him, he faith, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye feeth thee, Job 42. 5. Well, this may make thee a proud man, and elevate thee; no faith he, now I abborre my felf in duft and afbes. The nearer God draws unto us, and the more merciful he is unto us, by that light we the more difcern our own abominations. That which would make another man proud, brings Fob to the knowledge of his vileneffe; Therefore I abhor my felf,and repent in duft and ashes.

3. Now another thing is, who is this peace-maker? This I fhall but touch: We have peace with God: But how through our Lord Fefus Chrift; he is our peacemaker, and interpofeth between his Fathers wrath and us, Ephef. 2. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down that partition wall between us, we have not only peace with God through Chrift, but Chrift is the very peace;not only the peacemaker, but the peace. There was a middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles, and between God and us; Chrift breaks it down; finne fhall no longer be a wall of partition. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances, for to make himself of twain one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Croffe. There was hatred between God and us. Chrift hath crucified that hatred with the nails wherewith he was faftened to the Cross; he hath kill'd it by his crucifixion, and now enmity being flain, peace muft needs be alive; there is peace and reconciliation made. You are come (faith the Apoftle) to the blood of sprinkling; whereas the blood of Abel, cryed for vengeance against Cain the martberer:

This blood cries for peace, it out-cries all our finnes; fin hath a voice, its faid, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah went up into the ears of the Lord; Every finne thou committeft hath a voice to cry, but the blood of Chrift hath a fhriller voice, and out-cryes the cry of thy fins, it is so preheminent, it fpeaks for peace, and doth out cry the voice of our finnes, the high Priest was a a type of Chrift, Numb. 16. He must have on his frontlet Holineffe tothe Lord; as one which bears the ho'y one of the Lord,ftanding in the perfon of Chrift; MoJes faith (when there was wrath gone out from the Lord) unto Aaron, ver. 46. Take a cenfer and put fire therein from off the Altar, and put on incenfe, and go quickly unto the Congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out, the plague is begun, So when the wrath is gone out, the High Priest comes and offers up himself a sweet incenfe acceptable unto God. And Aaron took as Mofes commanded,and came into the midst of the Congregation, and behold the plague was begun among the people,and he put incenfe and made an atonement for the people. When wrath is come out from the Almighty, and his Army is fent our for to destroy the Rebels, now our High Prieft ftands between the living and the dead, and offers up himself an oblation to Almighty God to make peace: Look to the cafe of Balaam, when the people had committed fornication, Phineas executed judgment; wherefore the Lord faith, Numb. 25.12. Phineas hath turned amay my wrath from the people; and if that one act of Phineas his zeal for the Lord in killing the Fornicators before the Congregation, if this, I fay,appealed Gods wrath for the whole Congregation, how much more, doth our Phineas who hath fulfilled all righteousnesse,

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whom the zeal of Gods houfe had eaten up he is nothing but zeal it felf, and all that he doth unto his father, is for our good. How much more shall Chrift pacifie Gods wrath, who hath received the gash of Gods Sword upon his own body, and would not have himself fpared that he might do it? As Fonah was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly, so fhall the Sonne of man be in the heart of the earth. There is a mighty forme, and fonah is caft out into the Sea, prefently the storme ceafeth; fo Chrift having fuffered for us,there is peace, the ftorme is over.

Now follows in the next place in the Text; By whom we have acceffe by faith into this grace wherein we ftand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God. These are the two priviledges that a juftified man hath, he hath a gracious acceffe unto God; Suppose he be in a fault, (as who is not?) if any man finne, we have an Advocate with the Father Fefus Chrift the righteous: Thefethings have Iwritten, (faith the Apostle) that you finne not; but if any man finne, we have an Advocate with the Father, &c.

This is the ftate of a juftified man, though he do by his relapfes provoke God, yet he is in the state of a fabject, though he be a difobedient fubject, yet a subject, not a forreiner as before; but now ye that were not a people, are become the people of the Lord. A childe of God in the midft of rebellion, is fub mifericordia; as foon as he is in the ftate of grace, he is under Gods protection; he is no ftranger, though he hath his blood about his ears, and is in his rags, yet he may come to God; by Fefus Chrift he may come boldly to the Throne of grace, that he may finde help in time of need: The "Apostle

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Apostle in Ephef. 2. 18, fets down twice the great priviledges Chriftians have; for thorough him we both have an acceffe by one Spirit unto the Father; its hrift which makes the way: To have a friend at the Court is a great matter,efpecially when a man hath need of him Chrift is gone before us: and he lives for ever to make interceffion for us, and we need no other Mediator; thus he befpeaks his Father: Father, this is one of mine that I hed my blood for, one of those that thou gaveft me, I beseech thee have pity upon him, and I beseech thee give him audience, Ephef. 3. 12. By him, (i.e.) through Christ,we have acceffe by one Spirit unto the Father, in whom we have boldneffe by the faith of him, and access with confidence. I go not now doubting unto God, I prefer my fuit with boldneffe. Mark the Apostle St. Fames, If any man want wisdome, or any other thing, let him ask it of God that gives to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; it is otherwise with men, when one hath done a great man wrong, and comes to defire a favour at his hands,OhSir,faith he, Do you not remember how you used me at such a time, or in fuch a place? That he is prefently upbraided with, 'its caft in his dish; but it is not fo with God, he gives liberally and upbraids no man; fo there is a free and a bold acceffe with faith and confidence, by whom we have boldneffe and acceffe, let him not doubt or waver, that is a notable place,here is bold acceffe by faith unto God, and by that we may be affured of whatever we ask; if it be forgiveneffe of finnes, we may be fure they are forgiven if we ask in faith we may be affured. By the way take notice of the folly of the Papifts, who think that a man can have no confidence or affurance

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that his finnes are forgiven. This is our confidence that if we ask any thing according to his will be heareth us: Now is it not according to his will to ask forgiveneffe of our fins Doth not he injoine us to do it? Therefore what infidelity is it not to be affured of it? And what impudency is it in them to go about to cut off that which is the whole comfort of a Chriftian? The affurance of his falvation. Thus it is indeed with thofe that have no feeling nor confidence,as those who are in hell think there is no heaven; and they who teach fuch uncomfortable doctrine, can receive no comfort farther than the Priest giveth it them. Its true there is no true affurance but in the true Church, but there it may be found.

And as I began with sowing in tears, fo I would end with reaping in joys that is the next thing in the Text, for which I paffe over the other part of it; I be gin with humiliation, but end with joy, and not onely that joy which we shall have in the Kingdome of hea yen, but on earth while we have thefe things butin hope and expectation. A man that would reckon up his eftate,doth not only value what he hath for the prefent, but hereckons his reverfions alfo; what he thall have after such a time, what will come to him or his heirs: Gods children,they have a brave reverfion,glo ry and honour, and a Kingdome: It is your Fathers good pleafure to give you a Kingdome; we are all the children of God, but it doth not appear what we shall be: when he appears, we shall be like him, and appear as he is. He fball change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body', we are here fonnes,but yet,but in aftrange Coun try, no body knoweth what he is, and therefore he

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