As for the First, What is to close with Gods device of saving Sinners by Christ Jesus, held out in the Gospel? Here we must remember (as we show before) that at first God willed man to abide in His favour, by holding fast his first integrity in which he was Created; but man by his transgression lost Gods favour, made void that Covenant of Works, and put himself in an utter incapacity to regain the Lords friendship which he had lost by his ⟨p. 139⟩Sin, and to rescue himself from the Curse and wrath now due to him for the same; or any way to procure his own Salvation: but the Lord freely hath manife•ed another way of repairing mans lost estate, viz. by sending His Son Christ Jesus in the Flesh to satisfy his Justice for the sins of the Elect, and to restore in them his image now defaced, and to bring them unto Glory▪ and he hath made open Proclamation in the Church that whosoever will lay aside all thoughts of saving themselves by the Covenant of Works, or inherent Righteousness, and will agree heartily to be saved by Jesus Christ, they shall be restored to a better condition then formerly man was into, and shall be saved: So then, to close with Gods device of saving sinners by Christ Jesus, is to quit and forego all thoughts of help or salvation by our own righteousness, and to agree unto this way which God hath found out. It is to no value and highly esteem of Christ Jesus as the treasure sufficient to enrich poor man, and with the heart to believe this record, that there is Life enough in him for men. It is to please this invention, and to acquiesce in it as the only way to true happiness. ⟨p. 140⟩It is to point towards this Mediator, as God holdeth Him our in the Gospel, with desire to lay the stress of our whole state on him. This is that which is called faith or believing, the receiving of Christ, or believing on His Name, Jo•. 1 12. This is that believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus, commanded unto the Jailer for his safety, Act. 16.31 This agreeth to all the description of justifying Faith in the Scripture. This doth answer the type of looking to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the Wilderness, Joh. 3.14. And this is supposed in all these ordinary actings of Faith, to which promises are annexed in the Scripture, and will be found in all who have got the new heart from God, and it will be found in none else.
As for the First, What is to close with Gods device of saving Sinners by Christ Jesus, held out in the Gospel? Here we must remember (as we shew before) that at first God willed man to abide in His favour, by holding fast his first integrity in which he was Created; but man by his transgression lost Gods favour, made void that Covenant of Works, and put himself in an utter incapacity to regain the Lords friendship which he had lost by his ⟨p. 139⟩Sin, and to rescue himself from the Curse and wrath now due to him for the same; or any way to procure his own Salvation: but the Lord freely hath manife•ed another way of repairing mans lost estate, viz. by sending His Son Christ Jesus in the Flesh to satisfie his Justice for the sins of the Elect, and to restore in them his image now defaced, and to bring them unto Glory▪ and he hath made open Proclamation in the Church that whosoever will lay aside all thoughts of saving themselves by the Covenant of Works, or inherent Righteousness, and will agree heartily to be saved by Jesus Christ, they shall be restored to a better condition then formerly man was into, and shall be saved: So then, to close with Gods device of saving sinners by Christ Jesus, is to quitt and forego all thoughts of help or salvation by our own righteousness, and to agree unto this way which God hath found out. It is to no value and highly esteem of Christ Jesus as the treasure sufficient to enrich poor man, and with the heart to believe this record, that there is Life enough in him for men. It is to please this invention, and to acquiese in it as the only way to true happiness. ⟨p. 140⟩It is to point towards this Mediator, as God holdeth Him our in the Gospel, with desire to lay the stress of our whole state on him. This is that which is called faith or believing, the receiving of Christ, or believing on His Name, Jo•. 1 12. This is that believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus, commanded unto the Jaylor for his safety, Act. 16.31 This agreeth to all the description of justifying Faith in the Scripture. This doth answer the type of looking to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the Wilderness, Joh. 3.14. And this is supposed in all these ordinary actings of Faith, to which promises are annexed in the Scripture, and will be found in all who have got the new heart from God, and it will be found in none else.
