Consider, The proper and only Gospel-way, to a pardon. 'Tis by Faith; as we are minded in Rom. 5. 1. We are Justified by Faith. We must Request, and Expect our Pardon to come swimming down unto us in the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ alone; and we must keep our Eye upon Him, under that Notion, in John 1. 29. The Lamb of God which takes away the Sin of the World. We must look upon our Pardon as purchased and procured for us, by the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in the Eternal Covenant of Redemption Engaged unto His Father, That He would make His own Soul an offering for the Sins of all His Chosen ones. We are to take the Merits of the Lord ⟨p. 48⟩Jesus Christ, as they are proffered unto us in the Tenders of the Gospel; and lay the whole Stress of our Guilty Souls thereupon for ever. It is said in 1 John 1. 7. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin. Wherefore we must Renounce all Dependence upon any Righteousness of our own for our pardon. Let us not place any Trust, in any Good Works, or in any Good Frames of our own, as tho' they could render the Holy God propitious to us. It is said in Job 9. 2, 3. How should man be Just with God? If He will contend with him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. The Jews give this Exposition of it; The pleas which men fetch from any Good thing in themselves, for the pardon of their sins, are so weak, and so trifling, and so foolish, that the Great God would scorn to give an Answer to one among a Thousand of them. Alas, we must not so much as ascribe the Inclinations of God to Impute the ⟨p. 49⟩Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto us, •nto any Humiliations and Reformations which we may be disposed unto. We are to lie before the Lord, as Loathsome, Undone, Wretched Creatures, and Shout Grace! Grace! concerning all the Methods of our pardon. Here, to speak as Jerome of old, All Hands are Dissolved, because nothing done by our Hands will be found to answer the Righteousness of God. It was a thing prescribed in Ancient Directiores for the Visitation of the Sick, that the Sick Man should be taught to say, O my God, I now place the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ, between me and my Sins. Behold, words fitted for every Sin-sick Soul! What else can we say, seeing we are told in Acts 26. 18. Men receive the Forgiveness of Sins, and are Sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus.
Consider, The proper and only Gospel-way, to a pardon. 'Tis by Faith; as we are minded in Rom. 5. 1. We are Iustify'd by Faith. We must Request, and Expect our Pardon to come swimming down unto us in the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ alone; and we must keep our Eye upon Him, under that Notion, in John 1. 29. The Lamb of God which takes away the Sin of the World. We must look upon our Pardon as purchased and procured for us, by the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in the Eternal Covenant of Redemption Engag'd unto His Father, That He would make His own Soul an offering for the Sins of all His Chosen ones. We are to take the Merits of the Lord ⟨p. 48⟩Jesus Christ, as they are profered unto us in the Tenders of the Gospel; and lay the whole Stress of our Guilty Souls thereupon for ever. It is said in 1 John 1. 7. The Blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin. Wherefore we must Renounce all Dependence upon any Righteousness of our own for our pardon. Let us not place any Trust, in any Good Works, or in any Good Frames of our own, as tho' they could render the Holy God propitious to us. It is said in Job 9. 2, 3. How should man be Iust with God? If He will contend with him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. The Iews give this Exposition of it; The pleas which men fetch from any Good thing in themselves, for the pardon of their sins, are so weak, and so trifling, and so foolish, that the Great God would scorn to give an Answer to one among a Thousand of them. Alas, we must not so much as ascribe the Inclinations of God to Impute the ⟨p. 49⟩Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto us, •nto any Humiliations and Reformati•ns which we may be dispos'd unto. We are to ly before the Lord, as Loathsome, Undone, Wretched Creatures, and Shout Grace! Grace! concerning all the Methods of our pardon. Here, to speak as Ierome of old, All Hands are Dissolved, because nothing done by our Hands will be found to answer the Righteousness of God. It was a thing prescribed in Ancient Directiores for the Visitation of the Sick, that the Sick Man should be taught to say, O my God, I now place the Death of the Lord Iesus Christ, between me and my Sins. Behold, words fitted for every Sin-sick Soul! What else can we say, seeing we are told in
