felf; and Chrift, by his Death, purchased that Reconciliation, and eternal Life; but there is a great difference between the purchase of these Bleffings, and the application of them; between the poilibility of poffeffing, and the actual enjoyment of them. A Man may buy an Estate, and intend it for the ufe of fuch and fuch perfons; but when he hath bought it for them, may lawfully tie them up to certain Conditions upon which they fhall enjoy the Estate; or, in cafe they neglect thefe Conditions, go without it. A King that's juftly offended with his Subjects, and, for their notorious Rebellion, hath defigned them all for Ruin and Destruction, upon fome noble attempt, and generous enterprise of his only Son, the Prince, may be moved, or brought to a wil lingness to pass by their Crimes; but when the King's good Will is obtained, the Prince may justly appoint fome Condition, upon which the condemned wretches fhall receive their great Mafter's Favour. And as upon the King's good inclination to be friends with his Subjects, it doth not follow that he is actually. reconciled to every one, there being fome Conditions required, upon which the Pardon fhall be figned and fealed to every one of them in particular; fo neither do all Men effectually fhare in that reconciliation to God through Jefus Chrift, but those that turn to God with all their hearts, and with all their fouls, and are weary of Sin, and heavy laden with the fense of it, and, in fober sadness, refolved to submit to Chrift's yoke and government; and accordingly fuch are called, as are

refolved to walk in the light, even as God is in the light, and to be like Chrift Jefus, and to exprefs the Power of Chriftianity in their Lives, and to attain to fuch Chriftian Qualifications as are required in the Gofpel, by the ufe of external Means, and internal Aids; for though all Mankind fhare in the poffibility of enjoying this Reconciliation, and the Pardon may be truly faid to be purchased for them, and for their ufe, yet all are not made partakers of the actual poffeffion of it, because all Men will not confent to fulfil the Conditions upon which that Reconciliation is offered them, viz. unfeigned Repentance, and fincere Obedience for the time to come. That it's offered on thefe Conditions, the whole Gospel witneffes; and he betrays his ignorance that makes advantage of this Doctrine, and leffens his care, diligence and zeal, in working out his Salvation, in governing his Spirit, and Appetite, and in perfecting Holiness in the fear of God.

Shimei was a Man condemned to Death, 1 Kings 2.36, it's like, fome Courtiers of Solomon got him his Pardon; the King grants it, but requires this one thing of him, That he should build him a Houfe in Jerufalem, and dwell there, and go not from thence any whither; and fulfilling this condition, without all peradventure he might have lived happily and fafe as the best of his Neighbours; but when he must needs be running after his Servants, and prefer a small advantage before perpetual fafety, he justly fuffers the Punishment the King appointed for him, The Son of God,

by

44

by the Blood of his Crofs, hath in truth gotten all Chriftians their Pardon, but is refolved none fhall enjoy it, but those that will forfake their Sins, and refign themselves to his guidance and direction. A reasonable Demand, a Condition fo equitable, fo just, so easie, that no Man in his wits but muft fay as Shimei unto Solomon, The faying is good as my Lord the King hath faid, fo will thy fervant do. But then, if the Pardon the Son of God hath obtained for them appear fo inconfiderable a thing in their Eyes, that they do not think it worth enjoying, (and certainly they do not think it worth enjoying, that will not agree to fo reasonable a Condition) no marvel if they fall a prey to that wrath, from which the Son of God is ready to deliver them, and if their Blood be upon their Heads, that do defpight unto the Spirit of Grace, and count the Blood of the Covenant wherewith they were to be fanctified, an unholy thing. An Affront fo great, that no ordinary Vengeance can expiate it: And fhould God ask them, as the Prophet Nathan did David, what Punishment they themselves thought fit for fuch Offenders, (provided they did not know that they were the Perfons concerned) they would, no doubt, doom themselves to as great, if not greater Plagues, than God intends to inflict upon them.

When Amurath, Emperour of the Turks, had notice given him, That a Doctor of Law had cheated a poor Pilgrim that was gone to Mecca, and at the Man's return would not restore to him the Jewels he had entrusted with him, but

re

refolutely denied that he had received any fuch things from him: The Emperor one day, in a third Perfon, asked the Doctor, What he thought a Man, that had notoriously betrayed his Truft, might juftly deserve? He answered, It was fit that fo notorious a Villain fhould be pounded alive in a Mortar. He had no fooner faid the word, but the Emperor gave order that fo it fhould be done to him, who had fo notorioufly cozened the poor Pilgrim.

So here, as harsh as fuch Men as continue in their Sins may think it to be doom'd to eternal Vengeance, were themselves in the third Perfon asked, What was fit to be done to fuch ungrateful Monsters? Themselves would give the fame Sentence against themselves, for putting fo notorious an Affront upon so astonishing a Mercy.

So that altho' a true Believer, and a fincere Penitent, may boldly fay with the Apoftle, That Chrift hath redeemed him from the curfe of the Law, being made a curfe for him, Gal. 3. 13. And that

Chrift bath washed him from his fins with his own blood, Rev. 1. 5. And, that he hath an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiation for his fins, 1 Joh. 2. 1. And, that Chrift hath made his peace with God, Colol. 1. 20. Yet Men, that are ftrangers to the fanctifying work of God's Spirit, cannot be faid to have at prefent, during their unregenerate eftate, any other benefit by the death and paffion of Chrift, but a poffibility of all thofe great and glorious advantages; and it's poffible for them to be freed from the curfe of the Law, to be admitted into

the

the number of those that shall be faved; to enjoy the remiffion of Sins, to escape the Wrath to come, and to fee God face to face in Heaven, and all this by virtue of Chrift's Death; if they will but shake hands with their Darling Vices, and agree to a Practical Love of their Maker, and Redeemer, and San&tifier. To think that unconverted Sinners do actually enjoy these benefits, is to contradict Scripture, and to give the Apostles of our Lord the lie, who unanimoufly tell us, That these Mercies are not effectually applied to the Soul, till the Soul by fincere Repentance, and Reformation of Life, applies her self to Chrift Jefus.

And indeed, this is the prodigious Mercy of the Second Covenant, that God, for Christ's fake, will accept of fincere repentance, instead of perfect obedience, (which was the great Condition of the First agreement between God and Man) and looking upon the precious blood of his Son, will pass by whatever Men have done before, if they will be in love with Sin and Destruction no longer, and fincerely endeavour to please him in thofe Commands, which defign nothing but our interest and happiness.

These things are not very hard to be understood, but the generality of Chriftians feem refolv'd not to understand them, that they may not be obliged to take their ways into ferious Confideration. At this rate they can ferve two Mafters, and reconcile Light with Darkness,God and Belial, the Temple of God and Idols, Froft and Heat,Snow and Fire; please God and please the World; gratifie