A third thing you mention is, that "the Son of God taught men their
duty by his own example, and did himself perform what he required of
them; and that himself did tread before us every step of that which
he hath told us leadeth to eternal life."
ANSWER. Now we are come to the point, namely, that "the way to
eternal life is, first of all, to take Christ for our example,
treading his steps." And the reason, if it be true, is weighty; for
"he hath trod every step before us which he hath told us leads to
eternal life."
"Every step." Therefore he went to heaven by virtue of an imputative
righteousness; for this is one of our steps thither.
"Every step." Then he must go thither by faith in his own blood for
pardon of sin; for this is another of our steps thither.
"Every step." Then he must go thither by virtue of his own
intercession at the right hand of God before he came thither; for
this is one of our steps thither.
"Every step." Then he must come to God and ask mercy for some great
wickedness which he had committed; for this is also one of our steps
thither.
But again, we will consider it the other way.
"Every step." Then we cannot come to heaven before we first be made
accursed of God; for so was he before he came thither.
"Every step." Then we must first make our body and soul an offering
for the sin of others; for this did he before he came thither.
"Every step." Then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own
righteousness; for that was one of his steps thither.
O, sir, what will thy gallant, generous mind do here? Indeed, you
talk of his being an expiatory sacrifice for us, but you put no more
trust to that than to baptism or the Lord's supper; counting that
with the other two but things indifferent in themselves.
You add again, that "this Son of God being raised from the dead and
ascended to heaven, is our high-priest there." But you talk not at
all of his sprinkling the mercy-seat with his blood, but clap upon
him the heathens' demons, negotiating the affairs of men with the
supreme God, and so wrap up [Footnote: That is, dismiss the
subject.] with a testification that it is needless to enlarge on the
point.
What man that ever had read or assented to the gospel, but would
have spoken more honorably of Christ than you have done? His
sacrifice must be stepped over; his intercession is needless to be
enlarged upon. But when it falleth in your way to talk of your human
nature, of the dictates of the first principles of morals within
you, and of your generous mind to follow it, Oh what need there is
now of amplifying, enlarging, and pressing it on men's consciences,
as if that poor heathenish pagan principle was the very Spirit of
God within us, and as if righteousness done by that was that and
that only that would or could fling heaven's gates off the hinges.
Yea, a little after you tell us that "the doctrine of sending the
Holy Ghost was to move and excite us to our duty, and to assist,
cheer, and comfort us in the performance of it;" still meaning our
close adhering, by the purity of our human nature, to the dictates
of the law as written in our hearts as men; which is as false as God
is true.
For the Holy Ghost is sent into our hearts, not to excite us to a
compliance with our old and wind-shaken excellencies that came into
the world with us, but to write new laws in our hearts, even the law
of faith, the word of faith and of grace, and the doctrine of
remission of sins through the blood of the Lamb of God, that
holiness might flow from thence.