The vniversallity of God's free-grace in Christ to mankind.: Proclaimed and displayed from 1 Tim. 2.6. and Hebr. 2.9. according to their genuine sense. That all might be comforted, encouraged; every one confirmed and assured of the propitiation and death of Christ for the whole race of mankind, and so for himself in particular. / Through urgent importunity, written by Thomas Moore.

USE IV.

If thou be one that hast never yet experimented any Spirituall discoveries of the Preciousnesse of the blood of Christ, shed for thee; so as through the Gospel, to be therewith convinced of thy being under sinne, for not beleeving in Christ: and through the grace, righteousnesse and good will of Christ, appearing therein, bowed to Repentance and overcome to beleeve in him; but only having heard that Christ Dyed for sinners, and thou not knowing for which, nor how many of them; but as thou supposest; Sure onely for the Elect,

and not knowing who these Elect are; Thou hast found in the Scriptures set forth, a holy, righteous Law of Precepts, discovering such righteousnesse; as is verily due from Man, the Creature of God, to be performed to God his Creator; and each to other, for Gods sake; and to the keepers and fulfillers of this Law, thou findest a pro∣mise of Life; and to the Transgressors thereof a threatning of death, and curse; and upon this ground thou hast studied the Law, and se∣riously attended good Sermons, and read good Bookes; Commen∣ting on the same, thereby to find out what sinne is, and what righ∣teousnesse is, and so to escape death, and that Life might be attained; and by motives from the Law so urged; haste endeavoured to worke sorrow upon thy heart for thy sinnes, by this Law discovered in thee; and to doe thy utmost to avoid every sinne; that by the Law thou knowest to be sinne; to worke thy heart to likement of every good duty thou knowest the Law to require of thee; and to doe thy ut∣most to performe the same; and where thou against thy will, com∣mest short, to confesse it to be thy sinne, and aske Pardon, and strive to doe better; and then from some attainements in affections and conversation, Perceivest in thy selfe a change of Judgement, Affecti∣on and Conversation, from what thou wert, to what thou art, and from what the most of other men are; to that thy self, and some few others are; and desires to encrease in the same still; and from this thy change and desire of Perseverance therein; and the appro∣bation of others so changed, of the truth and goodnesse of this thy Conversation and Conversion; thou gatherest Peace in thy heart, and countest thy self more holy, and much better then others not so changed; and thereupon conceivest thy self to be Elected, and so one of those for whom Christ dyed, and therefore restest perswading thy self, that thou art justifyed by his Blood, and one of the Children of God, that shall be saved from wrath through him: Now it being thus with thee, I must needs cleer thee from that grosse bypocrisie, and those appearing evills, of those that pretend the same Conversion and Conversation, and boost of the same Confidence; who yet are found to make sport of the igno∣rance, Profanness, open sinnes, and follyes of others, in rymes, jeasts and scoffes, which they cannot but know to be evill. Prov. 13.9. and who are found to slander their Brethren, and to speak faire, and pretend Love to their faces, and to lay waite to catch them; and to traduce and cast false

aspertions on them, behind their backs. Psal. 35.11, 16. who can raile, equivocate, and dispense with known duties for their own ends, and then cast that shame in their reports, on such as loath the same, because they are not one with them, in every of their Opinions. Rom. 3.8. with which fault thou art not charged; Yet in love, I pray be willing to try thy Con∣fidence, and the rather, because it is the most dangerous of all deceits, if thou shouldest goe on, and be deceived in this; at the last, the losse will be unvaluable, and irrecoverable. Matt. 16.26. Eccles. 11.3. & 9, 10. and there have been many, and some appearing godly, that have thus deceived themselves. Prov. 30.12. Revel. 3.1.17. and the Scripture no where showeth, that the Spirit speaketh Peace, justifyeth, and wit∣nesseth sonship this way; Thou art left to the Testimony of thy owne heart; then which, nothing can be more deceitfull. Iere. 17.19. and he that trusteth thereto, is by the Holy Ghost said to be a fool. Prov. 28.26. Hoping therefore thou approvest not such folly; nor wilt abhorre Tryall; I will endeavour to set thee on the same.

1. Doth not this thy joy & Confidence, Proceed from ignorance of the Spirituallity, and large extent of the righteousnesse required in the Law; as Paul professeth the same did in him, when he was a Pharisee. Phil. 3.4, 7. Rom. 7.9.

2. Dost not thou, in observing the Law to such an end, and ga∣thering such conclusions, and trust from such Attainements and Per∣formances, according to the same, as the Pharisees did. Luke 18.9, 11, 12.

Disobey the Law in the Prime end of it, and abuse it to such an end, as God never gave it; for though it was in mercy ordained to Life, in a killing way, and good, and fit for that end. Rom. 7.7.12.

Yet not to give Life. Gal. 3.21. But to discover sinne;

To sentence under the guilt of sinne, to Curse and Death for sinne, and so to slay and kill all hopes, placed in, or gathered from any righteousnesse, to be by men that way attained; That so in the abounding of the sinfulnesse of sinne, and the vanity of all humane righteousnesse; the grace of God in Christ, might the more appeare; and men yeelding themselves as sinners, and cursed ones, might submit

to Christ, and accept of the grace in him, and seek Righteousnesse and life in him, through heleeving. Rom. 3.19, 20, 21, 22. & 7.7. & 5.20, 21. Gal. 2.19, 20. & 3.19. Rom. 10.10.

3. Dost thou not hereby, as much as lieth in thee, by maintain∣ing such confidence, make the Death of Christ, and Faith in Christ, and the Promises of God in the Gospel, and so the Grace of God in Christ, all vaine, void, and of none effect, as the Scripture affirmes, that main∣taining such Confidence doth. Gal. 2.21. & 3.17, 18, 21, 22. & 5.2, 3, 4. Rom. 4.13, 14.5. & 11.6.

4. Wherein doth the Scripture lead thee any where to challenge the Death of Christ, and the Righteousnesse of Christ, by any Worke or Righteousness of thine, according to the Law, as that also, in which thou art not sound better then others; Nay, doth not the Scripture affirme the contrary of mens comming in to Christ, by Faith unfained. 1 Tim. 15, 16. 2 Tim. 1.9, 10. Tit. 3.3, 4, 5. Ephes. 2.1.4, 5, 6. Rom. 3.28. & 4.1.5, 6. & 5.1, 8, 9.

5. Doth not the justifying such a Confidence as thine, maintaine in the mystery of it, that Opinion of Justification before God by Works, seeing the first rise of thy Consolation and Confidence, to challenge life be∣fore God, was not the Spirituall Application of the blood of Christ, to the Ʋngodly, and a sinner; So speaking Peace to, and renewing thy heart, as Heb. 12.24. Tit. 3.3, 4, 5. But thy owne Workes, and Righteousnesse wrought and attained, was the first Peace-speaker in thee, and that by which thou challengest right in, and Justification by the blood of Christ. Luk. 18.11, 12. Prov. 30.1 2. Rom. 3.19.24, 25, 27.

6. Doth not the Scripture plainly affirme, that this labouring to establish a Righteousnesse of a mans owne, to come before God with, and to challenge and get the Righteousnesse of God by; doth preceed from ig∣norance of the Righteousnesse of God; and keeps men from submitting to the Righteousnesse of God in Christ, and frustrateth mens enjoyment of that righteousnesse. Rom. 10.2, 9, 4. & 9.31, 32, 33.

7. Have not such as were knowne to be yet without true Faith in Christ, and so not yet borne againe, had as good a conversion and conversation, and confidence raised therefrom, as thou now hast; what wilt thou say of Paul, when he was a Pharisee. Rom. 7.9. Phil. 3.4, 9. or of the Zealous Jewes. Rom. 10.2. or Nicodemus, that came to be instructed of Christ. Ioh. 3.1, 2, 3. or of that generation. Pro. 30.12.

If thou salst thou dost nor trust in thy workes (which cannot be avoided) but that thou doeing to thy utmost to obey God, in every of the commands of the law, Thou trustest in Christ to make up that which is wanting on thy part, and so to be justified and saved through him; This doth not helpe thee, for the Scripture shewes, that hee is no such daies-man, to lay his hand on thee, to cause thee to perform and pay a part of thy debt, and to lay his hand on God, to accept that ••••tle of thee and himself, to make up the rest; whence no such comming to be justified before him. Job 9.15.30, 33. Hee hath paid the full debt, and made the Propitiation, and hath the Pardon in his hands to dispose, and by his grace in application of his blood; Hee justifieth the ungodly, when he helpeth them to beleeve. Rom. 4.5. and 5.4.9. and is the Mediatour of the New Testament; That they might receive the promised Inheritance. Heb. 9.14, 15.

If thou saist, that from thy change in frames and performances thou dost not conclude, that Christ dyed for thee, nor trust by them to be saved; but onely trustest thou art one of Christs peculiar Peo∣ple, and so art justified by his blood, and shalt be saved from wrath throu••h him; Even this also doth not helpe thee, nor mend thy Plea; for the Scripture affirmeth this also, to be a trusting in thy self; and that herein thou art not wise to compare thy self with thy self; and with others, and that not hee that commendeth himself, (as thou art faine to doe, impleading thy change, thy uprightnesse, humility, and endeavours of obedience,) is approved, but he whom God com∣mendeth. 2 Cor. 10.7.12, 18. and that it is (not the workes of righteousnesse in us, but) the Spirit of Christ, that by the blood of Christ, speaketh peace too, and purifieth the heart. 1 Joh. 5.6, 7. Rom. 8.1, 2, 15. Tit. 3.4, 5, 6. So that thy hope and assurance on; through Triall, will prove but sandy; The Gospel no where commending, every where faulting such a hope; That I say nothing of the danger∣ousnesse of it, to puffe one up with high thoughts of himself, Prov. ••••.13. and to lead to despising of others. Lake 18.9, 11. and so to some Schisme, Sect, or Faction; and with the Pharisee, inwardly to love none but ones friends of the same sort with him, which sinners also doe, Matth. 5.42.48.

Wherefore I pray thee, to lay aside not any righteous affections and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but all this thy confidence made up thereby; and 〈◊〉〈◊〉

to the Death of Christ, which was for sinners; that thou maist come in at that doore, where thou shalt be found no better then others; And let the Excellency of the grace of Christ prevaile with thee, as it did with Paul, Phil. 3.3, 9. and doe not spend thy strength for that which satisfyeth not, but encline thine eare, and hearken to him, and waite for Spirit and Peace from him. Isa. 55.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.