1. It is the only rule to teach us how to obtain true peace of conscience. The whole world is become obnoxious to God, and held under the awe of Divine Justice. This bondage is natural, and the great inquiry is how his anger shall be appeased, Micah 6. 6, 7: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Now here is no tolerable satisfaction offered, no plaster for the wounds of conscience, no way to compromise and take up the controversy between us and God; but by the Propitiation which the Gospel holdeth forth, all this is effected. The Gentiles were at a loss, the Jews rested in the Sacrifices, Which yet could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, Heb. 9. 9. Therefore they fled to barbarous and sinfully cruel customs, offering their first-born, &c. There was no course to recover men from their entanglements and perplexities of soul, how to pacify God for sin, but they were still left in a floating uncertainty, till God revealed himself as reconciling the world to himself in Christ. Now no Doctrine doth propound the way of reconciliation with God, and redemption from those fears of his angry Justice, which are so natural to us, with such rational advantages, and claimeth such a just title to humane belief as the Doctrine of the Gospel. Oh then, if the young man would cleanse his conscience, and quiet and calm his own spirit, he must of necessity ⟨p. 54⟩take up with the Word as his sure direction in the case. Look abroad, where will you find rest for your souls in this business of atonement and reconciliation with God? What strange horrible fruits and effects have mens contrivances on this account produced? What have they not invented, what have they not done, what not suffered upon this account, and yet continued in dread and bondage all their days? Now what a glorious soul-appeasing light doth the Doctrine of satisfaction and atonement by the blood of Christ the Son of God, cause to break in upon the hearts of men! The testimony of blood in the conscience is one of the witnesses the believer hath in himself, 1 Joh. 5. 8.
1. It is the only rule to teach us how to obtain true peace of conscience. The whole world is become obnoxious to God, and held under the awe of Divine Justice. This bondage is natural, and the great inquiry is how his anger shall be appeased, Micah 6. 6, 7: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Now here is no tolerable satisfaction offered, no plaister for the wounds of conscience, no way to compromise and take up the controversie between us and God; but by the Propitiation which the Gospel holdeth forth, all this is effected. The Gentiles were at a loss, the Iews rested in the Sacrifices, Which yet could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, Heb. 9. 9. Therefore they fled to barbarous and sinfully cruel customs, offering their first-born, &c. There was no course to recover men from their intanglements and perplexities of soul, how to pacifie God for sin, but they were still left in a floating uncertainty, till God revealed himself as reconciling the world to himself in Christ. Now no Doctrine doth propound the way of reconciliation with God, and redemption from those fears of his angry Justice, which are so natural to us, with such rational advantages, and claimeth such a just title to humane belief as the Doctrine of the Gospel. Oh then, if the young man would cleanse his conscience, and quiet and calm his own spirit, he must of necessity ⟨p. 54⟩take up with the Word as his sure direction in the case. Look abroad, where will you find rest for your souls in this business of attonement and reconciliation with God? What strange horrible fruits and effects have mens contrivances on this account produced? What have they not invented, what have they not done, what not suffered upon this account, and yet continued in dread and bondage all their days? Now what a glorious soul-appeasing light doth the Doctrine of satisfaction and attonement by the blood of Christ the Son of God, cause to break in upon the hearts of men! The testimony of blood in the conscience is one of the witnesses the believer hath in himself, 1 Joh. 5. 8.
