Security again/kDeath. 2 b 5 Take toyeas words, andfay to the Lord, receive usgoraciouJly So did Davidwhen he renewed his repentance, ( and fo muff all men. do when they begin to repent ) Have mercy upon me according to the multitude oftby mercies, andblot wet my tranf-; regions, &c. .. . There are the parts of repentance. And this is the firfi thing required at our'/ hands, as the condition of the Covenant of Grace, without which we can never,. obtain life eternal : And this repentance contìffeth offerrow fir fin, and acknow- ledgmcnt of it to God, witha firm purpofe of amendmen , and carnal petitionof pa.don, for the fake of the Lord Jefiis Chrift. ,, , And this is filch a Do&rine as the covenant of works, the Law, never taftght Repcilrance to the Ions ofmen : Nay, verily it will not admit it : the Law fcorns ,(as it were) j 6cGofpeL m to admit repentance, for it eacludeth (in: R pentance implieth fin in all the degrees andkinds ¡therefore it is far from acceptingRepentance: if thou hag once broke the Law,.; repent'', or not repent ; amend, or not amend ; be forty, or not lorry ; thou Shalt never be pardoned or forgiven : It is a rough and gern School mafler, that will whïpand fcoürge offending children, though.they crave pardon never fo +mach It is a rottgh Creditor that will throttle the Debtor, and tail hitn into Prifon though he confers the debt, and be never fo importunate in asking favour and patience... . taut; the. Covenant of Grace, it is a fwect Do&rine, a comfortable Do&rine. Thou haft finned,, oh man, and broken the Law, and fallen from the favourof God, and all ,polfibility of falvation in thy felt : but come, be forry for thy fin, acknowledge itto thy Maker ; refolveCo run on in it no longer,cry to him for par. don ofit ; he will gracioufly pardon thee. This is a fwect Dofrine you fee, hill Mans repen- -of comfort and confolation t yet it is a Do&ring that tendeth to the honour of the note rends to Juftice of God, as well as to the honour ofhis grace andlove : theLord couldnot the honour of prefceibc other conditions for receiving us to favour; but that .we Should repent. Gods jtalhce. What Judge would foabode mercy, as having paff the fentenceof death upon a Ma- lefa&or, will yet pardon him; and fave him from thehalter, if he be net furry for his crime , and .come and intreat formercy arid favour , and confefs that he hath offended, and promife never to do fö again ? there is no mercy and pardon for fuch a one, becaufe mercmuff not oppofeJuftice, though it may fomewhat (as we may fay ) mitigate Juftice.., The blood ofChrift if it were fhed ten thoufand times over, it could never corrupt theJuftice,of God: it may fatisfie it, but not eorrnpt is i now, the Juftice ofGod were corrupted, ifitShould admit an impeni- tent and hard- hearted firmer to favour, and beffow upon him remiffion of fins and life everlaffing, -that would never leave it; nor forfake it, ,nor be lorry for it, but frill go on to offend God, and trample under foot his authority : this being con- trary to Ju@ice in thevery nattirc and eflenceof Juftice,it cannot poffibly beeffef- cd, no not by the Shedding of the blood ofChrift : the blood of Chrift is of that value, that it fatisfieth the Juftice of God, and caufeth him upon the penitence and humiliation of a (inner, to receive him tograce and favour. You fee now what is the fiat part of the Condition required on our fide for the obtaining of life.by Chrift, that is Repentance. Thenett is, Faith inChrift, This we are taught every where ; if thou believe in the Lordyefus Chriff (faith the Apoftle to the trembling Jaylor ), thou ¡halt be faved. And ( faith our Savi- our) this is the work o fCod, That ye believe on him whom be haeb fins.. This believing on Cbrift, is I fuppofe nothing elfe bit a flaying, andrefting, anddepending, and relying upon the merits and fatisfa&ion ofourblelted Saviour, by the venue and merit thereof to obtain remiffion of fns, and eternal life, and all good thingapromifedin the 11(ew covenant at the hands ofGod. He that goeth quite out ofhimfelf, forgetteth all his own ae`lions,caffeth behind him whatfoever Teemed good in hirh,and wholIy clafpeth on Chrif(and cleavethto him,ffaysonhim, refleth on him for the remiffìonof fins, andfor the favourofGod, and for grace and Salvation, this man believethin the Lord Jefas Chrift s and this man performs that duty which makes bind one with Chrift ; that caufeth him to become aMember of that zt Fairho folia a. 09. Definitionof Faith,
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