to make use of Christ, in his Priestly office, & to carry the soul
away to his Propitiation & Intercession.
5. The dayly experience of the Saints evidence this, when upon convi∣ction
of sin, they betake themselves to the free Mercy of God, in Christ,
to the Bloud of sprinkling, crying out for Pardon for the Lord's sake, and
seeking to be washen, in his blood. It is not their Repentance, or Sorrow,
that they flee to, as the ground of their hope of Pardon; but the merites of
Christ, held forth in the new Covenant, is that fountaine, wherein they
must wash & be cleane. See Psal. 25: 11. & 51: 7.
6. This was sufficiently held forth under the Law, when for their Er∣rours,
Failings & dayly Transgressions, the people were to bring their Sa∣crifices
to the Priest, which were to be offered up, as types of Christ &
they were to lay their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice, in signe of their
resting upon the Sacrifice typified, & of rolling their sins upon that only Sa∣crifice,
& of expecting Acceptance & Pardon, through it alone. See Le∣vit.
4: 20, 26, 31, 35. & 5: 10, 13, 16, 18. & 6: 7, 19, 22.
7. If Repentance be the Condition, then this must either be said of that
part of Repentance, which preceedeth the acting of faith, or of that which
followeth: This last cannot be said; for then it would follow, that upon
the acting of faith, that preceedeth, there were no Remission; & so faith
laying hold on Christ & his Merites, should be utterly excluded from having
any Interest in the pardon of sins. Nor can the first be said, for then there
should be Remission, before & without all application made of Christ by
Faith: Yea & the very imperfect beginnings of Repentance should be jud∣ged
sufficient for Remission: which cannot be said. If it be said, that this is
meaned of compleat Repentance. I Ans. Compleet Repentance cannot be
without Faith: & it is against what is said, to make Repentance, conside∣red
alone & by itself, or as abstracted from Faith, the only Condition;
seing this would be a manifest exclusion of Faith altogether. If it be said,
that Repentance & Faith may be considered together, & as joyned toge∣ther
called the Condition of Pardon. I Ans. Seing it is manifest, that both
do not, neither can act one & the same way on Christ; they cannot be con∣sidered
as equally sharing in the place & interest of a condition: And there∣fore,
I judge it saifest to say, That faith, acting in & by Repentance, or
so discovering itself to be true & lively, is the sole Condition of Pardon.
8. As at first, so alwayes that holdeth true, which Peter saith Act. 10:
43. To him (i. e. to Jesus) give all the Prophets witness, that through his na∣me
whosoever beleeveth in him, shall receive Remission of sins. As the stung
Israelit was alwayes, in order to his cure, to look to the brazen serpent:
so is the Beleever, that would be cured of the guilt of new transgressions,
to have his recourse by Faith unto the Mediator, crucified & lifted up
Ioh. 3: 14, 15.
Obj. 1. It is said, that Repentance is necessary both as commanded, and
as a meane appointed for attaining Remission of sins: And therefore must be
the Condition of Remission. Ans. The consequence is not good; for this
same may be said of Prayer, and other Duties; which yet cannot be called