ingly glorifyed, in the pardon, justification, and acceptance of poor finners. As before was manifefted.

And this is the first way whereby the faints hold daily communion with the Lord Jefus, in this purchafed grace of acceptation with God. They con fider, approve of, and rejoice in the way, means, and thing it felf.

2. They make an actual commutation with the Lord Jefus, as to their fins and his righteouf nefs of this there are alfo fundry parts.

1. They continually keep alive upon their hearts a fenfe of the guilt and evil of fin, even then when they are under fome comfortable perfwafions of their perfonal acceptance with God. Senfe of par don takes away the horror and fear, but not a due fense of the guilt of fin. It is the daily exercise of the faints of God, to confider the great provocation that is in fin, their fins, the fins of their nature and lives: to render themfelves vile in their own hearts and thoughts on that account; to compare it with the terror of the Lord; and to judge themfelves continually. This they do in general, my fin is ever before me, fays David. They fet fin before them, not to terrify and affright their fouls with it, but that a due fenfe of the evil of it, may be kept alive upon their hearts..

2. They gather up in their thoughts the fins for which they have not made a particular reckon ing with God in Chrift: or if they have begun fo to do, yet they have not made clear work of it, nor come to a clear and comfortable iffue. There is nothing more dreadful than for a man to be able to digeft his convictions: to have fin look him in the face, and fpeak perhaps fome words of terror to

him, and to be able by any charms of diverfions or delays, to put it off, without coming to a full trial as to ftate and condition in reference thereunto. This the faints do. They gather up their fins, lay them in the ballance of the law; fee and confider their weight and defert. And then,

3. They make this commutation I fpeak of with Jefus Chrift: that is,

1. They feriously confider, and by faith conquer all objections to the contrary, that Jefus Chrift by the will and appointment of the Father, hath really undergone the punishment that was due to thofe fins, they lay now under his eye and confideration, Ifa.. hii. 6. 2 Cor. v. 21. He hath as certainly and really answered the juftice of God for them, as if he himfelf, the finner, fhould at that inftant be caft into hell, he could do.

2. They hearken to the voice of Christ calling. them to him with their burden; come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden: come with your burdens; come thou, peor foul, with thy guilt of fin: Why what to do? why, this is mine, faith Chrift: this agreement I made with my Father, that 1 fhould come, and take thy fins, and bear them away; they were my lot. Give me thy burden, give me all thy fins; thou knoweft not what to do with them, I know how to difpofe of them well enough, fo that God fhall be glorified and thy foul delivered. Hereupon,

3. They lay down their fins at the cross of Chrift, upon his fhoulders. This is faith's great and bold venture upon the grace, faithfulness and truth of God. To stand by the cross and fay, all he is bruifed for my fins, and wounded for my tranfgref fons, and the chaffifement of my face is upen is.ur.

He is thus made fin for me. Here I give up my

fins to him that is able to bear them, to undergo them. He requires it of my hands, that I fhould be content that he should undertake for them, and that I heartily confent unto. This is every days

work. I know not how any peace can be maintained with God, without it. If it be the work of fouls to receive Chrift, as made fin for us, we mùft receive him, as one that takes our fins upon him. Not as though he dyed any more, or fuffered any more: but as the faith of the faints of old, made that prefent, and done before their eyes (not come to pass, Heb. xi. 1.) So faith now, makes that prefent, which was accomplished and paft many generations ago. This it is to know Chrift crucified.

4. Having thus by faith given up their fins to Christ, and feen God laying them all on him, they draw nigh, and take from him, that righteousness which he hath wrought out for them: fo fulfilling the whole of that of the apoftle, 2 Cor. v. 21. He was made fin for us, that we might become the righteouf nefs of God in him. They confider him tendering himfelf and his righteousness, to be their righteoufnefs before God: they take it, and accept of it, and compleat this bleffed bartering and exchange of faith. Anger, curfe, wrath, death, fin as to its guilt, He took it all, and takes it all away; with him we leave whatever of this nature belongs to us, and from him we receive, love, life, righteousness and peace.

Object. But it may be faid, furely this courfe of procedure can never be acceptable to Jefus Chrift: What? fhall we daily come to him, with our filth, our guilt, our fins? may he not, will he not bid us keep them to ourfelves, they are our own; shall we

be

be allways giving fins, and taking righteousness?

Anfw. There is not any thing that Jefus Chrift is more delighted with, than that his faints fhould always hold communion with him, as to this bufinefs of giving and receiving. For,

M. This exceedingly honours him, and gives him the glory that is his due; many indeed cry Lord, Lord, and make mention of him, but honour not him at all How fo? They take his work out of his hands, and afcribe it unto other things; their repentance, their duties; fhall bear their iniquities. They do not fay fo, but they do fo. The commutation they make, if they make any, it is with themfelves. All their bartering about fin, is in and with their own fouls. The work that Chrift came to do in the world, was to bear our iniquities, and lay down his life a ranfom for our fins. The cup he had to drink of, was filled with our fins, as to the punishment due to them. What greater dishonour then can be done to the Lord Jefus, than to afcribe this work to any thing elfe: to think to get rid of our fins any other way, or means. Herein, then I say, is Christ honoured indeed, when we go to him with our fins, by faith; and fay unto him, Lord this is thy work, this is that for which thou cameft into the world; this is that thou haft undertaken to do; thou calleft for my burden, which is too heavy for me to bear: take it bleffed Redeemer; thou tendereft thy righteoufnefs, that is my portion. Then is Christ honoured,then is the glory of mediation afcrib-ed to him, when we walk with him in this communion,

2. This exceedingly endears the fouls of the faints to him, and conftrains them to put a due valuation upon him,his love,his righteoufnefs and grace. When they find, and have the daily use of it, then

they

they do it. Who would not love him: I have been with the Lord Jefus, may the poor foul fay: I have left my fins, my burden with him, and he hath given me his righteoufnefs, wherewith I am going with boldnefs to God. I was dead, and am alive, for he dyed for me; I was curfed, and am bleffed, for he was made a curfe for us; I was troubled, but have peace, for the chaltisement of my peace was upon him; I knew not what to do, nor whither to caufe my forrow to go; by him have I received joy unfpeakable and glorious: if I do not love hin, delight in him, obey him, live to him, dy for him, I am worse than the divils in hell. Now the great aim of Christ in the world, is, to have an high place and esteem in the hearts of his people: to have there, (as he hath in himself) the preheminence in all things not to be justled up and down among other things: to be all, and in all. And thus are the faints of God prepared to esteem him, upon the engaging. themselves to this communion with him.

Object. Yea, but you will fay, if this be fo, what need we to repent, or amend our ways, it is but going to Christ by faith, making this exchange with him, and fo we may fin that grace may abound?

Anfw. I judge no man's perfon: but this I mustneeds fay, that I do not understand, how a man that makes this objection in cold blood, not under a temptation or accidental darkness, can have any true or real acquaintence with Jefus Chrift: however this I am certain of, that this communion in itself, produces quite other effects, than those fùppofed. For,

1. For repentance; it is I fuppofe, a gospel repentance that is intended. For a legal bondage repentance full of dread, amazement, terror, felf-love, aftonishment at the prefence of God, I confefs this communion