^ When a man marries a woman, with her person he takes her debts and Batiafaction too ; BO does Christ when he takes ua to bo his, he takes our sins also to be his.
THE SURETYSHIP OF CHRIST CONSIDERED OF. 261
for thy transgressions, and I was bruised for thy iniquities, Isa, liii. 4-8, 10 ; and therefore we are said to have ' redemption and remission of sins in his blood,' Eph. i. 7. 0 blessed God ! thou knowest that a surety doth not pay the debt only for the debtor's good, but as stand- ing in the debtor's stead, and so his payment is reckoned to the debtor. And thus the case stands between Christ and my soul ; for, as my surety, he hath paid all my debts, and that very payment that he hath made, in honour and justice, thou art obliged to accept of as made in my stead. 0 dearest Father ! that Jesus, who is God-man, as my surety, he hath done all that the law requireth of me, and thereby he hath freed me from wrath to come, and from the curse that was due to me for my sins, 1 Thes. i. 10. This is my plea, 0 holy God, and by this plea I shall stand. Hereupon God declares, This plea I accept as just and good, and therefore ' enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.'
Christian reader, I have gone as far in the opening and clearing up of those grand points of the gospel that have fallen under our con- sideration as I judge meet at this time. By the title-page thou mayest safely conclude, that I have promised much more than in this treatise I have performed ; but be but a little patient, and by divine assistance, I shall make sure and full payment. The covenant of grace, and the covenant of redemption, with some other points of high importance, I shall present to thee in the second part, which will be the last part. In this first part I don't offer thee that which cost me nothing. I desire that all the interest thou hast in heaven may be so fully and duly improved, that this first part may be so blest from on high, as that saints and sinners may have cause to bless God to all eternity, for what is brought to hand ; and beg hard, that the other part, which is drawn up and fitted for the press, may also be crowned with many blessings. Hereby thou wilt put a high obligation upon the author, to do all he can, to be yet a little further serviceable to thy soul and others', to thy salvation and others', before he goes hence and shall be seen no more.i
^ Appended here is a list of Errata, all of which have been carefully attended to — The note may be given : — ' There are sundry other mistakes in pointings, changes, and trans- positions of letters, misfiguring of pages, &c., besides. Some are omitted, because they do not much disturb the sense, others because they will not easily escape thy notice. Share the faults between the author's absence and the printer's negligence : and then correct before thou readest.' — We have endeavoured to make all the ' corrections ' thus generally indicated. — G.
Though 'Paradise Opened' makes a ' Second Part' to the 'Golden Key,' {ante,) it forms two separate treatises : one, * Paradise Opened,' having a lengthy ' Epistle Dedi- catory,' and occupying pp. 1-194; the other, 'A Word in Season,' having its own title- page and a long ' Epistle,' and occupying pp.' 3-223. The title-page of the former will be found below,* that of the latter in its own place. — G.
Of Divine Love, of Infinite Wisdom, and of Wonderful Counsel, laid open to Publick View.
The Covenant of Grace, and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption opened and improved at large, with the Resolution of divers important Questions and Cases concern- ing both Covenants.
Several singular Pleas, that all sincere Christians may safely and groundedly make to those Ten Scriptures in the Old and New Testament, that speak of the general Judgment, and of that particular Judgment, that must certainly pass upon them all after Death.
With some other Points of high Importance, that tend to the Peace, Comfort, Settlement and Satisfaction of all serious sincere Christians.
To which is added a sober and serious Discourse, about the Favoura- ble, Signal and Eminent Presence of the Lord with his People in their greatest Troubles, deepest Distresses, and most deadly Dangers.
Being the Second and Last Part of the Golden Key.
By Thomas Brooks, late Preacher of the Gospel, at Margarets New Fishstreet.
Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in the Poultry
and at the Ship and Anchor at the Bridgfoot on
S outhioar k-sido, 1675.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To his honoured friends, Sir John More, Knight and Alderman of the City of London ; and to his good Lady, Mary More, his most affectionate Consort. i
The Father of all mercies, and the God of all blessings, bless you both with grace and peace here, and glory hereafter.
Honoured Friends, — Christian friendship makes such a knot, that great Alexander cannot cut. It was well observed by Sir Francis Bacon,^ ' That old wood is best to burn, and old books best to read, and old friends best to trust. It was a witty saying of the Duke of Buckingham to Bishop Morton,3in Richard the III. his time, ' Faith- ful friends,' saith he, ' are in this age for the most part gone all in pilgrimage, and their return is uncertain.' ' They seem to take away the sun out of the world,' said the heathen orator,^ ' who take away friendship from the life of men, and we do not more need fire and water than true friendship.^ In this epistle I shall endeavour so to acquit myself as becomes a real friend, a cordial friend, a faithful friend, and a soul-friend, as to your great and everlasting concern- ments, that it may go well with you for ever and ever.
Sir, The points that are handled in this following treatise, and in the first part, are of as high, choice, necessary, noble, useful, and com- fortable a nature, as any that can be treated on by mortal man. The
^ More, or Moore, was elected Alderman of Walbiook ia 1671 ; served the office of Sheriff in 1672, and that of Lord Mayor in 1682. See Northoack's ' History of London,' (1773.) He was of the Grocers' Company. Buried in St Dunstan's-in-the-East, Thames Street. — Herbert's ' History of the Twelve Companies of London,' i. 330. — G.
' Bacon's Works, by Spedding, vii. 139. Apophthegms, No. 97 of edition of 1625, and 75 of those printed in the liesuscitatio. Brooks quotes evidently from memory. The following is the passage : — •' Alonso of Arragon was wont to say in commendation of age, that age appeared to be best in four tilings : old wood best to burn ; old wine to drink ; old friends to trust ; and old authors to read.' — G.