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 soul 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.