We call him Father that judgeth euery one according to his workes That is if our workes be good he is ready to reward vs if wee faile he is ready to chastise vs as a Father doth his children therefore let vs passe the time of our dwelling here with feare So that the Saints after they are in the state of grace they may contract a kinde of guiltinesse vnto them so that they may make their Father angry they may feele many effects of his displeasure though they shall not lose his fauour for euer and the more our good works are the greater is our reward Againe wee require good workes of necessity as well as the Papists wee say you must haue good workes or else you cannot be saued so that except you haue repented except you haue loue as well as faith except there be a change of heart Christ is not in you We require good workes with the same necessity onely they haue a different rise they rise from different grounds When the Papists are asked what should moue a man to doe good workes They say it is by way of merit to get heauen and that is it that maketh all their workes to be of no worth For take any naturall man he that hath the most impure heart may not he to escape Hell and to get Heauen doe all the workes the Papists require and for the same end that they require them May he not giue Almes c. But to doe it out of loue that is a thing that no Hypocrite is able to reach vnto And therefore we say that the meanest worke euen the giuing of a Cuppe of cold water is a good worke if it proceed from loue whereas take the fairest worke that hath the greatest glory and splendour though it be Martyrdome if it come not from loue if it be not a fruit of faith if a man giue his body to be burned and giue all that hee hath to feede the poore if it come not from loue GOD accepts it not So much for the second Vse The third Vse that wee should make of it is this If nothing be accepted but that faith that is effectuall we should learne hence that if we will grow in ability to worke if we will grow in obedience wee must grow in faith for all efficacie must come from faith for it is onely the effectualnesse of faith that GOD requires That is if there be any effectualnesse in man that comes not from faith GOD requires it not for it is the efficacie of faith which GOD requires Therefore if wee will bee enabled to doe the duties of new obedience labour to grow in faith that must inable vs to doe what wee doe if wee haue not the ground all that we doe is in vaine Therefore when we finde any coldnesse any weaknesse in the Graces wee haue any languishing increase faith and all other Graces will grow If you finde you cannot pray when you find your hands weake and your knees feeble that you cannot runne the wayes of Gods Commandements strengthen your faith labour to increase your assurance When the branches are weake and withering we vse to dung the root so in this case labour to strengthen your faith for that will inable you to doe much it is all in all This will be of much vse to vs in many cases When a sinne is committed we should labour now to recouer our selues out of that relapse What is the way By labouring to get assurance of the forgiuenesse of it Goe to GOD to strengthen thy faith that is the way to get out of sinne If there be a strong lust that thou art to grapple withall and which thou canst not get the victory ouer the way is to goe and increase faith to increase assurance for the more faith is increased the more loue the more the heart is inclined to GOD for faith turnes the bent of the heart from pleasures and profits from a desire of the praise of men to GOD so that the more faith the more ability there is to striue against the corruption that is in you Againe if a man finde hee wants patience he wants thankfulnesse the way is not to looke on the Vertues to reade morall Writers but goe and strengthen thy faith and that shall enable thee to doe wonders otherwise we water the branches and let the roote alone Thus should wee Ministers doe lay this maine foundation to build vp our hearers in this and the rest will follow This Paul did that was the great Master-builder hee layes downe in all his Epistles the foundation of faith in his Epistles to the Romanes to the Ephesians to the Colossians to the Galatians and after that hee deduceth particulars and buildeth on it so your maine businesse is to consider whether you haue faith to get assurance of that and when you haue that then striue against particular vices and adorne your selues with particular graces For because you labour not to haue this maine grace this roote and foundation of all the rest I say this is the reason why those good motions that you haue put into you by the Holy Ghost those motions that you haue in the hearing of the Word and the good purposes that you take to your selues come to nothing because they haue not faith for their ground That generall of Faith must goe before these particulars Though the Plants bee good yet if the ground bee not good and connaturall where they are planted they will not grow Therefore we finde it ordinarily that when men haue resolutions to giue ouer such and such sinnes to leaue such and such vices their wicked company drinking gaming and the like it may be it holds for a day or two yet this comes to nothing because the maine foundation is not laid they goe to worke without faith when the ground is flesh and the worke spirituall how can it liue for euery thing liues in its owne element and these motions in them are as the Fish is out of the water and as the fire when it is out of its place dyes and is extinguished so these good purposes when they are not particulars that arise from that generall of faith they are in the heart as a thing out of its owne element and therefore they perish Therefore when you haue these purposes know that they will come to nothing if you take not the right course Therefore labour to beleeue the promises to bee assured of saluation that you are translated from death to life by an effectuall faith when this is done you shall finde that your purposes will hold and till then they are in vaine And so againe this should teach vs seeing all depends vpon faith when wee come to search to consider what assurance wee haue that so we may goe the right way to worke For commonly when wee consider our estates we looke what fruites wee haue
will shut men vp in Hell and therefore it is of no small moment He giues a reason in these words why it is the power of GOD to saluation For saith he by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed That is the righteousnesse which is of GOD which only GOD accepts and by which alone men can be saued is reuealed by the Gospell and no other way But to what purpose is this reuealed if I know not how to come by it Many things are reuealed but how shall I know that they are mine Therefore he addes it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeues As it is reuealed by the Gospell so something is to be done on our part as GOD manifests it exposes it and layes it open so you must receiue it by faith I but I haue not so strong a faith I cannot beleeue as I would and as I should Sayes he Faith hath degrees it is reuealed from faith to faith That is one receiues it in one degree and the same afterward receiues it in a greater degree and so forward All are alike iustified but there is difference in Faith some is stronger some is weaker which I will afterward shew at large The point to be gathered out of these words is this That Righteousnesse by which alone we can be saued now in the time of the Gospell is reuealed and offered to all that will take it When you heare this it may be at the very reading you may not haue such a conceit of the thiâ—g as you should haue but it is not a matter of light moment but an exceeding great thing to see the righteousnesse of GOD reuealed It is the great glorious mysterie of the Gospell which the Angels desire to pry into which made Paul in his Ministery so glorious which swallowed vp his thoughts that he could not tell how to expresse it that now in this last Age Christ hath reuealed through vs the vnsearchable Riches of his Grace that is Riches which I know not how to expresse Therefore hee prayes that God would open their eyes that they might comprehend with all the Saints the height and length and breadth of that Redemption which Christ hath wrought for them It is past a full comprehension yet he prayes that they may comprehend it in such a measure as is possible though there is a height and breadth and depth therein which could not be measured And this is it that is reuealed to the soules of men the scaping of Hell and death this free accesse to the Throne of Grace which none before had this liberty to be made sonnes of GOD an heyres of heauen yea Kings and Priests to GOD and making good of all promises and the entayling of them to our posterity and making them Yea and Amen All this I say is now reuealed which before was not 2. It is said to bee reuealed marke that partly because this of all other things was neuer written in the hearts of men The Morall Law was written therein but they had not the least inckling the least creuice of light to see this partly because it is now opened in a larger measure then it was heretofore in the times of the Prophets the doore was a little open before but now it is wide open and nothing is hid from the soules of men that is necessary for them to know Againe it is reuealed not onely in regard of the Preachers that make it knowne but likewise in regard of them that heare it for there is a greater measure of the Spirit of Reuelation dispensed vnder the Gospell Therefore Eph. 1.18 the Apostle prayes that the eyes of their vnderstanding might be opened that they might know what is the hope of their Calling and the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints For what is it to haue a light shining if their eyes be shut to whom it shines So the thing reuealed is the Righteousnesse of God And lastly it is that Righteousnesse by which alone men can be saued This is the maine point which that you may vnderstand I will open by answering these 6. Questions 1. How this righteousnesse of GOD or which is accepted of GOD saues 2. How it is offered to vs. 3. To whom it is offered 4. Vpon what qualifications 5. How it is made ours And lastly What is required of vs when we haue it These hang one on another but for memory sake I haue thus distinguished them First How doth it saue I answer 1. This righteousnes saues after the same manner that the vnrighteousnesse of Adam did condemne let vs set these two together and the thing will be plaine First as Adam was one man yet the common roote of all mankinde of whom all that are guilty of death and shall be damned must be borne so CHRIST the second Adam stands as a publike person and the Root of all that shall be ingrafted into and borne of him Secondly as Adams first vnrighteousnes the first sinne he committed is communicated to men and made theirs by imputation and not so onely but by inherencie also for it hath bred in them originall sinne After the same manner and by the same equity the righteousnesse that Christ wrought is made ours by imputation and this imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ worketh a righteousnesse which qualifies the person and is inherent in vs. Lastly as after this vnrighteousnes comes death which rules and raignes in vs bringing euery thing into subjection so that all the comforts men possesse are ouercome in some degree while we liue here all sicknesses and troubles and crosses being as so many skirmishes which Death hath with vs before the maine Battell comes So in CHRIST life raignes ouer all and brings all into subjection to him that is it brings all the troubles man sustaineth all the enemies he hath yea death and sinne into subjection by degrees in this life and after death perfectly There is a comparison made in Rom. 5.14 which you shall finde more fully to expresse and more largely to set this out then I haue done The first Adam was a figure of him that was to come and 1 Cor. 15.45 CHRIST is called the second Adam now you doe see the miserable fruit of Adams fall you see by lamentable experience what originall sinne is and how much it hath corrupted vs why then should you thinke it a strange thing that the righteousnesse of CHRIST should be imputed Againe Death you see raignes ouer all by one Why then will not you beleeue that life shall reigne ouer all men that is bring euery enemy of ours into subjection by the other For the righteousnesse of one saues as the vnrighteousnesse of the other condemnes Another expression I finde in 2 Cor. 5.21 As CHRIST was made sinne for vs who knew no sinne so are we made the righteousnesse of God in him That is though CHRIST was a man without sinne in himselfe
the giuing vp of a mans selfe to CHRIST and making a publike testimony of it although there bee somthing more meant generally by baptizing but heere it is meant a iustification to all the world that we haue taken CHRIST Now euery one that will beleeue and be baptized that is euery one that will doe this shall bee saued so that a man must first take CHRIST himselfe and then he may doe as the Wife after she hath her Husband she may thinke of all the benefits she hath by him and may take them and vse them as her owne This is the first thing The second thing that I promised was to shew you the subiect of faith and that is the whole heart of man that is to say to name it distinctly both the minde and the will Now to shew you that both these are the subject of faith you must know that these two things are required First on the part of the vnderstanding it is required that it beleeue that is that it conceiue and apprehend what GOD hath reuealed in the Scriptures and here an act of GOD must come in putting a light into the vnderstanding for my beloued Faith is but an addition of a new light to reason that whereas reason is purblinde faith comes and giues a new light and makes vs see the things reuealed by GOD which reason cannot doe by faith we apprehend these great and glorious Mysteries which otherwise wee could not apprehend as we see it expressed in 2 Cor. 4. The god of this World hath blinded their eyes that the light should not shine into their hearts by which they should beleeue this glorious Gospell So then there must be a light put into the minde that a man may be able by that to eleuate and raise his reason to beleeue this that is to conceiue and to apprehend the things that are offered and tendered in the Gospell But this is not all there is an act also of the will required which is to take and receiue Christ for this taking is an act of the will therefore there must be a consent as well as an assent Now it is the act of the vnderstanding to assent to the truth which is contained in the promises wherein Christ is offered but that is not all there is also an act of will requisite to consent vnto them that is to embrace them to take them and to lay hold vpon them and to apply them to a mans selfe This I will the rather cleere because it is a thing controuerted I say there is a double act an act of the mind and an act of the will to this purpose consider that in Rom. 5 17. For if by the offence of one death raigned by one much more they which receiue abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ. Marke it you may see what faith is in those words Those that receiue the gift of righteousnesse righteousnesse is giuen and offered by God and those that receiue that gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life so that taking and receiuing being an act of the will it must needs be that the will must come in to this worke as well as the vnderstanding Like vnto this is that 1 Ioh. 12. To as many as receiued him c. That is to as many as beleeued in his Name for so the words afterwards expresse that is when wee are willing to take Christ which is nothing else but the consent of the will when the will is resolued to take him being so apprehended as he hath beene described as a Lord and as a Sauiour this is faith this I say is an act of the will because it is an act of receiuing Ioâ— 5.44 it is euident How can yâ— beleeue which receiue honour one of another c If beleeuing in Christ were only an act of the mind as the Papists affirme and some others besides it beleeuing were nothing else but an assenting to the truth of GOD which is an act of the vnderstanding how could the praise of men be opposite to beleeuing But the meaning is How can you beleeue take me for your Husband and yet seeke praise of men too for that will come in competition with me and then you will forsake me I say this makes it euident that iustiâ—ying faith is not onely an act of the mind but an act of the will also because otherwise the seeking praise with men could be no impediment to the act of beleeuing Now this also aswell as the former must be wrought by God and God puts a new light into the vnderstanding he raiseth it vp to see and beleeue these truths so there is another act which GOD also workes on the will and vnlesse he worke it it is not done for come to any man that is in the state of nature and aske him Will you be content to take Christ that is to say to receiue him in that manner as he hath beene described His answer would bee No. Beloued the liues of men expresse it though they speake it not in so many words Therefore till GOD come and drawe a man and change his will the worke is not done If you take a Bough and offer it to a Swine or a Wolfe they will refuse it and trample it vnder their feete but offer it to a Sheepe and the Sheepe receiues it and followes it so when Christ is offered to men vpon these conditions that we haue named men refuse him they reject him and slight him but when GOD takes away these woluish and swinish hearts of ours and turne our wils another way which is the drawing the Scripture speakes of then we are willing to take Christ. If you take other metall then Iron the Loadstone will not stirre it but turne the metall into Iron and it will follow the Load-stone So let the hearts of men continue in that condition wherein they are by nature and they will neuer take CHRIST they will neuer accept him but when GOD puts into them such a strong and impetuous instigation and disposition as that of the Spouze in the Canticles that had no rest till she had found her Beloued then they will take CHRIST vpon his owne conditions So the we see this Faith is an action both of the minde and the will wrought by GOD enlightning the mind and changing the will which is that which our Sauiour Christ cals drawing none comes to me vnlesse the Father draw him that is except his will be set on worke vnlesse GOD change him and put such a disposition and instigation into him that he can finde no rest till hee come to Christ. Thirdly the thing wee are to speake of is How this Faith iustifieth Now for this know that this faith is considered two wayes eyther As it workes or As it receiues Either as a quality or as an instrument As a quality it workes and in this
and all his honour all the ioy and pleasure he can afford we shall haue all his wealth that is goe to the whole Vniuerse and see what there is profitable or comfortable to the sons of men and all that is ours whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods all this is yours As for the things of the world if we take him once we haue all these would not a man desire all these Is not this a strong argument to moue a man to take Christ that all the Angels in Heauen all the excellent Ministers on the Earth that are next to Angels they are all his seruants God hath bestowed these gifts for his sake they are set aworke for the furthering of his saluation and the Angels you know are ministring Spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect for the World as the Apostle saith that is whatsoeuer is in the World all the good and all the euill in the world euen that euill doth him seruice the afflictions and persecutions and stormes driue him to his hauen aswell as faire gales euery thing scoures him doth him some good or other all in the world is his both life and death that is whatsoeuer belongs to this life or another all is for his seruice not that only but when death comes that a man thinks is the greatest enemy that there is no good in death yet that doth him good it heales our sins it is a meanes of happines in a word when the Apostle could say no more things present or things to come for a man should looke to both as heauen will not content him without the things of this life so the things of this life will not content him without Heauen but when there is both the minde is satisfied Now when a man considers what wealth he hath by Christ and againe that he shall haue all his honour now looke what honour Christ hath the same he hath by matching with him hauing him wee haue all things If a man could enter into a serious consideration of this to thinke that he is a King that he is an heyre of all things that all the promises doe belong to him doe but thinke with your selues if any of you should be raised from a meane ordinary condition to bee made an earthly Prince how would you bee affected with it would it not put other thoughts into you Why should you not beleeue spirituall priuiledges to be as reall Why should you not reioyce more in them they are more durable they are more excellent they haue all in them the other haue Indeede they are things that are not seene with the eye they are spirituall they are things that are enioyed and reserued for afterward but yet there is much for the present Learne to consider this and it would draw and moue you but because these things are looked on with a generall eye as matters of fancy and speculation they are looked on as things that are rather talked of we see no such thing we haue no feeling of them therefore wee doe not affect them but we should labour to beleeue this The Scripture often mentions and repeates this Yee are a Royall Priesthood Heyres with CHRIST Labour to come to this disjunction if these things be not so why doe you beleeue them at all if they be so why doe you not reioyce in them proportionable to these priuiledges And so for Joy at his right hand there are Joyes and pleasures for euermore And as it is so for eternity so the neerer wee draw to him in this life the more pleasure we haue for he is the God of all comfort the neerer we are to him the more comfort all the wayes of wisdome are wayes of pleasure because they leade neerer to GOD who is the cause of all comfort So that is the second thing to consider the good you shall haue by CHRIST when once you see how miserable you are without him and that you shall gaine so much by him Now in the third place there is one thing remaining How shall I haue him I may attempt it and goe without him I may seeke and be denyed and therefore in the third place you shall be sure to obtaine that is a great meanes to encourage vs to come vnto him when you see you shall not faile there is nothing can hinder on your part as you haue heard of in the precedent condition there is required but an earnest hunger and thirst after him he iustifies the vngodly and therefore nothing can hinder on your parts and therefore if any thing hinder it it must be on GODS part Now what is there on GODS part that hinders He hath promised and bound himselfe and he will not goe from his Word he will not deny himselfe and therefore when there is no hinderance on neither part then why doe you not beleeue If you will consider Christ and see how he describes himselfe in the Word if you looke vnto all those arguments that are propounded vnto vs therein to perswade vs you will make no question but if you are willing to come you are sure to receiue him you shall haue remission of all your sinnes If you consider first those speeches in Eâ—â—kiel I desire not the death of a sinner and Why will ye dye O ye house of Israel such expostulations are very frequent Oh that my people would returne and How often would I haue gathered you as the Henne gathereth her Chickens I say these are the speeches of GOD and GOD speakes as he meanes you shall finde by the manner and the fashion and the figure of the speeches that GOD desires it earnestly Why will ye dye O ye house of Israel by way of interrogations and Oh that my people would doe thus and thus Euen this GOD desires that a sinner would returne There is no action that God doth but he doth it willingly that he forgiues sinners that hee receiues those men that will come home vnto him You see in the Father of the Prodigall that doth expresse the disposition of GOD hee runnes to meete his Sonne hee was the forwarder of the two hee fals vpon him and kisseth him hee could not expresse his ioy for his comming home such is the disposition of GOD I take no delight as I â—â—ue saith the LORD in the death of a sinner but rather that he should liue And therefore when GOD saith it wee haue a surer Word you should better thinke of it vndoubtedly hee will receiue you to mercie Againe consider how Christ did in the daies of his flesh how he behaued himself then was he not exceeding gentle to all that came vnto him exceeding compassionate and pittifull ready to heale euery one ready to doe any thing that was requested of him that he denyed not any that was importunate with him
desire they care for their Wiues no longer so in this case when men looke at nothing but simply at heauen disjoyned from Christ or when they looke at some other aduantages when they looke at an earthly Kingdome as many of the Disciples did when they looke for great matters by Christ in this world when they finde it quite otherwise when they lose in the world and all that they haue is in hope it is in things spirituall that are not seene with the eye things that are not sensible then they are ready to slip from Christ againe So it is vsually among vs many take Christ for aduantages as Christ tels them plainely Ioh. 6. saith he you seeke me not for the Miracles which I did but for the loaues That is to say not out of loue to the worke not because you iudge aright of the things of the spirit not because you loue grace but because you loue some aduantage that you haue by religion some profit that it brings you for the present and because you would be freed from Hell for the future such things as carnall men may see and be affected with but this will not hold out The manner of these men is to seeke mercie and not grace If they can be but assured that it shall goe well with them that they shall be freed from the feares they might haue of Hell that they may haue some hope of being in a better condition this is that they looke for but as for grace for repayring the Image of GOD in their hearts to be enabled to obey Christ in all things this is a thing that they desire not this is a thing they long not for therefore the secret inquisition of their heart is What good shall wee get by it They enquire not what excellencie and what beauty there is in CHRIST what manner of one hee is that they may loue him but what good shall wee get by him what aduantage will it bee to vs Contrarie to that in Cant. 5.12 when the Spouse is there asked what the reason was that she followed her Beloued so much and that shee magnified him so much Shee doth not tell them because I shall haue such things by him or hee is thus wealthie or I shall haue this honour by matching with him but marke her answer My beloued is white and ruddy the chiefe among tenne thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his lookes are blacke as a Rauen his eyes are as the eyes of Doues by the riuers of waters washed with milke and fitly set and so she goes along in a holy delectaction This is my beloued oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem I say so it is with those that take CHRIST in good earnest that looke vpon the excellencies of CHRIST as hee is considered in himselfe not that the other is excluded for we may looke at the aduantages and commodities that we haue by him but not vpon that alone but marke in her answer shee describeth what a one he was and therefore she loued him My Beloued is white and ruddy the fairest of tenne thousand such a one is my Beloued therefore Chap. 1. Vers. 2. she describes him to be such a one as hee is and saith she therefore the Virgins loue thee as if shee had said there is a Harlots loue that lookes only what they shall haue by him but none but Virgins that is those that haue chaste and good affections those that haue holy and right affections indeed the Virgins loue thee but the others doe not for they haue adulterous and Harlot-like affections as we may call them when a man lookes not vnto GOD himselfe but to his owne aduantage and profit And this is the third cause that makes faith prooue vneffectuall Fourthly faith proues ineffectuall for want of preparation and humiliation that should goe before it because the heart is not circumcised the heart is not broken yet it is not emptyed of those things that it must be emptyed of before a man can take CHRIST and therefore in Deut. 30.6 saith Moses The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and then you shall loue him with all your soule and with all your strength As if hee should haue said It is impossible you should cleaue to GOD to loue him indeed to take him in good earnest vnfeignedly with all your hearts except first your hearts be circumcised therefore the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts that is hee will humble you hee will breake your hearts that your lusts shall be mortified in you he will take away those strong violent those carnall and sinfull desires that abounded in your hearts before and when that is done then you shall loue the Lord in good earnest not feignedly but with all your hearts Now if a man come to take Christ before he be thus circumcised he takes him in vaine he takes him so as that hee cannot hold him nor continue with him Now this circumcision is done by a certaine worke of preparation or humiliation by which these strong lusts are broken in vs therefore when men come to Christ before the Law hath beene a sufficient Schoolmaster to them before it hath indited them before it haue put them in prison and told them that they must pay euery farthing when a man comes to this hee seeth that hee cannot doe it then he goeth to Christ and beseecheth him to pay his debt before the Lawe haue done this men care not for Christ they take him negligently and therefore they hold him not And for this it was that before Christ came into the World he would make way before him so before he will come into a mans heart the Mountaines must bee brought downe the spirit of Elias must make way that is there must be a sharpe ministry to shew men their sinnes that they may bee throughly humbled and prepared or else they will neuer take Christ so as to keepe close to him A man must be brought to haue a present apprehension of death and of the wrath of GOD and damnation or else he will not lay hold on the Hornes of the Altar as Ioab when he saw that Salomon would slay him indeed and take away his life then hee layes hold on the Hornes of the Altar and would not let goe so when a man sees present death he will keepe close to Christ and till this bee wrought a man may take Christ but his faith will be vneffectuall because indeed till a man be soundly humbled he neuer accounts and reckons sinne to be the greatest euill and till he doe that he neuer accounts CHRIST to bee the greatest good and if a man doe not reckon CHRIST to bee the chiefe good of all other there will be somewhat propounded which will bee esteemed before him and when that comes he lets goe CHRIST But when there is a sound humiliation which makes a man prize CHRIST aboue all other things
after an other manner he sees now an other beautie in God than ever he saw before hee sees an other excellencie in him for that knowledge he had of him before bredd not love But when a man is once within the Covenant the Lord will teach him such a knowledge of himselfe as withall will worke the love of him Such a knowledge you must have of the Lord and you may help your selves to love him by reasoning if ever you saw any excellencie in any man or in any creature it did help you to love that creature Thinke with your selves there is more in God that made that creature He that made the eye shall hee not see So he that wrought that excellency shall not he have it in himselfe in a greater measure Besides you may consider how the Lord hath described himselfe that hee is most wise most mercifull and full of kindness and gentlenes and abundant in truth as you know that description in Exod. 34. Go through all the vertues and excellencyes that are amiable if you looke in the Scripture you shall find them to be in the Lord. This serious consideration will help you to increase your knowledge of the Lord and by consequent your love of him So that if you would come to loue a man what is it that causeth you to love him but because by his speech and by his carriage and behaviour you come to have such an apprehension of his disposition he hath a minde thus framed thus qualified thus beautified When you conceiue such an Idea of him you love him So when you apprehend the Lord aright when you observe him as he is described in his word when you observe his doings when you consider his workes and learne from all these together a right apprehension of him I say when you have such an Idea of him such an opinion of him then the will followes the understanding and the affections then followes then you come to love him and to delight in him Therefore learne to know the Lord by his former carriage towardes your selves how kinde he hath beene how exceeding patient how exceeding readie to forgiue how much kindnesse he hath shewed how hath he in mercy remembred you though you have forgotten him how you haue recompenced him evill for good yet hee hath not broaken off the course of his mercie towards you Consider his dealing with you and learne by this to know the Lord and this will be a meanes to encrease in you the love of the Lord. This is not all there is another thing which is the second branch that I tolde you of that is to looke upon God as one sutable to you and to your disposition For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him if he be not agreeable to you you love him not A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent in many respects yet he is not a fit husband for her It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition that causeth us to love him Therefore when you put these two together consider the Lords mercie and see that and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull and looke on your selves as very weake needing that power when you looke on him as the Lord of life and see your selves subject to death and needing that life when you see your owne folly and his wisedome go through all in him and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable as one that is agreeable to you and till you come to this you shall never love him and long after him till the heart namely is thus framed till a man is humbled till he comes to the sight of himselfe for as you must know God so you must know your selves before you can love him I say when a man comes to that hee begins to looke on God as upon one agreeable to him As take a man who is touched with the feare of his sinnes whose heart is broken who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath and of his owne unworthinesse such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world but the assurance of Gods love and his favour As you see in naturall things let a man be very weary the daintiest meate in the world whatsoever you give him will not heale him but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect nothing will helpe him but rest Againe let a man be hungry and faint for want of meate all the musicke the best ayre or whatsoever you can give him will doe him no good it must be meate that must helpe him If a man have a disease it is not sleepe it is not meate and drinke it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease So it is with the heart of man when his heart is so broken so humbled and touched with the sense of his sinnes that hee longs after nothing but remission nothing but the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of his love and kindnesse nothing will satisfie him but that it is so in naturall defects and so it is in the soule when the heart of a man is so fashioned that it lookes upon God as one agreeable to him and there is nothing else sutable but onely the Lord and his favour and his love that is required to breede this love in you towards him What is the reason else that it is said Hosea 5. ult When they are afflicted they will seeke mee diligently But because afflictions teach a man to know himselfe it teacheth him to know his owne weaknesse to see his owne sinne his owne impotency his owne unworthinesse and when he hath done this then he lookes upon God as one who onely is fit for him as one who is onely able to helpe him Affliction doth but discover what was there before For man is a weake and impotent creature made for the Lord he is nothing without the Lord it is the conjunction with God that makes him up onely he knowes not this he understands not this Therefore when God opens a mans eyes either by the immediate worke of his Spirit to teach him to know himselfe or by affliction then he comes to seeke after the Lord when they are afflicted they will seeke me diligently If thou shouldest have such an offer as was made to those Acts 2. Peter tells them there they should have remission of sinnes they should receive the gift of the holy Ghost if this had beene offered to them before they knew themselves before they had beene humbled and pricked at the heart as it is said they were would they have regarded such an offer as this No they would not although they had understood that offer never so well So I say though you know his name and his excellent attributes never so perfectly yet till
goest and nothing but death shall part betweene me and thee When Naomi saw that she was stedfastly minded she tooke her along with her So if GOD should receiue men at the first many men would come in and take hold vpon Christ and make a profession of his Name but they would not hold out to the end with him But when CHRIST shall tell them I haue not so much as a place to lay my head in if thou wilt haue me thou must deny thy selfe and take vp thy Crosse and thou shalt finde a great deale of trouble and suffer persecution If a man now notwithstanding this will not be beaten off from Christ but though Christ turne the deafe eare to him for the present and present to him all manner of difficulties yet if he will notwithstanding all this be constant still in importuning God to haue CHRIST when GOD shall see that his mind is thus set he will take him along with him hee will be thine and thou shalt be his his people shall be thy people this is it that knits the knot betweene you My Beloued is mine and I am his his Word is passed for it he hath promised his consent now if we will giue ours the match is made If it were doubtfull whether wee should haue his consent it were another case but we haue a sure Word for it wee should learne therefore to importune him Now when we haue done this when wee are come with this boldnesse and haue laid hold vpon CHRIST then let vs looke to the priuiledges then let vs take the pardon of our sinnes adoption and reconciliation and all things else only remember that condition of after-obedience that though wee may come freely and come with this boldnesse and though nothing be required but that we take this Sonne of GOD that is offered yet I say there is a condition of after-obedience wee must resolue to serue him and to loue him with all our heart we must resolue to doe that that Ruth promiseth to Naomi to liue with him and to be with him and that his people shall be our people c. But you will say I am willing to doe this to part from my lusts and to be to CHRIST alone but I am not able my lusts are strong and preualent To this I answer If thou bee but willing Christ desires no more I would but aske thee this Suppose that thou wert able to ouercome those lusts take a man that is strongly giuen to good-fellowship as they call it to company-keeping that is giuen to fornication to swearing or whatsoeuer the sinne bee take any preualent lust that is in any man that now heareth me I would aske him this Question Put the case thou wert able to get the victory ouer thy lust wouldst thou be content to part with it and to take CHRIST If thou sayest No I had rather enioy the sweetnesse of my lusts still Art thou not now worthy to be condemned But if thou answer I would vpon condition I were able to ouercome my lusts I assure thee GOD will make thee able GOD requires no more but a willingnesse to come and take CHRIST the other is Gods worke I but I haue tryed and haue not found it so I answer it cannot be thou hast not yet solued to part with thy lusts thou hast not yet set downe this peremptory conclusion in thy selfe that thou wilt forsake euery thing that you may haue CHRIST If any man say he is willing to take CHRIST and to part with the sweetnesse and the pleasantnesse and the profitablenesse that his lust brings to him if he could get the victory if hee were freed from the sollicitations of them Let me tell thee thou must first resolue to take Christ vpon his owne conditions and for the other GOD hath promised to doe that himselfe 1. Cor. 8.9 God will confirme you and keepe you blamelesse for he is faithfull that hath called you to the fellowship of his Sonne As if hee should haue said Doe you thinke that GOD will call men to CHRIST that he will beseech men to take his Sonne will he call you to the fellowship of his Sonne and will hee not keepe you blameles he hath promised it and sworn it if he should not doe it hee should be vnfaithfull when GOD calleth you to come vnto Christ he promiseth that the vertue of Christs death shall kill sinne in you and that the vertue of Christs Resurrection shall raise you vp to newnesse of life GOD hath promised that he will giue the Holy Ghost for he neuer giues his Sonne to any but he giues them the Spirit of his Sonne too Now Hee that hath called you is faithfull and he will doe it So that I say if thou wilt come in that is if thou wilt accept of CHRIST vpon his conditions it is certaine GOD will receiue thee and if thou find thy selfe troubled with the violence of any lust or of any temptation presse vpon GOD vrge him with his Word and promise that he would assist thee by his own strength that he would enable thee to ouercome that he would giue thee the Spirit of his Sonne and resolue as Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him for I haue a sure promise Heauen and Earth shall passe but not one tittle of his sure Word shall passe till it be fulfilled Now because this is a point of much moment this laying hold vpon the promises and because it is a thing that is not easily done therefore I will shew you these two things The first is this that the vnderstanding must be rightly informed what ground a man hath to doe it when a man comes to beleeue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes let him not thinke I haue a perswasion that my sinnes are forgiuen therefore they are forgiuen but a man must labour to see the ground of it for a thing is not true because wee are perswaded it is so but the thing is first true and then we beleeue it GOD hath first offered forgiuenesse of sinnes to you and then you looke vpon his Word and so beleeue it But I say when a man is perswaded in a confused manner without any iust ground without a cleere knowledge of the progresse of faith how it goeth along this is not right this keepeth many from assurance because they are not cleerely instructed in it For to the end that faith may take hold of the promise that it may be sure to vs we must conceiue of the right method and that stands in these foure things First we must see our owne condition we must be sicke before we can seeke to the Physician we must see our selues to be condemned men that there is nothing in vs to helpe our selues wee must be broken in heart in some measure wee must see our selues to bee children of wrath and then we will come and seeke for a remedy and that
is By looking into the Booke of GOD and that is the second thing and there I finde all the promises CHRIST is there cleerely offered onely with this condition required that I must obey him and serue him and loue him so that that is the second thing CHRIST is offered in the Scriptures to euery one and if you haue him you shall haue a pardon of your sinnes with him onely he is offered with condition of obedience Well when you see this cleerely now you come to consider it you begin to ponder this Word whether it be so or no a man begins to thinke Is this a sure promise and then he sees that looke what certainety there is of the Scriptures in generall there is the same certainety in these particular promises so that with the same faith that a man is to beleeue the Word of GOD with the same faith he is to beleeue this offer of CHRIST I but is it sure to me Then a man lookes to the generality of the promise that it is offered to all none excepted and therefore saith hee it is offered to me But will Christ doe to me as hee hath promised is he powerfull and willing to doe it Then a man lookes into the Word and finds that he is Almighty that he is able to make him the Sonne of God that whatsoeuer Christ hath by nature he shall haue it by matching with him Indeede Christ hath it immediately as he is the Sonne of GOD but wee haue it mediately as the Wife hath the riches of her Husband If a Woman marry the Kings Sonne she hath the same priuiledges and the same inheritance that he hath so whatsoeuer CHRIST hath becomes ours Paul and Apollo and all are CHRIST'S the World is CHRIST'S and all things present and to come are CHRIST'S and they are all made ours Now when this is well pondered and we finde that wee haue a sure Word to confirme this Then in the third place we come and take him and this no man will doe indeed till he haue well considered as the saying is of marriage that it is a bestowing of ones selfe vpon such a one so it is in this euery one therefore should consider before-hand what it is to bestow himselfe vpon CHRIST and when this is done that we haue made the match and bestowed our selues vpon CHRIST then In the next place we come to see what we shall haue by him and then we come to make vse of all that CHRIST brings with him reconciliation and pardon of sinne and all things else that he hath I haue with him I am the sonne of God and I shall be sanctified for together with him I haue his Spirit all my prayers shall be heard all the promises in the Booke of GOD are mine for In him they are all Yea and Amen as all the World is his so it is all the wealth of a Christian after he hath taken CHRIST Now when this is distinctly propounded to vs and wee conceiue it aright it makes the way much more easie to vs but when we goe on in a confused manner because the Gospell is not cleerely vnderstood by vs hence it is that wee labour much and yet the thing is not done therefore my beloued if you haue a perswasion of the forgiuenesse of your sinnes if it bee but a meere perswasion it will alter exceedingly it will goe and come in the time of temptation but when you haue a sure Word when you haue built your selues vpon the Scriptures it is not dependant vpon your perswasion but it is the Word that you rest vpon For fancie and opinion and perswasion it will grow sometimes longer and sometimes shorter as the shaddow doth whereas the body of the thing is the same but when your eye is vpon the Word when you rest vpon that then your perswasion will continue the same as the Word continues Indeed your comfort may be sometimes more sometimes lesse but when it is pitched vpon the sure Word that is it that will bring you comfort in the working of it to obserue the method and degrees of it Indeed my beloued it is a point of another nature to beleeue then the world thinks of therefore examine and recall and vnderstand this Doctrine that we haue now taught you distinctly it will be worth all your labour for the present you shall haue a good conscience and the assurance of Gods fauour and when death comes the right vnderstanding of it will be worth all the world besides It is said of the second ground that they fell away because they had no roote in themselues they had some root but their faith was pitched vpon a generall Doctrine vpon a generall perswasion that hath a kinde of roote but it hath no roote in it selfe so many Christians goe farre and they doe much but they haue no roote in themselues that is they doe not vnderstand distinctly and throughly the grounds vpon which their faith is built they see not a sure ground for it in the Word of GOD they know not how faith is built vpon the â—ure corner stone for CHRIST is that sure corner stone he that is built vpon him shall neuer be ashamed wee should learne therefore not to giue ouer till wee be rooted and grounded If a man should aske many peopâ—e What is the reason that you are perswaded that your sinnes are forgiuen for you ought to build that vpon an infallible ground Iâ— it be no more but because you are perswaded it is nothing but if you can say My sinnes are forgiuen because I haue Christ and he that hath the Sonne hath life I haue the sure Word of God for it God cannot lye he is Truth it selfe that hath said it and he hath offered CHRIST to euery creature vnder Heauen then is the ground good thou maist take him boldly being within that number So much for this time FINIS OF FAITH The fourth Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith THe next thing to bee done is this to draw the will to take the promises for though the vnderstanding rightly apprehend all that is deliuered in the Word yet except the will bee bowed except we incline and be willing to embrace these offers and willingly take Christ vpon these conditions the thing is not done for I say iustifying faith is as well in the will as in the vnderstanding for that which I deliuer now is built vpon that which I deliuered before and I speake chiefly to those that vnderstand the premises or else you will not fully vnderstand that we are now about But seeing that the will hath a part in faith as well as the vnderstanding the second thing is to draw the will But how is that done This is the worke of God hee onely hath the soueraignety ouer the will and affections of a man it is the great prerogatiue
do you thinke that he hath put off that disposition is he not the same still as it is in the Hebrewes Is he not a mercifull High Priest still and that the bowels of compassion in him melt ouer a straying sinner and is ready to receiue him his bowels yearne within him and therâ—fore doubt not but the Lord will receiue you Againe of necessity hee must receiue you or else the blood of CHRIST were in vaine his Crosse and death were of none effect What now can make the death of CHRIST to be of none effect but when it is not regarded when his blood is trampled vnder feere and despised of men when it doth no good when it is not improued for the purpose it was shed for Doe you thinke that GOD sent his onely Sonne from Heauen to dye a cursed death and would hee haue his blood shed in vaine Now except hee should receiue poore sinners when they come the death of CHRIST should be of none effect And therefore it cannot be but GOD must be ready to receiue them So that there is no difficulty in him all the difficulty is in our selues we are not willing to come Againe if we consider what he hath done for others how many hee hath receiued to mercie when one sees such Rebels receiued to mercie and considers with himselfe and thinkes how he gaue pardon to Manasses of his sinnes which were crying sinnes and of an extraordinary nature sinnes that were of long continuance he forgaue Mary Magdalens sinnes he forgaue these greater sinners and why should he not forgiue me If one should come to a Physician of whom he hath heard a great fame and if he should meet with hundreds by the way of his Patients and all of them should tell him he hath cured them and healed them it would encourage a man to go on with confidence Or if one should come to a Well of which he hath heard much and should meete with hundreds of people by the way and all of them should tell him we haue beene at the Well and it hath cured vs and made vs whole this would encourage a man to goe with confidence because of the multitude that haue tryed the experience of it so we should runne to CHRIST when so many thousands haue beene forgiuen why should not these perswade vs that he is ready to forgiue vs as Paul saith he hath shewed mercy to me that others might beleeue in GOD I am an example for them to trust in God therefore when we see he hath forgiuen others so many and so great sins why should we doubt Againe if CHRIST should not be ready to receiue vs no flesh should be saued nor there is no man that would feare him or heare him Psal. 130.3 there the same argument is vsed If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity who should stand but there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared That is if GOD should not be pittifull to mankinde and ready to receiue them notwithstanding their manifold failings and infirmities and rebellions they are subiect vnto no flesh should be saued but all the world should perish Againe not so onely but GOD himselfe should not be worshipped men would not regard him men would not serue him Therefore I say of necessity GOD must haue mercy vpon men that they may feare him and serue him and that men may be willing to serue Take a hard Master a cruell King a man that shuts out men and excludes them that haue no hope there is none that will serue such a man there is no man that will come in to him but there is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared and worshipped and men may come in and worship him and therefore doubt not but Christ is willing to receiue you If all this will not perswade you yet in Esay 55. there is one thing more if it will not enter into your thoughts If you thinke your condition be such if you thinke your sinnes so circumstantiated as I may say that they are committed in such a manner that you thinke though others haue beene forgiuen yet you cannot it passeth your thoughts you know not how to imagine it yet know his mercie is aboue all a man must hold that conclusion still And if this alone will not perswade me yet when all this is put together when I see the misery of a man without CHRIST when I see I shall be happy with him when I see it is of necessity and if I come I shall certainely be receiued he cannot refuse me all this will helpe to perswade a man this you should learne to presse vpon your own hearts wee that are the Ministers of CHRIST are bound to doe it and therefore he hath sent vs out to compell men to come in that his House may be full therefore he commands them to goe vnto the high-way and vnto the hedges and compell men to come in And what is that That is be so importunate with them promise them threaten them command them in the Name of Christ to consent and come in GOD would faine haue his House filled he hath killed his fatlings hee would not haue his Table ready and haue no guests he would haue his House filled that his Table might not be prepared in vaine and that it may not be in vaine we are to inuite you to this marriage we are to inuite you to these fatlings to this Wine and Milke it is a banquet and a banquet you know what it is In a banquet there is as much as will cheere the body a concourse of all pleasant things Such things are in Christ there is spirituall comfort a concourse a heape of all spirituall ioy and comfort of all precious things you can finde and if you will come and taste you shall haue all his Jewels all his Graces to beautifie and to adorne you withall let this perswade you to come in But some may object If I come in I must lose my right eye or my right hand I must part with my lusts which are as deare to me as these members I will be briefe for tâ—is point because I will finish the Text at this time and will answer it euen as CHRIST doth Matth. 5. It is true we must doe so but then remember we shall haue heauen for our labour if Heauen be not worthy losing of a right eye or a right hand keepe thine eye still if thou wilt needs keepe it but thou shalt be sure to goe to hell There needs no other answer doe but seriously consider of this If I will I may keepe this lust this fleshly desire but certainely that will leade me to hell Let that answer serue for this But it may bee further obiected If I doe thus I must deny my selfe and this is a difficult thing for a man to offer violence to himselfe to crosse himselfe in all his desires a man is able to doe much
loue to me nor of true respect to me you regard it not whatsoeuer it bee If it bee but a small thing if it be done out of loue you respect it So it is with GOD workes that come from faith and loue for those I reckon to be all one those he respects wondrously Therefore we should learne to iudge aright of our workes it will helpe vs against that position of the Papists and also against the common opinion of men Euery man thinkes that Almes-deeds doing good to the poore and doing glorious things c. that these are good workes when as common actions they exclude as if they were not good workes But it is not so we may doe the greatest workes of this nature and yet they may haue no excellency in them at all Againe the very ordinary workes of our Calling ordinary things to men ordinary seruice from day to day if it come from faith if it be done as to the Lord he accepts them and they are good workes indeed This vse we ought to make of it If GOD regard not any thing but faith we should not be deceiued in our workes which we doe Againe if faith be such a thing that no workes are accepted without it that no branch will grow except it come from this roote if there be no saluation without it if it be a thing that is most profitable for vs If thou sayest now How may I know whether I haue faith or no I may be deceiued in it When we hang so much vpon this peg we had neede be sure that it be strong and that it will hold vs. I will therefore make this present Vse in shewing what the signes of this faith and what the characters of it are that you may learne to iudge aright whether that faith that sets all the price vpon your workes be a right faith or no You may know it by this Where there is a true faith there is a secret perswasion wrought in the heart whereby GOD assures you that he is yours and you are his as you haue it Reu. 2.17 To him that ouercommeth will I giue that hidden Mannah and a white stone with a new name written in it that hee onely knowes that receiues it That is That is one thing by which ye shall know whether you haue true faith or no Haue you euer had any of that hidden Mannah that is Haue you had such a secret perswasion which hath beene as sweet as Mannah to you which you haue fed on as they fed on Mannah which giues you life as Mannah gaue life to them Onely hee sayes it is a hidden Mannah it lyes not abroad others see it not but it is Mannah that your hearts secretly feede on So that wouldst thou know whether thou haue faith Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with a new name written in it that is the stone of absolution As the manner was among the Athenians among the old Grecians that the sentence of absolution was giuen by white stones as the sentence of condemnation was blacke stones So saith he GOD will giue him such a secret testimony that he is acquitted that when he is called in question as they were that they knew not whether they should dye or liue in that case if they had the white stone such a man was absolued So I say Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with thy name vpon it Hath he giuen you such a stone as you know in the secret of your heart such as none knowes but God and your selfe that is Hath hee euer opened the clouds hath hee euer shewed himselfe to you hath he cast a good looke vpon you hath he made your hearts glad with the light of his countenance in his Beloued for such a secret worke there is of the Spirit by which GOD cheereth and comforteth the heart of a man that is his manner in working faith After the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to a man after there hath beene such an inditement that he hath beene brought in question of his life when there hath beene a great storme then he comes into the heart as hee did into the Ship and all is quiet I say that is his manner he comes into the heart after such a manner and speakes peace to a man Haue you euer found this worke in your selues that after much trouble and disquiet within GOD hath spoken peace to you that he hath said to your soules I am thy saluation Not that that is absolutely required that there should be such a trouble going before For although it be true that he neuer speaks peace but when there hath gone some trouble but when there hath gone some conuincing of the spirit before which conuinceth a man of sinne yet this you must know that still the promise is made to the comming and not to the preparation And therefore if a man be at his journies end it is no matter how he came there If a man finde that he be in CHRIST and hath had such a testimonie from his Spirit though he haue not had such a worke of humiliation as perhaps he expects yet know that the promise is made to that And if you haue that which the promise is made vnto is not that sufficient It is true as I said you must haue it really you must haue it in good earnest there must goe alwayes a worke of humiliation before the testimony of the Spirit But mistake not that turbulent sorrow that violent disquiet of the minde goes not alwaies before For example Take two men the one is arrested and condemned brought to the poynt of death he makes account of nothing else A pardon comes to this man and hee is saued there was great trouble went before and hee was wondrously affected when the pardon came But now there is another man that is guilty of the same offence and hee knowes certainly that he shall be called in question and hee is sure to lose his life vnlesse his peace be made Now before this be acted before that indeed he be put in prison before that indeed he be condemned and before his head be brought to the blocke he is certified that a Pardon is come out for him This man knowes his estate as well as the other and he knowes that he had perished without a Pardon as well as the other and he makes as much account of his Pardon as the other and will not let it goe for his life as well as the other Now both these are pardoned both are sure of life but there is a different manner of doing it The one man was affected and much stirred before he was put into a wondrous afright before The other man is convinced of the danger he is in as well as he although he be not put to that extremity of sorrow though he be not brought to so neere an exigent as the other So if a man be
spoiling of his goods with joy because he beleeues God that hee hath in heauen a more induring substance There is no Christian no good man but he would be content to gaine as well as thou what is the reason hee takes it not He beleues that by forsaking that he shall haue a more enduring substance in Heauen There is no man would forsake any thing but for the better and that is the reason wee beleeue and thou dost not And so come to matter of safety and danger and there you shall see what difference faith makes between men how it turnes their course when they come to such an exigent See it in Saul you know he was commanded not to offer Sacrifice till Samuel came GOD did put him to the tryall The Philistims were vpon him the day of Battell drew neere hee saw the people shrinke away Saul was put to it now whether he would trust GOD for his safety or no If Saul had had faith now and had thought with himselfe If I keepe the Commandement is not GOD able to helpe me what though the people shrinke away cannot GOD doe as much with a few as with many If he had beleeued hee would haue done otherwise But he did not beleeue and therefore you see which way he turned The like we see in Ioram Ier. 42. This was his case hee was the Captaine of tâ—ose that were left behinde in Captiuity If hee had stayed in Ierusalem he had had nothing to defend him there was pouerty and want of all things if hee went downe into Egypt that was a safe Countrey as farre as any one could see it lay farre from all danger of War there was plenty of all things and he was a strong King able to defend him There comes Commandement from GOD that he should keepe himselfe still in Ierusalem and should not goe downe into Egypt It is a place worth the reading Ier. 42 43. Ioram in this case beleeued not that God would keepe him safe where he saw no meanes of â—afety Therefore in that turning you see what choice he made which was his vtter vndoing he went downe into Egypt and there the Sword and the Famine followed him that GOD might make him know that it was not any outward condition that could keepe him safe and that he was able to keepe him safe in another place where there seemed to be more danger On the other side take those that trust in God in any such case when they are brought to any such difficulty they are willing to venter to put themselues vpon GOD to goe any whither as Luther went to Wormes they care not for any danger before them But some will say it is true if I had a Prophet sent to me to tell me in such a case that I should be safe I should trust on him Certainely if thou hast not yet if the cause be good if it be a thing that GOD sets thee aworke on if thou goe by a right rule know that in this case thou hast as true a promise of safety that God will deale well with thee as if thou haddest a Prophet sent immediately from God Therfore I say to thee in such a case as Luther said to Melancton which was a good reason when Melancton began to faint Luther being afarre off wrote a Letter vnto him and tels him saith he if the Cause be not GODS why doe not we giue ouer why doe we not shrinke why doe wee doe any thing And If it be Gods Cause why doe we shrinke why go we not thorow He needed no more but to know that it was Gods Cause and after that see how hee exposed himselfe from time to time and as no man was bolder then hee so no man had more comfort It is with vs in this case as it was with Ieremiah Ier. 26. GOD bids him goe and speake his Word to the people all his words and tels him that the people would be ready to put him to death and so they were they said he should die but yet he obeyed God because the Lord sent him and see what was the issue of it GOD turned the matter and saued him This is faith when a man comes in that case to set his faith aworke that it may set him the right way that he is to goe in which way he is to turne And so put the case that GOD brings thee to such a case that thou art in danger of prison in danger of death in danger of the greatest crosse of the greatest persecution and trouble now one man consults with flesh the other consults with the spirit he sets faith awork to worke his worke for him you see what Stephen did in such a case and the reason of it Acts 6. He was a man full of faith and therfore he feared not what they could doe to him See what Paul did in such a case you see what danger he was exposed vnto but he consulted not with flesh and blood but what did he He set faith on worke that it might guide him in all the way that he went in all the turnings of his life And so on the other side for pleasure there are two men that haue pleasures propounded the holiest man hath the same nature that others haue they would take the same delight that others doe as farre as they are naturall What is the reason then they doe not why doe such men turne from all sinfull delights and runne another course It is nothing but faith that enableth them to doe it By faith Moses left Pharoahs Court and the pleasures of sinne for a season and chose aduersity with the people of GOD that is as if hee should say If you would know why Moses did this it was faith that enabled him that is he beleeued that if hee had enioyed those pleasures of sinne he should haue beene a loser by them hee should haue fared the worse for them Againe he beleeued that by his suffering aduersity with the people of God he should gaine it was onely faith that made him doe this If thou haddest faith thou wouldest forsake thy pleasures and liue a more strict life as the Saints doe So that still you must keepe that conclusion that you must set faith aworke in all the conclusions and passages of your life for that is it that guides you in the right way Againe Take two men that haue both children to prouide for they haue posterity to care for the one man he reasons thus with himselfe If I leaue them not as good a stock as I would yet I shall leaue them Gods blessing which is able to make them prosper and though I should leaue them abundance yet all that without Gods blessing will not be able to doe it Therefore such a man will be indifferent for matter of estate he will leaue a conueniency for them if he can but he takes no
10. We receiued the sentence of death that wee might learne not to trust in our selues but in God that raiseth the dead GOD meant to deliuer him when he saith he receiued the the sentence of death that is there was no helpe in the World that he could see in himselfe or in any other creature Now he was brought to trust in him and then God answered him in his trust so you shall finde Zeph. 3.12 I will leaue among you men that are humble and poore people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Why did not these trust in the Lord while they were rich Our nature is so backward and so exceeding deceitfull that wee cannot till other helpes are gone I will leaue among you a sort of poore people and they shall trust in my Name As if he should say When men are brought to that that all other things are taken away and till then they will not trust in him Indeede till then it is not trusting And therefore in 1 Tim. 1.5 She that is a Widdow is left alone and trusts in GOD. Till she be left alone till the other props be taken away a man cannot trust in GOD. Hence it is that commonly when men are brought to the lowest they are nerest to GOD they haue best accesse vnto him because when they are brought to such an exigent then a man will pray best and when he prayes best then hee speedes best then faith is set on worke and it workes best when it is alone when it is stripped of all other helpes And therefore you shall finde in the Booke of GOD when men were lowest they had neerest accesse to GOD. â—sa when he was come against with many thousands he trusted vpon GOD though he went against them with halfe the number and God deliuered him because he prayed and sought to GOD and saw that he was not able to doe any thing he trusted in GOD. Another time when Asa had forgotten GOD when he was strong when he thought himselfe more able when hee was to deale with one that had a weaker Armie a great deale the King of Israel hee was ouerthrowne and shut vp that he could not stirre because hee sent to the King of Aram for helpe It is GODS manner to defer sending of helpe till a man be brought to the Mount as hee did with Abraham hee might haue done it before but you know how he did with Abraham he brought him to the last cast And Dauid he was brought to the very point of perishing by the hands of Saul before he deliuered him And so he did with Iacob Esau comes against him with foure hundred men with a full resolution to destroy him before hee would deliuer him It is GODS manner to doe thus And so hee did with Iob and other seruants of his his fashion is to doe so to bring men vnto the very brow of the hill till their feet be ready to slip when they are euen going and then hee delights to appeare and deliuer them Therefore in such cases trust GOD put all vpon GOD that is when GOD in any turning of thy life brings thee to such an exigent that thou seest all at the point to be lost that thou art at the point to be vtterly vndone learne to trust in GOD in good earnest and that shall guide thee and turne thee the right way when thy flesh is ready to goe another way What was the reason that CHRIST when he was on earth would doe nothing except they beleeued in him When thou hast any thing to doe if thou beleeue in God that will make him ready to helpe thee because then it is an acknowledging and an attributing to his power If hee should doe it in another case he should lose his labour hee should lose his glory men would not be built vp in him by that which he did Therefore make vse of faith set faith on worke as I said I should come to this now to moue you to trust in GOD in all cases If I could perswade this men would turne the courses of their liues and would trust in him for know if thou trust in GOD he neuer failes any that trust in him as Dauid saith in Psal. 37. I neuer saw the righteous for saken c. As if he should say Aske all his seruants aske all men that euer haue knowne him all the men that haue liued with him that haue finished their course with him aske a seruant of GOD when he comes to dye how GOD hath dealt with him whether hee hath fayled him all his life I am perswaded that there is not a seruant of GOD but will say that he neuer failed him and if he were to leaue an exhortation behinde him he would exhort others from experience of his trust It cannot be that GOD should faile thee if thou rest vpon him Thinkest thou that GOD can faile thee when he saith himselfe so often he will neuer faile thee nor those that trust in him Will a man faile one that trusts in him Wee vse to say Oh I will not faile him for hee trusts in mee and doest thou thinke that GOD will faile thee in such a case If GOD should faile men in such cases there is no man that would seeke him But that men should bee encouraged to serue him hee hath promised not onely not to faile thee but hee is abundant in truth hee will bee better then his word hee doth what hee sayeth and more too If thou wouldest trust vpon him in such a case thou shouldst finde that he will answer thee But thou wilt say I see not how he will doe it the case is such a hard and difficult case Thou must know that there are strange passages in GODS prouidence he is able to bring things to passe though thou know not how it should be See his prouidence 2 Kings 5. The Woman there the Shunamite shee beleeued the word that the Prophet had said that there should bee seauen yeeres Famine shee left her Land and Countrey this was an act of Faith that made her doe this See how this Woman beleeued now she followed the direction of the Prophet she did that which GOD appointed her to doe see how GOD brought it to passe that the seruant of Elisha Gehezi should be there with the King and that hee should be telling the King of Israel of the great act of Elisha That there should be such a concurrence of all things that shee should come iust at that time and no other when the man of GOD was there yea when hee was telling of that very story that then she should come in and so she got her Land or else it is likely that the Woman hauing liued away so many yeeres it is likely shee had had a hard suite of it but Gods prouidence brought these things together So againe looke on Mordecai It is a strange
you come to know your selves too you will never love him you will never desire him you will never long after him for both these must goe together the knowledge of God and the knowledge of our selves to teach you to love him The knowledge of God without the knowledge of your selves is a fruitlesse speculation And againe the knowledge of your selves and your owne miserie without the knowledge of him and his mercy is a miserable vexation The knowledge of God without knowledge of your selves is as if a man should know a medicine but should not know what defect it were fit to supply And to know your selves and your owne case without him is to have the disease discovered and not to know how to helpe it And therefore learne to know both God and your selves If you will love him then you must learne to studie those two We say schollers studie bookes and Politicians studie men but a Christian should studie God and himselfe to learne to know God and himselfe better by this meanes he comes to know the Lord as wheresoever you finde any love to the Lord expressed you shall finde these two going together as David oft Psal. 18. and Psal. 116. I love the Lord c. Why For I was in distresse I was in griefe the grave overtooke mee and I was compassed about with death and I cried to the Lord and he healed me and set mee at libertie hee is my fortresse c. That is when David saw himselfe to stand in neede he saw his weaknesse and looked on God againe as one that would helpe him and heale him as one that could set him at liberty this caused him to say I love the Lord dearely So Paul when he saw these two I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter and looked on Christ who had beene mercifull to him with faith this was that which caused Paul so to abound in love towards Christ. And so Mary Luke 1. My soule doth magnifie the Lord And why For he had respect to the low estate of his handmaid I was poore and meane and loe hee hath raised mee to a high degree This sutablenesse this knowledge of God and of our selves is that which breedes in us a love of him But is this enough now to know God and our selves This is a faire step to beget in you this love of him for as you heard before love is an inclination of the heart to some good thing agreeable to us But yet you must have a third or else this will not doe that is assurance of the Lords love to you for if you long after him never so much if you thinke him worthy to be desired on the other side yet if for all this you are not perswaded of the Lords love to you you cannot be affected towards him Wee cannot love any man whom we conceive to be ill affected to us And therefore you shall see in the course of the Scriptures love proceedes from faith faith must beget love that is the assurance of Gods love must goe in This is the third ingredient to make it up You will say to mee wee doubt not of this but if wee be perswaded of Gods love wee shall love him but how shall wee come to this perswasion how shall wee assure our selves of his love Those to whom I should speake now are of two sorts either such as are out of the Covenant or such as are already within it For you that are without to you I say you may if you will consider it come to the assurance of his love towards you For first the Lord hath made knowne his owne willingnesse to take you to marriage There are but two that are to give their consent the Father to give his Sonne and the Sonne to give his owne consent The Father you know hath given his consent Isay 9.6 A Sonne is given He so loved the world that he gave his Sonne Therefore certainely you have the Fathers consent he hath given Christ as a father gives his sonne in marriage But now whether we have the Sonnes consent or no of that wee make question saith the Apostle Hee loved us and gave himselfe to us and for us yea hee not onely gives his consent for his part but he hath purchased his wife with his owne blood And therefore you cannot doubt but that hee is willing to marrie with you to take you and to receive you if you will come in Why then what is required now Nothing at all but thy consent if thou give thy consent to the Lord thou needest not to question his favour thou maist assure thy selfe of his unchangeable love in Iesus Christ for he hath revealed it on his part in his word you have his sure word for that heaven and earth shall passe rather than that word This is the sound consolation that will not faile you when you come to examination and thinke with your selves upon what ground am I assured of Gods affection towards mee that hee loves mee I have his word for it he hath said it and he cannot recall it yea he hath added his oath that by two immutable witnesses you might have strong consolation that is that you might have the greatest degree of assurance that can be Why now why doest not thou give thy consent why doest thou no more rest on it You will say alas I am willing to giue my consent if that would doe it But first I am unfit to marry the Lord I am not prepared for such a match as that is my heart is too bad and my life hath beene too sinfull to thinke of such preferment and advancement Take thou no care for that the Lord knew thy unfitnesse when he made that promise to thee when hee gave his Son and the Sonne gave himselfe to thee he was well enough acquainted with thee and with thy nature he had an intention to marry a blackmoore he justifieth the wicked he knowes thou art so and yet he will doe it he will put a fairenesse he will put a beautie upon thee when thou art his wife therefore let not that hinder thy unfitnesse You will say againe it may belong to such and such it doth not belong to me my case is such I have provoked him in this manner my sinnes are of such a nature This shall not shut thee out neither For why shouldst thou make exceptions where the Lord makes none Goe Preach the Gospell to every creature under heaven What is the meaning of that That is goe tell every man without exception whatsoever his sinnes be whatsoever his rebellions be go tell him this glad tidings that is to preach the Gospell to him that if he will come in I will accept him he shall be saved his sinnes shall bee forgiven him if he doe no more but come in and take me and receive me Therefore to conclude this doubt not thou that that shall be a