Satan, the
false heart inclineth to the old bias, and hath its eye upon any thing
in itself, from whence it draweth its hopes and expectation of pardon
and acceptance, it will not purely act faith on Christ for this end, and
so he will lose all his labour, and in the end be disappointed.
Therefore the believer would guard against this, and that so much the
more, that the false deceitful heart is so much inclined thereto; and
that this deceit can sometime work so cunningly, that it can hardly be
discerned, being covered over with many false glosses and pretexts; and
that it is so dishonourable to Jesus, and hurtful and prejudicial to the
soul.

7. The believer would act faith on the promises of pardon in the new
covenant, as having a right to them through Jesus Christ, and challenge
with humble boldness, the fulfilling of the same, according to that, 1
John i. 9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins." So that the believer may not only take hold of mercy and
grace in God, as an encouragement and invitation to go to God for
pardon; but even of the justice and righteousness of God, because of his
faithful promises; and the believer would have here a special eye to
Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen; and look for the
accomplishment of them through him, and for his sake alone.

8. Faith would eye Christ, as hanging upon the cross, and offering up
himself, through the eternal Spirit, a sacrifice to satisfy divine
justice, for all the sins of his own chosen ones; we cannot think, that
Christ bare but some of their sins, or only their sins committed before
conversion; and if he bare all, as the Father laid all upon him, the
believer is to lay hold on him by faith, as hanging on the cross, as
well for taking away of the guilt of sins committed after conversion, as
before; his sacrifice was a sacrifice for all, "and he bare our sins
(without distinction or exception,) in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet.
ii. 24. David had his eye on this, when he cried out, Psalm li. 7,
"Purge me with hyssop;" hyssop being sometimes used in the legal
purifications, which typified that purification which Christ really
wrought when he gave himself a sacrifice for sin, Levit. xiv. 6. Num.
xix. 18.

9. The believer looking on Christ, dying as a Mediator, to pacify the
wrath of God, and to make satisfaction to the justice of God, for the
sins of his people, would renew his consent unto that gracious