Sacrifices there is a remembrance of Sins again, made ev'ry Tear.

The Sum of these Paffages taken together is, that the Mofaic Law and Tabernacle were given to exhibit a Figure and Shadow, by Indices or Signs, for the Time then prefent, of Purification and Redemption by Chrift, who was to come: But that the fame had not in them the Truth and Subftance of that Purification and Redemption; that the faid Figure and Shadow, the faid Indices and Signs, ftood in Meats, and Drinks, and divers Washings, and Sacrifices of flain Beafts, and other carnal Ordinances; which, for three Reasons, cou'd not make them that ferv'd God by them, PERFECT as pertaining to CONSCIENCE, that is, they cou'd not, for fo many Reasons, Purge and take away Confcience of Infirmities and Sins, either General or Special. ift. Because they were, or did contain in them, only Indices or Signs of purifying the Body, but cou'd not reach the Soul, and therefore cou'd not Purify the Man but imperfectly. 2dly. Because the aying, dividing, and burning, of the Creatures order'd for Sacrifices, were all what the Apostle terms-dead Works; that is, they were Signs or Monitions of Death due for Sins, and fo kept the Confcience of the Offerers, ftill bound under Servitude to Sin and Death; while ConScience of Righteousness and Life to be restor'd by Chrift, lay deep under the Cover and Infolding of many complex Types; and therefore

was

was not to be seen but at a distance, and thro some Exhibition of the Gate of Death, which was to be pafs'd in the Way to Life. 3dly. Becaufe, thofe Services were order'd to be repeated for Remembrance of Sins Year by Year; fo that, they were, in Propriety, only fo many Registrations of Sins ; and, therefore, ferv'd alfo, in this refpect, only to bind Sin ftill fafter upon the Confcience; but did nothing truly and effectually to take it away. Only, by them was that which the Apoftle calls-the bringing in of a better Hope in Chrift; who, being fince come an High Priest of good Things to come, that is, of true and proper Purification and Redemption, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with Hands, not of this Building, but by the Tabernacle of his own Body railed from the Dead; neither with the Blood of Goats and Calves, but with his own Blood, is enter'd once for all into the true Sanctum Sanctorum in Heaven, having obtained eternal Redemption for us: So that, Satisfaction for Sins being now properly and fully made; and, therefore, needing no more to be repeated; that general Confcience of Sins which had remain'd, as aforefaid, under the Law; and which, by all the Services of the Law, was stirr'd and kept more awake in the Mind; is now done away in Chrift; and, by that Means, all they who do now come to God thro' him, are properly Purified and made Perfect, and confequently, no more have any fuch Confcience of

Sirs

Sins. In this Sense, I fay, the Typical Ser vices of the Law cou'd not, but the true Sacrifice of Chrift hath taken away Confcience of Sins. And, no other thing but the right Apprehenfion, by Faith, of the Merits of that true Sacrifice, can take away fuch Confcience of Sins in any Man. No Man's natural Powers, or Civil and Social Performances, or Simple Repentances; nor, any Law, or Reafon, or Wifdom, of any Man's finding out; nor any Lawgiver, or Prophet, made and intruded by himself, or fought and set up by others, can avail at all to purge that Confcience of Sins, or to take away that Guilt to which cach wretched Mortal, from his firft Father, is Heir alike. There are eternal Impediments and Obftacles laid by Nature (as Nature now is) in our Way to God, fo that we have no poffibility of Approach, but by him who hath taken upon himfelt our Burden, and plain'd our Way for us. Moreover,

To add a Word of the Indices or Signs, as above mention'd: Thofe of the Law were Memorials of Chrift, as he was then fill to fuffer for Sins; and, confequently, of Sins not then purg'd and done away: But, not fo, the Indices or Signs of the Gospel in the Chriftian Sacraments; for, here, tho3 fome of the Indices or Signs, are, it is true, Memorials of the Death of Chrift; yet are they fo in fuch manner as that Chrift is reprefented and understood, in the fame, to have actually fatisfied for Sins

by

by his Death; as, alfo, to be fince Rifen, and to have Afcended up into his Glory, and, confequently, to have now actually purged from Sins, the Confciences of all thofe who do come to God thro' him, by a faithful and pious Application of the faid (Sacramental) Signs.

This is the Apostle's Inftruction on this Argument, altogether; Inftruction truly Divine and Comfortable to all that can receive it. And, when any Man fets himself to write on this, or any other like Subjects; it concerns him, well to confider, whether he be able and willing rightly to explain them; not to ftudy how to confound himself and his Readers with them, by cavilling, excepting, and diftinguishing, that is, by equivocating and denying, he knows not what, relating to them. For, whether it be of flothful Ignorance, or of vain Affectation, or of rebellious Wickedness; or thro' any other like Cause of miferable Deception, and Blindnefs; it is a moft fearful Thing to handle the Word of God ignorantly or deceitfully. It was predicted of the Jews, and but too nearly touches the Cafe of Multitudes of others, with refpect of the Holy Scriptures, now.—The Vifion of all, that is, the whole end and defign of the Divine Revelation to Men, is become unto you as the Words of a Book that is Sealed, which Men deliver to one that is Learned Saying, read this, I pray thee; and he faith, I cannot, for it is Sealed:

And

4

1

And the Book is deliver'd to him that is not Learned, faying, read this, I pray thee; and he faith, I am not Learned, Ifai. xxix. 11, 12. If Men, whofe Bufinefs it is, or who do make it their Bufinefs, to interpret Scripture; do Misunderstand, and Mifinterpret it; by whatfoever Means, or with whatfoever View this is done, the Crime is, in effect, the fame: Any way it is, declar'd to be for Punishment and a Curfe unto them. Because they are under no Neceffity of intruding into what they do not understand. On the contrary, it is an Apoftolical Precept he that is Ignorant, let him be Ignorant: That is, let him behave as one that is Ignorant, and not pretend to know and explain what he knows not. But to return.

Obf. 6. The Author challenges the Clergy to enter the Lifts of Difputation with him, and then advises them, with the Authority of a Conqueror in Triumph, or with the Aurance of a Mountebank, crying and commending of his Packets, for the Future to preach to their Flocks reconciliation with God, not thro' Faith in the Redemption by Christ Jesus (as they have hitherto taken themselves to be required by the Holy Scriptures to do) but thro' his Noftrum of Simple Repentance. As for his Challenge, I think, that, by his own manner of drawing up his Forces, and by the Order and Succefs of his Attacks, he has only fhewn the World, how Imprudent and Rafh a thing it is, for him that girdeth on his Harness, to boast

bimfelf