Prima the first things, in reference to the middle and last things

And now (and not till now) hath Gods Minister a strong and seasonable calling to amplify and magnify the soul-saving sufficiency of Christs death and passion; were the blood of Christ, and promise of Salvation proffered to an unwounded conscience, what were it, but like the pouring of a most sovereign balsam upon a sound member of man? It is the only, right, everlasting method, first to wound by the Law, and then to heal by the Gospel; first to cause smart for sin, and then to lay to a plaster of Christs blood; and therefore when the heart is broken, then hath the man of God his warrant to bind it up again, then may he magnify Gods mercy, then may he set out to the height the heavenly beauty of Christs passion and person, and thus playing the Midwife by his high and holy art of comforting the afflicted, at last the child of God (prepared for his birth) becomes a man born again.

And now (and not till now) hath Gods Minister a strong and seasonable calling to amplifie and magnifie the soul-saving sufficiency of Christs death and passion; were the blood of Christ, and promise of Salvation proffered to an unwounded conscience, what were it, but like the pouring of a most soveraign balsam upon a sound member of man? It is the onely, right, everlasting method, first to wound by the Law, and then to heal by the Gospel; first to cause smart for sin, and then to lay to a plaister of Christs blood; and therefore when the heart is broken, then hath the man of God his warrant to binde it up again, then may he magnifie Gods mercy, then may he set out to the height the heavenly beauty of Christs passion and person, and thus playing the Midwife by his high and holy art of comforting the afflicted, at last the childe of God (prepared for his birth) becomes a man born again.

The fifth step is a clear (I say not a general sight, which he had before) but The clear sight of Christ laid open to the eye of Faith; ⟨p. 34⟩no sooner is the poor wounded soul informed throughly in the mystery and mercy of the Gospel, but he then looks on his Saviour as the Jews on the brazen serpent, and seeing him lifted up on the cross, he cannot but see in him an infinite treasury of mercy and love, a boundless and bottomless sea of tender-heartedness and pity, a whole heaven of sweetness, happiness, peace and pleasures; After the spirit of bondage, enters the Spirit of adoption; the terrors of the Law leads him to the comforts of the Gospel, his sorrow for sin brings him to the clear light of his Saviour; and then as a man in deaths-pangs, that lifts up his eyes to heaven whence cometh his help, so he in births-pangs lifts up his eyes to Christ, who must either help him, or he sinks under his sin to the bottomless bottom of hell. And I must tell you, this sight of Christ Jesus to an humbled sinner (together with those glorious privileges which he brings with him, as Reconciliation to God, forgiveness of sins, adoption, justification, righteousness, wisdom, sanctification,