text to text, and from point to point; who have begun one fabbath where you left another; it will be your inexcufable fault, if these things be not fixed in your understanding and memories, as nails faftned in a fure place: efpecially providence hath now brought to your eyes, what hath been fo often founded in your ears, which is no small help to fix these truths upon you, and prevent that great hazard of them, which commonly attends bare hearing; for now you may have recourfe as often as you will ro them, view and review them, till they become your own.

But tho' this be a great and fingular advantage, yet it is not all you may have by a methodical underfanding of the doctrines of Chrift: 'tis more than a judicious understanding them, or faithful remembring them, that you and I must design, even the warm, vital, animating influences of thefe truths upon our hearts, without which we fhall be never the better; yea, much the worfe for knowing and remembring them.

Truth is the fanctifying inftrument, Joha xvii. 17. the mould into which our fouls are caft, Rom. vi. 17. according therefore to the ftamps and impreffions it makes upon our understandings, and the order in which truths ly there, will be the depth and laftingness of their impreffions and influences upon the heart; as, the more weight is laid upon the fcal, the more fair and lasting imprefs is made upon the wax. He that fees the grounds and reasons of his peace and comfort most clearly, is like to maintain it the more conftantly..

* Mr. Wall's None but Chrift.

Great therefore is the advantage Chriftians have by fuch methodical fyftems. Surely they may be fet down among the defi derata Chriftianorum, the most desired things of Christians. Divers worthy modern pens have indeed undertaken this noble fubject before me, fome more* fuccinctly, others more + copiously: thefe have done worthily, and their praifes are in the churches of Chrift; yet fuch breadth there is in the knowledge of Chrift, that not only those who have written on this fubject before me, but a thousand authors more may employ their pens after us, and not one interfere with, or ftraiten another.

Mr. Ifaac Ambrofe, his Looking to Jefus.

And fuch is the deliciousness of this fubject, that, were there ten thousand volumes written upon it, they would never cloy, or become naufeous to a gracious heart. We ufe to fay, one thing tires, and 'tis true that it doth fo,, except that one thing be virtually and eminently all things, as Chriftis; and then one thing. can never tire: for fuch is the variety of fweetnefs in Christ, who is the deliciae humani generis, the delights of the children of

men, that every time he is opened to believers from pulpit or prefs, it is as if heaven had furnished them with a new Chrift; and yet he is the fame Christ still.

The treatise itself will fatisfy you, that I have not boasted in another man's line, of things made ready to my hand: which I fpeak not in the leaft to win any praife to myself from the undertaking, but to remove prejudice from it; for I see more defects in it, than most of my readers will fee, and can forethink more faults to be found in it, than I now fhall ftand to tell thee of, or answer for. It was written in a time of great distractions; and didst thou but know how oft this work hath died and revived under my hand, thou wouldst wonder that ever it came to thine.

I am fenfible it may fall under fome cenforious (it may be, envious) eyes, and that far different judgments will pafs upon it; for pro captu lectoris habent fua fata libelli: And no wonder if a treatise of Chrift be, when Chrift himself was to fome, a ftone "of stumbling, and a rock of offence." I expect not to please every reader, especially the envious; magna debet effe eloquentia, quae invitis placet. It is as hard for fome to look upon other mens gifts without envy, as it is to look upon their own without pride: nor will I be any further concerned with fuch readers, than to pity them; well knowing that every proud contempt and envious cenfure is a granado that breaks in the hand of him that cafts it.

But to the ingenuous and candid reader, I owe fatisfaction for the obfcurity of fome part of this difcourfe, occafioned by the concifeness of the ftile; to which I have this only to fay, that I was willing to croud as much matter as I could into this number of fheets into thy hand, that I might therein ease thee both in thy pains and purfe. I confefs the fermons were preached in a more relaxed ftile, and most of these things were enlarged in the pulpit, which are defignedly contracted in the prefs, that the volume might not fwell above the ability of common readers. And it was my purpose at first to have comprised the second part, viz. The application of the redemption that is with Chrift unto finners, in one volume, which occafioned the contraction of this; but that making a juft volume itfelf, muft await another season to see the light. If the reader will be but a little the more intent and confiderate in reading, this concife nefs will turn to his advantage.

This may fuffice to shew the usefulness of such compofures, and prevent offence: But fomething yet remains with me, to May to the readers in general, to thofe of this town in special,

and to the flock committed by Chrift to my charge more efpecially.

1. To readers in general, according as their different states and conditions may be there are fix things earnestly to be requested of them.

:

(1.) If you be yet ftrangers to Chrift, let thefe things begin, and beget your firft acquaintance with him. I affure thee reader, it was a principal part of the defign thereof; and here thou wilt find many directions, helps, and sweet encouragements, to affift a poor stranger as thou art, in that great work. Say not, £ am an enemy to Christ, and there is no hope of reconciliation; for here thou wilt fee, how "God was in Chrift reconciling the "world to himself." Say not, all this is nothing, except God had told thee so, and appointed fome to treat with thee about it; "for he hath committed unto us the word of this reconci"liation." Say not, yea, that may be from your own pity and compaffion for us, and not from any commiffion you have for it; for we 66 are ambassadors for Chrift." I Cor. v.

19.

Say not, O but my fins are greater than can be forgiven; the difficulties of my falvation are too great to be overcome, especially by a poor creature as I am, that am able to do nothing, no, not to raise one penny towards the discharge of that great debt I owe to God: For here thou wilt find, upon thy union with Christ, that there is merit enough in his blood, and mercy enough in his bowels, to justify and fave fuch a one as thou art. Yea, and I will add for thine encouragement, that it is a righteous thing with God to justify and fave thee, that canft not pay him one penny of all the vast fums thou oweft him; when by the fame rule of juftice he condemns the most strict, felf-righteous Pharifee, that think thereby to quit fcores with him. It is righteous for a judge to caft him that hath paid ninety nine pounds of the hundred which he owed, because the payment was not full; and to acquit him, whose furety hath paid all, tho himself did not, and freely confefs that he cannot pay one farthing of the whole debt.

(2.) If thou be a felf-deceiving foul, that easily takest up thy fatisfaction about thine intereft in Chrift, look to it, as thou valueft thy foul, reader, that a fond and groundless conceit of thine intereft in Chrift do not effectually and finally obftruct a true and saving interest in him. This is the common and fatal error in which multitudes of fouls are enfnared and ruined: For look as a conceit of VOL. I.

D

Quam multi fapuissent nifi fe prius fapere

putaffent? i. e. How many might have been wife, if they had not thought them felves wife already? Sen.

great wisdom hinders many from the attaining of it; fo a groundlefs conceit that Chrift is already thine, may prove the greateft obftacle betwixt Chrift and thee: But here thou wilt meet with many rules that will

not deceive thee, trials that will open thy true condition to thee.

Thou fometimes reflecteft upon the state of thy foul, and enquireft, is Chrift mine? may I depend upon it, that my condi-' tion is fafe? Thy heart returns thee an anfwer of peace, it fpeaks as thou wouldst have it: But remember, friend, and mark this line, Thy final fentence is not yet come from the mouth of thy fudge; and what if, after all thy felf-flattering hopes and groundless confidences, a fentence should come from him quite cross to that of thine own heart? where art thou then? what a confounded perfon wilt thou be? Christless, speechless, and hopeless,

all at once!

O therefore build fure for eternity; take heed left the lofs of thine eternal happiness be at laft imputed by thee to the deceitfulness and laziness of thine own heart; left thy heart say to thee in hell, as the heart of Apollodorus feemed in his fufferings to fay to him, I am the caufe of all this mifery to thee..

(3.) If thou be one whofe heart is eagerly fet upon this vain world, I beseech thee take heed, left it interpofe itself betwixt Chrift and thy foul, and fo cut thee off from him for ever. O beware, left the duft of the earth, getting into thine eyes fo blind thee, that thou never fee the beauty or neceffity of Chrift: The god of this world fo blinds the eyes of them that believe not. And, what are fparkling pleasures that dazzle the eyes of fome, and the distracting cares that wholly divert the minds of others, but as a napkin drawn by Satan over the eyes of them that are to be turned off into hell? 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

Some general aims, and faint wishes after Christ you may have; but, alas! the world has center'd thy heart, intangled thy affections, and will daily find new diverfions for them from the great bufinefs of life; fo that, if the Lord break not this fnare, thou wilt never be able to deliver thy foul.

(4) If thou be a loofe and careless profeffor of Christ, I beseech thee, let the things thou shalt read in this treatife, of Chrift, convince, shame, and reclaim thee from thy vain converfation. Here thou wilt find how contrary thy converfation is to the grand defigns of the death and refurrection of Christ. O, methinks as thou art reading the deep humiliation, and unspeakable forrows Chrift underwent for the expiating of fin, thou fhouldft thence

forth look upon fin as a tender child would look upon that knife 'that ftab'd his father to the heart! thou fhouldst never whet and fharpen it again to wound the Son of God afresh. To fuch loofe and careless profeffors, I particularly recommend the last general ufe of this difcourfe, containing many great motives to reformation and strict godliness in all that call upon the name of the Lord Jefus.

(5.) If thou hast been a profane and vain person, but now art pardoned, and doft experience the fuperabounding riches of grace; my request to thee is, that thou love Jefus Chrift with a more fervent love than ever yet thou hadft for him. Here thou wilt find many great incentives, many mighty arguments to fuch a love of Christ. Poor foul, consider what thou hast been, what the morning of thy life was, what treasures of guilt thou laidst up in those days; and then think, can such a one as I receive mercy, and that mercy not break my heart? Can I read my pardon, and mine eyes not drop? What! mercy for fuch a wretch as I! a pardon for fuch a rebel! O what an ingenuous thaw should this cause upon thy heart! if it do not, what a strange heart is thine!

Did the love of Christ break through fo many impediments to come to thee? Did it make its way through the law, through the wrath of God, through the grave, through thine own unbelief and great unworthiness, to come to thee? O what a love was the love of Chrift to thy foul! And is not thy love strong enough to break through the vanities and trifles of this world, which intangle it, to go to Chrift? How poor, how low and weak is thy love to Christ then?

Mr. S. R.

(6.) Laftly, Art thou one that haft through mercy at last attained affurance, or good hope, through grace, of thy intereft in Chrift? Rejoice then in thy prefent mercy, and long ardently to be with thine own Chrift in his glory. There be many things difperfed through this treatife, of Chrift, to animate fuch joy, and excite fuch longings. It was truly obferved by a worthy author, (whose words I have mentioned more freely than his name in this discourse) That it is in a manner as natural for us to leap when we fee the new Jerufalem, as it is to laugh when we are tickled: Joy is not under the foul's command, when Chrift kiffeth it. And for your defires to be with Chrift, what confiderations can you find in this world strong enough to rein them in? O when you fhall confider what he hath done, fuffered, and purchased for you, where he is now, and how much he longs