There are sundry other texts of Scripture which most clearly and evidently confirm the truth we have in hand, which are all well worth our consideration for our consolation and establishment, as also something of our labour and diligence, to quit them from those
288 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCK [CHAP.
glosses and interpretations (wliich turn tliem aside from their proper intendment) that are by some put upon them ; amongst which, 1 Cor. i. 8, 9; Phil. i. 6; 1 Thess. v. 24; John v. 24, ought to have place. But because I will not insist long on any particulars of our argument from the promises of God, here shall be an end.
CHAPTER YII
THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST.
The consideration of tTie oath of God deferred — The method first proposed some- what waived — The influence of the mediation of Christ into God's free and unchangeable acceptance of believers proposed — Reasons of that proposal — Of the oblation of Christ — Its influence into the saints' perseverance — All causes of separation between God and believers taken away thereby — Moral and efficient causes thereby removed — The guilt of sin, how taken away by the death of Christ — Of the nature of redemption — Conscience of sin, how abolished by the sacrifice of Christ — Heb. x. 3, 4, 14; Dan. jx. 24 opened — Rom. viii. 34, deliverance from all sin, how by the death of Christ — The law innovated in respect of the elect — The vindictive iustice of God satisfied by the death of Christ — How that is done — Wherein satisfaction doth consist ; absolute, not conditional — Tha law, how fulfilled in the death of Christ-4— The truth of God thereby accomplished ; his distributive justice engaged-+- Observations for the clearing of the former assertions — Whether any one for whom Christ died may die in sin — The necessity of faith and obedience-^ The reasons thereof — The end of faith and holiness —The first argument for the proof of the former assertions concerning the fruit and efficacy of the death of Christ, Heb. ix. 14 — The second — The third — The compact between the Father and Son about the work of mediation — The fourth — Good things bestowed on them for whom Christ died antecedently to any thing spiritually good in them — The Spirit so bestowed, and faith itself — The close of those arguments — Inferences from the foregoing discourse — The efficacy of the death of Christ, and the necessity of faith and obedience, reconciled — Sundry considerations unto that end proposed: 1. All spiritual mercies fruits of the death of Christ; 2. All the fruits of Christ's death laid up in the hand of God's righteousness ; 3. The state of them for whom Christ died not actually changed by his death ; 4. On what account believing is necessary — Christ secures the stability of the saints' abiding with God — Wliat is contrary there- unto; how by him removed — The world overcome by Christ, as managed by Satan in an enmity to the saints — The complete victory of Christ over the devil — The ways whereby he completes his conquest — The rule of Satan in respect of sinners twofold : 1. Over them ; 2. In thim — The title of Satan to a rule over men judged and destroyed by Christ — 'i'he exercise of all power taken from him — The works of Satan destroyed by Christ in and for his elect — ^The Holy Si)irit procured by the death of Christ — The giving of the Spirit the great promise of the new covenant — This farther proved and confirmed — The perpetual residence of the Holy Spirit with believers proved by the three- fold testimony of Fatlier, Son, and Spirit — Isa. lix. 21, the testimony of the Father proposed and vindicated — Our argument from hence farther cleared — This promise absolute, not conditional — No condition rationally to be affixed
VII.] THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST. 289
to it — The import of those words, '"As for me" — To whom this promise is made — That farther cleared — Not to all Israel according to the flesh — Mr G.'s objections answered — The testimony of the Son given to the perpetual abiding of the Spirit with believei's — John xiv. 16 opened — The promise in those words equally belonging to all believers — Mr G.'s objections answered — No promise of the Spirit abiding with believers on his principle allowed — The promise given to the apostles personally, yet given also to the whole church — Promises made to the church made to the individuals whereof it is constituted — The giving of this promise to all believers farther argued from the scope of the place, and vindicated from Mr G.'s exceptions — The third testimony, of the Holy Spirit himself, proposed to consideration — His testimony in sealing particularly considered, 2 Cor. i. 22; Eph. i. 13, iv. 30 — Of the nature and use of sealing amongst men — The end, aim, and use, of the sealing of the Holy Ghost — Mr G.'s objections and exceptions to our argument from that seaUng of the Spirit considered and removed — The same farther carried on, etc.