redeemed from perpetual imprisonment in hell, be | burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel

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. Jn. xv. 16. Thus David means, when he says, 'For thy name's sake' do it; Ps. xxv. 11, and Daniel when he saith here, For the Lord's sake.' ix. 17. For Jesus Christ is God's great name; and to do for his sake is to do for what worthiness is in him.

cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. 1 Sa. vii. 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 Sa. xxvi. 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.

*

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

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 encour-paid for your sins; and that you should not be disagement. The Jews, by God's ordinance, when couraged through the greatness of your sins, I tell they went morning and evening by their priest to you there is with God plenty of this redemption, speak with God, were to offer a lamb for a burnt- or a price paid to the full; to an over and above. offering, and it must be thus continually. Ex. xxix. It also is as if he had said, Forget not this, for this 38-46. Now this lamb was a figure of the sacrific-is the key of all the rest, and the great support to ing of the body of Christ which was to be offered the saints in prayer, or while they wait upon God for them in time to come; and, in that it was to be in any of his appointments to encourage them to continually, morning and evening, so repeated, hope. 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

Tenth. And lastly, This also should teach the saints, when they sing 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.' Ps. ci. 1. Of mercy and judgment, or justice in the manifestation of it,

*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.

as smiling upon our forgiveness. When Hannah | is that which will make the water stand in our sang of, and rejoiced in God's salvation, she sang eyes, that will break a heart of flint, and that will aloud of holiness, saying, 'There is none holy as make one do as they do, that are 'in bitterness the Lord.' 1 Sa. ii. 1, 2. Holy in keeping his word, for their first-born.' Zec. xii. 10. 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. Lu. i. 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. Ge. xxii. Re. v. 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!* 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

*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.-Ev.

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.' Ro. v. 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?' viii. 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. i. 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. Jn. 1. 1.† 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? He. x. 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

+ See the character of Ignorance in the Pilgrim's Progress, p. 146.-ED.

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highly for the righteousness of God, let it be that | world, who, though they count the nature and which they count so; but then to be sure it shall commission of sin the very evil of evils, yet can never be the personal performances of Christ, by say that the remembrance of how vile they are, which they that believe in him are justified from and of what evils they have committed, has been all things; but that which they call first princi- to them a soul-humbling, a Christ-advancing, and ples,' dictates of human nature,' obedience to a a creature-emptying consideration. Though sin moral precept,' followed and done as they have made death bitter to Christ, yet sin makes Christ Christ for an example; not understanding that sweet to his. And though none should sin, that Christ, in his own doings, is the end of all these grace might abound, yet where sin has abounded, things to every one that believeth. But if it be grace doth much more abound, not only as an act urged that Gentiles and Pagans are possessed of God, but also in the eye of faith. 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 Co. xii. 18, 19. .* Walk in him, speak in him, grow in him, for he is THE ALL. Col. ii. 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! Ep. iv. 15. Col. ii. 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

* No service on the part of those who are out of Christ, can be accepted. Pr. xv. 8. We are accepted IN the Beloved. Eph. i. 6.-ED.

VOL. I.

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† laugheth him to scorn. This is it which makes the awakened simmer 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 dono 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 stil! 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. 1

One who justifies himself; the self-righteous. The word is only used by religious writers, and never now.-ED. 41

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.' Is. xlv. 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.' Ro. v. 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.*