compassion to the offender, but runs on
him like a lion, takes him by the throat, throws him into prison,
and there he is sure to lie, and that to all eternity, unless
infinite satisfaction be given to it, which is impossible to be
given by any of us the sons of Adam.

Secondly, The faithfulness of God calls for irrecoverable ruin to
be poured out on those that shall live and die under this covenant.
If thou, having sinned but one sin against this covenant, and shouldst
afterwards escape damning, God must be unfaithful to Himself and
to His Word, which both agree as one. First, he would be unfaithful
to Himself; to Himself, that is, to His justice, holiness,
righteousness, wisdom, and power, if He should offer to stop the
running out of His justice for the damning of them that have offended
it. And secondly, He would be unfaithful to His Word, His written
Word, and disown, deny, and break that, of which He hath said, "It
is easier for Heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law
to fail," or be made of none effect (Luke 16:17). Now, if He should
not, according to His certain declarations therein, take vengeance
on those that fall and die within the threat and sad curses denounced,
in that His Word could not be fulfilled.

Thirdly, Because otherwise he would disown the sayings of His
Prophets, and gratify the sayings of His enemies; His Prophets say
He will take vengeance; His enemies say He will not; His Prophets
say He will remember their iniquities, and recompense them into
their bosom; but His enemies say they should do well, and they
shall have peace, though they walk after the imaginations of their
own hearts, and be not so strict as the Word commands, and do not
as it saith (Deu 29:19,20). But let me tell thee, hadst thou a
thousand souls, and each of them was worth a thousand worlds, God
would set them all on a light by fire, if they fall within the
condemnings of His Word, and thou die without a Jesus, even the
right Jesus; "for the Scriptures cannot be broken." What! dost thou
think that God, Christ, Prophets, and Scriptures, will all lie for
thee? and falsify their words for thee? It will be but ill venturing
thy soul upon that.

And the reasons for it are these:--First, Because God is God; and
secondly, Because man is man.

First, Because God is perfectly just and eternally just, perfectly holy
and eternally holy, perfectly faithful and eternally faithful; that
is, without any variableness or shadow of turning, but perfectly
continueth the same, and cannot as well cease to be God as to alter
or change the nature of His Godhead. As He is thus the perfection
of all perfections, He gave out His Law to be obeyed; but if
any offend it, then they fall into the hands of this His eternal
justice, and so must drink of His irrevocable wrath, which is the
execution of the same justice. I say, this being thus, the law being
broken, justice takes place, and so faithfulness followeth to see
that execution be done, and also to testify that He is true, and
doth denounce His unspeakable, insupportable, and unchangeable
vengeance on the party offending.

Secondly, Because thou art not as infinite as God, but a poor created
weed, that is here today and gone tomorrow, and not able to answer
God in His essence, being, and attributes; thou art bound to fall
under Him, for thy soul or body can do nothing that is infinite
in such a way as to satisfy this God, which is an infinite God in
all His attributes.

[Misery of man by this law.]

But to declare unto you the misery of man by this law to purpose,
I do beseech you to take notice of these following particulars,
besides what has been already spoken:--First, I shall show the danger
of them by reason of the law, as they come from Adam; Second, as
they are in their own persons particularly under it.

[First, The danger of them by reason of the law, as they come from
Adam.]

1. As they come from Adam, they are in a sad condition, because he
left them a broken covenant. Or take it thus: because they, while
they were in him, did with him break that covenant. O! this was the
treasure that Adam left to his posterity; it was a broken covenant,
insomuch that death reigned over all his children, and doth still
to this day, as they come from him, both natural and eternal death
(Rom 5). It may be, drunkard, swearer, liar, thief, thou dost not
think of this.

2. He did not only leave them a broken covenant, but also made
them himself sinners against it. He [Adam] made them sinners--"By
one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (Rom 5:19). And this
is worse than the first.

3. Not only so, but he did deprive them of their strength, by which
at first they were enabled to stand, and left them no more than
dead men. O helpless state! O how beggarly and miserable are the
sons of Adam!

4. Not only so, but also before he left them he was the conduit
pipe through which the devil did convey off his poisoned spawn
and venom nature into the hearts of Adam's sons and daughters, by
which they are at this day so strongly and so violently carried
away, that they fly as fast to Hell, and the devil, by reason of
sin, as chaff before a mighty wind.

5. In a word, Adam led them out of their paradise, that is one
more; and put out their eyes, that is another; and left them to the
leading of the devil. O sad! Canst thou hear this, and not have thy
ears to tingle and burn on thy head? Canst thou read this, and not
feel thy conscience begin to throb and dag? If so, surely it is
because thou art either possessed with the devil, or besides thyself.

[Second.] But I pass this, and come to the second thing, which is,
the cause of their being in a sad condition, which is by reason of
their being in their particular persons under it.

1. Therefore, they that are under the law, they are in a sad
condition, because they are under that which is more ready, through
our infirmity, to curse than to bless; they are under that called
the ministration of condemnation, that is, they are under that
dispensation, or administration, whose proper work is to curse and
condemn, and nothing else (2 Cor 3).

2. Their condition is sad who are under the law, because they are
not only under that ministration that doth condemn, but also that
which doth wait an opportunity to condemn; the law doth not wait
that it might be gracious, but it doth wait to curse and condemn;
it came on purpose to discover sin, "The law entered," saith
the Apostle, "that the offence might abound" (Rom 5:20) or appear
indeed to be that which God doth hate, and also to curse for that
which hath been committed; as he saith, "Cursed is every one that
continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the
law to do them" (Gal 3:10).

3. They are in a sad condition, because that administration they
are under that are under the law doth always find fault with the
sinner's obedience as well as his disobedience, if it be not done
in a right spirit, which they that are under that covenant cannot
do, by reason of their being destitute of faith; therefore, I say,
it doth control them, saying, "This was not well done, this was
done by the halves, this was not done freely, and that was not
done perfectly, and out of love to God." And hence it is that some
men, notwithstanding they labour to live as holy as ever they can
according to the law, yet they do not live a peaceable life, but
are full of condemnings, full of guilt and torment of conscience,
finding themselves to fail here, and to fall short there, omitting
this good which the law commands, and doing that evil which the law
forbids, but never giveth them one good word for all their pains.

4. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because they
are under that administration that will never be contented with
what is done by the sinner. If thou be under this covenant, work
as hard as thou canst, the law will never say, "Well done"; never
say, "My good servant"; no; but always it will be driving thee
faster, hastening of thee harder, giving thee fresh commands, which
thou must do, and upon pain of damnation not to be left undone.
Nay, it is such a master that will curse thee, not only for thy
sins, but also because thy good works were not so well done as they
ought to be.

5. They that are under this covenant or law, their state is very
sad, because this law doth command impossible things of him that
is under it; and yet doth but right in it, seeing man at the first
had in Adam strength to stand, if he would have used it, and the
law was given them, as I said before, when man was in his full
strength; and therefore no inequality if it commands the same still,
seeing God that gave thee strength did not take it away. I will
give you a similitude for the clearing of it. Set the case that I
give to my servant ten pounds, with this charge, Lay it out for my
best advantage, that I may have my own again with profit; now if
my servant, contrary to my command, goeth and spends my money in a
disobedient way, is it any inequality in me to demand of my servant
what I gave him at first? Nay, and though he have nothing to pay, I
may lawfully cast him into prison, and keep him there until I have
satisfaction. So here; the law was delivered to man at the first
when he was in a possibility to have fulfilled it; now, then, though
man have lost his strength, yet God is just in commanding the same
work to be done. Ay, and if they do not do the same things, I say,
that are impossible for them to do, it is just with God to damn
them, seeing it was they themselves that brought themselves into
this condition; therefore, saith the Apostle, "What things soever
the law (or commands) 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" (Rom 3:19). And this is thy sad condition that
art under the law (Gal 3:10).

But if any should object, and say, But the law doth not command
impossible things of natural man,--

I should answer in this case as the Apostle did in another very
much like unto it, saying, "Understanding neither what they say,
nor whereof they affirm." For doth not the law command thee to love
the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all they strength, with
all thy might, etc., and can the natural man do this? How can those
that are accustomed to do evil, do that which is commanded in this
particular? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his
spots?" (Jer 12:23).

Doth the law command thee to do good, and nothing but good, and that
with all thy soul, heart, and delight? which the law as a Covenant
of Works calleth for; and canst thou, being carnal, do that? But
there is no man that hath understanding, if he should hear thee
say so, but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad.

6. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because that
though they follow the law, or Covenant of Works; I say, though they
follow it, it will not lead them to Heaven; no, but contrariwise,
it will lead them under the curse. It is not possible, saith Paul,
that any should be justified by the law, or by our following of it;
for by that "is the knowledge of sin," and by it we are condemned
for the same, which is far from leading us to life, being the
ministration of death (2 Cor 3). And again; "Israel, which followeth
after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of
righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but
by the law, and by the works thereof" (Rom 9:30-32).

7. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because they
do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work
or no; they have no assurance of the pardon of their sins, neither
any hopes of eternal life; but poor hearts as they are, they work
for they do not know what, even like a poor horse that works hard
all day, and at night hath a dirty stable for his pains; so thou
mayest work hard all the days of thy life, and at the day of death,
instead of having a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven, thou
mayest, nay, thou shalt, have for thy sins the damnation of thy
soul and body in Hell to all eternity; forasmuch, as I said before,
that the law, if thou sinnest, it doth not take notice of any good
work done by thee, but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off
thy soul for the sin thou hast committed.

8. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because
they are under that administration; upon whose souls God doth not
smile, they dying there; for the administration that God doth smile
upon His children through, is the Covenant of Grace, they being in
Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and consolation; but contrariwise
to those that are under the law; for they have His frowns, His
rebukes, His threatenings, and with much severity they must be dealt
withal--"For they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them
not, saith the Lord" (Heb 8:9).

9. They are in a sad condition, because they are out of the faith of
Christ; they that are under the law have not the faith of Christ
in them; for that dispensation which they are under is not the
administration of faith. The law is not of faith, saith the Apostle
(Gal 3:12).

10. Because they have not received the Spirit; for that is received
by the hearing of faith, and not by the law, nor the works thereof
(Gal 3:2).

11. In a word, if thou live and die under that covenant, Jesus
Christ will neither pray for thee, neither let thee have one drop
of His blood to wash away thy sins, neither shalt thou be so much
as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; for all these privileges
come to souls under another covenant, as the Apostle saith--"For
such are not under the law, but under grace"--that is, such as have
a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ, or such as are brought from
under the first covenant into the second; or from under the law
into the grace of Christ's Gospel, without which Covenant of Grace,
and being found in that, there is no soul can have the least hope
of eternal life, no joy in the Holy Ghost, no share in the privileges
of saints, because they are tied up from them by the limits and
bonds of the Covenant of Works. For you must understand that these
two covenants have their several bounds and limitations, for the
ruling and keeping in subjection, or giving of freedom, to the
parties under the said covenants. Now they that are under the law
are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that, and are bound
to be in subjection to that; and living and dying under that, they
must stand and fall to that, as Paul saith, "To his own master he
standeth or falleth." The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that
are under it also liberty and freedom, together with commanding of
subjection to the things contained in it, which I shall speak to
further hereafter. [For what purpose the Law was added and given.]

But now, that the former things may be further made to appear--that
is, what the sad condition of all them that are under the law is,
as I have shown you something of the nature of the law, so also shall
I show that the law was added and given for this purpose, that it
might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace.

First, God did give the law that sin might abound, not that
it should take away sin in any, but to discover the sin which is
already begotten, or that may be hereafter begotten, by lust and
Satan (Rom 5:20). I say, this is one proper work of the law, to
make manifest sin; it is sent to find fault with the sinner, and it
doth also watch that it may do so, and it doth take all advantages
for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto, or
do not give ear, if it have the rule over them. I say, it is like
a man that is sent by his lord to see and pry into the labours
and works of other men, taking every advantage to discover their
infirmities and failings, and to chide them? yea, to throw them
out of the Lord's favour for the same.

Second. Another great end why the Lord did add or give the law, it
was that no man might have anything to lay to the charge of the
Lord for His condemning of them that do transgress against the same.
You know that if a man should be had before an officer or judge,
and there be condemned, and yet by no law, he that condemns him
might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the judgment;
yea, the party himself might have better ground to plead for his
liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him; but this
shall not be so in the judgment-day, but contrariwise; for then
every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth, and hold
his tongue at the judgment of God when it is passed upon them;
therefore saith the Apostle, "What things soever the law saith, it
saith to them who are under the law"; that is, all the commands,
all the cursings and threatenings that are spoken by it, are spoken,
saith he, "that every mouth may be stopped"; mark, I beseech you,
"it saith," saith he, "that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). So that now,
in case any in the judgment-day should object against the judgment
of God, as those in the 25th of Matthew do, saying, Lord, when saw
we Thee thus and thus? and why dost Thou pass such a sad sentence
of condemnation upon us? surely this is injustice, and not equity:
now for the preventing of this the law was given; ay, and that it
might prevent thee to purpose, God gave it betimes, before either
thy first father had sinned, or thou wast born. So that again, if
there should be these objections offered against the proceedings
of the Lord in justice and judgment, saying, Lord, why am I thus
condemned, I did not know it was sin? Now against these two was
the law given and that betimes, so that both these are answered. If
the first come in and say, Why am I judged? why am I damned? then
will the law come in, even all the Ten Commandments, with every one
of their cries against thy soul; the First saying, He hath sinned
against Me, damn him; the Second saying also, He hath transgressed
against Me, damn him; the Third also saying the same, together with
the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth; even all
of them will discharge themselves against thy soul if thou die under
the first covenant, saying, He or they have transgressed against
us, damn them, damn them: and I tell thee also, that these ten great
guns, the Ten Commandments, will, with discharging themselves in
justice against thy soul, so rattle in thy conscience, that thou
wilt in spite of thy teeth be immediately put to silence, and have
thy mouth stopped. And let me tell thee further, that if thou shalt
appear before God to have the Ten Commandments discharge themselves
against thee, thou hadst better be tied to a tree, and have ten,
yea, ten thousand of the biggest pieces of ordnance in the world
to be shot off against thee; for these could go no further but only
to kill the body; but they, both body and soul, to be tormented in
Hell with the devil to all eternity.

Third, Again; if the second thing should be objected, saying, But
Lord, I did not think this had been sin, or the other had been sin,
for nobody told me so; then also will the giving of the law take
off that, saying, Nay, But I was given to thy father Adam before
he had sinned, or before thou wast born, and have ever since been
in thy soul to convince thee of thy sins, and to control thee for
doing the thing that was not right. Did not I secretly tell thee
at such a time, in such a place, when thou wast doing of such a
thing, with such an one, or when thou was all alone, that this was
a sin, and that God did forbid it, therefore if thou didst commit
it, God would be displeased with thee for it: and when thou was
thinking to do such a thing at such a time, did not I say, Forbear,
do not so? God will smite thee, and punish thee for it if thou dost
do it. And besides, God did so order it that you had me in your
houses, in your Bibles, and also you could speak and talk of me;
thus pleading the truth, thou shalt be forced to confess it is
so; nay, it shall be so in some sort with the very Gentiles and
barbarous people that fall far short of that light we have in these
parts of the world; for, saith the Apostle, "The Gentiles which have
not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these,
having not the law," that is, not written as we have, yet they "are
a law unto themselves: which show the works of the law written in
their hearts" (Rom 2:14,15). That is, they have the law of works
in them by nature, and therefore they shall be left without excuse;
for their own consciences shall stand up for the truth of this
where he saith, "Their conscience also bearing witness, and their
thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." Ay,
but when? Why, "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men
by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel" (Rom 2:15,16). So this, I
say, is another end for which the Lord did give the law--namely,
that God might pass a sentence in righteousness, without being
charged with any injustice by those that shall fall under it in
the judgment.

Fourth, A fourth end why the Lord did give the law it was, because
they that die out of Jesus Christ might not only have their mouths
stopped, but also that their persons "might become guilty before
God" (Rom 3:19). And indeed this will be the ground of silencing,
as I said before, they finding themselves guilty, their consciences
backing the truth of the judgment of God passed upon them, "they
shall become guilty"--that is, they shall be fit vessels for the
wrath of God to be poured out into, being filled with guilt by
reason of transgressions against the commandments; thus, therefore,
shall the parties under the first covenant be "fitted to destruction"
(Rom 9:22) even as wood or straw, being well dried, is fitted
for the fire; and the law was added and given, and speaks to this
very end, that sins might be shown, mouths might be stopped from
quarreling, and that "all the world," mark, "the world may become
guilty before God," and so be in justice for ever and ever overthrown
because of their sins.

And this will be so for these reasons--

1. Because God hath a time to magnify His justice and holiness,
as well as to show His forbearance and mercy. We read in Scripture
that His eyes are too pure to behold iniquity, and then we shall
find it true (Hab 1:13). We read in Scripture that He will magnify
the law, and make it honourable, and then He will do it indeed.
Now, because the Lord doth not strike so soon as He is provoked by
sin, therefore poor souls will not know nor regard the justice of
God, neither do they consider the time in which it must be advanced,
which will be when men drop under the wrath of God as fast as hail
in a mighty storm (2 Peter 3:9; Psa 50:21,22). Now, therefore, look
to it all you that count the long-suffering and forbearance of God
slackness; and because for the present He keepeth silence, therefore
to think that He is like unto yourselves. No, no; but know that
God hath His set time for every purpose of His, and in its time it
shall be advanced most marvelously, to the everlasting astonishment
and overthrow of that soul that shall be dealt withal by justice
and the law. O! how will God advance His justice! O! how will
God advance His holiness! First, by showing men that He in justice
cannot, will not regard them, because they have sinned; and,
secondly, in that His holiness will not give way for such unclean
wretches to abide in His sight, His eyes are so pure.

2. Because God will make it appear that He will be as good as His
Word to sinners. Sinners must not look to escape always, though they
may escape awhile, yet they shall not go far all adoe unpunished;
no, but they shall have their due to a farthing, when every
threatening and curse shall be accomplished and fulfilled on the
head of the transgressor. Friend, there is never an idle word that
thou speakest but God will account with thee for it; there is never
a lie thou tellest, but God will reckon with thee for it; nay, there
shall not pass so much as one passage in all thy lifetime but God,
the righteous God, will have it in the trial by His law, if thou
die under it, in the judgment-day.

[WHO THE ARE THAT ARE UNDER THE COVENANT OF WORKS.]

THIRD. But you will say--"But who are those that are thus under
the law?"

Answ. Those that are under the law may be branched out into three
ranks of men; either, first, such as are grossly profane, or such
as are more refined; which may be two ways, some in a lower sort,
and some in a more eminent way.

First, Then they are under the law as a Covenant of Works who are
open profane, and ungodly wretches, such as delight not only in
sin, but also make their boast of the same, and brag at the thoughts
of committing of it. Now, as for such as these are, there is a
Scripture in the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy Chapter 1, verses
9, 10, which is a notable one to this purpose, "The law," saith
he, "is not made for a righteous man," not as it is a Covenant of
Works, "but for the" unrighteous or "lawless and disobedient, for
the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers
of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers,
for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers,
for liars," look to it, liars, "for perjured persons, and," in a
word, "if there be any other thing that is not according to sound
doctrine." These are one sort of people that are under the law,
and so under the curse of the same, whose due is to drink up the
brimful cup of God's eternal vengeance, and therefore I beseech you
not to deceive yourselves; for "know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9,10).
Poor souls, you think that you may have your sins, your lusts, and
pleasures, and yet you shall do pretty well, and be let to go free
in the judgment-day; but see what God saith of such in Deuteronomy
29:19, 20--which shall "bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall
have peace," I shall be saved, I shall do as well as others, in
the day when God shall judge the world by Jesus Christ; but, saith
God, I will not spare them, no, but My anger and My jealousy shall
smoke against them. How far? Even to the executing all the curses
that are written in the Law of God upon them. Nay, saith God, I
will be even with them, "for I will blot out their names from under
Heaven." And indeed it must of necessity be so, because such souls
are unbelievers, in their sins, and under the law, which cannot,
will not, show any mercy on them; for it is not the administration
of mercy and life, but the administration of death and destruction,
as you have it (2 Cor 3:7,9); and all those, every one of them,
that are open profane, and scandalous wretches are under it, and
have been so ever since they came into the world to this day; and
they will for certain live and die under the same dispensation,
and then be damned to all eternity, if they be not converted from
under that covenant into and under the Covenant of Grace, of which
I shall speak in its place; and yet for all this, how brag and crank
6 are our poor wantons and wicked ones in this day of forbearance!
as if God would never have a reckoning with them, as if there was
no law to condemn them, as if there was no hellfire to put them
into. But O how will they be deceived when they shall see Christ
sitting upon the judgment-seat, having laid aside his priestly and
prophetical office, and appearing only as a judge to the wicked?
when they shall see all the records of Heaven unfolded and laid
open; when they shall see each man his name in the Book of Life,
and in the book of the law; when they shall see God in His majesty,
Christ in His majesty, the saints in their dignity, but themselves
in their impurity. What will they say then? whither will they fly
then? where will they leave their glory? O sad state! (Isa 10:3).

Second. They are under the law also who do not only so break and
disobey the law, but follow after the law as hard as ever they
can, seeking justification thereby--that is, though a man should
abstain from the sins against the law, and labour to fulfill the
law, and give up himself to the law, yet if he look no further
than the law he is still under the law, and for all his obedience
to the law, the righteous Law of God, he shall be destroyed by that
law. Friend, you must not understand that none but profane persons
are under the law; no, but you must understand that a man may be
turned from a vain, loose, open, profane conversation and sinning
against the law, to a holy, righteous, religious life, and yet be
in the same state, under the same law, and as sure to be damned as
the other that are more profane and loose. And though you may say
this is very strange, yet I shall both say it and prove it to be
true. Read with understanding that Scripture in Romans 9:30-31,
where the Apostle, speaking of the very thing, saith, "But Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness"; mark, that followed
after the law of righteousness; they notwithstanding their earnest
pursuit, or hunting after the law of righteousness, "hath not
attained to the law of righteousness." It signifies thus much to
us, that let a man be never so earnest, so fervent, so restless,
so serious, so ready, so apt and willing to follow the law and the
righteousness thereof, if he be under that covenant, he is gone,
he is lost, he is deprived of eternal life, because he is not under
the ministration of life if he die there. Read also that Scripture,
Galatians 3:10, which saith, "For as many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse"; mark, they that are of the works of
the law. Now, for to be of the works of the law, it is to be of the
works of the righteousness thereof--that is, to abstain from sins
against the law, and to do the commands thereof as near as ever
they can for their lives, or with all the might they have: and
therefore I beseech you to consider it, for men's being ignorant of
this is the cause why so many go on supposing they have a share in
Christ, because they are reformed, and abstain from the sins against
the law, who, when all comes to all, will be damned notwithstanding,
because they are not brought out from under the Covenant of Works,
and put under the Covenant of Grace.

Object. "But can you in very deed make these things manifestly
evident from the Word of God? Methinks to reason thus is very
strange, that a man should labour to walk up according to the Law
of God as much as ever he can, and yet that man notwithstanding
this, should be still under the curse. Pray clear it."

Answ. Truly this doth seem very strange, I do know full well, to
the natural man, to him that is yet in his unbelief, because he
goeth by beguiled reason; but for my part, I do know it is so, and
shall labour also to convince thee of the truth of the same.

1. Then, the law is thus strict and severe, that if a man do sin but
once against it, he, I say, is gone for ever by the law, living and
dying under that covenant. If you would be satisfied as touching the
truth of this, do but read Galatians 3:10, where it saith "Cursed
is every one," that is, not a man shall miss by that covenant, "that
continueth not in all," mark, in all "things which are written in
the book of the law to do them." (1.) Pray mark, here is a curse,
in the first place, if all things written in the book of the law be
not done, and that, continually too--that is, without any failing
or one slip, as I said before. Now there is never a one in the world
but before they did begin to yield obedience to the least command,
they in their own persons did sin against it by breaking of it.
The Apostle, methinks, is very notable for the clearing of this
in Romans 3:5. In the one he endeavours for to prove that all
had transgressed in the first Adam as he stood a common person,
representing both himself and us in his standing and falling.
"Wherefore," saith he, "as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men," mark that; but
why? "for that all have sinned" (Rom 5:12). That is, forasmuch as
all naturally are guilty of original sin, the sin that was committed
by us in Adam; so this is one cause why none can be justified by
their obedience to the law, because they have in the first place
broken it in their first parents. But, (2.) in case this should be
opposed and rejected by quarrelsome persons, though there be no
ground for it, Paul hath another argument to back his doctrine,
saying, For we have proved (already) that both Jews and Gentiles
are all under sin. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no,
not one." "They are all gone out of the way, they are together,"
mark, together, "become unprofitable, there is none that doeth
good, no, not one." "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their
tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their
lips." Their "mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." "Their
feet are swift to shed blood." In a word, "Destruction and misery
are in their ways; and the way of peace have they not known." Now
then, saith he, having proved these things so clearly, the conclusion
of the whole is this, "That what things soever the law saith," in
both showing of sin, and cursing for the same, "it saith" all "to
them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom 3:10,19). So that
here, I say, lieth the ground of our not being justified by the
law, even because, in the first place, we have sinned against it;
for know this for certain, that if the law doth take the least
advantage of thee by thy sinning against it, all that ever thou
shalt afterwards hear from it is nothing but Curse, curse, curse
him, "for not continuing in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them."

2. Thou canst not be saved by the righteous Law of God, the first
covenant, because that, together with this thy miserable state, by
original and actual sins, before thou didst follow the law, since
thy turning to the law thou hast committed several sins against the
law--"In many things we offend all." So that now thy righteousness
to the law being mixed with sometimes the lust of concupiscence,
fornication, covetousness, pride, heart-risings against God, coldness
of affection towards Him, backwardness to good duties, speaking
idle words, having of strife in your hearts, and such like; I say,
these things being thus, the righteousness of the law is become
too weak through this our flesh (Rom 8:3), and so, notwithstanding
all our obedience to the law, we are yet through our weakness under
the curse of the law; for, as I said before, the law is so holy,
so just, and so good, that it cannot allow that any failing or slip
should be done by them that look for life by the same. "Cursed is
every one that continuteth not in everything" (Gal 3:10). And this
Paul knew full well, which made him throw away all his righteousness.
But you will say, that was his own. Answ. But it was even that which
while he calls it his own, he also calls it the righteousness of
the law (Phil 3:7-10) and to account it but dung, but as dirt on
his shoes, and that, that he might be found in Christ, and so be
saved by Him "without the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:28). But,

3. Set the case, the righteousness of the law which thou hast was
pure and perfect, without the least flaw or fault, without the
least mixture of the least sinful thought, yet this would fall far
short of presenting of thee blameless in the sight of God. And that
I prove by these arguments--(1.) The first argument is, that that
which is not Christ cannot redeem souls from the curse, it cannot
completely present them before the Lord; now the law is not Christ;
therefore the moral law cannot, by all our obedience to it, deliver
us from the curse that is due to us (Acts 4:12). (2.) The second
argument is, that that righteousness that is not the righteousness
of faith, that is, by believing in Jesus Christ, cannot please
God; now the righteousness of the law as a Covenant of Works is
not the righteousness of faith; therefore the righteousness of the
law as acted by us, being under that covenant, cannot please God.
The first is proved in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is
impossible to please Him"; mark, it is impossible. The second thus,
"The law is not of faith" (Gal 3:12; Rom 10:5,6), compared with
Galatians 3:11. "But that no man is justified by the law in the
sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith."

But for the better understanding of those that are weak of
apprehension, I shall prove it thus--1. The soul that hath eternal
life, he must have it by right of purchase or redemption (Heb 9:12;
Eph 1:7). 2. This purchase of redemption must be through the blood
of Christ. "We have redemption through His blood." "Without shedding
of blood is no remission." Now the law is not in a capacity to die,
and so to redeem sinners by the purchase of blood, which satisfaction
justice calls for. Read the same Scriptures (Heb 9:22). Justice
calls for satisfaction, because thou hast transgressed and sinned
against it, and that must have satisfaction; therefore all that
ever thou canst do cannot bring in redemption, though thou follow
the law up the to the nail-head, as I may say, because all this
is not shedding of blood; for believe it, and know it for certain,
that though thou hadst sinned but one sin before thou didst turn
to the law, that one sin will murder thy soul, if it be not washed
away by blood, even by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, that
was shed when He did hang upon the cross on Mount Calvary.

Object. But you will say, "Methinks, that giving of ourselves up
to live a righteous life should make God like the better of us,
and so let us be saved by Christ, because we are so willing to obey
His law."

Answ. The motive that moveth God to have mercy upon sinners is not
because they are willing to follow the law, but because He is willing
to save them. "Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprighteous
of thine heart dost thou go to possess their land" (Deu 9:4-6).
Now understand this: if thy will to do righteousness was the first
moving cause why God had mercy on thee through Christ, then it must
not be freely by grace--I say, freely. But the Lord loves thee and
saves thee upon free terms, having nothing beforehand to make Him
accept of thy soul, but only the blood of Christ; therefore to allow
of such a principle it is to allow that grace is to be obtained
by the works of the law, which is as gross darkness as lies in
the darkest dungeon in Popery, and is also directly opposite to
Scripture--For we are "justified freely by His grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ"; not through the good that is in our
selves, or done by us, no, "but by faith, without"--mark that--"without
the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:24-28). Again, "Not of works, least
any man should boast" (Eph 2:9). No, no, saith he, "Not according
to our works," or righteousness, "but according to His own purpose";
mark "according to His own purpose and grace, which was" a free
gift, "given us in Christ Jesus," not lately, but "before the world
began" (2 Tim 1:9).

Object. But you will say, "Then why did God give the law, if we
cannot have salvation by following of it?"

Answ. I told you before that the law was given for these following
reasons--1. That thou mightest be convinced by it of thy sins, and
that thy sins might indeed appear very sinful unto thee, which is
done by the law these ways--(1.) By showing of thee what a holy God
He is that did give the law; and, (2.) By showing thee thy vileness
and wickedness, in that thou, contrary to this holy God, hast
transgressed against and broken this His holy Law; therefore, saith
Paul, "the law entered, that the offence might abound," that is, by
showing the creature the holiness of God, and also its own vileness
(Rom 5:20). 2. That thou mayest know that God will not damn thee for
nothing in the judgment-day. 3. Because He would have no quarreling
at His just condemning of them at that day. 4. Because He will make
thee to know that He is a holy God and pure.

WHAT MEN MAY ATTAIN TO THAT ARE UNDER THIS COVENANT OF WORKS.

[FOURTH] Quest. "But seeing you have spoken thus far, I wish you
would do so much as to show in some particulars, both what men
have done, and how far they have gone, and what they have received,
being yet under this covenant, which you call the ministration of
condemnation."

Answ. This is somewhat a difficult question, and had need be not only
warily, but also home and soundly answered. The question consists
of three particulars--First, What men have done; Second, How far
men have gone; Third, What they have received, and yet to be under
the law, or Covenant of Works, and so in a state of condemnation.

[First.] As for the first, I have spoken something in general to
that already; but for thy better understanding I shall yet speak
more particularly.

1. A man hath and may be convinced and troubled for his sins, and
yet be under this covenant, and that in a very heavy and dreadful
manner, insomuch that he find the weight of them to be intolerable
and too heavy for him to bear, as it was with Cain, "My punishment,"
saith he, "is greater than I can bear" (Gen 4:13).

2. A man living thus under a sense of his sins may repent and be
sorry for them, and yet be under this covenant, and yet be in a
damned state. And when he, Judas, saw what was done, he "repented"
(Matt 27:3).

3. Men may not only be convinced, and also repent for their sins,
but they may also desire the prayers of the children of God for
them too, and yet be under this covenant and curse, "Then Pharaoh
called for Moses and Aaron, in haste, and he said, I have sinned;
entreat the LORD your God that He may take away from me this death"
(Exo 10:16, 17).

4. A man may also humble himself for his offences and disobedience
against his God, and yet be under this covenant (1 Kings 21:24-19).

5. A man may make restitution unto men for the offence he hath done
unto them, and yet be under this covenant.

6. A man may do much work for God in his generation, and yet be
under this first covenant; as Jehu, who did do that which God bid
him (2 Kings 9:25, 26). And yet God threateneth even Jehu, because
though he did do the thing that the Lord commanded him, yet he did
it not from a right principle; for had he, the Lord would not have
said, "Yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel
upon the house of Jehu" (Hosea 1:4).

7. Men may hear and fear the servants of the Lord, and reverence
them very highly; yea, and when they hear, they may not only hear,
but hear and do, and that gladly too, not one or two things, but
many; mark, many things gladly, and yet be lost, and yet be damned,
"For Herod feared John," why? not because he had any civil power
over him, but because "he was a just man and an holy, and observed
him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly"
(Mark 6:20). It may be that thou thinkest that because thou hearest
such and such, therefore thou art better than thy neighbours; but
know for certain that thou mayest not only hear, but thou mayest
hear and do, and that not with a backward will, but gladly--mark,
"gladly"--and yet be Herod still, an enemy to the Lord Jesus still.
Consider this, I pray you.

Second. But to the second thing, which is this, How far may such
an one go? To what may such an one attain? Whither may he arrive,
and yet be an undone man, under this covenant? [1] answer--

1. Such an one may be received into fellowship with the saints, as
they are in a visible way of walking one with another; they may
walk hand in hand together, "The Kingdom of Heaven," that is, a
visible company of professors of Christ, is likened to ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom, "five
of them were wise, and five were foolish" (Matt 25:1,2). These,
in the first place, are called virgins--that is, such as are clear
from the pollutions of the world; secondly, they are said to go
forth--that is, from the rudiments and traditions of men; thirdly,
they do agree to take their lamps with them--that is, to profess
themselves the servants of Jesus Christ, that wait upon Him, and
for Him; and yet when He came, He found half of them, even the
virgins, that had lamps, that also went forth from the pollutions
of the world and the customs of men, to be such as lost their
precious souls (verse 12) which they should not have done, had they
been under the Covenant of Grace, and so not under the law.

2. They may attain to a great deal of honour in the said company
of professors, that which may be accounted honour, insomuch that
they may be put in trust with church affairs, and bear the bag, as
Judas did. I speak not this to shame the saints, but, being beloved,
I warn them; yet I speak this on purpose that it might, if the Lord
will, knock at the door of the souls of professors. Consider Demas!

3. They may attain to speak of the Word as ministers, and become
preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, insomuch that the people
where they dwell may even take up a proverb concerning them, saying,
"Is he among the prophets?" his gifts may be so rare, his tongue
may be so fluent, and his matter may be so fit, that he may speak
with a tongue like an angel, and speak of the hidden mysteries,
yea, of them all; mark that, and yet be nothing, and yet be none
of the Lord's anointed ones, with the Spirit of grace savingly,
but may live and die under the curse of the law (1 Cor 13:1-4).

4. They may go yet further; they may have the gifts of the Spirit
of God, which may enable them to cast out devils, to remove the
biggest hills or mountains in the world; nay, thou mayest be so
gifted as to prophesy of things to come, the most glorious things,
even the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all His
enemies, and yet be but a Balaam, a wicked and a mad prophet (2
Peter 2:16; Num 24:16-25).

5. There may not only stand thus for awhile, for a little season,
but they may stand thus till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with His holy angels; ay, and not be discovered of the saints till
that very day. "Then all those virgins arose,"--the wise and the
foolish; then! when? why, when this voice was heard, "Behold the
Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him" (Matt 25:1-6). And yet
were out of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet were under the law.

6. Nay, further, they may not only continue in a profession till
then, supposing themselves to be under the grace of the Gospel,
when indeed they are under the curse of the law, but even when the
Bridegroom is come, they may still be so confident of their state
to be good, that they will even reason out the case with Christ why
they are not let into the kingdom of glory, saying, "Lord, Lord,
we have eaten and drunk in Thy presence; and Thou hast taught in
our streets." Nay, further, "Have we not prophesied in Thy name?
and in Thy name have cast out devils?" Nay, not only thus, but,
"done many," mark, we have "done many wonderful works." Nay, further,
they were so confident, that they commanded, in a commanding way,
saying, "Lord, open to us." See here, I beseech you, how far these
went; they thought they had had intimate acquaintance with Jesus
Christ, they thought He could not choose but save them; they had eat
and drunk with Him, sat at the table with Him, received power from
Him, executed the same power. In Thy name have we done thus and thus;
even wrought many wonderful works (Matt 7:22; Luke 13:25,26). And
yet these poor creatures were shut out of the kingdom. O consider
this, I beseech you, before it be too late, lest you say, Lord, let
us come in, when Christ saith, Thrust him out (Verse 28). Hears you
cry, "Lord open to us," when He saith, "Depart, I know you not";
lest though you think of having joy, you have "weeping and gnashing
of teeth."

Third. But the third thing touched in the question was this--What
may such an one receive of God who is under the curse of the law?

1. They may receive an answer to their prayers from God at some
times, for some things as they do stand in need of. I find in
Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith
were cast out (Gen 21:17). "And God heard the voice of the lad,"
even of cast-out Ishmael; "and the angel of God called to Hagar"
which was the bond-woman, and under the law (Gal 4:30). "out of
heaven, and said unto her, Fear not; for God hath heard the voice
of the lad where he is." Friends, it may be you may think, because
you have your prayers answered in some particular things, therefore
you may suppose that as to your eternal state your condition is very
good. But you must know that God doth hear the cry of a company of
Ishmaelites, the sons of the bondwomen, who are under the law as a
Covenant of Works. I do not say He hears them as to their eternal
state, but He heareth them as to several straits that they go through
in this life, ay, and gives them ease and liberty from their trouble.
Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water, and
he cried, and God heard him, yea, He heard him out of Heaven. Read
also Psalm 107:23-29. "He gave them their desire, but He
sent leanness into their soul" (Psa 106:15). 7

But some may say, Methinks this is yet more strange that God should
hear the prayers, the cries of those that are under the law, and
answer them. Answ. I told you before, He doth not hear them as to
their eternal state, but as to their temporal state; for God as
their Creator hath a care for them, and causeth the sun to shine
upon them, and the rain to distill upon their substance (Matt
5:45). Nay, He doth give the beasts in the field their appointed
food, and doth hear the young ravens when they cry, which are far
inferior to man (Psa 147:9). I say, therefore, that God doth hear
the cries of His creatures, and doth answer them too, though not
as to their eternal state; but may damn them nevertheless when they
die for all that.

2. They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are
many that have promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent
way, and yet, as I said before, are such as are cast out and called
the children of the bond-woman, which is the law--"And the angel
of God called to Hagar out of Heaven," that was the bond-woman,
saying, "Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where
he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; FOR
I WILL MAKE HIM,"--mark, there is the promise,--"for I will make
him," of the son of the bond-woman, "a great nation" (Gen 21:17,18).

3. Nay, they may go further; for they may receive another heart
than they had before, and yet be under the law. There is no man,
I think, but those that do not know what they say, that will think
or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace; yet after he had
talked with Samuel, and had turned his back to go from him, saith
the Scripture, "God gave him another heart" (1 Sam 10:9). Another
heart, mark that, and yet an out-cast, a rejected person (1 Sam
15:26,29). Friends, I beseech you, let not these things offend
you, but let them rather beget in your hearts an inquiring into
the truth of your condition, and be willing to be searched to
the bottom; and also, that everything which hath not been planted
by the Lord's right hand may be rejected, and that there may be a
reaching after better things, even the things that will not only
make thy soul think thy state is good now, but that thou mayest be
able to look sin, death, Hell, the curse of the law, together with
the Judge, in the face with comfort, having such a real, sound,
effectual work of God's grace in thy soul, that when thou hearest
the trumpet sound, seest the graves fly open, and the dead
come creeping forth out of their holes; when thou shalt see the
judgment set, the books opened, and all the world standing before
the judgment-seat; I say, that then thou mayest stand, and have
that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul, "Come, ye blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world" (Matt 25:34).

[Objection to this head.] But, you will say, for all this, We cannot
believe that we are under the law, for these reasons--As, First.
Because we have found a change in our hearts. Second. Because we
do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any. Third. Because,
for our parts, we judge ourselves far from legal principles; for we
are got up into as perfect a Gospel order, as to matter of practice
and discipline in church affairs, as any this day in England, as
we judge.

[Answer to reason first.] That man's belief that is grounded upon
anything done in him, or by him only, that man's belief is not grounded
upon the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and intercession
of Jesus Christ; for that man that hath indeed good ground of his
eternal salvation, his faith is settled upon that object which God
is well pleased or satisfied withal, which is that man that was
born of Mary, even her first-born Son--that is, he doth apply by
faith to his soul the virtues of His death, blood, righteousness,
etc., and doth look for satisfaction of soul nowhere else than from
that, neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as
to justification any other ways; but doth willingly and cheerfully
accept of and embrace the virtues of Christ's death, together with
the rest of His things done by Himself on the cross as a sacrifice,
and since also as a priest, advocate, mediator, etc.; and doth
so really and effectually receive the glories of the same, that
thereby--mark that--thereby he is "changed into the same image,
from glory to glory" (2 Cor 3:18). Thus in general; but yet more
particular--

1. To think that your condition is good because there is some
change in you from a loose profane life, to a more close, honest,
and civil life and conversation; I say, to think this testimony
sufficient to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very
dangerous. First, because such a soul doth not only lay the stress
of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the
cross; but secondly, because that his confidence is not grounded
upon the Saviour of sinners, but upon his turning from gross sins
to a more refined life,--and it may be to the performance of some
good duties--which is no Saviour; I say, this is very dangerous;
therefore read it, and the Lord help you to understand it; for
unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon
the merits of another man--namely, Jesus--and that by what He did
do and is adoing without you, for certain, as sure as God is in
Heaven, your souls will perish. And this must not be notionally
neither, as with an assenting of the understanding only; but it must
be by the wonderful, invisible, invincible power of the Almighty
God, working in your souls by His Spirit such a real, saving, holy
faith, that can, through the operation of the same Spirit by which
it is wrought, lay hold on and apply these most heavenly, most
excellent, most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus, not
only to your heads and fancies, but to your very souls and consciences,
so effectually, that you may be able by the same faith to challenge
the power, madness, malice, rage, and destroying nature either of
sin, the law, death, the devil, together with Hell and all other
evils, throwing your souls upon the death, burial, resurrection,
and intercession of that man Jesus without (Rom 8:32-39). But,

2. Do you think that there was no change in the five foolish
virgins spoken of (Matt 25:1-3). Yes; there was such a change in
those very people, that the five wise ones could give them admittance
of walking with them in the most pure ways and institutions of the
Gospel of Christ, and yet but foolish; nay, they walked with them,
or shall walk with them, until the Lord Jesus Christ shall break
down from Heaven, and yet be but foolish virgins, and yet but under
the law, and so under the curse, as I said before.

[Second part of objection.] But, say you, We have disowned the
Covenant of Works, and turned from that also.

[Answer to reason second.] This is sooner said than done. Alas, alas!
poor souls think because they say, "Grace, grace, it is freely by
grace," therefore they are under the Covenant of Grace. A very wide
mistake. You must understand thus much, that though you be such as
can speak of the grace of the Gospel, yet if you yourselves be not
brought under the very Covenant of Grace, you are yet, notwithstanding
your talk and profession, very far wide of a sense and of a share
in the Covenant of the Grace of God held forth in the Gospel.

The Jews were of a clearer understanding many of them than to
conclude that the law, and only the law, was the way to salvation;
for they, even they that received not the Christ of God, did expect
a Saviour should come (John 7:27,41-43). But they were men that
had not the Gospel Spirit, which alone is able to lead them to the
very life, marrow, or substance of the Gospel in right terms; and
so being muddy in their understandings, being between the thoughts
of a Saviour and the thoughts of the works of the law, thinking
that they must be accomplished for the obtaining of a Saviour, and
His mercy towards them; I say, between these they fell short of a
Saviour. As many poor souls in these days, they think they must be
saved alone by the Saviour, yet they think there is something to
be done on their parts for the obtaining of the good-will of the
Saviour, as their humiliation for sin, their turning from the same,
their promises, and vows, and resolutions to become new men, join
in church-fellowship, and what not; and thus they, bringing this
along with them as a means to help them, they fall short of eternal
salvation if they are not converted; see that Scripture (Rom
9:30-32). The Apostle saith there, that they that sought not did
obtain, when they that did seek fell short. "What shall we say then?"
saith he. "That the Gentiles which sought not after righteousness,
have attained to righteousness," yea, "even the righteousness
which is of faith." And what else? Why, "but Israel which followed
after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of
righteousness." How came that to pass? "Because," saith he, "they
sought it not by faith, but as it were"--mark, he doth not say,
altogether, no, "but as it were"--that is, because as they sought,
they did a little by the bye lean upon the works of the law. And
let me tell you, that this is such a hard thing to beat men off of,
that though Paul himself did take the work in hand, he did find
enough to do touching it; how is he fain to labour in the ten
first chapters of his Epistle to the Romans, for the establishing
of those that did even profess largely in the doctrine of grace, and
also in that Epistle to the Galatians; and yet lost many, do what
he could. Now, the reason why the doctrine of grace doth so hardly
down--even with professors--in truth, effectually, it is because
there is a principle naturally in man that doth argue against the
same, and that thus: Why, saith the soul, I am a sinner, and God
is righteous, holy, and just; His holy Law, therefore, having been
broken by me, I must, by all means, if ever I look to be saved,
in the first place, be sorry for my sins; secondly, turn from the
same; thirdly, follow after good duties, and practise the good
things of the law and ordinances of the Gospel, and so hope that
God for Christ's sake may forgive all my sins; which is not the
way to God as a Father in Christ, but the way, the very way to come
to God by the Covenant of Works, or the law, which things I shall
more fully clear when I speak to the second doctrine.

Again, therefore, those that this day profess the Gospel, for
the generality of them they are such, that, notwithstanding their
profession, they are very ignorant of that glorious influence and
lustre of the same; I say, they are ignorant of the virtue and
efficacy of the glorious things of Christ held forth by and in
the Gospel, which doth argue their not being under the Covenant of
Grace, but rather under the law or old covenant (2 Cor 4:3). As,
for instance, if you do come among some professors of the Gospel,
in general you shall have them pretty busy and ripe; also able to
hold you in a very large discourse in several points of the same
glorious Gospel; but if you come to the same people and ask them
concerning heart-work, or what work the Gospel hath wrought on
them, and what appearance they have had of the sweet influences and
virtues on their souls and consciences, it may be they will give
you such an answer as this--I do find by the preaching thereof that
I am changed, and turned from my sins in a good measure, and also
have learned (but only in tongue), to distinguish between the law
and the Gospel, so that for the one--that is, for the Gospel--I
can plead, and also can show the weakness and unprofitableness of
the other. And thus far, it is like they may go, which is not far
enough to prove them under the Covenant of Grace, though they may
have their tongues so largely tipped with the profession of the
same (2 Peter 2:20) where he saith "For if after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ," which was not a saving knowledge, "they are
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end" of that man
"is worse than the beginning" (Matt 25:1-4, etc.; Matt 7:22).

Object. But, you will say, is not this a fair declaring of the work
of grace, or doth it not discover that, without all gainsaying,
we are under the Covenant of Grace, when we are able, not only to
speak of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also to tell,
and that by experience, that we have been changed from worse to
better, from sin to a holy life, by leaving of the same, and that
by hearing of the Word preached?

Answer 1. A man may, in the first place, be able to talk of all
the mysteries of the Gospel, and that like an angel of God, and yet
be no more in God's account than the sounding of a drum, brass, or
the tinkling of a cymbal, which are things that, notwithstanding
their sound and great noise, are absolutely void of life and motion,
and so are accounted with God as nothing--that is, no Christians,
no believers, not under the Covenant of Grace for all that (1 Cor
13:1-4). 2. Men may not only do this, but may also be changed in
reality, for a season, from what they formerly were, and yet be
nothing at all in the Lord's account as to an eternal blessing.
Read 2 Peter 2:20, the Scripture which I mentioned before; for,
indeed, that one Scripture is enough to prove all that I desire to
say as to this very thing; for, if you observe, there is enfolded
therein these following things--(1.) That reprobates may attain to
a knowledge of Christ. (2.) This knowledge may be of such weight
and force, that, for the present, it may make them escape the
pollutions of the world, and this by hearing the Gospel. "For if
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end of that man is worse
than the beginning." [Some professors, take them at the best, they
are but like dogs, spewing out their filth for a time.] Now that
they are reprobates, dogs, or sows, read further; "But," saith he,
"it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog
is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to
her wallowing in the mire" (Verse 22).

[Third part of objection.] The last part of the objection. But, say
you, our practices in the worship of God shall testify for us that
we are not under the law; for we have by God's goodness attained to
as exact a way of waking in the ordinances of God, and as near the
examples of the Apostles, as ever any churches since the primitive
times, as we judge.

[Answer to reason third.] What then? Do you think that the walking
in the order of the churches of old, as to matter of outward worship,
is sufficient to clear you of your sins at the judgment-day? or, do
you think that God will be contented with a little bodily subjection
to that which shall vanish and fade like a flower, when the Lord
shall come from Heaven in flaming fire, with His mighty angels (2
Thess 1:7,8). Alas, alas, how will such professors as these are fall
before the judgment-seat of Christ! Then such a question as this,
"Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment?"
will make them be speechless, and fall down into everlasting
burnings, thousands on a heap; for you must know that it is not
then your crying, Lord, Lord, that will stand you in stead; not
your saying, We have ate and drank in Thy presence, that will keep
you from standing on the left hand of Christ. It is the principle
as well as the practice that shall be inquired into at that day.

Quest. The principle, you will say, what do you mean by that?

Answ. My meaning is, the Lord Jesus Christ will then inquire
and examine whether the spirit from which you acted was legal or
evangelical--that is, whether it was the Spirit of adoption that
did draw you out to the thing you took in hand, or a mere moral
principle, together with some shallow and common illuminations into
the outward way of the worship of God, according to Gospel rule.

Quest. But, you will say, it is like, How should this be made
manifest and appear?

Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth--First,
then, that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God--namely,
as prayer, baptism, breaking of bread, reading, hearing, alms-deeds,
or the like; I say, he that doth practise any of these, or such like,
supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul,
he doth do what he doth from a legal, and not from an evangelical
or Gospel spirit: as thus--for a man to suppose that God will hear
him for his prayer's sake, for his alm's sake, for his humiliation's
sake, or because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter,
whereas there is no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God
by our prayers or whatever we can do; I say, there is no such way
to have reconciliation with God in. And so also for men to think,
because they are got into such and such an ordinance, and have
crowded themselves into such and such a society, that therefore
they have got pretty good shelter from the wrath of the Almighty;
when, alas, poor souls, there is no such thing. No, but God will
so set His face against such professors, that His very looks will
make them to tear their very flesh; yea, make them to wish would
they had the biggest millstone in the world hanged about their
neck, and they cast into the midst of the sea. For, friends, let me
tell you, though you can now content yourselves without the holy,
harmless, undefiled, perfect righteousness of Christ; yet there
is a day a-coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved
but those that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness;
God will say to all the rest, "Take them, bind them hand and foot,
and cast them into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth" (Matt 22:13). For Christ will not say unto men in that
day, Come, which of you made a profession of Me, and walked in
church-fellowship with My saints: no; but then it shall be inquired
into, who have the reality of the truth of grace wrought in their
hearts. And, for certain, he that misseth of that shall surely be
cast into the Lake of Fire, there to burn with the devils and damned
men and women; there to undergo the wrath of an eternal God, and
that not for a day, a month, a year, but for ever, for ever, for
ever and ever; there is that which cutteth to the quick. Therefore,
look to it, and consider now what you do, and whereon you hang your
souls; for it is not every pin that will hold in the judgment, not
every foundation that will be able to hold up the house against
those mighty, terrible, soul-drowning floods and destroying tempests
which then will roar against the soul and body of a sinner (Luke
6:47-49). And, if the principle be rotten, all will fall, all
will come to nothing. Now, the principle is this--Not to do things
because we would be saved, but to do them from this--namely, because
we do really believe that we are and shall be saved. But do not
mistake me; I do not say we should slight any holy duties; God
forbid; but I say, he that doth look for life because he doth do
good duties, he is under the Covenant of Works, the law; let his
duties be never so eminent, so often, so fervent, so zealous. Ay,
and I say, as I said before, that if any man or men, or multitudes
of people, do get into never so high, so eminent; and clear practices
and Gospel order, as to church discipline, if it be done to this
end I have been speaking of, from this principle, they must and
shall have these sad things fall to their share which I have made
mention of.

Object. But, you will say, can a man use Gospel ordinances with a
legal spirit?

Answ. Yes, as easily as the Jews could use and practise circumcision,
though not the moral or Ten Commandments. For this I shall be
bold to affirm, that it is not the commands of the New Testament
administration that can keep a man from using of its self [that
administration] in a legal spirit; for know this for certain, that
it is the principle, not the command, that makes the subjector to
the same either legal or evangelical, and so his obedience from
that command to be from legal convictions or evangelical principles.

Now, herein the devil is wondrous subtle and crafty, in suffering
people to practise the ordinances and commands of the Gospel, if
they do but do them in a legal spirit, [I beseech you, do not think
because I say this, therefore I am against the ordinances of the
Gospel, for I do honour them in their places, yet would not that
any of them should be idolized, or done in a wrong spirit,] from
a spirit of works; for he knows then, that if he can but get the
soul to go on in such a spirit, though they do never so many duties,
he shall hold them sure enough; for he knows full well that thereby
they do set up something in the room of, or, at the least, to have
some, though but a little, share with the Lord Jesus Christ in
their salvation; and if he can but get thee here, he knows that he
shall cause thee by thy depending a little upon the one, and so
thy whole dependence being not upon the other, that is, Christ, and
taking of him upon his own terms, thou wilt fall short of life by
Christ, though thou do very much busy thyself in a suitable walking,
in an outward conformity to the several commands of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And let me tell you plainly, that I do verily believe
that as Satan by his instruments did draw many of the Galatians
by circumcision (though, I say, it was none of the commands of the
moral law) to be debtors to do upon pain of eternal damnation the
whole of the moral law, so also Satan, in the time of the Gospel,
doth use even the commands laid down in the Gospel, some of them,
to bind the soul over to do the same law; the thing being done
and walked in, by and in the spirit; for, as I said before, it is
not the obedience to the command that makes the subjector thereto
evangelical, or of a Gospel spirit; but, contrariwise, the principle
that leads out the soul to the doing of the command, that makes
the persons that do thus practise any command, together with the
command by them practised, either legal or evangelical. As, for
instance, prayer--it is a Gospel command; yet if he that prays
doth it in a legal spirit, he doth make that which in itself is a
Gospel command an occasion of leading him into a Covenant of Works,
inasmuch as he doth it by and in that old covenant spirit.

Again; giving of alms is a Gospel command; yet if I do give alms
from a legal principle, the command to me is not Gospel, but legal,
and it binds me over, as aforesaid, to do the whole law--"For
he is not a Jew," nor a Christian, "which is one outwardly"--that
is, one only by an outward subjection to the ordinances of prayer,
hearing, reading, baptism, breaking of bread, etc.--"But he is a
Jew," a Christian, "which is one inwardly," who is rightly principled,
and practiseth the ordinances of the Lord from the leadings forth
of the Spirit of the Lord, from a true and saving faith in the
Lord (Rom 2:28,29). Those men spoken of in the 7th of Matthew, for
certain, for all their great declaration, did not do what they did
from a right Gospel spirit; for had they, no question but the Lord
would have said, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But in
that the Lord Jesus doth turn them away into Hell, notwithstanding
their great profession of the Lord, and of their doing in His name,
it is evident that notwithstanding all that they did do, they were
still under the law, and not under that covenant as true believers
are--to wit, the Covenant of Grace; and if so, then all their duties
that they did, of which they boasted before the Lord, was not in
and by a right evangelical principle or spirit.

Again, saith the Apostle, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," (Rom
14:23); but there are some that do even practise baptism, breaking
of bread, together with other ordinances, and yet are unbelievers;
therefore unbelievers doing these things, they are not done in
faith but sin. Now to do these things in sin, or without faith, it
is not to do things in an evangelical or Gospel spirit; also they
that do these things in a legal spirit, the very practising of them
renders them not under the law of Christ, as Head of His Church,
but the works they do are so much contradiction to the Gospel of
God, or the Covenant of Grace, that they that do them thus do even
set up against the Covenant of Grace; and the very performance of
them is of such force that it is sufficient to drown them that are
subjects thereunto, even under the Covenant of Works; but this poor
souls are not aware of, and there is their misery.

Quest. But have you no other way to discover the things of the
Gospel, how they are done with a legal principle, but those you
have already made mention of?

Answ. That thou mightest be indeed satisfied herein, I shall show
you the very manner and way that a legal, or old-covenant-converted
professor, bear with the terms, doth take both in the beginning,
middle, and the end of his doing of any duty or command, or whatsoever
it be that he doth do. 1. He thinking this or that to be his duty,
and considering of the same, he is also presently persuaded in
his own conscience that God will not accept of him if he leave it
undone; he seeing that he is short of his duty, as he supposeth,
while this is undone by him, and also judging that God is angry with
him until the thing be done, he, in the second place, sets to the
doing of the duty, to the end he may be able to pacify his conscience
by doing of the same, persuading of himself that now the Lord is
pleased with him for doing of it. 2. Having done it, he contents
himself, sits down at his ease, until some further convictions of
his duty to be done, which when he seeth and knoweth, he doth do
it as aforesaid, from the same principle as he did the former, and
so goeth on in his progress of profession. This is to do things
from a legal principle, and from an old-covenant spirit; for thus
runs that covenant, "The man that doth these things shall live in
them," of "by them" (Lev 18:5; Gal 3:12; Rom 10:5). But more of
this in the use of this doctrine.

Object. But, you will say, by these words of yours you do seem
to deny that there are conditional promises in the Gospel, as is
clear, in that you strike at such practices as are conditional,
and commanded to be done upon the same.

Answ. The thing that I strike at is this, that a man in or with a
legal spirit should not, nay, cannot, do any conditional command
of the Gospel acceptably, as to his eternal state, because he doth
it in an old-covenant spirit. "No man putteth new wine into old
bottles"; but new wine must have new bottles, a Gospel command must
have a Gospel spirit, or else the wine will break the bottles, or
the principle will break the command.

Object. Then you do grant that there are conditional promises in
the New Testament, as in the moral law, or Ten Commands.

Answ. Though this be true, yet the conditional promises in the
New Testament do not call to the same people in the same state of
unregeneracy to fulfill them upon the same conditions.

The Law and the Gospel being two distinct covenants, they are made
in divers ways, and the nature of the conditions also being not
the same, as saith the Apostle, the righteousness of the law saith
one thing, and the righteousness of faith saith another (Rom 10:4-6).
That is, the great condition in the law is, If you do these things,
you shall live by them; but the condition, even the greatest condition
laid down for a poor soul to do, as to salvation--for it is that
we speak of--is to believe that my sins be forgiven me for Jesus
Christ's sake, without the works or righteousness of the law, on my
part, to help forward. "To him that worketh not," saith the Apostle
[that is] for salvation, "but believeth on Him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith"--mark, "his faith is counted for righteousness"
(Rom 4:5). So that we, saith, he, "conclude that a man is justified
by faith without"--mark again, "without the deeds of the law" (Rom
3:28).

But again; there is never a condition in the Gospel that can
be fulfilled by an unbeliever; and therefore, whether there be
conditions or whether there be none, it makes no matter to thee
who art without the faith of Christ; for it is impossible for thee
in that state to do them, so as to be ever the better as to thy
eternal estate; therefore, lest thou shouldst split thy soul upon
the conditions laid down in the Gospel, as thou wilt do if thou go
about to do them only with a legal spirit; but, I say, to prevent
this, see if thou canst fulfill the first condition; that is, to
believe that all thy sins are forgiven thee, not for any condition
that hath been or can be done by thee, but merely for the Man's sake
that did hang on Mount Calvary, between two thieves, some sixteen
hundred years ago and odd. And, I say, see if thou canst believe
that at that time He did, when He hanged on the Cross, give full
satisfaction, for all thy sins, before thou in thy person hadst
committed ever a one. I say, see if thou canst believe this; and
take heed thou deceive not thyself with an historical, notional,
or traditional acknowledgment of the same. And, secondly, see if
thou canst so well fulfill this condition, that the very virtue
and efficacy that it hath on thy soul will engage thee to fulfill
those other conditions, really in love to that Man whom thou
shouldst believe hath frankly and freely forgiven thee all, without
any condition acted by thee to move Him thereto, according to that
saying in 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; and then thy doing will arise
from a contrary principle than otherwise it will do--that is, then
thou wilt not act and do because thou wouldst be accepted of God,
but because thou hast some good hope in thy heart that thou art
accepted of Him already, and not on thine, but wholly and alone
upon another man's account; for here runs the Gospel spirit of
faith: "We believe,"--mark, "We believe, and therefore speak." So
we believe, and therefore do (2 Cor 4:13). Take heed, therefore,
that you do not DO, that you may believe, but rather believe
so effectually that you may DO, even all that Jesus doth require
of you from a right principle, even out of love to your dear Lord
Jesus Christ, which thing I shall speak to more fully by and by.

Object. But what do you mean by those expressions? Do not do that
you may believe, but believe so effectually that you may do.

Answ. When I say, Do not do that you may believe, I mean, do
not think that any of the things that thou canst do will procure
or purchase faith from God unto thy soul; for that is still the
old-covenant spirit, the spirit of the law, to think to have it for
thy doing. They that are saved, they are saved by grace, through
faith, and that not of themselves, not for anything that they can
do, for they are both the free gift of God, "Not of" doing, or of
"works, lest any man should," be proud, and "boast" (Eph 2:8,9).
Now, some people be so ignorant as to think that God will give them
Christ, and so all the merits of His, if they will be but valiant,
and do something to please God, that they may obtain Him at His
hands; but let me tell them, they may lose a thousand souls quickly,
if they had so many, by going this way to work, and yet be never
the better; for the Lord doth not give His Christ to any upon such
conditions, but He doth give Him freely; that is, without having
respect to anything that is in thee (Rev 22:17; Isa 55:1,2). To him
that is athirst will I give; He doth not say, I will sell; but, I
will give him the water of life freely (Rev 21:6).

Now, if Christ doth give it, and that freely, then He doth not
sell if for anything that is in the creature; but Christ doth give
Himself, as also doth His Father, and that freely, not because
there is anything in us, or done by us, that moves Him thereunto.
If it were by doing, then, saith Paul, "Grace is not grace," seeing
it is obtained by works; but grace is grace, and that is the reason
it is given to men without their works. And if it be by grace,
that is, if it be a free gift from God, without anything foreseen
as done, or to be done, by the creature, then it is not of works,
which is clear; therefore it is grace, without the works of the
law. But if you say, Nay, it is of something in the man done by
him that moves God thereunto; then you must conclude that either
grace is no grace, or else that works are grace and not works. Do
but read with understanding (Rom 11:6).

Now before I go any further, it may be necessary to speak a word
or two to some poor souls that are willing to close in with Jesus
Christ, and would willingly take Him upon His own terms, only
they being muddy in their minds, and have not yet attained the
understanding of the terms and conditions of the two covenants,
they are kept off from closing with Christ; and all is, because
they see they can do nothing [to merit His favour]. As, for example,
come to some souls, and ask them how they do, they will tell you
presently that they are so bad that it is not to be expressed. If
you bid them believe in Jesus Christ, they will answer that they
cannot believe; if you ask them why they cannot believe, they will
answer, because their hearts are so hard, so dead, so dull, so
backward to good duties; and if their hearts were but better, if
they were more earnest, if they could pray better, and keep their
hearts more from running after sin, then they could believe; but
should they believe with such vile hearts, and presume to believe
in Christ, and be so filthy? Now all this is because the spirit of
the law still ruleth in such souls, and blinds them so that they
cannot see the terms of the Gospel. To clear this, take the substance
or the drift of these poor souls, which is this--"If I were better,
then I think I could believe; but being so bad as I am, that
is the reason that I cannot." This is just to do something that I
may believe, to work that I may have Christ, to do the law that I
may have the Gospel; or thus, to be righteous that I may come to
Christ. O man! thou must go quite back again, thou art out of the
way, thou must believe, because thou canst not pray, because thou
canst not do; thou must believe, because there is nothing in thee
naturally that is good, or desireth after good, or else thou wilt
never come to Christ as a sinner; and if so, then Christ will not
receive thee; and if so, then thou mayest see that to keep off
from Christ because thou canst not do, is to be kept from Christ
by the law, and to stand off from Him because thou canst not buy
Him. Thus having spoken something by the way for the direction of
those souls that would come to Christ, I shall return to the former
discourse, wherein ariseth this objection--

Object. But you did but even now put souls upon fulfilling the
first condition of the Gospel, even to believe in Christ, and so
be saved; but now you say it is alone by grace, without condition;
and therefore by these words, there is first a contradiction to your
former sayings, and also that men may be saved without the condition
of faith, which to me seems a very strange thing. I desire, therefore,
that you would clear out what you have said, to my satisfaction.

Answer, 1. Though there be a condition commanded in the Gospel,
yet He that commands the condition doth not leave His children to
their own natural abilities, that in their own strength they should
fulfill them, as the law doth; but the same God that doth command
that the condition be fulfilled, even He doth help His children
by His Holy Spirit to fulfill the same condition; "For it is God
which worketh in you,"--mark "in you," believers, "both to will
and to do of His own good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). "Thou also hast
wrought all our works in us, and for us" (Isa 26:12). So that, if
the condition be fulfilled, it is not done by the ability of the
creature. But,

2. Faith, as it is a gift of God, or an act of ours, take it which
way you will, if we speak properly of salvation, it is not the first
nor the second cause of our salvation, but the third, and that but
instrumentally neither--that is, it only layeth hold of and applieth
to us that which saveth us, which is the love of God, through the
merits of Christ, which are the two main causes of our salvation,
without which all other things are nothing, whether it be faith,
hope, love, or whatever can be done by us. And to this the great
Apostle of the Gentiles speaks fully, for, saith he, "God, who
is rich in mercy, loved us, even when we were dead in sins" (Eph
2:4,5). That is, when we were without faith, and that was the cause
why we believed for He thereby hath quickened us together, through
the meritorious cause, which is Christ, and so hath saved us by
grace--that is, of His own voluntary love and good will; the effect
of which was this, He gave us faith to believe in Christ. Read
soberly Ephesians 2:4-8. Faith, as the gift of God, is not the
Saviour, as our act doth merit nothing; faith was not the cause
that God gave Christ as the first, neither is it the cause why God
converts men to Christ; but faith is a gift bestowed upon us by the
gracious God, the nature of which is to lay hold on Christ, that
God afore did give for a ransom to redeem sinners; this faith hath
its nourishment and supplies from the same God that at the first
did give it, and is the only instrument, through the Spirit, that
doth keep the soul in a comfortable frame, both to do and suffer for
Christ; helps the soul to receive comfort from Christ when it can
get none from itself, beareth up the soul in its progress heavenwards.
But that it is the first cause of salvation, that I deny, or that
it is the second, I deny; but it is only the instrument, or hand,
that receiveth the benefits, that God hath prepared for thee before
thou hadst any faith; so that we do nothing for salvation as we
are men. But if we speak properly, it was God's grace that moved
Him to give Christ a ransom for sinners; and the same God, with
the same grace, that doth give to the soul faith to believe, and
so, by believing, to close in with Him whom God out of His love
and pity did send into the world to save sinners, so that all the
works of the creature are shut out as to justification and life,
and men are saved freely by grace. I shall speak no more here; but
in my discourse upon the second covenant, I shall answer a Hell-bred
objection or two, to forewarn sinners how they turn the grace of
God into wantonness.

And thus, you see, I have briefly spoken to you something touching
the law. First, what it is, and when given; secondly, how sad those
men's conditions are that are under it; thirdly, who they are that
be under it; fourthly, how far they may go, and what they may do
and receive, and yet be under it; which hath been done by way of
answers to several questions, for the better satisfaction of those
that may stand in doubt of the truth of what hath been delivered.

Now, in the next place, I shall come to some application of the
truth of that which hath been spoken; but I shall in the first
place speak something to the second doctrine, and then afterwards
I shall speak something by way of use and application to this first
doctrine.

[DOCTRINE SECOND.]

The second doctrine now to be spoken to is, TO SHOW THAT THE PEOPLE
OF GOD ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE--"For ye are not under
the law, but under grace" (Rom 6:14).

You may well remember that from these words I did observe these
two great truths of the Lord--FIRST, That there are some in Gospel
times that are under the law, or Covenant of Works. SECOND, That
there is never a believer under the law, or Covenant of Works,
but under grace. I have spoken something to the former of these
truths--to wit, that there are some under the law, together with
who they are, and what their condition is, that are under it. Now
I am to speak to the second, and to show you who they are, and what
their condition is, that are under that [Covenant of Grace].

But before I come to that, I shall speak a few words to show you
what the word "grace" in this place signifies; [I touched upon
this in the first doctrine] for the word "grace" in the Scripture
referreth sometimes to favour with men (Gen 33:10; 39:4; 50:4).
Sometimes to holy qualifications of saints (2 Cor 8:7). And sometimes
to hold forth the condescension of Christ in coming down from the
glory which He had with His Father before the world was, to be
made of no reputation, and a servant to men (2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:7).
Again: sometimes it is taken for the free, rich, and unchangeable
love of God to man, through Jesus Christ, that for our cause and
sakes did make Himself poor; and so it is to be understood in these
words, "For ye are not under the law," to be cursed, and damned, and
sent headlong to Hell, "but" you are "under grace," to be saved,
to be pardoned, to be preserved, "and kept by the mighty power
of God, through faith," which alone is the gift of grace, "unto
eternal glory." This one Scripture alone proves the same--"For by
grace are ye saved" (Eph 2:8), by free grace, by rich grace, by
unchangeable grace. And you are saved from the curse of the law;
from the power, guilt, and filth of sin; from the power, malice,
madness, and rage of the devil; from the wishes, curses, and desires
of wicked men; from the hot, scalding, flaming, fiery furnace
of Hell; from being arraigned as malefactors, convinced, judged,
condemned, and fettered with the chains of our sins to the devils
to all eternity; and all this freely, freely by His grace (Rom
3:24) by rich grace unchangeable grace; for, saith He, "I am the
LORD, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed"
(Mal 3:6). This is grace indeed.

The word "grace," therefore, in this Scripture (Rom 6:14) is to be
understood of the free love of God in Christ to sinners, by virtue
of the new covenant, in delivering them from the power of sin,
from the curse and condemning power of the old covenant, from the
destroying nature of sin, by its continual workings; as is all
evident if you read with understanding the words as they lie--"For,"
saith he, "sin shall not have dominion over you," or, it shall
not domineer, reign, or destroy you, though you have transgressed
against the Covenant of Works, the law; and the reason is rendered
in these words, "For ye are not under the law"--that is, under
that which accuseth, chargeth, condemneth and brings execution on
the soul for sin,--"but under grace"; that is, under that which
frees you, forgives you, keeps you, and justifies you from all your
sins, adversaries, or whatever may come in to lay anything to your
charge to damn you. For that is truly called grace in this sense
that doth set a man free from all his sins, deliver him from all
the curses of the law, and what else can be laid to His charge,
freely, without any foresight in God to look at what good will be
done by the party that hath offended; and also that doth keep the
soul by the same power through faith--which also is his own proper
gift--unto eternal glory.

Again; that it is a pardon not conditional, but freely given,
consider, first, it is set in opposition to works--"Ye are not under
the law." Secondly, The promise that is made to them (saying, "Sin
shall not have dominion over you") doth not run with any condition
as on their part to be done; but merely and alone because they were
under, or because they had the grace of God extended to them. "Sin
shall not have dominion over you: for," mark the reason, "ye are
not under the law, but under grace."

The words being thus opened, and the truth thus laid down, HOW THERE
IS NEVER A BELIEVER UNDER THE COVENANT OF WORKS, BUT UNDER GRACE,
the free, rich, unchangeable love of God, it remaineth that, in
the first place, we prove the doctrine, and after that proceed.

THE DOCTRINE PROVED.

Now in the doctrine there are two things to be considered and
proved--FIRST, That believers are under grace. SECONDLY, Not under
the law as a Covenant of Works; for so you must understand me. For
these two we need go no further than the very words themselves;
the first part of the words proves the first part of the doctrine,
"Ye are not under the law"; the second part proves the other,
"but" ye are "under grace." But besides these, consider with me a
few things for the demonstrating of these truths, as,

First. They are not under the law, because their sins are pardoned,
which could not be if they were dealt withal according to the law,
and their being under it; for the law alloweth of no repentance,
but accuseth, curseth and condemneth every one that is under
it--"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which
are written in the Book of the Law to do them" (Gal 3:10). But, I
say, believers having their sins forgiven them, it is because they
are under another, even a new covenant--"Behold, the days come,
saith the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with them."--"For
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb 8:12).

Second. They are not under the law, because their sins and iniquities
are not only forgiven, but they are forgiven them freely. They
that stand in the first covenant, and continue there, are to have
never a sin forgiven them unless they can give God a complete
satisfaction; for the law calls for it at their hands, saying, "Pay
me that thou owest." O! but when God deals with His saints by the
Covenant of Grace it is not so; for it is said, "And when" He saw
"they had nothing to pay, He frankly" and freely "forgave them"
all--"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely."--I
will blot "out thy transgressions for Mine own sake," etc. (Luke
7:42; Hosea 14:4; Isa 43:25).

Third. The saints are not under the law, because the righteousness
that they stand justified before God in is not their own actual
righteousness by the law, but by imputation, and is really the
righteousness of Another--namely, of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21;
Phil 3:9). "Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all," that is, imputed to "them that
believe" (Rom 3:22). But if they were under the old covenant, the
Covenant of Works, then their righteousness must be their own, [But
it is impossible that the righteousness of man by the law should
save him.] or no forgiveness of sins--"If thou doest well, shalt
thou not be accepted?" but if thou transgress, "sin lieth at the
door," saith the law (Gen 4:7).

Fourth. In a word, whatsoever they do receive, whether it be conversion
to God; whether it be pardon of sin; whether it be faith or hope;
whether it be righteousness; whether it be strength" whether it be
the Spirit, or the fruits thereof; whether it be victory over sin,
death, or Hell; whether it be Heaven, everlasting life, and glory
inexpressible; or whatsoever it be, it comes to them freely, God
having no first eye to what they would do, or should do, for the
obtaining of the same. But to take this in pieces--1. In a word,
are they converted? God finds them first, for, saith He, "I am
found of them that sought Me not" (Isa 65:1). 2. Have they pardon
of sin? They have that also freely,--"I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4). 3. Have they faith? It is
the gift of God in Christ Jesus, and He is not only the Author,
that is, the beginner thereof, but He doth also perfect the same
(Heb 12:2). 4. Have they hope? It is God that is the first cause
thereof--"Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast
caused me to hope" (Psa 119:49). 5. Have they righteousness? It is
the free gift of God (Rom 5:17). Have they strength to do the work
of God in their generations, or any other thing that God would
have them do? That also is a free gift from the Lord, for without
Him we neither do nor can do anything (John 15:5). 7. Have we comfort,
or consolation? We have it not for what we have done, but from God
through Christ; for He is the God of all comforts and consolation
(2 Cor 1:3-7). 8. Have we the Spirit, or the fruits thereof? it is
the gift of the Father--"how much more shall your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him (Luke 11:13)? "Thou has
wrought all our works in us" (Isa 26:12).

And so, I say, whether it be victory over sin, death, Hell, or the
devil, it is given us by the victory of Christ--"But thanks be to
God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1
Cor 15:57; Rom 7:24,25). Heaven and glory it is also the gift of
Him who giveth us richly all things to enjoy (Matt 25:34).

So that these things, if they be duly and soberly considered, will
give satisfaction in this thing. I might have added many more for
the clearing of these things; as 1. When God came to man to convert
him, He found him a dead man (Eph 2:1,2). He found him an enemy
to God, Christ, and the salvation of his own soul; He found him
wallowing in all manner of wickedness; He found him taking pleasure
therein; with all delight and greediness. 2. He was fain to quicken
him by putting His Spirit into him, and to translate him by the
mighty operation thereof. He was fain to reveal Christ Jesus unto
him, man being altogether senseless and ignorant of this blessed
Jesus (Matt 11:25,27; 1 Cor 2:7-10). 4. He was fain to break the
snare of the devil, and to let poor man, poor bound and fettered
man, out of the chains of the enemy.

[THE NEW COVENANT FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE, WHO ARE UNDER IT, AND
THEIR PRIVILEGES.]

Now we are to proceed, and the things that we are to treat upon
in the second place are these--First. [Besides the reasons already
given.] Why is it a free and unchangeable grace? SECOND. Who they are
that are actually brought into His free and unchangeable Covenant
of Grace, and how they are brought in? THIRD. What are the privileges
of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious
grace of the glorious God of Heaven and glory?

[THE NEW COVENANT FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE BECAUSE MADE WITH CHRIST.]

FIRST. WHY IT IS A FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE GRACE.

And for the opening of this we must consider, first, How and through
Whom this grace doth come to be, first, free to us, and, secondly,
unchangeable? This grace is free to us through conditions in
Another--that is, by way of covenant or bargain; for this grace
comes by way of covenant or bargain to us, yet made with Another
for us.

First. That it comes by way of covenant, contract, or bargain, though
not personally with us, be pleased to consider these Scriptures,
where it is said, "I have made a covenant with My Chosen: I have
sworn unto David [The word David in this place signifieth Christ,
as also in these Scriptures--(Eze 34:23,24; 37:24,25).] My servant"
(Psa 89:3). "And as for Thee also, by the blood of Thy covenant,"
speaking of Christ, "I have sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit
wherein is no water," (Zech 9:9-11). Again; "Ye have sold yourselves
for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money" (Isa 52:3).
"Blessed be the Lord," therefore, saith Zacharias, "for He hath
visited and" also "redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn
of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake
by the mouth of His holy Prophets, which have been since the world
began; that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands
of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember His holy covenant," or bargain (Luke 1:68-72). [I
might give you more Scriptures; but pray consider the second thing.]
And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words,
as some poor souls may be through ignorance, let them be pleased
to read soberly Isaiah 49:1-12, and there they may see that it runs
as plain a bargain as if two would be making of a bargain between
themselves, and concluding upon several conditions on both sides.
But more of this hereafter. Now,

Second. This covenant, I say, was made with One, not with many, and
also confirmed in the conditions of it with One, not with several.
First, that the covenant was made with One (Gal 3:16). "Now to
Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to
seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ"
(Verse 17). "And this, I say, that the covenant that was confirmed
before of God, in Christ," etc. The covenant was made with the Seed
of Abraham; not the seeds, but the Seed, which is the Lord Jesus
Christ, our Head and Undertaker in the things concerning the
covenant.

Third. The condition was made with One, and also accomplished
by Him alone, and not by several; yet in the nature, and for the
everlasting deliverance of many; even by one man Jesus Christ, as
it is clear from Romans 5:15-17, etc., and in Zechariah 9:11, the
Lord saith to Christ, "And as for Thee"--mark, "As for Thee also,
by the blood of Thy covenant," or as for Thee whose covenant was
by blood; that is, the condition of the covenant was, that Thou
shouldst spill Thy blood; which having been done in the account of
God, saith He, I according to My condition have let go the prisoners,
or sent them "out of the pit wherein is no water." Those Scriptures
in Galatians 3:16,17 that are above cited, are notably to our purpose;
Verse 16 saith it was made with Christ, Verse 17 saith it was also
confirmed in or with God in Him. Pray read with understanding. "Now,"
saith Paul, "the promises were not made unto seeds, as of many;
but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ." . . . . "The law,
which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that
it should make the promise of none effect." Not that the covenant
was made with Abraham and Christ together, as two persons that
were the undertakers of the same; the promise was made with, or
to, Abraham afterwards; but the covenant with Christ before.

[Neither Abraham nor the fathers able to undertake the accomplishment
of this covenant.]

Further, that the covenant was not personally made with Abraham,
no, nor with any of the fathers, neither so as that they were the
persons that should stand engaged to be the accomplishers thereof,
either in whole or in part; which is very clear.

First. Because this covenant was not made with God and the creature;
not with another poor Adam, that only stood upon the strength
of natural abilities; but this covenant was made with the second
Person, with the Eternal Word of God; with Him that was everyways
as holy, as pure, as infinite, as powerful, and as everlasting as
God (Prov 8:22-31; Isa 9:6; Zech 13:7; Phil 2:6; Heb 1; Rev 1:11-17;
22:13,17).

Second. This covenant or bargain was made in deed and in truth
before man was in being. O! God thought of the salvation of man
before there was any transgression of man; for then, I say, and
not since then, was the Covenant of Grace made with the Undertaker
thereof; for all the other sayings are to show unto us that glorious
plot and contrivance that was concluded on before time between
the Father and the Son, which may very well be concluded on for a
truth from the Word of God, if you consider, 1. That the Scripture
doth declare that the price was agreed on by the Son before time;
2. The promise was made to Him by the Father that He should have His
bargain before time; 3. The choice, and who they were that should
be saved was made before time, even before the world began.

1. For the first, That the price was agreed upon before the world
began. Consider the word which speaketh of the price that was paid
for sinners, even the precious blood of Christ; it saith of Him,
"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe,"
etc. (1 Peter 1:20,21). Mark, it was foreordained or concluded on
between the Father and the Son before the world began.

2. The promise from God to the Son was also made in the same manner,
as it is clear where the Apostle saith with comfort to his soul,
that he had "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie,
promised before the world began," (Titus 1:2) which could be to
none but the Mediator of the new covenant, because there was none
else to whom it should be made but He.

3. The choice was also made then, even before man had a being in
this world, as it is evident where he saith, "Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN Christ: according as He
hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph 1:3,4).
[Did I think this would meet with any opposition, I should be in
this more large.] Nay, did I look upon it here to be necessary, I
should show you very largely and clearly that God did not only make
the covenant with Christ before the world began, and the conditions
thereof, but I could also show you that the very saints' qualifications,
as part of the covenant, was then concluded on by the Father and
the Son according to these Scriptures, which, it may be, I may
touch upon further anon (Eph 1:3,4; 2:10; Rom 8:28). But,

Third. This covenant was not made with any of the fathers, neither
in whole nor in part, as the undertakers thereof; for then it must
be also concluded that they are co-partners with Christ in our
salvation, and so that Christ is not Mediator alone; but this would
be blasphemy for any once to surmise. And therefore, by the way,
when thou readest of the new covenant in Scripture as though it
was made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, or David, thou art to consider
thus with thyself--1. That God spake to them in such a way for to
show or signify unto us how He did make the covenant that He did
make with Christ before the world began, they being types of Him.
2. That He thereby might let them understand that He was the same
then as He is now, and now as He was then; and that then it was
resolved on between His Son and HIM, that in after ages His Son
should in their natures, from their loins, and for their sins, be
born of a woman, hanged on the Cross, etc., for them: for all along
you may see that when He speaketh to them of the new covenant, He
mentions their seed--their seed--still aiming at Christ; Christ,
the Seed of the woman, was to break the serpent's head (Gen 3:15;
17; Psa 89:36). Now to Abraham and his Seed was the promise made;
his Seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the days of
Heaven, etc.; still pointing at Christ. And, 3. To stir up their
faith and expectations to be constant unto the end in waiting for
that which He and His Son had concluded on before time, and what He
had since the conclusion declared unto the world by the Prophets.
4. It appeareth that the heart of God was much delighted therein
also, as is evident, in that He was always in every age declaring
of that unto them which before He had prepared for them. O this
good God of Heaven!

Objection: But you will say, perhaps, the Scriptures say plainly
that the new covenant was and is made with believers, saying, "The
days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to
the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I led
them out of the land of Egypt," etc. (Heb 8:8-10). So that it doth
not run with Christ alone, but with believers also--I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah, etc. (Jer 31:33).

Answer first: It cannot be meant that the new covenant was made
with Christ, and the house of Israel and Judah as the undertakers
thereof; for so it was made with Christ alone, which is clear, in
that it was made long before the house of Israel and Judah had a
being, as I showed before. But,

Answer second: These words here are spoken, first, to show rather
the end of the ceremonies than the beginning or rise of the new
covenant. Mind a little; the Apostle is labouring to beat the Jews,
to whom he wrote this Epistle, off of the ceremonies of the law,
of the priests, altar, offerings, temple, etc., and to bring them
to the right understanding of the thing and things that they held
forth, which were to come, and to put an end to those. If you do
but understand the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is a discourse that
showeth that the Son of God being come, there is an end put to the
ceremonies; for they were to continue so long and no longer--"It,"
saith the Apostle, "stood in meats and drinks, and divers washings,
and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation";
that is, until Christ did come. "But Christ being come an high
priest of good things to come," etc., puts an end to the things
and ordinances of the Levitical priesthood. Read the 7th, 8th, 9th,
and 10th Chapters of Hebrews, and you will find this true. So,
then, when He saith, "The days come in which I make a new covenant,"
it is rather to be meant a changing of the administration, taking
away the type, the shadow, the ceremonies from the house of Israel
and Judah, and relieving by the birth of Christ, and the death of
Christ, and the offering of the body of Him whom the shadows and
types did point out to be indeed He whom God the Father had given
for a ransom by covenant for the souls of the saints; and also to
manifest the truth of that covenant which was made between the Father
and the Son before the world began; for though the new covenant
was made before the world began, and also every one in all ages was
saved by the virtue of that covenant, yet that covenant was never
so clearly made manifest as at the coming, death, and resurrection
of Christ; and therefore, saith the Scripture, "He hath brought
life and immortality to light through the Gospel." "Who hath saved
us, and called us with an holy calling" not according to the
"works" of righteousness which we have done, "but according to His
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began," there is the covenant, but it was "made MANIFEST
by the APPEARING of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death, and brought life and immortality to LIGHT through the Gospel"
(2 Tim 1:9,10). Therefore, I say, these words are therefore to
discover that the time was come to change the dispensation, to take
away the type, and bring in the substance, and so manifesting that
more clearly which before lay hid in dark sayings and figures. And
this is usual with God to speak in this manner.

Again; if at any time you do find in Scripture that the Covenant
of Works is spoken of as the first covenant that was manifested,
and so before the second covenant, yet you must understand that
it was so only as to manifestation--that is, it was first given to
man, yet not made before that which was made with Christ; and indeed
it was requisite that it should be given or made known first, that
thereby there might be a way made for the second, by its discovering
of sin, and the sad state that man was in after the Fall by reason
of that. And again, that the other might be made the more welcome
to the sons of men. Yet the second Adam was before the first, and
also the second covenant before the first. [This is a riddle]. And
in this did Christ in time most gloriously answer Adam, who was
the figure of Christ, as well as of other things. Romans 5. For,
Was the first covenant made with the first Adam? so was the second
covenant made with the second; for these are and were the two
great public persons, or representators of the whole world, as to
the first and second covenants; and therefore you find God speaking
on this wise in Scripture concerning the new covenant--"My covenant
shall stand fast with HIM." "My mercy will I keep for HIM for
evermore," saith God: "My covenant shall stand fast with HIM" (Psa
89:28,34,35); this HIM is Christ, if you compare this with Luke
1:32, "My covenant will I not break"--namely, that which was made
with HIM--"nor alter the thing that is gone out of My mouth. Once I
have sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David," [David
here is to be understood Christ.] to whom this was spoken figuratively
in the Person of Christ; for that was God's usual way to speak of
the glorious things of the Gospel in the time of the Law, as I said
before.

The conditions of the new covenant.

The conditions also were concluded on and agreed to be fulfilled
by Him: as it is clear, if you understand His saying in the 12th
of John, at the 27th verse, where He foretelleth His death, and
saith, "Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father,
save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I" into the world
"unto this hour"; as if He had said, My business is now not to
shrink from My sufferings that are coming upon Me; for these are
the things that are a great part of the conditions contracted in
the covenant which stands between My Father and Me; therefore I
shall not pray that this might be absolutely removed from Me; For,
"for this cause came I" into the world; even this was the very
terms of the covenant. By this you may see, "we are under grace."

Now in a covenant there are these three things to be considered--First.
What it is that is covenanted for. Second. The conditions upon
which the persons who are concerned in it do agree. Third. If the
conditions on both sides be not according to the agreement fulfilled,
then the covenant standeth not, but is made void. And this new
covenant in these particulars is very exactly fulfilled and made
out in Christ.

First. The thing or things covenanted for was the salvation of
man, but made good in Christ--"The Son of Man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost. The Son of Man did not come to destroy
men's lives, but to save them. I gave My life a ransom for many.
And this is the will," or covenant, "of Him that sent Me, that of
all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day" (John 6:39).

Second. As touching the conditions agreed on, they ran thus--1. On
the Mediator's side, that He should come into the world; and then
on the Father's side, that He should give Him a body. This was one
of the glorious conditions between the Father and Christ; "Wherefore,
when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering
Thou wouldest not"--that is, the old covenant must not stand, but
give way to another sacrifice which Thou hast prepared, which is
the giving up My Manhood to the strokes of Thy justice--"for a body
Thou hast prepared Me" (Heb 10:5). This doth prove us under grace.

2. On the Mediator's side, that He should be put to death; and on
God the Father's side, that He should raise Him up again; this was
concluded on also to be done between God the Father and His Son
Jesus Christ. On Christ's side, that He should die to give the
justice of His Father satisfaction, and so to take away the curse
that was due to us, wretched sinners, by reason of our transgressions;
and that God His Father, being every ways fully and completely
satisfied, should by His mighty power revive and raise Him up again.
He hath "brought again--our Lord Jesus"; that is, from death to life,
through the virtue or effectual satisfaction that He received from
the blood that was shed according to the terms "of the Everlasting
Covenant" (Heb 13:20).

3. On the Mediator's side, that He should be made a curse; and on
the Father's side, that through Him sinners should be inheritors
of the blessing. What wonderful love doth there appear by this in
the heart of our Lord Jesus, in suffering such things for our poor
bodies and souls? (Gal 3:13,14). This is grace.

4. That on the Mediator's side there should be by Him a victory
over Hell, death, and the devil, and the curse of the Law; and on
the Father's side, that these should be communicated to sinners,
and they set at liberty thereby--"Turn you to the stronghold,"
saith God, "ye prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I
will render double unto thee" (Zech 9:12). Why so? It is because of
the blood of My Son's covenant (Verse 11); which made Paul, though
sensible of a body of death, and of the sting that death did strike
into the souls of all those that are found in their sins, bold to
say, "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin." That is true, and the terrible Law of
God doth aggravate and set it home with insupportable torment and
pain. But shall I be daunted at this? No, "I thank my God through
Jesus Christ He hath given me this victory." So that now, though
I be a sinner in myself, yet I can, by believing in Jesus Christ,
the Mediator of this new covenant, triumph over the devil, sin,
death, and Hell; and say, Do not fear, my soul, seeing the victory
is obtained over all my enemies through my Lord Jesus Christ (1
Cor 15:55-57). This is the way to prove ourselves under grace.

5. That on the Mediator's side He should by thus doing bring in
everlasting righteousness for saints (Dan 9:24); and that the Father
for this should give them an everlasting kingdom (1 Peter 1:3-5;
Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 4:18; Luke 22:28,29). But,

Third. [How the conditions are fulfilled]. In the next place, this
was not all--that is, the Covenant of Grace, with the conditions
thereof, was not only concluded on by both parties to be done, but
Jesus Christ [Christ is put into office by the Father, to do all
things contained in the new covenant]. must be authorized to do
what was concluded on touching this covenant by way of office. I
shall therefore speak a word or two also touching the offices, at
least, some of them, that Christ Jesus did and doth still execute
as the Mediator of the new covenant, which also were typed out in
the Levitical law; for this is the way to prove that we are not
under the law, but under grace. And,

Christ is the Surety of the new covenant.

FIRST. His first office, after the covenant was made and concluded
upon, was that Jesus should become bound as a Surety, [His Suretyship].
and stand engaged upon oath to see that all the conditions of the
covenant that were concluded on between Him and His Father should,
according to the agreement, be accomplished by Him; and that after
that, He should be the Messenger from God to the world to declare
the mind of God touching the tenor and nature of both the covenants,
especially of the new one. The Scripture saith, that Jesus Christ
was not only made a priest by an oath, but also a Surety, or
bondsman, as in Hebrews 7:21, 22. In the 21st Verse he speaketh of
the priesthood of Christ, that it was with an oath; and saith, in
the 22nd Verse, "By so much" also "was Jesus made a Surety of a
better testament," or covenant.

Now the covenant was not only made on Jesus Christ's side with an
oath, but also on God the Father's side, that it might be for the
better ground of establishment to all those that are, or are to be,
the children of the promise. Methinks it is wonderful to consider
that the God and Father of our souls, by Jesus Christ, should be
so bent upon the salvation of sinners, that He would covenant with
His Son Jesus for the security of them, and also that there should
pass an oath on both sides for the confirmation of Their resolution
to do good. As if the Lord had said, My Son, Thou and I have here
made a covenant, that I on My part should do thus and thus, and
that Thou on Thy part shouldst do so and so. Now that We may give
these souls the best ground of comfort that may be, there shall
pass an oath on both sides, that Our children may see that We do
indeed love them. "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show
unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel," in
making of the covenant, "confirmed it by an oath: that we might
have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope set before us" (Heb 6:17,18; 7:21). Mark, the 6th Chapter
saith, God confirmed His part by an oath; and the 7th saith, Christ
was made or set on His office also by an oath. Again, "Once,"
saith God, "have I sworn by My holiness, that I will not lie unto
David," "nor alter the thing that is gone out of My mouth," (Psa
89:34,35) as was before cited.

Herein you may see that God and Christ were in good earnest about
the salvation of sinners; for as soon as ever the covenant was made,
the next thing was, who should be bound to see all those things
fulfilled which were conditioned on between the Father and the
Son: the angels, they could have no hands in it; the world could
not do it; the devils had rather see them damned than they would
wish them the least good; thus Christ looked, and there was none
to help; though the burden lay never so heavy upon His shoulder,
He must bear it Himself; for there was none besides Himself to
uphold, or so much as to step in to be bound, to see the conditions,
before mentioned, fulfilled neither in whole nor in part (Isa
63:1-7). So that He must not be only He with whom the covenant was
made, but He must also become the bondsman or surety thereof, and
so stand bound to see that all and every particular thing conditioned
for should be, both in manner, and matter, at the time and place,
according to the agreement, duly and orderly fulfilled. Is not this
grace?

Now as touching the nature of a surety and his work, in some things
it is well known to most men; therefore I shall be very brief upon
it.

First. You know a surety is at the bargain's making; and so was
Christ--"Then was I beside Him" (Prov 8:30).

Second. A surety must consent to the terms of the agreement, or
covenant; and so did Christ Jesus. Now that which He did engage
should be done for sinners, according to the terms of the covenant;
it was this--1. That there should be a complete satisfaction given
to God for the sins of the world; for that was one great thing
that was agreed upon when the covenant was made (Heb 10:5,17). 2.
That Jesus Christ should, as aforesaid, bring in an everlasting
righteousness to clothe the saints (His body) withal (Dan 9:24,25).
Here is grace. 3. That He should take in charge to see all those
forthcoming without spot or wrinkle at the day of His glorious
appearing from Heaven in judgment, and to quit them before the
Judgment-seat. Again,

Third. In the work of a surety there is required by the creditor
that the surety should stand to what he is bound; and on the surety's
side there is a consenting thereunto. 1. The creditor looks, that
in case the debtor proves a bankrupt, that then the surety should
engage the payment. Is not this grace? [However it is in other
engagements, it is thus in this]. 2. The creditor looks that the
surety should be an able man. Now our Surety was, and is, in this
case, every way suitable; for He is heir of all things. 3. The
creditor appoints the day, and also looks that the covenant should
be kept, and the debt paid, according to the time appointed; and it
is required of sureties, as well as stewards, that they be found
faithful--namely, to pay the debt according to the bargain; and
therefore it is said, "When the fullness of the time was come, God
sent forth His Son--made under the law, to redeem them that were
under the law," (Gal 4:4,5). Thus comes grace to saints. 4. The
creditor looks that his money should be brought into his house, to
his own habitation. Jesus, our Surety, in this also is faithful;
for by His own blood, which was the payment, He is entered into the
holy place, even into Heaven itself, which is God's dwelling-place,
to render the value and price that was agreed upon for the salvation
of sinners. But I shall speak more of this in another head, therefore
I pass it. Again,

Fourth. If the surety stands bound, the debtor is at liberty; and
if the law do issue out any process to take any, it will be the
surety. [Though the debtor, together with the surety, is liable to
pay the debt by the law of man, yet Christ our Surety only by the
Covenant of Grace]. And, O! how wonderfully true was this accomplished
in that, when Christ our Surety came down from Heaven, God's Law
did so seize upon the Lord Jesus, and so cruelly handle Him, and
so exact upon Him, that it would never let Him alone until it had
accused Him and condemned Him, executed Him, and screwed His very
heart's blood out of His precious heart and side; nay, and more
than this too, as I shall show hereafter. But,

Christ the Messenger of the new covenant.

SECOND. [His second office]. After that Jesus Christ had stood bound,
and was become our Surety in things pertaining to this covenant,
His next office was to be the Messenger of God touching His mind
and the tenor of the covenant unto the poor world; and this did the
Prophet foresee long before, when he saith, "Behold, I will send
My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me"; speaking
of John the Baptist. "And he shall prepare the way before Me." And
then He speaketh of Christ to the people, saying, "And the Lord
whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple." Who is He? Even
the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, that is Christ.
"Behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of Hosts" (Mal 3:1).

Now the covenant being made before between the Father and the Son,
and Jesus Christ becoming bound to see all the conditions fulfilled,
this being done, He could come down from Heaven to earth, to declare
to the world what God the Father and HE had concluded on before,
and what was the mind of the Father towards the world concerning
the salvation of their souls; and indeed, who could better come on
such an errand than He that stood by when the covenant was made?
than He that shook hands with the Father in making of the covenant?
than He that was become a Surety in the behalf of poor sinners,
according to the terms of the covenant.

Now, you know, a messenger commonly when he cometh, doth bring
some errand to them to whom he is sent, either of what is done
for them, or what they would have them whom they send unto do for
them, or such like. Now what a glorious message was that which
our Lord Jesus Christ came down from Heaven withal to declare unto
poor sinners, and that from God His Father? I say, how glorious
was it; and how sweet is it to you that have seen yourselves lost
by nature? and it will also appear a glorious one to you who are a
seeking after Jesus Christ, if you do but consider these following
things about what He was sent--

First. Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven to declare unto the world
from God the Father that He was wonderfully filled with love to poor
sinners. First, in that He would forgive their sins. Secondly, in
that He would save their souls. Thirdly in that He would make them
heirs of His glory. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son.--For God sent not His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved"
(John 3:16,17).

Second. God sent Jesus Christ to tell the poor world how that He
would do this for poor sinners, and yet be just, and yet do His
justice no wrong; and that was to be done by Jesus Christ's dying
of a cursed death in the room of poor sinners, to satisfy justice,
and make way for mercy; to take away the stumbling-blocks, and set
open Heaven's gates; to overcome Satan, and break off from sinners
his chains (Luke 4:18) to set open the prison doors, and to let
the prisoners go free (Isa 61:1-3). And this was the message that
Christ was to deliver to the world by commandment from His Father;
and this did He tell us when He came of His errand, where he saith,
"I lay down My life for the sheep--no man taketh it from Me, but
I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and to take
it again. This commandment have I received of My Father" (John
10:15-18). Even this commandment hath My Father given Me, that I
should both do this thing and also tell it unto you.

Third. He was not only sent as a Messenger to declare this His
father's love, but also how dearly He himself loved sinners, what a
heart He had to do them good, where He saith, "All that the Father
giveth Me shall come to Me"; and let me tell you, MY heart too,
saith Christ--"Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out"
(John 6:37). As My Father is willing to give you unto Me, even so
am I as willing to receive you. As My Father is willing to give
you Heaven, so am I willing to make you fit for it, by washing you
with My own blood; I lay down My life that you might have life;
and this I was sent to tell you of My Father.

Fourth. His message was further; He came to tell them how and
which way they should come to enjoy these glorious benefits; also
by laying down motives to stir them up to accept of the benefits.
The way is laid down in John 3:14,15, where Christ saith, "As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
Man be lifted up," or caused to be hanged on the Cross, and die
the death--"that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life." The way, therefore, that thou shalt have the
benefit and comfort of that which My Father and I have covenanted
for, for thee, I am come down from Heaven to earth on purpose to
give thee intelligence, and to certify thee of it. Know, therefore,
that as I have been born of a woman, and I have taken this Body
upon Me, it is on purpose that I might offer it up upon the Cross
a sacrifice to God, to give Him satisfaction for thy sins, that
His mercy may be extended to thy soul, without any wrong done to
justice; and this thou art to believe, and not in the notion but
from thy very whole soul. Now the motives are many. 1. If they do
not leave their sins, and come to Jesus Christ, that their sins may
be washed away by His blood, they are sure to be damned in Hell;
for the law hath condemned them already (John 3:18,19). 2. But if
they do come, they shall have the bosom of Christ to lie in, the
Kingdom of Heaven to dwell in, the angels and saints for their
companions, shall shine there like the sun, shall be there for
ever, shall sit upon the thrones of judgment, etc. Here is grace.

Methinks if I had but the time to speak fully to all things
that I could speak to from these two heavenly truths, and to make
application thereof, surely, with the blessing of God, I think
it might persuade some vile and abominable wretch to lay down his
arms that he hath taken up in defiance against God, and is marching
Hellwards, post-haste with the devil; I say, methinks it should stop
them, and make them willing to look back and accept of salvation
for their poor condemned souls, before God's eternal vengeance is
executed upon them. O, therefore! you that are upon this march, I
beseech you consider a little. What! shall Christ become a drudge
for you; and will you be drudges for the devil? Shall Christ covenant
with God for the salvation of sinners; and shall sinners covenant
with Hell, death, and the devil for the damnation of their souls?
Shall Christ come down from Heaven to earth to declare this
to sinners; and shall sinners stop their ears against these good
tidings? Will you not hear the errand of Christ, although He telleth
you tidings of peace and salvation? How, if He had come, having
taken a commandment from His Father to damn you, and to send you
to the devils in Hell? Sinner, hear His message; He speaketh no
harm, His words are Eternal Life; all men that give ear unto them,
they have eternal advantage by them; advantage, I say, that never
hath an end. Besides, do but consider these two things, it is like
they have some sway upon thy soul--1. When He came on His message,
He came with tears in His eyes, and did even weepingly tender the
terms of reconciliation to them; I say, with tears in his eyes. And
when He came near the city--i.e., with His message of peace--beholding
the hardness of their hearts, He wept over it, and took up a
lamentation over it; because He saw they rejected His mercy, which
was tidings of peace; I say, wilt thou then slight a weeping Jesus,
One that so loveth thy soul that, rather than He will lose thee, He
will with tears persuade with thee? 2. Not only so, but also when
He came, He came all on a gore blood to proffer mercy to thee, to
show thee still how dearly He did love thee; as if He had said,
Sinner, here is mercy for thee; but behold My bloody sweat, My
bloody wounds, My cursed death; behold and see what danger I have
gone through to come unto thy soul; I am come indeed unto thee,
and do bring thee tidings of salvation, but it cost Me My heart's
blood before I could come at thee, to give thee the fruits of My
everlasting love. But more of this anon.

Thus have I spoken something concerning Christ's being the Messenger
of the new covenant; but because I am not willing to cut too short
of what shall come after, I shall pass by these things not half
touched, and come to the other which I promised even now; which was
to show you, that as there were Levitical ceremonies in or belonging
to the first covenant, so these types, or Levitical ceremonies,
did represent the glorious things of the new covenant. In those
ceremonies you read of a sacrifice, of a priest to offer up the
sacrifice, the place where, and the manner how, he was to offer
it; of which I shall speak something.

Christ the sacrifice of the new covenant.

THIRD. [A third office of Christ, in reference to the new covenant,
was His becoming the sacrifice]. As touching the sacrifice; you
find that it was not to be offered up of all kind of beasts, as of
lions, bears, wolves, tigers, dragons, serpents, or such like; to
signify, that not all kind of creatures that had sinned, as devils,
the fallen angels, should be saved; but the sacrifice was to be
taken out of some kind of beasts and birds, to signify, that some
of God's creatures that had sinned He would be pleased to reconcile
them to Himself again; as poor fallen man and woman, those miserable
creatures, God, the God of Heaven, had a good look for after their
fall; but not for the cruel devils, though more noble creatures by
creation than we. Here is grace.

Now though these sacrifices were offered, yet they were not offered
to the end they should make the comers to, or offerers thereof,
perfect; but the things were to represent to the world what God
had in after ages for to do, which was even the salvation of His
creatures by that offering of the body of Jesus Christ, of which
these were a shadow and a type for the accomplishing of the second
covenant. For Christ was by covenant to offer a sacrifice, and that
an effectual one too, if He intended the salvation of sinners--"A
body hast Thou prepared for Me; I am come to do Thy will" (Heb
10:5). I shall therefore show you, First. What was expected by God
in the sacrifice in the type, and then show you how it was answered
in the antitype. Second. I shall show you the manner of the offering
of the type, and so answerable thereto to show you the fitness
of the sacrifice of the body of Christ, by way of answering some
questions.

First. For the first of these, [What was expected by God in the
sacrifice in the type, and how answered in the antitype]--1. God
did expect that sacrifice which He Himself had appointed, and not
another, to signify, that none would serve His turn but the body
and soul of His appointed Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant
(John 1:29). 2. This sacrifice must not be lame nor deformed; it
must have no scar, spot, or blemish; to signify, that Jesus Christ
was to be a complete sacrifice by covenant (1 Peter 1:19). 3. This
sacrifice was to be taken out of the flock or herd; to signify, that
Jesus Christ was to come out of the race of mankind, according to
covenant (Heb 10:5). But,

Second. As to the manner of it [The offering of the types, and so
answerable thereto, to show the fitness of the sacrifice of the
body of Christ]--1. The sacrifice, before it was offered, was to
have all the sins of the children of Israel confessed over it; to
signify, that Jesus Christ must bear the sins of all His children
by covenant (Isa 53:4-7; 1 Peter 2:24). "As for Thee also, by the
blood of Thy covenant," in His own body on the tree (Zech 9:11).
2. It must be had to the place appointed--namely, without the camp
of Israel; to signify, that Jesus Christ must be led to the Mount
Calvary (Luke 23:33). 3. The sacrifice was to be killed there; to
signify, that Jesus Christ must and did suffer without the city of
Jerusalem for our salvation. 4. The sacrifice must not only have
its life taken away, but also some of its flesh burned upon the
altar; to signify, that Jesus Christ was not only to die a natural
death, but also that He should undergo the pains and torments of
the damned in Hell. 5. Sometimes there must be a living offering
and a dead offering, as the goat that was killed, and the scape-goat,
the dead bird and the living bird, to signify, that Jesus Christ
must die, and come to life again (Lev 19:4-6). 6. The goat that
was to die was to be the sin-offering; that is, to be offered as
the rest of the sin-offerings, to make an atonement as a type; and
the other goat was to have all the sins of the children of Israel
confessed over him, and then let go into the wilderness, never to
be catched again (Lev 16:7-22). To signify, that Christ's death
was to make satisfaction for sin, and His coming to life again was
to bring in everlasting justification from the power, curse, and
destroying nature of sin (Rom 4:25). 7. The scape-goat was to be
carried by a fit man into the wilderness; to signify that Jesus Christ
should both be fit and able to carry our sins quite a way from us,
so as they should never be laid to our charge again. Here is grace.
8. The sacrifices under the law, commonly part of them must be
eaten; to signify, that they that are saved should spiritually feed
on the body and blood of Jesus Christ, or else they have no life
by Him (Exo 12:5-11; John 6:51-53). 9. This sacrifice must be eaten
with unleavened bread; to signify, that they which love their sins,
that devilish leaven of wickedness, they do not feed upon Jesus Christ. 8

Now of what hath been spoken this is the sum, that there is a
sacrifice under the new covenant, as there were sacrifices under the
old; and that this sacrifice did every way answer that, or those;
indeed, they did but suffer for sin in show, but He in reality;
they are the shadow, but He as the substance. O! when Jesus Christ
did come to make Himself a sacrifice, or to offer Himself for sin,
you may understand that our sins were indeed charged to purpose
upon Him. O! how they scarred his soul, how they brake His body,
insomuch that they made the blood run down His blessed face and from
His precious side; therefore thou must understand these following
things--First, that Jesus Christ by covenant did die for sin.
Secondly, that His death was not a mere natural death, but a "cursed
death," even such an one as men do undergo from God for their sins,
though He Himself had none, even such a death as to endure the very
pains and torments of Hell. O sad pains and inexpressible torments
that this our Sacrifice for sin went under! The pains of His body
were not all; no, but the pains of His soul; for His soul was made
an offering as well as His body, yet all but one sacrifice (Isa
53). [As Christ did not suffer in His body without suffering in
soul, nor yet in soul without His suffering in body; it was because
not the body without the soul, but both the body and soul of the
saints should be for ever saved]. To signify, that the suffering
of Christ was not only a bodily suffering, but a soul suffering;
not only to suffer what man could inflict upon Him, but also to
suffer soul torments that none but God can inflict, or suffer to
be inflicted upon Him. O, the torments of His soul! they were the
torments indeed; His soul was that that felt the wrath of God. "My
soul," saith He, "is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matt
26:38). "Now is My soul troubled, and what shall I say?" (John
12:27). The rock was not so rent as was His precious soul; there
was not such a terrible darkness on the face of the earth then as
there was on His precious soul. O! the torments of Hell and the
eclipsings of the Divine smiles of God were both upon Him at once;
the devils assailing of Him, and God forsaking of Him, and all
at once! "My God, My God," saith He, "why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
(Matt 27:46). Now in my greatest extremity; now sin is laid upon
Me, the curse takes hold of Me, the pains of Hell are clasped
about Me, and Thou hast forsaken Me. O sad! Sinners, this was not
done in pretence, but in reality; not in show, but in very deed;
otherwise Christ had dissembled, and had not spoken the truth; but
the truth of it His bloody sweat declares, His mighty cries declare,
the things which and for what He suffered declare. Nay, I must
say thus much, that all the damned souls in Hell, with all their
damnations, did never yet feel that torment and pain that did this
blessed Jesus in a little time. Sinner, canst thou read that Jesus
Christ was made an offering for sin, and yet go in sin? Canst thou
hear that the load of thy sins did break the very heart of Christ,
and spill His precious blood? and canst thou find in thy heart
to labour to lay more sins upon His back? Canst thou hear that He
suffered the pains, the fiery flames of Hell, and canst thou find
in thy heart to add to His groans by slighting of His sufferings?
O hard-hearted wretch! how canst thou deal so unkindly with such
a sweet Lord Jesus?

Quest. But why did Christ offer Himself in sacrifice?

Answ. That thou shouldst not be thrown to the very devils.

Quest. But why did He spill His precious blood?

Answ. That thou mightest enjoy the joys of Heaven.

Quest. But why did He suffer the pains of Hell?

Answ. That thou mightest not fry with the devil and damned souls.

Quest. But could not we have been saved if Christ had not died?

Answ. No; for without the shedding of blood there is no remission;
and besides, there was no death that could satisfy God's justice
but His, which is evident, because there was none in a capacity
to die, or that was able to answer an infinite God by His
so suffering but He. 9

Quest. But why did God let Him die?

Answ. He standing in the room of sinners, and that in their names
and natures, God's justice must fall upon Him; for justice takes
vengeance for sin wheresoever it finds it, though it be on His dear
Son. Nay, God favoured His Son no more, finding our sins upon Him,
than He would have favoured any of us; for, should we have died?
so did He. Should we have been made a curse? so was He. Should we
have undergone the pains of Hell? so did He.

Quest. But did He indeed suffer the torments of Hell?

Answ. Yea, and that in such a horrible way too, that it is unspeakable.

Quest. Could He not have suffered without His so suffering? Would
not His dying only of a natural death have served the turn?

Answ. No, in nowise. [1]. The sins for which He suffered called for
the torments of Hell; the conditions upon which He died did call
for the torments of Hell; for Christ did not die the death of a
saint, but the death of a sinner, of a cursed and damned sinner;
because He stood in their room, the law to which He was subjected
called for the torments of Hell; the nature of God's justice could
not bate Him anything; the death which He was to suffer had not
lost its sting; all these being put together do irresistibly declare
unto us that He, as a sacrifice, did suffer the torments of Hell
(Gal 3:13). But, 2. Had He not died and suffered the cursed death,
the covenant had been made void, and His Suretyship would have
been forfeited, and, besides this, the world damned in the flames
of Hell-fire; therefore, His being a sacrifice was one part of the
covenant; for the terms of the covenant were that He should spill
His blood. O blessed Jesus! O blessed grace! (Zech 9:10,11).

Quest. But why, then, is His death so slighted by some?

Answ. Because they are enemies to Him, either through ignorance
or presumption; either for want of knowledge or out of malice; for
surely did they love or believe Him, they could not choose but break
and bleed at heart to consider and to think of Him (Zech 12:10,11.)

Christ the High Priest of the New Covenant.

FOURTH, [A fourth office of Christ under the new covenant is
His priestly]. Thus, passing this, I shall now speak something to
Christ's priestly office. But, by the way, if any should think that
I do spin my thread too long in distinguishing His priestly office
from His being a sacrifice, the supposing that for Christ to be a
priest and a sacrifice is all one and the same thing; and it may
be it is, because they have not thought on this so well as they
should--namely, that as He was a sacrifice He was passive, that is,
led or had away as a lamb to His sufferings (Isaiah 53); but as a
priest He was active--that is, He did willingly and freely give up
His Body to be a sacrifice. "He hath given His life a ransom for
many." This consideration being with some weight and clearness on
my spirit, I was and am caused to lay them down in two particular
heads.

And therefore I would speak something to is this, that as there
were priests under the first covenant, so there is a Priest under
this, belonging to this new covenant, a High Priest, the Chief
Priest; as it is clear where it is said, We "having a high priest
over the house of God" (Heb 3:1; 5:5,10; 7:24-26; 8:1, 4; 10:21).

Now the things that I shall treat upon are these--First, I shall
show you the qualifications required of a priest under the Law;
Second, his office; and, Third, how Jesus Christ did according to
what was signified by those under the law; I say, how He did answer
the types, and where He went beyond them.

First, For his qualifications:--

1. They must be called thereto of God--"No man taketh this honour
unto himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron" (Heb 5:4).
Now Aaron's being called of God to be a priest signifies that Jesus
Christ is a Priest of God's appointment, such an one that God hath
chosen, likes of, and hath set on work--"Called of God an High
Priest," etc. (Heb 5:10).

2. The priests under the law they must be men, complete, not
deformed--"Speak unto Aaron," saith God to Moses, "saying, Whosoever
he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let
him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man
he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach; a blind man, or
a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, or
a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, or crook-backt, or
a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed,
or hath his stones broken; no man that hath a blemish of the seed
of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the
Lord made by fire; he that hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh
to offer the bread of his God" (Lev 21:17-21). What doth all this
signify but that, (1.) He must not be lame, to signify he must not
go haltingly about the work of our salvation. (2.) He must not be
blind, to signify that he must not go ignorantly to work, but he
must be quick of understanding in the things of God. (3.) He must
not be scabbed, to signify that the priest must not be corrupt of
filthy in his office. (4.) In a word, he must be every way complete,
to signify to us that Jesus Christ was to be, and is, most complete
and most perfect in things pertaining to God in reference to His
second covenant.

3. The priests under the law were not to be hard-hearted, but
pitiful and compassionate, willing and ready, with abundance of
bowels, to offer for the people, and to make an atonement for them
(Heb 5:1,2). To signify, that Jesus Christ should be a tender-hearted
High Priest, able and willing to sympathize and be affected with
the infirmities of others, to pray for them, to offer up for them
His precious blood; He must be such an One who can have compassion
on a company of poor ignorant souls, and on them that are out of
the way, to recover them, and to set them in safety (Heb 4:15).
And that He might thus do, He must be a man that had experience of
the disadvantages that infirmity and sin did bring unto those poor
creatures (Heb 2:17).

4. The high priests under the law were not to be shy or squeamish
in case there were any that had the plague or leprosy, scab or
blotches; but must look on them, go to them, and offer for them (Lev
13), all which is to signify, that Jesus Christ should not refuse
to take notice of the several infirmities of the poorest people,
but to teach them, and to see that none of them be lost by reason
of their infirmity, for want of looking to or tending of. 10

This privilege also have we under this second covenant. This is
the way to make grace shine.

5. The high priests under the law they were to be anointed with
very excellent oil, compounded by art (Exo 29:7; 30:30). To signify,
that Jesus, the Great High Priest of this new covenant, would be
in a most eminent way anointed to His priestly office by the Holy
Spirit of the Lord.

6. The priest's food and livelihood in the time of his ministry
was to be the consecrated and holy things (Exo 29:33). To signify,
that it is the very meat and drink of Jesus Christ to do His priestly
office, and to save and preserve His poor, tempted, and afflicted
saints. O what a new-covenant High Priest have we!

7. The priests under the law were to be washed with water (Exo
29:4). To signify, that Jesus Christ should not go about the work
of His priestly office with the filth of sin upon Him, but was
without sin to appear as our High Priest in the presence of His
Father, to execute His priestly office there for our advantage--"For
such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" (Heb 7:26).

8. The high priest under the law, before they went into the holy place,
there were to be clothed--with a curious garment, a breastplate, and
an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle,
and they were to be made of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine linen; and in his garment and glorious ornaments there
must be precious stones, and on those stones there must be written
the names of the children of Israel (read Exodus 28), and all this
was to signify what a glorious High Priest Jesus Christ should be,
and how in the righteousness of God He should appear before God as
our High Priest, to offer up the sacrifice that was to be offered
for our salvation to God His Father. But I pass that.

Second, Now I shall speak to His office. The office of the high
priest in general was twofold. 1. To offer the sacrifice without
the camp. 2. To bring it within the veil--that is, into the holiest
of all, which did type out Heaven.

1. [First part of the high priest's office]. (1.) It was the office
of the priest to offer the sacrifice; and so did Jesus Christ; He
did offer His own Body and Soul in sacrifice. I say, HE did OFFER
it, and not another, as it is written, "No man taketh away My life,
but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down, and I
have power to take it again" (John 10:17,18). And again it is said,
"When He," Jesus, "had offered up one sacrifice for sin, for ever
sat down on the right hand of God" (Heb 10:12). (2.) The priests
under the law must offer up the sacrifice that God had appointed,
and none else, a complete one without any blemish; and so did our
High Priest, where He saith, "Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest
not, but a body has Thou prepared Me," and that I will offer (Heb
10:5). (3.) The priest was to take of the ashes of the sacrifice,
and lay them in a clean place; and this signifies, that the Body
of Jesus, after it had been offered, should be laid into Joseph's
sepulchre, as in a clean place, where never any man before was laid
(Lev 6:11, compared with John 19:41,42).

2. [Second part of the high priest's office]. This being one part
of his office, and when this was done, then in the next place he
was, (1.) To put on the glorious garment, when he was to go into
the holiest, and take of the blood, and carry it thither, etc., he
was to put on the holy garment which signifieth the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. (2.) He was in this holy garment, which hath in
it the stones, and in the stones the names of the twelve tribes
of the children of Israel, to appear in the holy place. "And thou
shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the
children of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and the other
six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth"
(Exo 28:9,10). And this was to signify, that Jesus Christ was to
enter into the holiest, then He was there to bear the names of His
elect in the tables of His heart before the Throne of God and the
Mercy-seat (Heb 12:23). (3.) With this he was to take of the blood
of the sacrifices, and carry it into the holiest of all, which was
a type of Heaven, and there was he to sprinkle the mercy-seat; and
this was to be done by the high priest only; to signify, that none
but Jesus Christ must have this office and privilege, to be the
people's High Priest to offer for them. "But into the second went
the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he
offered for himself, and for the errors of the people" (Heb 9:7).
(4.) He was there to make an atonement for the people with the blood,
sprinkling of it upon the mercy-seat; but this must be done with
much incense. "And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering
which is for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock
of the sin-offering which is for himself: and he shall take a censor
full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord,
and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it
within the veil: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before
the Lord, that he cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat
that is upon the testimony, that he die not: and he shall take of
the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the
mercy-seat eastward, and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle
of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the
goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his
blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the
blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat and before
the mercy-seat." (Lev 16:11-15). Now this was for the priest and
the people; all which doth signify that Jesus Christ was after
His death to go into Heaven itself, of which this holy place was a
figure, and there to carry the sacrifice that He offered upon the
Cross into the presence of God, to obtain mercy for the people
in a way of justice (Heb 9). And in that he is said to take his
hands full of sweet incense, it signifies that Jesus Christ was to
offer up His sacrifice in the presence of His Father in a way of
intercession and prayers.

I might have branched these things out into several particulars,
but I would be brief. I say, therefore, the office of the priest
was to carry the blood into the holy place, and there to present
it before the mercy-seat, with his heart full of intercessions for
the people for whom he was a priest (Luke 1:8-11). This is Jesus
Christ's work now in the Kingdom of Glory, to plead His own blood,
the nature and virtue of it, with a perpetual intercession to the
God of Mercy on behalf of us poor miserable sinners (Heb 7:25).

[Comfortable considerations from Christ's intercession]. Now, in the
intercession of this Jesus, which is part of His priestly office,
there are these things to be considered for our comfort--

1. There is a pleading of the virtue of His Blood for them that are
already come in, that they may be kept from the evils of heresies,
delusions, temptations, pleasures, profits, or anything of this
world which may be too hard for them. "Father, I pray not that Thou
shouldest take them out of the world," saith Christ, "but that Thou
shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15).

2. In case the devil should aspire up into the presence of God,
to accuse any of the poor saints, and to plead their backslidings
against them, as he will do if he can, then there is Jesus, our Lord
Jesus, ready in the Court of Heaven, at the right hand of God, to
plead the virtue of His Blood, not only for the great and general
satisfaction that He did give when He was on the Cross, but also
the virtue that is in it now for the cleansing and fresh purging
of His poor saints under their several temptations and infirmities;
as saith the Apostle, "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"--that is, by His intercession (Rom 5:10).

3. The maintaining of grace, also, is by Jesus Christ's intercession,
being the second part of His priestly office. O, had we not a Jesus
at the right hand of God making intercession for us, and to convey
fresh supplies of grace unto us through the virtue of His Blood
being pleaded at God's right hand, how soon would it be with us
as it is with those for whom He prays not at all (John 17:9)? But
the reason why thou standest while others fall, the reason why thou
goest through the many temptations of the world, and shakest them
off from thee, while others are ensnared and entangled therein, it
is because thou hast an interceding Jesus. "I have prayed," saith
He, "that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:32).

4. It is partly by the virtue of Christ's intercession that the
elect are brought in. There are many that are to come to Christ
which are not yet brought in to Christ: and it is one part of His
work to pray for their salvation too--"Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe," though as yet they
do not believe "on Me," but that they may believe "through their
word" (John 17:20). And let me tell thee, soul, for thy comfort, who
art a-coming to Christ, panting and sighing, as if thy heart would
break, I tell thee, soul, thou wouldst never have come to Christ,
if He had not first, by the virtue of His blood and intercession,
sent into thy heart an earnest desire after Christ; and let me tell
thee also, that it is His business to make intercession for thee,
not only that thou mightest come in, but that thou mightest be
preserved when thou art come in (Compare Heb 7:25; Rom 8:33-39).

5. It is by the intercession of Christ that the infirmities of the
saints in their holy duties are forgiven. Alas, if it were not for
the priestly office of Christ Jesus, the prayers, alms, and other
duties of the saints might be rejected, because of the sin that is
in them; but Jesus being our High Priest, He is ready to take away
the iniquities of our holy things, perfuming our prayers with the
glory of His own perfections; and therefore it is that there is an
answer given to the saints' prayers, and also acceptance of their
holy duties (Rev 8:3,4). "But Christ being come an high priest of
good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not
made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
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? And for this cause He is
the mediator of the New Testament," or covenant, "that by means
of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under
the first testament, they which are called," notwithstanding all
their sins, "might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb
9:11-15).

Third. The third thing now to be spoken to is, to show where and
how Jesus Christ outwent and goes beyond these priests, in all
their qualifications and offices, for the comfort of poor saints.

1. They that were called to the priesthood under the law were but
men; but He is both God and man (Heb 7:3,28).

2. Their qualifications were in them in a very scanty way; but
Jesus was every way qualified in an infinite and full way.

3. They were consecrated but for a time, but He for evermore (Heb
7:23,24).

4. They were made without an oath, but He with an oath (Verses
20,21).

5. They as servants; but He as a Son (Hebrews 3:6).

6. Their garments were but such as could be made with hands, but
His the very righteousness of God (Exo 28; Rom 3:22; Phil 3:8,9).

7. Their offerings were but the body and blood of beasts, and such
like, but His offering was His own body and soul (Heb 9:12,13;
10:4,5; Isa 53:10).

8. Those were at best but a shadow or type, but He the very substance
and end of all those ceremonies (Heb 9:1,10,11).

9. Their holy place was but made by men, but His, or that which
Jesus is entered, is into Heaven itself (Heb 9:2,3,24).

10. When they went to offer their sacrifice, they were forced to
offer for themselves, as men compassed about with infirmity, but He
holy, harmless, who did never commit the least transgression (Heb
7:26; 10:11).

11. They when they went to offer they were fain to do it standing,
to signify that God had no satisfaction therein; but He, when "He
had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God," to signify that God was very well pleased with His
offering (Heb 10:12).

12. They were fain to offer "oftentimes the same sacrifices, which
can never take away sins"; but He, "by one offering hath perfected
for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb 10:11,14).

13. Their sacrifices at the best could but serve for the cleansing
of the flesh, but His for cleansing both body and soul--the blood
of Jesus Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works, to live
a holy life (Heb 9:13,14).

14. Those high priests could not offer but once a year in the holiest
of all, but our High Priest He ever liveth to make intercession
for us (Heb 9:7; 12:24,25).

15. Those high priests, notwithstanding they were priests, they
were not always to wear their holy garments; but Jesus never puts
them off of Him, but is in them always.

16. Those high priests, death would be too hard for them, but our
High Priest hath vanquished and overcome that cruel enemy of ours,
and brought life and immortality to light through the glorious
Gospel (Heb 7:21,23; 2:15; 2 Tim 1:10).

17. Those high priests were not able to save themselves; but this
is able to save Himself, and all that come to God, by Him (Heb
7:25).

18. Those high priests' blood could not do away sin; but the blood
of Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest, "cleanseth us from all
sin" (1 John 1:7).

19. Those high priests sometimes by sin caused God to reject their
sacrifices; but this High Priest doth always the things that please
Him.

20. Those high priests could never convey the Spirit by virtue of
their sacrifices or office; but this High Priest, our Lord Jesus,
He can and doth give all the gifts and graces that are given to
the sons of men.

21. Those high priests could never by their sacrifices bring the
soul of any sinner to glory by virtue of itself; but Jesus hath by
one offering, as I said before, perfected for ever those that He
did die for. Thus in brief I have showed in some particulars how
and wherein Jesus our High Priest doth go beyond those high priests;
and many more without question might be mentioned, but I forbear.

Christ the forerunner of the saints.

FIFTH. A fifth office of Christ in reference to the second covenant
was, that He should be the forerunner to Heaven before His saints
that were to follow after. First, He strikes hands in the covenant,
[and then] He stands bound as a Surety to see everything in the
covenant accomplished that was to be done on His part; [next] He
brings the message from Heaven to the world; and before He goeth
back, He offereth Himself for the same sins that He agreed to suffer
for; and so soon as this was done, He goeth post-haste to Heaven
again, not only to exercise the second part of His priestly office,
but as our forerunner, to take possession for us, even into Heaven
itself, as you may see, where it is said, "Whither the Forerunner
is for us entered" (Heb 6:20).

First. He is run before to open Heaven's gates--Be ye open, ye
everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may enter in.

Second. He is run before us to take possession of glory in our
natures for us.

Third. He is run before to prepare us our places against we come
after--"I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1-3).

Fourth. He is run thither to make the way easy, in that He hath
first trodden the path Himself.

Fifth. He is run thither to receive gifts for us. All spiritual
and heavenly gifts had been kept from us had not Christ, so soon
as the time appointed was come, run back to the Kingdom of Glory to
receive them for us. But I cannot stand to enlarge upon these glorious
things, the Lord enlarge them upon your hearts by meditation. [These
things have I spoken to show you that saints are under grace.]

Christ completely fulfilled the conditions of the new covenant.

Here now I might begin to speak of His prophetical and kingly office,
and the privileges that do and shall come thereby, but that I fear
I shall be too tedious, therefore at this time I shall pass them
by. Thus you may see how the Covenant of Grace doth run, and with
Whom it was made, and also what were the conditions thereof.

Now, then, this grace, this everlasting grace of God, comes to be
free to us through the satisfaction, according to the conditions,
given by Another for us; for though it be free, and freely given
to us, yet the obtaining of it did cost our Head, our public Man,
a very dear price. "For ye are bought with a price," even with the
precious blood of Christ. So it is by Another, I say, not by us;
yet it is as surely made over to us, even to so many of us as do
or shall believe, as if we had done it, and obtained the grace of
God ourselves (1 Cor 6:20; 1 Peter 1:9). Nay, surer; for consider,
I say, this grace is free to us, and comes upon a clear score,
by virtue of the labour and purchase of Another for us; mark,
that which is obtained by Another for us is not obtained for us
by ourselves--No, but Christ hath, not by the blood of goats and
calves, "obtained eternal redemption for us," which were things
offered by men under the law, "but by His own blood," meaning
Christ's, "He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us" (Heb 9:12).

It comes to be unchangeable through the perfection of that satisfaction
that was given to God through the Son of Mary for us; for whatever
the Divine, infinite, and eternal justice of God did call for
at the hands of man, if ever he intended to be a partaker of the
grace of God, this Jesus, this one Man, this public Person, did,
did completely give a satisfaction to it, even so effectually; which
caused God not only to say, I am pleased, but "I am well pleased";
completely and sufficiently satisfied with Thee on their behalf;
for so you must understand it (Matt 3:17). Mark therefore these
following words--"And, having made peace," or completely made up
the difference, "through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile
all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled,"
how? "in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy,"
mark, "holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (Col
1:20-22). And thus it is grace, unchangeable grace to us; because
it was obtained, yea, completely obtained, for us, by Jesus Christ,
God-man.

Object. But some may say, How was it possible that one man Jesus,
by one offering, should so completely obtain and bring in unchangeable
grace for such an innumerable company of sinners as are to be saved?

Answ. First. In that He was every way fitted for such a work. And,
Second. In that, as I said before, He did every way completely
satisfy that which was offended by our disobedience to the former
covenant.

[First. He was every way fitted for such a work]. And, for the
clearing of this,

1. Consider, was it man that had offended? He was Man that gave
the satisfaction--"For since by man came death, by man came also
the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor 15:21).

2. Was it God that was offended? He was God that did give a
satisfaction--"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.--and
His name shall be called The mighty God" (Isa 9:6). "He thought
it not robbery to be equal with God: but," for our sakes, He "made
Himself of no reputation," etc. (Phil 2:6-7).

3. For the further clearing of this, to show you that in everything
He was rightly qualified for this great work, see what God Himself
saith of Him; He calls Him, in the first place, Man; and, secondly,
He owns Him to be His Fellow, saying, "Awake, O sword, against My
Shepherd, and against the Man"--mark, "the Man that is My Fellow,
saith the LORD of hosts" (Zech 13:7).

So that now, let Divine and infinite justice turn itself which way
it will, it finds one that can tell how to match it; for if it say,
I will require the satisfaction of man, here is a Man to satisfy
its cry; and if it say, But I am an infinite God, and must and will
have an infinite satisfaction; here is One also that is infinite,
even fellow with God, fellow in His essence and being; fellow in
His power and strength; fellow in His wisdom; fellow in His mercy
and grace; together with the rest of the attributes of God; so
that, I say, let justice turn itself which way it will, here is a
complete Person to give a complete satisfaction (Prov 8:23; 1 Cor
1:24; Titus 2:10; compared with Verse 11). Thus much of the fitness
of the Person.

Second. For the completeness of the satisfaction given by Him for
us. And that is discovered in these particulars--

1. Doth justice call for the blood of that nature that sinned? here
is the heart-blood of Jesus Christ--"We have redemption through
His blood," (Eph 1:7,14; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Zech 9:10,11).

2. Doth justice say that this blood, if it be not the blood of One
that is really and naturally God, it will not give satisfaction
to infinite justice? then here is God, purchasing His Church "with
His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

3. Doth justice say, that it must not only have satisfaction for
sinners, but they that are saved must be also washed and sanctified
with this blood? then here is He that so loved us, that He "washed
us from our sins in His own blood" (Rev 1:5).

4. Is there to be a righteousness to clothe them with that is to
be presented before Divine justice? there here is the righteousness
of Christ, which is "even the righteousness of God by faith" (Rom
3:22; Phil 3:8-10).

5. Are there any sins now that will fly upon this Saviour like so
many lions, or raging devils, if He take in hand to redeem man?
He will be content to bear them all Himself alone, even in His own
body upon the tree (1 Peter 2:24).

6. Is there any law now that will curse and condemn this Saviour
for standing in our persons to give satisfaction to God for the
transgression of man? He will be willing to be cursed, yea, to
be made a curse for sinners, rather than they shall be cursed and
damned themselves (Gal 3:13).

7. Must the great and glorious God, whose eyes are so pure that
He cannot behold iniquity; I say, must He not only have the blood,
but the very life of Him that will take in hand to be the Deliverer
and Saviour of us poor miserable sinners? He is willing to lay down
His life for His sheep (John 10:11).

8. Must He not only die a natural death, but must His soul descend
into hell, though it should not be left there, He will suffer that
also Psalms 16:10; and Acts 2:31. 11

9. Must He not only be buried, but rise again from the dead, and
overcome death, that He might be the first-fruits to God of them
that sleep, which shall be saved? He will be buried, and also
through the strength of His Godhead, He will raise Himself out of
the grave, though death hold Him never so fast, and the Jews lay
never such a great stone upon the mouth of the selpulchre, and seal
it never so fast (1 Cor 15:4; Luke 24:34).

10. Must He carry that body into the presence of His Father, to
take possession of Heaven, and must He appear there as a priest,
as a forerunner, as an advocate, as prophet, as a treasure-house,
as an interceder and pleader of the causes of His people? He will
be all these, and much more, to the end the grace of God by faith
in Jesus Christ might be made sure to all the seed. "Who then
can condemn? It is God that justifieth; because Christ hath died,
yea rather, that is risen again." Who, now seeing all this is so
effectually done, shall lay anything, the least thing? who can find
the least flaw, the least wrinkle, the least defect or imperfection,
in this glorious satisfaction (Rom 8:33-34; Heb 6:20; 9:24; John
14:2,3; 1 John 2:1)?

Object. But is it possible that He should so soon give infinite
justice a satisfaction, a complete satisfaction? for the eternal
God doth require an eternal lying under the curse, to the end He
may be eternally satisfied.

Answ. Indeed, that which is infinite must have an eternity to satisfy
God in--that is, they that fall into the prison and pit of utter
darkness must be there to all eternity, to the end the justice of
God may have its full blow at them. But now He that I am speaking
of is God, and so is infinite (Isa 9:6; Titus 1:16,17; Heb 1:8,9;
Phil 2:4-6). Now, He which is true God is able to give in as
little a time an infinite satisfaction as Adam was in giving the
dissatisfaction. Adam himself might have given satisfaction for
himself as soon as Christ had he been very God, as Jesus Christ was.
For the reason why the posterity of Adam, even so many of them as
fall short of life, must lie broiling in Hell to all eternity is
this--they are not able to give the justice of God satisfaction, they
being not infinite, as aforesaid. "But Christ," that is, God-man,
"being come an High Priest," that is, to offer and give satisfaction,
"of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own,"--mark you that,
"but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us." But how? "For if the
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit,"
who through the power and virtue of His infinite Godhead, "offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God? And for this cause," that is, for that
He is God as well as man, and so able to give justice an infinite
satisfaction, therefore, "He is the mediator of the new testament,
that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions
that were under the first testament, they which are called might
receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb 9:11-15). As I
said before.

Object. This is much; but is God connected with this? Is He satisfied
now in the behalf of sinners by this Man's thus suffering? If He
is, then how doth it appear?

Answ. It is evident, yea, wonderful evident, that this hath pleased
Him to the full, as appeareth by these following demonstrations.--

First. In that God did admit Him into His presence; yea, receive
Him with joy and music, even with the sound of the trumpet, at His
ascension into Heaven (Psa 47:5). And Christ makes it an argument
to His children that His righteousness was sufficient, in that He
went to His Father, and they saw Him no more, "of righteousness,"
saith He, "because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more" (John
16:10). As if He had said, My Spirit shall show to the world that
I have brought in a sufficient righteousness to justify sinners
withal, in that when I go to appear in the presence of My Father
on their behalf, He shall give Me entertainment, and not throw Me
down from Heaven, because I did not do it sufficiently.

Again; if you consider the high esteem that God the Father doth set
on the death of His Son, you will find that He hath received good
content thereby. When the Lord Jesus, by way of complaint, told
His Father that He and His merits were not valued to the worth,
His Father answered, It is a light thing that I should give Thee,
O My Servant, to bring Jacob again; "I will also give Thee for a
light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the
end of the earth" (Isa 49:6). As if the Lord had said, "My Son, I
do value Thy death at a higher rate than that Thou shouldst save
the tribes of Israel only; behold the Gentiles, the barbarous
heathens, they also shall be brought in as the price of Thy blood.
It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My Servant only to bring,
or redeem, the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of
Israel: I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that
Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth." 12

Again; you may see it also by the carriage of God the Father to
all the great sinners to whom mercy was proffered. We do not find
that God maketh any objection against them to come to Him for the
pardon of their sins; because He did want a satisfaction suitable
to the greatness of their sins. There was Manasseh, who was one that
burned his children in the fire to the devil, that used witchcraft,
that used to worship the host of heaven, that turned his back on
the Word that God sent unto him; nay, that did worse than the very
heathen that God cast out before the children of Israel (2 Chron
33:1-13). Also those that are spoken of in the Nineteenth of Acts,
that did spend so much time in conjuration, and the like, for such
I judge they were, that when they came to burn their books, they
counted the price thereof to be fifty thousand pieces of silver
(Acts 19:19). Simon Magus also, that was a sorcerer, and bewitched
the whole city, yet he had mercy proffered to him once and again
(Acts 8). I say, it was not the greatness of the sins of these
sinners; no, nor of an innumerable company of others, that made
God at all to object against the salvation of their souls, which
justice would have constrained Him to had He not had satisfaction
sufficient by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Nay, further, I do find
that because God the Father would not have the merits of His Son
to be undervalued, I say, He doth therefore freely by His consent
let mercy be proffered to the greatest sinners--in the first place,
for the Jews, that were the worst of men in that day for blasphemy
against the Gospel; yet the Apostle proffered mercy to them in the
first place--"It was necessary," saith he, "that the Word of God
should first have been spoken to you" (Acts 3:26; 13:46). And Christ
gave them commission so to do; for, saith He, Let repentance and
remission of sins be preached in My name among all nations, and
begin--mark that, "beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47), Let them
that but the other day had their hands up to the elbows in My
heart's blood have the first proffer of My mercy. And, saith Paul,
"For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ
might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which
should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting" (1 Tim 1:16).
As the Apostle saith, those sinners that were dead, possessed with
the devil, and the children of wrath, He hath quickened, delivered,
and saved. That He might, even in the very "ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us,"
and that "through Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:7).

Second. It is evident that that which this Man did as a common
person He did it completely and satisfactorily, as appears by the
openness, as I may so call it, which was in the heart of God to
Him at His resurrection and ascension--"Ask of Me," saith He, "and
I shall give Thee the" very "heathen for Thine inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Psa 2:8).
And this was at His resurrection (Acts 13:33). Whereas, though He
had asked, yet if He had not given a full and complete satisfaction,
justice would not have given Him any thing; for justice, the justice
of God, is so pure, that if it be not completely satisfied in every
particular, it giveth nothing but curses (Gal 3:10).

Third. It is yet far more evident that He hath indeed pleased
God in the behalf of sinners, in that God hath given Him gifts to
distribute to sinners, yea, the worst of sinners, as a fruit of His
satisfaction, and that at His ascension (Psa 68:18). Christ hath
so satisfied God, that He hath given Him all the treasures both of
Heaven and earth to dispose of as He seeth good; He hath so pleased
God, that He hath given Him a name above every name, a sceptre above
every sceptre, a crown above every crown, a kingdom above every
kingdom; He hath given Him the highest place in Heaven, even His
own right hand; He hath given Him all the power of Heaven and earth,
and under the earth, in His own hand, to bind whom He pleaseth, and
to set free whom He thinks meet; He hath, in a word, such a high
esteem in the eyes of His Father, that He hath put into His hands
all things that are for the profit of His people, both in this
world and that which is to come; and all this as the fruit of
His faithfulness in doing of His work, as the Mediator of the new
covenant (Phil 2:9; Rev 19:6). Thou hast ascended on high, Thou
hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts--mark, Thou
hast received them--for men, even for the worst of men, for the
rebellious also; and hath sent forth some, being furnished with these
gifts; some, I say, for the work of the ministry, to the edifying
of them that are already called, and also for the calling in of
all those for whom He covenanted with His Father, till all come in
the unity of faith, etc. (Eph 4:8-13).

Fourth. It doth still appear yet far more evident; for will you hear
what the Father Himself saith for the showing of His well-pleasedness
in these two particulars--First, in that He bids poor souls to
hear and to do as Christ would have them (Matt 3:17; Luke 9:35).
Secondly, in that He resolves to make them that turn their backs
upon Him, that dishonour Him, which is done in a very great measure
by those that lay aside His merits done by Himself for justification; I
say, He that resolved to make this His footstool, where He saith,
"Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool"
(Psa 110:1). Are they enemies to Thee? saith God. I will be even
with them. Do they slight Thy merits? Do they slight Thy groans,
Thy tears, Thy blood, Thy death, Thy resurrection and intercession,
Thy second coming again in heavenly glory? I will tear them and
rend them; I will make them as mire in the streets; I will make
Thy enemies Thy footstool (Matt 22:44; Heb 1:13; 10:13). Ay, saith
He, and "Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel"
(Psa 2:9). Look to it you that slight the merits of the blood of
Christ.

Fifth. Again further; yet God will make all the world to know that He
hath been and is well pleased in His Son, in that God hath given,
and will make it appear He hath given, the world to come into
His hand; and that He shall raise the dead, bring them before
His judgment-seat, execute judgment upon them, which He pleaseth
to execute judgment on to their damnation; and to receive them to
eternal life whom He doth favour, even so many as shall be found
to believe in His name and merits (Heb 2). "For as the Father
hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in
Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of man. For the hour is coming, in the which
all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation"
(John 5:26-29). Ay, and the worst enemy that Christ hath now shall
come at that day with a pale face, with a quaking heart, and bended
knees, trembling before Him, confessing the glory of His merits,
and the virtue there was in them to save, "to the glory of God the
Father" (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:11).

Much more might be added to discover the glorious perfection
of this Man's satisfaction; but for you that desire to be further
satisfied concerning this, search the Scriptures, and beg of God
to give you faith and understanding therein; and as for you that
slight these things, and continue so doing, God hath another way to
take with you, even to dash you in pieces like a potter's vessel;
for this hath Christ received of His Father to do unto you (Rev
2:27).

Thus I have showed you in particular, that the Covenant of Grace
of God is free and unchangeable to men--that is, in that it hath
been obtained for men, and that perfectly, to the satisfying of
justice, and taking all things out of the way that were any ways
a hindrance to our salvation (Col 2:14).

The Covenant of Grace unchangeable; the opposers answered.

The second thing for the discovering of this freeness and constancy
of the Covenant of Grace of God is manifested thus--

First. Whatsoever any man hath of the grace of God, he hath it
as a free gift of God through Christ Jesus the Mediator of this
covenant, even when they are in a state of enmity to Him, whether
it be Christ as the foundation-stone, or faith to lay hold of Him,
mark that (Rom 5:8,9; Col 1:21,22). "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves," not for anything in
you, or done by you for the purchasing of it, but "it is the gift
of God," (Eph 2:8) and that bestowed on you, even when ye "were dead
in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1,9). Nay, if thou hast so much as
one desire that is right, it is the gift of God; for of ourselves,
saith the Apostle, we are not able to speak a good word, or think
a good thought (2 Cor 3:5).

Was it not grace, absolute grace, that God made promise to Adam
after transgression? (Gen 3:15). Was it not free grace in God to save
such a wretch as Manasseh was, who used enchantments, witchcraft,
burnt his children in the fire, and wrought much evil? (2 Chron
33). Was it not free grace to save such as those were that are
spoken of in the 16th of Ezekiel, which no eye pitied? Was it not
free grace for Christ to give Peter a loving look after he had
cursed, and swore, and denied Him? Was it not free grace that met
Paul when he was agoing to Damascus to persecute, which converted
him, and made him a vessel of mercy?

And what shall I say of such that are spoken of in 1 Corinthians
6:9, 10, speaking there of fornicators, idolaters, adulterers,
effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous,
drunkards, revilers, extortioners, the basest of sinners in the
world, and yet were washed, and yet were justified; was it not
freely by grace? O saints, you that are in heaven cry out, "We came
hither by grace; and you that are on the earth, I am sure you cry,
If ever we do go thither, it must be freely by grace!"

Second. In the next place, it appears to be unchangeable in this--1.
Because justice being once satisfied doth not use to call for the
debt again. No; let never such a sinner come to Jesus Christ, and
so to God by Him, and justice, instead of speaking against the
salvation of that sinner, it will say, I am just as well as faithful
to forgive him his sins (1 John 1:9). When justice itself is pleased
with a man, and speaks on his side, instead of speaking against
him, we may well cry out, Who shall condemn? 2. Because there is
no law to come in against the sinner that believes in Jesus Christ;
for he is not under that, and that by right comes in against none
but those that are under it. But believers are not under that--that
is, not their Lord, therefore that hath nothing to do with them;
and besides, Christ's blood hath not only taken away the curse
thereof, but also He hath in His own Person completely fulfilled
it as a public Person in our stead. (Rom 7:1-4). 3. The devil that
accused them is destroyed (Heb 2:14,15). 4. Death, and the grave,
and Hell are overcome (1 Cor 15:55; Hosea 13:14). 5. Sin, that
great enemy of man's salvation, that is washed away (Rev 1:5). 6.
The righteousness of God is put upon them that believe, and given
to them, and they are found in it (Phil 3:8-10; Rom 3:22). 7. Christ
is always in Heaven to plead for them, and to prepare a place for
them (Heb 7:24; John 14:1-4). 8. He hath not only promised that
He will not leave us, nor forsake us, but He hath also sworn to
fulfill His promises. O rich grace! O free grace! Lord, who desired
Thee to promise? who compelled Thee to swear? We use to take honest
men upon their bare word, but God, "willing more abundantly to show
unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel," hath
"confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things," His promise
and His oath, "in which it was impossible for God to lie," or break
either of them, "we might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Heb 6:17-18).
I will warrant you, God will never break His oath; therefore we
may well have good ground to hope from such a good foundation as
this, that God will never leave us indeed. Amen.

Third. Not only thus, but, 1. God hath begotten believers again to
Himself, to be His adopted and accepted children, in and through
the Lord Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). 2. God hath prepared a kingdom for
them before the foundation of the world, through Jesus Christ (Matt
25:34). 3. He hath given them an earnest of their happiness while
they live here in this world. "After that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of His glory," and that through this Jesus (Eph
1:13,14). [These things are more fully laid down in that part of
the book which containeth the discourse of the privileges of the new
covenant]. 4. If His children sin through weakness, or by sudden
temptation, they confessing of it, He willingly forgives, and heals
all their wounds, reneweth His love towards them, waits to do them
good, casteth their sins into the depths of the sea, and all this
freely, without any work done by men as men--Not for your own sakes
do I do this, O house of Israel, be it known unto you, saith the
Lord, but wholly and alone by the blood of Jesus (Eze 36:23,23).
5. In a word, if you would see it altogether, God's love was the
cause why Jesus Christ was sent to bleed for sinners. Jesus Christ's
bleeding stops the cries of Divine justice; God looks upon them
as complete in Him, gives them to Him as His by right of purchase.
Jesus ever lives to pray for them that are thus given unto Him.
God sends His Holy Spirit into them to reveal this to them, sends
His angels to minister for them; and all this by virtue of an
Everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son. Thrice happy
are the people that are in such a case!

Nay, further, He hath made them brethren with Jesus Christ, members
of His flesh and of His bones, the spouse of this Lord Jesus; and
all to show you how dearly, how really, how constantly He loveth
us, who, by faith of His operation, have laid hold upon Him. [These
things I might have treated upon more largely].

[Further Arguments and Objections answered].

I shall now lay down a few arguments for the superabundant clearing
of it, and afterwards answer two or three objections that may be
made against it, and so I shall fall upon the next thing.

First. God loves the saints as He loves Jesus Christ; and God loves
Jesus Christ with an eternal love; therefore the saints also with
the same. "Thou hast loved them as Thou has loved Me" (John 17:23).

Second. That love which is God Himself, must needs be everlasting
love; and that is the love wherewith God hath loved His saints in
Christ Jesus; therefore His love towards His children in Christ
must needs be an everlasting love. There is none dare say that the
love of God is mixed with a created mixture; if not, then it must
needs be Himself (1 John 4:16). [You must not understand that love
in God is a passion as it is in us; but the love of God is the very
essence or nature of God].

Third. That love which is always pitched upon us, in an object as
holy as God, must needs be an everlasting love. Now the love of
God was and is pitched upon us, through an object as holy as God
Himself, even our Lord Jesus; therefore it must needs be unchangeable.

Fourth. If He with whom the Covenant of Grace was made, did in every
thing and condition do even what the Lord could desire or require
of Him, that His love might be extended to us, and that for ever,
then His love must needs be an everlasting love, seeing everything
required of us was completely accomplished for us by Him; and all
this hath our Lord Jesus done, and that most gloriously, even on
our behalf; therefore it must needs be a love that lasts for ever
and ever.

Fifth. If God hath declared Himself to be the God that changeth
not, and hath sworn to be immutable in His promise, then surely He
will be unchangeable; and He hath done so; therefore it is impossible
for God to lie, and so for His eternal love to be changeable (Heb
6:13-18). Here is an argument of the Spirit's own making! Who can
contradict it? If any object, and say, But still it is upon the
condition of believing--I answer, The condition also is His own
free gift, and not a qualification arising from the stock of nature
(Eph 2:8; Phil 1:28,29). So that here is the love unchangeable;
here is also the condition given by Him whose love is unchangeable,
which may serve yet further for a strong argument that God will
have His love unchangeable. Sinner, this is better felt and enjoyed
than talked of.

Objection First. But if this love of God be unchangeable in itself,
yet it is not unchangeably set upon the saints unless they behave
themselves the better. [The first objection].

Answ. As God's love at the first was bestowed upon the saints
without anything foreseen by the Lord in them, as done by them,
Deuteronomy 9:4-6, so He goeth on with the same, Saying, "I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5).

Objection Second. But how cometh it to pass then, that many fall
off again from the grace of the Gospel, after a profession of it
for some time; some to delusions, and some to their own sins again?
[The second objection].

Answ. They are all fallen away, not from the everlasting love of
God to them, but from the profession of the love of God to them.
Men may profess that God loves them when there is no such matter,
and that they are the children of God, when the devil is their
father; as it is in John 8:40-44. Therefore they that do finally
fall away from a profession of the grace of the Gospel, it is,
first, because they are bastards and not sons. Secondly, because
as they are not sons, so God suffereth them to fall, to make it
appear that they are not sons, not of the household of God--"They
went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of
us, they would no doubt," mark that, "no doubt," saith he, "they
would have continued with us: but they went out," from us, "that
they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John
2:19). And though Hymeneus and Philetus do throw themselves headlong
to Hell, "nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim 2:17-19).

Objection Third. But the Scripture saith that there are some that
had faith, yet lost it, and have made shipwreck of it. [The third
objection]. Now God loves no longer than they believe, as is evident;
for "he that believeth not shall be damned." So then, if some may
have faith, and yet lose it, and so lose the love of God because
they have lost their faith, it is evident that God's love is not
so immutable as you say it is to every one that believeth.

Answ. There are more sorts of faith than one that are spoken of in
Scripture--

1. There is a faith that man may have, and yet be nothing, none
of the saints of God, and yet may do great things therewith (1 Cor
13:1-4).

2. There is a faith that was wrought merely by the operation
of the miracles that were done in those days by Christ and his
followers--"And many of the people believed in Him." How came they
by their faith? Why, by the operation of the miracles that He did
among them; for said they, "When Christ cometh, will He do more
miracles than these which this man hath done?" (John 7:31).

The great thing that wrought their faith in them, was only by seeing
the miracles that He did, John 2:23, which is not that saving faith
which is called the faith of God's elect, as is evident; for there
must not be only miracles wrought upon outward objects to beget
that--that being too weak a thing--but it must be by the same power
that was stretched out in raising Christ from the dead; yea, the
exceeding greatness of that power (Eph 1:18,19). So there is a
believing, being taken with some marvelous work, visibly appearing
to the outward sense of seeing; and there is a believing that
is wrought in the heart by an invisible operation of the Spirit,
revealing the certainty of the satisfaction of the merits of
Christ to the soul in a more glorious way, both for certainty and
for durableness, both as to the promise and the constancy of it
(Matt 16:17, 18).

3. There is a faith of a man's own, of a man's self also; but the
faith of the operation of God, in Scripture, is set in opposition
to that, for, saith He, you are saved by grace, "through faith,
and that not of yourselves," of your own making, but that which is
the free gift of God (Eph 2:8).

4. We say there is an historical faith--that is, such as is begotten
by the co-operation of the Spirit with the Word.

5. We say there is a traditional faith--that is, to believe things
by tradition, because others say they believe them; this is received
by tradition, not by revelation, and shall never be able to stand,
neither at the day of death, nor at the day of judgment; though
possibly men, while they live here, may esteem themselves and states
to be very good, because their heads are filled full of it.

6. There is a faith that is called in Scripture a dead faith, the
faith of devils, or of the devil; they also that have only this, they
are like the devil, and as sure to be damned as he, notwithstanding
their faith, if they get no better into their hearts; for it is
far off from enabling of them to lay hold of Jesus Christ, and so
to put Him on for eternal life and sanctification, which they must
do if ever they be saved (James 2:19,26).

But all these are short of the saving faith of God's elect, as
is manifest; I say, first, Because these may be wrought, and not
by that power so exceedingly stretched forth. Secondly, Because
these are wrought, partly, (1.) By the sense of seeing--namely,
the miracles--not by hearing; and, (2.) The rest is wrought by a
traditional or historical influence of the words in their heads,
not by a heavenly, invisible, almighty, and saving operation of
the Spirit of God in their hearts.

7. I do suppose also that there is a faith that is wrought upon
men through the influence of those gifts and abilities that God
gives sometimes to those that are not His own by election, though
by creation; my meaning is, some men, finding that God hath given
them very great gifts and abilities,--as to the gifts of preaching,
praying, working miracles, or the like--I say, therefore do conclude
that God is their Father, and they are His children; the ground of
which confidence is still begotten, not by the glorious operation
of the Spirit, but by a considering of the great gifts that God hath
bestowed upon them as to the things before-mentioned. As thus, (1.)
the poor soul considers how ignorant it was, and now how knowing
it is. (2.) Considering how vain it formerly was, and also now how
civil it is, presently makes this conclusion--Surely God loves me,
surely He hath made me one of His, and will save me. This is now
a wrong faith, as is evident, in that it is placed upon a wrong
object; for mark, this faith is not placed assuredly on God's grace
alone, through the blood and merits of Christ being discovered
effectually to the soul, but upon God through those things that
God hath given it, as of gifts, either to preach, or pray, or do
great works, or the like, which will assuredly come to nought as
sure as God is in Heaven, if no better faith and ground of faith
be found out for thy soul savingly to rest upon.

As to the second clause of the objection, which runs to this effect,
God loves men upon the account of their believing, I answer, that
God loves men before they believe; He loves them, He calls them,
and gives them faith to believe--"But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us," when? when we believed,
or before? "even when we were dead in sins," and so, far off from
believers, "hath quickened us together with" Christ, "by grace ye
are saved" (Eph 2:4,5).

Now, also, I suppose that thou wilt say in thy heart, I would you
would show us then what is saving faith; which thing it may be I
may touch upon a while hence, in the next thing that I am to speak
unto. O they that have that are safe indeed!

SECOND. WHO AND HOW MEN ARE ACTUALLY BROUGHT INTO THE NEW COVENANT.

The SECOND thing that I am to speak unto is this--WHO they are
that are actually brought into this free and unchangeable grace;
and also HOW they are brought in.

Answ. Indeed, now we come to the pinch of the whole discourse; and
if God do but help me to run rightly through this, as I do verily
believe He will, I may do thee, reader, good, and bring glory to
my God.

The question containeth these two branches--FIRST. Who are brought
in; SECOND. How they are brought in.

[FIRST. Who are brought in?] The first is quickly answered--"Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners," Jewish sinners, Gentile
sinners, old sinners, young sinners, great sinners, the chiefest
of sinners. Publicans and harlots--that is, whores, cheaters, and
exactors--shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Tim 1:15; Rom
5:7-11; 1 Cor 6:9,11; Matt 21:31). "For I come not," saith Christ,
"to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17).

A sinner in the Scripture is described in general to be a transgressor
of the law--"Whosoever commiteth sin, transgresseth the law; for
sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). But particularly;
they are described in a more particular way, as, 1. Such as in whom
dwelleth the devil (Eph 2:2,3). 2. Such as will do the service of
him (John 8:44). 3. Such as are enemies to God (Col 1:21) 4. Such
as are drunkards, whoremasters, liars, perjured persons, covetous,
revilers, extortionists, fornicators, swearers, possessed with devils,
thieves, idolaters, witches, sorcerers, conjurors, murderers, and
the like (1 Cor 6:9,10; 2 Chron 33:1-13; Acts 2:36,37; 9:1-6; 19:9;
1 Tim 1:14-16). These are sinners, and such sinners that God hath
prepared Heaven, happiness, pardon of sin, and an inheritance
of God, with Christ, with saints, with angels, if they do come in
and accept of grace, as I might prove at large; for God's grace is
so great, that if they do come to Him by Christ, presently all is
forgiven them; therefore never object that thy sins are too great
to be pardoned; but come, taste and see how good the Lord is to
any whosoever come unto Him.

[SECOND.] The second thing is, How are these brought into this
Everlasting Covenant of Grace?

Answ. When God doth in deed and in truth bring in a sinner into
this most blessed covenant, [Come to the Touchstone, sinner]. for
so it is, He usually goeth this way--

First. He slays or kills the party to all things besides Himself,
and His Son Jesus Christ, and the comforts of the Spirit. For the
clearing of this I shall show you, 1. With what God kills; 2. How
God kills; 3. To what God kills those whom He makes alive in Jesus
Christ.

1. [What God kills]. When God brings sinners into the Covenant of
Grace, He doth first kill them with the Covenant of Works, which
is the moral law, or Ten Commandments. This is Paul's doctrine, and
also Paul's experience. It is his doctrine where he saith, "The
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones--the ministration
of condemnation," which is the law, in that place called the letter,
"killeth" (2 Cor 3:6-9). The letter, saith he, killeth; or the law,
or the ministration of death, which in another place is called "the
voice of words" (Heb 12:19), because they have no life in them,
but rather death and damnation, through our inability to fulfill
them, doth kill (Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 6). It is his experience where he
saith, "I was alive" that is, to my own things, "without the law
once," that is, before God did strike him dead by it, "but when
the commandment came," that is, to do and exercise its right office
on me, which was to kill me, then "sin revived, and I died," and I
was killed. "And the commandment," or the law, "which was ordained
to" be unto "life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me" (Rom 7:9-11).

2. But how doth God kill with this law, or covenant?

1. By opening to the soul the spirituality of it--"The law is
spiritual," saith he, "but I am carnal, sold under sin" (Rom 7:14).
Now the spirituality of the law is discovered this way--

(1.) By showing to the soul that every sinful thought is a sin
against it. Ay, sinner, when the law doth come home indeed upon
thy soul in the spirituality of it, it will discover such things
to thee to be sins that now thou lookest over and regardest not;
that is a remarkable saying of Paul when he saith, "Sin revived,
and I died." Sin revived, saith he; as if he had said, Those things
that before I did not value nor regard, but looked upon them to be
trifles, to be dead, and forgotten; but when the law was fastened
on my soul, it did so raise them from the dead, call them into
mind, so muster them before my face, and put such strength into
them, that I was overmastered by them, by the guilt of them. Sin
revived by the commandment, or my sins had mighty strength, life,
and abundance of force upon me because of that, insomuch that they
killed me (Matt 5:28).

(2.) It showeth that every such sin deserveth eternal damnation.
Friends, I doubt there be but few of you that have seen the
spirituality of the law of works. But this is one thing in which
it discovereth its spirituality, and this is the proper work of
the Law.

(3.) God, with a discovery of this, doth also discover His own
Divine and infinite justice, of which the law is a description,
which backs what is discovered by the law, and that by discovering
of its purity and holiness to be so Divine, so pure, so upright,
and so far of from winking at the least sin, that He doth by that
law, without any favour, condemn the sinner for that sin (Gal
3:10). Now, when He hath brought the soul into this praemunire,13
into this puzzle, then,

2. He showeth to the soul the nature and condition of the law as
to its dealings with, or forbearing of, the sinner that hath sinned
against it; which is to pass an eternal curse upon both soul and
body of the party so offending, saying to him, Cursed be the man
that continueth not in everything that is written in the Book of
the Law to do it; for, saith the law, this is my proper work; first,
to show thee thy sins; and when I have done that, then, in the next
place, to condemn thee for them, and that without all remedy, as
from ME, or anything within my bounds, for I am not to save any,
to pardon any--nay, not to favour any in the least thing that have
sinned against me; for God did not send me to make alive, but to
discover sin, and to condemn for the same. Now, so soon as this is
presented to thy conscience, in the next place, the Lord also by
this law doth show that now there is no righteous act according to
the tenor of that covenant that can replieve him, or take him off
from all this horror and curse that lies upon him; because that is
not an administration of pardon, as I said before, to forgive the
sin, but an administration of damnation, because of transgression.
O, the very discovery of this striketh the soul into a deadly
swoon, even above half dead! But when God doth do the work indeed,
He doth, in the next place, show the soul that he is the man that
is eternally under this covenant by nature, and that it is he that
hath sinned against this law, and doth by right deserve the curse
and displeasure of the same, and that all that ever he can do will
not give satisfaction to that glorious justice that did give this
law; holy actions, tears of blood, selling all, and giving it to
the poor, or whatever else can be done by thee, it comes all short
and is all to no purpose (Phil 3). I will warrant him, he that
seeth this, it will kill him to that which he was alive unto before,
though he had a thousand lives. Ah, sinners, sinners, were you but
sensible indeed of the severity and truth of this, it would make
you look about you to purpose! O, how would it make you strive to
stop at that that now you drink down with delight! How many oaths
would it make you bite asunder! Nay, it would make you bite your
tongues to think that they should be used as instruments of the
devil to bring your souls into such an unspeakable misery; then
also we should not have you hang the salvation of your souls upon
such slender pins as now you do; no, no; but you would be in another
mind then. O, then we should have you cry out, I must have Christ;
what shall I do for Christ? how shall I come at Christ? Would I
was sure, truly sure of Christ. My soul is gone, damned, cast away,
and must for ever burn with the devils, if I do not get precious
Jesus Christ!

3. In the next place, when God hath done this, then He further
shows the soul that that covenant which it is under by nature is
distinct from the Covenant of Grace; and also they that are under
it are by nature without any of the graces which they have that are
under the Covenant of Grace; as, (1.) That it hath no faith (John
16:9). (2.) No hope (Eph 2:12). Nor none of the Spirit to work
these things in it by nature. (4.) Neither will that covenant give
to them any peace with God. (5.) No promise of safeguard from His
revenging law by that covenant. (6.) But lieth by nature liable
to all the curses, and condemnings, and thunderclaps of this most
fiery covenant. (7.) That it will accept of no sorrow, no repentance,
no satisfaction, as from thee. (8.) That it calls for no less than
the shedding of thy blood. (9.) The damnation of thy soul and body.
(10.) And if there be anything proffered to it by thee, as to the
making of it amends, it throws it back again as dirt in thy face,
slighting all that thou canst bring.

Now, when the soul is brought into this condition, then it is indeed
dead, killed to that to which it was once alive. And therefore,

3. In the next place, to show you to what it is killed: and that
is,

1. To sin. O, it dares not sin! it sees Hell-fire is prepared for
them that sin, God's justice will not spare it if it live in sin;
the Law will damn it if it live in sin; the devil will have it if
it follows its sins. [Here I am speaking of one that is effectually
brought in]. O, I say, it trembles at the very thoughts of sin! Ay,
if sin do but offer to tempt the soul, to draw away the soul from
God, it cries, it sighs, it shunneth the very appearance of sin, it
is odious unto it. If God would but serve you thus that love your
pleasures, you would not make such a trifle of sin as you do.

2. It is killed to the Law of God as it is the Covenant of Works.
O, saith the soul, the law hath killed me to itself, "I through the
law am dead to the law" (Gal 2:19). The law is another thing than
I did think it was. I thought it would not have been so soul-destroying,
so damning a law! I thought it would not have been so severe against
me for my little sins, for my playing, for my jesting, for my
dissembling, quarreling, and the like. I had some thoughts, indeed,
that it would hew great sinners, but let me pass! and though it
condemned great sinners, yet it would pass me by! But now, would
I were free from this covenant, would I were free from this law! I
will tell thee that a soul thus worked upon is more afraid of the
Covenant of Works than he is of the devil; for he sees it is the
law that doth give him up into his hands for sin; and if he was but
clear from that, he should not greatly need to fear the devil. O,
now every particular command tears the caul of his heart; now every
command is a great gun well charged against his soul; now he sees
he had as good run into a fire to keep himself from burning, as
to run to the law to keep himself from damning; and this he sees
really, ay, and feels it too, to his own sorrow and perplexity. 14

3. The soul also now is killed to his own righteousness, and counts
that but dung, but dross, not worth the dirt hanging on his shoes.
O! then, says he, thou filthy righteousness! how hast thou deceived
me! How hast thou beguiled my poor soul! (Isa 64:6). How did I
deceive myself with giving of a little alms; with abstaining from
some gross pollutions; with walking in some ordinances, as to
the outside of them! How hath my good words, good thinkings, good
meanings, as the world calls them, deceived my ignorant soul! I
want the righteousness of faith, the righteousness of God; for I
see now there is no less will do me any good.

4. It is also killed to its own faith, its notion of the Gospel,
its own hope, its own repentings, its own promises and resolutions,
to its own strength, its own virtue, or whatsoever it had before.
Now, saith the soul, that faith I thought I had, it is but fancy;
that hope I thought I had, I see it is by hypocritical, but vain
and groundless hope. [These things would be too tedious to enlarge
upon]. Now the soul sees it hath by nature no saving faith, no
saving hope, no grace at all by nature, by the first covenant. Now
it crieth out, How many promises have I broken! and how many times
have I resolved in vain, when I was sick at such a time, and in
such a strait at such a place! Indeed, I thought myself a wise man
once, but I see myself a very fool now. O, how ignorant am I of
the Gospel now, and of the blessed experience of the work of God on
a Christian heart! In a word, it sees itself beset by nature with
all evil, and destitute of all good, which is enough to kill the
stoutest, hardest-hearted sinner that ever lived on the earth. O,
friends, should you be plainly dealt withal by this discovery of
the dealing of God with a sinner when He makes him a saint, and
would seriously try your selves thereby, as God will try you one
day, how few would there be found of you to be so much as acquainted
with the work of God in the notion, much less in the experimental
knowledge of the same! And indeed, God is fain to take this way
with sinners, thus to kill them with the old covenant to all things
below a crucified Christ.

Six reasons of this discourse.

1. Because otherwise there would be none in the world that would
look after this sweet Jesus Christ. There are but a few that go to
Heaven in all, comparatively; and those few God is fain to deal with
them in this manner, or else His Heaven, His Christ, His glory, and
everlasting happiness must abide by themselves, for all sinners.
Do you think that Manasseh would have regarded the Lord, had He not
suffered his enemies to have prevailed against him? (2 Chron 33:1-16).
Do you think that Ephraim would have looked after salvation, had not
God first confounded him with the guilt of the sins of his youth?
(Jer 31:18). What do you think of Paul? (Acts 9:4-6). What do you
think of the jailer? (Acts 16:30-32). What do you think of the
three thousand? (Acts 2:36,37). Was not this the way that the Lord
was fain to take to make them close in with Jesus Christ? Was He not
fain to kill them to everything below a Christ, that were driven
to their wits' ends, insomuch that they were forced to cry out,
"What shall we do to be saved?" I say, God might have kept Heaven
and happiness to Himself, if He should not go this way to work with
sinners. O stout-hearted rebels! O tender-hearted God!

2. Because then, and not till then, will sinners accept of Jesus
Christ on God's terms. So long as sinners can make a life out
of anything below Christ, so long they will not close with Christ
without indenting; 15

But when the God of Heaven hath killed them to everything below
Himself and His Son, then Christ will down on any terms in the
world. And, indeed, this is the very reason why sinners, when they
hear of Christ, yet will not close in with Him; there is something
that they can take content in besides Him. The prodigal, so long
as he could content himself with the husks that the swine did eat,
so long he did keep him away from his father's house; but when
he could get no nourishment anywhere on this side of his father's
house, then saith he, and not till then, "I will arise, and go to
my father," etc.

I say, this is the reason, therefore, why men come no faster,
and close no more readily, with the Son of God, but stand halting
and indenting 16 about the terms they must have Christ upon; for,
saith the drunkard, I look on Christ to be worth the having; but
yet I am not willing to lose ALL for him; all but my pot, saith the
drunkard; and all but the world, saith the covetous. I will part
with anything but lust and pride, saith the wanton. But if Christ
will not be had without I forsake all, cast away all, then it must
be with me as it was with the young man in the Gospel, such news
will make me sorry at the very heart.

But now, when a man is soundly killed to all his sins, to all his
righteousness, to all his comforts whatsoever, and sees that there
is no way but the devil must leave him, but he must be damned in
Hell if he be not clothed with Jesus Christ; O, then, saith he,
give me Christ on any terms, whatsoever He cost; though He cost
me friends, though He cost me comforts, though He cost me all that
ever I have; yet, like the wise merchant in the Gospel, they will
sell all to get that pearl. I tell you, when a soul is brought to
see its want of Christ aright, it will not be kept back; father,
mother, husband, wife, lands, livings, nay, life and all, shall go
rather than the soul will miss of Christ. Ay, and the soul counteth
Christ a cheap Saviour if he can get him upon any terms; now the
soul indents17 no longer. Now, Lord, give me Christ upon any terms,
whatsoever He cost; for I am a dead man, a damned man, a castaway,
if I have not Christ. What say you, O you wounded sinners? Is not
this true as I have said? Would you not give ten thousand worlds,
if you had so many, so be you might be well assured that your sins
shall be pardoned, and your souls and bodies justified and glorified
at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?

3. The Lord goeth this way for this reason also, that it might make
the soul sensible what it cost Christ to redeem it from death and
Hell. When a man cometh to feel the sting and guilt of sin, death
and Hell upon his conscience, then, and not till then, can he
tell what it cost Christ to redeem sinners. O! saith the soul, if
a few sins are so terrible, and lay the soul under such wrath and
torment, what did Christ undergo, who bare the sins of thousands
and thousands, and all at once?

This also is one means to make souls tender of sin (it is the burned
child that feareth the fire), to make them humble in a sense of
their own vileness, to make them count everything that God giveth
them a mercy, to make much of the least glimpse of the love of God,
and to prize it above the whole world. O sinners, were you killed
indeed [to sin], then Heaven would be Heaven, and Hell would be
Hell indeed; but because you are not wrought upon in this manner,
therefore you count the ways of God as bad as a good man counteth
the ways of the devil, and the ways of the devil and Hell as good
as a saint doth count the ways of God.

4. Again, God is fain to go this way, and all to make sinners make
sure of Heaven. So long as souls are senseless of sin, and what a
damnable state they are in by nature, so long they will even dally
with the Kingdom of Heaven and the salvation of their own poor
souls; but when God cometh and showeth them where they are, and
what it is like to become of them if they miss of the crucified
Saviour, O, then, saith the soul, would I were sure of Jesus; what
shall I do to get assurance of Jesus? And thus is God forced, as
I may say, to whip souls to Jesus Christ, they being so secure, so
senseless, and so much their own enemies, as not to look out after
their own eternal advantage.

5. A fifth reason why God doth deal thus with sinners it is, because
He would bring Christ and the soul together in a right way. Christ
and sinners would never come together in a beloved posture, they
would not so suitably suit each other, if they were not brought
together this way, the sinner being killed. O, when the sinner is
killed, and indeed struck dead to everything below a naked Jesus,
how suitably then doth the soul and Christ suit one with another.
Then here is a naked sinner for a righteousness Jesus, a poor
sinner to a rich Jesus, a weak sinner to a strong Jesus, a blind
sinner to a seeing Jesus, an ignorant, careless sinner to a wise
and careful Jesus. O, how wise is God in dealing thus with the
sinner! He strips him of his own knowledge, that He may fill him
with Christ's; He killeth him for taking pleasure in sin, that he
may take pleasure in Jesus Christ, etc.

6. God goeth this way with sinners, because He would have the glory
of their salvation. Should not men and women be killed to their own
things, they would do sacrifice unto them, and instead of saying to
the Lamb, "THOU ART WORTHY," they would say their own arm, their
own right hand hath saved them; but God will cut off boasting
from ever entering within the borders of eternal glory; for He is
resolved to have the glory of the beginning, the middle, and the
end; of the contriving, and saving, and giving salvation to them
that enter in to the joys of everlasting glory (Rom 3:27; Eph
2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Rev 5:9). "That they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified"
(Isa 61:3). I might have run through many things as to this; but
I shall pass them, and proceed.

Second. Now, the soul being this killed to itself, [The soul that
hath the right work of God upon its heart, is not only killed to
itself, but also made alive to Christ]. its sins, its righteousness,
faith, hope, wisdom, promises, resolutions, and the rest of its
things which it trusted in by nature; in the next place, it hath
also given unto it a most glorious, perfect, and never-fading life,
which is--

1. A life imputed to it, yet so really, that the very thought of it
in the soul hath so much operation and authority, especially when
the mediation of it is mixed with faith, as to make it, though
condemned by the law, to triumph, and to look its enemies in the
face with comfort, notwithstanding the greatness of the multitude,
the fierceness of their anger, and the continuation of their malice,
be never so hot against it.

This imputed life--for so it is--is the obedience of the Son
of God as His righteousness, in His suffering, rising, ascending,
interceding, and so consequently triumphing over all the enemies
of the soul, and given to me, as being wrought on purpose for me.
So that, is there righteousness in Christ? that is mine. Is there
perfection in that righteousness? that is mine. Did He bleed for
sin? it was for mine. Hath He overcome the law, the devil, and
Hell? the victory is mine, and I am counted the conqueror, nay,
more than a conqueror, through Him that hath loved me. And I do
count this a most glorious life; for by this means it is that I am,
in the first place, proclaimed both in Heaven and earth guiltless,
and such an one who, as I am in Christ, am not sinner, and so not
under the law, to be condemned, but as holy and righteous as the Son
of God Himself, because He Himself is my holiness and righteousness,
and so likewise having by this all things taken out of the way that
would condemn me.

Sometimes I bless the Lord my soul hath had the life that now I
am speaking of, not only imputed to me, but the very glory of it
upon my soul; for, upon a time, when I was under many condemnings
of heart, and feared, because of my sins, my soul would miss of
eternal glory, methought I felt in my soul such a secret motion of
this--Thy righteousness is in Heaven, together with the splendour
and shining of the Spirit of Grace in my soul, which gave me to see
clearly that my righteousness by which I should be justified from
all that could condemn, was the Son of God Himself in His own Person,
now at the right hand of His Father representing me complete before
the Mercy-seat in His Ownself; so that I saw clearly that night
and day, wherever I was, or whatever I was a doing, still there
was my righteousness just before the eyes of Divine glory; so that
the Father could never find fault with me for any insufficiency that
was in my righteousness, seeing it was complete; neither could He
say, Where is it? because it was continually at His right hand. 18

Also, at another time, having contracted guilt upon my soul, and
having some distemper of body upon me, I supposed that death might
now so seize upon as to take me away from among men; then, thought
I, what shall I do now? is all right with my soul? Have I the right
work of God on my soul? Answering myself, "No, surely"; and that
because there were so many weaknesses in me; yes, so many weaknesses
in my best duties. For, thought I, how can such an one as I find
mercy, whose heart is so ready to evil, and so backward to that
which is good, so far as it is natural. Thus musing, being filled
with fear to die, these words come in upon my soul, "Being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"
(Rom 3:24). As if God had said, Sinner, thou thinkest because that
thou hast had so many infirmities and weaknesses in thy soul while
thou hast been professing of Me, therefore now there can be no hopes
of mercy; but be it known unto thee, that it was not anything done
by thee at the first that moved Me to have mercy upon thee: neither
is it anything that is done by thee now that shall make me either
accept or reject thee. Behold My Son, who standeth by Me, He is
righteous, He hath fulfilled My Law, and given me good satisfaction;
on Him, therefore, do I look, and on thee only as thou art in Him;
and according to what He hath done, so will I deal with thee. This
having stayed my heart, and taken off the guilt through the strength
of its coming on my soul, anon after came in that word as a second
testimony--"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling,
not according to our works," of righteousness which we have done,
"but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim 1:9). And thus is the
sinner made alive from the dead, being justified by grace through
the righteousness of Christ, which is unto all and upon all them
that believe, according to the Scriptures--"And the life which
I now live--it is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave Himself for me" (Gal 2:20). "I lay down my life for the
sheep." "I am come that they might have life, and that they might
have it more abundantly" (John 10:10,15). "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. That as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 5:10,21).

2. This life is not only imputed to him that is wrought on by the
Spirit of Grace--that is, not only counted his, but also there is
put into the soul an understanding, enlightened on purpose to know
the things of God, which is Christ and His imputed righteousness
(1 John 5:20) which it never thought of nor understood before (1
Cor 2:9-11). Which understanding being enlightened and made to see
such things that the soul cannot be contented without it lay hold
of and apply Christ unto itself so effectually; I say, that the
soul shall be exceedingly revived in a very heavenly measure with
the application of this imputed righteousness; for thereby it
knoweth it shall find God speaking peace to itself, with a fatherly
affection, saying, "Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee";
the righteousness of My Son I bestow upon thee; "For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through thee," thy "flesh," "I
have sent forth My only Son, and have condemned" thy sins in His
flesh (Rom 8:3). And though thou hast gone astray like a lost sheep,
yet on Him I have laid thine iniquities; and though thou thereby
didst undo and break thyself for ever, yet by His stripes I have
healed thee. Thus, I say, the Lord causeth the soul by faith to
apply that which He doth by grace impute unto it, for thus every
soul more or less is dealt withal; the soul being thus enlightened,
thus quickened, thus made alive from that dead state it was in
before, or at least having the beginnings of this life, it hath
these several virtuous advantages, which they have not that are
dead in their sins and trespasses, and under the law--

[Advantages possessed by the quickened].

First. It seeth what a sad condition all men by nature are in, they
being in that state which itself was in but a while since; but now
by grace it is a beginning to scrabble 19 out of it; now it seeth
"the whole world lieth in wickedness," and so liable to eternal
vengeance, because of their wickedness (1 John 5:19). Ah, friends,
let me tell you, though you may be ignorant of your state and
condition, yet the poor, groaning, hungering saints of God do see
what a sad, woeful, miserable state you are in, which sometimes
makes them tremble to think of your most lamentable latter end,
your dying so, and also to fly the faster to their Lord Jesus, for
very fear that they also should be partakers of that most doleful
doom. [Like as the children of Israel, who fled for fear when the
ground opened its mouth to swallow up Korah and his company]. And
this it hath by virtue of its own experience, knowing itself was
but awhile ago in the same condition, under the same condemnation.
O! there is now a hearth blessing of God that ever He should show
to it its sad condition, and that He should incline its heart to
seek after a better condition. O blessed be the Lord! saith the
soul, that ever He should awaken me, stir up me, and bring me out
of that sad condition that I once with them was in (Psa 103:1-3).
It makes also the soul to wonder to see how foolishly and vainly
the rest of its neighbours do spend their precious time, that they
should be so void of understanding, so forgetful of their latter
end, so senseless of the damning nature of their sins. O that
their eyes were but enlightened to see whereabouts they are! surely
they would be of another mind than they are now in. Now, the soul
wonders to see what slender pins those poor creatures do hang the
stress of the eternal salvation of their souls upon. O! methinks,
saith the soul, it makes me mourn to see that some should think
that they were born Christians; and others, that their baptism makes
them so; 20 others depend barely upon a traditional, historical
faith, which will leave their souls in the midst of perplexity. That
they should trust to such fables, fancies, and wicked sleights of
the devil, as their good doings, their good thinkings, their civil
walking and living with the world. O miserable profession, and the
end thereof will be a miserable end!

But now, when the souls is thus wrought upon, it must be sure to
look for the very gates of Hell to be set open against it with all
their force and might to destroy it. Now Hell rageth, the devil
roareth, and all the world resolveth to do the best they can to
bring the soul again into bondage and ruin. Also, the soul shall
not want enemies, even in its own heart's lust, [But this is but for
the exercise of his faith.] as covetousness, adultery, blasphemy,
unbelief, hardness of heart, coldness, half-heartedness, ignorance,
with an innumerable company of attendants, hanging, like so many
blocks, at its heels, ready to sink it into the fire of Hell every
moment, together with strange apprehensions of God and Christ, as
if now they were absolutely turned to be its enemies, which maketh
it doubt of the certainty of its salvation; for you must understand,
that though a soul may in reality have the righteousness of the Son
of God imputed to it, and also some faith in a very strong manner
to lay hold upon it, yet at another time, through temptation, they
may fear and doubt again, insomuch that the soul may be put into
a very great fear lest it should return again into the condition
it once was in (Jer 32:40). O, saith the soul, when I think of my
former state, how miserable it was, it makes me tremble; and when
I think that I may fall into that condition again, how sad are the
thoughts of it to me! I would not be in that condition again for
all the world. And this fear riseth still higher and higher, as
the soul is sensible of Satan's temptations, or of the working of
its own corruptions. Ah! these filthy lusts, these filthy corruptions.
O that I were rid of them, that they were consumed in a moment,
that I could be quite rid of them, they do so disturb my soul,
dishonour my God, so defile my conscience, and sometimes so weaken
my hands in the way of God, and my comforts in the Lord; O how glad
should I be if I might be stripped of them (Rom 7:24). Which fear
puts the soul upon flying to the Lord by prayer for the covering
of His imputed righteousness, and for strength against the devil's
temptations and its own corruptions; that God would give down His
Holy Spirit to strengthen it against the things that do so annoy its
soul, and so discourage it in its way, with a resolution, through
grace, never to be contented while [until] it doth find in itself
a triumphing over it, by faith in the blood of a crucified Jesus.

Second. The soul that hath been thus killed by the Law to the things
it formerly delighted in, now, O now, it cannot be contented with
that slender, groundless faith and hope that once it contented
itself withal. No, no; but now it must be brought into the right
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, now it must have Him discovered
to the soul by the Spirit, now it cannot be satisfied because such
and such do tell it is so. No; but now it will cry out, Lord, show
me continually, in the light of Thy Spirit, through Thy Word, that
Jesus that was born in the days of Caesar Augustus, when Mary, a
daughter of Judah, went with Joseph to be taxed at Bethlehem, that
He is the very Christ. Lord, let me see it in the light of Thy
Spirit, and in the operation thereof; and let me not be contented
without such a faith that is so wrought even by the discovery
of His birth, crucifying, death, blood, resurrection, ascension,
intercession, and second--which is His personal--coming again, that
the very faith of it may fill my soul with comfort and holiness.
And O, how afraid the soul is lest it should fall short of this
faith, and of the hope that is begotten by such discoveries as
these are! For the soul knoweth that if it hath not this, it will
not be able to stand either in death or judgment; and therefore,
saith the soul, Lord, whatever other poor souls content themselves
withal, let me have that which will stand me in stead, and carry
me through a dangerous world; that may help me to resist a cunning
devil; that may help me to suck true soul-satisfying consolation
from Jesus Christ through Thy promises, by the might and power
of Thy Spirit. And now, when the poor soul at any time hath any
discovery of the love of God through a bleeding, dying, risen,
interceding Jesus, because it is not willing to be deceived, O,
how wary [But this may be its temptation, taking place through the
timorousness of the soul]. is it of closing with it, for fear it
should not be right, for fear it should not come from God! Saith
the soul, Cannot the devil give one such comfort I trow? Cannot he
transform himself thus into an angel of light? So that the soul,
because that it would be upon a sure ground, cries out, Lord, show
me Thy salvation, and that not once or twice, but, Lord, let me
have Thy presence continually upon my heart, today, and tomorrow,
and every day. For the soul, when it is rightly brought from under
the Covenant of Works, and planted into the Covenant of Grace,
then it cannot be, unless it be under some desperate temptation,
contented without the presence of God, teaching, comforting,
establishing, and helping of the soul to grow in the things of the
Lord Jesus Christ; because it knoweth that if God hath but withdrawn
His presence in any way from it, as He doth do sometimes for a while,
that then the devil will be sure to be near at hand, working with
his temptations, trying all ways to get the soul into slavery and
sin again; also the corrupt principle, that will be joining and
combining with the Wicked One, and will be willing to be a co-partner
with him to bring the soul into mischief; which puts a soul upon
an earnest, continual panting after more of the strengthening,
preserving, comforting, and teaching presence of God, and for strong
supplies of faith, that it may effectually lay hold on him.

Third. The soul is quickened so that it is not satisfied now without
it do in deed and in truth partake of the peace of God's elect;
now it is upon the examination of the reality of its joy and peace.
Time was indeed that anything would serve its turn, any false
conceits of its state to be good; but now all kind of peace will
not serve its turn, all kind of joy will not be accepted with it;
now it must joy in God through Jesus Christ; now its peace must
come through the virtues of the blood of Christ speaking peace to
the conscience by taking away both the guilt and filth of sin by
that blood; also by showing the soul its free acceptance with God
through Christ, He hath completely fulfilled all the conditions of
the first covenant, and freely placed it into the safety of what
He hath done, and so presents the soul complete and spotless in
the sight of God through His obedience. Now, I say, he hath "peace
through the blood of His Cross," and sees himself reconciled to God
by the death of His Son, or else his comfort will be questioned by
him (Col 1:20,21). It is not every promise as cometh now upon his
heart that will serve his turn, no, but he must see whether the
babe Jesus be presented to the soul in and through that promise.
Now if the babe leap in his womb, as I may so say, it is because
the Lord's promise sounds aloud in his heart, coming to him big
with the love and pardoning grace of God in Jesus Christ; I say,
this is the first and principal joy that the soul hath that is
quickened and brought into the Covenant of Grace.

Fourth. Now the man finds heavenly sanctification wrought in
his soul through the most precious blood of the Man whose name is
Jesus Christ--"Jesus, that He might sanctify the people with His
own blood, suffered without the gate." Now the souls finds a change
in the understanding, in the will, in the mind, in the affections,
in the judgment, and also in the conscience; through the inward man
a change, and through the outward man a change, from head to foot,
as we use to say, "for he that is in Christ," and so in this Covenant
of Grace, "is a new creature," or hath been twice made--made, and
made again (2 Cor 5:17). O, now the soul is resolved for Heaven
and Glory; now it crieth out, Lord, if there be a right eye that
is offensive to Thee, pluck it out; or a right foot, cut it off;
or a right hand, take it from me. Now the soul doth begin to study
how it may honour God, and bring praise to Him. Now the soul is
for a preparation for the second coming of Christ, endeavouring to
lay aside everything that may hinder; and for the closing in with
those things that may make it in a beloved posture against that
day.

Fifth. And all this is from a Gospel spirit, and not from a legal,
natural principle, for the soul hath these things as the fruits and
effects of its being separated unto the Covenant of Grace, and so
now possessed with that Spirit that doth attend, yea, and dwell
in them that are brought into the Covenant of Grace from under the
old covenant; I say, these things do spring forth in the soul from
another root and stock than any of the actings of other men do;
for the soul that is thus wrought upon is as well dead to the law
and the righteousness thereof--as the first covenant--as well as
to its sins.

Sixth. Now the soul begins to have some blessed experience of the
things of God, even of the glorious mysteries of the Gospel.

1. Now it knoweth the meaning of those words, "My flesh is meat
indeed, and My blood is drink, indeed," and that by experience; for
the soul hath received peace of conscience through that blood, by
the effectual application of it to the soul (John 6:55). First,
by feeling the guilt of sin die off from the conscience by the
operation thereof. Secondly, By feeling the power thereof to take
away the curse of the law. Thirdly, By finding the very strength
of Hell to fail when once the blood of that Man Jesus Christ is
received in reality upon the soul.

2. Now the soul also knoweth by experience the meaning of that
Scripture that saith, "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed" (Rom 6:6). Now it sees that when
the Man Jesus did hang on the tree on Mount Calvary, that then the
body of its sins was there hanged up, dead and buried with Him,
though it was then unborn, so as never to be laid to its charge,
either here or hereafter; and also, so as never to carry it captive
into perpetual bondage, being itself overcome by Him, even Christ,
the Head of that poor creature. And indeed this is the way for
a soul both to live comfortably as touching the guilt of sin, and
also as touching the power of the filth of sin; for the soul that
doth or hath received this in deed and in truth, finds strength
against them both by and through that Man that did for him and the
rest of his fellow-sinners so gloriously overcome it, and hath given
the victory unto them, so that now they are said to be overcomers,
nay, "more than conquerors through Him," the one Man Jesus Christ
(Rom 7:33-37).

3. Now the soul hath received a faith indeed, and a lively hope
indeed, such an one as now it can fetch strength from the fullness
of Christ, and from the merits of Christ.

4. Yea, now the soul can look on itself with one eye, and look upon
Christ with another, and say, Indeed, it is true; I am an empty
soul, but Christ is a full Christ; I am a poor sinner, but Christ
is a rich Christ; I am a foolish sinner, but Christ is a wise
Christ; I am an unholy, ungodly, unsanctified creature in myself,
but Christ is made of God "unto me, wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).

5. Now also that fiery law, that it could not once endure, nor
could not once delight in, I say, now it can delight in it after
the inward man; now this law is its delight, it would always be
walking in it, and always be delighting in it, being offended with
any sin or any corruption that would be anyways an hinderance to it
(Rom 7:24,25). And yet it will not abide, it will not endure that
that, even that that law should offer to take the work of its
salvation out of Christ's hand; no, if it once comes to do that,
then out of doors it shall go, if it were as good again. For that
soul that hath the right work of God indeed upon it, cries, Not my
prayers, not my tears, not my works, not my things, do they come
from the work of the Spirit of Christ itself within me, yet these
shall not have the glory of my salvation; no, it is none but the
blood of Christ, the death of Christ, of the Man Christ Jesus of
Nazareth, the carpenter's son, as they called Him, that must have
the crown and glory of my salvation. None but Christ, none but
Christ. And thus the soul labours to give Christ the preeminence
(Col 1:18).

A word of experience.

Now, before I go any further, I must needs speak a word from my
own experience of the things of Christ; and the rather, because we
have a company of silly ones in this day of ignorance that do either
comfort themselves with a notion without the power, or else do
both reject the notion and the power of this most glorious Gospel;
therefore, for the further conviction of the reader, I shall tell
him, with David, something of what the Lord hath done for my soul;
and indeed a little of the experience of the things of Christ is
far more worth than all the world. It would be too tedious for me
to tell thee here all from the first to the last; but something I
shall tell thee, that thou mayest not think these things are fables.
[This conviction seized on my soul one Sabbath day, when I was at
play, being one of the first that I had, which when it came, though
it scared me with its terror, yet through the temptation of the
devil, immediately striking in therewith, I did rub it off again,
and became as vile for some time as I was before, like a wretch
that I was]. 21

Reader, when it pleased the Lord to begin to instruct my soul, He
found me one of the black sinners of the world; He found me making
a sport of oaths, and also of lies; and many a soul-poisoning meal
did I make out of divers lusts, as drinking, dancing, playing,
pleasure with the wicked ones of the world. The Lord finding of me
in this condition, did open the glass of His Law unto me, wherein
He showed me so clearly my sins, both the greatness of them, and
also how abominable they were in His sight, that I thought the very
clouds were charged with the wrath of God, and ready to let fall
the very fire of His jealousy upon me; yet for all this I was so
wedded to my sin, that, thought I with myself, I will have them though
I lose my soul, (O wicked wretch that I was!) but God, the great,
the rich, the infinite merciful God, did not take this advantage
of my soul to cast me away, and say, Then take him, Devil, seeing
he cares for Me no more; no, but He followed me still, and won
upon my heart, by giving me some understanding, not only into my
miserable state, which I was very sensible of, but also that there
might be hopes of mercy; also taking away that love to lust, and
placing in the room thereof a love to religion; and thus the Lord
won over my heart to some desire after the means, to hear the Word,
and to grow a stranger to my old companions, and to accompany the
people of God, together with giving of me many sweet encouragements
from several promises in the Scriptures. But after this, the Lord
did wonderfully set my sins upon my conscience, those sins especially
that I had committed since the first convictions; temptations
also followed me very hard, and especially such temptations as did
tend to the making me question of the very way of salvation--viz.,
whether Jesus Christ was the Saviour or no; and whether I had
best to venture my soul upon His blood for salvation, or take some
other course. But being through grace kept close with God, in some
measure, in prayer and the rest of the ordinances, but went about
a year and upwards without any sound evidence as from God to my
soul touching the salvation that comes by Jesus Christ. But, at
the last, as I may say, when the set time was come, the Lord, just
before the men called Quakers came into the country, did set me
down so blessedly in the truth of the doctrine of Jesus Christ,
that it made me marvel to see, first, how Jesus Christ was born of
a virgin, walked in the world awhile with His disciples, afterwards
hanged on the Cross, spilt His blood, was buried, rose again, ascended
above the clouds and heavens, there lives to make intercession, and
that He also will come again at the last day to judge the world,
and take His saints unto Himself.

These things, I say, I did see so evidently, even as if I had stood
when He was in the world, and also when He was caught up. I having
such a change as this upon my soul, it made me wonder; and musing
with myself at the great alteration that was in my spirit--for the
Lord did also very gloriously give me in His precious Word to back
the discovery of the Son of God unto me, so that I can say, through
grace, it was according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:1-4). And as
I was musing with myself what these things should mean, methought
I heard such a word in my heart as this--I have set thee down on
purpose, for I have something more than ordinary for thee to do;
which made me the more marvel, saying, What, my Lord, such a poor
wretch as I? Yet still this continued, I have set thee down on
purpose, and so forth, with more fresh incomes of the Lord Jesus,
and the power of the blood of His Cross upon my soul, even so
evidently that I saw, through grace, that it was the blood shed on
Mount Calvary that did save and redeem sinners, as clearly and as
really with the eyes of my soul as ever, me thought, I had seen a
penny loaf bought with a penny; which things then discovered had
such operation upon my soul, that I do hope they did sweetly season
every faculty thereof. Reader, I speak in the presence of God, and
He knows I lie not; much of this, and such like dealings of His,
could I tell thee of; but my business at this time is not so to do,
but only to tell what operation the blood of Christ hath had over
and upon my conscience, and that at several times, and also when
I have been in several frames of spirit.

As, first, sometimes, I have been so loaden with my sins, that I
could not tell where to rest, nor what to do; yea, at such times I
thought it would have taken away my senses; yet at that time God
through grace hath all of a sudden so effectually applied the blood
that was spilt at Mount Calvary out of the side of Jesus, unto my
poor, wounded, guilty conscience, that presently I have found such
a sweet, solid, sober, heart-comforting peace, that it hath made
me as if it [my terror] had not been, and withal the same, I may
say, and I ought to say, the power of it, hath had such a powerful
operation upon my soul, that I have for a time been in a strait
and trouble to think that I should love and honour Him no more,
the virtue of His blood hath so constrained me.

Again; sometimes methinks my sins have appeared so big to me that
I thought one of my sins have been as big as all the sins of all
the men in the nation; ay, and of other nations too, reader; these
things be not fancies, for I have smarted for this experience, but
yet the least stream of the heart blood of this Man 22 Jesus hath
vanished all away, and hath made it to fly, to the astonishment
of such a poor sinner; and as I said before, hath delivered me up
into sweet and heavenly peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Again; sometimes when my heart hath been hard, dead, slothful, blind,
and senseless, which indeed are sad frames for a poor Christian to
be in, yet at such a time, when I have been is such a case, then
hath the blood of Christ, the precious blood of Christ, the admirable
blood of the God of Heaven, that run out of His body when it did
hang on the Cross, so softened, livened, quickened, and enlightened
my soul, that truly, reader, I can say, O it makes me wonder!

Again; when I have been loaden with sin, and [I cannot stand here
to tell thee of particular temptations]. pestered with several
temptations, and in a very sad manner, then have I had the trial
of the virtue of Christ's blood with the trial of the virtue of
other things; and I have found that when tears would not do, prayers
would not do, repentings and all other things could not reach my
heart; O then, one touch, one drop, one shining of the virtue of
the blood, of that blood that was let out with the spear, it hath
in a very blessed manner delivered me, that it hath made me to
marvel. O! methinks it hath come with such life, such power, with
such irresistible and marvelous glory, that it wipes off all the
slurs, silences all the outcries, and quenches all the fiery darts,
and all the flames of Hell-fire, that are begotten by the charges
of the Law, Satan, and doubtful remembrances of my sinful life.

Friends, as Peter saith to the church, so I say to you, I have
not preached to you cunningly devised fables in telling you of the
blood of Christ, and what authority it hath had upon my conscience;
O no, but as Peter saith touching the coming of the Lord Jesus into
the world, so in some measure I can say of the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ that was shed when He did come into the world. There
is not only my single testimony touching this; no, but there are
all the Prophets do agree in advancing this in writing, and also
all the saints do now declare the same, in speaking forth the
amiableness and many powerful virtues thereof. "As for Thee also,
by the blood of Thy covenant," saith God to Christ, "I have sent
forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water" (Zech 9:11).
"We have redemption through His blood" (Eph 1:7). Again, "We have
redemption through His blood" (Col 1:14). Our robes are washed
and made "white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:14). The devil
is overcome through "the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 12:11). Yea, and
conscience is purged, too, and that through the blood of the Lamb
(Heb 9:14). We have free recourse to the Throne of Grace through
the blood of Jesus (Heb 10:19). I could bring thee a cloud of
witnesses out of all the types and shadows, and out of the sundry
Prophets, and much more out of the New Testament, but I forebear,
because I would not be too tedious to the reader in making too
large a digression, though I have committed here in this discourse
no transgression, for the blood of Christ is precious blood (1
Peter 1:18,19).

THIRD. THE PRIVILEGES OF THE NEW COVENANT.

In the next place, I shall show you the several privileges and
advantages that the man or woman hath that is under this Covenant
of Grace, over what they have that are under the Covenant of the
Law and Works. As,

First. The Covenant of Grace is not grounded upon our obedience,
but upon God's love, even His pardoning love to us through Christ
Jesus. The first covenant is stood to be broken or kept by us,
and God's love or anger to be lost or enjoyed thereafter as we, as
creatures, behaved ourselves; but now, the very ground of the Covenant
of Grace is God's love, His mere love through Jesus Christ--"The
LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye
were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all
people: but because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep
the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers" (Deu 7:7,8). Again,
"In His love and in His pity He redeemed them," "and the angel of
His presence saved them," that is, Jesus Christ (Isa 63:9). And again,
"Who hath saved us--not according to our works" of righteousness
which we have done, "but according to His own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim
1:9).

Second. This love is not conveyed to us through what we have done,
as is before proved, but through what He hath done with Whom the
covenant was made, which was given us in Christ--According as He
hath chosen us in Christ. "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ." "God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you," that is, through Christ's doings, through Christ's
sufferings (2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:3,4; 4:32). Now if this be but rightly
understood, it doth discover abundance of comfort to them, that
are within the bounds of the Covenant of Grace. For,

1. Here a believer seeth he shall stand, if Christ's doings and
sufferings stand; which is sure foundation, for God dealeth with
him through Christ. And so, secondly, he shall not fall, unless
the suffering and merits of Christ be thrown over the bar, being
found guilty, which will never be, before the eyes of Divine justice;
for with Him the covenant was made, and He was the Surety of it;
that is, as the covenant was made with Him, so He stood bound to
fulfill the same (Zech 9:11; Heb 7:22). For you must understand
that the covenant was made between the Father and the Son long
before it was accomplished, or manifestly sealed with Christ's
blood; it was made before the world began (Titus 1:2; Eph 1:4; 1
Peter 1:18-20). But the conditions thereof were not fulfilled until
less than two thousand years ago; and all that while did Jesus stand
bound as a surety, as I said before, is used to do, till the time
in which the payment should be made. And it was by virtue of His
Suretyship, having bound Himself by covenant to do all things agreed
on by the Father and Him, that all those of the election that were
born before He came, that they might be saved, and did enter into
rest. For the forgiveness of sins that were past, though it was
through the blood of Christ, yet it was also through the forbearance
of God (Rom 3:25). That is, Christ becoming Surety for those that
died before His coming, that He should in deed and in truth, at
the fullness of time, or at the time appointed, give a complete and
full satisfaction for them according to the tenor or condition of
the covenant. (Gal 4:4). Again,

2. The second covenant, which believers are under, as the ground
and foundation, if it is safe, so the promises thereof are better,
surer, freer, and fuller, etc.

(1.) They are better, if you compare the excellency of the one
with the excellency of the other. The first hath promised nothing
but an early paradise--Do this, and thou shalt live; namely, here
in an earthly paradise. But the other doth bring the promise of a
heavenly paradise.

(2.) As the Covenant of Works doth promise an earthly paradise,
yet it is a paradise or blessing, though once obtained, yet might
be lost again; for no longer than thou doest well, no longer art
thou blessed by that. O, but the promises in the new covenant do
bring unto us the benefit of an eternal inheritance--That "they
which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."
O rare! it is an "eternal inheritance" (Heb 9:15).

(3.) The other, as it is not so good as this, so neither is it so
sure as this; and therefore he calls the one such an one as might
be, and was, shaken, but this is said to be such an one that cannot
be shaken. "And this Word," saith he, treating of the two covenants
from verse the 8th to the 24th--"And this Word, yet once more,
signifieth the removing of those things that are," or may be,
"shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot
be shaken," which is the second covenant, "may remain," (Heb 12:27);
for, saith he (verse 28) "which cannot be moved." Therefore, ye
blessed saints, seeing you have received a kingdom "which cannot
be moved," therefore, "let us have grace, whereby we may serve"
our "God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

Thus in general, but more particularly.

(4.) They are surer, in that they are founded upon God's love also,
and they come to us without calling for those things at our hands
that may be a means of putting of a stop to our certain enjoying
of them. The promises under, or for the law, they might easily
be stopped by our disobedience; but the promises under the Gospel
say, "If Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the
earth searched," then, and not till then, "I will also cast off
all the seed of Israel for all that they have done" (Jer 31:37).
Again, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for
Mine own" name's "sake, and will not remember thy sins" (Isa 43:25).
I will make thee a partaker of My promise; and that I may so do,
I will take away that which would hinder; "I will cast all their
sins into the depths of the sea," that My promise may be sure to
all the seed; and therefore, saith the Apostle, when he would show
us that the new-covenant promises were more sure than the old, he
tells us plainly that the law and works are set aside and they are
merely made ours through the righteousness of faith, which is the
righteousness of Christ--"For the promise, that he [Abraham] should
be the heir of the world," saith he, "was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law," or works, "but through the righteousness of
faith. For if they which are of the law," or of works, "be heirs,"
then "faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.
Therefore it is of faith--to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed" (Rom 4:13-14,16).

(5.) Surer, because that as that is taken away that should hinder,
so they are committed to a faithful Friend of ours in keeping. For
all the promises of God are in Christ, not yea and nay, but yea
and amen; certain and sure; sure, because they are in the hand of
our Head, our Friend, our Brother, our Husband, our flesh and bones,
even in the heart and hand of our precious Jesus.

(6.) Because all the conditions of them are already fulfilled for
us by Jesus Christ, as aforesaid; every promise that is a new-covenant
promise, if there be any condition in it, our Undertaker hath
accomplished that for us, and also giveth us such grace as to receive
the sweetness as doth spring from them through His obedience to
every thing required in them.

(7.) Surer, because that as they are grounded upon the love of God,
everything is taken out of the way, in the hand of a sure Friend.
And has Christ has fulfilled every condition as to justification
that is contained therein, so the Lord hath solemnly sworn with an
oath for our better confidence in this particular--"For when God
made promise to Abraham," and so to all the saints, "because He
could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely,
blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation
is to them an end of all strife," that there might be no more
doubt or scruple concerning the certain fulfilling of the promise.
"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of
promise the immutability of His counsel," or certain, constant,
unchangeable decree of God in making of the promise, for the comfort
of his children, "confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable
things," His promise backed with an oath, "in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Heb 6:13-18).

(8.) That they are better it appears also in that they are freer
and fuller. That they are freer, it is evident, in that one saith,
No works, no life--Do this, and then thou shalt live; if not, thou
shalt be damned. But the other saith, We are saved by believing in
what Another hath done, without the works of the Law--"Now to him
that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom 4:4,5). The one saith,
Pay me that thou owest; the other say, I do frankly and freely
forgive thee all. The one saith, Because thou hast sinned, thou
shalt die; the other saith, Because Christ lives, thou shalt live
also (John 15).

(9.) And as they are freer, so they are fuller; fuller of encouragement,
fuller of comfort; the one, to wit, the law, looks like Pharaoh's
seven ill-favoured kine, more ready to eat one up than to afford
us any food; the other is like the full grape in the cluster, which
for certain hath a glorious blessing in it. The one saith, If thou
hast sinned, turn again; the other saith, If thou hast sinned, thou
shalt be damned, for all I have a promise in me.

3. They that are of the second are better than they that are
of the first; and it also appeareth in this--The promises of the
Law, through them we have neither faith, nor hope, nor the Spirit
conveyed; but through the promises of the Gospel there are all
these--"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these we might be partakers of the Divine nature"
(2 Peter 1:4). O therefore "let us hold fast the profession of
our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised" (Heb
10:23). "In hope of eternal life," how so? because "God, that cannot
lie, promised it before the world began" (Titus 1:2).

4. They that are in this covenant are in a very happy state; for
though there be several conditions in the Gospel to be done, yet
Christ Jesus doth not look that they should be done by man, as
man, but by His own Spirit in them, as it is written, "Thou hast
wrought all our works in us." Is there that condition, they must
believe? Why, then, He will be both the "author and finisher of
their faith" (Heb 12:2,3). Is there also hope to be in His children?
He also doth and hath given them "good hope through His grace" (2
Thess 2:16). Again, are the people of God to behave themselves
to the glory of God the Father? then He will work in them "both to
will and to do of His own good pleasure" (Phil 2:13).

5. Again, as He works all our works in us and for us, so also
by virtue of this covenant we have another nature given unto us,
whereby, or by which we are made willing to be glorifying of God,
both in our bodies and in our spirits, which are His--"Thy people
shall be willing in the day of Thy power" (1 Cor 6:20; Psa 110:3).

6. In the next place, all those that are under this second covenant
are in a wonderful safe condition; for in case they should slip
or fall after their conversion into some sin or sins for who lives
and sins not? (Prov 24:16), yet through the merits and intercession
of Christ Jesus, who is their Undertaker in this covenant, they
shall have their sins pardoned, their wounds healed, and they raised
up again; which privilege the children of the first covenant have
not; for if they sin, they are never afterwards regarded by that
covenant--They brake My covenant and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord (Heb 8:9). But when He comes to speak of the Covenant of
Grace, speaking first of the public person under the name of David,
He saith thus, "He shall cry unto Me, Thou art My Father, My God,
and the rock of My salvation. Also I will make Him My firstborn,
higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for Him
for evermore, and My covenant shall stand fast with Him. His seed
also will I make to endure for ever, and His throne as the days of
heaven. If His children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments;
If they break my statutes, and keep not My commandments; Then will
I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with
stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take
from Him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I
not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once
have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His
seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the sun before Me.
It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful
witness in heaven" (Psa 89:26-37). "My covenant shall stand fast with
him"--mark that. As if God had said, I did not make this covenant
with man, but with My Son, and with Him I will perform it; and
seeing He hath given Me complete satisfaction, though His children
do, through infirmity, transgress, yet My covenant is not therefore
broken, seeing He with whom it was made standeth firm, according
to the desire of my heart; so that My justice that is satisfied,
and My Law, hath nothing to say, for there is no want of perfection
in the sacrifice of Christ. If you love your souls, and would have
them live in the peace of God, to the which you are called in one
body, even all believers, then I beseech you seriously to ponder,
and labour to settle in your souls this one thing, that the new
covenant is not broken by our transgressions, and that because it
was not made with us. The reason why the very saints of God have
so many ups and downs in this their travel towards Heaven, it is
because they are so weak in the faith of this one thing; for they
think that if they fail of this or that particular performance, if
their hearts be dead and cold, and their lusts mighty and strong,
therefore now God is angry, and now He will shut them out of His
favour, now the new covenant is broken, and now Christ Jesus will
stand their Friend no longer; now also the devil hath power again,
and now they must have their part in the resurrection of damnation;
when, alas! the covenant is not for all this never the more broken,
and so the grace of God no more straitened than it was before.
Therefore, I say, when thou findest that thou art weak here, and
failing there, backward to this good, and thy heart forward to
that evil; then be sure thou keep a steadfast eye on the Mediator
of this new covenant, and be persuaded that it is not only made
with Him, and His part also fulfilled, but that He doth look upon
His fulfilling of it, so as not to lay thy sins to thy charge, though
He may as a Father chastise thee for the same--"If His children
forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they break My
statutes, and keep not My commandments; then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless,"
mark "nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from
HIM, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not
break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips." And what
was that? Why, that "His seed shall endure for ever, and His throne
as the sun before Me" (Psa 89:30-34,36).

7. Another privilege that the saints have by virtue of the new
covenant is, that they have part of the possession or hold of Heaven
and Glory already, and that two manner of ways--(1.) The Divine
nature is conveyed from Heaven into them; and, secondly, the human
nature, i.e., the nature of man, is received up, and entertained
in, and hath got possession of Heaven. We have the first-fruits
of the Spirit, saith the man of God; we have the earnest of the
Spirit, which is instead of the whole, for it is the earnest of the
whole--"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory" (Eph
1:13,14; Rom 8:8-11). (2.) The nature of man, our nature is got
into glory as the first-fruits of mankind, as a forerunner to take
possession till we all come thither (1 Cor 15:20). For the Man born
at Bethlehem is ascended, which is part of the lump of mankind,
into glory as a public Person, as the first-fruits, representing
the whole of the children of God; so that in some sense it may be
said that the saints have already taken possession of the kingdom
of Heaven by their Jesus, their public Person, He being in their
room entered to prepare a place for them (John 14:1-4). I beseech
you consider, when Jesus Christ came down from Glory, it was that
He might bring us to Glory; and that He might be sure not to fail,
He clothed Himself with our nature, as if one should take a piece
out of the whole lump instead of the whole, until the other comes,
and investeth it in that glory which He was in before He came down
from Heaven (Heb 2:14,15). And thus is that saying to be understood,
speaking of Christ and His saints, which saith, "And" He "hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6).

8. Again, not only thus, but all the power of God, together with
the rest of His glorious attributes, are on our side, in that they
dwell in our nature, which is the Man Jesus, and doth engage for us
poor, simple, empty, nothing creatures as to our eternal happiness
(1 Peter 1:5). "For in Him," that is, in the Man Christ, who is
our nature, our Head, our root, our flesh, our bone, "dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2:9,10). Mark how they
are joined together, "In whom dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead.
And ye are complete in Him." God dwelleth completely in Him, and you
also are completely implanted in Him, which is the Head of all
principality and power; and all this by the consent of the Father--"For
it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell" (Col
1:19). Now mark, the Godhead doth not dwell in Christ Jesus for
Himself only, but that it may be in a way of righteousness conveyed
to us, for our comfort and help in all our wants--"All power is
given unto Me in heaven and in earth," saith He (Matt 28:18). And
then followeth, "And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world" (Verse 20). "He hath received gifts for men, yea for
the rebellious" (Psa 68:18). "Of His fullness have all we received,
and grace for grace" (John 1:16). And this the saints cannot be
deprived of, because the covenant made with Christ, in every tittle
of it, was so completely fulfilled as to righteousness, both active
and passive, that justice cannot object anything; holiness now can
find fault with nothing; nay, all the power of God cannot shake
anything that hath been done for us by the Mediator of the new
covenant; so that now there is no Covenant of Works to a believer;
none of the commands, accusations, condemnations, or the least
tittle of the old covenant to be charged on any of those that are
the children of the second covenant; no sin to be charged, because
there is no law to be pleaded, but all is made up by our middle
man, Jesus Christ. O blessed covenant! O blessed privilege! Be
wise, therefore, O ye poor drooping souls that are the sons of this
second covenant, and "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made you free, and be not entangled AGAIN," nor terrified in
your consciences, "with the yoke of bondage"; neither the commands,
accusations, or condemnations of the Law of the old covenant (Gal
5:1).

Two Hell-bred objections answered.

Object. If it be so, then one need not care what they do; they
may sin and sin again, seeing Christ hath made satisfaction. [The
first objection].

Answ. If I were to point out one that was under the power of the
devil, and going post-haste to Hell, for my life I would look no
farther for such a man than to him that would make such a use as
this of the grace of God. What, because Christ is a Saviour, thou
wilt be a sinner! because His grace abounds, therefore thou wilt
abound in sin! O wicked wretch! rake Hell all over, and surely I think
thy fellow will scarce be found! And let me tell thee this before
I leave thee--as God's covenant with Christ for His children, which
are of faith, stands sure, immutable, unrevocable, and unchangeable,
so also hath God taken such a course with thee, that unless thou
canst make God forswear Himself, it is impossible that thou shouldst
go to Heaven, dying in that condition--"They tempted Me, proved
Me," and turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, "so I sware,"
mark that, "so I sware," and that in My wrath, too, that they
should never enter into My rest. Compare Hebrews 3:9-11, with 1
Corinthians 10:5-10. No, saith God; if Christ will not serve their
turns, but they must have their sins too, take them, Devil; if
Heaven will not satisfy them, take them, Hell; devour them, Hell;
scald them, fry them, burn them, Hell! God hath more places than
one to put sinners into. If they do not like Heaven, He will fit
them with Hell; if they do not like Christ, they shall be forced
to have the devil. Therefore we must and will tell of the truth of
the nature of the Covenant of Grace of God to His poor saints for
their encouragement and for their comfort, who would be glad to leap
at Christ upon any terms; yet therewith, we can tell how, through
grace, to tell the hogs and sons of this world what a hog-sty there
is prepared for them, even such an one that God hath prepared to
put the devil and his angels into, is fitly prepared for them (Matt
25:41).

Object. But if Christ hath given God a full and complete satisfaction,
then though I do go on in sin, I need not fear, seeing God hath
already been satisfied. [The second objection]. It will be injustice
in God to punish for those sins for which He is already satisfied
for by Christ.

Answ. Rebel, rebel, there are some in Christ and some out of Him.
[1]. They that are in Him have their sins forgiven, and they
themselves made new creatures, and have the Spirit of the Son, which
is a holy, living, self-denying Spirit. And they that are thus in
Jesus Christ are so far off from delighting in sin, that sin is the
greatest thing that troubleth them; and O how willing would they
be rid of the very thoughts of it (Psa 119:113). It is the grief
of their souls, when they are in a right frame of spirit, that they
can live no more to the honour and glory of God than they do; and
in all their prayers to God, the breathings of their souls are as
much sanctifying grace as pardoning grace, that they might live a
holy life. They would as willing live holy here as they would be
happy in the world to come; they would as willingly be cleansed
from the filth of sin as to have the guilt of it taken away; they
would as willingly glorify God here as they would be glorified by
Him hereafter (Phil 3:6-22). [2]. But there are some that are out
of Christ, being under the Law; and as for all those, let them be
civil or profane, they are such as God accounts wicked; and I say,
as for those, if all the angels in Heaven can drag them before the
judgment-seat of Christ, they shall be brought before it to answer
for all their ungodly deeds; and being condemned for them, if all
the fire in Hell will burn them, they shall be burned there, if
they die in that condition (Jude 15). And, therefore, if you love
your souls, do not give way to such a wicked spirit. "Let no man
deceive you with" such "vain words," as to think, because Christ
hath made satisfaction to God for sin, therefore you may live in
your sins. O no, God forbid that any should think so, "for because
of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience" (Eph 5:6).

Thus have I, reader, given thee a brief discourse touching the
Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace, also of the nature
of the one, together with the nature of the other. I have also in
this discourse endeavoured to show you the condition of them that
are under the Law, how sad it is, both from the nature of the
covenant they are under, and also by the carriage of God unto them
by that covenant. And now, because I would bring all into as little
a compass as I can, I shall begin with the use and application of
the whole in as brief a way as I can, desiring the Lord to bless
it to thee.

[USE AND APPLICATION].

A use of examination about the old covenant.

First. And, first of all, let us here begin to examine a little
touching the covenant you stand before God in, whether it be the
Covenant of Works or the Covenant of Grace; [The first use is a
use of examination]. and for the right doing of this, I shall lay
down this proposition--namely, that all men naturally come into the
world under the first of these, which is called the old covenant,
or the Covenant of Works, which is the Law; "And were all by nature
the children of wrath, even as others"; which they could not be, had
they not been under the law; for there are none that are under the
other covenant that are still the children of wrath, but the children
of faith, the children of the promise, the accepted children, the
children not of the bond-woman, but of the free (Gal 4:28-31).

[Quest.] Now here lieth the question. Which of these two covenants
art thou under, soul?

Answ. I hope I am under the Covenant of Grace.

Quest. But what ground hast thou to think that thou art under that
blessed covenant, and not rather under the Covenant of Works, that
strict, that soul-damning covenant?

Answ. What ground? Why, I hope I am.

Quest. But what ground hast thou for this thy hope? for a hope
without a ground is like a castle built in the air, that will never
be able to do thee any good, but will prove like unto that spoken
of in Job 8, "Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall
be" like "a spider's web. He shall lean upon his house, but it
shall not stand; he shall hold it fast," as thou wouldst thy hope,
it is like, "but it shall not endure" (Job 8:13-15).

Answ. My hope is grounded upon the promises; what else should it
be grounded upon?

Reply. Indeed, to build my hope upon Christ Jesus, upon God in
Christ, through the promise, and to have this hope rightly, by the
shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart, it is a right-grounded
hope (Rom 5:1-7).

Quest. But what promises in the Scripture do you find your hope built
upon? and how do you know whether you do build your hope upon the
promises in the Gospel, the promises of the new covenant, and not
rather on the promises of the old covenant, for there are promises
in that as well as in the other?

Answ. I hope that if I do well I shall be accepted; because God
hath said I shall (Gen 4:7).

Reply. O soul, if thy hope be grounded there, thy hope is not
grounded upon the Gospel promises, or the new covenant, but verily
upon the old; for these words were spoken to Cain, a son of the
old covenant; and they themselves are the tenor and scope of that;
for that runs thus: "Do this, and thou shalt live. The man that
doth these things shall live by them. If thou do well, thou shalt
be accepted" (Lev 18:5; Eze 20:11; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12; Gen 4:7).

Reply. Why, truly, if a man's doing well, and living well, and
his striving to serve God as well as he can, will not help him to
Christ, I do not know what will; I am sure sinning against God will
not.

Quest. Did you never read that Scripture which saith, "Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the
law of righteousness"? (Rom 9:30-32).

Object. But doth not the Scripture say, "Blessed are they that do
His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life"?
(Rev 22:14).

Answ. There is first, therefore, to be inquired into, whether to keep
His commandments be to strive to keep the Law as it is a Covenant
of Works, or whether it be meant of the great commandments of the
New Testament which are cited in 1 John 3:22,23--"And whatsoever
we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and
do those things that are pleasing in His sight." But what do you
mean, John? Do you mean the covenant of the Law, or the covenant
to the Gospel? Why, "this is His commandment," saith he, "That we
should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one
another," as the fruits of this faith, "as He gave us commandment."
If it be of the old covenant, as a Covenant of Works, then the
Gospel is but a lost thing. If it were of works, then no more of
grace; therefore it is not the old covenant, as the old covenant.

Quest. But what do you mean by these words--the old covenant as
the old covenant? Explain your meaning.

Answ. My meaning is, that the Law is not to be looked upon for
life, so as it was handed out from Mount Sinai, if ever thou wouldst
indeed be saved; though after thou hast faith in Christ, thou
mayest and must solace thyself in it, and take pleasure therein,
to express thy love to Him who hath already saved thee by His
own blood, without thy obedience to the law, either from Sinai or
elsewhere.

Quest. Do you think that I do mean that my righteousness will save
me without Christ? If so, you mistake me, for I think not so; but
this I say, I will labour to do what I can; and what I cannot do,
Christ will do for me.

Answ. Ah, poor soul, this is the wrong way too; for this is to make
Christ but a piece of a Saviour; thou wilt do something, and Christ
shall do the rest; thou wilt set thy own things in the first place,
and if thou wantest at last, then thou wilt borrow of Christ; thou
art such an one that dost Christ the greatest injury of all. First,
in that thou dost undervalue His merits by preferring of thy own
works before His; and, secondly, by mingling of thy works thy dirty,
ragged righteousness with His.

Quest. Why, would you have us do nothing? Would you have us make
Christ such a drudge as to do all, while we sit idling still?

Answ. Poor soul, thou mistakest Jesus Christ in saying thou makest
Him a drudge in letting Him do all; I tell thee, He counts it a
great glory to do all for thee, and it is a great dishonour unto
Him for thee so much as to think otherwise. And this the saints
of God that have experienced the work of grace upon their souls do
count it also the same--"Saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof" (Rev 5:9). "Worthy is the Lamb, that
was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Verse 12). And why so? read
again in the 9th verse, "For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed
us to God by Thy" own "blood" (See also Eph 1:6,7). "To the praise
of the glory of His grace--in whom we have redemption through His
blood."

Reply. All this we confess, that Jesus Christ died for us; but he
that thinks to be saved by Christ, and liveth in his sins, shall
never be saved.

Answ. I grant that. But this I say again, a man must not make his
good doings the lowest round of the ladder by which he goeth to
Heaven--that is, he that will and shall go to Heaven, must, wholly
and alone, without any of his own things, venture his precious soul
upon Jesus Christ and His merits.

Quest. What, and come to Christ as a sinner?

Answ. Yea, with all thy sins upon thee, even as filthy as ever thou
canst.

Quest. But is not this the way to make Christ to loath us? You know
when children fall down in the dirt, they do usually before they
go home make their clothes as clean as they can, for fear their
parents should chide them; and so I think should we.

Answ. This comparison is wrongly applied, if you bring it to show
us how we must do when we come to Christ. He that can make himself
clean hath no need of Christ; for the whole, the clean, and
righteous have no need of Christ, but those that are foul and sick.
Physicians, you know, if they love to be honoured, they will not
bid the patients first make themselves whole, and then come to
them; no, but bid them come with their sores all running on them,
as the woman with her bloody issue (Mark 5). And as Mary Magdalene
with her belly full of devils, and the lepers all scabbed; and that
is the right coming to Jesus Christ.

Reply. Well, I hope that Christ will save me, for His promises and
mercy are very large; and as long as He hath promised to give us
life, I fear my state the less.

Answ. It is very true, Christ's promises are very large, blessed
be the Lord for ever; and also so is His mercy; but notwithstanding
all that, there are many go in at the broad gate; and therefore I
say, your business is seriously to inquire whether you are under
the first or second covenant; for unless you are under the second,
you will never be regarded of the Lord, forasmuch as you are a
sinner (Heb 8:9). And the rather, because if God should be so good
to you as to give you a share in the second, you shall have all
your sins pardoned, and for certain have eternal life, though you
have been a great sinner. But do not expect that thou shalt have
any part or share in the large promises and mercy of God, for the
benefit and comfort of thy poor soul, whilst thou art under the
old covenant; because so long thou art out of Christ, through whom
God conveyeth His mercy, grace, and love to sinners. "For all the
promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him amen." Indeed, His mercy,
grace, and love are very great, but they are treasured up in Him,
"given forth in Him, through Him." "But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us--that He might show the
exceeding riches of His grace"--but which way?--"in His kindness
towards us through Jesus Christ."

But out of Christ thou shalt find God a just God, a sin-avenging
God, a God that will by no means spare the guilty; and be sure that
every one that is found out of Jesus Christ will be found guilty in
the judgment-day, upon whom the wrath of God shall smoke to their
eternal ruin. Now, therefore, consider of it, and take the counsel
of the Apostle, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, which is, to examine thyself
whether thou art "in the faith," and to prove thy ownself whether
thou hast received the Spirit of Christ into thy soul, whether thou
hast been converted, whether thou hast been born again, and made
a new creature, whether thou hast had thy sins washed away in the
blood of Christ, whether thou hast been brought from under the old
covenant into the new; and do not make a slight examination, for
thou hast a precious soul either to be saved or damned.

And that thou mayest not be deceived, consider that it is one
thing to be convinced, and another to be converted; one thing to
be wounded, and another to be killed, and so to be made alive again
by the faith of Jesus Christ. When men are killed, they are killed
to all things they lived to before, both sin and righteousness, as
all their old faith and supposed grace that they thought they had.
Indeed, the old covenant will show thee that thou art a sinner,
and that a great one too; but the old covenant, the Law, will not
show thee, without the help of the Spirit, that thou are without
all grace by nature; no; but in the midst of thy troubles thou
wilt keep thyself from coming to Christ by persuading thy soul that
thou art come already, and hast some grace already. O, therefore,
be earnest in begging the Spirit, that thy soul may be enlightened,
and the wickedness of thy heart discovered, that thou mayest see
the miserable state that thou art in by reason of sin and unbelief,
which is the great condemning sin; and so in a sight and sense of thy
sad condition, if God should deal with thee in severity according
to thy deservings. Do thou [now] cry to God for faith in a crucified
Christ, that thou mayest have all thy sins washed away in His blood,
and such a right work of grace wrought in thy soul that may stand
in the judgment-day. Again,

Second. In the next place, you know I told you that a man might go
a great way in a profession, and have many excellent gifts, [Second
use]. so as to do many wondrous works, and yet be but under the
Law; from hence you may learn not to judge yourselves to be the
children of God, because you may have some gifts of knowledge or
understanding more than others: no, for thou mayest be the knowingest
man in all the country as to head-knowledge, and yet be but under
the law, and so consequently under the curse, notwithstanding that,
1 Corinthians 13. Now, seeing it is so, that men may have all this
and yet perish, then what will become of those that do no good at
all, and have no understanding, neither of their own sadness, nor
of Christ's mercy? O, sad! Read with understanding, Isaiah 27:11,
"Therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them, and He
that formed them will show them no favour" (See also 2 Thess 1:8,
9).

Now there is one thing which, for want of, most people do miscarry
in a very sad manner, and that is, because they are not able to
distinguish between the nature of the Law and the Gospel. O, people,
people, your being blinded here as to the knowledge of this is one
great cause of the ruining of many. As Paul saith, "While Moses
is read," or while the law is discovered, "the veil is upon their
heart" (2 Cor 3:15) that is, the veil of ignorance is still upon
their hearts, so that they cannot discern either the nature of
the law or the nature of the Gospel, they being so dark and blind
in their minds, as you may see, if you compare it with Chronicles
4:3, 4. And truly I am confident, that were you but well examined,
I doubt many of you would be found so ignorant that you would not
be able to give a word of right answer concerning either the Law or
the Gospel. Nay, my friends, set the case, one should ask you what
time you spend, what pains you take, to the end you may understand
the nature and difference of these two covenants, would you not say,
if you should speak the truth, that you did not so much as regard
whether there were two or more? Would you not say, I did not think
of covenants, or study the nature of them? I thought that if I had
lived honestly, and did as well as I could, that God would accept
of me, and have mercy upon me, as He had on others. Ah, friends,
this is the cause of the ruin of thousands; for if they are blinded
to this, both the right use of the law, and also of the Gospel, is
hid from their eyes, and so for certain they will be in danger of
perishing most miserably, poor souls that they are, unless God, of
His mere mercy and love, doth rend the veil from off their hearts,
the veil of ignorance, for that is it which doth keep these poor
souls in this besotted and blindfolded condition, in which if they
die they may be lamented for, but not helped; they may be pitied,
but not preserved from the stoke of God's everlasting vengeance.

A legal spirit.

In the next place, if you would indeed be delivered from the first
into the second covenant, I do admonish you to the observing of
these following particulars. First. Have a care that you do not
content yourselves, though you do good works--that is, which in
themselves are good. Secondly. In and with a legal spirit, which
are done these ways as followeth.

First. If you do anything commanded in Scripture, and your doing
of it do think that God is well pleased therewith, because you, as
you are religious men, do do the same. Upon this mistake was Paul
himself in danger of being destroyed; for he thought, because he
was zealous, and one of the strictest sects for religion, therefore
God would have been good unto him, and have accepted his doings,
as it is clear, for he counted them his gain (Phil 3:4-8). Now this
is done thus--When a man doth think that because he thinks he is
more sincere, more liberal, with more difficulty, or to the weakening
of his estate; I say, if a man, because of this doth think that
God accepteth his labour, it is done from an old-covenant spirit.

Again; some men think that they shall be heard because they have
prayer in their families, because they can pray long, and speak
excellent expressions, or express themselves excellently in prayer,
that because they have great enlargements in prayer, I say, that
therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings, and accept
their works, this is from a legal spirit.

Again; some men think that because their parents have been religious
before them, and have been indeed the people of God, they think if
they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned
from their forerunners, that therefore God doth accept them; but this
also is from a wrong spirit; and yet how many are there in England
at this day that think the better of themselves merely upon that
account; ay, and think the people of God ought to think so too,
not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have a Hophni
and a Phinehas, both sons of Belial; also a good Samuel to have a
perverse offspring; likewise David an Absalom. I say, their being
ignorant of, or else negligent in regarding this, they do think
that because they do spring from such and such, as the Jews in their
generation did, that therefore they have a privilege with God more
than others, when there is no such thing; but for certain, if the
same faith be not in them which was in their forerunners, to lay
hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did, they
must utterly perish, for all their high conceits that they have of
themselves (John 8:33-35; Matt 3:7-9).

Second. When people come into the presence of God without having
their eye upon the Divine Majesty, through the flesh and blood
of the Son of Mary, the Son of God, then also do they come before
God, and do whatsoever they do from a legal spirit, an old-covenant
spirit. As, for instance, you have some people, it is true, they
will go to prayer, in appearance very fervently, and will plead
very hard with God that He would grant them their desires, pleading
their want, and the abundance thereof; they will also plead with
God His great mercy, and also His free promises; but yet they
neglecting the aforesaid body or Person of Christ, the righteous
Lamb of God, to appear before Him in, I say, in thus doing they
do not appear before the Lord no otherwise than in an old-covenant
spirit; for they go to God as a merciful Creator, and they themselves
as His creatures; not as He is, their Father in the Son, and they
His children by regeneration through the Lord Jesus. Ay, and though
they may call God their Father, in the notion--not knowing what
they say, only having learned such things by tradition--as the
Pharisees did, yet Christ will have His time to say to them, even
to their faces, as He did once to the Jews, Your father, for all this
your profession, is the devil, to their own grief and everlasting
misery (John 8:44).

Third. The third thing that is to be observed, if we would not be
under the Law, or do things in a legal spirit, is this--to have a
care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life,
or acceptance with Him; no, nor of the Gospel neither. To do the
works of the law to the end we may be accepted of God, or that we
may please Him, and to have our desires of Him, is to do things
from a legal or old-covenant spirit, and that is expressly laid down
where it is said, "To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
of grace, but of debt"; that is, he appears before God through the
Law, and his obedience to it (Rom 4:4,5). And again, though they
be in themselves Gospel-ordinances, as baptism, breaking of bread,
hearing, praying, meditating, or the like; yet, I say, if they be
not done in the right spirit, they are thereby used as a hand by
the devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works, as in former
times he used circumcision, which was no part of the Covenant
of Works, the Ten Commands, but a seal of the righteousness of
faith; yet, I say, they being done in a legal spirit, the soul was
thereby brought under the Covenant of Works, and so most miserably
destroyed unawares to itself, and that because there was not a
right understanding of the nature and terms of the said covenants.
And so it is now; souls being ignorant of the nature of the old
covenant, do even by their subjecting to several Gospel ordinances,
run themselves under the old covenant, and fly off from Christ,
even when they think they are acoming closer to him. O, miserable!
If you would know when or how this is done, whether in one particular
or more, I shall show you as followeth--

1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works, by Gospel
ordinances, when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy
upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular
thing commanded in the Word. This is the very same spirit that
was in the false brethren (spoken of Acts 15; Galatians, the whole
Epistle), whose judgment was, that unless such and such things were
done, "they could not be saved." As now-a-days we have also some
that say, Unless your infants be baptized they cannot be saved;23
and others say, unless you be rightly baptized, you have no ground
to be assured that you are believers, or members of churches; which
is so far off from being so good as a legal spirit, that it is the
spirit of blasphemy, as is evident, because they do reckon that
the Spirit, righteousness, and faith of Jesus, and the confession
thereof, is not sufficient to declare men to be members of the Lord
Jesus; when, on the other side, though they be rank hypocrites,
yet if they do yield an outward subjection to this or that, they
are counted presently communicable members, which doth clearly
discover that there is not so much honour given to the putting on
the righteousness of the Son of God as there is given to that which
a man may do, and yet go to Hell within an hour after; nay, in the
very doing of it doth shut himself for ever from Jesus Christ.

2. Men may do things from a legal or old-covenant spirit when they
content themselves with their doing of such and such a thing, as
prayers, reading, hearing, baptism, breaking of bread, or the like;
I say, when they can content themselves with the thing done, and
sit down at ease and content because the thing is done. As, for
instance, some men being persuaded that such and such a thing is
their duty, and that unless they do do it, God will not be pleased
with them, nor suffer them to be heirs of His kingdom, they from
this spirit do rush into and do the thing, which being done, they
are content, as being persuaded that now they are without doubt in
a happy condition, because they have done such things, like unto
the Pharisee, who, because he had done this and the other thing,
said therefore, in a bragging way, "Lord, I thank thee that I am
not as this publican"; for I have done thus and thus; when, alas!
the Lord give him never a good word for his labour, but rather a
reproof.

3. That man doth act from a legal spirit who maketh the strictness
of his walking the ground of his assurance for eternal life. Some
men, all the ground they have to believe that they shall be saved,
it is because they walk not so loose as their neighbours, they
are not so bad as others are, and therefore they question not but
that they shall do well. Now this is a false ground, and a thing
that is verily legal, and savours only of some slight and shallow
apprehensions of the old covenant. I call them shallow apprehensions,
because they are not right and sound, and are such as will do the
soul no good, but beguile it, in that the knowledge of the nature
of this covenant doth not appear to the soul, only some commanding
power it hath on the soul, which the soul endeavouring to give up
itself unto, it doth find some peace and content, and especially
if it find itself to be pretty willing to yield itself to its
commands. And is not this the very ground of thy hoping that God
will save thee from the wrath to come? If one should ask thee what
ground thou hast to think thou shalt be saved, wouldst thou not
say, Truly, because I have left my sins, and because I am more
inclinable to do good, [Do not think that I am against the order
of the Gospel]. and to learn, and get more knowledge; I endeavour
to walk in church order, as they call it, and therefore I hope God
hath done a good work for me, and I hope will save my soul. Alas,
alas! this is a very trick of the devil to make souls build the
ground of their salvation upon this their strictness, and abstaining
from the wickedness of their former lives, and because they desire
to be stricter and stricter. Now, if you would know such a man or
woman, you shall find them in this frame--namely, when they think
their hearts are good, then they think also that Christ will have
mercy upon them; but when their corruptions work, then they doubt
and scruple until again they have their hearts more ready to do the
things contained in the law and ordinances of the Gospel. Again,
such men do commonly cheer up their hearts, and encourage themselves
still to hope all shall be well, and that because they are not so
bad as the rest, but more inclinable than they, saying, I am glad
I am not as this publican, but better than he, more righteous than
he (Luke 18:11).

4. This is a legal and old-covenant spirit that secretly persuades
the soul that if ever it will be saved by Christ, if must be fitted
for Christ by its getting of a good heart and good intentions to
do this and that for Christ; I say, that the soul when it comes
to Christ may not be rejected or turned off; when in deed and in
truth this is the very way for the soul to turn itself from Jesus
Christ, instead of turning to Him; for such a soul looks upon
Christ rather to be a painted Saviour or a cypher than a very and
real Saviour. Friend, if thou canst fit thyself, what need hast
thou of Christ? If thou cant get qualifications to carry to Christ
that thou mightst be accepted, thou dost not look to be accepted
in the Beloved. Shall I tell thee? Thou art as if a man should say,
I will make myself clean, and then I will go to Christ that He may
wash me; or like a man possessed, that will first cast the devils
out of himself, and then come to Christ for cure from Him. Thou,
must, therefore, if thou wilt so lay hold of Christ as not to be
rejected by Him; I say, thou must come to Him as the basest in the
world, more fit to be damned, if thou hadst thy right, than to
have the least smile, hope, or comfort from Him. Come with the fire
of Hell in thy conscience, come with thy heart hard, dead, cold,
full of wickedness and madness against thy own salvation; come as
renouncing all thy tears, prayers, watchings, fastings; come as a
blood-red sinner; do not stay from Christ till thou hast a greater
sense of thy own misery, nor of the reality of God's mercy; do not
stay while thy heart is softer and thy spirit in a better frame,
but go against thy mind, and against the mind of the devil and sin,
throw thyself down at the foot of Christ, with a halter about thy
neck, and say, Lord Jesus, hear a sinner, a hard-hearted sinner,
a sinner that deserveth to be damned, to be cast into Hell; and
resolve never to return, or to give over crying unto Him, till thou
do find that He hath washed thy conscience from dead works with
His blood virtually, and clothed thee with His own righteousness,
and make thee complete in Himself; this is the way to come to
Christ.

THE USE OF THE NEW COVENANT

Now a few words to the second doctrine, and so I shall draw towards
a conclusion.

FIRST USE. The doctrine doth contain in it very much comfort to
thy [The use, for the second doctrine]. soul who art a new-covenant
man, or one of those who are under the new covenant. There is,
First, pardon of sin; and, Second, the manifestation of the same;
and, Third, as power to cause thee to persevere through faith to
the very end of thy life.

First, There is, first, pardon of sin, which is not in the old
covenant; for in that there is nothing but commands; and if not
obeyed, condemned. O, but there is pardon of sin, even of all thy
sins, against the first and second covenant, under which thou art,
and that freely upon the account of Jesus Christ the righteousness,
He having in thy name, nature, and in the room of thy person,
fulfilled all the whole law in Himself for thee, and freely giveth
it unto thee. O, though the law be a ministration of death and
condemnation, yet the Gospel, under which thou art, is the ministration
of life and salvation (2 Cor 3:6-9). Though they that live and die
under the first covenant, God regardeth them not (Heb 8:9). Yet they
that are under the second are as the apple of His eye (Deu 32:10;
Psa 17:8; Zech 2:8). Though they that are under the first, the Law,
are "called to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, the sound of
a trumpet," and a burning mountain, which sight was so terrible,
that Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake" (Heb 12:18-22).
"But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn," whose names
"are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus," to blessed Jesus,
"the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb 12:22-24). Even
forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7).

Second, The covenant that thou art under doth allow of repentance
in case thou chance to slip or fall by sudden temptation; but the
law allows of none (Rev 2:5; Gal 3:10). The covenant that thou art
under allows thee strength also; but the law is only a sound of
words, commanding words, but no power is given by them to fulfill
the things commanded (Heb 12:19). Thou that art under this second,
art made a son; but they that art under that first, are slaves and
vagabonds (Gen 4:12). Thou that art under this, hast a Mediator,
that is to stand between justice and thee; but they under the other,
their mediator is turned an accuser, and speaketh most bitter things
against their souls (1 Tim 2:5; John 5:45). Again; the way that
thou hast into Paradise is a new and living way--mark, a living way;
but they that are under the old covenant, their way into Paradise
is a killing and destroying way (Heb 10:20; Gen 3:24). Again; thou
has the righteousness of God to appear before God withal; but they
under the old covenant have nothing but the righteousness of the
Law, which Paul counts dirt and dung (Phil 3:7-9). Thou hast that
which will make thee perfect, but the other will not do so--"The
law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did,"
which is the Son of God, "by the which we draw nigh unto God" (Heb
7:19).

Third, The new covenant promiseth thee a new heart, as I said before;
but the old covenant promiseth none; and a new spirit, but the old
covenant promiseth none (Eze 36:26). The new covenant conveyeth
faith, but the old one conveyeth none (Gal 3). Through the new
covenant the love of God is conveyed into the heart; but through
the old covenant there is conveyed none of it savingly through Jesus
Christ. Romans 5. The new covenant doth not only give a promise
of life, but also with that the assurance of life, but the old one
giveth none; the old covenant wrought wrath in us and to us, but
the new one worketh love (Rom 4:15; Gal 5:6). Thus much for the
first use.

SECOND USE. As all these, and many more privileges, do come to thee
through or by the new covenant, and that thou mightst not doubt of
the certainty of these glorious privileges, God hath so ordered it
that they do all come to thee by way of purchase, being obtained
for thee, ready to thy hand, by that one Man Jesus, who is the
Mediator, or the Person that hath principally to do both with God
and thy soul in the things pertaining to this covenant; so that
now thou mayst look on all the glorious things that are spoken of
in the new covenant, and say, All these must be mine; I must have
a share in them; Christ hath purchased them for me, and given them
to me. Now I need not to say, O! but how shall I come by them? God
is holy, I am a sinner; God is just, and I have offended. No; but
thou mayst say, Though I am vile, and deserve nothing, yet Christ
is holy, and He deserveth all things; though I have so provoked
God by breaking His law that He could not in justice look upon me,
yet Christ hath so gloriously paid the debt that now God can say,
Welcome, soul, I will give thee grace, I will give thee glory,
thou shalt lie in My bosom, and go no more out; My Son hath pleased
Me, He hath satisfied the loud cries of the Law and justice, that
called for speedy vengeance on thee; He hath fulfilled the whole
Law, He hath brought in everlasting righteousness (Dan 9:24,25).
He hath overcome the devil, He hath washed away thy sins with His
most precious blood, He hath destroyed the power of death, and
triumphs over all the enemies. This He did in His own Person,
as a common Jesus, for all persons in their stead, even as for so
many as shall come in to Him; for His victory I give to them, His
righteousness I give to them, His merits I bestow on them, and
look upon them holy, harmless, undefiled, and for ever comely in
my eye, through the victory of the Captain of their salvation (1
Cor 15:55-57).

And that thou mayest, in deed and in truth, not only hear and read
this glorious doctrine, but be found one that hath the life of it
in thy heart, thou must be much in studying of the two covenants,
the nature of the one, and the nature of the other, and the conditions
of them that are under them both. Also, thou must be well-grounded
in the manner of the victory, and merits of Christ, how they are
made thine.

First, And here thou must, in the first place, believe that the
babe that was born of Mary, lay in a manger at Bethlehem, in the
time of Caesar Augustus; that He, that babe, that child, was the
very Christ.

Second, Thou must believe that in the days of Tiberius Caesar,
when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and Pontius Pilate governor
of Judea, that in those days He was crucified, or hanged on a tree
between two thieves, which by computation, or according to the best
account, is above sixteen hundred years since. 24

Third, Thou must also believe that when He did hang upon that cross
of wood on the Mount Calvary, that then He did die there for the
sins of those that did die before He was crucified; also for their
sins that were alive at the time of His crucifying, and also that
He did by that one death give satisfaction to God for all those
that should be born and believe in Him after His death, even unto
the world's end. I say, this thou must believe, upon pain of eternal
damnation, that by that one death, that when He did die, He did put
an end to the curse of the Law and sin [This is the doctrine that
I will live and die by, and be willing to be damned if it saves me
not. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God to salvation; therefore I preach Christ crucified, to the
Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness (Rom 1:16; 1
Cor 1:23).] and at that time by His death on the Cross, and by His
resurrection out of Joseph's sepulchre, He did bring in a sufficient
righteousness to clothe thee withal completely--"For by one offering
He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Not that He
should often offer Himself--"for then must He often have suffered
since the foundation of the world; but now ONCE in the end of the
world hath He appeared to put," or do, "away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself"--namely, when He hanged on the Cross. For it is by the
offering up of the body of this blessed Jesus Christ ONCE for all.
Indeed, other priests may offer oftentimes sacrifices and offerings
which can never take away sins; but this Man, this Jesus, this
anointed and appointed sacrifice, when He had offered ONE sacrifice
for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God (Heb 10:14;
9:24,25).

[A word of advice]. But because thou in thy pursuit after the faith
of the Gospel wilt be sure to meet with devils, heretics, particular
corruptions, as unbelief, ignorance, the spirit of works animated
on by suggestions, false conclusions, with damnable doctrines, I
shall therefore briefly, besides what hath been already said, speak
a word or two before I leave thee of further advice, especially
concerning these two things. First, How thou art to conceive of
the Saviour. Second, How thou art to make application of Him.

First. For the Saviour. 1. Thou must look upon Him to be very God
and very Man; not man only, nor God only, but God and Man in one
Person, both natures joined together, for the putting of Him in a
capacity to be a suitable Saviour; suitable, I say, to answer both
sides and parties, with whom He hath to do in the office of His
Mediatorship and being of a Saviour. 2. Thou must not only do this,
but thou must also consider and believe that even what was done
by Jesus Christ, it was not done by one nature without the other;
but thou must consider that both natures, both the Godhead and the
manhood, did gloriously concur and join together in the undertaking
of the salvation of our bodies and souls; not that the Godhead
undertook anything without the manhood, neither did the manhood
do anything without the virtue and union of the Godhead; and thou
must of necessity do this, otherwise thou canst not find any sound
ground and footing for thy soul to rest upon.

For if thou look upon any of these asunder--that is to say, the
Godhead without the manhood, or the manhood without the Godhead--thou
wilt conclude that what was done by the Godhead was not done for
man, being done without the manhood; or else, that that which was
done with the manhood could not answer Divine justice, in not doing
what it did by the virtue and in union with the Godhead; for it
was the Godhead that gave virtue and value to the suffering of the
manhood, and the manhood being joined therewith, that giveth us an
interest into the heavenly glory and comforts of the Godhead.

What ground can a man have to believe that Christ is his Saviour,
if he do not believe that He suffered for sin in his nature? And
what ground also can a man have to think that God the Father is
satisfied, being infinite, if he believe not also that He who gave
the satisfaction was equal to Him who was offended?

Therefore, beloved, when you read of the offering of the body of
the Son of Man for our sins, then consider that He did it in union
with, and by the help of, the eternal Godhead. "How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead
works," etc.

And when thou readest of the glorious works and splendour of the
Godhead in Christ, then consider that all that was done by the
Godhead, it was done as it had union and communion with the manhood.
And then thou shalt see that the devil is overcome by God-man;
sin, death, Hell, the grave, and all overcome by Jesus, God-man,
and then thou shalt find them overcome indeed. They must needs be
overcome when God doth overcome them; and we have good ground to
hope the victory is ours, when in our nature they are overcome.

Second. The second thing is, how to apply, or to make application
of this Christ to the soul. And for this there are to be considered
the following particulars--

1. That when Jesus Christ did thus appear, being born of Mary, He
was looked upon by the Father as if the sin of the whole world was
upon Him; nay, further, God did look upon Him and account Him the
sin of man--"He hath made Him to be sin for us," (2 Cor 5:21) that
is, God made His Son Jesus Christ our sin, or reckoned Him to be,
not only a sinner, but the very bulk of sin of the whole world, and
condemned Him so severely as if He had been nothing but sin. "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 is, for our sins condemned
His Son Jesus Christ; as if He had in deed and truth been our
very sin, although altogether "without sin" (Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21).
Therefore, as to the taking away of thy curse, thou must reckon
Him to be made sin for thee. And as to His being thy justification,
thou must reckon Him to be thy righteousness; for, saith the
Scripture, "He," that is, God, "hath made HIM to be SIN for us,
though He knew no sin, that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of
God in HIM."

2. Consider for whose sakes all this glorious design of the Father
and the Son was brought to pass; and that you shall find to be for
man, for sinful man (2 Cor 8:9).

3. The terms on which it is made ours; and that you will find to be
a free gift, merely arising from the tender-heartedness of God--you
are "justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that
is in Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through
faith in His blood," etc. (Rom 3:25).

4. How men are to reckon it theirs; and that is, upon the same terms
which God doth offer it, which is freely, as they are worthless
and undeserving creatures, as they are without all good, and also
unable to do any good. This, I say, is the right way of applying
the merits of Christ to thy soul, for they are freely given to
thee, a poor sinner, not for anything that is in thee, or done by
thee, but freely as thou art a sinner, and so standest in absolute
need thereof.

And, Christian, thou art not in this thing to follow thy sense
and feeling, but the very Word of God. The thing that doth do the
people of God the greatest injury, it is their too little hearkening
to what the Gospel saith, and their too much giving credit to what
the Law, sin, the devil, and conscience saith; and upon this very
ground to conclude that because there is a certainty of guilt upon
the soul, therefore there is also for certain, by sin, damnation
to be brought upon the soul. This is now to set the Word of God
aside, and to give credit to what is formed by the contrary; but
thou must give more credit to one syllable of the written Word
of the Gospel than thou must give to all the saints and angels in
Heaven and earth; much more than to the devil and thy own guilty
conscience.

Let me give you a parable:--There was a certain man that had
committed treason against his king; but forasmuch as the king had
compassion upon him, he sent him, by the hand of a faithful messenger,
a pardon under his own hand and seal; but in the country where this
poor man dwelt, there were also many that sought to trouble him,
by often putting of him in mind of his treason, and the law that
was to be executed on the offender. Now which way should this man
so honour his king, but as by believing his handwriting, which was
the pardon. Certainly he would honour him more by so doing than to
regard all the clamours of his enemies continually against him.

Just thus it is here: thou having committed treason against the
King of Heaven, He through compassion, for Christ's sake, hath
sent thee a pardon; but the devil, the Law, and thy conscience do
continually seek to disturb thee by bringing thy sins afresh into
thy remembrance. But now, wouldst thou honour thy King? Why then,
he that believeth "the record that God hath given of His Son," hath
set to his seal that God is true. "And this is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son"
(1 John 5:11). And therefore, my brethren, seeing God our Father
hath sent us damnable traitors a pardon from Heaven, even all the
promises of the Gospel, and also hath sealed to the certainty of
it with the heart-blood of His dear Son, let us not be daunted,
though our enemies, with terrible voices, do bring our former life
never so often into our remembrance.

Object. But, saith the soul, how, if after I have received a pardon,
I should commit treason again? What should I do then?

Answ. Set the case: thou hast committed abundance of treason, He
hath by Him abundance of pardons--"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" (Isa 55:7).

Sometimes I myself have been in such a strait that I have been almost
driven to my wit's ends with the sight and sense of the greatness
of my sins; but calling to mind that God was God in His mercy, pity,
and love, as well as in His holiness, justice, etc.; and again,
considering the ability of the satisfaction that was given to
holiness and justice, to the end there might be way made for sinners
to lay hold of this mercy; I say, I considering this, when tempted
to doubt and despair, I have answered in this manner--

"Lord, here is one of the greatest sinners that ever the ground
bare; a sinner against the Law, and a sinner against the Gospel. I
have sinned against light, and I have sinned against mercy. And now,
Lord, the guilt of them breaks my heart. The devil also he would
have me despair, telling of me that Thou art so far from hearing
my prayers in this my distress, that I cannot anger Thee worse
than to call upon Thee; for saith he, Thou art resolved for ever
to damn, and not to grant me the least of Thy favour; yet, Lord,
I would fain have forgiveness. And Thy Word, though much may be
inferred from it against me, yet it saith, If I come unto Thee,
Thou will in nowise cast me out. Lord, shall I honour Thee most
by believing Thou canst pardon my sins, or by believing Thou canst
not? Shall I honour Thee most by believing Thou wilt pardon my
sins, or by believing Thou wilt not? Shall I honour the blood of Thy
Son also by despairing that the virtue thereof is not sufficient,
or by believing that it is sufficient to purge me from all my
blood-red and crimson sins? Surely, Thou that couldst find so much
mercy as to pardon Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, the three thousand
murderers, persecuting Paul, murderous and adulterous David, and
blaspheming Peter--Thou that offeredst mercy to Simon Magus, a
witch, and didst receive the astrologers and conjurors in the 19th
of Acts--Thou hast mercy enough for one poor sinner. Lord, set
the case: my sins were bigger than all these, and I less deserved
mercy than any of these, yet Thou hast said in Thy Word that he
that cometh to thee Thou wilt in "nowise cast out." And God hath
given comfort to my soul, even to such a sinner as I am. And I tell
you, there is no way so to honour God, and to beat out the devil,
as to stick to the truth of God's Word and the merits of Christ's
blood by believing. When Abraham believed--even against hope and
reason--he gave glory to God (Rom 4). And this is our victory,
even our faith (1 John 5:4). Believe, and all things are possible
to you. He that believeth shall be saved. He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life, and shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of Christ's Father's hands."

And if thou dost indeed believe this, thou wilt not only confess
Him as the Quakers do--that is, that He was born at Bethlehem of
Mary, suffered on Mount Calvary under Pontius Pilate, was dead and
buried, rose again, and ascended, etc.; for all this they confess,
and in the midst of their confession they do verily deny that His
death on that Mount Calvary did give satisfaction to God for the sins
of the world, and that His resurrection out of Joseph's sepulchre
is the cause of our justification in the sight of God, angels, and
devils; but, I say, if thou dost believe these things indeed, thou
dost believe that then, so long ago, even before thou wast born,
He did bear thy sins in His own body, which then was hanged on
the tree, and never before nor since; that thy old man was then
crucified with Him, namely, in the same body then crucified (See
1 Peter 2:24; and Rom 6:6). This is nonsense to them that believe
not; but if thou do indeed believe, thou seest it so plain, and
yet such a mystery, that it makes thee wonder. But,

[THIRD USE]. In the third place, this glorious doctrine of the new
covenant, and the Mediator thereof, will serve for the comforting,
and the maintaining of the comfort, of the children of the new
covenant this way also--that is, that He did not only die and rise
again, but that He did ascend in His own Person into Heaven to
take possession thereof for me, to prepare a place there for me,
standeth there in the second part of His suretyship to bring me
safe in my coming thither, and to present me in a glorious manner,
without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; that He is there
exercising of His priestly office for me, pleading the perfection
of His own righteousness for me, and the virtue of His blood for
me; that He is there ready to answer the accusations of the Law,
devil, and sin for me. Here thou mayst through faith look the very
devil in the face, and rejoice, saying, O Satan! I have a precious
Jesus, a soul-comforting Jesus, a sin-pardoning Jesus. Here thou
mayst hear the biggest thunder-crack that the Law can give, and
yet not be daunted. Here thou mayst say, O Law! thou mayst roar
against sin, but thou canst not reach me; thou mayst curse and
condemn, but not my soul; for I have righteous Jesus, a holy Jesus,
a soul-saving Jesus, and He hath delivered me from thy threats,
from thy curses, from thy condemnations; I am out of thy reach,
and out of thy bounds; I am brought into another covenant, under
better promises, promises of life and salvation, free promises to
comfort me without my merit, even through the blood of Jesus, the
satisfaction given to God for me by Him; therefore, though thou
layest my sins to my charge, and sayest thou wilt prove me guilty,
yet so long as Christ is above ground, and hath brought in everlasting
righteousness, and given that to me, I shall not fear thy threats,
thy charges, thy soul-scarring denunciations; my Christ is all, hath
done all, and will deliver me from all that thou, and whatsoever
else can bring an accusation against me. Thus also thou may say when
death assaulteth thee--O death, where is thy sting? Thou mayst bite
indeed, but thou canst not devour; I have comfort by and through
the one Man Jesus; Jesus Christ, He hath taken thee captive, and
taken away thy strength; He hath pierced thy heart, and let out
all thy soul-destroying poison; therefore, though I see thee, I am
not afraid of thee; though I feel thee, I am not daunted; for thou
hast lost thy sting in the side of the Lord Jesus; through Him I
overcome thee, and set foot upon thee. Also, O Satan! though I hear
thee grumble, and make a hellish noise, and though thou threaten me
very highly, yet my soul shall triumph over thee, so long as Christ
is alive and can be heard in Heaven; so long as He hath broken thy
head, and won the field of thee; so long as thou are in prison, and
canst not have thy desire. I, therefore, when I hear thy voice, do
pitch my thoughts on Christ my Saviour, and do hearken when He will
say, for He will speak comfort; He saith, He hath got the victory,
and doth give to me the crown, and causeth me to triumph through
His most glorious conquest.

Nay, my brethren, the saints under the Levitical Law, who had not
the new covenant sealed or confirmed any further than by promise
that it should be; I say, they, when they thought of the glorious
privileges that God had promised should come, though at that time
they were not come, but seen afar off, how confidently were they
persuaded of them, and embraced them, and were so fully satisfied
as touching the certainty of them, that they did not stick at the
parting with all for the enjoying of them. [Shall not we then that
see all things already done before us make it a strong argument
to increase our faith (Heb 11).] How many times doth David in the
Psalms admire, triumph, and persuade others to do so also, through
the faith that he had in the thing that was to be done? Also Job,
in what faith doth he say he should see his Redeemer, though He
had not then shed one drop of blood for him, yet because He had
promised so to do; and this was signified by the blood of bulls
and goats. Also Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, etc., how
gloriously in confidence did they speak of Christ, and His death,
blood, conquest, and everlasting priesthood, even before He did
manifest Himself in the flesh which He took of the Virgin. [For
they were so many sure promises, with a remembrance in them, also
for the better satisfaction of them that believed them]. We that
have lived since Christ, have more ground to hope than they under
the old covenant had, though they had the word of the just God for
the ground of their faith. Mark, they had only the promise that He
should and would come; but we have the assured fulfilling of those
promises, because He is come; they were told that He should spill
His blood, but we do see He hath spilt His blood; they ventured all
upon His standing Surety for them, but we see He hath fulfilled,
and that faithfully too, the office of His Suretyship, in that,
according to the engagement, He hath redeemed us poor sinners;
they ventured on the new covenant, though not actually sealed, only
"because He judged Him faithful who had promised" (Heb 11:11). But
we have the covenant sealed, all things are completely done, even
as sure as the heart-blood of a crucified Jesus can make it.

There is a great difference between their dispensation and ours
for comfort, even as much as there is between the making of a bond
with a promise to seal it, and the sealing of the same. It was
made indeed in their time, but it was not sealed until the time
the blood was shed on the Mount Calvary; and that we might indeed
have our faith mount up with wings like an eagle, he showeth us what
encouragement and ground of faith we have to conclude we shall be
everlastingly delivered, saying, "For where a testament" or covenant
"is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For
a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the
first testament was dedicated without blood" (Heb 9:16-18). As
Christ's blood was the confirmation of the new covenant, yet it
was not sealed in Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob's days to confirm the
covenant that God did tell them of, and yet they believed; therefore
we ought to give the more earnest heed to believe the things that
we have heard, and not in any wise to let them be questioned; and
the rather, because you see the testament is not only now made,
but confirmed; not only spoken of and promised, but verily sealed
by the death and blood of Jesus, who is the Testator thereof.

My brethren, I would not leave you ignorant of this one thing, that
though the Jews had the promise of a sacrifice, of an everlasting
High Priest that should deliver them, yet they had but the promise;
for Christ was not sacrificed, and was not then come a high priest
of good things to come; only the type, the shadow, the figure, the
ceremonies they had, together with Christ's engaging as Surety to
bring all things to pass that were promised should come, and upon
that account received and saved.

It was with them and their dispensation as this similitude gives
you to understand:--Set the case that there be two men who make a
covenant that the one should give the other ten thousand sheep on
condition the other give him two thousand pound; but forasmuch as
the money is not to be paid down presently, therefore if he that
buyeth the sheep will have any of them before the day of payment,
the creditor requesteth a surety; and upon the engagement of the
surety there is part of the sheep given to the debtor even before
the day of payment, but the other at and after. So it is here; Christ
covenanted with His Father for His sheep--"I lay down My life for
My sheep," saith He--but the money was not to be paid down so soon
as the bargain was made, as I have already said, yet some of the
sheep were saved even before the money was paid, and that because
of the Suretyship of Christ; as it is written, "Being justified," or
saved, "freely by His grace through the redemption," or purchase,
"that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past," or the sinners who died in the
faith before Christ was crucified, through God's forbearing till the
payment was paid; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness;
"that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus" (Rom 3:24-26).

The end of my speaking of this is, to show you that it is not wisdom
now to doubt whether God will save you or no, but to believe, because
all things are finished as to our justification: the covenant not
only made, but also sealed; the debt paid, the prison doors flung
off of the hooks, with a proclamation from Heaven of deliverance
to the prisoners of hope, saying, "Turn you to the stronghold, ye
prisoners of hope, even today do I declare," saith God, "that I
will render double unto thee" (Zech 9:12). And, saith Christ, when
He was come, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath
anointed Me to preach the Gospel," that is, good tidings "to the
poor," that their sins should be pardoned, that their souls shall
be saved. "He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised," and to comfort them that
mourn, "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18,19).

Therefore here, soul, thou mayst come to Jesus Christ for anything
thou wantest, as to a common treasure-house, being the principal
Man for the distributing of the things made mention of in the new
covenant, He having them all in His own custody by right of purchase;
for He hath bought them all, paid for them all. Dost thou want
faith? then come for it to the Man Christ Jesus (Heb 12:2). Dost
thou want the Spirit? then ask it of Jesus. Dost thou want wisdom?
Dost thou want grace of any sort? Dost thou want a new heart? Dost
thou want strength against thy lusts, against the devil's temptations?
Dost thou want strength to carry thee through afflictions of body,
and afflictions of spirit, through persecutions? Wouldst thou
willingly hold out, stand to the last, and be more than a conqueror?
then be sure thou meditate enough on the merits of the blood of
Jesus, how He hath undertaken for thee, that He hath done the work
of thy salvation in thy room, that He is filled of God on purpose
to fill thee, and is willing to communicate whatsoever is in Him
or about Him to thee. Consider this, I say, and triumph in it.

Again; this may inform us of the safe state of the saints as touching
their perseverance, that they shall stand though Hell rages, though
the devil roareth, and all the world endeavoureth the ruin of the
saints of God, though some, through ignorance of the virtue of the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ, do say a man may be a child
of God today, and a child of the devil tomorrow, which is gross
ignorance; for what? Is the blood of Christ, the death of Christ,
the resurrection of Christ, of no more virtue than to bring in for
us an uncertain salvation? or must the effectualness of Christ's
merits, as touching our perseverance, be helped on by the doings
of man? Surely they that are predestinated are also justified;
and they that are justified, they shall be glorified (Rom 8:30).
Saints, do not doubt of the salvation of your souls, unless you do
intend to undervalue Christ's blood; and do not think but that He
that hath begun the good work of His grace in you will perfect it
to the second coming of our Lord Jesus (Phil 1:6). Should not we,
as well as Paul, say, I am persuaded that nothing shall separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8). O let
the saints know, that unless the devil can pluck Christ out of
Heaven, he cannot pull a true believer out of Christ. When I say
a true believer, I do mean such an one as hath the faith of the
operation of God in his soul.

Lastly, Is there such mercy as this? such privileges as these? Is
there so much ground of comfort, and so much cause to be glad? Is
there so much store in Christ, and such a ready heart in Him to
give it to me? Hath His bleeding wounds so much in them, as that
the fruits thereof should be the salvation of my soul, of my sinful
soul, as to save me, sinful me, rebellious me, desperate me? What
then? Shall not I now be holy? Shall not I now study, strive, and
lay out myself for Him that hath laid out Himself soul and body
for me? Shall I now love ever a lust or sin? Shall I now be ashamed
of the cause, ways, people, or saints of Jesus Christ? Shall I now
yield my members as instruments of righteousness, seeing my end
is everlasting life? (Rom 6). Shall Christ think nothing too dear
for me? and shall I count anything too dear for Him? Shall I grieve
Him with my foolish carriage? Shall I slight His counsel by following
of my own will? Thus, therefore, the doctrine of the new covenant
doth call for holiness, engage to holiness, and maketh the children
of that covenant to take pleasure therein. Let no man, therefore,
conclude on this, that the doctrine of the Gospel is a licentious
doctrine; but if they do, it is because they are fools, and such
as have not tasted of the virtue of the blood of Jesus Christ;
neither did they ever feel the nature and sway that the love of
Christ hath in the hearts of His. And thus also you may see that
the doctrine of the Gospel is of great advantage to the people of
God that are already come in, or to them that shall at the consideration
hereof be willing to come in, to partake of the glorious benefits
of this glorious covenant. But, saith the poor soul,

Object. Alas! I doubt this is too good for me.

Inquirer. Why so, I pray you?

Object. Alas! because I am a sinner.

Reply. Why, all this is bestowed upon none but sinners, as it is
written, While we were ungodly, Christ died for us (Rom 5:6,8).
"He came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim 1:15).

Object. O, but I am one of the chief of sinners.

Reply. Why, this is for the chief of sinners--"Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief," saith Paul (1
Tim 1:15).

Object. O, but my sins are so big, that I cannot conceive how I
should have mercy.

Reply. Why, soul? Didst thou ever kill anybody? Didst thou ever burn
any of thy children in the fire to idols? Hast thou been a witch?
Didst thou ever use enchantments and conjuration? [You that are
resolved to go on in your sins, meddle not with this]. Didst thou
ever curse, and swear, and deny Christ? And yet if thou hast,
there is yet hopes of pardon; yea, such sinners as these have been
pardoned, as appears by these and the like Scriptures, 2 Chronicles
33:1-10, compared with verses 12, 13. Again, Acts 19:19, 20; 8:22,
compared with verse 9; Matthew 26:74, 75.

Object. But though I have not sinned in such kind of sins, yet it
may be I have sinned as bad.

Answ. That cannot likely be; yet though thou hast, still there is
ground of mercy for thee, forasmuch as thou art under the promise
(John 6:37).

The unpardonable sin.

Object. Alas! man, I am afraid that I have sinned the unpardonable
sin, and therefore there is no hope for me.

Answ. Dost thou know what the unpardonable sin, the sin against
the Holy Ghost, is? and when it is committed?

Reply. It is a sin against light.

Answ. That is true; yet every sin against light is not the sin
against the Holy Ghost.

Reply. Say you so?

Answ. Yea, and I prove it thus--If every sin against light had been
the sin that is unpardonable, then had David and Peter and others
sinned that sin; but though they did sin against light, yet they
did not sin that sin; therefore every sin against light is not the
sin against the Holy Ghost, the unpardonable sin.

Object. But the Scripture saith, "If we sin willfully after that we
have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

Answ. Do you know what that willful sin is?

Reply. Why, what is it? Is it not for a man to sin willingly after
enlightening?

Answ. 1. Yes; yet doubtless every willing sin is not that; for then
David had sinned it when he lay with Bathsheba; and Jonah, when he
fled from the presence of the Lord; and Solomon also, when he had
so many concubines. 2. But that sin is a sin that is of another
nature, which is this--For a man after he hath made some profession
of salvation to come alone by the blood of Jesus, together with
some light and power of the same upon his spirit; I say, for him
after this knowingly, willfully, and despitefully to trample upon
the blood of Christ shed on the Cross, and to count it an unholy
thing, or no better than the blood of another man, and rather to
venture his soul any other way than to be saved by this precious
blood. And this must be done, I say, after some light (Heb 6:4,5)
despitefully (Heb 10:29) knowingly (2 Peter 2:21) and willfully (Heb
10:26 compared with verse 29) and that not in a hurry and sudden
fit, as Peter's was, but with some time beforehand to pause upon
it first, with Judas; and also with a continued resolution never
to turn or be converted again; "for it is impossible to renew such
again to repentance," they are so resolved and so desperate (Heb
6).

Quest. And how sayest thou now? Didst thou ever, after thou hadst
received some blessed light from Christ, willfully, despitefully,
and knowingly stamp or trample the blood of the Man Christ Jesus
under thy feet? and art thou for ever resolved so to do?

Answ. O no; I would not do that willfully, despitefully, and
knowingly, not for all the world.

Inquiry. But yet I must tell you, now you put me in mind of it,
surely sometimes I have most horrible blasphemous thoughts in me
against God, Christ, and the Spirit. May not these be that sin I
trow?

Answ. Dost thou delight in them? Are they such things as thou takest
pleasure in?

Reply. O no; neither would I do it for a thousand worlds. O, methinks
they make me sometimes tremble to think of them. But how and if I
should delight in them before I am aware?

Answ. Beg of God for strength against them, and if at any time thou
findest thy wicked heart to give way in the least thereto, for that
is likely enough, and though thou find it may on a sudden give way
to that Hell-bred wickedness that is in it, yet do not despair,
forasmuch as Christ hath said, "All manner of sins and blasphemies
shall be forgiven to the sons of men. And whosoever speaketh a word
against the Son of man," that is Christ, as he may do with Peter,
through temptation, yet upon repentance, "it shall be forgiven him"
(Matt 12:31, 32).

Object. But I thought it might have been committed all on a sudden,
either by some blasphemous thought, or else by committing some
other horrible sin.

Answ. For certain, this sin and the commission of it doth lie in a
knowing, willful, malicious, or despiteful, together with a final
trampling the blood of sweet Jesus under foot (Heb 10).

Object. But it seems to be rather a resisting of the Spirit, and the
motions thereof, than this which you say; for, first, its proper
title is the sin against the Holy Ghost; and again, "They have done
despite unto the Spirit of grace"; so that it rather seems to be,
I say, that a resisting of the Spirit, and the movings thereof, is
that sin.

Answ. First. For certain, the sin is committed by them that do as
before I have said--that is, by a final, knowing, willful, malicious
trampling under foot the blood of Christ, which was shed on Mount
Calvary when Jesus was there crucified. And though it be called
the sin against the Spirit, yet as I said before, every sin against
the Spirit is not that; for if it were, then every sin against the
light and convictions of the Spirit would be unpardonable; but that
is an evident untruth, for these reasons--First, Because there be
those who have sinned against the movings of the Spirit, and that
knowingly too, and yet did not commit that sin; as Jonah, who when
God had expressly by His Spirit bid him go to Nineveh, he runs
thereupon quite another way. Secondly, Because the very people that
have sinned against the movings of the Spirit are yet, if they
do return, received to mercy. Witness also Jonah, who though he
had sinned against the movings of the Spirit of the Lord in doing
contrary thereunto, "yet when he called," as he saith, "to the
Lord," out of the belly of Hell, "the LORD heard him, and gave
him deliverance, and set him again about his work." Read the whole
story of that Prophet. But,

Answ. Second. I shall show you that it must needs be willfully,
knowingly, and a malicious rejecting of the Man Christ Jesus as
the Saviour--that is, counting His blood, His righteousness, His
intercession in His own Person, for he that rejects one rejects
all, to be of no value as to salvation; I say, this I shall show
you is the unpardonable sin, and then afterwards in brief show you
why it is called the sin against the Holy Ghost.

[Must be a willfully and maliciously rejecting the Saviour.]

1. That man that doth reject, as aforesaid, the blood, death,
righteousness, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of the Man
Christ, doth reject that sacrifice, that blood, that righteousness,
that victory, that rest, that God alone hath appointed for
salvation--"Behold the Lamb," or sacrifice, "of God" (John 1:29).
"We have redemption through His blood" (Eph 1:7). That I may "be
found in Him"--to wit, in Christ's righteousness, with Christ's
own personal obedience to His Father's will (Phil 3:7-10). By His
resurrection comes justification (Rom 4:25). His intercession now
in His own Person in the Heavens, now absent from His saints, is
the cause of the saints' perseverance (Rom 8:33-39).

2. They that reject this sacrifice, and the merits of this Christ,
which He by Himself hath brought in for sinners, have rejected Him
through whom alone all the promises of the New Testament, together
with all the mercy discovered thereby, doth come unto poor creatures--"For
all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him amen, unto the
glory of God" (2 Cor 1:20). And all spiritual blessings are made
over to us through Him; that is, through and in this Man, which is
Christ, we have all our spiritual, heavenly, and eternal mercies
(Eph 1:3,4).

3. He that doth knowingly, willfully, and despitefully reject this
Man for salvation doth sin the unpardonable sin, because there is
never another sacrifice to be offered. "There is no more offering
for sin.--There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin," (Heb 10:18-26);
namely, than the offering of the body of Jesus Christ a sacrifice
once for all (Heb 10:10,14, compared with 18, 26). No; but they that
shall, after light and clear conviction, reject the first offering
of His body for salvation, do crucify Him the second time, which
irrecoverably merits their own damnation--"For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted
the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open
shame" (Heb 6:4-6). "If they shall fall away, to renew them again
unto repentance." And why so? Seeing, saith the Apostle, they do
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and do put Him to an
open shame. O, then, how miserably hath the devil deceived some,
in that he hath got them to reject the merits of the first offering
of the body of Christ, which was for salvation, and got them to
trust in a fresh crucifying of Christ, which unavoidably brings
their speedy damnation.

4. They that do reject this Man, as aforesaid, do sin the unpardonable
sin, because in rejecting Him they do make way for the justice of
God to break out upon them, and to handle them as it shall find
them; which will be, in the first place, sinners against the first
covenant; and also despising of, even the life, and glory, and
consolations, pardon, grace, and love, that is discovered in the
second covenant, forasmuch as they reject the Mediator and priest
of the same, which is the Man Jesus. And the man that doth so, I
would fain see how his sins should be pardoned, and his soul saved,
seeing the means, which is the Son of Man, the Son of Mary, and His
merits, are rejected; "for," saith He, "if you believe not that I
am He, you shall," mark, "you shall," do what you can; "you shall,"
appear where you can; "you shall," follow Moses' law, or any holiness
whatsoever, "ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). So that, I say,
the sin that is called the unpardonable sin is a knowing, willful,
and despiteful rejecting of the sacrificing of the Son of Man the
first time for sin.

[Why it is called the sin against the Holy Ghost.]

And now to show you why it is called the sin against the Holy Ghost,
as in these Scriptures, (Matt 12; Heb 10; Mark 3).

1. Because they sin against the manifest light of the Spirit, as I
said before; it is a sin against the light of the Spirit--that is,
they have been formerly enlightened into the nature of the Gospel
and the merits of the Man Christ, and His blood, righteousness,
intercession, etc.; and also professed and confessed the same,
with some life and comfort in and through the profession of Him;
yet now against all that light, maliciously, and with despite to
all their former profession, turn their backs and trample upon the
same.

2. It is called the sin against the Holy Ghost because such a
person doth, as I may say, lay violent hands on it; one that sets
himself in opposition to, and is resolved to resist all the motions
that do come in from the Spirit to persuade the contrary. For I do
verily believe that men, in this very rejecting of the Son of God,
after some knowledge of Him, especially at their first resisting
and refusing of Him, they have certain motions of the Spirit of
God to dissuade them from so great a soul-damning act. But they,
being filled with an overpowering measure of the spirit of the
devil, do despite unto these convictions and motions by studying
and contriving how they may answer them, and get from under
the convincing nature of them, and therefore it is called a doing
despite unto the Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29). And so,

3. In that they do reject the beseeching of the Spirit, and all its
gentle entreatings of the soul to tarry still in the same doctrine.

4. In that they do reject the very testimony of the Prophets and
Apostles with Christ Himself; I say, their testimony, through the
Spirit, of the power, virtue, sufficiency, and prevalency of the
blood, sacrifice, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession
of the Man Christ Jesus, of which the Scriptures are full both in the
Old and New Testament, as the Apostle saith, for all the Prophets
from Samuel, with them that follow after, have showed of these
days--that is, in which Christ should be a sacrifice for sin (Acts
3:24, compared with verses 6, 13-15, 18, 26). Again, saith, he, "He
therefore that despiseth not man, but God; who hath also given unto
us His Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 4:8); that is, he rejecteth
or despiseth the very testimony of the Spirit.

5. It is called the sin against the Holy Ghost, because he that
doth reject and disown the doctrine of salvation by the Man Christ
Jesus, through believing in Him, doth despise, resist, and reject
the wisdom of the Spirit; for the wisdom of God's Spirit did never
more appear than its finding out a way for sinners to be reconciled
to God by the death of this Man; and therefore Christ, as He is a
sacrifice, is called the wisdom of God. And again, when it doth reveal
the Lord Jesus it is called the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him" (Eph 1:17).

Object. But, some may say, the slighting or rejecting of the Son
of Man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, cannot be the sin that
is unpardonable, as is clear from that Scripture in Matthew 12:32,
where He Himself saith, "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son
of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
neither in the world to come." Now by this it is clear that the sin
that is unpardonable is one thing, and the sin against the Son of
Man another; that sin that is against the Son of Man is pardonable;
but if that was the sin against the Holy Ghost, it would not be
pardonable; therefore the sin against the Son of Man is not the
sin against the Holy Ghost, the unpardonable sin.

Answ. 1. I do know full well that there are several persons that
have been pardoned, yet have sinned against the Son of Man, and
that have for a time rejected Him, as Paul (1 Tim 1:13, 14) also
the Jews (Acts 2:36,37). But there was an ignorant rejecting of
Him, without the enlightening, and taste, and feeling of the power
of the things of God, made mention in Hebrews 6:3-6. 2. There is
and hath been a higher manner of sinning against the Son of Man,
which also hath been, and is still, pardonable; as in the case
of Peter, who in a violent temptation, in a mighty hurry, upon a
sudden denied Him, and that after the revelation of the Spirit of
God from Heaven to him, that He, Jesus, was the Son of God (Matt
16:16-18). This also is pardonable, if there be a coming up again
to repentance. O, rich grace! O, wonderful grace! that God should
be so full of love to His poor creatures, that though they do sin
against the Son of God, either through ignorance, or some sudden
violent charge breaking loose from Hell upon them, but yet take if
for certain that if a man do slight and reject the Son of God and
the Spirit in that manner as I have before hinted--that is, for a
man after some great measure of the enlightening by the Spirit of
God, and some profession of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour, and
His blood that was shed on the mount without the gates of Jerusalem
to be the Atonement; I say, he that shall after this knowingly,
willfully, and out of malice and despite reject, speak against, and
trample that doctrine under foot, resolving for ever so to do, and
if he there continue, I will pawn my soul upon it, he hath sinned
the unpardonable sin, and shall never be forgiven, neither in this
world, nor in the world to come; or else these Scriptures that
testify the truth of this must be scrabbled out, and must be looked
upon for mere fables, which are these following--"For if after they
have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," which is the Son of Man (Matt
16:13) "and are again entangled therein, and overcome," which must
be by denying this Lord that brought them (2 Peter 2:1) "the latter
end is worse with them than the beginning," (2 Peter 2:20). For it
is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted
of the heavenly gift--and have tasted the good Word of God, and
the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, not only
fall, but fall away, that is, finally (Heb 10:29) "it is impossible
to renew them again unto repentance"; and the reason is rendered,
"seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God," which is the
Son of Man, "afresh, and put Him to an open shame" (Heb 6:4-6).
Now if you would further know what it is to crucify the Son of God
afresh, it is this--for to undervalue and trample under foot the
merits and virtue of His blood for remission of sins, as is clearly
manifested in Hebrews 10:26-28, where it is said, "For if we sin
willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour
the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy,--of
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy,
who hath trodden under foot the Son of God," there is the second
crucifying of Christ, which the Quakers think to be saved by, "and
hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified,
an unholy thing,"--and then followeth--"and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of Grace?" (verse 29). All that Paul had to keep him
from this sin was, his ignorance in persecuting the Man and merits
of Jesus Christ (Acts 9). But I obtained mercy, saith he, because
I did it ignorantly (1 Tim 1:13). And Peter, though he did deny Him
knowingly, yet he did it unwillingly, and in a sudden and fearful
temptation, and so by the intercession of Jesus escaped that
danger. So, I say, they that commit this sin, they do it after
light, knowingly, willfully, and despitefully, and in the open view
of the whole world reject the Son of Man for being their Lord and
Saviour, and in that it is called the sin against the Holy Ghost.
It is a name most fit for this sin to be called the sin against
the Holy Ghost, for these reasons but now laid down; for this sin
is immediately committed against the motions, and convictions, and
light of the Holy Spirit of God that makes it its business to hand
forth and manifest the truth and reality of the merits and virtues
of the Lord Jesus, the Son of Man. And therefore beware, Ranters and
Quakers, for I am sure you are the nearest that sin by profession,
which is, indeed, the right committing of it, of any persons that
I do know at this day under the whole heavens, forasmuch as you
will not venture the salvation of your souls on the blood shed on
Mount Calvary, out of the side of that Man that was offered up in
sacrifice for all that did believe (Luke 23:33). In that His offering
up of His body at that time, either before He offered it, or that
have, do, or shall believe on it for the time since, together with
that time that He offered it, though formerly you did profess that
salvation was wrought out that way, by that sacrifice then offered,
and also seemed to have some comfort thereby; yea, insomuch that
some of you declared the same in the hearing of many, professing
yourselves to be believers of the same. O, therefore, it is sad for
you that were once enlightened, and have tasted these good things,
and yet, notwithstanding all your profession, you are now turned
from the simplicity that is in Christ to another doctrine, which
will be your destruction, if you continue in it; for without blood
there is no remission (Heb 9:22).

Many other reasons might be given, but that I would not be too
tedious; yet I would put in this caution, that if there be any
souls that be but now willing to venture their salvation upon the
merits of a naked Jesus, I do verily for the present believe they
have not sinned that sin, because there is still a promise holds
forth itself to such a soul where Christ saith, "Him that cometh
to me, I will in nowise," for nothing that he hath done, "cast him
out" (John 6:37). That promise is worth to be written in letters
of gold.

Objections answered for their comfort who would have their part in
the New Covenant.

Object. But, alas, though I should never sin that sin, yet I have
other sins enough to damn me.

Answ. What though thou hadst the sins of a thousand sinners, yet
if thou come to Christ, He will save thee (John 6:37; See also
Hebrews 7:25).

Object. Alas, but how shall I come? I doubt I do not come as I
should do? My heart is naught and dead; and, alas! then how should
I come?

Answ. Why, bethink thyself of all the sins that ever thou didst
commit, and lay the weight of them all upon thy heart, till thou
art down loaden with the same, and come to Him in such a case as
this, and He will give thee rest for thy soul (Matt 11:28-30). And
again; if thou wouldst know how thou shouldst come, come as much
undervaluing thyself as ever thou canst, saying, Lord, here is a
sinner, the basest in all the country; if I had my deserts, I had
been damned in Hell-fire long ago; Lord, I am not worthy to have
the least corner in the Kingdom of Heaven; and yet, O that Thou
wouldst have mercy! Come like Benhadad's servants to the king of
Israel, with a rope about thy neck (1 Kings 20:31,32) and fling
thyself at Christ's feet, and lie there a while, striving with Him
by thy prayers, and I will warrant thee speed (Matt 11:28-30; John
6:37).

Object. O, but I am not sanctified.

Answ. He will sanctify thee, and be made thy sanctification also
(1 Cor 1:30; 6:10,11).

Object. O, but I cannot pray.

Answ. To pray is not for thee to down on thy knees, and say over
a many Scripture words only; for that thou mayest do, and yet do
nothing but babble. But if thou from a sense of thy baseness canst
groan out thy heart's desire before the Lord, He will hear thee,
and grant thy desire; for He can tell what is the meaning of the
groanings of the Spirit (Rom 8:26,27).

Object. O, but I am afraid to pray, for fear my prayers should be
counted as sin in the sight of the great God.

Answ. That is a good sign that thy prayers are more than bare words,
and have some prevalence at the Throne of Grace through Christ
Jesus, or else the devil would never seek to labour to beat thee
off from prayer by undervaluing thy prayers, telling thee they are
sin; for the best prayers he will call the worst, and the worst he
will call the best, or else how should he be a liar?

Object. But I am afraid the day of grace is past; and if it should
be so, what should I do then?

Answ. Truly, with some men indeed it doth fare thus, that the day
of grace is at an end before their lives are at end. Or thus, the
day of grace is past before the day of death is come, as Christ
saith, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day,
the things which belong unto thy peace," that is, the word of grace
or reconciliation, "but now they are hid from thine eyes" (Luke
19:41,42). But for the better satisfying of thee as touching this
thing, consider these following things--

First, Doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy heart by His
Word and Spirit? If so, then the day of grace is not past with thy
soul; for where He doth so knock, there He doth also proffer and
promise to come in and sup, that is, to communicate of His things
unto them, which he would not do was the day of grace past with
his soul (Rev 3:20).

Object. But how should I know whether Christ do so knock at my
heart as to be desirous to come in? That I may know also, whether
the day of grace be past with me or no?

Answ. Consider these things--1. Doth the Lord make thee sensible of
thy miserable state without an interest in Jesus Christ, and that
naturally thou hast no share in Him, no faith in Him, no communion
with Him, no delight in Him, or love in the least to Him? If He
hath, and is doing this, He hath, and is knocking at thy heart. 2.
Doth He, together with this, put into thy heart an earnest desire
after communion with Him, together with holy resolutions not to
be satisfied without real communion with Him. 3. Doth He sometimes
give thee some secret persuasions, though scarcely discernible,
that thou mayest attain, and get an interest in Him? 4. Doth He
now and then glance in some of the promises into thy heart, causing
them to leave some heavenly savour, though but for a very short
time, on thy spirit? 5. Dost thou at some time see some little
excellency in Christ? And doth all this stir up in thy heart some
breathing after Him? If so, then fear not, the day of grace is not
past with thy poor soul; for if the day of grace should be past
with such a soul as this, then that Scripture must be broken where
Christ saith, "Him that cometh to Me, I will in nowise," for nothing,
by no means, upon no terms whatsoever, "cast out." (John 6:37).

Object. But surely, if the day of grace was not past with me, I
should not be so long without an answer of God's love to my soul;
that therefore doth make me mistrust my state the more is, that I
wait and wait, and yet am not delivered.

Answ. 1. Hast thou waited on the Lord so long as the Lord hath waited
on thee? It may be the Lord hath waited on thee these twenty, or
thirty, yes, forty years or more, and thou hath not waited on Him
seven years. Cast this into thy mind, therefore, when Satan tells
thee that God doth not love thee, because thou hast waited so long
without an assurance, for it is his temptation, for God did wait
longer upon thee, and was fain to send to thee by His ambassadors
time after time; and, therefore, say thou, I will wait to see what
the Lord will say unto me; and the rather, because He will speak
peace, for He is the Lord thereof. But, 2. Know that it is not thy
being under trouble a long time that will be an argument sufficiently
to prove that thou art past hopes; nay, contrariwise, for Jesus Christ
did take our nature upon Him, and also did undertake deliverance
for those, and bring it in for them who "were all their LIFETIME
subject to bondage" (Heb 2:14,15).

Object. But alas! I am not able to wait, all my strength is gone;
I have waited so long, I can wait no longer.

Answ. It may be thou hast concluded on this long ago, thinking
thou shouldst not be able to hold out any longer; no, not a year,
a month, or a week; nay, it may be, not so long. It may be in the
morning thou hast thought thou shouldst not hold out till night;
and at night, till morning again; yet the Lord hath supported thee,
and kept thee in waiting upon Him many weeks and years; therefore
that is but the temptation of the devil to make thee think so, that
he might drive thee to despair of God's mercy, and so to leave off
following the ways of God, and to close in with thy sins again.
O therefore do not give way unto it, but believe that thou shalt
"see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on
the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart;
wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psa 28:13,14). And that thou mayest so
do, consider these things--(1.) If thou, after thou hast waited
thus long, shouldst now give over, and wait no longer, thou wouldst
lose all thy time and pains that thou hast taken in the way of God
hitherto, and wilt be like to a man that, because he sought long
for gold, and did not find it, therefore turned back from seeking
after it, though he was hard by it, and had almost found it, and
all because he was loath to look and seek a little further. (2.)
Thou wilt not only lose thy time, but also lose thy own soul, for
salvation is nowhere else but in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). (3.)
Thou wilt sin the highest sin that ever thou didst sin before, in
drawing finally back, insomuch that God may say, My soul shall have
no pleasure in him (Heb 10:38). But, 2. Consider, thou sayest, all
my strength is gone, and therefore how should I wait? Why, at that
time when thou feelest and findest thy strength quite gone, even
that is the time when the Lord will renew and give thee fresh
strength. "The youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint" (Isa 40:30,31).

Object. But though I do wait, yet if I be not elected to eternal
life, what good will all my waiting do me? "For it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy." Therefore, I say, if I should not be elected, all is in
vain.

Answ. 1. Why in the first place, to be sure thy backsliding from God
will not prove thy election, neither thy growing weary of waiting
upon God. But, 2. Thou art, it may be, troubled to know whether
thou art elected; and, sayest thou, If I did but know that, that
would encourage me in my waiting on God. Answ. I believe thee;
but mark, thou shalt not know thy election in the first place, but
in the second--that is to say, thou must first get acquaintance
with God in Christ, which doth come by thy giving credit to His
promises, and records which He hath given of Jesus Christ's blood
and righteousness, together with the rest of His merits--that is,
before thou canst know whether thou are elected, thou must believe
in Jesus Christ so really, that thy faith laying hold of, and
drinking and eating the flesh and blood of Christ, even so that
there shall be life begotten in thy soul by the same; life from
the condemnings of the Law; life from the guilt of sin; life over
the filth of the same; life also to walk with God in His Son and
ways; the life of love to God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son,
saints and ways and that because they are holy, harmless, and such
that are altogether contrary to iniquity.

For these things must be in thy soul as a forerunner of thy being
made acquainted with the other; God hath these two ways to show
His children their election--(1.) By testimony of the Spirit--that
is, the soul being under trouble of conscience and grieved for
sin, the Spirit doth seal up the soul by its comfortable testimony;
persuading of the soul that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven
all those sins that lie so heavy on the conscience, and that do
so much perplex the soul, by showing it that that Law, which doth
utter such horrible curses against it, is by Christ's blood satisfied
and fulfilled (Eph 1:13,14). (2.) By consequence--that is, the soul
finding that God hath been good unto it, in that He hath showed
it its lost state and miserable condition, and also that He hath
given it some comfortable hope that He will save it from the same;
I say, the soul, from a right sight thereof, doth, or may, draw
this conclusion, that if God had not been minded to have saved it,
He would not have done for it such things as these. But for the
more sure dealing with thy soul, it is not good to take any of
these apart--that is, it is not good to take the testimony of the
Spirit, as thou supposest thou hast, apart from the fruits thereof, so
as to conclude the testimony thou hast received to be a sufficient
ground without the other; not that it is not, if it be the testimony
of the Spirit, but because the devil doth also deceive souls by the
workings of his spirit in them, pretending that it is the Spirit
of God. And again; thou shouldst not satisfy thyself, though thou
do find some seekings in thee after that which is good, without
the testimony of the other--that is to say, of the Spirit--for it
is the testimony of two that is to be taken for the truth; therefore,
say I, as thou shouldst be much in praying for the Spirit to
testify assurance to thee, so also thou shouldst look to the end
of it when thou thinkest thou hast it; which is this, to show thee
that it is alone for Christ's sake that thy sins are forgiven thee,
and also thereby a constraining of thee to advance Him, both by
words and works, in holiness and righteousness all the days of thy
life. From hence thou mayst boldly conclude thy election--"Remembering
without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and
our Father. Knowing, brethren," saith the Apostle, "beloved, your
election of God." But how? why by this, "For our Gospel came not
unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. And ye became followers of us, and of the
Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of
the Holy Ghost: so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in
Macedonia and Achaia. And to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom
He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which" hath "delivered us from
the wrath to come" (1 Thess 3:4-6, 10).

Object. But alas, for my part, instead of finding in me anything that
is good, I find in me all manners of wickedness, hard-heartedness,
hypocricy, coldness of affection to Christ, very great unbelief,
together with everything that is base and of an ill savour. What
hope therefore can I have?

Answ. If thou wast not such an one, thou hadst no need of mercy.
If thou wast whole, thou hadst no need of the physician. Dost thou
therefore see thyself in such a sad condition as this? Thou hast the
more need to come to Christ, that thou mayst be not only cleansed
from these evils, but also that thou mayst be delivered from that
wrath they will bring upon thee, if thou dost not get rid of them,
to all eternity.

Quest. But how should I do? and what course should I take to be
delivered from this sad and troublesome condition?

Answ. Dost thou see in thee all manner of wickedness? The best way
that I can direct a soul in such a case is, to pitch a steadfast
eye on Him that is full, and to look so steadfastly upon Him by
faith, that thereby thou mayst even draw down of His fullness into
thy heart; for that is the right way, and the way that was typed
out, before Christ came in the flesh, in the time of Moses, when
the Lord said unto him, "Make thee a fiery serpent" of brass, which
was a type of Christ "and set it upon a pole; and it shall come
to pass" that when a serpent hath bitten any man, "when he looketh
upon it, shall live" (Num 21:8). Even so now in Gospel times, when
any soul is bitten with the fiery serpents--their sins--that then
the next way to be healed is, for the soul to look upon the Son of
Man, who, as the serpent was, was hanged on a pole, or tree, that
whosoever shall indeed look on Him by faith may be healed of all
their distempers whatever (John 3:14,15).

As now to instance in some things. 1. Is thy heart hard? Why, then,
behold how full of bowels and compassion is the heart of Christ
towards thee, which may be seen in His coming down from Heaven to
spill His heart-blood for thee. 2. Is thy heart slothful and idle?
Then see how active the Lord Jesus is for thee in that He did not
only die for thee, but also in that He hath been ever since His
ascension into Heaven making intercession for thee (Heb 7:25). 3.
Dost thou see and find in thee iniquity and unrighteousness? Then
look up to Heaven, and see there a righteous Person, even thy
righteous Jesus Christ, now presenting thee in His own perfection
before the throne of His Father's glory (1 Cor 1:30). 4. Dost
thou see that thou art very much void of sanctification? Then look
up, and thou shalt see that thy sanctification is in the presence
of God a complete sanctification, representing all the saints as
righteous, as sanctified ones in the presence of the great God of
Heaven. And so whatsoever thou wantest, be sure to strive to pitch
thy faith upon the Son of God, and behold Him steadfastly, and thou
shalt, by so doing, find a mighty change in thy soul. For when we
behold Him as in a glass, even the glory of the Lord, we are changed,
namely, by beholding, "from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord" (2 Cor 3:18). This is the true way to get both comfort
to thy soul, and also sanctification and right holiness into thy
soul.

Poor souls that are under the distemper of a guilty conscience,
and under the workings of much corruption, do not go the nearest
way to Heaven if they do not in the first place look upon themselves
as cursed sinners by Law; and yet at that time they are blessed,
for ever blessed saints by the merits of Jesus Christ. "O wretched
man that I am," saith Paul; and yet, O blessed man that I am, through
my Lord Jesus Christ; for that is the scope of the Scripture (Rom
7:24,25).

Object. But, alas, I am blind, and cannot see; what shall I do now?

Answ. Why, truly, thou must go to Him that can make the eyes that
are blind to see, even to our Lord Jesus, by prayer, saying, as the
poor blind man did, "Lord, that I might receive my sight"; and so
continue begging Him, till thou do receive sight, even a sight of
Jesus Christ, His death, blood, resurrection, ascension, intercession,
and that for thee, even for thee. And the rather, because, 1. He
hath invited thee to come and buy such eye-salve of Him that may
make thee see (Rev 3:18). 2. Because thou shalt never have any true
comfort till thou dost thus come to see and behold the Lamb of God
that hath taken away thy sins (John 1:29). 3. Because that thereby
thou wilt be able through grace, to step over and turn aside from the
several stumbling-blocks that Satan, together with his instruments,
hath laid in our way, which otherwise thou wilt not be able to shun,
but will certainly fall when others stand, and grope and stumble
when others go upright, to the great prejudice of thy poor soul.

Object. But, alas, I have nothing to carry with me; how then should
I go?

Answ. Hast thou no sins? If thou hast, carry them, and exchange
them for His righteousness; because He hath said, "Cast thy burden
upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee" (Psa 54:22); and again,
because He hath said, though thou be heavy laden, yet if thou do
but come to Him, He will give thee rest (Matt 11:28).

Object. But, you will say, Satan telleth me that I am so cold in
prayers, so weak in believing, so great a sinner, that I do go so
slothfully on in the way of God, that I am so apt to slip at every
temptation, and to be entangled therewith, together with other things,
so that I shall never be able to attain those blessed things that
are held forth to sinners by Jesus Christ; and therefore my trouble
is much upon this account also, and many times I fear that will
come upon me which Satan suggesteth to me--that is, I shall miss
of eternal life.

Answ. 1. As to the latter part of the objection, that thou shalt
never attain to everlasting life, that is obtained for thee already,
without thy doing, either thy praying, striving, or wrestling against
sin. If we speak properly, it is Christ that hath in His own body
abolished death on the Cross, and brought light, life, and glory
to us through this His thus doing. But this is the thing that thou
aimest at, that thou shalt never have a share in this life already
obtained for so many as do come by faith to Jesus Christ; and all
because thou art so slothful, so cold, so weak, so great a sinner,
so subject to slip and commit infirmities. 2. I answer, Didst thou
never learn for to outshoot the devil in his own bow, and to cut
off his head with his own sword, as David served Goliath, who was
a type of him.

Quest. O how should a poor soul do this? This is rare, indeed.

Answ. Why, truly thus--Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest but
faintly, and with very cold devotion? Answer him thus, and say, I
am glad you told me, for this will make me trust the more to Christ's
prayers, and the less to my own; also I will endeavour henceforth
to groan, to sigh, and to be so fervent in my crying at the Throne
of Grace, that I will, if I can, make the heavens rattle again
with the mighty groans thereof. And whereas thou sayest that I am
so weak in believing, I am glad you mind me of it; I hope it will
henceforward stir me up to cry the more heartily to God for strong
faith, and make me the more restless till I have it. And seeing
thou tellest me that I run so softly, and that I shall go near to
miss of glory, this also shall be, through grace, to my advantage,
and cause me to press the more earnestly towards the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And seeing thou
dost tell me that my sins are wondrous great, hereby thou bringest
the remembrance of the unsupportable vengeance of God into my mind,
if I die out of Jesus Christ, and also the necessity of the blood,
death, and merits of Christ to help me; I hope it will make me fly
the faster, and press the harder after an interest in Him; and the
rather, because, as thou tellest me, my state will be unspeakably
miserable without Him. And so all along, if he tell thee of thy
deadness, dullness, coldness, or unbelief, or the greatness of thy
sins, answer him, and say, I am glad you told me, I hope it will
be a means to make me run faster, seek earnestlier, and to be the
more restless after Jesus Christ. If thou didst but get this art
as to outrun him in his own shoes, as I may say, and to make his
own darts to pierce himself, then thou mightst also say, how doth
Satan's temptations, as well as all other things, work together
for my good, for my advantage (Rom 8:28).

Object. But I do find many weaknesses in every duty that I do perform,
as when I pray, when I read, when I hear, or any other duty, that
it maketh me out of conceit with myself, it maketh me think that
my duties are nothing worth.

Answ. I answer, it may be it is thy mercy that thou art sensible
of infirmities in thy best things thou doest; ay, a greater mercy
than thou art aware of.

Quest. Can it me a mercy for me to be troubled with my corruptions?
Can it be a privilege for me to be annoyed with my infirmities, and
to have my best duties infected with it? How can it possibly be?

Answ. Verily, thy sins appearing in thy best duties, do work for
thy advantage these ways--1. In that thou findest ground enough
thereby to make thee humble; and when thou hast done all, yet to
count thyself but an unprofitable servant. And, 2. Thou by this
means art taken off from leaning on anything below a naked Jesus
for eternal life. It is like, if thou wast not sensible of many
by-thoughts and wickednesses in thy best performances, thou wouldst
go near to be some proud, abominable hypocrite, or a silly, proud
dissembling wretch at the best, such an one as would send thy soul
to the devil in a bundle of thy own righteousness. But now, thou,
through grace, seest that in all and everything thou doest there is
sin enough in it to condemn thee. This, in the first place, makes
thee have a care of trusting in thy own doings; and, secondly,
showeth thee that there is nothing in thyself which will do thee
any good by working in thee, as to the meritorious cause of thy
salvation. No; but thou must have a share in the birth of Jesus,
in the death of Jesus, in the blood, resurrection, ascension, and
intercession of a crucified Jesus. And how sayest thou? Doth not
thy finding of this in thee cause thee to fly from a depending on
thy own doings? And doth it not also make thee more earnestly to
groan after the Lord Jesus? Yea, and let me tell thee also, it will
be a cause to make thee admire the freeness and tender heartedness
of Christ to thee, when He shall lift up the light of His countenance
upon thee, because He hath regarded such an one as thou, sinful
thou; and therefore, in this sense, it will be mercy to the saints
that they do find the relics of sin still struggling in their
hearts. But this is not simply the nature of sin, but the mercy and
wisdom of God, who causeth all things to work together for the good
of those that love and fear God (Rom 8). And, therefore, whatever
thou findest in thy soul, though it be sin of never so black
a soul-scarring nature, let it move thee to run the faster to the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not be ashamed--that is, of thy
running to Him.

But when thou dost apprehend that thou art defiled, and also thy
best duties annoyed with many weaknesses, let that Scripture come
into thy thoughts which saith, "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption"; and if thou shalt understand that, what thou canst
not find in thyself thou shalt find in Christ. Art thou a fool in
thyself? then Christ is made of God thy wisdom. Art thou unrighteous
in thyself? Christ is made of God thy righteousness. Dost thou
find that there is but very little sanctifying grace in thy soul?
still here is Christ made thy sanctification; and all this in His
own Person without thee, without thy wisdom, without thy righteousness,
without thy sanctification, without in His own Person in thy
Father's presence, appearing there perfect wisdom, righteousness,
and sanctification in His own Person; I say, as a public Person for
thee; so that thou mayest believe, and say to thy soul, My soul,
though dost find innumerable infirmities in thyself, and in thy
actions, yet look upon thy Jesus, the Man Jesus; He is wisdom, and
that for thee, to govern thee, to take care for thee, and to order
all things for the best for thee. He is also thy righteousness now
at God's right hand, always shining before the eyes of His glory;
so that there it is unmoveable, though thou art in never such a sad
condition, yet thy righteousness, which is the Son of God, God-man,
shines as bright as ever, and is as much accepted of God as ever.
O this sometimes hath been life to me; and so, whatever thou, O my
soul, findest wanting in thyself, through faith thou shalt see all
laid up for thee in Jesus Christ, whether it be wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, or redemption. Nay, not only so, but, as I said
before, He is all these in His own Person without thee in the
presence of His Father for thee.

Object. But now, if any should say in their hearts, O, but I am one
of the old-covenant men, I doubt--that is, I doubt I am not within
this glorious Covenant of Grace. And how if I should not?

Answ. Well, thou fearest that thou are one of the old covenant, a
son of the bond-woman. [1.] In the first place, know that thou wast
one of them by nature, for all by nature are under that covenant;
but set the case that thou art to this day under that, yet let me
tell thee, in the first place, there are hopes for thee; for there
is a gap open, a way made for souls to come from under the Covenant
of Works, by Christ, "for He hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us" and you (Eph 2:14). And therefore, if thou
wouldst be saved, thou mayest come to Christ; if thou wantest a
righteousness, as I said before, there is one in Christ; if thou
wouldst be washed, thou mayest come to Christ; and if thou wouldst
be justified, there is justification enough in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is the first. [2.] And thou canst not be so willing to come
to Christ as He is willing thou shouldst come to Him. Witness His
coming down from Heaven, His humiliation, His spilling of His blood
from both His cheeks, by sweat under the burden of sin (Luke 22:44)
and His shedding of it by the spear when He hanged on the Cross.
It appears also by His promises, by His invitations, by His sending
forth His messengers to preach the same to poor sinners, and
threateneth damnation upon this very account, namely, the neglect
of Him; and declares that all the thousands and ten thousands of
sins in the world should not be able to damn those that believed
in Him; that He would pardon all, forgive and pass by all, if they
would but come unto Him; moreover, promiseth to cast out none,
no, not the poorest, vilest, contemptiblest creature in the whole
world. "Come unto Me all," every one, though you be never so many,
so vile, though your load be never so heavy and intolerable, though
you deserve no help, not the least help, no mercy, not the least
compassion, yet "cast your burden upon Me, and you shall find rest
for your souls." Come unto Me and I will heal you, love you, teach
you, and tell you the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. Come unto Me,
and I will succour you, help you, and keep you from all devils and
their temptations, from the Law and its curses, and from being for
ever overcome with any evil whatever. Come unto Me for what you
need, and tell Me what you would have, or what you would have Me
do for you, and all My strength, love, wisdom, and interest that I
have with My Father shall be laid out for you. Come unto Me, your
sweet Jesus, your loving and tender-hearted Jesus, your everlasting
and sin-pardoning Jesus. Come unto Me, and I will wash you, and put
My righteousness upon you, pray to the Father for you, and send My
Spirit into you, that you might be saved. Therefore,

Consider, besides this, what a privilege thou shalt have at the
Day of Judgment above thousands, if thou do in deed and in truth
close in with this Jesus and accept of Him; for thou shalt not only
have a privilege in this life, but in the life everlasting, even
at the time of Christ's second coming from Heaven; for then, when
there shall be the whole world gathered together, and all the good
angels, bad angels, saints, and reprobates, when all thy friends
and kindred, with thy neighbours on the right hand and on the left
shall be with thee, beholding of the wonderful glory and majesty
of the Son of God; then shall the Son of Glory, even Jesus, in the
very view and sight of them all, smile and look kindly upon thee;
when a smile or a kind look from Christ shall be worth more than
ten thousand worlds, then thou shalt have it. You know it is counted
an honour for a poor man to be favourably looked upon by a judge,
or a king, in the sight of lords, earls, dukes, and princes; why,
thus it will be with thee in the sight of all the princely saints,
angels, and devils, in the sight of all the great nobles in the
world; then, even thou that closest in with Christ, be thou rich or
poor, be thou bond or free, wise or foolish, if thou close in with
Him, He will say unto thee, "Well done, good and faithful servant,"
even in the midst of the whole world; they that love thee shall
see it, and they that hate thee shall all to their shame behold
it; for if thou fear Him here in secret, He will make it manifest
even at that day upon the house-tops.

Secondly, Not only thus, but thou shalt also be lovingly received
and tenderly embraced of Him at that day, when Christ hath thousands
of gallant saints, as old Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, together with all the Prophets, and Apostles, and martyrs,
attending on Him; together with many thousands of glittering angels
ministering before Him; besides, when the ungodly shall appear
there with their pale faces, with their guilty consciences, and
trembling souls, that would then give thousands and ten thousands
of worlds, if they had so many, if they could enjoy but one loving
look from Christ. I say, then, then shalt thou have the hand of
Christ, reached to thee kindly to receive thee, saying, Come, thou
blessed, step up hither; thou was willing to leave all for Me, and
now will I give all to thee; here is a throne, a crown, a kingdom,
take them; thou wast not ashamed of Me when thou wast in the world
among my enemies, and now will not I be ashamed of thee before
thine enemies, but will, in the view of all these devils and damned
reprobates promote thee to honour and dignity. "Come, ye blessed of
My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world." Thou shalt see that those who have served Me in truth
shall lose nothing by the means. No; but ye shall be as pillars
in My temple, and inheritors of My glory, and shall have place to
walk in among My saints and angels (Zech 3:7). O! who would not be
in this condition? who would not be in this glory? It will be such
a soul-ravishing glory, that I am ready to think the whole reprobate
world will be ready to run mad, to think that they should miss of
it (Deu 28:34). Then will the vilest drunkard, swearer, liar, and
unclean person willingly cry, "Lord, Lord, open to us," yet be denied
of entrance; and thou in the meantime embraced, entertained, made
welcome, have a fair mitre set upon thy head, and clothed with immortal
glory (Zech 3:5). O, therefore, let all this move thee, and be of
weight upon thy soul to close in with Jesus, this tender-hearted
Jesus. And if yet, for all what I have said, thy sins do still
stick with thee, and thou findest thy hellish heart loath to let
them go, think with thyself in this manner--Shall I have my sins
and lose my soul? Will they do me any good when Christ comes? Would
not Heaven be better to me than my sins? and the company of God,
Christ, saints, and angels, be better than the company of Cain,
Judas, Balaam, with the devils in the furnace of fire? Canst thou
now that readest or hearest these lines turn thy back, and go on
in your sins? Canst thou set so light of Heaven, of God, of Christ,
and the salvation of thy poor, yet precious soul? Canst thou hear of
Christ, His bloody sweat and death, and not be taken with it, and
not be grieved for it, and also converted by it? If so, I might lay
thee down several considerations to stir thee up to mend thy pace
towards Heaven; but I shall not; there is enough written already
to leave thy soul without excuse and to bring thee down with a
vengeance into Hell-fire, devouring fire, the Lake of Fire, eternal
everlasting fire; O to make thee swim and roll up and down in the
flames of the furnace of fire!

FOOTNOTES:

1 These words are quoted from the Genevan or Breeches Bible (Mark
2:17).--Ed.

2 This quotation is from the Genevan translation (Eph 2:3).--Ed.

3 It is observable that the reason given for the punishment of the
murderer with death (Gen 9:6) is taken from the affront he offers
to God, not from the injury he does to man.--Scott.

4 The reader need scarcely be reminded, that by "public person" is
meant the Saviour, in whom all His people have an equal right. "For
He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us" (2 Cor 5:21).--ED.

5 Bunyan's first sight of the spiritual, inward, and extensive
requirements of the law filled his heart with despair; see "Grace
Abounding," No. 28. It was like the alarming sound of the drum
Diabolus mentioned in the "Holy War," which caused Mansoul to shake
with terror and dismay. Thus the soul is stripped of self-righteousness,
and flies to Christ, whose blood alone cleanseth from all sin.--ED.

6 "Crank," brisk, jolly, lusty, spiritful, buxom.--ED.

7 From the Puritan or Genevan version.--ED.

8 These nine particulars are very methodically arranged, and are
all deeply interesting. Very few of those who read the scriptural
law of sacrifices see how clearly they pointed as types to Christ
the great Antitype.--ED.

9 It is a mark of prying and dangerous, if not wicked curiosity
to inquire whether God could have found any other way of salvation
than by the atoning death of our blessed Lord. Instead of such vain
researches, how much more consistent would it be to call upon our
souls, and all that is within us, to bless His name, who hath thus
provided abundant pardon, full remission, even to the chief of
sinners.--ED.

10 The duty of the priests, under the law, led them to be familiar
with the most loathsome and catching diseases; and doubtless they
took every precaution to avoid contagion. Poor sin-sick soul, do you
consider your state more loathsome and dangerous than the leprosy?
Fly to Christ, our High Priest and Physician; He will visit you
in the lowest abyss of misery, without fear of contagion, and with
full powers to heal and save.--ED.

11 The word "hell" in the two verses means the unseen place of the
dead, the invisible world, or the grave.--ED.

12 How awful and vast must have been the sufferings of the Saviour,
when He paid the redemption price for the countless myriads of His
saints; redeemed "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation." How magnificent His glory when "ten thousand times
ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, shall sing with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, for
ever and ever." Such were the ecstatic vision which Bunyan enjoyed,
drawn from the unerring pages of eternal truth.--ED.

13 This singular use of the law term "premunire," meaning that the
soul has trusted in a foreign jurisdiction, incurred God's anger,
and forfeited its liberty and all its goods.--ED.

14 These are solemn truths, in homely, forcible language. Let the
soul be convinced that by the obedience of Christ it is released
from the law, it has no fear of Satan or of future punishment;
Christ is all and in all.--ED.

15 "Indenture"; a written agreement, binding one party to reward
the other for specified services. As man is by nature bound to
love God with all his soul, he cannot be entitled to any reward
for anything beyond his duty. When he feels that he has failed in
his obedience, he must fly to Christ for that mercy which he can
never obtain by indenture of service or merit and reward.--ED.

16 Same as 15--Ed.

17 Same as 15--Ed.

18 For a deeply affecting account of the author's experience about
this period read Grace Abounding, No. 259-261.--ED.

19 "Scrabble"; to go on the hands and feet or knees. See a remarkable
illustration of the word "scrabble" in Grace Abounding, No. 335.--ED.

20 As Bunyan was a Baptist, this is full proof that his friends did
not ascribe regeneration to water baptism. It is an awful delusion
to suppose that immersion in or sprinkling with water can effect
or promote the new birth or spiritual regeneration of the soul.--ED.

21 This is one of the very thrilling circumstances described by
Bunyan in his Grace Abounding, No. 24:--Sunday sports were then
allowed by the State, and after hearing a sermon on the evil of
Sabbath-breaking, he went as usual to his sport. On that day it was
a game at cat, and as he was about to strike, "a voice did suddenly
dart from Heaven into my soul, which said, Wilt thou leave thy sins
and go to Heaven, or have thy sins and go to Hell?"--ED.

22 The word Man was essential in Bunyan's days, as an antidote to
the jargon of the Ranters, who affirmed that Jesus only existed in
the heart of the believer.--ED.

23 Same As 20--Ed.

24 Same as 22--Ed.

***

ISRAEL'S HOPE ENCOURAGED;

OR,

WHAT HOPE IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM FAITH:

WITH ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR A HOPING PEOPLE.


ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.


   'Auspicious hope! in thy sweet garden grow
    Wreaths for each toil, a charm for every woe.'


Christian hope is a firm expectation of all promised good, but
especially of eternal salvation and happiness in heaven, where we
shall be like the Son of God. This hope is founded on the grace,
blood, righteousness, and intercession of Christ--the earnest
of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and the unchangeable truths and
enlightening power of God.[1] 'Every man that hath this hope in
him purifieth himself even as God is pure' (1 John 3:3). Blessed
hope! (Titus 2:13). Well might the apostle pray for the believing
Romans, 'That ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy
Ghost' (15:13). 'Which is Christ in you the hope of glory' (Col
1:27). This is the sacred, the solemn, the all-important subject
which Bunyan in his ripe age makes the theme of his meditations
and of his deeply impressive exhortations.

When drawing near the end of his pilgrimage--while in the fullest
fruition of his mental powers--he gives the result of his long and
hallowed experience to comfort and cherish his fellow pilgrims in
their dangerous heaven-ward journey. One of his last labours was
to prepare this treatise for the press, from which it issued three
years after his decease, under the care of his pious friend Charles
Doe.

Here, as drawn from the holy oracles of God, we contemplate Hope,
the helmet of salvation, without which our mental powers are exposed
to be led captive into despair at the will of Satan. Our venerable
author pictures most vividly the Christian's weakness and the power
of his enemies; 'Should you see a man that could not go from door
to door but he must be clad in a coat of mail, a helmet of brass
upon his head, and for his lifeguard a thousand men, would you not
say, surely this man has store of enemies at hand?' This is the
case, enemies lie in wait for Israel in every hole, he can neither
eat, drink, wake, sleep, work, sit still, talk, be silent--worship
his God in public or private, but he is in danger. Poor, lame, infirm,
helpless man, cannot live without tender--great--rich--manifold--abounding
mercies. 'No faith, no hope,' 'to hope without faith is to see
without eyes, or expect without reason.' Faith is the anchor which
enters within the vail; Christ in us the hope of glory is the
mighty cable which keeps us fast to that anchor. 'Faith lays hold
of that end of the promise that is nearest to us, to wit, in the
Bible--Hope lays hold of that end that is fastened to the mercy-seat.'
Thus the soul is kept by the mighty power of God. They who have
no hope, enter Doubting Castle of their own free will--they place
themselves under the tyranny of Giant Despair--that he may put out
their eyes, and send them to stumble among the tombs, and leave
their bones in his castle-yard, a trophy to his victories, and a
terror to any poor pilgrim caught by him trespassing on Bye-path
Meadow.[2] Hope is as a guardian angel--it enables us to come boldly
to a throne of grace 'in a goodly sort.' The subject is full of
consolation. Are we profanely apt to judge of God harshly, as of
one that would gather where he had not strawn? Hope leads us to
form a holy and just conception of the God of love. 'Kind brings
forth its kind, know the tree by his fruit, and God BY HIS MERCY
IN CHRIST. What has God been doing for and to his church from the
beginning of the world, but extending to and exercising loving-kindness
and mercy for them? Therefore he laid a foundation for this in
mercy from everlasting.' 'There is no single flowers in God's gospel
garden, they are all double and treble; there is a wheel within a
wheel, a blessing within a blessing in all the mercies of God; they
are manifold, a man cannot receive one but he receives many, many
folded up one within another.' Bless the Lord, O my soul!!

Reader, my deep anxiety is that you should receive from this treatise
the benefits which its glorified author intended it to produce. It
is accurately printed from the first edition. My notes are intended
to explain obsolete words or customs or to commend the author's
sentiments. May the Divine blessing abundantly replenish our earthen
vessels with this heavenly hope.

GEO. OFFOR.

FOOTNOTES:

1. Cruden.

2. Pilgrim's Progress.

Israel's Hope Encouraged;

'Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy,
and with him is plenteous redemption.'--Psalms 130:7

This Psalm is said to be one of 'the Psalms of Degrees,' which some
say, if I be not mistaken, the priests and Levites used to sing
when they went up the steps into the temple.[1] But to let that
pass, it is a psalm that gives us a relation of the penman's praying
frame, and of an exhortation to Israel to hope in God.

Verse 1. 'Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord'; that
is, out of deep or great afflictions, and said, 'Lord, hear my voice,
let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.' The
latter words explain the former; as who should say, By voice I mean
the meaning and spirit of my prayer. There are words in prayer, and
spirit in prayer, and by the spirit that is in prayer, is discerned
whether the words be dead, lifeless, feigned, or warm, fervent,
earnest; and God who searcheth the heart, knoweth the meaning of
the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according
to the will of God (Rom 8:27). Verse 3. 'If thou, Lord, shouldest
mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?' Here he confesseth,
that all men by the law must fall before God for ever; for that
they have broken it, but cannot make amends for the transgression
thereof. But, he quickly bethinking himself of the mercy of God
in Christ, he saith, verse 4, 'But there is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared.' Then he returns, saying, verse 5,
'I wait for the Lord,' that is, in all his appointments; yea, he
doubleth it, saying, 'My soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.'
By which repetition he insinuates, that many are content to give
their bodily presence to God in his appointments, while their hearts
were roving to the ends of the earth; but for his part he did not
so. Verse 6. 'My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that
watch for the morning, I say, more than they that watch for the
morning.' As who should say, even as it is with those that are tired
with the night, either by reason of dark or wearisome journies,
or because of tedious sickness, to whom the night is most doleful
and uncomfortable, waiting for spring of day; so wait I for the
Lord, that his presence might be with my soul. So and more too
I say, 'More than they that wait for the morning.' Then he comes
to the words which I have chosen for my text, saying, 'Let Israel
hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him
is plenteous redemption.'

In which words we have, FIRST, AN EXHORTATION; SECOND, A REASON OF
THAT EXHORTATION; and THIRD, AN AMPLIFICATION OF THAT REASON. 'Let
Israel hope in the Lord'; there is the exhortation; 'For with the
Lord there is mercy'; there is the reason of it; 'And with him is
plenteous redemption'; there is the amplification of that reason.

[FIRST. AN EXHORTATION.]

In the exhortation there are three things to be inquired into.
FIRST, The matter contained in it; SECOND, The manner by which it
is expressed; THIRD, The inferences that do naturally flow therefrom.

[FIRST. The matter contained in the exhortation.]

We will speak first to the matter contained in the text, and that
presenteth itself unto us under three heads. First, A duty. Second,
A direction for the well management of that duty. Third, The persons
that are so to manage it.

First, Then, to speak to the duty, and that is HOPE; 'Let Israel
HOPE.' By which word there is something pre-admitted, and something
of great concern insinuated.

That which is pre-admitted is faith; for when we speak properly of
hope, and put others distinctly to the duty of hoping, we conclude
that such have faith already; for no faith, no hope. To hope without
faith, is to see without eyes, or to expect without a ground: for
'Faith is the substance of things hoped for,' as well with respect
to the grace, as to the doctrine of faith (Heb 11:1). Doth such
a one believe? No. Doth he hope? Yes. If the first is true, the
second is a lie; he that never believed, did never hope in the
Lord. Wherefore, when he saith, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord,' he
pre-supposeth faith, and signifieth that he speaketh to believers.

That which is of great concern insinuated, is, that hope has in it
an excellent quality to support Israel in all its troubles. Faith
has its excellency in this, hope in that, and love in another
thing. Faith will do that which hope cannot do. Hope can do that
which faith doth not do, and love can do things distinct from
both their doings. Faith goes in the van, hope in the body, and
love brings up the rear: and thus 'now abideth faith, hope,' and
'charity' (1 Cor 13:13). Faith is the mother-grace, for hope is
born of her, but charity floweth from them both.

But a little, now we are upon faith and hope distinctly, to let
you see a little. 1. Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17), hope by
experience (Rom 5:3,4). 2. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God,
hope by the credit that faith hath given to it (Rom 4:18). 3. Faith
believeth the truth of the Word, hope waits for the fulfilling of
it. 4. Faith lays hold of that end of the promise that is next to
us, to wit, as it is in the Bible; hope lays hold of that end of
the promise that is fastened to the mercy-seat; for the promise is
like a mighty cable, that is fastened by one end to a ship, and by
the other to the anchor: the soul is the ship where faith is, and
to which the hither[2] end of this cable is fastened; but hope is the
anchor that is at the other end of this cable, and which entereth
into that within the vail. Thus faith and hope getting hold of
both ends of the promise, they carry it safely all away. 5. Faith
looketh to Christ, as dead, buried, and ascended; and hope to his
second coming (1 Cor 15:1-4). Faith looks to him for justification,
hope for glory (Rom 4:1-8). 6. Faith fights for doctrine, hope for
a reward (Acts 26:6,7). Faith for what is in the bible, hope for
what is in heaven (Col 1:3-5). 7. Faith purifies the heart from bad
principles (1 John 5:4,5). Hope from bad manners (2 Peter 3:11,14;
Eph 5:8; 1 John 3:3). 8. Faith sets hope on work, hope sets patience
on work (Acts 28:20, 9:9). Faith says to hope, look for what is
promised; hope says to faith, So I do, and will wait for it too. 9.
Faith looks through the word to God in Christ; hope looks through
faith beyond the world to glory (Gal 5:5).

Thus faith saves, and thus hope saves. Faith saves by laying hold
of God by Christ (1 Peter 1:5). Hope saves by prevailing with the
soul to suffer all troubles, afflictions, and adversities that it
meets with betwixt this and the world to come, for the sake thereof
(Rom 8:24). Take the matter in this plain similitude. There was a
king that adopted such a one to be his child, and clothed him with
the attire of the children of the king, and promised him, that if
he would fight his father's battles, and walk in his father's ways,
he should at last share in his father's kingdoms. He has received
the adoption, and the king's robe, but not yet his part in the
kingdom; but now, hope of a share in that will make him fight the
king's battles, and also tread the king's paths. Yea, and though he
should meet with many things that have a tendency to deter him from
so doing, yet thoughts of the interest promised in the kingdom,
and hopes to enjoy it, will make him out his way through those
difficulties, and so save him from the ruin that those destructions
would bring upon him, and will, in conclusion, usher him into a
personal possession and enjoyment of that inheritance. Hope has a
thick skin, and will endure many a blow; it will put on patience
as a vestment, it will wade through a sea of blood, it will endure
all things, if it be of the right kind, for the joy that is set
before it. Hence patience is called, 'Patience of hope,' because
it is hope that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering
under the cross, until the time comes to enjoy the crown (1 Thess
1:3). The Psalmist, therefore, by this exhortation, persuadeth
them that have believed the truth, to wait for the accomplishment
of it, as by his own example he did himself--'I wait for the Lord,'
'my soul waiteth,' 'and in his word do I hope.' It is for want of
hope that so many brisk professors that have so boasted and made
brags of their faith, have not been able to endure the drum[3] in
the day of alarm and affliction. Their hope in Christ has been such
as has extended itself no further than to this life, and therefore
they are of all men the most miserable.

The Psalmist therefore, by exhorting us unto this duty, doth put
us in mind of four things. I. That the best things are yet behind,
and in reversion for the saints. II. That those that have believed,
will yet meet with difficulties before they come at them. III. The
grace of hope well exercised, is the only way to overcome these
difficulties. IV. They therefore that have hope, and do exercise
it as they should, shall assuredly at last enjoy that hope that is
laid up for them in heaven.

I. For the first of these, that the best things are yet behind,
and in reversion for believers; this is manifest by the natural
exercise of this grace. For 'hope that is seen, is not hope; for
what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it' (Rom 8:24,25).
Hope lives not by sight, as faith doth; but hope trusteth faith,
as faith trusts the Word, and so bears up the soul in a patient
expectation at last to enjoy what God has promised. But I say, the
very natural work of this grace proveth, that the believer's best
things are behind in reversion.

You may ask me, what those things are? and I may tell you, first,
in general, they are heavenly things, they are eternal things, they
are the things that are where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
God (John 3:12; 2 Cor 4:18; Col 3:1). Do you know them now? They
are things that 'eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor that have
entered into the heart of man to conceive of' (Isa 64:4; 1 Cor
2:9). Do you know them now? They are things that are referred to
the next world, for the saints when they come into the next world;
talked of they may be now, the real being of them may be believed
now, and by hope we may, and it will be our wisdom to wait for
them now; but to know what they are in the nature of them, or in
the enjoyment of them, otherwise than by faith, he is deceived that
saith it. They are things too big as yet to enter into our hearts,
and things too big, if they were there to come out, or to be
expressed by our mouths.

There is heaven itself, the imperial heaven; does any body know what
that is? There is the mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the
innumerable company of angels; doth any body know what all they
are? There is immortality and eternal life: and who knows what they
are? There are rewards for services, and labour of love showed
to God's name here; and who knows what they will be? There are
mansion-houses, beds of glory, and places to walk in among the
angels; and who knows what they are? There will be badges of honour,
harps to make merry with, and heavenly songs of triumph; doth any
here know what they are? There will be then a knowing, an enjoying
and a solacing of ourselves with prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
and all saints; but in what glorious manner we all are ignorant
of. There we shall see and know, and be with for ever, all our
relations, as wife, husband, child, father, mother, brother, or
sister that have died in the faith; but how gloriously they will
look when we shall see them, and how gloriously we shall love when
we are with them, it is not for us in this world to know (1 Thess
4:16,17). There are thoughts, and words, and ways for us, which
we never dreamed on in this world. The law was but the shadow, the
gospel the image; but what will be the substance that comes to us
next, or that rather we shall go unto, who can understand? (Heb
10:1). If we never saw God nor Christ as glorified, nor the Spirit
of the Lord, nor the bottom of the Bible, nor yet so much as one
of the days of eternity,, and yet all these things we shall see
and have them, how can it be that the things laid up for us, that
should be the object of our hope, should by us be understood in
this world? Yet there are intimations given us of the goodness
and greatness of them.[4]

1. Of their goodness, and that, (1.) In that the Holy Ghost scorns
that things that are here should once be compared with them; hence
all things here are called vanities, nothings, less than nothings
(Isa 40:15-17). Now, if the things, all the things that are here,
are so contemptuously considered, when compared with the things that
are to be hereafter, and yet these things so great in the carnal
man's esteem, as that he is willing to venture life and soul, and
all to have them, what are the things that God has prepared for
them that wait, that is, that hope for him? (2.) Their goodness
also appears in this, that whoever has had that understanding of
them, as is revealed in the Word, whether king or beggar, wise mean
or fool, he has willingly cast this world behind him in contempt
and scorn, for the hope of that (Psa 73:25; Heb 11:24-26, 37-40).
(3.) The goodness of them has even testimony in the very consciences
of them that hate them. Take the vilest man in the country, the man
who is so wedded to his lusts, that he will rather run the hazard
of a thousand hells than leave them; and ask this man his judgment
of the things of the next world, and he will shake his head, and
say, They are good, they are best of all. (4.) But the saints have
the best apprehension of their goodness, for that the Lord doth
sometimes drop some of the juice of them out of the Word, into
their hungry souls.

2. But as they are good, so they are great: 'O how great is thy
goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which
thou hast wrought for them that trust,' that hope, 'in thee before
the sons of men!' (Psa 31:19). (1.) Their greatness appears, in that
they go beyond the Word; yea, beyond the word of the Holy Ghost;
it doth not yet appear to us by the Word of God to the full, the
greatness of what is prepared for God's people. 'Beloved, now are
we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be'
(1 John 3:2). It doth not appear in the Word; there is a greatness
in the things that we are to hope for, that could never be expressed:
they are beyond word, beyond thought, beyond conceiving of! Paul,
when he was come down again from out of paradise, into which he
was caught up, could not speak a word about the words he heard, and
the things that there he saw. They were things and words which he
saw and heard, 'which it is not possible[5] for a man to utter.'
(2.) Their greatness is intimated by the word Eternal; he that
knows the bottom of that word, shall know what things they are.
'The things which are not seen are eternal' (2 Cor 4:18). They are
'incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,' reserved
in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). (3.) Their greatness is showed in
that one right thought of them will fill the heart so full, that
both it and the eyes will run over together; yea, so full, that the
creature shall not be able to stand up under the weight of glory
that by it is laid upon the soul. Alas! all the things in this
world will not fill one heart; and yet one thought that is right,
of the things that God has prepared, and laid up in heaven for us,
will, yea, and over fill it too. (4.) The greatness of the things
of the next world appears, in that when one of the least of them
are showed to us, we are not able, without support from thence,
to abide the sight thereof. I count that the angels are of those
things that are least in that world; and yet the sight of one of
them, when the sight of them was in use, what work would it make
in the hearts and minds of mortal men, the scripture plainly enough
declares (John 13:22).[6] (5.) Their greatness is intimated, in that
we must be as it were new made again, before we can be capable of
enjoying them, as we must enjoy them with comfort (Luke 20:36).
And herein will be a great part of our happiness, that we shall not
only see them, but be made like unto them, like unto their King.
For 'when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is' (1 John 3:2). We shall see him, and therefore must be
like him, for else the sight of him would overcome us and destroy
us; but because we are to see him with comfort and everlasting
joy, therefore we must be like him in body and mind (Rev 1:17; Phil
3:20,21).

II. But to come to the second thing, namely, That those that have
believed, there are such things as these, will meet with difficulties
before they come at them. This is so grand a truth, that nothing
can be said against it. Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
and we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of
heaven (Acts 14:22). The cause from whence these afflictions arise
is known to be,

1. From ourselves; for sin having got such hold in our flesh, makes
that opposition against our soul and the welfare of that, that puts
us continually to trouble. Fleshly lusts work against the soul,
and so do worldly lusts too (1 Peter 2:11); yea, they quench our
graces, and make them that would live, 'ready to die' (Rev 3:2).
Yea, by reason of these, such darkness, such guilt, such fear, such
mistrust, ariseth in us, that it is common for us, if we live any
while, to make a thousand conclusions, twice told, that we shall
never arrive with comfort at the gates of the kingdom of heaven.
The natural tendency of every struggle of the least lust against
grace is, if we judge according to carnal reason, to make us question
the truth of a work of grace in us, and our right to the world to
come. This it was that made Paul cry out, 'O wretched man that
I am! who shall deliver me!' (Rom 7:24). Only he had more wisdom
than to follow the natural conclusions that carnal reason was apt
to make thereupon, and so hoisted up his soul to hope.

2. Sin, by its working in us, doth not only bring darkness, guilt,
fear, mistrust, and the like; but it doth oft-times as it were
hamstring us, and disable us from going to God by faith and prayer
for pardon. It makes the heart hard, senseless, careless, lifeless,
spiritless as to feeling, in all Christian duty; and this is a
grievous thing to a gracious soul. The other things will create a
doubt, and drive it up to the head into the soul; but these will
go on the other side and clench it.[7] Now all these things make
hoping difficult.

3. For by these things the judgment is not only clouded, and the
understanding greatly darkened, but all the powers of the soul made
to fight against itself, conceiving, imagining, apprehending, and
concluding things that have a direct tendency to extirpate and
extinguish, if possible, the graces of God that are planted in the
soul; yea, to the making of it cry out, 'I am cut off from before
thine eyes!' (Psa 31:22).

4. Add to these, the hidings of the face of God from the soul; a
thing to it more bitter than death; yet nothing more common among
them that hope in the Lord. He 'hideth his face from the house of
Jacob!' (Isa 8:17). Nor is this done only in fatherly displeasure,
but by this means some graces are kept alive; faith is kept alive
by the word, patience by hope, and hope by faith; but oft-times a
spirit of prayer, by the rod, chastisement, and the hiding of God's
face (Hosea 5:14,15; Isa 26:16; Cant 5:6). But I say, this hiding
of this sweet face is bitter to the soul, and oft-times puts both
faith and hope to a sad and most fearful plunge. For at such a day,
it is with the soul as with the ship at sea, that is benighted and
without light; to wit, like a man bewildered upon the land; only
the text saith, for the help and succour of such, 'Who is among
you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant,
that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the
name of the Lord, and stay upon his God' (Isa 50:10). Yet as it
is with children, so it is with saints; we are a great deal more
subject to fears in the night than in the day. That, therefore,
that tendeth to the help of some graces, if there be not great care
taken, will prove an hindrance to others.

5. Nor is the ruler of the darkness of this world wanting to apply
himself and his engines, so as, if possible, to make use of all
these things for the overthrowing of faith, and for the removing
of our hope from the Lord, as a tree is removed from rooting in the
ground (Job 19:10). Behold! he can expound all things, so as that
they shall fall directly in the way of our believing. As thus, we
have sin, therefore we have no grace; sin struggleth in us, therefore
we fear not God; something in us sideth with sin, therefore we are
wholly unregenerate; sin is in our best performances, therefore
wherefore should I hope? Thus I say, he can afflict us in our
pilgrimage, and make hope difficult to us. Besides the hiding of
God's face, he can make not only a cause of sorrow, for that indeed
it should, but a ground of despair, and as desperately concluding
he will never come again. How many good souls has he driven to
these conclusions, who afterwards have been made to unsay all again?

6. And though spiritual desertions, darkness of soul, and guilt of
sin, are the burdens most intolerable, yet they are not all; for
there is to be added to all these, that common evil of persecution,
another device invented to make void our hope. In this, I say, we
are sure to be concerned; that is, if we be godly. For though the
apostle doth not say, 'All that will live in Christ,' that is,
in the common profession of him, shall suffer persecution; yet he
saith, 'All that will live godly in him shall' (2 Tim 3:12). Now
this in itself is a terror to flesh and blood, and hath a direct
tendency in it to make hope difficult (1 Peter 3:6,14). Hence men
of a persecuting spirit, because of their greatness, and of their
teeth (the laws), are said to be a terror, and to carry amazement
in their doings; and God's people are apt to be afraid of them
though they should die, and to forget God their Maker; and this
makes hoping hard work (Isa 51:12,13).[8]

7. For besides that grimness that appears in the face of
persecutors, Satan can tell how to lessen, and make to dwindle in
our apprehensions, those truths unto which our hearts have joined
themselves afore, and to which Christ our Lord has commanded us to
stand. So that they shall now appear but little, small, inconsiderable
things; things not worth engaging for; things not worth running
those hazards for, that in the hour of trial may lie staring us in
the face. Moreover, we shall not want false friends in every hole,
such as will continually be boring our ears with that saying,
Master, do good to thyself. At such times also, 'stars' do use to
'fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken';
and so every thing tends to weaken, or at least to lay stumbling-blocks
in their way, who are commanded to hope in the Lord (Matt 24).

8. Again, as Satan can make use of his subtilty, thus to afflict
and weaken the hands and hearts of those that hope in God, so he
can add to these the dismalness of a suffering state. He can make
the loss of goods, in our imagination, ten times bigger than it
is in itself; he can make an informer a frightful creature, and a
jail look like hell itself; he can make banishment and death utterly
intolerable, and things that must be shunned with the hazard of
our salvation. Thus he can greaten and lessen, lessen and greaten,
for the troubling of our hearts, for the hindering of our hope.[9]

9. Add to all these, that the things that we suffer for were never
seen by us, but are quite beyond our sight: things that indeed are
said to be great and good; but we have only the word and the Bible
for it. And be sure if he that laboureth night and day to devour
us, can help it, our faith shall be molested and perplexed at such
a time, that it may, if possible, be hard to do the commandment
that here the text enjoins us to the practice of; that is, to hope
in the Lord. And this brings me to the third particular.

III. That the grace of hope well exercised, is the only way to
overcome those difficulties.--Abraham had never laughed for joy,
had he not hoped when the angel brought him tidings of a son; yea,
had he not hoped against all things that could have been said to
discourage (Gen 17:17). Hence it is said, that 'against hope' he
'believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be' (Rom
4:18). There is hope against hope; hope grounded on faith, against
hope grounded on reason. Hope grounded on reason, would have made
Abraham expect that the promise should surely have been ineffectual,
because of the deadness of Abraham's body, and of the barrenness
of Sarah's womb. But he hoped against the difficulty, by hope that
sprang from faith, which confided in the promise and power of God,
and so overcame the difficulty, and indeed obtained the promise.
Hope, therefore, well exercised, is the only way to overcome. Hence
Peter bids those that are in a suffering condition, 'Be sober, and
hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 1:13). And therefore it
is, as you heard before, that we are said to be 'saved by hope'
(Rom 8:24).

Hope is excellent, 1. Against those discouragements that arise
up out of our bowels. 2. It is excellent to embolden a man in the
cause of God. 3. It is excellent at helping one over the difficulties
that men, by frights and terrors may lay in our way.

1. It is excellent to help us against those discouragements that
arise out of our own bowels (Rom 4). This is clear in the instance
last mentioned about Abraham, who had nothing but discouragements
arising from himself; but he had hope, and as well he exercised
it; wherefore, after a little patient enduring, he overcame the
difficulty, and obtained the promise (Heb 6:13-18). The reason is,
for that it is the nature of true hope to turn away its ear from
opposing difficulties, to the word and mouth of faith; and perceiving
that faith has got hold of the promise, hope, notwithstanding
difficulties that do or may attempt to intercept, will expect, and
so wait for the accomplishment thereof.

2. Hope is excellent at emboldening a man in the cause of God.
Hence the apostle saith, 'Hope maketh not ashamed'; for not to be
ashamed there, is to be emboldened (Rom 5:5). So again, when Paul
speaks of the troubles he met with for the profession of the gospel,
he saith, that they should turn to his salvation. 'According,'
saith he, 'to my earnest expectation, and my hope, that in nothing
I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now
Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by
death' (Phil 1:19,20). See here, a man at the foot of the ladder,
now ready in will and mind, to die for his profession; but how
will he carry it now? Why, with all brave and innocent boldness!
But how will he do that? O! By the hope of the gospel that is in
him; for by that he is fully persuaded that the cause he suffereth
for will bear him up in the day of God, and that he shall then be
well rewarded for it.[10]

3. It is also excellent at helping one over those difficulties that
men, by frights and terrors, may lay in our way. Hence when David
was almost killed with the reproach and oppression of his enemies,
and his soul full sorely bowed down to the ground therewith; that
he might revive and get up again, he calls to his soul to put in
exercise the grace of hope, saying, 'Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for
I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and
my God' (Psa 42:11). So again saith he in the next Psalm after,
as afore he had complained of the oppression of the enemy, 'Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health
of my countenance and my God' (Psa 43:5). Hope, therefore, is a
soul-encouraging grace, a soul-emboldening grace, and a soul-preserving
grace. Hence it is called our helmet or head-piece, the helmet of
salvation (Eph 6:17; 1 Thess 5:8). This is one piece of the armour
with which the Son of God was clothed, when he came into the world;
and it is that against which nothing can prevail (Isa 49:17). For
as long as I can hope for salvation, what can hurt me! This word
spoken in the blessed exercise of grace, I HOPE FOR SALVATION,
drives down all before it. The truth of God is that man's 'shield
and buckler' that hath made the Lord his hope (Psa 91:4).

[Encouragements to exercise this grace.]--And now to encourage
thee, good man, to the exercise of this blessed grace of hope as the
text bids, let me present thee with that which followeth. 1. God,
to show how well he takes hoping in him at our hands, has called
himself 'the God of hope' (Rom 15:13), that is, not only the author
of hope, but the God that takes pleasure in them that exercise it,
'The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope
in his mercy' (Psa 147:11). 2. He will be a shield, a defence to
them that hope in him. 'Thou art my hiding-place and my shield,'
saith David, 'I hope in thy word'; that is, he knew he would be
so; for he hoped in his word (Psa 119:114). 3. He has promised us
the life we hope for, to encourage us still to hope, and to endure
all things to enjoy it (Titus 1:2). 'That he that ploweth should
plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker
of his hope' (1 Cor 9:10).

Quest. But you may say, What is it to exercise this grace aright?

Answ. 1. You must look well to your faith, that that may prosper,
for as your faith is, such your hope will be. Hope is never ill
when faith is well; nor strong if faith be weak. Wherefore Paul
prays that the Romans might be filled 'with all joy and peace
in believing,' that they might 'abound in hope' (Rom 15:13). When
a man by faith believes to joy and peace, then hope grows strong,
and with an assurance looketh for a share in the world to come.
Wherefore look to your faith, and pray heartily that the God of
hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing. 2. Learn
of Abraham not to faint, stumble, or doubt, at the sight of your
own weakness; for if you do, hope will stay below, and creak in the
wheels as it goes, because it will want the oil of faith. But say
to thy soul, when thou beginnest to faint and sink at the sight of
these, as David did to his, in the places made mention of before.
3. Be much in calling to mind what God has done for thee in former
times. Keep thy experience as a choice thing (Rom 5:4). 'Remember
all the way the Lord led thee these forty years in the wilderness'
(Deut 8:2). 'O my God,' saith David, 'my soul is cast down within
me, therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and
of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar' (Psa 42:6). 4. Be much in
looking at the end of things, or rather to the end of this, and
to the beginning of the next world. What we enjoy of God in this
world, may be an earnest of hope, or a token that the thing hoped
for is to be ours at last; but the object of hope is in general the
next world (Heb 11:1). We must therefore put a difference betwixt
the mother of hope, Faith; the means of hope, the Word; the earnest
of hope, Christ in us; and the proper object of hope, to wit, the
world to come, and the goodness thereof (Psa 119:49; Col 1:27).

If Christians have not much here, their hope, as I may so say, lies
idle, and as a grace out of its exercise. For as faith cannot feed
upon patience, but upon Christ, and as the grace of hungering and
thirsting cannot live upon self-fulness, but upon the riches of the
promise; so hope cannot make what is enjoyed its object: 'for what
a man seeth why doth he yet hope for?' (Rom 8:24). But the proper
object of hope is, that we see not. Let faith then be exercised
upon Christ crucified for my justification, and hope upon the next
world for my glorification; and let love show the truth of faith in
Christ, by acts of kindness to Christ and his people; and patience,
the truth of hope, by a quiet bearing and enduring that which may
now be laid upon me for my sincere profession's sake, until the
hope that is laid up for us in heaven shall come to us, or we be
gathered to that, and then hope is in some measure in good order,
and exercised well. But,

IV. We now come to the last thing propounded to be spoken to, which
is, they that have hope and exercise it well, shall assuredly at
last enjoy that hope that is laid up for them in heaven; that is,
they that do regularly exercise the grace of hope shall at last enjoy
the object of it, or the thing hoped for. This must of necessity
be concluded, else we overthrow the whole truth of God at once, and
the expectation of the best of men; yea, if this be not concluded,
what follows, but that Atheism, unbelief, and irreligion, are the
most right, and profane and debauched persons are in the rights
way?

1. But to proceed, this must be, as is evident; for that the things
hoped for are put under the very name of the grace that lives in
the expectation of them. They are called HOPE; 'looking for that
blessed hope'; 'for the hope that is laid up for them in heaven'
(Titus 2:13; Col 1:5). God has set that character upon them, to
signify that they belong to hope, and shall be the reward of hope.
God doth in this, as your great traders do with the goods that their
chapmen have either bought or spoke for; to wit, he sets their name
or mark upon them, and then saith, This belongs to this grace, and
this belongs to that; but the kingdom of heaven belongs to HOPE,
for his name is set upon it. This therefore is one thing, to prove
that the thing hoped for shall be thine; God has marked it for
thee: nor can it be given to those that do not hope. That is, to
the same purpose that you read of, 'That ye may be counted worthy
of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer' (2 Thess 1:5).
Suffering flows from hope; he that hopes not for an house in
heaven, will not for it choose to suffer the loss of the pleasures
and friendships of this world. But they that suffer for it, and
that all do, one way or other, in whom is placed this grace of
hope, they God counteth worthy of it, and therefore, hath marked
it with their mark, HOPE; for that it belongs to hope, and shall
be given to those that hope. That is the first.

2. They that do, as afore is said, exercise this grace of hope,
shall assuredly enjoy the hope that is laid up for them in heaven,
as is evident also from this; because, as God has marked and set
it apart for them, so what he has done to and with our Lord and
Head, since his death, he hath done it to this very end; that is,
to beget and maintain our hope in him as touching this thing. He
'hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ form the dead' (1 Peter 1:3). The meaning is, Christ
is our undertaker, and suffered death for us, that we might enjoy
happiness and glory: and God, to show how wiling he was that we
should have this glory, raised up Christ again, and delivered him
from their sorrows of death. Wherefore, considering this, Paul said,
'He rejoiced in hope of the glory of God'; to wit, of that glory,
that sin, had he not had Jesus for his undertaker, would have caused
that he should certainly have come short of (Rom 3:23, 5:2). But,
again, God 'raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory,' too,
and that to this very end, 'that your faith and hope might be in
God' (1 Peter 1:21). I say, he did it to this very end, that he
might beget in you this good opinion of him, as to hope in him,
that he would give you that good thing hoped for--to wit, eternal
life. He 'gave him glory,' and put it into his hand for you who
is your head and Saviour, that you might see how willing God is to
give you the hope you look for, 'that your faith and hope might be
in God.'

3. That we that have hope and rightly exercise it, might assuredly
enjoy that hope that is laid up for us in heaven: God has promised
it, and that to our Saviour for us. Had he promised it to us, we
might yet have feared, for that with our faults we give a cause
of continual provocation to him. But since he hath promised it to
Christ, it must assuredly come to us by him, because Christ, to
whom it is promised, never gave occasion of provocation to him to
take it back. And that it was promised to Christ, it is evident,
because it was promised before the world began: 'In hope of eternal
life,' saith Paul, 'which God, that cannot lie, promised before
the world began' (Titus 1:2). And this is, that we might hope. Men
that use to hope to enjoy that money or estate, that by those that
are faithful is promised to them, and put into the hands of trusty
persons for them; why this is the case, God that cannot lie, has
promised it to the hopers, and has put it into the hand of the
trusty Jesus for us, therefore let us hope that in his times we
shall both see and enjoy the same we hope for.

4. Yea, that all ground of doubt and scruple as to this might be
removed out of the way, when Christ, who as to what was last said,
is our hope (1 Tim 1:1), shall come, he shall bring that grace and
mercy with him that shall even from before his judgment-seat remove
all those things that might have any tendency in them to deprive
us of our hope, or of the thing hoped for by us. Hence Peter bids
us, 'Be sober and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 1:13).
Also as to this, Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, joins with
him, saying, 'Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life' (Jude 21). Here
then you see that there is grace and mercy still for us in reversion;
grace and mercy to be brought unto us at the revelation, or second
coming of Jesus Christ. How then can we be hindered of our hope?
For transporting mercy will then be busy for them that indeed have
here the hope of eternal life. 'And they shall be mine, saith the
Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will
spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him' (Mal
3:17). None knows the mystery of God's will in all things revealed
in his Word. Therefore many texts are looked over, or laid by, as
those whose key doth go too hard; nor will I boast of any singular
knowledge in any particular thing.[11] Yet methinks since grace and
mercy was not only brought by Christ when he came into the world,
but shall be brought again with him when he comes in his Father's
glory, it signifies, that as the first brought the beginning of
eternal life to us while we were enemies, this second will bring the
full enjoyment of it to us while we are saints, attended with many
imperfections. And that as by the first grace of all unworthiness
was pardoned and passed by; so by this second grace, the grace
that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
all shortness in duties, and failings in performances, shall be
spared also; and we made possessors by virtue of this grace and
mercy of the blessings hoped for, to wit, the blessings of eternal
life. But thus much for the duty contained in the exhortation, to
wit, of hoping.

[Second. A direction to the well managing of the duty of hope.]

I shall therefore come, in the next place, to treat of the well
managing of this duty with reference to this primary object, which
is the Lord himself. 'Let Israel hope in the Lord.' There is a
general object of hope, and there is a particular object; there is
a common object, and there is a special one. Of the general and
common object, to wit, of heaven and happiness, I have said something
already; wherefore it remains that now we come and treat of this
particular and special object of our hope: 'Let Israel hope in the
Lord.' The Lord, therefore, is to be the particular and special
object of our hope: 'Let Israel hope in the Lord.' Now in that there
is not only a duty here exhorted to, but a direction for the better
management of that duty, to the particular and special object upon
which this duty should be exercised, it suggesteth, how apt good
men are, especially in times of trouble, the case of Israel now,
to fix their hopes in other things than on the Lord. We have seen
a great deal of this in our days; our days indeed have been days
of trouble, especially since the discovery of the Popish plot, for
then we began to fear cutting of throats, of being burned in our beds,
and of seeing our children dashed in pieces before our faces. But
looking about us, we found we had a gracious king, brave parliaments,
a stout city, good lord-mayors, honest sheriffs, substantial laws
against them, and these we made the object of our hope, quite
forgetting the direction in this exhortation, 'Let Israel hope in
the Lord.' For indeed the Lord ought to be our hope in temporals,
as well as in spirituals and eternals. Wherefore Israel of old were
checked, under a supposition of placing their hope for temporals
in men; 'It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence
in man. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence
in princes' (Psa 118:8,9). And again, 'Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help' (Psa 146:3). This
implieth that there is in us an incidency to forget God our hope,
and to put confidence in something else. And to be sure we shall find
it the more difficult to make the Lord our hope only, when things
that are here, though deceitfully, proffer us their help.[12] But
my design is not to treat of the object of hope but with reference
to the next world. And as to that we must take heed that we set
our hope in God, in God in the first place, and in nothing below or
besides himself. To this end it is that he has given us his word,
and appointed a law to Israel.

I. Because of his own grace he is become the special object of hope,
designating himself in the most special sense to be the portion of
his people (Psa 78:5-7)--'The Lord is my portion, saith my soul,
therefore will I hope in him' (Lam 2:24). Wherefore this we must
look well to, and take heed that we miss not of this object (Psa
146:5). This is the special object, the ultimate object, the object
that we cannot be without; and that, short of which, we cannot be
happy as, God willing, shall be showed more anon (Jer 50:7). God
is not only happiness in himself, but the life of the soul, and
he that puts goodness into every thing in the next world, in which
goodness shall be found (Jer 17:13). And this our Lord Jesus Christ
himself affirmeth, when he saith, 'I am the way,' to wit, the way
to life and happiness. And yet he saith, 'I am the way to the Father,'
for that it is HE that is the fountain and ocean of happiness and
bliss.

So then, that we might in the next world be heirs of the highest
good, God has made us heirs of his own good self; 'Heirs of God, and
joint heirs with Christ'; heirs of God through Christ (Rom 18:17;
Gal 4:7). This God, this eternal God, therefore, is of necessity
to be the object of our hope, because he is, of grace, become our
hope. The church in heaven, called the body and temple of God, is
to be an habitation for himself, when it is finished, to dwell in
for ever and ever. This then we hope for, to wit, to be possessed
at that day with eternal life; eternal glory (1 Tim 6:12,19). Now
this eternal life and eternal glory is through God the hope of his
people (1 Peter 5:10; 1 John 5:20). And for this end, and to this
bliss, are we called and regenerate in this world, 'That being
justified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the
hope of eternal life' (Titus 3:7). Nor can it be, that heaven and
happiness should ever be the portion of them that make not God their
hope, any more than such a lady should hope to enjoy the estate of
such a lord, who first makes not the lord himself her husband.[13]
Heaven, heaven is the talk of the ignorant, while the God of heaven
they cannot abide. But shall such ever come to glory? But,

II. God must be the special object of our hope, and him in special
that must be enjoyed by us in the next world, or nothing can make
us happy. We will suppose now, for the illustrating of this matter,
that which is not to be supposed. As,

1. Suppose a man, when he dieth, should go to heaven, that golden
place, what good would this do him, if he was not possessed of the
God of it? It would be, as to sweetness, but a thing unsavoury; as
to durableness, but a thing uncertain; as to society, as a thing
forlorn; and as to life, but a place of death. All this is made to
appear by the angels that fell; for when fallen, what was heaven
to them? Suppose they staid but one quarter of an hour there after
their fall, before they were cast out, what sweetness found they
there, but guilt? What stay, but a continual fall of heart and mind?
What society, but to be abandoned of all? And what life, but death
in its perfection? Yea, if it be true that some think, that for
the promoting of grace, they are admitted yet to enter that place
to accuse the saints on earth, yet what do they find there but what
is grievous to them? It is the presence of God that makes heaven
Heaven in all its beauteousness. Hence David, when he speaks of
heaven, says, 'Whom have I in heaven but thee?' (Psa 73:25). As
who should say, What would heaven yield to me for delights, if I
was there without my God? It is the presence of God that will make
heaven sweet to those who are his. And as it is that that makes
the place, so it is interest in him that makes the company, and
the deeds that are done there, pleasant to the soul. What solace
can he that is without God, though he were in heaven, have with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the prophets and angels? How could he
join in their thanks, and praises, and blessings of him for ever
and ever, in whose favour, mercy, and grace, they are not concerned?

2. Suppose a man, when he dieth, should be made to live for ever,
but without the enjoyment of God, what good would his life do him?
Why, it would be filled full of horror, darkness, desolation,
sorrow, and all things that would tend to make it bitter to the
soul. Witness they that live in hell; if it be proper to say they
live in hell? It is no more possible for a man to live happily,
were he possessed of all that heaven and life could afford him,
suppose him to be without interest in God, than it is for a man
that hath all the enjoyments of this world, if the sun was taken
from him out of the firmament. As all things, whether it be heaven,
angels, heavenly pleasures and delights, have had their being of
him, so their being is continued by him, and made sweet of him.

Now, for the well managing of our hope, with reference to this
special object of it, there are these things to be considered. And
now I speak to all. We must know him right, we must come to him
right. (1.) We must know him right. It is essential to happiness,
and so to the making of the God of heaven our hope, to know him
rightly (John 17:1-3). It is not every fancy, or every imagination
of God, that thou mayst have, that will prove that therefore thou
knowest God aright. In him there 'is no variableness, neither shadow
of turning' (James 1:17). He only is what he is, what imaginations
soever we have of him. We may set up idols and images of him, as
much in our minds as some do in their houses and in their temples,
and be as great, though not so gross idolaters as they.[14] Now
if thou wouldst know him, thou must diligently feel for him in his
works, in his Word, and in his ways, if perhaps thou mayst find the
knowledge of him (Prov 2:1-5; Acts 17:27). (2.) Beware, when thou
hast found him, that thou go to him by his Son, whom he has sanctified
and sent into the world, to be the way for sinners to go to God;
and see that thou keepest in this path always, for out of him he
is found intolerable, and a consuming-fire. (3.) Busy thyself with
all thy might to make an interest in his Son, and he will willingly
be thy Saviour, for he must become thine before his Father can be
the object of thy hope (John 3:36). He that hath the Son, hath the
Father, but contrariwise, he that hath not him has neither (2 John
9). (4.) Stay not in some transient comforts, but abide restless
till thou seest an union betwixt thee and this Blessed One; to wit,
that he is a root, and thou a branch; that he is head, and thou a
member. And then shalt thou know that the case is so between thee
and him, when grace and his Spirit has made thee to lay the whole
stress of thy justification upon him and has subdued thy heart
and mind to be 'one spirit' with him (Rom 4:4,5; 1 Cor 6:17). (5.)
This done, hope thou in God, for he is become thy hope, that is,
the object of it. And for thy encouragement so to do, consider
that he is able to bear up thy heart, and has said he will do it,
as to this very thing, to all those that thus hope in him. 'Be
of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart,' all ye that
hope in the Lord (Psa 31:24). It is manifest, as was said before,
that many difficulties lie in the way of hoping; but God will make
those difficulties easy, by strengthening the heart of him that
hopeth, to hope. He has a way to do that, which no creature can
hinder, by the blessed work of his Holy Spirit. He can show us he
loves us, that he may encourage our hope. And as he can work in
us for our encouragement, so he can and will, as was said before,
himself, in his time, answer our hope, by becoming our hope himself.
'The Lord shall be the hope of his people, and the strength of the
children of Israel' (Joel 3:16).

His faithfulness also is a great encouragement to his, to hope for
the accomplishment of all that he hath promised unto his people.
'Hath he said it, and shall he not make it good?' When he promised
to bring Israel into the land of Canaan, he accomplished it to a
tittle. 'There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord
had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass' (Josh 21:45,
23:14). Also what he with his mouth had promised to David, with
his hand he fulfilled to Solomon in the view of all the thousands
of Israel (1 Kings 8:22-24; 2 Chron 6:7-10).

[Third. The persons who are concerned in the management of this
duty of hope.]

I will omit making mention again of the encouragements spoken of
before, and shall now come to the third thing specified in this
part of the text, to wit, to show more distinctly, who, and what
particular persons they are, who are concerned in this exhortation
to hope.

They are put, as you see, under this general term Israel; 'Let
Israel hope in the Lord.' And, 'He shall save Israel from all his
troubles.' Israel is to be taken three ways, in the Scripture. 1.
For such that are Israel after the flesh. 2. For such as are such
neither after the flesh nor the Spirit; but in their own fancies
and carnal imaginations only. 3. For such as are Israel after God,
or the Spirit.

1. Israel is to be taken for those that are such after the flesh;
that is, for those that sprang from the loins of Jacob, and are
called, 'Israel after the flesh, the children of the flesh.' Now
these, as such, are not the persons interested in this exhortation,
for by the flesh comes no true spiritual and eternal grace (Rom
9:6-8; 2 Cor 1:10-18). Men are not within the bounds of the promise
of eternal life, as they are the children of the flesh, either in
the more gross or more refined sense (Phil 3:4-6). Jacob was as
spiritual a father as any HE, I suppose that now professeth the
gospel; but his spiritualness could not convey down to this children,
that were such only after the flesh, that spirit and grace that
causeth sound conversion, and salvation by Jesus Christ. Hence Paul
counts it a carnal thing to glory in this; and tells us plainly,
If he had heretofore known Christ thus, that is, to have been his
brother or kinsman, according to the flesh, or after that, he would
henceforth know him, that is, so, 'no more' (2 Cor 5:16-18). For
though the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet not
that multitude, but the remnant that the Lord hath chosen and shall
call, shall be saved (Rom 9:27; Joel 2:32). This, therefore, is
as an arrow against the face of that false doctrine that the Jews
leaned upon, to wit, that they were in the state of grace, and
everlasting favour of God, because the children and offspring of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But,

2. Israel may be taken for such as are neither so after the flesh,
nor the Spirit, but in their own fancy and imagination only. And
such I take to be all those that you read of in Revelation 2:9
which said 'they were Jews, and were not,' 'but did lie' (3:9).

These I take to be those carnal gospellers,[15] that from among the
Gentiles pretended themselves to be Jews inwardly, whose circumcision
is that of the heart in the spirit, when they were such only in
their own fancies and conceits, and made their profession out as a
lie (Rom 2:28,29). Abundance of these there are at this day in the
world; men who know neither the Father, nor the Son, nor anything
of the way of the Spirit, in the work of regeneration; and yet
presume to say, 'They are Jews'; that is, truly and spiritually
the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 'For' now, 'he is not a
Jew which 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,--whose praise is
not of men, but of God.' And although it may please some now to
say, as they of old said to them of the captivity, 'We seek your
God as ye do' (Ezra 4:2); yet at last it will be found, that as
they, such have 'no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem'
(Neh 2:20). And I would from hence caution all to take heed of
presuming to count themselves Jews, unless they have a substantial
ground so to do. For to do this without a good bottom, makes all
our profession a lie; and not only so, but it hindereth us of a
sight of a want of an interest in Jesus Christ, without which we
cannot be saved; yea, such an one is the great self-deceiver, and
so the worst deceiver of all: for he that deceives his own self,
his own heart, is a deceiver in the worst sense; nor can any
disappointment be like unto that which casts away soul and body at
once (James 1:22,26). O slender thread! that a man should think, that
because he fancieth himself 'an Israelite indeed,' that therefore
he shall go for such an one in the day of judgment; or that he
shall be able to cheat God with a pitiful say-so!

3. But the Israel under consideration in the text, is Israel after
God, or the Spirit; hence they are called 'the Israel of God,'
because they are made so of him, not by generation, nor by fancy,
but by Divine power (Can 6:16). And thus was the first of this name
made so, 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel' (Gen
32:28). This then is the man concerned in the text, 'Let Israel
hope in the Lord'; to wit, Israel that is so of God's making, and
of God's allowance: for men are not debarred from calling themselves
after this most godly name, provided they are so indeed; all that
is dangerous is, when men shall think this privilege comes by carnal
generation, or that their fancying of themselves to be such will
bear them out in the day of judgment. Otherwise, if men become the
true servants of God by Christ, they have, as I said, an allowance
so to subscribe themselves. 'One shall say, I am the Lord's and
another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall
subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the
name of Israel' (Isa 44:5). But then, for the further describing
of such, they must be men of circumcised and tender hearts; they
must be such 'which worship God in the spirit, and that rejoice
in Christ Jesus, and that have no confidence in the flesh' (Phil
3:3), for these are the Nathaniels, the Israelites indeed in whom
there is no guile (John 1:47), and these are they that are intended
in the exhortation, when he saith, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord.'

For these are formed for that very end, that they might hope in
the Lord; yea, the word and testament are given to them for this
purpose (Psa 78:5-7). These are prisoners of hope all the time they
are in the state of nature, even as the whole creation is subjected
under hope, all the time of its bondage, by the sin and villainy
of man; and unto them it shall be said, in the dispensation of the
fullness of time, 'Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of
hope' (Zech 9:12); as certainly as that which is called the creature
itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the
glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:18-21). Only here,
as I said before, let all men have a care in this thing: this is
the pinnacle, the point; he that is right here, is right in all
that is necessary to salvation; but he that misses here, can by no
means be right anywhere to his soul's advantage in the other world.

[Improvement.] If I should a little improve the text where this
title is first given to man, and show the posture he was in when
it was said to him, 'Thy name shall be called Israel'; and should
also debate upon the cause or ground of that, 'An Israelite indeed,'
thou mightest not repent it who shall read it; and therefore a few
words to each.

1. When Jacob received the name of Israel, he was found wrestling
with the angel; yea, and so resolved a wrestler was he, that he
purposed, now he had begun, not to give out without a blessing, 'I
will not let thee go,' said he, 'except thou bless me' (Gen 32:26).
Discouragements he had while he wrestled with him, to have left
off, before he obtained his desire; for the angel bid him leave
off; 'let me go,' said he. He had wrestled all night, and had not
prevailed; and now the day brake upon him, and consequently his
discouragement was like to be the greater, for that now the majesty
and terribleness of him with whom he wrestled would be seen more
apparently; but this did not discourage him: besides, he lost the
use of a limb as he wrestled with him; yet all would not put this
Israel out. Pray he did, and pray he would, and nothing should make
him leave off prayer, until he had obtained, and therefore he was
called 'Israel.' 'For as a prince hast thou power with God and
with men, and hast prevailed' (Gen 32:28,30). A wrestling spirit
of prayer is a demonstration of an Israel of God; this Jacob had,
this he made use of, and by this he obtained the name of 'Israel.'
A wrestling spirit of prayer in straits, difficulties, and distresses;
a wrestling spirit of prayer when alone in private, in the night,
when none eye seeth but God's then to be at it, then to lay hold
of God, then to wrestle, to hold fast, and not to give over until
the blessing is obtained, is a sign of one that is an Israel of
God.

2. 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile' (John 1:47).
This was the testimony of the Lord Jesus concerning Nathaniel (v
46). Nathaniel was persuaded by Philip to come to Jesus, and as
he was coming, Jesus saith to the rest of the disciples concerning
him, 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.' Then said
Nathaniel to Jesus, 'Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said
unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig-tree I saw thee' (v 15). Nathaniel, as Jacob, was at prayer,
at prayer alone under the fig-tree, wrestling in prayer, for what
no man can certainly tell, but probably for the Messias, or for the
revelation of him: for the seeing Jews were convinced that the time
of the promise was out; and all men were in expectation concerning
John, whether he might not be he (Luke 3:15). But Nathaniel was
under the fig-tree, alone with God, to inquire of him, and that
with great earnestness and sincerity; else the Lord Jesus would
not thus have excused him of hypocrisy, and justified his action
as he did, concluding from what he did there that he was a true
son of Jacob; and ought, as he, to have his name changed from what
his parents gave him, to this given him of Christ, 'An Israelite
indeed.' Wherefore, from both these places, it is apparent, that
a wrestling spirit of prayer, in private, is one of the best signs
that this or that man or woman is of Israel; and, consequently,
such who are within the compass of the exhortation here, saying,
'Let Israel hope in the Lord.' I say, it is this wrestling spirit
of prayer with God alone; for as for that of public prayer, though
I will not condemn it, it gives not ground for this character,
notwithstanding all the flourishes and excellencies that may
therein appear. I am not insensible what pride, what hypocrisy,
what pretences, what self-seekings of commendations and applause,
may be countenanced by those concerned in, or that make public
prayers; and how little thought or savour of God may be in all so
said; but this closet, night, or alone prayer, is of another stamp,
and attended, at least so I judge, with that sense, those desires,
that simplicity, and those strugglings, wherewith that in public is
not.[16] Nay, I think verily a man cannot addict himself to these
most solemn retirements, without some of Jacob's and Nathaniel's
sense and sincerity, wrestlings and restlessness for mercy; wherefore,
laying aside all other, I shall abide by this, That the man that
is as I have here described, is not an Israelite of the flesh, nor
one so only in his fancy or imagination, but one made so of God; one
that is called a child of promise, and one to whom this exhortation
doth belong: 'Let Israel hope in the Lord'; to wit, they that serve
God by prayer day and night (Luke 2:37; Acts 26:5-7). These, I say,
are Israel, the Israel of God, and let these hope in the Lord, from
now, 'henceforth, and for ever' (Psa 131:3).

[SECOND. The manner by which the exhortation is expressed.]

Having thus briefly touched upon those three things that are
contained in the matter of the exhortation, I now come to speak a
word to the manner of praises by which the exhortation is presented
to us, 'Let Israel hope'; he doth not say, Israel hath hoped; Israel
did hope; or Israel can hope, but 'let Israel hope in the Lord.'
'Let' is a word very copious, and sometimes signifies this, and
sometimes that, even according as the nature or reason of the thing
under debate, or to be expressed, will with truth and advantage
bear. Let him hope,

First. Sometimes 'let' is equivalent to a command; 'Let every soul be
subject to the higher powers,' this is a command. 'Let all things
be done decently and in order,' this also is a command. So here,
'Let Israel hope,' this also is a command; and so enjoins a duty
upon Israel; for why, since they seek for mercy, should they not
have it; now a command lays a very strong obligation upon a man
to do this or another duty. 'He commandeth all men every where
to repent'; but Israel only to hope in his mercy. Now take the
exhortation and convert it into a commandment, and it showeth us,
(1.) in what good earnest God offers his mercy to his Israel; he
commands them to hope in him, as he is and will be so to them. (2.)
It supposes an impediment in Israel, as to the faculty of receiving
or hoping in God for mercy; we that would have God be merciful, we
that cry and pray to him to show us mercy, have yet that weakness
and impediment in our faith, which greatly hindereth us from a
steadfast hoping in the Lord for mercy. (3.) It suggesteth also,
that Israel SINS, if he hopeth not in God, God would not that all
should attempt to hope, because they have no faith; for he is for
having of them first believe, knowing that it is in vain to think
of hoping, until they have believed; but Israel has believed, and
therefore God has commanded them to hope, and they sin if they obey
him not in this, as in all other duties. He commands thee, I say,
since thou hast believed in his Son, to hope, that is, to expect
to see his face in the next world with joy and comfort; this is
hoping, this is thy duty, this God commands thee.

Second. As this word 'let' is sometimes equivalent to a command, so
it is expressed sometimes also to show a grant, leave, or license,
to do a thing: such are these that follow, 'Let us come boldly to
the throne of grace' (Heb 4:6). 'Let us draw near with a true heart'
(ch 10). 'Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering' (vv 22,23). Here also this manner of expressing the
thing may be taken in the same sense, to wit, to show that Israel
has a grant, a leave, a license, to trust in the Lord. And O! what
a privilege is this, but who believes it? And yet as truly as God
has granted to Jacob, to Israel, repentance unto life, and by that
means has made him fly for refuge, to lay hold of Christ set before
him as a justifier; so has he granted him leave and license to
trust in him for ever, and to hope for his favour in the next world.

And if you take the word in this sense, to wit, for a grant, leave,
or license, to hope in God; then (1.) This shows how liberal God
is of himself, and things, to Israel. Let Israel hope in me, trust
to me, expect good things at my hand; I give him leave and license
to do it. Let him live in a full expectation of being with me, and
with my Son in glory; I give him leave to do so; he has license
from me to do so. (2.) Understand the word thus, and it shows us
with what boldness and confidence God would have us hope in him.
They that have leave and license to do a thing, may do it with
confidence and boldness, without misgivings and reluctance of mind;
this is our privilege; we may live in a full assurance of hope unto
the end, we may hope perfectly to the end, we have leave, license,
and a grant to do it. (3.) Understand the word thus, and it also
shows you how muddy, how dark those of Israel are, and how little
they are acquainted with the goodness of their God, who stand
shrinking at his door like beggars, and dare not in a godly sort
be bold, with his mercy. Wherefore standest thou thus with thy Ifs
and thy O-buts, O thou poor benighted Israelite. Wherefore puttest
thou thy hand in thy bosom, as being afraid to touch the hem of
the garment of the Lord? Thou hast a leave, a grant, a license,
to hope for good to come, thy Lord himself has given it to thee,
saying, 'LET Israel hope in the Lord.'

Third. This word 'let' is also sometimes used by way of rebuke and
snub; 'Let her alone, for her soul is vexed' (2 Kings 4:27). 'Let
her alone, why trouble ye her?' (Mark 14:6). 'Refrain from these
men, and let them alone' (Acts 5:38). And it may also so be taken
here. But if so, then it implies, that God in this exhortation
rebuketh those evil instruments, those fallen angels, with all
others that attempt to hinder us in the exercise of this duty. As
Boaz said to his servants, when Ruth was to glean in his field,
'let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not' (Ruth
2:15,16). We have indeed those that continually endeavour to hinder
us of living in the full assurance of hope, as to being with God
and with Christ in glory: but here is a rebuke for such, 'Let Israel
hope in the Lord.' And it shows us, 1. That what suggestions come
from Satan to make us that are Israelites to doubt, come not for
that end, by virtue of any commission that he hath from God. God
has rebuked him in the text, and you may see it also elsewhere.
These temptations, therefore, are rather forged of malice, and of
despite to our faith and hope; and so should be accounted by us
(Zech 1:1-3). 2. This shows us also that we should take heed of
crediting of that which comes unto us to hinder our hope in the
Lord; lest we take part with Satan, while God rebuketh him, and
countenanceth that which fights against the grace of God in us. 3.
It shows us also that as faith, so hope, cannot be maintained with
great difficulty, and that we should endeavour to maintain it, and
hope through every difficulty.

Fourth. This word 'LET' is sometimes used by way of request or
intreaty. 'I pray thee, LET Tamar my sister come' (2 Sam 13:6).
'LET it be granted to the Jews to do,' &c. (Esth 9:13). And if it
be so to be taken here, or if in the best sense this interpretation
of it may here be admitted, the consideration thereof is amazing;
for then it is all one as if God by the mouth of his servant, the
penman of this psalm, did intreat us to hope in him. And why this
may not be implied here, as well as expressed elsewhere, I know
not. 'God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be
ye reconciled to God' (2 Cor 5:20). Why should God beseech us to
reconcile to him, but that we might hope in him? and if it be thus
taken here, it shows, 1. The great condescension of God, in that
he doth not only hold out to us the advantages of hoping in God,
but desires that we should hope, that we might indeed be partakers
of those advantages. 2. It teaches us also humility, and that
always in the acts of faith and hope we should mix blushing, and
shame, with our joy and rejoicing. Kiss the ground, sinner; put
'thy mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope' (Lam 3:29).

Fifth. And lastly, This word is used sometimes by way of caution.
'Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall' (1
Cor 10:12). 'Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of
entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it'
(Heb 4:1), and if it should be so taken here, then, 1. This shows
us the evil of despair, and that we at times are incident to it; our
daily weaknesses, our fresh guilt, our often decays, our aptness to
forget the goodness of God, are direct tendencies unto this evil,
of which we should be aware; for it robs God of his glory, and
us of our comfort, and gratifies none but the devil and unbelief.
2. It showeth us that despair is a fall, a falling down from our
liberty; our liberty is to hope; it is our portion from God; for
he hath said that himself will be the hope of his people. To do
the contrary, is therefore a falling from God, a departing from
God through an evil heart of unbelief. It is the greatest folly in
the world for an Israelite to despair; 'Why sayest thou, O Jacob,
and speakest, O Israel. My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment
is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not
heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends
of the earth, fainteth not? There is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he
increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and
the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon,' that
is, hope in, 'the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they
shall walk and not faint' (Isa 40:27-31).

[THIRD. Inferences from the exhortation.]

Now we come to those inferences that do naturally flow from this
exhortation, and they are in number four.

First. That hope and the exercise of it, is as necessary in its
place, as faith, and the exercise of it. All will grant that there
is need of a daily exercise of faith; and we are bid to hope unto
the end, because hope is the grace that relieveth the soul when dark
and weary. Hope is as the bottle to the faint and sinking spirit.
Hope calls upon the soul not to forget how far it is arrived in
its progress towards heaven. Hope will point and show it the gate
afar off; and therefore it is called the hope of salvation. Hope
exerciseth itself upon God.

1. By those mistakes that the soul hath formerly been guilty of,
with reference to the judgment that it hath made of God, and of his
dealings with it. And this is an excellent virtue. 'I said,' once
says the church, that 'my hope is perished from the Lord,' but I
was deceived; 'this I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope';
that is, why, if I give way to such distrusting thoughts, may I not
be wrong again? (Lam 3:18-21). Therefore will I hope! This virtue
is that which belongs to this grace only; for this and this only is
it that can turn unbelief and doubts to advantage. 'I said in my
haste,' said David, 'I am cut off from before thine eyes'; nevertheless
I was mistaken; 'thou heardest the voice of my supplications when
I cried unto thee' (Psa 31:22). And what use doth he make of this?
Why, an exhortation to all good men to hope, and to take advantage
to hope from the same mistakes. I think I am cast off from God,
says the soul; so thou thoughtest afore, says memory, but thou
wast mistaken then, and why not the like again? and therefore will
I hope. When I had concluded that God would never come near me
more, yet after that he came to me again, and as I was then, so I
am now; therefore will I hope.

2. True hope, in the right exercise of it upon God, makes no stick
at weakness or darkness; but rather worketh up the soul to some
stay, by these. Thus Abraham's hope wrought by his weakness (Rom
4). And so Paul, when I am weak, then I am strong; I will most
gladly therefore rejoice in mine infirmities (2 Cor 12). But this
cannot be done where there is no hope, nor but by hope: for it is
hope, and the exercise of it, that can say, Now I expect that God
should bring good out of all this. And as for the dark, it is its
element to act in that: 'But hope that is seen is not hope' (Rom
8:24). But we must hope for that we see not. So David, 'Why art
thou cast down, O my soul? hope thou in God.' Christians have no
reason to mistrust the goodness of God, because of their weakness,
&c. 'I had fainted unless I had believed to see' (Psa 27:13). By
believing there, he means hoping to see, as the exhortation drawn
from thence doth import.

3. Hope will make use of our calling, to support the soul, and to
help it, by that, to exercise itself in a way of expectation of good
from God. Hence the apostle prays for the Ephesians, that they may
be made to see what is 'the hope of their calling'; that is, what
good that is which by their calling they have ground to hope is
laid up in heaven, and to be brought unto them at the appearance
of Jesus Christ (Eph 1:17,18). For thus the soul by this grace of
hope will reason about this matter: God has called me; surely it is
to a feast. God has called me to the fellowship of his Son, surely
it is that I may be with him in the next world. God has given me
the spirit of faith and prayer; surely it is that I might hope for
what I believe is, and wait for what I pray for. God his given me
some tastes already; surely it is to encourage me to hope that he
purposeth to bring me into the rich fruition of the whole.

4. Hope will exercise itself upon God by those breakings wherewith
he breaketh his people for their sins. 'The valley of Achor' must
be given 'for a door of hope' (Hosea 2:15). The valley of Achor; what
is that? Why, the place where Achan was stoned for his wickedness,
and the place where all Israel was afflicted for the same (Josh 7).
I say, hope can gather by this, that God has a love to the soul; for
when God hateth a man he chastiseth him not for his trespasses.[17]
'If ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are
ye bastards, and not sons' (Heb 12:8). Hence Moses tells Israel,
that when the hand of God was upon them for their sins, they should
consider in their heart, 'that as a man chasteneth his son, so the
Lord thy God chasteneth thee' (Deut 8:5). And why thus consider,
but that a door might be opened for hope to exercise itself upon
God by this? This is that also that is intended in Paul to the
Corinthians, 'When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord,
that we should not be condemned with the world' (1 Cor 11:32). Is
not here a door of hope? And why a door of hope, but that by it,
God's people, when afflicted, should go out by it from despair by
hope?

[Second.] But it is to be inferred, secondly, That the exercise
of hope upon God is very delightful to him: else he would not have
commanded and granted us a liberty to hope, and have snibbed those
that would hinder. 'Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that
fear him; upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul
from death, and to keep them alive in famine' (Psa 33:18,19). That
God is much delighted in the exercise of this grace, is evident,
because of the preparation that he has made for this grace, wherewith
to exercise itself. 'For whatsoever things were writ aforetime, were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of
the Scriptures might have hope' (Rom 15:4). Mark, the whole history
of the Bible, with the relation of the wonderful works of God with
his people from the beginning of the world, are written for this
very purpose, that we, by considering and comparing, by patience
and comfort of them, might have hope. The Bible is the scaffold or
stage that God has builded for hope to play his part upon in this
world. It is therefore a thing very delightful to God to see hope
rightly given its colour before him; hence he is said, 'to laugh
at the trial of the innocent' (Job 9:23). Why at his trial? Because
his trial puts him upon the exercise of hope: for then indeed there
is work for hope, when trials are sharp upon us. But why is God
so delighted in the exercise of this grace of hope?

1. Because hope is a head-grace and governing. There are several
lusts in the soul that cannot be mastered, if hope be not in
exercise; especially if the soul be in great and sore trials. There
is peevishness and impatience, there is fear and despair, there
is doubting and misconstruing of God's present hand; and all these
become masters, if hope be not stirring; nor can any grace besides
put a stop to their tumultuous raging in the soul. But now hope in
God makes them all hush, takes away the occasion of their working,
and lays the soul at the foot of God. 'Surely,' saith the Psalmist,
'I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of
his mother, my soul is even as a weaned child.' But how came he to
bring his soul into so good a temper? Why, that is gathered by the
exhortation following, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth
and for ever' (Psa 131:2,3). It was by hoping in the Lord that he
quieted his soul, and all its unruly sinful passions.

2. As hope quasheth and quieteth sinful passions, so it putteth
into order some graces that cannot be put into order without it:
as patience, meekness, silence, and long-suffering, and the like.
These are all in a day of trial out of place, order, and exercise,
where hope forbeareth to work. I never saw a distrusting man, a
patient man, a quiet man, a silent man, and a meek man, under the
hand of God, except he was 'dead in sin' at the time. But we are not
now talking of such. But now let a man hope in the Lord, and he
presently concludes this affliction is for my good, a sign God loves
me, and that which will work out for me a far more and exceeding
and eternal weight of glory; and so it puts the graces of the soul
into order (Luke 21:19). Wherefore patience, by which a man is bid
to possess or keep his soul under the cross, is called 'the patience
of hope' (1 Thess 1:3). So in another place, when he would have the
church patient in tribulation, and continue instant in prayer, he
bids them 'rejoice in hope,' knowing that the other could not be
done without it (Rom 12:12).

3. God takes much delight in the exercise of hope, because it
construeth all God's dispensations, at present, towards it, for the
best: 'When he hath tried me I shall come forth like gold' (Job
23:10). This is the language of hope. God, saith the soul, is doing
of me good, making of me better, refining of my inward man. Take a
professor that is without hope, and either he suffereth affliction
of pride and ostentation, or else he picks a quarrel with God and
throws up all. For he thinks that God is about to undo him; but hope
construeth all to the best, and admits no such unruly passions to
carry the man away.

4. Therefore hope makes the man, be the trials what they will, to
keep still close to the way and path of God. 'My foot,' said hoping
Job, 'hath held his steps, his way have I kept and not declined,
neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips' (Job
23:11,12). And again, 'Our heart is not turned back, neither have
our steps declined from thy way: though thou hast sore broken us
in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death'
(Psa 44:18,19). But how came they thus patiently to endure? Why,
they by hope put patience and prayer into exercise. They knew that
their God was as it were but asleep, and that in his time he would
arise for their help; and when he did arise he would certainly
deliver. Thus is this psalm applied by Paul (Rom 8).

[Third.] There is also inferred from this exhortation, that
the hope of those that are not Israelites is not esteemed of God.
'Let Israel hope.' The words are exclusive, shutting out the rest.
He doth not say, Let Amalek hope, let Babylon, or the Babylonians
hope; but even in and by this exhortation shutteth out both the
rest and their hope from his acceptance. This being concluded, it
follows, that some may hope and not be the better for their hope.
'The hypocrite's hope shall perish' (Job 8:13); their hope shall
be as the giving up of the ghost (11:20). 'For what is the hope of
the hypocrite?' (27:8). Again, 'The hope of unjust men perisheth'
(Prov 11:7). There is a hope that perisheth, both it and he that
hoped with it together. The reasons are,

1. Because it floweth not from faith and experience, but rather
from conceit and presumption. Hope, as I have told you, if it be
right, cometh of faith, and is brought forth by experience: but the
hope now under consideration is alone, and has no right original,
and therefore not regarded. It is not the hope of God, but the hope
of man; that is, it is not the hope of God's working, but the hope
that standeth in natural abilities. 'Thou washest away the things
which grow out of the dust of the earth, and thou destroyest the hope
of man' (Job 14:19). Whatsoever in religious matters is but of a
carnal and earthly existence, must be washed away, when the overflowing
scourge shall at the end pass over the world (Isa 28:17-19).

2. Because the Lord's mercy is not the object of it. The worldly
man makes gold, or an arm of flesh his hope; that is, the object
of it, and so he despiseth God (Job 31:24; Jer 3:23). Or if he be
a religious hypocrite, his hope terminates in his own doings: he
trusteth, or hopeth, in himself, that he is righteous (Luke 18:9).
All these things are abhorred of God, nor can he, with honour to
his name, or in a compliance with his own eternal designs, give
any countenance to such a hope as this.

3. This hope has no good effect on the heart and mind of him that
hath it. It purifieth not the soul, it only holds fast a lie, and
keeps a man in a circuit, at an infinite distance from waiting upon
God.

4. This hope busieth all the powers of the soul about things that
are of the world, or about those false objects on which it is pitched;
even as the spider diligently worketh in her web--unto which also
this hope is compared--in vain. This hope will bring that man that
has it, and exercises it, to heaven, when leviathan is pulled out
of the sea with a hook; or when his jaw is bored through with a
thorn: but as he that thinks to do this, hopeth in vain; so, even
so, will the hope of the other be as unsuccessful; 'So are the
paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrite's hope shall perish;
whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's
web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall
hold it fast, but it shall not endure' (Job 8:13-15, 41:1-9). This
is the hope that is not esteemed of God, nor the persons that have
it, preferred by him a whit before their own dung (Job 20:4-8).

[Fourth.] There is also inferred from these words, That Israel
himself is subject to swerve in his soul about the object of hope.
For this text is to him as a command and grant, so an instruction
by which he is to be informed, how and upon whom to set his hope.
That Israel is apt to swerve as to the object of his hope, is
evident, for that so much ado is made by the prophets to keep him
upon his God; in that so many laws and statutes are made to direct
him to set his hope in God: and also by his own confession (Psa
78:7; Jer 3:23-25; Lam 4:17). The fears also and the murmurings and
the faintings that attend the godly in this life, do put the truth
of this inference out of doubt. It is true, the apostle said, that
he had the sentence of death in himself, that he might not trust
or hope in himself, but in God that raiseth the dead. But this was
an high pitch; Israel is not always here; there are many things
that hinder. (1.) The imperfection of our graces. There is no grace
perfected in the godly. Now it is incident to things defective,
to be wanting in their course. Faith is not perfect; and hence the
sensible Christian feels what follows: love is not perfect, and
we see what follows; and so of hope and every other grace; their
imperfection makes them stagger. 2. Israel is not yet beyond
temptations. There is a deal to attend him with temptations, and he
has a soul so disabled by sin, that at all times he cannot fix on
God that made him, but is apt to be turned aside to lying vanities:
the very thing that Jonah was ensnared with (2:8).

3. The promising helps that seem to be in other things, are great
hindrances to a steady fixing, by hope, on God; there are good
frames of heart, enlargements in duties, with other the like, that
have through the darkness, and the legality of our spirits been
great hindrances to Israel. Not that their natural tendency is to
turn us aside; but our corrupt reason getting the upper hand, and
bearing the stroke in judgment, converts our minds and consciences
to the making of wrong conclusions upon them. 4. Besides, as the
mind and conscience, by reason, is oft deluded to draw these wrong
conclusions upon our good frames of heart, to the removing of our
hope from the right object unto them; so by like reason, are we
turned by unwholesome doctrines, and a carnal understanding of the
Word, to the very same thing: 'cisterns, broken cisterns that can
hold no water,' Israel, even God's people, are apt to make unto
themselves to the forsaking of their God (Jer 2:11-13).

Thus have I gone through the first part of the text, which consists
of an exhortation to hope in the Lord. And have showed you, 1. The
matter contained therein. 2. Something of the reason of the manner
of the phrase. 3. And have drawn, as you see, some inferences from
it.

[SECOND. THE REASON URGED TO ENFORCE THE EXHORTATION.]

I now come to the second part of the text, which is a reason urged
to enforce the exhortation, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord.' Why?
'For with the Lord there is mercy.' There is the reason, let him
hope, for there is mercy; let him hope in the Lord, for with him
there is mercy. The reason is full and suitable. For what is the
ground of despair, but a conceit that sin has shut the soul out
of all interest in happiness? and what is the reason of that, but
a persuasion that there is no help for him in God? Besides, could
God do all but show mercy, yet the belief of that ability would
not be a reason sufficient to encourage the soul to hope in God.
For the block SIN, which cannot be removed but by mercy, still
lies in the way. The reason therefore is full and suitable, having
naturally an enforcement in it, to the exhortation. And,

First. To touch upon the reason in a way general, and then [Second]
to come to it more particularly. 'Let Israel hope in the Lord, for
with the Lord there is mercy,' mercy to be bestowed, mercy designed
to be bestowed.

1. Mercy to be bestowed. This must be the meaning. What if a man
has never so much gold or silver, or food, or raiment: yet if he
has none to communicate, what is the distressed, or those in want,
the better? What if there be mercy with God, yet if he has none
to bestow, what force is there in the exhortation, or what shall
Israel, if he hopeth, be the better. But God has mercy to bestow,
to give. 'He saith on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies
of David' (Acts 13:34). And again, 'The Lord give mercy unto
the house of Onesiphorus' (2 Tim 1:16). Now then, here lies the
encouragement. The Lord has mercy to give; he has not given away
ALL his mercy; his mercy is not clean gone for ever (Psa 77:8).
He has mercy yet to give away, yet to bestow upon his Israel. 'Let
Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy.'

2. As there is with God mercy to be bestowed, so there is mercy
designed to be bestowed or given to Israel. Some men lay by what
they mean to give away, and put that in a bag by itself, saying,
This I design to give away, this I purpose to bestow upon the poor.
Thus God; he designeth mercy for his people (Dan 9:4). Hence the
mercy that God's Israel are said to be partakers of, is a mercy kept
for them. And 'thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the
poor,' and laid up for them (Psa 68:10). This is excellent and is
true, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord, for there is with him mercy,'
kept, prepared, and laid up for them! (Psa 61:7). When God designs
the bestowing of mercy, we may well hope to be partakers (Psa 31:19).
The poor will go merrily to weddings and funerals, and hope for an
alms all the way they go, when they come to understand that there
is so much kept, prepared, and laid up for them by the bridegroom,
&c.[18] But 'He keepeth mercy for thousands!' (Exo 34:7).

3. As God has mercies to bestow, and as he has designed to bestow
them, so those mercies are no fragments or the leavings of others:
but mercies that are full and complete to do for thee, what thou
wantest, wouldst have, or canst desire. As I may so say, God has
his bags that were never yet untied, never yet broken up, but laid
by him through a thousand generations, for those that he commands
to hope in his mercy. As Samuel kept the shoulder for Saul, and as
God brake up that decreed place for the sea, so hath he set apart,
and will break up his mercy for his people: mercy and grace that
he gave us before we had a being, is the mercy designed for Israel
(2 Tim 1:9). Whole mercies are allotted to us; however, mercy
sufficient (1 Sam 9:23-24; Job 38:10). But to be a little more
distinct.

[Second, particularly.] I find that the goodness of God to his
people is diversely expressed in his word: sometimes by the word
grace; sometimes by the word love; and sometimes by the word mercy;
even as our badness against him is called iniquity, transgression,
and sin. When it is expressed by that word 'grace,' then it is to
show that what he doth is of his princely will, his royal bounty,
and sovereign pleasure. When it is expressed by that word 'love,'
then it is to show us that his affection was and is in what he
doth, and that he doth what he doth for us, with complacency and
delight. But when it is set forth to us under the notion of 'mercy,'
then it bespeaks us to be in a state both wretched and miserable,
and that his bowels and compassions yearn over us in this our fearful
plight. Now, the Holy Ghost chooseth--as it should seem--in this
place, to present us with that goodness that is in God's heart
towards us, rather under the term of mercy; for that, as I said
before, it so presenteth us with our misery, and his pity and
compassion; and because it best pleaseth us when we apprehend God
in Christ as one that has the love of compassion and pity for us.
Hence we are often presented with God's goodness to us to cause us
to hope, under the name of pity and compassion. 'In his pity he
redeemed them,' and 'like as a father pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear him' (Isa 63:9; Psa 103:13). 'The Lord
is very pitiful and of tender mercy,' he also is gracious and 'full
of compassion' (James 5:11; Psa 78:38). 'Thou, O Lord, art a God
full of compassion,' and thy 'compassions fail not' (Psa 86:15,
111:4; Lam 3:22).

The words being thus briefly touched upon, I shall come to treat
of two things. FIRST, more distinctly, I shall show you what kind
of mercy is with the Lord, as a reason to encourage Israel to
hope. SECONDLY, And then shall show what is to be inferred from
this reason, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there
is mercy.'

[FIRST, The kind of mercy that Israel is to hope for.]

First, 'With him there is TENDER MERCY, and therefore let Israel
hope' (Psa 25:6, 103:4, 119:156). Tender mercy is mercy in mercy,
and that which Israel of old had in high estimation, cried much for,
and chose that God would deal with their souls by that. 'Withhold
not thou thy tender mercies from me,' said David, and 'according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions'
(Psa 40:11, 51:1). And again, 'Let thy tender mercies come unto
me, that I may live' (Psa 119:77). Now of this sort of mercies God
has a great many, a multitude to bestow upon his people. And they
are thus mentioned by the word, to cause us to hope in him. And
is not this alluring, is not this enticing to the Israel of God to
hope, when the object of their hope is a God 'very pitiful, and of
tender mercy?' Yea, a God whose tender mercies are great and many.
There are two things that this word tender mercy importeth. 1. The
first is, that sin will put a believer, if he giveth way thereto,
into a very miserable condition. 2. That God would have them hope,
that though sin may have brought any of them into this condition,
the Lord will restore them with much pity and compassion. 'Let
Israel hope in the Lord,' for with the Lord there is mercy, tender
mercy.

1. For the first of these, That sin will put a believer, if he
gives way thereto, into a very miserable condition, and that upon
a double account. (1.) For that it will bring him into fears of
damnation. (2.) In that it will make his soul to be much pained
under those fears.

We will wave the first, and come to the second of these. The pains
that guilt will make, when it wounds the conscience, none knows
but those to whom sin is applied by the Spirit of God, in the law.
Yet all may read of it in the experience of the godly; where this
pain is compared to a wound in the flesh, to fire in the bones, to
the putting of bones out of joint, and the breaking of them asunder
(Psa 38:3,5,7,8, 102:3, 22:14; Lam 1:13, 3:4). He that knows what
wounds and broken bones are, knows them to be painful things. And
he that knows what misery sin will bring the soul into with its
guilt, will conclude the one comes no whit short of the other. But
now he that hath these wounds, and also these broken bones, the
very thoughts of a man that can cure, and of a bonesetter, will
make him afraid, yea, quake for fear; especially if he knows that
though he has skill, he has a hard heart, and fingers that are like
iron. He that handleth a wound, had need have fingers like feathers
or down; to be sure the patient wisheth they were! Tenderness is a
thing of great worth to such; and such men are much inquired after
by such; yea, their tenderness is an invitation to such to seek
after them. And the thing is true in spirituals (Isa 42:3). Wherefore
David cried, as I said before, 'Have mercy upon me, O God! according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions'
(Psa 51:1). O handle me tenderly, Lord, handle me tenderly, cried
David. O cure me, I beseech thee, and do it with thy tender mercy.

Now, answerable to this, the Lord is set forth to Israel, as one
with whom is mercy, consequently tender mercy. Let Israel hope in
the Lord, for with the Lord there is tender mercy. God therefore
would have the wounded and bruised, and those whose pains may be
compared to the pains and pangs of broken bones, to hope that he
will restore them with much pity and compassion, or as you have it
before, in pity and tender mercy. See how he promiseth to do it by
the prophet. 'A bruised reed shall he not break; and the smoking
flax shall he not quench' (Isa 42:3). See how tender he is in the
action. 'When he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him,
and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on
his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him'
(Luke 10:33-35). Every circumstance is full of tenderness and
compassion. See also how angry he maketh himself with those of his
servants that handle the wounded or diseased without this tenderness;
and how he catcheth them out of their hand, with a purpose to deal
more gently with them himself. 'The diseased,' saith he, 'have
ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick;
neither have ye bound up that which was broken; neither have ye
brought again that which was driven away; neither have ye sought
that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled
them; therefore, ye shepherds, hear the words of the Lord: I will
feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord
God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which
was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and
will strengthen that which was sick' (Eze 34:4,7,15,16). Here is
encouragement to hope, even according to the reason urged: 'Let
Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy,' tender
mercy. Second. As with him is mercy tender, so there is with him
mercy that is GREAT, for with him is great mercy. 'The Lord is
long-suffering, and of great mercy' (Num 14:18). When tenderness
accompanies want of skill, the defect is great; but when tenderness
and great skill meet together, such a surgeon is a brave accomplished
man. Besides, some are more plagued with the sense of the greatness
of their sins than others are; the devil having placed or fixed the
great sting there. These are driven by the greatness of sin into
despairing thoughts, hotter than fire: these have the greatness of
their sin betwixt God and them, like a great mountain; yea, they are
like a cloud that darkeneth the sun and air.[19] This man stands
under Cain's gibbet, and has the halter of Judas, to his own
thinking, fastened about his neck.

And now, cries, he, 'GREAT mercy or NO mercy; for little mercy will
do me no good'; such a poor creature thus expostulateth the case
with God, 'Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise
and praise thee?' (Psa 88:10). Lord, I have destroyed myself, can
I live? My sins are more than the sands, can I live? Lord, every
one of them are sins of the first rate, of the biggest size, of the
blackest line, can I live? I never read that expression but once
in all the whole Bible; 'For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine
iniquity, for it is great' (Psa 25:11). Not that there was but one
man in Israel that had committed great iniquities, but because men
that have so done, have rather inclined to despair, than to an
argument so against the wind. If he had said, Pardon, for they are
little, his reason had carried reason in it; but when he saith,
Pardon, for they are great, he seems to stand like a man alone. This
is the common language, 'if our transgressions be upon us, and we
pine away in them, How should we then live?' (Eze 33:10). Or thus,
'Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost, and we are cut off for
our parts' (Eze 37:11). Wherefore to such as these, good wishes,
tender fingers, and compassion, without GREAT mercy, can do
nothing. But behold, O thou man of Israel, thou talkest of great
sins; answerable to this, the Scripture speaks of great mercy; and
thy great sins are but the sins of a man, but these great mercies
are the mercies of a God; yea, and thou art exhorted, even because
there is mercy with him, therefore to trust thy soul with him,
'let Israel trust in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy,'
great mercy. This therefore is a truth of singular consolation,
that mercy is with the Lord, that tender mercy is with him, that
great mercy is with him, both TENDER and GREAT. What would man have
more? But,

Third. As great mercy is with the Lord to encourage us to hope,
so this mercy that is great, is RICH. 'God is rich in mercy' (Eph
2:4). There is riches of goodness and riches of grace with him
(Rom 2:4; Eph 1:7). Things may be great in quantity, and little of
value; but the mercy of God is not so. We use to prize small things
when great worth is in them; even a diamond as little as a pea, is
preferred before a pebble, though as big as a camel. Why, here is
rich mercy, sinner; here is mercy that is rich and full of virtue!
a drop of it will cure a kingdom. 'Ah! but how much is there of
it?' says the sinner. O, abundance, abundance! for so saith the
text--'Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his' rich
'mercies are great' (2 Sam 24:14). Some things are so rich, and of
such virtue, that if they do but touch a man, if they do but come
nigh a man, if a man doth but look upon them, they have a present
operation upon him; but the very mentioning of mercy, yea, a very
thought of it, has sometimes had that virtue in it as to cure a
sin-sick soul. Here is virtuous mercy!

Indeed mercy, the best of mercies, are little worth to a self-righteous
man, or a sinner fast asleep; we must not, therefore, make our esteems
of mercy according to the judgment of the secure and heedless man,
but according to the verdict of the Word; nay, though the awakened
sinner, he that roareth for mercy all day long, by reason of the
disquietness of his heart is the likeliest among sinful flesh, or
as likely as another, to set a suitable estimate upon mercy; yet
his verdict is not always to pass in this matter. None can know
the riches of mercy to the full, but he that perfectly knoweth the
evil of sin, the justice of God, all the errors of man, the torments
of hell, and the sorrows that the Lord Jesus underwent, when mercy
made him a reconciler of sinners to God. But this can be known
by none but the God whose mercy it is. This is the pearl of great
price.

The richness of mercy is seen in several things. It can save from
sin, from great sin, from all sin (Titus 3:5; Matt 15:22,28). It
can save a soul from the devil, from all devils (Matt 17:15,18).
It can save a soul from hell, from all hells (Psa 116:3,5,6). It
can hold us up in the midst of all weaknesses (Psa 94:18). It can
deliver from eternal judgment (Rom 9:23). Yea, what is it that we
have, or shall need, that this virtuous mercy cannot do for us:
'Let Israel hope in the Lord: for which the Lord is RICH mercy,'
mercy full of virtue, and that can do great things.

Fourth. As the mercies that are with the Lord are tender, great,
and rich, so there is a MULTITUDE of them, and they are called
'manifold,' there is a multitude of these rich and virtuous mercies
(Psa 69:13; Rev 9:19). By multitude, I understand mercies of every
sort or kind; mercies for this, and mercies for the other malady;
mercies for every sickness, a salve for every sore. Some things
that are rich and very full of virtue, have yet their excellency
extending itself but to one, or two, or three things for help; and
this is their leanness in the midst of their excellencies. But it
is not thus with the mercy of God. Some things that are rich and
virtuous, are yet so only but at certain seasons; for there are
times in which they can do nothing. But it is not so with this
tender, great, and rich mercy of God. There are some things, though
rich, that are sparingly made use of. But it is not so with this
mercy of God. There is a multitude of them; so if one will not
another will. There is a multitude of them; so one or other of
them is always in their season. There is a multitude of them; and
therefore it must not be supposed that God is niggardly as to the
communicating of them.

As they are called a multitude, so they are called mercies
manifold. There is no single flower in God's gospel-garden, they
are all double and treble; there is a wheel within a wheel, a
blessing within a blessing, in all the mercies of God. Manifold; a
man cannot receive one, but he receives many, many folded up, one
within another. For instance,

1. If a man receiveth Christ, who is called God's tender mercy;
why, he shall find in him all the promises, pardons, justifications,
righteousnesses, and redemptions, that are requisite to make him
stand clear before the justice of the law, in the sight of God,
from sin (Luke 1:76-79; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph 4:32; 2 Cor 1:20).

2. If a man receive the Spirit, he shall have as folded up in that,
for this is the first unfolding itself, many, very many mercies (Ezra
1:4). He shall have the graces, the teachings, the sanctifications,
the comforts, and the supports of the Spirit: When he saith in one
place, 'He will give the Spirit,' he calleth that in another place,
'the good things' of God (Luke 11:13; Matt 7:11).

3. If a man receive the mercy of the resurrection of the body,
and God's people shall assuredly receive that in its time, what a
bundle of mercies will be received, as wrapt up in that? He will
receive perfection, immortality, heaven, and glory; and what is
folded up in these things, who can tell?

I name but these three, for many more might be added, to show you
the plenteousness, as well as the virtuousness of the tender, great,
and rich mercy of God. A multitude! There is converting mercy,
there is preserving mercy, there is glorifying mercy: and how many
mercies are folded up in every one of these mercies, none but God
can tell. A multitude! There are mercies for the faithful followers
of Christ, for those of his that backslide from him, and also
for those that suffer for him; and what mercies will by these be
found folded up in their mercies, they will better know when they
come to heaven. A multitude of preventing mercies in afflictions,
in disappointments, in cross providences, there are with God: and
what mercies are folded up in these afflicting mercies, in these
disappointing mercies, and in these merciful cross providences, must
rest in the bosom of him to be revealed, who only is wonderful in
counsel, and excellent in working. A multitude of common mercies;
of every day's mercies, of every night's mercies, of mercies in
relations, of mercies in food and raiment, and of mercies in what
of these things there is; and who can number them? David said, He
daily was loaded with God's benefits. And I believe, if, as we are
bound, we should at all times return God thanks for all particular
mercies, particularly, it would be a burden intolerable, and would
kill us out of hand! (Psa 68:19). And all this is written, that
Israel might hope in the Lord: 'Let Israel hope in the Lord; for
with the Lord there is mercy.'

Fifth. As the mercies that are with the Lord are tender, great,
rich, a multitude, and manifold; so they are mercies that DIMINISH
NOT in the using, but that rather increase in the exercising of
them. Hence it is said, grace aboundeth, and hath abounded unto
many; and that God is able to make all grace abound towards us
(Rom 5:15; 2 Cor 9:8; Eph 1:7,8). The grace of forgiveness I mean,
wherein he hath abounded towards us. Now, to abound, is to flow,
to multiply, to increase, to greaten, to be more and more; and of
this nature is the mercy that is with the Lord; mercy that will abound
and increase in the using. Hence he is said to pardon abundantly,
to pardon and multiply to pardon: and, again, to exercise
loving-kindness; to exercise it, that is, to draw it out to the
length; to make the best advantage and improvement of every grain
and quality of it (Isa 55:7; Jer 9;24). 'The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth' (Exo 34:6).

Mercy to a man under guilt, and fear of hell-fire, seems as a
little, shrunk-up, or shrivelled thing; there appears no quantity
in it. There is mercy, said Cain, but there is not enough; and he
died under that conceit (Gen 4:13). Nor is it as to judgment and
thought many times much better with the Israel of God. But behold
when God sets mercy to work, it is like the cloud that at first
was but like a man's hand, it increaseth until it hath covered the
face of heaven. Many have found it thus, yea they have found it
thus in their distress (1 Kings 18:41-44). Paul has this expression,
'The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant,' that is, increased
towards me exceedingly (1 Tim 1:13-15). And this is the cause of
that change of thoughts that is wrought at last in the hearts of
the tempted; at first they doubt, at last they hope; at first they
despair, at last they rejoice; at first they quake, while they
imagine how great their sins are, and how little the grace of God
is; but at last they see such a greatness, such a largeness, such
an abundance of increase, in this multiplying mercy of God, that with
gladness of heart, for their first thoughts, they call themselves
fools, and venture their souls, the next world, and their interest
in it, upon this mercy of God.

I tell you, Sirs, you must not trust your own apprehensions nor
judgments with the mercy of God; you do not know how he can cause
it to abound; that which seems to be short and shrunk up to you, he
can draw out, and cause to abound exceedingly. There is a breadth,
and length, and depth, and height therein, when God will please
to open it; that for the infiniteness can swallow up not only all
thy sins, but all thy thoughts and imaginations, and that can also
drown thee at last. 'Now unto him that is able,' 'as to mercy,' 'to
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen!' (Eph
3:20,21). This, therefore, is a wonderful thing, and shall be
wondered at to all eternity; that that river of mercy, that at first
did seem to be but ankle deep, should so rise, and rise, and rise,
that at last it became 'waters to swim in, a river that could not
be passed over!' (Eze 47:3-5). Now all this is written, that Israel
might hope. 'Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there
is mercy.'

Sixth. As there are with God mercies, tender, great, rich, a
multitude, and mercy that abounds; so to encourage us to trust in
him, there is mercy to COMPASS US ROUND ABOUT. 'Many sorrows shall
be to the wicked, but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall
compass him about' (Psa 32:10). This is, therefore, the lot of
the Israel of God, that they shall, they trusting in their God, be
compassed with mercy round about. This is mercy to do for us in
this world, that we may arrive safely in that world which is to
come. Another text saith, 'For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield' (Psa 5:12). As
with a shield. This compassing of them, therefore, is, to the end
they may be defended and guarded from them that seek their hurt.
When Elisha was in danger, by reason of the army of the Syrians,
'behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire, round
about him,' to deliver him (2 Kings 6:15-17). Round about on every
side; or as David hath it, 'Thou shalt increase my greatness, and
comfort me on every side' (Psa 71:21). 'I will encamp about mine
house,' saith God, 'because of the army, because of him that passeth
by, and him that returneth' (Zech 9:1).

This, therefore, is the reason why, notwithstanding all our
weaknesses, and also the rage of Satan, we are kept and preserved
in a wicked world; we are compassed round about. Hence, when God
asked Satan concerning holy Job, he answered, 'Hast thou not made
a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath
on every side?' (Job 1:10). I cannot come at him; thou compassest
him, and keepest me out. By this, then, is that scripture opened,
'Thou art my hiding-place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble,
thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance' (Psa 32:7).
And, indeed, it would be comely, if we, instead of doubting and
despairing, did sing in the ways of the Lord: have we not cause
thus to do, when the Lord is round about us with sword and shield,
watching for us against the enemy, that he may deliver us from
their hand? (Jer 31:12).

This also is the reason why nothing can come at us, but that it
may do us good. If the mercy of God is round about us, about us
on every side; then no evil thing can by any means come at us, but
it must come through this mercy, and so must be seasoned with it,
and must have its deadly poison, by it, taken away. Hence Paul,
understanding this, saith, 'And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God' (Rom 8:28). But how can that be,
did they not come to us through the very sides of mercy? and how
could they come to us so, since Satan pryeth to wound us deadly in
every, or in some private place, if mercy did not compass us round
about, round about as with a shield? He went round about Job, to
see by what hog-hole he might get at him, that he might smite him
under the fifth rib.[20] But, behold, he found he was hedged out
round about; wherefore he could not come at him but through the
sides of mercy; and, therefore, what he did to him must be for
good. Even thus also shall it be in conclusion with all the wrath
of our enemies, when they have done what they can; by the mercy
of God, we shall be made to stand. 'Why boasteth thou thyself in
mischief,' said David, 'O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth
continually' (Psa 52:1). And that will sanctify to me whatever thou
doest against me! This, therefore, is another singular encouragement
to Israel to hope in the Lord; for that there is with him mercy to
compass us round about.

Here is, I say, room for hope, and for the exercise thereof; when
we feel ourselves after the worst manner assaulted. 'Wherefore
should I fear,' said David, 'in the day of evil, when the iniquity
of my heels shall compass me about?' (Psa 49:5). Wherefore? Why
now there is all the reason in the world to fear the day of evil
is come upon thee, and the iniquity of thy heels doth compass thee
about. The hand of God is upon thee, and thy sins, which are the
cause, stand round about thee, to give in evidence against thee; and
therefore thou must fear. No, saith David, that is not a sufficient
reason; he that trusteth in the Lord, Mercy shall compass him about.
Here is ground also to pray in faith, as David, saying, 'Keep me
as the apple of the eye, hid me under the shadow of thy wings, from
the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me
about' (Psa 17:8,9).

Seventh. As all this tender, great, rich, much abounding mercy,
compasseth us about; so that we may hope in the God of our mercy,
it is said this mercy IS TO FOLLOW US. 'Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever' (Psa 23:6). It shall follow me, go with
me, and be near me, in all the way that I go (Psa 32:8). There are
these six things to be gathered out of this text, for the further
support of our hope.

1. It shall follow us to guide us in the way. I will guide thee
with mine eye, says God, that is, in the way that thou shalt go. The
way of man to the next world, is like the way from Egypt to Canaan,
a way not to be wound out but by the pillar of a cloud by day, and
a flame of fire by night; that is, with the Word and Spirit. 'Thou
shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory'
(Psa 73:24). Thou shalt guide me from the first step to the last
that I shall take in this my pilgrimage: Goodness and mercy shall
follow me.

2. As God in mercy will guide, so by the same he will uphold our
goings in his paths. We are weak, wherefore though the path we go
in were never so plain, yet we are apt to stumble and fall. But
'when I said my foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up' (Psa
94:18). Wherefore we should always turn our hope into prayer, and
say, Lord, 'hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip
not' (Psa 17:5). Be not moved; let mercy follow me.

3. As the God of our mercy has mercy to guide us, and uphold us; so
by the same will he instruct us when we are at a loss, at a stand.
'I led Israel about,' says God, 'I instructed him, and kept him as
the apple of mine eye' (Deut 32:10). I say we are often at a loss;
David said, after all his brave sayings, in Psalm 119, 'I have
gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant' (v 176). Indeed
a Christian is not so often out of the way, as he is at a stand
therein, and knows not what to do. But here also is his mercy as
to that. 'Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This
is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when
ye turn to the left' (Isa 30:21). Mercy follows for this.

4. Mercy shall follow to carry thee when thou art faint. We have
many fainting and sinking fits as we go. 'He shall gather the lambs
with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,' or upon eagles' wings
(Isa 40:11). He made Israel to ride on the high places of the earth,
and made him to suck honey out of the rock (Deut 32:13).

5. Mercy shall follow us, to take us up when we are fallen, and
to heal us of those wounds that we have caught by our falls. 'The
Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed
down' (Psa 145:14). And again: 'The Lord openeth the yes of the
blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; the Lord loveth
the righteous' (Psa 146:8). Or, as we have it in another place, 'The
steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in
his way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down; for the
Lord upholdeth him with his hand' (Psa 37:23,24). Here is mercy
for a hoping Israelite; and yet this is not all.

6. Mercy shall follow us to pardon our sins as they are committed.
For though by the act of justification, we are for ever secured
from a state of condemnation; yet as we are children, we need
forgiveness daily, and have need to pray, 'Our Father, forgive us
our trespasses.' Now, that we may have daily forgiveness for our
daily sins and trespasses, mercy and goodness must follow us; or
as Moses has it, 'And he said, If now I have found grace in thy
sight, O Lord! let my Lord, I pray thee, go amongst us, for it is
a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take
us for thine inheritance' (Exo 34:9). Join to this that prayer of
his, which you find in Numbers: 'Now I beseech thee let the power
of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The
Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity, and
transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people
according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven
this people from Egypt even until now,' or hitherto (Num 14:17-19).
How many times, think you, did Israel stand in need of pardon, from
Egypt, until they came to Canaan? Even so many times wilt thou need
pardon from the day of thy conversion to the day of death; to the
which God will follow Israel, that he may dwell in the house of
the Lord for ever.

Eighth. As all this tender, great, rich, abounding, compassing mercy,
shall follow Israel to do him good; so shall it do him EVERY GOOD
TURN, in delivering of him from every judgment that by sin he hath
laid himself obnoxious to, with rejoicing. For 'mercy rejoiceth
against judgment' (James 2:13). That is, applying it to the mercy
of God towards his, it rejoiceth in delivering us form the judgments
that we have deserved; yea, it delivereth us from all our woes with
rejoicing. In the margin it is 'glorieth'; it glorieth in doing
this great thing for us. I have thought, considering how often I
have procured judgments and destructions to myself, that God would
be weary of pardoning, or else that he would pardon with grudging.
But the Word said, 'He fainteth not nor is weary' (Isa 40;28). 'I
will rejoice over them to do them good,--with my whole heart, and
with my whole soul' (Jer 32:41). This doing of us good with rejoicing,
this saving of us from deserved judgments with rejoicing, this
getting the victory over our destructions for us, with rejoicing;
O! it is a marvellous thing! 'O sing unto the Lord a new song,
for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy
arm hath gotten him the victory'; the victory for us (Psa 98:1).
And as Paul said, 'We are more than conquerors through him' (Rom
8:37); and this he did with triumph and rejoicing (Col 2:15). The
heart is seen oft-times, more in the manner than in the act that
is acted; more in the manner of doing than in doing of the thing.
The wickedness of the heart of Moab was more seen in the manner of
action than in the words that he spake against Israel. 'For since
thou spakest [of] against him thou skippedst for joy' (Jer 48:27).
So Edom rejoiced at the calamity of his brother; he looked on it and
rejoiced: and in his rejoicing appeared the badness of his heart,
and the great spite that he had against his brother Jacob (Oba
10:14).

Now, my brethren, I beseech you consider, that God hath not only
showed you mercy, but hath done it with rejoicing. Mercy doth not
only follow you, but it follows you with rejoicing: yea, it doth
not only prevent your ruin, by our repeated transgressions procured,
but it doth it with rejoicing. Here is the very heart of mercy seen,
in that it rejoiceth against judgment. Like unto this is that in
Zephaniah: 'The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he
will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his
love, he will joy over thee with singing' (Zeph 3:17,18).

There are many things that show with what an heart mercy is of God
extended, as is afore described, to Israel for his salvation; but
this, that it acteth with rejoicing, that it saveth with rejoicing,
and gets the victory over judgment with rejoicing! is a wonderful
one, and one that should be taken notice of by Israel, for his
encouragement to hope. 'Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with him
there is mercy,' tender, great, rich, multiplying mercy, mercy that
compasseth us about, that goeth with us all the way, and mercy that
rejoiceth to overcome every judgment that seeketh our destruction,
as we go toward our Father's house and kingdom!

It is said in the Word, God delighteth in mercy. 'Who is a God like
unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression
of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for
ever, because he delighteth in mercy' (Micah 7:18). Here then is
a reason of the rejoicing of mercy against judgment. Why, mercy is
God's delight; or, as another hath it, 'Mercy pleaseth thee.' What
a man delights in, that he will set on foot, and that he will seek
to manage, that he will promote, and that he will glory in the
success and prosperity of. Why, the text saith, God delighteth in
mercy: nor do I believe, how odious soever the comparison may seem
to be, that ever man delighteth more in sin, than God hath delighted
in showing mercy. Has man given himself for sin? God has given his
Son for us, that he might show us mercy (John 3:16). Has man lain
at wait for opportunities for sin? God has waited to be gracious,
that he might have mercy upon us (Isa 30:10). Has man, that he might
enjoy his sin, brought himself to a morsel of bread? Why Christ,
Lord of all, that he might make room for mercy, made himself the
poorest man (Luke 9:58; 2 Cor 8:9). Has man, when he has found his
sin, pursued it with all his heart? Why God, when he sets a showing
mercy, shows it with rejoicing, for he delighteth in mercy.

Here also you may see the reason why all God's paths are mercy and
truth to his (Psa 25:10). I have observed that what a man loveth he
will accustom himself unto, whether it be fishing, hunting, or the
like. These are his ways, his course, the paths wherein he spends
his life, and therefore he is seldom found out of one or another
of them. 'Now,' saith David, 'all the paths of the Lord are mercy'
(Psa 25:10). He is never out of them: for wherever he is, still
he is coming towards his Israel in one or other of these paths,
stepping steps of mercy. Hence again it is that you find that at
the end of every judgment there is mercy; and that God in the midst
of this remembers that (Habb 2:3). Yea, judgment is in mercy; and
were it not for that, judgment should never overtake his people
(1 Cor 11:32). Wherefore let Israel hope in the Lord, seeing with
him is all this mercy.

Ninth. Besides all this, the mercy that is with God, and that is
an encouragement to Israel to hope in him, IS EVERLASTING: 'The
mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that
fear him' (Psa 103:17). From everlasting to everlasting; that is
more, more than I said. Well,

1. Then from everlasting; that is, from before the world began; so
then, things that are, and are to be hereafter, are to be managed
according to those measures that God in mercy took for his people
then. Hence it is said, that he has blessed us according as he
chose us in Christ, before the world began; that is, according to
those measures and grants that were by mercy allotted to us then
(Eph 1:4). According to that other saying, 'according to his mercy he
saved us,' that is, according as mercy had allotted for us before
the world began (Titus 3:5). 'According to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began' (2 Tim
1:9). This is mercy from everlasting, and is the ground and bottom
of all dispensations that have been, are, or are to come to his
people. And now, though it would be too great a step to a side, to
treat of all those mercies that of necessity will be found to stand
upon that which is called mercy from everlasting, yet it will be
to our purpose, and agreeable to our method, to conclude that mercy
to everlasting stands upon that; even as vocation, justification,
preservation, and glorification, standeth upon our being chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world (Rom 8:29,30). Here then
is the mercy that is with God and that should encourage Israel to
hope. The mercy that has concerned itself with them, is mercy from
everlasting. Nor may it be thought that a few quarrels of some
brain-sick fellows will put God upon taking new measures for his
people; what foundation has been laid for his, before he laid the
foundation of the world, shall stand; for that it was laid in Christ
by virtue of mercy: that is, from everlasting (Rom 9:11). The old
laws, which are the Magna Charta, the sole basis of the government
of a kingdom, may not be cast away for the pet that is taken by every
little gentleman against them.[21] We have indeed some professors
that take a great pet against that foundation of salvation, that
the mercy that is from everlasting has laid; but since the kingdom,
government, and glory of Christ is wrapped up in it, and since
the calling, justification, perseverance, and glorification of his
elect, which are called his body and fulness, is wrapt up therein,
it may not be laid aside nor despised, nor quarrelled against by
any, without danger of damnation.

Here then is the mercy with which Israel is concerned, and which
is with God as an encouragement to them that should hope, to hope
in him. It is mercy from everlasting; it is mercy of an ancient
date; it is mercy in the root of the thing. For it is from this
mercy in the root of the thing. For it is from this mercy, this
mercy from everlasting, that all, and all those sorts of mercies,
of which we have discoursed before, do flow. It is from this that
Christ the Saviour flows; this is it, from which that tender mercy,
that great mercy, that rich mercy that aboundeth towards us, doth
flow; and so of all the rest. Kind brings forth its kind; know the
tree by his fruit; and God by his mercy in Christ; yea, and know
what God was doing before he made the world, by what he has been
doing ever since. And what has God been doing for and to his church
from the beginning of the world, but extending to, and exercising
loving-kindness and mercy for them? therefore he laid a foundation
for this in mercy from everlasting.

2. But mercy from everlasting is but the beginning, and we
have discoursed of those mercies that we have found in the bowels
of this already, wherefore a word of that which is to everlasting
also. 'From everlasting to everlasting.' Nothing can go beyond
to everlasting; wherefore this, to everlasting, will see an end
of all. The devil will tempt us, sin will assault us, men will
persecute; but can they do it to everlasting? If not, then there is
mercy to come to God's people at last; even when all evils have
done to us what they can. After the prophet had spoken of the
inconceivable blessedness that God hath prepared for them that wait
for him, he drops to present wrath, and the sin of God's people in
this life. This done, he mounts up again to the first, and saith,
'in those is continuance'; that is, the things laid up for us are
everlasting, and therefore 'we shall be saved' (Isa 64:4,5). How
many things since the beginning have assaulted the world to destroy
it, as wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, &c., and yet to this
day it abideth. But what is the reason of that? Why, God liveth,
upon whose word, and by whose decree it abideth. 'He hath established
the earth, and it abideth'; it standeth fast, and 'cannot be moved'
(Psa 119:90, 93:1, 96:10). Why, my brethren, mercy liveth, mercy
is everlasting; 'His mercy endureth for ever!' (Psa 136). And
therefore the church of God liveth; and when all her enemies have
done their all, this is the song that the church shall sing over
them: 'They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen, and
stand upright!' (Psa 20:8). Everlasting mercy, with everlasting
arms, are underneath (Deut 33:27).

And as this shows the cause of the life of the church, notwithstanding
her ghostly and bodily enemies, so it showeth the cause of her
deliverance from her repeated sins. As God said of leviathan 'I will
not conceal his parts,' &c. (Job 41:12). So it is very unbecoming
of God's people to conceal their sins and miscarriages, for it
diminisheth this mercy of God. Let therefore sin be acknowledged,
confessed, and not be hid nor dissembled; it is to the glory of
mercy that we confess to God and one another what we are; still
remembering this, but mercy is everlasting!

As this shows the reason of our life, and the continuance of that,
notwithstanding our repeated sins, so it shows the cause of the
receiving [or renewing] of our graces, from so many decays and
sickness. For this mercy will live, last, and outlast, all things
that are corruptible and hurtful unto Israel. Wherefore 'let Israel
hope in the Lord,' for this reason, 'for with the Lord there is
mercy.' 1. Tender mercy for us. 2. Great mercy for us. 3. Rich mercy.
4. Manifold mercy. 5. Abounding mercy towards us. 6. Compassing
mercy wherewith we are surrounded. 7. Mercy to follow us wherever
we go. 8. Mercy that rejoiceth against judgment. And, 9. Mercy
that is from everlasting to everlasting. All these mercies are with
God, to allure, to encourage, and uphold Israel in hope.

[SECOND. What is to be inferred from this reason.]

I come now to the second thing, which is to show what is to be
inferred from this reason. And,

First. This, to be sure, is to be inferred, That Israel, as the
child of God, is a pitiful thing of himself; one that is full of
weaknesses, infirmities, and defects, should we speak nothing of
his transgressions. He that is to be attended with so many mercies,
absolutely necessary mercies, for there is not in these mercies
one that can be spared, must needs be in himself a poor indigent
creature. Should you see a child attended with so many engines to
make him go, as the child of God is attended with mercies to make
him stand, you would say, What an infirm, decrepit, helpless thing
is this![22] Alas! I have here counted up mercies in number nine.
If I had counted up nine hundred and ninety-nine, all had been the
same, for the child of God would not have one to spare. The text
saith, 'The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy,' and all little
enough to preserve his Israel (Psa 119:64). Indeed, those that I
have presented the reader with are the chief heads of mercies; or
the head-mercies from which many others flow. But, however, were they
but single mercies, they show with great evidence our deficiency;
but being double, they show it much more.

Should it be said there is such a lord has a son, a poor decrepit
thing; he is forced to wear things to strengthen his ancles, things
to strengthen his knees, things to strengthen his loins, things to
keep up his bowels, things to strengthen his shoulders, his neck,
his hands, fingers; yea, he cannot speak but by the help of an
engine, nor chew his food but by the help of an engine. What would
you say? What would you think? Would you not say such a one is not
worth the keeping, and that his father cannot look for any thing
from him, but that he should live upon high charge and expense, as
long as he liveth; besides all the trouble such an one is like to
be of to others. Why this is the case: Israel is such an one, nay,
a worse. He cannot live without tender mercy, without great mercy,
without rich mercy, without manifold mercy and unless mercy abounds
towards him. He cannot stand if mercy doth not compass him round
about, nor go unless mercy follows him. Yea, if mercy that rejoiceth
against judgment doth not continually flutter over him, the very
moth will eat him up, and the canker will consume him (Job 4:19).
Wherefore it is necessary to the making of Israel live and flourish,
that everlasting mercy should be over his head, and everlasting
mercy under his feet, with all the afore-mentioned mercies, and
more in the bowels of it. But I say doth not this sufficiently show,
had we but eyes to see it, what a sad and deplorable creature the
child of God of himself is? O! this is not believed nor considered
as it should. Vain man would be wise; sinful man would be holy;
and poor, lame, infirm, helpless man, would be strong, and fain
persuade others that he hath a sufficiency of himself. But I say,
if it be so, what need all this mercy? If thou canst go lustily,
what mean thy crutches? No, no, Israel, God's Israel, when awake,
stands astonished at his being surrounded with mercies, and cries
out, 'I am not worthy of the least [I am less than the least] of
all thy mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto
thy servant' (Gen 32:10).

Second. This also showeth how sorely the enemies of Israel are bent
to seek his destruction. The devil is, by way of eminency, called
the enemy of God's people: 'the devil, your adversary' (1 Peter
5:8). And this, that there are so many mercies employed about us,
and all to bring us to the place which God hath appointed for us,
doth demonstrate it. Should you see a man that was not to go from
door to door, but he must be clad in a coat of mail, must have
a helmet of brass upon is head, and for his life-guard not so few
as a thousand men to wait upon him; would you not say, Surely this
man has store of enemies at hand, surely this man goes continually
in danger of his life? Why, this is the case, enemies lie in wait
for poor Israel in every hole; he can neither eat, drink, wake,
sleep, work, sit still, talk, be silent; worship his God in public
or in private, but he is in danger of being stabbed, or being
destroyed. Hence, as was said before, he is compassed about with
mercy as with a shield (Micah 7:20). And again it is said concerning
these, 'God's truth,' his mercy, 'shall be thy shield and buckler'
(Psa 91:4). And again, 'He is a buckler to all them that trust
in him' (2 Sam 22:31). Yea, David being a man sensible of his own
weakness, and of the rage and power of his enemies, cries out to
his God to take hold of shield and buckler, and to stand up for his
help (Psa 35:2). But what need these things be asserted, promised,
or prayed for? if Israel had no enemies, or none but such, he could,
as we say, make his party good with all. Alas, their cries, their
tears, sighs, watchings, and outcries, at sundry times, make this,
beyond all show of doubt, a truth.

If Solomon used to have about his bed no less than threescore of
the valiantest of Israel, holding swords, and being expert in war,
every one with his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the
night--and yet these fears were only concerning men--what guard and
safe-guard doth God's poor people need, who are continually, both
night and day, roared upon by the unmerciful fallen angels of
hell! (Can 3:7,8). I will add, if it be but duly considered, all
this guard and safeguard by mercy notwithstanding, how hardly this
people do escape being destroyed for ever, yea, how with hearts
broken, and loins broken, many of them with much difficulty get to
the gates of heaven! it will be easily concluded, that her enemies
are swifter than eagles, stronger than lions; and that they often
overtake her between the straits.

To say nothing of the many thousands that dare not so much as once
think of true religion, because of the power of the enemy which
they behold, when alas! they see nobody but the very scarecrows
which the devil hath set up for I count the persecutor of God's
people but the devil's scarecrow, the old one himself lies quat--yet,
I say, how are they frighted! how are they amazed! What a many of
the enemies of religion have these folks seen today![23] yea, and
they will as soon venture to run the hazard of hell-fire, as to be
engaged by these enemies in this way. Why, God's people are fain to
go through them all, and yet no more able than the other to do it
of themselves. They therefore are girded, compassed, and defended by
this mercy, which is the true cause indeed of their godly perseverance.

Third. A third thing that I infer from these words is, What a loving
God has Israel! 'Truly God is good to Israel. Let the redeemed of
the Lord say so.' A loving God, that should take this care of him,
and bestow so many mercies upon him. Mercies of all sorts, for
all cases, for all manner of relief and help against all manner
of perils. What is man that God should so unweariedly attend upon
him, and visit him every moment? Is he a second God? Is he God's
fellow? Is he of the highest order of the angels? or what is he?
O! he is a flea, a worm, a dead dog, sinful dust and ashes; he comes
up like a flower and is cut down, and what a thing is it that God
should so much as open his eyes upon such a one! (1 Sam 26:20; Job
25:6, 45:2,3). But then, what a thing is it that God should magnify
him, and that he should set his heart upon him! (Job 7:17). Yea,
that he should take him into acquaintance with him, give his angels
to be all ministering spirits for him! Yea, engage his mercy for
him, his tender, great, manifold, and everlasting mercy for him,
to compass him round withal, as with a shield, that nothing might
work his ruin for ever and ever!

It may well be said, 'God is love'! (1 John 4:16). Man may well
say so, 'O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy
endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he
hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy' (Psa 107:1-3). If it be
love for a fellow-creature to give a bit of bread, a coat, a cup
of cold water, what shall we call this? when God, the great God,
the former of all things, shall not only give an alms, an alms
to an enemy, but shall rise up, take shield and buckler, and be a
guard, a protection, a deliverer from all evil, until we come into
his heavenly kingdom? This love is such as is not found on earth,
nor to be paralleled among the creatures. None hopes this but one
that is good. Nor does any believe as they should, that God doth
love as these things declare he does. Our heart staggereth at the
greatness of the thing, and who is it that has any reason left in
him, and knows anything of what a wretched thing sin hath made him,
that can without starting so much as hear of all this mercy! But,

Fourth. Another thing that I infer from these words is this, What
ground is here to Israel to hope in the Lord! The Lord is not that
broken reed of Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his
hand and pierce it. God's word is steadfast for ever, even the word
by which we are here exhorted to hope. Nor shall we have cause to
doubt of the cause of the exhortation to such a soul-quieting duty;
for mercy is with the Lord: 'Let Israel rejoice in him that made
him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their king' (Psa 149:2).
For with the Lord there is mercy, wherewith to beautify the meek
with salvation. What sayest thou, child of God? Has sin wounded,
bruised thy soul, and broken thy bones? Why, with the Lord there is
tender mercy. Art thou a sinner of the first rate, of the biggest
size? Why, with the Lord there is great mercy for thee? Have thy
sins corrupted thy wounds, and made them putrefy and stink? Why,
with the Lord there is rich, that is, virtuous[24] mercy for thee.
Art thy sins of diverse sorts? Why, here is a multitude of manifold
mercies for thee. Dost thou see thyself surrounded with enemies?
Why, with the Lord there is mercy to compass thee about withal.
Is the way dangerous in which thou art to go? Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow thee all the days of thy life. Doth iniquity
prevail against thee? The mercy of this Lord aboundeth towards thee.
Doth judgments for thy miscarriages overtake thee; There is with
thy Lord mercy that rejoiceth to deliver thee from those judgments.
What shall I say? There is mercy from everlasting to everlasting
upon thee. What wouldst thou have? There is mercy underneath, mercy
above, and mercy for thee on every side; therefore 'let Israel
hope in the Lord!' I will add, it is the greatest unkindness thou
canst return to the Lord to doubt this mercy notwithstanding. Why,
what wilt thou make of God? Is there no truth nor trust to be put
in him, notwithstanding all that he hath said? O the depravedness
of man's nature! Because he speaketh the truth, therefore we believe
him not! (John 8:45). The odiousness of unbelief is manifest
by this, yea, also the unreasonableness thereof. God is true, his
Word is true; and to help us to hope in him, how many times has he
fulfilled it to others, and that before our eyes? Hope then; it is
good that a man should hope. Hope then; it pleases God that thou
shouldest hope. Hope then to the end, for the grace that is to be
brought unto thee will surely come, with Christ thy Saviour.

Men that have given up themselves to their sins, hope to enjoy
some benefit by them, though the curse of God, and his wrath, is
revealed from heaven against them for it (Rom 1:18). And yet thou
that hast given thyself to God by Christ, art afraid to hope in his
mercy! For shame, hope, and do not thus dishonour thy God, would
thine own soul, and set so bad an example to others. I know thou
hast thy objections in a readiness to cast in my way, and were
they made against doctrine, reason would that some notice should
be taken of them; but since they are made against duty, duty urged
from, and grounded upon, a word which is stedfast for ever, thou
deservest to be blamed, and to be told, that of all sins that ever
thou didst commit, thou now art managing the vilest, while thou art
giving way to, and fortifying of, unbelief and mistrust, against
this exhortation to hope, and against the reason for encouragement
to the duty.

[THIRD. THE AMPLIFICATION OF THE REASON 'TO HOPE IN THE LORD.']

But I shall pass from this to the third thing found in the text,
and that is the AMPLIFICATION of the reason. I told you that there
were in the text these three things, I. An exhortation to the
children of God to hope in the Lord: 'Let Israel hope in the Lord.'
II. A reason to enforce that exhortation, 'For with the Lord there
is mercy.' III. An amplification of that reason, 'And with him is
plenteous redemption.' I have gone through the two first, and shall
now come to this last.

In these last words, which I call the Amplification of the reason,
we have two things. FIRST. A more particular account of the nature
of the mercy propounded for an encouragement to Israel to hope.
SECOND. An account of the sufficiency of it. The nature of the mercy
propounded, is expressed by that word 'redemption.' The sufficiency
of it is expressed by that word 'plenteous.' 'Let Israel hope in the
Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous
redemption.'

[FIRST. The nature of the mercy propounded.]

Redemption may be diversely taken, as shall be further showed anon;
but forasmuch as the term here is made mention of indefinitely,
without nominating of this or that part of redemption particularly,
I shall speak to it in the general, with respect at least to the
main heads thereof.

To redeem is to fetch back, by sufficient and suitable means, those
at present in an enthralled, captivated, or an imprisoned condition;
and there are two sorts of this redemption. First, Redemption
by purchase. Second, Redemption by power. Redemption by purchase
is from the cause of captivities. Redemption by power is from the
effects.

First, If we speak of redemption by purchase, then three things
present themselves to our consideration--I. The person redeeming.
II. The nature of the price paid to redeem withal. III. The thing
or state from which this redeemer with this price redeemeth.

[I. The Person redeeming.] The subject of this redemption, or person
redeemed, is Israel, of him we have spoken before. For the person
redeeming, it is Jesus of Nazareth; Jesus that was born at Bethlehem,
at the time, and as the Scriptures relate (Matt 1; Luke 2). Now,
with reference to his person, we have two things to inquire after.
What this person was. How he addressed himself to this work.

1. What this person was. This Jesus was and is the natural and eternal
Son of God Almighty, without beginning or end, from everlasting;
the Creator and Upholder of the world (Prov 8; John 1; Heb 1).

2. How he addressed himself to the work of redeeming, take as follows.
He became true man: for he was conceived through the power of the
Holy Ghost in the womb of a maid, and in the fulness of time brought
forth of her, true, real, natural man; I say, though not in the
worst, yet in the best sense (Luke 2:31-35). Being thus brought
forth without spot or blemish, he began to address himself to the
work. (1.) By works preparatory, and then, (2.) By the act itself.

(1.) The works preparatory were as follow. He prepares himself
a priestly robe, which was his own obediential righteousness; for
without these holy garments he might not adventure to come into
the presence of God to offer his gift (Rom 5:19; Exo 28:40, 40:13).
Before he offered his gift for the people, he was to be himself
sanctified to his office: and that--by blood--by prayers and tears
(1 Peter 1:19). (a.) By blood; for before Aaron was to offer his
sacrifice for the people, he must himself be sprinkled with blood
(Exo 29:19-22). And because Jesus could not be sprinkled with the
blood of beasts, therefore was he sprinkled with that of his own:
not as Aaron was, upon the tip of his ear, and upon the tip of his
toe; but from top to toe, from head to foot, his sweat was blood
(Luke 22:44). So that from his agony in the garden to the place
where he was to lay down the price of our redemption, he went as
consecrated in his own blood. (b.) He offered also his sacrifice
of strong crying and tears, as his drink-offering to God, as a
sacrifice preparatory, not propitiatory, in pursuit of his office;
not to purge his person (Heb 5:5-8). This is the person redeeming,
and this was his preparation to the work.

(2.) The act itself. Now the redemption is often ascribed particularly
to his blood; yet in general, the act of his redeeming of us must
either more remotely or more nearly be reckoned from his whole
suffering for us in the flesh; which suffering I take to begin at
his agony, and was finished when he was raised again from the dead.
By his flesh I understand his whole man, as distinguished from his
Divine nature; and so that word doth comprehend his soul as well
as his body, as by the 53rd of Isaiah appears. His soul after that
manner which was proper to it; and his body after that manner which
was proper to it.

[II. The nature of the price paid to redeem.] His sufferings began
in his soul, some time before his body was touched, by virtue of
which was his bloody sweat in his body. The sorrows of his soul
began at the apprehension of what was coming from God, for our sakes,
upon him; but the bloody sweat of his body was from that union it
had with such a soul. His sufferings were from the hand of God,
not of man; not by constraint, but of his own will (Lev 1:3; John
10:18); and they differ from ours in these six things. 1. His
sufferings were by the rigour of the law; ours according to the
tenor of the gospel (Gal 3:13; Heb 12:10). 2. His sufferings were
from God's hand immediately; ours by and through a Mediator (Isa
53:6; Heb 9:22). 3. God delighted himself in every stroke he gave
him; he doth not willingly grieve nor afflict his people (Isa 53;
Psa 103; Lam 3:33). 4. He suffereth as a common or public person;
we for our own private offences (1 Cor 15:3; Lam 3:39). 5. He
suffered to make amends to justice for the breach of a holy law;
we to receive some small correction, and to be taught to amend our
lives (Heb 9:26; Rom 10:3,4; Deut 8:5; 2 chron 6:27). 6. He was
delivered from the nature of suffering by the merit of his person
and sufferings; we from ours by the mercy of God through Christ
(Acts 2:24; Eph 4:32, 5:2). Redemption, then, by a price, was this;
the blood of Christ, which he willingly suffered to be spilt on
the cross, before the face of God.

[III. The state from which this price redeemeth.] The cause of
this price was our sins; by which we were justly delivered up to
the curse, the devil, death, and hell; and should everlastingly
have so continued, but that this price of redemption was for us
paid. Hence it is said, Christ died for us. Christ died for our
sins. Christ gave himself for our sins. We have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins. And that we are bought with
this price. Now, in all this Christ respected the holiness of the
law, and the worth of our souls; giving full satisfaction to the
one, for the love that he bare to the other. And this has redeemed
his people from sin and the curse, the cause of our captivity.

Second, But besides this, there is redemption by power, and that
respecteth that, or those things, unto which we become not legally
indebted by our transgression. There was that unto which we became
legally indebted, and that was the justice and holiness of the law
(Gen 2:17). Now from this, because God had said it, for his Word
made it so, there could be no deliverance, but by a reverend and due
respect to its command and demand, and an answer to every whit of
what it would require; for not one tittle, not one jot or tittle of
the law could fail (Matt 5:18). Jesus Christ, therefore, with respect
to the law, that he might redeem us, paid a full and sufficient
price of redemption; but as for these things that hold us captive,
not for any injury we have done to them, but of power, tyranny, or
the like; from them he redeemed us by power (Eph 4). Hence, when
he had made satisfaction or amends for us to the law, he is said
to 'lead captivity captive, to spoil principalities and powers,
and to make a show of them openly' (Col 2). But to take captive,
and to spoil, must be understood of what he did, not to the law, but
to those others of our enemies from which we were to be redeemed,
not by price but by power. And this second part of redemption is
to be considered under a twofold head. 1. That these were overcome
personally, in and by himself, for us. 2. That they shall be overcome
also, in and by his church, through the power of his Spirit.

1. For the first, these were overcome personally, in and by himself
for us; to wit, at his resurrection from the dead. For as by his
death he made amends for our breach of the law, so by his resurrection
he spoiled those other enemies, to wit, death, the devil, and the
grave, &c., unto which we were subjected, not for any offence we
had committed against them, but for our sin against the law; and
men when they have answered to the justice of the law, are by law
and power delivered from the prison. Christ therefore, by power, by
his glorious power, did overcome the devil, hell, sin, and death,
then when he arose and revived from his grave, and so got the victory
over them, in and by himself, for us. For he engaging as a common
or public person for us, did on our behalf what he did, both in
his death and resurrection. So then, as he died for us, he rose
for us; and as by his death he redeemed us from some, so by his
resurrection from other, of our enemies. Only it must be considered,
that this redemption, as to the fulness of it as yet, resides in
his own person only, and is set out to his church as she has need
thereof, and that orderly too. First, that part thereof which
respecteth our redemption from the law; and then that part of it
which respecteth our redemption from those other things. And although
we are made partakers of redemption from the curse of the law in
this life, so far forth as to be justified therefrom; and also as
to the receiving of an earnest while here, of being wholly possessed
of the glory of the next world hereafter; yet we neither are, nor
shall be redeemed from all those things, which yet our head has,
as head, got a complete and eternal victory over, until just before
he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all
in all; for 'the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death' (1
Cor 15:26). Death, as it has hold upon us, for death as it had hold
on our head, was destroyed, when he rose from the dead, but death,
as we are subject to it, shall not be destroyed until we all and
every one of us shall attain to the resurrection from the dead; a
pledge of which we have by our spiritual resurrection, from a state
of nature to a state of grace (Col 3:1-4). A promise of which we
have in the word of the truth of the gospel; and an assurance of
it we have by the resurrection of Christ from the dead (Eph 4:30;
Luke 20:35; Acts 17:30,31). Wherefore let us hope!

Now, as to redemption from the law, and from those other things from
which we are, and are to be redeemed with power; do but consider
the different language which the Holy Ghost useth, with reference
to our redemption from each.

When it speaketh of our redemption from the just curse of the law,
which we have sufficiently deserved, it is said to be done, not by
destroying, but by fulfilling the law. 'Think not,' says Christ,
'that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come
to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven
and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from
the law, till all be fulfilled' (Matt 5:17,18). For it became him,
as our Redeemer, to fulfil all, and all manner of righteousness,
by doing and suffering what justly should have been done or borne
of us (Rom 8:3-5; Gal 3:13,14).

But now when our redemption from those other things is made mention
of, the dialect is changed; for then we read, to the end we might
be delivered from them, Christ was to destroy and abolish them (2
Tim 1:10); 'that through death he might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil,' and so deliver (Heb 2:14).
And again, 'O death, I will be thy plagues! O grace, I will be
thy destruction!' (Hosea 13:14). And again, 'that the body of sin
might be destroyed' (Rom 6:6); and I have the keys of hell and of
death (Rev 1:18). Having thereby sufficiently declared that the
power of it is destroyed as to Israel, who are the people concerned
in this redemption.

2. They shall be overcome by his church through the power of
his Spirit. Now, as was hinted before, the redemption is already
obtained, and that completely, by the person of Christ for us (Heb
9:24), as it is written, 'Having obtained eternal redemption for
us'; yet these enemies, sin, death, the devil, hell, and the grave,
are not so under the feet of his [saints] as he will put them,
and as they shall be in conclusion under the feet of Christ (Heb
2:8,9). I say they are not; wherefore, as the text also concludeth,
this redemption is with the Lord, and under our feet they shall
be by the power of God towards us (2 Cor 13:4). And for this let
Israel hope. The sum then is, God's people have with the Lord
redemption, and redemption in reversion; redemption, and redemption
to come; all which is in the hand of the Lord for us, and of all
we shall be possessed in his time. This is that called plenteous
redemption. 'For with him is plenteous redemption.' A little
therefore to touch upon the redemption that we have in reversion,
or of the redemption yet to come.

(1.) There is yet much sin and many imperfections that cleave to
our persons and to our performances, from which, though we be not
yet in the most full sense delivered, yet this redemption is with
our Lord, and we shall have it in his time; and in the meantime it
is said, It shall not have dominion over us. 'Sin shall not have
dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace'
(Rom 6:14). We are, by what Christ has done, taken from under the
law, the curse; and must, by what Christ will do, be delivered
from the very being of sin. 'He gave himself for us, that he might
redeem us from all iniquity'; that he might present us to himself
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing,
but that we should be without blemish (Titus 2:13,14; Eph 5:25,27).
That we are already without the being of sin, none but fools and
madmen will assert; and that we shall never be delivered from it,
none but such men will affirm neither. It remains then, that there
is a redemption for Israel in reversion, and that from the being
of sin. And of this it is that the text also discourseth, and for
which let the godly hope.

(2.) We are not yet quite free from Satan's assaulting of us, though
our Head by himself, and that for us, has got a complete conquest
over him; but the time is coming, and himself knows that it is but
a little while to it, in which he shall forever be bruised under
our feet. Be wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning
evil, and the God of peace shall bruise, tread down Satan under
your feet shortly (Rom 16:20). Some may think that this text will
have a fulfilling in the ruin and downfall of Antichrist; and so
it may; but yet it will never be wholly fulfilled, as long as Satan
shall have any thing to do with one of the children of God. There
is therefore a redemption in reversion for the children of God from
Satan, which they are to hope for, because this redemption is with
the Lord their Head, and that to manage and bring about for them.
For he shall bruise him under their feet in his time.

(3.) There is yet belonging to the church of God a redemption from
what remains of Antichrist, although as yet he is stronger than
we, which I also call a redemption in reversion, for that it is yet
to come, nor shall it be accomplished till the time appointed. In
this redemption, not only saints, but truths will have a share; yea,
and many also of the men that belong not to the kingdom of Christ
and of God. This redemption God's people are also to hope for,
for it is with their Lord, and he has promised it to them, as the
Scripture doth plentifully declare.

(4.) There is yet a redemption to come, which is called the
redemption of our body (Rom 8:23). Of this redemption we have both
the earnest and the seal, to wit, the Spirit of God (Eph 1:14,
4:30). And because the time to it is long, therefore we are to wait
for it; and because it will be that upon which all our blessedness
will be let out to us, and we also let in to it, therefore we
should be comforted at all the signs of the near approach thereof;
'then,' saith Christ, 'look up and lift up your heads' (Luke
21:28). The bodies of saints are called the purchased possession;
possession, because the whole of all that shall be saved shall be
for a temple or house for God to dwell in, in the heavens. A purchased
possession, because the body, as well as the soul, is bought with
the price of blood (1 Cor 6:14-20). But what then doth he mean by
the redemption of this purchased possession? I answer, he meaneth
the raising it up from the dead; 'I will ransom them from the
power of the grave, I will redeem them from death' (Hosea 13:14).
And then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written,
'Death is swallowed up in victory'; that saying, that is this, and
that in Isaiah, for they speak both the selfsame thing (1 Cor 15;
Isa 25:8).

And this was signified by Moses, where he speaks of the year of
jubilee, and of the redemption of the house that was sold in Israel,
how of that year it should return to the owner (Lev 25). Our bodies
of right are God's, but sin still dwells in them; we have also sold
and forfeited them to death and the grave, and so they will abide;
but at the judgment day, that blessed jubilee, God will take our
body, which originally is his, and will deliver it from the bondage
of corruption, unto which, by our souls, through sin, it has been
subjected; he will take it, I say, because it is his, both by
creation and redemption, and will bring it to that perfect freedom
that is only to be found in immortality and eternal life. And for
this should Israel hope! From what hath been said to this first
thing, it appears that the mercy that is with God for his people,
as it is in general what has been described before, so it is redeeming
mercy, or mercy that has with it the virtue of redemption; of the
advantageousness of this mercy, we will further discourse by and
by, but now we will look into the second thing, that from this
amplification of the reason was propounded to be spoken to, to wit,

[SECOND. The sufficiency of this redemption.]

An account of the sufficiency of this redemption. 'Let Israel hope
in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is
plenteous redemption.' The sufficiency or plenteousness of it may
be spoken to, as it respecteth the many difficulties and dangers
that by sin we have brought ourselves into; or as it respecteth
the superabundant worth that is found therein, let the dangers
attending us be what they will, though we should not be acquainted
with the half or the hundredth part thereof.

To speak to it as it respecteth those particular difficulties
and dangers that by sin we have brought ourselves unto; and that,
First. By showing the suitableness of it. Second. By showing the
sufficiency of the suitableness thereof.

First. The suitableness of it lieth in the fit application thereof
to all the parts of thraldom and bondage. Have we sinned? Christ
had our sins laid upon his back; yea, of God was made, that is,
reputed, sin for us (Isa 53; 2 Cor 5:21). Were we under the curse
of the law by reason of sin? Christ was made under the law, and
bare the curse thereof to redeem (Gal 4:4, 3:13; Rom 3:24). Had
sin set us at an indefinite distance from God? Christ has become,
by the price of his redeeming blood, a reconciler of man to God
again (Col 1:20). Were we by sin subject to death? Christ died the
death to set us free therefrom (Rom 6:23). Had our sins betrayed
us into and under Satan's slavery? Christ has spoiled and destroyed
this work, and made us free citizens of heaven (Acts 26:18; 2 Tim
2:26; Heb 2:14; Eph 2:19). Thus was our Redeemer made, as to those
things, a suitable recoverer, taking all and missing nothing that
stood in the way of our happiness; according to that a little below
the text, 'And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities,'
that is, from them, together with their evil fruits.

Second. Now as to the sufficiency that was in this suitableness,
that is declared by his resurrection, by his ascension, by his
exaltation to the right hand of God; that is also declared by God's
putting all things under his feet, and by giving of him to be head
over all things for his redeemed's sake. It is also further declared
in that God now threateneth none but those that refuse to take
Jesus for their Saviour, and for that he is resolved to make his
foes his footstool. What are more natural consequences flowing
from anything, than that by these things is the sufficiency of the
suitableness of redemption by Christ proved? For all these things
followed Christ, for, or because he humbled himself to the death
of the cross, that he might become a Redeemer; therefore God raised
him up, took him to his throne, and gave him glory, that your faith
and hope might be in God by him (Phil 2).

But alas! what need we stand to prove the sun is light, the fire
hot, the water wet? What was done by him was done by God, for he
was true God; and what comparison can there be betwixt God and the
creature, betwixt the worth of God's acts, and the merit of the
sin of poor man! And can death, or sin, or the grave hold us, when
God saith, 'Give up?' Yea, where is that, or he, that shall call
into question the superabounding sufficiency that is in the merit
of Christ, when God continueth to discharge, day by day, yea,
hourly, and every moment, sinners from their sin, and death, and
hell, for the sake of the redemption that is obtained for us by
Christ?

God be thanked here is plenty; but no want of anything! Enough and
to spare! It will be with the merit of Christ, even at the end of
the world, as it was with the five loaves and two fishes, after
the five thousand men, besides women and children, had sufficiently
eaten thereof. There was, to the view of all at last, more than
showed itself at fist. At first there was but five loaves and two
fishes, which a lad carried. At last there were twelve baskets
full, the weight of which, I suppose, not the strongest man could
bear away. Nay, I am persuaded, that at the end of the world, when
the damned shall see what a sufficiency there is left of merit
in Christ, besides what was bestowed upon them that were saved by
him, they will run mad for anguish of heart to think what fools
they were not to come to him, and trust in him that they might
be saved, as their fellow-sinners did. But this is revealed that
Israel, that the godly may hope and expect. Let Israel therefore
hope in the Lord, for with him is plenteous redemption.

[Amplifying reasons as a conclusion of the whole.]

Now as this last clause, as I termed it, is the amplification of
the reason going before; so itself yieldeth amplifying reasons as
a conclusion of the whole. For,

First. Add redemption unto mercy, and then things still are
heightened and made greater. And it must, because the text adds
it, and because both the nature of God, the holiness of his law,
and the present state of the sinner that is to be saved, requireth
that it should be so. God is justice as well as mercy; the law is
holy and just; that man that is to be saved is not only a sinner,
but polluted. Now, then, that mercy and justice may meet and kiss
in the salvation of the sinner, there must be a redemption; that the
sinner may be saved, and the law retain its sanction and authority,
there must be a redemption; that the sinner may be purged as well
as pardoned, there must be a redemption. And, I say, as there must,
so there is: 'For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is
plenteous redemption.' Mercy is the original, the cause, and the
manager of our redemption. Redemption is the manifestation, and
the completing of that mercy. If there had been no mercy, there
had been no redemption. Mercy had been defective as to us, or must
have offered violence to the law and justice of God, and have saved
us contrary to that word, 'In the day thou eatest thou shalt die,'
and 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written
in the book of the law to do them.' But now, redemption coming in
by mercy, the sin is done away, and the sinner saved, in a way of
righteousness.

Second. By law as well as grace; that is, in a way of justice as
well as in a way of mercy. Hence it saith we are 'justified freely
by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Rom
3:24). Through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, and
so to show the world the equity of his proceeding with sinners in
the saving of their souls. As if God should say to all those who
stumble at the salvation of sinners by grace, Behold, I act according
to law and justice. For of grace I save them through a redemption,
and therefore am faithful and just to my law, as well as free
and liberal of my mercy. Wherefore thus I declare I am righteous,
faithful, and just in passing over or remitting of sin. Nay, the
matter so standeth now betwixt me and the sinful world, that I
could not be just if I did not justify him that hath faith in the
blood of Jesus, since by that blood my justice is appeased for all
that this or that sinner has done against my law!

This is a way that God, nor any child of his, need be ashamed of
before any that shall call in question the legality and justice of
this procedure. For why may not God be merciful, and why may not
God be just? And since he can be both merciful and just in the
salvation of sinners, why may he not also save them from death
and hell? Christ is God's salvation, and to show that he is not
ashamed of him, he hath presented him, and the way of redemption
by him, before the face of all people (Luke 2:30-32). Nor is the
Son, who is become, with respect to the act of redemption, the
author of eternal salvation, ashamed of this his doings. 'I gave
my back to the smiters,' saith he, 'and my cheeks to them that
plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and smiting'
(Isa 50:6). This he speaks to show what were some of his sufferings
when he engaged in the work of our redemption, and how heartily he
did bear and go through them. 'For,' says he, 'the Lord God will
help me,' that is, justify me in it, 'therefore shall I not be
confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know
that I shall not be ashamed' (v 7). And if God, and his Son Jesus
Christ, are neither of them ashamed to own this way of salvation,
why should the sinners concerned thereabout be afraid thereupon to
venture their soul? I know, saith he, 'I shall not be ashamed'; I
shall not, that is, when all things come to light, and everything
shall appear above board; when the heart and soul of this undertaking
of mine shall be proclaimed upon the house-tops, I know I shall
not be ashamed.

It was also upon this account that Paul said he was not ashamed of
the gospel (Rom 1). For he knew that it was a declaration of the
highest act of wisdom that ever God did spread before the face of
the sons of men. And of what wisdom is the gospel a declaration
but of that of forgiveness of sins by grace, through the redemption
that is by the blood of Jesus Christ? 'In whom we have redemption
through his blood,' even 'the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all
wisdom and prudence' (Eph 1:7,8).

And as Paul speaketh here as a minister, so he speaketh after the
same manner also as he is a believer, saying, 'I am not ashamed'
of this gospel, 'for I know whom I have believed,' or trusted with
my soul, 'and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I
have committed unto him against that day' (2 Tim 1:11,12). Wherefore
seeing that mercy is not presented to us alone, or singly, but as
accompanying and concurring with redemption; it is manifest enough
that mercy standeth not above, and consequently that it saveth
none but in, by, and through a Redeemer. He that believeth not in
Christ shall be damned. But what needs that, if mercy could save
the soul without the redemption that is by him? If any say, Christ
is the mercy of God to us. True, if you count him a Redeemer, a
worker out of a redemption for us by his death and blood upon the
cross. But otherwise he is none; I mean, if you make him a lawgiver,
and a Saviour, only as he has set an example to us to get to heaven
by doing commandments, or by treading in his steps. Yea, though you
say his commandment is that we believe in him: for, take the work
of redemption by his blood from the curse, out of his hand, and then
what concerning him is left from me to believe, but, as was said
before, that he is a lawgiver, and as such, at best, but a pattern
to us to get to heaven, as here? And whoso counteth him as such,
is so far off from counting of Christ the mercy of God to us, that
they make him a contradictor of mercy, both in the fountain and
all the streams of it. For to propound life eternal to us, through
the observation of laws, is to set before us that which contradicteth
grace and mercy, let the work be what it will; nor will it help at
all to say, that they that do the law of Christ, or that take him
for their law and example, shall be sure of mercy to pass by their
shortness of attaining to the perfection of what is set before them.
For all this might have been done, and not one drop of blood spilt
for the redemption of man. Besides, this makes Christ's death, as a
Redeemer, as an act unadvisedly undertaken; for what need he have
died, if his doctrine and example had been sufficient, through
that which they call mercy, to have brought the soul to glory? 'If
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain' (Gal
2:21). I will add, put man's righteousness, God's mercy, and Christ's
redemption, all together, and they will not save a man; though the
last two alone will sufficiently do it: but this third is a piece
when put to that, does, instead of mending, make the rent worse.
Besides, since man's righteousness cannot be joined in justification
with God's mercy and Christ's redemption, but through a disbelief
of the sufficiency of them, should it be admitted as a cause, though
but the least cause thereof, what would follow, but to make that
cursed sin of unbelief a good inventor, and a necessary worker in
the manner of the justification of a sinner? For, I say, unbelief
is the cause of this hodge-podge in any; and the effects of it are
showed in the 9th chapter of the epistle of Paul to the Romans, at
the latter end thereof (vv 31-35).

And there are three things that follow upon that opinion that denieth
the absolute necessity of the shedding of the blood of Christ for
the redemption of man, that mercy might be let out to him.

1. It followeth from thence, that there is no such attribute
as absolute justice in God; justice to stand to his word, and to
vindicate every tittle of his law. For let but this be granted, and
the death of Christ must be brought in, or by justice the floodgate
of mercy still be shut against sinful man; or that God must have
mercy upon man, with the breach of his Word.

2. It also followeth from the premises, that Christ's death was of
pleasure only, and not of necessity also; contrary to the Scripture,
that makes his death the effect of both; of pleasure, to show
how willing God the Father was that Christ should die for man: of
necessity, to show that man could not be saved without it; of pleasure,
to show how justice did deal with him for our sin; of necessity,
to show that mercy could not be communicated to us without it (Isa
53:10; Matt 26:39; Acts 17:3).

3. There also followeth therefrom, that by the blood of Christ we
have not redemption from law, and justice, as to the condemning
part of both, but that rather this title is given to it for honour
and glory, to dignify it; as the name of God is also given to him:
for they that affirm the one, are bold to affirm the other. For
as by them is concluded, that there is no necessity why the blood
of Christ should be counted the absolutely necessary price of our
redemption from the curse of the law and severity of justice; so by
them it is concluded, that it is not necessary to hold that Christ
the Redeemer is naturally and co-eternally God, as the Father. But
'let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy,
and with him is plenteous redemption.'

Third. Must there be redemption by blood added to mercy, if the
soul be saved? This shows us what an horrible thing the sin of man
is. Sin, as to the nature of it, is little known in the world. O!
it sticks so fast to us, as not to be severed from us by all the
mercy of God: do but exclude redemption by the blood of Christ. I
will say it over again. All the mercy of God cannot save a sinner,
without respect to redemption from the curse of the law, by the death
and blood of Christ. 'Without shedding of blood is no remission'
(Heb 9:22). No remission, no pardon, or passing by of the least
transgression, without it. Tears! Christ's tears will not do it.
Prayers! Christ's prayers will not do it. An holy life! the holy
life that Christ lived, will not do it, as severed from his death
and blood. The word redemption, therefore, must be well understood,
and close stuck to, and must not be allowed, as properly spoken,
when we talk of deliverance from sin, the law, and God's curse,
unless it be applied particularly to the death and blood of Christ
(Eph 1:7). We have redemption through his blood (Rev 1:5). 'Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'
(Gal 3:13). He has redeemed us to God by his blood. 'For thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood' (Rev 5:9). This is
the redemption that is joined with mercy, yea, that is the fruit
thereof; and it is that without which sin cannot be removed out
of the sight of God. Moses, that was a better preacher of the law,
and the sufficiency of the righteousness thereof, than any now
can pretend to be, yet he full well declared by all his bloody
sacrifices, that the blood and death of Jesus Christ is of absolute
necessity for the redemption of the soul. Besides, he tells us that
the man that should flee to the city of refuge, from the avenger
of blood, should not be at liberty from the law, unless he kept
himself close in that city until the death of the high-priest. Mark
the words, 'Ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to
the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the
land, until the death of the' high 'priest' (Num 35:32). Wherefore,
Christian man, know thou thy sin in the nature of it and persuade
thyself, that the removing of it from before the face of God is by
no less means than the death and blood of Christ. But it is a poor
shift that the enemies of the truth are put to, when, to defend
their errors, they are forced to diminish sin, and to enlarge the
borders of their fig-leaf garments, and to deny or cast away, as
much as in them lies, one of the attributes, the justice of God.
Indeed they will say they abhor to do thus, and all erroneous
persons will put the best face they can upon their bad matters;
but the natural consequences of things amount to it; nor can they,
when men stick close to their sides, avoid the charge.

Fourth. Then here you see the reason of that free course that mercy
hath among the sons of men, and why it doth, as has been showed
before what it doth. Why justice is content. Blood hath answered
the demand of justice. The law hath nothing to object against his
salvation that believeth in Jesus Christ. Blood has set the door
open for us with boldness to go to God for mercy, and for God to
come with his abundant grace to us. We have 'boldness, brethren, to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living
way, which he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to
say, his flesh' (Heb 10:19,20). This is the way that Moses desired
to find, when God so largely spake to him of his mercy. 'Thou hast
said,' says Moses to God, 'I know thee by name, and thou hast also
found grace in my sight. Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found
grace in thy sight, show me now thy way that I may know thee,' &c.
(Exo 33:12,13). What if it should be applied thus? thou now talkest
of mercy, but in thy words to us from the Mount, thou spakest fire
and justice; and since thou hast delivered us to holy a law, and
are resolved that the least tittle thereof shall by no means fall
to the ground; by what means is it that mercy should come unto
us? Well, saith God, I will show thee my way, I will put thee in a
clift of the rock, which was a figure of Christ, for Christ says,
'I am the way' (Exo 34; John 14:6). This done, he proclaimed his
name, and showed him how he could be gracious, and gave him the
sign of his being merciful, a promise that his presence should go
with him. The breaking then of the body of Jesus was, the renting
of the vail, that out of which came blood, that the way to God might
be living; and not death, or sword, or flame, to the poor children
of men. Out hence therefore bubbleth continually the tender mercy,
the great mercy, the rich mercy, the abundant mercy, the multiplying
mercy, and every other mercy of God to us for our present and
everlasting good.

Not that God was sparing of his mercy, and would not part with it
unless paid for it; for this way of redemption by blood was his
contrivance, the fruit of his wisdom (Eph 1:8). So then, God was
big with mercy for a sinful world; but to be continually extending
of mercy, since sin and justice, because of the sanction of the
law, lay in the way as a turning flaming sword, there did lie the
work (Gen 3:24); so it was concluded, that mercy might, in a way
of justice, be let out to sinners; Christ, the Son of God, should
die for the sin of man. By which means the outcries of the law
and justice against us for our sins did cease, and mercy flowed
from heaven like the waters of Noah, until it became a sea (Micah
7:18,19).

By redemption by blood, therefore, is this great mystery--That a
just God can save that man that has broken that law, that God has
said he will inflict the penalty for the breach thereof upon, and
do his justice no wrong--expounded; not by a relaxation of the
punishment, as the doltish wisdom of this world imagines; but by
an inflicting of the exactest justice upon that nature that has
offended. If the question be asked, How a just God can save that
man from death, that by sin has put himself under the sentence of
it? any fool can answer, 'By a pardon.' And if it be asked, But
what will become of the threatening wherewith he threatened the
offender? He that knows no mysteries can say, Why, man must repent
of his sin, and God of his threatening. But if it be asked, How
God can execute his threatening to the utmost, and yet deliver the
sinner by his mercy from it; the sinner that has deserved it, and
yet be just to his law, faithful to his law, and one that will
stand by every tittle of his law? this, to expound, is to high for
a fool; therefore these men are for despising of mysteries, and
for counting of mysteries in the gospel, follies.

But this key of heaven is no where but in the Word of the Spirit;
it is not seen in the law, nor in the reason or righteousness of the
world. To punish 'the just for the unjust,' and to make him 'to be
sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him,' seems unreasonable; so cross to the wisdom of man
are the wards of this lock (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor 5:21). Wherefore
usually, when they come at this doctrine, they belch out their
frumps, their taunts, their scoffs, and their scorns against it;
and in opposition thereto, comment, exalt, cry up, and set on high,
Socinianism, Mahometanism, man's ragged righteousness, or anything.
But we will pass these things.

Fifth. The knowledge of redemption, and the faith of redemption,
is the only means of settling, composing, and upholding the soul
of the thoroughly awakened, in the hope of enjoying a portion in
mercy for ever. What senseless, secure, besotted, and deluded men,
conclude of themselves, and of the means of future happiness, is
one thing; and what the thoroughly awakened soul concludes upon,
is another. And I say, one thoroughly awakened about the nature of
God, the nature of sin, and the worth of the soul, will find but
little ease of mind, notwithstanding notions of mercy, until he
comes and sees that he must be saved by mercy and justice both; and
that to be sure he shall never do, until he is taught that by the
blood of Christ the law is, as to the curse that is in it against
the sinner, taken out of the way (Col 2).

These things, sin and justice, are too great to be played with by
him that shall see them in the light of the law, and that shall
feel them in their terror upon a trembling conscience. But when the
soul shall see that a propitiation is made to justice by blood,
then, and not till then, it sees sin taken away: and when it sees, by
this means, sin taken away, then it can behold to hope in the mercy
of God. Yea, and it will be as hard to wring off him that is settled
here, from this belief to another, as it would be to persuade him
that stands upon sound ground to venture his life upon a shaking
bottomless quag. O! It is a pleasant thing for the wounded conscience
to taste the sweetness of redeeming blood! (John 6:51-56). This is
like the best wine that goes down sweetly; this carries with the
last of it the very tang[25] of eternal life! (Heb 9:14). And know
that dead works, or works of death, will abide in the conscience,
notwithstanding all talk and notions of mercy, until that be purged
with blood applied thereto, by the Spirit and faith. This is one
of the three that abide to witness on earth, that 'God hath given
us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son'; because he died
for us, and rose again (1 John 5:8-11).

This, therefore, is that that will establish a man with that peace
that shall not be shaken, because by this such an one seeth the
justice of God is quieted. For peace is made by the blood of the
cross; peace with God for sinners (Col 1:20). Yea, God himself, by
the blood of the cross, has made it, that by him, Christ, he might
reconcile to himself all things, whether they be things on earth,
or things in heaven. Nor will a man that is truly spiritually wise,
rest till he comes where God towards man doth rest; but that can
be only there, where such means are offered for the taking away of
sin, that are of a sweet-smelling savour to God. Now this is the
offering that Christ offered, to wit, himself; for Christ loved
us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God, for a sweet-smelling savour (Eph 5:2). Therefore it is by it,
the body of his flesh, through death, that we are presented holy,
unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight (Col 1:21). Wherefore
it must be true which was said before, to wit, That the knowledge
of redemption, and the faith of redemption, is the only means of
settling, composing, and upholding of the soul of the thoroughly
awakened, in the hope of enjoying a portion in mercy for ever. He
that hath the Son of God, hath the Father, hath life; because with
him is the means of peace with the Father, and so of eternal life
(1 John 2:23). But then, to have the Son, is to believe on him, and
on the Father through him (1 John 5:10-12). On him, that he is the
Saviour by his blood; and on the Father through him, as believing
that he, for his Son's sufferings, is pacified with us, and of his
grace hath forgiven us, through him, all trespasses (2 John 9; Eph
4:32).

Sixth. The knowledge and faith of this redemption fortifieth the
Christian against temptations. We that do believe, know what it is
to be assaulted by the devil, and to have knotty objections cast
into our minds by him. We also know what advantage the vile sin
of unbelief will get upon us, if our knowledge and faith in this
redemption be in the least, below the common faith of saints,
defective. If we talk of mercy, he can talk of justice; if we talk
of grace, he can talk of the law. And all his words, when God will
suffer it, we shall find as sharp, and subject to stick in our
minds, as bearded arrows are to stick in flesh. Besides, he can
and doth, and that often, work in our fancies and imaginations such
apprehensions of God, that he shall seem to be to us one that cannot
abide us, one that hates us, and that lieth in wait to destroy us.
And now, if any body speaks to us of mercy, we think we might hope
in that, had we nothing to trouble us but the guilt of actual sins.
But we see our nature as full of the filth of sin, as the egg is of
meat, or the toad of poison: which filth vilely recoileth against
the commandments, flieth in the face of God, and continueth all
his judgments.[26] This is felt, this is seen by the sinner, who
cannot help it; nor can he be brought to that consideration as to
say, 'It is no more I' (Rom 7). Now, what shall this man do? Shall
he look to the commandment? There is death? Shall he look to God?
There is justice! Shall he look to himself? There is sin out of
measure! Let him look, then, to one as dying, to the 'lamb as it
had been slain,' and there let him see himself by this Lamb, as
cursed, and a dying of a cursed death for this sin that doth so
fright and so distress the soul (Rev 5:6). Then let him turn again,
and behold this Lamb alive and well, and highly exalted by this
God, that but just before laid the curse of the law upon him; but
let him be sure to reckon that he has died for his sins by the
person of Christ, and it will follow that this man is now acquitted,
because Christ is still alive. Say I these things as a man? Saith
not the gospel the very same? 1. As to Christ's dying for us; as
also that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ (Rom 6:6;
7). 2. And that we should so reckon as to this matter, because that
God has transferred our sin from us to him.

1. Did not Christ die for us; and dying for us, are we not become
dead to the law by the death of his body? or will the law slay both
him and us, and that for the same transgression? (Rom 7:1,2). If
this be concluded in the affirmative, what follows but that Christ,
though he undertook, came short in doing for us? But he was raised
up from the dead, and believing marrieth us to him as risen, and
that stops the mouth of all. I am crucified with Christ, our old
man was crucified with him, and we are become dead to the law by
the body of Christ (Rom 5:3,4). What then?

2. Why, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ. Ay, but says the soul, 'How can I
reckon thus, when sin is yet strong in me?' Answ. Read the words
again, He saith not, Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
in yourselves; but dead unto it through Jesus Christ. Not alive
unto God in yourselves, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ.
For Christ in his death and resurrection representeth me. As I
died by him, I arose again by him, and live through the faith of
the gospel in the presence of God by him. This must in the first
place be allowed and believed, or no true peace can come near
the soul, nor the soul be prepared to assoil the assaults of the
adversary. Let therefore thy faith, if thou wouldst be a warrior,
O thou faint-hearted Christian, be well instructed in this! Then
will thy faith do thee a twofold kindness. 1. It will conform thee
to the death and resurrection of Christ. And, 2. It will give thee
advantage, when thou seest sin strong in thyself, yet to conclude
that by Christ thou art dead thereto, and by him alive therefrom.
Nor can there but two objections be made against this. The first
is to question whether any are said to die and rise, by the death
and resurrection of Christ? or if it so may be said; yet whether
thou art one of them? To the first the scripture is full. To the
second, thy faith must be strong: for let go faith here, and all
falls flat to the ground, I mean as to comfort and consolation.
Christ died for us, or in our stead; therefore, by the Word of God,
I am allowed so to reckon. Christ rose and revived, though he died
for me; therefore I rose and revived by Christ: unless any does
hold, that though he died in a common, yet he arose as considered
but in a single capacity. Now, then, if Satan comes and tells me
of my sins, I answer, 'Christ has taken them upon himself.' If he
comes and tells me of the death that is due to me for sin, by the
curse of the holy law, I answer, I have already undergone that by
Christ. If he asks me, How I know that the law will not lay hold
of me also? I answer, Because Christ is risen from the dead. If he
asks me, By what authority I take upon me thus to reason? I tell
him, By the authority and allowance of the holy and most blessed
gospel, which saith, He 'was delivered for our offences, and
was raised again for our justification' (Rom 4). And to encourage
thee thus to believe, and thus to hold, when thou art in an hour
of temptation, this is the way to see mercy stand and smile upon
thee; for mercy will smile upon him that shall thus believe (2
Cor 3:16-18). This is the way to put faith and hope both to work
against the devil; and to do this is very pleasing to God. This
the way to make that hell-bound retreat and leave off to assault
(James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). And this is the way to find an answer
to many scriptures, with which else thou wilt not know what to do,
as with many of the types and shadows; yea, and with the moral law
itself.

Besides, thus believing setteth thy soul against the fear of death,
and judgment to come; for if Christ be raised from the dead who
died for our sins; and if Christ who died for our sins is entered
into glory: I say again, if Christ who died for our sins has purchased
us to himself, and is purposed that the fruit of this his purchase
shall be, that we may behold his face in glory; then, cast off
slavish fear of death and judgment: for Christ being raised from
the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him!

Seventh. The knowledge and faith of this redemption prepareth man
to a holy life. By a holy life, I mean a life according to the
moral law, flowing from a spirit of thankfulness to God for giving
of his Son to be my Redeemer. This I call a holy life, because it
is according to the rule of holiness, the law, and this I call a
holy life, because it floweth from such a principle as giveth to
God the heart, and life, for the gift bestowed on us. What pretences
soever there are to holiness, if it floweth not from thankfulness
for mercy received, it floweth from a wrong principle, and so cannot
be good. Hence, men were required of old, to serve the Lord with
joyfulness, 'for the abundance of all things'; and threatened, if
they did not, that 'they should serve their enemies in hunger and
in thirst, and in nakedness, and in the want of all things' (Deut
28:47,48). But then, though there are many mercies that lay an
obligation upon men to be holy, yet he that shall want the obligation
that is begotten by the faith of redeeming mercy, wanteth the main
principle of true holiness: nor will any other be found sufficiently
to sanctify the heart to the causing of it to produce such a life;
nor can such holiness be accepted, because it comes not forth
in the name of Christ. That that obliged David was forgiving and
redeeming mercy; and that that obliged Paul was the love that Christ
showed to him, in dying for his sins, and in rising from the dead
(Psa 103:1-5; 2 Cor 5:14,15). Paul also beseecheth the Romans, by
the redeeming, justifying, preserving, and electing mercy of God,
that they present their body 'a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
to God; which is,' saith he, 'your reasonable service' (Rom 12:1).
For we must be holy and without blame before him in love (Eph 4:1).

Hence, all along, they that are exhorted to holiness in the New
Testament, are exhorted to it upon the supposition of the benefit
of redemption which they have received by Jesus Christ. 'Walk
in love as Christ also hath loved us' (Eph 5:2). 'If there be any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that
ye be like minded, having the same love,' &c. (Phil 2:1,2). 'If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and
your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth,' &c. (Col 3:1-5).
'Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil-speakings, as new-born babes desire the
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have
tasted that the Lord is gracious' (1 Peter 2:1-3). I will conclude
this with that of Peter, to those to whom he wrote concerning
this very thing. Be 'obedient children,' saith he, 'not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as
he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, And
if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth
according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1
Peter 1:14-19).

From all which it appears, that mercy by Christ, or from the benefit
of redemption by the precious blood of Christ, I say, from the
faith of that, flows that which is holiness indeed. And I believe
that those very men that are pleased to taunt at this kind of
inference, would condemn a man was he laid under these obligations
concerning things of this life, and yet did carry it as one
not touched thereby. We will make an instance: Suppose a Socinian
should, through his contracting a great debt, be forced to rot in
prison, unless redeemed by silver and gold: and suppose a man, unto
whom this Socinian was an enemy, should lay down the whole debt
to the creditor, that this Socinian might be at liberty, might
trade, and live comfortably in this world; and if, after this, this
Socinian should taunt at them that should tell him he is engaged
to this redeemer, ought to love and respect this redeemer; what
would they say but that this Socinian that was a debtor is an
inconsiderate and stupefied rascal? Why, this is the case; Paul was
a debtor to the law and justice of God; Jesus Christ his Son, that
Paul might not perish for ever, paid for him a price of redemption,
to wit, his most precious blood. But what! Shall Paul now, though
redeemed from perpetual imprisonment in hell, be as one that never
was beholden to Jesus Christ; or if others say he was, taunt at them
for their so saying? No, he scorns it. Though the love of Christ,
in dying to pay a price of redemption, will not engage a Socinian,
yet it will engage a true Christian to think and believe that he
ought to live to Jesus, that died for him and rose again.

I know it will be objected that the Satisfactionists, as the quaking
Penn is pleased to call them, show but little of this to the world;
for their pride, covetousness, false dealing, and the like, since
they profess as I have said, shows them as little concerned to the
full as to the Socinian under consideration. I answer, it must be
that the name of Christ should be scandalized through some that
profess him; and they must answer it at the tribunal of the great
Judge; yet what I have said stands fast as a rock that cannot be
moved.

Eighth. The knowledge and faith of redemption is a very great
encouragement to prayer. It is great encouragement for the poor to
go even to a prince for what he wanteth, when he considereth that
what he goeth to him for is the price of redemption. All things
that we want, we must ask the Father for, in the name of Christ:
we must ask it of him for the sake of his redeeming blood, for the
sake of the merit of his passion (John 15:16). Thus David means,
when he says, 'For thy name's sake' do it (Psa 25:11); and Daniel
when he saith here, 'For the Lord's sake' (9:17). For Jesus Christ
is God's great name; and to do for his sake is to do for what
worthiness is in him.

Unworthiness! The consideration of unworthiness is a great
stumbling-block to the tempted when he goes to seek the Lord. But
now, remembering the worthiness of Christ, and that he is now on
the right hand of God, on purpose to plead that on the behalf of
the petitioner, this is great encouragement. The Jews, by God's
ordinance, when they went morning and evening by their priest to
speak with God, were to offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and it
must be thus continually (Exo 29:38-46). Now this lamb was a figure
of the sacrificing of the body of Christ which was to be offered
for them in time to come; and, in that it was to be continually,
morning and evening, so repeated, what doth it signify, but that we
should remember to go, when we went to God, in the name and faith
of the merits of Jesus Christ for what we stood in need of? This
will support, and this will encourage, for now we see that the
thing desired--it being according to his will--is obtained for us
by the sacrificing of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.

When Israel begged of Samuel that he would not cease to cry to
the Lord their God for them, it is said he took a sucking lamb and
offered it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel
cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him (1 Sam 7:8,9).
But why did he take a sucking lamb, and why did he offer it, and
that wholly unto the Lord, as he cried, but to show to Israel that
he was not heard for his own, or for his righteousness sake, but
for the sake of Christ, whose merits were prefigured by Samuel's
burning of the lamb?

Also when David spake for himself to Saul, he put himself upon
this, 'If,' saith he, 'the Lord hath stirred thee up against me,
let him accept an offering, a smell, a sweet-smelling sacrifice; a
figure of the satisfactoriness of the sufferings of Jesus Christ'
(1 Sam 26:19). What is the meaning of all these passages, if not to
show that when we go to pray to God, we should turn away our face
from every thing of ours, and look to God, only by the price of
redemption paid for us by Jesus Christ, and plead that alone with
him as the great prevailing argument, and that by and for the
sake of which he giveth pardon and grace to help in time of need?
Wherefore, wouldst thou be a praying man, a man that would pray
and prevail? why, pray to God in the faith of the merits of Christ,
AND SPEED.[27]

Ninth. For this is the very cause why this is added in the text,
to wit, the plenteousness of redemption, it is, I say, that men
should hope to partake by it, of the goodness and mercy of God.
'Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy,
and with him is plenteous redemption.' Mercy and redemption, mercy
through a Redeemer, therefore 'let Israel hope'! It must also be
noted, that this word redemption is, as it were, the explicatory
part of the text, for the helping of Israel to hope. As who should
say, as there is with God mercy, so there is with him a way to his
mercy, and that way is redemption, or a price paid for your sins;
and that you should not be discouraged through the greatness of
your sins, I tell you there is with God plenty of this redemption,
or a price paid to the full; to an over and above. It also is as
if he had said, Forget not this, for this is the key of all the
rest, and the great support to the saints in prayer, or while they
wait upon God in any of his appointments to encourage them to hope.

Tenth. And lastly, This also should teach the saints, when they
sin or praise the Lord, they should not sing of mercy only, but of
mercy and judgment too; 'I will sing of mercy and judgment; unto
thee, O Lord, will I sing' (Psa 101:1). Of mercy and judgment, or
justice in the manifestation of it, as smiling upon our forgiveness.
When Hannah sang of, and rejoiced in God's salvation, she sang
aloud of holiness, saying, 'There is none holy as the Lord' (1
Sam 2:1,2). Holy in keeping his word, though it cost the blood of
his Son. This also is that that is called a helping of his servant
Israel in remembrance of his mercy, and the performing of the mercy
promised; even the oath that he sware to our father Abraham, that
he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands
of our enemies--by a Redeemer--might serve him without fear, &c.
(Luke 1:49,54). When you praise, therefore, remember Christ and
his blood, and how justice and judgment took hold on him, that they
might not take hold on thee; yea, how they by taking hold on him,
left a way to thee to escape. Isaac should have been sacrificed,
had not the Lord provided a ram; and thou thyself shouldest have
been damned, had not the Lord provided a lamb (Gen 22; Rev 5).
Hence Christ is called the 'Lamb of God which taketh away the sin
of the world,' that taketh them away by the sacrifice of himself.
Sing therefore in your praises unto God, and to the Lamb!

[THE APPLICATION OR USE OF THE WHOLE.]

I would come now to speak one short word of use to the whole. And,

First. This still shows more and more, what a sad state God's
people have brought themselves into by sin. I told you before that
the revelation of so much mercy as is presented unto us by the first
part of the text, sufficiently declared our state to be miserable
by sin. But what shall we say, when there must be added to that
the heart blood of the Son of God, and all to make our salvation
complete? For albeit mercy is essential to our salvation, and that
without which there can be no salvation; yet it is the blood that
maketh the atonement for the soul, THAT propitiates, and so makes
capable of enjoying of it. It was mercy and love, as I said afore,
that sent one to shed his blood for us; and it is the blood of him
that was sent, that puts us into the enjoyment of mercy. O! I have
thought sometimes, what bloody creatures hath sin made us![28] The
beasts of the field must be slain by thousands before Christ came,
to signify to us we should have a Saviour; and after that, he must
come himself, and die a worse death than died those beasts, before
the work of saving could be finished. O redemption, redemption by
blood, is the heart-endearing consideration! This is that which
will make the water stand in our eyes, that will break a heart of
flint, and that will make one do as they do, that are 'in bitterness
for their first-born' (Zech 12:10).

Sinner, wouldst thou have mercy? wouldst thou be saved? Go thou
then to the blood of the cross, as set forth in the word of the
truth of the gospel, and there thou shalt find that mercy that
thou hast need of first; for there is a mercy that may be called
a FIRST mercy, and that is the mercy that gives admittance into,
and an interest in all the rest. Now the mercy that doth this, is
that which reconcileth us to God; but that other things cannot do,
if we stand off from the blood of the cross. Wherefore we are said
to be reconciled to God, by the death of his Son. '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' (Rom
5:10). According to that other saying, 'He that spared not his own
Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things?' (8:32). In both these places the Son
of God, and our Redeemer, is set forth to us in the first place,
as the only one that reconcileth to God the sinner by the blood
of his cross; wherefore to this Christ, as crucified, the sinner
must come first; because nothing else can reconcile to God; and if
thou be not reconciled to God, what art thou but an enemy to him,
partake of what mercy thou canst? (Col 1:20). Go to him, did I say?
receive him into the arms of thy faith; hold him fast, for he is a
Saviour; yea, carry him as set forth by the gospel, dying for thee,
and pray God for his sake to bestow upon thee all those mercies
that will compass thee about as with a shield, and follow thee all
thy days, till thou enterest in at the doors of eternity; and this
is the way to speed! For he that hath the Son hath life, in the
beginning of it; and he that holds fast the Son, shall have life in
the consummation of it. I do the oftener touch upon this matter,
because this Christ is the door, in at which whosoever entereth shall
be saved; but he that climbs up any other way, shall be judged as
a thief and a robber (John 10:1).[29] But,

Second. Is Christ, as crucified, the way and door to all spiritual
and eternal mercy? And doth God come to the sinner, and the sinner
again go to God in a saving way by him, and by him only? And is
there no other way to the Father but by his blood, and through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh? (Heb 10:19,20). Then this shows
the danger, upon what pretence soever, of casting off the daily
sacrifice, and setting up in its place the abomination that maketh
desolate. I mean, of casting away a crucified Christ, and the setting
up the vanity of moral obedience as the more substantial and most
acceptable thing with God. I call not a crucified Christ the daily
sacrifice, as if I thought he often suffered for sin, since the
foundation of the world; but because the virtue of that one offering
is that, and only that, by the which we daily draw nigh unto God;
and because the virtuousness of that one sacrifice will for ever
abide beneficial to them that come to God, to the world's end by
him.

But I say, into what a miserable plight have such people put
themselves, that have cast off coming to God by Christ, as he is
the propitiation for their sins, and that seek to come another way?
Such are lapsed again to Gentilism, to Paganism, to Heathenism; nor
will it help at all to say they rely on the mercy and goodness of
God, for there is no such thing as spiritual and eternal mercy can
come from God to him, that comes not to him by Christ. The Turks,
if I be not mistaken, have this for the beginning of every chapter
of their Alcoran, 'The Lord, God, gracious and merciful,'[30]
yet are counted unbelievers, and are verily so, for they have not
received the faith of Christ. The Lord God, gracious and merciful,
will not save them, no not by grace and mercy, unless repenting of
their presuming upon mercy, without a bloody sacrifice, they come
to him by his Son (Acts 4:12). Men therefore that have laid aside
the necessity of reconciliation to God by the precious blood of
Christ, are in a damned state; nor will it help at all to say they
do indeed believe in him. I am not so void of reason as to think
that they that have cast away Christ, as he is a propitiatory
sacrifice with God for sin, should also cast away his name out
of their mouth; no, his name is too honorable, and the profession
of it too glorious for them to do such a thing. But retaining his
name, and the notion of him as a Saviour, they yet cast him off,
and that in those very things wherein the essential part of his
sacrifice, the merit of it, and his everlasting priesthood, consists;
and in this lies the mystery of their iniquity.

They will have him to be a Saviour, but it must not be by fulfilling
of the law for us; but it must not be by the putting of his glorious
righteousness, that which he performed by subjecting himself to
the law, on our behalf, upon us; but it must not be by washing of
us from our sins in his own blood; but it must be by his kingly
and prophetical offices. When, as for his kingly and prophetical
offices, he puts those people under the government of them that he
has afore made to stand justified before God, from the curse of the
law by his priesthood. Nor dare they altogether deny that Christ
doth save his people as a priest, but then their art is to confound
these offices, by pleading that they are in effect but one and the
self-same thing; and then with a noise of morality and government,
they jostle the merit of his blood, and the perfection of his
justifying righteousness, out of doors; and so retaining the name
of Christ in their mouths, they cast those things of Christ, that
they like not, under feet; which things, they who have not the
faith of, must not, cannot see the kingdom of God.

The term of mercy is but a general sound, and is as an arrow shot
at rovers, unless the blood and death of the Son of God be set before
us, as the mark or mean by which our spirits are to be directed
to it. What profit shall a man have, and what shelter or succour
shall he find, in hearing of the most exact relation of the strength
of the most impregnable castle in the world, unless he knows the
door, and entereth in by that, into that place of strength, in the
time when the enemy shall pursue him? Why, this is the case: We
hear a noise of mercy, and of being at peace with God; what a good
God, God is, and what a blessed thing it is to be a child of God;
how many privileges the children of God have, and what will be
their exaltation and glory in the next world! And all the while they
that tell us these things conceal from us the way thereto, which is
Christ, not in the naming of him, but in the right administration
of his gospel to us.

Christ, and faith in him as a Saviour, not in the name only, but
in the true sense thereof, is the mark, as I have said, from which
if any swerve, they err from the saving way, and so come nothing near
that mercy that can save them. Hence Christ is called a standard,
an ensign (Isa 5:26). 'And in that day there shall be a root of
Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall
the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious' (Isa 11:10). And
again, 'Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand
to the Gentiles; and set up my standard to the people' (49:22).
'Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way of the
people,--gather out the stones, lift up a standard for the people.
Behold the Lord hath proclaimed to the end of the world; say ye
to the daughter of Zion, behold thy salvation cometh. Behold his
reward is with him, and his work before him' (62:10,11). Hence
again he is called the captain, the chieftain, of our salvation,
and him without whom there neither is nor can be any.

But now the men of this confederacy, rather than they will submit
themselves to the righteousness of God, will lay odiums and scandals
upon them that preach they should (Rom 10:2,4). Not forsooth, if you
will believe them, but that they are highly for the righteousness
of God, let it be that which they count so; but then to be sure it
shall never be the personal performances of Christ, by which they
that believe in him are justified from all things; but that which
they call 'first principles,' 'dictates of human nature,' 'obedience
to a moral precept,' followed and done as they have Christ for an
example; not understanding that Christ, in his own doings, is the
end of all these things to every one that believeth. But if it
be urged that Gentiles and Pagans are possessed with those very
principles, only they have not got the art, as our men have, to
cover them with the name of Christ and principles of Christianity,
then they fall to commending the heathens and their philosophers,
and the natural motives and principles by which they were actuated;
preferring of them much before what by others are called the graces
of the Spirit, and principles upon what the doctrine of the free
grace and mercy of God by Christ are grounded. But, as I said, all
the good that such preachers can do as to the next world, is, to
draw the people away from their ensign and their standard, and so
lead them among the Gentiles and infidels, to seek by their rules
the way to this unspeakable mercy of God. Wherefore their state
being thus deplorable, and their spirits thus incorrigible, they
must be pitied, and left, and fled from, if we would live.

Third. Is Christ Jesus the redemption; and, as such, the very
door and inlet into all God's mercies? Christian man, look well
to thyself, that thou goest no whither, and dost nothing, I mean
in any part of religious worship, &c., but as thou art in him (2
Cor 12:18,19).[31] Walk in him, speak in him, grow in him, for he
is THE ALL (Col 2:6,7). And though others regard not to 'hold the
head, from which all the body by joints and bands have nourishment
ministered,' yet have thou a care! (Eph 4:15; Col 2:19). This is
he that is thy life, and the length of thy days, and without whom
no true happiness can be had. Many there be that count this but a
low thing; they desire to soar aloft, to fly into new notions, and
to be broaching of new opinions, not counting themselves happy,
except they can throw some new-found fangle, to be applauded for,
among their novel-hearers. But fly thou to Christ for life; and
that thou mayest so do, remember well thy sins, and the judgment
and wrath of God; and know also that he is merciful, but at mercy
none can come, but through the cursed death Christ underwent. And
although some of the wanton professors of our age may blame thee
for poring so much upon thy sins, and the pollution of thy nature,
yet know that there is an advantage in it. There be some alive in
the world, who, though they count the nature and commission of sin
the very evil of evils, yet can say that the remembrance of how
vile they are, and of what evils they have committed, has been to
them a soul-humbling, a Christ-advancing, and a creature-emptying
consideration. Though sin made death bitter to Christ, yet sin
makes Christ sweet to his. And though none should sin, that grace
might abound, yet where sin has abounded, grace doth much more
abound, not only as an act of God, but also in the eye of faith.

A sight of the filth, and a sense of the guilt of sin, makes a
pardon to such a soul more than empty notion; and makes the mean
through which the pardon comes more to be desired than is either
life or limb. This is it that makes the sensible soul prize the
Lord Jesus, while the self-justiciary[32] laugheth him to scorn.
This is it which makes the awakened sinner cast away his own
righteousness, while the self-conceited one makes it his advocate
with the Father.

Some, indeed, count their own doings the only darling of their
soul, while others cast it to the dogs. And why should a man cumber
himself with what is his, when the good of all that is in Christ
is laid, and to be laid out for him? Not that a believer casts
off to do good, for he knows that what good thing is done in faith
and love, is acceptable to God, and profitable to his neighbour.
But this is it, he setteth not his good deed against the judgment
of God; he cometh not in his own good. When he comes to God for
forgiveness of sins, then he sees nothing, knows nothing, mentions
nothing as righteousness, but that which Christ wrought out in the
days of his flesh, and that only. But how then is what he doth
accepted of God? Verily as the duty of a son, and as the work
of one that is justified. We must therefore conclude that there
is acceptation, and acceptation: acceptation of the person, and
acceptation of his performance. Acceptation of the person may be
considered with respect to justification from the curse, and so
acceptation there can be none, but through the one offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all. Also the acceptation of a duty
done by such a person is, by virtue of the self-same offering,
the person being considered as standing just through Christ before
God. And the reason why a justified person must have his duties
accepted the same way, as is his person, is because justifying
righteousness sets not the person free from sin, save only in the
sight of God and conscience; he remaineth still infirm in himself,
and standeth still in need of the fresh and continual application
of the merits of the Lord Jesus, which also the soul receiveth by
virtue of Christ's intercession. I speak now of acceptation with
reference to the justice of the law, and the judgment of God upon
person or work, according to the self-same law. For so they both
must be accepted through the self-same Mediator, or they cannot be
accepted at all. Nor is it a thing to be wondered at, that a man
should stand just in the sight of God, when polluted and defiled
in his own sight. He stands just before God in the justice of his
Son, upon whom God looks, and for whose sake he accepts him. May not
a scabbed, mangy man, a man all over-run with blains and blotches,
be yet made beautiful to the view of a beholder, through the silken,
silver, golden garment that may be put upon him, and may cover all
his flesh? Why, the righteousness of Christ is not only unto but
upon all them that believe (Rom 3:22). And whoso considers the
parable of the wretched infant, shall find, that before it was
washed with water it was wrapped up or covered, as it was found,
in its blood, in and with the skirt of his garment that found it in
its filth. And then he washed it with water, and then he sanctified
it by the anointing oil of the Spirit of God (Eze 16:8,9). I speak
thus to thee, Christian reader, partly because in the faith of these
things is thy life; and because I would yet enforce the exhortation
upon thee with the reason and the amplification thereof, to wit, to
put thee upon trusting in the Lord through the encouragement that
thou hast in redeeming mercy so to do.

Some may say, Will God see that which is not? and will he judge a
man just that is a sinner? But I will answer, The man that had the
rainbow about his head, was to look on, or be looked upon, while
he shone like a jasper and a sardix-stone (Rev 4:3). The blood of
the paschal lamb was to be looked upon by him that came to destroy
the land of Egypt in their firstborn (Exo 12:13). I add, The rainbow
that God gave to Noah for a token that he would no more destroy the
earth with the waters of the flood, was to be looked upon, that
God might remember to show mercy to his people (Gen 9:8-17). Now
all these meet in the man Christ Jesus, who is the only one, for
the sake of whom the sinner that believeth in him stands acquitted
in the sight of God. His is the blood, he is the prince, that is
more than the token of the covenant: nor do all the colours in the
rainbow appear so beautiful in the eyes of man, as does the garment
of Christ; which is from his loins, even upward, and from his loins,
even downward, in the eyes of the God of heaven (Eze 1:27,28). And
wilt thou say these are things that are not? Also, he can legally
judge a man just, that is a sinner. Do but admit of a diverse
consideration, and God will so consider of that sinner which he
justifieth, in despite of all the teeth in thy proud mouth! 'He
justifieth the ungodly' (Rom 4:5). Not that were, but that are such
now, in the judgment and verdict of the law, might deal with them
in their own persons as men (Rom 5:5-10). He will then consider them
in his Son; in, and under the skirt of his Son. He will consider
them as washed in the blood of his Son, and will also consider
'that in him is no sin,' and so he will deal with them. 'We know
that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin'
(1 John 3:5).

What though I have broke a thousand pound in my creditor's debt--yet
if another will discharge the whole freely, what has the law to
do with me as to that? Or what if I cannot but live upon the spend
all my days, yet if my friend will always supply my need, and,
through his bounty, keep me from writ, bailiff, or jail, is it not
well for me? Yea, what if what I can get shall be laid up for me
for hereafter, and that my friend, so long as there is death or
danger in the way, will himself secure me, and bear my charges to
the world's end; may I not accept thereof, and be thankful? Blessed
be God for Jesus Christ! I believe he is more than all this to me.
'In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall
glory' (Isa 45:25). I know similitudes will not hold in all things;
but we that believe are set free from the curse of the law by
another man's obedience. For 'by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous' (Rom 5:19). Let then the believer, as was said,
study and pray, and read God's Word continually, for the sake
of the glory of this truth, that it may be made more his own, and
that his conscience may be more and more settled in the power and
glory thereof.[33]

Fourth. As the Christian should most labour to get into the power
and glory of this doctrine, so let him see that he holds it fast.
This doctrine is foreign to flesh and blood; it is not earthly,
but from heaven (Matt 16:17). It is with many that begin with this
doctrine, as it is with boys that go to the Latin school; they
learn till they have learned the grounds of their grammar, and then
go home and forget all. How have many, that as to the grounds of
Christian religion, one would think, had been well taught, yet not
taking such heed thereto as they should, they have let slip all,
and their hearts have been filled with the world again, or else
have drunk in some opinion that has been diametrically opposite
to what they professed of the truth before (Heb 2:1-4). Wherefore
hast thou anything of the truth of Christ in thy heart? 'Hold that
fast, that no man take thy crown' (Rev 3:11). Yea 'grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Peter
3:18).

He that will retain and hold fast the doctrine of redemption, and
so by that have, through faith, an inlet into all the abounding
mercy of God, must not deal in God's matters with a slack hand. It
is not enough for them that would do so, to be content with sermons,
family duties, and other public assemblies for worship, but there
must be a continual exercise of the mind about these matters, and
a labour of the soul to retain them in their glory and sweetness;
else they will, first as to their excellency, then as to the very
notion of them, slip from the heart and be gone (Heb 2:1-3). Not
that there is treachery or deceit therein, but the deceit lies in
the heart about them. He that will keep water in a sieve, must use
more than ordinary diligence. Our heart is the leaking vessel; and
'therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things
which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.'

That this doctrine may remain with us, we must also mortify our
carnal reason: for that makes head against the truth thereof, and
what can foolishness do else? And the wisdom of this world, which
is carnal reason in its improvements, is foolishness with God (1
Cor 1:20-25). It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can it be. It judges this doctrine that we have been speaking of,
foolishness; wherefore it must be avoided, opposed and mortified,
and the word of faith the more carefully submitted to. 'Trust in the
Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding'
(Rom 3:5). See here, that trusting in the Lord, and leaning to our
own understanding, are opposites; wherefore they must either be
reconciled, or one quite adhered unto, in a way of mortification
of the other. Now, it is safest in this matter to keep a continual
guard upon our carnal powers; and to give up ourselves to the
conduct of our God, and in all our ways acknowledge him, that he,
not ourselves, may direct our paths (v 6). It is a great thing for
a man, when the Word and his reason clashes, then to adhere to the
Word, and let his reason fall to the ground. And this indeed is
Christianity in the practical part thereof. The Spirit of Christ
in the Word is to be hearkened unto, above all things (2 Cor 10:3-5).

There must also be a continual war maintained upon all the lusts
of the flesh, that they may not draw away the heart from the study
and delight, the love and faith, of the things that are hid in
Christ (Isa 28:9). This, I say, must be done, else the heart cannot
be at liberty to wait upon the Lord without distraction, for the
further communications of himself in his Son, according to his
blessed gospel to us. Many Christians are lean in their faith and
too barren in their lives, and all for want of being diligent here.
Wherefore having faith in this blessed Lord Jesus Christ, as has
been afore discoursed; in the next place, 'giving all diligence, add
to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge,
temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness;
and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness,
charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you
that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge
of our Lord' and Saviour 'Jesus Christ' (2 Peter 1:5-8). There is
a method that the Holy Ghost has prescribed in the Word, for them
that hath faith to observe, and without the observation thereof,
though they indeed may be of the number of them that shall be
saved, yet they shall not have much, nor do much, for Christ and
his name, in this world. Now the unskilful, that are so in the word
of righteousness, finding this method, and not discerning to whom
it belongs, forthwith apply it to all; and forgetting that faith
must go before, they press them as duties preparatory to faith, or
else so call that which is not so; and so the blind leading of the
blind, both fall into the ditch, and are smothered. But do thou, O
child of God, distinguish, and keep faith and duty for justification
of thy person in the sight of God far asunder; also be sure to let
faith go before, and be always with thy Saviour, but add unto thy
faith, virtue, &c., not as though thy faith could not lay hold of
Christ, unless accompanied with these, but to show that thy faith
is of the right kind, as also for the emboldening of thee to an
holy endeavour yet to press further into his everlasting kingdom
and his word; for he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot
see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old
sins.

Fifth. That thou mayest keep steadfast to this doctrine take heed
of being offended, or of stumbling at the Word, because of the
offensive lives and conversations of some that are professors of
the same. There will be offences, and it is needful there should;
yea, scandals and heresies also, that they that are approved of
God 'may be made manifest among you' (1 Cor 11:19). There are many
causes of the offensive lives of them that profess this faith, some
of which I will give a touch upon here.

1. Many that adhere to, and profess this gospel, are short of the
power and glory of the things which they profess: now the word, the
word only, will not bring those that profess it into a conformity to
it; into a conformity in heart and life (1 Cor 4:18-20). Wherefore
they that know it only in word, live scandalous lives, to the reproach
of the faith, the emboldening of its enemies, the stumbling of the
ignorant, and grief of the godly, that are so indeed, and such must
bear their judgment in the next world.

2. This also flows from the wisdom of hell: the devil knows that
the faith of the gospel rightly professed, is, not only saving to
those in whom it is, but alluring unto beholders: wherefore that he
may prevent the beauteous lustre thereof, he sows his tares among
God's wheat, and goes his way, that is, to the end those that stumble
may not see what he hath done, or whose are the tares indeed. Now
by these the sunshine of the faith of the true professors of the
blessed gospel is clouded; yea, and the world made believe, that such
as the worst are, such are the best; but there is never a barrel
better herring,[34] but that the whole lump of them are, in truth,
a pack of knaves. Now has the devil got the point aimed at, and
has caused many to fall; but behold ye now the good reward these
tares shall have at the day of reward for their doings. 'As therefore
the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in
the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of
fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth' (Mat 13:37-42).

3. It also happeneth, sometimes, through the anger and judgment
of God against sinners, that some of them truly gracious do fall,
as David, Peter, &c., the which is a great trial to the godly, a
wound to the persons fallen, and a judgment of God to the world.
For since these last would not be converted, nor made turn to God
by the convincing glory that has attended their faith in a holy
and unblameable life annexed, God has suffered them to fall, that
they also might stumble and fall, and be dashed in pieces by their
vices. But thou, Christian man, be not thou offended at any of
these things; do thou look unto Jesus, do thou look unto his Word,
do thou live by faith, and think much of thy latter end; do thou
be base in thine own eyes, be humble and tender, and pray to God
always; do thou add to thy faith virtue, and to virtue what else
is mentioned; and 'give diligence to make thy calling and election
sure; for if thou doest these things thou shalt never fall: for
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Peter
1:10,11).

Sixth. If it be so, that there is so much mercy in the heart of
God for his people, and that Jesus his Son has by his blood made
so living a way for us that we might enjoy it, and the benefit of
it for ever, 'then let Israel hope': for to that end is this goodness
revealed: 'Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is
mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.' Hope! Who would not
hope to enjoy life eternal, that has an inheritance in the God of
Israel? 'Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people
saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword
of thy excellency?' (Deut 33:29). Did but the people of God see to
what they are born, and how true the God of truth will be to what
by his Word they look for at his hands, they would be above alway;
they would be weary of life, of estates, of relations; they would
groan earnestly under all their enjoyments to be with him, who is
their life, their portion, and their glory for ever. But we profess,
and yet care not for dying; we profess, and yet long not for the
coming of the day of God; we profess the faith, and yet by our whole
life show to them that can see how little a measure of it we have
in our hearts. The Lord lead us more into the power of things;
then shall the virtues of him that has saved us, and called us out
of darkness into his marvellous light, and the savour of his good
knowledge, be made known to others far otherwise than it is. Amen.

Seventh. And lastly, Sinner, doth not all this discourse make
thy heart twitter after the mercy that is with God, and after the
way that is made by this plenteous redemption thereto? Methinks
it should; yea, thou couldst not do otherwise, didst thou but see
thy condition: look behind thee, take a view of the path thou hast
trodden these many years. Dost thou think that the way that thou
art in will lead thee to the strait gate, sinner? Ponder the path
of thy feet with the greatest seriousness, thy life lies upon it;
what thinkest thou? But make no answer till in the night, till thou
art in the night-watches. 'Commune with your own heart upon your
bed' (Psa 4:4), and then say what thou thinkest of, whether thou
art going?

O that thou wert serious! Is not it a thing to be lamented, that
madness and folly should be in thy heart while thou livest, and
after that to go to the dead, when so much life stands before thee,
and light to see the way to it? (Eccl 9:3). Surely, men void of
grace, and possessed of carnal minds, must either think that sin
is nothing, that hell is easy, and that eternity is short; or else
that whatever God has said about the punishing of sinners, he will
never do as he has said; or that there is no sin, no God, no heaven,
no hell, and so no good or bad hereafter; or else they could not
live as they do. But perhaps thou presumest upon it, and sayest, I
shall have peace, though I live so sinful a life. Sinner, if this
wicked thought be in thy heart, tell me again, dost thou thus think
in earnest? Canst thou imagine thou shalt at the day of account
out-face God, or make him believe thou wast what thou wast not?
or that when the gate of mercy is shut up in wrath, he will at thy
pleasure, and to the reversing of his own counsel, open it again
to thee? Why shall thy deceived heart turn thee aside, that thou
canst not deliver thy soul, 'nor say, Is there not a lie in my
right hand?' (Isa 44:20).

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The titles to the Psalms have puzzled all the commentators.
Bunyan follows Luther; who adds, that the title to the Psalms of
Degrees does not pertain to any doctrine, but only to the ceremony
of the singers. Ainsworth applies it to the place or tone of voice
of the singers, or to a special excellency of the Psalm. Calmet
and Bishop Horsley consider that the title refers to the progress
of the soul towards eternal felicity, ascending by degrees. Watford
imagines that these Psalms were written or selected to be sung on
the ascent of the Jews from the captivity in Babylon. Luther wisely
concludes that the Christian has only to do with the brief and very
notable doctrine contained in these fifteen steps or degrees.--Ed.

[2] 'The hither,' or nearest end; now obsolete.--Ed.

[3] When Diabolus, in the Holy War, marched against Mansoul, his
infernal drum affrighted the backsliding Mansoul with its roaring.
'This, to speak truth, was amazingly hideous to hear; it frighted
all men seven miles round.' This drum was beat every night, and
'when the drum did go, behold darkness and sorrow over Mansoul; the
light was darkened in the heaven thereof, no noise was ever heard
upon earth more terrible; Mansoul trembled, and looked to be
swallowed up.' This awful alarm--this terrible drum--is a want of
a good hope through faith, which purifieth the heart.--Ed.

[4] How comforting is that declaration of the Holy Spirit, 'For now
we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face'! however we
may have had a glimpse of glory to strengthen us in the way. This
revelation was through one who had been 'caught up into paradise,'
and who had 'abundance of revelations,' so great that it was needful
for him to have 'a thorn in the flesh,' to keep him humble. Blessed
is Israel's 'Hope' of happiness, inconceivable and eternal.--Ed.

[5] See the marginal reading to this text.--Ed.

[6] Ecclesiastical writers, previous to Bunyan's time, made
an hierarchy of nine orders of celestial spirits, viz., seraphim,
cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities,
archangels, and angels; agreeing with Bunyan as to the angels
being the lowest order in these celestial hierarchies. The angels
are ministering spirits. May not the glorified saints become angels?
Who was that angel who said to John, 'I and thy fellow-servant,
and of thy brethren the prophets' (Rev 22:9).--Ed.

[7] This is a striking illustration. Fear 'makes us question our
right to the world to come,' and nails us to the earth; but it is
sin which clenches the nail, and makes us cry, O wretched man that
I am! who can deliver me? Poor Bunyan, in his Grace Abounding,
mournfully illustrates this fact.--Ed.

[8] In Bunyan's days, persecution for conscience sake was more
extensive under the Protestant Church of England than it was even
in the fiery days of Mary. Tens of thousands fled to seek an asylum
among savages in America, who were not permitted to live among men
worse than savages in England. Thousands were immured in prisons,
where many hundreds perished, and with those who suffered a violent
death received the crown of martyrdom. Even now they that will live
godly in Christ Jesus, must submit to taunts, jeers, and reproaches.
May we forget not the Saviour's comforting declaration, 'Blessed
are you when persecuted, reviled, and spoken against falsely for
my sake.'--Ed.

[9] This is the language of an eye-witness, and not a theory. Our
author had associated with every man in jail, whose bitter suffering,
and that of their families, tried the faith and patience of the
saints, and winnowed the church of formal professors.--Ed.

[10] Often have God's saints rejoiced in tribulation, and, like
Stephen, when put to death with excruciating torments, have prayed
for their enemies. Bunyan's fear was, when threatened to be hung
for preaching Christ, that he should make but 'a scrabbling shift
to clamber up the ladder.' He was, however, comforted with the hope
that his dying speech might be blessed to some of the spectators.--Grace
Abounding, Nos. 334, 335.--Ed.

[11] How forcibly does this remind us of the escape of the poor
doubting pilgrims from the castle of Giant Despair. The outer gate,
like that of the prison in which Peter was confined, was of iron
(Acts 12:10). But Peter had a heavenly messenger as his guide, and
faith was in lively exercise, so that 'the gate opened to them of
his own accord.' 'God cut the gates of iron in sunder' (Psa 107:16).
The pilgrims lay for four days under dreadful sufferings, bordering
on black despair. He had overlooked or laid by the 'key that doth
go too hard'; prayer brought it to his recollection, and he cried
out, 'What a fool am I thus to be in a stinking dungeon, when I may
as well walk at liberty.' He recollected the 'key called promise,'
which will open ALL the gates in Doubting Castle; and although the
lock of that iron gate went damnable hard, yet the key did open
it, and the prisoners escaped; see Grace Abounding, Nos 261-263.
Fellow-pilgrims 'look not over,' nor 'lay by,' those keys that
'go too hard,' the prayerful use of which may save us much bitter
dejection and gloomy doubts.--Ed.

[12] The murder of Sir E. Godfrey, and the fears of a Popish plot,
greatly alarmed the country at this time. The recollection of the
frightful atrocities committed by the Papists upon the unoffending
and unarmed Protestants in Ireland, led to the fears which are here
so forcibly, but naturally, expressed. Although we re here directed
to the sole ground of hope in the spiritual warfare, yet doubtless,
in temporal things, Bunyan felt the necessity of human agency. Had
he lived to witness the punishment inflicted on these murderers by
William III, he would have owned with gratitude the services rendered
to the nation by that warlike king and his brave parliament.--Ed.

[13] How infinite is the condescension of Jehovah to enter into
such a relationship with every member of his mystical body, the
church. 'Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name'
(Isa 14:5). Surely it hath not entered into the heart of man to
conceive the riches of that endowment, the magnificence of that
estate.--Ed.

[14] Beware lest an evil heart, and Satan's devices, lead us to
idolatry. All our ideas of God must be formed and governed by his
revelation of himself in his Word.--Ed.

[15] Gospellers was the nick-name for those who loved the gospel
at the Reformation, as Puritan or Methodist in a later age.--Ed.

[16] These are solemn and bitter truths. While the public assembly
is at times the gate of heaven to the soul, sincerity is better
evidenced by heart-wrestling with God in private. No duty draws
down such blessings from heaven, nor has greater opposition from
Satan, than earnest closet prayer. While it humbles the soul before
God, it excites our zeal in good works and a heavenly conduct
towards man.--Ed.

[17] 'For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth' (Heb 12:6,7).--Ed.

[18] In Popish times, the poor wretchedly and lazily depended upon
the alms of the rich, which were especially bestowed at a funeral,
to buy their prayers for the repose of the soul; and at wedding,
for a blessing on the newly-married couple. Happily for them they
are now taught, by gospel light, to depend, under God, upon their
honest exertions to produce the means of existence and enjoyment,
as the most valuable class of society.--Ed.

[19] Bunyan had felt all this. 'Alas!' says he, 'I could neither
hear Christ, nor see him, nor feel him, nor savour any of his
things; I was driven with a tempest, my heart would be unclean, the
Canaanites would come into the land.'--Grace Abounding, No. 78.--Ed.

[20] See 2 Samuel 2:23, 3:27. To smite under the fifth rib is to
give a mortal blow.--Ed.

[21] Human laws we must obey, unless they infringe upon the prerogative
of God and upon conscience; to such we must refuse obedience, and
count it an honour to suffer as Daniel and the Hebrew youths. These
laws we may strive to get repealed or amended; but the laws of God
are immutable and eternal--they must be obeyed, or we perish.--Ed.

[22] How striking an exemplification is this of our utter helplessness
and the unbounded love of God. O my soul, it is impossible to number
or recollect all his mercies, but take heed lest thou forget them
all.--Ed.

[23] The reader will easily understand this passage if he considers
'these folks' to mean those who were deterred from making a public
profession of faith, by the fear of 'the enemies,' or persecutors,
properly called the devil's scarecrows. 'Today,' refers to the time
in which this encouraging treatise was written. Then persecutors
and informers were let loose upon the churches, like a swarm of
locusts. Many folks were terrified, and much defection prevailed.
But for such a time God prepared Bunyan, Baxter, Owen, Howe, and
many others of equal piety. Thus, when the enemy cometh in like
a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against
him.--Ed.

[24] The word 'virtuous' is now very rarely used in this sense;
it means, 'efficacious by inherent qualities,' or having great or
powerful properties, as, 'By virtue of our Lord's intercession';
see Imperial Dictionary.--Ed.

[25] 'Tang'; a strong sense, flavour, or relish.--Ed.

[26] 'O the unthought of imaginations, frights, fears, and terrors
that are affected by a thorough application of guilt, yielded
to desperation! This is the man that hath his dwelling among the
tombs.'--Bunyan's experience in Grace Abounding, No. 185.--Ed.

[27] This is not merely an exhortation to diligence in the Christian
calling, but it is meant to convey to all the certain fact, that
the prayer of faith in the merits of the Redeemer will and must be
followed by renewed speed in running the race that is set before
us.--Ed.

[28] There is something about the word blood at which the mind
recoils, as if intended to impress upon us the evils of sin and its
awful punishment--the death, spiritual and eternal, of the sinner.
'Without shedding of blood is no remission.' Blessed are those
who were in Christ when his precious blood was shed as an atoning
sacrifice.--Ed.

[29] See the character of Ignorance in the Pilgrim's Progress.--Ed.

[30] The words are, 'In the name of God, gracious and merciful,'
before each of the 114 chapters of which Alcoran consists.--Ed.

[31] No service on the part of those who are out of Christ, can be
accepted (Prov 15:8). We are accepted IN the Beloved (Eph 1:6).--Ed.

[32] One who justifies himself; the self-righteous. The word is
only used by religious writers, and never now.--Ed.

[33] What is this to me, O law, that thou accusest me, and sayest
that I have committed many sins? Indeed, I grant that I have
committed many sins, yea, and still do commit sins daily without
number. This toucheth me nothing. Thou talkest to me in vain. I am
dead unto thee.--Luther. In the person of his Surety, the believer
has died, and paid the penalty of the law. It can have no claim on
him.--Ed.

[34] A proverbial saying, which means that all are alike, 'there
is no one barrel better than another, the whole cargo is bad.'--Ed.

***

I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO-

OR,

A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER;

WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED,

1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT
IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO.

WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663.

"For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the
Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26).

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness
than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven.
"It is that language wherein a creature holds correspondence with
his Creator; and wherein the soul of a saint gets near to God, is
entertained with great delight, and, as it were, dwells with his
heavenly Father."1 God, when manifest in the flesh, hath given
us a solemn, sweeping declaration, embracing all prayer--private,
social, and public--at all times and seasons, from the creation to
the final consummation of all things--"God is a Spirit, and they
that worship him MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH" (John
4:24).

The great enemy of souls, aided by the perverse state of the human
mind, has exhausted his ingenuity and malice to prevent the exercise
of this holy and delightful duty. His most successful effort has
been to keep the soul in that fatal lethargy, or death unto holiness,
and consequently unto prayer, into which it is plunged by Adam's
transgression. Bunyan has some striking illustrations of Satan's
devices to stifle prayer, in his history of the Holy War. When
the troops of Emmanuel besiege Mansoul, their great effort was to
gain "eargate" as a chief entrance to Mansoul, and at that important
gate there were placed, by order of Diabolous, "the Lord Will-be-will,
who made one old Mr. Prejudice, an angry and ill-conditioned fellow,
captain of that ward, and put under his power sixty men called
Deafmen to keep it," and these were arrayed in the most excellent
armour of Diabolous, "A DUMB AND PRAYERLESS SPIRIT." Nothing but the
irresistible power of Emmanuel could have overcome these obstacles.
He conquers and reigns supreme, and Mansoul becomes happy; prayer
without ceasing enables the new-born man to breathe the celestial
atmosphere. At length Carnal Security interrupts and mars this
happiness. The Redeemer gradually withdraws. Satan assaults the soul
with armies of doubts, and, to prevent prayer, Diabolous "lands up
Mouthgate with dirt."2 Various efforts are made to send petitions,
but the messengers make no impression, until, in the extremity
of the soul's distress, two acceptable messengers are found, not
dwelling in palaces, but in "a very mean cottage,"3 their names
were "Desires Awake and Wet Eyes," illustrating the inspired words,
"Thus saith the High and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose
name is holy: I dwell--with him--that is of a contrite and humble
spirit" (Isa 57:15). By this we are taught the utter worthlessness
of depending upon the prayers of saints on earth, or the glorified
spirits of heaven. Our own prayers alone are availing. Our own
"Desires-awake" and "Wet-eyes," our own aspirations after God, our
own deep repentance and sense of utter helplessness drives us to
the Saviour, through whom ALONE we can find access and adoption
into the family of our Father who is in heaven.

The soul that communes with God attains an aptitude in prayer which
no human learning can give; devotional expressions become familiar;
the Spirit of adoption leads them with deep solemnity to approach
the Infinite Eternal as a father. Private prayer is so essentially
spiritual that it cannot be reduced to writing. "A man that truly
prays one prayer, shall after that never be able to express with
his mouth, or pen the unutterable desires, sense, affection, and
longing that went to God in that prayer". Prayer leads to "pure
religion and undefiled," "to visit the fatherless and widows in
their affliction," and to preserve us "unspotted from the world"
(James 1:27). Blessed indeed are those who enjoy an abiding sense
of the Divine presence; the Christian's divine life may be measured
by his being able to "pray without ceasing," to "seek God's face
continually." Men ought "always to pray," and to "continue in prayer."
This does not consist in perpetually repeating any form of prayer,
but in that devotional frame of mind which enables the soul to say,
"For me to live is Christ." When David was compassed about with the
sorrows of hell, he at once ejaculates, "O Lord, I beseech thee
deliver my soul." When the disciples were in danger they did not
recite the Lord's Prayer, or any other form, but at once cried,
"Lord, save us, we perish." Bunyan, speaking of private prayer,
keenly inquires, will God not hear thee "except thou comest before
him with some eloquent oration?" "It is not, as many take it to
be, even a few babbling, prating, complimentary expressions, but
a sensible feeling in the heart." Sincerity and a dependence upon
the mediatorial office of Christ is all that God requires. "The Lord
is nigh unto all them that call upon him--IN TRUTH" (Psa 145:18).
In all that related to the individual approach of the spirit to its
heavenly Father, our pious author offended not; but having enjoyed
communion with God, he was, as all Christians are, desirous of
communion with the saints on earth, and in choosing the forms of
public worship, he gave great offence to many by rejecting the Book
of Common Prayer.

To compel or to bribe persons to attend religious services is
unjustifiable, and naturally produces hypocrisy and persecution.
So it was with the decree of King Darius, (Dan 6); and so it has
ever been with any royal or parliamentary interference with Christian
liberty. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his
own master he standeth or falleth" (Rom 14:4). "EVERY ONE of us shall
give account of himself to God" (Rom 14:12). All the solemnities
of the day of judgment point not merely to the right, but to the
necessity of private decision on all questions of faith, worship,
and conduct, guided solely by the volume of inspiration. Mansoul,
in its regenerate state, is the temple which the Creator has chosen
for his worship; and it is infinitely more glorious than earthly
edifices, which crumble into dust, while God's temples will be ever
glorious as eternity rolls on.

Bunyan, to the sixteenth year of his age, had, when he attended
public worship, listened to the Book of Common Prayer. At that time
an Act of Parliament prohibited its use under severe and unjust
penalties, and ordered the services to be conducted by the rules of
a directory. In this an outline is given of public thanksgivings,
confessions, and petitions; but no form of prayer. In the preface
the Puritans record their opinion, that the Liturgy of the Church
of England, notwithstanding all the pains and religious intentions
of its compilers, hath proved an offence; unprofitable ceremonies
hath occasioned much mischief; its estimation hath been raised by
prelates, as if there were no other way of worship; making it an
idol to the ignorant and superstitious, a matter of endless strife,
and of increasing an idle ministry. Bunyan had weighed these
observations, and recollected his former ignorance and superstition,
when he counted all things holy connected with the outward forms,
and did "very devoutly say and sing as others did."4 But when he
arose from the long and dread conflict with sin, and entered upon
his Christian life, he decidedly preferred emancipation from forms
of prayer, and treated them with great severity. He considered
that the most essential qualification for the Christian ministry
is the gift of prayer. Upon this subject learned and pious men have
differed; but the opinions of one so eminently pious, and so well-taught
in the Scriptures, are worthy of our careful investigation. Great
allowances must be made for all that appears harsh in language,
because urbanity was not the fashion of that day in religious
controversy. He had been most cruelly imprisoned, with threats of
transportation, and even an ignominious death, for refusing conformity
to the Book of Common Prayer. Being conscientiously and prayerfully
decided in his judgment, he set all these threats at defiance, and
boldly, at the risk of his life, published this treatise, while yet
a prisoner in Bedford jail; and it is a clear, concise, and scriptural
discourse, setting forth his views upon this most important subject.

Any preconceived form would have fettered Bunyan's free spirit; he
was a giant in prayer, and commanded the deepest reverence while
leading the public devotions of the largest congregations. The
great question as to public prayer is whether the minister should,
relying upon Divine assistance, offer up prayer to God in the
Saviour's name, immediately conceived under a sense of His presence;
or whether it is better, as it is certainly easier, to read a form
of prayer, from time to time, skillfully arranged, and with every
regard to beauty of language? Which of these modes is most in
accordance with the directions of the Sacred Scriptures, and most
likely to be attended with spiritual benefit to the assembled
church? Surely this inquiry does not involve the charge of schism
or heresy upon either party. "Let every man be fully persuaded in
his own mind." Nor should such differences lead us to despise each
other. Let our first inquiry be, whether the Saviour intended a
fixed form of prayer? And if so, did he give His church any other
than that most beautiful and comprehensive form called the Lord's
Prayer? And did he license any one, and if so, who, to alter, add
to, or diminish from it? On the other hand, should we conclude
that "We know not what we should pray for as we ought, only as the
Spirit helpeth our infirmities," then must we rely, as Bunyan did,
upon the promised aid of that gracious Spirit. Blessed, indeed, are
those whose intercourse with heaven sheds an influence on their
whole conduct, gives them abundance of well-arranged words in
praying with their families and with the sick or dejected, and--whose
lives prove that they have been with Jesus, and are taught by him,
or who, in Scripture language, "pray with the spirit and with the
understanding also."

GEO. OFFOR.

ON PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT.

"I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND I WILL PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING
ALSO"--(I Cor 14:15).

PRAYER is an ORDINANCE of God, and that to be used both in public
and private; yea, such an ordinance as brings those that have the
spirit of supplication into great familiarity with God; and is also
so prevalent in action, that it getteth of God, both for the person
that prayeth, and for them that are prayed for, great things.5 It
is the opener of the heart of God, and a means by which the soul,
though empty, is filled. By prayer the Christian can open his
heart to God, as to a friend, and obtain fresh testimony of God's
friendship to him. I might spend many words in distinguishing
between public and private prayer; as also between that in the heart,
and that with the vocal voice. Something also might be spoken to
distinguish between the gifts and graces of prayer; but eschewing
this method, my business shall be at this time only to show you the
very heart of prayer, without which, all your lifting up, both of
hands, and eyes, and voices, will be to no purpose at all. "I will
pray with the Spirit."

The method that I shall go on in at this time shall be, FIRST. To
show you what true prayer is. SECOND. To show you what it is to
pray with the Spirit. THIRD. What it is to pray with the Spirit
and understanding also. And so, FOURTHLY. To make some short use
and application of what shall be spoken.

WHAT PRAYER IS.

FIRST, What [true] prayer is. Prayer is a sincere, sensible,
affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ,
in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things
as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of
the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.

In this description are these seven things. First, It is a sincere;
Second, A sensible; Third, An affectionate, pouring out of the
soul to God, through Christ; Fourth, By the strength or assistance
of the Spirit; Fifth, For such things as God hath promised, or,
according to his word; Sixth, For the good of the church; Seventh,
With submission in faith to the will of God.

First. For the first of these, it is a SINCERE pouring out of the
soul to God. Sincerity is such a grace as runs through all the
graces of God in us, and through all the actings of a Christian,
and hath the sway in them too, or else their actings are not any
thing regarded of God, and so of and in prayer, of which particularly
David speaks, when he mentions prayer. "I cried unto him," the Lord
"with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" my prayer (Psa
66:17,18). Part of the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without
which God looks not upon it as prayer in a good sense (Psa 16:1-4).
Then "ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me
with all your heart" (Jer 29:12-13). The want of this made the Lord
reject their prayers in Hosea 7:14, where he saith, "They have not
cried unto me with their heart," that is, in sincerity, "when they
howled upon their beds." But for a pretence, for a show in hypocrisy,
to be seen of men, and applauded for the same, they prayed. Sincerity
was that which Christ commended in Nathaniel, when he was under
the fig tree. "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."
Probably this good man was pouring out of his soul to God in prayer
under the fig tree, and that in a sincere and unfeigned spirit before
the Lord. The prayer that hath this in it as one of the principal
ingredients, is the prayer that God looks at. Thus, "The prayer of
the upright is his delight" (Prov 15:8).

And why must sincerity be one of the essentials of prayer which
is accepted of God, but because sincerity carries the soul in
all simplicity to open its heart to God, and to tell him the case
plainly, without equivocation; to condemn itself plainly, without
dissembling; to cry to God heartily, without complimenting. "I have
surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou has chastised me,
and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke" (Jer
31:18). Sincerity is the same in a corner alone, as it is before
the face of the world. It knows not how to wear two vizards, one
for an appearance before men, and another for a short snatch in a
corner; but it must have God, and be with him in the duty of prayer.
It is not lip-labour that it doth regard, for it is the heart that
God looks at, and that which sincerity looks at, and that which
prayer comes from, if it be that prayer which is accompanied with
sincerity.

Second. It is a sincere and SENSIBLE pouring out of the heart
or soul. It is not, as many take it to be, even a few babbling,
prating, complimentary expressions, but a sensible feeling there is
in the heart. Prayer hath in it a sensibleness of diverse things;
sometimes sense of sin, sometimes of mercy received, sometimes of
the readiness of God to give mercy, &c.

1. A sense of the want of mercy, by reason of the danger of sin.
The soul, I say, feels, and from feeling sighs, groans, and breaks
at the heart. For right prayer bubbleth out of the heart when it
is overpressed with grief and bitterness, as blood is forced out
of the flesh by reason of some heavy burden that lieth upon it (I
Sam 1:10; Psa 69:3). David roars, cries, weeps, faints at heart,
fails at the eyes, loseth his moisture, &c., (Psa 38:8-10). Hezekiah
mourns like a dove (Isa 38:14). Ephraim bemoans himself (Jer 31:18).
Peter weeps bitterly (Matt 26:75). Christ hath strong cryings and
tears (Heb 5:7). And all this from a sense of the justice of God,
the guilt of sin, the pains of hell and destruction. "The sorrows
of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I
found trouble and sorrow." Then cried I unto the Lord (Psa 116:3,4).
And in another place, "My sore ran in the night" (Psa 77:2). Again,
"I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long" (Psa
38:6). In all these instances, and in hundreds more that might be
named, you may see that prayer carrieth in it a sensible feeling
disposition, and that first from a sense of sin.

2. Sometimes there is a sweet sense of mercy received; encouraging,
comforting, strengthening, enlivening, enlightening mercy, &c.
Thus David pours out his soul, to bless, and praise, and admire
the great God for his loving-kindness to such poor vile wretches.
"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his holy
name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.6
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases;
who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee
with loving-kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth
with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's"
(Psa 103:1-5). And thus is the prayer of saints sometimes turned
into praise and thanksgiving, and yet are prayers still. This is
a mystery; God's people pray with their praises, as it is written,
"Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer, and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God" (Phil
4:6). A sensible thanksgiving, for mercies received, is a mighty
prayer in the sight of God; it prevails with him unspeakably.

3. In prayer there is sometimes in the soul a sense of mercy to be
received. This again sets the soul all on a flame. "Thou, O lord of
hosts," saith David, "hast revealed to thy servant, saying I will
build thee an house; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart
to pray--unto thee" (II Sam 7:27). This provoked Jacob, David,
Daniel, with others--even a sense of mercies to be received--which
caused them, not by fits and starts, nor yet in a foolish frothy
way, to babble over a few words written in a paper; but mightily,
fervently, and continually, to groan out their conditions before
the Lord, as being sensible, sensible, I say, of their wants, their
misery, and the willingness of God to show mercy (Gen 32:10,11;
Dan 9:3,4).

A good sense of sin, and the wrath of God, with some encouragement
from God to come unto him, is a better Common-prayer-book than that
which is taken out of the Papistical mass-book,7 being the scraps
and fragments of the devices of some popes, some friars, and I wot
not what.

Third. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, and an AFFECTIONATE pouring
out of the soul to God. O! the heat, strength, life, vigour, and
affection, that is in right prayer! "As the hart panteth after the
water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psa 42:1). "I
have longed after thy precepts" (Psa 119:40). "I have longed for
thy salvation" (ver 174). "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth,
for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for
the living God" (Psa 84:2). "My soul breaketh for the longing that
it hath unto thy judgments at all times" (Psa 119:20). Mark ye here,
"My soul longeth," it longeth, it longeth, &c. O what affection is
here discovered in prayer! The like you have in Daniel. "O Lord,
hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine
own sake, O my God" (Dan 9:19). Every syllable carrieth a mighty
vehemency in it. This is called the fervent, or the working prayer,
by James. And so again, "And being in an agony, he prayed more
earnestly" (Luke 22:44). Or had his affections more and more drawn
out after God for his helping hand. O! How wide are the most of
men with their prayers from this prayer, that is, PRAYER in God's
account! Alas! The greatest part of men make no conscience at
all of the duty; and as for them that do, it is to be feared that
many of them are very great strangers to a sincere, sensible, and
affectionate pouring out their hearts or souls to God; but even
content themselves with a little lip-labour and bodily exercise,
mumbling over a few imaginary prayers. When the affections are
indeed engaged in prayer, then, then the whole man is engaged, and
that in such sort, that the soul will spend itself to nothing, as
it were, rather than it will go without that good desired, even
communion and solace with Christ. And hence it is that the saints
have spent their strengths, and lost their lives, rather than go
without the blessing (Psa 69:3; 38:9,10; Gen 32:24,26).

All this is too, too evident by the ignorance, profaneness, and
spirit of envy, that reign in the hearts of those men that are so
hot for the forms, and not the power of praying. Scarce one of forty
among them know what it is to be born again, to have communion with
the Father through the Son; to feel the power of grace sanctifying
their hearts: but for all their prayers, they still live cursed,
drunken, whorish, and abominable lives, full of malice, envy,
deceit, persecuting of the dear children of God. O what a dreadful
after-clap is coming upon them! which all their hypocritical
assembling themselves together, with all their prayers, shall never
be able to help them against, or shelter them from.

Again, It is a pouring out of the heart or soul. There is in prayer
an unbosoming of a man's self, an opening of the heart to God, an
affectionate pouring out of the soul in requests, sighs, and groans.
"All my desire is before thee," saith David, "and my groaning is
not hid from thee" (Psa 38:9). And again, "My soul thirsteth for
God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me" (Psa 42:2,4).
Mark, "I pour out my soul." It is an expression signifying, that in
prayer there goeth the very life and whole strength to God. As in
another place, "Trust in him at all times; ye people,--pour out
your heart before him" (Psa 62:8). This is the prayer to which
the promise is made, for the delivering of a poor creature out of
captivity and thralldom. "If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord
thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart
and with all thy soul" (Deut 4:29).

Again, It is a pouring out of the heart or soul TO GOD. This showeth
also the excellency of the spirit of prayer. It is the great God
to which it retires. "When shall I come and appear before God?"
And it argueth, that the soul that thus prayeth indeed, sees an
emptiness in all things under heaven; that in God alone there is
rest and satisfaction for the soul. "Now she that is a widow indeed,
and desolate, trusteth in God" (I Tim 5:5). So saith David, "In
thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline
thine ear to me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto
I may continually resort:--for thou art my rock and my fortress;
deliver me, O my God,--out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel
man. For thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust from my
youth" (Psa 71:1-5). Many in a wording way speak of God; but right
prayer makes God his hope, stay, and all. Right prayer sees nothing
substantial, and worth the looking after, but God. And that, as I
said before, it doth in a sincere, sensible, and affectionate way.

Again, It is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the
heart or soul to God, THROUGH CHRIST. This through Christ must needs
be added, or else it is to be questioned, whether it be prayer,
though in appearance it be never so eminent or eloquent.

Christ is the way through whom the soul hath admittance to God,
and without whom it is impossible that so much as one desire should
come into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (John 14:6). "If ye shall
ask anything in my name"; "whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in
my name, I will do it" (John 14:13,14). This was Daniel's way in
praying for the people of God; he did it in the name of Christ.
"Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his
supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that
is desolate, for the Lord's sake" (Dan 9:17). And so David, "For
thy name's sake," that is, for thy Christ's sake, "pardon mine
iniquity, for it is great" (Psa 25:11). But now, it is not every one
that maketh mention of Christ's name in prayer, that doth indeed,
and in truth, effectually pray to God in the name of Christ, or
through him. This coming to God through Christ is the hardest part
that is found in prayer. A man may more easily be sensible of his
works, ay, and sincerely too desire mercy, and yet not be able to
come to God by Christ. That man that comes to God by Christ, he
must first have the knowledge of him; "for he that cometh to God,
must believe that he is" (Heb 11:6). And so he that comes to God
through Christ, must be enabled to know Christ. Lord, saith Moses,
"show me now thy way, that I may know thee" (Exo 33:13).

This Christ, none but the Father can reveal (Matt 11:27). And to
come through Christ, is for the soul to be enabled of God to shroud
itself under the shadow of the Lord Jesus, as a man shroudeth himself
under a thing for safeguard (Matt 16:16).8 Hence it is that David
so often terms Christ his shield, buckler, tower, fortress, rock
of defence, &c., (Psa 18:2; 27:1; 28:1). Not only because by him
he overcame his enemies, but because through him he found favour
with God the Father. And so he saith to Abraham, "Fear not, I am
thy shield," &c., (Gen 15:1). The man then that comes to God through
Christ, must have faith, by which he puts on Christ, and in him
appears before God. Now he that hath faith is born of God, born
again, and so becomes one of the sons of God; by virtue of which he
is joined to Christ, and made a member of him (John 3:5,7; 1:12).
And therefore, secondly he, as a member of Christ, comes to God;
I say, as a member of him, so that God looks on that man as a part
of Christ, part of his body, flesh, and bones, united to him by
election, conversion, illumination, the Spirit being conveyed into
the heart of that poor man by God (Eph 5:30). So that now he comes
to God in Christ's merits, in his blood, righteousness, victory,
intercession, and so stands before him, being "accepted in his
Beloved" (Eph 1:6). And because this poor creature is thus a member
of the Lord Jesus, and under this consideration hath admittance to
come to God; therefore, by virtue of this union also, is the Holy
Spirit conveyed into him, whereby he is able to pour out himself,
to wit, his soul, before God, with his audience. And this leads me
to the next, or fourth particular.

Fourth. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate, pouring out
of the heart or soul to God through Christ, by the strength or
ASSISTANCE OF THE SPIRIT. For these things do so depend one upon
another, that it is impossible that it should be prayer, without there
be a joint concurrence of them; for though it be never so famous,
yet without these things, it is only such prayer as is rejected of
God. For without a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of
the heart to God, it is but lip-labour; and if it be not through
Christ, it falleth far short of ever sounding well in the ears of
God. So also, if it be not in the strength and assistance of the
Spirit, it is but like the sons of Aaron, offering with strange
fire (Lev 10:1,2). But I shall speak more to this under the second
head; and therefore in the meantime, that which is not petitioned
through the teaching and assistance of the Spirit, it is not possible
that it should be "according to the will of God" (Rom 8:26,27).

Fifth. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of
the heart, or soul, to God, through Christ, in the strength and
assistance of the Spirit, FOR SUCH THINGS AS GOD HATH PROMISED,
&c., (Matt 6:6-8). Prayer it is, when it is within the compass of
God's Word; and it is blasphemy, or at best vain babbling, when the
petition is beside the book. David therefore still in his prayer
kept his eye on the Word of God. "My soul," saith he, "cleaveth to
the dust; quicken me according to thy word." And again, "My soul
melteth for heaviness, strengthen thou me according unto thy word"
(Psa 119:25-28; see also 41, 42, 58, 65, 74, 81, 82, 107, 147, 154,
169, 170). And, "remember thy word unto thy servant, upon which
thou hast caused me to hope" (ver 49). And indeed the Holy Ghost
doth not immediately quicken and stir up the heart of the Christian
without, but by, with, and through the Word, by bringing that
to the heart, and by opening of that, whereby the man is provoked
to go to the Lord, and to tell him how it is with him, and also
to argue, and supplicate, according to the Word; thus it was with
Daniel, that mighty prophet of the Lord. He understanding by books
that the captivity of the children of Israel was hard at an end;
then, according unto that word, he maketh his prayer to God. "I
Daniel," saith he, "understood by books," viz., the writings of
Jeremiah, "the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord
came to Jeremiah,--that he would accomplish seventy years in the
desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord God, to
seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and
ashes" (Dan 9:2,3). So that I say, as the Spirit is the helper and
the governor of the soul, when it prayeth according to the will
of God; so it guideth by and according to, the Word of God and his
promise. Hence it is that our Lord Jesus Christ himself did make
a stop, although his life lay at stake for it. I could now pray
to my Father, and he should give me more than twelve legions of
angels; but how then must the scripture be fulfilled that thus it
must be? (Matt 26:53,54). As who should say, Were there but a word
for it in the scripture, I should soon be out of the hands of mine
enemies, I should be helped by angels; but the scripture will not
warrant this kind of praying, for that saith otherwise. It is a
praying then according to the Word and promise. The Spirit by the
Word must direct, as well in the manner, as in the matter of prayer.
"I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding
also" (I Cor 14:15). But there is no understanding without the
Word. For if they reject the word of the Lord, "what wisdom is in
them?" (Jer 8:9).

Sixth. FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH. This clause reacheth in whatsoever
tendeth either to the honour of God, Christ's advancement, or his
people's benefit. For God, and Christ, and his people are so linked
together that if the good of the one be prayed for, to wit, the
church, the glory of God, and advancement of Christ, must needs
be included. For as Christ is in the Father, so the saints are
in Christ; and he that toucheth the saints, toucheth the apple of
God's eye; and therefore pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and you
pray for all that is required of you. For Jerusalem will never
be in perfect peace until she be in heaven; and there is nothing
that Christ doth more desire than to have her there. That also is
the place that God through Christ hath given to her. He then that
prayeth for the peace and good of Zion, or the church, doth ask
that in prayer which Christ hath purchased with his blood; and also
that which the Father hath given to him as the price thereof. Now
he that prayeth for this, must pray for abundance of grace for the
church, for help against all its temptations; that God would let
nothing be too hard for it; and that all things might work together
for its good, that God would keep them blameless and harmless, the
sons of God, to his glory, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation. And this is the substance of Christ's own prayer in John
17. And all Paul's prayers did run that way, as one of his prayers
doth eminently show. "And this I pray, that your love may abound
yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may
approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere, and
without offence, till the day of Christ. Being filled with the
fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory
and praise of God" (Phil 1:9-11). But a short prayer, you see, and
yet full of good desires for the church, from the beginning to the
end; that it may stand and go on, and that in the most excellent
frame of spirit, even without blame, sincere, and without offence,
until the day of Christ, let its temptations or persecutions be
what they will (Eph 1:16-21; 3:14-19; Col 1:9-13).

Seventh. And because, as I said, prayer doth SUBMIT TO THE WILL
OF GOD, and say, Thy will be done, as Christ hath taught us (Matt
6:10); therefore the people of the Lord in humility are to lay
themselves and their prayers, and all that they have, at the foot
of their God, to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom
seeth best. Yet not doubting but God will answer the desire of
his people that way that shall be most for their advantage and his
glory. When the saints therefore do pray with submission to the
will of God, it doth not argue that they are to doubt or question
God's love and kindness to them. But because they at all times
are not so wise, but that sometimes Satan may get that advantage
of them, as to tempt them to pray for that which, if they had it,
would neither prove to God's glory nor his people's good. "Yet
this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear
us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we desired of him," that is, we asking in the Spirit of grace and
supplication (I John 5:14,15). For, as I said before, that petition
that is not put up in and through the Spirit, it is not to be
answered, because it is beside the will of God. For the Spirit only
knoweth that, and so consequently knoweth how to pray according
to that will of God. "For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God
knoweth no man but the Spirit of God" (I Cor 2:11). But more of
this hereafter. Thus you see, first, what prayer is. Now to proceed.

[WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT.]

SECOND. I will pray with the Spirit. Now to pray with the Spirit--for
that is the praying man, and none else, so as to be accepted of
God--it is for a man, as aforesaid, sincerely and sensibly, with
affection, to come to God through Christ, &c.; which sincere,
sensible, and affectionate coming must be by the working of God's
Spirit.

There is no man nor church in the world that can come to God
in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. "For through
Christ we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph
2:18). Wherefore Paul saith, "For we know not what we should pray
for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the
hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom
8:26,27). And because there is in this scripture so full a discovery
of the spirit of prayer, and of man's inability to pray without
it; therefore I shall in a few words comment upon it.

"For we." Consider first the person speaking, even Paul, and, in his
person, all the apostles. We apostles, we extraordinary officers,
the wise master-builders, that have some of us been caught up into
paradise (Rom 15:16; I Cor 3:10; II Cor 12:4). "We know not what
we should pray for." Surely there is no man but will confess, that
Paul and his companions were as able to have done any work for God,
as any pope or proud prelate in the church of Rome, and could as
well have made a Common Prayer Book as those who at first composed
this; as being not a whit behind them either in grace or gifts.9

"For we know not what we should pray for." We know not the matter
of the things for which we should pray, neither the object to whom
we pray, nor the medium by or through whom we pray; none of these
things know we, but by the help and assistance of the Spirit. Should
we pray for communion with God through Christ? should we pray for
faith, for justification by grace, and a truly sanctified heart?
none of these things know we. "For what man knoweth the things of
a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things
of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (I Cor 2:11). But
here, alas! the apostles speak of inward and spiritual things,
which the world knows not (Isa 29:11).

Again, as they know not the matter, &c., of prayer, without the
help of the Spirit; so neither know they the manner thereof without
the same; and therefore he adds, "We know not what we should pray
for as we ought"; but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, with sighs
and groans which cannot be uttered. Mark here, they could not so
well and so fully come off in the manner of performing this duty,
as these in our days think they can.

The apostles, when they were at the best, yea, when the Holy Ghost
assisted them, yet then they were fain to come off with sighs and
groans, falling short of expressing their mind, but with sighs and
groans which cannot be uttered.

But here now, the wise men of our days are so well skilled as that
they have both the manner and matter of their prayers at their
finger-ends; setting such a prayer for such a day, and that twenty
years before it comes. One for Christmas, another for Easter, and
six days after that. They have also bounded how many syllables must
be said in every one of them at their public exercises. For each
saint's day, also, they have them ready for the generations yet
unborn to say. They can tell you, also, when you shall kneel, when
you shall stand, when you should abide in your seats, when you
should go up into the chancel, and what you should do when you come
there. All which the apostles came short of, as not being able to
compose so profound a manner; and that for this reason included in
this scripture, because the fear of God tied them to pray as they
ought.

"For we know not what we should pray for as we ought." Mark this,
"as we ought." For the not thinking of this word, or at least the
not understanding it in the spirit and truth of it, hath occasioned
these men to devise, as Jeroboam did, another way of worship, both
for matter and manner, than is revealed in the Word of God (I Kings
12:26-33). But, saith Paul, we must pray as we ought; and this
WE cannot do by all the art, skill, and cunning device of men or
angels. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit"; nay, further, it must be "the Spirit ITSELF" that
helpeth our infirmities; not the Spirit and man's lusts; what man
of his own brain may imagine and devise, is one thing, and what they
are commanded, and ought to do, is another. Many ask and have not,
because they ask amiss; and so are never the nearer the enjoying
of those things they petition for (James 4:3). It is not to pray at
random that will put off God, or cause him to answer. While prayer
is making, God is searching the heart, to see from what root and
spirit it doth arise (I John 5:14). "And he that searcheth the heart
knoweth," that is, approveth only, the meaning "of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the
will of God." For in that which is according to his will only, he
heareth us, and in nothing else. And it is the Spirit only that can
teach us so to ask; it only being able to search out all things,
even the deep things of God. Without which Spirit, though we had a
thousand Common Prayer Books, yet we know not what we should pray
for as we ought, being accompanied with those infirmities that make
us absolutely incapable of such a work. Which infirmities, although
it is a hard thing to name them all, yet some of them are these
that follow.

First. Without the Spirit man is so infirm that he cannot, with
all other means whatsoever, be enabled to think one right saving
thought of God, of Christ, or of his blessed things; and therefore
he saith of the wicked, "God is not in all his thoughts," (Psa
10:4); unless it be that they imagine him altogether such a one as
themselves (Psa 50:21). For "every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil," and that "continually" (Gen 6:5; 8:21).
They then not being able to conceive aright of God to whom they
pray, of Christ through whom they pray, nor of the things for which
they pray, as is before showed, how shall they be able to address
themselves to God, without the Spirit help this infirmity?
Peradventure you will say, By the help of the Common Prayer Book;
but that cannot do it, unless it can open the eyes, and reveal to
the soul all these things before touched. Which that it cannot, it
is evident; because that is the work of the Spirit only. The Spirit
itself is the revealer of these things to poor souls, and that
which doth give us to understand them; wherefore Christ tells his
disciples, when he promised to send the Spirit, the Comforter, "He
shall take of mine and show unto you"; as if he had said, I know
you are naturally dark and ignorant as to the understanding any
of my things; though ye try this course and the other, yet your
ignorance will still remain, the veil is spread over your heart,
and there is none can take away the same, nor give you spiritual
understanding but the Spirit. The Common Prayer Book will not
do it, neither can any man expect that it should be instrumental
that way, it being none of God's ordinances; but a thing since the
Scriptures were written, patched together one piece at one time, and
another at another; a mere human invention and institution, which
God is so far from owning of, that he expressly forbids it, with
any other such like, and that by manifold sayings in his most holy
and blessed Word. (See Mark 7:7,8, and Col 2:16-23; Deut 12:30-32;
Prov 30:6; Deut 4:2; Rev 22:18). For right prayer must, as well in
the outward part of it, in the outward expression, as in the inward
intention, come from what the soul doth apprehend in the light of
the Spirit; otherwise it is condemned as vain and an abomination,
because the heart and tongue do not go along jointly in the same,
neither indeed can they, unless the Spirit help our infirmities
(Mark 7; Prov 28:9; Isa 29:13). And this David knew full well, which
did make him cry, "Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show
forth thy praise" (Psa 51:15). I suppose there is none can imagine
but that David could speak and express himself as well as others,
nay, as any in our generation, as is clearly manifested by his
word and his works. Nevertheless when this good man, this prophet,
comes into God's worship, then the Lord must help, or he can do
nothing. "Lord, open thou my lips, and" then "my mouth shall show
forth thy praise." He could not speak one right word, except the
Spirit itself gave utterance. "For we know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit itself helpeth our infirmities."
But,

Second. It must be a praying with the Spirit, that is, the
effectual praying; because without that, as men are senseless, so
hypocritical, cold, and unseemly in their prayers; and so they,
with their prayers, are both rendered abominable to God (Matt 23:14;
Mark 12:40; Luke 18:11, 12; Isa 58:2, 3). It is not the excellency
of the voice, nor the seeming affection, and earnestness of him
that prayeth, that is anything regarded of God without it. For man,
as man, is so full of all manner of wickedness, that as he cannot
keep a word, or thought, so much less a piece of prayer clean, and
acceptable to God through Christ; and for this cause the Pharisees,
with their prayers, were rejected. No question but they were excellently
able to express themselves in words, and also for length of time,
too, they were very notable; but they had not the Spirit of Jesus
Christ to help them, and therefore they did what they did with their
infirmities or weaknesses only, and so fell short of a sincere,
sensible, affectionate pouring out of their souls to God, through
the strength of the Spirit. That is the prayer that goeth to heaven,
that is sent thither in the strength of the Spirit. For,

Third. Nothing but the Spirit can show a man clearly his misery
by nature, and so put a man into a posture of prayer. Talk is but
talk, as we use to say, and so it is but mouth-worship, if there
be not a sense of misery, and that effectually too. O the cursed
hypocrisy that is in most hearts, and that accompanieth many
thousands of praying men that would be so looked upon in this day,
and all for want of a sense of their misery! But now the Spirit,
that will sweetly show the soul its misery, where it is, and what
is like to become of it, also the intolerableness of that condition.
For it is the Spirit that doth effectually convince of sin and
misery, without the Lord Jesus, and so puts the soul into a sweet,
sensible, affectionate way of praying to God according to his word
(John 16:7-9).

Fourth. If men did see their sins, yet without the help of the
Spirit they would not pray. For they would run away from God, with
Cain and Judas, and utterly despair of mercy, were it not for the
Spirit. When a man is indeed sensible of his sin, and God's curse,
then it is a hard thing to persuade him to pray; for, saith his
heart, "There is no hope," it is in vain to seek God (Jer 2:25;
18:12). I am so vile, so wretched, and so cursed a creature, that
I shall never be regarded! Now here comes the Spirit, and stayeth
the soul, helpeth it to hold up its face to God, by letting into
the heart some small sense of mercy to encourage it to go to God,
and hence it is called "the Comforter" (John 14:26).

Fifth. It must be in or with the Spirit; for without that no man
can know how he should come to God the right way. Men may easily
say they come to God in his Son: but it is the hardest thing of
a thousand to come to God aright and in his own way, without the
Spirit. It is "the Spirit" that "searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God" (I Cor 2:10). It is the Spirit that must show
us the way of coming to God, and also what there is in God that
makes him desirable: "I pray thee," saith Moses, "show me now thy
way, that I may know thee" (Exo 33:13). And, He shall take of mine,
and "show it unto you" (John 16:14).

Sixth. Because without the Spirit, though a man did see his misery,
and also the way to come to God; yet he would never be able to claim
a share in either God, Christ, or mercy, with God's approbation.
O how great a task is it, for a poor soul that becomes sensible
of sin and the wrath of God, to say in faith, but this one word,
"Father!" I tell you, however hypocrites think, yet the Christian
that is so indeed finds all the difficulty in this very thing,
it cannot say God is its Father. O! saith he, I dare not call him
Father; and hence it is that the Spirit must be sent into the hearts
of God's people for this very thing, to cry Father: it being too
great a work for any man to do knowingly and believingly without
it (Gal 4:6). When I say knowingly, I mean, knowing what it is to
be a child of God, and to be born again. And when I say believingly,
I mean, for the soul to believe, and that from good experience, that
the work of grace is wrought in him. This is the right calling of
God Father; and not as many do, to say in a babbling way, the Lord's
prayer (so called) by heart, as it lieth in the words of the book.
No, here is the life of prayer, when in or with the Spirit, a man
being made sensible of sin, and how to come to the Lord for mercy;
he comes, I say, in the strength of the Spirit, and crieth Father.
That one word spoken in faith, is better than a thousand prayers,
as men call them, written and read, in a formal, cold, lukewarm
way. O how far short are those people of being sensible of this,
who count it enough to teach themselves and children to say the
Lord's prayer, the creed, with other sayings; when, as God knows,
they are senseless of themselves, their misery, or what it is to
be brought to God through Christ! Ah, poor soul! Study your misery,
and cry to God to show you your confused blindness and ignorance,
before you be so rife in calling God your Father, or teaching
your children either so to say. And know, that to say God is your
Father, in a way of prayer or conference, without any experiment of
the work of grace on your souls, it is to say you are Jews and are
not, and so to lie. You say, Our Father; God saith, You blaspheme!
You say you are Jew, that is, true Christians; God saith, You
lie! "Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say
they are Jews, and are not, but do lie" (Rev 3:9). "And I know the
blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the
synagogue of Satan" (Rev 2:9). And so much the greater the sin is,
by how much the more the sinner boasts it with a pretended sanctity,
as the Jews did to Christ, in the 8th of John, which made Christ,
even in plain terms, to tell them their doom, for all their
hypocritical pretences (John 8:41-45). And yet forsooth every cursed
whoremaster, thief, and drunkard, swearer, and perjured person;
they that have not only been such in times past, but are even so
still: these I say, by some must be counted the only honest men,
and all because with their blasphemous throats, and hypocritical
hearts, they will come to church, and say, "Our Father!" Nay further,
these men, though every time they say to God, Our Father, do most
abominably blaspheme, yet they must be compelled thus to do. And
because others that are of more sober principles, scruple the truth
of such vain traditions; therefore they must be looked upon to be
the only enemies of God and the nation: when as it is their own
cursed superstition that doth set the great God against them, and
cause him to count them for his enemies (Isa 53:10). And yet just
like to Bonner, that blood-red persecutor, they commend, I say,
these wretches, although never so vile, if they close in with their
traditions, to be good churchmen, the honest subjects; while God's
people are, as it hath always been, looked upon to be a turbulent,
seditious, and factious people (Ezra 4:12-16).

Therefore give me leave a little to reason with thee, thou poor,
blind, ignorant sot.

(1.) It may be thy great prayer is to say, "Our Father which art
in heaven," &c. Dost thou know the meaning of the very first words
of this prayer? Canst thou indeed, with the rest of the saints,
cry, Our Father? Art thou truly born again? Hast thou received
the spirit of adoption? Dost thou see thyself in Christ, and canst
thou come to God as a member of him? Or art thou ignorant of these
things, and yet darest thou say, Our Father? Is not the devil thy
father? (John 8:44). And dost thou not do the deeds of the flesh?
And yet darest thou say to God, Our Father? Nay, art thou not a
desperate persecutor of the children of God? Hast thou not cursed
them in thine heart many a time? And yet dost thou out of thy
blasphemous throat suffer these words to come, even our Father? He
is their Father whom thou hatest and persecutest. But as the devil
presented himself amongst the sons of God, (Job 1), when they were
to present themselves before the Father, even our Father, so is it
now; because the saints were commanded to say, Our Father, therefore
all the blind ignorant rabble in the world, they must also use the
same words, Our Father.

(2.) And dost thou indeed say, "Hallowed be thy name" with thy
heart? Dost thou study, by all honest and lawful ways, to advance the
name, holiness, and majesty of God? Doth thy heart and conversation
agree with this passage? Dost thou strive to imitate Christ in all
the works of righteousness, which God doth command of thee, and
prompt thee forward to? It is so, if thou be one that can truly
with God's allowance cry, "Our Father." Or is it not the least of
thy thoughts all the day? And dost thou not clearly make it appear,
that thou art a cursed hypocrite, by condemning that with thy daily
practice, which thou pretendest in thy praying with thy dissembling
tongue?

(3.) Wouldst thou have the kingdom of God come indeed, and also his
will to be done in earth as it is in heaven? Nay, notwithstanding,
thou according to the form, sayest, Thy kingdom come, yet would it
not make thee ready to run mad, to hear the trumpet sound, to see
the dead arise, and thyself just now to go and appear before God,
to reckon for all the deeds thou hast done in the body? Nay, are
not the very thoughts of it altogether displeasing to thee? And if
God's will should be done on earth as it is in heaven, must it not
be thy ruin? There is never a rebel in heaven against God, and if
he should so deal on earth, must it not whirl thee down to hell?
And so of the rest of the petitions. Ah! How sadly would even
those men look, and with what terror would they walk up and down
the world, if they did but know the lying and blaspheming that
proceedeth out of their mouth, even in their most pretended sanctity?
The Lord awaken you, and teach you, poor souls, in all humility,
to take heed that you be not rash and unadvised with your heart,
and much more with your mouth! When you appear before God, as the
wise man saith, "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine
heart be hasty to utter any thing," (Eccl 5:2); especially to call
God Father, without some blessed experience when thou comest before
God. But I pass this.

Seventh. It must be a praying with the Spirit if it be accepted,
because there is nothing but the Spirit that can lift up the soul
or heart to God in prayer: "The preparations of the heart in man,
and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord" (Prov 16:1). That
is, in every work for God, and especially in prayer, if the heart
run with the tongue, it must be prepared by the Spirit of God.
Indeed the tongue is very apt, of itself, to run without either
fear or wisdom: but when it is the answer of the heart, and that
such a heart as is prepared by the Spirit of God, then it speaks
so as God commands and doth desire.

They are mighty words of David, where he saith, that he lifteth
his heart and his soul to God (Psa 25:1). It is a great work for
any man without the strength of the Spirit, and therefore I conceive
that this is one of the great reasons why the Spirit of God is
called a Spirit of supplications, (Zech 12:10), because it is that
which helpeth the heart when it supplicates indeed to do it; and
therefore saith Paul, "Praying with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit" (Eph 6:18). And so in my text, "I will pray with
the Spirit." Prayer, without the heart be in it, is like a sound
without life; and a heart, without it be lifted up of the Spirit,
will never pray to God.

Eighth. As the heart must be lifted up by the Spirit, if it pray
aright, so also it must be held up by the Spirit when it is up, if
it continue to pray aright. I do not know what, or how it is with
others' hearts, whether they be lifted up by the Spirit of God,
and so continued, or no: but this I am sure of, First, That it
is impossible that all the prayer-books that men have made in the
world, should lift up, or prepare the heart; that is the work of
the great God himself. And, in the second place, I am sure that
they are as far from keeping it up, when it is up. And indeed here
is the life of prayer, to have the heart kept with God in the duty.
It was a great matter for Moses to keep his hands lifted up to God
in prayer; but how much more then to keep the heart in it! (Exo
17:12).

The want of this is that which God complains of; that they draw
nigh to him with their mouth, and honour him with their lips, but
their hearts were far from him (Isa 29:13; Eze 33), but chiefly
that they walk after the commandments and traditions of men, as
the scope of Matthew 15:8, 9 doth testify. And verily, may I but
speak my own experience, and from that tell you the difficulty of
praying to God as I ought, it is enough to make your poor, blind,
carnal men to entertain strange thoughts of me. For, as for my
heart, when I go to pray, I find it so loth to go to God, and when
it is with him, so loth to stay with him, that many times I am
forced in my prayers, first to beg of God that he would take mine
heart, and set it on himself in Christ, and when it is there, that
he would keep it there. Nay, many times I know not what to pray for,
I am so blind, nor how to pray, I am so ignorant; only, blessed be
grace, the Spirit helps our infirmities (Psa 86:11).

O! the starting-holes that the heart hath in the time of prayer;
none knows how many bye-ways the heart hath, and back-lanes, to
slip away from the presence of God. How much pride also, if enabled
with expressions. How much hypocrisy, if before others. And how
little conscience is there made of prayer between God and the soul
in secret, unless the Spirit of supplication be there to help?
When the Spirit gets into the heart, then there is prayer indeed,
and not till then.

Ninth. The soul that doth rightly pray, it must be in and with
the help and strength of the Spirit; because it is impossible that
a man should express himself in prayer without it. When I say, it
is impossible for a man to express himself in prayer without it, I
mean, that it is impossible that the heart, in a sincere and sensible
affectionate way, should pour out itself before God, with those
groans and sighs that come from a truly praying heart, without
the assistance of the Spirit. It is not the mouth that is the main
thing to be looked at in prayer, but whether the heart is so full
of affection and earnestness in prayer with God, that it is impossible
to express their sense and desire; for then a man desires indeed,
when his desires are so strong, many, and mighty, that all the
words, tears, and groans that can come from the heart, cannot utter
them: "The Spirit--helpeth our infirmities,--and maketh intercession
for us with [sighs and] groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom
8:26).

That is but poor prayer which is only discovered in so many words.
A man that truly prays one prayer, shall after that never be able
to express with his mouth or pen the unutterable desires, sense,
affection, and longing that went to God in that prayer.

The best prayers have often more groans than words: and those
words that it hath are but a lean and shallow representation of the
heart, life, and spirit of that prayer. You do not find any words
of prayer, that we read of, come out of the mouth of Moses, when
he was going out of Egypt, and was followed by Pharaoh, and yet
he made heaven ring again with his cry (Exo 14:15). But it was
inexpressible and unsearchable groans and cryings of his soul in
and with the Spirit. God is the God of spirits, and his eyes look
further than at the outside of any duty whatsoever (Num 16:22). I
doubt this is but little thought on by the most of them that would
be looked upon as a praying people (I Sam 16:7).

The nearer a man comes in any work that God commands him to the doing
of it according to his will, so much the more hard and difficult
it is; and the reason is, because man, as man, is not able to do
it. But prayer, as aforesaid, is not only a duty, but one of the
most eminent duties, and therefore so much the more difficult:
therefore Paul knew what he said, when he said, "I will pray with
the Spirit." He knew well it was not what others writ or said that
could make him a praying person; nothing less than the Spirit could
do it.

Tenth. It must be with the Spirit, or else as there will be a failing
in the act itself, so there will be a failing, yea, a fainting, in
the prosecution of the work. Prayer is an ordinance of God, that
must continue with a soul so long as it is on this side glory.
But, as I said before, it is not possible for a man to get up his
heart to God in prayer; so it is as difficult to keep it there,
without the assistance of the Spirit. And if so, then for a man to
continue from time to time in prayer with God, it must of necessity
be with the Spirit.

Christ tells us, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint
(Luke 18:1). And again tells us, that this is one definition of
a hypocrite, that either he will not continue in prayer, or else
if he do it, it will not be in the power, that is, in the spirit
of prayer, but in the form, for a pretence only (Job 27:10; Matt
23:14). It is the easiest thing of a hundred to fall from the
power to the form, but it is the hardest thing of many to keep in
the life, spirit, and power of any one duty, especially prayer; that
is such a work, that a man without the help of the Spirit cannot
so much as pray once, much less continue, without it, in a sweet
praying frame, and in praying, so to pray as to have his prayers
ascend into the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth.

Jacob did not only begin, but held it: "I will not let thee go,
unless thou bless me" (Gen 32). So did the rest of the godly (Hosea
12:4). But this could not be without the spirit of prayer. It is
through the Spirit that we have access to the Father (Eph 2:18).

The same is a remarkable place in Jude, when he stirreth up the
saints by the judgment of God upon the wicked to stand fast, and
continue to hold out in the faith of the gospel, as one excellent
means thereto, without which he knew they would never be able to
do it. Saith he, "Building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20). As if he had said, Brethren,
as eternal life is laid up for the persons that hold out only, so
you cannot hold out unless you continue praying in the Spirit. The
great cheat that the devil and antichrist delude the world withal,
it is to make them continue in the form of any duty, the form of
preaching, of hearing, or praying, &c. These are they that have "a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn
away" (II Tim 3:5).

Here followeth the third thing; to wit,

WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING.

THIRD. And now to the next thing, what it is to pray with the
Spirit, and to pray with the understanding also. For the apostle
puts a clear distinction between praying with the Spirit, and
praying with the Spirit and understanding: therefore when he saith,
"he will pray with the Spirit," he adds, "and I will pray with the
understanding ALSO." This distinction was occasioned through the
Corinthians not observing that it was their duty to do what they
did to the edification of themselves and others too: whereas they
did it for their own commendations. So I judge: for many of them
having extraordinary gifts, as to speak with divers tongues, &c.,
therefore they were more for those mighty gifts than they were
for the edifying of their brethren; which was the cause that Paul
wrote this chapter to them, to let them understand, that though
extraordinary gifts were excellent, yet to do what they did
to the edification of the church was more excellent. For, saith
the apostle, "if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth,
but my understanding," and also the understanding of others, "is
unfruitful" (I Cor 14:3, 4, 12, 19, 24, 25. Read the scope of the
whole chapter). Therefore, "I will pray with the Spirit, and I will
pray with the understanding also."

It is expedient then that the understanding should be occupied
in prayer, as well as the heart and mouth: "I will pray with the
Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." That which
is done with understanding, is done more effectually, sensibly,
and heartily, as I shall show farther anon, than that which is done
without it; which made the apostle pray for the Colossians, that
God would fill them "with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9). And for the Ephesians, that
God would give unto them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in
the knowledge of him" (Eph 1:17). And so for the Philippians, that
God would make them abound "in knowledge, and in all judgment"
(Phil 1:9). A suitable understanding is good in everything a man
undertakes, either civil or spiritual; and therefore it must be
desired by all them that would be a praying people. In my speaking
to this, I shall show you what it is to pray with understanding.

Understanding is to be taken both for speaking in our mother-tongue,
and also experimentally. I pass the first, and treat only on the
second.

For the making of right prayers, it is to be required that there
should be a good or spiritual understanding in all them who pray
to God.

First. To pray with understanding, is to pray as being instructed
by the Spirit in the understanding of the want of those things
which the soul is to pray for. Though a man be in never so much
need of pardon of sin, and deliverance from wrath to come, yet
if he understand not this, he will either not desire them at all,
or else be so cold and lukewarm in his desires after them, that
God will even loathe his frame of spirit in asking for them. Thus
it was with the church of the Laodiceans, they wanted knowledge
or spiritual understanding; they knew not that they were poor,
wretched, blind, and naked. The cause whereof made them, and all
their services, so loathsome to Christ, that he threatens to spew
them out of his mouth (Rev 3:16, 17). Men without understanding
may say the same words in prayer as others do; but if there be an
understanding in the one, and none in the other, there is, O there
is a mighty difference in speaking the very same words! The one
speaking from a spiritual understanding of those things that he in
words desires, and the other words it only, and there is all.

Second. Spiritual understanding espieth in the heart of God a
readiness and willingness to give those things to the soul that it
stands in need of. David by this could guess at the very thoughts
of God towards him (Psa 40:5). And thus it was with the woman of
Canaan; she did by faith and a right understanding discern, beyond
all the rough carriage of Christ, tenderness and willingness in his
heart to save, which caused her to be vehement and earnest, yea,
restless, until she did enjoy the mercy she stood in need of (Matt
15:22-28).

And understanding of the willingness that is in the heart of God
to save sinners, there is nothing will press the soul more to seek
after God, and to cry for pardon, than it. If a man should see a
pearl worth an hundred pounds lie in a ditch, yet if he understood
not the value of it, he would lightly pass it by: but if he once
get the knowledge of it, he would venture up to the neck for it.
So it is with souls concerning the things of God: if a man once
get an understanding of the worth of them, then his heart, nay,
the very strength of his soul, runs after them, and he will never
leave crying till he have them. The two blind men in the gospel,
because they did certainly know that Jesus, who was going by them,
was both able and willing to heal such infirmities as they were
afflicted with: therefore they cried, and the more they were rebuked,
the more they cried (Matt 20:29-31).

Third. The understanding being spiritually enlightened, hereby
there is the way, as aforesaid, discovered, through which the soul
should come unto God; which gives great encouragement unto it. It
is else with a poor soul, as with one who hath a work to do, and
if it be not done, the danger is great; if it be done, so is the
advantage. But he knows not how to begin, nor how to proceed; and
so, through discouragement, lets all alone, and runs the hazard.

Fourth. The enlightened understanding sees largeness enough in the
promises to encourage it to pray; which still adds to it strength
to strength. As when men promise such and such things to all that
will come for them, it is great encouragement to those that know
what promises are made, to come and ask for them.

Fifth. The understanding being enlightened, way is made for the
soul to come to God with suitable arguments, sometimes in a way of
expostulation, as Jacob (Gen 32:9). Sometimes in way of supplication,
yet not in a verbal way only, but even from the heart there is
forced by the Spirit, through the understanding, such effectual
arguments as moveth the heart of God. When Ephraim gets a right
understanding of his own unseemly carriages towards the Lord, then
he begins to bemoan himself (Jer 31:18-20). And in bemoaning of
himself, he used such arguments with the Lord, that it affects his
heart, draws out forgiveness, and makes Ephraim pleasant in his
eyes through Jesus Christ our Lord: "I have surely heard Ephraim
bemoaning himself thus," saith God, "Thou hast chastised me, and
I was chastised; as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou
me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after
that I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed,"
or had a right understanding of myself, "I smote upon my thigh, I
was ashamed; yea, even confounded; because I did bear the reproach
of my youth." These be Ephraim's complaints and bemoanings of
himself; at which the Lord breaks forth into these heart-melting
expressions, saying, "Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant
child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him
still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have
mercy upon him, saith the Lord." Thus, you see, that as it is required
to pray with the Spirit, so it is to pray with the understanding
also. And to illustrate what hath been spoken by a similitude:--set
the case, there should come two a-begging to your door; the one is
a poor, lame, wounded, and almost starved creature, the other is
a healthful lusty person; these two use the same words in their
begging; the one saith he is almost starved, so doth the other:
but yet the man that is indeed the poor, lame, or maimed person, he
speaks with more sense, feeling, and understanding of the misery
that is mentioned in their begging, than the other can do; and
it is discovered more by his affectionate speaking, his bemoaning
himself. His pain and poverty make him speak more in a spirit of
lamentation than the other, and he shall be pitied sooner than the
other, by all those that have the least dram of natural affection
or pity. Just thus it is with God: there are some who out of custom
and formality go and pray; there are others who go in the bitterness
of their spirits: the one he prays out of bare notion and naked
knowledge; the other hath his words forced from him by the anguish
of his soul. Surely that is the man that God will look at, "even
to him that is poor," of an humble "and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word" (Isa 66:2).

Sixth. An understanding well enlightened is of admirable use
also, both as to the matter and manner of prayer. He that hath his
understanding well exercised, to discern between good and evil, and
in it placed a sense either of the misery of man, or the mercy of
God; that soul hath no need of the writings of other men to teach
him by forms of prayer. For as he that feels the pain needs not to
be taught to cry O! even so he that hath his understanding opened
by the Spirit needs not so to be taught of other men's prayers, as
that he cannot pray without them. The present sense, feeling, and
pressure that lieth upon his spirit, provokes him to groan out his
request unto the Lord. When David had the pains of hell catching
hold on him, and the sorrows of hell compassing him about, he needs
not a bishop in a surplice to teach him to say, "O Lord, I beseech
thee, deliver my soul" (Psa 116:3, 4). Or to look into a book, to
teach him in a form to pour out his heart before God. It is the
nature of the heart of sick men, in their pain and sickness, to
vent itself for ease, by dolorous groans and complainings to them
that stand by. Thus it was with David, in Psalm 38:1-12. And thus,
blessed be the Lord, it is with them that are endued with the grace
of God.

Seventh. It is necessary that there be an enlightened understanding,
to the end that the soul be kept in a continuation of the duty of
prayer.

The people of God are not ignorant how many wiles, tricks, and
temptations the devil hath to make a poor soul, who is truly willing
to have the Lord Jesus Christ, and that upon Christ's terms too;
I say, to tempt that soul to be weary of seeking the face of God,
and to think that God is not willing to have mercy on such a one
as him. Ay, saith Satan, thou mayest pray indeed, but thou shalt
not prevail. Thou seest thine heart is hard, cold, dull, and dread;
thou dost not pray with the Spirit, thou dost not pray in good
earnest, thy thoughts are running after other things, when thou
pretendest to pray to God. Away hypocrite, go no further, it is but
in vain to strive any longer! Here now, if the soul be not well
informed in its understanding, it will presently cry out, "the
Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me" (Isa 49:14).
Whereas the soul rightly informed and enlightened saith, Well,
I will seek the Lord, and wait; I will not leave off, though the
Lord keep silence, and speak not one word of comfort (Isa 40:27).
He loved Jacob dearly, and yet he made him wrestle before he had
the blessing (Gen 32:25-27). Seeming delays in God are no tokens
of his displeasure; he may hide his face from his dearest saints
(Isa 8:17). He loves to keep his people praying, and to find them
ever knocking at the gate of heaven; it may be, says the soul, the
Lord tries me, or he loves to hear me groan out my condition before
him.

The woman of Canaan would not take seeming denials for real ones;
she knew the Lord was gracious, and the Lord will avenge his people,
though he bear long with them (Luke 18:1-6). The Lord hath waited
longer upon me than I have waited upon him; and thus it was with
David, "I waited patiently," saith he; that is, it was long before
the Lord answered me, though at the last "he inclined" his ear "unto
me, and heard my cry" (Psa 40:1). And the most excellent remedy
for this is, an understanding well informed and enlightened. Alas,
how many poor souls are there in the world, that truly fear the
Lord, who, because they are not well informed in their understanding,
are oft ready to give up all for lost, upon almost every trick and
temptation of Satan! The Lord pity them, and help them to "pray
with the Spirit, and with the understanding also." Much of mine
own experience could I here discover; when I have been in my fits
of agony of spirit, I have been strongly persuaded to leave off,
and to seek the Lord no longer;10 but being made to understand
what great sinners the Lord hath had mercy upon, and how large his
promises were still to sinners; and that it was not the whole, but
the sick, not the righteous, but the sinner, not the full, but the
empty, that he extended his grace and mercy unto. This made me,
through the assistance of his Holy Spirit, to cleave to him, to hang
upon him, and yet to cry, though for the present he made no answer;
and the Lord help all his poor, tempted, and afflicted people to
do the like, and to continue, though it be long, according to the
saying of the prophet (Hab 2:3). And to help them (to that end) to
pray, not by the inventions of men, and their stinted forms, but
"with the Spirit, and with the understanding also."

[Queries and Objections answered.]

And now to answer a query or two, and so to pass on to the next
thing.

Query First. But what would you have us poor creatures to do that
cannot tell how to pray? The Lord knows I know not either how to
pray, or what to pray for.

Answ. Poor heart! thou canst not, thou complainest, pray. Canst
thou see thy misery? Hath God showed thee that thou art by nature
under the curse of his law? If so, do not mistake, I know thou dost
groan and that most bitterly. I am persuaded thou canst scarcely
be found doing any thing in thy calling, but prayer breaketh from
thy heart. Have not thy groans gone up to heaven from every corner
of thy house? (Rom 8:26). I know it is thus; and so also doth thine
own sorrowful heart witness thy tears, thy forgetfulness of thy
calling, &c. Is not thy heart so full of desires after the things
of another world, that many times thou dost even forget the things
of this world? Prithee read this scripture, Job 23:12.

Query Second. Yea, but when I go into secret, and intend to pour
out my soul before God, I can scarce say anything at all.

Answ. 1. Ah! Sweet soul! It is not thy words that God so much
regards, as that he will not mind thee, except thou comest before
him with some eloquent oration. His eye is on the brokenness of
thine heart; and that it is that makes the very bowels of the Lord
to run over. "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise" (Psa 51:17).

2. The stopping of thy words may arise from overmuch trouble in
thy heart. David was so troubled sometimes, that he could not speak
(Psa 77:3, 4). But this may comfort all such sorrowful hearts as
thou art, that though thou canst not through the anguish of thy
spirit speak much, yet the Holy Spirit stirs up in thine heart groans
and sighs, so much the more vehement: when the mouth is hindered,
yet the spirit is not. Moses, as aforesaid, made heaven ring again
with his prayers, when (that we read of) not one word came out of
his mouth (Exo 14:15). But,

3. If thou wouldst more fully express thyself before the Lord,
study, first, Thy filthy estate; secondly, God's promises; thirdly,
The heart of Christ. Which thou mayest know or discern, (1.) By
his condescension and bloodshed. (2.) By the mercy he hath extended
to great sinners formerly, and plead thine own vileness, by way
of bemoaning; Christ's blood by way of expostulation; and in thy
prayers, let the mercy that he hath extended to other great sinners,
together with his rich promises of grace, be much upon thy heart.
Yet let me counsel thee, (a.) Take heed that thou content not thyself
with words. (b.) That thou do not think that God looks only at them
neither. But, (c.) However, whether thy words be few or many, let
thine heart go with them; and then shalt thou seek him, and find
him, when thou shalt seek him with thy whole heart (Jer 29:13).

Objection. But though you have seemed to speak against any other
way of praying but by the Spirit, yet here you yourself can give
direction how to pray.

Answ. We ought to prompt one another forward to prayer, though we
ought not to make for each other forms of prayer. To exhort to pray
with Christian direction is one thing, and to make stinted forms
for the tying up the Spirit of God to them is another thing. The
apostle gives them no form to pray withal, yet directs to prayer
(Eph 6:18; Rom 15:30-32). Let no man therefore conclude, that
because we may with allowance give instructions and directions to
pray, that therefore it is lawful to make for each other forms of
prayer.

Object. But if we do not use forms of prayer, how shall we teach
our children to pray?

Answ. My judgment is, that men go the wrong way to teach their
children to pray, in going about so soon to teach them any set
company of words, as is the common use of poor creatures to do.

For to me it seems to be a better way for people betimes to tell
their children what cursed creatures they are, and how they are
under the wrath of God by reason of original and actual sin; also
to tell them the nature of God's wrath, and the duration of the
misery; which if they conscientiously do, they would sooner teach
their children to pray than they do. The way that men learn to
pray, it is by conviction for sin; and this is the way to make our
sweet babes do so too. But the other way, namely, to be busy in
teaching children forms of prayer, before they know any thing else,
it is the next way to make them cursed hypocrites, and to puff them
up with pride. Teach therefore your children to know their wretched
state and condition; tell them of hell-fire and their sins, of
damnation, and salvation; the way to escape the one, and to enjoy
the other, if you know it yourselves, and this will make tears
run down your sweet babes' eyes, and hearty groans flow from their
hearts; and then also you may tell them to whom they should pray,
and through whom they should pray: you may tell them also of God's
promises, and his former grace extended to sinners, according to
the word.

Ah! Poor sweet babes, the Lord open their eyes, and make them
holy Christians. Saith David, "Come ye children, hearken unto me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa 34:11). He doth not
say, I will muzzle you up in a form of prayer; but "I will teach
you the fear of the Lord"; which is, to see their sad states by
nature, and to be instructed in the truth of the gospel, which doth
through the Spirit beget prayer in every one that in truth learns
it. And the more you teach them this, the more will their hearts
run out to God in prayer. God never did account Paul a praying
man, until he was a convinced and converted man; no more will it
be with any else (Acts 9:11).

Object. But we find that the disciples desired that Christ would
teach them to pray, as John also taught his disciples; and that
thereupon he taught them that form called the LORD'S PRAYER.

Answ. 1. To be taught by Christ, is that which not only they, but
we desire; and seeing he is not here in his person to teach us, the
Lord teach us by his Word and Spirit; for the Spirit it is which
he hath said he would send to supply in his room when he went away,
as it is (John 14:16; 16:7).

2. As to that called a form, I cannot think that Christ intended
it as a stinted form of prayer. (1.) Because he himself layeth it
down diversely, as is to be seen, if you compare Matthew 6 and Luke
11. Whereas if he intended it as a set form, it must not have been
so laid down, for a set form is so many words and no more. (2.) We
do not find that the apostles did ever observe it as such; neither
did they admonish others so to do. Search all their epistles, yet
surely they, both for knowledge to discern and faithfulness to
practice, were as eminent as any HE ever since in the world which
would impose it.

[3.] But, in a word, Christ by those words, "Our Father," &c.,
doth instruct his people what rules they should observe in their
prayers to God. (1.) That they should pray in faith. (2.) To God
in the heavens. (3.) For such things as are according to his will,
&c. Pray thus, or after this manner.

Object. But Christ bids pray for the Spirit; this implieth that
men without the Spirit may notwithstanding pray and be heard. (See
Luke 11:9-13).

Answ. The speech of Christ there is directed to his own (verse
1). Christ's telling of them that God would give his Holy Spirit
to them that ask him, is to be understood of giving more of the
Holy Spirit; for still they are the disciples spoken to, which had
a measure of the Spirit already; for he saith, "when ye pray, say,
Our Father," (verse 2) I say unto you (verse 8). And I say unto
you, (verse 9) "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him," (verse 13). Christians ought
to pray for the Spirit, that is, for more of it, though God hath
endued them with it already.

Quest. Then would you have none pray but those that know they are
the disciples of Christ?

Answ. Yes.

1. Let every soul that would be saved pour out itself to God, though
it cannot through temptation conclude itself a child of God. And,

2. I know if the grace of God be in thee, it will be as natural to
thee to groan out thy condition, as it is for a sucking child to
cry for the breast. Prayer is one of the first things that discovers
a man to be a Christian (Acts 9:12). But yet if it be right, it is
such prayer as followeth. (1.) To desire God in Christ, for himself,
for his holiness, love, wisdom, and glory. For right prayer, as it
runs only to God through Christ, so it centers in him, and in him
alone. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon
earth that I desire," long for, or seek after, "beside thee" (Psa
73:25). (2.) That the soul might enjoy continually communion
with him, both here and hereafter. "I shall be satisfied, when I
awake with" thine image, or in "thy likeness," (Psa 17:15). "For
in this we groan earnestly," &c., (II Cor 5:2). (3.) Right prayer
is accompanied with a continual labour after that which is prayed
for. "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning" (Psa 130:6). "I will rise now, I will seek him whom
my soul loveth" (Song 3:2). For mark, I beseech you, there are
two things that provoke to prayer. The one is a detestation to sin,
and the things of this life; the other is a longing desire after
communion with God, in a holy and undefiled state and inheritance.
Compare but this one thing with most of the prayers that are made
by men, and you shall find them but mock prayers, and the breathings
of an abominable spirit; for even the most of men either do pray at
all, or else only endeavour to mock God and the world by so doing;
for do but compare their prayer and the course of their lives
together, and you may easily see that the thing included in their
prayer is the least looked after by their lives. O sad hypocrites!

Thus have I briefly showed you, FIRST, What prayer is; SECOND, What
it is to pray with the Spirit; THIRD, What it is to pray with the
Spirit, and with the understanding also.

FOURTH. [USE AND APPLICATION.]

I shall now speak a word or two of application, and so conclude
with, First, A word of information; Second, A word of encouragement;
Third, A word of rebuke.

USE First, A word of information.

For the first to inform you; as prayer is the duty of every one of
the children of God, and carried on by the Spirit of Christ in the
soul; so every one that doth but offer to take upon him to pray to
the Lord, had need be very wary, and go about that work especially
with the dread of God, as well as with hopes of the mercy of God
through Jesus Christ.

Prayer is an ordinance of God, in which a man draws very near to
God; and therefore it calleth for so much the more of the assistance
of the grace of God to help a soul to pray as becomes one that is
in the presence of him. It is a shame for a man to behave himself
irreverently before a king, but a sin to do so before God. And as
a king, if wise, is not pleased with an oration made up with unseemly
words and gestures, so God takes no pleasure in the sacrifice
of fools (Eccl 5:1, 4). It is not long discourses, nor eloquent
tongues, that are the things which are pleasing in the ears of
the Lord; but a humble, broken, and contrite heart, that is sweet
in the nostrils of the heavenly Majesty (Psa 51:17; Isa 57:15).
Therefore for information, know that there are these five things
that are obstructions to prayer, and even make void the requests
of the creature.

1. When men regard iniquity in their hearts, at the time of their
prayers before God. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear" my prayer (Psa 66:18). For the preventing of temptation,
that by the misunderstanding of this may seize thy heart, when there
is a secret love to that very thing which thou with thy dissembling
lips dost ask for strength against. For this is the wickedness of
man's heart, that it will even love, and hold fast, that which with
the mouth it prays against: and of this sort are they that honour
God with their mouth, but their heart is far from him (Isa 29:13;
Eze 33:31). O! how ugly would it be in our eyes, if we should see
a beggar ask an alms, with an intention to throw it to the dogs!
Or that should say with one breath, Pray, you bestow this upon
me; and with the next, I beseech you, give it me not! And yet thus
it is with these kind of persons; with their mouth they say, "Thy
will be done"; and with their hearts nothing less. With their mouth
say, "Hallowed be thy name"; and with their hearts and lives thy
delight to dishonour him all the day long. These be the prayers
that become sin (Psa 109:7), and though they put them up often,
yet the Lord will never answer them (II Sam 22:42).

2. When men pray for a show to be heard, and thought somebody in
religion, and the like; these prayers also fall far short of God's
approbation, and are never like to be answered, in reference to
eternal life. There are two sorts of men that pray to this end.

(1.) Your trencher chaplains, that thrust themselves into great
men's families, pretending the worship of God, when in truth the
great business is their own bellies; and were notably painted out
by Ahab's prophets, and also Nebuchadnezzar's wise men, who, though
they pretended great devotion, yet their lusts and their bellies were
the great things aimed at by them in all their pieces of devotion.

(2.) Them also that seek repute and applause for their eloquent
terms, and seek more to tickle the ears and heads of their hearers
than anything else. These be they that pray to be heard of men, and
have all their reward already (Matt 6:5). These persons are discovered
thus, (a.) They eye only their auditory in their expressions. (b.)
They look for commendation when they have done. (c.) Their hearts
either rise or fall according to their praise or enlargement. (d.)
The length of their prayer pleaseth them; and that it might be
long, they will vainly repeat things over and over (Matt 6:7). They
study for enlargements, but look not from what heart they come;
they look for returns, but it is the windy applause of men. And
therefore they love not to be in their chamber, but among company:
and if at any time conscience thrusts them into their closet, yet
hypocrisy will cause them to be heard in the streets; and when their
mouths have done going their prayers are ended; for they wait not
to hearken what the Lord will say (Psa 85:8).

3. A third sort of prayer that will not be accepted of God, it is,
when either they pray for wrong things, or if for right things,
yet that the thing prayed for might be spent upon their lusts, and
laid out to wrong ends. Some have not, because they ask not, saith
James, and others ask and have not, because they ask amiss, that
they may consume it on their lusts (James 4: 2-4). Ends contrary to
God's will is a great argument with God to frustrate the petitions
presented before him. Hence it is that so many pray for this and
that, and yet receive it not. God answers them only with silence;
they have their words for their labour; and that is all. Object.
But God hears some persons, though their hearts be not right with
him, as he did Israel, in giving quails, though they spent them
upon their lusts (Psa 106:14). Answ. If he doth, it is in judgment,
not in mercy. He gave them their desire indeed, but they had better
have been without it, for he "sent leanness into their soul" (Psa
106:15). Woe be to that man that God answereth thus.

4. Another sort of prayers there are that are not answered; and
those are such as are made by men, and presented to God in their
own persons only, without their appearing in the Lord Jesus. For
though God hath appointed prayer, and promised to hear the prayer
of the creature, yet not the prayer of any creature that comes not
in Christ. "If ye shall ask anything in my name." And whether ye
eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ (Col 3:17). "If ye shall ask anything in my name," &c.,
(John 14:13, 14), though you be never so devout, zealous, earnest
and constant in prayer, yet it is in Christ only that you must be
heard and accepted. But, alas! the most of men know not what it is
to come to him in the name of the Lord Jesus, which is the reason
they either live wicked, pray wicked, and also die wicked. Or else,
that they attain to nothing else but what a mere natural man may
attain unto, as to be exact in word and deed betwixt man and man,
and only with the righteousness of the law to appear before God.

5. The last thing that hindereth prayer is, the form of it without
the power. It is an easy thing for men to be very hot for such
things as forms of prayer, as they are written in a book; but yet
they are altogether forgetful to inquire with themselves, whether
they have the spirit and power of prayer. These men are like a
painted man, and their prayers like a false voice. They in person
appear as hypocrites, and their prayers are an abomination (Prov
28:9). When they say they have been pouring out their souls to God
he saith they have been howling like dogs (Hosea 7:14).

When therefore thou intendest, or art minded to pray to the Lord of
heaven and earth, consider these following particulars. 1. Consider
seriously what thou wantest. Do not, as many who in their words
only beat the air, and ask for such things as indeed they do not
desire, nor see that they stand in need thereof. 2. When thou seest
what thou wantest, keep to that, and take heed thou pray sensibly.

Object. But I have a sense of nothing; then, by your argument, I
must not pray at all.

Answ. 1. If thou findest thyself senseless in some sad measure,
yet thou canst not complain of that senselessness, but by being
sensible there is a sense of senselessness. According to thy sense,
then, that thou hast of the need of anything, so pray; (Luke 8:9),
and if thou art sensible of thy senselessness, pray the Lord to
make thee sensible of whatever thou findest thine heart senseless
of. This was the usual practice of the holy men of God. "Lord,
make me to know mine end," saith David (Psa 39:4). "Lord, open to
us this parable," said the disciples (Luke 8:9). And to this is
annexed the promise, "Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show
thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not," that thou
art not sensible of (Jer 33:3). But,

Answ. 2. Take heed that thy heart go to God as well as thy mouth.
Let not thy mouth go any further than thou strivest to draw thine
heart along with it. David would lift his heart and soul to the
Lord; and good reason; for so far as a man's mouth goeth along
without his heart, so far it is but lip-labour only; and though
God calls for, and accepteth the calves of the lips, yet the lips
without the heart argueth, not only senselessness, but our being
without sense of our senselessness; and therefore if thou hast a
mind to enlarge in prayer before God, see that it be with thy heart.

Answ. 3. Take heed of affecting expressions, and so to please thyself
with the use of them, that thou forget not the life of prayer.

I shall conclude this use with a caution or two.

Caution 1. And the first is, take heed thou do not throw off prayer,
through sudden persuasions that thou hast not the Spirit, neither
prayest thereby. It is the great work of the devil to do his best,
or rather worst, against the best prayers. He will flatter your
false dissembling hypocrites, and feed them with a thousand fancies
of well-doing, when their very duties of prayer, and all other,
stink in the nostrils of God, when he stands at a poor Joshua's
hand to resist him, that is, to persuade him, that neither his
person nor performances are accepted of God (Isa 65:5; Zech 3:1).
Take heed, therefore, of such false conclusions and groundless
discouragements; and though such persuasions do come in upon thy
spirit, be so far from being discouraged by them, that thou use them
to put thee upon further sincerity and restlessness of spirit, in
thy approaching to God.

Caution 2. As such sudden temptations should not stop thee from
prayer, and pouring out thy soul to God; so neither should thine
own heart's corruptions hinder thee. (Let not thy corruptions stop
thy prayers). It may be thou mayest find in thee all those things
before mentioned, and that they will be endeavouring to put forth
themselves in thy praying to him. Thy business then is to judge
them, to pray against them, and to lay thyself so much the more at
the foot of God, in a sense of thy own vileness, and rather make an
argument from thy vileness and corruption of heart, to plead with
God for justifying and sanctifying grace, than an argument of
discouragement and despair. David went this way. "O Lord," saith
he, "pardon mine iniquity, for it is great" (Psa 25:11).

USE Second. A word of encouragement.

And therefore, secondly, to speak a word by way of encouragement,
to the poor, tempted, and cast down soul, to pray to God through
Christ. Though all prayer that is accepted of God in reference to
eternal life must be in the Spirit--for that only maketh intercession
for us according to the will of God, (Rom 8:27)--yet because many
poor souls may have the Holy Spirit working on them, and stirring
of them to groan unto the Lord for mercy, though through unbelief
they do not, nor, for the present, cannot believe that they are the
people of God, such as he delights in; yet forasmuch as the truth
of grace may be in them, therefore I shall, to encourage them, lay
down further these few particulars.

1. That scripture in Luke 11:8 is very encouraging to any poor soul
that doth hunger after Christ Jesus. In verses 5-7, he speaketh a
parable of a man that went to his friend to borrow three loaves,
who, because he was in bed, denied him; yet for his importunity-sake,
he did arise and give him, clearly signifying that though poor
souls, through the weakness of their faith, cannot see that they
are the friends of God, yet they should never leave asking, seeking,
and knocking at God's door for mercy. Mark, saith Christ, "I say
unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his
friend; yet because of his importunity," or restless desires, "he
will rise and give him as many as he needeth." Poor heart! thou
criest out that God will not regard thee, thou dost not find that
thou art a friend to him, but rather an enemy in thine heart by
wicked works (Col 1:21). And thou art as though thou didst hear the
Lord saying to thee, Trouble me not, I cannot give unto thee, as
he in the parable; yet I say, continue knocking, crying, moaning,
and bewailing thyself. I tell thee, "though he will not rise and give
thee, because thou art his friend; yet, because of thy importunity,
he will arise and give thee as many as thou needest." The same in
effect you have discovered, Luke 18, in the parable of the unjust
judge and the poor widow; her importunity prevailed with him. And
verily, mine own experience tells me, that there is nothing that
doth more prevail with God than importunity. Is it not so with you
in respect of your beggars that come to your door? Though you have
no heart to give them anything at their first asking, yet if they
follow you, bemoaning themselves, and will take no nay without an
alms, you will give them; for their continual begging overcometh
you. Are there bowels in you that are wicked, and will they be
wrought upon by an importuning beggar? Go thou and do the like. It
is a prevailing motive, and that by good experience, he will arise
and give thee as many as thou needest (Luke 11:8).

2. Another encouragement for a poor trembling convinced soul is to
consider the place, throne, or seat, on which the great God hath
placed himself to hear the petitions and prayers of poor creatures;
and that is a "throne of grace" (Heb 4:16). "The mercy-seat" (Exo
25:22). Which signifieth that in the days of the gospel God hath
taken up his seat, his abiding-place, in mercy and forgiveness;
and from thence he doth intend to hear the sinner, and to commune
with him, as he saith (Exo 25:22),--speaking before of the
mercy-seat--"And there I will meet with thee," mark, it is upon
the mercy-seat: "There I will meet with thee, and" there "I will
commune with thee, from above the mercy-seat." Poor souls! They
are very apt to entertain strange thoughts of God, and his carriage
towards them: and suddenly to conclude that God will have no regard
unto them, when yet he is upon the mercy-seat, and hath taken up
his place on purpose there, to the end he may hear and regard the
prayers of poor creatures. If he had said, I will commune with thee
from my throne of judgment, then indeed you might have trembled and
fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty. But when he
saith he will hear and commune with souls upon the throne of grace,
or from the mercy-seat, this should encourage thee, and cause thee
to hope, nay, to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that thou
mayest obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb
4:16).

3. There is yet another encouragement to continue in prayer with
God: and that is this:

As there is a mercy-seat, from whence God is willing to commune
with poor sinners; so there is also by his mercy-seat, Jesus Christ,
who continually besprinkleth it with his blood. Hence it is called
"the blood of sprinkling" (Heb 12:24). When the high-priest under
the law was to go into the holiest, where the mercy-seat was, he
might not go in "without blood" (Heb 9:7).

Why so? Because, though God was upon the mercy-seat, yet he
was perfectly just as well as merciful. Now the blood was to stop
justice from running out upon the persons concerned in the intercession
of the high-priest, as in Leviticus 16:13-17, to signify that all
thine unworthiness that thou fearest should not hinder thee from
coming to God in Christ for mercy. Thou criest out that thou art
vile, and therefore God will not regard thy prayers; it is true,
if thou delight in thy vileness, and come to God out of a mere
pretence. But if from a sense of thy vileness thou do pour out thy
heart to God, desiring to be saved from the guilt, and cleansed
from the filth, with all thy heart; fear not, thy vileness will not
cause the Lord to stop his ear from hearing of thee. The value of
the blood of Christ which is sprinkled upon the mercy-seat stops
the course of justice, and opens a floodgate for the mercy of the
Lord to be extended unto thee. Thou hast therefore, as aforesaid,
"boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," that
hath made "a new and living way" for thee, thou shalt not die (Heb
10:19, 20).

Besides, Jesus is there, not only to sprinkle the mercy-seat with
his blood, but he speaks, and his blood speaks; he hath audience,
and his blood hath audience; insomuch that God saith, when he doth
but see the blood, he "will pass over you, and the plague shall
not be upon you," &c., (Exo 12:13).

I shall not detain you any longer. Be sober and humble; go to
the Father in the name of the Son, and tell him your case, in the
assistance of the Spirit, and you will then feel the benefit of
praying with the Spirit and with the understanding also.

USE Third. A word of reproof.

1. This speaks sadly to you who never pray at all. "I will pray,"
saith the apostle, and so saith the heart of them that are Christians.
Thou then art not a Christian that art not a praying person. The
promise is that every one that is righteous shall pray (Psa 32:6).
Thou then art a wicked wretch that prayest not. Jacob got the name
of Israel by wrestling with God (Gen 32). And all his children bare
that name with him (Gal 6:16). But the people that forget prayer,
that call not on the name of the Lord, they have prayer made for
them, but it is such as this, "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen,"
O Lord, "and upon the families that call not on thy name" (Jer 10:25).
How likest thou this, O thou that art so far off from pouring out
thine heart before God, that thou goest to bed like a dog, and risest
like a hog, or a sot, and forgettest to call upon God? What wilt
thou do when thou shalt be damned in hell, because thou couldst
not find in thine heart to ask for heaven? Who will grieve for thy
sorrow, that didst not count mercy worth asking for? I tell thee,
the ravens, the dogs, &c., shall rise up in judgment against thee,
for they will, according to their kind, make signs, and a noise
for something to refresh them when they want it; but thou hast not
the heart to ask for heaven, though thou must eternally perish in
hell, if thou hast it not.

2. This rebukes you that make it your business to slight, mock at,
and undervalue the Spirit, and praying by that. What will you do,
when God shall come to reckon for these things? You count it high
treason to speak but a word against the king, nay, you tremble at
the thought of it; and yet in the meantime you will blaspheme the
Spirit of the Lord. Is God indeed to be dallied with, and will the
end be pleasant unto you? Did God send his Holy Spirit into the
hearts of his people, to that end that you should taunt at it? Is
this to serve God? And doth this demonstrate the reformation of
your church? Nay, is it not the mark of implacable reprobates? O
fearful! Can you not be content to be damned for your sins against
the law, but you must sin against the Holy Ghost?

Must the holy, harmless, and undefiled Spirit of grace, the nature
of God, the promise of Christ, the Comforter of his children, that
without which no man can do any service acceptable to the Father--must
this, I say, be the burthen of your song, to taunt, deride, and
mock at? If God sent Korah and his company headlong to hell for
speaking against Moses and Aaron, do you that mock at the Spirit
of Christ think to escape unpunished? (Num 16; Heb 10:29). Did
you never read what God did to Ananias and Sapphira for telling
but one lie against it? (Acts 5:1-8). Also to Simon Magus for but
undervaluing of it? (Acts 8:18-22). And will thy sin be a virtue,
or go unrewarded with vengeance, that makest it thy business to rage
against, and oppose its office, service, and help, that it giveth
unto the children of God? It is a fearful thing to do despite unto
the Spirit of grace (Compare Matt 12:31, with Mark 3:28-30).

3. As this is the doom of those who do openly blaspheme the Holy
Ghost, in a way of disdain and reproach to its office and service:
so also it is sad for you, who resist the Spirit of prayer, by
a form of man's inventing. A very juggle of the devil, that the
traditions of men should be of better esteem, and more to be owned
than the Spirit of prayer. What is this less than that accursed
abomination of Jeroboam, which kept many from going to Jerusalem,
the place and way of God's appointment to worship; and by that
means brought such displeasure from God upon them, as to this day
is not appeased? (I Kings 12:26-33). One would think that God's
judgments of old upon the hypocrites of that day should make them
that have heard of such things take heed and fear to do so. Yet
the doctors of our day are so far from taking of warning by the
punishment of others, that they do most desperately rush into the
same transgression, viz., to set up an institution of man, neither
commanded nor commended of God; and whosoever will not obey herein,
they must be driven either out of the land or the world.

Hath God required these things at your hands? If he hath, show us
where? If not, as I am sure he hath not, then what cursed presumption
is it in any pope, bishop, or other, to command that in the worship
of God which he hath not required? Nay further, it is not that part
only of the form, which is several texts of Scripture that we are
commanded to say, but even all must be confessed as the divine
worship of God, notwithstanding those absurdities contained therein,
which because they are at large discovered by others, I omit the
rehearsal of them. Again, though a man be willing to live never
so peaceably, yet because he cannot, for conscience sake, own that
for one of the most eminent parts of God's worship, which he never
commanded, therefore must that man be looked upon as factious,
seditious, erroneous, heretical--a disparagement to the church, a
seducer of the people, and what not? Lord, what will be the fruit
of these things, when for the doctrine of God there is imposed,
that is, more than taught, the traditions of men? Thus is the Spirit
of prayer disowned, and the form imposed; the Spirit debased, and
the form extolled; they that pray with the Spirit, though never
so humble and holy, counted fanatics; and they that pray with the
form, though with that only, counted the virtuous! And how will the
favorers of such a practice answer that Scripture, which commandeth
that the church should turn away from such as have "a form
of godliness, and deny the power thereof"? (II Tim 3:5). And if I
should say that men that do these things aforesaid, do advance a
form of prayer of other men's making, above the spirit of prayer,
it would not take long time to prove it. For he that advanceth the
book of Common Prayer above the Spirit of prayer, he doth advance
a form of men's making above it. But this do all those who banish,
or desire to banish, them that pray with the Spirit of prayer;
while they hug and embrace them that pray by that form only, and
that because they do it. Therefore they love and advance the form
of their own or others' inventing, before the Spirit of prayer,
which is God's special and gracious appointment.

If you desire the clearing of the minor, look into the jails in
England, and into the alehouses of the same; and I trow you will
find those that plead for the Spirit of prayer in the jail, and them
that look after the form of men's inventions only in the alehouse.
It is evident also by the silencing of God's dear ministers, though
never so powerfully enabled by the Spirit of prayer, if they in
conscience cannot admit of that form of Common Prayer. If this be
not an exalting the Common Prayer Book above either praying by the
Spirit, or preaching the Word, I have taken my mark amiss. It is
not pleasant for me to dwell on this. The Lord in mercy turn the
hearts of the people to seek more after the Spirit of prayer; and
in the strength of that, to pour out their souls before the Lord.
Only let me say it is a sad sign, that that which is one of the
most eminent parts of the pretended worship of God is Antichristian,
when it hath nothing but the tradition of men, and the strength of
persecution, to uphold or plead for it.

THE CONCLUSION.

I shall conclude this discourse with this word of advice to all
God's people. 1. Believe that as sure as you are in the way of God
you must meet with temptations. 2. The first day therefore that
thou dost enter into Christ's congregation, look for them. 3. When
they do come, beg of God to carry thee through them. 4. Be jealous
of thine own heart, that it deceive thee not in thy evidences for
heaven, nor in thy walking with God in this world. 5. Take heed of
the flatteries of false brethren. 6. Keep in the life and power of
truth. 7. Look most at the things which are not seen. 8. Take heed
of little sins. 9. Keep the promise warm upon thy heart. 10. Renew
thy acts of faith in the blood of Christ. 11. Consider the work of
thy generation. 12. Count to run with the foremost therein.

Grace be with thee.

FOOTNOTES:

1 Dr. Watt's Guide to Prayer.

2 Vol iii., p. 346.

3 Vol iii., p. 298.

4Pilgrimage of Perfection, 4to, 1526, vol. iii., p. 9.

5 Effectual fervent prayer is wrought in the heart by the Holy
Ghost, and those objects for which HE inclines the soul to pray are
bestowed by God. Thus great things were obtained by Jacob, (Gen
32:24-28); by Moses, (Exo 30:11-14; Num 14:13-21); by Joshua,
(10:12-14); by Hezekiah, (II Kings 19:14-37); by the woman of Canaan,
(Matt 15:21-28). The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much, (James 5:16).--ED.

6 How easy to forget all God's benefits, and how impossible it is
to remember them all!--ED.

7 See Mr. Fox's citation of the mass, in the last volume of the
Book of Martyrs.

8 Jesus Christ has opened the way to God the Father, by the
sacrifice He made for us upon the cross. The holiness and justice
of God need not frighten sinners and keep them back. Only let them
cry to God in the name of Jesus, only let them plead the atoning
blood of Jesus, and they shall find God upon a throne of grace,
willing and ready to hear. The name of Jesus is a never-failing
passport to our prayers. In that name a man may draw near to God
with boldness, and ask with confidence. God has engaged to hear him.
Reader, think of this; is not this encouragement?--J. C. Ryle--ED.

9 See Mr. Fox's Acts and Monuments, v.2.

10 "In these days, I should find my heart to shut itself up against
the Lord, and against his holy Word: I have found my unbelief to
set, as it were, the shoulder to the door to keep him out."--Grace
Abounding, No. 81.--ED.

***

THE SAINTS' PRIVILEGE AND PROFIT;

OR,

THE THRONE OF GRACE

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

The churches of Christ are very much indebted to the Rev. Charles
Doe, for the preservation and publishing of this treatise. It
formed one of the ten excellent manuscripts left by Bunyan at his
decease, prepared for the press. Having treated on the nature of
prayer in his searching work on 'praying with the spirit and with the
understanding also,' in which he proves from the sacred scriptures
that prayer cannot be merely read or said, but must be the spontaneous
effusions of the heart principally in private, or at the domestic
altar upon set times in the morning and evening, or more publicly
in social meetings for praise and prayer, or in the public assembly
of the church--all being acceptable, only as it is offered up in
spirit and in truth--he now directs us to the proper medium which
our mental powers should use in drawing near to the Divine Being. We
have to approach the universal spirit, the creator, the preserver,
the bountiful benefactor of our race; and, at the same time,
the infinitely holy one, the supreme judge and just rewarder or
punisher of all creatures. How shall we, who are impure and unclean
by nature and by practice, draw near unto him who is so infinitely
holy? Others of our race who were equally guilty have held acceptable
converse with God, and received special marks of his favour. We
all know that a talented man, high in office, retired at certain
times for prayer; this gave offence, and a law was made, by which
prayer to God was interdicted for thirty days. He refused obedience
to a human law which interfered with the divine authority, and
for this he was cast into the den of lions; but they hurt him not,
although they devoured his persecutors. When a beloved minister
was seized and imprisoned for his love to Christ, the church held
a prayer meeting on his account, and while they were praying God
sent his angel to the prison. In vain four quaternions of soldiers
kept guard, two of them in the prisoner's cell, while the servant
of Christ, who was loaded with chains and doomed to an ignominious
death, slept sweetly between the armed men. The angel awakes him,
his chains fall off, no noise can awake his guard, the prison
doors open, and he was restored to his beloved charge. They were
yet imploring his deliverance, when he stood in their midst to tell
the wondrous miracle, wrought in answer to their prayer. Again,
two of their much-loved ministers were seized and beaten, and cast
into jail, their feet being made fast in the stocks. In the dark
hour of midnight they prayed and praised God, when an earthquake
was sent, which shook the prison and threw open its doors, and the
jailor, with his house, became converts to the faith. Millions of
instances might have been recorded of prayer heard and answered.
The child Samuel, and also Ishmael. The Magdalene. The thief on the
cross. Ananias, who was directed to relieve the stricken persecutor
Saul, for 'behold he prayeth.' But innumerable prayers have been
read and offered up which have not been answered. What then is the
acceptable form, and what the appointed medium consecrated for our
access to God, by which prayer is sanctified and accepted? If ye
love me, saith the Saviour, keep my commandments, and whatsoever
ye shall ask IN MY NAME that will I do. A sense of our want and
unworthiness leads us to God in that new and living way consecrated
by Christ though the veil, that is to say, his flesh (Heb 10:20).
By that way we can 'come boldly,' because it is 'a throne of grace,'
and there and there only we can 'obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need.' Wondrous throne! Blessed encouragement to
the poor pilgrim, traversing the desert surrounded by enemies, his
own heart by nature being one of the most formidable of them!

It is of great importance to all, and especially to the young,
to attain correct definite ideas of religious truths. Bunyan had
remarkably clear views, arising from his strong feelings and the
rugged path by which he was led to Christ. His definition of the
difference between grace and mercy is very striking: 'Mercy signifies
pitifulness to objects in a miserable condition. Grace acts as a
free agent, not wrought upon by our misery but of God's own princely
mind.' Christ is the throne of grace--in him dwells all the fulness
of the Godhead, and yet he was found in fashion as a man, he took
on him the seed of Abraham, and was made like unto his brethren,
and offered himself up as the sacrifice for sin. Thus he is the
throne of grace on the mercy-seat covering the law. Here he is an
object of worship to the angels on the right hand of God. In him
the uncreated glory, the dazzling effulgence of God, is so veiled
in his glorified body, that man, poor sinful man, can lift up his
eyes to behold the place where God's honour most richly dwelleth,
and find acceptance and grace to help in every time of need.

Take heed, sinner, this is your only access to heaven. The
mercy-seat and throne of grace is God's resting-place; the throne
which governs his church, and which eventually will govern all
nations. This throne, invisible to mortal eyes, is present at all
times and in all places. After the saints have been supplied with
all needful grace in this world, their glorified spirits will see
the great white throne, and hear the voice proceeding from it,
saying, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you; while from that throne the direful thunderbolts will be
hurled upon the despisers of divine grace, and they will hurry into
irretrievable misery. The safety of the Christian entirely depends
upon his being found 'looking unto Jesus': his glorified human
body is the throne of grace--the source of all blessedness to his
worshippers--the gate of heaven--the way, the truth and the life.
Yes, proud nature, HE who was the babe at Bethlehem, the poor
carpenter's son, who, notwithstanding his miracles of wisdom, power,
and mercy, was despised and rejected of men, HIM hath God exalted
to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission
of sins, the only medium of access to heaven. Before him every knee
shall bow. Wonders of grace to God belong. 'Busy thyself, fellow
christian, about this blessed office of Christ. It is full of good,
it is full of sweet, it is full of heaven, it is full of relief
and succour for the tempted and dejected; wherefore, I say again,
study these things, give thyself wholly to them.' Reader, listen
to these words of Bunyan, and may the Divine blessing attend the
reading of his works.

GEO. OFFOR.

THE SAINTS' PRIVILEGE AND PROFIT

'LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE
MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED.'--HEBREWS
4:16

This epistle is indited and left to the church by the Holy Ghost,
to show particularly, and more distinctly, the high priesthood
of Jesus Christ, and the excellent benefits that his people have
thereby. In which both the excellency of his person, and transcendent
glory of his office, beyond either priest or priesthood of the law,
is largely set forth before us, in chapter 1:2, &c.

Wherefore, in order to our beneficial reading of this epistle,
the Spirit of God calls upon us, first, most seriously to consider
what an one this excellent person is: 'Wherefore, holy brethren,'
saith he, you that are 'partakers of the heavenly calling,'
consequently you that are related to and that are concerned in the
undertaking of this holy one, 'consider the Apostle and High Priest
of our profession, Christ Jesus' (Heb 3:1). Consider how great and
how fit this man is for so holy and glorious a calling. He being
so high, as to be far above all heavens; so great, as to be the
Son of, and God equal with the Father. Consider him also as to
his humanity, how that he is really flesh of our flesh; sinlessly
so, sympathisingly so, so in all the compassions of a man; he is
touched with, compassioneth, pitieth, loveth, succoureth us, and
feeleth our infirmities, and maketh our case his own. Nay, he again,
from the consideration of his greatness and love, puts us upon a
confident reliance on his undertaking, and also presseth us to a
bold approach of that throne of grace where he continually abideth
in the execution of his office: 'Seeing then,' saith he, 'that we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace'
(Heb 3:14-16).

In the words we have, First, An exhortation; [and] Second, An
implication that we shall reap a worthy benefit, if we truly put
the exhortation into practice. The exhortation is that we shall
come boldly to the throne of grace: 'Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace.' In all we have an intimation of five
things.

FIRST, That God hath more thrones than one; else the throne of
grace need not to be specified by name. 'Let us come unto the throne
of grace.' SECOND, That the godly can distinguish one throne from
another. For the throne here is not set forth by where or what
signs it should be known; it is only propounded to us by its name,
and so left for saints to make their approach unto it: 'Let us come
unto the throne of grace.' THIRD, The third thing is, the persons
intended by this exhortation, 'Let us therefore come.' Us: What us?
or who are they that by this exhortation are called upon to come?
'Let us.' FOURTH, The manner of the coming of these persons to this
throne of grace; and that is through the veil, boldly, confidently:
'Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace.' FIFTH, the motive
to this exhortation; and that is twofold, First, Because we have
so great an high priest, one that cannot but be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities: 'Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace.' And, second, because we are sure to speed: 'That
we may obtain mercy, and find grace,' &c. I shall, as God shall
help me, handle these things in order.

[THAT GOD HATH MORE THRONES THAN ONE.]

FIRST. For the first, That God hath more thrones than one. He hath
a throne in heaven, and a throne on earth: 'The Lord's throne is
in heaven,' and 'they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord'
(Psa 11:4; Jer 3:17). He ruleth over the angels; he ruleth in his
church. 'He ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth' (Psa
59:13). Yea, he has a throne and seat of majesty among the princes
and great ones of the world. He ruleth or 'judgeth among the gods'
(Psa 82:1). There is a throne for him as a Father, and a throne
for Christ as a giver of reward to all faithful and overcoming
Christians: 'To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne' (Rev 3:21).

There is also to be a throne of judgment, on which God by Christ, at
the great and notable day, shall sit to give to the whole world,
their last or final sentence; from which, no, not, not by any
means, they shall never be released. This throne is made mention
of in the New Testament, and is called by Christ 'the throne of
his glory,' and 'a great white throne' (Matt 25:31; Rev 20:11). And
his presence, when he sits upon this throne, will be so terrible,
that nothing shall be able to abide it that is not reconciled to
God by him before.

Wherefore it is not amiss that I give you this hint, because it may
tend to inform unwary Christians, when they go to God, that they
address not themselves to him at rovers, or at random; but that
when they come to him for benefits, they direct their prayer to the
throne of grace, or to God as considered on a throne of grace.[1]
For he is not to be found a God merciful and gracious, but as he
is on the throne of grace. This is his holy place, out of which he
is terrible to the sons of men, and cannot be gracious unto them.
For as when he shall sit at the last day upon his throne of judgment,
he will neither be moved with the tears of misery of the world to
do any thing for them, that in the least will have a tendency to a
relaxation of the least part of their sorrow; so now let men take
him where they will, or consider him as they list, he gives no
grace, no special grace, but as considered on the throne of grace:
wherefore they that will pray, and speed, they must come to a
throne of grace: to a God that sitteth on a throne of grace: 'Let
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain,'
&c.

The unbeliever, the erroneous and superstitious, consider not this:
wherefore they speak to God as their fancies lead them, not as the
word directs them, and therefore obtain nothing. Ask the carnal
man to whom he prays? he will say to God. Ask him where this God
is? he will say in heaven. But ask him how, or under what notion
he is to be considered there? and he will give a few generals, but
cannot direct his soul unto him as he is upon a throne of grace,
as the apostle here biddeth, saying, 'Let us come boldly unto the
throne of grace.' Wherefore they come and go, or rather go and
come to no advantage at all: they find nothing but their labour or
words for their pains. For the right considering of God when I go
unto him, and how or where I may find him gracious and merciful,
is all in all; and mercy and grace is then obtained when we come
to him as sitting upon a throne of grace.

[THE GODLY CAN DISTINGUISH ONE THRONE FROM ANOTHER.]

SECOND. We will therefore come to the second thing, to wit, that
the godly can distinguish one thing from another. And the reason
why I so conclude, is, as I said, because the throne here is not
set forth unto us here, by where or what signs it should be known;
it is only propounded to us by its name, a throne of grace, and so
left for saints to make their approach thereto: 'Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace.' We will therefore take
this conclusion into two parts, and consider it under this double
position. FIRST, That there is a throne of grace. SECOND, That it
is the privilege of the godly to distinguish from all other thrones
whatever this throne of grace.

FIRST, There is a throne of grace. This must be true, because
the text saith it;[2] also it is that of which the mercy-seat, so
often made mention of in the Old Testament, was a type, shadow, or
figure; nor is the terms of seat and throne of any strength to make
this supposition void. For it is common for the antitype to be put
forth in words unto us more glorious than is the figure or shadow
of that thing. And the reason is, for that the heavenly things
themselves are far more excellent than the shadow by which they are
represented. What is a sheep, a bull, an ox, or calf, to Christ,
or their blood to the blood of Christ? What is Jerusalem that stood
in Canaan, to that new Jerusalem that shall come down from heaven?
or the tabernacle made with corruptible things, to the body of
Christ, or heaven itself? No marvel then, if they be set forth unto
us by words of an inferior rank; the most full and aptest being
reserved to set out the highest things withal.

Before I proceed to give you a more particular description of this
throne of grace, as also how it may be know, I will a little touch
upon the terms themselves, and show briefly what must be implied
by them.

[Import of the term grace.]

First, By this word grace, we are to understand God's free,
sovereign, good pleasure, whereby he acteth in Christ towards his
people. Grace and mercy therefore are terms that have their distinct
significations; mercy signifies pitifulness, or a running over of
infinite bowels to objects in a miserable and helpless condition.
But grace signifies that God still acts in this as a free agent,
not being wrought upon by the misery of the creature, as a procuring
cause; but of his own princely mind.

Were there no objects of pity among those that in the old world
perished by the flood, or that in Sodom were burned with fire from
heaven? doubtless, according to our apprehension, there were many:
but Noah, and he only, found grace in God's eyes; not because that
of himself he was better than the rest, but God acted as a gracious
prince towards him, and let him share in mercy of his own sovereign
will and pleasure. But this at first was not so fully made manifest
as it was afterwards. Wherefore the propitiatory was not called, as
here, a throne of grace, but a mercy-seat, albeit there was great
glory in these terms also; for, by mercy-seat was showed, not only
that God had compassion for men, but that also to be good was as
his continual resting-place, whither he would at length retire, and
where he would sit down and abide, whatever terrible or troublesome
work for his church was on the wheel[3] at present. For a seat is
a place of rest, yea, is prepared for that end; and in that here
mercy is called that seat, it is to show, as I said, that whatever
work is on the wheel in the world, let it be never so dreadful and
amazing, yet to God's church it shall end in mercy, for that is
God's resting-place. Wherefore after God had so severely threatened
and punished his church under the name of a whorish woman, as you
may read in the prophet Ezekiel, he saith, 'So will I make my fury
toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee; and I
will be quiet, and will be no more angry.' And again, speaking of
the same people and of the same punishments, he saith, 'Nevertheless,
I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth,
and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.' And again,
'I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that
I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never
open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified
toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God' (Eze
16:42,60-63). These, with many more places, show that mercy is
God's place of rest, and thither he will retire at last, and from
thence will bless his church, his people.

But yet these terms, a throne, the throne of grace, doth more exceed
in glory: not only because the word grace shows that God, by all
that he doth towards us in saving and forgiving, acts freely as
the highest Lord, and of his own good-will and pleasure, but also
for that he now saith, that his grace is become a king, a throne of
grace. A throne is not only a seat for rest, but a place of dignity
and authority. This is known to all. Wherefore by this word, a
throne, or the throne of grace, is intimated, that God ruleth and
governeth by his grace. And this he can justly do: 'Grace reigns
through righteousness, unto eternal life,[4] through Jesus Christ
out Lord' (Rom 5:21). So then, in that here is mention made of
a throne of grace, it showeth that sin, and Satan, and death, and
hell, must needs be subdued. For these last mentioned are but weakness
and destruction; but grace is life, and the absolute sovereign over
all these to the ruling of them utterly down. A throne of grace!

But this then God plainly declareth, that he is resolved this way
to rule, and that he pointeth at sin as his deadly foe: and if
so, then, 'where sin aboundeth, grace must much more abound' (Rom
5:20).[5] For it is the wisdom and discretion of all that rule, to
fortify themselves against them that rebel against them what they
can. Wherefore he saith again, 'Sin shall not have dominion over
you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace' (Rom 6:14).
Sin seeks for the dominion, and grace seeks for the dominion; but
sin shall not rule, because it has no throne in the church among
the godly. Grace is king. Grace has the throne, and the people of
God are not under the dominion of sin, but of the grace of God,
the which they are here implicitly bid to acknowledge, in that they
are bid to come boldly to it for help: 'That we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help; to help in time of need.' For as from the
hand and power of the king comes help and succour to the subject,
when assaulted by an enemy; so from the throne of grace, or from
grace as it reigns, comes the help and health of God's people.
Hence it is said again, 'A glorious high throne from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary' (Jer 17:12). Here then the saints
take shelter from the roaring of the devil, from the raging of
their lusts, and from the fury of the wicked. That also is a very
notable place, 'He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast
all their sins into the depths of the sea' (Micah 7:19). He speaks
here of God as solacing himself in mercy, and as delighting of himself
in the salvation of his people, and that without comparison: 'Who
is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by
the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not
his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy' (Micah 7:18).
Thus is mercy and grace got into the throne, reigns, and will
assuredly conquer all; yea, will conquer, and that with a shout.
'Mercy rejoiceth against judgment' (James 2:13). Yea, glorieth
when it getteth the victory of sin, and subdueth the sinner unto
God and to his own salvation, as is yet more fully showed in the
parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). But this, briefly to show
you something of the nature of the terms, and what must necessarily
be implied thereby.

[What is to be inferred from the term 'throne of grace.']

Second. We will in the next place show what is to be inferred from
hence. And,

1. To be sure this is inferred, that converted men are not every
way, or in every sense, free from the being of sin. For, were they,
they need not betake themselves to a throne of grace for help; when
it saith there is grace in God, it inferreth, that there is sin in
the godly; and when it saith, grace reigns, as upon a throne, it
implies, that sin would ascend the throne, would reign, and would
have the dominion over the children of God. This also is manifest,
when he saith, 'Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof' (Rom 7:12). And the
only way to prevent it is to apply ourselves, as by the text we
are directed, to the throne of grace for help against it.

2. The text implies, that at certain times the most godly man in
the world may be hard put to it by the sin that dwelleth in him;
yea, so hard put to it, as that there can be no ways to save himself
from a fall, but by imploring heaven and the throne of grace for
help. This is called the needy time, the time when the wayfaring
man that knocked at David's door shall knock at ours (2 Sam 12);
or when we are got into the sieve into which Satan did get Peter
(Luke 22:31); or when those fists are about our ears that were
about Paul's; and when that thorn pricks us that Paul said was in
his flesh (2 Cor 12:7,8). But why, or how comes it to pass, that
the godly are so hard put to it at these times, but because there
is in them, that is, in their flesh, no good thing, but consequently
all aptness to close in with the devil and his suggestions, to the
overthrow of the soul? But now here we are presented with a throne
of grace, unto which, as presented with a throne of grace, unto
which, as David says, we must 'continually resort'; and that is the
way to obtain relief, and to find help in time of need (Psa 71:3).

3. As Christians are sometimes in imminent dangers of falling, so
sometimes it is so, that they are fallen, are down, down dreadfully,
and can by no means lift up themselves. And this happeneth unto them
because they have been remiss as to the conscionable performance of
what by this exhortation they are enjoined to. They have not been
constant supplicants at this throne for preserving grace; for had
they, they should, as the text suggests, most certainly have kept
from such a fall; help should have been granted them in their
needful time. But that is it, of which such are guilty, which is
written in the prophet Isaiah, 'But thou hast not called upon me,
O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel' (Isa 43:22).
Therefore thou art profaned, therefore thou art given to reproaches
(Isa 43:28). Now, as they which are falling are kept from coming
down by coming to this throne of grace, so those that are fallen
must rise by the sceptre of love extended to them from thence. Men
may fall by sin, but cannot raise up themselves without the help of
grace. Wherefore, it is worthy of our inquiry after a more thorough
knowledge of this throne of grace, whence, as we may well perceive,
our help comes, and by what comes from thence we are made to
stand. I therefore come now to a more particular description of
this throne of grace; and to show how the godly know, or may know
it, from other thrones of God.

[What this throne of grace is.]

First, then, this throne of grace is the humanity, or heart and
soul of Jesus Christ, in which God sits and resteth for ever in
love towards them that believe in him. Forasmuch as Christ did, by
the body of his flesh, when here, reconcile them unto the Father.
'The key of the house of David,' saith God, 'will I lay upon his
shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut; and he shall shut
and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place;
and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house' (Isa
22:22,23). For a glorious throne to his Father's house, that is,
for his Father's house, to come to their Father by; for that they
shall always find him thereon; or, as another scripture saith,
in Christ reconciling them unto him, not imputing to them their
trespasses and sins (2 Cor 5:19). Nor is it possible, that we lay
aside the human nature of Christ, for us to find any such thing as
a throne of grace, either in earth or heaven; for that then nothing
can be found to be the rest of God. 'This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased,' is God's own language; but there is none
other of whom he hath so said (Matt 3:17). Wherefore he resteth in
him towards us, and in him only. Besides, grace cannot be extended
towards us but in a way of justice; for that the law and our sin
obstructeth another way (Gen 3:24). But, lay the human nature of
Christ aside, and where will you find, THAT that shall become such
a sacrifice to justice for the sin of men, as that God, for the sake
of that, shall both forgive, and cause that grace for ever should
reign towards us in such a way? It reigns through righteousness, or
justice, by Jesus Christ, and no way else. Christ Jesus, therefore,
is this throne of grace; or him, or that, by which grace reigns
towards the children of God (Rom 5:21).

That scripture also gives us a little light herein, 'And I beheld,
and lo! in the midst of the throne,' &c., 'stood a Lamb, as it
had been slain' (Rev 5:6). This is to show the cause why grace is
so freely let out to us, even for that there stands there, in the
midst of the throne, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb as it
had been slain, or, as it was made a sacrifice for our sin; for,
as a slain lamb, he now lives in the midst of the throne, and is
the meritorious cause of all the grace that we enjoy. And though
it seems by this text that the throne is one thing and the Lamb
another, yet the Lamb of God is the throne, though not as a lamb
or sacrifice, but as one that by his sacrifice has made way for
grace to run like a river into the world. The Son of God, Jesus
Christ, is ALL; he is the throne, the altar, the priest, the
sacrifice, and all: but he is the throne, the priest, the altar,
and the sacrifice, under divers considerations. He is not the throne
as he is the priest; he is not the priest as he is the sacrifice;
he is not the sacrifice as he is the altar; yet is truly all these.
Yea, there is no throne of grace, no high priest, no propitiatory
sacrifice, &c., but he. Of all which we may yet speak further before
we conclude this treatise. I conclude, then, that Christ Jesus, in
his human nature, is this throne of grace. In his human nature, I
say, he has by that completely accomplished all things necessary
for the making way for grace to be extended to men; and that that
is not only God's place of rest, but that by and from which, as
upon a glorious throne, his grace shall reign over devil, death,
sin, hell, and the grave, for ever. This human nature of Christ is
also called the tabernacle of God; for the fullness of the Godhead
dwells in it bodily. It is God's habitation, his dwelling-place,
his chair and throne of state. He doth all in and by it, and without
it he doth not any thing. But to pass this, let us come to the next
thing.

[Where the throne of grace is erected.]

Second. We will now come to discourse of the placing of this
throne of grace, or to discover where it is erected. And for this
we must repair to the type, which, as was said before, is called
the mercy-seat; the which we find, not in the outward court, nor
yet within the first veil (Heb 9:3-5); which signifies, not in the
world, nor in the church on earth, but in the holy of the holies,
or after the second veil, the flesh of Christ (Heb 10:20). There
then is this throne of God, this throne of grace, and no where
here below. And for as much as it is called the throne of God, of
grace, and is there, it signifieth that it is the highest and most
honourable. Hence he is said to be far above all heavens, and to
have a name above every name. Wherefore he that will come to this
throne of grace, must know what manner of coming it is by which he
must approach it; and that is, not personally,[6] but by runnings
out of heart; not by himself, but by his Priest, his High Priest;
for so it was in the type (Heb 9:7). Into the second, where the
mercy-seat was, went the high priest alone, that is, personally,
and the people by him, as he made intercession for them. This then
must be done by those that will approach this throne of grace.
They must go to God, as he is enthroned IN Christ; BY Christ, as
he is the High Priest of his church; and they must go to him in
the holiest, by him.

But again, as this throne of grace is in the Holiest, not in the
world, not in the church on earth, so it is in this Holiest set up
above the ark of the testimony; for so was the mercy-seat, it was
set up in the most holy place, above the ark of the testimony (Deut
10:1-5; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chron 5:10). The ark of the testimony. What
was that? Why it was the place of the law, the ark in which it was
kept: the testimony was the law, the ark was prepared to put that
in. This ark in which was put this law was set up in the holiest,
and the mercy-seat was set above it, for so was Moses commanded
to place them. Thou shalt make an ark, saith God, 'and thou shalt
make a mercy-seat': the ark shall be called the ark of the testimony,
and there 'thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee,'
that is, the law, 'and thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon
the ark, and there I will meet with thee, from above the mercy-seat
between the two cherubims, which are upon,' that is, above, 'the
ark of the testimony,' 'shadowing the mercy-seat' (Exo 25:16-22;
Heb 9:5).

Thus, then, were things of old ordained in the type, by which we
gather what is now to be minded in our worshipping of God. There
was an ark made, and the two tables of stone, in which the law
was writ, was put therein (Deut 10:2-5). This ark, with these two
tables, were put into the holiest, and this mercy-seat was set
above it. The Holy Ghost, in my mind, thus signifying that grace
sits upon a throne that is higher than the law, above the law; and
that grace, therefore, is to rule before the law, and notwithstanding
all the sentence of the law; for it sitteth, I say, upon a throne,
but the law sits on none; a throne, I say, which the law, instead
of accusing, justifieth and approveth. For although it condemneth
all men, yet it excepteth Christ, who, in his manhood, is this throne
of grace. Him, I say, it condemneth not, but approveth, and liketh
well of all his doings; yea, it granteth him, as here we see, as
a throne of grace, to be exalted above itself: yea, it cannot but
so do, because by wisdom and holiness itself, which is also the Lord
of the law, it is appointed so to do. Here, then, is the throne of
God, the throne of grace, namely, above the ark of the testimony;
on this God and his grace sits, reigns, and gives leave to sinners
to approach his presence for grace and mercy. He gives, I say for
those sinners so to do, that have washed before in the brazen laver
that is prepared to wash in first, of which we may speak more anon.
Now, behold the wisdom of God in his thus ordaining of things;
in his placing, in the first place, the law, and Christ the ark
of the testimony, and the mercy-seat, or throne of grace, so nigh
together; for doubtless it was wisdom that thus ordained them, and
it might so ordain for these reasons--

[Why the law and the mercy-seat are so near together.]

1. That we that approach the throne of grace might, when we come
there, be made still to remember that we are sinners--'for by the
law is the knowledge of sin' (Rom 3:20)--and behold just before
us is this ark in which are the two tables that condemn all flesh:
yea, we must look that way, if we look at all; for just above it
is the mercy-seat or throne of grace. So then here is a memento
for them that come to God, and to his throne of grace, for mercy,
to wit, the law, by which they are afresh put in remembrance of
themselves, their sins, and what need they have of fresh supplies
of grace. I read that the laver of brass and the foot of it was made
of the looking-glasses of the women that assembled at the door of
the tabernacle (Exo 38:8), methinks to signify, that men might see
their smyrches[7] when they came to wash; so here you see the law
is placed even with the mercy-seat, only that stood above, whereby
those that come to the throne of grace for mercy might also yet
more be put in mind that they are sinners.

2. This also tendeth to set an edge upon prayer, and to make us the
more fervent in spirit when we come to the throne of grace. Should
a king ordain that the axe and halter should be before all those
that supplicate him for mercy, it would put yet an edge upon all
their petitions for his grace, and make them yet the more humbly
and fervently implore his majesty for favour. But, behold, the
mercy-seat stands above, is set up above the ark and testimony
that is in it. Here, therefore, we have encouragement to look for
good. For observe, though here is the law, and that too in the
holiest of all, whither we go; yet above it is the mercy-seat and
throne of grace triumphant, unto which we should look, and to which
we should direct our prayers. Let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace, notwithstanding the ark and testimony is by; for
the law cannot hurt us when grace is so nigh; besides, God is now
not in the law, but upon the throne of grace that is above it, to
gave forth pardons, and grace, and helps at a time of need.

This, then, may serve to inform some whereabout they are, when they
are in their closets, and at prayer. Art thou most dejected when
thou art at prayer? Hear me, thou art not far from the throne of
grace; for thy dejection proceedeth from thy looking into the ark,
into which God hath ordained that whosoever looks shall die (1 Sam
6:19). Now if thou art indeed so near as to see thy sins, by thy
reading of thyself by the tables in the ark, cast but up thine eyes
a little higher, and behold, there is the mercy-seat and throne of
grace to which thou wouldest come, and by which thou must be saved.
When David came to pray to God, he said he would direct his prayer
to God, and would look up (Psa 5:3). As who should say, When I pray,
I will say to my prayers, O my prayers, mount up, stay not at the
ark of the testimony, for there is the law and condemnation; but
soar aloft to the throne that stands above, for there is God, and
there is grace displayed, and there thou mayest obtain what is
necessary to help in time of need. Some, indeed, there be that know
not what these things mean; they never read their sin nor condemnation
for it; when they are upon their knees at their devotion, and so
are neither dejected at the sight of what they are, nor driven with
sense of things to look higher for help at need; for need, indeed,
they see none. Of such I shall say, they are not concerned in our
text, nor can they come hither before they have been prepared so
to do, as may appear before we come to an end.

[How the godly distinguish the throne of grace.]

SECOND. And thus have I showed you what this throne of grace is,
and where it stands. And now I shall come to show you how you shall
find it, and know when you are come to it, by several other things.

First, then, about the throne of grace there is 'a rainbow--in
sight like unto an emerald' (Rev 4:1-3). This was the first sight
that John saw after he had received his epistles for the seven
churches. Before he received them, he had the great vision of his
Lord, and heard him say to him, I am he that was dead and am alive,
or 'that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore,
amen; and have the keys of hell and of death' (Rev 1:18). And a
good preparation it was for a work of that nature that now he was
called unto; to wit, that he might the more warmly, and affectionately,
and confidently attest the truth which his Lord had now for him to
testify to them. So here, before he entereth upon his prophecy of
things to come, he hears a first voice, and sees a first sight.
The first voice that he heard was, 'Come up hither,' and the first
sight that he saw was a throne with a rainbow round about it. 'And
immediately,' saith he, 'I was in the Spirit; and behold a throne
was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was
to look upon like a jasper, and a sardine stone, and there was a
rainbow round about the throne' (Rev 4:1-3).

The firs time that we find in God's Word mention made of a rainbow,
we read also of its spiritual signification, to wit, that it was a
token of the firmness of the covenant that God made with Noah, as
touching his not drowning the earth any more with the waters of a
flood. 'I do set,' saith he, 'my bow in the cloud, and it shall be
for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall
come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow
shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant which
is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh: and
the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh' (Gen
9:13-15). The first use, therefore, of the rainbow, it was to be
a token of a covenant of mercy and kindness to the world; but that
was not the utmost end thereof. For that covenant was but a shadow
of the covenant of grace which God hath made with his elect in
Christ, and that bow but a shadow of the token of the permanency
and lastingness of that covenant. Wherefore the next time we read
of the rainbow is in the first of Ezekiel, and there we read of
it only with reference to the excellencies of its colour; for that
it is there said to be exactly like the colour of the glory of the
man that the prophet there saw as sitting upon a throne (v 28).
The glory, that is, the priestly robes; for he is a priest upon
the throne, and his robes become his glory and beauty (Zech 6:13).
His robes--what are they but his blessed righteousness, with the
skirts of which he covereth the sinful nakedness of his people,
and with the perfection of which he decketh and adorneth them, 'as
a bride adorneth herself with her jewels' (Exo 28:2; Eze 16:8; Isa
61:10).

Now here again, in the third place, we find a rainbow, a rainbow round
about the throne; round about the throne of grace. A rainbow--that
is, a token of the covenant, a token of the covenant of grace in
its lastingness; and that token is the appearance of the man Christ.
The appearance--that is, his robes, his righteousness, 'from the
appearance of his loins even upward,' and 'from the appearance of
his loins even downward' (Eze 1:27); even down to the foot, as you
have it in the book of the Revelation (1:13). 'As the appearance
of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the
appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance
of the likeness of the glory of the Lord' (Eze 1:28). The sum then
is, that by the rainbow round about the throne of grace upon which
God sitteth to hear and answer the petitions of his people, we are
to understand the obedential righteousness of Jesus Christ, which
in the days of his flesh he wrought out and accomplished for
his people; by which God's justice is satisfied, and their person
justified, and they so made acceptable to him. This righteousness,
that shines in God's eyes more glorious than the rainbow in the
cloud doth in ours, saith John, is round about the throne. But for
what purpose? Why, to be looked upon. But who must look upon it?
Why, God and his people; the people when they come to pray, and
God when he is about to hear and give. 'And the bow shall be in
the cloud'; says God, 'and I will look upon it, that I may remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of
all flesh that is upon the earth' (Gen 9:16). And, I say, as the
bow is for God to look on, so it is also for our sight to behold.
A rainbow round about the throne, in sight; in whose sight? in
John's and his companions, like unto an emerald.

We read of Solomon's great throne of ivory, that though there was
not its like in any kingdom, yet he was not willing that the bow of
it should stand before him. It was round behind (1 Kings 10:18-20).
O! but God's throne has the bow before, even round about to view,
to look upon in sight. Solomon's was but a shadow, and therefore
fit to be put behind; but this is the sum and substance, and
therefore fit to be before, in view, in sight, for God and his
people to behold. Thus you see that a rainbow is round about the
throne of grace, and what this rainbow is. Look then, when thou
goest to prayer, for the throne; and that thou mayest not be deceived
with a fancy, look for the rainbow too. The rainbow, that is, as
I have said, the personal performances of Christ thy Saviour for
thee. Look, I say, for that, it is his righteousness; the token of
the everlastingness of the covenant of grace; the object of God's
delight, and must be the matter of the justification of thy person
and performances before God. God looks at it, look thou at it, and
at it only (Psa 71:16). For in heaven or earth, if that be cast
away, there is nothing to be found that can please God, or justify
thee. If it be said faith pleases God; I answer, faith is a relative
grace; take then the relative away, which, as to justification, is
this spangling robe, this rainbow, this righteousness of Christ,
and faith dies, and becomes, as to what we now treat of, extinct
and quenched as tow.

And a very fit emblem the rainbow is of the righteousness of Christ;
and that in these particulars. 1. The rainbow is an effect of the
sun that shines in the firmament; and the righteousness by which
this throne of grace is encompassed, is the work of the Son of
God. 2. The rainbow was a token that the wrath of God in sending
the flood was appeased; this righteousness of Christ is that for
the sake of which God forgiveth us all trespasses. 3. The rainbow
was set in the cloud, that the sinful man might look thereon, and
wax confident in common mercy; this righteousness is showed us in
the word, that we may by it believe unto special mercy. 4. The bow
is seen but now and then in the cloud; Christ's righteousness is
but here and there revealed in the Word. 5. The bow is seen commonly
upon, or after rain; Christ's righteousness is apprehended by faith
upon, or soon after the apprehensions of wrath. 6. The bow is seen
sometimes more, sometimes less; and so is this righteousness, even
according to the degree or clearness of the sight of faith. 7.
The bow is of that nature, as to make whatever you shall look upon
through it, to be of the same colour of itself, whether that thing
be bush, or man, or beast; and the righteousness of Christ is that
that makes sinners, when God looks upon them through it, to look
beautiful, and acceptable in his sight, for we are made comely
through his comeliness, and made accepted in the Beloved (Eze 16:14;
Eph 1:6).

One word more of the rainbow, and then to some other things. As
here you read that the rainbow is round about the throne; so if
you read on even in the same place, you shall find the glorious
effects thereof to be far more than all that I have said. But,

Second. As the throne of grace is known by the rainbow that is
round about it; so also thou shalt know it by this, the high priest
is continually ministering before it; the high priest, or Christ
as priest, is there before God in his high priest's robes, making
continual intercession for thy acceptance there. Now, as I said
before, Christ is priest and throne and all; throne in one sense,
priest in another; even as he was priest, and sacrifice, and altar
too, when he became our reconciler to God.

As a priest here, he is put under the notion of an angel, of an
angel that came and stood at the altar to offer incense for the
church, all the time that the seven angels were to sound out with
trumpets the alarm of God's wrath against the anti-christian world;
lest that wrath should swallow them up also. 'And,' saith John,
'another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer;
and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer
it with the prayers of all saint upon the golden altar which was
before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's
hand' (Rev 8:1-4).

Here then you have before the throne, that is, the throne or
mercy-seat, the high priest; for there it was that God appointed
that the altar of incense, or that to burn incense on, should
be placed (Exo 30:1-7). This incense-altar in the type was to be
overlaid with gold; but here the Holy Ghost implies, that it is all
of gold. This throne then is the mercy-seat, or throne of grace,
to which we are bid to come; and, as you see, here is the angel,
the high priest with his golden censer, and his incense, ready to
wait upon us. For so the text implies, for he is there to offer
his incense with the prayers of all saints that are waiting without
at his time of offering incense within (Luke 1:10). So, then, at
the throne of grace, or before it, stands the high priest of our
propitiation, Christ Jesus, with his golden censer in his hand,
full of incense, therewith to perfume the prayers of saints, that
come thither for grace and mercy to help in time of need.[8] And
he stands there, as you see, under the name of an angel, for he is
the angel of God's presence, and messenger of his covenant.

But now it is worth our considering, to take notice how, or
in what method, the high priest under the law was to approach the
incense-altar. When he came to make intercession for the saints
before the throne, he was to go in thither to do this work in his
robes and ornaments; not without them, lest he died. The principal
of these ornaments were, 'a breast-plate, and an ephod, and a robe,
and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle' (Exo 28:4). These are
briefly called his garments, in Revelation the first, and in the
general they show us, that he is clothed with righteousness, girded
with truth and faithfulness, for that is the girdle of his reins
to strengthen him (Isa 11:5). And that he beareth upon his heart
the names of the children of Israel that are Israelites indeed;
for as on Aaron's breast-plate was fixed the names of the twelve
tribes of Israel, and he was to bear the weight of them by the
strength of his shoulders, so are we on the heart of Christ (Isa
22:21).

Thus therefore is our high priest within the holiest to offer
incense upon the golden altar of incense, that is, before the throne.
Wherefore, when thou goest thither, even to 'the throne of grace,'
look for him, and be not content, though thou shouldst find God
there, if thou findest him not there, I suppose now an impossibility,
for edification's sake, for without him nothing can be done; I
say, without him as a priest. He is the throne, and without him as
a throne, God has no resting-place as to us; he is a priest, and
without him as such we can make no acceptable approach to God; for
by him as priest our spiritual sacrifices are accepted (1 Peter
2:5). 'By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually,--giving thanks,' and confessing to and 'in his
name' (Heb 13:15). And for our further edification herein, let us
consider, that as God has chosen and made him his throne of grace;
so he has sworn, that he shall be accepted as a priest for ever
there. For his natural qualifications we may speak something to
them afterwards; in the meantime know, that there is no coming to
God, upon pain of death without him.

Nor will it out of my mind, but that his wearing the rainbow
upon his head doth somewhat belong to him as priest, his priestly
vestments being for glory and beauty, as afore was said, compared
to the colour of it (Rev 10:1; Eze 1). But why doth he wear
the rainbow upon his head; but to show, that the sign, that the
everlastingness of the covenant of grace is only to be found in
him; that he wears it as a mitre or frontlet of gold, and can always
plead it with acceptance to God, and for the subduing of the world
and good of his people. But,

Thirdly, The throne of grace is to be known by the sacrifice that
is presented there. The high priest was not to go into the holiest,
nor come near the mercy-seat; the which, as I have showed you,
was a type of our throne of grace, 'without blood.' 'But into the
second went the high priest alone once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people' (Heb 9:7). Yea, the priest was to take of the blood of
his sacrifice, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, that
is, before the mercy-seat, or throne of grace; and was to put some
of the blood upon the horns of the altar of incense before the Lord
(Lev 4:5-7, 16:13-15). So then the throne of grace is known by the
blood that is sprinkled thereon, and by the atonement that by it
is made there. I told you before that before the throne of grace
there is our high-priest; and now I tell you, there is his sacrifice
too; his sacrifice which he there presenteth as amends for the sins
of all such as have a right to come with boldness to the throne
of grace. Hence, as I mentioned before, there is said to be in
the midst of the throne, the same throne of which we have spoken
before, 'a lamb as it had been slain' (Rev 5:6). The words are to
the purpose, and signify that in the midst of the throne is our
sacrifice, with the very marks of his death upon him; showing to
God that sitteth upon the throne, the holes of the thorns, of the
nails, of the spear; and how he was disfigured with blows and blood
when at his command he gave himself a ransom for his people; for
it cannot be imagined that either the exaltation or glorification
of the body of Jesus Christ should make him forget the day in which
he died the death for our sins; specially since that which puts
worth into his whole intercession is the death he died, and the
blood he shed upon the cross, for our trespasses.

Besides, there is no sight more taketh the heart of God, than to
see of the travail of the soul, and the bruisings of the body of his
Son for our transgressions. Hence it is said, He 'is in the midst
of the throne' as he died, or as he had been slain (Rev 7:17). It
is said again, 'The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them.' The Lamb, that is, the Son of God as a sacrifice,
shall be always in the midst of the throne to feed and comfort his
people. He is the throne, he is the priest, he is the sacrifice.
But then how as a Lamb is he in the midst of the throne? Why, the
meaning in mine opinion is, that Christ, as a dying and bleeding
sacrifice, shall be chief in the reconciling of us to God; or
that his being offered for our sins shall be of great virtue when
pleaded by him as priest, to the obtaining of grace, mercy, and
glory for us (Heb 9:12). By his blood he entered into the holy
place; by his blood he hath made an atonement for us before the
mercy-seat. His blood it is that speaketh better for us than the
blood of Abel did for Cain (Heb 12:24). Also it is by his blood that
we have bold admittance into the holiest (Heb 10:19). Wherefore no
marvel if you find him here a Lamb, as it had been slain, and that
in the midst of the throne of grace.

While thou art therefore thinking on him, as he is the throne
of grace, forget him not as he is priest and sacrifice; for as a
priest he makes atonement; but there is no atonement made for sin
without a sacrifice. Now, as Christ is a sacrifice, so he is to be
considered as passive, or a sufferer; as he is a priest, so he is
active, or one that hath offered up himself; as he is an altar,
so he is to be considered as God; for in and upon the power of his
Godhead he offered up himself. The altar then was not the cross, as
some have foolishly imagined. But as a throne, a throne of grace;
so he is to be considered as distinct from these three things, as
I also have hinted before. Wouldst thou then know this throne of
grace, where God sits to hear prayers and give grace? then cast the
eyes of thy soul about, and look till thou findest the Lamb there;
a Lamb there 'as it had been slain,' for by this thou shalt know
thou art right. A slain Lamb, or a Lamb as it had been slain, when
it is seen by a supplicant in the midst of the throne, whither he
is come for grace, is a blessed sight! A blessed sight indeed! And
it informs him he is where he should be.

And thou must look for this, the rather because without blood is
no remission. He that thinks to find grace at God's hand, and yet
enters not into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, will find himself
mistaken, and will find a DEAD,[9] instead of 'a living way' (Heb
10:19). For if not anything below, or besides blood, can yield
remission on God's part, how should remission be received by us
without our acting faith therein? We are justified by his blood,
through faith in his blood (Rom 5:6-9). Wherefore, I say, look
when thou approachest the throne of grace, that thou give diligence
to see for the Lamb; that is, 'as it had been slain' in the midst
of the throne of grace; and then thou wilt have, not only a sign
that thou presentest thy supplications to God, where, and as thou
shouldst; but there also wilt thou meet with matter to break,
to soften, to bend, to bow, and to make thy heart as thou wouldst
have it; for if the blood of a goat will, as some say, dissolve an
adamant, a stone that is harder than flint;[10] shall not the sight
of 'a Lamb as it had been slain' much more dissolve and melt down
the spirit of that man that is upon his knees before the throne
of grace for mercy; especially when he shall see, that not his
prayers, not his tears, not his wants, but the blood of the Lamb,
has prevailed with a God of grace to give mercy and grace to an
undeserving man? This then is the third sign by which thou shalt
know when thou art at the throne of grace: that throne is sprinkled
with blood; yea, in the midst of that throne there is to be seen
to this day, a Lamb as it had been slain; and he is in the midst
of it, to feed those that come to that throne, and to lead them by
and to 'living fountains of waters' (Rev 7:17). Wherefore,

Fourth. The throne of grace is to be known, by the streams of
grace that continually proceed therefrom, and that like a river
run themselves out into the world. And, saith John, 'He showed me
a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of
the throne of God and of the Lamb' (Rev 22:1). Mark you, here is
again a throne; the throne of God, which, as we have showed, is
the human nature of his Son; out of which, as you read, proceeds a
river, a river of water of life, clear as crystal. And the joining
of the Lamb also here with God is to show that it comes, I say, from
God, by the Lamb; by Christ, who as a lamb or sacrifice for sin,
is the procuring cause of the running of this river; it proceedeth
out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Behold, therefore, how
carefully here the Lamb is brought in, as one from or through whom
proceeds the water of life to us. God is the spring-head; Christ
the golden pipe of conveyance; the elect the receivers of this
water of life. He saith not here, 'the throne of the Lamb,' but
'and of the Lamb, to show, I say, that he it is out of or through
whom this river of grace should come.' But and if it should be
understood that it proceedeth from the throne of the Lamb, it may
be to show that Christ also has power as a mediator, to send grace
like a river into the church. And then it amounts to this, that
God, for Christ's sake, gives this river of grace, and that Christ,
for his merits sake, has power to do so too. And hence is that
good wish, so often mentioned in the epistles, 'Grace to you, and
peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ' (Rom 1:7; 1
Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Thess
1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; Phile 3). And again, 'Grace, mercy, and peace,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 1:2; 2
Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4). For Christ has power with the Father to give
grace and forgiveness of sins to men (John 5:21-26; Mark 2:10).
But let us come to the terms in this text. Here we have a throne,
a throne of grace; and to show that this throne is it indeed,
therefore there proceeds therefrom a river of this grace, put here
under the term of 'water of life,' a term fit to express both the
nature of grace and the condition of him that comes for it to the
throne of grace.

It is called by the name of water of life, to show what a reviving
cordial the grace of God in Christ is, shall be, and will be found
to be, of all those that by him shall drink thereof. It shall be
in him, even in him that drinks it, 'a well of water springing up
into everlasting life' (John 4:14). It will therefore beget life,
and maintain it; yea, will itself be a spring of life, in the very
heart of him that drinks it. Ah! it will be such a preservative
also to spiritual health, as that by its virtue the soul shall for
ever be kept, I say, the soul that drinks it, from total and final
decay; it shall be in them a well of living water, springing up
into everlasting life.

But there is also by this phrase or term briefly touched the present
state of them that shall come hither to drink; they are not the
healthful, but the sick. It is with the throne of grace, as it is
with the Bath, and other places of sovereign and healing waters,
they are most coveted of them that are diseased, and do also show
their virtues on those that have their health and limbs; so, I say,
is the throne of grace; its waters are for healing, for soul-healing,
that is their virtue (Eze 47:8,9). Wherefore, as at those waters
above mentioned, the lame leave their crutches, and the sick [obtain]
such signs of their recovery as may be a sign of their receiving
health and cure there; so at the throne of grace, it is where true
penitents, and those that are sick for mercy, do leave their sighs
and tears; 'and the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters;
and God shall,' there, 'wipe away all tears from their eyes' (Rev
7:17). Wherefore, as Joseph washed his face, and dried his tears
away, when he saw his brother Benjamin, so all God's saints shall
here, even at the throne of grace, where God's Benjamin, or the
Son of his right hand, is, wash their souls from sorrow, and have
their tears wiped from their eyes. Wherefore, O thou that are
diseased, afflicted, and that wouldst live, come by Jesus to God
as merciful and gracious; yea, look for this river when thou art
upon thy knees before him, for by that thou shalt find whereabout
is the throne of grace, and so where thou mayest find mercy.

But again, as that which proceeds out of this throne of grace is
called 'water of life,' so it is said to be a river, a river of water
of life. This, in the first place, shows, that with God is plenty
of grace, even as in a river there is plenty of water; a pond, a
pool, a cistern, will hold much, but a river will hold more; from
this throne come rivers and streams of water of life, to satisfy
those that come for life to the throne of God. Further, as by a
river is showed what abundance of grace proceeds from God through
Christ, so it shows the unsatiable thirst and desire of one that
comes indeed aright to the throne of grace for mercy. Nothing but
rivers will satisfy such a soul; ponds, pools, and cisterns, will
do nothing: such an one is like him of whom it is said, 'Behold he
drinketh up a river, and hasteth not; he trusteth that he can draw
up Jordan into his mouth' (Job 40:23). This David testifies when
he saith, 'As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God' (Psa 42:1). Hence the invitation is
proportionable, 'Drink abundantly' (Cant 5:1), and that they that
are saved, are saved to receive abundance of grace; 'they which
receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ' (Rom 5:17). And hence it is
said again, 'When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none,
and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I
the God of Israel will not forsake them.' But, Lord, how wilt thou
quench their boundless thirst? 'I will open rivers in high places,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness
a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water' (Isa 41:17,18).
Behold here is a pool of water as big as a wilderness, enough one
would think to satisfy any thirsty soul. O, but that will not do!
wherefore he will open rivers, fountains, and springs, and all
this is to quench the drought of one that thirsteth for the grace
of God, that they have enough. 'They shall be abundantly satisfied
with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of
the river of thy pleasures, for with thee is the fountain of life';
&c. (Psa 36:8,9).

This abundance the throne of grace yieldeth for the help and health
of such as would have the water of life to drink, and to cure their
diseases withal: it yields a river of water of life. Moreover,
since grace is said here to proceed as a river from the throne of
God and of the Lamb, it is to show the commonness of it; rivers you
know are common in the stream, however they are at the head (Judg
5). And to show the commonness of it, the apostle calls it 'the
common salvation'; and it is said in Ezekiel and Zecharias, to go
forth to the desert, and into the sea, the world, to heal the beasts
and fish of all kinds that are there (Eze 47:8; Zech 14:8). This,
therefore, is a text that shows us what it is to come to a throne,
where the token of the covenant of grace is, where the high priest
ministereth, and in the midst of which there is a Lamb, 'as it had
been slain': for from thence there cometh not drops, nor showers,
but rivers of the grace of God, a river of water of life.

Again, as the grace that we here read of is said, as it comes from
this throne, to come as a river of water of life; so it is said to
be pure and clear as crystal. Pure is set in opposition to muddy
and dirty waters, and clear is set in opposition to those waters
that are black, by reason of the cold and icyish nature of them;
therefore there is conjoined to this phrase the word crystal, which
all know is a clear and shining stone (Eze 34:19; Job 6:15,16).
Indeed the life and spirit that is in this water, will keep it from
looking black and dull; and the throne from whence it comes will
keep it from being muddy, so much as in the streams thereof. 'The
blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with
it' (Prov 10:22). Indeed, all the sorrow that is mixed with our
Christianity, it proceedeth, as the procuring cause, from ourselves,
not from the throne of grace; for that is the place where our tears,
as was showed you, are wiped away; and also where we hang up our
crutches. The streams thereof are pure and clear, not muddy nor
frozen, but warm and delightful, and that 'make glad the city of
God' (Psa 46).

These words also show us, that this water of itself can do without
a mixture of anything of ours. What comes from this throne of grace
is pure grace, and nothing else; clear grace, free grace, grace
that is not mixed, nor need be mixed with works of righteousness
which we have done; it is of itself sufficient to answer all our
wants, to heal all our diseases, and to help us at a time of need.
It is grace that chooses, it is grace that calleth, it is grace that
preserveth, and it is grace that brings to glory: even the grace
that like a river of water of life proceedeth from this throne. And
hence it is, that from first to last, we must cry, 'Grace, grace
unto it!'[11]

Thus you see what a throne the Christian is invited to; it is
a throne of grace whereon doth sit the God of all grace; it is a
throne of grace before which the Lord Jesus ministereth continually
for us; it is a throne of grace sprinkled with the blood, and in
the midst of which is a Lamb as it had been slain; it is a throne
with a rainbow round about it, which is the token of the everlasting
covenant, and out of which proceeds, as here you read, a river, a
pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. Look then for these
signs of the throne of grace, all you that would come to it, and
rest not, until by some of them you know that you are even come
to it; they are all to be seen have you but eyes; and the sight of
them is very delectable, and has a natural tendency in them, when
seen, to revive and quicken the soul. But,

Fifth. As the throne of grace is known and distinguished by the
things above named, so it is by the effects which these things
have wrought. There is about that throne 'four and twenty seats,
and upon the seats four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment, and they have on their heads crowns of gold' (Rev 4:4).
There is no throne that has these signs and effects belonging to it
but this; wherefore, as by these signs, so by the effects of them
also, one may know which is, and so when he is indeed come to the
throne of grace. And a little as we commented upon what went before,
we will also touch upon this.

1. By seats, I understand places of rest and dignity; places of
rest, for that they that sit on them do rest from their labours;
and places of dignity, for that they are about the throne (Rev
14:13). 'And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on
their seats, fell upon their faces and worshipped God' (Rev 11:16).
And forasmuch as the seats are mentioned, before they are mentioned
that sat thereon, it is to show, that the places were prepared
before they were converted.

2. The elders, I take to be the twelve patriarchs and the twelve
apostles, or the first fathers of the churches; for they are the
elders of both the churches, that is, both of the Jewish and Gentile
church of God; they are the ancients, as also they are called in
the prophet Isaiah, which are in some sense the fathers of both
these churches (Isa 24:23). These elders are well set forth by
that four and twenty that you read of in the book of Chronicles,
who had every one of them for sons twelve in number. There therefore
the four and twenty are (1 Chron 25:8-31).

3. Their sitting denoteth also their abiding in the presence of
God. 'Sit thou at my right hand,' was the Father's word to the
Son, and also signifieth the same (Psa 110:1). It is then the throne
of grace where the four and twenty seats are, and before which the
four and twenty elders sit.

4. Their white robes are Christ's righteousness, their own good
works and glory; not that their works brought them thither, for
they were of themselves polluted, and were washed white in the
blood of the Lamb; but yet God will have all that his people have
done in love to him to be rewarded. Yea, and they shall wear their
own labours, being washed as afore is hinted, as a badge of their
honour before the throne of grace, and this is grace indeed. 'They
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb, therefore are they before the throne of God' (Rev 7:14,15).
They have washed as others did do before them.

5. 'And they had on their heads crowns of gold' (Rev 4:4). This
denotes their victory, and also that they are kings, and as kings
shall reign with him for ever and ever (Rev 5:10).

6. But what! were they silent? did they say, did they do nothing
while they sat before the throne? Yes, they were appointed to be
singers there. This was signified by the four and twenty that we
made mention of before, who with their sons were instructed in the
songs of the Lord, and all that were cunning to do so then, were two
hundred fourscore and eight (1 Chron 25:7). These were the figure
of that hundred forty and four thousand redeemed from the earth.
For as the first four and twenty, and their sons, are said to sing
and to play upon cymbals, psalteries, and harps; and as they are
there said to be instructed and cunning in the songs of the Lord;
so these that sit before the throne are said also to sing with
harps in their hands their song before the throne; and such song
it was, and so cunningly did they sing it, that 'no man could learn
it, but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed
from the earth' (Rev 14:3).

Now, as I said, as he at first began with four and twenty in
David, and ended with four and twenty times twelve, so here in John
he begins with the same number, but ends with such a company that
no man could number. For, he saith, 'After this I beheld, and lo,
a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues stood before the throne, and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And
cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round
about the throne, and the elders, and the four beasts, and fell
before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God' (Rev 7:9-11).
This numberless number seems to have got the song by the end;[12]
for they cry aloud, 'Salvation, salvation to our God and to the
Lamb'; which to be sure is such a song that none can learn but them
that are redeemed from the earth.

But I say, what a brave encouragement is it for one that is come
for grace to the throne of grace, to see so great a number already
there, on their seats, in their robes, with their palms in their
hands, and their crowns upon their heads, singing of salvation to
God, and to the Lamb! And I say again, and speak now to the dejected,
methinks it would be strange, O thou that art so afraid that the
greatness of thy sins will be a bar unto thee, if amongst all this
great number of pipers and harpers that are got to glory, thou canst
not espy one that when here was as vile a sinner as thyself. Look
man, they are there for thee to view them, and for thee to take
encouragement to hope, when thou shalt consider what grace and
mercy has done for them. Look again, I say, now thou art upon thy
knees, and see if some that are among them have not done worse than
thou hast done. And yet behold, they are set down; and yet behold
they have their crowns on their heads, their harps in their hands,
and sing aloud of salvation to their God, and to the Lamb.

This then is a fifth note or sign that doth distinguish the throne
of grace from other thrones. There are, before that, to be seen,
for our encouragement, a numberless number of people sitting and
singing round about it. Singing, I say, to God for his grace, and
to the Lamb for his blood, by which they are secured from the wrath
to come. 'And the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,
having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours,
which are the prayers of saints, and they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us
unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth'
(Rev 5:8-10). Behold, tempted soul, dost thou not yet see what a
throne of grace here is, and what multitudes are already arrived
thither, to give thanks unto his name that sits thereon, and to
the Lamb for ever and ever? And wilt thou hang thy harp upon the
willows, and go drooping up and down the world, as if there was
no God, no grace, no throne of grace, to apply thyself unto, for
mercy and grace to help in time of need? Hark! dost thou not hear
them what they say, 'Worthy,' say they, 'is the Lamb that was
slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven,' where they are, 'and on the earth,' where thou art, 'and
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever' (Rev 5:12,13).

All this is written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope; and that the drooping
ones might come boldly to the throne of grace, to obtain grace and
find mercy to help in time of need. They bless, they all bless;
they thank, they all thank; and wilt thou hold thy tongue? 'They
have all received of his fulness, and grace for grace'; and will
he shut thee out? Or is his grace so far gone, and so near spent,
that now he has not enough to pardon, and secure, and save one
sinner more? For shame, leave off this unbelief! Wherefore, dost
thou think, art thou told of all this, but to encourage thee to
come to the throne of grace? And wilt thou hang back or be sullen,
because thou art none of the first? since he hath said, 'The
first shall be last, and the last first.' Behold the legions, the
thousands, the untold and numberless number that stand before the
throne, and be bold to hope in his mercy.

Sixth. [The throne of grace is known by what proceeds from it.] As
the throne of grace is distinguished from other thrones by these,
so 'out of this throne proceeds lightnings, and thunderings, and
voices.' Also before this throne are 'seven lamps of fire burning,
which are the seven spirits of God' (Rev 4:5). This then is another
thing by which the throne of grace may be known as an effect of what
is before. So again, chapter the eighth, it is said, that from the
altar of incense that stood before the throne, 'there were voices,
and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake' (Rev 8:5). All
these then come out of the holiest, where the throne is, and are
inflamed by this throne, and by him that sits thereon.

1. Lightnings here are to be taken for the illuminations of the
Spirit in the gospel (Heb 10:32). As it is said in the book of
Psalms, 'They looked unto him,' on the throne, 'and were lightened'
(Psa 34:5). Or, as it is said in other places, 'The voice of thy
thunder was in the heaven, the lightnings lightened the world' (Psa
77:18). And again, 'His lightnings enlightened the world, the earth
saw and trembled' (Psa 97:4). This lightning therefore communicates
light to them that sit in darkness. 'God,' saith the apostle, 'who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Cor 4:6). It was from this throne
that the light came that struck Paul off his horse, when he went
to destroy it and the people that professed it (Acts 9:3). These
are those lightnings by which sinners are made to see their sad
condition, and by which they are made to see the way out of it.
Art thou then made to see thy condition how bad it is, and that the
way out of it is by Jesus Christ? for, as I said, he is the throne
of grace. Why then, come orderly in the light of these convictions
to the throne from whence thy light did come, and cry there, as
Samuel did to Eli, 'Here am I, for thou has called[13] me' (1 Sam
3:8). Thus did Saul by the light that made him see; by it he came
to Christ, and cried, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and, 'What wouldst thou
have me do?' (Acts 9:5,6). And is it not an encouragement to thee
to come to him, when he lights thy candle that thou mightest see
the way; yea, when he doth it on purpose that thou mightest come
to him? 'He gives light to them that sit in darkness, and in
the shadow of death,' what to do? 'to guide our feet into the way
of peace' (Luke 1:79). This interpretation of this place seems to
me most to cohere with what went before; for first you have here
a throne, and one sitting on it; then you have the elders, and in
them presented to you the whole church, sitting round about the
throne; then you have in the words last read unto you, a discourse
how they came thither, and that is, by the lightnings, thunderings,
and voices that proceed out of the throne.

2. As you have here lightnings, so thereto is adjoined thunders.
There proceeded out of this throne lightnings and thunders. By
thunders, I understand that powerful discovery of the majesty of
God by the word of truth, which seizeth the heart with a reverential
dread and awe of him: hence it is said, 'The voice of the Lord is
full of majesty; the voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars' (Psa
29:45). The voice, that is, his thundering voice. 'Canst thou thunder
with a voice like him?' (Job 40:9). And 'the thunder of his power
who can understand?' (Job 26:14). It was upon this account that
Peter, and James, and John, were called 'the sons of thunder,'
because, in the word which they were to preach, there was to be
not only lightnings, but thunders; not only illuminations, but a
great seizing of the heart, with the dread and majesty of God, to
the effectual turning of the sinner to him (Mark 3:16,17).

Lightnings without thunder are in this case dangerous, because they
that receive the one without the other are subject to miscarry.
They were 'once enlightened,' but you read of no thunder they had;
and they were subject to fall into an irrecoverable state (Heb
6:4-6). Saul had thunder with his lightnings to the shaking of
his soul; so had the three thousand; so had the jailor (Acts 2, 9,
16). They that receive light without thunder are subject to turn
the grace of God into wantonness; but they that know the terror of
God will persuade men (Rom 3:8; Jude 4; 2 Cor 5:11). So then, when
he decrees to give the rain of his grace to a man, he makes 'a way
for the lighting of the thunder,' not the one without the other,
but the one following the other (Job 28:26). Lightning and thunder
is made a cause of rain, but lightning alone is not: 'Who hath
divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters? or a way for
the lightning of thunder to cause it to rain on the earth, where
no man is: on the wilderness wherein there is no man?' (Job 38:25,26).

Thus therefore you may see how in the darkest sayings of the
Holy Ghost there is as great an harmony with truth as in the most
plain and easy; there must be thunder with light, if thy heart be
well poised and balanced with the fear of God: we have had great
lightnings in this land of late years, but little thunders; and
that is one reason why so little grace is found where light is, and
why so many professors run on their heads in such a day as this is,
notwithstanding all they have seen. Well then, this also should be
a help to a soul to come to the throne of grace; the God of glory
has thundered, has thundered to awaken thee, as well as sent
lightnings to give thee light; to awaken thee to a coming to him,
as well as to the enabling of thee to see his things; this then has
come from the throne of grace to make thee come hither; wherefore
observe, where it is by these signs made mention of before, and by
these effects; and go, and come to the throne of grace.

3. As there proceeds from this throne lightnings and thunders, so
from hence it is said voices proceed also: now these voices may
be taken for such as are sent with this lightning and thunder to
instruct, or for such [instruction] as this lightning and thunder
begets in our hearts.

(1.) It may be taken in the first sense for light and dread, when
it falleth from God into the soul, is attended with a voice or voices
of instruction to the soul, to know what to do (Acts 2:3-7). This
it was in Paul's case. He had light and dread, and voices for his
instruction; he had lightnings, and thunderings, and voices: 'Good
and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his
way' (Psa 25:8,9).

(2.) Or by voices you may understand, such as the lightning and
thunder begets in our hearts: for though man is as mute as a fish
to Godward, before this thunder and lightning comes to him, yet
after that he is full of voices (2 Cor 4:13, 7:14). And how much
more numerous are the voices that in the whole church on earth are
begot by these lightnings and thunders that proceed from the throne
of grace; their faith has a voice, their repentance has a voice,
their subjection to God's word has a voice in it; yea, there is
a voice in their prayers, a voice in their cry, a voice in their
tears, a voice in their groans, in their roarings, in their bemoaning
of themselves, and in their triumphs! (1 Thess 1:2-8; Psa 5:3,
7:17, 20:2-5, 22:1, 138:5; Jer 31:18).

This then is an effect of the throne of grace; hence it is said
that they proceed from it, even the lightning, and the thunder,
and the voices; that is, effectual conversion to God. It follows
then, that if all these are with thy soul, the operations of the
throne of grace have been upon thee to bring thee to the throne
of grace; first in thy prayers, and then in thy person. And this
leads me to the next thing propounded to be spoken to, which is
to show who are the persons invited here to come to the throne of
grace. 'Let us therefore come.'

[THE PERSONS INTENDED BY THIS EXHORTATION.]

THIRD. Now the persons here called upon to come to the throne
of grace, are not all or every sort of men, but the men that may
properly be comprehended under this word Us and We; 'let Us therefore
come boldly, that We may obtain.' And they that are here put under
these particular terms, are expressed both before and after, by
those that have explication in them.

They are called [in the epistle to the Hebrews], 1. Such as give
the most earnest heed to the word which they have heard (Heb 2:1).
2. They are such as see Jesus crowned with glory and honour (Heb
2:9). 3. They are called the children (Heb 2:14). 4. They are
called the seed of Abraham (Heb 2:16). 5. They are called Christ's
brethren (Heb 2:17).

So, chapter the third, they are called holy brethren, and said to
be partakers of the heavenly calling, and the people of whom it
is said that Christ Jesus is the apostle and high priest of their
profession (Heb 3:1-6). They are called Christ's own house, and
are said to be partakers of Christ (Heb 3:14). They are said to be
the believers, those that do enter in into rest, those that have
Christ for a high priest, and with the feeling of whose infirmities
he is touched and sympathiseth (Heb 4:3,14,15).

So, in chapter the sixth, they are called beloved, and the heirs
of promise; they that have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope
set before them; they are called those that have hope as an anchor,
and those for whom Christ as a forerunner hath entered and taken
possession of heaven (Heb 6:9,17-20). So, chapter the seventh, they
are said to be such as draw nigh unto God (Heb 7:19). And, chapter
the eighth, they are said to be such with whom the new covenant is
made in Christ. Chapter the ninth, they are such for whom Christ
has obtained eternal redemption, and such for whom he has entered
the holy place (Heb 9:12,22). Chapter the tenth, they are such as
are said to be sanctified by the will of God, such as have boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; such as draw near
with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, or that have liberty
to do so, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and their bodies washed with pure water; they were those that had
suffered much for Christ in the world, and that became companions
of them that so were used (Heb 10:10,19,22-25). Yea, he tells them,
in the eleventh chapter, that they and the patriarchs must be made
perfect together (Heb 11:40). He also tells them, in the twelfth
chapter, that already they are come to Mount Zion, to the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the first
born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all; and
to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator
of the New Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh
better things than that of Abel (Heb 12:22-24).

Thus you see what terms, characters, titles, and privileges, they
are invested with that are here exhorted to come to the throne of
grace. From whence we may conclude that every one is not capable
of coming thither, no not every one that is under convictions, and
that hath a sense of the need of and a desire after the mercy of
God in Christ.

[The orderly coming to the throne of grace.]

Wherefore we will come, in the next place, to show the orderly
coming of a soul to the throne of grace for mercy: and for this
we must first apply ourselves to the Old Testament, where we have
the shadow of what we now are about to enter upon the discourse
of, and then we will come to the antitype, where yet the thing is
far more explained.

First. Then, the mercy-seat was for the church, not for the world;
for a Gentile could not go immediately from his natural state to
the mercy-seat, by the high priest, but must first orderly join
himself, or be joined, to the church, which then consisted of the
body of the Jews (Exo 12:43-49). The stranger then must first be
circumcised, and consequently profess faith in the Messiah to come,
which was signified by his going from his circumcision directly
to the passover, and so orderly to other privileges, specially to
this of the mercy-seat which the high priest was to go but once a
year into (Eze 44:6-9).

Second. The church is again set forth unto us by Aaron and his sons.
Aaron as the head, his sons as the members; but the sons of Aaron
were not to meddle with any of the things of the Holiest, until
they had washed in a laver: 'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass,
to wash in; and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the
congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For
Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat.
When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation they shall
wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the
altar to minister, to burn offerings made by fire unto the Lord.
So they shall wash their hands and their feet that they die not:
and it shall be a statute for ever unto them, even to him, and to
his seed throughout their generations.' See the margin (Exo 30:17-21,
40:30-32).[14]

Third. Nay, so strict was this law, that if any of Israel, as well
as the stranger, were defiled by any dead thing, they were to wash
before they partook of the holy things, or else to abstain: but if
they did not, their sin should remain upon them (Lev 17:15,16). So
again, 'the soul that hath touched any such' uncleanness 'shall be
unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things,' much less
come within the inner veil, 'unless he wash his flesh with water'
(Lev 22:4-6). Now, I would ask, what all this should signify, if a
sinner, as a sinner, before he washes, or is washed, may immediately
go unto the throne of grace? Yea, I ask again, why the apostle
supposes washing as a preparation to the Hebrews entering into
the holiest, if men may go immediately from under convictions to a
throne of grace? For thus, he says, 'let us draw near' 'the holiest'
(Heb 12:19), 'with a true heart, in full assurance of faith; having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed
with pure water' (Heb 12:22). Let us draw near; he saith not that
we may have; but having FIRST been washed and sprinkled.

The laver then must first be washed in; and he that washed not first
there, has not right to come to the throne of grace; wherefore you
have here also a sea of glass standing before the throne of grace,
to signify this thing (Rev 4:6). It stands before the throne, for
them to wash in that would indeed approach the throne of grace. For
this sea of glass is the same that is shadowed forth by the laver
made mention of before, and with the brazen sea that stood in
Solomon's temple, whereat they were to wash before they went into
the holiest. But you may ask me, What the laver or molten sea
should signify to us in the New Testament? I answer, It signifieth
the word of the New Testament, which containeth the cleansing doctrine
of remission of sins, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (John
15:3).[15] Wherefore we are said to be clean through the Word,
through the washing of water by the Word (Titus 3:5). The meaning
then is, A man must first come to Christ, as set forth in the
Word, which is this sea of glass, before he can come to Christ in
heaven, as he is the throne of grace. For the Word, I say, is this
sea of glass that stands before the throne, for the sinner to wash
in first. Know therefore, whoever thou art, that art minded to be
saved, thou must first begin with Christ crucified, and with the
promise of remission of sins through his blood; which crucified
Christ thou shalt not find in heaven as such; for there he is alive;
but thou shalt find him in the Word; for there he is to this day
set forth in all the circumstances of his death, as crucified before
our eyes (Gal 3:1,2). There thou shalt find that he died, when he
died, what death he died, why he died, and the Word open to thee
to come and wash in his blood. The word therefore of Christ's
Testament is the laver for all New Testament priests, and every
Christian is a priest to God, to wash in.

Here therefore thou must receive thy justification, and that
before thou goest one step further; for if thou art not justified
by his blood, thou wilt not be saved by his life. And the justifying
efficacy of his blood is left behind, and is here contained in
the molten sea, or laver, or word of grace, for thee to wash in.
Indeed, there is an interceding voice in his blood for us before
the throne of grace, or mercy-seat; but that is still to bring us
to wash, or for them that have washed therein, as it was shed upon
the cross. We have boldness therefore to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus, that is, by faith in his blood, as shed without
the gate; for as his blood was shed without the gate, so it sanctifies
the believer, and makes him capable to approach the holy of holies.
Wherefore, after he had said, 'That he might sanctify the people
with his own blood,' he 'suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:11-15).
Let us by him therefore, that is, because we are first sanctified
by faith in his blood, offer to God the sacrifice of praise
continually, that is, the fruits of our lips, giving thanks in his
name. Wherefore the laver of regeneration, or Christ set forth by
the Word as crucified, is for all coming sinners to wash in unto
justification; and the throne of grace is to be approached by saints,
or as sinners justified by faith in a crucified Christ; and so, as
washed from sin in the sea of his blood, to come to the mercy-seat.

And it is yet far more evident; for that those that approach this
throne of grace, they must do it through believing; for, saith the
apostle, 'How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed,'
of whom they have not heard, and in whom they have not believed?
for to that purpose runs the text (Rom 10:14). 'How then shall they
call on him in whom they have not believed,' antecedent to their
calling on him, 'and how shall they believe in him of whom they
have not heard' first? So then hearing goes before believing, and
believing before calling upon God, as he sits on the throne of grace.
Now, believing is to be according to the sound of the beginning of
the gospel, which presenteth us, not first with Christ as ascended,
but as Christ dying, buried, and risen.[16] 'For I delivered unto
you first of all, that which I also received; how that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures'
(1 Cor 15:3,4).

I conclude then, as to this, that the order of heaven is, that men
wash in the laver of regeneration, to wit, in the blood of Christ,
as held forth in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is the
ordinance of God; for there sinners, as sinners, or men as unclean,
may wash, in order to their approach to God as he sits upon the
throne of grace.

And besides, Is it possible that a man that passeth by the doctrine
of Christ as dead, should be admitted with acceptance to a just and
holy God for life; or that he that slighteth and trampleth under
foot the blood of Christ, as shed upon the cross, should be admitted
to an interest in Christ, as he is the throne of grace? It cannot
be. He must then wash there first, or die--let his profession, or
pretended faith, or holiness, be what it will. For God sees iniquity
in all men; nor can all the nitre or soap in the world cause that
our iniquity should not be marked before God (Jer 2:22). 'For
without shedding of blood is NO remission' (Heb 9:22). Nothing
that polluteth, that defileth, or that is unclean, must enter into
God's sanctuary; much less into the most holy part thereof, but by
their sacrifice, by which they are purged, and for the sake of the
perfection thereof, they believing are accepted. We have 'therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,'
and no way else (Heb 10:19).

[HOW WE ARE TO APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE.]

FOURTH. But this will yet be further manifest by what we have yet
to say of the manner of our approach unto the throne of grace.

FIRST, then, we must approach the throne of grace by the second
veil; for the throne of grace is after the second veil. So, then,
though a man cometh into the tabernacle or temple, which was a
figure of the church, yet if he entered but within the first veil,
he only came where there was no mercy-seat or throne of grace (Heb
9:3). And what is this second veil, in, at, or through which, as
the phrase is, we must, by blood, enter into the holiest? why, as
to the law, the second veil did hang up between the holy and the
most holy place, and it did hide what was within the holiest from
the eyes or sight of those that went no further than into the first
tabernacle. Now this second veil in the tabernacle or temple was
a figure of the second veil that all those must go through that
will approach the throne of grace; and that veil is the flesh of
Christ.

This is that which the holy apostle testifies in his exhortation,
where he saith, We have 'boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated
for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh' (Heb 10:19,20).
The second veil then is the flesh of Christ, the which until a
man can enter or go through by his faith, it is impossible that he
should come to the holiest where the throne of grace is, that is,
to the heart and soul of Jesus, which is the throne. The body of
Christ is the tabernacle of God, and so that in which God dwells;
for the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily (Col 2:9).
Therefore, as also has been hinted before, Christ Jesus is the
throne of grace. Now, since his flesh is called the veil, it is
evident that the glory that dwells within him, to wit, God resting
in him, cannot be understood but by them that by faith can look
through, or enter through, his flesh to that glory. For the glory
is within the veil; there is the mercy-seat, or throne of grace;
there sitteth God as delighted, as at rest, in and with sinners,
that come to him by and through that flesh, and the offering of
it for sin without the gate. 'I am the way,' saith Christ; but to
what? and how? (John 14:6). Why, to the Father, through my flesh.
'And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, or things in heaven. And you that were sometime
alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled [but how?] in the body of his flesh, [that then
must be first: to what?] to present you holy and unblameable, and
unreprovable in his sight' (Col 1:20-22). That is, when you enter
into his presence, or approach by this flesh, the mercy-seat, or
the throne of grace.

This therefore is the manner of our coming, if we come aright to the
throne of grace for mercy, we must come by blood through his flesh,
as through the veil; by which, until you have entered through it,
the glory of God, and that he is resolved that grace shall reign,
will be utterly hid from your eyes. I will not say, but by the notion
of these things, men may have their whirling fancies,[17] and may
create to themselves wild notions and flattering imaginations of
Christ, the throne of grace, and of glory; but the gospel knowledge
of this is of absolute necessity to my right coming to the throne
of grace for mercy. I must come by his blood, through his flesh,
or I cannot come at all, for here is no back door. This then is
the sum, Christ's body is the tabernacle, the holiest; 'thy law,'
saith he, 'is within my heart,' or in the midst of my bowels (Psa
40:7,8). In this tabernacle then God sitteth, to wit, on the heart
of Christ, for that is the throne of grace. Through this tabernacle
men must enter, that is, by a godly understanding of what by this
tabernacle or flesh of Christ has been done to reconcile us to God
that dwells in him. This is the way, all the way, for there is no
way but this to come to the throne of grace. This is the new way
into the heavenly paradise, for the old way is hedged and ditched
up by the flaming sword of cherubims (Gen 3:24). The NEW and LIVING
way, for to go the other is present death; so then, this 'new and
living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say, his flesh,' is the only way into the holiest, where the
throne of grace is (Heb 10:20).

SECOND. We must approach this throne of grace, as having our hearts,
first, sprinkled from an evil conscience. The priest that was the
representator of all Israel, when he went into the holiest, was
not to go in, but as sprinkled with blood first (Exo 29). Thus it
is written in t he law; 'not without blood'; and thus it is written
in the gospel (Heb 9:7). And now since by the gospel we have all
admittance to enter in through the veil, by faith, we must take heed
that we enter not in without blood; for if the blood, virtually, be
not seen upon us, we die, instead of obtaining mercy, and finding
the help of grace. This I press the oftener, because there is nothing
to which we are more naturally inclined, than to forget this. Who,
that understands himself, is not sensible how apt he is to forget
to act faith in the blood of Jesus, and to get his conscience
sprinkled with the virtue of that, that attempteth to approach the
throne of grace? Yet the scripture calls upon us to take heed that
we neglect not THUS to prepare ourselves. 'Let us draw near with a
true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience,' to wit, with the blood of Christ, lest
we die (Heb 10:22, 9:14). In the law all the people were to be
sprinkled with blood, and it was necessary that the patterns of
things in the heavens should be purified with these, that is, with
the blood of bulls, but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these, that is, with the offering of the body, and
shedding of the blood of Christ. By this then must thou be purified
and sprinkled, who by Christ wouldst approach the throne of grace.

THIRD. Therefore it is added, 'And our bodies washed with pure
water.' This the apostle taketh also out of the law; where it was
appointed, as was showed before. Christ also, just before he went
to the Father, gave his disciples a signification of this, saying
to Peter, and by him to all the rest, 'If I wash thee not, thou
hast no part with me' (John 13:8). This pure water is nothing but
the wholesome doctrine of the word mixed with Spirit, by which,
as the conscience was before sprinkled with blood, the body and
outward conversation is now sanctified and made clean. 'Now ye are
clean through the word,' saith Christ, 'which I have spoken unto
you' (John 15:3). Hence, washing, and sanctifying, and justifying,
are put together, and are said to come by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11). Thou must then
be washed with water, and sprinkled with blood, if thou wouldst
orderly approach the throne of grace: if thou wouldst orderly
approach it with a true heart, in full assurance of faith; or if
thou wouldst, as the text biddeth thee here, to wit, 'come boldly
unto the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need.'

To tell you what it is to come boldly, is one thing; and to tell
you how you should come boldly, is another. Here you are bid to
come boldly, and are also showed how that may be done. It may be
done through the blood of sprinkling, and through the sanctifying
operations of the Spirit which are here by faith to be received.
And when what can be said shall be said to the utmost, there is no
boldness, godly boldness, but by blood. The more the conscience is
a stranger to the sprinkling of blood, the further off it is of
being rightly bold with God, at the throne of grace; for it is the
blood that makes the atonement, and that gives boldness to the soul
(Lev 17:11; Heb 10:19). It is the blood, the power of it by faith
upon the conscience, that drives away guilt, and so fear, and
consequently that begetteth boldness. Wherefore, he that will be
bold with God at the throne of grace, must first be well acquainted
with the doctrine of the blood of Christ; namely, that it was shed,
and why, and that it has made peace with God, and for whom. Yea,
thou must be able by faith to bring thyself within the number of
those that are made partakers of this reconciliation, before thou
canst come boldly to the throne of grace. But,

[What it is to come to the throne of grace without boldness.]

First. There is a coming to the throne of grace before or without
this boldness; but that is not the coming to which by these texts
we are exhorted; yet that coming, be it never so deficient, if
it is right, it is through some measure an inlet into the death
and blood of Christ, and through some management, though but very
little, or perhaps scarce at all discerned of the soul, to hope
for grace from the throne; I say, it must arise, the encouragement
must, from the cross, and from Christ as dying there. Christ himself
went that way to God, and it is not possible but we must go the
same way too. So, then, the encouragement, be it little, be it
much--and it is little or much, even as the faith is in strength
or weakness, which apprehendeth Christ--it is according to the
proportion of faith; strong faith gives great boldness, weak faith
doth not so, nor can it.

Second. There is a sincere coming to the throne of grace without
this boldness, even a coming in the uprightness of one's heart
without it. Hence a true heart and full assurance are distinguished.
'Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith'
(Heb 10:22). Sincerity may be attended with a great deal of weakness,
even as boldness may be attended with pride; but be it what kind
of coming to the throne of grace it will, either a coming with
boldness, or with that doubting which is incident to saints, still
the cause of that coming, or ground thereof, is some knowledge of
redemption by blood, redemption which the soul seeth it has faith
in, or would see it has faith in. For Christ is precious, sometimes
in the sight of the worth, sometimes in the sight of the want, and
sometimes in the sight of the enjoyment of him.[18]

Third. There is an earnest coming to the throne of grace even with
all the desire of one's soul. When David had guilt and trouble,
and that so heavy that he knew not what to do, yet he could say,
'Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid
from thee' (Psa 38:1-9). He could come earnestly to the throne of
grace; he could come thither with all the desire of his soul: but
still this must be from that knowledge that he had of the way of
remission of sins by the blood of the Son of God.

Fourth. There is also a constant coming to the throne of grace.
'Lord,' said Heman, 'I have cried day and night before thee, let
my prayer come before thee, incline thine ear unto my cry, for my
soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave'
(Psa 88:1-3). Here you see is constant crying before the throne of
grace, crying night and day; and yet the man that cries seems to
be in a very black cloud, and to find hard work to bear up in his
soul; yet this he had, namely, the knowledge of how God was the
God of salvation; yea, he called him his God as such, though with
pretty much difficulty of spirit, to be sure. Wherefore it must
not be concluded, that they come not at all to the throne of grace,
that come not with a full assurance; or that men must forbear to
come, till they come with assurance; but this I say, they come not
at all aright, that take not the ground of their coming from the
death and blood of Christ; and that they that come to the throne
of grace, with but little knowledge of redemption by blood, will
come with but little hope of obtaining grace and mercy to help in
time of need.

I conclude then, that it is the privilege, the duty and glory of
a man, to approach the throne of grace as a prince, as Job said,
could he but find it, he would be sure to do. 'O that I knew where
I might find him!' saith he, 'that I might come even to his seat:
I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments:
I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand
what he would say unto me. Will he plead against me with his great
power? No; but he would put strength in me. There the righteous
might dispute with him: so should I be delivered for ever from my
judge' (23:3-7). Indeed, God sometimes tries us. 'He holdeth back,'
sometimes, 'the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon
it' (Job 26:9). And this seems to be Job's case here, which made
him to confess he was at a loss, and to cry out, 'O that I knew
where I might find him!' And this he doth for trial, and to prove
our honesty and constancy; for the hypocrite will not pray always.
Will he always call upon God? No, verily; especially not when thou
bindest them, afflictest them, and makest praying hard work to them
(Job 36:13).

But difficulty as to finding of God's presence, and the sweet shining
of the face of his throne, doth not always lie in the weakness of
faith. Strong faith may be in this perplexity, and may be hard put
to it to stand at times. It is said here, that God did hold back the
face of his throne, and did spread a cloud upon it; not to weaken
Job's faith, but to try Job's strength, and to show to men of after
ages how valiant a man Job was. Faith, if it be strong, will play
the man in the dark; will, like a mettled horse, flounce in bad
way, will not be discouraged at trials, at many or strong trials:
'Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,' is the language of
that invincible grace of God (Job 13:15). There is also an aptness
in those that come to the throne of grace, to cast all degrees of
faith away, that carrieth not in its bowels self-evidence of its
own being and nature, thinking that if it be faith, it must be known
to the soul; yea, if it be faith, it will do so and so: even so as
the highest degrees of faith will do. When, alas! faith is sometimes
in a calm, sometimes up, and sometimes down, and sometimes at it
with sin, death, and the devil, as we say, blood up to the ears.[19]
Faith now has but little time to speak peace to the conscience; it
is now struggling for life, it is now fighting with angels, with
infernals; all it can do now, is to cry, groan, sweat, fear, fight,
and gasp for life.[20]

Indeed the soul should now run to the cross, for there is the
water, or rather the blood and water, that is provided for faith,
as to the maintaining of the comfort of justification; but the
soul whose faith is thus attacked will find hard work to do this,
though much of the well-managing of faith, in the good fight of
faith, will lie in the soul's hearty and constant adhering to the
death and blood of Christ; but a man must do as he can. Thus now
have I showed you the manner of right coming to the throne of grace,
for mercy and grace to help in time of need.

[None but the godly know the throne of grace.]

The next thing that I am to handle, is, first, To show you, that
it is the privilege of the godly to distinguish from all thrones
whatsoever this throne of grace. This, as I told you, I gathered from
the apostle in the text, for that he only maketh mention thereof,
but gives no sign to distinguish it by; no sign, I say, though he
knew that there were more thrones than it. 'Let us come boldly,'
saith he, 'to the throne of grace,' and so leaves it, knowing
full well that they had a good understanding of his meaning, being
Hebrews (Heb 9:1-8). They being now also enlightened from what
they were taught by the placing of the ark of the testimony, and
the mercy-seat in the most holy place; of which particular the
apostle did then count it, not of absolute necessity distinctly to
discourse. Indeed the Gentiles, as I have showed, have this throne
of grace described and set forth before them, by those tokens which
I have touched upon in the sheets that go before--for with the book
of Revelation the Gentiles are particularly concerned--for that
it was writ to churches of the Gentiles; also the great things
prophesied of there relate unto Gentile-believers, and to the
downfall of Antichrist, as he standeth among them.

But yet, I think that John's discourse of the things attending the
throne of grace were not by him so much propounded, because the
Gentiles were incapable of finding of it without such description,
as to show the answerableness of the antitype with the type; and
also to strengthen their faith, and illustrate the thing; for they
that know, may know more, and better of what they know; yea, may
be greatly comforted with another's dilating on what they know.
Besides, the Holy Ghost by the word doth always give the most perfect
description of things; wherefore to that we should have recourse
for the completing of our knowledge. I mean not, by what I say, in
the least to intimate, as if this throne of grace was to be known
without the text, for it is that that giveth revelation of Jesus
Christ: but my meaning is, that a saint, as such, has such a working
of things upon his heart, as makes him able by the Word to find
out this throne of grace, and to distinguish it to himself from
others. For,

First. The saint has strong guilt of sin upon his conscience,
especially at first; and this makes him better judge what grace,
in the nature of grace, is, than others can that are not sensible
of what guilt is. What it was to be saved, was better relished by
the jailor when he was afraid of and trembled at the apprehensions
of the wrath of God, than ever it was with him all his life
before (Acts 16:29-33). Peter then also saw what saving was, when
he began to sink into the sea: 'Lord, save me,' said he, I perish
(Matt 14:30). Sin is that without a sense of which a man is not
apprehensive what grace is. Sin and grace, favour and wrath, death
and life, hell and heaven, are opposites, and are set off, or out,
in their evil or good, shame or glory, one by another. What makes
grace so good to us as sin in its guilt and filth? What makes sin
so horrible and damnable a thing in our eyes, as when we see there
is nothing can save us from it but the infinite grace of God?
Further, there seems, if I may so term it, to be a kind of natural
instinct in the new creature to seek after the grace of God; for so
saith the Word, 'They that are after the flesh, do mind the things
of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of
the Spirit' (Rom 8:5). The child by nature nuzzles in its mother's
bosom for the breast; the child by grace does by grace seek to live
by the grace of God. All creatures, the calf, the lamb, &c., so
soon as they are fallen from their mother's belly, will by nature
look for, and turn themselves towards the teat, and the new creature
doth so too (1 Peter 2:1-3). For guilt makes it hunger and thirst,
as the hunted hart does pant after the water brooks. Hunger directs
to bread, thirst directs to water; yea, it calls bread and water
to mind. Let a man be doing other business, hunger will put him
in mind of his cupboard, and thirst of his cruse of water; yea, it
will call him, make him, force him, command him, to bethink what
nourishing victuals is, and will also drive him to search out after
where he may find it, to the satisfying of himself. All right talk
also to such an one sets the stomach and appetite a craving; yea,
into a kind of running out of the body after this bread and water,
that it might be fed, nourished, and filled therewith. Thus it is
by nature, and thus it is by grace; thus it is for the bread that
perisheth, and for that which endureth to everlasting life. But,

Second. As nature, the new nature, teaches this by a kind of
heavenly natural instinct; so experience also herein helpeth the
godly much. For they have found all other places, the throne of
grace excepted, empty, and places or things that hold no water.
They have been at Mount Sinai for help, but could find nothing there
but fire and darkness, but thunder and lightning, but earthquake
and trembling, and a voice of killing words, which words they
that heard them once could never endure to hear them again; and as
for the sight of vengeance there revealed against sin, it was so
terrible, that Moses, even Moses, said, 'I exceedingly fear and
quake' (Heb 12:18-21; Exo 19; 2 Cor 3). They have sought for grace
by their own performances; but alas! they have yielded them nothing
but wind and confusion; not a performance, not a duty, not an act
in any part of religious worship, but they looking upon it in the
glass of the Lord, do find it spaked[21] and defective (Isa 64:5-8).
They have sought for grace by their resolutions, their vows, their
purposes, and the like; but alas! they all do as the other, discover
that they have been very imperfectly managed, and so such as can by
no means help them to grace. They have gone to their tears, their
sorrow, and repentance, if perhaps they might have found some help
there; but all has either fled away like the early dew, or if they
have stood, they have stunk even in the nostrils of those whose
they were. How much more, then, in the nostrils of a holy God!

They have gone to God, as the great Creator, and have beheld how
wonderful his works have been; they have looked to the heavens
above, to the earth beneath, and to all their ornaments, but neither
have these, nor what is of [or resulting from] them, yielded grace
to those that had sensible want thereof. Thus have they gone, as
I said, with these pitchers to their fountains, and have returned
empty and ashamed; they found no water, no river of water of life;
they have been as the woman with her bloody issue, spending and
spending till they have spent all, and been nothing better, but
rather grew worse (Mark 5). Had they searched into nothing but
the law, it had been sufficient to convince them that there was no
grace, nor throne of grace, in the world. For since the law, being
the most excellent of all the things of the earth, is found to
be such as yieldeth no grace--for grace and truth comes by Jesus
Christ, not by Moses (John 1:17)--how can it be imagined that it
should be found in anything inferior? Paul, therefore, not finding
it in the law, despairs to find it in anything else below, but
presently betakes himself to look for it there where he had not yet
sought it--for he sometimes sought it not by faith, but as it were
by the works of the law (Phil 3:6-8)--he looked for it, I say, by
Jesus Christ, who is the throne of grace, where he found it, and
rejoiced in hope of the glory of God (Rom 9:29-31, 5:1-3). But,

Third. Saints come to know and distinguish the throne of grace from
other thrones, by the very direction of God himself; as it is said
of the well that the nobles digged in the wilderness--they digged
it by the direction of the lawgiver, so saints find out the throne
of grace by the direction of the grace-giver. Hence Paul prays,
that the Lord would direct the hearts of the people into the love
of God (2 Thess 3:5). Man, as man, cannot aim directly at this
throne; but will drop his prayers short, besides, or the like, if
he be not helped by the Spirit (Rom 8:26). Hence the Son saith of
himself, 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him' (John 6:44). Which text doth not only justify what is
now said, but insinuates that there is an unwillingness in man of
himself to come to this throne of grace; he must be drawn thereto.
He setteth us in the way of his steps, that is, in that way to the
throne by which grace and mercy is conveyed unto us.

Fourth. We know the throne of grace from other thrones, by the
glory that it always appears in, when revealed to us of God: its
glory outbids all; there is no such glory to be seen anywhere else,
either in heaven or earth. But, I say, this comes by the sight
that God gives, not by any excellency that there is in my natural
understanding as such; my understanding and apprehension, simply
as natural, is blind and foolish. Wherefore, when I set to work in
mine own spirit, and in the power of mine own abilities, to reach
to this throne of grace, and to perceive somewhat of the glory
thereof, then am I dark, rude, foolish, see nothing; and my heart
grows fat, dull, savourless, lifeless, and has no warmth in the
duty. But it mounts up with wings like an eagle, when the throne
is truly apprehended. Therefore that is another thing by which
the Christian knows the throne of grace from all others; it meets
with that good there that it can meet with nowhere else. But at
present let these things suffice for this.

[MOTIVES FOR COMING BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE.]

FIFTH. I come now to the motives by which the apostle stirreth
up the Hebrews, and encourageth them to come boldly to the throne
of grace. FIRST. The first is, because we have there such an high
priest, or an high priest so and so qualified. SECOND. Because we
that come thither for grace are sure there to speed, or find grace
and obtain it.

[The first motive, because we have such an high priest there.]

FIRST. For the fist of these, to wit, we have an encouragement
to move us to come with boldness to the throne of grace, because
we have an high priest there; because we have such an high priest
there. 'For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace.' Of this high priest I have already made mention
before, to wit, so far as to show you that Christ Jesus is he, as
well as he is the altar, and sacrifice, and throne of grace, before
which he also himself makes intercession. But forasmuch as by the
apostle here, he is not only presented unto us as a throne of grace,
but as an high priest ministering before it, it will not be amiss
if I do somewhat particularly treat of his priesthood also. But the
main or chief of my discourse will be to treat of his qualifications
to his office, which I find to be in general of two sorts. I. LEGAL.
II. NATURAL.

[THE LEGAL qualifications of Jesus Christ for the office of high
priest.]

I. LEGAL. When I say legal, I mean, as the apostle's expression
is, not by 'the law of a carnal commandment,' but by an eternal
covenant, and 'the power of an endless life' thereby; of which the
priesthood of old was but a type, and the law of their priesthood
but a shadow (Heb 7:16, 9:15,24). But because their law, and their
entrance into their priesthood thereby, was, as I said, 'a shadow
of good things to come,' therefore where it will help to illustrate,
we will make use thereof so to do; and where not, there we will
let it pass (Heb 10:1). The thing to be now spoken to is, that
the consideration of Jesus Christ being an high priest before the
throne of grace, is a motive and encouragement to us to come boldly
thither for grace: 'Seeing then that we have a great high priest
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
fast our profession,' and 'come boldly unto the throne of grace'
(Heb 4:14,16). Now, how he was made an high priest; for so is
the expression, 'made an high priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec' (Heb 6;20).

First. He took not his honour upon himself without a lawful call
thereto. Thus the priests under the law were put into office; and
thus the Son of God. No man taketh this honour to himself, but he
that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made a high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou
art my Son, today have I begotten thee. Wherefore he was 'called of
God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec' (Heb 5:4-6,10).
Thus far, therefore, the law of his priesthood answereth to the law
of the priesthood of old; they both were made priests by a legal
call to their work or office. But yet the law by which this Son
was made high priest excelleth, and that in these particulars--

1. He was made a priest after the similitude of Melchisedec,
for he testifieth, 'Thou art a priest for ever after the order
of Melchisedec' (Heb 7:17). Thus they under the law were not made
priests but after the order of Aaron, that is, by a carnal commandment,
not by an everlasting covenant of God.

2. And, saith he, 'inasmuch as not without an oath he was made
priest, for those priests were made without an oath, but this with
an oath, by him that said unto him, The Lord sware, and will not
repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec'
(Heb 7:20,21).

3. The priesthood under the law, with their law and sacrifices,
were fading, and were not suffered to continue, by reason of the
death of the priest, and ineffectualness of his offering (Heb 7:23).
'But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood' (v 24). 'For the law maketh men high priests which
have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since the law,
maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore' (v 28). From what
hath already been said, we gather, (1.) What kind of person it is
that is our high priest. (2.) The manner of his being called to,
and stated[22] in that office.

(1.) What manner of person he is. He is the Son, the Son of God,
Jesus the Son of God. Hence the apostle saith, 'we have a great
high priest,' such an high priest 'that is passed into the heavens'
(Heb 4:14). Such an high priest as is 'made higher than the heavens'
(Heb 7:26). And why doth he thus dilate upon the dignity of his
person, but because thereby is insinuated the excellency of his
sacrifice, and the prevalency of his intercession, by that, to
God for us. Therefore he saith again, 'Every' Aaronical 'priest
standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man,' this
great man, this Jesus, this Son of God, 'after he had offered one,'
one only, one once, but one (Heb 9:25,26), 'sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified' (Heb 10:11-14).
Thus, I say, the apostle toucheth upon the greatness of his person,
thereby to set forth the excellency of his sacrifice, and prevalency
of his intercession. 'Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of
the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and high priest of our
profession, Christ Jesus' (Heb 3:1). Or, as he saith again, making
mention of Melchisedec, 'consider how great this man was' (Heb
7:4), we have such a high priest, so great a high priest; one that
is entered into the heavens: Jesus the Son of God.

(2.) The manner also of his being called to and stated in his office,
is not to be overlooked. He is made a priest after the power of an
endless life, or is to be such an one as long as he lives, and as
long as we have need of his mediation. Now Christ being raised from
the dead, dies no more; death hath no more dominion over him. He
is himself the Prince of life. Wherefore it follows, 'he hath an
unchangeable priesthood.' And what then? Why, then 'he is able also
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them' (Heb 7:24,25). But
again, he is made a priest with an oath, 'the Lord sware, and will
not repent, thou art a priest for ever.' Hence I gather, (a) That
before God there is no high priest but Jesus, nor ever shall be.
(b) That God is to the full pleased with his high priesthood; and
so with all those for whom he maketh intercession. For this priest,
though he is not accepted for the sake of another, yet he is upon
the account of another. 'For every high priest taken from among
men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God,' to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people (Heb 5:1,2). And again,
he is entered 'into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us' (Heb 9:24). God therefore, in that he hath made him a
priest with an oath, and also determined that he will never repent
of his so doing, declareth that he is, and for ever will be,
satisfied with his offering. And this is a great encouragement to
those that come to God by him; they have by this oath a firm ground
to go upon, and the oath is, 'Thou art a priest for ever,' shalt be
accepted for ever for every one for whom thou makest intercession;
nor will I ever reject any body that comes to me by thee; therefore
here is ground for faith, for hope and rejoicing; for this consideration
a man has ground to come boldly to the throne of grace.

Second. But again, as Christ is made a priest by call and with an
oath, and so, so far legally; so he, being thus called, has other
preparatory legal qualifications. The High Priest under the law was
not by law to come into the holiest, but in those robes that were
ordained for him to minister in before God; which robes were not
to be made according to the fancy of the people, but according to
the commandment of Moses (Exo 28). Christ our high priest in heaven
has also his holy garment, with which he covereth the nakedness of
them that are his, which robe was not made of corruptible things,
as silver and gold, &c., but by a patient continuance in a holy
life, according to the law of Moses, both moral and ceremonial.
Not that either of these were that eternal testament by which he
was made a priest; but the moral law was to be satisfied, and the
types of the ceremonial law to be as to this eminently fulfilled;
and he was bound by that eternal covenant by which he is made a
mediator to do so. Wherefore, before he could enter the holiest of
all, he must have these holy garments made; neither did he trust
others, as in the case of Aaron, to make these garments for him, but
he wrought them all himself, according to all that Moses commanded.

This garment Christ was a great while a-making. What time, you
may ask, was required? And I answer, All the days of his life; for
all things that were written concerning him, as to this, were not
completed till the day that he hanged upon the cross. For then it
was that he said, 'It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave
up the ghost' (John 19:28-30). This robe is for glory and for beauty.
This is it that afore I said was of the colour of the rainbow, and
that compasseth even round about this throne of grace, unto which
we are bid to come. This is that garment that reaches down to his
feet, and that is girt to him with a golden girdle (Rev 1:13). This
is that garment that covereth all his body mystical, and that hideth
the blemishes of such members from the eye of God, and of the law.
And it is made up of his obedience to the law, by his complete
perfect obedience thereto (Rom 5:19). This Christ wears always, he
never puts it off, as the [former] high priests put off theirs by
a ceremonial command. He ever lives to make intercession; consequently
he ever wears this priestly robe. He might not go into the holy
place without it, upon danger of death, or at least of being sent
back again; but he died not, but lives ever; is not sent back, but
is set down at God's right hand; and there shall sit till his foes
are made his footstool (John 16:10).

This is that for the sake of which all are made welcome, and embraced
and kissed, forgiven and saved, that come unto God by him. This
is that righteousness, that mantle spotless, that Paul so much
desired to be found wrapt in; for he knew that being found in that
he must be presented thereby to God a glorious man, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. This therefore is another of
the Lord Jesus' legal qualifications, as preparatory to the executing
of his high priest's office in heaven. But of this something has
been spoken before; and therefore I shall not enlarge upon it here.

Third. When the high priest under the law was thus accomplished
by a legal call, and a garment suitable to his office, then again
there was another thing that must be done, in order to his regular
execution of his office; and that was, he must be consecrated, and
solemnly ushered thereunto by certain offerings, first presented
to God for himself. This you have mention made of in the Levitical
law; you have there first commanded, that, in order to the high
priest's approaching the holiest for the people, there must first
be an offering of consecration for himself, and this is to succeed
his call, and the finishing of his holy garments (Exo 29:5-7,19-22).
For this ceremony was not to be observed until his garments were
made and put upon him; also the blood of the ram of consecration
was to be sprinkled upon him, his garments, &c., that he might be
hallowed, and rightly set apart for the high priest's office (Lev
8). The Holy Ghost, I think, thus signifying that Jesus the Son
of God, our great high priest, was not only to sanctify the people
with his blood; but first, by blood must to that work be sanctified
himself; 'For their sakes,' saith he, 'I sanctify myself, that they
also might be sanctified through the truth' (John 17:19).

But it may be asked, When was this done to Christ, or what sacrifice
of consecration had he precedent to the offering up of himself for
our sins? I answer, It was done in the garden when he was washed in
his own blood, when his sweat was in great drops of blood, falling
down to the ground. For there it was he was sprinkled with his blood,
not only the tip of his ear, his thumb, and toe, but there he was
washed all over; there therefore was his most solemn consecration
to his office; at least, so I think. And this, as Aaron's was, was
done by Moses; it was Moses that sprinkled Aaron's garments. It
was by virtue of an agony also that his bloody sweat was produced;
and what was the cause of that agony, but the apprehension of the
justice and curse of Moses' law, which now he was to undergo for
the sins of the people.

With this sacrifice he then subjoined another, which was also
preparatory to the great acts of his high priest's office, which he
was afterwards to perform for us. And that was his drink-offering,
his tears, which were offered to God with strong cries (Exo 29:40;
Num 28:7). For this was the place and time that in a special manner
he caused his strong wine to be poured out, and that he drank
his tears as water. This is called his offering, his offering for
his own acceptance with God. After 'he had offered up prayers and
supplications, with strong crying and tears unto him that was able
to save him,' he 'was heard' for his piety, for his acceptance as
to this office, for he merited his office as well as his people (Heb
5:7). Wherefore it follows, 'and being made perfect,' that is, by
a complete performance of all that was necessary for the orderly
attaining of his office as high priest, 'he became the author of
eternal salvation, unto all them that obey him' (Heb 5:9).

For your better understanding of me as to this, mind that I speak of
a twofold perfection in Christ; one as to his person, the other as
to his performances. In the perfection of his person, two things are
to be considered; first, the perfection of his humanity, as to the
nature of it; it was at first appearing, wholly without pollution
of sin, and so completely perfect; but yet this humanity was to
have joined to this another perfection; and that was a perfection
of stature and age. Hence it is said that as to his humanity he
increased, that is, grew more perfect. For this his increasing was,
in order to a perfection, not of nature, simply as nature, but of
stature. 'Jesus increased in wisdom and stature' (Luke 2:52). The
paschal lamb was a lamb the first day it was yeaned; but it was not
to be sacrificed until it attained such a perfection of age as by
the law of God was appointed to it (Exo 12:5,6). It was necessary,
therefore, that Christ as to his person should be perfect in both
these senses. And indeed 'in due time Christ died for the ungodly'
(Rom 5:6).

Again, as there was a perfection of person, or of nature and personage
in Christ, so there was to be a perfection of performances in him
also. Hence it is said, that Jesus increased in favour with God
(Luke 2:52); that is, by perfecting of his obedience to him for us.
Now, his performances were such as had a respect to his bringing
in of righteousness for us in the general; or such as respected
preparations for his sacrifice as a high priest. But let them be
applied to both, or to this or that in particular; it cannot be,
that while the most part of his performances were wanting, he should
be as perfect as when he said, 'The things concerning me have an
end' (Luke 22:37).

Not but that every act of his obedience was perfect, and carried
in it a length and breadth proportionable to that law by which it
was demanded. Nor was there at any time in his obedience that which
made to interfere one commandment with another. He did all things
well, and so stood in the favour of God. But yet one act was not
actually all, though virtually any one of his actions might carry
in it a merit sufficient to satisfy and quiet the law. Hence, as
I said, it is told us, not only that he is the Son of God's love,
but that he increased in favour with God; that is, by a going on
in doing, by a continuing to do that always that pleased the God
of heaven.

A man that pays money at the day appointed, beginning first at one
shilling, or one pound, and so ceaseth not until he hath in current
coin told over the whole sum to the creditor, does well at the
beginning; but the first shilling, or first pound, not being the
full debt, cannot be counted or reckoned the whole, but a part;
yet is it not an imperfect part, nor doth the creditor find fault
at all, because there is but so much now told; but concludes that
all is at hand, and accepteth of this first, as a first-fruits: so
Christ, when he came into the world, began to pay, and so continued
to do, even until he had paid the whole debt, and so increased in
favour with God. There was then a gradual performance of duties,
as to the number of them, by our Lord when he was in the world, and
consequently a time wherein it might be said that Christ had not,
as to act, done all, as was appointed him to do, to do as preparatory
to that great thing which he was to do for us. Wherefore, in
conclusion, he is said to be made perfect, 'and being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey
him' (Heb 5:9).

It will be objected, then, that at some time it might be said of
Christ that he was imperfect in his obedience. Answ. There was a
time wherein it might have been said, Christ had not done all that
he was to do for us on earth. But it doth not follow thereupon,
that he therefore was imperfect in his obedience; for that all his
acts of obedience were done in their proper time, and when they
should, according to the will of God. The timing of performances
adds or diminishes as to the perfection of obedience, or the
imperfection of it. Had these Jews killed the passover three days
sooner than the time appointed, they had transgressed (Exo 12:6).
Had the Jews done that on the fourth day to Jericho, which was to
have been done on the seventh day, they had sinned (Josh 6:10-16).
Duty is beautiful in its time, and the Son of God observed the time.
'I must,' saith he, 'work the works of him that sent me, while it
is day,' that is, in their seasons. You must keep in mind that we
speak all this while of that part of Christ's perfection, as to
duties, which stood in the number of performances, and not in the
nature or quality of acts. And I say, as to the thing in hand,
Christ had duty to do, with respect to his office as high priest
for us, which immediately concerned himself; such duties as gave
him a legal admittance unto the execution thereof; such duties,
the which, had they not orderly been done, the want of them would
have made him an undue approacher of the presence of God, as
to that. Wherefore, as I said afore, by what he did thereabout,
he consecrated, or sanctified himself for that work, according to
God, and was accepted for his piety, or in that he feared and did
orderly do what he should do.

Fourth. The next thing preparatory to the execution of this office
of high priest was the sacrifice itself. The sacrifice, you know,
must, as to the being of it, needs precede the offering of it; it
must be before it can be offered. Nor could Christ have been an
high priest, had he not had a sacrifice to offer. 'For every high
priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is
of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer' (Heb 8:3).
And I bring in the sacrifice as the last thing preparatory, not
that it was last, as to being, for it was before he could be capable
of doing any of the afore-named duties, being his body, in and by
which he did them, but it was the last as to fitness; it was not to
be a sacrifice before the time, the time appointed of the Father;
for since he had prepared it to that end, it was fit as to the time
of its being offered, that that should be when God thought best
also (Heb 10:5).

Behold then, here is the high priest with his sacrifice; and behold
again, how he comes to offer it. He comes to offer his burnt-offering
at the call of God; he comes to do it in his priestly garments,
consecrated and sanctified in his own blood; he comes with blood and
tears, or by water and blood, and offereth his sacrifice, himself
a sacrifice unto God for the sin of the world; and that too at a
time when God began to be weary of the service and sacrifices of
all the world. 'Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou
prepared me,' thou hast fitted me; 'in burnt-offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure; then said I, Lo I come, in the
volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God' (Heb
10:5-7).

[Christ the sacrifice as well as the high priest, and how he offered
it.]

Thus you see our high priest proceeded to the execution of his
priestly office; and now we are come to his sacrifice, we will
consider a little of the parts thereof, and how he offered, and
pleads the same. The burnt-offering for sin had two parts, the
flesh and the fat, which fat is called the fat of the inwards, of
the kidneys, and the like (Lev 3:12-16). Answerable to this, the
sacrifice of Christ had two parts, the body and the soul. The body
is the flesh, and his soul the fat; that inward part that must
not by any means be kept from the fire (Isa 53:10). For without
the burning of the fat, the burnt-offering and sin-offering, both
which was a figure of the sacrifice of our high priest, was counted
imperfect, and so not acceptable.

And it is observable, that in these kind of offerings, when they
were to be burned, the fat and the head must be laid and be burned
together; and the priest 'shall cut it into his pieces with his
head and his fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the
wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar' (Lev 1:12). To
signify, methinks, the feeling sense that this sacrifice of his
body and soul should have of the curse of God due to sin, all the
while that it suffered for sin. And therefore it is from this that
this sacrifice has the name of burnt-offering, it is the burnt-offering
for the burning, because of the burning upon the altar all night,
until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be burning in
it.

The fat made the flame to increase and to ascend; wherefore God
speaks affectionately of the fat, saying, The fat of mine offerings.
And again, 'He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall
be satisfied' (Isa 53:10-12). The soul-groans, the soul-cries,
the soul-conflicts that the Son of God had, together with his
soul-submission to his Father's will, when he was made a sacrifice
for sin, did doubtless flame bright, ascend high, and cast out
a sweet savour unto the nostrils of God, whose justice was now
appeasing for the sin of men.

His flesh also was part of this sacrifice, and was made to feel
that judgment of God for sin that it was capable of. And it was
capable of feeling much, so long as natural life, and so, bodily
sense, remained. It also began to feel with the soul, by reason of
the union that was betwixt them both; the soul felt, and the body
bled; the soul was in an agony, and the body sweat blood; the soul
wrestled with the judgment and curse of the law, and the body, to
show its sense and sympathy, sent out dolorous cries, and poured
out rivers of tears before God. We will not here at large speak of
the lashes, of the crown of thorns, of how his face was bluft[23]
with blows and blood; also how he was wounded, pierced, and what
pains he felt while life lasted, as he suffered for our sins; though
these things are also prefigured in the old law, by the nipping or
wringing of the head, the cutting of the sacrifice in pieces, and
burning it in the fire (Lev 1). Now, you must know, that as the
high priest was to offer his sacrifice, so he was to bring the
blood thereof to the mercy-seat or throne of grace, where now our
Jesus is; he was to offer it at the door of the tabernacle, and to
carry the blood within the veil; of both which a little.

[Christ a willing and an effectual sacrifice.]

1. He was to offer it, and how? Not grudgingly, nor as by compulsion,
but of a voluntary will and cheerful mind: 'If his offering be a
burnt-sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish;
he shall offer it of his own voluntary will' (Lev 1:3). Thus did
Christ when he offered up himself, as is manifest by that which
follows. (1.) He offered a male, 'himself,' without blemish (Heb
7:27). (2.) He gave himself a ransom; he 'gave his life a ransom'
(Matt 20;28). (3.) He laid down his life of himself (John 10:18;
Luke 12:5). (4.) He longed for the day of his death, that he might
die to redeem his people. (5.) Nor was he ever so joyful in all
his life, that we read of, as when his sufferings grew near; then
he takes the sacrament of his body and blood into his own hands,
and with thanksgiving bestows it among his disciples; then he sings
an hymn, then he rejoices, then he comes with a 'Lo, I come.' O
the heart, the great heart, that Jesus Christ had for us to do us
good! He did it with all the desire of his soul.

2. He did it, not only voluntarily, and of a free will, but of love
and affection to the life of his enemies. Had he done thus for the
life of his friends, it had been much; but since he did it out of
love to the life of his enemies, that is much more. 'Scarcely for
a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die; but God commended his love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us' (Rom 5:7,8).

3. He did it without relinquishment of mind, when he was in: no
discouragement disheartened him; cry and bleed he did, yea, roar
by reason of the troubles of his soul, but his mind was fixed; his
Father sware and did not repent, that he should be his priest; and
he vowed, and said he would not repent that he had threatened to
be the plague and death of death (Hosea 13:13,14).

4. He did it effectually and to purpose: he hath stopped the mouth
of the law with blood; he hath so pacified justice, that it now
can forgive; he hath carried sin away from before the face of God,
and set us quit in his sight; he hath destroyed the devil, abolished
death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel;
he hath wrought such a change in the world by what he has done for
them that believe, that all things work together for their good,
from thenceforward and for ever.

[Christ the altar.]

I should now come to the second part of the office of this
high-priest, and speak to that; as also to those things that were
preparatory unto his executing it; but first, I think convenient
a little to treat of the altar also upon which this sacrifice was
offered to God.

Some, I conceive, have thought the altar to be the cross on which
the body of Christ was crucified, when he gave himself an offering
for sin; but they are greatly deceived, for he also himself was
the altar through which he offered himself; and this is one of the
treasures of wisdom which are hid in him, and of which the world
and Antichrist are utterly ignorant. I touched this in one hint
before, but now a little more express. The altar is always greater
than the gift; and since the gift was the body and soul of Christ--for
so saith the text, 'He gave himself for our sins'--the altar must
be something else than a sorry bit of wood, or than a cursed tree.
Wherefore I will say to such, as one wiser than Solomon said to
the Jews, when they superstitiated the gift, in counting it more
honourable than the altar, 'Ye fools, and blind, for whether is
greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?' (Matt
23:18,19).

If the altar be greater than the gift, and yet the gift so great a
thing as the very humanity of Christ, can it--I will now direct my
speech to the greatest fool--can that greater thing be the cross?
Is, was the cross, the wooden cross, the cursed tree, that some
worship, greater than the gift, to wit, than the sacrifice which
Christ offered, when he gave himself for our sins! O idolatry, O
blasphemy![24]

Quest. But what then was the altar? Answ. The divine nature
of Christ, that Eternal Spirit, by and in the assistance of which
he 'offered himself without spot to God'; he, through the Eternal
Spirit 'offered himself' (Heb 9:14).

1. And it must be THAT, because, as was said, the altar is greater
than the gift; but there is nothing but Christ's divine nature
greater than his human; to be sure, a sorry bit of wood, a tree,
the stock of a tree, is not.

2. It must be this, because the text says plainly 'the altar
sanctifies the gift,' that is, puts worth and virtue into it; but
was it the tree, or the Godhead of Christ, that put virtue and
efficacy into this sacrifice that he offered to God for us? If thou
canst but tell thy fingers, judge.

3. The altar was it of old that was to bear up the sacrifice
until it was consumed; and with reference to the sacrifice under
consideration, the tree could not bear up that; for our sacrifice
being a man, consisting of soul and body, that which could bear
him up in his suffering condition, must be that that could apply
itself to his reasonable and sensible part for relief and succour,
and that was of power to keep him even in his spirit, and in a
complete submissiveness to God, in the present condition in which
he was; and could the tree do this, think you? Had the tree that
command and government of the soul and sense of Christ, of the
reason and feeling of the Lord Jesus, as to keep him in this bitter
suffering, in that evenness and spotlessness in his torment, as to
cause that he should come off this great work, without the least
smell or tang[25] of imperfection? No, no; it was through the
Eternal Spirit that he 'offered himself without spot to God.'

Quest. Wherefore then served the cross? Answ. I ask, and wherefore
then served the wood by which the sacrifices were burned? The
sacrifices were burned with wood upon the altar; the wood then was
not that altar, the wood was that instrument by which the sacrifice
was consumed, and the cross that by which Christ suffered his torment
and affliction. The altar then was it that did bear both the wood
and sacrifice, that did uphold the wood to burn, and the sacrifice
to abide the burning. And with reference to the matter in hand,
the tree on which Christ was hanged, and the sacrifice of his body,
were both upheld by his divine power; yet the tree was no more a
sacrifice, nor an altar, than was the wood upon the altar; nor was
the wood, but the fire, holy, by which the sacrifice was consumed.
Let the tree then be the tree, the sacrifice the sacrifice, and
the altar the altar; and let men have a care how, in their worship,
they make altars upon which, as they pretend, they offer the body
of Christ; and let them leave off foolishly to dote upon wood, and
the works of their hands: the altar is greater than the gift or
sacrifice that was, or is, upon it.

[How Christ executes the office of high-priest.]

We come now to the second part of the office of this high-priest
and to show how he performeth that. In order to which, I must,
as I did with reference to the first, show you what things, as
preparatory, were to precede the execution of it. We have here, as
you see, 'our passover sacrificed for us,' for our encouragement
to come to the throne of grace; and now let us look to it, as it
is presented in the holiest of all, and to the order of its being
so presented.

1. First, then, before there was anything further done, I mean by
this high-priest, as to a further application of his offering, the
judgment of God was waited for by him, with respect to his estimation
of what was already done, to wit, how that was resented[26] by him;
the which he declared to the full by raising him from the dead.
For in that he was raised from the dead, when yet he died for our
sins, it is evident that his offering was accepted, or esteemed
of value sufficient to effect that for the which it was made a
sacrifice, which was for our sins; this, therefore, was in order
to his being admitted into heaven. God, by raising him from the
dead, justified his death, and counted it sufficient for the saving
of the world. And this Christ knew would be the effect of his death,
long before he gave himself a ransom; where he saith, 'This also
shall please the Lord better than an ox, or bullock that hath horns
and hoofs' (Psa 69:31). And again, 'For the Lord God will help me,
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face
like a flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed. He is near that
justifieth me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together; who
is mine adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God
will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall
wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up' (Isa 50:7-9).
All this is the work of the Lord God, his Father, and he had faith
therein, as I said before. And since it was God who was to be
appeased, it was requisite that he should be heard in the matter,
to wit, whether he was pacified or no: the which he has declared,
I say, in raising him up from the dead. And this the apostles, both
Paul and Peter, insinuate, when they ascribe his resurrection to
the power of another, rather than to his raising of himself, saying,
'this Jesus hath God raised up' (Acts 2:32). 'God hath raised' him
up 'from the dead' (3:15), 'whom God raised from the dead,' and
the like (4:10, 5:30, 8:56, 13:30). I say, therefore, that God,
by raising up Christ from the dead, hath said, that thus far his
offering pleased him, and that he was content.

2. But lest the world, being besotted by sin, should not rightly
interpret actions, therefore God added to his raising him up
from the dead, a solemn exposing of him to view, not to all men,
but to such as were faithful, and that might be trusted with the
communicating of it to others: 'Him,' saith Peter, 'God raised'
from the dead, 'and showed him openly, not to all the people, but
to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink
with him, after he rose from the dead' (Acts 10:40,41). And this
was requisite, not for that it added anything to the value and worth
of his sacrifice, but for the help of the faith of them that were
to have eternal salvation by him. And it is for this cause that
Paul so enlargeth upon this very thing, to wit, that there were
them that could testify that God had raised him up from the dead,
namely, that men might see that God was well pleased, and that they
had encouragement to come boldly by him to the throne of grace for
mercy (1 Cor 15:1-8). And this exposing of him to view, was not
for the length of a surprising or dazzling moment, but days and
nights, to the number of no less than forty; and that to the self-same
persons, to wit, 'the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also,'
says the text, 'he showed himself alive after his passion, by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God' (Acts 1:2,3). Thus God
therefore being willing more abundantly to show him unto the world,
ordered this great season betwixt his resurrection and ascension,
that the world might see that they had ground to believe an atonement
was made for sin.

3. But again, a third thing that was to precede the execution of
the second part of this his priestly office was, the manner and
order of his going into the holiest; I say, the manner and order
of his going. He was to go thither in that robe of which mention
was made before, to wit, in the virtue of his obedience, for it
was that which was to make his way for him as now sprinkled with
his blood. He was to go thither with a noise which the Holy Ghost
calls a shout, saying, 'God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with
the sound of a trumpet' (Psa 47:5). This was prefigured by the bells,
as I said, which did hang on the border of Aaron's garments. This
shout seems to signify the voice of men and angels; and this trumpet
the voice and joy of God; for so it says, he shall descend: 'For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God' (1 Thess 4:16).
Even as he ascended and went up; for Aaron's bells were to be heard
when he went into, and when he came out of, the holy place (Exo
28:33-35). But what men were to ascend with him, but, as was said
afore, the men that 'came out of the graves after his resurrection?'
(Matt 27:53). And what angels but those that ministered to him here
in the day of his humiliation? As for the evil ones, he then rode
in triumph over their heads, and crushed them as captives with
his chariot wheels. He is ascended on high, he has 'led captivity
captive, he has received gifts for men' (Eph 4:8).

Thus then he ascended unto, into the holy paradise, where he was
waited for of a multitude of the heavenly host, and of thousands
of millions of the spirits of just men made perfect. So approaching
the highest heavens, the place of the special presence of God, he was
bid sit down at his right hand, in token that, for his sufferings'
sake, God had made him the highest of every creature, and given him
a name above every name, and commanded that at the name of Jesus
now all things in heaven should bow, and promised, that at the day
of judgment, all on earth, and under it, should bow too, to the
glory of God the Father (Phil 2:6-11). Thus he presented himself
on our behalf unto God, a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour, in
which God resteth for ever, for that the blood of this sacrifice
has always with him a pleasing and prevailing voice. It cannot be
denied, it cannot be outweighed by the heaviness, circumstances,
or aggravations of any sin whatsoever, of them that come unto God
by him. He is always, as I said before, in the midst of the throne,
and before the throne, 'a Lamb as it had been slain,' now appearing
in the presence of God for us. Of the manner of his intercession,
whether it was vocal or virtual, whether by voice of mouth, or
merit of deed, or both, I will not determine; we know but little
while here, how things are done in heaven, and we may soon be too
carnal, or fantastical in our apprehensions. Intercession he makes,
that is, he manages the efficacy and worth of his suffering with
God for us, and is always prevalent in his thus managing of his
merits on our behalf. And as to the manner, though it be in itself
infinitely beyond what we can conceive while here, yet God hath
stooped to our weakness, and so expressed himself in this matter,
that we might somewhat, though but childishly, apprehend him (1
Cor 13:11,12). And we do not amiss if we conceive as the Word of
God hath revealed; for the scriptures are the green poplar, hazel,
and the chestnut rods that lie in the gutters where we should come
to drink; all the difficulty is, in seeing the white strakes, the
very mind of God there, that we may conceive by it.

But the text says he prayeth in heaven, he makes intercession there.
Again, it saith his blood speaks, and, consequently, why may not
his groans, his tears, his sighs, and strong cries, which he uttered
here in the days of flesh? I believe they do, and have a strong
voice with God for the salvation of his people. He may then intercede
both vocally and virtually; virtually to be sure he does, and we are
allowed so to apprehend, because the text suggesteth such a manner
of intercession to us; and because our weakness will not admit us
to understand fully the thing as it is, our belief that he maketh
intercession for us has also the advantage of being purged from
its faultiness by his intercession, and we shall be saved thereby,
because we have relied upon his blood shed, and the prevalency of
the worthiness of it with God for us; though as to this circumstance,
the manner of his interceding, we should be something at a loss.

The Word says that we have yet but the image of heavenly things,
or of things in the heavens. I do not at all doubt but that many
of those that were saved before Christ came in the flesh, though
they were, as to the main, right, and relied upon him to the saving
of their souls, yet came far short of the knowledge of many of the
circumstances of his suffering for them (Heb 10:1). Did they all
know that he was to be betrayed of Judas? that he was to be scourged
of the soldiers? that he was to be crowned with thorns? that he
was to be crucified between two thieves, and to be pierced till
blood and water came out of his side? or that he was to be buried
in Joseph's sepulchre? I say, did all that were saved by faith
that he was to come and die for them, understand these, with many
more circumstances that were attendants of him to death? It would
be rude to think so; because for it we have neither scripture nor
reason. Even so, we now that believe that 'he ever liveth to make
intercession for us,' are also very short of understanding of the
manner or mode of his so interceding. Yet we believe that he died,
and that his merits have a voice with God for us; yea, that he
manages his own merits before God in way of intercession for us,
far beyond what we, while here, are able to conceive.

The scripture saith that 'all the fulness of the Godhead' dwells
in him 'bodily' (Col 2:9). It also saith that he is the throne of
God, and yet again, that he sits 'on the right hand of the throne' (Isa
22:23; Heb 12:2). These things are so far from being comprehended
by the weakest, that they strain the wits and parts of the strongest,
yet there is a heavenly truth in all. Heavenly things are not easily
believed, no not of believers themselves, while here on earth, and
when they are, they are so but weakly and infirmly.[27] I believe
that the very appearing of Christ before God is an intercession as
a priest, as well as a plea of an advocate; and I believe again,
that his very life there is an intercession there, a continual
intercession (Heb 9:24; Rom 5:10).

But there is yet something further to be said: Christ, the humanity
of Christ, if in it dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
how then appears he before him to make intercession? or if Christ
is the throne of grace and mercy-seat, how doth he appear before
God as sitting there, to sprinkle that now with his blood? Again,
if Christ be the altar of incense, how stands he as a priest by
that altar to offer the prayers of all the saints thereon, before
the throne?

[How these mysteries are to be learned.]

That all this is written is true; and that it is all truth, is as
true: but that it is all understood by every one that is saved I
do not believe is true. I mean, so understood as that they could
all reconcile the seeming contradictions that are in these texts.
There are therefore three lessons that God has set us as to the
perfecting of our understanding in the mysteries of God. 1. Letters.
2. Words. 3. Meanings.

1. Letters. I call the ceremonial law so; for there all is set
forth distinctly, everything by itself; as letters are to children:
there you have a priest, a sacrifice, an altar, a holy place a
mercy-seat: and all distinct.

2. Words. Now in the gospel these letters are put all in a word,
and Christ is that word, that word of God's mind; and therefore
the gospel makes Christ that priest, Christ that sacrifice, Christ
that altar, Christ that holy place, Christ that throne of grace,
and all; for Christ is all: all these meet in him as several letters
meet in one word.

3. Meanings. Next to the word you have the meaning, and the meaning
is more difficult to be learned than either the letters or the
word; and therefore the perfect understanding of that is reserved
till we arrive to a higher form, till we arrive to a perfect man;
'But when that which is perfect is come, then that' knowledge
'which is in part, shall be done away' (1 Cor 13:10). Meantime our
business is to learn to bring the letters into a word, to bring the
ceremonies to Christ, and to make them terminate in him; I mean, to
find the priesthood in Christ, the sacrifice in Christ, the altar
in Christ, the throne of grace in Christ, and also God in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself by him. And if we can learn
this well, while here, we shall not at all be blamed! for this is
the utmost lesson set us, to wit, to learn Christ as we find him
revealed in the gospel: 'I determined,' saith Paul, 'not to know
any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified' (1 Cor
2:2). And Christians, after some time, I mean those that pray and
pry into the Word well, do attain to some good measure of knowledge
of him. It is life eternal to know him, as he is to be known here,
as he is to be known by the Holy Scriptures (James 17:3). Keep then
close to the Scriptures, and let thy faith obey the authority of
them, and thou wilt be sure to increase in faith; 'for therein is
the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is
written, The just shall live by faith' (Rom 1:17, 16:25-27).[28]

Believe then that Christ died, was buried, rose again, ascended,
and ever liveth to make intercession for thee: and take heed of
prying too far, for in mysteries men soon lose their way. It is
good therefore that thou rest in this, to wit, that he doth so,
though thou canst not tell how he doth it. A man at court gets by
his intercession a pardon for a man in the country; and the party
concerned, after he had intelligence of it, knows that such an one
hath obtained his pardon, and that by his interceding, but for all
that he may be ignorant of his methods of intercession, and so are
we, at least in part, of Christ. The meaning then is that I should
believe, that for Christ's sake God will save me since he has
justified me with his blood; 'being now justified by his blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through him' (Rom 5:9). Through his
intercession, or through his coming between the God whom I have
offended and me, a poor sinner: through his coming between with
the voice of his blood and merits, which speaketh on my behalf to
God, because that blood was shed for me, and because those merits,
in the benefit of them, are made over to me by an act of the grace
of God, according to his eternal covenant made with Christ. This
is what I know of his intercession; I mean with reference to the
act itself; to wit, HOW he makes intercession. And since all the
fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily, and sine he also, as
to his humanity, is the throne of grace; yea, and since he also is
the holiest of all, and the rest of God for ever, it has been some
scruple to me, whether it be not too carnal to imagine as if Christ
stood distinct in his humanity; distinct, I say, as to space, from
the Father as sitting upon a throne, and as so presenting his merits,
and making vocal prayers for the life and salvation of his people.
The more true meaning in my apprehension is, that the presence and
worth of the human nature, being with the divine, yea, taken into
union with God for ever, for the service that was done by God for
it, in the world, in reconciling his elect unto him, is still, and
ever will be, so deserving in his sight as to prevail--I know not
how else to express it--with the divine nature, in whom alone is
a power to subdue all impossibilities to itself, to preserve those
so reconciled to eternal life.

When I speak of the human nature, I mean the man Christ, not bereft
of sense and reasons, nor of the power of willing and affecting;[29]
but thus I mean, that the human nature so terminates in the will
of the divine; and again, the will of the divine so terminates,
as to saving of sinners, in the merit and will of the human, that
what the Father would the Son wills, and what the Son wills the
Father acquiesces in for ever. And this the Son wills, and his
will is backed with infinite merit, in which also the Father rests,
that those, all those whom the Father hath given him, be with him
where he is, that they may behold his glory (John 17:24). And now
I am come to the will and affections of the high-priest.

II. NATURAL. [The natural qualifications of Jesus Christ to be our
high priest.]

This leads me to the second head, namely, to the natural qualifications
of him. And,

First. This is one thing that I would urge, he is not of a nature
foreign to that of man; the angels love us well, but they are not
so capable of sympathising with us in our distresses, because they
are not partakers of our nature. Nature hath a peculiar sympathy
in it; now he is naturally one with us, sin only excepted, and that
is our advantage too. He is man as we are, flesh and blood as we
are: born of a woman, and in all points made like unto us, that
excepted which the Holy Ghost excepteth. 'Forasmuch then as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same. For verily he took not on him the nature
of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham' (Heb 2:14,16).
This doth qualify him much; for, as I said before, there is a sympathy
in nature. A man will not be so affected with the hurt that comes
to a beast, as he naturally will with the hurt that comes to a man:
a beast will be more affected with those attempts that are made
upon its own kind to hurt it, than it will be with those that are
made upon man. Wherefore? Why, there is a sympathy in nature. Now
that Christ, the high priest of the house of God, is naturally one
with us, you see the Scriptures plainly affirm. 'God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman' (Gal 4:4); he was 'made of the seed of
David, according to the flesh' (Rom 1:3); from the fathers of whom,
'as concerning the flesh Christ came,' &c. (Rom 9:5; 2 Tim 2:8).
And this must needs then to make him a well-qualified high priest
(Heb 2:14,15). We will not now speak of the necessity of his taking
upon him the human nature, to wit, that he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver his people;
for that would be here too much beside our matter, and be a diversion
to the reader. We are now upon his High Priest's office, and of
those natural qualifications that attend him, as to that; and I
say, nature is a great qualification, because in nature there is
sympathy; and where there is sympathy, there will be a provocation
to help, a provocation to help with jealousy and indignation against
those that afflict. A bear robbed of her whelps is not more provoked
than is the Lord Jesus when there are means used to make them miss
of life eternal, for whom he hath died, and for whom he ever lives
to make intercession. But,

Second. As there is natural sympathy in Christ to those for whom he
is an High Priest, so there is relative sympathy; he has not only
taken to or upon him our nature, but he is become one brotherhood
with us; now you know brotherhood will carry a man further than
nature; so then, when nature and relation meet, there is a double
obligation. 'For both he that sanctifieth,' which is Christ, 'and
they who are sanctified,' his saints, 'are all of one,' which is
God; and they are all of God, as children of a Father; 'for which
cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will
declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will
I sing praise unto thee' (Heb 2:11,12). Now a relation is much,
and a natural relation most of all. Why, here is a natural relation
betwixt Christ the High Priest, and those for whom 'he ever liveth
to make intercession'; a natural relation, I say, and that with
respect to the humanity which is the nature subject to affliction
and distress; 'Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same'
(Heb 2:14). So then it is for a brother that he is engaged, for
a brother that he doth make intercession. When Gideon knew by the
confession of Zeba and Zalmunna, that the men that they slew at
Tabor were his brethren, his fury came into his face, and he sware
they should therefore die (Judg 8:18-21). Relation is a great
matter. And therefore it is said again, 'In all things it behoved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful
High Priest' (Heb 2:17). A brother is born for adversity; and a
brother will go far. This therefore is a second thing or another
qualification, with which Christ Jesus is furnished to be an High
Priest; he is a brother, there is a brotherly relation betwixt him
and us; therefore by virtue of this relation he maketh intercession
for us more affectionately.

Third. There are other things in Christ Jesus that makes him naturally
of an excellent qualification with reference to his priesthood for
us, and they are the temptations and infirmities wherewith he was
exercised in the days of his humiliation. It is true, temptations
and infirmities, strictly considered, are none of our nature, no
more are they of his; but yet, if it be proper to say temptations
and afflictions have a nature, his and ours were naturally the same;
and that in all points too; for so says the text, 'He was tempted
in all points, like as we are, yet without sin' (Heb 4:15). Are
we tempted to distrust God? so was he: are we tempted to murder
ourselves? so was he: are we tempted with the bewitching vanities
of this world? so was he: are we tempted to commit idolatry, and to
worship the devil? so was he (Matt 4:3-10; Luke 4:1-13). So that
herein we also were alike; yea, from his cradle to his cross he was
a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs, a man of affliction
throughout the whole course of his life.

And observe it, He was made so, or subjected thereto by the ordinance
of God; nay, further, it behoved him to be made so, that is, to be
made like unto us in all things, the better to capacitate him to
the work of his priesthood, with the more bowels and compassion.
We will read to you the text; 'Wherefore in all things it behoved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be,' qualified
to be, 'a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in
that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour
them that are tempted' (Heb 2:17,18). See here how he is qualified,
and to what end; he was tempted as we are, suffered by temptations
as we do, in all points and things as we are; that he might be
bowels, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in
things pertaining to God, to make up the difference that is made
by sin between God and his people, to make reconciliation for the
sins of the people. Yea, he by being tempted, and by suffering as
he did, he is prepared and enabled so to do; 'for in that he himself
hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are
tempted.' Wherefore, I also call this qualification both natural
and necessary; natural, because in kind the same with ours; that
is, his temptations were the same with ours; the same in nature,
the same in design, the same as to their own natural tendency; for
their natural tendency was to have ruined both him and us, but God
prevented. They also were necessary, though not of themselves, yet
made so by him that can bring good out of evil, and light out of
darkness; made so, I say, to us, for whose sakes they were suffered
to assault and afflict him, namely, that he might be able to be
merciful, faithful, and succouring to us.

Fourth. Another qualification with which our High Priest is
furnished, for the better fitting of him to make intercession for
us, is, that we are his members; to be a member is more than to
be of the same nature, or the nearest of relations, that excepted.
So, then, now he makes intercession for his own self, for his own
body, and for the several members of his body. The High Priest
under the law did use to offer up sacrifice for himself; first
'for himself,' for his own sins, and then 'for the errors of the
people.' I will not say that Christ had any sin that was personally,
or by his act, his own; for that would be to blaspheme the name of
that Holy One; but yet I will say, he made the sins of the people
his own (Psa 69:5). Yea, God the Father made them his; those also
for whom he ever liveth to make intercession, are united to him,
made members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; and so
are any part of himself (2 Cor 5:21).

But we are now about his natural qualifications, and this is one;
that they for whom he ever liveth to make intercession are his
members, the members of his body; 'we are members of his body, of
his flesh, and of his bones,' so saith the Word (Eph 5:30). Wherefore
here is a near concern, for that his church is part of himself; it
is his own concern, it is for our own flesh. 'No man ever yet hated
his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it' (Eph 5:29).--Things
are thus spoken, because of the infirmity of our flesh.--So that
had Christ no love to us as we are sinners, yet because we are
part of himself, he cannot but care for us, nature puts him upon
it; yea, and the more infirm and weak we are, the more he is touched
with the feeling of our infirmities, the more he is afflicted for
us: 'For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities' (Heb 4:15). He at no time loseth
this his fellow-feeling, because he always is our head, and we the
members of his. I will add, the infirm member is most cared for,
most pitied, most watched over to be kept from harms, and most
consulted for.[30]

I love to play the child with little children, and have learned
something by so doing; I have met with a child that has had a sore
finger; yea, so sore as to be altogether at present useless; and
not only so, but by reason of its infirmity, has been a let or
hindrance to the use of all the fingers that have been upon that
hand, then have I began to bemoan the child, and said, Alas! my
poor boy, or girl, hast got a sore finger! Ah! quoth the child,
with water in its eyes, and hath come to me to be bemoaned. Then I
have begun to offer to touch the sore finger. O! saith the child,
pray do not hurt me: I then have replied, Canst thou do nothing
with this finger? No, saith the child, nor with this hand either;
then have I said, Shall we cut off this finger, and buy my child
a better, a brave golden finger? At this the child has started,
stared in my face, gone back from me, and entertained a kind of
indignation against me, and has no more cared to be intimate with
me. Then have I begun to make some use of that good sermon which
this little child has preached unto me; and thus have I gone on.
If membership be so dear, if this child has such tenderness to the
most infirm, the most useless of its members; if it counts me its
friend no longer than when I have a mouth to bemoan and carriages
that show tenderness to this useless finger; what an interest doth
membership give on in the body, and what compassions hath the soul
for such an useless thing, because it is a member! and turning all
this over to Jesus Christ, then instead of matter and corruption,
there presently comes honey to me out of this child's sore finger;
I take leave to tell you now how I use to play. And though
I have told this tale upon so grave a truth, as is the membership
of Christians with their head, yet bear with me; no child can be
so tender of its sore finger as is the Son of God of his afflicted
members; he cannot but be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities.[31]

Ah! who would not make many supplications, prayers, and intercessions,
for a leg, for an eye, for a foot, for a hand, for a finger, rather
than they will lose it? And can it be imagined that Christ alone
shall be like the foolish ostrich, hardened against his young, yea,
against his members? It cannot be.

Should he lose a member, he would be disfigured, maimed, dismembered,
imperfect, next to monstrous. For his body is called his fulness,
yea, the fulness of him that fills all in all. This has naturally
a respect for those for whom he ever liveth to make intercession;
yea, an unfathomable respect for them, because they are his members.

Fifth. But again, when nature, relation, and membership is urged
to show the fit qualifications wherewith Christ is endued, I intend
not to intimate, as if the bottom of all lay here; for then it might
be urged that one imperfect has all these; for who knows not that
sinful man has all these qualifications in him towards his nature,
relations, and members? I have therefore, as I said, thus discoursed,
only for demonstration-sake, and to suit myself with the infirmity
of your flesh. I might come, also, in the next place, to tell you,
that Jesus Christ our High Priest is thus, with reference to other
designs. We are his purchase and he counts us so; his jewels, and
he counts us so; his estate real, and he counts us so (Psa 16:5,6).
And you know a man will do much, speak much, intercede much and
long, for that which he thus is interested in. But we will come to
speak more particularly of the exceeding excellency of his natural
qualifications, and show you that he hath such as are peculiar to
himself alone, and that we are concerned in them.

[The peculiar natural qualifications of Christ as our High Priest.]

1. He is holy, and so a suitable High Priest. There is a holiness
that sets further from, and a holiness that brings one nearer
to, and to be concerned the more with the condition of those in
affliction; and that holiness is that which is entailed unto office.
When a man is put into an office, the more unholy he is, the worse
he performs his office; and the more holy, the better he performs
his office. For his holiness obliges him to be faithful unto men,
wherein he is concerned by his office. Hence you read, that he is
'a faithful High Priest,' because he is a holy one, and 'such an
High Priest became us, who is holy,' &c. (Heb 2:17, 7:26). 'Good
and upright is the Lord' Jehovah, Christ Jesus, 'therefore will
he teach sinners in the way' (Psa 25:8). 'He that ruleth over men
must be just, ruling in the fear of God' (2 Sam 23:3). I mention
these texts to show you, that holiness, when entailed to office,
makes a man do that office the better. Now then, Christ is holy,
and he is made, called, and made of God an High Priest, after
the order of Melchisedec, and is to manage that his office for
thee with God; that is to say, to continue to make reconciliation
for iniquity; for that iniquity that cleaveth unto thee, and that
spuriously breaketh, or issueth from thy flesh after thou art
called and converted. For we are now upon the second part of the
execution of the priesthood of Christ; that which he executeth, I
say; and by executing takes away the iniquity of our holy things
and of our life, after our turning to God by him. Now he that is to
do this is holy, and so one that will make conscience of performing
that office for us, with which he is intrusted of God. Hence he is
set in opposition to those high priests that had infirmities, that
were not holy, and upon this very account preferred above them.
'For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the
word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is
consecrated,' perfected, or holy 'for evermore' (Heb 7:28). This
therefore is a great thing, to wit, that we have an High Priest
that is holy, and so one that will not fail to perform to the utmost
the trust committed to him in our behalf, to wit, 'to offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sins' (Heb 5:1). This is one thing.

2. There is added to this of his holiness another; and that is
harmless. 'For such an High Priest became us who is holy, harmless'
(Heb 7:26). A harmful man, when he is in office, O how much mischief
may he do! Such an one is partial in doing his office, such an
one will put the poor by his right, such an one will buy and sell
a cause, a man, an interest, will do or not do, as his harmfulness
prompts him to it; 'so is a wicked ruler over the poor people' (Prov
28:15). But now our Jesus, our High Priest, is holy, harmless; he
will wrong no man, he will deprive no man, he will contemn no man,
he will deny to no man that comes to God by him, the benefit and
advantage of his blessed intercession; he respecteth not persons,
nor taketh reward. A harmful man will stomach, and hate, and
prejudice a man; will wait for an opportunity to do him a mischief;
will take the advantage, if he can, to deny him his right, and keep
from him his due, when yet it is in the power of his hand to help
him. O! but Christ is harmless, harmless as a dove, he thinks
no ill, intends no ill, doth no ill; but graciously, innocently,
harmlessly, makes intercession for thee; nor will he be prevailed
with to prejudice thy person, or to forbear to take up thy name
into his lips, be thy infirmities, and weaknesses, and provocations
never so many, if thou indeed comest to God by him. He is holy,
and harmless, and so the more fit to become our High Priest and to
make intercession for us.

3. But again, this is not all, he also is undefiled; 'For such an
High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled.' This term
is put in to show, that he neither is, nor can be found, neither
now, nor at any time, faulty in his office. A man that is holy may
yet be defiled; a man that is harmless may yet be defiled. We are
bid to be holy and harmless; and in a gospel sense so every Christian
is. O! but Christ is so in a legal sense; in the eye of the law,
perfectly so. This is a great matter, for it shows, that as nothing
done by us can tempt him to be hurtful to us; so there is nothing
in himself that can tempt him so to be. A man that is defiled
has that within him that will put him upon using of his office
unfaithfully, though he should have no provocation from those for
whose good he is to execute his office; but he that is undefiled--undefiled
in a law sense--as our Lord Jesus is, is such an one as doth not
only not do hurt, and not act falsely in his office, but one that
cannot, one that knoweth not, how to be unfaithful to his trust.
He is holy, harmless, undefiled, this therefore is a great thing.
He has not the original of hurtfulness in him, there is no such root
there; there is a root of bitterness, springing up in us, by which
not only ourselves, but ofttimes others are defiled (Heb 12:15). O!
but our High Priest is undefiled, he is not corrupt, nor corrupteth;
he doth his office fairly, faithfully, holily, justly, according
to, or answering, our necessities, and the trust reposed in him,
and committed to him. But,

4. This is not all; as he is holy, harmless, and undefiled; so he
is separate from sinners, both in his conception, in his composition,
and the place ordained for him to execute this part of his High
Priest's office in. He was not conceived in the womb by carnal
generation; he was not made up of polluted and defiled nature; he
officiateth not with those materials that are corrupt, stained, or
imperfect; but with those that are unspotted, even with the spotless
sacrifice of his own unblemished offering. He, nor his offering,
has any such tang, as had the priests, and their sacrifices under
the law, to wit, sin and imperfection; he is separate from them in
this respect, further than is an angel from a beast. He has none
of the qualities, actions, or inclinations of sinners; his ways
are only his own; he never saw them, nor learned them, but of the
Father; the none upright among men, wherefore he is separated from
them to be a priest. Again,

5. As he is thus, so again, he is said to be 'higher than the
heavens.' For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, and
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
The text saith, that neither saint, nor heavens, are clean in God's
sight. 'Behold he puts no trust in his servants,' he chargeth his
angels with folly; and again, 'Behold he putteth no trust in his
saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight' (Job 4:18,
15:15). Wherefore, by this expression, he shows us that our High
Priest is more noble than either heaven or angel: yea, more clean
and perfect than any. It shows us also that all the heavenly host
are at his command, to do as his intercession shall prevail with
the Father for us. All angels worship him, and at his word they
become, they all become ministering spirits for them who shall be
heirs of salvation.

Besides, by this word he shows, that it is impossible that our High
Priest should degenerate or decay; for that he is made 'higher than
the heavens'; the spirits sometimes in the heavens have decayed (2
Peter 2:4). The heavens themselves decay and wax old; and that is
the farthest that by the Word we are admitted to go (Heb 1:10-12).
But as for him that is above the heavens, that is made higher than
the heavens, that is ascended up far above all heavens; he is the
same, and 'his years fail not' (Heb 1:12). 'The same yesterday,
today, and for ever' (Heb 13:8). This therefore is added, to show
that Christ is neither as the angels, nor heavens, subject to
decay, or degenerate, or to flag and grow cold in the execution of
his office; but that he will be found even at the last, when he is
come to the end of this work, and is about to come out of the holy
place, as affectionate, as full of love, as willing, and desirous
after our salvation, as he was the first moment that he was made
High Priest, and took upon him to execute that his blessed office
for us. Wherefore our High Priest is no such one as you read
of in the law (Lev 21:18). He is no dwarf, hath no blemish, nor
any imperfection; therefore is not subject to flag or fail in due
execution of his office, but is able to save to the uttermost them
that come unto God by him, 'seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them.' And it is well worth our consideration, that it is
said he is made thus; that is, appointed, instituted, called, and
qualified thus of God; this shows the Father's heart as well as
the Son's, to usward, to wit, that this priesthood was of him, and
the glorious effects thereof by him. 'Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace
to help in time of need.'

[The second motive, we are sure to speed.]

SECOND. I come now to the second motive, to wit, that we may find
grace and mercy to help in time of need; or we shall find grace and
mercy to help, if we come as we should, to the throne of grace. In
this motive we have these three things considerable. First, That
saints are like to meet with needy times while they are in this
world. Second, That nothing can carry us through our needy times
but more, or a continual supply of mercy and grace. Third, That
mercy and grace is to be had at the throne of grace, and we must
fetch it from thence by prayer, if we would, as we should, go
through these needy times.

First. For the first of these, that saints are like to meet with
needy times, or with such times as will show them that they need a
continual assistance of the grace of God, that they may go rightly
through this world. This is therefore a motive, that weareth a
spur in the heel of it, a spur to prick us forward to supplicate
at the throne of grace. This needy time is in other places called
the perilous time, the evil day, the hour and power of darkness,
the day of temptation, the cloudy and dark day (2 Tim 3:1; Eph 6:13;
Luke 22:53; Heb 3:8; Eze 34:12; Gen 47:9; Matt 6:34). And indeed,
in the general, all the days of our pilgrimage here are evil,
yea, every day has a sufficiency of evil in it to destroy the best
saint that breatheth, were it not for the grace of God. But there
are also, as I have hinted, particular special times, times more
eminently dangerous and hazardous unto saints. As,

[Ten special times of need.]

There are their young days, the days of their youth, and childhood
in grace. This day is usually attended with much evil towards him
or them that are asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward.
Now the devil has lost a sinner; there is a captive has broke prison,
and one run away from his master: now hell seems to be awakened
from sleep, the devils are come out, they roar, and roaring they
seek to recover their runaway. Now tempt him, threaten him, flatter
him, stigmatise him, throw dust into his eyes, poison him with
error, spoil him while he is upon the potter's wheel; any thing
to keep him from coming to Jesus Christ. And is not this a needy
time; doth not such an one want abundance of grace? is it not
of absolute necessity that thou, if thou art the man thus beset,
shouldst ply it at the throne of grace, for mercy and grace to help
thee in such a time of need as this? To want a spirit of prayer
now, is as much as thy life is worth. O, therefore, you that know
what I say, you that are broke loose from hell, that are fled for
refuge to lay hold on the hope set before you, and that do hear
the lion roar after you, and that are kept awake with the continual
voice of his chinking chain, cry as you fly; yea, the promise is,
that they that come to God with weeping, with supplication, he will
lead them. Well, this is one needy time, now thy hedge is low, now
thy branch is tender, now thou art but in the bud. Pray that thou
beest not marred in the potter's hand.

2. The time of prosperity is also a time of need, I mean of thy
spiritual prosperity. For as Satan can tell how to suit temptations
for thee in the day of thy want, so he has those that can entangle
thee in the day of thy fulness. He has his spiritual wickednesses
in the high and heavenly places (Eph 6:12). He can tell how to lay
a snare for thee in the land of Canaan, as well as in the wilderness;
in thy time of receiving good things, as well as in thy hungry and
empty hours. Nay, such times seem to be the most dangerous, not
in themselves, but through the deceits of our heart. Hence Moses
gives this caution to the children of Israel, that when God had
given them the promised land, and vineyards, and wells, and olive
trees, and when they had eaten and were full, 'Then,' says he,
'beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of
the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage' (Deut 6:10-13). And
again, he doubleth this caution, saying, 'When thou hast eaten and
art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God, for the good land
which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy
God in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his
statutes, which I command thee this day; lest when thou hast eaten
and art full,' and thou in all good things art increased, 'then
thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage'; all this may be applied spiritually (Deut 8:10-14). For
there are, as I said, snares laid for us in our best things; and
he that has great enjoyments, and forgets to pray for grace to
keep him humble then, shall quickly be where Peter was, after his
knowledge of the Lord Jesus by the revelation of the Father.

3. Another needy time is a time when men are low and empty, as to
worldly good; this time is full of temptations and snares. At this
time, men will, if they look not well to their doings and goings,
be tempted to strain curtesies both with conscience and with God's
Word, and adventure to do things that are dangerous, and that have
a tendency to make all their religion and profession vain. This
holy Agur was aware of; so he prayed, Let me not be rich and full,
lest I deny thee; let me not be poor, lest I steal, and take the
name of my God in vain (Prov 30:7-9). There are many inconveniences
that attend him that is fallen into decay in this world. It is
an evil day with him, and the devils will be as busy with him, as
the flies are with a lean and scabbed sheep. It shall go hard but
such a man shall be full of maggots; full of silly, foolish, idle
inventions, to get up, and to abound with fulness again. It is not
a time now, will Satan say, to retain a tender conscience, to regard
thy word or promise, to pay for what thou buyest, or to stick at
pilfering, and filch from thy neighbour.[32] This Agur was afraid
of; therefore he prayed that God would keep him from that which
would be to him a temptation to do it. How many in our day have,
on these very accounts, brought religion to a very ill savour, and
themselves unto the snare of the devil, and all because they have
not addicted themselves to pray to God for grace to help in this
time of need, but rather have left off the thing that is good, and
given up themselves to the temptations of the devil, and the subtle
and ensnaring motions of the flesh.

4. Another needy time is the day of persecution; this is called,
as was hinted before, 'the hour of darkness,' 'the cloudy and dark
day.' This day, therefore, is full of snares, and of evils of every
kind. Here is the fear of man, the terrors of a prison, of loss of
goods and life.[33] Now all things look black, now the fiery trial
is come. He that cannot now pray; he that now applieth not himself
to God on the throne of grace, by the priesthood of Jesus Christ,
is like to take a fall before all men upon the stage; a foul fall,
a fall that will not only break his own bones, but also the hearts
of those that fear God and behold it: 'Come therefore boldly unto
the throne of grace, that ye may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need.'

5. Another time of need is that time wherein thou changest thy
condition, and enterest into a new relation. For here also the
snares and traps lie waiting for thee. There is a hopeful child goes
to service, or to be an apprentice; there is a young man, a young
maid, entereth into a married condition, and though they pray before,
yet they leave off to pray then. Why, these people are oftentimes
ruined and undone; the reason is, this change is attended with new
snares, with new cares, and with new temptations, of the which,
because through unwatchfulness they are not aware, they are taken,
drawn to perdition and destruction by them. Many in my short day
have gone, I doubt, down to the pit, THIS way, that have sometimes
been to appearance the very foremost and hopefulest in the place
where they have lived. O how soon has their fire gone out; has their
lamps forborne to burn! How quickly have they lost their love to
their ministers, by whom they were illuminated, and to the warmest
Christians, through communion with whom they used to be kept awake
and savoury! How quickly have they found them out new friends, new
companions, new ways and methods of life, and new delights to feed
their foolish minds withal! Wherefore, O thou that art in this fifth
head concerned, 'Come boldly unto the throne of grace, to obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.'

6. Another time of need is, when the generality of professors are
decayed; when the custom of fancies and fooleries have taken away
all gravity and modesty from among the children of men. Now pray,
or thou diest; yea, pray against those decays, those vain customs,
those foolish fancies, those light and vain carriages that have
overtaken others, else they will assuredly knock at thy door, and
obtain favour at thy hand, the which if they do, they will quickly
bring thee down into the dirt with others, and put thee in peril
of damnation as well as they.

7. Another time of need is, the time of guilt contracted, and of
the hiding of God's face. This is a dangerous time. If thou now
shalt forbear to pray, thou art undone, for the natural tendency
of guilt is to drive a man from God. So it served our first father;
and ofttimes when God hides his face, men run into desperation, and
so throw up all duties, and say as he of old, 'What should I wait
for the Lord any longer?' (2 Kings 6:33). Now thy great help against
this is prayer, continuing in prayer. Prayer wrestleth with the
devil, and will overthrow him: prayer wrestleth with God, and will
overcome him: prayer wrestleth with all temptations, and makes them
fly. Great things have been done by prayer, even by the prayer of
those that have contracted guilt, and that have by their sins lost
the smiles and sense of the favour of God. Wherefore, when this
needy, this evil time has overtaken thee, pray: 'Come boldly unto
the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need.'

8. The day of reproach and slander is another time of need, or a
day in which thou wilt want supplies of grace. Sometimes we meet
with such days wherein we are loaden with reproaches, slanders,
scandals, and lies. Christ found the day of reproach a burdensome
day unto him; and there is many a professor driven quite away from
all conscience towards God, and open profession of his name, by
such things as these (Psa 69:7). Reproach is, when cast at a man,
as if he was stoning to death with stones. Now ply it hard at the
throne of grace, for mercy and grace to bear thee up, or thou wilt
either miscarry or sink under ground by the weight of reproach that
may fall upon thee.[34]

9. Another time of need is that wherein a man's friends desert
and forsake him, because of his gospel principles, or of those
temptations that attend his profession. This is a time that often
happeneth to those that are good. Thus it was with Christ, with
Paul, with Job, with Heman, and so has been with many other of
God's servants in the day of their temptations in this world; and
a sore time it is. Job complained under it, so did Heman, Paul,
and Christ (John 6:66; 2 Tim 1:15; Job 19:13-19). Now a man is as
forlorn as a pelican in the wilderness, as an owl in the desert,
or as a sparrow upon the house-top. If a man cannot now go to the
throne of grace by prayer, through Christ, and so fetch grace for
his support from thence, what can he do? He cannot live of himself
(John 15:4). Wherefore this is a sore evil.

10. Another time of need is the day of death, when I am to pack up
and to be gone from hence, the way of all the earth.[35] Now the
greatest trial is come, excepting that of the day of judgment. Now
a man is to be stripped of all, but that which cannot be shaken.
Now a man grows near the borders of eternity. Now he begins to
see into the skirts of the next world. Now death is death, and the
grave the grave indeed! Now he begins to see what it is for body
and soul to part, and what to go and appear before God (Eccl 12:5).
Now the dark entry, and the thoughts of what is in the way from
a deathbed to the gate of the holy heaven, comes nearer the heart
than when health and prosperity do compass a man about. Wherefore
this is like to be a trying time, a time of need indeed. A prudent
man will make it one of the great concerns of his whole life to
get, and lay up a stock of grace for this day, though the fool will
rage and be confident: for he knows all will be little enough to
keep him warm in his soul, while cold death strokes his hand over
his face, and over his heart, and is turning his blood into jelly;
while strong death is loosing his silver cord, and breaking his
golden bowl! (Eccl 12:6). Wherefore, I say, this motive weareth
a spur on his heel, a spur to prick us on to the throne of grace
for mercy, and grace to help in time of need. But,

[Continual supplies of grace essential to our welfare.]

Second. I come now to the next thing, which is, to show that nothing
can carry us through our needy times, but more or a continual
supply of mercy and grace. This the text fully implies, because it
directeth us to the throne of grace, for mercy and grace for that
very end. And had there been any thing else that could have done
it, the apostle would have made mention of it, and would also have
directed the saints unto it. But forasmuch as he here makes mention
of the needy time, and directs them to the throne of grace for
mercy and grace to help, it followeth that mercy and grace, and that
only, can help us in the evil time. Now mercy and grace are to be
distinctly considered. 1. Mercy, for that by it we have through
Christ the continuation and multiplication of forgivenesses,
without which there is no salvation. 2. Grace, for that by it we
are upheld, supported, and enabled to go through our needy times,
as Christians, without which there is no salvation neither. The
first all will grant, the second is clear: 'If any man draws back,
my soul shall have no pleasure in him; but we are not of them who
draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving
of the soul' (Heb 10:38,39).

1. Mercy is that by which we are pardoned, even all the falls,
faults, failings, and weaknesses, that attend us, and that we are
incident to, in this our day of temptation; and for this mercy we
should pray, and say, 'Our Father, forgive us our trespasses' (Matt
6:9-12). For though mercy is free in the exercise of it to usward,
yet God will have us ask, that we may have; as he also saith in
the text, 'Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy.' Here then we have one help, and that is, the mercy
of God is to be extended to us from his throne through Jesus Christ,
for our pardon and forgiveness in all those weaknesses that we are
attended with in the needy or evil times; and we should come to
God for this very thing. This is that which David means, when he
says, 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever' (Psa
23:6). And again, 'When I said my foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord,
held me up' (Psa 94:18). Set me clear and free from guilt, and from
the imputation of sin unto death, by Christ.

Nor can any thing help where this is wanting; for our parts, our
knowledge, our attainments, nor our graces, cannot so carry us
through this world, but that we shall be guilty of that that will
sink us down to hell, without God's pardoning mercy. It is not the
grace that we have received can do it, nor the grace that is to be
received that can do it; nothing can do it but the pardoning mercy
of God: for because all our graces are here imperfect, they cannot
produce a spotless obedience. But where there is not a spotless
obedience, there must of necessity follow a continuation of pardon
and forgiveness by mercy, or I know what will become of the soul.
Here, therefore, the apostle lays an obligation upon thee to the
throne of grace, to wit, that thou mayest obtain mercy, a continuation
of mercy, mercy as long as thou art like to live this vain life on
the earth; mercy that will reach through all thy days. For there
is not a day, nor a duty; not a day that thou livest, nor a duty
that thou dost, but will need that mercy should come after to take
away thy iniquity.[36] Nay, thou canst not receive mercy so clearly,
as not to stand in need of another act of mercy to pardon weakness
in thy no better receiving the last. We receive not our mercies
so humbly, so readily, so gladly, and with that thankfulness as
we should: and therefore, for the want of these, have the need of
another, and another act of God's sin-pardoning mercy, and need
shall have thereof, as long as evil time shall last with us.

But is not this great grace, that we should thus be called upon
to come to God for mercy? Yea, is not God unspeakably good, in
providing such a throne of grace, such a sacrifice, such a high
priest, and so much mercy for us, and then to invite us to come
with boldness to him for it? Nay, doth not his kindness yet further
appear, by giving of us items and intimations of needy times, and
evil days, on purpose to provoke us to come to him for mercy? This
then shows us, as also we have hinted before, that the throne of
grace, and Christ Jesus our High Priest, are both provided upon
the account of our imperfections, namely, that we who are called
might not be, by remaining weaknesses, hindered of, but obtain eternal
inheritance. Weaknesses, such weaknesses remain in the justified,
and such slips and failings are found in and upon them, that call
for a course of mercy and forgiveness to attend them. Farther,
this also intimates, that God's people should not be dejected at
the apprehensions of their imperfections; I say, not so dejected,
as therefore to cast off faith, and hope, and prayer; for a throne
of grace is provided for them, to the which they may, they must,
they ought continually to resort for mercy, sin-pardoning mercy.

2. As we are here to obtain mercy, so we are here to find grace.
They that obtain mercy, shall find grace, therefore they are put
together. That they may obtain mercy and find grace; only they
must find mercy first; for as forgiveness at first goes before
sanctification in the general, so forgiveness afterwards goes before
particular acts of grace for further sanctification. God giveth
not the spirit of grace to those that he has not first forgiven by
mercy, for the sake of Christ.[37] Also so long as he as a Father
forbears to forgive us as his adopted, so long we go without those
further additions of grace that are here suggested in the text.
But when we have obtained mercy to forgive, then we also find grace
to our renewing. Therefore he saith, First obtain mercy, and then
find grace.

Grace here I take to be that grace which God has appointed for us,
to dwell in us; and that by and through the continual supply of
which we are to be enabled to do and suffer, and to manage ourselves
in doing and suffering according to the will of God. 'Let us have
grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear' (Heb 12:28). So again, 'he giveth more grace; wherefore he
saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble'
(James 4:6; Prov 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5). The grace, therefore, that
this text intends, is grace given or to be given; grace received
or to be received; grace a root, a principle of grace, with its
continual supplies for the perfecting of that salvation that God
has designed for us. This was that which comforted Paul, when the
messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him, it was said unto him
by Christ, 'My grace is sufficient for thee' (2 Cor 12:9). As who
should say, Paul, be not utterly cast down, I have wherewith all
to make thee stand, and overcome, and that is my grace, by which
thou shalt be supported, strengthened, comforted, and made to live
a triumphant life, notwithstanding all that oppress thee. But this
came to him upon his praying; for this I prayed to God thrice,
saith he. So again, 'God is able to make all grace abound toward
you; that ye always have all sufficiency in all things, may abound
to every good work' (2 Cor 9:8). Thus you see, that by grace in
these places is meant that spirit, and those principles of grace,
by the increase and continual supply of which we are inwardly
strengthened, and made to abound to every good work.

This then is the conclusion, That as there is mercy to be obtained
by us at the throne of grace, for the pardon of all our weaknesses;
so there is also grace there to be found that will yet strengthen
us more, to all good walking and living before him. He giveth more
grace, and they receive one time or another abundance of grace
that shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. This then teaches us
several things, some of which I will mention. As,

[What this should teach us.]

1. That nature, as nature, is not capable of serving of God: no,
not nature where grace dwells, as considered abstract from that
grace that dwells in it. Nothing can be done aright without grace,
I mean no part nor piece of gospel-duty. 'Let us have grace whereby
we may serve God acceptably.' Nature, managed by grace, seasoned
with grace, and held up with grace, can serve God acceptably. Let
us have grace, seek for and find grace to do so; for we cannot do
so but by grace: 'By the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace
which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain; but I laboured more
abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was
with me' (1 Cor 15:10). What can be more plain than this beautiful
text? For the apostle doth here quite shut out nature, sanctified
nature, for he indeed was a sanctified man, and concludes that even
he, as of himself, did nothing of all the great works that he did;
but they were done, he did them by the grace of God that was in
him. Wherefore nature, sanctified nature, as nature, can of itself
do nothing to the pleasing of God the Father.

Is not this the experience of all the godly? Can they do that at
all times which they can do at some times? Can they pray, believe,
love, fear, repent, and bow before God always alike? No. Why so?
they are the same men, the same human nature, the same saints.
Aye, but the same grace, in the same degree, operation, and life of
grace, doth not so now work on that man, that nature, that saint;
therefore, notwithstanding he is what he is, he cannot do at all
times alike. Thus therefore it is manifest, that nature, simply
as such, is a great way off of doing that which is acceptable with
God. Refined, purified, sanctified nature, cannot do but by the
immediate supplies, lifts, and helps of that spirit and principle
of grace by the which it is so sanctified.

2. As nature, even where grace is, cannot, without the assistance
of that grace, do anything acceptably before God; so grace received,
if it be not also supplied with more grace, cannot cause that we
continue to do acceptable service to God. This also is clear by the
text, For he speaketh there to them that had received grace; yea,
puts himself into the number, saying, 'Let us come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may find grace to help in time of need.'
If grace received would do, what need for more? What need we pray
for more? What need we go to the throne of grace for more? This
very exhortation saith it will not: present supplies of grace are
proportioned to our present need, and to help us to do a present
work or duty.[38] But is our present need all the need that we are
like to have, and the present work all the work that we have to do
in the world? Even so the grace that we have received at present,
though it can help us to do a present work, it cannot, without
a further supply, help us to do what is to be done hereafter.
Wherefore, the apostle saith, that his continuing to do was through
his obtaining help, continual help of God: 'Having, therefore,'
saith he, 'obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing
both to small and great,' &c. (Acts 26:22). There must be a daily
imploring of God for daily supplies from him, if we will do our
daily business as we should.

A present dispensation of grace is like a good meal, a seasonable
shower, or a penny in one's pocket, all which will serve for the
present necessity. But will that good meal that I ate last week,
enable me, without supply, to do a good day's work in this? or will
that seasonable shower which fell last year, be, without supplies,
a seasonable help to the grain and grass that is growing now? or
will that penny that supplied my want the other day, I say, will
the same penny also, without a supply, supply my wants today? The
same may, I say, be said of grace received; it is like the oil in
the lamp, it must be fed, it must be added to. And there, there
shall be a supply, 'wherefore he giveth more grace.' Grace is the
sap, which from the root maintaineth the branches: stop the sap,
and the branch will wither. Not that the sap shall be stopped where
there is union, not stopped for altogether; for as from the root
the branch is supplied, so from Christ is every member furnished
with a continual supply of grace, if it doth as it should; 'of his
fulness have all we received, and grace for grace' (John 1:16).

The day of grace is the day of expense: this is our spending time.
Hence we are called pilgrims and strangers in the earth, that is,
travellers from place to place, from state to state, from trial to
trial (Heb 11:13). Now, as the traveller at a fresh inn is made to
spend fresh money; so Christians, at a fresh temptation, at a new
temptation, are made to spend afresh, and a new supply of grace.
Great men, when and while their sons are travellers, appoint
that their bags of money be lodged ready, or conveniently paid in
at such and such a place, for the suitable relief of them; and so
they meet with supplies. Why, so are the sons of the Great One,
and he has allotted that we should travel beyond sea, or at a great
distance from our Father's house: wherefore he has appointed that
grace shall be provided for us, to supply at such a place, such
a state or temptation, as need requires: but withal, as my lord
expecteth his son should acquaint him with the present emptiness
of his purse, and with the difficulty he hath now to grapple with;
so God our Father expects that we should plead by Christ our need
at the throne of grace, in order to a supply of grace:[39] 'Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.'

Now then, this shows the reason why many Christians that are
indeed possessed with the grace of God, do yet walk so oddly, act
so poorly, and live such ordinary lives in the world. They are like
to those gentlemen's sons that are of the more extravagant sort,
that walk in their lousy hue, when they might be maintained better.
Such young men care not, perhaps scorn to acquaint their fathers
with their wants, and therefore walk in their threadbare jackets,
with hose and shoes out at heels! a right emblem of the uncircumspect
child of God. This also shows the reason of all those dreadful
falls and miscarriages that many of the saints sustain, they made
it not their business to watch to see what is coming, and to pray
for a supply of grace to uphold them; they, with David, are too
careless, or, with Peter, too confident, or, with the disciples,
too sleepy, and so the temptation comes upon them; and their want
like an armed man. This also shows the reason why some that, to
one's thinking, would fall every day; for that their want of parts,
their small experience, their little knowledge of God's matters, do
seem to bespeak it; yet stand, walk better, and keep their garments
more white than those that have, when compared with them, twice as
much as they. They are praying saints, they are often at the throne
of grace, they are sensible of their weakness, keep a sight of their
danger before their faces, and will not be contented without more
grace.

Third. And this leads me, in the third place, to show you, that
were we wise, and did we ply it at the throne of grace for grace,
as we should, O what spotless lives might we live! We should then
have always help in time of need; for so the text insinuates, 'That
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' This
is that which Peter means, when he says, 'And besides this,' that
is, besides your faith in Christ, and besides your happy state of
justification, 'giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue;
and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to
temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if
these things be in you and abound,' and be continually supplied
with a supply from the throne of grace, 'they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see
afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling
and election sure: for if you do these things, ye shall never fall:
for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2
Peter 1:5-11).

The greatest part of professors now-a-days take up their time in
contracting of guilt, and asking for pardon, and yet are not much
the better. Whereas, if they had but the grace to add to their
faith, virtue, &c., they might have more peace, live better lives,
and not have their heads so often in a bag as they have. 'To him
that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of
God' (Psa 50:23). To him that disposeth his way aright; now this
cannot be done without a constant supplicating at the throne of grace
for more grace. This then is the reason why every new temptation
that comes upon thee, so foils, so overcomes thee, that thou wilt
need a new conversion to be recovered from under the power and
guilt that cleaves to thee by its overshadowing of thee. A new
temptation, a sudden temptation, an unexpected temptation, usually
foils those that are not upon their watch; and that have not been
before with God to be inlaid with grace proportionable to what may
come upon them.

'That ye may find grace to help in time of need'! There is grace
to be found at the throne of grace that will help us under the
greatest straits. 'Seek and ye shall find'; it is there, and it
is to be found there; it is to be found there of the seeking soul,
of the soul that seeketh him. Wherefore I will conclude as I did
begin; 'Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.'

[CONCLUSION. Some lessons to be learned from this text.]

We will now speak something by way of conclusion, and so wind up
the whole.

First. You must remember that we have been hitherto speaking of the
throne of grace, and showing what it is. That we have also been
speaking of Christ's sacrifice, and how he manages his high priest's
office before the throne of grace. We have also here, as you see,
been speaking of the mercy and grace that is to be obtained and
found at this throne of grace, and of what advantage it is to us
in this our pilgrimage. Now, from all this it follows, that sin is
a fearful thing: for all this ado is, that men might be saved from
sin! What a devil then is sin? it is the worst of devils; it is
worse than all devils; those that are devils sin hath made them
so; nor could anything else have made them devils but sin. Now,
I pray, what is it to be a devil, but to be under, for ever, the
power and dominion of sin, an implacable spirit against God? Such
an one, from which implacableness all the power in heaven and earth
cannot release them, because God of his justice has bound them
over to judgment. These spirits are by sin carried quite away from
themselves, as well as from God that made them; they cannot design
their own good; they cannot leave that which yet they know will be
everlasting mischievous to themselves. Sin has bound them to itself
so fast, that there can be no deliverance for them, but by the Son
of God, who also has refused them, and left them to themselves,
and to the judgment which they have deserved. Sin also has got
a victory over man, has made him an enemy to God and to his own
salvation; has caught him, captivated him, carried away his mind,
and will, and heart, from God; and made him choose to be vain, and
to run the hazard of eternal damnation, with rejoicing and delight.
But God left not man where he left those wicked spirits, to wit,
under the everlasting chains of darkness, reserved unto judgment;
but devised means for their ransom and reconciliation to himself;
which is the thing that has been discoursed of in the foregoing
part of this book (2 Sam 15:15). But, I say, what a thing is sin,
what a devil and master of devils is it, that it should, where
it takes hold, so hang that nothing can unclinch its hold but the
mercy of God and the heart-blood of his dear Son! O the fretting,
eating, infecting, defiling, and poisonous nature of sin, that it
should so eat into our flesh and spirit, body and soul, and so stain
us with its vile and stinking nature: yea, it has almost turned man
into the nature of itself; insomuch as that sometimes, when nature
is mentioned, sin is meant; and when sin is mentioned, nature is
meant (Eph 2:3, 5:8). Wherefore sin is a fearful thing; a thing to
be lamented, a thing to be abhorred, a thing to be fled from with
more astonishment and trembling than one would fly from any devil,
because it is the worst of things; and that without which nothing
can be bad, and because where it takes hold it so fasteneth that
nothing, as I have said, can release whom it has made a captive,
but the mercy of God and the heart-blood of his dear Son. O what
a thing is sin!

Second. As by what hath been said sin appears to be exceeding sinful;
so, from hence it also follows, that the soul is a precious thing.
For you must know all this is for the redemption of the soul. The
redemption of the soul is precious (Psa 49:8,20). I say, it is for
the redemption of the soul; it was for this that Christ was made
a priest, a sacrifice, an altar, a throne of grace; yea, sin, a
curse, and what not, that was necessary for our deliverance from
sin, and death, and everlasting damnation. He that would know what
a soul is, let him read in letters of blood the price and purchase
of the soul. It was not for a light, a little, an inconsiderable
thing, that Christ Jesus underwent what he suffered when he was in
the world, and gave himself a ransom for souls. No, no! The soul
is a great, a vast great thing, notwithstanding it is so little
set by of some. Some prefer anything that they fancy, above the
soul; a slut, a lie, a pot, an act of fraudulency, the swing of a
prevailing passion, anything shall be preferred when the occasion
offereth itself.[40] If Christ had set as little by souls as some
men do, he had never left his Father's bosom, and the glory that
he had with him; he had never so humbled himself, so gave himself
to punishment, affliction, and sorrow; and made himself so the object
of scorn, and contempt, and reproach, as he did, and all that the
souls of sinners might live a life in glory with him.

But methinks this is the mystery of all as to this, that the soul
should take that pains, contrive such ways, and take such advantages
against itself! For it is the soul that sins, that the soul might
die! O! sin, what art thou? What hast thou done? and what still
wilt thou further do, if mercy, and blood and grace doth not prevent
thee? O silly soul! what a fool has sin made of thee? what an ass
art thou become to sin? that ever an immortal soul, at first made in
the image of God, for God, and for his delight, should so degenerate
from its first station, and so abase itself that it might serve
sin, as to become the devil's ape, and to play like a Jack Pudding
for him upon any stage or theatre in the world! But I recall
myself; for if sin can make one who was sometimes a glorious angel
in heaven, now so to abuse himself as to become, to appearance,
as a filthy frog, a toad, a rat, a cat, a fly, a mouse, a dog, or
bitch's whelp,[41] to serve its ends upon a poor mortal, that it
might gull them of everlasting life, no marvel if the soul is so
beguiled as to sell itself from God, and all good, for so poor a
nothing as a momentary pleasure is. But,

Third. If sin and the soul are such great things, then behold the
love and care of God; the love to souls, the care he hath taken
to deliver them from sin. Sin, as I have said, is such a thing as
from which no man can deliver himself; the soul is such a thing,
so rich and valuable in the nature of it, that scarce one in twenty
thousand counts of it as they should. But God, the lover of mankind,
and the greatest enemy to sin, has provided means effectually
to overthrow the one, and to save and secure the other. Behold,
therefore, the love of God, the care of God for us; for when we
neither loved nor cared for ourselves, God both loved us and cared
for us. God commended his love towards us in sending his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins.

Let it be then concluded that 'GOD IS LOVE,' and that the love that
God hath to us is such as we never had for ourselves. We have been
often tried about our own love to ourselves, and it has been proved
over, and over, and over, that sometimes even we that are Christians
could, and would, had it been possible, have pawned ourselves, our
souls, and our interest in Christ, for a foul and beastly lust. But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved
us, would not suffer it so to be. Now, if we are so fickle and
uncertain in our love to ourselves, as to value our salvation at
so low and so base a rate, can it be imagined that ever we should,
had it been left to our choice, have given the best of what we
have for the salvation of our souls? Yet God gave his Son to be
the Saviour of the world. I say again, if our love is so slender
to our own souls, can any think that it should be more full to the
souls of others? And yet God had such love to us, as to give his
only begotten Son for our sins. Yet again, how should it be that we,
who are usually so affected with the conceit of our own happiness,
since we care no more for our own souls, do our best to secure the
souls of others? and yet God, who is infinitely above all creatures,
has so condescended, as to concern himself, and to give the best
of his flock, even his only beloved Son, for very dust and ashes.
Wherefore, 'Herein is love, not that we loved God,' or our neighbour,
'but that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins' (1 John 4:10).

Fourth. Is sin so vile a thing? is the soul so precious a thing?
and is God's love and care of the salvation of the souls of sinners
infinitely greater than is their own care for their own souls?
Then this should teach those concerned to blush, to blush, I say,
and to cover their faces with shame. There is nothing, as I know
of, that more becomes a sinner, than blushing and shame doth; for
he is the harbourer, the nurse, and the nourisher of that vile
thing called sin; that so great an enemy of God, and that so great
an enemy to the soul. It becomes him also, if he considers what a
creature God has made him, and how little he hath set by his own
creation, and by the matter of which God hath made his soul. Let him
also consider unto what base things he hath stooped and prostrated
himself, while things infinitely better have stood by and offered
themselves unto him freely; yea, how he has cast that God that made
him, and his Son that came to redeem him, quite behind his back,
and before their faces embraced, loved, and devoted himself unto
him that seeks nothing more than the damnation of his soul.

Ah, Lord! when will foolish man be wise, and come to God with his
hands upon his head, and with his face covered with shame, to ask
him forgiveness for that wickedness which he has committed? which
is wickedness committed not only against holiness and justice,
against which also men by nature have an antipathy, but against
mercy and love, without which man cannot tell what to do. Blush,
sinner, blush. Ah, that thou hadst grace to blush! But this is God's
complaint, 'Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush' (Jer
8:12). It is a sad thing that men should be thus void of consideration,
and yet they are so. They are at a continual jest with God and his
Word, with the devil and sin, with hell and judgment. But they will
be in earnest one day; but that one day will be too late!

Fifth. Is it so that God, though sin is so fearful a thing, has
prepared an effectual remedy against it, and purposed to save us
from the evil and damning effects thereof? (1.) Then this should
beget thankfulness in the hearts of the godly, for they are made
partakers of this grace; I say, it should beget thankfulness in
thy heart. 'Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift,' said the
apostle, when he seriously thought of that which was much inferior
to what we have been a discoursing of (2 Cor 9:15). That was about
man's willingness to do good; this is about God's. That was about
men's willingness to give money to poor saints; this about God's
willingness to give Christ Jesus his Son to the world. It was the
thoughts of this redemption and salvation that made David say,
'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his
holy name' (Psa 103:1). O! they that are partakers of redeeming
grace, and that have a throne of grace, a covenant of grace, and
a Christ, that is the Son of God's love, to come to, and to live
by, should be a thankful people. 'By him therefore let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually,--giving thanks in his name'
(Heb 13:15). How many obligations has God laid upon his people,
to give thanks to him at every remembrance of his holiness. (2.)
Study the priesthood, the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, both
the first and second part thereof. The first part was that when he
offered up himself without the gate, when he bare our sins in his
own body on the tree. The second part is that which he executeth
there whither he is now gone, even in heaven itself, where the throne
of grace is. I say, study what Christ has done, and is adoing. O!
what is he adoing now? he is sprinkling his blood with his priestly
robes on, before the throne of grace; that is too little thought
on by the saints of God: 'We have such a high priest, who is set
on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the
Lord pitched, and not man' (Heb 8:1,2). Busy thyself, fellow-Christian,
about this blessed office of Christ. It is full of good, it is full
of sweet, it is full of heaven, it is full of relief and succour
for the tempted and dejected; wherefore, I say again, study these
things, give thyself wholly to them.

Sixth. Since God has prepared himself a lamb, a sacrifice, a priest, a
throne of grace, and has bid thee come to him, come to him as there
sitting; come, come boldly, as he bids thee. What better warrant
canst thou have to come, than to be bid to come of God? When the
goodman himself bids the beggar come to his house, then he may come,
then he may come boldly; the consideration of the invitation doth
encourage. That we have our friend at court, should also make us
come boldly. Jesus, as has been showed, as sacrifice and high priest,
is there, 'in whom we have boldness, and access with confidence by
the faith of him' (Eph 3:12). Again, 'By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God' (Rom 5:2). Again, 'We have boldness, brethren,
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus' (Heb 10:19,20).
What can be more plain, more encouraging, more comfortable to them
that would obtain mercy, 'and find grace to help in time of need.'
It is a dishonour to God, disadvantage to thee, and an encouragement
to Satan, when thou hangest back, and seemest afraid to 'come boldly
unto the throne of grace.' 'Let us,' therefore, 'draw near with a
true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;
let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for
he is faithful that promised, and let us consider one another, to
provoke unto love and to good works' (Heb 10:22-24). Farewell.

FOOTNOTES:

1. How many thousands rush into the presence of God with unholy,
thoughtless familiarity, by repeating the form called the Lord's
prayer. His infinite holiness should make us tremblingly apply
to his throne of grace. In the name of the Redeemer, and in his
mediation alone, the sinner can find access, and be emboldened to
draw nigh and receive grace to help in our everyday time of need.--Ed.

2. 'Though the phrase, "throne of grace," be only once named
in the Bible, yet the thing signified is so savoury, significant,
and suitable, that this form of speaking is become famous among
Christians, and will be used to the end of time.'--Traill.--Ed.

3. This is an allusion to Jeremiah 18:1-10 the potter and his wheel,
upon which he forms his vessels of clay to honour or to dishonour
as he pleaseth. So God worketh all things according to his will,
all tending to the good of his church, because his resting-place
is the mercy-seat.--Ed.

4. Quoted from the Genevan or puritan version.--Ed.

5. 'Grace was poured so plentifully from heaven, that it did not
only countervail sin, but above measure passeth it.' Note to the
Genevan Bible.--Ed.

6. Not by the person or body, but mentally. It matters little whether
the body is sitting, kneeling, or standing; riding, walking, or
lying down; the throne of grace is equally accessible, if the spirit
is prostrate before it--the spontaneous effusions of the soul in
sighs or groans, or joyful exclamations, or the pouring forth of
heart-felt words; but all must be under a sense of the mediation
of Jesus.--Ed.

7. Smutches or smudges. 'And with a kind of amber smirch my
face.'--Shakespeare.--Ed.

8. 'In all our distresses, infirmities, and darkness in this world,
we should get up to that mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense,
Canticles 4:6;--the passion of Christ, which was bitter like myrrh;
and to the intercession of Christ, which is sweet like incense.'--Dr.
Bates.--Ed.

9. How dreadful for a sinner to enter upon a way, expecting it to
be a living way to life and happiness, and find it the dead way to
death and eternal destruction. O my soul, try thy way, and, by the
assistance of the Holy Spirit, ascertain whether it is the living
way to everlasting life, or the dead way to eternal misery.--Ed.

10. Such was the opinion of naturalists in the olden time,
Bartolomeus, on the properties of things, thus speaks of goats'
blood--'The goat's hot blood neshethe (softeneth) and carveth the
hard ardamant stone, that neither fire nor iron may overcome.' Book
18 cap. 60.--Ed.

11. What laid the cornerstone of this throne, but grace? What brings
in the inhabitants, preserves them, perfects them, but grace?--Traill.


   'Grace all the work shall crown,
        Thro' everlasting days;
    It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
        And well deserves the praise.'--Rippon.


12. Perfectly impressed upon their memories.--Ed.

13. From the Genevan version.--Ed.

14. Bunyan here refers to the marginal note in the Genevan bible,
Exodus 30. The high priest's washing 'signifying that he that cometh
to God must be washed from all sin and corruption.'--Ed.

15. This sea was full of pure water, a figure of the word, without
mixture of men's inventions. See the typical meaning of the molten
sea and the laver, fully explained and illustrated by Bunyan, in
Solomon's Temple Spiritualized of this edition.--Ed.

16. Our first lesson is of sin, righteousness, and judgment; second,
Christ's obedience unto death for our salvation; third, Christ
ascended to God's right hand, the Mediator and Advocate. Thus the
bitter comes before the sweet, to make the sweet the sweeter.--Ed.

17. Alluding to these destructive operations of nature, the whirlwind
and the whirlpool, the first whirling fancies that Christ saves
from the punishment, and not from the power of sin, takes them from
the gospel hope, and the second receives them into the vortex of
misery. O my soul, be watchful unto prayer at a throne of grace,
for who can withstand the whirlpool if once within its influence?--Ed.

18. To see the fulness and freeness of the treasures of grace in
Christ--to see that we must partake of it or perish--to be looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, are indeed powerful
incentives to keep us near the throne of grace.--Ed.

19. Probably a frightful military saying heard by Bunyan, when
serving in the debauched army of Charles I, from some of Prince
Rupert's cavaliers.--Ed.

20. How much this paragraph reminds us of the experience of poor
Christian in his fearful battle with the fiend! 'In this combat
no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard as I did, what
yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the
fight--he spake like a dragon; and, on the other side, what sighs
and groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him, all the
while, give so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had
wounded Apollyon with his two-edged sword; then, indeed, he did
smile and look upward; but it was the dreadfullest fight that ever
I saw.'--Ed.

21. 'Spaked'; marked with small spots.--Ed.

22. Instituted, inducted, or installed.--Ed.

23. Exposed to violence--blindfolded or hoodwinked.--Ed.

24. Protestants can have little idea of the idolatry used in
the Church of Rome. Something may be gathered from the following
directions, given in a very beautiful office for Good Friday,
corrected by royal authority, in conformity with the breviary and
missal of our holy father Pope Urban VIII, printed at Paris by
Posset:--

'The priest having retired a little behind the altar, the deacon
takes the cross (a plain wooden cross without the figure), covered
with a veil, and gives it to the priest, who turns to the people
and shows the top of the cross, before which they all prostrate
themselves and kiss the ground, singing Ecce lignum crucis. He
then removes the veil from the right limb of the cross, and lifts
it up, singing, still louder, Behold the wood of the cross; again
the people prostrate themselves. The priest then comes to the
middle of the altar, and taking off the veil, exhibits the wooden
cross to be adored; then setting it down, he goes on his knees,
and rising, takes off his shoes and approaches the cross to worship
it, making three genuflections, and kisses it. All the clergy who
are present take off their shoes, prostrate themselves, worship and
kiss the cross in the order of their dignity. All the officers of
the church, and all the people, follow in the same manner to adore
it, while solemn music and chanting attends and completes the
ceremony.' Thus a wooden board, made into the shape of a cross by
some joiner, receives Divine honours. Talk not of heathen idols. Who
can wonder that honest John Bunyan felt indignation, and exclaimed,
'O idolatry! O blasphemy!'--Ed.

25. An extraneous taste that leaves a sting behind, as, 'She had
a tongue with a tang.' 'The wine has a tang of the cask.'--Ed.

26. This use of the word 'resent' has been long obsolete; it expressed
a deep sense or strong perception of good as well as evil; in this
place it means, 'proved to have been satisfactory or gratifying.'--Ed.

27. How sublime is the Christian system, in its adaptation to all
God's intelligent creatures! So lovely in its simplicity, that
the child--nay, even the poor Bushman of Africa, or the half-idiot
native of New South Wales--is able readily to comprehend how God,
for Christ's sake, can blot out all iniquities and transgressions;
while the noblest intellect admires and adores its vast and extensive
ramifications of mercies. Blessings numerous and unbounded are
developed, reaching, in their ultimate effects, far beyond the
utmost stretch of human perception, even when the most brilliant
imagination is enlightened and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The
intentions of mercy commence in the purposes of God before the
creation--are infinite in extent--and eternal in duration. How is
Divine wisdom and mercy thus displayed in the adaptation of the
gospel to the personal inquiry and reception of every individual
of the human race!--Ed.

28. The beginning, increase, and perfection of life eternal,
consists in holy knowledge; that God and Christ are of the same
nature, equal in power and glory. As Christ is the most excellent
object, therefore the knowledge of Christ is, and must be the most
excellent knowledge; not only all the excellencies of the creatures
are found in him, but all excellencies, yea, the fulness of the
Godhead, dwells in him bodily. All learning, in comparison of the
knowledge of Christ, is the most contemptible ignorance. He is the
wisdom of God, and our highest wisdom will be, with holy Paul, to
part with whatever is most dear and precious to us, that we may win
Christ, receiving him as he is revealed in the word of truth.--Mason.

29. Power of exercising affection and feeling.--Ed.

30. Bunyan's daughter, Mary, was blind, and thus became an object
of his tenderest solicitude. When he was sent to prison for
preaching, he felt for her far more than for all other worldly
objects. 'My poor blind child. O the thoughts of the hardship she
might go under would break my heart to pieces.'--Grace Abounding,
No. 320 and 329.--Ed.

31. It is a stupendous and unspeakably blessed privilege that Christ
and believers are one flesh. Husband and wife, soul and body, are
not so closely united as Christ and believers are to each other.
He has carried their sorrows, borne their punishment, and procured
complete redemption for them. And eternal blessings on him! he
now ever liveth in heaven to act and intercede for them. He there
exercises a tender and compassionate spirit towards his suffering
children and servants here on earth. His love and pity to every
individual of his church, infinitely exceeds that of the most
affectionate parent towards their offspring. Our extremity is his
opportunity--he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
will give consolation under, sanctify, and at length deliver the
godly out of all temptations and afflictions.--Mason.

32. As this is Satan's temptation in the time of poverty, so the
time of prosperity is equally dangerous--the love of gain, when it
possesses the soul, is insatiable. Satan whispers into the ear, and
the heart too readily entertains the wicked thought--'Get money; if
you cannot do it honestly, still get money.' The most contemptible
meannesses have been practised by the wealthy. O beware of that
ruinous idolatry, covetousness.--Ed.

33. Query, is this that part of a Christian's experience referred
to in the Pilgrim's Progress, the second part of the Valley of the
Shadow of Death?--Ed.

34. No man could speak more experimentally on the pain inflicted by
slander, although utterly unfounded, than John Bunyan. So eminent
a man became a mark for Satan and his emissaries to shoot at. He was
charged with witchcraft, called a highwayman, and every slander
that malice could invent was heaped upon him. His remedy, his
consolation, was the throne of grace--a specific that never did,
nor ever will fail.--Ed.

35. The late Rev. John Newton, who lived to a good old age,
in his latter days used to tell his friends--'I am like a parcel,
packed up and directed, only waiting the carrier to take me to my
destination'; blessed tranquility under such solemn circumstances.--Ed.

36. This is illustrated by the account of Hopeful's experience in
the Pilgrim's Progress; he says, 'If I look narrowly into the best
of what I do now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with
the best of that I do; so that now I am forced to conclude, that,
notwithstanding my former fond conceits of myself and duties, I
have committed sin enough IN ONE DUTY to send me to hell, though
my former life had been faultless.'--Ed.

37. Grace, mercy, peace, justification, sanctification, and
glorification, all flow from Christ the propitiatory sacrifice, in
whom, as his beloved, the Father accepts us graciously, and loves
us freely.--Mason.

38. Spiritual strength, like bodily food, must be renewed day by
day. The necessity of daily food for our bodies should remind us
of that bread that cometh down from heaven, and that water of life
which, as a river, maketh glad the city of our God. 'As oft as ye
do this,' eat and drink, 'ye do show the Lord's death.' O that such
a recollection may have an abiding influence upon our souls!--Ed.

39. In those days travellers did well to advance as far in a day
as we now do in an hour. To make a country tour, required then
the same precautions, as to supplies, as it now does to make the
grand tour of Europe. To have carried coin would have been a great
encumbrance, as well as risk from robbers. How accurately Bunyan
knew the mode used in such cases to secure supplies, and with what
beautiful simplicity it is spiritualized.--Ed.

40. How truly and solemnly is the downward road of a sinner here
portrayed. 1. Drawn aside by lust. 2. A lie to conceal his wicked
folly. 3. Intoxication, to drown his convictions and harden his
conscience. 4. The consequent ruin of his worldly prospects; and,
5. A vain effort by fraud to keep up his credit!!!--Ed.

41. It was in Bunyan's time the universally received opinion that
Satan appeared in the shape of animals to allure poor wretches into
sin--Shakespeare, Judge Hale, Cotton Mather, Baxter, with all our
eminent men, believed in these supernatural appearances.--Ed.

***

THE ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE;

OR,

THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART:

SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT.

BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER
OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD.

WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE
GOSPEL IN LONDON.

London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates,
1692.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George
Cokayn, will inform the reader of the melancholy circumstances under
which it was published, and of the author's intention, and mode
of treatment. Very little more need be said, by way of introducing
to our readers this new edition of Bunyan's Excellency of a Broken
Heart. George Cokayn was a gospel minister in London, who became
eventually connected with the Independent denomination. He was
a learned man--brought up at the university--had preached before
the House of Commons--was chaplain to that eminent statesman and
historian, Whitelocke--was rector of St. Pancras, Soper Lane--remarkable
for the consistency of his conduct and piety of his life--but as he
dared not to violate his conscience, by conformity to ceremonies or
creeds which he deemed antichristian, he suffered under persecution,
and, with upwards of two thousand godly ministers, was ejected
from his living, and thrown upon the care of Divine Providence for
daily food. The law ordered him to be silent, and not to set forth
the glories of his Saviour; but his heavenly Father had ordained
him to preach. There was no hesitation as to whom he would obey. At
the risk of imprisonment, transportation, and death, he preached;
and God honoured his ministry, and he became the founder of
a flourishing church in Hare Court, London. His preface bears the
date of September, 1688; and, at a good old age, he followed Bunyan
to the celestial city, in 1689. It is painful to find the author's
Baptist friends keeping aloof because of his liberal sentiments;
but it is delightful to witness the hearty affection with which an
Independent minister recommends the work of a Baptist; and truly
refreshing to hear so learned a man commending most earnestly the
work of a poor, unlettered, but gigantic brother in the ministry.
Surely there is water enough connected with that controversy to
quench any unholy fire that differences of opinion might ignite.
George Cokayn appears to have possessed much a kindred spirit with
John Bunyan. Some of his expressions are remarkably Bunyanish. Thus,
when speaking of the jailor, 'who was a most barbarous, hard-hearted
wretch; yet, when God came to deal with him, he was soon tamed, and
his heart became exceeding soft and tender.' And when alluding to
the Lord's voice, in softening the sinner's heart, he says: 'This
is a glorious work indeed, that hearts of stone should be dissolved
and melted into waters of godly sorrow, working repentance.'

The subject of a broken heart is one of vital importance, because
it is essential to salvation. The heart, by nature, is hard, and
cannot, and will not break itself. Angels have no power to perform
this miracle of mercy and of justice. It is the work of the Holy
Spirit in the NEW BIRTH. Some have supposed that God always prepares
the heart for this solemn, this important change, by a stroke of
his providence; but it is not so. Who dares limit the Almighty? He
takes his own way with the sinner--one by a whisper, another by a
hurricane. Some are first alarmed by the preaching of the Word--many
by conversation with a pious friend or neighbour; some by strokes
of Providence--but all are led to a prayerful searching of the holy
oracles, until there, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit,
they find consolation. The great question is, not as to the means,
but the fact--Have I been born again? Have I been grafted into
Christ? Do I bring forth the fruits of godliness in mourning over
my sins, and, in good words and works, am I a living epistle known
and read of all--men, angels, devils--and of the Omniscient God?
These are the all-important inquiries which, I trust, will deeply
influence every reader. Let two of Bunyan's remarks make an
indelible impression on every mind: 'God will break ALL hearts for
sin, either here to repentance and happiness, or in the world to
come to condemnation and misery.' 'Consider thou must die but once;
I mean but once as to this world, for if thou, when thou goest
hence, dost not die well, thou canst not come back again and die
better.' May our spirits be baptized into these solemn truths, and
our broken hearts be an acceptable sacrifice to God.

GEO. OFFOR.

A PREFACE TO THE READER.

The author of the ensuing discourse--now with God, reaping the
fruit of all his labour, diligence, and success, in his Master's
service--did experience in himself, through the grace of God, the
nature, excellency, and comfort of a truly broken and contrite
spirit. So that what is here written is but a transcript out of
his own heart: for God--who had much work for him to do--was still
hewing and hammering him by his Word, and sometimes also by more
than ordinary temptations and desertions. The design, and also the
issue thereof, through God's goodness, was the humbling and keeping
of him low in his own eyes. The truth is, as himself sometimes
acknowledged, he always needed the thorn in the flesh, and God in
mercy sent it him, lest, under his extraordinary circumstances, he
should be exalted about measure; which perhaps was the evil that
did more easily beset him than any other. But the Lord was pleased
to overrule it, to work for his good, and to keep him in that broken
frame which is so acceptable unto him, and concerning which it is
said, that 'He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their
wounds' (Psa 147:3). And, indeed, it is a most necessary qualification
that should always be found in the disciples of Christ, who are most
eminent, and as stars of the first magnitude in the firmament of
the church. Disciples, in the highest form of profession, need to
be thus qualified in the exercise of every grace, and the performance
of every duty. It is that which God doth principally and more
especially look after, in all our approaches and accesses to him. It
is to him that God will look, and with him God will dwell, who is
poor, and of a contrite spirit (Isa 57:15, 66:2). And the reason why
God will manifest so much respect to one so qualified, is because
he carries it so becomingly towards him. He comes and lies at his
feet, and discovers a quickness of sense, and apprehensiveness of
whatever may be dishonourable and distasteful to God (Psa 38:4).
And if the Lord doth at any time but shake his rod over him, he
comes trembling, and kisses the rod, and says, 'It is the Lord;
let him do what seemeth him good' (1 Sam 3:18). He is sensible he
hath sinned and gone astray like a lost sheep, and, therefore, will
justify God in his severest proceedings against him. This broken
heart is also a pliable and flexible heart, and prepared to receive
whatsoever impressions God shall make upon it, and is ready to be
moulded into any frame that shall best please the Lord. He says,
with Samuel, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth' (1 Sam 3:10).
And with David, 'When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said
unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek' (Psa 27:8). And so with
Paul, who tremblingly said, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'
(Acts 9:6).

Now, therefore, surely such a heart as this is must needs be very
delightful to God. He says to us, 'My son, give me thine heart'
(Prov 23:26). But, doubtless, he means there a broken heart: an
unbroken heart we may keep to ourselves; it is the broken heart
which God will have us to give to him; for, indeed, it is all the
amends that the best of us are capable of making, for all the injury
we have done to God in sinning against him. We are not able to give
better satisfaction for breaking God's laws, than by breaking our
own hearts; this is all that we can do of that kind; for the blood
of Christ only must give the due and full satisfaction to the
justice of God for what provocations we are at any time guilty of;
but all that we can do is to accompany the acknowledgments we make
of miscarriages with a broken and contrite spirit. Therefore we
find, that when David had committed those two foul sins of adultery
and murder, against God, he saw that all his sacrifices signified
nothing to the expiating of his guilt; therefore he brings to God
a broken heart, which carried in it the best expression of indignation
against himself, as of the highest respect he could show to God (2
Cor 7:11).

The day in which we live, and the present circumstances which the
people of God and these nations are under, do loudly proclaim a
very great necessity of being in this broken and tender frame; for
who can foresee what will be the issue of these violent fermentations
that are amongst us? Who knows what will become of the ark of God?
Therefore it is a seasonable duty with old Eli to sit trembling
for it. Do we not also hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of
wars; and ought we not, with the prophet, to cry out, 'My bowels,
my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise
in me, I cannot hold my peace,' &c. (Jer 4:19). Thus was that holy
man affected with the consideration of what might befall Jerusalem,
the temple and ordinances of God, &c., as the consequence of the
present dark dispensations they were under. Will not a humble posture
best become us when we have humbling providences in prospect? Mercy
and judgment seem to be struggling in the same womb of providence;
and which will come first out we know not; but neither of them can
we comfortably meet, but with a broken and a contrite spirit. If
judgment comes, Josiah's posture of tenderness will be the best we
can be found in; and also to say, with David, 'My flesh trembleth
for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments' (Psa 119:120).
It is very sad when God smites, and we are not grieved; which the
prophet complains of, 'Thou hast stricken them, but they have not
grieved,' &c. 'They have made their faces harder than a rock, they
have refused to return' (Jer 5:3).

But such as know the power of his anger will have a deep awe of
God upon their hearts, and, observing him in all his motions, will
have the greatest apprehensions of his displeasure. So that when he
is coming forth in any terrible dispensation, they will, according
to their duty, prepare to meet him with a humble and broken heart.
But if he should appear to us in his goodness, and farther lengthen
out the day of our peace and liberty, yet still the contrite frame
will be most seasonable; then will be a proper time, with Job, to
abhor ourselves in dust and ashes, and to say, with David, 'Who am
I that thou hast brought me hitherto'! (Job 42:6; 2 Sam 7:18).

But we must still know that this broken tender heart is not a plant
that rows in our own soil, but is the peculiar gift of God himself.
He that made the heart must break the heart. We may be under
heart-breaking providences, and yet the heart remain altogether
unbroken; as it was with Pharaoh, whose heart, though it was under
the hammers of ten terrible judgments, immediately succeeding one
another, yet continued hardened against God. The heart of man is
harder than hardness itself, till God softeneth and breaks it. Men
move not, they relent not, let God thunder never so terribly; let
God, in the greatest earnest, cast abroad his firebrands, arrows,
and death, in the most dreadful representations of wrath and judgment,
yet still man trembles not, nor is any more astonished than if in
all this God were but in jest, till he comes and falls to work with
him, and forces him to cry out, What have I done? What shall I do?

Therefore let us have recourse to him, who, as he gives the new
heart, so also therewith the broken heart. And let men's hearts be
never so hard, if God comes once to deal effectually with them, they
shall become mollified and tender; as it was with those hardened
Jews who, by wicked and cruel hands, murdered the Lord of life:
though they stouted it out a great while, yet how suddenly, when
God brought them under the hammer of his Word and Spirit, in Peter's
powerful ministry, were they broken, and, being pricked in their
hearts, cried out, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' (Acts
2:37).

And the like instance we have in the jailor, who was a most barbarous,
hard-hearted wretch; yet, when God came to deal with him, he was
soon tamed, and his heart became exceeding soft and tender (Acts
16:29,30).

Men may speak long enough, and the heart not at all be moved; but
'The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full
of majesty,' and breaketh the rocks and cedars (Psa 29:4). He
turns 'the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain
of waters' (Psa 114:8). And this is a glorious work indeed, that
hearts of stone should be dissolved and melted into waters of godly
sorrow, working repentance not to be repented of (2 Cor 7:10).

When God speaks effectually the stoutest heart must melt and
yield. Wait upon God, then, for the softening thy heart, and avoid
whatsoever may be a means of hardening it; as the apostle cautions
the Hebrews, 'Take heed,--lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin' (Heb 3:13).

Sin is deceitful, and will harden all those that indulge it. The
more tender any man is to his lust, the more will he be hardened
by it. There is a native hardness in every man's heart; and though
it may be softened by gospel means, yet if those means be afterwards
neglected, the heart will fall to its native hardness again: as it
is with the wax and the clay. Therefore, how much doth it behove
us to keep close to God, in the use of all gospel-means, whereby
our hearts being once softened, may be always kept so; which is
best done by repeating the use of those means which were at first
blessed for the softening of them.

The following treatise may be of great use to the people of
God--through his blessing accompanying it--to keep their hearts
tender and broken, when so many, after their hardness and impenitent
heart, are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath (Rom 2:5).

O let none who peruse this book herd with that generation of
hardened ones, but be a companion of all those that mourn in Zion
and whose hearts are broken for their own, the church's, and the
nation's provocations; who, indeed, are the only likely ones that
will stand in the gap to divert judgments. When Shishak, king of
Egypt, with a great host, came up against Judah, and having taken
their frontier fenced cities, they sat down before Jerusalem, which
put them all under a great consternation; but the king and princes
upon this humbled themselves; the Lord sends a gracious message to
them by Shemaiah the prophet, the import whereof was, That because
they humbled themselves, the Lord would not destroy them, nor pour
out his wrath upon them, by the hand of Shishak (2 Chron 12:5-7).

The greater the party is of mourning Christians, the more hope we
have that the storm impending may be blown over, and the blessings
enjoyed may yet be continued. As long as there is a sighing party
we may hope to be yet preserved; at least, such will have the mark
set upon themselves which shall distinguish them from those whom
the slaughtermen shall receive commission to destroy (Eze 9:4-6).

But I shall not further enlarge the porch, as designing to make
way for the reader's entrance into the house, where I doubt not
but he will be pleased with the furniture and provision he finds in
it. And I shall only further assure him, that this whole book was
not only prepared for, but also put into, the press by the author
himself, whom the Lord was pleased to remove--to the great loss
and unexpressible grief of many precious souls--before the sheets
could be all wrought off.

And now, as I hinted in the beginning, that what was transcribed
out of the author's heart into the book, may be transcribed out of
the book into the hearts of all who shall peruse it, is the desire
and prayer of

A lover and honourer of all saints as such,

George Cokayn September 21, 1688

THE ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE;

OR,

THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART.

'THE SACRIFICES OF GOD ARE A BROKEN SPIRIT: A BROKEN AND A CONTRITE
HEART, O GOD, THOU WILT NOT DESPISE.'--Psalm 51:17

This psalm is David's penitential psalm. It may be fitly so called,
because it is a psalm by which is manifest the unfeigned sorrow
which he had for his horrible sin, in defiling of Bathsheba, and
slaying Uriah her husband; a relation at large of which you have in
the 11th and 12th of the Second of Samuel. Many workings of heart,
as this psalm showeth, this poor man had, so soon as conviction
did fall upon his spirit. One while he cries for mercy, then he
confesses his heinous offences, then he bewails the depravity of
his nature; sometimes he cries out to be washed and sanctified,
and then again he is afraid that God will cast him away from his
presence, and take his Holy Spirit utterly from him. And thus he
goes on till he comes to the text, and there he stayeth his mind,
finding in himself that heart and spirit which God did not dislike;
'The sacrifices of God,' says he, 'are a broken spirit'; as if
he should say, I thank God I have that. 'A broken and a contrite
heart,' says he, 'O God, thou wilt not despise'; as if he should
say, I thank God I have that.

[I. THE TEXT OPENED IN THE MANY WORKINGS OF THE HEART.]

The words consist of two parts. FIRST. An assertion. SECOND.
A demonstration of that assertion. The assertion is this, 'The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.' The demonstration is this,
'Because a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.'

In the assertion we have two things present themselves to our
consideration. First. That a broken spirit is to God a sacrifice.
Second. That it is to God, as that which answereth to, or goeth
beyond, all sacrifices. 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.'

The demonstration of this is plain: for that heart God will not
despise it. 'A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise.' Whence I draw this conclusion: That a spirit rightly
broken, a heart truly contrite, is to God an excellent thing. That
is, a thing that goeth beyond all external duties whatever; for that
is intended by this saying, The sacrifices, because it answereth
to all sacrifices which we can offer to God; yea it serveth in
the room of all: all our sacrifices without this are nothing; this
alone is all.

There are four things that are very acceptable to God. The

First is The sacrifice of the body of Christ for our sins.
Of this you read (Heb 10) for there you have it preferred to all
burnt-offerings and sacrifices; it is this that pleaseth God; it
is this that sanctifieth, and so setteth the people acceptable in
the sight of God.

Second. Unfeigned love to God is counted better than all sacrifices,
or external parts of worship. 'And to love him [the Lord thy God]
with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all
the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as
himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices'
(Mark 12:33).

Third. To walk holily and humbly, and obediently, towards and before
God, is another. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings
and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?--'Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the fat of rams'
(Micah 6:6-8; 1 Sam 15:22).

Fourth. And this in our text is the fourth: 'The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou
wilt not despise.'

But note by the way, that this broken, this broken and contrite
heart, is thus excellent only to God: 'O God,' saith he, 'THOU
wilt not despise it.' By which is implied, the world have not this
esteem or respect for such a heart, or for one that is of a broken
and a contrite spirit. No, no, a man, a woman, that is blessed with
a broken heart, is so far off from getting by that esteem with the
world, that they are but burdens and trouble houses wherever they
are or go. Such people carry with them molestation and disquietment:
they are in carnal families as David was to the king of Gath,
troublers of the house (1 Sam 21).

Their sighs, their tears, their day and night groans, their cries
and prayers, and solitary carriages, put all the carnal family out
of order.[1] Hence you have them brow-beaten by some, contemned by
others, yea, and their company fled from and deserted by others.
But mark the text, 'A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise,' but rather accept; for not to despise is with God to
esteem and set a high price upon.

[II. THE DOCTRINE, ASSERTION, DEMONSTRATION, AND CONCLUSION, THAT
A BROKEN AND TRULY CONTRITE HEART IS AN EXCELLENT HEART.]

But we will demonstrate by several particulars, that a broken
spirit, a spirit RIGHTLY broken, an heart TRULY contrite, is to
God an excellent thing.

First. This is evident from the comparison, 'Thou desirest not
sacrifice, else would I give it, thou delightest not in burnt-offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,' &c. Mark, he rejecteth
sacrifices, offerings and sacrifices: that is, all Levitical
ceremonies under the law, and all external performances under the
gospel; but accepteth a broken heart. It is therefore manifest by
this, were there nothing else to be said, that proves, that a heart
rightly broken, a heart truly contrite, is to God an excellent
thing; for as you see such a heart is set before all sacrifice; and
yet they were the ordinances of God, and things that he commanded;
but lo, a broken spirit is above them all, a contrite heart goes
beyond them, yea, beyond them when put all together. Thou wilt not
have the one, thou wilt not despise the other. O brethren, a broken
and a contrite heart is an excellent thing. Have I said a broken
heart, a broken and a contrite heart is esteemed above all sacrifices;
I will add,

Second. It is of greater esteem with God than is either heaven
or earth; and that is more than to be set before external duties.
'Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool, where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is
the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and
all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will
I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word' (Isa 66:1,2). Mark, God saith, he hath made
all these things, but he doth not say, that he will look to them,
that is, take complacency and delight in them; no, there is that
wanting in all that he hath made that should take up and delight
his heart. But now, let a broken-hearted sinner come before him;
yea, he ranges the world throughout to find out such an one, and
having found him, 'To this man,' saith he, 'will I look.' I say
again, that such a man to him is of more value than is either heaven
or earth; 'They,' saith he, 'shall wax old'; 'they shall perish'
and vanish away; but this man he continues: he, as is presented to
us in another place, under another character, 'he shall abide for
ever' (Heb 1:10-12; 1 John 2:17).

'To this man will I look,' with this man will I be delighted; for
so to look doth sometimes signify. 'Thou hast ravished my heart,
my sister, my spouse,' saith Christ to his humble-hearted, 'thou
hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes' (Cant 4:9). While
it is as a conduit to let the rivers out of thy broken heart. I am
taken, saith he, 'with one chain of thy neck' (Can 4:9). Here you
see he looks and is ravished, he looks and is taken, as it saith
in another place, 'The king is held in the galleries'; that is, is
taken with his beloved, with the dove's eyes of his beloved, with
the contrite spirit of his people (Cant 7:5, 1:15). But it is not
thus reported of him with respect to heaven or earth: them he sets
more lightly by, them he 'reserves unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men' (2 Peter 3:7), but the broken
in heart are his beloved, his jewels.

Wherefore, what I have said as to this must go for the truth of
God, to wit, That a broken-hearted sinner, a sinner with a contrite
spirit, is of more esteem with God than is either heaven or earth.
He saith he hath made them, but he doth not say he will look to
them. He saith they are his throne and footstool, but he doth not
say they have taken or ravished his heart. No, it is those that are
of a contrite spirit do this. But there is yet more in the words,
'To this man will I look': that is, For this man will I care, about
this man will I camp, I will put this man under my protection; for
so to look to one doth sometimes signify; and I take the meaning
in this place to be such (Prov 27:23; Jer 39:12, 40:4). 'The Lord
upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed
down' (Psa 145:14). And the broken-hearted are of this number;
wherefore he careth for, campeth about, and hath set his eyes upon
such an one for good. This, therefore, is a second demonstration
to prove, that the man that hath his spirit rightly broken, his
heart truly contrite, is of great esteem with God.

Third. Yet further, God doth not only prefer such an one, as has
been said, before heaven and earth, but he loveth, he desireth to
have that man for an intimate, for a companion; he must dwell; he
must cohabit with him that is of a broken heart, with such as are
of a contrite spirit. 'For thus saith the high and lofty One that
inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I will dwell in the high
and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit' &c. (Isa 57:15).

Behold here both the majesty and condescension of the high and lofty
One; his majesty, in that he is high, and the inhabiter of eternity;
'I am the high and lofty One,' saith he, 'I inhabit eternity.'
Verily this consideration is enough to make the broken-hearted man
creep into a mouse-hole to hide himself from such a majesty! But
behold his heart, his condescending mind; I am for dwelling also
with him that hath a broken heart, with him that is of a contrite
spirit; that is the man that I would converse with, that is the
man with whom I will cohabit; that is, he, saith God, I will choose
for my companion. For to desire to dwell with one supposeth all
these things; and verily, of all the men in the world, none have
acquaintance with God, none understand what communion with him, and
what his teachings mean, but such as are of a broken and contrite
heart. 'He is nigh unto them that are of a broken spirit' (Psa 34:18).
These are they intended in the 14th Psalm, where it is said, 'The
Lord looked down from heaven,--to see if any did understand and
seek God'; that he might find some body in the world with whom he
might converse; for indeed there is none else that either understand,
or that can tend to hearken to him. God, as I may say, is forced
to break men's hearts, before he can make them willing to cry to
him, or be willing that he should have any concerns with them; the
rest shut their eyes, stop their ears, withdraw their hearts, or
say unto God, Be gone (Job 21:14). But now the broken in heart can
tend it; he has leisure, yea, leisure, and will, and understanding,
and all; and therefore is a fit man to have to do with God. There
is room also in this man's house, in this man's heart, in this
man's spirit, for God to dwell, for God to walk, for God to set up
a kingdom.

Here, therefore, is suitableness. 'Can two walk together,' saith
God, 'except they be agreed?' (Amos 3:3). The broken-hearted
desireth God's company; when wilt thou come unto me? saith he. The
broken-hearted loveth to hear God speak and talk to him. Here is
a suitableness. 'Make me,' saith he, 'to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice' (Psa 51:8). But
here lies the glory, in that the high and lofty One, the God that
inhabiteth eternity, and that was a high and holy place for his
habitation, should choose to dwell with, and to be a companion of
the broken in heart, and of them that are of a contrite spirit.
Yea, and here also is great comfort for such.

Fourth. God doth not only prefer such a heart before all sacrifices,
nor esteems such a man above heaven and earth; nor yet only desire
to be of his acquaintance, but he reserveth for him his chief comforts,
his heart-reviving and soul-cherishing cordials. 'I dwell,' saith
he, with such to revive them, and to support and comfort them, 'to
revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
contrite ones' (Isa 57:15). The broken-hearted man is a fainting
man; he has his qualms, his sinking fits; he ofttimes dies away
with pain and fear; he must be stayed with flagons, and comforted
with apples, or else he cannot tell what to do: he pines, he pines
away in his iniquity; nor can any thing keep him alive and make him
well but the comforts and cordials of Almighty God (Exo 33:10,11).
Wherefore with such an one God will dwell, to revive the heart,
to revive the spirit. 'To revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite ones.'

God has cordials, but they are to comfort them that are cast down
(2 Cor 7:6); and such are the broken-hearted; as for them that are
whole, they need not the physician (Mark 2:17). They are the broken
in spirit that stand in need of cordials; physicians are men of
no esteem but with them that feel their sickness; and this is one
reason why God is so little accounted of in the world, even because
they have not been made sick by the wounding stroke of God. But
now when a man is wounded, has his bones broken, or is made sick,
and laid at the grave's mouth, who is of that esteem with him as
is an able physician? What is so much desired as are the cordials,
comforts, and suitable supplies of the skilful physician in those
matters. And thus it is with the broken-hearted; he needs, and God
has prepared for him plenty of the comforts and cordials of heaven,
to succour and relieve his sinking soul.

Wherefore such a one lieth under all the promises that have succour
in them, and consolation for men, sick and desponding under the
sense of sin and the heavy wrath of God; and they, says God, shall
be refreshed and revived with them. Yea, they are designed for them;
he hath therefore broken their hearts, he hath therefore wounded
their spirits, that he might make them apt to relish his reviving
cordials, that he might minister to them his reviving comforts.
For indeed, so soon as he hath broken them, his bowels yearn, and
his compassions roll up and down within him, and will not suffer
him to abide afflicting. Ephraim was one of these; but so soon as
God had smitten him, behold his heart, how it works towards him.
'Is Ephraim,' saith he, 'my dear son?' that is, he is so; 'is he
a pleasant child?' that is, he is so; 'for since I spake against
him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are
troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the
Lord' (Jer 31:18-20). This therefore is another demonstration.

Fifth. As God prefers such a heart, and esteems the man that has
it above heaven and earth; as he covets intimacy with such an one,
and prepares for him his cordials; so when he sent his Son Jesus
into the world to be a Saviour, he gave him in special a charge to
take care of such; yea, that was one of the main reasons he sent
him down from heaven, anointed for his work on earth. 'The Spirit
of the Lord God is upon me,' saith he; 'because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted,' &c. (Luke 4:18; Isa 61:1). Now that this is meant
of Christ, is confirmed by his own lips; for in the days of his
flesh he takes this book in his hand, when he was in the synagogue
at Nazareth, and read this very place unto the people; and then
tells them that that very day that Scripture was fulfilled in their
ears (Luke 6:16-18).

But see, these are the souls whose welfare is contrived in the
heavens. God consulted their salvation, their deliverance, their
health, before his Son came down from thence. Doth not therefore
this demonstrate, that a broken-hearted man, that a man of a contrite
spirit, is of great esteem with God. I have often wondered at David
that he should give Joab and the men of war a charge, that they
take heed that they carry it tenderly to that young rebel Absalom
his son (2 Sam 18:5). But that God, the high God, the God against
whom we have sinned, should, so soon as he has smitten, give his Son
a command, a charge, a commission to take care of, to bind up and
heal the broken in heart; this is that which can never be sufficiently
admired or wondered at by men or angels.

And as this was his commission, so he acted; as is evidently set
forth by the parable of the man who fell among thieves. He went
to him, poured into his wounds wine and oil; he bound him up, took
him, set him upon his own beast, had him to an inn, gave the host
a charge to look well to him, with money in hand, and a promise at
his return to recompence him in what farther he should be expensive
while he was under his care (Luke 10:30-35). Behold, therefore,
the care of God which he has for the broken in heart; he has given
a charge to Christ his Son, to look well to them, and to bind up
and heal their wounds. Behold also the faithfulness of Christ, who
doth not hide, but read this commission as soon as he entereth upon
his ministry, and also falls into the practical part thereof. 'He
healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds' (Psa
147:3).

And behold again into whose care a broken heart and a contrite
spirit hath put this poor creature; he is under the care of God,
the care and cure of Christ. If a man was sure that his disease
had put him under the special care of the king and the queen, yet
could he not be sure of life, he might die under their sovereign
hands. Ay, but here is a man in the favour of God, and under the
hand of Christ to be healed; under whose hand none yet ever died
for want of skill and power in him to save their life; wherefore
this man must live; Christ has in commission not only to bind up
his wounds, but to heal him. He has of himself so expounded it in
reading his commission; wherefore he that has his heart broken,
and that is of a contrite spirit, must not only be taken in hand,
but healed; healed of his pain, grief, sorrow, sin, and fears
of death and hell-fire; wherefore he adds, that he must give unto
such 'beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment
of praise for the spirit of heaviness,' and must 'comfort all that
mourn' (Isa 61:2,3). This, I say, he has in the commission, the
broken-hearted are put into his hand, and he has said himself he
will heal him. Hence he says of that same man, 'I have seen his
ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts
unto him, and to his mourners;--and I will heal him' (Isa 57:18,19).
And this is a fifth demonstration.

Sixth. As God prefers such a heart, and so esteems the man that has
it; as he desires his company, has provided for him his cordials,
and given a charge to Christ to heal him, so he has promised in
conclusion to save him. 'He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,'
or, as the margin has it, that be 'contrite of spirit' (Psa 34:18).

And this is the conclusion of all; for to save a man is the end of
all special mercy. 'He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.' To
save, is to forgive; for without forgiveness of sins we cannot be
saved. To save, is to preserve one in this miserable world, and
to deliver one from all those devils, temptations, snares, and
destructions that would, were we not kept, were we not preserved
of God, destroy us body and soul for ever. To save, is to bring
a man body and soul to glory, and to give him an eternal mansion
house in heaven, that he may dwell in the presence of this good God,
and the Lord Jesus, and to sing to them the songs of his redemption
for ever and ever. This it is to be saved; nor can any thing less
than this complete the salvation of the sinner. Now, this is to
be the lot of him that is of a broken heart, and the end that God
will make with him that is of a contrite spirit. 'He saveth such
as be contrite of spirit.' He saveth such! This is excellent!

But, do the broken in spirit believe this? Can they imagine that
this is to be the end that God has designed them to, and that he
intended to make with them in the day in which he began to break
their hearts? No, no; they, alas! think quite the contrary. They
are afraid that this is but the beginning of death, and a token
that they shall never see the face of God with comfort, either in
this world or that which is to come. Hence they cry, 'Cast me not
away from thy presence'; or, Now I am 'free among the dead whom
God remembers no more' (Psa 51:11, 88:4,5). For indeed there goes
to the breaking of the heart a visible appearance of the wrath
of God, and a home charge from heaven of the guilt of sin to the
conscience. This to reason is very dreadful; for it cuts the soul
down to the ground; 'for a wounded spirit who [none] can bear?'
(Prov 18:14).

It seems also now to this man, that this is but the beginning of
hell; but as it were the first step down to the pit; when, indeed,
all these are but the beginnings of love, and but that which makes
way for life. The Lord kills before he makes alive; he wounds
before his hands make whole. Yea, he does the one in order to, or
because he would do the other; he wounds, because his purpose is to
heal; 'he maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands
make whole' (Deut 32:39; 1 Sam 2:6; Job 5:18). His design, I say,
is the salvation of the soul. He scourgeth, he breaketh the heart
of every son whom he receiveth, and woe be to him whose heart God
breaketh not.

And thus have I proved what at first I asserted, namely, that
a spirit rightly broken, an heart truly contrite, is to God an
excellent thing. 'A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise.' For this say I, First. This is evident; for that it
is better than sacrifices, than all sacrifice. Second. The man that
has it is of more esteem with God than heaven or earth. Third. God
coveteth such a man for his intimate and house companion. Fourth.
He reserveth for them his cordials and spiritual comforts. Fifth.
He has given his Son a Charge, a commandment to take care that the
broken-hearted be healed; and he is resolved to heal them. Sixth.
And concluded, that the broken-hearted, and they that are of a
contrite spirit, shall be saved, that is, possessed of the heavens.

[III. WHAT A BROKEN HEART, AND WHAT A CONTRITE SPIRIT IS.]

I come now in order to show you what a broken heart and what a
contrite spirit is. This must be done, because in the discovery of
this lies both the comfort of them that have it, and the conviction
of them that have it not. Now, that I may do this the better, I
must propound and speak to these four things. FIRST. I must show
you what an one that heart is that is not broken, that is not
contrite. SECOND. I must show you how, or with what the heart is
broken and made contrite. THIRD. Show you how, and what it is, when
broken and made contrite. And, FOURTH. I shall, last of all, give
you some signs of a broken and contrite heart.

FIRST. For the first of these, to wit, What an one that heart is,
that is not a broken, that is not a contrite heart.

First. The heart, before it is broken, is hard and stubborn, and
obstinate against God, and the salvation of the soul (Zech 7:12;
Deut 2:30, 9:27).

Second. It is a heart full of evil imaginations and darkness (Gen
18:12; Rom 1:21).

Third. It is a heart deceitful and subject to be deceived, especially
about the things of an eternal concernment (Isa 44:20; Deut 11:16).

Fourth. It is a heart that rather gathereth iniquity and vanity to
itself than anything that is good for the soul (Psa 41:6, 94:11).

Fifth. It is an unbelieving heart, and one that will turn away from
God to sin (Heb 3:12; Deut 17:17).

Sixth. It is a heart not prepared for God, being uncircumcised, nor
for the reception of his holy word (2 Chron 12:14; Psa 78:8; Acts
7:51).

Seventh. It is a heart not single, but double; it will pretend to
serve God, but will withal lean to the devil and sin (Psa 12:2;
Eze 33:31).

Eighth. It is a heart proud and stout: it loves not to be controlled,
though the controller be God himself (Psa 101:5; Prov 16:5; Mal
3:13).

Ninth. It is a heart that will give place to Satan, but will resist
the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:3, 7:51).

Tenth. In a word, 'It is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked'; so wicked that none can know it (Jer 17:9).

That the heart before it is broken is such, and worse than I have
described it to be, is sufficiently seen by the whole course of
the world. Where is the man whose heart has not been broken, and
whose spirit is not contrite, that according to the Word of God
deals honestly with his own soul? It is one character of a right
heart, that it is sound in God's statutes, and honest (Psa 119:18;
Luke 8:15). Now, an honest heart will not put off itself, nor
be put off with that which will not go for current money with the
merchant; I mean, with that which will not go for saving grace at
the day of judgment. But alas! alas! but few men, how honest soever
they are to others, have honesty towards themselves; though he is
the worst of deceivers who deceiveth his own soul, as James has
it, about the things of his own soul (1:22,26). But,

SECOND. I now come to show you with what and how the heart is
broken, and the spirit made contrite.

[First. With what the heart is broken, and the spirit made contrite.]

The instrument with which the heart is broken, and with which the
spirit is made contrite, is the Word. 'Is not my word like as a
fire, saith the Lord; and like a hammer, that breaketh the rock in
pieces?' (Jer 23:29). The rock, in this text, is the heart, which
in another place is compared to an adamant, which adamant is harder
than flint (Zech 7:11,12; Eze 3:9). This rock, this adamant, this
stony heart, is broken and made contrite by the Word. But it only
is so, when the Word is as a fire, and as a hammer to break and
melt it. And then, and then only, it is as a fire, and a hammer to
the heart to break it, when it is managed by the arm of God. No
man can break the heart with the Word; no angel can break the heart
with the Word; that is, if God forbears to second it by mighty power
from heaven. This made Balaam go without a heart rightly broken,
and truly contrite, though he was rebuked by an angel; and the
Pharisees die in their sins, though rebuked for them, and admonished
to turn from them, by the Saviour of the world. Wherefore, though
the Word is the instrument with which the heart is broken, yet it
is not broken with the Word, till that Word is managed by the might
and power of God.

This made the prophet Isaiah, after long preaching, cry out, that
he had laboured for nought, and in vain; and this made him cry to
God, 'to rend the heavens and come down,' that the mountains, or
rocky hills, or hearts, might be broken, and melt at his presence
(Isa 44:4, 64:1,2). For he found by experience, that as to this
no effectual work could be done, unless the Lord put to his hand.
This also is often intimated in the Scriptures, where it saith,
when the preachers preached effectually to the breaking of men's
hearts, 'the Lord wrought with them;[2] the hand of the Lord was
with them,' and the like (Mark 16:20; Acts 11:21).

Now when the hand of the Lord is with the Word, then it is mighty:
it is 'mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds' (2
Cor 10:4). It is sharp, then, as a sword in the soul and spirit;
it sticks like an arrow in the hearts of sinners, to the causing
of the people to fall at his foot for mercy (Heb 4:12). Then it
is, as was said afore, as a fire and as a hammer to break this rock
in pieces (Psa 110:3). And hence the Word is made mention of under
a double consideration. 1. As it stands by itself. 2. As attended
with power from heaven.

1. As it stands by itself, and is not seconded with saving operation
from heaven, it is called the Word only, the Word barely, or as if
it was only the word of men (1 Thess 1:5-7; 1 Cor 4:19,20; 1 Thess
2:13). Because, then, it is only as managed by men, who are not
able to make it accomplish that work. The Word of God, when in a
man's hand only, is like the father's sword in the hand of the sucking
child; which sword, though never so well pointed, and though never
so sharp on the edges, is not now able to conquer a foe, and to
make an enemy fall and cry out for mercy, because it is but in the
hand of the child. But now, let the same sword be put into the hand
of a skilful father--and God is both skilful and able to manage
his Word--and then the sinner, and then the proud helpers too, are
both made to stoop, and submit themselves; wherefore, I say, though
the Word be the instrument, yet of itself doth do no saving good
to the soul; the heart is not broken, nor the spirit made contrite
thereby; it only worketh death, and leaveth men in the chains of
their sins, still faster bound over to eternal condemnation (2 Cor
2:15,16).

2. But when seconded by mighty power, then the same Word is as the
roaring of a lion, as the piercing of a sword, as a burning fire
in the bones, as thunder and as a hammer that dashes all to pieces
(Jer 25:30; Amos 1:2, 3:8; Acts 2:37; Jer 20:9; Psa 29:3-9). Wherefore,
from hence it is to be concluded, that whoever has heard the Word
preached, and has not heard the voice of the living God therein,
has not as yet had their hearts broken, nor their spirits made
contrite for their sins.

[Second. How the heart is broken, and the spirit made contrite.]

And this leads me to the second thing, to wit, To show how the heart
is broken and the spirit made contrite by the Word, and verily it
is when the Word comes home with power. But yet this is but general;
wherefore, more particularly,

1. Then the Word works effectually to this purpose, when it findeth
out the sinner and his sin, and shall convince him that it has found
him out. Thus it was with our first father; when he had sinned,
he sought to hide himself from God; he gets among the trees of the
garden, and there he shrouds himself; but yet, not thinking himself
secure, he covers himself with fig-leaves; and now he lieth quiet.
Now God shall not find me, thinks he, nor know what I have done.
But lo! by and by, he 'hears the voice of the Lord God walking in
the garden.' And now, Adam, what do you mean to do? Why, as yet,
he skulketh, and hides his head, and seeks yet to lie undiscovered;
but behold, the voice cries out, ADAM! and now he begins to tremble.
'Adam, where art thou?' says God; and now Adam is made to answer
(Gen 3:7-11). But the voice of the Lord God doth not leave him here:
no, it now begins to search, and to inquire after his doings, and
to unravel what he had wrapt together and covered, until it made
him bare and naked in his own sight before the face of God. Thus,
therefore, doth the Word, when managed by the arm of God. It findeth
out, it singleth out the sinner; the sinner finds it so; it finds
out the sins of the sinner; it unravels his whole life, it strips
him and lays him naked in his own sight before the face of God;
neither can the sinner nor his wickedness be longer hid and covered;
and now begins the sinner to see what he never saw before.

2. Another instance for this is David, the man of our text. He
sins, he sins grossly, he sins and hides it; yea, and seeks to hide
it from the face of God and man. Well, Nathan is sent to preach
a preaching to him, and that in common, and that in special: in
common, by a parable; in special, by a particular application of
it to him. While Nathan only preached in common, or in general,
David was fish-whole,[3] and stood as right in his own eyes as if
he had been as innocent and as harmless as any man alive. But God
had a love for David; and therefore commands his servant Nathan
to go home, not only to David's ears, but to David's conscience.
Well, David now must fall. Says Nathan, 'Thou art the man'; says
David, 'I have sinned,' and then his heart was broken, and his
spirit made contrite; as this psalm and our text doth show (2 Sam
12:1-13).

3. A third instance is that of Saul; he had heard many a sermon,
and was become a great professor, yea, he was more zealous than
were many of his equals; but his heart was never broken, nor his
spirit ever made contrite, till he heard one preach from heaven,
till he heard God, in the Word of God, making inquiry after his
sins: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' says Jesus; and then
he can stand no longer: for then his heart brake, then he falls
to the ground, then he trembles, then he cries out, 'Who art thou,
Lord?' and, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' (Acts 9). Wherefore,
as I said, Then the word works effectually to this purpose, when it
findeth out the sinner and his sin, and also when it shall convince
him that it has found him out. Only I must join here a caution,
for every operation of the Word upon the conscience is not saving;
nor doth all conviction end in the saving conversion of the sinner.
It is then only such an operation of the Word that is intended,
namely, that shows the sinner not only the evil of his ways, but
brings the heart unfeignedly over to God by Christ. And this brings
me to the third thing.

THIRD. I am therefore come to show you how and what the heart is
when broken and made contrite. And this I must do, by opening unto
you the two chief expressions in the text. First. What is meant by
this word broken. Second. What is meant by this word contrite.

First. For this word broken, Tindal renders it a troubled heart;[4]
but I think there is more in it. I take it, therefore, to be
a heart disabled, as to former actions, even as a man whose bones
are broken is disabled, as to his way of running, leaping, wrestling,
or ought else, which vainly he was wont to do; wherefore, that which
was called a broken heart in the text, he calls his broken bones,
in verse the eighth: 'Cause me,' saith he, 'to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice' (Psa 51:8). And
why is the breaking of the heart compared to the breaking of the
bones? but because as when the bones are broken, the outward man
is disabled as to what it was wont to do; so when the spirit is
broken, the inward man is disabled as to what vanity and folly it
before delighted in; hence, feebleness is joined with this brokenness
of heart. 'I am feeble,' saith he, 'and sore broken' (Psa 38:8).
I have lost my strength and former vigour, as to vain and sinful
courses.

This, then, it is to have the heart broken; namely, to have it
lamed, disabled, and taken off by sense of God's wrath due to sin,
from that course of life it formerly was conversant in; and to show
that this work is no fancy, nor done but with great trouble to the
soul, it is compared to the putting the bones out of joint, the
breaking of the bones, the burning of the bones with fire, or as
the taking the natural moisture from the bones, the vexing of the
bones, &c. (Psa 23:14; Jer 20:9; Lam 1:13; Psa 6:2; Prov 17:22).
All which are expressions adorned with such similitudes, as do
undeniably declare that to sense and feeling a broken heart is a
grievous thing.

Second. What is meant by the word contrite. A contrite spirit is
a penitent one; one sorely grieved, and deeply sorrowful, for the
sins it has committed against God, and to the damage of the soul;
and so it is to be taken in all those places where a contrite spirit
is made mention of; as in Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15, 66:2.

As a man that has by his folly procured a broken leg or arm, is
heartily sorry that ever he was so foolish as to be engaged in such
foolish ways of idleness and vanity; so he whose heart is broken
with a sense of God's wrath due to his sin, hath deep sorrow in
his soul, and is greatly repentant that ever he should be such a
fool, as by rebellious doings to bring himself and his soul to so
much sharp affliction. Hence, while others are sporting themselves
in vanity, such a one doth call his sin his greatest folly. 'My wounds
stink, and are corrupt,' saith David, 'because of my foolishness.'
And again, 'O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are
not hid from thee' (Psa 38:5, 69:5).

Men, whatever they say with their lips, cannot conclude, if yet
their hearts want breaking, that sin is a foolish thing. Hence it
says, 'The foolishness of fools is folly' (Prov 14:24). That is,
the foolishness of some men, is that they take pleasure in their
sins; for their sins are their foolishness, and the folly of their
soul lies in their countenancing of this foolishness. But the man
whose heart is broken, he is none of these, he cannot be one of
these, no more than he that has his bones broken can rejoice that
he is desired to play a match at football. Hence, to hear others
talk foolishly, is to the grief of those whom God has wounded: or,
as it is in another place, their words are 'like the piercings of
a sword' (Psa 69:26; Prov 12:18). This, therefore, I take to be
the meaning of these two words, a broken and a contrite spirit.

FOURTH. Lastly, As to this, I now come more particularly to give
you some signs of a broken heart, of a broken and a contrite spirit.

First. A broken-hearted man, such as is intended in the text, is
a sensible man; he is brought to the exercise of all the senses of
his soul. All others are dead, senseless, and without true feeling
of what the broken-hearted man is sensible of.

1. He sees himself to be what others are ignorant of; that is, he
sees himself to be not only a sinful man, but a man by nature in the
gall and bond of sin. In the gall of sin: it is Peter's expression
to Simon, and it is a saying common to all men: for every man
in a state of nature is in the gall of sin; he was shapen in it,
conceived in it; it has also possession of, and by that possession
infected the whole of his soul and body (Psa 51:5; Acts 8:23).
This he sees, this he understands; every professor sees not this,
because the blessing of a broken heart is not bestowed on every
one. David says, 'There is no soundness in my flesh'; and Solomon
suggest that a plague or running sore is in the very heart. But
every one perceives not this (Psa 38:3; 1 Kings 8:38). He saith
again, that his 'wounds stank, and were corrupted': that his 'sore
ran, and ceased not' (Psa 38:5, 77:2). But these things the brutish
man, the man whose heart was never broken, has no understanding of.
But the broken-hearted, the man that has a broken spirit, he sees,
as the prophet has it, he sees his sickness, he sees his wound:
'When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound'; he sees
it to his grief, he sees it to his sorrow (Hosea 5:13).

2. He feels what others have no sense of; he feels the arrows of
the Almighty, and that they stick fast in him (Psa 38:2). He feels
how sore and sick, by the smiting of God's hammer upon his heart
to break it, his poor soul is made. He feels a burden intolerably
lying upon his spirit (Hosea 5:13). 'Mine iniquities,' saith he,
'are gone over mine head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for
me' (Psa 38:4). He feels also the heavy hand of God upon his soul,
a thing unknown to carnal men. He feels pain, being wounded, even
such pain as others cannot understand, because they are not broken.
'My heart,' saith David, 'is sore pained within me.' Why so? Why!
'The terrors of death are fallen upon me' (Psa 55:4). The terrors
of death cause pain, yea, pain of the highest nature; hence that
which is here called pains, is in another place called pangs (Isa
21:3).

You know broken bones occasion pain, strong pain, yea, pain that will
make a man or woman groan 'with the groanings of a deadly wounded
man' (Eze 30:24). Soul pain is the sorest pain, in comparison to
which the pain of the body is a very tolerable thing (Prov 18:14).
Now here is soul pain, here is heart pain; here we are discoursing
of a wounded, of a broken spirit; wherefore this is pain to be felt
to the sinking of the whole man, neither can any support this but
God. Here is death in this pain, death for ever, without God's
special mercy. This pain will bring the soul to, and this the
broken-hearted man doth feel. 'The sorrows of death,' saith David,
'compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me, I found
trouble and sorrow' (Psa 116:3). Ay, I'll warrant thee, poor man,
thou foundest trouble and sorrow indeed; for the pains of hell and
sorrows of death are pains and sorrow the most intolerable. But
this the man is acquainted with that has his heart broken.[5]

3. As he sees and feels, so he hears that which augments his woe
and sorrow. You know, if a man has his bones broken, he does not
only see and feel, but oft-times also hears what increases his
grief; as, that his wounds are incurable; that his bone is not
rightly set; that there is danger of a gangrene; that he may be
lost for want of looking to. These are the voices, the sayings,
that haunt the house of one that has his bones broken. And a
broken-hearted man knows what I mean by this; he hears that which
makes his lips quiver, and at the noise of which he seems to feel
rottenness enter into his bones; he trembleth in himself, and wishes
that he may hear joy and gladness, that the bones, the heart, and
spirit, which God has broken, may rejoice (Habb 3:16; Psa 51:8).
He thinks he hears God say, the devil say, his conscience say, and
all good men to whisper among themselves, saying, there is no help
for him from God. Job heard this, David heard this, Heman heard
this; and this is the common sound in the ears of the broken-hearted.

4. The broken-hearted smell what others cannot scent. Alas! sin
never smelled so to any man alive as it smells to the broken-hearted.
You know wounds will stink: but [there is] no stink like that
of sin to the broken-hearted man. His own sins stink, and so doth
the sins of all the world to him. Sin is like carrion; it is of
a stinking nature; yea, it has the worst of smells; however, some
men like it (Psa 38:5). But none are offended with the scent thereof
but God and the broken-hearted sinner. 'My wounds stink, and are
corrupt,' saith he, both in God's nostrils and mine own. But, alas!
who smells the stink of sin? None of the carnal world; they, like
carrion-crows, seek it, love it, and eat it as the child eats bread.
'They eat up the sin of my people,' saith God, 'and they set their
heart on their iniquity' (Hosea 4:8). This, I say, they do, because
they do not smell the nauseous scent of sin. You know, that what
is nauseous to the smell cannot be palatable to the taste. The
broken-hearted man doth find that sin is nauseous, and therefore
cries out it stinketh. They also think at times the smell of fire,
of fire and brimstone, is upon them, they are so sensible of the
wages due to sin.

5. The broken-hearted is also a tasting man. Wounds, if sore, and
full of pains, of great pains, do sometimes alter the taste of a
man; they make him think his meat, his drink, yea, that cordials
have a bitter taste in them. How many times doth the poor people
of God, that are the only men that know what a broken-heart doth
mean, cry out that gravel, wormwood, gall, and vinegar, was made
their meat (Lam 3:15,16,19). This gravel, gall, and wormwood, is
the true temporal taste of sin; and God, to make them loathe it
for ever, doth feed them with it till their hearts both ache and
break therewith. Wickedness is pleasant of taste to the world; hence
it is said they feed on ashes, they feed on the wind (Isa 44:20;
Hosea 12:1). Lusts, or any thing that is vile and refuse, the
carnal world think relishes well; as is set out most notably in
the parable of the prodigal son. 'He would fain have filled his
belly,' saith our Lord, 'with the husks that the swine did eat'
(Luke 15:16). But the broken-hearted man has a relish that is true
as to these things, though, by reason of the anguish of his soul,
it abhors all manner of dainty meat (Job 33:19,20; Psa 107:17-19).
Thus I have showed you one sign of a broken-hearted man; he is a
sensible man, he has all the senses of his soul awakened, he can
see, hear, feel, taste, smell, and that as none but himself can
do. I come now to another sign of a broken and contrite man.

Second. And that is, he is a very sorrowful man. This, as the
other, is natural; it is natural to one that is in pain, and that
has his bones broken, to be a grieved and sorrowful man. He is
none of the jolly ones of the times; nor can he, for his bones,
his heart, his heart is broken.

1. He is sorry for that he feels and finds in himself a pravity
of nature; I told you before he is sensible of it, he sees it, he
feels it; and here I say he is sorry for it. It is this that makes
him call himself a wretched man; it is this that makes him loathe
and abhor himself; it is this that makes him blush, blush before
God and be ashamed (Rom 7:24; Job 42:5,6; Eze 36:31). He finds by
nature no form nor comeliness in himself, but the more he looks in
the glass of the Word, the more unhandsome, the more deformed he
perceiveth sin has made him. Every body sees not this, therefore
every body is not sorry for it; but the broken in heart sees that
he is by sin corrupted, marred, full of lewdness and naughtiness;
he sees that in him, that is, in his flesh, dwells no good thing;
and this makes him sorry, yea, it makes him sorry at heart. A man
that has his bones broken finds he is spoiled, marred, disabled
from doing as he would and should, at which he is grieved and made
sorry.

Many are sorry for actual transgressions, because they do oft
bring them to shame before men; but few are sorry for the defects
that sin has made in nature, because they see not those defects
themselves. A man cannot be sorry for the sinful defects of nature,
till he sees they have rendered him contemptible to God; nor is
it any thing but a sight of God that can make him truly see what
he is, and so be heartily sorry for being so. Now 'mine eye seeth
thee,' saith Job, now 'I abhor myself.' 'Woe is me, for I am
undone,' saith the prophet, 'for mine eyes have seen the King the
Lord.' And it was this that made Daniel say his 'comeliness was
turned in him into corruption'; for he had now the vision of the
Holy One (Job 42:6; Isa 6:1-5; Dan 10:8). Visions of God break the
heart, because, by the sight the soul then has of his perfections,
it sees its own infinite and unspeakable disproportion, because of
the vileness of its nature.

Suppose a company of ugly, uncomely, deformed persons dwelt together
in one house; and suppose that they never yet saw any man or woman
more than themselves, or that were arrayed with the splendours
and perfections of nature; these would not be capable of comparing
themselves with any but themselves, and consequently would not
be affected and made sorry for their uncomely natural defections.
But now bring them out of their cells and holes of darkness, where
they have been shut up by themselves, and let them take a view of
the splendour and perfections of beauty that are in others, and
then, if at all, they will be sorry and dejected at the view of
their own defects. This is the case; men by sin are marred, spoiled,
corrupted, depraved, but they may dwell by themselves in the dark;
they see neither God, nor angels, nor saints, in their excellent
nature and beauty: and therefore they are apt to count their own
uncomely parts their ornaments and their glory. But now let such,
as I said, see God, see saints, or the ornaments of the Holy Ghost,
and themselves as they are without them, and then they cannot
but must be affected with and sorry for their own deformity. When
the Lord Christ put forth but little of his excellency before his
servant Peter's face, it raised up the depravity of Peter's nature
before him to his great confusion and shame; and made him cry out
to him in the midst of all his fellows, 'Depart from me, for I am
a sinful man, O Lord' (Luke 5:4-8).

This therefore is the cause of a broken heart, even a sight of
divine excellencies, and a sense that I am a poor, depraved, spoiled
defiled wretch; and this sight having broken the heart, begets
sorrow in the broken-hearted.

2. The broken-hearted is a sorrowful man; for that he finds his
depravity of nature strong in him, to the putting forth itself
to oppose and overthrow what his changed mind doth prompt him to;
'When I would do good,' saith Paul, 'evil is present with me' (Rom
7:21). Evil is present to oppose, to resist, and make head against
the desires of my soul. The man that has his bones broken, may
have yet a mind to be industriously occupied in a lawful and honest
calling; but he finds, by experience, that an infirmity attends
his present condition that strongly resists his good endeavours;
and at this he shakes his head, makes complaints, and with sorrow
of heart he sighs and says, I 'cannot do the thing that I would' (Rom
7:15; Gal 5:17). I am weak, I am feeble; I am not only depraved,
but by that depravity deprived of ability to put good motions,[6]
good intentions and desires into execution, to completeness; O says
he, I am ready to halt, my sorrow is continually before me!

You must know that the broken-hearted loves God, loves his soul,
loves good, and hates evil. Now, for such an one to find in himself
an opposition and continual contradiction to this holy passion, it
must needs cause sorrow, godly sorrow, as the apostle Paul calls
it. For such are made sorrow after a godly sort. To be sorry for
that thy nature is with sin depraved, and that through this depravity
thou art deprived of ability to do what the Word and thy holy mind
doth prompt thee to, is to be sorry after a godly sort. For this
sorrow worketh that in thee of which thou wilt never have cause to
repent; no, not to eternity (2 Cor 7:9-11).

3. The broken-hearted man is sorry for those breaches that, by
reason of the depravity of his nature, are made in his life and
conversation. And this was the case of the man in our text. The
vileness of his nature had broken out to the defiling of his life,
and to the making of him, at this time, base in conversation. This,
this was it, that all to[7] brake his heart. He saw in this he had
dishonoured God, and that cut him, 'Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight' (Psa 51:4). He saw
in this he had caused the enemies of God to open their mouths and
blaspheme; and this cut him to the heart. This made him cry, I have
sinned against thee, Lord. This made him say, 'I will declare mine
iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin' (Psa 38:18).

When a man is designed to do a matter, when his heart is set upon
it, and the broken-hearted doth design to glorify God, an obstruction
to that design, the spoiling of this work, makes him sorrowful.
Hannah coveted children, but could not have them, and this made
her 'a woman of a sorrowful spirit' (1 Sam 1:15). A broken-hearted
man would be well inwardly, and do that which is well outwardly; but
he feels, he finds, he sees he is prevented, prevented at least in
part. This makes him sorrowful; in this he groans, groans earnestly,
being burdened with his imperfections (2 Cor 5:1-3). You know one
with broken bones has imperfections many, and is more sensible of
them, too, as was said afore, than any other man; and this makes
him sorrowful, yea, and makes him conclude that he shall go softly
all his days in the bitterness of his soul (Isa 38:15).

Third. The man with a broken heart is a very humble man; or, true
humility is a sign of a broken heart. Hence, brokenness of heart,
contrition of spirit, and humbleness of mind, are put together.
'To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of
the contrite ones' (Isa 57:15).

To follow our similitude. Suppose a man, while in bodily health,
stout and strong, and one that fears and cares for no man; yet
let this man have but a leg or an arm broken, and his courage is
quelled; he is now so far off from hectoring of it with a man, that
he is afraid of every little child that doth but offer to touch
him. Now he will court the most feeble that has ought to do with
him, to use him and handle him gently. Now he is become a child in
courage, a child in fear, and humbleth himself as a little child.

Why, thus it is with that man that is of a broken and contrite
spirit. Time was, indeed, he could hector, even hector it with God
himself, saying, 'What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?'
or what profit shall I have if I keep his commandments? (Job 21:15;
Mal 3:13,14). Ay! But now his heart is broken; God has wrestled
with him, and given him a fall, to the breaking of his bones, his
heart; and now he crouches, now he cringes, now he begs of God that
he will not only do him good, but do it with tender hands. 'Have
mercy upon me, O God,' said David; yea, 'according unto the multitude
of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions' (Psa 51:1).

He stands, as he sees, not only in need of mercy, but of the tenderest
mercies. God has several sorts of mercies, some more rough, some
more tender. God can save a man, and yet have him a dreadful way to
heaven! This the broken-hearted sees, and this the broken-hearted
dreads, and therefore pleads for the tenderest sort of mercies; and
here we read of his gentle dealing, and that he is very pitiful, and
that he deals tenderly with his. But the reason of such expressions
no man knows but he that is broken-hearted; he has his sores, his
running sores, his stinking sores; wherefore he is pained, and
therefore covets to be handled tenderly. Thus God has broken the
pride of his spirit, and humbled the loftiness of man. And his
humility yet appears,

1. In his thankfulness for natural life. He reckoneth at night,
when he goes to bed, that like as a lion, so God will tear him to
pieces before the morning light (Isa 38:13). There is no judgment
that has fallen upon others, but he counts of right he should be
swallowed up by it. 'My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am
afraid of thy judgments' (Psa 119:120). But perceiving a day added
to his life, and that he in the morning is still on this side hell,
he cannot choose but take notice of it, and acknowledge it as a
special favour, saying, God be thanked for holding my soul in life
till now, and for keeping my life back from the destroyer (Job
33:22; Psa 56:13, 86:13).

Man, before his heart is broken, counts time his own, and therefore
he spends it lavishly upon every idle thing. His soul is far from
fear, because the rod of God is not upon him; but when he sees
himself under the wounding hand of God, or when God, like a lion,
is breaking all his bones, then he humbleth himself before him,
and falleth at his foot. Now he has learned to count every moment
a mercy, and every small morsel a mercy.

2. Now also the least hopes of mercy for his soul, O how precious
is it! He that was wont to make orts[8] of the gospel, and that
valued promises but as stubble, and the words of God but as rotten
wood; now, with what an eye doth he look on the promise? Yea, he
counted a peradventure of mercy more rich, more worth, than the
whole world. Now, as we say, he is glad to leap at a crust; now,
to be a dog in God's house is counted better by him than to 'dwell
in the tents of the wicked' (Matt 15:16,27; Luke 15:17-19).

3. Now he that was wont to look scornfully upon the people of God,
yea, that used to scorn to show them a gentle cast of his countenance;
now he admires and bows before them, and is ready to lick the dust
of their feet, and would count it his greatest, the highest honour,
to be as one of the least of them. 'Make me as one of thy hired
servants,' says he (Luke 15:19).

4. Now he is, in his own eyes, the greatest fool in nature; for
that he sees he has been so mistaken in his ways, and has not yet
but little, if any true knowledge of God. Every one now, says he,
have more knowledge of God than I; every one serves him better than
I (Psa 73:21,22; Prov 30:2,3).

5. Now may he be but one, though the least in the kingdom of
heaven! Now may he be but one, though the least in the church on
earth! Now may he be but loved, though the least beloved of saints!
How high an account doth he set thereon!

6. Now, when he talketh with God or men, how doth he debase himself
before them! If with God, how does he accuse himself, and load
himself with the acknowledgments of his own villanies, which he
committed in the days wherein he was the enemy of God! 'Lord,' said
Paul, that contrite one, 'I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue
them that believed on thee. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen
was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death,
and kept the raiment of them that slew him' (Acts 22:19,20). Yea,
I punished thy saints 'oft in every synagogue, and compelled them
to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted
them even unto strange cities' (Acts 26:9-11).

Also, when he comes to speak to saints, how doth he make himself
vile before them! 'I am,' saith he, 'the least of the apostles; that
am not meet to be called an apostle'; I am 'less than the least of
all saints'; I was a blasphemer; I was a persecutor, and injurious,
&c. (1 Cor 15:9; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:13). What humility, what self-abasing
thoughts, doth a broken heart produce! When David danced before the
ark of God, also how did he discover his nakedness to the disliking
of his wife; and when she taunted him for his doings, says he, 'It
was before the Lord,' &c., 'and I will yet be more vile than thus,
and will be base in mine own sight' (2 Sam 6:20-22). O, the man
that is, or that has been kindly broken in his spirit, and that is
of a contrite heart, is a lowly, humble man.

Fourth. The broken-hearted man is a man that sees himself in
spirituals to be poor. Therefore, as humble and contrite, so poor
and contrite are put together in the Word. 'But to this man will
I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit' (Isa
66:1,2). And here we still pursue our metaphor. A wounded man, a
man with broken bones, concludes his condition to be but poor, very
poor. Ask him how he does, and he answers, 'Truly, neighbours, in a
very poor condition!' Also you have the spiritual poverty of such
as have, or have had their hearts broken, and that have been of
contrite spirits, much made mention of in the Word. And they go
by two names to distinguish them from others. They are called THY
poor, that is, God's poor; they are also called 'the poor in spirit'
(Psa 72:2, 74:19; Matt 5:3). Now, the man that is poor in his own
eyes, for of him we now discourse, and the broken-hearted is such
an one, is sensible of his wants. He knows he cannot help himself,
and therefore is forced to be content to live by the charity of
others. Thus it is in nature, thus it is in grace.

1. The broken-hearted now knows his wants, and he knew it not till
now. As he that has a broken bone, knew no want of a bone-setter
till he knew his bone was broken. His broken bone makes him know
it; his pain and anguish makes him know it; and thus it is in
spirituals. Now he sees to be poor indeed is to want the sense of
the favour of God; for his great pain is a sense of wrath, as hath
been shown before. And the voice of joy would heal his broken bones
(Psa 51:8). Two things he thinks would make him rich. (1) A right
and title to Jesus Christ, and all his benefits. (2) And saving
faith therein. They that are spiritually rich are rich in him, and
in the faith of him (2 Cor 8:9; James 2:5).

The first of these giveth us a right to the kingdom of heaven; and
the second yields the soul the comfort of it; and the broken-hearted
man wants the sense and knowledge of his interest in these. That
he knows he wants them is plain; but that he knows he has them is
what, as yet, he wants the attainment of. Hence he says--'The poor
and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth
for thirst' (Isa 41:17). There is none in their view; none in their
view for them. Hence David, when he had his broken heart, felt he
wanted washing, he wanted purging, he wanted to be made white. He
knew that spiritual riches lay there but he did not so well perceive
that God had washed and purged him. Yea, he rather was afraid that
all was going, that he was in danger of being cast out of God's
presence, and that the Spirit of grace would be utterly taken from
him (Psa 51). That is the first thing. The broken-hearted is poor,
because he knows his wants.

2. The broken-hearted is poor, because he knows he cannot help
himself to what he knows he wants. The man that has a broken arm,
as he knows it, so he knows of himself he cannot set it. This
therefore is a second thing that declares a man is poor, otherwise
he is not so. For suppose a man wants never so much, yet if he can
but help himself, if he can furnish himself, if he can supply his
own wants out of what he has, he cannot be a poor man. Yea, the
more he wants, the greater are his riches, if he can supply his
own wants out of his own purse.

He then is the poor man, that knows his spiritual want, and also
knows he cannot supply or help himself. But this the broken-hearted
knows, therefore he in his own eyes is the only poor man. True, he
may have something of his own, but that will not supply his want,
and therefore he is a poor man still. I have sacrifices, says
David, but thou dosts not desire them, therefore my poverty remains
(Psa 51:16). Lead is not gold, lead is not current money with the
merchants. There is none has spiritual gold to sell but Christ (Rev
3:18). What can a man do to procure Christ, or procure faith, or
love? Yea, had he never so much of his own carnal excellencies, no,
not one penny of it will go for pay in that market where grace is
to be hand. 'If a man would give all the substance of his house
for love, it would utterly be contemned' (Can 8:7).

This the broken-hearted man perceives, and therefore he sees himself
to be spiritually poor. True he has a broken heart, and that is of
great esteem with God; but that is not of nature's goodness, that
is a gift, a work of God; and that is the sacrifices of God. Besides,
a man cannot remain content and at rest with that; for that, in
the nature of it, does but show him he is poor, and that his wants
are such as himself cannot supply. Besides, there is but little
ease in a broken heart.

3. The broken-hearted man is poor, and sees it; because he finds
he is now disabled to live any way else but by begging. This David
betook himself to, though he was a king; for he knew, as to his
soul's health, he could live no way else. 'This poor man cried,'
saith he, 'and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his
troubles' (Psa 34:6). And this leads me to the fifth sign.

Fifth. Another sign of a broken heart is a crying, a crying out.
Pain, you know, will make one cry. Go to them that have upon them
the anguish of broken bones, and see if they do not cry; anguish
makes them cry. This, this is that which quickly follows, if once
thy heart be broken, and thy spirit indeed made contrite.

1. I say, anguish will make thee cry. 'Trouble and anguish,' saith
David, 'have taken hold on me' (Psa 119:143). Anguish, you know,
doth naturally provoke to crying; now, as a broken bone has anguish,
a broken heart has anguish. Hence the pains of one that has a broken
heart are compared to the pangs of a woman in travail (John 16:20-22).

Anguish will make one cry alone, cry to one's self; and this
is called a bemoaning of one's self. 'I have surely heard Ephraim
bemoaning himself,' saith God (Jer 31:18). That is, being at present
under the breaking, chastising hand of God. 'Thou hast chastised
me,' saith he, 'and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed
to the yoke.' This is his meaning also who said, 'I mourn in my
complaint, and make a noise.' And why? Why, 'My heart is sore pained
within me' (Psa 4:2-4).

This is a self-bemoaning, a bemoaning themselves in secret and
retired places. You know it is common with them who are distressed
with anguish, though all alone, to cry out to themselves of their
present pains, saying, O my leg! O my arm! O my bowels! Or, as the
son of the Shunammite, 'My head! my head!' (2 Kings 4:19). O the
groans, the sighs, the cries, that the broken-hearted have, when
by themselves, or alone! O, say they, my sins! my sins! my soul! my
soul! How am I loaden with guilt! How am I surrounded with fear!
O this hard, this desperate, this unbelieving heart! O how sin
defileth my will, my mind, my conscience! 'I am afflicted and ready
to die' (Psa 88:15).[9]

Could some of you carnal people but get behind the chamber-door,
to hear Ephraim when he is at the work of self-bemoaning, it would
make you stand amazed to hear him bewail that sin in himself in
which you take delight; and to hear him bemoan his misspending of
time, while you spend all in pursuing your filthy lusts; and to
hear him offended with his heart, because it will not better comply
with God's holy will, while you are afraid of his Word and ways,
and never think yourselves better than when farthest off from God.
The unruliness of the passions and lusts of the broken-hearted make
them often get into a corner, and thus bemoan themselves.

2. As they thus cry out in a bemoaning manner of and to themselves,
so they have their outcries of and against themselves to others; as
she said in another case, 'Behold and see, if there be any sorrow
like unto my sorrow' (Lam 1:12). O the bitter cries and complaints
that the broken-hearted have, and make to one another! Still every
one imagining that his own wounds are deepest, and his own sores
fullest of anguish, and hardest to be cured. Say they, if our
iniquities be upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then
live? (Eze 33:10).

Once being at an honest woman's house, I, after some pause, asked
her how she did? She said, Very badly. I asked her if she was sick?
she answered, No. What then, said I, are any of your children ill?
She told me, No. What, said I, is your husband amiss, or do you go
back in the world? No, no, said she, but I am afraid I shall not
be saved. And broke out with heavy heart, saying, 'Ah, Goodman
Bunyan! Christ and a pitcher; if I had Christ, though I went and
begged my bread with a pitcher, it would be better with me than I
think it is now!' This woman had her heart broken, this woman wanted
Christ, this woman was concerned for her soul. There are but few
women, rich women, that count Christ and a pitcher better than the
world, their pride, and pleasures. This woman's cries are worthy
to be recorded; it was a cry that carried in it, not only a sense
of the want, but also of the worth of Christ. This cry, 'Christ and
a pitcher,' made a melodious noise in the ears of the very angels![10]

But, I say, few women cry out thus; few women are so in love with
their own eternal salvation, as to be willing to part with all
their lusts and vanities for Jesus Christ and a pitcher. Good Jacob
also was thus: 'If the Lord,' said he, 'will give me bread to eat,
and raiment to put on, then he shall be my God.' Yea, he vowed it
should be so. 'And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with
me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread
to eat, and raiment to put on; so that I come again to my father's
house in peace: then shall the Lord be my God' (Gen 28:20).

3. As they bemoan themselves, and make their complaints to one and
another, so they cry to God. 'O God,' said Heman, 'I have cried
day and night before thee.' But when? Why, when his soul was full
of trouble, and his life drew near to the grave (Psa 88:1-3). Or,
as it says in another place, out of the deep, 'out of the belly
of hell cried I' (Psa 130:1; Jonah 2:2). By such words expressing
what painful condition they were in when they cried.

See how God himself words it. 'My pleasant portion,' says he, is
become 'a desolate wilderness, and being desolate, it mourneth unto
me' (Jer 12:11). And this also is natural to those whose hearts are
broken. Whether goes the child, when it catcheth harm, but to its
father, to its mother? Where doth it lay its head, but in their laps?
Into whose bosom doth it pour out its complaint, more especially,
but into the bosom of the father, of a mother, because there are
bowels, there is pity, there is relief and succour? And thus it is
with them whose bones, whose hearts are broken. It is natural to
them; they must cry; they cannot but cry to him. 'Lord, heal me,'
said David, 'for my bones are vexed; Lord, heal me, for my soul
is also sore vexed' (Psa 6:1-3). He that cannot cry feels no pain,
sees no want, fears no danger, or else is dead.

Sixth. Another sign of a broken heart, and of a contrite spirit is,
it trembleth at God's Word. 'To him that is poor, and of a contrite
spirit, and trembleth at my Word' (Isa 66:2).

The Word of God is an awful Word to a broken-hearted man. Solomon
says, 'The word of a king is as the roaring of a lion'; and if so,
what is the Word of God? for by the wrath and fear is meant the
authoritative word of a king. We have a proverb, 'The burnt child
dreads the fire, the whipped child fears the rod'; even so the
broken-hearted fears the Word of God. Hence you have a remark set
upon them that tremble at God's Word, to wit, they are they that
keep among the godly; they are they that keep within compass; they
are they that are aptest to mourn, and to stand in the gap, when
God is angry; and to turn away his wrath from a people.

It is a sign the Word of God has had place, and wrought powerfully,
when the heart trembleth at it, is afraid, and stands in awe of it.
When Joseph's mistress tempted him to lie with her, he was afraid
of the Word of God. 'How then can I do this great wickedness,' said
he, 'and sin against God?' He stood in awe of God's Word, durst
not do it, because he kept in remembrance what a dreadful thing it
was to rebel against God's Word. When old Eli heard that the ark
was taken, his very heart trembled within him; for he read by that
sad loss that God was angry with Israel, and he knew the anger of
God was a great and terrible thing. When Samuel went to Bethlehem,
the elders of the town trembled; for they feared that he came to
them with some sad message from God, and they had had experience of
the dread of such things before (Gen 39:7-9; 1 Sam 4:13, 16:1-4).
When Ezra would have a mourning in Israel for the sins of the
land, he sent, and there came to him 'every one that trembled at
the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgressions of
those that had been carried away' (Ezra 9:4).

There are, I say, a sort of people that tremble at the words of
God, and that are afraid of doing ought that is contrary to them;
but they are only such with whose souls and spirits the Word has
had to do. For the rest, they are resolved to go on their course,
let God say what he will. 'As for the word' of the Lord, said
rebellious Israel to Jeremiah, 'that thou hast spoken unto us in
the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will
certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth'
(Jer 44:16). But do you think that these people did ever feel the
power and majesty of the Word of God to break their hearts? No,
verily; had that been so, they would have trembled at the words
of God; they would have been afraid of the words of God. God may
command some people what he will, they will do what they list. What
care they for God? what care they for his Word? Neither threats nor
promises, neither punishments or favours will make them obedient
to the Word of God; and all because they have not felt the power
of it, their hearts have not been broken with it. When king Josias
did but read in God's Book what punishment God had threatened
against rebellious Israel, though he himself was a holy and good
man, he humbled himself, 'he rent his clothes,' and wept before
the Lord, and was afraid of the judgment threatened (2 Kings 22;
2 Chron 34). For he knew what a dreadful thing the Word of God is.
Some men, as I said before, dare do anything, let the Word of God
be never so much against it; but they that tremble at the Word dare
not do so. No, they must make the Word their rule for all they do;
they must go to the Holy Bible, and there inquire what may or may
not be done; for they tremble at the Word. This then is another
sign, a true sign, that the heart has been broken, namely, 'When
the heart is made afraid of, and trembleth at the Word' (Acts 9:4-6,
16:29,30). Trembling at the Word is caused by a belief of what is
deserved, threatened, and of what will come, if not prevented by
repentance; and therefore the heart melts, and breaks before the
Lord.

[IV. THE NECESSITY THERE IS THAT THE HEART MUST BE BROKEN.]

I come, in the next place, to speak to this question.

But what necessity is there that the heart must be broken? Cannot
a man be saved unless his heart be broken? I answer, Avoiding secret
things, which only belong to God, there is a necessity of breaking
the heart, in order to salvation; because a man will not sincerely
comply with the means conducing thereunto until his heart is broken.
For,

First. Man, take him as he comes into the world, as to spirituals,
as to evangelical things, in which mainly lies man's eternal
felicity, and there he is as one dead, and so stupefied, and wholly
in himself, as unconcerned with it. Nor can any call or admonition,
that has not a heart-breaking power attending of it, bring him to
a due consideration of his present state, and so unto an effectual
desire to be saved.

Many ways God has manifested this. He has threatened men with
temporal judgments; yea, sent such judgments upon them, once and
again, over and over, but they will not do. What! says he, 'I have
given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities; I have withholden
the rain from you; I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; I
have sent among you the pestilence; I have overthrown some of you,
as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet have ye not returned unto
me, saith the Lord' (Amos 4:6-11). See here! Here is judgment upon
judgment, stroke after stroke, punishment after punishment, but
all will not do, unless the heart is broken. Yea, another prophet
seems to say that such things, instead of converting the soul, sets
it further off. If heart-breaking work attend such strokes, 'Why
should ye be stricken any more?' says he, 'ye will revolt more and
more' (Isa 1:5).

Man's heart is fenced, it is grown gross; there is a skin that,
like a coat of mail, has wrapped it up, and inclosed it in on every
side. This skin, this coat of mail, unless it be cut off and taken
away, the heart remains untouched, whole; and so as unconcerned,
whatever judgments or afflictions light upon the body (Matt 13:15;
Acts 28:27). This which I call the coat of mail, the fence of the
heart, has two great names in Scripture. It is called, 'the foreskin
of the heart,' and the armour in which the devil trusteth (Deut
10:16; Luke 11:22).

Because these shield and fence the heart from all gospel doctrine,
and from all legal punishments, nothing can come at it till these
are removed. Therefore, in order unto conversion, the heart is said
to be circumcised; that is, this foreskin is taken away, and this
coat of mail is spoiled. 'I will circumcise thy heart,' saith
he, 'to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart'--and then the
devil's goods are spoiled--'that thou mayst live' (Deut 30:6; Luke
11:22).

And now the heart lies open, now the Word will prick, cut, and pierce
it; and it being cut, pricked, and pierced, it bleeds, it faints,
it falls, and dies at the foot of God, unless it is supported by
the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. Conversion, you know,
begins at the heart; but if the heart be so secured by sin and
Satan, as I have said, all judgments are, while that is so, in
vain. Hence Moses, after he had made a long relation of mercy and
judgment unto the children of Israel, suggests that yet the great
thing was wanting to them, and that thing was, an heart to perceive,
and eyes to see, and ears to hear unto that day (Deut 29:2,3). Their
hearts were as yet not touched to the quick, were not awakened,
and wounded by the holy Word of God, and made tremble at its truth
and terror.

But I say, before the heart be touched, pricked, made smart, &c.,
how can it be thought, be the danger never so great, that it should
repent, cry, bow, and break at the foot of God, and supplicate there
for mercy! and yet thus it must do; for thus God has ordained, and
thus God has appointed it; nor can men be saved without it. But, I
say, can a man spiritually dead, a stupid man, whose heart is past
feeling, do this; before he has his dead and stupid heart awakened,
to see and feel its state and misery without it? But,

Second. Man, take him as he comes into the world--and how wise soever
he is in worldly and temporal things--he is yet a fool as to that
which is spiritual and heavenly. Hence Paul says, 'the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness unto him,' because he is indeed a fool to them; 'neither,'
says the text, 'can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned' (1 Cor 2:14). But how now must this fool be made wise?
Why, wisdom must be put into his heart (Job 38:36). Now, none can
put it there but God; and how doth he put it there, but by making
room there for it, by taking away the thing which hinders, which is
that folly and madness which naturally dwelleth there? But how doth
he take that away but by a severe chastising of his soul for it,
until he has made him weary of it? The whip and stripes are provided
for the natural fool, and so it is for him that is spiritually so
(Prov 19:29).

Solomon intimates, that it is a hard thing to make a fool become
wise. 'Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat
with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him' (Prov
27:22). By this it appears that it is a hard thing to make a fool
a wise man. To bray one in a mortar is a dreadful thing, to bray
one there with a pestle; and yet it seems a whip, a mortar, and a
pestle is the way. And if this is the way to make one wise in this
world, and if all this will hardly do, how must the fool that is
so in spirituals be whipped and beaten, and stripped before he is
made wise therein? Yea, his heart must be put into God's mortar,
and must be beaten; yea, brayed there with the pestle of the law,
before it loves to hearken unto heavenly things. It is a great
word in Jeremiah, 'Through deceit,' that is, folly, 'they refuse to
know me, saith the Lord.' And what follows? Why, 'Therefore, thus
saith the Lord of hosts, behold I will melt them, and try them,' that
is, with fire, 'for how shall I do for the daughter of my people'
(Jer 9:6,7). I will melt them: I will put them into my furnace, and
there I will try them; and there will I make them know me, saith
the Lord. When David was under spiritual chastisement for his sin,
and had his heart under the breaking hand of God, then he said, God
should make him know wisdom (Psa 51:6). Now he was in the mortar,
now he was in the furnace, now he was bruised and melted; yea, now
his bones, his heart, was breaking, and now his folly was departing.
Now, says he, thou shalt make me to know wisdom. If I know anything
of the way of God with us fools, there is nothing else will make
us wise men; yea, a thousand breakings will not make us so wise as
we should be.

We say, Wisdom is not good till it is bought; and he that buys it,
according to the intention of that proverb, usually smarts for it.
The fool is wise in his own conceit; wherefore there is a double
difficulty attends him before he can be wise indeed. Not only his
folly, but his wisdom, must be removed from him; and how shall that
be, but by ripping up of his heart by some sore conviction, that
may show him plainly that his wisdom is his folly, and that which
will undo him. A fool loves his folly; that is, as treasure, so
much is he in love with it. Now then, it must be a great thing that
must make a fool forsake his folly. The foolish will not weigh,
nor consider, nor compare wisdom with their folly. 'Folly is joy
to him that is destitute of wisdom.' 'As a dog returneth to his
vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly' (Prov 15:21, 26:11). So
loth are they when driven from it to let it go, to let it depart
from them. Wherefore there must go a great deal to the making of
a man a Christian; for as to that, every man is a fool, yea, the
greatest fool, the most unconcerned fool, the most self-willed fool
of all fools; yea, one that will not be turned from his folly but
by the breaking of his heart. David was one of these fools; Manasseh
was one of these fools; Saul, otherwise called Paul, was one of
these fools; and so was I--and that the biggest of all.[11]

Third. Man, take him as he comes into the world, and he is not only
a dead man, and a fool, but a proud man also. Pride is one of those
sins that first showeth itself to children, yea, and it grows up
with them, and mixeth itself with all they do: but it lies most hid,
most deep in man as to his soul-concerns. For the nature of sin,
as sin, is not only to be vile, but to hide its vileness from the
soul. Hence many think they do well when they sin. Jonah thought
he did well to be angry with God (Jonah 4:9). The Pharisees thought
they did well when they said, Christ had a devil (John 8:48).
And Paul thought verily, that he ought to do many things against,
or contrary to, the name of Jesus; which he also did with great
madness (Acts 26:9,10). And thus sin puffs up men with pride, and
a conceit of themselves, that they are a thousand times better than
they are. Hence they think they are the children of God, when they
are the children of the devil; and that they are something as to
Christianity, when they neither are such, nor know what it is that
they must have to make them such (John 8:41-44; Gal 6:3).

Now, whence flows this but from pride, and a self-conceit of
themselves, and that their state is good for another world, when
they are yet in their sins, and under the curse of God? Yea, and
this pride is so strong and high, and yet so hid in them, that all
the ministers in the world cannot persuade them that this is pride,
not grace, in which they are so confident. Hence they slight all
reproofs, rebukes, threatenings, or admonitions that are pressed
upon them, to prevail with them to take heed, that they be not
herein deceived. 'Hear ye,' saith the prophet, 'and give ear: be
not proud, for the Lord hath spoken.' 'But if ye will not hear it,
my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride' (Jer 13:15-17).
And what was the conclusion? Why, all the proud men stood out still,
and maintained their resistance of God and his holy prophet (Jer
43:2).

Nor is there any thing that will prevail with these to the saving
of their souls, until their hearts are broken. David, after he had
defiled Bathsheba, and slain her husband, yet boasted himself in
his justice and holiness, and would by all means have the man put
to death that had but taken the poor man's lamb, when, alas! poor
soul, himself was the great transgressor. But would he believe
it? No, no; he stood upon the vindicating of himself to be a just
doer; nor would he be made to fall until Nathan, by authority from
God, did tell him that he was the man whom himself had condemned;
'Thou art the man,' said he: at which word his conscience was
awakened, his heart wounded, and so his soul made to fall under the
burden of his guilt, at the feet of the God of heaven for mercy (2
Sam 12:1-13).

Ah! pride, pride! thou art that which holds many a man in the chains
of his sins; thou art it, thou cursed self-conceit, and keepest them
from believing that their state is damnable. 'The wicked, through
the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God' (Psa 10:4).
And if there is so much in the pride of his countenance, what is
there, think you, in the pride of his heart? Therefore Job says it
is to hide pride from man, and so to save his soul from hell, that
God chasteneth him with pain upon his bed, until the multitude of
his bones stick out, and until his life draws nigh to the destroyer
(Job 33:17-22).

It is a hard thing to take a man off his pride, and make him, instead
of trusting in, and boasting of his goodness, wisdom, honesty,
and the like, to see himself a sinner, a fool, yea, a man that is
cruel, as to his own immortal soul. Pride of heart has a power in
it, and is therefore compared to an iron sinew, and an iron chain,
by which they are made stout, and with which they are held in that
stoutness, to oppose the Lord, and drive his Word from their hearts
(Lev 26:19; Psa 73:6).

This was the sin of devils, and it is the sin of man, and the sin,
I say, from which no man can be delivered until his heart is broken;
and then his pride is spoiled, then he will be glad to yield. If
a man be proud of his strength or manhood, a broken leg will maul
him; and if a man be proud of his goodness, a broken heart will
maul him; because, as has been said, a broken heart comes by the
discovery and charge of sin, by the power of God upon the conscience.

Fourth. Man, take him as he comes into the world, and he is not only
a dead man, a fool, and proud, but also self-willed and headstrong
(2 Peter 2:10). A stubborn ungain creature is man before his heart
is broken. Hence they are so often called rebels, rebellious, and
disobedient: they will only do what they list. 'All day long,' says
God, 'have I stretched out my hand to a disobedient and gainsaying
people.' And hence, again, they are compared to a self-willed or
headstrong horse, that will, in spite of his rider, rush into the
battle. 'Every one,' says God, 'turneth to his course, as the horse
rusheth into battle' (Jer 8:6). They say, 'With our tongue will we
prevail, our lips are our own; who is lord over us' (Psa 12:4).

Hence they are said to stop their ears, to pull away their shoulder,
to shut their eyes, and harden their hearts, 'against the words of
God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High' (Psa 107:11; Zech
7:10,12). They are fitly compared to the rebellious son who would
not be ruled by his parents, or to the prodigal, who would have
all in his own hand, and remove himself far away from father and
father's house (Deut 21:20; Luke 15:13). Now for such creatures,
nothing will do but violence. The stubborn son must be stoned till
he dies; and the prodigal must be famished out of all; nothing else,
I say, will do. Their self-willed stubborn heart will not comply
with the will of God before it is broken (Deut 21:21; Luke 15:14-17).
These are they that are called the stout-hearted; these are said
to be far from righteousness, and so will remain until their hearts
are broken; for so they must be made to know themselves (Isa 9:9-11).

Fifth. Man, as he comes into the world, is not only a dead man, a
fool, proud, and self-willed, but also a fearless creature. 'There
is,' saith the text, 'no fear of God before their eyes' (Rom 3:18).
No fear of God! There is fear of man, fear of losing his favour,
his love, his good-will, his help, his friendship; this is seen
everywhere. How do the poor fear the rich, the weak fear the strong,
and those that are threatened, them that threaten! But come now to
God; why, none fear him; that is, by nature, none reverence him;
they neither fear his frowns, nor seek his favour, nor inquire how
they may escape his revenging hand that is lifted up against their
sins and their souls because of sin. Little things they fear the
losing of them; but the soul they are not afraid to lose. 'They
fear not me, saith the Lord' (Mal 3:5).

How many times are some men put in mind of death by sickness upon
themselves, by graves, by the death of others? How many times are
they put in mind of hell by reading the Word, by lashes of conscience,
and by some that go roaring in despair out of this world? How many
times are they put in mind of the day of judgment. As, 1. By God's
binding the fallen angels over to judgment. 2. By the drowning of
the old world (2 Peter 2:4,5; Jude 6,7). 3. By the burning of Sodom
and Gomorrah with fire from heaven (2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7). 4. By
appointing a day (Acts 17:29-31). 5. By appointing a judge (Acts
10:40-42). 6 By reserving their crimes in records (Isa 30:8; Rev
20:12). 7. By appointing and preparing of witnesses (Rom 2:15).
8. And by promising, yea, threatening, yea, resolving, to call the
whole world to his bar, there to be judged for all which they have
done and said, and for every secret thing (Matt 25:31-33, 12:36;
Eccl 11:9, 12:14).

And yet they fear not God: alas! they believe not these things.
These things, to carnal men, are like Lot's preaching to his sons
and daughters that were in Sodom. When he told them that God would
destroy that place, he seemed unto them as one that mocked; and
his words to them were as idle tales (Gen 19:14). Fearless men are
not won by words; blows, wounds, and killings, are the things that
must bring them under fear. How many struggling fits had Israel
with God in the wilderness? How many times did they declare that
there they feared him not? And observe, they were seldom, if ever,
brought to fear and dread his glorious name, unless he beset them
round with death and the grave. Nothing, nothing but a severe hand,
will make the fearless fear. Hence, to speak after the manner of
man, God is put upon it to go this way with sinners when he would
save their souls; even bring them, and lay them at the mouth, and
within sight of hell and everlasting damnation: and there also
charge them with sin and guilt, to the breaking of their hearts,
before they will fear his name.

Sixth. Man, as he comes into the world, is not only a dead man, a
fool, proud, self-willed, and fearless, but he is a false believer
concerning God. Let God report of himself never so plainly, man
by nature will not believe this report of him. No, they are become
vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart is darkened;
wherefore they turn the glory of God, which is his truth, into a
lie (Rom 1:21-25). God says, He sees; they say, He seeth not; God
saith, He knows; they say, He doth not know: God saith, None is like
himself; yet they say, He is altogether like to them: God saith,
None shall keep his door for naught; they say, It is in vain, and
to no profit to serve him: he saith, He will do good; they say,
He will neither do good nor evil (Job 22:13,14; Psa 50:21; Job
21:14,15; Mal 3:14; Zeph 1:12). Thus they falsely believe concerning
God; yea, as to the word of his grace, and the revelation of his
mercy in Christ, they stick not to say by their practice--for a
wicked man speaketh with his feet (Prov 6:13)--that that is a stark
lie, and not to be trusted to (1 John 5:10).

Now, what shall God do to save these men? If he hides himself
and conceals his glory, they perish. If he sends to them by his
messengers, and forbears to come to them himself, they perish. If
he comes to them and forbears to work upon them by his word, they
perish: if he worketh on them, but not effectually, they perish.
If he works effectually he must break their hearts, and make them,
as men wounded to death, fall at his feet for mercy, or there can
be no good done on them; they will not rightly believe until he
fires them out of their misbelief, and makes them to know, by the
breaking of their bones for their false faith, that he is, and will
be, what he has said of himself in his holy Word.[12] The heart,
therefore, must be broken before the man can come to good.

Seventh. Man, as he comes into the world, is not only a dead man,
a fool, proud, self-willed, fearless, and a false believer, but
a great lover of sin; he is captivated, ravished, drowned in the
delights of it. Hence it [the Word] says, they love sin, delight
in lies, do take pleasure in iniquity, and in them that do it; that
they sport themselves in their own deceivings, and glory in their
shame (John 3:19; Psa 62:4; Rom 1:32; 2 Peter 2:13; Phil 3:19).

This is the temper of man by nature; for sin is mixed with and
has the mastery of all the powers of his soul. Hence they are said
to be captives to it, and to be led captive into the pleasures of
it, at the will of the devil (2 Tim 2:26). And you know it is not
an easy thing to break love, or to take the affections off that
object on which they are so deeply set, in which they are so deeply
rooted, as man's heart is in his sins. Alas! how many are there
that contemn all the allurements of heaven, and that trample upon
all the threatenings of God, and that say, 'Tush,' at all the flames
of hell, whenever these are propounded as motives to work them off
their sinful delights! so fixed are they, so mad are they, upon
these beastly idols. Yea, he that shall take in hand to stop their
course in this their way, is as he that shall attempt to prevent
the raging waves of the sea from their course, when driven by the
mighty winds.

When men are somewhat put to it, when reason and conscience shall
begin a little to hearken to a preacher, or a judgment that shall
begin to hunt for iniquity, how many tricks, evasions, excuses,
demurs, delays, and hiding-holes will they make, invent, and find,
to hide and preserve their sweet sins with themselves and their
souls, in the delights of them, to their own eternal perdition?
Hence they endeavour to stifle conscience, to choke convictions,
to forget God, to make themselves atheists, to contradict preachers
that are plain and honest, and to heap to themselves such of them
only as are like themselves, that speak unto them smooth things,
and prophesy deceits; yea, they say themselves to such preachers,
'Get you out of the way; turn aside out of the path; cause the Holy
One of Israel to cease from before us' (Isa 30:8-11). If they be
followed still, and conscience and guilt shall, like blood-hounds,
find them out in their secret places, and roar against them for
their wicked lives, then they will flatter, cogg, dissemble, and
lie against their soul, promising to mend, to turn, to repent,
and grow better shortly; and all to daff[13] off convictions and
molestations in their wicked ways, that they may yet pursue their
lusts, their pleasures, and sinful delights, in quiet, and without
control.

Yea, further, I have known some that have been made to roar like
bears, to yell like dragons, and to howl like dogs, by reason of
the weight of guilt, and the lashes of hell upon their conscience
for their evil deeds; who have, so soon as their present torments
and fears were gone, returned again with the 'dog to his vomit; and
as the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire' (Hosea
7:14; 2 Peter 2:20-22).

Once again, some have been made taste of the good Word of God, of
the joy of heaven, and of the powers of the world to come, and yet
could not by any one, nay, by all of these, be made to break their
league for ever with their lusts and sins (Heb 6:4,5; Luke 8:13;
John 5:33-35). O Lord! what is man, that thou art mindful of him?
Wherein is he to be accounted of? He has sinned against thee; he
loves his sins more than thee. He is a lover of pleasures more than
he is a lover of God!

But now, how shall this man be reclaimed from this sin? How shall
he be brought, wrought, and made, to be out of love with it?
Doubtless it can be by no other means, by what we can see in the
Word, but by the wounding, breaking, and disabling of the heart
that loves it, and by that means making it a plague and gall unto
it. Sin may be made an affliction, and as gall and wormwood to
them that love it; but the making of it so bitter a thing to such
a man, will not be done but by great and sore means. I remember we
had in our town some time since, a little girl that loved to eat
the heads of foul tobacco-pipes, and neither rod nor good words
could reclaim her, and make her leave them. So her father takes
advice of a doctor, to wean her from them, and it was this: Take,
saith he, a great many of the foulest tobacco-pipe heads you can
get, and boil them in milk, and make a posset of that milk, and
make your daughter drink the posset-drink up. He did so, and gave
his girl it, and made her drink it up; the which became so irksome
and nauseous to her stomach, and made her so sick, that she could
never abide to meddle with tobacco-pipe heads any more, and so was
cured of that disease. Thou lovest thy sin, and neither rod nor
good words will as yet reclaim thee. Well, take heed; if thou wilt
not be reclaimed, God will make thee a posset of them, which shall
be so bitter to thy soul, so irksome to thy taste, so loathsome to
thy mind, and so afflicting to thy heart, that it shall break it
with sickness and grief, till it be loathsome to thee. I say, thus
he will do if he loves thee; if not, he will suffer thee to take
thy course, and will let thee go on with thy tobacco-pipe heads!

The children of Israel will have flesh, must have flesh; they weep,
cry, and murmur, because they have not flesh; the bread of heaven,
that is but light and sorry stuff in their esteem (Num 11:1-6).
Moses goes and tells God how the people despised his heavenly bread,
and how they longed, lusted, and desired to be fed with flesh.
Well, says God, they shall have flesh, they shall have their fill
of flesh; I will feed them with it; they shall have to the full;
and that 'ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days,
neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a whole month, until
it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because
ye have despised the Lord' (Num 11:11-20). He can tell how to make
that loathsome to thee on which thou most dost set thine evil heart.
And he will do so, if he loves thee; else, as I said, he will not
make thee sick by smiting of thee nor punish thee for or when thou
committest whoredom, but will let thee alone till the judgment-day,
and call thee to a reckoning for all thy sins then. But to pass
this.

Eighth. Man, as he comes into the world, is not only a dead man, a
fool, proud, self-willed, fearless, a false believer, and a lover
of sin, but a wild man. He is of the wild olive tree, of that
which is wild by nature (Rom 11:17,24). So, in another place, man
by nature is compared to the ass, to a wild ass. 'For vain or empty
man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt' (Job
11:12). Isaac was a figure of Christ, and of all converted men
(Gen 4:28). But Ishmael was a figure of man by nature; and the
Holy Ghost, as to that, saith this of him, 'And he will be a wild
man' (Gen 16:12). This man, I say, was a figure of all carnal
men, in their wildness or estrangedness from God. Hence it is said
of the prodigal, at his conversion, that he came to himself then;
implying that he was mad, wild, or out of his wits before (Luke
15:17). I know there is a difference sometimes betwixt one's being
wild and mad; yet sometimes wildness arriveth to that degree as to
give one rightly the denomination of being mad. And it is always
true in spirituals; namely, that he that is wild, as to God, is
mad, or besides himself, and so not capable, before he is tamed, of
minding his own eternal good as he should. There are these several
things that are tokens of one wild or mad; and they all meet in a
carnal man.

1. A wild or mad man gives no heed to good counsel; the frenzy of his
head shuts all out, and by its force leads him away from men that
are wise and sober. And thus it is with carnal men; good counsel
is to them as pearls are that are cast afore swine; it is trampled
under foot of them, and the man is despised that brings it (Matt
7:6). 'The poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not
heard' (Eccl 9:16).

2. A wild or mad man, let him alone, and he will greatly busy
himself all his life to accomplish that which, when it is completed,
amounts to nothing. The work, the toil, the travel of such a one
comes to nothing, save to declare that he was out of his wits that
did it. David, imitating of such a one, scrabbled upon the gate of
the king, as fools do with chalk; and like to this is all the work
of all carnal men in the world (1 Sam 21:12,13). Hence, such a one
is said to labour for the wind, or for what will amount to no more
than if he filled his belly with the east wind (Eccl 5:16; Job
15:2).

3. A wild or mad man, if you set him to do anything, and he does it,
he will yet do it, not by or according to your bidding, but after
the folly of his own wild fancy; even as Jehu executed the commandment
of the Lord; he did it in his own madness, taking no heed to the
commandment of the Lord (2 Kings 9:20, 10:31). And thus do carnal
men do, when they meddle with any of God's matters, as hearing,
praying, reading, professing; they do all according to their own
wild fancy; they take no heed to do these after the commandment of
the Lord.

4. Wild or mad men, if they deck or array themselves with ought,
as many times they do, why, the spirit of their wildness or frenzy
appears even in the mode and way in which they do it. Either the
things themselves which they make use of for that purpose are very
toys and trifles; or if they seem to be better, they are put on
after an antic manner, rather to the rendering of them ridiculous,
than to bespeak them sober, judicious, or wise; and so do natural
men array themselves with what they would be accepted in with God.
Would one in his wits think to make himself fine or acceptable to
men by arraying himself in menstruous cloths, or by painting his
face with dross and dung? And yet this is the finery of carnal men,
when they approach for acceptance into the presence of God (Isa
64:6; Phil 3:7,8).

O the wildness, the frenzy, the madness, that possesses the heart
and mind of carnal men! they walk according to the course of this
world, according to or after that spirit which is in truth the
spirit of the devil, which worketh in the children of disobedience
(Eph 2:1-3). But do they believe that thus it is with them? No,
they are, in their own account, as other madmen are, the only ones
in the world. Hence they are so taken and tickled with their own
frantic notions, and deride all else that dwell in the world. But
which is the way to make one that is wild, or a madman, sober? To
let him alone will not do it; to give him good words only will not
do it; no, he must be tamed; means must be used to tame him. 'He
brought down their hearts with labour,' or by continual molestation;
as you have it (Psa 107:10-12). He speaketh there of madmen that
are kept up in darkness, and bound in afflictions and irons, because
they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel
of the Most High.

This, therefore, is the way to deal with such, and none but God
can so deal with them. They must be taken, they must be separated
from men; they must be laid in chains, in darkness, afflictions,
and irons; they must be blooded, half-starved, whipped, purged,
and be dealt with as mad people are dealt with. And thus they must
be dealt with till they come to themselves, and cry out in their
distresses. And then they cry to the Lord in their troubles, and
he saveth them out of their distresses; then he brings them out of
darkness, and the shadow of death, and breaks their bands in sunder
(Psa 107:13-15). Thus, I say, God tames the wild, and brings mad
prodigals to themselves, and so to him for mercy.

Ninth. Man, as he comes into the world, is not only a dead man, a
fool, proud, self-willed, fearless, a false believer, a lover of
sin, and a wild man; but a man that disrelishes the things of the
kingdom of God. I told you before, that unconverted man is such as
did not taste things; but now I add, that he disrelishes things;
he calls bitter things sweet, and sweet bitter; he judges quite
amiss. These are they that God threateneth with a woe. 'Woe unto
them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet
for bitter' (Isa 5:20).

This latter part of this text shows us evidently that the things
of God are disrelished by some. They call his sweet things bitter,
and the devil's bitter things sweet; and all this is for want
of a broken heart. A broken heart relishes otherwise than a whole
or unbroken one doth. A man that has no pain, or bodily distress,
cannot find or feel virtue or good in the most sovereign plaister,
were it applied to arm or leg; no, he rather says, Away with these
stinking daubing things. O! but lay the same plaisters where there
is need, and the patient will relish, and taste, and savour the
goodness of them; yea, will prize and commend them to others.

Thus it is in spirituals. The world, they know not what the
anguish or pain of a broken heart means; they say, 'Who will show
us any good,' that is, better than we find in our sports, pleasures,
estates, and preferments. 'There be many,' says the Psalmist, speak
after this sort. But what says the distressed man? Why, 'Lord,
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us'; and then adds,
'Thou hast put gladness in my heart'; namely, by the light of thy
countenance, for that is the plaister for a broken heart. 'Thou
hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their
corn and their wine increaseth' (Psa 4:1-7). O! a broken heart
can savour pardon, can savour the consolations of the Holy Ghost.
Yea, as a hungry or thirsty man prizes bread and water in the want
thereof, so do the broken in heart prize and set a high esteem on
the things of the Lord Jesus. His flesh, his blood, his promise,
and the light of his countenance, are the only sweet things both
to scent and taste, to those that are of a wounded spirit. The full
soul loatheth the honey-comb; the whole despise the gospel, they
savour not the things that are of God.

If twenty men were to hear a pardon read, and but one of those
twenty were condemned to die, and the pardon was for none but such;
which of these men, think you, would taste the sweetness of that
pardon, they who are not, or he that was condemned? The condemned
man, doubtless. This is the case in hand. The broken in heart is
a condemned man; yea, it is a sense of condemnation, with other
things, that has indeed broken his heart; nor is there anything
but sense of forgiveness that can bind it up, or heal it. But could
that heal it, could he not taste, truly taste, or rightly relish
this forgiveness? no; forgiveness would be to him as it is to him
that has not sense of want of it.

But, I say, what is the reason some so prize what others so despise,
since they both stand in need of the same grace and mercy of God
in Christ? Why, the one sees, and the other sees nothing, of this
woeful miserable state. And thus have I showed you the necessity
of a broken heart. 1. Man is dead, and must be quickened. 2. Man is
a fool, and must be made wise. 3. Man is proud, and must be humbled.
4. Man is self-willed, and must be broken. 5. Man is fearless, and
must be made to consider. 6. Man is a false believer, and must be
rectified. 7. Man is a lover of sin, and must be weaned from it.
8. Man is wild, and must be tamed. 9. Man disrelishes the things
of God, and can take no savour in them, until his heart is broken.

[V. THE REASONS WHY A BROKEN HEART IS ESTEEMED BY GOD SUCH AN
EXCELLENT THING.]

And thus have I done with this, and shall come next to the reasons
of the point, namely, to show you, why or how it comes to pass, that
a broken heart, a heart truly contrite, is to God such an excellent
thing. That to him it is so, we have proved by six demonstrations;
what it is, we have showed by the six signs thereof; that it must
be, is manifest by those nine reasons but now urged; and why it
is with God or in his esteem an excellent thing, that is shown by
that which follows.

First. A broken heart is the handiwork of God; an heart of his
own preparing, for his own service; it is a sacrifice of his own
providing, of his providing for himself; as Abraham said in another
case, 'God will provide himself a lamb' (Gen 22:8).

Hence it is said, 'The preparations of the heart in man, &c., is from
the Lord.' And again, 'God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty
troubleth me' (Job 23:16). The heart, as it is by nature hard,
stupid, and impenetrable, so it remains, and so will remain, until
God, as was said, bruiseth it with his hammer, and melts it with
his fire. The stony nature of it is therefore said to be taken
away of God. 'I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you,' saith he, 'an heart of flesh' (Eze 36:26). I
will take away the stony heart, or the stoniness, or the hardness of
your heart, and I will give you a heart of flesh; that is, I will
make your heart sensible, soft, wieldable, governable, and penitent.
Sometimes he bids men rend their hearts, not because they can, but
to convince them rather, that though it must be so, they cannot do
it; so he bids them make themselves a new heart, and a new spirit,
for the same purpose also; for if God doth not rend it, it remains
unrent; if God makes it not new, it abides an old one still.

This is that that is meant by his bending of men for himself, and
of his working in them that which is pleasing in his sight (Zech
9:13). The heart, soul, or spirit, as in itself, as it came from
God's fingers, a precious thing, a thing in God's account worth more
than all the world. This heart, soul, or spirit, sin has hardened,
the devil has bewitched, the world has deceived. This heart, thus
beguiled, God coveteth and desireth: 'My son,' saith he, 'give me
thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways' (Prov 23:26).

This man cannot do this thing: for that his heart has the mastery
of him, and will not but carry him after all manner of vanity. What
now must be done? Why, God must take the heart by storm, by power,
and bring it to a compliance with the Word; but the heart of
itself will not; it is deluded, carried away to another than God.
Wherefore God now betakes him to his sword, and bring down the
heart with labour, opens it, and drives out the strong man armed
that did keep it; wounds it; and makes it smart for its rebellion,
that it may cry; so he rectifies it for himself. 'He maketh sore,
and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole' (Job 5:18).
Thus having wrought it for himself, it becomes his habitation, his
dwelling-place: 'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith'
(Eph 3:17).

But I would not swerve from the thing in hand. I have told you
a broken heart is the handiwork of God, a sacrifice of his own
preparing; a material fitted for himself.

1. By breaking of the heart he openeth it, and makes it a receptacle
for the graces of his Spirit; that is the cabinet, when unlocked,
where God lays up the jewels of the gospel; there he puts his fear;
'I will put my fear in their hearts'; there he writes his law; 'I
will write my law in their heart'; there he puts his Spirit: 'I will
put my Spirit within you' (Jer 31:31-33, 32:39-41; Eze 36:26,27).
The heart, I say, God chooses for his cabinet: there he hides his
treasure; there is the seat of justice, mercy, and of every grace
of God; I mean, when it is broken, made contrite; and so regulated
by the holy Word.

2. The heart, when broken, is like sweet gums and spices when
beaten; for as such cast their fragrant scent into the nostrils of
men, so the heart when broken casts its sweet smells in the nostrils
of God. The incense, which was a type of prayer of old, was to be
beaten or bruised, and so to be burned in the censer. The heart
must be beaten or bruised, and then the sweet scent will come out:
even groans, and cries, and sighs, for the mercy of God; which
cries, &c. to him, are a very excellent thing, and pleasing in
his nostrils.

Second. A broken heart is in the sight of God an excellent thing;
because a broken heart is submissive; it falleth before God, and giveth
to him his glory. All this is true from a multitude of scriptures,
which I need not here mention. Hence such a heart is called an
honest heart, a good heart, a perfect heart, a heart fearing God,
and such as is sound in God's statutes.

Now, this cannot but be an excellent thing, if we consider, that by
such a heart, unfeigned obedience is yielded unto him that calleth
for it. 'Ye have obeyed from the heart,' says Paul to them at Rome,
'that form of doctrine which was delivered you' (Rom 6:17). Alas!
the heart, before it is broken and made contrite, is quite of another
temper: 'It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be.' The great stir before the heart is broken, is about who shall
be Lord, God or the sinner. True, the right of dominion is the
Lord's; but the sinner will not suffer it, but will be all himself;
saying 'Who is Lord over us?' and again, say they to God, 'We are
lords, we will come no more unto thee' (Psa 12:4; Jer 2:31).

This also is evident by their practice; God may say what he will,
but they will do what they list. Keep my sabbath, says God; I will
not, says the sinner. Leave your whoring, says God; I will not, says
the sinner. Do not tell lies, nor swear, nor curse, nor blaspheme
my holy name, says God; O but I will, says the sinner. Turn to
me, says God; I will not, says the sinner. The right of dominion
is mine, says God; but, like that young rebel (1 Kings 1:5), I
will be king, says the sinner. Now, this is intolerable, this is
unsufferable, and yet every sinner by practice says thus; for they
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Here can be no concord, no communion, no agreement, no fellowship.
Here, here is enmity on the one side, and flaming justice on the
other (2 Cor 6:14-16; Zech 11:8). And what delight, what content,
what pleasure, can God take in such men. None at all; no, though
they should be mingled with the best of the saints of God; yea,
though the best of saints should supplicate for them. Thus, says
Jeremiah, 'Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel
stood before me,' that is, to pray for them, 'yet my mind could not
be toward this people; cast them out of my sight, and let them go
forth' (Jer 15:1).

Here is nought but open war, acts of hostility, and shameful
rebellion, on the sinner's side; and what delight can God take in
that? Wherefore, if God will bend and buckle the spirit of such an
one, he must shoot an arrow at him, a bearded arrow, such as may
not be plucked out of the wound: an arrow that will stick fast,
and cause that the sinner falls down as dead at God's foot (Psa
33:1,2). Then will the sinner deliver up his arms, and surrender
up himself as one conquered, into the hand of, and beg for the
Lord's pardon, and not till then; I mean not sincerely.

And now God has overcome, and his right hand and his holy arm has
gotten him the victory. Now he rides in triumph with his captive
at his chariot wheel; now he glories; now the bells in heaven do
ring; now the angels shout for joy, yea, are bid to do so, 'Rejoice
with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost' (Luke 15:1-10).
Now also the sinner, as a token of being overcome, lies grovelling
at his foot, saying, 'Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the
king's enemies, whereby the people fall under thee' (Psa 45:3-5).

Now the sinner submits, now he follows his conqueror in chains, now
he seeks peace, and would give all the world, were it his own, to
be in the favour of God, and to have hopes by Christ of being saved.
Now this must be pleasing, this cannot but be a thing acceptable
in God's sight: 'A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise.' For it is the desire of his own heart, the work of
his own hands.

Third. Another reason why a broken heart is to God such an excellent
thing is this, a broken heart prizes Christ, and has a high esteem
for him. The whole have no need of a physician, but the sick; this
sick man is the broken-hearted in the text; for God makes men sick
by smiting of them, by breaking of their hearts. Hence sickness
and wounds are put together; for that the one is a true effect of
the other (Mark 2:17; Micah 6:13; Hosea 5:13). Can any think that
God should be pleased, when men despise his Son, saying, He hath no
form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him? And yet so say they of him whose hearts
God has not mollified; yea, the elect themselves confess, that
before their hearts were broken, they set light by him also. He
is, say they, 'despised and rejected of men,--and we hid as it were
our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not' (Isa
53:2,3).

He is indeed the great deliverer; but what is a deliverer to them
that never saw themselves in bondage, as was said before? Hence it
is said of him that delivered the city, 'No man remembered that same
poor man' (Eccl 9:15). He has sorely suffered, and been bruised for
the transgression of man, that they might not receive the smart,
and hell, which by their sins they have procured to themselves.
But what is that to them that never saw ought but beauty, and that
never tasted anything but sweetness in sin? It is he that holdeth
by his intercession the hands of God, and that causes him to forbear
to cut off the drunkard, the liar, and unclean person, even when
they are in the very act and work of their abomination; but their
hard heart, their stupefied heart, has no sense of such kindness
as this, and therefore they take no notice of it. How many times
has God said to this dresser of his vineyard, 'Cut down the barren
fig-tree,' while he yet, by his intercession, has prevailed for
a reprieve for another year! But no notice is taken of this, no
thanks is from them returned to him for such kindness of Christ.
Wherefore such ungrateful, unthankful, inconsiderate wretches as
these must needs be a continual eye-sore, as I may say, and great
provocation to God; and yet thus men will do before their hearts
are broken (Luke 13:6-9).

Christ, as I said, is called a physician; yea, he is the only
soul-physician. He heals, how desperate soever the disease be; yea,
and heals who he undertakes for ever. 'I give unto them eternal
life,' and doth all of free cost, of mere mercy and compassion
(John 10:28). But what is all this to one that neither sees his
sickness, that sees nothing of a wound? What is the best physician
alive, or all the physicians in the world, put all together, to him
that knows no sickness, that is sensible of no disease? Physicians,
as was said, may go a-begging for all the healthful. Physicians
are of no esteem, save only to the sick, or upon a supposition of
being so now, or at any other time.

Why, this is the cause Christ is so little set by in the world.
God has not made them sick by smiting of them; his sword has not
given them the wound, his dart has not been struck through their
liver; they have not been broken with his hammer, nor melted with
his fire. So they have no regard to his physician; so they slight
all the provision which God has made for the salvation of the
soul. But now, let such a soul be wounded; let such a man's heart
be broken; let such a man be made sick through the sting of guilt,
and be made to wallow himself in ashes under the burden of his
transgressions; and then, who but Christ, as has been showed afore,
then the physician; then, wash me, Lord, then supple my wounds,
then pour thy wine and oil into my sore; then Lord Jesus cause me
to hear the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou
hast broken may rejoice. Nothing now so welcome as healing; and
so nothing, no man, so desirable now as Christ. His name to such
is the best of names; his love to such is the best of love; himself
being now not only in himself, but also to such a soul, the chiefest
of ten thousand (Can 5:10).

As bread to the hungry, as water to the thirsty, as light to the
blind, and liberty to the imprisoned; so, and a thousand times more,
is Jesus Christ to the wounded, and to them that are broken-hearted.
Now, as was said, this must needs be excellent in God's eyes,
since Christ Jesus is so glorious in his eyes. To contemn what a
man counts excellent, is an offence to him; but to value, esteem,
or think highly of that which is of esteem with me, this is pleasing
to me, such an opinion is excellent in my sight. What says Christ?
'My Father loveth you, because ye loved me' (John 16:27). Who
hath an high esteem for Christ, the Father hath an high esteem for
them. Hence it is said, 'He that hath the Son, hath the Father';
the Father will be his, and will do for him as a Father, who
receiveth and sets an honourable esteem on his Son.

But none will, none can do this, but the broken-hearted; because
they, and they only, are sensible of the want and worth of an
interest in him.

I dare appeal to all the world as to the truth of this; and do say
again, that these, and none but these, have hearts of esteem in
the sight of God. Alas! 'the heart of the wicked is little worth,'
for it is destitute of a precious esteem of Christ, and cannot but
be destitute, because it is not wounded, broken, and made sensible
of the want of mercy by him (Prov 10:20).

Fourth. A broken heart is of great esteem with God, because it is
a thankful heart for that sense of sin and of grace it has received.
The broken heart is a sensible heart. This we touched upon before.
It is sensible of the dangers which sin leadeth to; yea, and has
cause to be sensible thereof, because it has seen and felt what sin
is, both in the guilt and punishment that by law is due thereto.
As a broken heart is sensible of sin, in the evil nature and
consequences of it; so it is also sensible of the way of God's
delivering the soul from the day of judgment; consequently it must
be a thankful heart. Now he that praises me, glorifies me, saith
God; and God loves to be glorified. God's glory is dear unto him;
he will not part with that (Psa 50:23; Isa 42:8).

The broken-hearted, say I, forasmuch as he is the sensible soul, it
follows that he is the thankful soul. 'Bless the Lord, O my soul,'
said David, 'and all that is within me bless his holy name.' Behold
what blessing of God is here! and yet not content herewith, he goes
on with it again, saying, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all his benefits.' But what is the matter? O! he has 'forgiven
all thine iniquities, and healed all thy diseases. He has redeemed
thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with loving kindnesses
and tender mercies' (Psa 103:1-4). But how came he to be affected
with this? Why, he knew what it was to hang over the mouth of hell
for sin; yea, he knew what it was for death and hell to beset and
compass him about; yea, they took hold of him, as we have said, and
were pulling of him down into the deep; this he saw to the breaking
of his heart. He saw also the way of life, and had his soul relieved
with faith and sense of that, and that made him a thankful man. If
a man who has had a broken leg, is but made to understand, that by
the breaking of that he kept from breaking of his neck, he will be
thankful to God for a broken leg. 'It is good for me,' said David,
'that I have been afflicted.' I was by that preserved from a great
danger; for before that I went astray (Psa 119:67,71).

And who can be thankful for a mercy that is not sensible that they
want it, have it, and have it of mercy? Now, this the broken-hearted,
this the man that is of a contrite spirit, is sensible of; and
that with reference to mercies of the best sort, and therefore must
needs be a thankful man, and so have a heart of esteem with God,
because it is a thankful heart.

Fifth. A broken heart is of great esteem with, or an excellent
thing in, the sight of God, because it is a heart that desires now
to become a receptacle or habitation for the spirit and graces of
the Spirit of God. It was the devil's hold before, and was contented
so to be. But now it is for entertaining of, for being possessed
with, the Holy Spirit of God. 'Create in me a clean heart,' said
David, 'and renew a right spirit within me. Take not thy Holy Spirit
from me, uphold me with thy free Spirit' (Psa 51:10-12). Now he was
for a clean heart and a right spirit; now he was for the sanctifying
of the blessed spirit of grace; a thing which the uncircumcised in
heart resist, and do despite unto (Acts 7:51; Heb 10:29).

A broken heart, therefore, suiteth with the heart of God; a contrite
spirit is one spirit with him. God, as I told you before, covets
to dwell with the broken in heart, and the broken in heart desire
communion with him. Now here is an agreement, a oneness of mind;
now the same mind is in thee which was also in Christ Jesus. This
must needs be an excellent spirit; this must needs be better with
God, and in his sight, than thousands of rams, or ten thousand
rivers of oil. But does the carnal world covet this, this spirit,
and the blessed graces of it? No, they despise it, as I said before;
they mock at it, they prefer and countenance any sorry, dirty lust
rather; and the reason is, because they want a broken heart, that
heart so highly in esteem with God, and remain for want thereof in
their enmity to God.

The broken-hearted know, that the sanctifying of the Spirit is
a good means to keep from that relapse, out of which a man cannot
come unless his heart be wounded a second time. Doubtless David
had a broken heart at first conversion, and if that brokenness
had remained, that is, had he not given way to hardness of heart
again, he had never fallen into that sin out of which he could
not be recovered, but by the breaking of his bones a second time.
Therefore, I say, a broken heart is of great esteem with God; for
it--and I will add, so long as it retains its tenderness--covets none
but God, and the things of his Holy Spirit; sin is an abomination
to it.

[VI. ADVANTAGES THAT A CHRISTIAN GETS BY KEEPING HIS HEART TENDER.]

And here, as in a fit place, before I go any further, I will show
you some of the advantages that a Christian gets by keeping of
his heart tender. For, as to have a broken heart, is to have an
excellent thing, so to keep this broken heart tender, is also very
advantageous.

First. This is the way to maintain in thy soul always a fear of
sinning against God. Christians do not wink at, or give way to sin,
until their hearts begin to lose their tenderness. A tender heart
will be affected at the sin of another, much more it will be afraid
of committing of sin itself (2 Kings 22:19).

Second. A tender heart quickly yieldeth to prayer, yea, prompteth to
it, puts an edge and fire into it. We never are backward to prayer
until our heart has lost its tenderness; though then it grows cold,
flat, and formal, and so carnal to and in that holy duty.

Third. A tender hearts has always repentance at hand for the least
fault or slip, or sinful thought that the soul is guilty of. In many
things the best offend; but if a Christian loseth his tenderness,
if he says he has his repentance to seek, his heart is grown
hard--has lost that spirit, that kind spirit of repentance, it was
wont to have. Thus it was with the Corinthians; they were decayed,
and lost their tenderness; wherefore their sin--yea, great
sins--remained unrepented of (2 Cor 12:20).

Fourth. A tender heart is for receiving often its communion with
God, when he that is hardened, though the seed of grace is in him,
will be content to eat, drink, sleep, wake, and go days without
number without him (Isa 17:10; Jer 2:32).

Fifth. A tender heart is a wakeful, watchful heart. It watches
against sin in the soul, sin in the family, sin in the calling,
sin in spiritual duties and performances, &c. It watches against
Satan, against the world, against the flesh, &c. But now, when the
heart is not tender, there is sleepiness, unwatchfulness, idleness,
a suffering the heart, the family, and calling to be much defiled,
spotted, and blemished with sin; for a hard heart departs from God,
and turns aside in all these things.

Sixth. A tender heart will deny itself, and that in lawful things,
and will forbear even that which may be done--for some Jew, or Gentile,
or the church of God, or any member of it, should be offended, or
made weak thereby; whereas the Christian that is not tender, that
has lost his tenderness, is so far off of denying himself in lawful
things, that he will even adventure to meddle in things utterly
forbidden, whoever is offended, grieved, or made weak thereby. For
an instance of this, we need go no further than to the man in the
text, who, while he was tender, trembled at little things; but
when his heart was hardened, he could take Bathsheba to satisfy
his lust, and kill her husband to cover his wickedness.

Seventh. A tender heart--I mean, the heart kept tender--preserves
from many a blow, lash, and fatherly chastisement; because it shuns
the causes, which is sin, of the scourging hand of God. 'With the
pure thou wilt show thyself pure, but with the froward thou wilt
shew thyself unsavoury' (2 Sam 22:27; Psa 18:25-27).

Many a needless rebuke and wound doth happen to the saints of God
through their unwise behaviour. When I say needless, I mean they are
not necessary, but to reclaim us from our vanities; for we should
not feel the smart of them, were it not for our follies. Hence the
afflicted is called a fool, because his folly brings his affliction
upon him. 'Fools,' says David, 'because of their transgression,
and because of their iniquities, are afflicted' (Psa 107:17).
And therefore it is, as was said before, that he call his sin his
foolishness. And again, 'God will speak peace unto his people, and
to his saints; but let them not turn again to folly' (Psa 38:5,
85:8). 'If his children transgress my laws, then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes' (Psa
89:30-32).

[How to keep the heart tender.]

QUEST. But what should a Christian do, when God has broke his heart,
to keep it tender?

ANSW. To this I will speak briefly. And, first, give you several
cautions; secondly, several directions.

[First--Several cautions.]

1. Take heed that you choke not those convictions that at present
do break your hearts, by labouring to put those things out of your
minds which were the cause of such convictions; but rather nourish
and cherish those things in a deep and sober remembrance of them.
Think, therefore, with thyself thus, What was it that at first did
wound my heart? And let that still be there, until, by the grace
of God, and the redeeming blood of Christ, it is removed.

2. Shun vain company. The keeping of vain company has stifled many
a conviction, killed many a desire, and made many a soul fall into
hell, that once was hot in looking after heaven. A companion that
is not profitable to the soul, is hurtful. 'He that walketh with
wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed'
(Prov 13:20).

3. Take heed of idle talk, that thou neither hear nor join with
it. 'Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest
not in him the lips of knowledge' (Prov 14:7). 'Evil communications
corrupt good manners. And a fool's lips are the snare of his soul.'
Wherefore take heed of these things (Prov 18:7; 1 Cor 15:33).

4. Beware of the least motion to sin, that it be not countenanced,
lest the countenancing of that makes way for a bigger.[14] David's
eye took his heart, and so his heart nourishing the thought, made
way for the woman's company, the act of adultery, and bloody murder.
Take heed, therefore, brethren, 'lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin' (Heb 3:12,13). And remember, that he that
will rend the block, puts the thin end of the wedge first thereto,
and so, by driving, does his work.

5. Take heed of evil examples among the godly; learn of no man to
do that which the word of God forbids. Sometimes Satan makes use of
a good man's bad ways, to spoil and harden the heart of them that
come after. Peter's false doing had like to have spoiled Barnabas,
yea, and several others more. Wherefore take heed of men, of good
men's ways, and measure both theirs and thine own by no other rule
but the holy Word of God (Gal 2:11-13).

6. Take heed of unbelief, or atheistical thoughts; make no question
of the truth and reality of heavenly things: for know unbelief is
the worst of evils; nor can the heart be tender that nourisheth or
gives place unto it. 'Take heed, therefore, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God'
(Heb 3:12). These cautions are necessary to be observed with all
diligence, of all them that would, when their heart is made tender,
keep it so. And now to come,

[Second]--to the Directions.

1. Labour after a deep knowledge of God to keep it warm upon thy
heart; knowledge of his presence, that is everywhere. 'Do not I fill
heaven and earth, saith the Lord?' (Jer 23:24). (1.) Knowledge of
his piercing eye, that it runneth to and fro through the earth,
beholding in every place the evil and the good; that his eyes
behold, and his eyelids try the children of men (Prov 15:3). (2.)
The knowledge of his power, that he is able to turn and dissolve
heaven and earth into dust and ashes; and that they are in his
hand but as a scroll or vesture (Heb 1:11,12). (3.) The knowledge
of his justice, that the rebukes of it are as devouring fire (Heb
12:19). (4.) The knowledge of his faithfulness, in fulfilling
promises to them to whom they are made, and of his threatenings on
the impenitent (Matt 5:18, 24:35; Mark 13:31).

2. Labour to get and keep a deep sense of sin in its evil nature,
and in its soul-destroying effects upon thy heart; be persuaded,
that it is the only enemy of God, and that none hate, or are hated
of God, but through that. (1.) Remember it turned angels into
devils, thrust them down from heaven to hell. (2.) That it is the
chain in which they are held and bound over to judgment (2 Peter
2:4; Jude 6). (3.) That it was for that that Adam was turned out
of paradise; that for which the old world was drowned; that for
which Sodom and Gomorrah was burned with fire from heaven; and
that which cost Christ his blood to redeem thee from the curse it
has brought upon thee; and that, if anything, will keep thee out of
heaven for ever and ever. (4.) Consider the pains of hell. Christ
makes use of that as an argument to keep the heart tender; yea,
to that end repeats and repeats, and repeats, both the nature and
durableness of the burning flame thereof, and of the gnawing of
the neverdying worm that dwells there (Mark 9:43-48).

3. Consider of death, both as to the certainty of thy dying, and
uncertainty of the time when. We must die, we must needs die; our
days are determined--the number of our months are with God, though
not with us; nor can we pass them, would we, had we them, give a
thousand worlds to do it (2 Sam 14:14; Job 7:1, 14:1-5). Consider
thou must die but once--I mean but once as to this world; for if
thou, when thou goest hence, dost not die well, thou canst not come
back again and die better. 'It is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment' (Heb 9;27).

4. Consider also of the certainty and terribleness of the day of
judgment, when Christ shall sit upon his great white throne, when
the dead shall, by the sound of the trump of God, be raised up; when
the elements, with heaven and earth, shall be on a burning flame;
when Christ shall separate men one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats; when the books shall be opened,
the witnesses produced, and every man be judged according to his
works; when heaven's gate shall stand open to them that shall be
saved, and the jaws of hell stand gaping for them that shall be
damned (Acts 5:30-31, 10:42; Matt 25:31,32,34,4; Rev 2:11; 1 Cor
15:51; Rev 20:12,15; 2 Peter 3:7,10,12; Rom 2:2,15,16; Rev 22:12).

5. Consider, Christ Jesus did use no means to harden his heart
against doing and suffering those sorrows which were necessary for
the redemption of thy soul. No; though he could have hardened his
heart against thee in the way of justice and righteousness, because
thou hadst sinned against him, he rather awakened himself, and put
on all pity, bowels, and compassion; yea, tender mercies, and did
it. In his love and in his pity he saved us. His tender mercies
from on high hath visited us. He loved us, and gave himself for us.
Learn, then, of Christ, to be tender of thyself, and to endeavour
to keep thy heart tender to God-ward, and to the salvation of thy
soul. But to draw to a conclusion.

VII. THE USE.

Let us now, then, make some use of this doctrine. As,

FIRST USE. From the truth of the matter, namely, that the man who
is truly come to God has had his heart broken--his heart broken
in order to his coming to him. And this shows us what to judge of
the league that is between sin and the soul, to wit, that it is so
firm, so strong, so inviolable, as that nothing can break, disannul,
or make it void, unless the heart be broken for it. It was so with
David, yea, his new league with it could not be broken until his
heart was broken.

It is amazing to consider what hold sin has on some men's souls,
spirits, will, and affections. It is to them better than heaven,
better than God--than the soul, ay, than salvation; as is evident,
because, though all these are offered them upon this condition,
if they will but leave their sins, yet they will choose rather to
abide in them, to stand and fall by them. How sayest thou, sinner?
Is not this a truth? How many times hast thou had heaven and
salvation offered to thee freely, wouldst thou but break thy league
with this great enemy of God? Of God, do I say; if thou wouldst but
break this league with this great enemy of thy soul? but couldst
never yet be brought unto it; no, neither by threatening nor by
promise couldst thou ever yet be brought unto it.

It is said of Ahab he sold himself to work wickedness: and in
another place, yea, 'for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves'
(1 Kings 21:25; Isa 50:1). But what is this iniquity? Why, a thing
of nought; nay, worse than nought a thousand times; but because
nought is as we say nought, therefore it goes under that term,
where God saith again to the people, 'Ye have sold yourselves for
nought' (Isa 52:3). But, I say, what an amazing thing is this, that
a rational creature should make no better a bargain; that one that
is so wise in all terrene things, should be such a fool in the
thing that is most weighty? And yet such a fool he is, and he tells
every one that goes by the way that he is such an one, because he
will not break his league with sin until his heart is broken for
it. Men love darkness rather than light. Ay, they make it manifest
they love it, since so great a proffer will not prevail with them
to leave it.

SECOND USE. Is this a truth, that the man that truly comes to
God in order thereto has had his heart broken? then this shows us
a reason why some men's hearts are broken; even a reason why God
breaks some men's hearts for sin; namely, because he would not have
them die in it, but rather come to God that they might be saved?
Behold, therefore, in this how God resolved as to the saving of some
men's souls! He will have them, he will save them, he will break
their hearts, but he will save them; he will kill them, that they
may live; he will wound them, that he may heal them. And it seems
by our discourse that now there is no way left but this; fair means,
as we say, will not do; good words, a glorious gospel, entreatings,
beseeching with blood and tears, will not do. Men are resolved to
put God to the utmost of it; if he will have them he must fetch
them, follow them, catch them, lame them; yea, break their bones,
or else he shall not save them.

Some men think an invitation, an outward call, a rational discourse,
will do; but they are much deceived, there must a power, an
exceeding great and mighty power, attend the Word, or it worketh
not effectually to the salvation of the soul. I know these things
are enough to leave men without excuse, but yet they are not enough
to bring men home to God. Sin has hold of them, they have sold
themselves to it; the power of the devil has hold of them, they are
his captives at his will; yea, and more than all this, their will
is one with sin, and with the devil, to be held captive thereby:
and if God gives not contrition, repentance, or a broken heart, for
sin, there will not be no not so much as a mind in man to forsake
this so horrible a confederacy and plot against his soul (2 Tim
2:24,25).

Hence men are said to be drawn from these breasts, that come, or
that are brought to him (Isa 26:9; John 6:44). Wherefore John might
well say, 'Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us!' Here is cost bestowed, pains bestowed, labour bestowed,
repentance bestowed; yea, and an heart made sore, wounded, broken,
and filled with pain and sorrow, in order to the salvation of the
soul.

THIRD USE. This then may teach us what estimation to set upon a
broken heart. A broken heart is such as God esteems, yea, as God
counts better than all external service: a broken heart is that
which is in order to salvation, in order to thy coming to Christ
for life. The world know not what to make of it, nor what to say
to one that has a broken heart, and therefore do despise it, and
count that man that carries it in his bosom a moping fool, a miserable
wretch, an undone soul: 'But a broken and a contrite spirit, O God,
thou wilt not despise'; a broken heart takes thine eye, thy heart:
thou choosest it for thy companion, yea, has given thy Son a charge
to look well to such a man, and has promised him thy salvation, as
has afore been proved.

Sinner, hast thou obtained a broken heart? has God bestowed a contrite
spirit upon thee? He has given thee what himself is pleased with;
he has given thee a cabinet to hold his grace in; he has given thee
a heart that can heartily desire his salvation, an heart after his
own heart, that is, such as suits his mind. True, it is painful
now, sorrowful now, penitent now, grieved now; now it is broken,
now it bleeds, now, now it sobs, now it sighs, now it mourns and
crieth unto God. Well, very well; all this is because he hath a
mind to make thee laugh; he has made thee sorry on earth that thou
mightest rejoice in heaven. 'Blessed are they that mourn, for they
shall be comforted.--Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall
laugh' (Matt 5:4; Luke 6:21).

But, soul, be sure thou hast this broken heart. All hearts are
not broken hearts, nor is every heart that seems to have a wound,
a heart that is truly broken. A man may be cut to, yet not into the
heart; a man may have another, yet not a broken heart (Acts 7:54;
1 Sam 10:9). We know there is a difference betwixt a wound in the
flesh and a wound in the spirit; yea, a man's sin may be wounded,
and yet his heart not broken: so was Pharaoh's, so was Saul's, so
was Ahab's; but they had none of them the mercy of a broken heart.
Therefore, I say, take heed; every scratch with a pin, every prick
with a thorn, nay, every blow that God giveth with his Word upon
the heart of sinners, doth not therefore break them. God gave Ahab
such a blow that he made him stoop, fast, humble himself, gird
himself with and lie in sackcloth, which was a great matter for a
king, and go softly, and yet he never had a broken heart (1 Kings
21:27,29). What shall I say? Pharaoh and Saul confessed their sins,
Judas repented himself of his doings, Esau sought the blessing,
and that carefully with tears, and yet none of these had a heart
rightly broken, or a spirit truly contrite; Pharaoh, Saul, and
Judas, were Pharaoh, Saul, and Judas still; Esau was Esau still;
there was no gracious change, no thorough turn to God, no unfeigned
parting with their sins, no hearty flight for refuge, to lay hold
on the hope of glory, though they indeed had thus been touched (Exo
10:16; 1 Sam 26:21; Matt 27:3; Heb 12:14-17).

The consideration of these things call aloud to us to take heed,
that we take not that for a broken and a contrite spirit that will
not go for one at the day of death and judgment. Wherefore, seeking
soul, let me advise thee, that thou mayest not be deceived as to
this thing of so great weight.

First. To go back towards the beginning of this book, and compare
thyself with those six or seven signs of a broken and contrite
heart, which there I have, according to the Word of God, given to
thee for that end; and deal with thy soul impartially about them.

Second. Or, which may and will be great help to thee if thou shalt
be sincere therein, namely, to betake thyself to the search of the
Word, especially where thou readest of the conversion of men, and
try if thy conversion be like, or has a good resemblance or oneness
with theirs. But in this have a care that thou dost not compare
thyself with those good folk of whose conversion thou readest
not, or of the breaking of whose heart there is no mention made in
Scripture; for all that are recorded in the Scripture for saints
have not their conversion, as to the manner or nature of it, recorded
in the Scripture.

Third. Or else, do thou consider truly of the true signs of
repentance which are laid down in Scripture; for that is the true
effect of a broken heart, and of a wounded spirit. And for this
see Matthew 3:5,6; Luke 18:13, 19:8; Acts 2:37-40, &c., 16:29,30,
19:18,19; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11.

Fourth. Or else, take into consideration how God has said, they
shall be in their spirits that he intends to save. And for this
read these scriptures: (1.) That in Jeremiah 31, 'They shall come
with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them' &c. (v
9). (2.) Read Jeremiah 50:4,5: 'In those days, and in that time,
the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah
together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their
God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward,
saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual
covenant that shall not be forgotten.' (3.) Read Ezekiel 6:9: 'And
they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither
they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their
whorish heart, which have departed from me, and with their eyes,
which go a-whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves
for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.'
(4.) Read Ezekiel 7:16: 'But they that escape of them shall escape,
and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them
mourning, every one for his iniquity.' (5.) Read Ezekiel 20:43:
'And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein
ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own
sight for all your evils that ye have committed.' (6.) Read Ezekiel
37:31: 'Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings
that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight
for your iniquities and for your abominations.' (7.) Read Zechariah
12:10: 'And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications:
and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in
bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.'

Now all these are the fruits of the Spirit of God, and of the
heart, when it is broken: wherefore, soul, take notice of them, and
because these are texts by which God promiseth that those whom he
saveth shall have this heart, this spirit, and these holy effects
in them; therefore consider again, and examine thyself, whether
this is the state and condition of thy soul. And that thou mayest
do it fully, consider again, and do thou,

1. Remember that here is such a sense of sin, and of the irksomeness
thereof, as maketh the man not only to abhor that, but himself,
because of that; this is worth the noting by thee.

2. Remember again that here is not only a self-abhorrence, but a
sorrowful kind mourning unto God, at the consideration that the soul
by sin has affronted, contemned, disregarded, and set at nought,
both God and his holy Word.

3. Remember also that here are prayers and tears for mercy, with
desires to be now out of love with sin for ever, and to be in heart
and soul firmly joined and knit unto God.

4. Remember also that this people here spoken of have all the way
from Satan to God, from sin to grace, from death to life, scattered
with tears and prayers, with weeping and supplication; they shall
go weeping, and seeking the Lord their God.

5. Remember that these people, as strangers and pilgrims do, are
not ashamed to ask the way of those they meet with to Zion, or the
heavenly country; whereby they confess their ignorance, as became
them, and their desire to know the way to life: yea, thereby they
declare that there is nothing in this world, under the sun, or
this side heaven, that can satisfy the longings, the desire, and
cravings of a broken and a contrite spirit. Reader, be advised,
and consider of these things seriously, and compare thy soul with
them, and with what else thou shalt find here written for thy
conviction and instruction.

FOURTH USE. If a broken heart and a contrite spirit be of such
esteem with God, then this should encourage them that have it to
come to God with it. I know the great encouragement for men to come
to God is, for that there 'is a mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus' (1 Tim 2:5). This, I say, is the great encouragement,
and in its place there is none but that; but there are other
encouragements subordinate to that, and a broken and a contrite spirit
is one of them: this is evident from several places of Scripture.

Wherefore, thou that canst carry a broken heart and a sorrowful
spirit with thee, when thou goest to God, tell him thy heart is
wounded within thee, that thou hast sorrow in thy heart, and art
sorry for thy sins; but take heed of lying.[15] Confess also thy
sins unto him, and tell him they are continually before thee. David
made an argument of these things, when he went to God by prayer.
'O Lord,' saith he, 'rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten
me in thy hot displeasure.' But why so? O! says he, 'Thine arrows
stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no
soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there
any rest in my bones, because of my sin. For mine iniquities are
gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds stink, and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. I am
troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no
soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken; I have roared
by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is
before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth,
my strength faileth me: as for the light for mine eyes, it also is
gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore':
and so he goes on (Psa 38:1-4, &c.).

These are the words, sighs, complaints, prayers, and arguments of
a broken heart to God for mercy; and so are they--'Have mercy upon
me, O God, according to thy loving kindness; according unto the
multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash
me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me' (Psa
51:1-3).

God alloweth poor creatures that can, without lying, thus to plead
and argue with him. 'I am poor and sorrowful,' said the good man
to him, 'let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high' (Psa 69:29).
Wherefore thou that hast a broken heart take courage, God bids thee
take courage; say therefore to thy soul, 'Why are thou cast down,
O my soul?' as usually the broken-hearted are. 'And why art thou
disquieted within me? Hope thou in God.' 'I had fainted,' if I had
not been of good courage; therefore 'be of good courage, and he
shall strengthen thine heart' (Psa 42:11, 43:5, 27:12-14).

But alas! the broken-hearted are far off from this; they faint;
they reckon themselves among the dead; they think God will remember
them no more: the thoughts of the greatness of God, and his holiness,
and their own sins and vilenesses, will certainly consume them.
They feel guilt and anguish of soul; they go mourning all the day
long; their mouth is full of gravel and gall, and they are made to
drink draughts of wormwood and gall; so that he must be an artist
indeed at believing, who can come to God under his guilt and horror,
and plead in faith that the sacrifices of God are a broken heart,
such as he had; and that 'a broken and a contrite spirit God will
not despise.'

FIFTH USE. If a broken heart, if a broken and contrite spirit, is
of such esteem with God, then why should some be, as they are, so
afraid of a broken heart, and so shy of a contrite spirit?

I have observed that some men are as afraid of a broken heart, or
that they for their sins should have their hearts broken, as the
dog is of the whip. O! they cannot away with such books, with such
sermons, with such preachers, or with such talk, as tends to make
a man sensible of, and to break his heart, and to make him contrite
for his sins. Hence they heap to themselves such teachers, get such
books, love such company, and delight in such discourse, as rather
tends to harden than soften; to make desperate in, than sorrowful
for their sin. They say to such sermons, books, and preachers, as
Amaziah said unto Amos, 'O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the
land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there, but prophesy
not again any more at Bethel; for it is the king's chapel, and it
is the king's court' (Amos 7:12,13).

But do these people know what they do? Yes, think they, for such
preachers, such books, such discourses tend to make one melancholy
or mad; they make us that we cannot take pleasure in ourselves, in
our concerns, in our lives. But, O fool in grain![16] let me speak
unto thee. Is it a time to take pleasure, and to recreate thyself
in anything, before thou hast mourned and been sorry for thy sins?
That mirth that is before repentance for sin will certainly end
in heaviness. Wherefore the wise man, putting both together, saith
that mourning must be first. There is 'a time to weep, and a time
to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance' (Eccl 3:4). What,
an unconverted man, and laugh! Shouldst thou see one singing merry
songs that is riding up Holborn to Tyburn,[17] to be hanged for
felony, wouldst thou not count him besides himself, if not worse?
and yet thus it is with him that is for mirth while he standeth
condemned by the Book of God for his trespasses. Man! man! thou
hast cause to mourn; yea, thou must mourn if ever thou art saved.
Wherefore my advice is, that instead of shunning, thou covet both
such books, such preachers, and such discourses, as have a tendency
to make a man sensible of, and to break his heart for sin; and the
reason is, because thou wilt never be as thou shouldst, concerned
about, nor seek the salvation of thine own soul, before thou hast
a broken heart, a broken and a contrite spirit. Wherefore be not
afraid of a broken heart; be not shy of a contrite spirit. It is
one of the greatest mercies that God bestows upon a man or a woman.
The heart rightly broken at the sense of, and made truly contrite
for transgression, is a certain forerunner of salvation. This is
evident from those six demonstrations which were laid down to prove
the point in hand, at first.

And for thy awakening in this matter, let me tell thee, and thou
wilt find it so, thou must have thy heart broken whether thou wilt
or no. God is resolved to break ALL hearts for sin some time or
other. Can it be imagined, sin being what it is, and God what he
is--to wit, a revenger of disobedience--but that one time or other
man must smart for sin? smart, I say, either to repentance or to
condemnation. He that mourns not now, while the door of mercy is
open, must mourn for sin when the door of mercy is shut.

Shall men despise God, break his law, contemn his threats, abuse
his grace, yea, shut their eyes when he says, See; and stop their
ears when he says, Hear; and shall they so escape? No, no, because
he called, and they refused; he stretched out his hand, and they
regarded it not; therefore shall calamity come upon them, as upon
one in travail; and they shall cry in their destruction, and then
God will laugh at their destruction, and mock when their fear
cometh. Then, saith he, 'they shall cry' (Prov 1:24-26). I have
often observed that this threatening is repeated at least seven
times in the New Testament, saying, 'There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth'; 'there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth'
(Matt 8:12, 13:42,50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30; Luke 13:28). There.
Where? In hell, and at the bar of Christ's tribunal, when he comes
to judge the world, and shall have shut to the door to keep them
out of glory, that have here despised the offer of his grace, and
overlooked the day of his patience. 'There shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth.' They shall weep and wail for this.

There are but two scriptures that I shall use more, and then I shall
draw towards a conclusion. One is that in Proverbs, where Solomon
is counselling of young men to beware of strange, that is, of wanton,
light, and ensnaring women. Take heed of such, said he, lest 'thou
mourn at the last,' that is, in hell, when thou art dead, 'when
thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated
instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the
voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ears to them that instructed
me!' (Prov 5:11-13).

The other scripture is that in Isaiah, where he says, 'Because when
I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but
did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted
not. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall
eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but
ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye
shall be ashamed; behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart,
but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation
of spirit' (Isa 65:13,14).

How many beholds are here! and every behold is not only a call to
careless ones to consider, but as a declaration from heaven that
thus at last it shall be with all impenitent sinners; that is,
when others sing for joy in the kingdom of heaven, they, they shall
sorrow in hell, and howl for vexation of spirit there.

Wherefore, let me advise that you be not afraid of, but that you
rather covet a broken heart, and prize a contrite spirit; I say,
covet it now, now the white flag is hung out, now the golden sceptre
of grace is held forth to you. Better mourn now God inclines to
mercy and pardon, than mourn when the door is quite shut up. And
take notice, that this is not the first time that I have given you
this advice.

USE SIXTH. Lastly, If a broken heart be a thing of so great esteem
with God as has been said, and if duties cannot be rightly performed
by a heart that has not been broken, then this shows the vanity of
those peoples' minds, and also the invalidity of their pretended
Divine services, who worship God with a heart that was never broken,
and without a contrite spirit. There has, indeed, at all times been
great flocks of such professors in the world in every age, but to
little purpose, unless to deceive themselves, to mock God, and lay
stumbling-blocks in the way of others; for a man whose heart was
never truly broken, and whose spirit was never contrite, cannot
profess Christ in earnest, cannot love his own soul in earnest;
I mean, he cannot do these things in truth, and seek his own good
the right way, for he wants a bottom for it, to wit, a broken heart
for sin, and a contrite spirit.

That which makes a man a hearty, an unfeigned, a sincere seeker
after the good of his own soul, is sense of sin, and a godly fear
of being overtaken with the danger which it brings a man into.
This makes him contrite or repentant, and puts him upon seeking
of Christ the Saviour, with heart-aching and heart-breaking
considerations. But this cannot be, where this sense, this godly
fear, and this holy contrition is wanting. Profess men may, and
make a noise, as the empty barrel maketh the biggest sound; but
prove them, and they are full of air, full of emptiness, and that
is all.

Nor are such professors tender of God's name, nor of the credit of
that gospel which they profess; nor can they, for they want that
which should oblige them thereunto, which is a sense of pardon and
forgiveness, by the which their broken hearts have been replenished,
succoured, and made to hope in God. Paul said, the love of Christ
constrained him. But what was Paul but a broken-hearted and a contrite
sinner? (Acts 9:3-6; 2 Cor 5:14). When God shows a man the sin he
has committed, the hell he has deserved, the heaven he has lost;
and yet that Christ, and grace, and pardon may be had; this will
make him serious, this will make him melt, this will break his heart,
this will show him that there is more than air, than a noise, than
an empty sound in religion; and this is the man, whose heart, whose
life, whose conversation and all, will be engaged in the matters
of the eternal salvation of his precious and immortal soul.

[VIII. OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.]

Object. First. But some may object, that in this saying I seem too
rigid and censorious; and will, if I moderate not these lines with
something milder afterward, discourage many an honest soul.

Answ. I answer, Not a jot, not an honest soul in all the world will
be offended at my words; for not one can be an honest soul, I mean
with reference to its concerns in another world, that has not had
a broken heart, that never had a contrite spirit. This I will say,
because I would be understood aright, that all attain not to the
same degree of trouble, nor lie so long there under, as some of
their brethren do. But to go to heaven without a broken heart, or
to be forgiven sin without a contrite spirit, is no article of my
belief. We speak not now of what is secret; revealed things belong
to us and our children; nor must we venture to go further in our
faith. Doth not Christ say, 'The whole have no need of a physician';
that is, they see no need, but Christ will make them see their
need before he ministers his sovereign grace unto them; and good
reason, otherwise he will have but little thanks for his kindness.

Object. Second. But there are those that are godly educated from
their childhood, and so drink in the principles of Christianity
they know not how.

Answ. I count it one thing to receive the faith of Christ from men
only, and another to receive it from God by the means. If thou art
taught by an angel, yet if not taught of God, thou wilt never come
to Christ; I do not say thou wilt never profess him. But if God
speaks, and thou shalt hear and understand him, that voice will
make such work within thee as was never made before. The voice of
God is a voice by itself, and is so distinguished by them that are
taught thereby (John 6:44,45; Psa 29; Habb 3:12-16; Eph 4:20,21;
1 Peter 2:2,3).

Object. Third. But some men are not so debauched and profane as
some, and so need not to be so hammered and fired as others; so
broken and wounded as others.

Answ. God knows best what we need. Paul was as righteous before
conversion as any that can pretend to civility now, I suppose; and
yet that notwithstanding he was made to shake, and was astonished
at himself at his conversion. And truly I think the more righteous
any is in his own eyes before conversion, the more need he has of
heart-breaking work, in order to his salvation; because a man is
not by nature so easily convinced that his righteousness is to God
abominable, as he is that his debauchery and profaneness is.

A man's goodness is that which blinds him most, is dearest to him,
and hardly parted with; and therefore when such an one is converted,
that thinks he has goodness of his own enough to commend him in
whole or in part to God, but, but few such are converted, there
is required a great deal of breaking work upon his heart, to make
him come to Paul's conclusion, 'What! are we better than they? No,
in no wise' (Rom 3:9). I say, before he can be brought to see his
glorious robes are filthy rags, and his gainful things but loss
and dung (Isa 64; Phil 3).

This is also gathered from these words, 'Publicans and harlots
enter into the kingdom of God before the Pharisees' (Matt 21:31).
Why before them? But because they lie fairer for the Word, are
easier convinced of their need of Christ, and so are brought home
to him without, as I may say, all that ado that the Holy Ghost doth
make to bring home one of these to him.

True; nothing is hard or difficult to God. But I speak after the
manner of men. And let who will take to task a man debauched in
this life, and one that is not so, and he shall see, if he laboureth
to convince them both that they are in a state of condemnation
by nature, that the Pharisee will make his appeals to God, with a
great many God, I thank these; while the Publican hangs his head,
shakes at heart, and smites upon his breast, saying, 'God be merciful
to me a sinner' (Luke 18:11-13).

Wherefore a self-righteous man is but a painted Satan, or a devil
in fine clothes; but thinks he so of himself? No! no! he saith to
others, Stand back, come not near me, I am holier than thou. It is
almost impossible, that a self-righteous man should be saved. But
he that can drive a camel through the eye of a needle, can cause
that even such a one shall see his lost condition, and that he
needeth the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ.
He can make him see, I say, that his own goodness did stand more
in his way to the kingdom of heaven than he was aware of; and can
make him feel too, that his leaning to that is as great iniquity
as any immorality that men commit. The sum then is, that men that
are converted to God by Christ, through the Word and Spirit--for
all this must go to effectual conversion--must have their hearts
broken, and spirits made contrite; I say, it MUST be so, for
the reasons showed before. Yea, and all decayed, apostatized, and
backslidden Christians must, in order to their recovery again to
God, have their hearts broken, their souls wounded, their spirits
made contrite, and sorry for their sins.

Come, come, conversion to God is not so easy and so smooth a thing
as some would have men believe it is. Why is man's heart compared
to fallow ground, God's Word to a plough, and his ministers to
ploughmen? if the heart indeed has no need of breaking, in order to
the receiving of the seed of God unto eternal life (Jer 4:3; Luke
9:62; 1 Cor 9:10). Who knows not that the fallow ground must be
ploughed, and ploughed too before the husbandman will venture his
seed; yea, and after that oft soundly harrowed, or else he will
have but a slender harvest?

Why is the conversion of the soul compared to the grafting of a
tree, if that be done without cutting? The Word is the graft, the
soul is the tree, and the Word, as the scion, must be let in by a
wound; for to stick on the outside, or to be tied on with a string,
will do no good here. Heart must be set to heart, and back to back,
or your pretended ingrafting will come to nothing (Rom 11:17,24;
Jer 1:21).

I say, heart must be set to heart, and back to back, or the sap
will not be conveyed from the root to the branch; and I say, this
must be done by a wound. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia, as a
man openeth the stock to graft in the scions, and so the word was
let into her soul, and so the word and her heart cemented, and
became one (Acts 16:14).

Why is Christ bid to gird his sword upon his thigh? and why must
he make his arrows sharp, and all, that the heart may with this
sword and these arrows be shot, wounded, and made to bleed? Yea,
why is he commanded to let it be so, if the people would bow and
fall kindly under him, and heartily implore his grace without it?
(Psa 45; 55:3,4). Alas! men are too lofty, too proud, too wild, too
devilishly resolved in the ways of their own destruction; in their
occasions, they are like the wild asses upon the wild mountains;
nothing can break them of their purposes, or hinder them from
ruining of their own precious and immortal souls, but the breaking
of their hearts.

Why is a broken heart put in the room of all sacrifices which
we can offer to God, and a contrite spirit put in the room of all
offerings, as they are, and you may see it so, if you compare the
text with that verse which goes before it; I say, why is it counted
better than all, were they all put together, if any one part or
if all external parts of worship, were they put together, could
be able to render the man a sound and a rightly made new creature
without it? 'A broken heart, a contrite spirit, God will not despise';
but both thou, and all thy service, he will certainly slight and
reject, if, when thou comest to him, a broken heart be wanting;
wherefore here is the point, Come broken, come contrite, come
sensible of, and sorry for thy sins, or thy coming will be counted
no coming to God aright; and if so, consequently thou wilt get no
benefit thereby.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] This is beautifully and most impressively described in the
Pilgrim's Progress, when the bitter feelings of poor Christian
under convictions of sin, alarm his family and put it quite 'out
of order.'--Ed.

[2] This quotation is from the Genevan or Puritan version of the
Bible.--Ed.

[3]. 'Fish-whole' is a very striking and expressive term, highly
illustrative of the feelings and position of David when he was
accosted by the prophet. The word 'whole' is from the Saxon, which
language abounded in Bunyan's native county of Bedford--first
introduced by an ancient colony of Saxons, who had settled there.
It means hale, hearty, free from disease, as a fish is happy in
its native element--'They that are WHOLE, need not a physician, but
they that are sick,' Luke 5:31. David had no smitings of conscience
for his cruelty and enormous guilt; he was like a 'fish whole,' in
the full enjoyment of every providential blessing; while, spiritually,
he was dead in sin. God loved and pitied him, and sent a cunning
angler. Nathan the prophet there in the bait, which David eagerly
seized; the hook entered his conscience, and he became as a fish
wounded, and nigh unto death.--Ed.

[4] The words of Tindal are, 'The sacrifice of God is a troubled
sprete, a broken and a contrite hert, O God, shalt thou not despise.'
The same Hebrew word occurs in the original, both as to the spirit
and the heart. Bunyan is quite right in preferring our authorised
version of this verse. Coverdale, Tindal, Taverner, and Cranmer,
all agree. The Genevan uses 'a contrite spirit,' and the Bishops
'a mortified spirit.'--Ed.

[5] No one could speak more feelingly upon this subject than our
author. He had been in deep waters--in soul-harrowing fear, while
his heart--hard by nature--was under the hammer of the Word.--'My
soul was like a broken vessel. O, the unthought of imaginations,
frights, fears, and terrors, that are affected by a thorough
application of guilt, yielded to desperation!' Like the man that
had his dwelling among the tombs.--Grace Abounding, No. 186.

[6] The Christian, if he thinks of possessing good motions, joins
with such thoughts his inability to carry them into effect. 'When
I would do good, evil is present with me.' How different is this to
the self-righteous Ignorance, so vividly pictured in the Pilgrim's
Progress:--

'Ignor.--I am always full of good motions that come into my mind,
to comfort me as I walk.

Chris.--What good motions? pray tell us.

Ignor.--Why, I think of God and heaven.

Chris.--So do the devils and damned souls!'

The whole of that deeply interesting dialogue illustrates the
difficulty of self-knowledge, which can only be acquired by the
teaching of the Holy Spirit.

[7] 'All to brake'; an obsolete mode of expression for 'altogether
broke.'--Ed.

[8] 'Orts'; an obsolete word in England, derived from the Anglo-Saxon.
Any worthless leaving or refuse. It is thus used by Shakespeare in
his Troylus and Cresida, act 5, s. 2:--


   'The fractions of her faith, orts of her love:
    The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics
    Of her ore-eaten faith.'--Ed.


[9] This is in exact agreement with the author's experience, which
he had published twenty-two years before, under the title of Grace
Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,--'I was more loathsome in my
own eyes than was a toad, and I thought I was so in God's eyes too.
Sin and corruption, I said, would as naturally bubble out of my
heart as water would out of a fountain. I thought that none but the
devil himself could equal me for inward wickedness and pollution of
mind.' A sure sign that God, as his heavenly Father, was enlightening
his memory by the Holy Spirit.--Ed.

[10] This account of the author's interview with a pious, humble
woman, is an agreeable episode, which relieves the mind without
diverting it from the serious object of the treatise. It was
probably an event which took place in one of those pastoral visits
which Bunyan was in the habit of making, and which, if wisely made,
so endears a minister to the people of his charge. Christ and a
crust is the common saying to express the sentiment that Christ is
all in all. The pitcher has reference to the custom of pilgrims in
carrying at their girdle a vessel to hold water, the staff having
a crook by which it was dipped up from a well or river.--Ed.

[11] However hard, and even harsh, these terms may appear, they
are fully justified; and with all the author's great ability and
renown, he has the grace of humility to acknowledge that, by nature
and practice, he had been the biggest of fools.--Ed.

[12] Man must be burnt out of the stronghold in which he trusted.
'Saved, yet so as by fire.' 'Baptized with the Holy Ghost, even
fire.' 'His word is as a fire.' Reader, the work of regeneration
and purification is a trying work; may each inquire, Has this fire
burnt up my wood, hay, stubble?--Ed.

[13] To 'daff' or 'doff'; to do off or throw aside--used by
Shakespeare, but now obsolete,--


    Where is his son,
    The nimble-footed madcap, Prince of Wales,
    And his comrades, that daft the world aside
    And let it pass?--Ed.


[14] 'Sin will at first, just like a beggar, crave One penny or one
halfpenny to have; And if you grant its first suit, 'twill aspire
From pence to pounds, and so will still mount higher To the whole
soul!'--Bunyan's Caution Against Sin.--Ed.

[15] This is faithful dealing. How many millions of lies are told
to the All-seeing God, with unblushing effrontery, every Lord's
day--when the unconcerned and careless, or the saint of God, happy,
most happy in the enjoyment of Divine love, are led to say, 'Have
mercy upon us miserable sinners.'--Ed.

[16] 'In grain' is a term used in dyeing, when the raw material is
dyed before being spun or wove; the colour thus takes every grain,
and becomes indelible. So with sin and folly; it enters every grain
of human nature.--Ed.

[17] These frightful exhibitions, by drawing a criminal from
Newgate to Tyburn to be executed, were of common occurrence until
the reign of George III, when such numbers were put to death that
it was found handier for the wholesale butchery to take place at
Newgate, by a new drop, where twenty or thirty could be hung at
once!! When will such brutalizing exhibitions cease?--Ed.

***

PAUL'S DEPARTURE AND CROWN;

OR,

AN EXPOSITION UPON 2 TIM. IV. 6-8

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR

How great and glorious is the Christian's ultimate destiny--a
kingdom and a crown! Surely it hath not entered into the heart of
man to conceive what ear never heard, nor mortal eye ever saw? the
mansions of the blest--the realms of glory--'a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory.' For whom can so precious an inheritance
be intended? How are those treated in this world who are entitled
to so glorious, so exalted, so eternal, and unchangeable an
inheritance in the world to come? How do the heirs to immortality
conduct themselves in such a prospect? An inheritance sure and
certain--an absolute reversion which no contingency can possibly
affect. All these are inquiries of the deepest interest--the most
solemn importance. Above all, when we inquire as to our personal
title to the heavenly mansions--Am I one of the heirs of God
and joint heirs with Christ?--most intensely should this question
agitate the soul, when we reflect that, unless we are entitled to
this inestimable reversion, we must be plunged into the most awful,
the most irretrievable and external torments! There is no middle
way--no escape from hell, but by going to heaven. Is heaven reserved
only for the noble and the learned, like Paul? God forbid! but, on
the contrary, we hear the voice of the divinity proclaiming, 'Not
many wise men after the flesh--not many mighty--not many noble.'
'Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, the earth my footstool.'
He looketh upon the high and low--the learned and the noble--the
mighty princes and the unlettered labourer; and then makes this
wondrous declaration--'To this man will I look, even to him that
is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.' The
world will treat such humble ones as it treated the Lord of life
and glory, with scorn, contempt, insult, robbery--death. They bear
all with patience--return good for evil--are the followers of him
who went about doing good--are known as living epistles, because
they have been with Christ; they daily enjoy his guidance and
protection, and in their desires after conformity to his image, they
breathe the atmosphere of heaven. This is what the heir of glory
strives after; but, alas! he has to encounter an evil heart, an
ensnaring world, and the reproaches and revilings of his fellow-men,
aided by satanic influence. Can we wonder, then, that he who
is thus besieged, and believes that his work is finished, should,
with Paul, be ready to depart and receive his rich inheritance?
The lapse of time affects not the strong consolations of hope; as
it was with Paul, so Bunyan felt. His longings after the heavenly
manna abounded when the cold hand of death pressed upon his brow;
his desire was 'to be dissolved, and to be with Christ'; when
his course of temple and relative duty was run, he waited for the
messenger from the celestial city to conduct him home. Christian,
are you actively engaged in fulfilling the duties of your course?
or, in the humble hope that your course is accomplished, are you
patiently waiting the heavenly messenger? If the Christian's state
is one of trial now, it was much more so in former times. We can have
very little idea of the feelings of a dissenter from the religion
of the State, like Paul, under the cruel Nero, or like Bunyan, under
the debauched Charles the Second--both of them liable, without a
moment's warning, to be carried away to prison, or to be murdered,
privately or publicly, for refusing submission to civil governors
in matters of faith or worship. Although they possessed every loyal
and patriotic feeling, they dared not obey those human laws which
usurped the prerogatives of God, by interfering with divine worship.
Their lives were in their hands; in the midst of imminent danger
they boldly avowed the truth, and set us a noble example. Their
intercourse with heaven was doubly sweet from the uncertainty of
liberty and life. For them to live was Christ, and therefore they
well knew the gain of dying. In proportion as temporal blessings
were eminently doubtful, so spiritual and eternal benefits were
precious.

This treatise was one of those ten excellent manuscripts found already
prepared for the press, after the unexpected decease of its pious
author. It bears the marks of having been composed, and perhaps
preached, towards the end of his pilgrimage. Had his valuable life
been spared a few months longer, this work would, very probably,
have been enlarged, and the sub-divisions somewhat improved. The
principal heads are now inserted as separate lines, to assist the
reader in referring to its several parts; and notes are added to
explain old words and customs, and, in some cases, to point out a
few of the beautiful and striking passages with which it abounds.
Many of these ought to be indelibly impressed upon our minds. 'The
words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times' (Psa 12:6). The question naturally
arises--What is this 'furnace of earth' in which the Lord's words
are purified? Seven being the number of perfection, conveys the idea
that it will be in the furnace until it appears perfectly refined.
Bunyan considers that these earthen furnaces are the bodies of the
saints. In the trials, troubles, and persecutions to which they are
subjected, the Word bears them up triumphantly, so that the purity
and excellency of the holy oracles conspicuously appears, like the
trial of faith mentioned by Peter (1 Peter 1:7). Dr. Gill considers
that these crucibles mean Christ and his ministers; while Bunyan,
with his enlarged mind, identifies them with the whole of Christ's
followers. Some of these crucibles prove not to be genuine, and
perish in the using, not being able to abide the fire. Such was the
case with one of Mr. Bunyan's friends. John Childs, who, for fear
of persecution, conformed, became horror-stricken for the denial
of his Master, and notorious for having destroyed himself.

In this treatise it is most affectionately impressed upon us to
heap up treasures that will go with us into the unseen world, as of
greater importance than those things which perish with the using.
'A Christian, and spend thy time, thy strength, and parts,' for
that which maketh to itself wings and fleeth away! 'Remember thou
art a man of another world, a subject of a more noble kingdom--that
of God, and of heaven. Make not heavenly things stoop to the world;
but hoist up thy mind to the things that are above, and practically
hold forth before all the world the blessed word of life.' If death
is the king of terrors to fallen humanity, still there are truths
abounding with consolation, that when the Christian departs, the
angels are ready, as in the case of Lazarus, to convey the happy
spirit to Abraham's bosom; the struggle is short, and then comes
the reward. In this world we must have tribulation; but in heaven
white robes, the palm of victory, and the conqueror's crown, await
the saints. Paul heard a voice which raised his soul above the
fears of death, and gave him a desire to depart; its melodious
sound invited him home--it was the voice of eternal truth, saying,
'Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; yea, saith the Spirit,
that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow
them.'

GEO. OFFOR.

PAUL'S DEPARTURE AND CROWN.

'For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is
at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me
at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
his appearing.'--2 Timothy 4:6-8

These words were, by the apostle Paul, written to Timothy, whom he
had begot to the faith, by the preaching of the gospel of Christ;
in which are many things of great concernment both for instruction
and consolation; something of which I shall open unto you for your
profit and edification. But before I come to the words themselves,
as they are a relation of Paul's case, I shall take notice of
something from them as they depend upon the words going before,
being a vehement exhortation to Timothy to be constant and faithful
in his work; which, in brief, may be summed up in these particulars:
1st, A solemn binding charge before God and Jesus Christ our Lord,
that he be constant in preaching the Word, whether in or out of
season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with all long-suffering
and doctrine; and that because of that ungodly spirit that would
possess professors after he was dead; for the time will come,
saith he, that they will not endure sound doctrine, neither sound
reproof, nor sound trial of their state and condition by the Word,
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears,--the plague that once God threatened to rebellious
Israel (Deut 28:27)--and be turned unto fables. Much like this is
that in the Acts of the Apostles, 'For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and
remember, that by the space of three years, I ceased not to warn
every one night and day with tears' (Acts 20:29-31)

This evil then is to be prevented:--by a diligent watchfulness in
ministers;--By a diligent preaching the word of the Lord;--and, By
sound and close rebukes, reproofs, and exhortations to those in
whosoever the least there appears any swerving or turning aside
from the gospel. The ministers of the gospel have each of them all
that authority that belongs to their calling and office, and need
not to stay for power from men to put the laws of Christ in his
church into due and full execution (Titus 2:15). This 'remnant
of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the
Lord,--that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men'
(Micah 5:7). Therefore he adds, 'Watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions,' if thou shouldst be opposed in thy work, 'do the work
of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry' (2 Tim 4:5).[1]
How our time-serving and self-saving ministers will salve their
conscience from the stroke that God's Word will one day give them,
and how they will stand before the judgment-seat to render an
account of this their doings, let them see to it; surely God will
require it of their hand!

But, O Timothy, do thou be diligent, do thou watch in all things,
do thou endure affliction, do thou the work of an evangelist, make
thou full proof of thy ministry, 'for I am not ready to be offered,'
&c. The words, then, of my text are a reason of this exhortation
to Timothy, that he should continue watchful, and abide faithful
in his calling. 'For I am now ready to be offered'; that is, to be
put to death for the gospel.

Hence then learn two things,

First, That the murders and outrage that our brethren suffer at the
hands of wicked men should not discourage those that live, from a
full and faithful performance of their duty to God and man, whatever
may be the consequence thereof. Or thus, when we see our brethren
before us fall to the earth by death, through the violence of the
enemies of God, for their holy and Christian profession, we should
covet to make good their ground against them, though our turn
should be the next. We should valiantly do in this matter, as is
the custom of soldiers in war; take great care that the ground be
maintained, and the front kept full and complete. 'Thou, therefore,'
saith Paul, 'endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ'
(2 Tim 2:3). And in another place, We should not be moved by these
afflictions, but endure by resisting even unto blood (1 Thess 3:3).
Wherefore Paul saith again, 'Be not thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner; but be thou partaker
of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God'
(2 Tim 1:8). Thus let the spirit of Moses rest upon Joshua (Num
27:20), and the spirit of Elijah rest upon Elisha (2 Kings 2:15).
Stand up, therefore, like valiant worthies, as the ministers of my
God, and fly not every man to his own, while the cause, and ways,
and brethren of our Lord are buffeted and condemned by the world.
And remember, that those that keep the charge of the Lord when
most go a-whoring from under their God, they, when he turns the
captivity of his people, shall be counted worthy to come nigh unto
him, 'to offer the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God.' But
for the rest, though they may yet stand before the people, because
they stood before them in a way of idolatry, yet it shall not be
to their honour, nor to their comfort; but to their shame, as the
same scripture saith (Eze 44:10-16).

1. Let this therefore smite with conviction those that, in this
day of Jacob's trouble, have been false with God, his cause, and
people: I say, those first and especially as the chief ringleaders
of this cowardliness, who have done it against light, profession,
and resolutions. Behold, thou hast sinned against the Lord, and be
sure thy sins will find thee out; and though thou mayest now have
as a judgment of God upon thee, thy right eye darkened that thou
mayest not see, yet awakening time will overtake thee, and that too
between the straits, when he will show thee, to the great confusion
of thy face, and the amazement of them that behold thee, how great
an affront he counts it to be left by thee, in a day when his
truth is cast down to the ground (Rom 11:10). I have often thought
of that prophet that went down from Judah to Bethel, to prophesy
against the idolatry that was there set up by the King; who, because
he kept not the commandment of God, but did eat and drink in that
place, at the persuasion of a lying prophet, was met at last by a
lion, who slew him there in the way, where his carcase was made a
spectacle of God to passengers (1 Kings 13). If thou be spiritual,
judge what I say; and think not to be one of that number that shall
have the harps of God, when God appears for Zion, and that shall
sing that song of Moses, and also the song of the Lamb; for that
is only for those who have fought the godly fight, and gotten the
victory over the beast, his image, mark, number, and name.

2. Let this also be an awe to thee, who hast hankerings to do as
the other: Beware, and remember Judas, and the end God brought upon
him; he will not always bear such things; these times have showed
us already that he beholds them with great dislike; why should
thou hang up in chains as a terror to all that know thee? And never
object that some have done it, and yet are at peace in their souls;
for peace in a sinful course is one of the greatest of curses.
And 'the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall
remain in the congregation of the dead' (Prov 21:6).

[Second.] The Second thing to be learned from these words, as they
have a relation to them going before, is encouragement to those
that are yet in the storm; and that from three great arguments.

1. Paul's peace and comfort now at the time of his death, which he
signifieth to Timothy by these three expressions, 'I have fought
a good fight--I have finished my course--I have kept the faith.'

2. By the blessed reward he should have for his labour from Christ
in another world, together with all those that love the appearing
of the Lord, at 'that great and notable day.'

3. That now his last act should not be inferior to any act he did
for God, while he was alive and preached in the world; for his
body should now be an offering, a sacrifice well-pleasing to God.
To all which I shall speak something in my discourse upon these
words; and, therefore, to come to them:

'I AM NOW READY TO BE OFFERED.'

In these words we have to inquire into two things. FIRST. What it
is to be 'offered.' SECOND. What it is to be 'ready to be offered
up.' 'I am now ready to be offered.'

[WHAT IT IS TO BE OFFERED.]

FIRST. For the first of these. Paul, by saying he was 'to be offered,'
alludeth to some of the sacrifices that of old were under the law;
and thereby signifieth to Timothy that his death and martyrdom
for the gospel should be both sweet in the nostrils of God, and of
great profit to his church in this world; for so were the sacrifices
of old. Paul, therefore, lifts his eyes up higher than simply to
look upon death, as it is the common fate of men; and he had good
reason to do it, for his death was violent; it was also for Christ,
and for his church and truth; and it is usual with Paul thus to set
out the suffering of the saints, which they undergo for the name
and testimony of Jesus. Yea, he will have our prayers a sacrifice;
our praises, thanksgiving, and mortification, sacrifices; almsdeed,
and the offering up of the Gentiles, sacrifices, being sanctified
by the Holy Ghost; and here his death also must be for a sacrifice,
and an acceptable offering to God (Heb 13:15,16; Rom 12:1,2, 15:16).

Peter also saith, We are priests 'to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 2:5). Of which
sacrifices, it seems by Paul, the death of a Christian for Jesus'
sake must needs be counted one. Besides, Paul further insinuates this
by some other sentences in his epistles; as by that in the epistle
to the Colossians, where he saith, 'I now rejoice in my sufferings
for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions
of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church'
(Col 1:24). Not by way of merit, for so Christ alone, and that by
once being offered himself, hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified (Heb 10:10-14). But his meaning is, that as Christ was
offered in sacrifice for his church as a Saviour, so Paul would
offer himself as a sacrifice for Christ's church, as a saint, as a
minister, and one that was counted faithful. 'Yea,' saith he, 'and
if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I
joy and rejoice with you all' (Phil 2:17). This, then, teacheth us
several things worthy our consideration.

First. That the blood of the saints, that they lose for his name,
is a sweet savour to God. And so saith the Holy Ghost, 'Precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints' (Psa 116:15).
And again, 'He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight' (Psa 72:14).

Second. Those that suffer for Christ are of great benefit to his
church, as the sacrifices of old were confirming and strengthening
to Israel; wherefore Paul saith, his bonds encouraged his brethren,
and made them much more bold in the way of God to speak his word
without fear (Phil 1:14).

Third. The sufferings, or offering of the saints in sacrifice, it
is of great use and advantage to the gospel; of use, I say, many
ways. (1.) The blood of the saints defends it; (2.) confirmeth it;
and (3.) redeemeth that thereof that hath been lost in antichristian
darkness.

1. They do thereby defend and preserve it from those that would
take it from us, or from those that would impose another upon us.
'I am set,' saith Paul, 'for the defence of the gospel,' and my
sufferings have fallen out for the furtherance of it (Phil 1:17).
That is, it hath not only continued to hold its ground, but hath
also got more by my contentions, sufferings, and hazards for it.

2. It confirms it; and this is part of the meaning of Paul in those
large relations of his sufferings for Christ, saying, 'Are they
ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more--in prisons more
frequent,' &c.; as he saith again, and these things 'I do for the
gospel's sake.' And again, That the truth of the 'gospel might be
continued with you.' So again, 'I suffer,' saith he, in the gospel
'as an evil-doer even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound;
yea,' saith he, 'therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake'
(2 Tim 2:9,10). That is, that the gospel may be preserved entire,
that the souls that are yet unborn may have the benefit of it, with
eternal glory.

3. The sufferings of the saints are of a redeeming virtue; for, by
their patient enduring and losing their blood for the word, they
recover the truths of God that have been buried in Antichristian
rubbish, from that soil and slur that thereby hath for a long time
cleaved unto them; wherefore it is said, They overcame him, the
beast, 'by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony,
and they loved not their lives unto the death' (Rev 12:11). They
overcame him; that is, they recovered the truth from under his
aspersions, and delivered it from all its enemies. David saith,
'The words of the Lord are--as silver tried in a furnace of earth,
purified seven times' (Psa 12:6). What is this furnace of earth but
the body of the saints of God, in which the Word is tried, as by
fire in persecution, yea, 'purified seven times'; that is, brought
forth at last by the death of the Christians in its purity before
the world. How hath the headship and lordship of Christ, with
many other doctrines of God, been taken away from the Pope by the
sufferings of our brethren before us? While their flesh did fry in
the flames, the Word of God was cleansed, and by such means purified
in these their earthen furnaces, and so delivered to us. The lamps
of Gideon were then discovered when his soldiers' pitchers were
broken; if our pitchers were broke for the Lord and his gospel's
sake, those lamps will then be discovered that before lay hid and
unseen (Judg 7:15-22). Much use might be made of this good doctrine.

Learn thus much:--

1. [Learn] The judgment that is made of our sufferings by carnal
men is nothing at all to be heeded; they see not the glory that
is wrapped up in our cause, nor the innocence and goodness of our
conscience in our enduring of these afflictions; they judge according
to the flesh, according to outward appearance. For so, indeed, we
seem to lie under contempt, and to be in a disgraceful condition;
but all things here are converted to another use and end. That
which is contemptible when persons are guilty, is honourable when
persons are clear; and that which brings shame when persons are
buffeted for their faults, is thankworthy in those that endure
grief, suffering wrongfully (1 Peter 2:19-22). Though to suffer
for sin be the token of God's displeasure, yet to those that suffer
for righteousness, it is a token of greatest favour; wherefore matter
not how the world doth esteem of thee and thy present distress,
that thou bearest with patience for God and his Word; but believe
that those things that are both shame and dishonour to others, are
glory and honour to thee (2 Thess 1:4-10). O for a man to be able
to say, 'For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain' (Acts
28:20). It makes his face to shine like the face of an angel, and
his lips to drop like the honey-comb (Cant 4:11).

2. We learn also from hence, the reason why some in days before us
have made light of the rage of the world; but they have laughed at
destruction when it cometh (Job 5:21,22). And have gone forth to
meet the armed men; and with Job's war-horse, 'mocketh at fear,
and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the sword; the
quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield,
he said among the trumpets, Ha, ha' (Job 39:22,25). It hath been
their [God's fearers] glory to suffer for Christ; as it is said of
the saints of old, 'they departed from the presence of the counsel,
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his
name' (Acts 5:41). As Paul also saith, 'most gladly I will,' mark,
'most gladly, rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me' (2 Cor 12:9,10). Therefore I take pleasure
in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses, for Christ's sake, &c. Let those that suffer for theft
and murder hang down their heads like a bulrush, and carry it like
those that are going to hanging; but let those whose trials are
for the Word of God know, by these very things they are dignified.

3. Learn also in this to be confident, that thy sufferings have
their sound and a voice before God and men. First, Before God, to
provoke him to vengeance, 'when he maketh inquisition for blood'
(Psa 9:12; Gen 4:9-11). The blood of Abel cried until it brought down
wrath upon Cain; and so did the blood of Christ and his apostles,
till it had laid Jerusalem upon heaps. Secondly, Thy blood will
also have a voice before men, and that possibly for their good.
The faithful Christian, in his patient suffering, knows not what
work he may do for God; who knows but thy blood may be so remembered
by thy children, neighbours, and enemies, as to convince them
thou wert for the truth? Yea, who knows but their thoughts of thy
resolution for Christ, in thy resisting unto blood, may have so
good an effect upon some, as to persuade them to close with his
ways? The three children in the fiery furnace made Nebuchadnezzar
cry out there was no God like theirs! Indeed, this is hard labour,
but be content, the dearer thou payest for it to win the souls of
others, the greater will be thy crown, when the Lord, the righteous
Judge, shall appear; and in the meanwhile, thy death shall be as
a sacrifice pleasing to God and his saints.

[WHAT IT IS TO BE NOW READY TO BE OFFERED.]

SECOND. The second thing that I would inquire into is this: What
it is to be 'ready to be offered up'? Or how we should understand
this word 'ready': 'I am now ready to be offered up.' Which I think
may be understood three manner of ways.

First. With respect to that readiness that was continually in the
heart of those that hated him, to destroy him with his doctrines;
Second. Or it may be understood with respect to the readiness of
this blessed apostle's mind, his being ready and willing always to
embrace the cross for the word's sake; or, Third. We may very well
understand it that he had done his work for God in this world, and
therefore was ready to be gone.

[Readiness of enemies to destroy the apostle and his doctrine.]

First. For the first of these: The enemies of God and his truth,
they never want will and malice to oppose the Word of God; they
are also always so far forth in readiness to murder and slaughter
the saints, as the prophet cries to Jerusalem, 'Behold the princes
of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood' (Eze
22:6), that is, they had will and malice always at hand to oppose
the upright in heart. And therefore our Lord Jesus saith, 'they
are they that kill the body'; he doth not say they can do it as
relating to their will, and their custom, if let loose; and we may
understand thereby that it is no more to them to kill the people
of God, than it is to butchers to kill sheep and oxen. For though
it be indeed a truth that God's hand is always safe upon the hilt
of their sword, yet by them we are killed all the day long, and
accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Psa 44:22; Rom 8:36). That is,
in their desires always, as well as by their deeds, when they are
let loose, as Paul's kinsman said to the captain, 'There lie in wait
for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves
with a curse,[2] that they will neither eat nor drink till they
have killed him; and now are they ready, looking for a promise from
thee' (Acts 23:12,13,21). And hence it is, that by the Word they
are called dragons, lions, bears, wolves, leopards, dogs, and the
like; all which are beasts of prey, and delight to live by the
death of others.[3] Paul therefore seeing and knowing that this
readiness was in his enemies to pour out his bowels to the earth,
he cried out to Timothy, saying, 'make thou full proof of thy
ministry, for' I am now ready to be slain; 'I am now ready to be
offered' (2 Tim 4:5,6). These words thus understood may be useful
many ways.

1. To show us we live, not because of any good nature or inclination
that is in our enemies towards us; for they, as to their wills,
are ready to destroy us; but they are in the hand of God, in whose
hand is also our times (Psa 31:15). Wherefore, though by the will
of our enemies, we are always delivered to death, yet 'behold we
live' (2 Cor 6:9). Therefore in this sense it may be said, 'Where
is the fury of the oppressor?' It is not in his power to dispose of,
therefore here it may be said again, he is not 'ready to destroy'
(Isa 51:13). The cup that God's people in all ages have drank of,
even the cup of affliction and persecution, it is not in the hand
of the enemy, but in the hand of God; and he, not they, poureth out
of the same (Psa 75:8). So that they, with all their raging waves,
have banks and bounds set to them, by which they are limited within
their range, as the bear is by his chain. 'Surely the wrath of men
shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain' (Psa
76:10; Job 38:10,11).

2. This should encourage us not to forsake the way of our Lord
Jesus, when threatened by our adversaries, because they are in his
chain: indeed they are ready in their wills to destroy us; but as
to power and liberty to do it, that is not at all with them; who
would fear to go, even by the very nose of a lion, if his chain
would not suffer him to hurt us.[4] It is too much below the spirit
of a Christian to fear a man that shall die (Isa 51:12,13). And
they that have so done, have forgotten the Lord their Maker, who
preserveth the hairs of our head (Luke 12:7). Yea, let me tell
you he that so doth, he feareth to trust the Lord with his life,
estate, and concernments, and chooseth rather to trust to himself,
and that too out of God's way; and though such persons may lick
themselves whole now, while they are fallen and senseless, they
must count for these things again, and then they shall see that fear
of men, and to be ashamed of Christ, will load them with no light
burden. Also, it is an uncomely thing for any man in his profession
to be in and out with the times; and to do this when winked at
by men, that they would not do if they frowned. Do such fear God?
nay, they fear the fear of men, when they should sanctify the Lord
himself, and let him be their dread, and let him be their fear (Isa
8:12,13).

3. Let the readiness that is in the enemies of God to destroy,
provoke thee to make ready also, as I said a little before; go out
to meet the armed men; 'David ran to meet Goliath'; rub up man,[5]
put on thy harness, 'put on the whole armour of God, that thou
mayest be ready,' as well as thy adversaries, as blessed Paul was
here, 'I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand' (1 Sam 17:46-48). But because this will fall in fittest
under the second head, I shall, therefore, discourse of it there.

[The readiness IN MIND of the blessed apostle to suffer.]

Second. The second thing considered in the words is this, that to
be ready might be understood with respect to the blessed apostle's
mind, that was graciously brought over into a willingness to embrace
the cross for the Word's sake; and thus in other places he himself
expounds it. 'I am ready,' saith he, 'not to be bound only, but also
to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus' (Acts 21:13).
That also implies as much where he saith, 'Neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and
the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the gospel of the grace of God' (Acts 20:24). As the enemies,
then, were ready and willing in their hearts, so he was ready and
willing in his. This man was like to those mighty men of Solomon,
that were ready prepared for the war, and waited on the king, fit
to be sent at any time upon the most sharp and pinching service (2
Chron 17:12-19). A thing fitly becoming all the saints, but chiefly
those that minister in the word and doctrine. Understand the words
thus, and they also teach us many things, both for conviction and
for edification.

1. Here we see that a Christian's heart should be unclenched from
this world; for he that is ready to be made a sacrifice for Christ
and his blessed Word, he must be one that is not entangled with the
affairs of this life: how else can he please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier? Thus was it with this blessed man; he was
brought to God's foot with Abraham, and crucified to this world
with Christ; he had passed a sentence of death upon all earthly
pleasures and profits beforehand, that they might not deaden his
spirit when he came to suffer for his profession (2 Tim 2:4; 2 Cor
1:8,9; Gal 2:20, 6:14).

2. This shows us the true effects of unfeigned faith and love,
for they were the rise of this most blessed frame of heart; read
2 Corinthians 4:8-13, and compare it with 2 Corinthians 12:9,10;
and men may talk what they will of their faith and love to the Lord
Jesus, and to his holy gospel. But if they throw up their open
profession of his name for fear of those that hate him, it is
evident their mouths go before their hearts, and that their words
are bigger than their graces. 'If thou faint in the day of adversity,
thy strength is small,' and so thy faith and love (Prov 24:10).
Herein is love, 'that a man lay down his life for his friends'
(John 15:13).

3. This shows us the true effects of a right sight and sense of the
sufferings that attend the gospel; that they shall become truly
profitable to those that shall bear them aright. What made he
ready for? it was for sufferings; and why made he ready for them
but because he saw they wrought out for him a 'far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory?' (2 Cor 4:17). This made Moses also
spurn at a crown and a kingdom; to look with a disdainful eye
upon all the glory of Egypt. He saw the reward that was laid up in
heaven for those that suffered for Christ. Therefore, 'he refused
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ grater riches
than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense
of reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king, for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible' (Heb 11:21-27).
Every one cannot thus look upon the afflictions and temptations
that attend the gospel; no, not every one that professeth it, as
appears by their shrinking and shirking at the noise of the trumpet,
and alarum to war. They can be content, as cowards in a garrison,
to lie still under some smaller pieces of service, as hearing the
Word, entering in, to follow with loving in word and in tongue,
and the like; but to 'go forth unto him without the camp, bearing
his reproach,' and to be in jeopardy every hour for the truth of
the glorious gospel, that they dare not do (Heb 13:13; 1 Cor 15:30).
Nay, instead of making ready with Paul to engage the dragon and
his angels, they study how to evade and shun the cross of Christ;
secretly rejoicing if they can but delude their conscience, and
make it still and quiet, while they do yet unworthily (Rev 12:7-9).

4. By this readiness we may discern who are unfeignedly willing to
find out that they may do the whole will of God; even those that
are already made willing to suffer for his sake; they are still
inquiring, 'Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?' not mattering
nor regarding the cross and distress that attends it. 'The Holy
Ghost witnesseth' to me, saith Paul, that 'in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me; but none of these things move
me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish
my course with joy,' &c. (Acts 20:23,24). Counting that to see and
be doing of heavenly things, will countervail all the trouble and
sorrow that attends them; this therefore sharply rebuketh those
that can be glad to be ignorant of the knowledge of some truths,
especially of them that are persecuted; still answering those that
charge them with walking irregularly, that they do but according to
their light. Whereas the hearts that be full of love to the name
and glory of Christ, will in quiet return and come; yea, and be
glad, if they find the words of God, and will eat them with savour
and sweet delight, how bitter soever they are to the belly: because
of that testimony they bind us up to maintain before peoples, and
nations, and kings (Rev 10:10,11). 'I am now ready to be offered.'

[Paul ready to depart, having done his work for God in this world.]

Third. The third thing to be considered in the words is this, That
the apostle, by saying, 'I am now ready,' doth signify that now he
had done that work that God had appointed him to do in the world.
'I am now ready,' because I have done my work; this is further
manifest by the following words of the text; 'I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand'; namely, my time
to depart this world. The words also that follow are much to the
purpose, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,'
&c., much like that of our Lord Jesus. 'I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do' (John 17:4). Now then, put all these
things together, namely, that I am to be offered a sacrifice, and
for this my enemies are ready, my heart is also ready; and because
I have done my work, I am therefore every way ready. This is a frame
and condition that deserveth not only to stand in the Word of God
for Paul's everlasting praise, but to be a provoking argument to
all that read or hear thereof, to follow the same steps. I shall
therefore, to help it forward, according to grace received, draw
one conclusion from the words, and speak a few words to it. The
conclusion is this: That it is the duty and wisdom of those that
fear God so to manage their time and work that he hath allotted
unto them, that they may not have part of their work to do when
they should be departing the world.

[THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY AND WISDOM TO BE THUS READY.]

This truth I might further urge from the very words of the text,
they being written on purpose by Paul to stir up Timothy and all
the godly to press hard after this very thing. But to pass that,
and to mind you of some other scriptures that press it hard as a
duty, and then to proceed to some few examples of the wise and most
eminent saints. Which when I have done I shall, 1. Show you reason
for it. 2. Give you encouragement to it. 3. Press it with several
motives. 4. Make some use and application of the whole, and so
conclude.

That this is the duty and wisdom of those that fear God, you may
see by Christ's exhortation to watchfulness, and to prepare for
his second coming; 'Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour as
ye think not, the Son of man cometh' (Matt 24:44). These words,
as they are spoken to stir up the godly to be ready to meet their
Lord at his coming, so because the godly must meet him as well in
his judgments and providences here, as at his personal appearing
at the last day; therefore they should be diligent to be fitting
themselves to meet him in all such dispensations. 'And because,'
saith God, 'I will do this unto thee; prepare to meet thy God, O
Israel' (Amos 4:12). Now death is one of the most certain of those
dispensations; yea, and such, that it leaveth to those no help at
all, or means to perform for ever, that which, shouldst thou want
it, that is lacking to thy work. Wherefore Solomon also doth press
us to this very work, and that from this consideration, 'whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work,
nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou
goest' (Eccl 9:10). Baulk nothing of thy duty, neither defer to
do it; for thou art in thy way to thy grave, and there thou canst
not finish ought that by neglect thou leavest undone; therefore be
diligent while life lasts.[6]

Another scripture is that in Peter's epistle to those that were
scattered abroad. 'Seeing,' saith he, 'that ye look for such things,
be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace,' &c. (2 Peter
3:14). He is there discoursing of the coming of Christ to judgment,
as Christ also was in the other; and from the certainty and dread
of that day he doth press them on to a continual diligence, and is
to be understood as that of Paul to Timothy, a diligent watching
in all things, that as he saith again, they may stand complete in
all the will of God, not lacking this or that of that work which
was given them to do of God and this world (2 Tim 4:5). Much might
be said for the further proof of this duty; but to give you some
examples of the godly men of old, whereby it will appear, that as
it is our duty to do it so it is also our wisdom. And hence,

It is said of Enoch, that he 'walked with God' (Gen 5:22), and
of Noah, that he was faithful in his generation, and also 'walked
with God' (Gen 6:9). That is, they kept touch[7] with him, still
keeping up to the work and duty that every day required; not doing
their duty by fits and by starts, but in a fervent spirit they
served the Lord. So again it is said of Abraham, that his work was
to walk before God in a way of faith and self-denial, which he with
diligence performed. And therefore the Holy Ghost saith, he 'died
in a good old age' (Gen 25:8); thereby insinuating that he made
both ends meet[8] together, the end of his work with the end of his
days, and so came to his grave, 'in a full age, as a shock of corn
cometh in in his season' (Job 5:26). Jacob also, when he blessed
his sons, as he lay upon his death-bed before them, doth sweetly
comfort himself with this, after all his toil and travel, saying,
'I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord,'[9] as if he had said,
Lord, I have faithfully walked before thee in the days of my
pilgrimage, through the help and power of thy grace; and now having
nothing to do but to die, I lie waiting for thy coming to gather
me up to thyself and my father: so, when he 'had made an end of
commanding his sons,' now his bottom was wound,[10] 'he gathered up
his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered
unto his people' (Gen 49:18-33). Caleb and Joshua are said to be
men of excellent spirit, because they were faithful in this their
work (Num 14:24). David was eminent this way, and had done his work
before his death-day came: 'After he had served his own generation
by the will of God,' then he 'fell on sleep' (Acts 13:36). Which in
the Old Testament is signified by three passages, 1. By his losing
his heat before his death, thereby showing his work for God was
done, he now only waited to die. 2. By that passage, 'these are
the last words of David,' even the wind up of all the doctrines of
that sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Sam 23:1,2). 3. That in the Psalms
is very significant, 'The prayers of David the son of Jesse are
ended' (Psa 72:20). In the whole, they all do doubtless speak forth
this in the main, that David made great conscience of walking with
God, by labouring to drive his work before him, that his work and
life might meet together: for that indeed is a good man's wisdom.
Job had great conscience also as to this very thing, as witness
both God's testimony and his own conscience for him (Job 1:8, 31).
Elijah had brought his work to that issue that he had but to anoint
Hazael to be king of Assyria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha
prophet in his room, and then to be caught up into heaven (1 Kings
19:15,16). What shall I say? I might come to Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat,
Josias; with old Simeon also, whose days were lengthened chiefly,
not because he was behind with God and his conscience as to his
work for God in the world, but to see with his eyes now at last
the Lord's Christ: a sweet forefitting for death! Zacharias, with
Elizabeth his wife, that good old couple also, how tender and
doubtful were they in this matter, to walk 'in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord,' in a blessed blameless way! (Luke
1:6, 2:25). Their son also is not to be left out, who rather than
he would be put out of his way, and hindered from fulfilling his
course, would venture the loss of the love of a king, and the loss
of his head for a word (Mark 6:17,18). All these, with many more,
are as so many mighty arguments for the praise of that I asserted
before, to wit, that it is the duty and wisdom of those that fear
God, so to manage their time and work, that he hath here allotted
unto them, that they may not have part of their work to do when they
should be departing this world. I might urge also many reasons to
enforce this truth upon you, as,

[Reasons to enforce this duty.]

First. Otherwise, the great and chief design of God in sending us
into the world, especially in converting us and possessing our souls
with gifts and graces, and many other benefits, that we might here
be to the glory of his grace, is as much as in us lies, frustrate
and disappointed. 'This people have I formed for myself,' saith
he, 'they shall show forth my praise' (Isa 43:21): and so again,
'ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that
ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain' (John 15:16). God never intended, when he covered thy
nakedness with the righteousness of his dear Son, and delivered thee
from the condemning power of sin and the law, that thou shouldst
still live as do those who know not God. 'This I say therefore,'
saith Paul, 'and testify in the Lord; that ye henceforth walk not
as other Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind' (Eph 4:17). What,
a Christian, and live as does the world? (John 17:16). A Christian,
and spend thy time, thy strength, and parts, for things that perish
in the using? Remember, man, if the grace of God hath taken hold
of thy soul, thou art a man of another world, and indeed a subject
of another and more noble kingdom, the kingdom of God, which is the
kingdom of the gospel, of grace, of faith and righteousness, and
the kingdom of heaven hereafter (Rom 14:16-18). In these things
thou shouldst exercise thyself; not making heavenly things which God
hath bestowed upon thee to stoop to things that are of the world,
but rather here beat down thy body, mortify thy members; hoist up
thy mind to the things that are above, and practically hold forth
before all the world that blessed word of life (1 Cor 9:26,27).
This, I say, is God's design; this is the tendency, the natural
tendency of every grace of God bestowed upon thee: and herein is
our Father glorified, that we bring forth much fruit (Col 3:1-4;
John 15:8).

Second. A second reason why Christians should so manage their
time and the work that God hath appointed them to do for his name
in this world, that they may not have part thereof to do when they
should be departing this world, it is because, if they do not,
dying will be a hard work with them especially if God awakeneth
them about their neglect of their duty (1 Cor 11:30-32). The way
of God with his people is to visit their sins in this life; and
the worst time for thee to be visited for them, is when thy life
is smitten down, as it were to the dust of death, even when all
natural infirmities break in like a flood upon thee, sickness,
fainting, pains, wearisomeness, and the like; now I say, to be
charged also with the neglect of duty, when in no capacity to do
it; yea, perhaps so feeble, as scarce able to abide to hear thy
dearest friend in this life speak to thee; will not this make dying
hard. Yea, when thou shalt seem both in thine own eyes, as also
in the eyes of others, to fall short of the kingdom of heaven for
this and the other transgression, will not this make dying hard?
(Heb 4:1,2). David found it hard, when he cried, 'O spare me'
a little, 'that I may recover strength before I go hence, and be
no more' (Psa 39:13). David at this time was chastened for some
iniquity; yea, brought for his folly to the doors of the shadow of
death. But here he could not enter without great distress of mind;
wherefore he cries out for respite and time to do the will of
God, and the work allotted to him. So again, 'The sorrows of death
compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me; I found
trouble and sorrow: then called I upon the name of the Lord.' Ay,
this will make thee cry, though thou be as good as David! Wherefore
learn by his sorrow, as he himself also learned, at last, to serve
his own generation by the will of God, before he fell asleep. God
can tell how to pardon thy sins, and yet make them such a bitter
thing, and so heavy a burden to thee, that thou wouldst not, if
thou wast but once distressed with it, come there again for all this
world, Ah! it is easy with him to have this pardon in his bosom,
when yet he is breaking all thy bones, and pouring out thy gall
upon the ground; yea, to show himself then unto thee in so dreadful
a majesty, that heaven and earth shall seem to thee to tremble at
his presence! Let then the thoughts of this prevail with thee, as
a reason of great weight to provoke thee to study to manage thy
time and work in wisdom while thou art well.[11]

Third. Another reason, why those that fear God should so manage
their time and work for God in this world, that they may not have
part to do when they should be departing this life, it is, because
loitering in thy work doth, as much as in it lieth, defer and hold
back the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. One
thing, amongst many, that letteth[12] the appearing of Christ in
the clouds of heaven, is, that his body, with the several members
thereof, are not yet complete and full; they are not all yet come
to the knowledge of the Son of God, 'to the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ' (Eph 4:8-13); that is, to the complete
making up of his body; for as Peter saith, 'The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is
long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9). And so also to
the complete performance of all their duty and work they have for
God in this world. And I say, the faster the work of conversion,
repentance, faith, self-denial, and the rest of the Christian duties,
are performed by the saints in their day, the more they make way
for the coming of the Lord from heaven. Wherefore Peter saith again,
'Seeing then that' we look for such things, 'what manner of persons
ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for,
and hasting unto,' or, as it is in the margin, 'hasting the coming
of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat' (2 Peter
3:11,12). When the bride hath made herself ready, 'the marriage
of the Lamb is come' (Rev 19:7). That is, the Lord will then wait
upon the world no longer, when his saints are fit to receive him.
As he said to Lot when he came to burn down Sodom, 'Haste thee'
to Zoar, 'for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither' (Gen
19:20-22). So concerning the great day of judgment to the world,
which shall be also the day of blessedness and rest to the people
of God, it cannot come until the Lamb's wife hath made herself
ready; until all the saints that belong to glory are ready. And
before I go further, what might I yet say to fasten this reason
upon the truly gracious soul? What! wilt thou yet loiter in the work
of thy day? wilt thou still be unwilling to hasten righteousness?
dost thou not know that thou by so doing deferrest the coming of thy
dearest Lord? Besides, that is the day of his glory, the day when
he shall come in the glory of his Father and of the holy angels;
and wilt not thou by thy diligence help it forwards? Must also the
general assembly and church of the first-born wait upon thee for
their full portions of glory? Wilt thou by thus doing endeavour to
keep them wrapt up still in the dust of the earth, there to dwell
with the worm and corruption? The Lord awaken thee, that thou mayst
see thy loitering doth do this, and doth also hinder thy own soul
of the inheritance prepared for thee.[13]

4. Another reason why saints should press hard after a complete
performing their work that God hath allotted unto them is, because,
so far forth as they fall short, in that they impair their own
glory. For as the Lord hath commanded his people to work for him
in this world, so also he of grace hath promised to reward whatever
they Christianly do. For whatsoever good thing any man doth, the
same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bound or free.
Yea, he counts it unrighteousness to forget their work of faith
and labour of love, but a righteous thing to recompense them for
it in the day of our Lord Jesus (Heb 6:10; 2 Thess 1:6,7). This,
well considered, is of great force to prevail with those that are
covetous of glory, such as Moses and Paul, with the rest of that
spirit. As the apostle saith also to the saints at Corinth, 'Be
stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord'
(1 Cor 15:50).

Having thus given you the reasons why God's people should be
diligent in that work that God hath allotted for them to be doing
for him in this world, I shall, in the next place, give you some
directions, as helps to further you in this work. And they are such
as tend to take away those hindrances that come upon thee, either
by discouragement, or by reason of hardness and benumbedness of
spirit; for great hindrances overtake God's people from both these
impediments.

[Directions, as helps to further in this work.]

First. If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath
allotted thee to do in this world for his name, labour to live
much in the favour and sense of thy freedom and liberty by Jesus
Christ; that is, keep this, if possible, ever before thee, that
thou art a redeemed one, taken out of this world, and from under
the curse of the law, out of the power of the devil, &c., and placed
in a kingdom of grace, and forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake.
This is of absolute use in this matter; yea, so absolute, that it
is impossible for any Christian to do his word Christianly without
some enjoyment of it. For this, in the 1st of Luke, is made the
very ground of all good works, both as to their nature and our
continuance in them; and is also reckoned there an essential part
of that covenant that God made with our fathers; even 'that he
would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hands of our
enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness,
before him all the days of our life' (Luke 1:74,75). And indeed,
take this away, and what ground can there be laid for any man
to persevere in good works? None at all. For take away grace and
remission of sins for Christ's sake, and you leave men nothing to
help them but the terrors of the law and judgment of God, which,
at best, can beget but a servile and slavish spirit in that man in
whom it dwells; which spirit is so far off from being an help to
us in our pursuit of good works, that it makes us we cannot endure
that which is commanded, but, Israel-like, it flieth from God even as
from the face of a serpent (Heb 12:20; Exo 19). As Solomon saith,
'A servant will not be corrected by words, for, though he understand,
he will not answer' (Prov 29:19). Get thou then thy soul possessed
with the spirit of the Son, and believe thou art set perfectly
free by him from whatsoever thou by sin hast deserved at the hand
of revenging justice. This doctrine unlooseth thy bands, takes off
thy yoke, and lets thee go upright. This doctrine puts spiritual
and heavenly inclinations into thy soul; and the faith of this truth
doth show thee that God hath so surprised thee, and gone beyond
thee, with his blessed and everlasting love, that thou canst not
but reckon thyself his debtor for ever. 'Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh' (Rom 8:12).
That argument of Paul to Philemon is here true in the highest
degree, thou owest to God for his grace to thee, 'even thine own
self besides' (Phile 19). This Paul further testifies, both in the
6th and 7th of the Romans. In the one he saith, we are 'free from
sin'; in the other he saith, we are 'dead to the law,' that our
fruit might be unto holiness: that we might 'bring forth fruit unto
God' (Rom 6:22, 7:4). For, as I said, if either thy ungodly lusts,
or the power and force of the law, have dominion over thy spirit,
thou art not in a condition now to be performing thy work to God in
this world. I have heretofore marvelled at the quarrelsome spirit
that possessed the people that Malachi speaketh of, how they found
fault with, in a manner, all things that were commanded them to do;
but I have since observed their ungodly disposition was grounded
upon this, their doubting of the love of God, 'Yet ye say, Wherein
hast thou loved us?' (Mal 1:2). And, indeed, if people once say
to God, by way of doubt, 'Wherein hast thou loved us?' no marvel
though that people be like those in Malachi's time, a discontented,
a murmuring, backward people about everything that is good. Read
that whole book of Malachi.

Second. If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath
allotted thee to do in this world for his name, then labour to see
a beauty and glory in holiness, and in every good work: this tends
much to the engaging of thy heart. 'O worship the Lord in the beauty
of holiness; fear before him, all the earth' (Psa 96:9). And for
thy help in this, think much on this in general, that 'Thus saith
the Lord' is the wind-up of every command; for, indeed, much of
the glory and beauty of duties doth lie in the glory and excellency
of the person that doth command them; and hence it is that 'Be it
enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty' is in the head of
every law, because that law should therefore be reverenced by, and
be made glorious and beautiful to all. And we see, upon this very
account, what power and place the precepts of kings do take in
the hearts of their subjects, every one loving and reverencing the
statute, because there is the name of their king. Will you rebel
against the king? is a word that shakes the world.[14] Well, then,
turn these things about for an argument to the matter in hand, and
let the name of God, seeing he is wiser and better, and of more
glory and beauty than kings, beget in thy heart a beauty in all
things that are commanded thee of God. And, indeed, if thou do not
in this act thus, thou wilt stumble at some of thy duty and work
thou hast to do; for some of the commands of God are, in themselves,
so mean and low, that take away the name of God from them, and thou
wilt do as Naaman the Syrian, despise, instead of obeying. What
is there in the Lord's supper, in baptism, yea, in preaching the
Word, and prayer, were they not the appointments of God? His name
being entailed to them, makes them every one glorious and beautiful.
Wherefore, no marvel if he that looks upon them without their
title-page goeth away in a rage, like Naaman, preferring others
before them. What is Jordan? 'Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel; may I not wash in
them and be clean?' saith he (2 Kings 5:10-12). This was because
he remembered not that the name of God was in the command. Israel's
trumpets of ram's horns (Josh 6:2-4), and Isaiah's walking naked
(Isa 20:3), and Ezekiel's wars against a tile (Eze 4:1-4), would,
doubtless, have been ignoble acts, but that the name of God was that
which gave them reverence, power, glory, and beauty. Set therefore
the name of God, and 'Thus saith the Lord,' against all reasonings,
defamings, and reproaches, that either by the world, or thy own
heart, thou findest to arise against thy duty, and let his name
and authority alone be a sufficient argument with thee, 'to behold
the beauty' that he hath put upon all his ways, 'and to inquire in
his temple' (Psa 27:4).

Third. Wouldst thou be faithful to do that work that God hath
appointed thee to do in this world for his name? then make much of
a trembling heart and conscience; for though the Word be the line
and rule whereby we must order and govern all our actions, yet a
trembling heart and tender conscience is of absolute necessity for
our so doing. A hard heart can do nothing with the word of Jesus
Christ. 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word'
(Isa 66:5). 'Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling'
(Psa 2:11). I spake before against a servile and slavish frame of
spirit, therefore you must not understand me here as if I meant now
to cherish such a one; no, it is a heart that trembleth for, or at
the grace of God; and a conscience made tender by the sprinkling
of the blood of Christ. Such a conscience as is awakened both by
wrath and grace, by the terror and the mercy of God; for it stands
with the spirit of a son to fear before his father; yea, to fear
chastings, though not to fear damnation. Let, therefore, destruction
from God be a terror to thy heart, though not that destruction that
attends them that perish by sin for ever (Job 31:23). Though this
I might add further; it may do thee no harm, but good, to cast
an eye over thy shoulder at those that now lie roaring under the
vengeance of eternal fire; it may put thee in mind of what thou wast
once, and of what thou must yet assuredly be, if grace by Christ
preventeth not (Isa 66:24). Keep, then, thy conscience awake with
wrath and grace, with heaven and hell; but let grace and heaven
bear sway. Paul made much of a tender conscience, else he had
never done as he did, nor suffered what we read of. 'And herein,'
saith he, 'do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void
of offence toward God and toward men' (Acts 24:16). But this could
not a stony, benumbed, bribed, deluded, or a muzzled conscience do.
Paul was like the nightingale with his breast against the thorn.[15]
That his heart might still keep waking, he would accustom himself
to the meditation of those things that should beget both love
and fear; and would always be very chary, lest he offended his
conscience. 'Herein do I exercise myself,' &c. Be diligent, then,
in this matter, if thou wouldst be faithful with God. A tender
conscience, to some people, is like Solomon's brawling woman, a
burthen to those that have it (Prov 25:24). But let it be to thee
like those that invited David to go up to the house of the Lord
(Psa 122:1). Hear it, and cherish it with pleasure and delight.

Fourth. If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath
appointed thee to do in this world for his name; then let religion
be the only business to take up thy thoughts and time. 'Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might' (Eccl 9:10). With all
thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Religion,
to most men, is but a by-business, with which they use to fill up
spare hours; or as a stalking-horse, which is used to catch the
game.[16] How few are there in the world that have their conversation
'only as becometh the gospel'! (Phil 1:27). A heart sound in God's
statutes, a heart united to the fear of God, a heart moulded and
fashioned by the Word of God, is a rare thing; rare, because it
is hard to be found, and rare because it is indeed the fruit of an
excellent spirit, and a token of one saved by the Lord (Psa 119:80,
86:11). But this indifferency in religion, this fashioning ourselves
in our language, gesture, behaviour, and carriage, to the fancies
and fopperies of this world, as it is in itself much unbecoming a
people that should bear the name of their God in their foreheads, so
it cannot be but a very great and sore obstruction to thy faithful
walking with God in this world (Rom 6:17). Gird up, then, thy
loins like a man,[17] let God and his Christ, and his Word, and
his people, and cause, be the chief in thy soul; and as heretofore
thou hast afforded this world the most of thy time, and travel,
and study, so now convert all these to the use of religion. 'As ye
have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity
unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness
unto holiness' (Rom 6:19). Holy things must be in every heart where
this is faithfully put in practice.

1. Daily bring thy heart and the Word of God together, that thy
heart may be levelled by it, and also filled with it. The want of
performing this sincerely, is a great cause of that unfaithfulness
that is in us to God. Bring, then, thy heart to the Word daily, to
try how thou believest the Word today, to try how it agrees with
the Word today. This is the way to make clean work daily, to keep
thy soul warm and living daily. 'Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way?' saith David. 'By taking heed thereto according
to thy Word' (Psa 119:9). So again, 'Concerning the works of men,
by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the
destroyer' (Psa 17:4). And again, 'Thy Word have I hid in mine
heart, that I might not sin against thee' (Psa 119:11). He that
delighteth 'in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth meditate
day and night, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper' (Psa
1:2,3).

2. A continual remembrance that to every day thou hast thy work
allotted thee; and that sufficient for that day are the evils that
attend thee (Matt 6:34). This remembrance set Paul upon his watch
daily; made him die to himself and this world daily, and provoked
him also daily to wind up the spirit of his mind; transforming
himself by the power of the Word, from that proneness that was in
his flesh to carnal things (1 Cor 15:30-33). This will make thee
keep the knife at thy throat in all places, and business, and
company (Prov 23:2).

3. Let thy heart be more affected with what concerns the honour
of God, and the profit and glory of the gospel, than with what are
thy concernments as a man, with all earthly advantages. This will
make thee refuse things that are lawful, if they appear to be
inexpedient. Yea, this will make thee, like the apostles of old,
prefer another man's peace and edification before thine own profit,
and to take more pleasure in the increase of the power of godliness
in any, than in the increase of thy corn and wine.

4. Reckon with thy own heart every day, before thou lie down to
sleep, and cast up both what thou hast received from God, done for
him, and where thou hast also been wanting. This will beget praise
and humility, and put thee upon redeeming the day that is past;
whereby thou wilt be able, through the continual supplies of grace,
in some good measure to drive thy work before thee, and to shorten
it as thy life doth shorten; and mayst comfortably live in the hope
of bringing both ends sweetly together. But to pass this.

Fifth. If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath
appointed thee to do in this world for his name, then beware thou
do not stop and stick when hard work comes before thee. It is with
Christians as it is with other scholars, they sometimes meet with
hard lessons; but these thou must also learn, or thou canst not do
thy work. The Word and Spirit of God come sometimes like chain-shot
to us, as if it would cut down all; as when Abraham was to offer
up Isaac, and the Levites to slay their brethren (Gen 22; Exo
32:26-28). Paul also must go from place to place to preach, though
he knew beforehand he was to be afflicted there (Acts 20:23). God
may sometimes say to thee, as he said to his servant Moses, 'Take
the serpent by the tail'; or, as the Lord Jesus said to Peter, Walk
upon the sea (Exo 4:3,4). These are hard things, but have not been
rejected when God hath called to do them. O how willingly would
our flesh and blood escape the cross of Christ! The comforts of
the gospel, the sweetness of the promise, how pleasing is it to
us! Like Ephraim here, we love to tread out the corn (Hosea 10:11),
and to hear those pleasant songs and music that gospel sermons
make, where only grace is preached, and nothing of our duty as to
works of self-denial; but as for such, God will tread upon their
fair neck, and yoke them with Christ's yoke; for there they have
a work to do, even a work of self-denial.[18]

Now this work sometimes lieth in acts that seem to be desperate,
as when a man must both leave and hate his life, and all he hath
for Christ, or else he cannot serve him nor be counted his disciple
(Luke 14:26-33). Thus it seemed with Christ himself when he went
his fatal journey up to Jerusalem; he went thither, as he knew, to
die, and therefore trod every step as it were in his own bowels;[19]
but yet, no doubt, with great temptation to shun and avoid that
voyage; and therefore it is said, 'He set his face steadfastly to
go up,' scorning to be invited to the contrary, and to prevent the
noise of his weak disciples, Master, save thyself (Luke 9:51). It
is said he ascended before them, insomuch that they were amazed
to see his resolution, while they themselves were afraid of that
dreadful effect that might follow (Mark 10:32-34). Also when he
came there, and was to be apprehended, he went to the garden that
Judas knew, his old accustomed place; so when they asked him the
killing question, he answered, 'I am he' (John 18:1-5).

Sometimes in acts that seem to be foolish, as when men deny
themselves of those comforts, and pleasures, and friendships, and
honours, of the world that formerly they used to have, and choose
rather to associate themselves with the very abjects of this
world[20]--I mean, such as carnal men count so--counting their ways
and manners of life, though attended with a thousand calamities,
more profitable, and pleasing, and delightful, than all former
glory. Thus Elisha left his father's house, though to pour water
upon the hands of Elijah (2 Kings 3:11). And thus the disciples
left their fathers' ships and nets, to live a beggarly life with
Jesus Christ; as Paul did leave the feet of Gamaliel for the whip,
and the stocks, and the deaths that attended the blessed gospel.
One would have thought that had been a simple way of Peter to leave
all for Christ, before he knew what Christ would give him, as that
19th of Matthew seems to import; but Christ will have it so (v 27).
He that will save his life must lose it; and he that will lose his
life in this world for Christ, shall keep it to life eternal (John
12:25). I might add many things of this nature, to show you what
hard chapters sometimes God sets his best people; but thy work
is, if thou wouldst be faithful, not to stop nor stick at anything
(Matt 10:37). Some, when they come at the cross, they will either
there make a stop and go no further, or else, if they can, they
will step over it; if not, they will go round about: do not thou
do this, but take it up and kiss it, and bear it after Jesus.[21]
'God forbid,' saith Paul, 'that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me,
and I unto the world' (Gal 6:14).

Now, for thy better performing this piece of service for our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: O it is hard work to pocket up the
reproaches of all the foolish people, as if we had found great
spoil; and to suffer all their revilings, lies, and slanders,
without cursing them, as Elisha did the children; to answer them
with prayers and blessings for their cursings. It is far more easy
to give them taunt for taunt, and reviling for reviling; to give
them blow for blow; yea, to call for fire from heaven against
them. But to 'bless them that curse you, and to pray for them
that despitefully use you, and persecute you'--even of malice, of
old grudge, and on purpose to vex and afflict our mind, and to make
us break out into a rage--this is work above us; now our patience
should look up to unseen things; now remember Christ's carriage to
them that spilt his blood; or all is in danger of bursting, and
thou of miscarrying in theses things. I might here also dilate
upon Job's case, and the lesson God set him, when, at one stroke,
he did beat down all (Job 1:15), only spared his life, but made
that also so bitter to him that his soul chose strangling rather
than it (Job 7:15). O when every providence of God unto thee is like
the messengers of Job, and the last to bring more heavy tidings
than all that went before him (Job 1); when life, estate, wife,
children, body, and soul, and all at once, seem to be struck at by
heaven and earth; here are hard lessons; now to behave myself even
as a weaned child, now to say, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord' (Job 1:21). Thus,
with few words, Job ascribeth righteousness to his Maker; but
though they were but few, they proceeded from so blessed a frame
of heart, that causeth the penman of the Word to stay himself and
wonder, saying, 'In all this Job sinned not' with his lips, 'nor
charged God foolishly.' In all this--what a great deal will the
Holy Ghost make of that which seems but little when it flows from
an upright heart! and it indeed may well be so accounted of all
that know what is in man, and what he is prone unto.

1. Labour to believe that all these things are tokens of the love
of God (Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19). 2. Remember often that thou art not
the first that hath met with these things in the world. 'It hated
me,' saith Christ, 'before it hated you' (John 15:18). 3. Arm
thyself with a patient and quiet mind to bear and suffer for his
sake (1 Peter 4:1-3). 4. Look back upon thy provocations wherewith
thou mayst have provoked God (Deut 9:7; Lev 26:41,42); then wilt
thou accept of the punishment for thy sins, and confess it was less
than thine iniquities deserve (Ezra 9:13). 5. Pray thou mayst hear
the voice of the rod, and have a heart to answer the end of God
therein (Micah 6:9). 6. Remember the promise--'All things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose' (Rom 8:28).

Sixth. If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath
appointed thee to do in this world for his name, then labour away
to possess thy heart with a right understanding, both of the things
that this world yieldeth, and of the things that shall be hereafter.
I am confident that most, if not all the miscarriages of the saints
and people of God, they have their rise from deceivable thoughts
here. The things of this world appear to us more, and those that are
to come less, than they are; and hence it is that many are so hot
and eager for things that be in the world, and so cold and heartless
for those that be in heaven. Satan is here a mighty artist, and
can show us all earthly things in a multiplying glass; but when
we look up to things above, we see them as through sackcloth of
hair;[22] but take thou heed, be not ruled by thy sensual appetite
that can only savour fleshly things, neither be thou ruled by carnal
reason, which always darkeneth the things of heaven. But go to the
Word, and as that says, so judge thou. That tells thee all things
under the sun are vanity, nay worse, vexation of spirit (Eccl
1:2). That tells thee the world is not, even then when it doth most
appear to be; wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not?
'for riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away as an
eagle toward heaven' (Prov 23:5). The same may be said for honours,
pleasures, and the like; they are poor, low, base things to be
entertained by a Christian's heart. The man that hath most of them
may 'in the fulness of his sufficiency be in straits'; yea, 'when
he is about to fill his belly with them, God may cast the fury of his
wrath upon him' (Job 20:22,25); 'so is he that layeth up treasure
for himself' on earth, 'and is not rich towards God' (Luke 12:20,21). A
horse that is loaden with gold and pearls all day, may have a foul
stable and a galled back at night. And woe be to him that increaseth
that which is not his, and that ladeth himself with thick clay. O
man of God, throw this bone to the dogs; suck not at it, there is
no marrow there (Heb 2:6). Set thine affections on 'things that are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God' (Col 3:1-4).
Behold what God hath prepared for them that love him. And if God
hath blessed thee with ought, set not thine heart upon it; honour
the Lord with thy substance. Labour to 'be rich in good works,
ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for
themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they
may lay hold on eternal life' (1 Tim 6:17-19). Further, to lighten
thine eyes a little, and,

1. Concerning the glory of the world.

(1.) It is that which God doth mostly give to those that are not
his; for the poor receive the gospel; not many rich, 'not many
mighty, not many noble are called' (1 Cor 1:26).

(2.) Much of this world and its glory is permitted of God to be
disposed of by the devil, and he is called both the prince and god
thereof (John 14:30; 2 Cor 4:4). Yea, when Satan told Christ he
could give it to whom he would, Christ did not say, Thou liest, but
answered, by the Word, 'It is written thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve' (Luke 4:6-8). Implying
also, that commonly when men get much of the honours and glory of
this world, it is by bending the knee too low to the prince and
god thereof.

(3.) The nature of the best of worldly things, if hankered after,
is to deaden the spirit (Rom 8:6,7), to estrange the heart from
God, to pierce thee through with many sorrows, and to drown thee
in perdition and destruction (1 John 2:15). 'O man of God, flee
those things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, meekness'; and 'Fight the good fight, lay hold on
eternal life, whereunto thou art also called,' &c. (1 Tim 6:9-12).

2. As to the things of God, what shall I say? the things of his Word,
and Spirit, and kingdom, they so far go beyond the conceivings of
the heart of man, that none can utter them but by the Holy Spirit;
but there is no deceit in them; 'no lie is of the truth,' what they
promise they will perform with additions of amazing glory (1 John
2:21). Taste them first, and then thou shalt see them. 'O' come
'taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that
trusteth in him' (Psa 34:8). To stoop low is a good work, which is
an act of thine, if it be done in faith and love, though but by a
cup of cold water; it is really more worth in itself, and of higher
esteem with God, than all worldly and perishing glory; there is no
comparison, the one perisheth with the using, and for the other is
laid up 'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory' (2 Cor
4:17). But again, as thou shouldst labour to possess thy heart with
a right understanding of the perishing nature of the riches and
pleasures of this world, and of the durable riches and righteousness
that is in Christ, and all heavenly things; so thou shouldst labour
to keep always in thy eye what sin is, what hell is, what the wrath
of God and everlasting burnings are. Transfer them to thyself, as
it were on a finger,[23] that thou mayst learn to think of nothing
more highly than is meet, but to give to what thou beholdst their
own due weight; then thou wilt fear where thou shouldst fear, love
what is worthy thy love, and slight that which is of no worth.
These are just weights, and even balances; now thou dealest not with
deceitful weights; and this is the way to be rich in good works,
and to bring thy work, that God hath appointed, to a good issue
against thy dying day.

Seventh. But again, if thou wouldst be faithful to do that work
that God hath appointed thee to do in this world, for his name, then
beware that thou slip not, or let pass by, the present opportunity
that providence layeth before thee. Work while it is called today,
'the night cometh when no man can work' (John 9:4). In that parable
of the man that took a far journey, it is said, as he gave to every
servant his work, so he 'commanded the porter to watch'; that is,
for his Lord's coming back, and in the mean time, for all opportunities
to perform the work he left in their hand, and committed unto
their trust (Mark 13:34,35).[24] Seest thou the poor? seest thou
the fatherless? seest thou thy foe in distress? draw out thy breast,
shut not up thy bowels of compassion, deal thy bread to the hungry,
bring the poor that are cast out into thine house, hide not thyself
from thine own flesh, take the opportunity that presents itself
to thee, either by the eye or the hearing of the ear, or by some
godly motion that passeth over thy heart (Isa 58:7; Rom 12:20).
'Say not' to such messengers, 'go, and come again tomorrow; if
thou hast it by thee'; now the opportunity is put into thy hand,
delay not to do it, and the Lord be with thee! (Prov 3:28). Good
opportunities are God's seasons for the doing of thy work; wherefore
watch for them, and take them as they come. Paul tells us 'he was
in watchings often' (2 Cor 11:26,27); surely it was that he might
take the season that God should give him to do this work for him;
as he also saith to Timothy, 'Watch thou in all things,--do the
work,' &c. Opportunities as to some things come but once in one's
lifetime, as in the case of Esther, and of Nicodemus, and holy
Joseph; when Esther begged the life of the Jews, and the other
the body of Jesus; which once had they let slip or neglected, they
could not have recovered it again for ever. Watch then for the
opportunity. 1. Because it is God's season; which, without doubts,
is the best season and time for every purpose (Eccl 3:11). 2.
Because Satan watches to spoil, by mistiming as well as by corrupting
whatever thou shalt do for God. 'When I would do good,' saith Paul,
'evil is present,' that is, either to withdraw me from my purpose,
or else to infect my work (Rom 7:21). 3. This is the way to
be profitable unto others. Thy wickedness may hurt a man, as thou
art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man (Job 35:8).
4. This is also the way to be doing good to thyself (Job 22:2).
'He that watereth shall be watered himself' (Prov 11:25). 'Cast
thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days'
(Eccl 11:1; Deut 15:10). As God said to Coniah, 'Did not thy father
eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well
with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy, then it was
well with him' (Jer 22:15,16).

And I say, that the opportunity may not slip thee, either for
want of care or provision, (1.) Sit always loose from an overmuch
affecting thine own concernments, and believe that thou wast not
born for thyself; 'a brother is born for adversity' (Prov 17:17).
(2.) Get thy heart tenderly affected with the welfare and prosperity
of all things that bear the stamp and image of God (2 Cor 11:29).
(3.) Study thy own place and capacity that God hath put thee in,
in this world; for suitable to thy place thy work and opportunities
are (1 Cor 7:24). (4.) Make provision beforehand, that when things
present themselves thou mayst come up to a good performance;
be 'prepared to every good work' (2 Tim 2:21). (5.) Take heed of
carnal reasonings, keep thy heart tender; but set thy face like a
flint for God (Gal 1:9). (6.) And look well to the manner of every
duty.

Eighth. Wouldst thou be faithful to do that work that God hath
appointed thee to do in this world for his name? believe then,
that whatever good thing thou dost for him, if done according to
the Word, it is not only accepted by him now, but recorded, to be
remembered for thee, against the time to come; yea, laid up for
thee as treasure in chests and coffers, to be brought out to be
rewarded before both men and angels, to thy eternal comfort, by
Jesus Christ our Lord. 'Lay not up,' saith Christ, 'treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal' (Matt 6:19,20). The treasure that here our
Lord commands we should with diligence lay up in heaven, is found
both in Luke, and Paul, and Peter, to be meant by doing good work.

1. Luke renders it thus, 'Sell that ye have and give alms; provide
yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that
faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth,'
the latter part of the verse expounding the former (Luke 12:33).

2. Paul saith thus, 'Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: that they do
good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing
to communicate: laying up in store for themselves a good foundation
against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life'
(1 Tim 6:17,19).

3. Peter also acknowledgeth and asserteth this, where, in his exhortation
to elders to do their duty faithfully, and with cheerfulness, he
affirms, if they do so, they 'shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away' (1 Peter 5:2-4); which Paul also calleth a reward
for cheerful work (1 Cor 9:17; 2 Tim 4:2). And that as an act of
justice by the hand of a righteous judge, in the day when the Lord
shall come to give reward to his servants the prophets, and to his
saints, and to all that fear his name, small and great; for 'every
man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour' (1
Cor 3:8).

[Objections answered.]

But before I go any further, I must answer three objections that
may be made by those that read this book.

The First Objection. The first is this; some godly heart may say,
I dare not own that what I do shall ever be regarded, much less
rewarded by God in another world because of the unworthiness of my
person, and because of the many infirmities and sinful weaknesses
that attend me every day.

Answer. This objection is built partly upon a bashful modesty,
partly upon ignorance, and partly upon unbelief. My answer to it
is as followeth.

You must remind and look back to what but now hath been proved,
namely, That both Christ and his apostles do all agree in this,
that there is a reward for the righteous, and that their good deeds
are laid up as treasures for them in heaven, and are certainly to
be bestowed upon them in the last day with abundance of eternal
glory. 2. Now then, to speak to thy case, and to remove the
bottom of thy objection, that the unworthiness of thy person, and
thy sinful infirmities, that attend thee in every duty, do make
thee think thy works shall not be either regarded or rewarded in
another world. But consider, first, as to the unworthiness of thy
person. They that are in Christ Jesus are always complete before
God, in the righteousness that Christ hath obtained, how infirm,
and weak, and wicked soever they appear to themselves. Before God,
therefore, in this righteousness thou standest all the day long, and
that upon a double account; first, by the act of faith, because
thou hast believed in him that thou mightest be justified by
the righteousness of Christ; but if this fail, I mean the act of
believing, still thou standest justified by God's imputing this
righteousness to thee, which imputation standing purely upon the
grace and good pleasure of God to thee, that holds thee still as
just before God, though thou wantest at present the comfort thereof.
Thus, therefore, thy person stands always acccepted; and, indeed,
no man's works can at all be regarded, if his person, in the first
place, be not respected. The Lord had respect first to Abel, and
after to his offering (Gen 4:4; Heb 11:4). But he can have respect
to no man before works done, unless he find them in the righteousness
of Christ; for they must be accepted through a righteousness, which,
because they have none of their own, therefore they have one of
God's imputing, even that of his Son, which he wrought for us when
he was born of the Virgin, &c. As to thy sinful infirmities that
attend thee in every work, they cannot hinder thee from laying up
treasure in heaven, thy heart being upright in the way with God;
nor will he be unrighteous at all to forget thy good deeds in the
day when Christ shall come from heaven.

1. Because by the same reason then he must disown all the good works
of all his prophets and apostles; for they have all been attended
with weaknesses and sinful infirmities; from the beginning hitherto
there is not a man, 'not a just man upon earth, that doeth good
and sinneth not' (Eccl 7:20). The best of our works are accompanied
with sin: 'When I would do good,' saith Paul, 'evil is present
with me' (Rom 7:21). This, therefore, must not hinder. And for
thy further satisfaction in this, consider, as Christ presents thy
person before God, acceptable without thy works, freely and alone
by his righteousness, so his office is to take away the iniquity
of thy holy things, that they also by him may be accepted of God
(Exo 28:36-38; 1 Peter 2:5). Wherefore, it is further said, for the
encouragement of the weak and feeble, He shall not break a bruised
reed, nor quench the smoking flax, but shall bring forth judgment
unto victory (Matt 12:20). The bruised reed, you know, is weak;
and by bruises we should understand sinful infirmities. And so also
concerning the smoking flax; by smoking you must understand sinful
weakness; but none of these shall either hinder the justification
of thy person, or the acceptation of thy performance, they being
done in faith and love, let thy temptations be never so many,
because of Jesus Christ his priestly office now at the right hand
of God. By him, therefore, let us offer spiritual sacrifices; for
they shall be acceptable to God and our Father.

2. Because otherwise God and Christ would prove false to their own
word, which is horrible blasphemy once to imagine; who hath promised
that when the Son of God shall come to judgment, he shall render to
'every man according to his work' (Rev 22:12); and doth upon this
very account encourage his servants to a patient enduring of the
hottest persecutions: 'for great is your reward in heaven' (Matt
5:12; Luke 6:23,35; Matt 6:1, 10:41,42). From this also he bindeth
his saints and servants to be sincerely liberal, and good, and
kind to all; first, because otherwise, they have no reward of their
Father which is in heaven, that is, for what they do not; but if
they do it, then, though it be but a cup of cold water given to a
prophet or righteous man, they shall receive a prophet's reward,
a righteous man's reward; yea, they shall receive it in any wise,
'they shall in no wise lose their reward.'

3. It must be so, otherwise he should deny a reward to the works
and operations of his own good grace he hath freely bestowed upon
us; but that he will not do. He is not unfaithful to forget your
work of faith and labour of love (Heb 6:10). And so of all other
graces, 'our work shall not be in vain in the Lord' (1 Cor 4:58).
And, as I said before, temptations, weaknesses, and sins, shall not
hinder the truly gracious of this their blessed reward. Nay, they
shall further it, 'if need be, ye are in heaviness, through manifold
temptations; that the trial of your faith being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, might be found unto praise, and honour,
and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 1:6,7). And
the reason is, because the truth and sincerity of God's grace in
us doth so much the more discover itself, by how much it is opposed
and resisted by weakness and sin. It is recorded to the everlasting
renown of three of David's mighties, that they would break through
a host of giant-like enemies, to fetch water for their longing king;
for it bespake their valour, their love, and good-will to him; the
same also is true concerning thy graces, and every act of them when
assaulted with an host of weaknesses (1 Chron 11:12,15-18).

The Second Objection. And now I come to the second objection, and
that ariseth from our being completely justified freely by the
grace of God through Christ; and by the same means alone brought to
glory; and may be framed thus:--but seeing we are freely justified,
and brought to glory by free grace, through the redemption that is
in Jesus Christ; and seeing the glory that we shall be possessed
of upon the account of the Lord Jesus, is both full and complete,
both for happiness and continuing therein, what need will there
be that our work should be rewarded? Nay, may not the doctrine
of reward for good works be here not only needless, but indeed an
impairing and lessening the completeness of that glory to which
we are brought, and in which we shall live inconceivably happy for
ever, by free grace?

Answer. That we are justified in the sight of the Divine Majesty,
from the whole lump of our sins, both past, present, and to come,
by free grace, through that one offering of the body of Jesus
Christ, once for all, I bless God I believe it, and that we shall
be brought to glory by the same grace, through the same most blessed
Jesus, I thank God by his grace I believe that also. Again, that
the glory to which we shall be brought by free grace, through the
only merits of Jesus, is unspeakably glorious and complete, I question
no more than I question the blessed truths but now confessed. But
yet, notwithstanding all this, there is a reward for the righteous,
a reward for their works of faith and love, whether in a doing or
a suffering way, and that not principally to be enjoyed here, but
hereafter; 'great is your reward in heaven,' as I proved in the
answer to the first objection. And now I shall answer further:--

1. If this reward had been an impairing or derogation to the free
grace of God that saveth us, he would never have mentioned it for
our encouragement unto good works, nor have added a promise of
reward for them that do them, nor have counted himself unfaithful
if he should not do it.

2. The same may be said concerning Jesus Christ, who doubtless
loveth and tendereth the honour of his own merits, as much as any
who are saved by him can do, whether they be in heaven or earth;
yet he hath promised a reward to a cup of cold water, or giving
of any other alms; and hath further told us, they that do these
things, they do lay up treasure in heaven, namely, a reward when
their Lord doth come, then to be received by them to their eternal
comfort.

3. Paul was as great a maintainer of the doctrine of God's
free grace, and of justification from sin, by the righteousness
of Christ imputed by grace, as any he that ever lived in Christ's
service, from the world's beginning till now: and yet he was for
this doctrine; he expected himself, and encouraged others also to
look for such a reward, for doing and suffering for Christ, which
he calls 'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory' (2 Cor
4:17). Surely, as Christ saith, in a case not far distant from this
in hand, 'if it were not so, he would have told us' (John 14:1-3).
Now could I tell what those rewards are that Christ hath prepared,
and will one day bestow upon those that do for him in faith and
love in this world, I should therein also say more than now I dare
or ought; yet this let me say in general, they are such as should
make us leap to think on, and that we should remember with exceeding
joy, and never think that it is contrary to the Christian faith,
to rejoice and be glad for that which yet we understand not (Matt
5:11,12; Luke 6:23). 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be,' &c. But 'every man that hath
this hope in him,' namely, that he shall be more than here he can
imagine, 'purifieth himself even as he is pure' (1 John 3:2,3).
Things promised when not revealed to be known by us while here,
are therefore not made known, because too big and wonderful. When
Paul was up in paradise, he heard unspeakable words not possible for
man to utter (2 Cor 12:3,4). Wherefore, a reward I find, and that
laid up in heaven, but what it is I know not, neither is it possible
for any here to know it any further, than by certain general words
of God, such as these, praise, honour, glory, a crown of righteousness,
a crown of glory, thrones, judging of angels, a kingdom, with a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, &c. (1 Cor 4:5; 1
Peter 1:7; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4; Matt 25:34-36). Wherefore, to
both these objections, let me yet answer thus a few words. Though
thy modesty or thy opinion will not suffer thee to look for a
reward for what thou dost here for thy Lord, by the faith and love
of the gospel; yea, though in the day of judgment thou shouldst
there slight all thou didst on earth for thy Lord, saying, When,
Lord, when did we do it? he will answer, Then, even then when ye
did it to the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me (Matt
25:37-40).

The Third Objection. But is not the reward that God hath promised
to his saints, for their good works to be enjoyed only here?

Answer. 1. For concerning holy walking, according to God's command,
yieldeth even here abundance of blessed fruits, as he saith, 'in
keeping of them there is great reward,' and again, 'this man shall
be blessed in his deed,' that is, now, even in this time, as he
saith in another place; for indeed there is so much goodness and
blessedness to be found in a holy and godly life, that were a man
to have nothing hereafter, the present comfort and glory that lieth
as the juice in the grape, in all things rightly done for God, it
were sufficient to answer all our travail and self-denial in our
work of faith and labour of love, to do the will of God.[25]

2. Dost thou love thy friends, dost thou love thine enemies, dost
thou love thy family or relations, or the church of God? then cry
for strength from heaven, and for wisdom, and a heart from heaven
to walk wisely before them. For if a man be remiss, negligent, and
careless in his conversation, not much mattering whom he offends,
displeases, or discourages, by doing this or that, so he may save
himself, please his foolish heart, and get this world, or the like,
this man hath lost a good report of them that are without, and is
fallen into reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Tim 3:7). He
is fallen into reproach, and is slighted, disdained, both he, his
profession, and all he says, either by way of reproof, rebuke, or
exhortation: physician, cure thyself, say all to such a one; this
man is a sayer, but not a doer, say they; he believeth not what he
says; yea, religion itself is made to stink by this man's ungodly
life. This is he that hardens his children, that stumbleth the
world, that grieveth the tender and godly Christian; but I say, he
that walketh uprightly, that tenders[26] the name of God, the credit
of the gospel, and the welfare of others, seeking with Paul, not
his own profit, but the profit of others, that they may be saved;
this man holds forth the Word of life, this man is a good savour
of Christ amongst them that are saved; yea, may prove, by so doing,
the instrument in God's hand of the salvation of many souls.

3. This is the way to be clear from the blood of all men, the way
not to be charged with the ruin and everlasting misery of poor
immortal souls. Great is the danger that attends an ungodly life,
or an ungodly action, by them that profess the gospel (Jer 2:33).
When wicked men learn to be wicked of professors, when professors
cause the enemies of God to blaspheme, doubtless sad and woeful
effects must needs be the fruit of so doing (2 Sam 12:14). How
many in Israel were destroyed for that which Aaron, Gideon, and
Manasseh, unworthily did in their day? (Exo 32:25; Judg 8:24-27).
A godly man, if he take not heed to himself, may do that in his life
that may send many to everlasting burnings, when he himself is in
everlasting bliss. But on the contrary, let men walk with God, and
there they shall be excused; the blood of them that perish shall
lie at their own door, and thou shalt be clear. 'I am pure from
the blood of all men,' saith Paul (Acts 20:26). And again, 'your
blood be upon your own heads, I am clean' (Acts 18:6). Yea, he that
doth thus, shall leave in them that perish an accusing conscience,
even begotten by his good conversation, and by that they shall be
forced to justify God, his people, and way, in the day of their
visitation; in the day when they are descending into the pit to
the damned (1 Peter 2:12).

4. This is the way to maintain always the answer, the echoing
answer of a good conscience in thy own soul. Godliness is of great
use in this way; for the man that hath a good conscience to Godward,
hath a continual feast in his own soul: while others say there is
casting down, he shall say there is lifting up; for he shall save
the humble person (Job 22:23-30). Some indeed, in the midst of
their profession, are reproached, smitten, and condemned of their
own heart, their conscience still biting and stinging of them,
because of the uncleanness of their hands, and they cannot lift up
their face unto God; they have not the answer of a good conscience
toward him, but must walk as persons false to their God, and as
traitors to their own eternal welfare; but the godly upright man
shall have the light shine upon his ways, and he shall take his
steps in butter and honey. 'The work of righteousness shall be
peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for
ever' (Isa 32:17). 'If our heart condemn us, God is greater than
our heart, and knoweth all things; beloved, if our heart condemn
us not, then have we confidence toward God' (1 John 3:20-22).

5. The godly man that walketh with God, that chiefly careth to
do the work that God hath allotted him to do for his name in this
world, he hath not only these advantages, but further, he hath as
it were a privilege of power with God, he can sway much with him;
as it is said of Jacob, as a prince he had power with God to prevail
in times of difficulty (Gen 32:28). And so again, it is said of
Judah, being faithful with the saints, he ruled with God (Hosea
11:12). How many times did that good man Moses turn away the wrath
of God from the many thousands of Israel; yea, as it were, he held
the hands of God, and staved off the judgments not once nor twice;
the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (2
Sam 5:10). One man that walketh much with God, may work wonders in
this very thing; he may be a means of saving whole countries and
kingdoms from those judgments their sins deserve. How many times,
when Israel provoked the Lord to anger, did he yet defer to destroy
them? and the reason of that forbearance, he tells them it was for
David's sake; for my servant David's sake I will not do it. As the
Lord said also concerning Paul, 'Lo, God hath given thee all them
that sail with thee'; that is, to save their lives from the rage of
the sea (Acts 27:24). Yea, when a judgment is not only threatened,
but the decree gone forth for its execution, then godly upright
men may sometimes cause the very decree itself to cease without
bringing forth (Zech 2:1-3). Or else may so time the judgment that
is decreed, that the church shall best be able to bear it (Matt
24:20).

6. The man that is tender of God's glory in this world, still ruling
and governing his affairs by the Word, and desirous to be faithful
to the work and employment that God hath appointed him to do for
his name; that man shall still be let into the secrets of God; he
shall know that which God will reserve and hide from many; 'Shall
I hide from Abraham that thing which I do,' saith the Lord?--'For
I know him, that he will command his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord,' &c. (Gen
18:17,19). So again, 'The secret of the Lord is with them that fear
him; and he will shew them his covenant' (Psa 25:14). 'And to him
that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation
of God' (Psa 50:23). Such a man shall have things new as well as
old. His converse with the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit,
shall be turned into a kind of familiarity; he shall be led into
the Word, and shall still increase in knowledge: when others shall
be stinted and look with old faces, being black and dry as a stick,
he shall be like a fatted calf, like the tree that is planted by
the rivers of water, his flesh shall be fresh as the flesh of a
child, and God will renew the face of his soul.

7. If any escape public calamities, usually they are such as are
very tender of the name of God, and that make it their business
to walk before him. They either escape by being mercifully taken
away before it, or by being safely preserved in the midst of the
judgment, until the indignation be overpast. Therefore God saith
in one place, the 'righteous are taken away from the evil to come'
(Isa 57:1). But if not so, as all be not, then they shall have their
life for a prey (Jer 39:15-18). Caleb and Joshua escaped all the
plagues that befel to Israel in the wilderness, for they followed
God (Num 14:24). Somewhat of this you have also in that scripture,
'Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his
judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be, ye shall be
hid in the day of the Lord's anger' (Zeph 2:3). According to this
is that in Luke, 'Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come
to pass, and to stand before the Son of man' (Luke 21:36). When a
man's ways please the Lord, he will make his enemies to be at peace
with him. Marvellous is the work of God in the preservation of
his saints that are faithful with him, when dangers and calamities
come; as Joseph, David, Jeremiah, and Paul, with many others, may
appear. 'He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there
shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death;
and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the
scourge of the tongue; neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction
when it cometh' (Job 5:19-21).

8. If afflictions do overtake thee, for whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, yet those
afflictions shall not befal thee for those causes for which they
befal the slothful and backsliding Christian; neither shall they
have that pinching and galling operation upon thee, as on those
who have left their first love and tenderness for God's glory in
the world.

(1.) Upon the faithful upright man, though he also may be corrected
and chastised for sin, yet, I say, he abiding close with God,
afflictions come rather for trial and for the exercise of grace
received, than as rebukes for this or that wickedness; when upon
the backsliding heartless Christian these things shall come from
fatherly anger and displeasure, and that for their sins against
him. Job did acknowledge himself a sinner, and that God therefore
might chastise him: but yet he rather believed it was chiefly for
the trial of his grace, as indeed, and in truth, it was (Job 7:20,
23:10). 'He is a perfect man,' saith God to Satan, 'and one that
feareth God, and escheweth evil, and still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him
without cause' (Job 2:3). God will not say thus of every one when
affliction is laid upon them, though they yet may be his children;
but rather declareth and pronounceth that it is for their
transgressions, because they have wickedly departed from him (Psa
39:11, 38:1-4).

(2.) Now, affliction arising from these two causes, their effects
in the manner of their working, though grace turns them both
for good, is very different one from the other; he who hath been
helped to walk with God, is not assaulted with those turnings and
returnings of guilt when he is afflicted, as he who hath basely
departed from God; the one can plead his integrity, when the other
blusheth for shame. See both these cases in one person, even that
goodly beloved David. When the Lord did rebuke him for sin, then he
cries, O blood guiltiness, O 'cast me not away from thy presence'
(Psa 51:11). But when he at another time knew himself guiltless,
though then also sorely afflicted, behold with what boldness he
turns his face unto God; 'O Lord, my God,' saith he, 'if I have
done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have rewarded
evil unto him that was at peace with me; [yea, I have delivered
him that without cause is mine enemy] let the enemy persecute my
soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth,
and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah,' &c. (Psa 7:3-5).

This, therefore, must needs be a blessed help in distress, for a
man to have a good conscience when affliction hath taken hold on
him; for a man then, in his looking behind and before, to return
with peace to his own soul, that man must needs find honey in this
lion, that can plead his innocency and uprightness. All the people
curse me, saith Jeremiah, but that without a cause, for I have
neither lent nor taken on usury; which it seems was a sin at that
day (Jer 15:10).

9. When men are faithful with God in this world, to do the work he
hath appointed for them, by this means a dying bed is made easier,
and that upon a double account. (1.) By reason of that present
peace such shall have, even in their time of languishing. (2.) By
reason of the good company such shall have at their departure.

(1.) Such souls usually abound in present peace; they look not
back upon the years they have spent with that shame as the idle and
slothful Christian does. 'Remember now, Lord,--how I have walked
before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart' (Isa 38:3). Blessed
is the man that considereth the poor, the Lord will deliver him in
time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive,
and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver
him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon
the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness
(Psa 41:1-3).

Ah! when God makes the bed,[27] he must needs lie easy that weakness
hath cast thereon; a blessed pillow hath that man for his head,
though to all beholders it is hard as a stone. Jacob, on his
deathbed, had two things that made it easy:--(a) The faith of his
going to rest, 'I am to be gathered unto my people'; that is, to
the blessed that have yielded up the ghost before me (Gen 49:29).
(b) The remembrance of the sealings of the countenance of God upon
him, when he walked before him in the days of his pilgrimage: when
Joseph came to see him, before he left this world, Israel, saith
the Word, 'strengthened himself and sat upon his bed'; and the
first word that dropt out of this good man's mouth, O how full of
glory was it! 'God Almighty appeared unto me,' saith he, 'at Luz,
in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,' &c. (Gen 48:1-3). O blessed
discourse for a sick bed, when those can talk thus that lie thereon,
from as true a ground as Jacob; but thus will God make the bed of
those who walk close with him in this world.

(2.) The dying bed of such a man is made easy by reason also of
the good company such shall have at their departure; and that is,
(1) The angels; (b) Their good works they have done for God in the
world.

(a) The angels of heaven shall wait upon them, as they did upon
blessed Lazarus, to carry them into Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).
I know all that go to paradise are by these holy ones conducted
thither; but yet, for all that, such as die under the clouds for
unchristian walking with God, may meet with darkness in that day--may
go heavily hence, notwithstanding that (Job 5:14). Yea, their bed
may be as uncomfortable to them as if they lay upon nothing but
the cords, and their departing from it, as to appearance, more
uncomfortable by far. But as for those who have been faithful to
their God, they shall see before them, shall know their tabernacles,
'shall be in peace' (Job 5:24), 'the everlasting gates shall be
opened unto them,' in all which, from earth, they shall see the
glory (Acts 7:55,56).[28] I once was told a story of what happened
at a good man's death, the which I have often remembered, with
wonderment and gladness. After he had lain for some time sick, his
hour came that he must depart, and behold, while he lay, as we call
it, drawing on, to the amazement of the mourners, there was heard
about his bed such blessed and ravishing music as they never heard
before; which also continued till his soul departed, and then
began to cease, and grow, as to its sound, as if it was departing
the house, and so still seemed to go further and further off, till
at last they could hear it not longer. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that
God hath prepared for them that love him': behold, then, how God
can make thy sick bed easy! (1 Cor 2:9).

(b) A dying bed is made easy by those good works that men have done
in their life for the name of God: 'Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labours, and their works do follow them'; yea, and go before them
too (Rev 14:13). No man need be afraid to be accompanied by good
deeds to heaven. Be afraid of sins, they are like bloodhounds at
the heels; and be sure thy sins will find thee out, even thee who
hast not been pardoned in the precious blood of Christ; but as for
those who have submitted themselves to the righteousness of God
for their justification, and who have, through faith and love to
his name, been frequent in deeds of righteousness, they shall not
appear empty before their God, 'their works,' their good works,
'follow them.' These shall enter into rest, and walk with Christ
in white. I observe, when Israel had passed over Jordan, they were
to go to possess between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, from whence
was to be pronounced the blessing and the cursing (Deut 27). The
gospel meaning of which I take to be as followeth: I take Jordan
to be a type of death: and these two mountains, with the cursing
and blessing, to be a type of the judgment that comes on every man,
so soon as he goes from hence--'and after death the judgment'--so
that he that escapes the cursing, he alone goes into blessedness;
but he that Mount Ebal smiteth, he falls short of heaven! O! none
knows the noise that doth sound in sinners' souls from Ebal and
Gerizim when they are departed hence; yet it may be they know not
what will become of them till they hear these echoings from these
two mountains: but here the good man is sure Mount Gerizim doth
pronounce him blessed. Blessed, then, are the dead that die in
the Lord, for their works will follow them till they are past all
danger. These are the Christian's train that follow him to rest;
these are a good man's company that follow him to heaven.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Solemn indeed is the responsibility of a Christian minister,
and every follower of the Lamb bears that office privately, and
should be earnest in prayer that public ministers may do the work
of evangelists, not only by insisting upon the necessity of the new
birth and its solemn reality, the happiness of a close walk with
God, and the glorious rest that remaineth, but to visit the poor
and rich at their own habitations, in sickness and health, and
watch over their people as those that must give an account.--Ed.

[2] 'With a curse,' is from the Puritan version.--Ed.

[3] Wretched are the persecutors, like a troubled sea, casting
up mire and filth, vainly opposing the sinner's duty of personal
inquiry for salvation, and harassing him if he refuses to submit
to human dogmas, creeds, catechisms, and liturgies--the inventions
of men. Although the power is curtailed, the disposition remains
the same; restless and unwearied, they stick at nothing to glut
their revenge upon the disciples of Christ. But all in vain; the
gospel spreads although the persecutor kicks; it is against the
sharp goads; he rushes upon Jehovah's buckler and crushes himself;
is wretched in this life and lost to all eternity; unless, as in
the case of Saul, unspeakable mercy arrests him--Ed.

[4] The lions growled and roared upon the pilgrims in Bunyan's days,
to prevent their making a public profession of Christ by uniting
with one of his churches; represented in the Pilgrim's Progress
by the palace justly called Beautiful. Many were then kept back,
to their serious injury or ruin, by fear of enormous penalties or
imprisonment, but NOW, what keeps you back, O Christian. Fears for
the loss of property, liberty, or life, would have been a wretched
plea for the loss of the soul, how much less the fear of ridicule
from ungodly friends or relatives.--Ed.

[5] A familiar expression; 'rub up,' prepare for action. 'Put on
thy harness,' an obsolete term for armour, weapons, and habiliments
of war; the spiritual warfare, 'put on the whole armour of God.'--Ed.

[6] Would you be ready to die in peace? then seek a close walk
and communion with God in time of health. A life of faith ensures
a life of glory. Live and walk in the Spirit; as strangers and
pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts. To live thus is Christ; to
die is gain, the more sudden the more joyful and glorious.--Ed.

[7] This meaning of the word 'touch' is now obsolete. It refers to
touching the seal on a deed, called sealing it; a solemn, deliberate
pledge to keep close to your covenants. 'I keep touch with my
promise.' Sir Thomas More.--Ed.

[8] 'To make both ends meet,' is a proverbial expression, meaning
that our expenses should not exceed our income; but, in this more
solemn sense we should fulfil our daily duties as they approach, as
all our moments have duties assigned to them. Omissions can never
be recovered; hence the necessity of forgiveness for Christ's sake,
who fulfilled every duty, and hence the necessity of perpetual
watchfulness.--Ed.

[9] How delightfully does this exclamation flow from the lips of the
pious patriarch, overcome by his exertion in this solemn death-bed
scene. He pauses, and then, with his recovering breath, appeals to
heaven--'I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.' Poor old man,
the cold sweat of death is on thy brow, the angels stand ready to
open the gate of the celestial city; finish thy solemn instructions
to thy children, and then thou shalt enter upon the fruition of all
thy patient waiting, thy fearing, fighting, trembling, doubting,
shall be absorbed in immeasurable, eternal bliss.--Ed.

[10] This is a very illustrative allusion. When a spinner has wound
up all his material, the technical term is, 'The bottom is wound.'
When a poor spinner by age or infirmity, is incapable of work, it
would be said, 'Ah! his bottom is wound.' In this text, Jacob had
finally made an end of all his earthly duties, and had now only to
close his eyes for the last time upon the world.--Ed.

[11] These are solemn and most weighty arguments to press upon us
the fulfilment of our daily duties. How incomprehensible are the
ways of God. His love is proved by bitterly convicting us of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment. Like Christian and Hopeful in
Doubting Castle, sometimes so overwhelming as to drive us to the
verge of despair and self-destruction. We fall not down the precipice,
for still there is hope and pardon in his bosom, and at the proper
time it will be revealed.--Ed.

[12] That preventeth; 'letteth' is from the old verb to let or
hinder, as used Romans 1:13.--Ed.

[13] This language is probably founded on Revelation 22:14, 'Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.'
Until the work that is assigned to us is done, we cannot cross the
river and ascend to the New Jerusalem. 'He which testifieth these
things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.' He who is diligent to
finish his work may reply with truth, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'--Ed.

[14] Bunyan was in his politics a thorough loyalist. When a young
man he even fought at the siege of Leicester, when it was besieged
by the royal army. Probably the horrible cruelties practised upon
the peaceful inhabitants, by the cavaliers, at the taking of that
city, induced him to leave the service. His pastor, J. Gifford, had
also served in the royal army as an officer; both of them narrowly
escaped. This may account for Bunyan's high monarchial principles,
they appear very prominently in many of his works.--Ed.

[15] Many extraordinary tales are told of the nightingale, as
to their great memory, and facility in imitating the human voice.
Sitting in thorns is more for protection than penance. See
Goldsmith's Animated Nature. It was a generally received opinion
that the nightingale, to keep himself awake in the night, sat on
a tree of thorn, so that if he nodded he would be pricked in the
breast. The learned and witty Dr. Thomas Fuller thus alludes to
it:--'I am sure the nightingale which would wake will not be angry
with the thorn which pricketh her breast when she noddeth.' How
useful would it be if a thorn could be so placed as to prick those
who nod at church!--Ed.

[16] A painted figure of a horse, behind which the sportsman
stealthily approaches the game.


   'One underneath his horse, to get a shoot doth stalk
    Another over dykes upon his stilts doth walk.'
           --Drayton's Polyolbion, vol. iii. p. 25.--Ed.


[17] So dress as to pass without being noticed; neither precise nor
formal, slovenly nor dandyish; dress like a man or woman. Conduct
yourself as one that fears God.--Ed.

[18] The head having been crowned with thorns, it is unsuitable
that the feet should tread on rose leaves.--Mason.

[19] How very striking is this expression. O! that it may assist
in riveting upon our souls a vivid remembrance of the Saviour's
sufferings.--Ed.

[20] Some Pharisees, falsely called by the Romish churches 'saints,'
have claimed merit from associating with dirt and filth, and vermin,
beggars, and vagabonds, upon dunghills, to show their contempt of
the world! All this was to gain the applause of the world. God's
saints will associate with the salt of the earth, with God's fearers,
who whether rich or poor, are equally despised by the world.--Ed.

[21] Reader, do not mistake this to mean a piece of wood shaped
as a cross. It means cherish, love, be conformed to the conduct or
image of Christ, follow him in reproaches and revilings, and count
it your honour to suffer for his sake. 'Kiss it,' has the same
meaning as the words of the Psalmist, 'Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry, and ye perish.' It is the soul mentally kissing the Saviour,
and not a bit of wood, which would then be an idol, inflicting the
deep guilt of idolatry.--Ed.

[22] Upon the opening of the sixth seal in the book of Revelation,
there was 'a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth
of hair, and the moon as blood.' A preternatural and awful darkness
broods over nature, preparatory to its final dissolution. Thus
Satan darkens the things above to the natural man, so that he
cannot discern spiritual things, while those of time and sense are
magnified and multiplied in his estimation.--Ed.

[23] This refers to the phylacteries worn by every Jew while in
his daily prayers. These are long strips of leather, having small
boxes containing the law minutely written in Hebrew, worn upon the
forehead and wrist, and bound round the fingers. A custom founded
on Exodus 13:9, 16; Proverbs 7:3. That the Divine law should direct
the head and fingers, as representing the mind and conduct, so
would Bunyan have all Christians carry, at all times, in the mind
and conduct, the riches and righteousness of Christ.--Ed.

[24] There are no idlers in God's Israel, every one has his appointed
work to fulfil against his appointed day. Christian, watch against
idleness.


   'For Satan has some mischief still
    For idle hands to do.'--Ed.


[25] Godliness, saith Paul, has the 'promise of the life that now
is, and of that which is to come.' This should be more dwelt upon
by our ministers, as Bunyan sets the example. The mind of a Christian
has the richest enjoyments, however his body may be persecuted,
for over that only the enemy has power. A prison may be the gate
of heaven. With God as our Father, a wall of fire round about, and
the glory in our midst, 'what can we want beside?'--Ed.

[26] To tender; to care for, to guard. 'He had provoked others to
tender and seek the glory of God.'--Udal. Not frequently used in
this sense.--Ed.

[27] How tenderly does the Psalmist exhibit the love of God to
his chosen under this figure, 'Thou wilt make all his bed in his
sickness.' He will never leave nor forsake them; and, when heart
and flesh shall fail, he will guide them and receive them to his
glory. 'Wonders of grace to God belong.' Christian women! with
such an example, can you hesitate to go and make the bed of a poor
sick and afflicted neighbour?--Ed.

[28]


   'Jesus can make a dying bed
        Feel soft as downy pillows are,
    While on his breast I lean my head,
        And breath my life out sweetly there.'--Dr. Watts.


***

THE DESIRE OF THE RIGHTEOUS GRANTED;

OR,

A DISCOURSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN'S DESIRES.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR

As the tree is known by its fruit, so is the state of a man's
heart known by his desires. The desires of the righteous are the
touchstone or standard of Christian sincerity--the evidence of
the new birth--the spiritual barometer of faith and grace--and the
springs of obedience. Christ and him crucified is the ground of
all our hopes--the foundation upon which all our desires after God
and holiness are built--and the root by which they are nourished.
It is from this principle of Divine life which flows from Christ
to his members, that these desires and struggles after holiness of
thought and conduct arise, and are kept alive. They prove a fountain
of consolation to the harassed and tried believer; for if we are
in the sense of this scripture 'righteous,' we shall have those
desires to enjoy the presence of God on earth, and with him felicity
in heaven, which the voice of the Omnipotent declareth SHALL be
granted. O! the blessedness of those in whose hearts are planted
'the desires of the righteous.'

This brings us to the most important of all the subjects of
self-examination--am I one of the 'righteous'? or, in other words,
'am I born again?' Upon this solemn heart-trying inquiry hangs all
our hopes of escape from misery and ascension to glory--a kingdom,
a crown, a bright, a happy, an eternal inheritance, on the one
hand, or the gloomy abodes of wretchedness on the other hand, are
for ever to be decided. What are our desires? To guide our anxious
inquiries into this all-important subject, our author unlocks the
heavenly treasures, and in every point furnishes us with book, and
chapter, and verse, that we may carefully and prayerfully weigh all
that he displays in the unerring scales of the sanctuary. A desire
after the presence of God--of conformity to his image and example--for
a greater hatred of sin--yea, as Bunyan expresses it, a desire to
desire more of those blessed fruits of the Spirit, inspires the
inquirer with the cheering hope that he has passed from death unto
life--that he has been born again, and has been made righteous.
And if, as we progress in the Divine life, our experience of the
delights of communion with God enables us to say with David, 'My
soul panteth,' or crieth, or, as the margin of our Bibles have,
brayeth, 'yea, thirsteth after God,' however we may be assaulted
by the enemies within and without, we may say with confidence, 'Why
art thou disquieted, O my soul? hope thou in God, for I SHALL yet
praise him.'

Deeply are the churches of Christ indebted to the Holy Spirit for
having assisted his honoured servant to write this treatise; and we
are under great obligation to his friend, Charles Doe, for having
handed it down to us, as he found it prepared for the press, with
other excellent treatises, among the author's papers after his
decease. It abounds with those striking ideas peculiar to the works
of the author of the Pilgrim's Progress; most faithful home thrusts
at conscience, which those who really desire to know themselves
will greatly prize. It has been very properly observed that the
words used by the author, as descriptive of the text, may, with
great propriety, be applied to this treatise--'It is a sharp and
smart description' of the desires of a righteous man.

The desires of the righteous are very graphically impersonated
and described. They reach beyond time and peep into eternity. 'The
righteous have desires that reach further than this world, desires
that have so long a neck as to look into the world to come.' 'So
forcible and mighty are they in operation'; 'is there not life and
mettle in them? They loose the bands of nature--harden the soul
against sorrow--they are the fruits of an eagle-eyed confidence.'
They enable the soul 'to see through the jaws of death--to see Christ
preparing mansion-houses for his poor ones that are now kicked to
and fro, like footballs in the world!' 'A desire will take a man
upon its back and carry him away to God, if ten thousand men oppose
it.' 'It will carry him away after God to do his will, let the work
be never so hard.' The new man is subject to transient sickness,
during which desire fails in its power when the inner man has caught
a cold.

Bunyan's views of church fellowship are always lovely; they are
delightfully expressed. He also introduces us to the unsearchable
riches of Christ. 'The righteous desire a handful, God gives them
a seaful; they desire a country, God prepares for them a city.'
Wonders of grace to God belong.

Bunyan's pictures of the natural man are equally faithful and
striking--when guilt and conviction take hold on him--when pestilence
threatens to break up his house-keeping--and death takes him by the
throat and hauls him down stairs to the grave; then he, who never
prayed, crieth, Pray for me, and the poor soul is as loath to go
out of the body for fear the devil should catch it, as the poor
bird is to go out of the bush while she sees the hawk waiting to
receive her. But I must not detain the reader longer from entering
on this solemn and impressive treatise, but commend it to the Divine
blessing.

GEO. OFFOR.

THE DESIRE OF THE RIGHTEOUS GRANTED.

'The desite of the righteous is only good.'--Proverbs 11:23

'The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; but the desite of
the righteous shall be granted.'--Proverbs 10:24

This book of the Proverbs is so called because it is such as
containeth hard, dark, and pithy sentences of wisdom, by which is
taught unto young men knowledge and discretion (1-6). Wherefore
this book is not such as discloseth truths by words antecedent
or subsequent to the text, so as other scriptures generally do,
but has its texts or sentences more independent; for usually each
verse standeth upon its own bottom, and presenteth by itself some
singular thing to the consideration of the reader; so that I shall
not need to bid my reader go back to what went before, nor yet to
that which follows, for the better opening of the text; and shall
therefore come immediately to the words, and search into them for
what hidden treasures are contained therein.

[First.] The words then, in the first place, present us with the
general condition of the whole world; for all men are ranked under
one of these conditions, the wicked or the righteous; for he that
is not wicked is righteous, and he that is not righteous is wicked.
So again, 'Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of
the righteous, spoil not his resting-place.' I might give you out
of this book many such instances, for it flows with such; but the
truth hereof is plain enough.

The world is also divided by other general terms, as by these--believers,
unbelievers; saints, sinners; good, bad; children of God, and
children of the wicked one, &c. These, I say, are general terms,
and comprehend not this or that sect, or order of each, but the
whole. The believer, saint, good, and child of God, are one--to
wit, the righteous; the unbeliever, the sinner, the bad, and the
child of the devil, is one--to wit, the wicked; as also the text
expresses it. So that I say, the text, or these two terms in it,
comprehend all men; the one all that shall be saved, the other all
that shall be damned for ever in hell-fire (Psa 9:17, 11:6). The
wicked; who is he but the man that loves not God, nor to do his
will? The righteous; who is he but the man that loveth God, and
his holy will, to do it?

Of the wicked there are several sorts, some more ignorant, some more
knowing; the more ignorant of them are such as go to be executed,
as the ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction
of the stocks; that is, as creatures whose ignorance makes them as
unconcerned, while they are going down the stairs to hell. But,
alas! their ignorance will be no plea for them before the bar of God;
for it is written, 'It is a people of no understanding; therefore
he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed
them will show them no favour' (Isa 27:11; Prov 7:22).

Though, I must confess, the more knowing the wicked is, or the
more light and goodness such a one sins against, the greater will
his judgment be; these shall have greater damnation: it shall be
more tolerable at the judgment for Sodom than for them (Luke 10:12,
20:47). There is a wicked man that goes blinded, and a wicked man
that goes with his eyes open to hell; there is a wicked man that
cannot see, and a wicked man that will not see the danger he is
in; but hell-fire will open both their eyes (Luke 16:23). There
are that are wicked, and cover all with a cloak of religion, and
there are that proclaim their profaneness; but they will meet both
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; 'The wicked shall
be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God' (Psa
9:17).

There are also several sorts, if I may so express myself, of those
that are truly righteous, as children, young men, fathers, or
saints that fear God, both small and great (Rev 11:18; 1 John 2).
Some have more grace than some, and some do better improve the
grace they have than others of their brethren do; some also are more
valiant for the truth upon the earth than others of their brethren
are; yea, some are so swallowed up with God, and love to his word
and ways, that they are fit to be a pattern or example in holiness
to all that are about them; and some again have their light shining
so dim, that they render themselves suspicious to their brethren,
whether they are of the number of those that have grace or no.[1]
But being gracious they shall not be lost, although such will at
the day of reward suffer loss; for this is the will of the Father
that sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, 'That of all
which he had given him he should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day' (John 6:37-39; 1 Cor 3:15).

[Second.] In the next place, we are here presented with some of
the qualities of the wicked and the righteous; the wicked has his
fears, the righteous has his desires. The wicked has his fears. 'The
fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; but the desire of the
righteous shall be granted.' Indeed, it seems to the godly that
the wicked feareth not, nor doth he after a godly sort; for he that
feareth God aright must not be reputed a wicked man. The wicked,
through the pride of his countenance, declareth that he feareth
not God aright, because he doth not graciously call upon him; but
yet for all that, the wicked at times are haunted, sorely haunted,
and that with the worst of fears. 'Terrors,' says Bildad, 'shall
make him afraid on every side.' And again, 'His confidence shall
be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king
of terrors' (Job 18:11-14).

A wicked man, though he may hector it at times with his proud heart,
as though he feared neither God nor hell, yet again, at times, his
soul is even drowned with terrors. 'The morning is to them even as
the shadow of death; if one knew them, they are in the terrors of
the shadow of death' (Job 24:14-17). At times, I say, it is thus
with them, especially when they are under warm convictions that
the day of judgment is at hand, or when they feel in themselves
as if death was coming as a tempest, to steal them away from their
enjoyments, and lusts, and delights; then the bed shakes on which
they lie, then the proud tongue doth falter in their mouth, and
their knees knock one against another; then their conscience stares,
and roars, and tears, and arraigns them before God's judgment-seat,
or threatens to follow them down to hell, and there to wreck its
fury on them, for all the abuses and affronts this wicked wretch
offered to it in the day in which it controlled his unlawful
deeds. O! none can imagine what fearful plights a wicked man is
in sometimes; though God in his just judgment towards them suffers
them again and again to stifle and choke such awakenings, from a
purpose to reserve them unto the day of judgment to be punished (2
Peter 2:7-9).

[Third.] In the third place, as the wicked has his fears, so the
righteous has his desires. 'The desire of the righteous shall be
granted'; but this must not be taken exclusively, as if the wicked
had nothing but fears, and the righteous nothing but desires. For,
both by Scripture and experience also, we find that the wicked has
his desires, and the righteous man his fears.

1. For the wicked, they are not without their desires. 'Let me die
the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his,' was
the desire of wicked Balaam (Num 23:10), and another place saith,
'the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire'; that he is for heaven
as well as the best of you all, but yet, even then, 'he blesseth
the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth' (Psa 10:3). Wicked men
have their desires and their hopes too, but the hope and desire of
unjust men perisheth (Prov 11:7, 14:32). Yea, and though they look
and long, too, all the day long, with desires of life and glory,
yet their fears, and them only, shall come upon them; for they are
the desires of the righteous that shall be granted (Psa 112:10).

The desires of the wicked want a good bottom; they flow not from a
sanctified mind, nor of love to the God, or the heaven now desired;
but only from such a sense as devils have of torments, and so, as
they, they cry out, 'I beseech thee torment me not' (Luke 8:28,
16:24). But their fears have a substantial foundation, for they
are grounded upon the view of an ill-spent life, the due reward of
which is hell-fire; 'the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God,' their place is without; 'for without are dogs and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie' (1 Cor 6:9,10; Rev 22:15).

Their fears, therefore, have a strong foundation; they have also
matter to work upon, which is guilt and justice, the which they
shall never be able to escape, without a miracle of grace and mercy
(Heb 2:3). Therefore it saith, and that with emphasis, 'The fear
of the wicked it shall come upon him'; wherefore his desires must
die with him: for the promise of a grant of that which is desired
is only entailed to righteousness. 'The desire of the righteous shall
be granted,' but 'grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked,'
saith David (Psa 140:8).

2. Nor are the righteous without their fears, and that even all
their life long. Through fear of death, they, some of them, are all
their life time subject to bondage (Heb 2:15). But as the desires
of the wicked shall be frustrate, so shall also the fears of
the godly; hence you have them admonished, yea commanded, not to
be afraid neither of devils, death, nor hell; for the fear of the
righteous shall not come upon them to eternal damnation (Isa 35:4,
41:10-14, 43:1, 44:28; Luke 8:50, 12:32; Rev 1:17).

'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.' No, they are not
to fear what sin can do unto them, nor what all their sins can do
unto them; I do not say they should not be afraid of sinning, nor
of those temporal judgments that sin shall bring upon them, for
of such things they ought to be afraid, as saith the Psalmist, 'My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments'
(Psa 119:120). But of eternal ruin, of that, they ought not to be
afraid of with slavish fear. 'Wherefore should I fear,' said the
prophet, 'in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall
compass me about?' (Psa 49:5). And again, 'Ye have done all this
wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord;--for the
Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake' (1
Sam 12:20-22).

The reason is, because the righteous are secured by their faith in
Christ Jesus; also their fears stand upon a mistake of the nature
of the covenant, in which they are wrapped up, which is ordered
for them in all things, and sure (2 Sam 23:5; Isa 55:3). Besides,
God has purposed to magnify the riches of his grace in their
salvation; therefore goodness and mercy shall, to that end, follow
them all the days of their life, that they may 'dwell in the house
of the Lord for ever' (Psa 23:6; Eph 1:3-7). They have also their
intercessor and advocate ready with God, to take up matters for
them in such a way as may maintain true peace betwixt their God and
them; and as may encourage them to be sober, and hope to the end,
for the grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation of
Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 2:1,2). Wherefore, though the
godly have their fears, yea, sometimes dreadful fears, and that
of perishing for ever and ever; yet the day is coming, when their
fears and tears shall be done away, and when their desires only
shall be granted. 'The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon them;
but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.'

The words, then, are a prediction or prophecy, and that both
concerning the wicked and the righteous, with reference to time and
things to come, and shall certainly be fulfilled in their season.
Hence it is said concerning the wicked, that their triumphing is
short, and that the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment (Job
20:5). O, their end will be bitter as wormwood, and will cut like
a two-edged sword! Of this Solomon admonishes youth, when he saith.
'Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee
in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart,
and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these
things God will bring thee into judgment' (Eccl 11:9).

This, therefore, showeth the desperate spirit that possesses the
children of men, who, though they hear and read all this, yet cannot
be reclaimed from courses that are wicked, and that lead to such
a condition (Prov 5:7-14). I say they will not be reclaimed from
such courses as lead to ways that go down to hell, where their soul
must mourn, even then when their flesh and their body are consumed.
O! how dear bought are their pleasures, and how will their laughter
be turned into tears and anguish unutterable! and that presently,
for it is coming! Their 'judgment now of a long time lingereth not,
and their damnation slumbereth not' (2 Peter 2:3). But what good
will their covenant of death then do them? And will their agreement
of hell yield them comfort? Is not God as well mighty to punish as
to save? (Isa 28:18). Or can these sinners believe God out of the
world, or cause that he should not pay them home for their sins,
and recompense them for all the evil they have loved, and continued
in the commission of? (Job 21:29-31). 'Can thy heart endure, or
can thy hands be strong in the days that God shall deal with thee?'
(Eze 22:14). Thou art bold now, I mean bold in a wicked way; thou
sayest now thou wilt keep thy sweet morsels of sin under thy tongue,
thou wilt keep them still within thy mouth. Poor wretch! Thy sins
shall lie down in the dust with thee (Job 20:11). Thou hast sucked
the poison of asps, and the viper's tongue shall slay thee (Job
20:16). 'Thou shalt not see the rivers, the streaming floods, the
brooks of butter and honey' (Job 20:17). 'All darkness shall be hid
in thy secret places, a fire not blown shall consume thee.' 'This
is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed
to him by God' (Job 20:26-29).

And as they [the Scriptures] predict or prophesy what shall become
of the wicked; so also they plentifully foretell what shall happen
to the righteous, when he saith their desire shall be granted: of
which more anon. Only here I will drop this short hint, That the
righteous have great cause to rejoice; for what more pleasing,
what more comfortable to a man, than to be assured, and that from
the Spirit of truth, that what he desireth shall be granted? And
this the righteous are assured of here; for he saith it in words
at length, 'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.' This,
then, should comfort them against their fears, and the sense of
their unworthiness; it should also make them hold up their heads
under all their temptations, and the affronts that is usual for them
to meet with in the world. The righteous! Who so vilified as the
righteous? He, by the wise men of the world, is counted a very
Abraham,[2] a fool; like to him who is the father of us all. But
as he left all for the desire that he had of a better country, and
at last obtained his desire; for after he had patiently endured,
he obtained the promise; so those that walk in the steps of that
faith which our father Abraham had, even those also in the end
shall find place in Abraham's bosom; wherefore it is meet that we
should cheer up and be glad, because what we desire shall be granted
unto us (Heb 6).

THE NATURE OF THE WORDS.

But I shall here leave off this short way of paraphrasing upon the
text, and shall come more distinctly to inquire into the nature
of the words; but my subject-matter shall be the last part of the
verse, 'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.' From which
words there are these things to be inquired into.

FIRST. What, or who is the righteous man? SECOND. What are the
desires of a righteous man? THIRD. What is meant or to be understood
by the granting of the desires of the righteous? 'The desire of
the righteous shall be granted.'

[WHO IS THE RIGHTEOUS MAN?]

FIRST. For the first of these, namely, 'WHAT OR WHO IS THE RIGHTEOUS
MAN?

My way of prosecuting this head shall be to show you, first, that
I intend a righteous man not in every sense, but in that which is the
best; otherwise I shall miscarry as to the intendment of the Holy
Ghost; for it may not be supposed that these words reach to them
that are righteous in a general, but in a special sense; such, I
mean, that are so in the judgment of God. For, as I hinted, there
are several sorts of righteous men that yet have nothing to do
with this blessed promise, or that shall never, as such, have their
desires granted.

FIRST. There is one that is righteous in his own eyes, and is yet
far enough off from the blessing of the text: 'There is a generation
that are pure' or righteous 'in their own eyes, and yet is not washed
from their filthiness' (Prov 29:12). These are they that you also
read of in the evangelist Luke, that are said to trust 'in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others' (Luke 18:9). These
are set so low, by this their foolish confidence, in the eyes of
Jesus Christ, that he even preferred a praying publican before them
(Luke 18:13,14). Wherefore these cannot be the men, I mean those
righteous men, to whom this promise is made.

SECOND. There are those that by others are counted righteous; I
mean they are so accounted by their neighbours. Thus Korah and his
company are called the people of the Lord, and all the congregation
by them also called holy, every one of them (Num 16:3,41). But as
he who commends himself is not approved, so it is no great matter
if all the world shall count us righteous, if God esteemeth us not
for such: 'For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom
the Lord commends' (2 Cor 10:18).

THIRD. There are those that indeed are righteous when compared
with others: 'I came not to call the righteous'; 'for scarcely for
a righteous man will one die,' and the like, are texts thus to be
understood. For such as these are, as to life moral, better than
others. But these, if they are none otherwise righteous than by
acts and works of righteousness of their own, are not the persons
contained in the text that are to have their desires granted.

FOURTH. The righteous man therefore in the text is, and ought to be,
thus described: 1. He is one whom God makes righteous, by reckoning
him so. 2. He is one that God makes righteous, by possessing of him
with a principle of righteousness. 3. He is one that is practically
righteous.

First. He is one that God makes righteous. Now, if God makes him
righteous, his righteousness is not his own, I mean this sort of
righteousness: 'Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord' (Isa
54:17). God then makes a man righteous by putting righteousness
upon him--by putting the righteousness of God upon him (Phil 3:6-9).
Hence we are said to be made the righteousness of God in Christ:
'For God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him' (2 Cor 5:21). Thus
God, therefore, reckoneth one righteous, even by imputing that
unto us which is able to make us so: 'Christ of God is made unto
us--righteousness' (1 Cor 1:30). Wherefore he saith again, 'In the
Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory'
(Isa 45:25).

The righteousness then by which a man is made righteous, with
righteousness to justification of life before God, for that is
it we are speaking of now, is the righteousness of another than
he who is justified thereby. Hence it is said again by the soul
thus justified and made righteous, 'The Lord hath clothed me with
the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of
righteousness' (Isa 61:10). As he also saith in another place, 'I
spread my skirts over thee, and covered thy nakedness' (Eze 16:8).
This we call a being made righteous by reckoning, by the reckoning
of God; for none is of power to reckon one righteous but God,
because none can make one so to be but him. He that can make me
rich, though I am in myself the poorest of men, may reckon me rich,
if together with his so reckoning, he indeed doth make me rich. This
is the case, God makes a man righteous by bestowing of righteousness
upon him--by counting the righteousness of his Son for his. He gives
him righteousness, a righteousness already performed and completed
by the obedience of his Son (Rom 5:19).

Not that this righteousness, by being bestowed upon us, is severed
from Jesus Christ; for it is still his and in him. How then, may
some say, doth it become ours? I answer, by our being put into
him. For of God are we in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us, of
him, 'righteousness.' And again, we are made 'the righteousness of
God in him.' So then, the righteousness of Christ covereth his, as
a man's garments cover the members of his body, for we are 'the
body of Christ, and members in particular' (1 Cor 12:27). The
righteousness therefore is Christ's; resideth still in him, and
covereth us, as the child is lapped up in its father's skirt, or
as the chicken is covered with the feathers of the hen. I make use
of all these similitudes thereby to inform you of my meaning; for
by all these things are set forth the way of our being made righteous
to justification of life (Matt 23:37; Eze 16:8; Psa 36:7).

Now thus a man is made righteous, without any regard to what he
has, or to what is of him; for as to him, it is utterly another's.
Just as if I should, with the skirts of my garments, take up and
clothe some poor and naked infant that I find cast out into the
open field. Now if I cover the person, I cover scabs and sores, and
ulcers, and all blemishes. Hence God, by putting this righteousness
upon us, is said to hide and cover our sins. 'Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin' (Rom 4:7,8). For
since this righteousness is Christ's, and counted or reckoned ours
by the grace of God, it is therefore bestowed upon us, not because
we are, but to make us righteous before the face of God. Hence,
as I said, it is said to make us righteous, even as gay clothes do
make a naked body fine. 'He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.'

This is of absolute necessity to be known, and to be believed. For
without this no man can be counted righteous before God; and if we
stand not righteous before God, it will benefit us nothing as to
life eternal, though we should be counted righteous by all the men
on earth. Besides, if God counts me righteous, I am safe, though
in and of myself I am nothing but a sinner, and ungodly. The reason
is, because God has a right to bestow righteousness upon me, for
he has righteousness to spare; he has also a right to forgive,
because sin is the transgression of the law. Yea, he has therefore
sent his Son into the world to accomplish righteousness for sinners,
and God of his mercy bestows it upon those that shall receive it by
faith. Now, if God shall count me righteous, who will be so hardy
as to conclude I yet shall perish? 'It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?'
(Rom 8:33-35).

Thus therefore is a man made righteous, even of God by Christ, or
through his righteousness. Now if, as was said, a man is thus made
righteous, then in this sense he is good before God, before he has
done anything of that which the law calls good before men; for God
maketh not men righteous with this righteousness, because they have
been, or have done good, but before they are capable of doing good
at all. Hence we are said to be justified while ungodly, even as
an infant is clothed with the skirt of another, while naked, as
touching itself (Rom 4:4,5). Works therefore do not precede, but
follow after this righteousness; and even thus it is in nature,
the tree must be good before it bear good fruit, and so also must
a man. It is as impossible to make a man bring forth good fruit
to God, before he is of God made good, as it is for a thorn or
bramble bush to bring forth figs or grapes (Matt 7:15,16).

But again, a man must be righteous before he can be good; righteous
by imputation, before his person, his intellectuals, can be qualified
with good, as to the principle of good. For neither faith, the
Spirit, nor any grace, is given unto the sinner before God has made
him righteous with this righteousness of Christ. Wherefore it is
said, that after he had spread his skirt over us, he washed us with
water, that is, with the washing of sanctification (Eze 16:8,9).
And to conclude otherwise, is as much as to say that an unjustified
man has faith, the Spirit, and the graces thereof; which to say is
to overthrow the gospel. For what need of Christ's righteousness
if a man may have faith and the Spirit of Christ without it, since
the Spirit is said to be the earnest of our inheritance, and that
by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph 1, 4). But
the truth is, the Spirit which makes our person good, I mean that
which sanctifies our natures, is the fruit of the righteousness
which is by Jesus Christ. For as Christ died and rose again before
he sent the Holy Ghost from heaven to his, so the benefit of his
death and resurrection is by God bestowed upon us, in order to the
Spirit's possessing of our souls.

Second. And this leads me to the second thing, namely, That God
makes a man righteous by possessing[3] of him with a principle of
righteousness, even with the spirit of righteousness (Rom 4:4,5).
For though, as to justification before God from the curse of the
law, we are made righteous while we are ungodly, and yet sinners;
yet being made free from sin thus, we forthwith become, through
a change which the Holy Ghost works in our minds, the servants
of God (Rom 5:7-9). Hence it is said, 'There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Rom 8:1). For though, as the apostle
also insinuates here, that being in Christ Jesus is antecedent to
our walking after the Spirit; yet a man can make no demonstration
of his being in Christ Jesus, but by his walking in the Spirit; because
the Spirit is an inseparable companion of imputed righteousness,
and immediately follows it, to dwell with whosoever it is bestowed
upon. Now it dwelling in us, principles[4] us in all the powers of
our souls, with that which is righteousness in the habit and nature
of it. Hence the fruits of the Spirit are called 'the fruits of
goodness and righteousness,' as the fruits of a tree are called
the fruit of that tree (Eph 5:9).

And again, 'He that doth righteousness is righteous,' not only in
our first sense, but even in this also. For who can do righteousness
without he be principled so to do? who can act reason that hath
not reason? So none can bring forth righteousness that hath not in
him the root of righteousness, which is the Spirit of God, which
comes to us by virtue of our being made sons of God (1 John 2:19,
3:7; Gal 4:5-7). Hence the fruits of the Spirit are called 'the
fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory
and praise of God' (Phil 1:11). This then is the thing we say,
to wit, that he that is made righteous unto justification of life
before God, is also habituated with a principle of righteousness,
as that which follows that righteousness by which he stood just
before. I say, as that which follows it; for it comes by Jesus
Christ, and by our being justified before God, and made righteous
through him.

This second then also comes to us before we do any act spiritually
good. For how can a man act righteousness but from a principle of
righteousness? And seeing this principle is not of or by nature,
but of and by grace, through Christ, it follows that as no man is
just before God that is not covered with the righteousness of Christ,
so no man can do righteousness but by the power of the Spirit of
God which must dwell in him. Hence we are said through the Spirit
to mortify the deeds of the body, which works are preparatory to
fruitful actions. The husbandman, says Paul, that laboureth, must
first be partaker of the fruit; so he that worketh righteousness,
must first be blessed with a principle of righteousness (2 Tim
2:1-6). Men must have eyes before they see, tongues before they
speak, and legs before they go; even so must a man be made habitually
good and righteous before he can work righteousness. This then is
the second thing. God makes a man righteous by possessing him with
a principle of righteousness; which principle is not of nature,
but of grace; not of man, but of God.

Third. The man in the text is practically righteous, or one that
declareth himself by works that are good; a virtuous, a righteous
man, even as the tree declares by the apple or plum it beareth what
manner of tree it is: 'Ye shall know them by their fruits' (Matt
7:16). Fruits show outwardly what the heart is principled with:
show me then thy faith, which abideth in the heart, by thy works in
a well spent life. Mark how the apostle words it, We being, saith
he, 'made free from sin, and become servants to God, have our fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life' (Rom 6:23).

Mark his order: first we are made free from sin; now that is by
being justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption
which is in Jesus Christ, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood. Now this is God's act, without any
regard at all to any good that the sinner has or can accomplish;
'not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy' thus he saveth us (Titus 3:5; Rom 3:24; 2 Tim 1:9).
Now, being made free from sin, what follows? We become the servants
of God, that is, by that turn which the Holy Ghost makes upon our
heart when it reconciles it to the Word of God's grace. For that,
as was said afore, is the effect of the indwelling and operation
of the Holy Ghost. Now having our hearts thus changed by God and
his Word, the fruits of righteousness put forth themselves by us.
For as when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which is in
our members, did bring forth fruit unto death, so now, if we are
in the Spirit, and we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if
so be the Spirit of Christ dwells in us, by the motions and workings
of that we have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life (Rom 8:6,9).

But now by these fruits we are neither made righteous nor good;
for the apple maketh not the tree good, it only declares it so to
be. Here therefore all those are mistaken that think to be righteous
by doing of righteous actions, or good by doing good. A man must
first be righteous, or he cannot do righteousness; to wit, that
which is evangelically such. Now if a man is, and must be righteous,
before he acts righteousness, then all his works are born too late
to make him just before God; for his works, if they be right, flow
from the heart of a righteous man, of a man that had, before he
had any good work, a twofold righteousness bestowed on him; one
to make him righteous in the sight of God, the other to principle
him to be righteous before the world. 'That he might be called a
tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be
glorified' (Isa 63:3).

The want of understanding of this, is that which keeps so many
in a mist of darkness about the way of salvation. For they, poor
hearts! when they hear of the need that they have of a righteousness
to commend them to God, being ignorant of the righteousness of God,
that is, of that which God imputeth to a man, and that by which he
counteth him righteous, have it not in their thoughts to accept of
that unto justification of life. But presently betake themselves
to the law of works, and fall to work there for the performing of
a righteousness, that they may be accepted of God for the same;
and so submit not themselves to the righteousness of God, by which,
and by which only, the soul stands just before God (Rom 10:1-3).
Wherefore, I say, it is necessary that this be distinctly laid
down. That a man must be righteous first, even before he doth
righteousness; the argument is plain from the order of nature: 'For
a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit': wherefore make the
tree good, and so his fruit good; or the tree corrupt, and his
fruit corrupt (Luke 6:43).

Reason also says the same, for how can Blacks beget white children,
when both father and mother are black? How can a man without grace,
and the spirit of grace, do good; nature is defiled even to the
mind and conscience; how then can good fruit come from such a stock?
(Titus 1:15). Besides, God accepteth not any work of a person which
is not first accepted of him; 'The Lord hath respect unto Abel and
to his offering' (Gen 4:4). To Abel first, that is, before that
Abel offered. But how could God have respect to Abel, if Abel was
not pleasing in his sight? and how could Abel be yet pleasing in
his sight, for the sake of his own righteousness, when it is plain
that Abel had not yet done good works? he was therefore first
made acceptable in the sight of God, by and for the sake of that
righteousness which God of his grace had put upon him to justification
of life; through and by which also the Holy Ghost in the graces
of it dwelt in Abel's soul. Now Abel being justified, and also
possessed with this holy principle, he offers his sacrifice to God.
Hence it is said, that he offered 'by faith,' by the faith which
he had precedent to his offering; for if through faith he offered,
he had that faith before he offered; that is plain. Now his faith
looked not for acceptance for the sake of what he offered, but
for the sake of that righteousness which it did apprehend God had
already put upon him, and by which he was made righteous; wherefore
his offering was the offering of a righteous man, of a man made
righteous first; and so the text saith, 'By faith Abel offered
unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous' (Heb 11:4); that is antecedent to
his offering; for he had faith in Christ to come, by which he was
made righteous; he also had the spirit of faith, by which he was
possessed with a righteous principle; and so being in this manner
made righteous, righteous before God, and also principled to work,
he comes and offereth his more acceptable sacrifice to God. For
this, all will grant, namely, that the works of a righteous man are
more excellent than are even the best works of the wicked. Hence
Cain's works came behind; for God had not made him righteous, had
no respect unto his person, had not given him the Spirit and faith,
whereby alone men are made capable to offer acceptably: 'But unto
Cain and to his offering, the Lord had not respect' (Gen 4:5).

From all which it is manifest, that the person must be accepted
before the duty performed can be pleasing unto God. And if the
person must first be accepted, it is evident that the person must
first be righteous; but if the person be righteous before he doth
good, then it follows that he is made righteous by righteousness
that is none of his own, that he hath no hand in, further than to
receive it as the gracious gift of God. Deny this, and it follows
that God accepteth men without respect to righteousness; and then
what follows that, but that Christ is dead in vain?

We must not therefore be deceived, 'He that doeth righteousness
is righteous, even as he,' the Lord, 'is righteous' (1 John 3:7).
He doth not say he that doth righteousness shall be righteous; as
if his doing works would make him so before God; but he that doth
righteousness IS righteous, antecedent to his doing righteousness.
And it must be thus understood, else that which follows signifies
nothing; for he saith, 'He that doth righteousness is righteous,
even as he,' the Lord his God, 'is righteous.' But how is the Lord
righteous? Even antecedent to his works. The Lord was righteous
before he wrought righteousness in the world; and even so are we,
to wit, every child of God. 'As he is, so are we, in this world'!
(1 John 4:17). But we must in this admit of this difference; the
Lord was eternally and essentially righteous before he did any work,
but we are imputatively righteous, and also made so by a second
work of creation, before we do good works. It holds therefore only
as to order; God was righteous before he made the world, and we are
righteous before we do good works. Thus, therefore, we have described
the righteous man. First. He is one whom God makes righteous, by
reckoning or imputation. Second. He is one that God makes righteous
by possessing of him with a principle of righteousness. Third. He
is one that is practically righteous. Nor dare I give a narrower
description of a righteous man than this; nor otherwise than thus.

1. I dare not give a narrower description of a righteous man than
this, because whoever pretends to justification, if he be not
sanctified, pretends to what he is not; and whoever pretends to
sanctification, if he shows not the fruits thereof by a holy life, he
deceiveth his own heart, and professeth but in vain (James 1:22-27).[5]

2. Nor dare I give this description otherwise than thus, because
there is a real distinction to be put between that righteousness
by which we should be just before God, and that which is in us a
principle of sanctification; the first being the obedience of the
Son of God without us, the second being the work of the Spirit
in our hearts. There is also a difference to be put betwixt the
principle by which we work righteousness, and the works themselves;
as a difference is to be put betwixt the cause and the effect, the
tree and the apple.

[WHAT ARE THE DESIRES OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN?]

SECOND. I come now to the second thing into which we are to inquire,
and that is,

WHAT ARE THE DESIRES OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN?

My way of handling this question shall be, FIRST, To speak of the
nature of desire in the general. SECOND, And then to show you, more
particularly, what are the desires of the righteous.

[Desires in general.]

FIRST. For the first; desires in general may be thus described:--They
are the workings of the heart or mind, after that of which the soul
is persuaded that it is good to be enjoyed; this, I say, is so
without respect to regulation; for we speak not now of good desires,
but of desires themselves, even as they flow from the heart of a
human creature; I say, desires are or may be called, the working of
the heart after this or that; the strong motions of the mind unto
it. Hence the love of women to their husbands is called 'their
desires' (Gen 3:16); and the wife also is called 'the desire of
thine' the husband's 'eyes' (Eze 24:16). Also love to woman, to make
her one's wife, is called by the name of 'desire' (Deut 21:10,11).
Now, how strong the motions or passions of love are, who is there
that is an utter stranger thereto? (Cant 8:6,7).

Hunger is also a most vehement thing; and that which is called
'hunger' in one place, is called 'desire' in another; and he desired
'to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table'
(Luke 16:21; Psa 145:16). Exceeding lustings are called 'desires,'
to show the vehemency of desires (Psa 106:14, 78:27-30). Longings,
pantings, thirstings, prayers, &c., if there be any life in them,
are all fruits of a desirous soul. Desires therefore flow from the
consideration of the goodness, or profitableness, or pleasurableness
of a thing; yea, all desires flow from thence; for a man desires
not that about which he has had no consideration, nor that neither
on which he has thought, if he doth not judge it will yield him
something worth desiring.

When Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was a beautiful tree--though
her sight deceived her--then she desired it, and took thereof
herself, and gave to her husband, and he did eat; yea, saith the
text, 'when she saw that it was a tree to be desired, to make one
wise, she took' (Gen 3:6). Hence that which is called 'coveting'
in one place, is called 'desiring' in another; for desires are
craving; and by desires a man seeks to enjoy what is not his (Exo
20:17; Deut 5:21). From all these things, therefore, we see what
desire is. It is the working of the heart, after that which the
soul is persuaded that it is good to be enjoyed; and of them there
are these two effects.

First. One is--on a supposition that the soul is not satisfied
with what it has--to cause the soul to range and hunt through the
world for something that may fill up that vacancy that yet the soul
finds in itself, and would have supplied. Hence desires are said
to be wandering, and the soul said to walk by them; 'Better is the
sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire,' or than the
walking of the soul (Eccl 6:8,9). Desires are hunting things, and
how many things do some empty souls seek after, both as to the
world, and also as to religion, who have desirous minds!

Second. The second effect is, If desires be strong, they carry all
away with them; they are all like Samson, they will pull down the
gates of a city; but they will go out abroad; nothing can stop
the current of desires, but the enjoyment of the thing desired, or
a change of opinion as to the worth or want of worth of the thing
that is desired.

[What are the desires of the righteous.]

SECOND. But we will now come to the thing more particularly intended,
which is, To show what are the desires of the righteous; that is
that which the text calls us to the consideration of, because it
saith, 'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.'

We have hitherto spoken of desires, as to the nature of them, without
respect to them as good or bad; but now we shall speak to them as
they are the effects of a sanctified mind, as they are the breathings,
pantings, lustings, hungerings, and thirstings of a righteous man.
The text says 'the desire of the righteous shall be granted'; what
then are the desires of the righteous? Now I will, First. Speak
to their desires in the general, or with reference to them as to
their bulk. Second. I will speak to them more particularly as they
work this way and that.

[The desires of the righteous in the general.]

First. For their desires in the general: the same Solomon that
saith, 'The desire of the righteous shall be granted,' saith also,
'The desire of the righteous is only good' (Prov 11:23). This
text giveth us, in the general, a description of the desires of a
righteous man; and a sharp and smart description it is: for where,
may some say, is then the righteous man, or the man that hath
none but good desires? and if it be answered they are good in the
main, or good in the general, yet that will seem to come short of
an answer: for in that he saith 'the desires of the righteous are
only good,' it is as much as to say, that a righteous man has none
but good desires, or desireth nothing but things that are good.
Wherefore, before we go any further, I must labour to reconcile
the experience of good men with this text, which thus gives us a
description of the desires of the righteous.

A righteous man is to be considered more generally, or more strictly.

1. More generally, as he consisteth of the whole man, of flesh and
spirit, of body and soul, of grace and nature; now consider him
thus, and you can by no means reconcile the text with his experience,
nor his experience with the text. For as he is body, flesh, and
nature--for all these are with him, though he is a righteous man--so
he has desires vastly different from those described by this text,
vastly differing from what is good; yea, what is it not, that is
naught, that the flesh and nature, even of a righteous man, will not
desire? 'Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit
that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?' (James 4:5). And again, 'In
me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing' (Rom 7:18). And
again, 'The flesh lusteth against the spirit' (Gal 5:17). And again,
The lusts thereof do 'war against the soul' (1 Peter 2:11).

From all these texts we find that a righteous man has other workings,
lusts, and desires than such only that are good; here then, if we
consider of a righteous man thus generally, is no place of agreement
betwixt him and this text. We must consider of him, then, in the
next place, more strictly, as he may and is to be distinguished
from his flesh, his carnal lusts, and sinful nature.

2. More strictly. Then a righteous man is taken sometimes as to or
for his best part, or as he is A SECOND CREATION; and so, or as so
considered, his desires are only good.

(1.) He is taken sometimes as to or for his best part, or as he is
a second creation, as these scriptures declare: 'If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature,--all things are become new' (2 Cor
5:17). 'Created in Christ Jesus' (Eph 2:10). 'Born of God' (John
3; 1 John 3:9). Become heavenly things, renewed after the image of
him that created them: Colossians 3:10; Hebrews 9:23 and the like.
By all which places, the sinful flesh, the old man, the law of sin,
the outward man, all which are corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts, are excluded, and so pared off from the man, as he is
righteous; for his 'delight in the law of God' is 'after the inward
man.' And Paul himself was forced thus to distinguish of himself,
before he could come to make a right judgment in this matter;
saith he, 'That which I do, I allow not; what I would, do I not;
but what I hate, that do I.' See you not here how he cleaves himself
in twain, severing himself as he is spiritual, from himself as he
is carnal; and ascribeth his motions to what is good to himself
only as he is spiritual, or the new man: 'If then I do that which
I would not, I consent to the law that it is good' (Rom 7).

But I trow, Sir, your consenting to what is good is not by that part
which doth do what you would not; no, no, saith he, that which doth
do what I would not, I disown, and count it no part of sanctified
Paul: 'Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me; for--in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for
to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good,
I find not: for the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which
I would not, that I do: Now, if I do that I would not, it is no
more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me' (Rom 7). Thus you
see Paul is forced to make two men of himself, saying, I and I; I
do; I do not; I do, I would not do; what I hate, that I do. Now it
cannot be the same I unto whom these contraries are applied; but
his sinful flesh is one I, and his godly mind the other: and indeed
so he concludes it in this chapter, saying, 'So then with the mind
I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.'

Thus therefore the Christian man must distinguish concerning himself;
and doing so, he shall find, though he has flesh, and as he is
such, he hath lusts contrary to God: yet as he is a new creature,
he allows not, but hates the motions and desires of the flesh, and
consents to, and wills and delights in the law of God (Rom 15:17-22).
Yea, as a new creature, he can do nothing else: for the new man,
inward man, or hidden man of the heart, being the immediate work
of the Holy Ghost, and consisting only of that which is divine
and heavenly, cannot breathe, or act, or desire to act, in ways
and courses that are carnal. Wherefore, in this sense, or as the
righteous man is thus considered, 'his desires are only good.'

(2.) As the righteous man must here be taken for the best part, for
the I that would do good, for the I that hates the evil; so again,
we must consider of the desires of this righteous man, as they flow
from that fountain of grace, which is the Holy Ghost within him;
and as they are immediately mixed with those foul channels, in and
through which they must pass, before they can be put forth into
acts. For though the desire, as to its birth, and first being, is
only good; yet before it comes into much motion, it gathers that
from the defilements of the passages through which it comes, as
makes it to bear a tang of flesh and weakness in the skirts of it;
and the evil that dwells in us is so universal, and also always
so ready, that as sure as there is any motion to what is good, so
sure evil is present with it; 'for when' or whenever 'I would do
good,' says Paul, 'evil is present with me' (Rom 7:21). Hence it
follows, that all our graces, and so our desires, receive disadvantage
by our flesh, that mixing itself with what is good, and so abates
the excellency of the good.

There is a spring that yieldeth water good and clear, but the
channels through which this water comes to us are muddy, foul,
or dirty: now, of the channels the waters receive a disadvantage,
and so come to us as savouring of what came not with them from the
fountain, but from the channels. This is the cause of the coolness,
and of the weakness, of the flatness, and of the many extravagancies
that attend some of our desires. They come warm from the Spirit and
grace of God in us; but as hot water running through cold pipes,
or as clear water running through dirty conveyances, so our desires
[cool and] gather soil.

You read in Solomon's Ecclesiastes of a time when desires fail,
for that 'man goeth to his long home' (Eccl 12:5). And as to good
desires, there is not one of them, when we are in our prime, but
they fail also as to the perfecting of that which a man desires to
do. 'To will is present with me,' says Paul, 'but how to perform
that which is good I find not' (Rom 7:18). To will or to desire,
that is present with me, but when I have willed or desired to
do, to perform is what I cannot attain to. But why not attain to
a performance? Why, says he, I find a law 'in my members warring
against the law of my mind'; and this law takes me prisoner, and
brings 'me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members'
(Rom 7:23). Now, where things willed and desired meet with such
obstructions, no marvel if our willing and desiring, though they
set out lustily at the beginning, come yet lame home in conclusion.

There is a man, when he first prostrates himself before God, doth
it with desires as warm as fire coals; but erewhile he finds, for
all that, that the metal of those desires, were it not revived with
fresh supplies, would be quickly spent and grow cold.[6] But yet
the desire is good, and only good, as it comes from the breathing
of the Spirit of God within us. We must therefore, as I said,
distinguish betwixt what is good and that which doth annoy it,
as gold is to be distinguished from the earth and dross that doth
attend it. The man that believed desired to believe better, and
so cries out, 'Lord, help mine unbelief' (Mark 9:24). The man that
feared God desired to fear him better, saying, 'I desire to fear thy
name' (Neh 1:11). But these desires failed, as to the performance
of what was begun, so that they were forced to come off but lamely,
as to their faith and fear they had; yet the desires were true,
good, and such as was accepted of God by Christ; not according to
what they had not, but as to those good motions which they had.
Distinguish then the desires of the righteous in the nature of
them, from that corruption and weakness of ours that cleaveth to
them, and then again, 'they are only good.'

(3.) There is another thing to be considered, and that is, the
different frames that our inward man is in while we live as pilgrims
in the world. A man, as he is not always well without, so neither
is he always well within. Our inward man is subject to transient,
though not to utter decays (Isa 1:5). And as it is when the outward
man is sick, strength and stomach, and lust, or desire fails, so
it is when our inward man has caught a cold likewise (Eze 34:4).

The inward man I call the new creature, of which the Spirit of God
is the support, as my soul supports my body. But, I say, this new
man is not always well. He knows nothing that knows not this. Now
being sick, things fail. As when a man is not in health of body,
his pulse beats so as to declare that he is sick; so when a man
is not well within, his inward pulse, which are his desires--for
I count the desires for the pulse of the inward man--they also
declare that the man is not well within. They beat too little after
God, weak and faintly after grace; they also have their halts, they
beat not evenly, as when the soul is well, but so as to manifest
all is not well there.

We read that the church of Sardis was under sore sickness, insomuch
that some of her things were quite dead, and they that were not so
were yet ready to die (Rev 3:2). Yet 'life is life,' we say, and
as long as there is a pulse, or breath, though breath scarce able
to shake a feather, we cast not away all hope of life. Desires,
then, though they be weak, are, notwithstanding, true desires, if
they be the desires of the righteous thus described, and therefore
are truly good, according to our text. David says he 'opened
his mouth and panted,' for he longed for God's commandments (Psa
119:131). This was a sickness, but not such a one as we have been
speaking of. The spouse also cried out that she was 'sick of love.'
Such sickness would do us good, for in it the pulse beats strongly
well (Cant 5:8).

[Some objections answered.]

Object. But it may be objected, I am yet in doubt of the goodness
of my desires, both because my desires run both ways, and because
those that run towards sin and the world seem more and stronger
than those that run after God, and Christ, and grace.

Answ. There is not a Christian under heaven but has desires that
run both ways, as is manifest from what hath been said already.
Flesh will be flesh; grace shall not make it otherwise. By flesh
I mean that body of sin and death that dwelleth in the godly (Rom
6:6). As grace will act according to its nature, so sin will act
according to the nature of sin (Eph 2:3). Now, the flesh has desires,
and the desires of the flesh and of the mind are both one in the
ungodly; thank God it is not so in thee! (Rom 7:24). The flesh,
I say, hath its desires in the godly; hence it is said to lust
enviously; it lusts against the Spirit; 'The flesh lusteth against
the Spirit' (Gal 5:17). And if it be so audacious as to fly in the
face of the Holy Ghost, wonder that thou art not wholly carried
away with it! (Rom 7:25).

Object. But those desires that run to the world and sin seem most
and strongest in me.

Answ. The works of the flesh are manifest; that is, more plainly
discovered even in the godly than are the works of the Holy Ghost
(Gal 5:19). And this their manifestation ariseth from these following
particulars:

1. We know the least appearance of a sin better by its native hue
than we know a grace of the Spirit. 2. Sin is sooner felt in its
bitterness to and upon a sanctified soul than is the grace of God.
A little aloes will be sooner tasted than will much sweet, though
mixed therewith. 3. Sin is dreadful and murderous in the sight
of a sanctified soul: wherefore the apprehending of that makes us
often forget, and often question whether we have any grace or no.
4. Grace lies deep in the hidden part, but sin lies high, and floats
above in the flesh; wherefore it is easier, oftener seen than is
the grace of God (Psa 51:6). The little fishes swim on the top of
the water, but the biggest and best keep down below, and so are
seldomer seen. 5. Grace, as to quantity, seems less than sin. What
is leaven, or a grain of mustard seed, to the bulky lump of a body
of death (Matt 13:31-33). 6. Sin is seen by its own darkness, and
also in the light of the Spirit; but the Spirit itself neither
discovers itself, nor yet its graces, by every glance of its own
light. 7. A man may have the Spirit busily at work in him, he may
also have many of his graces in their vigorous acts, and yet may be
greatly ignorant of either; wherefore we are not competent judges
in this case. There may a thousand acts of grace pass through thy
soul, and thou be sensible of few, if any, of them.[7] 8. Do you
think that he that repents, believes, loves, fears, or humbles
himself before God, and acts in other graces too, doth always know
what he doth? No, no; grace many times, even in a man, is acted by
him, unawares unto him. Did Gideon, think you, believe that he
was so strong in grace as he was? Nay, was he not ready to give
the lie to the angel, when he told him God was with him? (Judg
6:12,13). Or what do you think of David, when he said he was cast
off from God's eyes? (Psa 31:22). Or of Heman, when he said he was
free among them whom God remembered no more? (Psa 88). Did these,
then, see their graces so clear, as they saw themselves by their
sins to be unworthy ones? I tell you it is a rare thing for some
Christians to see their graces, but a thing very common for such
to see their sins; yea, and to feel them too, in their lusts and
desires, to the shaking of their souls.

Quest. But since I have lusts and desires both ways, how shall I
know to which my soul adheres?

Answ. This may be known thus: 1. Which wouldest thou have prevail?
the desires of the flesh, or the lusts of the spirit, whose side
art thou of? Doth not thy soul now inwardly say, and that with
a strong indignation, O let God, let grace, let my desires that
are good, prevail against my flesh, for Jesus Christ his sake? 2.
What kind of secret wishes hast thou in thy soul when thou feelest
the lusts of thy flesh to rage? Dost thou not inwardly, and with
indignation against sin, say, O that I might never, never feel one
such motion more? O that my soul were so full of grace, that there
might be longer no room for ever for the least lust to come into
my thoughts! 3. What kind of thoughts hast thou of thyself, now
thou seest these desires of thine that are good so briskly opposed
by those that are bad? Dost thou not say, O! I am the basest of
creatures, I could even spew at myself? There is no man in all the
world in my eyes so loathsome as myself is. I abhor myself; a toad
is not so vile as I am.[8] O Lord, let me be anything but a sinner,
anything, so thou subduest mine iniquities for me! 4. How dost thou
like the discovery of that which thou thinkest is grace in other
men? Dost thou not cry out, O, I bless them in my heart! O, methinks
grace is the greatest beauty in the world! Yea, I could be content
to live and die with those people that have the grace of God in
their souls. A hundred times, and a hundred, when I have been upon
my knees before God, I have desired, were it the will of God, that
I might be in their condition. 5. How art thou when thou thinkest
that thou thyself hast grace? O then, says the soul, I am as if I
could leap out of myself; joy, joy, joy then is with my heart. It
is, methinks, the greatest mercy under heaven to be made a gracious
man.

And is it thus with thy soul indeed? Happy man! It is grace that
has thy soul, though sin at present works in thy flesh. Yea, all
these breathings are the very actings of grace, even of the grace
of desire, of love, of humility, and of the fear of God within
thee. Be of good courage, thou art on the right side. Thy desires
are only good; for that thou hast desired against thy sin, thy
sinful self; which indeed is not thyself, but sin that dwells in
thee.[9]

[The distinct or particular desires of the righteous.]

Second. I come next to speak of desires more distinctly, or particularly,
as they work this way and that. First, then, the desires of the
righteous are either such as they would have accomplished here; or
else, Second, such as they know they cannot come at the enjoyment
of till after death.

[Desires that may be accomplished or enjoyed in this life.]

First. For the first of these, the desires of the righteous are for
such good things as they could have accomplished here; that is, in
this world, while they are on this side glory. And they, in general,
are comprised under these two general heads:--1. Communion with their
God in spirit, or spiritual communion with him; 2. The liberty of
the enjoyment of his holy ordinances. And, indeed, this second is,
that they may both attain to, and have the first maintained with
them. But for the first:

1. They desire now communion with God. 'With my soul,' said she,
'have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me
will I seek thee early' (Isa 26:9). The reason of this she renders
in the verse foregoing, saying, 'The desire of our soul is to thy
name, and to the remembrance of thee.'

Now, thus to desire, declares one already made righteous. For herein
there appears a mind reconciled to God. Wherefore the wicked are
set on the other side, even in that opposition to these; 'they
say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of
thy ways' (Job 21:14). They neither love his presence, nor to be
frequenters of his ordinances. 'What is the Almighty that we should
serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him?'
(Job 21:15). So, again, speaking of the wicked, he saith, 'Ye have
said it is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have
kept his ordinance?' (Mal 3:14). This, then, to desire truly to
have communion with God, is the property of a righteous man, of
a righteous man only; for this desire arises from a suitableness
which is in the righteous unto God; 'Whom,' said the Prophet, 'have
I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire
beside thee' (Psa 73:25). This could never be the desire of a man,
were he not a righteous man, a man with a truly sanctified mind.
'The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be' (Rom 8:7).

When Moses, the man of God, was with the children of Israel in the
wilderness, he prays that God would give them his presence unto
Canaan, or else to let them die in that place. It was death to him
to think of being in the wilderness without God! And he said unto
God, 'If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence' (Exo
33:14,15). Here, then, are the desires of a righteous man--namely,
after communion with God. He chooses rather to be a stranger with
God in the world, than to be a citizen of the world and a stranger
to God. 'For I am,' said David, 'a stranger with thee, and a sojourner,
as all my fathers were' (Psa 39:12). Indeed, he that walketh with
God is but a stranger to this world. And the righteous man's desires
are to, for, and after communion with God, though he be so.

The reasons of these desires are many. In communion with God is life
and favour; yea, the very presence of God with a man is a token of
it (Psa 30:3-5). For by his presence he helps, succours, relieves,
and supports the hearts of his people, and therefore is communion
with him desired. 'I will,' said David, 'behave myself wisely in
a perfect way; O when wilt thou come unto me?' (Psa 101:2). The
pleasures that such a soul finds in God that has communion with
him are surpassing all pleasures and delights, yea, infinitely
surpassing them. 'In thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore' (Psa 16:11). Upon this account
he is called the desire of all nations--of all in all nations that
know him. Job desired God's presence, that he might reason with
God. 'Surely,' said he, 'I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire
to reason with God' (Job 13:3). And again, 'O that one would hear
me! Behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me' (Job
31:35). But why doth Job thus desire to be in the presence of God!
O! he knew that God was good, and that he would speak to him that
which would do him good. 'Will he plead against me with his great
power? No: but he would put strength into me. There the righteous
might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my
judge' (Job 23:6,7).

God's presence is the safety of a man. If God be with one, who can
hurt one? As HE said, 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'
Now, if so much safety flows from God's being for one, how safe
are we when God is with us? 'The beloved of the Lord,' said Moses,
'shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the
day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders' (Deut 33:12).
God's presence keeps the heart awake to joy, and will make a man
sing in the night (Job 35:10). 'Can the children of the bridechamber
mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them?' (Matt 9:15). God's
presence is feasting, and feasting is made for mirth (Rev 3:20;
Eccl 10:19). God's presence keeps the heart tender, and makes it
ready to fall in with what is made known as duty or privilege (Isa
64:1). 'I will run the ways of thy commandments,' said the Psalmist,
'when thou shalt enlarge my heart' (Psa 119:32). The presence of
God makes a man affectionately and sincerely good; yea, makes him
willing to be searched and stripped from all the remains of iniquity
(Psa 26:1-3).

What, what shall I say? God's presence is renewing, transforming,
seasoning, sanctifying, commanding, sweetening, and enlightening to
the soul! Nothing like it in all the world; his presence supplies
all wants, heals all maladies, saves from all dangers; is life in
death, heaven in hell; all in all. No marvel, then, if the presence
of, and communion with, God, is become the desire of a righteous
man (Psa 26:9). To conclude this, by the presence of God being with
us, it is known to ourselves, and to others, what we are. 'If thy
presence,' said Moses, 'go not with me, carry us not up hence. For
wherein shall it be known here, that I and thy people have found
grace in thy sight, is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall
we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are
upon the face of the earth' (Exo 33:15,16).

They are then best known to themselves. They know they are his
people, because God's presence is with them. Therefore he saith,
'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest' (Exo
33:14). That is, let thee know that thou hast found grace in my
sight, and art accepted of me. For if God withdraws himself, or
hides his presence from his people, it is hard for them to bear
up in the steadfast belief that they belong to him. 'Be not silent
to me,' O Lord, said David, 'lest I become like them that go down
into the pit' (Psa 28:1). 'Be not silent unto me,' that is, as
he has it in another place, 'Hide not thy face from me. Hear me
speedily, O Lord,' saith he, 'my spirit faileth; hide not thy face
from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit' (Psa
143:7). So that God's presence is the desire of the righteous for
this cause also, even for that by it they gather that God delighteth
in them. 'By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine
enemies doth not triumph over me' (Psa 41:11). And is this all? No.
'And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest
me before thy face for ever' (Psa 41:12).

As by the presence of God being with us we know ourselves to be
the people of God: so by this presence of God the world themselves
are sometimes convinced who we are also.

Thus Abimelech saw that God was with Abraham (Gen 21:22). Thus
Abimelech saw that God was with Isaac (Gen 26:20,29). Pharaoh knew
that God was with Joseph (Gen 41:38). Saul 'saw and knew that the
Lord was with David' (1 Sam 18:28). Saul's servant knew that the
Lord was with Samuel (1 Sam 9:6). Belshazzar's queen knew, also, that
God was with Daniel. Darius knew, also, that God was with Daniel.
And when the enemy saw the boldness of Peter and John, 'they took
knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus' (Acts 4:13). The
girl that was a witch, knew that Paul was a servant of the most
high God (Acts 16:17). There is a glory upon them that have God
with them, a glory that sometimes glances and flashes out into the
faces of those that behold the people of God; 'And all that sat in
the council, looking stedfastly upon him, saw Stephen's face, as
it had been the face of an angel'; such rays of Divine majesty did
show themselves therein (Acts 6:15).

The reason is, for that, (1.) such have with them the wisdom
of God (2 Sam 14:17-20). (2.) Such, also, have special bowels and
compassions of God for others. (3.) Such have more of his majesty
upon them than others (1 Sam 16:4). (4.) Such, their words and
ways, their carriages and doings, are attended with that of God
that others are destitute of (1 Sam 3:19,20). (5.) Such are holier,
and of more convincing lives in general, than other people are (2
Kings 4:9). Now there is both comfort and honour in this; for what
comfort like that of being a holy man of God? And what honour like
that of being a holy man of God? This, therefore, is the desire
of the righteous, to wit, to have communion with God. Indeed none
like God, and to be desired as he, in the thoughts of a righteous
man.

2. And this leads me to the second thing, namely, The liberty of
the enjoyment of his holy ordinances; for, next to God himself,
nothing is so dear to a righteous man as the enjoyment of his holy
ordinances.

'One thing,' said David, 'have I desired of the Lord, that will
I seek after,' namely, 'that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to
inquire in his temple' (Psa 27:4). The temple of the Lord was the
dwelling-house of God, there he recorded his name, and there he
made known himself unto his people (Psa 11:4; Habb 2:20). Wherefore
this was the cause why David so earnestly desired to dwell there
too, 'To behold,' saith he, 'the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire
in his temple.' There he had promised his presence to his people,
yea, and to bring thither a blessing for them; 'In all places where
I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee'
(Exo 20:24). For this cause, therefore, as I said, it is why the
righteous do so desire that they may enjoy the liberty of the ordinances
and appointments of their God; to wit, that they may attain to, and
have communion maintained with him. Alas! the righteous are as it
were undone, if God's ordinances be taken from them: 'How amiable
are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. My soul longeth, yea, even
fainteth for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh crieth
out for the living God' (Psa 84:1,2). Behold what a taking the good
man was in, because at this time he could not attain to so frequent
a being in the temple of God as his soul desired. It even longed
and fainted, yea, and his heart and his flesh cried out for the
God that dwelt in the temple at Jerusalem.

Yea, he seems in the next words to envy the very birds that could
more commonly frequent the temple than he: 'The sparrow,' saith
he, 'hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where
she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my
King, and my God' (Psa 84:3). And then blesseth all them that had
the liberty of temple worship, saying, 'Blessed are they that dwell
in thy house, they will be still praising thee' (Psa 84:4). Then
he cries up the happiness of those that in Zion do appear before
God (Psa 84:7). After this he cries out unto God, that he would
grant him to be partaker of this high favour, saying, 'O Lord God
of hosts, hear my prayer,' &c. 'For a day in thy courts is better
than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my
God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness' (Psa 84:8-10).

But why is all this? what aileth the man thus to express himself?
Why, as I said, the temple was the great ordinance of God; there
was his true worship performed, there God appeared, and there his
people were to find him. This was, I say, the reason why the Psalmist
chose out, and desired this one thing, above all the things that
were under heaven, even 'to behold there the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.' There were to be seen the shadows
of things in the heavens; the candlestick, the table of shewbread,
the holiest of all, where was the golden censer, the ark of the
covenant overlaid round about with gold, the golden pot that had
manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the tables of the covenant, and the
cherubims of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat, which were all of
them then things by which God showed himself merciful to them (Heb
9:1-5 compared with 9:23 and 8:5).

Do you think that love-letters are not desired between lovers?
Why these, God's ordinances, they are his love-letters, and his
love-tokens too. No marvel then if the righteous do so desire them:
'More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb' (Psa 19:10, 119:72-127).
Yea, this judgment wisdom itself passes upon these things. 'Receive,'
saith he, 'my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than
choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies: and all the things
that may be desired, are not to be compared to it' (Prov 8:10,11).
For this cause therefore are the ordinances of God so much desired
by the righteous. In them they meet with God; and by them they are
builded, and nourished up to eternal life. 'As new born babes,'
says Peter, 'desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby' (1 Peter 2:2). As milk is nourishing to children, so is
the word heard, read, and meditated on, to the righteous. Therefore
it is their desire.

Christ made himself known to them in breaking of bread; who,
who would not then, that loves to know him, be present at such an
ordinance? (Luke 24:35). Ofttimes the Holy Ghost, in the comfortable
influence of it, has accompanied the baptized in the very act of
administering it.[10] Therefore, 'in the way of thy judgments,'
or appointments, 'O Lord, we thy people have waited for thee: the
desire of their soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee'
(Isa 26:8). Church fellowship, or the communion of saints, is the
place where the Son of God loveth to walk; his first walking was in
Eden, there he converted our first parents: 'And come, my beloved,'
says he, 'let us get up to the vineyards; let us see if the vine
flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates
bud forth; there will I give thee my loves' (Cant 7:12). Church
fellowship, rightly managed, is the glory of all the world. No place,
no community, no fellowship, is adorned and bespangled with those
beauties as is a church rightly knit together to their head, and
lovingly serving one another. 'In his temple doth every one speak
of his glory' (Psa 29:9). Hence the church is called the place of
God's desire on earth. 'This is my rest for ever, here I will dwell,
for I have desired it' (Psa 132:13-16). And again, thus the church
confesseth when she saith, 'I am my beloved's, and his desire is
towards me' (Cant 7:10).[11]

No marvel then if this be the one thing that David desired, and
that which he would seek after, namely, 'to dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of his life.' And this also shows you the reason
why God's people of old used to venture so hardly for ordinances,
and to get to them with the peril of their lives, 'because of the
sword of the wilderness' (Lam 5:9).[12]

They were their bread, they were their water, they were their milk,
they were their honey. Hence the sanctuary was called 'the desire
of their eyes, and that which their soul pitieth, or the pity of
their soul.' They had rather have died than lost it, or than that
it should have been burned down as it was (Eze 24:21,25).

When the children of Israel had lost the ark, they count that
the glory was departed from Israel. But when they had lost all,
what a complaint made they then! 'He hath violently taken away
his tabernacles, as if it were of a garden, he hath destroyed his
places of the assembly. The Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and
sabbaths to be forgotten in Sion, and hath despised, in the indignation
of his anger, the king and the priest' (Lam 2:6). Wherefore, upon
this account, it was that the church in those days counted the
punishment of her iniquity greater than the punishment of Sodom
(Lam 4:6; 1 Sam 4:22).

By these few hints you may perceive what is the 'desire of the
righteous.' But this is spoken of with reference to things present,
to things that the righteous desire to enjoy while they are here;
communion with God while here; and his ordinances in their purity
while here. I come, therefore, in the second place, to show you
that the righteous have desires that reach further, desires that
have so long a neck as to look into the world to come.

[Desires that can only be accomplished or enjoyed in eternity.]

Second. Then the desires of the righteous are after that which
yet they know cannot be enjoyed till after death. And those are
comprehended under these two heads--1. They desire that presence of
their Lord which is personal. 2. They desire to be in that country
where their Lord personally is, that heavenly country.

1. [They desire that presence of their Lord which is personal.] For
the first of these, says Paul, 'I have a desire to depart, and to
be with Christ.' Thus you have it in Philippians 1:23, 'I have a
desire to be with Christ.'

In our first sort of desires, I told you that the righteous desired
spiritual communion with God; and now I tell you they desire to
be with Christ's person--'I have a desire to be with Christ'; that
is, with his person, that I may enjoy his personal presence, such
a presence of his as we are not capable to enjoy while here. Hence
he says, 'I have a desire to depart, that I might be with him;
knowing,' as he says in another place, 'that whilst we are at home
in the body, we are,' and cannot but be, 'absent from the Lord' (2
Cor 5:6). Now this desire, as I said, is a desire that hath a long
neck; for it can look over the brazen wall of this, quite into
another world; and as it hath a long neck, so it is very forcible
and mighty in its operation.

(1.) This desire breeds a divorce, a complete divorce, betwixt
the soul and all inordinate love and affections to relations and
worldly enjoyments. This desire makes a married man live as if he
had no wife; a rich man lives as if he possessed not what he has,
&c. (1 Cor 7:29,30). This is a soul-sequestering desire. This desire
makes a man willing rather to be absent form all enjoyments, that
he may be present with the Lord. This is a famous desire; none hath
this desire but a righteous man. There are that profess much love
to Christ, that yet never had such a desire in them all their life
long. No, the relation that they stand in to the world, together
with those many flesh-pleasing accommodations with which they are
surrounded, would never yet suffer such a desire to enter into
their hearts.

(2.) The strength of this desire is such, that it is ready, so
far forth as it can, to dissolve that sweet knot of union that is
betwixt body and soul, a knot more dear to a reasonable creature
than that can be which is betwixt wife and husband, parent and
child, or a man and his estate. For even 'all that a man hath will
he give for his life,' and to keep body and soul firmly knit together.
But now, when this desire comes, this 'silver cord is loosed'; is
loosed by consent. This desire grants to him that comes to dissolve
this union leave to do it delightfully. 'We are confident and
willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with
the Lord' (2 Cor 5:8). Yea, this desire makes this flesh, this mortal
life, a burden. The man that has this desire exercises self-denial,
while he waits till his desired change comes. For were it not
that the will of God is that he should live, and did he not hope
that his life might be serviceable to the truth and church of God,
he would not have wherewith to cool the heart of this desire, but
would rather, in a holy passion with holy Job, cry out, 'I loathe,'
or I abhor it, 'I would not live alway: let me alone,' that I may
die, 'for my days are vanity' (Job 7:15-17).

(3.) The strength of this desire shows itself in this also, namely,
in that it is willing to grapple with the king of terrors, rather
than to be detained from that sweet communion that the soul looks
for when it comes into the place where its Lord is. Death is not
to be desired for itself; the apostle chose rather to be clothed
upon with his house which is from heaven, 'that mortality might be
swallowed up of life' (2 Cor 5:1-4). But yet, rather than he would
be absent from the Lord, he was willing to be absent from the body.
Death, in the very thoughts of it, is grievous to flesh and blood;
and nothing can so master it in our apprehensions as that by which
we attain to these desires. These desires do deal with death, as
Jacob's love to Rachel did deal with the seven long years which he
was to serve for her. It made them seem few, or but a little time;
now so, I say, doth these desires deal with death itself. They
make it seem little, nay, a servant, nay, a privilege; for that,
by that a man may come to enjoy the presence of his beloved Lord.
'I have a desire to depart,' to go from the world and relations,
to go from my body, that great piece of myself; I have a desire to
venture the tugs and pains, and the harsh handling of the king of
terrors, so I may be with Jesus Christ! These are desires of the
righteous.

Are not these therefore strong desires? is there not life and mettle
in them? have they not in them power to loose the bands of nature,
and to harden the soul against sorrow? flow they not, think you,
from faith of the finest sort, and are they not bred in the bosom
of a truly mortified soul? are these the effects of a purblind
spirit? are they not rather the fruits of an eagle-eyed confidence?
O these desires! they are peculiar to the righteous; they are none
others but the desires of the righteous.

Quest. But why do the righteous desire to be with Christ?

Answ. And I ask, Why doth the wife--that is, as the loving hind--love
to be in the presence of her husband?

1. Christ in glory is worth the being with. If the man out of whom
the Lord Jesus did cast a legion, prayed that he might be with him,
notwithstanding all the trials that attended him in this life, how
can it be but that a righteous man must desire to be with him now
he is in glory? What we have heard concerning the excellency of
his person, the unspeakableness of his love, the greatness of his
sufferings, and the things that he still is doing for us, must
needs command our souls into a desire to be with him. When we have
heard of a man among us that has done for us some excellent thing,
the next thing that our hearts doth pitch upon is, I would I could
set mine eyes upon him. But was ever heard the like to what Jesus
Christ has done for sinners? who then that hath the faith of
him can do otherwise but desire to be with him? It was that which
some time comforted John, that the time was coming that he should
see him (1 John 3:2). But that consideration made him bray like a
hart,[13] to hasten the time that he might set his eyes upon him
quickly (Rev 22:20). To see Jesus Christ, then, to see him as he
is, to see him as he is in glory, is a sight that is worth going
from relations, and out of the body, and through the jaws of death
to see; for this is to see him head over all, to see him possessed
of heaven for his church, to see him preparing of mansion-houses
for those his poor ones that are now by his enemies kicked to and
fro, like footballs in the world; and is not this a blessed sight?

2. I have a desire to be with him, to see myself with him; this is
more blessed still; for, for a man to see himself in glory, this
is a sight worthy seeing. Sometimes I look upon myself, and say,
Where am I now? and do quickly return answer to myself again, Why,
I am in an evil world, a great way from heaven; in a sinful body,
among devils and wicked men; sometimes benighted, sometimes beguiled,
sometimes fearing, sometimes hoping, sometimes breathing, sometimes
dying, and the like. But then I turn the tables, and say, But
where shall I be shortly? where shall I see myself anon, after a
few times more have passed over me? And when I can but answer this
question thus--I shall see myself with Jesus Christ; this yields
glory, even glory to one's spirit now: no marvel, then, if the
righteous desire to be with Christ.

3. I have a desire to be with Christ; there the spirits of the just
are perfected; there the spirits of the righteous are as full as
they can hold (Heb 12:23). A sight of Jesus in the Word, some know
how it will change them from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18), but how
then shall we be changed and filled, when we shall see him as he
is? 'When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is' (1 John 3:2). Moses and Elias appeared to Peter, and
James, and John, at the transfiguration of Christ, in glory. How
so? Why, they had been in the heavens, and came thence with some
of the glories of heaven upon them. Gild a bit of wood, yea, gild
it seven times over, and it must not compare in difference to wood
not gilt, to the soul that but a little while has been dipped in
glory! Glory is a strange thing to men that are on this side of
the heavens; it is that which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor
entered into the heart of man to conceive of; only the Christian
has a Word and Spirit that at times doth give a little of the
glimmering thereof unto him. But O! when he is in the Spirit, and
sees in the Spirit, do you think his tongue can tell? But, I say,
if the sight of heaven, at so vast a distance, is so excellent
a prospect, what will it look like when one is in it? No marvel,
then, if the desires of the righteous are to be with Christ.

Object. But if this be the character of a righteous man, to desire
to depart and to be with Christ, I am none of them, for I never
had such a desire in my heart; no, my fears of perishing will not
suffer me either to desire to die to be with Christ, nor that Christ
should come to judge the world.

Answ. Though thine is a case that must be excepted, for that thy
desires may not as yet be grown so high; yet if thou art a righteous
man, thy heart has in it the very seeds thereof. There are therefore
desires, and desires to desire; as one child can reach so high, and
the other can but desire to do so. Thou, if thou art a righteous
man, hast desires, these desires ready to put forth into act,
when they are grown a little stronger, or when their impediment is
removed. Many times it is with our desires as it is with saffron,[14]
it will bloom and blossom, and be ripe, and all in a night. Tell
me, dost thou not desire to desire? Yea, dost thou not vehemently
desire to desire to depart and to be with Christ? I know, if thou
art a righteous man, thou dost. There is a man sows his field with
wheat, but as he sows, soon it is covered with great clods; now,
that grows as well as the rest, though it runs not upright as yet;
it grows, and yet is kept down, so do thy desires; and when one
shall remove the clod, the blade will soon point upwards.

I know thy mind; that which keeps thee that thou canst not yet arrive
to this--to desire to depart and to be with Christ, is because some
strong doubt or clod of unbelief, as to thy eternal welfare, lies
hard upon thy desiring spirit. Now let but Jesus Christ remove
this clod, and thy desires will quickly start up to be gone. I say,
let but Jesus Christ give thee one kiss, and with his lips, as he
kisses thee, whisper to thee the forgiveness of thy sins, and thou
wilt quickly break out, and say, Nay then, Lord, let me die in
peace, since my soul is persuaded of thy salvation!

There is a man upon the bed of languishing; but O! he dares not
die, for all is not as he would have it betwixt God and his poor
soul; and many a night he lies thus in great horror of mind; but
do you think that he doth not desire to depart? Yes, yes, he also
waits and cries to God to set his desires at liberty. At last
the visitor comes and sets his soul at ease, by persuading of him
that he belongs to God: and what then? 'O! now let me die, welcome
death!' Now he is like the man in Essex, who, when his neighbour
at his bedside prayed for him that God would restore him to health,
started up in his bed, and pulled him by the arm, and cried out,
No, no, pray that God will take me away, for to me it is best to
go to Christ.

The desires of some good Christians are pinioned, and cannot stir,
especially these sort of desires; but Christ can and will cut the
cord some time or other: and then thou that wouldst shalt be able
to say, 'I have a desire to depart, and to be with Jesus Christ.'
Meantime, be thou earnest to desire to know thy interest in the
grace of God; for there is nothing short of the knowledge of that
can make thee desire to depart, that thou mayest be with Christ.
This is that that Paul laid as the ground of his desires to be gone:
'We know,' says he, 'that if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven'
(2 Cor 5:1,2). And know, that if thy desires be right they will
grow as other graces do, from strength to strength; only in this
they can grow no faster than faith grows as to justification, and
then hope grows as to glory. But we will leave this and come to
the second thing.

2. [They desire to be in that country where their Lord personally
is.] As the righteous men desire to be present with Jesus Christ,
so they desire to be with him in that country where he is: 'But
now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared
for them a city' (Heb 11:14-16). 'But now they desire a better
country.' Here is a comparison. There was another country, to wit,
their native country, the country from whence they came out, that
in which they left their friends and their pleasures for the sake
of another world, which, indeed, is a better country, as is manifest
from its character. 'It is an heavenly.' As high as heaven is above
the earth, so much better is that country which is a heavenly, than
is this in which now we are.

A heavenly country, where there is a heavenly Father (Matt 6:14-16,
15:13, 18:35), a heavenly host (Luke 2:13), heavenly things (John
3:12), heavenly visions (Acts 26:19), heavenly places (Eph 1:3,20),
a heavenly kingdom (2 Tim 4:18), and the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb
12:22), for them that are partakers of the heavenly calling (Heb
3:1), and that are the heavenly things themselves (Heb 9:23). This
is a country to be desired, and therefore no marvel if any, except
those that have lost their wits and senses, refuse to choose
themselves an habitation here. Here is the 'Mount Zion, the city of
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and an innumerable company
of angels: here is the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
and God the Judge of all, and Jesus, and the spirits of just men
made perfect' (Heb 12:22-24). Who would not be here? This is the
country that the righteous desire for a habitation: 'but now they
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them
a city' (Heb 11:16).

Mark, they desire a country, and God prepareth for them a city; he
goes beyond their desires, beyond their apprehensions, beyond what
their hearts could conceive to ask for. There is none that are
weary of this world from a gracious disposition that they have to
an heavenly, but God will take notice of them, will own them, and
not be ashamed to own them; yea, such shall not lose their longing.
They desire a handful, God gives them a seaful; they desire a
country, God prepares for them a city; a city that is an heavenly;
a city that has foundation, a city whose builder and maker is God
(Heb 11:10; Rev 3:12). And all this is, that the promise to them
might be fulfilled,, 'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.'
And this is the last thing propounded to be spoken to from the
text. Therefore,

[WHAT IS MEANT BY GRANTING THESE DESIRES.]

THIRD. We then, in conclusion, come to inquire into WHAT IS MEANT,
or to be understood, BY THE GRANTING OF THE RIGHTEOUS THEIR DESIRES;
'The desire of the righteous shall be granted.'

FIRST. To grant is to yield to what is desired, to consent that it
shall be even so as is requested: 'The Lord hear thee in the day of
trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help
from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion, remember all
thy--sacrifices: grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfil
all thy counsel' (Psa 20:1-4). SECOND. To grant is to accomplish
what is promised; thus God granted to the Gentiles repentance unto
life, namely, for that he had promised it by the prophets from the
days of old (Acts 11:18; Rom 15:9-12). THIRD. To grant, therefore,
is an act of grace and condescending favour; for if God is said to
humble himself when he beholds things in heaven, what condescension
is it for him to hearken to a sinful wretch on earth, and to tell
him, Have the thing which thou desireth. A wretch, I call him, if
compared to him that hears him, though he is a righteous man, when
considered as the new creation of God. FOURTH. To grant, then, is
not to part with the thing desired, as if a desire merited, purchased,
earned, or deserved it, but of bounty and goodwill, to bestow the
thing desired upon the humble. Hence God's grants are said to be
gracious ones (Psa 119:29). FIFTH. I will add, that to grant is
sometimes taken for giving one authority or power to do, or possess,
or enjoy such and such privileges; and so it may be taken here: for
the righteous has a right to a power, to enjoy the things bestowed
on them by their God. So, then, to grant is to give, to accomplish,
even of free grace, the desire of the righteous.

This is acknowledged by David, where he saith to God, 'Thou hast
given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request
of his lips' (Psa 21:2). And this is promised unto all that delight
themselves in God, 'Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall
give thee the desires of thy heart' (Psa 37:4). And again, 'He will
fulfil the desire of them that fear him, he also will hear their
cry, and will save them' (Psa 145:19). By all these places it
is plain, that the promise of granting desires is entailed to the
righteous, and also that the grant to them is an act of grace and
mercy. But it also follows, that though the desires of the righteous
are not meritorious, yet they are pleasing in his sight; and this
is manifest several ways, besides the promise of a grant of them.

First. In that the desires of God, and the desires of the righteous,
jump or agree in one, they are of one mind in their desires: God's
desire is to the work of his hands, and the righteous are for
surrendering that up to him. 1. In giving up the heart unto him;
'My son,' says God, 'give me thy heart' (Prov 23:26). 'I lift my
soul to thee,' says the righteous man (Psa 25:1, 86:4; Lam 3:41).
Here, therefore, there is an agreement between God and the righteous;
it is, I say, agreed on both sides that God should have the heart:
God desires it, the righteous man desires it, yea, he desires it
with a groan, saying, 'Incline my heart unto thy testimony' (Psa
119:36). 'Let my heart be sound in thy statutes' (Psa 119:80). 2.
They are also agreed about the disposing of the whole man: God is
for body, and soul, and spirit; and the righteous desires that God
should have it all. Hence they are said to give themselves to the
Lord (2 Cor 8:5), and to addict themselves to his service (1 Cor
15:16). 3. God desireth truth in the inward parts, that is, that truth
may be at the bottom of all (Psa 51:6,16), and this is the desire
of the righteous man likewise: 'Thy word have I hid in my heart,'
said David, 'that I might not sin against thee' (Psa 119:11). 4.
They agree in the way of justification, in the way of sanctification,
in the way of preservation, and in the way of glorification, to wit,
which way to come at and enjoy all: wherefore, who should hinder
the righteous man, or keep him back from enjoying the desire of
his heart? 5. They also agree about the sanctifying of God's name
in the world, saying, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'
There is a great agreement between God and the righteous; 'he that
is joined to the Lord is one spirit' (1 Cor 6:17). No marvel, then,
if their desires in the general, so far as the righteous man doth
know the mind of his God, are one, consequently their desires must
be granted, or God must deny himself.

Second. The desires of the righteous are the life of all their prayers;
and it is said, 'The prayer of the upright is God's delight.'

Jesus Christ put a difference betwixt the form and spirit that is
in prayer, and intimates the soul of prayer is in the desires of
a man; 'Therefore,' saith he, 'I say unto you, What things soever
ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall
have them' (Mark 11:24). If a man prays never so long, and has never
so many brave expressions in prayer, yet God counts it prayer no
further than there are warm and fervent desires in it, after those
things the mouth maketh mention of. David saith, 'Lord, all my
desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee' (Psa
38:9). Can you say you desire, when you pray? or that your prayers
come from the braying, panting, and longing of your hearts? If not,
they shall not be granted: for God looks, when men are at prayer,
to see if their heart and spirit is in their prayers; for he counts
all other but vain speaking. Ye shall seek me, and find me, says
he, when you shall search for me with all your heart (Rom 8:26,27;
Matt 6:7; Jer 29:12). The people that you read of in 2 Chronicles
15 are there said to do what they did 'with all their heart, and
with all their soul.' 'For they sought God with their whole desire'
(2 Chron 15:11-15). When a man's desires put him upon prayer, run
along with him in his prayer, break out of his heart and ascend up
to heaven with his prayers, it is a good sign that he is a righteous
man, and that his desire shall be granted.

Third. By desire a righteous man shows more of his mind for God,
than he can by any manner of way besides; hence it is said, 'The
desire of man is his kindness, and a poor man,' that is sincere
in his desires, 'is better than' he that with his mouth shows much
love, if he be 'a liar' (Prov 19:22).

Desires, desires, are copious things; you read that a man may 'enlarge
his desire as hell' (Habb 2:5), that is, if they be wicked; yea,
and a righteous man may enlarge his desires as heaven (Psa 73:25).
No grace is so extensive as desires. Desires out-go all. Who believes
as he desires to believe? and loves as he desires to love? and
fears as he desires to fear God's name? (Neh 1:11). Might it be
as a righteous man doth sometimes desire it should be, both with
God's church, and also with his own soul, stranger things would be
than there are; faith, and love, and holiness, would flourish more
than it does! O! what does a righteous man desire? What do you think
the prophet desired, when he said, 'O that thou wouldest rend the
heavens and--come down?' (Isa 54:1). And Paul, when he said, he
could wish that himself were accursed from Christ, for the vehement
desire that he had that the Jews might be saved? (Rom 9:1-3, 10:1).
Yea, what do you think John desired, when he cried out to Christ
to come quickly?

Love to God, as I said, is more seen in desires than in any Christian
act. Do you think that the woman with her two mites cast in all
that she desired to cast into the treasury of God? Or do you think,
when David said that he had prepared for the house of God with
all his might, that his desires stinted when his ability was at
its utmost? (1 Chron 29). No, no; desires go beyond all actions;
therefore I said it is the desires of a man that are reckoned for
his kindness. Kindness is that which God will not forget; I mean the
kindness which his people show to him, especially in their desires
to serve him in the world. When Israel was come out of Egypt, you
know how many stumbles they had before they got to Canaan. But
forasmuch as they were willing or desirous to follow God, he passes
by all their failures, saying, 'I remember thee,' and that almost
a thousand years after,[15] 'the kindness of thy youth, the love
of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness,
in a land that was not sown' (Jer 2:2). Israel was holiness to the
Lord, and the first fruits of his increase. There is nothing that
God likes of ours better than he likes our true desires. For indeed
true desires, they are the smoke of our incense, the flower of
our graces, and the very vital part of our new man. They are our
desires that ascend, and they that are the sweet of all the sacrifices
that we offer to God. The man of desires is the man of kindness.

Fourth. Desires, true and right desires, they are they by which a
man is taken up from the ground, and brought away to God, in spite
of all opposers. A desire will take a man upon its back, and carry
him away to God, if ten thousand men stand by and oppose it. Hence
it is said, that 'through desire a man having separated himself,'
to wit, from what is contrary to the mind of God, and so 'seeketh
and intermeddleth with all wisdom' (Prov 18:1).

All convictions, conversions, illuminations, favours, tastes,
revelations, knowledge, and mercies, will do nothing if the soul
abides without desires. All, I say, is but like rain upon stones,
or favours bestowed upon a dead dog. O! but a poor man with desires,
a man that sees but little, that knows but little, that finds in
himself but little, if he has but strong desires, they will supply
all. His desires take him up from his sins, from his companions,
from his pleasures, and carry him away to God. Suppose thou wast
a minister, and wast sent from God with a whip, whose cords were
made of the flames of hell, thou mightest lash long enough before
thou couldest so much as drive one man that abides without desires
to God, or to his kingdom, by that thy so sore a whip. Suppose again
that thou wast a minister, and wast sent from God to sinners with
a crown of glory in thy hand, to offer to him that first comes to
thee for it; yet none can come without desires: but desire takes
the man upon its back, and so brings him to thee.[16] What is the
reason that men will with mouth commend God, and commend Christ,
and commend and praise both heaven and glory, and yet all the while
fly from him, and from his mercy, as from the worst of enemies?
Why, they want good desires; their desires being mischievous, carry
them another way. Thou entreatest thy wife, thy husband, and the
son of thy womb, to fall in with thy Lord and thy Christ, but they
will not. Ask them the reason why they will not, and they know
none, only they have no desires. 'When we shall see him, there is
no beauty in him that we should desire him' (Isa 53:1-3). And I
am sure if they do not desire him, they can by no means be made to
come to him.

But now, desires, desires that are right, will carry a man quite
away to God, and to do his will, let the work be never so hard.
Take an instance or two for this.

You may see it in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The text says plainly,
they were not mindful of that country from whence they came out,
through their desires of a better (Heb 11:8-16). God gave them
intimation of a better country, and their minds did cleave to it
with desires of it; and what then? Why, they went forth, and desired
to go, though they did not know whither they went. Yea, they all
sojourned in the land of promise, because it was but a shadow of
what was designed for them by God, and looked to by their faith,
as in a strange country; wherefore they also cast that behind their
back, looking for that city that had foundations, of which mention
was made before. Had not now these men desires that were mighty?
They were their desires that thus separated them from their dearest
and choice relations and enjoyments. Their desires were pitched upon
the heavenly country, and so they broke through all difficulties
for that.

You may see it in Moses, who had a kingdom at his foot, and was
the alone visible heir thereof; but desire of a better inheritance
made him refuse it, and choose rather to take part with the people
of God in their afflicted condition, than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season. You may say, the Scripture attributes this
to his faith. I answer, so it attributes to Abraham's faith his
leaving of his country. But his faith begat in him these desires
after the country that is above. So indeed Moses saw these things
by faith; and therefore his faith begat in him these desires. For
it was because of his desires that he did refuse, and did choose as
you read. And here we may opportunely take an opportunity to touch
upon the vanity of that faith that is not breeding, and that knows
not how to bring forth strong desires of enjoying what is pretended to
be believed; all such faith is false. Abraham's, Isaac's, Jacob's,
and Moses' faith, bred in them desires, strong desires; yea, desires
so strong as to take them up, and to carry them after what, by
their faith, was made known unto them. Yea, their desires were so
mightily set upon the things made known to them by their faith, that
neither difficulties nor dangers, nor yet frowns nor flatteries,
could stop them from the use of all lawful attempts of enjoying what
they believed was to be had, and what they desired to be possessed
of.

The women also that you read of, and others that would not, upon
unworthy terms, accept of deliverance from torments and sundry
trials, that they might,, or because they had a desire to, be made
partakers of a better resurrection. 'And others,' saith he, 'had
trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover, of bonds
and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were
tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep
skins, and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of
whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, and in
mountains, and caves of the earth' (Heb 11:35-38).

But we will come to the Lord Jesus himself. Whither did his desires
bring him? Whither did they carry him? and to what did they make
him stoop? For they were his desires after us, and after our good,
that made him humble himself to do as he did (Cant 7:10). What
was it, think you, that made him cry out, 'I have a baptism to be
baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished'!
(Luke 12:50). What was that baptism but his death? and why did
he so long for it, but of desire to do us good? Yea, the passover
being to be eaten on the even of his sufferings, with what desires
did he desire to eat it with his disciples? (Luke 22:15). Yea, his
desires to suffer for his people made him go with more strength to
lay down his life for them than they, for want of them, had to go
to see him suffer. And they were in their way going up to Jerusalem,
he to suffer, and they to look on, 'And Jesus went before them,
and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid' (Mark
10:32; Matt 20:17).

I tell you, desires are strange things, if they be right; they
jump with God's mind; they are the life of prayer; they are a man's
kindness to God, and they which will take him up from the ground,
and carry him away after God to do his will, let the work be never
so hard. Is it any marvel, then, if the desires of the righteous
are so pleasing to God as they are, and that God has so graciously
promised that the desires of the righteous shall be granted? But
we come now to

[THE USE AND APPLICATION.]

THE FIRST USE SHALL BE A USE OF INFORMATION. You have heard what
hath been said of desires, and what pleasing things right desires
are unto God. But you must know that they are the desires of his
people, of the righteous, that are so. No wicked man's desires are
regarded (Psa 112:10). This men must be informed of, lest their
desires become a snare to their souls. You read of a man whose
'desire killeth him' (Prov 21:25). And why? but because he rests in
desiring, without considering what he is, whether such a one unto
whom the promise of granting desires is made; he coveteth greedily
all the day long, but to little purpose. The grant of desires, of
the fulfilling of desires, is entailed to the righteous man. There
are four sorts of people that desire, that desire the kingdom of
heaven; consequently, desires have a fourfold root from whence they
flow.

First. The natural man desires to be saved, and to go to heaven
when he dies. Ask any natural man, and he will tell you so. Besides,
we see it is so with them, especially at certain seasons. As when
some guilt or conviction for sin takes hold upon them; or when some
sudden fear terrifies them; when they are afraid that the plague
or pestilence will come upon them, and break up house-keeping for
them; or when death has taken them by the throat, and is hauling
them down stairs to the grave. Them, O then, 'Lord, save me, Lord,
have mercy upon me; good people, pray for me! O! whither shall I
go when I die, if sweet Christ has not pity for my soul?' And now
the bed shakes, and the poor soul is as loath to go out of the body,
for fear the devil should catch it, as the poor bird is to go out
of the bush, while it sees the hawk waits there to receive her.
But the fears of the wicked, they must come upon the wicked; they
are the desires of the righteous that must be granted. Pray, take
good notice of this. And to back this with the authority of God,
consider that scripture, 'The wicked man travaileth with pain all
his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A
dreadful sound is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall
come upon him. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall
prevail against him as a king ready to the battle' (Job 15:20-24).[17]

Can it be imagined that when the wicked are in this distress,
but that they will desire to be saved? Therefore he saith again,
'Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away
in the night. The east wind,' that blasting wind, 'carrieth him
away, and he departeth, and as a storm hurleth him out of' the
world, 'his place. For God shall cast upon him, and not spare'; in
flying 'he would fain fly out of his hand' (Job 27:20-23). Their
terrors and their fears must come upon them: their desires and
wishes for salvation must not be granted (Isa 65:13, 66:4). 'They
shall call upon me,' says God, 'but I will not answer; they shall
seek me early, but they shall not find me' (Prov 1:28).

Second. There is the hypocrite's desire. Now his desire seems
to have life and spirit in it. Also he desires, in his youth, his
health, and the like; yet it comes to naught. You shall see him
drawn to the life in Mark 10:17. He comes running and kneeling,
and asking, and that, as I said, in youth and health; and that is
more than men merely natural do. But all to no purpose; he went as
he came, without the thing desired. The conditions propounded were
too hard for this hypocrite to comply withal (Mark 10:21,22).[18]
Some indeed make a great noise with their desires over some again
do; but in conclusion all comes to one, they meet together there
where they go, whose desires are not granted.

'For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained' to
a higher strain of desires, 'when God taketh away his soul?' 'Will
God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?' (Job 27:8,9). Did
he not, even when he desired life, yet break with God in the day
when conditions of life were propounded to him? Did he not, even
when he asked what good things were to be done that he might have
eternal life, refuse to hear or to comply with what was propounded
to him? How then can his desires be granted, who himself refused
to have them answered? No marvel then if he perishes like his own
dung, if they that have seen him shall say they miss him among
those that are to have their desires granted.

Third. There are the desires of the cold formal professor; the
desires, I say, of him whose religion lies in a few of the shells
of religion; even as the foolish virgins who were content with
their lamps, but gave not heed to take oil in their vessels. These
I take to be those whom the wise man calls the slothful: 'The soul
of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the
diligent shall be made fat' (Prov 13:4). The sluggard is one that
comes to poverty through idleness--that contents himself with forms:
'that will not plough' in winter 'by reason of the cold; therefore
shall he beg in harvest,' or at the day of judgment, 'and have
nothing' (Prov 20:4).

Thus you see that there are many that desire; the natural man, the
hypocrite, the formalist, they all desire. For heaven is a brave
place, and nobody would go to hell. 'Lord, Lord, open to us,' is
the cry of many in this world, and will be the cry of more in the
day of judgment. Of this therefore thou shouldst be informed; and
that for these reasons:--

Because ignorance of this may keep thee asleep in security, and
cause thee to fall under such disappointments as are the worst,
and the worst to be borne. For, for a man to think to go to heaven
because he desires it, and when all is done to fall into hell, is
a frustration of the most dismal complexion. And yet thus it will
be when desires shall fail, 'when man goes to his long home, and
when the mourners go about the streets' (Eccl 12:5). Because, as
was said before, else thy desires, and that which should be for thy
good, will kill thee. They kill thee at death, when thou shalt find
them every one empty. And at judgment, when thou shalt be convinced
that thou oughtest to go without what thou desirest, because thou
wast not the man to whose desires the promise was made, nor the
man that didst desire aright. To be informed of this is the way to
put thee upon such sense and sight of thy case as will make thee
in earnest betake thyself in that way to him that is acceptable,
who grants the desires of the righteous. And then shalt thou be
happy when thou shunnest to desire as the natural man desireth,
as the hypocrite desireth, or as the formalist desireth. When thou
desirest as the righteous do, thy desire shall be granted.

THE SECOND USE IS OF EXAMINATION. If this be so, then what cause
hast thou that art conscious to thyself that thou art a desiring
man to examine thyself whether thou art one whose desires shall be
granted? For to what purpose should a man desire, or what fruits
will desire bring him whose desires shall not be granted? Such a
man is but like to her that longs, but loses her longing; or like
to him that looks for peace while evil overtakes him.

Thou hast heard it over and over that the grant of desires belong
to the righteous: shouldst thou then not inquire into thy condition,
and examine thyself whether thou art a righteous man or no? The
apostle said to the Corinthians, 'Examine yourselves whether ye be
in the faith; prove your own selves; know you not--how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?' (2 Cor 13:5). You may
be reprobates and not be aware of it, if you do not examine and
prove your own selves. It is therefore FOR THY LIFE, wherefore do
not deceive thyself. I have given you before a description of a
righteous man, namely, that he is one made so of God by imputation--by
an inward principle, and one that brings forth fruit to God. Now,
this last thou mayst think thou hast; for it is easy and common for
men to think when they bring forth fruit to themselves, that they
bring it forth to God. Wherefore examine thyself.

First. Art thou righteous? If thou sayest, Yea; I ask, How comest
thou righteous? If thou thinkest that obedience to the law of
righteousness has made thee so, thou art utterly deceived; for he
that thus seeks righteousness, yet is not righteous, because he
cannot, by so doing, attain that thing he seeketh for (Rom 9:31,32).
Did not I tell thee before, that a man must be righteous before he
doth one good work, or he can never be righteous? The tree must be
good first, even before it brings forth one good apple.

Second. Art thou righteous? In whose judgment art thou righteous?
Is it in the judgment of God, or of man? If not of God, it is no
matter though all the men on earth should justify thee; thou for
that art no whit the more righteous.

Third. Art thou righteous in the judgment of God? Who told thee so?
or dost thou but dream thereof? Indeed, to be righteous in God's
sight is that, and only that, which can secure a man from wrath
to come; for 'if God justifies, who is he that condemns?' (Rom
8:33,34). And this only is the man whose desires shall be granted.

Fourth. But still, I say, the question is, How comest thou to know
that thou art righteous in the judgment of God? Dost thou know by
what it is that God makes a man righteous? Dost thou know where
that is by or with which God makes a man righteous? and also how
God doth make a man righteous with it? These are questions, in the
answer of which thou must have some heavenly skill, or else all that
thou sayest about thy being righteous will seem without a bottom.

Fifth. Now, if thou answerest, That that which makes me righteous
is the obedience of Christ to his Father's will, that this righteousness
is before the throne of God, and that it is made mine by an act of
God's free grace; I shall ask thee yet again,

Sixth. How camest thou to see thy need of this righteousness? And
by what is this righteousness by thee applied to thyself? For this
righteousness is bestowed upon those that see their need thereof.
This righteousness is the refuge whereto the guilty fly for succour,
that they may be sheltered from the wrath to come. Hast thou then
fled, or dost thou indeed fly to it? (Heb 6:16-19).

Seventh. None flies to this righteousness for life, but those who
feel the sentence of condemnation by God's law upon their conscience;
and that in that extremity have sought for righteousness first
elsewhere, but cannot find it in all the world.

Eighth. For man, when he findeth himself at first a sinner, doth
not straightway betake himself for righteousness to God by Christ;
but, in the first place, seeks it in the law on earth, by labouring to
yield obedience thereto, to the end he may, when he stands before
God at death and judgment, have something to commend him to him, and
for the sake of which he may at least help forward his acceptance
with him.

Ninth. But being wearied out of this, and if God loves him he will
weary him out of it, then he looks unto heaven and cries to God
for righteousness; the which God shows him in his own good time he
hath reckoned to him, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Tenth. Now by this very discovery the heart is also principled
with the spirit of the gospel; for the Spirit comes with the gospel
down from heaven to such an one, and fills his soul with good; by
which he is capacitated to bring forth fruit, true fruit, which are
the fruits of righteousness imputed, and of righteousness infused,
to the glory and praise of God.

Eleventh. Nor can anything but faith make a man see himself thus
made righteous; for this righteousness is revealed from faith
to faith, from the object of faith to the grace of faith, by the
Spirit of faith. A faithless man, then, can see this no more than
a blind man can see colours; nor relish this, no more than a dead
man tasteth victuals. As, therefore, blind men talk of colours, and
as dead men relish food, so do carnal men talk of Jesus Christ; to
wit, without sense or savour; without sense of the want, or savour
of the worth and goodness of him to the soul.

Twelfth. Wherefore, I say, it is of absolute necessity that with
thy heart thou deal in this point, and beware of self-deceiving;
for if thou fail here, thy desires will fail thee for ever: 'for
the desire of the righteous,' and that only, 'must be granted.'

THE THIRD USE IS CAUTIONARY. Let me here, therefore, caution thee
to beware of some things, by which else, perhaps, thou mayest
deceive thyself.

First. Take heed of taking such things for grants of desires, that
accidentally fall out; accidentally, I mean, as to thy desires; for
it is possible that that very thing that thou desirest may come to
pass in the current of providence, not as an answer of thy desires.
Now, if thou takest such things for a grant of thy desires, and
consequently concludest thyself a righteous man, how mayest thou
be deceived? The ark of God was delivered into the hand of the
Philistines, which they desired; but not for the sake of their
desires, but for the sins of the children of Israel. The land of
Canaan was given unto Israel, not for the sake of their desires,
but for the sins of those whom God cast out before them; and to
fulfil the promise that God, before they were born, had made unto
their fathers (Deut 9:5,6). Israel was carried away captive out of
their own land, not to fulfil the desires of their enemies, but to
punish them for their transgressions. These, with many of smaller
importance, and more personal, might be mentioned, to show that
many things happen to us, some to our pleasing, and some to the
pleasing of our enemies; which, if either we or they should count
the returns of our prayer, or the fruits of our desires, and so
draw conclusions of our estate to be for the future happy, because
in such things we seemed to be answered of God, we might greatly
swerve in our judgments, and become the greatest at self-deceiving.

Second. Or shouldest thou take it for granted that what thou enjoyest
thou hast it as the fruit of thy desires; yet if the things thou
boast of are things pertaining to this life, such may be granted
thee as thou art considered of God as his creature, though thyself
art far enough off from being a righteous man. 'Thou openest
thy hand,' says the Psalmist, 'and satisfiest the desire of every
living thing' (Psa 145:16). Again, 'He feeds the young ravens that
cry to him; and the young lions seek their meat from God' (Psa
147:9, 104:21). Cain, Ishmael, Ahab too, had in some things their
desires granted them of God (Gen 4:14,15, 21:17,18; 1 Kings 21:29).
For if God will hear the desire of the beast of the field, the
fishes of the sea, and of the fowls of heaven; no marvel if the
wicked also may boast him of his heart's desire (Psa 10:3). Into
whose hand, as he saith in another place, 'God bringeth abundantly.'
Take heed, therefore, neither these things, nor the grant of them,
are any signs that thou art a righteous man, or that the promise
made to the righteous in granting their desires are accomplished
upon thee. I think a man may say, that the men that know not God
have a fuller grant, I mean generally, of their desires of temporal
things, than has the child of God himself; for his portion lying
in better things, his desires are answered another way.

Third. Take heed, God grants to some men their desires in anger,
and to their destruction. He gave to some 'their own desire,' 'but
sent leanness into their soul' (Psa 78:29, 106:15; Jer 42:22). All
that God gives to the sons of men, he gives not in mercy; he gives
to some an inferior, and to some a superior portion; and yet so also
he answereth them in the joy of their heart. Some men's hearts are
narrow upwards, and wide downwards; narrow as to God, but wide for
the world; they gape for the one, but shut themselves up against
the other; so as they desire they have of what they desire; 'whose
belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure,' for that they do desire;
but 'as for me,' said David, these things will not satisfy, 'I
shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness' (Psa 17:14,15).

I told you before, that the heart of a wicked man was widest downward,
but it is not so with the righteous: therefore the portion of Jacob
is not like them; God has given to him himself. The temple that
Ezekiel saw in the vision was still widest upward; it spread itself
toward heaven (Eze 41:7). So is the church, and so is the righteous,
and so are his desires. Thy great concern, therefore, is to consider,
since thou art confident that God also heareth thy desires; I say,
to consider, whether he answereth thee in his anger; for if he doth
so, thy desires come with a woe; therefore, I say, look to thyself.
A full purse and a lean soul, is a sign of a great curse. 'He gave
them their desire, but he sent leanness into their soul.' Take
heed of that; many men crave by their desires, as the dropsical man
craves drink; his drinking makes his belly swell big, but consumes
other parts of his body. O! it is a sad grant, when the desire is
granted, only to make the belly big, the estate big, the name big;
when even by this bigness the soul pines, is made to dwindle, to
grow lean, and to look like an anatomy.

I am persuaded that it is thus with many, who, while they were lean
in estates, had fat souls; but the fattening of their estates has
made their souls as to good, as lean as a rake. They cannot now
breathe after God; they cannot now look to their hearts; they cannot
now set watch and ward over their ways; they cannot now spare time
to examine who goes out, or who comes in. They have so much their
desires in things below, that they have no leisure to concern
themselves with, or to look after things above; their hearts are
now as fat as grease; their eyes do now too much start out, to be
turned and made to look inward (Psa 119:70, 83:7). They are now
become, as to their best part, like the garden of the slothful, all
grown over with nettles and briars, that cover the face thereof;
or, like Saul, removed from a little estate, and low condition, to
much, even worse and worse. Men do not know what they do in desiring
things of this life, things over and above what are necessary;
they desire them, and they have them with a woe. 'Surely he shall
not feel quietness in his belly,' his belly is taken for his conscience
(Prov 20:27). 'He shall not save of that which he desired,' to
help him in an evil day (Job 20:20, 1 Tim 6:17-19).

I shall not here give my caution to the righteous, but shall reserve
that for the next use. But, O! that men were as wise in judging
of the answering of the desires, as they are in judging of the
extravagancies of their appetites. You shall have a man even from
experience reclaim himself from such an excess of eating, drinking,
smoking, sleeping, talking, or pleasurable actions, as by his
experience he finds is hurtful to him, and yet all this may but hurt
the body, at least the body directly; but how blind, how unskilled
are they in the evils that attend desires! For, like the man in
the dropsy, made mention of before, they desire this world, as he
doth drink, till they desire themselves quite down to hell. Look to
it, therefore, and take heed; God's granting the things pertaining
to this life unto thee, doth neither prove that thou art righteous,
nor that he acts in mercy towards thee, by giving of thee thy
desires.

THE FOURTH USE IS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. Is it so? shall the desire
of the righteous be granted? Then this should encourage them that
in the first place have sought the kingdom of God and his Son's
righteousness, to go on in their desires. God has given thee his
Son's righteousness to justify thee; he has also, because thou art
a son, sent forth the Spirit of his Son into thy heart to sanctify
thee, and to help thee to cry unto him, Father, Father. Wilt thou
not cry? wilt thou not desire? thy God has bidden thee 'open thy
mouth wide'; he has bid thee open it wide, and promised, saying,
'And I will fill it'; and wilt thou not desire? (Psa 81:10). O! thou
hast a licence, a leave, a grant to desire; wherefore be not afraid
to desire great mercies of the God of heaven; this was Daniel's
way, and he set others to do it too (Dan 2:18).

Object. But I am an unworthy creature.

Answ. That is true; but God gives to no man for his worthiness,
nor rejects any for their sinfulness, that come to him sensible of
the want and worth of mercy for them. Besides, I told thee before,
that the desires of a righteous man, and the desires of his God,
do jump or agree. God has a desire to thee; thou hast a desire to
him (Job 14:15). God desires truth in the inward parts, and so dost
thou with all thy heart (Psa 5:1-6; Hosea 6:5). God desires mercy,
and to show it to the needy; that is it thou also wantest, and that
which thy soul craves at his hand. Seek, man, ask, knock, and do
not be discouraged; the Lord grant all thy desires. Thou sayest
thou art unworthy to ask the biggest things, things spiritual
and heavenly; well, will carnal things serve thee, and answer the
desires of thy heart? Canst thou be content to be put off with a
belly well filled, and a back well clothed? O! better I never had
been born!

See, thou wilt not ask the best, and yet canst not make shift without
them. Shift, no, no shift without them; I am undone without them,
undone for ever and ever, sayest thou; well then desire; so I do,
sayest thou. Ah! but desire with more strong desires, desire with
more large desires, desire spiritual gifts, covet them earnestly,
thou hast a licence too to do so (1 Cor 14:1). God bids thee do
so; and I, says the apostle, 'desire that ye faint not' (Eph 3:13),
that is, in the prosecution of your desires, what discouragements
soever you may meet with in the way; for he hath said, 'The desire
of the righteous shall be granted.'

Object. But I find it not so, says one: for though I have desired
and desired, a thousand times upon my knees, for something that
I want, yet I have not my desire; and indeed the consideration of
this hath made me question whether I am one of those to whom the
promise of granting desires is made.

Answ. To this objection many things must be replied. First. By way
of question. Second. Then by way of answer.

First. By way of question; what are the things thou desirest, are
they lawful or unlawful? for a Christian may desire unlawful things;
as the mother of Zebedee's children did when she came to Christ,
nay, her sons themselves had their hearts therein, saying, 'Master,
we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire'
(Mark 10:35; Matt 20:20). They came with a wide mouth, but their
desire was unlawful, as is evident, for that Christ would not grant
it. James also himself caught those unto whom he wrote, in such
a fault as this, where he says, 'Ye kill, and desire to have, and
cannot obtain' (James 4:2).

There are four things that are unlawful to be desired. To desire
the life of thine enemy is unlawful (1 Kings 3:11; Deut 5:21). To
desire anything that is thy neighbour's is unlawful. To desire to
share in the prosperity of the wicked is unlawful (Psa 73:3). To
desire spiritual things for evil ends is unlawful (Prov 24:1,19;
James 4:2-4).

Are they lawful things which thou desirest? Yet the question is, Are
they absolutely or conditionally promised? If absolutely promised,
hold on in desiring; if conditionally promised, then thou must
consider whether they are such as are essential to the well-being
of thy soul in thy Christian course in this life. Or whether they
are things that are of a more inferior sort.

If they are such as are essential to the well-being of thy soul in
thy Christian course in this world, then hold on in thy desires;
and look also for the conditions that that word calls for, that
proffereth them to thee; and if it be not possible to find them
in thyself, look for them in Christ, and cry to God for them, for
the Lord's sake. But if they be of an inferior sort, and thou canst
be a good Christian without them, desire them, and yet be content
to go without them; for who knows but it may be better that thou
shouldest be denied, than that thou shouldest have now a grant of
some things thou desirest? and herein thou hast thy Lord for thy
pattern; who, though he desired that his life might be prolonged,
yet wound up that prayer with a 'nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done' (Matt 26:39-42; Mark 14:36).

Second. By way of answer; but we will suppose that the thing thou
desirest is good; and that thy heart may be right in asking; as
suppose thou desirest more grace; or as David has it, more 'truth
in the inward and hidden part' (Psa 51:6). Yet there are several
things for thy instruction, may be replied to thy objection, as,

1. Thou, though thou desirest more of this, mayest not yet
be sensible of the worth of what thou askest, as perhaps God will
have thee be, before he granteth thy desire; sometimes Christians
ask for good things without having in themselves an estimate
proportionable to the worth of what they desire; and God may hold
it therefore back, to learn them to know better the worth and
greatness of that thing they ask for. The good disciples asked they
knew not what (Mark 10:38). I know they asked what was unlawful,
but they were ignorant of the value of that thing; and the same may
be thy fault when thou askest for things most lawful and necessary.

2. Hast thou well improved what thou hast received already? Fathers
will hold back more money, when the sons have spent that profusely
which they had received before. 'He that is faithful in that which
is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the
least, is unjust also in much.' 'And if ye have not been faithful
in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is
your own?' (Luke 16:10,12). See here an objection made against a
further supply, or rather against such a supply as some would have,
because they have misspent, or been unfaithful in what they have
already had. If thou, therefore, hast been faulty here, go, humble
thyself to thy friend, and beg pardon for thy faults that are past,
when thou art desiring of him more grace.

3. When God gives to his the grant of their desires, he doth it so
as may be best for our advantage; now there are times wherein the
giving of grace may be best to our advantage; as, (1.) Just before
a temptation comes, then, if it rains grace on thee from heaven,
it may be most for thy advantage. This is like God's sending of
plenty in Egypt just before the years of famine came. (2.) For God
to restrain that which thou desirest, even till the spirit of prayer
is in a manner spent, may be further to inform thee, that though
prayer and desires are a duty, and such also to which the promise
is made; yet God sees those imperfections in both thy prayers and
desires, as would utterly bind his hands, did he not act towards
thee merely from motives drawn from his own bowels and compassion,
rather than from any deserving that he sees in thy prayers.
Christians, even righteous men, are apt to lean too much to their
own doings; and God, to wean them from them, ofttimes defers to do
what they by doing expect, even until in doing their spirits are
spent, and they as to doing can do no longer. When they that cried
for water had cried till their spirits failed, and their tongue
clave to the roof of their mouth for thirst; then the Lord did
hear, and then the God of Israel did give them their desire. Also
when Jonas his soul fainted under the consideration of all the
evils that he had brought upon himself; then his prayer came unto
God into his holy temple (Jonah 2:7; Isa 41:17,18). The righteous
would be too light in asking, and would too much overprize their
works, if their God should not sometimes deal in this manner with
them. (3.) It is also to the advantage of the righteous, that they
be kept and led in that way which will best improve grace already
received, and that is, when they spin it out and use it to the
utmost; when they do with it as the prophet did with that meal's
meat that he ate under the juniper-tree, 'he went in the strength
of that meat forty days and forty nights, even to the mount of
God' (1 Kings 19:8). Or when they do as the widow did, spend upon
their handful of flour in the barrel, and upon that little oil in
the cruse, till God shall send more plenty (1 Kings 17:9-16). The
righteous are apt to be like well fed children, too wanton, if God
should not appoint them some fasting days. Or they would be apt to
cast away fragments, if God should give them every day a new dish.
So then God will grant the desires of the righteous in that way
which will be most for their advantage. And that is, when they have
made the best of the old store (1 Kings 19:4-8). If God should give
us two or three harvests in a year, we should incline to feed our
horse and hogs with wheat; but being as it is, we learn better to
husband the matter.

By this means, we are also made to see, that there is virtue
sufficient in our old store of grace to keep us with God in the way
of our duty, longer than we could imagine it would. I myself have
cried out I can stand no longer, hold out no longer, without a
further supply of grace; and yet I have by my old grace been kept
even after this, days, and weeks, and months, in a way of waiting
on God. A little true grace will go a great way, yea, and do more
wonders than we are aware of. If we have but grace enough to keep
us groaning after God, it is not all the world that can destroy
us.[19]

4. Perhaps thou mayest be mistaken. The grace thou prayest for,
may in great measure be come unto thee. Thou hast been desiring of
God, thou sayest, more grace; but hast it not.

But how, if whilst thou lookest for it to come to thee at one door,
it should come to thee in at another? And that we may a little
inquire into the truth of this, let us a little consider what are
the effects of grace in its coming to the soul, and then see if
it has not been coming unto thee almost ever since thou hast set
upon this fresh desire after it. (1.) Grace, in the general effect
of it, is to mend the soul, and to make it better disposed. Hence
when it comes, it brings convincing light along with it, by which
a man sees more of his baseness than at other times. More, I say,
of his inward baseness. It is through the shinings of the Spirit
of grace that those cobwebs and stinks that yet remain in thee are
discovered: 'In thy light shall we see light.' And again, whatsoever
makes manifest is light. If then thou seest thyself more vile than
formerly, grace by its coming to thee has done this for thee. (2.)
Grace, when it comes, breaks and crumbles the heart, in the sense
and sight of its vileness. A man stands amazed and confounded in
himself; breaks and falls down on his face before God; is ashamed
to lift up so much as his face to God, at the sight and apprehension
of how wicked he is. (3.) Grace, when it comes, shows to a man
more of the holiness and patience of God; his holiness to make
us wonder at his patience, and his patience to make us wonder at
his mercy, that yet, even yet, such a vile one as I am, should be
admitted to breathe in the land of the living, yea more, suffered
to come to the throne of grace. (4.) Grace is of a heart-humbling
nature: it will make a man count himself the most unworthy of
anything, of all saints. It will make a man put all others afore
him, and be glad too, if he may be one beloved, though least beloved,
because most unworthy. It will make him with gladness accept of
the lowest room, as counting all saints more worthy of exaltation
than himself. (5.) Grace will make a man prize other men's graces
and gracious actions above his own. As he thinks every man's candle
burns brighter than his, every man improves grace better than he,
every good man does more sincerely his duty than he. And if these
be not some of the effects of the renewings of grace, I will confess
I have taken my mark amiss. (6.) Renewings of grace beget renewed
self-bemoanings, self-condemnation, self-abhorrences.

And say thou prayest for communion with, and the presence of God.
God can have communion with thee, and grant thee his presence,
and all this shall, instead of comforting of thee at present, more
confound thee, and make thee see thy wickedness (Isa 6:1-5). Some
people think they never have the presence and the renewings of
God's grace upon them but when they are comforted, and when they
are cheered up; when, alas! God may be richly with them, while they
cry out, By these visions my sorrows are multiplied; or, because
I have seen God, I shall die (Dan 10:8-17; Judg 13:22).

And tell me now, all these things considered, has not grace, even
the grace of God, which thou hast so much desired, been coming
to thee, and working in thee in all these hidden methods? And so
doing, has it not also accommodated thee with all the aforenamed
conveniences? The which when thou considerest, I know thou wouldest
not be without for all the good of the world. Thus, therefore,
thy desire is accomplishing; and when it is accomplished, will be
sweet to thy soul (Prov 13:19).

5. But we will follow thee a little in the way of thy heart. Thou
sayest thou desirest, and desirest grace, yea, hast been a thousand
times upon thy knees before God for more grace, and yet thou canst
not attain. I answer,

(1.) It may be the grace which thou prayest for, is worthy thy being
upon thy knees yet a thousand times more. We find, that usually
they that go to king's courts for preferment, are there at great
expenses; yea, and wait a great while, even until they have spent
their whole estates, and worn out their patience too. Yet they at
last prevail, and the thing desired comes. Yea, and when it is come,
it sets them up anew, and makes them better men--though they did
spend all that they had to obtain it--than ever they were before.
Wait, therefore, wait, I say, on the Lord (Psa 27:14). Wait therefore
with David, wait patiently; bid thy soul cheer up, and wait (Psa
37:7, 62:5). 'Blessed are all they that wait for him' (Isa 30:18).

(2.) Thou must consider, that great grace is reserved for great
service; thou desirest abundance of grace, thou dost well, and thou
shalt have what shall qualify and fit thee for the service that
God has for thee to do for him, and for his name in the world. The
apostles themselves were to stay for great grace until the time
of their work was come (Acts 1:4-8, 4:33). I will not allot thy
service, but assure thyself, when thy desire cometh, thou wilt have
occasion for it; new work, new trials, new sufferings, or something
that will call for the power and virtue of all the grace thou shalt
have to keep thy spirit even, and thy feet from slipping, while
thou art exercised in new engagements. Assure thyself, thy God will
not give thee straw, but he will expect brick: 'For unto whomsoever
much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men
have committed much, of him they will ask the more' (Luke 12:48).
Wherefore, as thou art busy in desiring more grace, be also desirous
that wisdom to manage it with faithfulness may also be granted unto
thee. Thou wilt say, Grace, if I had it, will do all this for me.
It will, and will not. It will, if thou watch and be sober; it will
not, if thou be foolish and remiss. Men of great grace may grow
consumptive in grace, and idleness may turn him that wears a plush
jacket into rags.[20] David was once a man of great grace, but his
sin made the grace which he had to shrink up, and dwindle away, as
to make him cry out, O! 'take not thy holy spirit' utterly 'from
me' (Psa 51:11, 119:8). Or, perhaps God withholds what thou wouldest
have, that it may be the more prized by thee when it comes: 'Hope
deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is
a tree of life' (Prov 13:12).

6. Lastly, but dost thou think that thy more grace will exempt thee
from temptations? Alas! the more grace, as was hinted, the greater
trials. Thou must be, for all that, like the ship of which thou
readest, sometimes high, sometimes low; sometimes steady, sometimes
staggering; sometimes in, and sometimes even at the end of thy very
wits. For 'so he brings us to our desired haven' (Psa 107:23-30).
Yet grace is the gold and preciousness of the righteous man: yea,
and herein appears the uprightness of his soul, in that though all
these things attend the grace of God in him, yet he chooseth grace
here above all, for that it makes him the more like God and his
Christ, and for that it seasons his heart best to his own content;
and also for that it capacitates him to glorify God in the world.

[THE CONCLUSION.]

Is it so? Is this the sum of all, namely, That 'the fear of the
wicked it shall come upon him,' and that 'the desire of the righteous
shall be granted?' Then this shows us what is determined concerning
both. Concerning the wicked, that all his hopes shall not bring him
to heaven; and concerning the righteous, that all his fears shall
not bring him to hell. But what a sad thing is it for one to be a
wicked man! Nothing can help him, his wickedness is too strong for
him: 'His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he
shall be holden with the cords of his sins' (Prov 5:22). He may
twist and twine, and seek to work himself from under the sentence
passed upon him; but all will do him no pleasure: 'the wicked is
driven away in his wickedness. But the righteous hath hope in his
death' (Prov 14:32). Loth he is to be righteous now; and as loth he
will be to be found in his sins at the dreadful day of doom. But
so it must be: 'Upon the wicked God shall rain snares, fire, and
brimstone, and a horrible' burning 'tempest: this shall be the
portion of their cup' (Psa 11:6).

'Woe unto the wicked' therefore: 'it shall be ill with him, for the
reward of his hands shall be given him' (Isa 3:10). The just God
will recompense both the righteous and the wicked, even according
to their works. And yet for all this the wicked will not hear! When
I read God's Word, and see how the wicked follow their sins, yea,
dance in the ways of their own destruction, it is astonishing to
me. Their actions declare them, though not Atheists in principle,
yet such in practice.[21] What do all their acts declare, but this,
that they either know not God, or fear not what he can do unto
them? But, O! how will they change their note, when they see what
will become of them! How wan will they look! Yea, the hair of their
heads will stand on end for fear; for their fear is their portion;
nor can their fears, nor their prayers, nor their entreaties, nor
their wishes, nor their repentings, help them in this day. And thus
have I showed you what are the 'desires of the righteous,' and that
the 'fear of the wicked shall come upon him, but the desire of the
righteous shall be granted.'

FOOTNOTES:

[1] How blessed are those whose light shines so clearly as to be
known and read of all men. A brand plucked from the burning bears
the marks of fire, but is not consuming.--Ed.

[2] 'A very Abraham,' or an Abraham cove. Cant terms formerly
applied to poor silly half-naked men, or to sturdy beggars. Thus
the fraternity of Vacabondes, 1575, describes them:--'An Abraham man
is he that walketh bare-armed or bare-legged, and fayneth hymselfe
mad, and caryeth a packe of wool, or a stycke with baken on it, or
suche lyke toy, and nameth poore Tom.' Shakespeare alludes to them
under the name of Bedlam Beggars.--Ed.

[3] To possess with or of; to cause to possess or to be possessed
with--


    'At the port (Lord) he give her to thy hand,
    And by the way possesse thee what she is.'
            Troylus and Cressida, act 4, s. 4.

    __________ 'thou hast given me to possess
    Life in myself for ever.'
            Milton's Paradise Lost, book iii, 243.


[4] Establishes our opinions, or fixes them in us. 'Our young men
being principled by these new philosophers.'--Cudworth.


   'A Parliament so principled will sink
    All ancient schools of empire in disgrace.'
            Dr. Young.--Ed.


[5] Where is the man, except he be a willful perverter of Divine
truth, who can charge the doctrines of grace with licentiousness?
All hope of election or predestination arises from conformity to the
image of Christ. Vain is hope except it is founded upon redemption
from the curse, to walk in newness and holiness of life; equally
vain is a hope founded on the wicked assumption of man to the power
of forgiveness of sin.--Ed.

[6] This is admirably illustrated by the Interpreter in the Pilgrim's
Progress. He shows Christian a fire burning against the wall, and
one standing by it, always casting much water upon it to quench it,
yet did the fire burn higher and hotter. Christian wonders until
he is taken behind the wall, and sees Christ secretly pouring the
oil of grace into the fire. Before Bunyan had been behind the wall,
he was scared by the father of lies, who suggested to him--'You are
very hot for mercy, but I will cool you, though I be seven years
in chilling your heart.' Grace Abounding, No. 118.--Ed.

[7] As we escape a thousand bodily dangers unseen and unknown
to us in time, so, doubtless, acts of grace pass through the soul
without our being sensible of them, although they may be the means
of saving us from severe tribulations. How wondrous will be the
review of our lives when we shall see face to face, and know all
things.--Ed.

[8] However disgusting the appearance of a toad may be, this
is not the first time that Bunyan considered sin as rendering its
slave more loathsome even than a toad. 'Now I blessed,' said he,
'the condition of the dog and the toad, and counted the state of
everything that God had made far better than this state of mine.'
Grace Abounding, No. 104.--Ed.

[9] 'This inward conflict between opposing principles constitutes
the very distinction between the regenerate and the unregenerate,
and forms part of the recorded experience of the most advanced,
and elevated, and spiritually-minded believers. Freedom from this
conflict is not to be expected here by any child of God.'--Dr.
Wardlaw.

[10] This is one of the very few instances, if not the only one,
in which Bunyan's attachment to believers' baptism appears, except
when writing expressly upon the subject. Of all men, he was the
most eminent for non-sectarian feelings, arising from his soul
being so baptized into Christ as to leave no room for controversy
upon ceremonial observances. I feel bound to confirm the truth of
his observation, for if ever I enjoyed a heaven upon earth, it was
on the Lord's day morning, when, publicly professing my faith in
the Redeemer, I was solemnly baptized. Nor have I ever witnessed
this ceremony since without the strongest emotions of love, and
joy, and hope.--Ed.

[11] Church fellowship, rightly managed, abounds with blessings,
when the bishops or elders and the people are united in gospel
bonds to promote each other's peace and holy enjoyments--their great
happiness being to extend the benign influence of the Redeemer's
kingdom. Let Watchful be the porter; Discretion admit the members;
Prudence take the oversight; Piety conduct the worship; and Charity
endear the members to each other, and it is a house 'beautiful.'
'Christians are like the several flowers in a garden; they have
upon each of them the dew of heaven, which, being shaken, they let
fall at each other's roots, and are jointly nourished and nourishers
of each other.' Bunyan's Pilgrim and Christian Behaviour.--Ed.

[12] Blessed be God the sword is for the present sheathed. Marvellous
was the indomitable courage of the martyrs under papacy, and, in
a later day, of the Scottish Covenanters. They saw their friends
and ministers tortured and murdered--the pain of the boots must have
been inconceivable--the bones of their legs were crushed between
pieces of iron, and, even when death had released the victim, savage
barbarity was practised upon his mutilated remains; the head and
hands were cut off and exhibited upon a pike, the hands fixed as
in the attitude of prayer, to mock the holiest duty. Can we wonder
that lambs became lions, overthrew the horrid enemy, and drove out
State Episcopacy for ever?--Ed.

[13] The noise made by animals of the stag or hart species is
called, by Goldsmith, bellowing. It strikes the ear as something
beneath the dignity of a hart to bray like an ass. Bunyan found
the word in the margin of Psalm 42:1, 'The hart panteth.' Heb.
'Brayeth, after the water brooks.'--Ed.

[14] Saffron was formerly cultivated near Bunyan's residence,
but, although sold at a very high price, it scarcely paid for its
expense. In the flowering season, it was needful to gather the
flowers every morning as they came to perfection.--Ed.

[15] The Israelites entered the wilderness fourteen hundred and
ninety-one years before Christ. The prophecy of Jeremiah was delivered
six hundred and twenty-nine years before Christ. This remembrance
was eight hundred and sixty-two years after that memorable event.
With God there can be no forgetfulness; a thousand years in his
sight are but as yesterday.--Ed.

[16] How striking the contrast, but yet how true! A whip, whose
cords were made of the flames of hell, could no more arouse a sinner
dead in trespass and sins than a crown of glory could allure him.
With all the dread realities of the world to come pressed upon the
conscience by a faithful minister, still, alas! how many maintain
their downward course. The duty is ours to prophesy upon the dry
bones. God and his gracious Spirit alone can raise them up to holy,
happy enjoyments.--Ed.

[17] This language is as expressive and original as it is like
Bunyan. Death takes the sinner by the throat, and 'hands him down
stairs to the grave.' The indulgence in any sinful propensity has
this downward, deathly tendency. Every lust, whether for riches or
honours, for gambling, wine, or women, leads the deluded wretched
votary step by step to the chambers of death. There is no hope in
the dread prospect; trouble and anguish possess the spirit. Hast
thou escaped, O my soul, from the net of the infernal fowler? Never
forget that it is as a brand snatched from the burning. O to grace
how great a debtor.--Ed.

[18] It is not usual to call the rich young man a hypocrite. To
outward appearance he was in earnest. Negatively, he had kept the
commandments. Now he is required to perform positive duties, and
to live by faith. Here the mask falls off, and he concludes that
eternal life is not worth the sacrifice.--Ed.

[19] We have here an additional section to the Grace Abounding to
the Chief of Sinners. The result of long experience convinced him
that if he possessed a spark of grace which impelled him to groan
after God, all the powers of earth and hell could not destroy
him.--Ed.

[20] As it is in temporal things, so it is in spiritual. If new
discoveries of Divine love lead to want of watchfulness, trial and
sorrow must ensue. About sixty years ago a next door neighbour, a
hatter, gained a prize in the lottery of ten thousand pounds--he
became intoxicated with his wealth, moved to the fashionable end of
London, went into a large way of business, dissipated his fortune,
and died in a workhouse! Christian, if you have unexpected enjoyments,
be watchful; it is to fit you for trials.--Ed.

[21] This is one of the most decisive proofs of the awfully degraded
state of human nature. Men believe, or pretend to believe, that
this life is but a span in companions with eternity--that there
is a heaven to reward the righteous and a hell to receive the
unconverted sinner; and yet make no personal inquiry at the holy
oracles of God whether they have been born again to newness of life,
or whether they remain in their sins. The great mass of mankind
prefer paying their pence to a priest to mislead them to destruction,
than to trouble themselves with God's holy Word. O for the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit, that men may be released from such bondage and
slavery, and enter upon the happy glorious liberty of the sons of
God.--Ed.

ÿ




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