to their own meafure of light, power, and life, they might know him "no more after the flesh," but witnefs him come into their hearts a Comforter, who would not leave his true-hearted difciples comfortless. "He that is with you, fhall be in you."" To be brief, that I may yet again express our reverent sense of Chrift's manifeftation, so far as relates to that holy thing that fhould be born of Mary, take thefe few particulars in my next chapter. CHA P. XVIII. A confeffion, in particular, to redemption, remiffion, juftification, and falvation by Chrift. I. TH HOUGH we believe the eternal power, lift, and light, which inhabited that Holy Perfon who was born at Bethlehem, was and is chiefly and eminently the Saviour (for "there is no Saviour befides ME," faith God); yet we reverently confefs the holy manhood was inftrumentally a Saviour, as prepared and chofen for the work that Christ, the WordGod, had then to do in it, which was actually to the falvation of fome, then, and intentionally of the whole world, then, and in ages to come; fuitable to that fcripture, "Lo, in the volume of the book it is writ"ten, I come to do thy will, O God; a body hast "thou prepared me," &c. II. That as there was a neceffity that "One should "die for the people," fo whoever then or fince believed in him, had and have a feal, or confirmation, of the remiffion of their fins in his blood; and that blood, alluding to the custom of the Jewish facrifices, fhall be an utter blotting out of former iniquities, carrying them as into a land of forgetfulness. This great affurance of remiffion, from the wrath due upon the # Heb. x. 5, 7. John xiv. 16, 17. VOL. I. : Hof. xiii. 4. D d score score of former offences, do all receive in the ratifying blood of Chrift; who, repenting of their fins, believe and obey the holy light with which he hath lighted them. For Paul's being turned from darknefs to the light in his heart, was one and the fame with his believing in the Son of God "revealed in his heart." III. This more glorious appearance ended that lefs glorious fervice of the Jews; for the figures being completed, the fhadows fell. He, in that body, preached and lived beyond those beggarly elements: he drew religion more inward, even into the fecret of the heart, and made it to confift in an higher state of righteousness, called evangelical; and at once became both the author of a more heavenly difpenfation, and therein an example to all, as well Jews as Gentiles; fealing fuch a common and general religion to both with his blood, as would for ever end the difference and flay the enmity, that they might be all one in Christ. Thus did he end the Jews external fervices, and overturn the Gentiles idolatries, by his one most pure and spiritual offering and worship. IV. It plainly preaches thus much to us, that as he whose body the Jews outwardly flew, was, by wicked works, crucified in the ftreets of Sodom and Egypt fpiritually fo called, (viz. our polluted hearts and confciences;) fo, unless we come to know the power and benefit of this inward life, anfwering to, and expreffed by, that outward life he gave for the world, that will avail us little. For fo it is, and very marvellous in our eyes, that the LIFE of the crucified can only fave those who may well be reputed the crucifiers. O myftery! And because thofe that did not actually slay him outwardly, have flain him inwardly, (that is, by their evil fpirits refifting and quenching his Spiritual appearance to their fouls) therefore muft fuch really know that divine life inwardly raised and fhed abroad for fanctification and redemption from fin. O how great was his love to man! Truly larger than man's cruelty; cruelty; who whilft he died by wicked men, died for them; and when dead, they could not hinder him from rifing to do them good, who had done their worst for his deftruction; thereby fhewing mercy to thofe, who fhewed they had no mercy for him nor themselves. "O Jerufalem! Jerufalem! how often would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldeft not!" &c. V. That expreffion of his is greatly worth our notice, "I lay down my life for the world." All he did was for the good of the world, and particularly 'the laying down of his life, that he might both express his love and our duty. Had he not defired man's falvation, and for that purpose prepared a body,, in which to visit him, and by his daily labours among men to further their eternal happinefs, the Jews had never been able to put him to death. But being come, and when come fo hardly ufed, herein did he recommend his great love to us, that befides the inward weights of fin he bore, with his deep concernment for man's eternal well-being, he chearfully offered up his bodily life, to recommend and ratify his love for the remiffion of fin, and gave us an holy example to follow his steps. But these words will bear another sense too, as do thote he spoke to the Jews, "Unless ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, you have no "life in you:*" where we may plainly fee, that as the Jews vainly and carnally fancied he meant his outward body only, to which they oppofed the impoffibility of the thing; fo Chrift declares their mistake of his meaning to his difciples, in these few, but deep words, "The flesh profiteth nothing; it is the spirit that "quickeneth." So that the words are true, and weighty in both fenfes. VI. And we farther acknowledge, that in that holy body the divine principle of light and life did difcover the depths of Satan's darkness, encounter hell, * John vi. 51, 52, 53, 54, 62, 63. death, death, and the grave, and every temptation it was poffible for the ferpent, with all his power and fubtlety, to befet him with, (in which fenfe "he was "made like unto us in all things, fin excepted, that " he might be fenfible of our infirmities)" yea, the divine life travailed under all, adminiftering strength to, and fupporting the outward man, that it might anfwer the end of its appointment, and in the end utterly defeat, and for ever overcome, the power of the tempter," bruifing the Serpent's head in general," as prince of darknefs, and god of the world, and in a plain combat giving him that foil, which in good measure fhook his foundation, divided his kingdom, chafed away his lying oracles, and proved a very fatal blow to his whole empire. Which holy conquest, obtained by "fweat of blood, and deepeft agonies, "with holy patience," may not unfitly be compared to that of fome worldly prince maintaining a righteous cause against an ufurper of his territories, whom he puts to rout in the open field (by which I understand the general conqueft) yet many towns, and cities, and citadels, remaining ftrongly garrifoned (by which I understand particular men and women enslaved by fin) they are not thereby overcome, though the approach be easier to them, and that they are truly more acceffible than before. The one feed, who is Chrift, "who is God over all "bleffed for ever," though he gave this proof of his everlasting arm, that it has brought a general falvation, by a plain overthrow of "the god of this world," the enemy of his glory, and thereby weakened his power, as in himself (which is the fingle battle, "fought in garments rolled in blood," between the two feeds, spirits, natures and powers, God and Mammon, Chrift and Belial) yet there are also many towns, cities, and citadels to vanquish, which are strongly garrifoned by this god of the world, to wit, the fouls of men and women poffeffed and enflaved by him: fo that though their hearts are more acceffible by that general victory over the very spirit of darkness, and that that light may be more clear and broken forth, yet unless thofe particular places, or perfons, are befieged and taken, their goods fpoiled, and houfes facked of all their ftrange gods, and fo come to be redeemed from under the yoke of that Pharaonian task-master, reclaimed, renewed, fanctified, and divinely naturalized, and brought into an holy subjection to him who is "Lord from heaven, the right heir of all things,' and "receive his mark, and bear his image," thofe places, or perfons, muft needs be under the power of the prince of darkness, the god of this world, who reigns and rules in the hearts of the children of difobedience. To conclude; we fay, though this general victory was obtained, and holy privileges therewith, and that the holy body was inftrumentally a sharer therein; yet both the efficient or chiefeft caufe was the divine light or life, that fo clearly difcriminated and deeply wounded this mystery of iniquity; and that none can be thereby benefited, but as they come to experience the holy feed of life, who is "God's mighty ARM of "power," revealed to effect the fame falvation from fin in each particular confcience; and which none can fail of, who firft receive it as "a light that manifest"eth and reproveth every evil way," and continue to walk up to it in all its holy manifeftations. VII. But there is yet a farther benefit that accrueth by the blood of Chrift, viz. That Chrift is a propitiation and redemption to fuch as have faith in him.' For though I ftill place the ftrefs of feeling of a par- ticular benefit, upon the light, life, and spirit revealed and witneffed in every particular perfon, yet in that general appearance there was a general benefit justly to be attributed unto the blood of that very body of Chrift which he offered up through the Eternal Spirit, to wit, that it did propitiate. For, however it might draw ftupendous judgments upon the heads of those who were authors of that difmal tragedy and bloody murder of the Son of God, and died impenitent; yet Dd 3 doubt |