SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 255 ,ings. Thus he dothby the wicked; but to those that follow him, his tendernessis unspeakable, as you would havesaid yourself, ifyouhad but stood by and seen him washing his disciples' feet, and wiping them; or bidding Thomas put his finger into his side, "and be not faithless, but believing." Alas ! that the Lord Jesus shouldcome from heaven to earth, fromglory into human flesh, and pass through a life of misery to a cross, add from the cross to the grave, to man- ifest openly to the world the abundance of his love, and the ten- derness of his heart to sinners ; and that, after all this, we should suspect him of cruelty, or hard -heartedness, and unwillingness to show mercy and that the devil can so far delude us as to make us think of the Lamb of God as ifhe were a tiger or devourer ! But I will say no more of this, because Dr..Sibbs, in his "B'ruis ed Reed," hath said so much already. Only remember; that if you would methodically proceed to the attainingof solid comfort, this is the next stone that must be laid. You must be deeply possessed with apprehensions of the most gracious nature and office of the Redeemer., and the "exceeding tenderness of his heart to lost sinners. Direct. V. The next step in right order to. comfort is this : 'You must . believe and consider the, full sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and ransom for all.' The controversies about this you need not be troubled at. For as almost all confess this sufficiency, so the Scripture itself, by the plainness and fullness of its expression, makes it as clear as the light, that Christ died for ALL. The fuller proof of this I have given you in public, and shall do yet more publicly, ifCod will. If Satan would persuade you either that no ransomor sacrifice was ever given for you, or that therefore you have no Redeemer to trust in, and ne Savior to believe in, and no sanctuary to fly to from the wrath of God, he must first prove you either to be no, lostsinner, or to be a final, impenitent unbeliever'; that is, that you are dead already ; or else he, must delude your understanding, to make you think that Christ died not fot all,; and then I confess he bath a sore advantage against your faith and pomfort. Direct. VI. The next thing in order to be done is this: ' Get clear apprehensions of the freeness, 'fullness and universality of the new covenant or law of grace.' I mean the promise of remission, justification, adoption, and sal- vation to all, so they will believe. No man on earth is excluded in the tenor of this covenant. And therefore'ccrtainly you are not excluded; and if not excluded, then you must needs 'be included. Show where you are excluded if you can ! You will say, ' But for all this, all menare not justified and saved.' Ansiv. True, be-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=