each one must do so privately, for himself alone, but let us all pray to God for the whole body of the church, and for all mankind.

When we pray to God, our prayers must be sanctified and consecrated by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have no need of the sprinkling of the pope's holy water; but the price of which St. Paul speaketh, must make satisfaction for us before God.

We may rest assured that God will not cast away the sacrifice, whereby he hath become reconciled to us, but will be content therewith. When we pray, if we do not ground ourselves upon the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must needs be in doubt and perplexity; and thus all our prayers will be vain and unprofitable. The scripture informeth us, that if we do not pray in faith, we shall not be profited thereby.

Who gave himself a ransom for all: when the apostle speaketh thus of our Lord Jesus Christ, he abaseth whatsoever men might presume upon, relative to their own satisfactions, as they term them. This is a point well worthy of note: for the world hath abused itself at all times, by endeavouring to please God with trifles. Behold the heathens! they were sensible that they could not call upon God unless they had some mediator: they therefore had their intercessours, by which they devised a thousand ways to find favour with God. The papists endeavoured to please him by washing and purifying themselves; which was but an apish imitation of that which God had appointed the fathers: where he made use of these corruptible elements, to draw them to Jesus Christ. When they came to the temple of Jerusalem, the water was ready, even at the entrance, that every one might purify himself, and thus come near the majesty of God: but this remedy was not in the water, which was a corruptible

element, but it was a figure of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us abuse ourselves no more, by thinking that we can purchase God's favour by any ceremony or trifle of our own; for we should have been cast off and utterly condemned, had it not been for the atonement made by the blood of Jesus Christ. Here our whole trust lieth, and by this we are assured that our sins are absolved. The papists say that original sin is forgiven us in baptism: and if there should be a Jew or Heathen baptised at the age of twenty, thirty, or forty years, the sins which he had committed during his life, would then be forgiven him but if after we are baptised, we fall, and commit sin, we must not expect to find grace and pardon unless we bring some recompense.

The papists are constrained to confess that they cannot thoroughly recompense God as they ought, and that it is impossible for men to make payment to him in all things: therefore they add another sup-ply; which is, the blood of martyrs, and the keys of the church; (the power given to priests.) Thus they destroy the ransom which was made for us by the death and suffering of our Lord Jesus, trusting in their own performances and works of supererogation; and if there be any thing wanting, the blood of martyrs, and the keys of the church, fill up the account. Behold what horrible blasphemy!

Doth St. Paul speak here of a ransom that was made for little children only, and for those that are not baptized? Nay, on the contrary, he comprehendeth all faults which make us guilty before God; for the way is open whereby we may come to him by prayer, and find mercy. The ransom of which St. Paul speaketh, reacheth to all our sins; we must therefore have recourse to it from day to day, and place all our confidence therein. It is not only in this place that holy writ directeth us to the death

and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the shedding of his blood for the absolution of our sins, but this doctrine is common throughout the scripture.

Let us understand the necessity of a redeemer, and that by the price of his blood we are reconciled to God the Father, and have free access to him by prayer. St. Paul having shown us that the grace which was purchased by the Son of God, was common to all mankind, and that it was not confined to the Jews only, it might be asked, why God chose one certain people for his inheritance? why it was his pleasure that the Jews only should call upon him? why he shut up his promises among them? why he gave them figures, and exercised them with an expectation of this great redeemer that was promised? It is true, that from the creation of the world, God always reserved for himself some people: yea, and when he made his covenant with Abraham, he shut out the Heathen from the hope of salvation; although for a time it pleased him to use a special.. grace toward the Jews, yet this doth not prevent his calling all mankind at present: for it pleaseth him to make the Heathen and the Gentile partakers of it, and to have his church extend throughout the world, and to bring them to the fold, who were afar off. Thus we have the meaning of the apostle.

We may here notice, that it would have been of little use to us, for Jesus Christ to have made the atonement, unless we were certified of this benefit, and were told that God had called us to enter into possession of this salvation, and to enjoy the blessings which had been purchased for us. For example, behold the Turks, who cast away the grace which was purchased for all the world by Jesus Christ; the Jews do so likewise; and the papists, although they do it not so openly, show it in effect: all of whom are as much shut out, and banished

from the redemption which was purchased for us, as if Jesus Christ had never come into the world. And why so? Because they have not this witness; that Jesus Christ is their redeemer. Although they have some little taste, yet they always remain starved; and if they hear the word redeemer mentioned, it bringeth no comfort to them; neither do they receive any benefit from what is contained in the gospel.

Thus we perceive that those who are not partakers of the blessings purchased by our Lord Jesus Christ, receive not the witness. Before Jesus Christ came into the world, the Gentiles were not only unbelievers, but God had blinded their eyes; insomuch that it seemed as if Christ came only for one certain people. Yea, óne would have thought, in the time of the law, that God had not spread forth the knowledge of his truth over all the world, but had given it to a particular people, whom he held for his

church.

St. Paul informeth us, that it pleased God to give his law to the fathers, and set them apart from the rest of the world: he testified his good will toward Israel, and not to other nations; as it is said, Psalms lxxiv. 20. "Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." Moses likewise saith, Deut. xxxii. 9. "For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." We see therefore that God chose for himself a particular people: namely, the stock of Abraham; setting others aside as strangers. This is true, saith St. Paul, but it is now necessary that this knowledge should be spread over all the world; to wit, That God is the Father and Saviour of the Gentiles, as well as the Jews.

We may therefore perceive that the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ would be unprofitable to us, unless it were witnessed by the gospel. For it is faith that putteth us in possession of this sal

vation. This is a very profitable doctrine: for it is acknowledged that the greatest benefits that can be bestowed upon man in this world, is to be partaker of the salvation purchased by Jesus Christ; however, there are but few that take the right way to obtain it. For we see how the gospel is despised, and how men stop their ears against the voice which God hath ordered to be proclaimed throughout the world!

We see but few now-a-days that become reconciled to God by the death of Jesus Christ; for they deprive themselves of this witness: others cast it away, or at least, profit so little by it, that Jesus Christ dwelleth not in them by faith, to make them partakers of his blessings. St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. i. 30. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" that being grafted into him, we may have part and portion in all his riches; and that whatsoever he hath, may be ours. Seeing he was once pleased to become our brother, we must not doubt, but that in taking upon him our poor and wretched state, he hath made an exchange with us, that we may become rich through his grace.

It is certain that God hath always borne witness of himself; yea, even to the Heathens. Although they had neither law nor prophets, he hath declared himself to them sufficiently, to leave them without excuse. If there were nothing but the order of nature, (as St. Paul maketh mention, Acts xiv.) it would be sufficient to convince infidels of their unthankfulness to God, who formed them, and hath nourished them through life. For it is said in the xix Psalm, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work: although they speak not, yet they set forth his goodness in such a manner, that we ought to be convinced without any other instructer. Behold the book of nature! writ