The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

Ans. The experience of the Godly man wakened in conscience saith to this, when he is chastened with pain in his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, and the mans soul draws •ear to the g•ave, and his life unto the destroyers, and the man stands on need of an Interpreter, one among a thousand to show unto man his righteousness, Job 33.19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Then God is gracious to him, and saith, deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found him a ransom: He is not quiet while God say, my Prophet, deliver him from hell and the pit, which he so much fears, for my offended Justice hath found a ransom in Christ, and I am […] with him. Yea, and the conscience must be purged from […] works, by his blood who offered himself without spot to God through the eternal Spirit, Heb. 9.14. Yea, and there is no remission of sins without shedding of blood, v. 22. Not of Bulls or Goats, for the blood of beasts leaves still conscience of sin, Heb. 10.1, 2. Then it must be the blood of Christ, v. 5.10. who was crucified and made a curse for us, Gal. 3.10. such a curse as we must have eternally, according to Divine Justice, suffered. Yea, if works done by the exemplary grace of a Martyr, such a holy man as Christ, who was never wounded for our transgressions, nor ⟨p. 285⟩bruised for our iniquities, then Christ died in vain, and there was no ransom of blood given for our sins, only God of free-will made an innocent man a curse, and would have him crucified neither for his own sin, nor for ours; well then, may good works without the blood of sinner or surety, take away sin: And the conscience sprinkled with good works may well calm a guilty conscience, yea, and according to the measure of good works is the measure of assurance of peace with God. Now we see the most tender David, Job, Hezekiah, Heman, who walked most with God, have not alway most assurance of peace and righteousness with God, but most dreadful doubtings of conscience, according as by faith they apprehend the ransom of full satisfaction, or were dazzled and darkened in their apprehension; yea sure, without the ransom of blood, of free-will, all receive a dry and unbloody pardon by doing the Commandments of Jesus Christ.