thy heart in the sense of thy mercies, and to engage and quicken thee in the way of thy duties. Here thou wilt see what great things the Lord hath done for thy soul, and how these dignities, as thou art his son or daughter, by the double title of regeneration and adoption, do oblige thee to yield up thyself to God entirely, and to say from thy heart, Lord, whatever I am, I am for thee, whatever * I can do, I will do for thee ; and whatever I can suffer, I will suffer for thee ; and all that I am, or have, all that I can do or suffer, is nothing to what thou hast done for my soul.
If thou be a stranger to regeneration and faith ; a person that makest a powerless profession of Christ ; that hast a name to live, but art dead ; here it is possible thou mayest meet with something that will convince thee how dangerous a thing it is to be an old crea- ture in the new creature's dress and habit ; and what is it that blinds thy judgment, and is likeliest to prove thy ruin ; a season- able and full conviction whereof will be the greatest mercy that can befal thee in this world, if thereby at last God may help thee to put on Christ, as well as the name of Christ.
If thou be in darkness about the state of thy own soul, and wil- ling to have it faithfully and impartially tried by the rule of the word, which will not warp to any man's humour or interest, here thou wilt find some weak assistance offered thee, to clear and dis- entangle thy doubting thoughts, which, through thy prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, may lead thee to a com- fortable settlement and inward peace.
If' thou be a proud, conceited, presumptuous soul, who hast too little knowledge, and too much pride and self-love, to admit any doubts or scruples of thy state towards God, there are many things in this treatise proper for thy conviction and better infor- mation ; for wo to thee, if thou shouldst not fear, till thou begin to feel thy misery, if thy troubles do not come on till all thy hopes are gone off.
I know all these things are performed by me with much infir- mity ; and that the whole management is quite below the dignity of the subject. But when I consider that the success of sermons and books in the world hath but little relation to the elegancy of language, and accuracy of method, and that many may be useful, who cannot be excellent, I am willing in all humility and sincerity to commit it to the direction of Providence, and the blessing of the Spirit.
One thing I shall earnestly request of all the people of God, into whose hands this shall fall, that now at last they will be persua- ded to end all their unbrotherly quarrels and strifes among them- selves, which have wasted so much precious time, and decayed the vital spirits of religion, hindered the conversion of multitudes,
14 THE EPISTLE TO THE READER,
and increased and confirmed the atheism of the times, and now at last opened a breach, at which the common enemy is ready to enter and end the quarrel to our cost. O put on, as the elect of' God, bowels of mercy, and a spirit of charity and forbearance, if not for your own sakes, yet for the church's sake : Si non vis tlbi parcere, parce Carthaglni.
I remember it is noted in our English history as a very remarkable thing, that when the Severn overflowed part of Somersetshire, it was observed that dogs and hares, cats and rats, to avoid the com- mon destruction, would swim to the next rising ground, and abide quietly together in that common danger, without the least discovery of their natural antipathy.
The story applies itself, and O that Christians would every where depose their animosities, that the hearts of the fathers might be turned to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest God come and smite the earth with a curse.
O that you would dwell more in your closets, and be more fre- quently and fervently upon your knees. O that you would search your hearts more narrowly, and sift them more" thoroughly than ever, before the day pass as the chaff, and the Lord's fierce anger come upon you : look into your Bibles, then into your hearts, and then to heaven., for a true discovery of your conditions ; and if this poor mite may contribute any thing to that end, it will be a great reward of the unworthy labours of
THY SERVANT IN CHRIST,
The general Nature of effectual Application stated.
But of him. are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and santification, and redemption.
XiE that enquires what is the just value and worth of Christ, asks a question which puts all the men on earth, and angels in hea- ven, to an everlasting non-plus.
The highest attainment of our knowledge in this life, is to know, that himself and his love do pass knowledge, Eph. iii. 19.
But how excellent soever Christ is in himself, what treasures of righteousness soever lie in his blood, and whatever joy, peace, and ravishing comforts, spring up to men out of his incarnation, hu- miliation, and exaltation, they all give down their distinct benefits and comforts to them, in the way of effectual application.
For never was any wound healed by a prepared, but unapplied plaister. Never any body warmed by the most costly garment made, but not put on : Never any heart refreshed and comforted by the richest cordial compounded, but not received : Nor from the beginning of the world was it ever known, that a poor deceived, condemned, polluted, miserable sinner, was actually delivered out of that woful state, until of God, Christ was made unto him, wis- dom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
For look * as the condemnation of the first Adam passeth not to us, except (as by generation) we are his ; so grace and remission pass not from the second Adam to us, except (as by regeneration) we are his. Adam's sin hurts none but those that are in him : And Christ's blood profits none but those that are in him : How great a weight therefore doth there hang upon the effectual appli- cation of Christ to the souls of men ! And what is there in the whole world so awfully solemn, so greatly important, as this is ! Such is the strong consolation resulting from it, that the apostle, in this context, offers it to the believing Corinthians, as a super- abundant recompence for the despicable meanness, and baseness of their outward condition in this world, of which he had just before
* Parisicnsis de causis, cur Deus homo, cap. 9. Qucmad?*odum non transit Ada damnatio, nisi per generationem in carnaliter ex eo generates : sic non transit Christi gra- tia, et peccatorum rem/ssio, nisi per regenerationem ad spiritualiter per ipsum regenerates. Strut delictum Ada; non nocet, nisi suis. in eo auod sui sunt : sic nee gratia Christi prodes*., nisi suis} in eo quid sui sunt.
16 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. I,