dings into the meek. He hath fent me to binde up the broken bearted to proclaime liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound, &c. Chrift, you will grant that he is an able Prieft, and an able Prophet,and an able King, he is lufficient enough to pacific by his Blood, to purifie by his Spirit,to conquer by his Word;yea,but then confider yet further, that he is ordained of God to be this, and to do this for the believer. If the King commits a mighty ftock to a mans hands, and fets him in the place of a treasurer, and confirmes him by feal, and ali for this very end, that he fhould fupply fuch and fuch perfons, would they not come unto him for their fapplies?

...Thou art never able to be righteousneffe to thy felf, thou art never able to give grace unto thy felf, thou art never able to give ftrength to thy felf; but Chrift is, and God is, even that God to whom thou doeft fo earnestly cry, he hath ordeined his own Son for thy help, even for thy help. Asif the King should say to a poor man petitioning; Why; Go to my Treasurer, I have gi ven him order for thee; fo the Lord to the beleever, Go to my fonne, I have ordained him to give thee grace, I have ordained him to plead thy fuits, to rule thy heart, to conquer thy finnes; and thy temptations, I fent him into the world for that very end and purpose, that he might be all in all unto thee,I purposed bis blood for thee, and his righteousness, and his fulness, and his interceffion, all for thee.

3. His fervices, what he hath done in the behalf of a belie

ver.

Give me leave in this a little, and you fhall fee what reafon we have then to trust upon Chrift.

*** First, though he was equall with God, yet made he himself of ne reputation, and took upon him the forme of a fervant and was made in the likeness of men, Phil 2.6,7. he laid afide his glory as it were, and ftooped down infinitely below himself into our nature,to do fervice for us.'

Secondly, be was made under the Law,(obedient thereto in fulfilling all righteousness,) to redeem them that were under the Law, that they might receive the adoption of fons, Gal.4.4.6.he did in our ftead, and as our furety, perfectly fatisfie the whole Law in all its commands for us.

Thirdly, be did lay down his life for us; be humbled bimselfe,

and

and became abedient unto death, even the death of the crosse, Phil.z. 8. he did fhed his heart blood to make our peace, and to recon çile us unto his Father; and have we not then reason to trust him, and to beleeve that he will do us good? Why; fingle out a perion who profeffeth fincerity unto us, that he would lay out half his eftate to do us good, we would repofe fome confidence on him; but if we knew that he did fo heartily affect us, that he would die for our good, O fay we, you may truft on him, you need not fear to go to him, to requeft him for this or that courtefie, Now then, Chrift hath not nakedly profeffed, but bath really acted this; be entred into bond, as it were, to fatisfie for us, he did fhed his very blood, and offered up his very life and foul for the beleever, and yet wilt not thou, (for whom he hath done and endured all this) yet wilt thou not trust in bim for merit, for righteoufneffe, for grace, for ftrength,

&c?

4. His difpofition. Though a perfon were very able to do us good, yet if he hated us, we should (I confeffe) have fmall encouragement to build our hopes upon him; for two perfons are not to be trufted, viz. the profefed enemy, and the falle friend. But far, be the thought of thefe things in us, touching Jefus Chrift; He is graciously and lovingly affected towards beleevers. Eph. 5.2. Walk in love as Christ alfo bath loved us. and bath given himself for us an offering, and a facrifice to God for afweet (melling favour. Ephel, 3.19. To know the love of Chrift which paffetb knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the falnege of God Yea, Paul himself doth fuggeft unto us this love of Chrift unto him, as the lingular ground, why he did by faith live upon him, Gal.2.20 The life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me and gave himselfe for

me.

Though I dare not truft an enemy, yet I dare to trust my friend, though I will not depend on him for help, yet on my friend I will: Why, a friend loves at all times, and love is the principle of bounty and of kindneffe: He that loves much will do much, beneficence and readineffe to help, they grow in love as the branches in the root, and therefore Chrift is ready to help, because exceeding in love to his members. Obferve the Apostle to this very thing in another place. Heb 4. 16. Let

Kk 2

us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtaine mercy, and finde grace to help in time of need.

There is need in us of mercy, (for we finne dayly) and need in us of grace, (for we are ftill weak) but in heaven there is a throne of grace, there is mercy enough, and grace enough to help.

Obj. I confeffe there is fo,faith the beleeving perfon; but I am afraid to approach there unto.

Sol. No, be not afraid, but come boldly unto the throne of grace, faith the Apostle. There is a twofold boldneffe; Thele is a boldneffe of ignorance, of this the Apofile fpeaks not: There is a boldneffe of holy affiance, of this he (peaks: Thus he comes boldly, who prefents all his needs and requests in the Name of Jefus Chrift, and confidently relies upon him for fapply and

acceptance.

Obj. But,may the foul reply, what encouragement have I tó raife this confident affiance?

Sol. See the Apostle, ver. 15. For we have not an bigh Prieft which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities As if he fhould fay, I befeech you but to remember what your Chrift is, and then you may boldly come; you are fenfile; why; he is much more fenfible of your infirmities, he knows your wants, yea, he feels them; feels them, how? there is a feeling by way of paffion and change, fo indeed he does not feel them; and there is a feeling by way of compaffion, fo he feels them (that is) he is tenderly fenfible of them, he is very compaffionitely ready to help them: As a mother, the feels the want of bread, of heat, of cloaths, of liberty, in her child, the is infinitely ready to relieve him; fuch a kinde of feeling is there in Chrift to his members in their need; Ergo, come boldly to him, crave of him, truft and rely on him for help.

Why elfe is he called a merciful High Prift? What is mercifulneffe? If you look upon it in man, it is the founding of his bowels, it is a compaffionate fympathy joyned with a fingular rea dineffe to releeve. And if you lock upon it in God or Chrift, it is a most tender sense of mans infirmities and neceffities, accompa nied with an exceeding propenfion or readinese to forgive the ve penting soule, and to help and fuccor and comfort the Belee

ver.

Obj.

Obj. Thou art truly grieved and humbled for tby finnes, and yet dareft not to live by faith upon Chrift, that he will get thee the pardon.

Sol. Why O man; Chrift is a merciful high Prieft, Here am I faith Chrift, I am very ready to offer up the vertue of my blood for thee.

So,thou art much diftreffed about the want of grace, and the infolency of fin and Satan; why, faith Chrift, loe here I am, I am very willing, very ready to do thee good, to give thee more grace to conquer thy fins for thee,and Satan for thee, I am a merciful high Priest, my bowels are troubled for thee, I love thee earnestly, I remember thee ftill.

5. His conjunction and relation. I pray you confider of this, How ftands it 'twixt Chrift and a beleever? what union is there? what relation hath Chrift no reference unto him? or hath he none unto Chrift, that he is afraid to live upon him? To trust, to depend on him for his supplies,

Two things I will briefly touch

1. The neerneffe of their

relations.

2. The ground from theta to live by faith.

First, there is a neer relation, 'cwixt Chrift and a beleever, fee Cantiles 6.3. I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine. Why; this is a neer relation indeed, a relation of mutual propriety that Chrift doth fay of a Beleever, Thou art mine, and the beleever can reciproca 1 affirm of Chrift, thou art mine; As Adam faid of his wife, Gen. 2.23. Thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of flesh, that fame doth the Apostle apply back from the Church o hrift Eph. s. 30. we are members of his body, of his fiefh, and of his bones. Of all rational relations, none fo neare, fo dear, fo tender as that of a man and his wife, yet in such a relation doth Chrift and a beleever stand.

Again, he is the head of his body the Church, Ephef. 1. 22. the whole Church is his body; every Beleever a member, Chrift the Head. I fpare the citation of more, as of the tree and the branches, the foundation and the building,

Secondly, Now this relation is the ground of affiance, Kk 3:

a direct reason why we should live upon Chrift by faith, For,

First, doth not special relation give special title: If a man becomes an husband, hath not the wife hereupon a title to the benefits and comforts of his eftate? his riches are for her good, and his houfes are for her good, and his land for her good; It holds just so here; faith efpoufeth a man to Chrift, now Chrift is mine, and I am his, and then the Apostle infers the title prefently, 1 Cor. 3. 21. All things are yours. Ver.22. whi ther Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, all are yours. Ver. 23. For je are Chrifts, and Chrift is Gods.

Secondly, hath not special relation a special obligation? Why, though a man be not bound but in a bond of charity to relieve and help a woman before he is married; yet when once he is married, then by vertue of that relation, there lies upon him the bond of plaine and particular duty; he is bond to love his wife as himself, Eph. 5.28. and to nourish and cherish ber, v. 29. Mark now how the Apostle ftates our matter, even here too; (Even as the Lord, the Church) as if Chrift were the very pattern of this love, of this cherishing, and of this nourishing, of th s fupplying and helping.

Thirdly, hath not (pecial relation a special affection? I will do much for my fervant; I will do more for my childe, but I will do most of all for my wife: Why? becaufe fhe is neerer then all, fhe is my very felfe: Chrift doth much for profeffed enemies; he leaves not himself without fome teftimonies of much kindneffe even to them; What; will he do much for ftran gers, much for enemies, and nothing for beleevers, for his own members, for his own fpoufe? Will he heal the eare of one who came to take away his life, and will he not (think you) heale the heart of him who hath accepted of him unco life? would he pray for them that nailed his hands,and pierced his heart, (Father forgive them) and will be not do much more for thee, who grieveft for thy fins, prizeft him in thy judge ment, embraceft him with all thy heart, wouldest serve him with all thy might? For thee,who art bone of bis bone, will he not pray for thee? Father forgive him, Father fupply him, Father comfort him, Father fanctifie him, Father strengthen and preferve

him.

6. His