A wakening call, or, An alarm from heaven to the wise and foolish virgins wherein the vices of this age is laid open and bewail'd, the sublety of Satan discover'd in his temptations in several particulars ... : likewise there is discovered the nature of regeneration or the new birth, in several particulars ... / from a minister in the country to a minister in the city for the publication.

CHAP. X. The second Sacrifice of Christ, in our whole human Nature, Spirit, Soul, and Body. (Book 10)

IN and by his first Sacrifice, he became the immediately fitted Hand of God, (the living Word of God, which is God, Iohn 1. 1-3.) for performing the whole Divine Will, in both Creations of Angels and Men, and in dealing with them, all, for ever, in final Love or Wrath.

This first Sacrifice related not to the Pardon of Sin, in Angels or Men. They were none of them, then, extant in their own personal Beings. A Preparation for preventing Sin, in both and all, was thereby made; notwithstanding which, many Angels sinn'd and fell, irrecovera∣bly.

All Mankind sinn'd and fell, in and with Adam; but, recoverably, both as to their Sin and Punishment, and also to a being render'd capable of that true Sal∣vation-life, they, at first refus'd. This second Sacrifice of Christ, therefore, in our Nature, related only to the Sins of Mankind. The good Angels never sinn'd, at all. The evil, were absolutely unpar∣donable. In reference to Sin, therefore, Christ took on him the Nature of Man, not of Angels, (Heb. 2. 16.) and, therein, became a little lower than Angels, even than evil Angels, in the Glory of their First-creation, chosen by them, and granted them by God, in his just Judg∣ment on them, with a ruling Power over Mankind, therein, all along this short-liv'd World; and then to be stripp'd of all their worldly Power and Glory, and laid down, for ever, in everlasting Burn∣ings, under his unquenchable Wrath, in the lowest Hell-part of the eternal World, to come.

In reference to this second Sacrifice of Christ, we are to consider his Entrance into this World, in our Nature. The Vir∣gin

Mary was found with Child, of the Ho∣ly Ghost, Mat. 1. 18. An Angel appears to Joseph, in a Dream, telling him, that what was conceiv'd in her, was of the Holy Ghost; and, warn'd him, that when born, he should call his Name, Iesus, that would save his People from their Sins; and, Immanuel, also, was he to be call'd, that is, God with us, ver. 20-23. Isa. 7. 14. The like Account, as to his wonderful Forma∣tion in the Womb of the Virgin, we find, Luke 1. 26-35. and his Birth, Luke 2. 7. The good Angels rejoic'd thereat (Luk. 2. 13, 14.) not in reference to a procuring their Pardon for Sin, having never sinn'd; but, as knowing thereby, the time draw∣ing near, for them (with Old-Testament-Saints) to receive the Holy Ghost, which they waited for, all along, four thousand Years, by a living spiritual Faith, work∣ing by Love to God, therein, and amount∣ing to an indissoluble Union with Christ, therein. But, the Holy Ghost was not given to Angels or Saints, till our Na∣ture, in Christ, was ascended and glorified, Iohn 7. 39. Both the said Angels and Saints obtain'd a good Report with God, as

well-pleasing to him, by a living spiritual Faith therein, though they had not receiv'd the promis'd Holy Ghost, Heb. 11. 39. From the good Angels Concern, herein, did they, with Old-Testament-Prophets, desire to pry, look into, and diligently to search out what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ in them, did signify, when it testi∣fied beforehand, the Sufferings of Christ, and the Glory that should follow (1 Pet. 1. 10-12.) to our ascended, glorified Na∣ture, in him; and to them, by the Holy Ghost's being sent down from Heaven, in∣to Angels, with the Spirits of Old-Testa∣ment-Saints, departed, and New-Testa∣ment-Gospel Saints, in the mortal Body, Act. 2.1-4. This is the other, better Com∣forter (Christ told his Disciples, the Father in pursuance and for accomplishing of his Free-Grace-Mercy, to them, would send) than he had yet been to them, as a flesh∣ly Bridegroom, in the but restor'd First-covenant Life and Righteousness of Man, therein, Iohn 14. 26. This better Comfor∣ter, he told them, would teach them all things (divine and spiritual) and so bring to their Remembrance, all that he had hitherto, spo∣ken

to them, in Parables, earthly Figures and Similitudes, in which, the mystical divine and spiritual Truths, lay hid from them, as well as others.

The good Angels also rejoic'd at the Birth of Jesus, on the behalf of Mankind, in general; and, of Saints, in special, as the means for recovering all, out of the Darkness and Death, into which brought by their first Sin and Punishment thereof, Gen. 2. 17. Iohn 1. 9. The World was made by him, yet when he came into the World, none, in their worldly Life of the Creature, at best, either knew, receiv'd, or own'd him, Iohn 1.10. The righteous First-Covenant professing Jews, in Union of mind with evil Angels, were the most signally enrag'd Contradicters, Blasphe∣mers and Murderers of him, for his Go∣spel-Doctrine of Salvation, Acts 3.13-15. The exalted Son and Branch, was the im∣mediate Former of himself, in the Womb of the Virgin, the Son of God, on Earth, remaining, still, what he was in the Be∣ginning, the Son of Man in Heaven, John 3. 13.

Evil Angels and Men were God's per∣missive Hand, under his infinite over-rul∣ing Wisdom and Power, to finish the Death-work on all that was mortal, about him, in our Nature; and so, oft, on Saints, to their greatest Good, and Ene∣mies greatest hurt. Hereby, do they compleat Saints Conformity to Christ's Death, freeing them from all that's mor∣tal, about them, while in the Body, Isa. 57. 1, 2.

The Iews would have made Christ, a King, if he would have own'd his King∣dom, in that mortal First-covenant Law-life they saw him in, Iohn 6. 15. But, witnessing his Kingdom, not to be in that worldly Law-life, but in his Gospel-life of Grace and Truth, (Iohn 18. 36, 37.) they murder'd him, and so, compleated the Death of him, as to that mortal Law-life, wherein they would have made him their King. They chose rather to be Subjects to a Heathen King, than such a King as he own'd himself to be, (Iohn 19. 12, 15.) who would have made him such a King, as would have render'd them Trai∣tors and Enemies to Cesar. Here's the

confounded Doings of Man, at best, in his own worldly Spirit and Life. Some Corinthians, Laodiceans, and other Pro∣fessors, in but the First-covenant-life and Righteousness of Man, all along, since, are of the same mind, with them, 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17.

The God of this World offer'd Christ, a far larger Bribe than the Jews did, all the Kingdoms of this World, visible and invisible, under him (all worldly Pow∣er, Human and Angelical) in Case he would own his Kingdom to be in this First-creation Worldly-life, Mat. 4. 8, 9. Whoever are finally taken with his world∣ly Bribes, the literal or mystical Riches of this First-creation World, do fall down and worship him, as God. And, by such Loyal Subjects of him, does he murder true Saints, that refuse so to do; as they did Christ himself. True Heaven-born Sons of God, have the whole self-confi∣dent legal-spirited Generation of Profes∣ssors, on the same Account, universally, in all times, against them. They mortal∣ly and irreconcileably hate them, for owning the Death-work of Christ's Go∣spel-spirit

of Grace, on that Law-spirit of Works, they confidently trust in, for entring into the Kingdom of God. Such become the highest Rank of Satan's Subjects, and most serviceable Instruments for maintain∣ing the Credit of his worldly Kingdom, as the only true Blessedness, to any. God's Thoughts and Ways for true Salvation, are not as Man's: and, when he has de∣clar'd his Ways, in his holy Oracles, let Man's highest Wisdom undertake the in∣terpreting them, all shall run on Satan's Side, God's Thoughts, therein, remain∣ing fast seal'd and lock'd up, from Man's best Understanding, in but a restor'd First-covenant Life, Isa. 29. 11.