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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichi, il est fiimd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 'M W TJ^ N- r ■m' iff^'- . AN D D R E S S J , T O T H E INHABITANTS NEW BRUNSWICK, Nova- Scotia, in North America^ OCCASJ.ONED BY THE MISSION OF TWO MINISTERS, John James, and Charles William Milton^ SENT OUT BY THl Countefs of H U N T I N G D O N, , F R M H E R COLLEGE IN SOUTH- WALES, , TO PREACH the' GLAD TIDINGS of SALVATION by JESUS CHRIST T O L O S T S I N N E R S. "»♦ By JOHN BRADFORD, A. B. Late of WADHAM-COLLEGE, OXFORD; CHAPMIN to iHS Right Honourable the COUNTESS op HUNTINGDON. Matt. xxiv. 14 — rhh Gofpd cf the Kingdom Jkall be preached in all tU World for a JVitnefs to all Nations. J John i, 3. — Thatnohich ive bavefeest and beard, declare we unto you. J Tim. ill. i6.~^Witbout Contro-verfy, great is the Myftery ofCodlinefs\ COD manifeft in the Fkp^jujiifed in the Sfirit^feen of /ingeh-^preached unt$ the Gentiles — Lclieved on in the World — received up into Glory. LONDON: Printed for and sold by HUGHES and WALSH, Inner Temple-Lane. M^PCCjLXXXTIIJ* . ^ III 1 V f:. '' ttl 111 ' "''^h ' f">- '"'' ■■rf'-i ~ 'r : J I =, 7-. d « >• .« 'I / t\^^l'v.4 I' r'^ ^^.' '• ■ ' "/- (^7> :I w;:: o J •T- " y ^ . » iO - ,vV . f T ■ -•■ - ■-..:'"v^U . 1 ,-. ftt ^ * '- » U 7' « i *-- ., '*'. -f .: • (• * • , 'HvM^ *'t ;V^:. o-;u: 1^ ii ■ v'' >. • iti? A Kij - ' *■ ^ r »4 *%. TO T H B^ INHABITANTS O F New Brunfwick, Nova-Scotia, 1 N NORJH AMERICA. p;: MY BELOVED BK.ETHREN, BEING called upon, in Providence, to aflift at the ordi- nation of two young men, for the work of the mini- ftry, who are intended to ferve in the Gofpel of our LQRD JESUS CHRIST, more immediately among you ; it is the particular requeft of that highly-honoured and ele6t Lady, the Countefs of Huntingdon, (of whofe real concern and regard for your precious and immortal fouls this miffion is the heft proof) that I fliould addrefs you, in a few lines, oa the reality and importance of thofe truths, the knowledge and enjoyment of which is neceflary to your prefent and everlafting happinefs. — I would therefore endeavour, by the manifeftation of the truth, to commend myfelf to your hearts and confciences in the fight of GOD. As my only end and aim is to promote the real welfare of your fouls, I have only this requeft to make, that you would confult the Bible and your own hearts, to fee whether thefe things are fo. The LORD, in mer- cy. S I 0- [ 4 ] 6y, has (ent you his precious Gofpcl : it will ho your* tiappinefs to hear aiiJ receive it; hut, woe he unto you, if you put it from you, and cafl the word of GOl^ behind your hacks. Confuler — I low will you efcape, !f you ncgle6l this great falvation, of which the Gof- pel fpeaks ? Do you not know t1iat tlie judgment of GOD, whirh is acror(hiig to truth, is againft thofe who have comtiiirted tuch things, of which you know your- felves to have heen guilty ? Do not your confcieiices, at times, telUfy againll you? IJave you not awful api)rehen- fions of that infinirely jufl and holy GOD, t!ie great and univerfal Law-giv-r, whole laws you know that vou iiave broken? HoW will you avert his wrath? How ui!I you efcape his avenging fword? — Salvation, and the forgive- nefs of fins, is preached in the name of our LORD |E- SUS CHKIST. — He who believeth in Him, is juftified from all things — He who believeth not, is condemned already. You may depend upon it, if you die under that fentence, you have noihing to expe6l, hut a fearful look- ing for of judgment, and fiery indignation, I^et me he- feech you, therefore, to confider the things which make for your peace — To confider, not only ti.e uncertainty of ]ife, but the certainty of that defi:ru6lion, into wliich you muft inevitably fink, unlefs y m obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help, before it is too late. — Now is the accepted time — Now is the day of falvation — There is no redemp- tion in the grave, where you are going; if you are not con- verted in this life, depend upon it, yon can never enter into the kingdom of heaven ; for fo our LORD has faid, Matt, xviii. 3. And in another place he fays, John iii. 3. Except a man bo' born agaiuy be cannot fee the kingdom of GOD, Let me afk — What do you know of converfion and the new birth ? Of a death unto fin, and a new birth untp righteoufnefs ? ■HP [ s ] Ir'igljteoufncTs ? What do you know of any cliangp made upon your hearts? St. Paul fays, 2 Cor. iii. 18. By hehohling^ as in a gZ-ifs, the Glory of the LORD, we arc changed into the fame image, from Glory to Glory, euen as hy the SPI- RIT of the LORD And again, Tit. lii. 5,6. According to his mercy he fived us., hy the 'ivafh'ng of rep^eneration^ and re- newing of the HOLY GUI' ' zr I* mSSSi,. [ 9 ] As GOD can only he known as a GOD in CHRIST, fo CHRIST ran onlv be known as revealed to llio foul l)y the HOLY CjHOST. St. Paul piays, Eph. i. 17. M,y the GOD and FATHER nf our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the pylTUER of Glory, give you the Spirit of IVifdom and Revelation unto the knowledge of him : and 2 Cor. iv. 6. he lays, GOD, who commanded the liifbt to flnne out of darknrf , hath jhined in our heart Sy to give ^he light of the knowledge of the Glory of GOD in the face of JESUS CHRIST. Our LORD lays, John xiv. 20. In that day (/. f. when the Spirit fliall he poured out upon them) ye f ball know that the Father is in me, and I in him. It is faid, I Cor. xii. 3. No man can call JESUS Lord hut by the HOLY GHOST. Let the fe Scriptures he compared to- gether, and you mull acknowledge- tl:at GOD can he known in no other way, than as dwt.'lling in the perfon of CHRISI'; and that CHRIST can he known in no other way, than as revealed to tl^.c loul by the HOLY GHOST. As to all tliat can he laid concerning faith, as being th« belief of the Truth, if CHRIST himfelf is the Truth in» tended, tlie definition is juft ; for He who faid, / am the Truth, faid to his difciples, Tc believe in GOD, believe alio in mc. But if by the belief of the Truth, is meant the affent of the underftanding to certain fa6ls, certain propo- fitions, orcerta!.! fentiments or opinions, as true, without any particular application to the foul, this account of faitij is delufive, becaufe the written word, rather than the in- carnate Word, feems to be the objedl of this faith ; and 'becaufe the office of GOD's Spirit, in this account, feems to be fuperfeded ; for here is no manifeftation of the Spirit, whofe office it is, not to fpeak of himfelf^ but to take of the things of CHRIST, andjhew them unto us* As to all that can be l;\id, refpedling our duty to believe what GOD reveals, upon the credit of the divine veracity, I would afk, B. Where [ .0 ] Where is the proof of the divine veracity, without a parti- cular application to my foul l)y the Spirit ? I can clearly prove, that it is pofTiblc for a man to be fully perfuackd, in his o'vn mir 1, that the Scriptures are the words of life, and a revelation from GOD, and yet be deftituteof faving faith. Was not this the cafe with king Agrippa ? St. Paul knew that king Agrippa believed the prophets ; yet king Agrippa, by his own confefiion, was but an alinoll Chril- tian. — Our LORD faid to tlie jews, Search the Scriptures^ for in them ye think that ye have eternal iife^ and they are they that tejiify of Me ; but, fays he, Te luillnot come to ME that ye 7nay have life. — May we not fairly conclude from hence, that the Jews, though they believed the Scriptures to be the word of life, yet they did not f^vingly believe in the LORD JESIJS CHRIST. The record that GOD hath given us is eternal life,- as to its intent and meaning; but this eternal life is not in the record, (which is profitable for do6lrine, for reproof, for indruclion in righteoufnefs) but this life is in his Son : this is the true COD and eternal life, I'Vhofo hath the Son, hath Ufe, and ivhojo hath not the Son, hath not life. St. Paul calls faith an evidence, t. e. the voice or tefli- mony of GOD's Spirit, witneffing to the truth and reality of thofe things which no natural man can pofTibly difcern, but: which, faith the Apofiile, he has revealed to us hy his Spirit.— Ouv LORD calls the HOLY GHOST a Witnefs, John xv. 26. Whc]? the Comforter is come, whom { will fend to you from the Father^ even the Spirit of Tnith^ whic" proceedeth from the Father, He /hall te/lify of me. We read, Rom. viii. 16. that the Spirit itfelf heareth witnefs tuith our fpirits^ that we are the children of GOD. And I John v. lO^ He that believeth hath the zvitncfs in himjclf. It is only by the tellimony and evidence of GOD'b Spirit that we can come to ►•■- .-, I » ] to any certain knowledge refpedling the mind of GOD, and the way of Talvation hy JESUS CHRIST. A natural man may adopt a fet of notions and opinions — he may make himfelf acquainted with a variety of fyfteins nnd 'entiments — but he knows nothing favingly of the Truth as it is in jESUS ; neither does he experience the powe of the Gofpel. He may learn to talk about JESTJS CHRIST, and the things of (jOD, as a blind man may learn to talk about colours. A man who has never tailed honey in his hfe, from the report of others, takes it foj- granted that it is very fweet, and from what he has heard others fay, he may defcribe the properties of honey; but he only who has tailed the fweetnefs of honey himfelf, can be a proper judge of its true flavour : jufl fo, very ex- cellent things may be fpoken of JESCJS CHRIST, by one who never felt the faving efficacy of his blood ; buj. he only, who knows the LORD for himfelf, can be a proper judge of that peace which the Gofpel brings, when received in power. . This is a point of the firR importance, and as fuch it iDufl be infifted upon, namely, that we can know nothing of GOD — nothing of the myflery of his will — nothing of the myflery of the Gofpel — of the myftery of Godli- nefs—of the myflery of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST — that we can know nothing of the myftery of faith, but as we are divinely taught, and fpi- ritually enlightened. St. John fiiys, i John ii. 27. Tenee^ not that any man teach you^ but the anointing teacheth you of all things^ and is truth, and is no lye. This is the exprefs tenor of the new covenant. They /hall not teach every man his neigh- bour^ and every man his brother, faying. Know the LORD; i. e, one man fliall not impart the knowledge of GOD to ano- ther; but, faith the LORD, They Jhall all he taught of Me ^ , r B 2 am [ 12 ] and they Jhall all know Me^ from tba leajl to the greatcjl. To this very end our LORD promifed to fend the Com- forter. John xiv. 26. But the Comforter ^ which is the HOLT GNOST, whom the Father will fend in my name^ He Jhall teach you all things There can be no real fat isfa6l ion in the mind, as to the truth or reality of any thing, without that evidence or convidlion, which produces certainty or confidence. The truths of GOD are fo far beyond our natural capacity, or compiehenfion, that, without that evidence or convic- tion, wliich arifes from the revelation of GOD's Spirit, wc can have no confidence nor certainty refpedling them ; for the things of GOD knowrth no man^ but the Spirit of GOD j and the Spirit fearchcth all things ; yea^ the deep things ofGODf The LORD undoubtedly makes ufe of means, it is faid, Rom. x. 14. HoiufJjalt they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and hvwfhatl they hear "without a preacher? How Jhall they preach except they be fent ? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Cofpel 'f peace^ and bring glad tidings of good things I — Preaching, and the LORD's fup- per, are clearly inftituted by CHRIST himfelf ; yet it is a dangerous miftake, to fuppofe that religion confifts in the obfervance of thefe, or any other outward privileges ; for though the Spirit, in the ufe of thefe means, is pleafed to convey inftru6^ion and confolation to the fouls of men, yet the kingdom of GOD is within you : // is not in meats or drinks, but in righteoufnejs, and peace, and joy in the HOLT GHOST, felt and experienced in the foul. This is true religion : — ordinances are fubjedl to us — for our ufe and benefit. We are not fubje£l to ordinances — as if religion confifted in the obfervance of thefe. Modes and forms of worfhip liiay lawfully be ufed for the fake of decency and order, audfor ChriftiAns to negle(5lthe aflfembling themfelves .:^- tpgetber, L 13 ] together, for the purpofes of religious worHiip, and fpiij- tual edification, is highly reprehenfiblc ; ytt, it is to he feared, that too many rell in an outward form, deny inn Ujc power. Let me afk, What do you know of tlie power ? The real power of GOD, in its firfl elTea upon the foul, is always found to alarm the confcience — the SPI- RIT, revealing the purity and holinefs of GOD, (by- means of the law) thereby difcovers the exceeding finful^ nefsof fin, not only in our outward adions, but even in our f. .et thoughts : we are thereby made fenfible of the fin of our nature; vvc are brought to fee fin in our l)efl adiop^, and to fee that GOD's law requires a perfed; righteoufnefs. Now the poor foul begins to flrive earneflly to make ;jmends for what is pafl:, and to redeem the time. The moft folemn vows and refolutions, perhaps, are made to be more waichful and diligent for the future; but, ahis! in thefe refolutions he has failed fo often, that he begins now to think, that there is no mercy for him ; that GOD hns given him up to a reprobate mind. — Flopc declines; con- vi6lions grow flronger and Aronger ; dellrudion feems in- evitable : — he fees no poflibility of deliverance at hand, without faith ; and yet finds himfelf without a power to believe. Let me afk, Was it fo with you ? Was you ever con- vinced of fin ? Did you ever groan under the guilt of fin ? How was you delivered from it ? I do not afl^ how long did your convidions lafl, nor how deep was your difirefs. This is not the fame in all ; nor are convi6lions of any other ufe than to make us willing to be faved by mere grace and mercy. He who was never wounded, can have no need for a cure. He who 'never had the fentence of , .' ' » condemnation coiulemnation inhiiTii^if, can know nothing of the foigive- iiefs of fms. Fie who was never killed by the Law, was never made alive by tlie Ciofpel. — Thus we are made fen^ iible, that the Gofpel is the power of GOD to falvation ; that the kingdom of GOD is not in word, but in power. Thus lue know the exceediri'^ grcatnefs of his poiucr towards us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in CHRIST JESUSy when he raifcd him from the dead; fince the fame power which raifed CHRIST JE- SUS from the dead, is exerted in tlie conveiTion of every foul, who is tranflated from the power of darknefs, into the kingdom of (jO]3's dear Son. In order to be convinced of the nccefTity of a Divine Power in fulfilling the work of faith in any foul, only fee •what Faith does. Are you not puzzled and confounded when you read the Scriptures, to fee fo many inconfillencies and contradic- tions ? Have you not been ready at times to conclude, that it never could come from GOD ? Now Faith re- conciles all thefe apparent inconfiftencies and contradic- tions; fees the chain of falvation perfeft and entire, and admires the oeconomy of redemption as worthy its Divine Author. The Believer finds the Word of GOD fo exa6l a counterpart of what he feels in himfelf, that he can fet his feal to the truth of it : and hence he is fatisfied that he does not follow cunningly-devifed fables. Many things he may not be able fully to comprehend ; yet fully fatisfied of the truth and reality of thofe things which he does, he waits for the accomplifhment of this promife. What ye know not now, ye fhall know hereafter* What but a divine power could thus enlighten the eyes of our underflanding, to know what is the hope of our calling, and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the faints ? """: ■ ■•-:-■'■■ , _ Again ■V [ >S ] Again let me appeal to your hearts and confciences, whe- ther you have not at times awhil apprehenfions of GOD's wrath ? whether, at times, your fouls are not filled with liorror and amazement at the thouglus of death, and Or appearing i)efore the har of GOD ? Now I: aith takes this away, and reconciles us to the thoughts of death, O precious P'aith ! What hut precious Faith can difarm Death of its terrors, and enable us to rejoice at his near approach? what hut precious Faith could have enabled St. Paul to fing that triumph:int fong, death! -where is thy fling? O grave ! uhcre is thy vi^ory P The fling of death is fin, and the firength of fin is the law ; but thanks be to COD^ which givetjy us the victory through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. This was one end of CHRlST's dying, that through death he might defhoy him ivho had the power of deaths that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death arc all their life-time fuhjeEl to bondage. Art thou by Faith enabled to difceiu the lord's body ? to fee that he has borne all thy fnis in his own body ? that he has put them all away by the facrifice of himfelfr For this caufe, (even becaufe they do not difcern the LORD's body, and fee that he has finifhed tranfgreffion, and made an end of fin) we have fo many weak believers; fo many are fickly in their fouls: this is the true caufe why fo many fleep, and decline from the good ways of GOD, and grow lukewarm and indif- ferent, becaufe they are not dead to the law by difcerning the body of CHRIST. But Faith delivers from the bondage of the law, and the fear of death. It is the power of GOD, through faith, which alone can fubdue our corruptions, keep us near to the LORD, and reftrain us from every evil way. - . •• , Let me afk, do you not find that you are led captive by f;n, in fpite of every refinance you can make? Have you i lb ] you not often determined in your hiinds to break oft' fVoiri vour hcl'ctting fins, and to "oe more upon vour guard for the time to come ? but im lias liitherto bten your mafter. Does not this prove the neceflity of a Divine Powei re- fl raining from evil, and conftraining to good ? After many- years experience, the ApoAle found, that in him, tluit is, in his flefli, dwelt no good thing, and that nothing but the power of GOD could keep him, and fubdue thofe corrup- tions which he ilill found remaining in him. ^ It is by a Divine Power that our aiFedlions are drawn oul after GOD, even by the fweet attradlive power and in- iluence of love ; for he draws with the bands of a man^ with cords of love. By nature,, we fuppofe GOD to be fome Being removed at an awful diilance from us, in that terrible majefty which mull: (trike us witli a dreadful blaze of tremendous glory. By Faith we fee all the Glory of the Godhead Ihining forth through the medium of our own nature — all the F'ul- nefs of the Ggdhead dwelling in the perfon of our LOUD JESUS CHRIST— all the Power of the Godhead put into his hands, v^'ho is Head over all things, to his Church, Faith fees, that fury is not in iiim, neither fliall his terror make us afraid; t1 at He is a Man in GOD's flead; that He is very God and very Man, but one CHRIST; that in the perfon ot JESUS, all the fulnefs, the glory, the power of JEHOVAE-I centers. By looking unto JESUS, and be- holding, as in a glafs, the glory of the LORD, we arc changed into the fame image, from glory togiory, even as by the Sj)irit of the LORD. A fight of his tendernefs, his foft- nefs, his fufferings ; the tendernefs, the foftnefs, the fuiFer- ings of GOD! begets kindred paflfions in our fouls. Hence, all that finking of heart, that melting of affedion, that felf- ai>afement and abhorrence, which only can arife from u ' manifeftation V .» [ '7 ] ninnifedatlon of JESUS. O what nearnefs ! O what fweet union does the foul feel, when hy Faith it can fee JESUS, and fay, « This GOD is my GOD, my JESUS, my All !' When the language of the heart is this, * For me — for my falvation — He was made in the likenefs of finful flelh — He was made fin for me, and for fin, condemned fin in the flefli. — Here was mercy — O that I couid love him more ! Here is judgment— O the faithfulnefs of GOD ! O the feverity of his juftice ! He fpared not his own Son — but he fpared me — that fentence which paiTed on me, was executed upon Him—who thereby brought judgment to vidlory, fpoiled principalities and powers^ and made a fhew of them openly, and having purged away my fins in his own body, he for ever fits down at the tigl t hand of the Majefty on high— once crucified, now exalt- ed, a Prince and a Saviour — the Lamb of GOD, who Hands upon mount Zion, as one that once was flain, but now reigning glorioufly.* Thus, we who were afar off, are brought nigh by the blood of CHRIST: — no longer ftrangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints and the houfehold of GOD. St. Paul gives us a very ftriking reprefentation of the difference between the Law and the Gofpel ; be- tween works and grace ; by the difference between mount Sinai ; where the law was given, as the miniflration of death; and the mount Zion, from whence the law of faith, of life, of love, of liberty, proceeds. Heb. xii. i8. " fe (fpeaking to believers) are not come unto the mount that may he touched^ (mount Sinai) and that burned with fire^ nor unto hlacknefs and darknefs and tempeji, and the found of a trumpet, and the voice of words \ which voices they that heard^ intreattdf that the wordfliould not bejjpokm to them any mot^e > I HI • [ .8 ] • (for they cculd not cnaure that luhlch was commanded \ awl if Jo much as a beajl touch the mcuntoin^ It Jball hfjioncd^ or thrujl through with a dart : aiidfo terrible luas the fight ^ that Alofes faidj I exceedlnglffi'ar and quake) ; but yc are covie unto mount Zicny and iint3 the city of the living GOD, the heavenly Jerufa- lem-f and to an innumerable company of angels ; to the general af* jembly and church of the Jlrfl -born ^ luhich are written in hea- ven', and to COD the j' 'dge of all, and to the fpirits of juji men niailc perfect; and tu JESUS the Mediator of the cove^ nant : and to the blood of fprinkling^ that fpcakcth better things than that of Abel. Hither tlie believer is come in the fpirit of his mind : lie is pafTed fron\ death unto lite : he has been at that terrible mountain of which the ApofHefpeaks, and tlierehe received the fentence of death in himfelf, J3ut now the thunder roars no more, huflied by the flill fmall voice of Pence, Fladies of lightning now no more aftriglit the trembling foul, for Sinai's fiery darts are quenched in JESl 's blood : a heavenly calm fucceeds : only the heart, forrowful, yet rejoicing — affedled now with love and grief, pours out the fadly pleafmg figh, whilfl tears of joy ex- prefs its fweet relentings. You, perhaps, would vvifli to go to heaven ; but why ? what do you know ot heaven r you wifli for you know not what. What conception can you form of heaven ? In what can you fuppofe the happinefs of heaven to con- fift ? You will anfwer, perhaps, that no one pofTibly can tell in this life. — 1 confefs that the believer knows but very little of the joys of heaven ; yet, blefled be GOD for that little. It is true, vjl knciv but in part ; yet fomething we certainly do know — by talleand feeling — for we have the pledge of our inheritance in our hearts till ^he time of the purchafed pofTeflion : therefore the Apoflle prays that the Ephefians may be able to comprehend with all ,..v,. > ' ( L >9 J all /(lints luhat is the brcadthi and k ngth^ and depth ^ andhcighti and to know the love of CHRIST, that pajjl'th htowUdgc, i. e. to know it by t:\fl(' aiul feeling; tliough the dimenfions of GOD'sevcilalVing love in CllKlST jESUS to poor finners, infinitely fuipafsour comprcbenrion, yet the truth and reality of that love is experienced in the foul, being apprehended and enjoyed by faith. We tafte the Itreams, though we cannot fully comprehend the Iburce fi;oin whence they flow, nor fathom that immenfe ocean of ul- timate glory to which they dire(5^ their courfe, and in which tlicy at lalt will terminate — whcfi :he Son J/juIl deli- ver, up his mediatorial kingdom, liis ele6l being ad .ailed in, (Did GOD Jljidl be /III In all. Though it never can en- ter into the heart of a natural man to conceive thofe things which GOD haih prepared for them that love Him, yet, fays the Apoflle, He has revealed them to iis by his SPIRIT, — 2 Cor. i. 22. the Apoille fays, that GOD has given us. the carnefi of the SPIRIT: and again, chap. v. 5. He that hath wrought us for thr fclf-fayyic thing, is GOD, zvho alfo hath given unto us the earncjl of the SPIRIT, Now tlie Earnell is part of the payment of a greater fum, in, order to infure the remi^inder; therefore, fays the Apol^le, having received the Earnefl:, uv are always coufdent ; not with a prefumptuous confidence, like thofe who rufli as a mad horfe, into the battle, but with a confidence grounded upon the Experience of GOD's Love to our fouls, and theTeftiniony of GOD's SPIRIT with our fpirits : and with this, fays the Apoflle, I am willing to die; nay, I had rather die than live : willing (fays he) rather to be abfent from the body, and pre/eni with the LORD. If he had not known his LORD, whence could have fprung this defire in his foul, to have been for ever with Him ? But I know (fays he) in whom I have believed, C 2 This t 20 ] This was all the Apoftle's heaven ami liappiiiefs — this is the heaven and happincfs of the redeemed for ever and ever — to know — to etijoy — and to I)e for ever with theii LORD. In propt'rtion to our knowledge and enjoyment of CHRIST, we have an heaven upon earth ; for in the knowledge and enjoyment of Him, lies all the heaven and happinefs we expedt hereafter. Let me appeal to your confciences, is not this the only reafon why you wiOi to go to heaven, namely, that you rftay not go to hell ? You have fo little knowledge of hea- ven, and io little is your deftre of going thither, that, if it was left to your own choice, you would he well content to give up your chance of heaven, if you was fure of not going to hell. N'^y, in your own efiimation, the chances againft you are fo great, that, if n wis left to your choice, you had rather be annihilated, than run the rifque of taking yoqr trial at the bar of GOD. Hence a certain gloom hangs upon your mind, which you cannot poffibly get rid of One expedient after another is tried, in order to remove it. However any of them may feem to anfwer for a time, yet, when the novelty ceafes, diiguft follows — dilTatisfied with youifelf, an univerfal diflatisfaflion en^ fues— 'however this gloom may feem to be loft in com- pany and conveiTation, in the hurry of buflnefs, or in a round of diverfions and arnufements, yet it will again re- turn ; r.nd the trutli ni' the- wife man's proverb will be experienced, who faid, Tlat in laughter the heart is for- rovjfitli and that the end of minh is heavinefs* " And what perhaps may appear more furprizing to your- felf, and to the world in general, is, that you have lived / in the habits of religion, and yet are a ftran^er to that blelTed and glorious Hope in which foiDC have been ena- I - [ i. ] Med to rejoice iRrm to the end, in all agej oF the Chinch. This is a llumbling-ftone and lock of offence, at whicli all are iure to llumblc when they firil let out in the rehgious life; and that is, feeking r'.ghteoulnefs as it were by the works of the law. Not feeing where their righteoulnefs lies, and that igflHItoi'ighteournefs belongeth only to the LORD, and is theirs only by faith in him, they go about to eftablilh a righteoufnefs o*" their own, and will not fubmit to the righteoufnefs of GOD by faith. There is every thing in CHRIST which a poor foul can want or wifli — in him there is all tlu^ reft and peace to be enjoyed, which in vain is fought for out of him. AH that GOD requires of us — is to leave ourfelves in hishanils — to do him the juftice to believe, that He will be as good as his word — that if we caft our burden uponi him, He will fuftain it — and if we come to him, He will not cafl: us out : that He hath put away our fms by the fa- crificeof himfelf — that his tighteoufnefsisunto all, and upon all that believe — that if we commit ourfelves to him, He will bring every thing to pafs — that in him we are accept- ed — in him we are complete — in him we are perfedl lack- ing nothing — that in him we have eternal life ; fo th»it no- thing can ever feparate us from him.— This is our reft — this is our refrefliing. In returning and reji, fays the LORD, Jhail ye be faved\ in quiet ne/s and confidence Jhall be your firength. What confidence? — a confidence • in CHRIST — that He has done all things well — that it lies upon hirn to take care of us — and that, for this purpofe, all power, in heaven and in earth, is put into his hands. . ^^ ,v You, who have been feeking reft and finding none— you, who have been wearying yourfelves in very vanities — yow, who are diftreffed in mind, difcontented, and dif- H<^ ' ' '' ■'■ ' iatisfied [ " ] fntisfieil with yourfelves — you, wlio have gronncil, being burdened with a load of guilt,— to you, is the word of this Salvation lent. Sinners — as Sinners — are invited to take the peace the (iofpcl brings; for to him that workcth not, hut hciievetli on him that julliticth thu unp;odlyj )iis faith is counted for rightcoufnels j fo tliAt l^l'that helievcth, is juAified from ail things. ' ' • -irr ■' ,. The grand dclullon hy which the god of this world deceives and blinds the eyes of men, is hy perfuading tliem that they have fome fancied power and goodnefs in them- felves; and from not feeing the extent and fpiiituality cf GOD s law, they go about to eftablifli their own righte- oufnefs; not feeing, that what they call rigliteoufnefs, in the fight of CiOl), is unrighteoufncfs. Righteoufncfj mufl be a per ft'6l conformity to the moral law — L'nrighte- oufnefs therefore mull be a want of confoimlty ; no mat- ter how near it may come to the ilandard ; yet, if it tails /liort, in the lead degree, it is unrighteoufncfs; and all un- righteoufnefs is fm. Woe be to them who can takepltafure in the bcfl; action they ever did — they lie under a llrong dehdion, and believe* a lye. If we would judge ourfelves, fays the Apollle, we lliould not be judged by the LORD. — The trembling fmner, who comes, feU-convi6lcd, and felf-condemned, fliall not go away without an anfwer of peace ; but he who jufliHes himfelf, according to his own words, and upon Ms own terms, mull: be condemned ; for GOD will judge every man according to his ways. He that hinnbleth h'mifel/^ JJjali be exalted, and be that exnlteth himfelf, Jhall be abafed. The felf-jufticiary condenms GOD; GOD therefore is bound to plead his own caufe j for he will be juflified in his fayings, and in all his procccdingsj and will be found clear when he is judged, . * ■ ' :-■' ■• .^♦. ^- ■ •• . ■' ' The [ ^3 ] The charge -.vhicli Klihu hiought ag.iinft Jol. wns this, <* that he juftitied himlelt';'' whcrchy lie .. i .'1, to udd rebellion to fm ; hut, iays the lame E'lhu, "'/^ any Juy^ 1 have ftnmdy and pcrverwd that which Is right , he will deliver his foul fiom going doiun to the pit, and his life Jhall fee the light, 'llie whole worUl is guilty hefore CiOD ; — the Gofpcl proclaims peace ami pardon; — all that remains for you, ^s to come ill and plead your pardon. — Your peace is uo'M made — your pardon is already ol)tained — anu every a6l of your's, in order to mat-e your peace, procure a pardon, or in ariy refpe^l to recommend yourl'elves to CjOD, is an a6i of rehellion and refiflance, in dire(Sl oppofition to the free Grace of GOD, which calls upon the fmner to return, without money and without price, without any previous conditions, 4ualihcr-tions, and pre-rcquifites. «' Nothing ye in t^^^^li^"?*^ '^^'^ o'vc; ' «« Leave all ye have and arc hchiiul J ... «' Freely the gift of GOD receive, - , ♦♦ Pardon and peace in JESUS find/' Commending you to GOD, and to the riche.^ of his grace, ■■*I am, withearnert prayer for the welfare and profperity of your fouls, and for the fuccefs of tliis mifTion, Your willing fervaiu in the (iofpel of our dear LORD JESUS CHRIST, Sjia-ficlds Chnpel, London, Feb. i5?, 1788. JOHN BRADFORD. F I N I -S. :-^'uA:\{\ >j'r\\: -' '-■: . 1 »fi^gfmmm» m ' *[ ' m* 'mK : . ■ " ■ ♦ T/jis Day is publijhed. By the fame AUTHOR, Price SIXPENCE, And to be had at HUGHES and WALSH's, The LAW of FAITH, OPPOSED TO THE L A W of W O R K S. In a LETTER to a FRIEND. Occafioned by a CIRCULAR LETTER, publlfhed by the ELDERS and MESSENGERS of feveral BAPTIST CHURCHES, being met in ASSOCIATION at AUL- CESTER, in WARWICKSHIRE, on the 6th and 7th of June, 1786. ^^ ■i 7