A77360:634
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Now 3, unto this blood of sprinkling are we come in these Gospel-t•mes. We are not come unto the blood of Bulls and Goats, and heifers, but we are come unto the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling.
For what is the dispensation that we are now under, but the dispensation of a crucified Christ? There are two Comings of Christ mentioned in the Scripture A coming in a way of meanness, riding upon an Ass: his first coming is in a way of humiliation, riding upon an Ass, and accordingly his Kingdom is a Kingdom of Patience. And there is a coming second Coming of Christ, when he comes riding upon the Clouds in power and Great Glory, and accordingly his Kingdom then shall be a Kingdom of power ⟨p. 397⟩and Glory. When Christ comes the second time we shall be under Glorious dispensations, but now we are under the first Coming of Christ, and therefore what is the Dispensation that now we are under, but the dispensation of a crucified Christ?—What doth a Preaching signify and hold forth, but Christ crucified? We Preach Christ crucified, saith, the Apostle— What do the Sacraments hold forth, why: This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood, saith he. So that now we are under the Dispensation of a crucified Christ. In the times of the Old Covenant, they did believe in God, and God himself was the first object of their Faith, and so they came to Christ: now, in these times of the New Testament, the first and immediate object of our Faith, is the blood of Christ, Faith in the Blood of Christ, Rom: 3. So that (I say) It is the blood of Jesus that now we are come unto.
For what is the dispensation that we are now under, but the dispensation of a cruc•fied Christ? There are two Comings of Christ mention'd in the Scripture A coming in a way of meanness, riding upon an Ass: his first coming is in a way of humiliat•on, riding upon an Ass, and accordingly his Kingdom is a Kingdom of Patience. And there is a coming second Coming of Christ, when he comes riding upon the Clouds in power and Great Glory, and accordingly his Kingdom then shall be a Kingdom of power