self idolised And doth not every Unbeliever idolise his own carnal wisdome his proud wil his commun gifts his self-sufficience his legal Righteousnesses and seeming good duties Is not the Unbelievers self-dependence the worst piece of Idolatrie Doth not every Unbeliever by depending on himself as his first principle and last end make himself his God Again is there not an Hel of Blasphemie in Infidelitie Doth not every Unbeliever by his secret or open murmurs against God raise many black lies and scandals on God Yea what are the Unbelievers discontents against God but in the Scriptures account a cursing of God as Job 1. 11 22 Lastly is there not a world of Atheisme in al Infidelitie Doth not Unbelief at one stroke take away the Scriptures God and Christ and al the good things of our peace As the Unbeliever doth by his self-dependence deifie himself so doth he not also by the same undeifie the true God Thus we see what a prodigious monstrous sin Unbelief is 7. This Notion of Infidelitie as before explicated Justifies God in his most severe procedures against al Vnbelievers Alas what blame may be laid upon the holy God for hiding the things of his peace from the Unbelievers eyes when as he wilfully shuts his eyes against them Has the Unbeliever any thing to object against Christ for not healing his wounded soul seing he wilfully rejects the Medicinal Grace and Bloud of Christ which are the only remedies for his healing If sinners wil justifie their unbelief which is so much condemned by God is it not just with God to condemne them for it So long as Unbelievers despise Gospel-love and Mercie is it not just that Gospel-vengeance take hold of them What more equitable than that such perish in their sins who resist al the sweet attractives and allurements of Grace by which Christ endeavors to draw them out of sin and miserie Doth not Infidelitie dispirit and make void al Ordinances and means of Salvation Who then can be blamed but the Unbeliever for his own damnation Is not Infidelitie the highest Treason against Heaven Can then any punishment be too severe for it Doth not Unbelief as has been intimated darken al the glorious Attributes of God Is not the wisdome of God estimed mere folie by it Doth it not rebel against the Soveraintie of God by placing the sinners wil above it Doth it not make the Faithfulnesse of God unfaithful Yea give the lie to it by questioning the truth of his Promisses 1 John 5. 10 Oh! how warme how large how tender how rolling are the Bowels of Free-grace towards sinners But doth not Unbelief spurne at those bowels by shutting the heart against them Is not the Omnipotence of God limited yea counted mere Impotence by Infidelitie Isai 40. 27 28 29 How doth it likewise trample on the patience and forbearance of God Is it not then most righteous that the great God who is thus injured and abused by Infidelitie should revenge his own quarrel thereon Again how doth Infidelitie slander reproche and undermine Christ the great Mediator of Life and Salvation Is not Christ the greatest Institute and Ordinance of God Is he not appointed by God as the alone Savior of Mankind And yet lo how do Unbelievers reproche and oppose him Is not Christ greatly undervalued when his gracious offers are rejected Can we abuse Christ more than by opposing the good things offered by him Is it not a bloudy crime to meet Christ's Grace with resistance Oh! what an Hel of Iniquity lies in this sin of Unbelief in that it is a despising of Christ's bleeding drawing Love Is any sin a greater burden and pain to Christ than Infidelitie Is he not hereby wearied Esa 7. 13 Yea is not Christ greatly mocqued and slandered by Unbelief Yea doth not Infidelitie rob Christ of al his Mediatorie Offices and Perfections Yea is it not the sorest Crucifixion of Christ Did not Judas the Jews and Pilate pierce Christ more sorely by their Unbelief than by their acts of betraying and condemning him Now if Infidelitie be so injurious to Christ is it not just with him to vindicate such injuries Yea indeed What are al the Unbelievers jugements and torments but such as he electively and voluntarily draws upon himself Are any Evangelic Unbelievers damned but such as wilfully elect Death before Life Do not al they that reject Christ electively embrace Death Prov. 8. 36 And has the Unbeliever any reason to complain against God for condemning of him seing he is unwilling to be saved Is not this the main that Christ expects from evangelic Unbelievers that they willingly accept Grace offered to them And if they wil not who is to be blamed but their own perverse stubborne wils Do not they deservedly perish who wilfully perish If sinners wil be so cruel so bloudy-minded as to murder their own souls by unbelief they must blame none but themselves for their ruine the righteous God is sufficiently vindicated from any imputation against him Oh! how wil this silence and seal up the lips of Unbelievers unto al eternitie that Grace and Life was offered to them but they voluntarily chose death before life What pleas can such have why they should not be damned seing they wilfully rush into ways that lead to damnation CHAP. IX Practic Uses 1. Studie the Mysterie and Causes of Infidelitie 2. Lament over the prevalence of it 3. Examine how far it prevails 4. Abjure it as the worst Hel. 5. Pursue Faith as the highest Interest and Spring of the Divine Life WE now procede to a more close and practic Application of these general Notions of Infidelitie And the first Vse we shal make of this Doctrine is by way of general Advice unto al both Believers and Unbelievers to studie much the black nature and venimous Influences of Infidelitie Certainly if Sinners were but wel acquainted with that Mysterie of Iniquitie that is wrapt up in the bowels of Infidelitie and how pernicious this sin is to their souls were it possible that they could please themselves in it as they do Alas Can we imagine that Unbelievers would sit down so quietly under the chains fetters of their unbelief were they but in a serious manner apprehensive of it But ah here lies the great damning sin and miserie of the Unbelieving World men are not deeply and feelingly sensible of the burden and stings of an unbelieving heart How few are there who observe and mourn under the secret veins of Infidelitie that loge in their hearts Where is that soul that lamentes day by day his want of a particular supernatural spiritual distinct certain firme evangelic ful prevalent affective effective and transformative Assent to the good things that belong to his peace Do not many great Professors seem to assent to the Mysteries of the Gospel but yet really dissent from or at least not live up to them Have not many the name of Believers who yet never felt the virtue and
him What is it that gives the soul an abode in Christ and Christ in the soul but Faith as John 15. 5 Oh! What strong desires and thirsts after Christ doth Faith worke in the soul Doth it not make the absence and presence of Christ the mesure of bitter and sweet of good and evil What more efficacious to draw forth every Grace in its exercice than Faith Unbelief is the spring of spiritual sloath and lazinesse but oh how vigorous and active is Faith There is no Grace or Dutie but it is made easy by Faith How easy is the worke of Humiliation made by Faith What makes divine Love more spriteful and vigorous than Faith Yea is not the whole of Christianitie contained in the bowels of Faith Is there any Grace required to the Divine life which Faith cannot supplie us with Yea Faith is so good a Chymist as that it can extract riches out of povertie strength out of weaknesse glorie out of shame peace out of trouble Grace out of sin life out of death something out of nothing Oh! how miraculous are the virtues of Faith It makes a man able to do althings an yet it makes him see he is nothing and can do nothing It makes a man content with any thing that God gives and yet unsatisfied ' til he can enjoy althings in their fountain Again If we consider Faith in its parallel Antithesis or opposition to Infidelitie we shal then see more fully the excellent qualities of it as also the mischievous Influences of Infidelitie 1. Faith breeds jealousie of our selves but confidence in God it reckons it cannot believe God too much nor self too little But oh What self-confidence jelousie of God doth Infidelitie produce How much doth it trust self and thence how little can it trust in God What mutual Influences and Reciprocations are there between self-confidences and jelousies of God 2 Faith keepeth the heart close to God his Word and Ordinances and so keepeth God close to the heart It follows Christ in ways of Dependence Adherence Subjection Submission and Conformitie and so Christ follows it in ways of gracious Communications Consolations Manifestations and Communion But is it thus with Unbelief Doth it not depart from God his Word and Ways And thence doth not God depart from the Unbeliever 3. Faith prepares for quickens in and sweetens every Dutie It sets Prayer on foot Meditation on the wing and drawes forth the Attention and Intention of the Soul in hearing and reading of the Word But oh How doth Infidelitie hinder deaden and embitter the Soul in al gracious exercices How doth it clip the wings of Meditation stifle and choke the breathings of Prayer c 4. Faith fixeth and establisheth the heart by knitting of it to Christ who is an immutable Rock But oh What a mutable variable inconstant thing is Infidelitie How doth it make the heart to stagger and reel by dividing and taking it off from God Isai 7. 9 5. Faith makes a livelyhood out of Divine Promisses Engagements Relations and Influences It sucks sweetnesse out of Promisses and so is nourished by them It feeds on Divine Relations and Influences and so finds a livelihood in the greatest famine of spiritual injoyments It is long-handed and reacheth to Heaven for supplies when al means below fail But oh how short-handed is Infidelitie It 's true it has a long hand to reach forth to the Creature yea sometimes to Hel but it has no hand to reach after Christ or his Promisse how doth it suffer the poor hungry soul to starve amidst al evangelic Promisses and Dainties Whereas Faith takes the Soul by the hand and leades it from one Promisse to another from one Attribute to another and so suckes gracious Influences from al as it need requires 6. Faith conquers the whole Soul to God and thence althings else are conquered to the Soul It subjects the heart to Christ and so makes althings subject to it But Infidelitie captivates the heart to lust and thence it becomes captivated to every thing else Oh! What a vassal is the unbeliever to every base lust Yea to himself 7. Faith fortifies the Soul against al the Blandissements Allurements and eye-pleasing Delights of this lower world It blasteth al the fair promisses of created good by out-bidding of them But alas how soon is Unbelief entangled and overcome by every inveiglement and snare of sinful pleasures It can fortifie the heart against nothing but the convictions and good motions of the Spirit Faith is the shield of the new creature to repel al the poisoned darts of the World and Satan but Infidelitie is the shield of the old man to repel al the Convictions of the Spirit darted into the Sinners Conscience 8. Faith prepares the heart for and preserveth it under every difficultie frown and afflictive crosse It prepares for the worst times yet hopes for and expects the best It takes out the sting and poison of every crosse and infuseth into it a medicinal healing virtue But can Infidelitie do such marvels doth it not unfit us for every difficultie and then betray us into the hands of it Faith never leaves us at a losse it clotheth the mind with a divine light whereby it is inabled to see and passe thorough al dangers But oh How doth Unbelief darken the eye of the Soul and so create black visions of carnal fear and heart-rending troubles Difficulties and distresses are the element of Faith but how unable is Infidelitie to live or breath in such a sharpe Air 9. Faith opens the dore to promissed Mercies and Deliverances It keeps the condition of the Promisse and so keeps the soul under the blessing of the Promisse But is this in the power of Infidelitie Doth it not rather put a bar to promissed Mercies as Num. 20. 12. Heb. 3. 19 Yea doth it not open a dore to al the threats and curses of the Law Yea doth it not bind the Unbeliever fast under a sentence of condemnation as John 3.36 Whereas Faith on the contrary stops the mouth of al legal Threats and Curses and locks the soul fast under a state of Salvation John 6. 47. 10. Faith improves Mercies received and so makes way for more It giveth God the honor of his Mercies and man a sanctified and comfortable use of them But can Infidelitie thus improve Mercies Doth it not rather by its murmurs and misimprovments destroy former Mercies and so hinder future Was not this the temper of the unbelieving Jews in the Wildernesse as we find it described Psal 78. 11 40 Oh! how doth Unbelief rob God of al the Glorie and so man of al the comfort and right use of Mercies received How unthankeful how discontented is the Unbeliever under Mercies received and thence unfit to receive more Whereas the Believer is content under the want of Mercies and thence fit to receive them He can trust God with his soul and al other Mercies and thence God
Christ's Tears FOR JERUSALEMS UNBELIEF AND RUINE NOW Humbly recommended to England's Consideration in this her day of Tryal and Danger By 〈◊〉 Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. THEOPHILUS GALE LONDON Printed for M. Widdowes at the Green Dragon in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1679. Preface IT is the Supreme Wisdome Interest and Perfection of Man who is an intelligent Being to understand adhere unto his last End and whatever means conduce thereto This is stiled Luke 19. 42. To know the things that belong unto our peace And the supreme end of our Great Lord in espousing Human Nature was to acquaint Sinners with the things that belong to their peace and bring them into an immediate Capacitie for the Fruition of them Is it not then the highest piece of Folie and Madnesse for rational Creatures to shut their Eyes and Hearts against that which is their supreme Happinesse Is there so much Beautie in the Deformitie of Sin So much Pleasure in the Chains and Fetters of Satan So much Libertie in the Vassalage and Bondage of Lusts So much Content in the embraces of an heart-distracting World So much peace and ease in the stings and troubles of a tormented Conscience So much life in the death of Sin and Hel torments as to make a rational soul amorous of and in love with them If not how comes it to passe that men mind not more the things that belong unto their peace Was it ever known that any but mad men would take delight to see their own heart-bloud gush out Would any but blind fools spurne at food the most delicious satisfying food when offered to their famished souls May we not count such bewitched Sots who plot and contrive by al means possible to ruine themselves And yet Lo is not this the Case of al such who wil not know and embrace the things that belong unto their peace when offered to them Alas What a world of such mad and blind fools are there Yea how many great Professors yea how many Churches fal under this black brand of Folie and Madnesse Was not this Jerusalem's sin and folie for which she has paid so dear for 1600 years And has Jerusalem been alone in this sin Has not England also dranke very deep of this venimous intoxicating Cup And what may we expect but Jerusalem's prodigious Ruines unlesse we al make haste to know and embrace the things that belong unto our peace before they are hid from our eyes The designe therefore of this ensuing Discourse is to awaken and provoke secure Unbelievers and slumbering Professors deeply to consider and chearfully to embrace Evangelic offers of Life and Grace before it be too late And our First Book is wholly spent in the explication of our Lords doleful Lamentation Luke 19 41. over Jerusalems Sins and Ruines Wherein we have endeavored to explicate What were Jerusalem's Church-wasting Sins and Ruines which our Lord here laments in order to a Conviction of and Lamentation over our own Sins and approching Ruines if not prevented by a timous Repentance and closing with the things of our peace And because Jerusalem's main Sin was Infidelitie this therefore is the chief subject of what follows Book 2. Wherein we have endeavored to explicate the black and prodigious Nature of Vnbelief in the several parts thereof and that in opposition to Faith whereof it is a Privation Wherein we have also opened the Nature and main essential Ingredients of Faith which indeed comprehends the chief vitals of Christianitie and therefore requires our most diligent Attention and curious Inquisition The next great and commun Head to be explicated is the Causes of Infidelitie which wil open to us what a great Mysterie of Iniquitie lies at the Root of Unbelief Hence we are to procede to its Aggravations which wil discover to us the monstrous Magnitude of this sin And thence follows the severe Punishment and Vengeance which the righteous God inflicteth for this Sin of Infidelitie These things wil if Providence favor and assist our desires be the subject of several Discourses Only that I might not at present wholly frustrate the Readers expectations I have in the Corollaries and Uses of the Second Book given some Hints and Intimations of the chief Particulars which I intend to discourse of under the following Heads As for the Forme of the Discourse I thinke I may with Sinceritie say I have endeavored to suit it to my Mater I would hate sinful Affectation of Words or Things merely to please itching curious spirits as much as Hel. Yet if any words occur that may give lustre and efficace to the Truths discoursed of I cannot thinke myself obliged to reject them because not so vulgar as other words lesse proper are Only if thou meet with any word beyond thy capacitie to apprehend remember that the following word usually explains the same A TABLE OF CONTENTS BOOK I. Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem CHAP. I. An Explication of Luke 19. 41. Pag. 1 THe Contexture of the words Pag. 2. And when he was come near 3. He beheld the Citie 4 5. And wept over it 6 7 8. Chap. 2. The most solemne Profession without Sinceritie wil not satisfie Christ 9 13. Chap. 3. Previous and General Observations 13. Chap. 4. Church-sins bring Church-ruines 17. Evil of doing brings the evil of suffering 18. Sin in itself the worst evil 19. Chap. 5. A numeration of Jerusalem 's sins 22. 1. Vnbelief a Church-ruinating Sin Ibid. 2. Carnal Presumtion 24. 3. Spiritual Pride 27. 4. Carnal Securitie 29-31 5. Carnal Confidence 32. 6. Earthly-mindednes Pag. 33. 7. Vnfruitfulnesse 34. 8. Persecution of the Prophets 35. 9. Want of Reformation 36. 10. Impenitence 37. 11. Apostasie 38. Chap. 6. Divine wrath the effective Cause of Jerusalem 's Ruines 40. The effects of Divine wrath on Jerusalem 43. 1. Temporal jugements Ibid. 2. Spiritual jugements 45 46. Chap. 7. 1. The Qualities of Christs tears 47. 1. They are Divine Ibid. 2. Rational 3. Free 4. Sincere 48 49. 5. Spiritual 6. Generous 7. Humble 49-51 8. Pathetic 9. Sympathetic 52 53. 10. Seasonable 11. Public 54. 2. The efficaces of Christ's Tears 55. 1. Prophetic 2. Instructive 3. Exhortative ib. 4. Threatning 5. Intercessorie 56. 6. Influential 7. Exemplary 57 58. Chap. 8. The Motives of Christs Tears 59. 1. As a Father 2. As an Husband ibid. 60. 3. As her Lord. 4. As a Minister 61 62. 5. Christs natural relation to Jerusalem 64. Chap. 9. Doctrinal Corollaries ibid. 1. Christs Affections relative ibid. 2. Christs Affections most pure 65. 3. Christs real Wil to save sinners ibid. 4. The Aggravations of such as refuse Christ 67 5. Mans Ruine from himself 68. Use 1. Advice to studie Englands Sins 69. Use 2. Mourne over Englands Sins and Miseries 71. Use 3. Caution against Church-sins Pag. 74. BOOK II. Wherein the Nature of Infidelitie consists Chap. 1. The Explication of Luke 19. 42. 76. Chap. 2. Eighteen general Observations drawn from Luke 19. 42. 86-98 Chap. 3. What
the heart as faith in Christ Oh! what meeknesse is there in faith How silent is it How flexible to the Divine Wil Certainly the lower the wil lies in subjection and submission to God the higher faith riseth The highest faith is that which lies lowest in subjection to the foot of God Such was Abrahams faith Isai 41. 2. Called him to his foot Faith yields up it self to Christ to be acted as he pleaseth to do or suffer as he thinks fit it leaves the soul with Christ to be wrought upon as he seems good So Paul Act. 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Paul makes Christ master of his wil and al he is content to be wholly influenced by Christs Soverain wil and Spirit Whence faith is compared to a Mariage-covenant whereby the wife gives over and resignes al right to her husband So the Believer gives up himself to Christ that he may be his Hence the more resistance there is against the Wil and Grace of Christ the more Unbelief An unbelieving wil is an inflexible wil its mighty stiffe and hard Unbelievers are extreme covetuous and greedy of their own wils to part with their wils is death to them 7. Infidelitie or Vnbelief implies also an unwillingnes to appropriate or applie the Promisses and Grace of Christ for the sinners benefit Faith is a mighty appropriating applicative Grace although it be very silent patient and submissive as to mesures degrees seasons and the manner of receiving Grace yet it is very ready to applie al Promisses or intimations of Grace given it Yea if it has but a general promisse yet it can make particular application of it to the soul yea sometimes though it has but an Item an half-promisse or nod from Christ yet it can applie and improve it for the sinners encouragement As by the acts of Adherence and Recumbence the soul goes forth to Christ so by this appropriating applicative act of faith it sucks in and applies to itself the Grace of Christ according to its several needs and indigences Is the poor sinner laden and pinched with the guilt of sin O then how doth faith applie thereto a Plaister of Christs bloud Doth some powerful lust or tentation assault the soul then faith goeth to Christ for fortifying corroborating Grace Is the Believer called to any difficult piece of service either active or passive for Christ then Faith applies to itself the Divine assistance and direction of Christs Spirit Thus it receiveth out of Christs fulnesse Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. But now unbelief is altogether unacquainted with this Divine Art of appropriating and applying the Grace of Christ It doth want not only legs or an active power to go to Christ but also hands or a passive power to receive from Christ Oh! what a prodigiously proud begger is Unbelief in that it scornes to receive an Almes from Christ What! not receive Grace when offered Doth Christ offer an Act of Indemnitie unto sinners and wil not they receive it at his hands Oh! what a proud bloudy sin is Unbelief Alas many convinced sinners think it too much Presumtion and Arrogance for them to appropriate and applie the Grace of Christ to themselves They think it better becomes them to applie nothing but wrath and condemnation to themselves So modest and humble do they seem to be But oh what a world of pride doth there lie at the bottome of this seeming Modestie and Humilitie Is it not rank pride for sinners to refuse that Grace which is freely offered When Christ comes to pour in Grace freely into the soul then to refuse that Grace because we have no monie to purchase it what egregious pride is this 8. The last act of Infidelitie or Unbelief is A diffident removing or putting far from the soul the second coming of Christ and al the great things of Eternitie which ensue thereon Faith has such a miraculous efficace as that it can make things absent present things invisible visible Heb. 11. 1. It gives a prelibation and foretast of approching Glories Ephes 1. 13 14. Here Paul tels them That after they believed they were sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a Translation borrowed from Seals by the impression or stampe whereof we distinguish things true from false things authentic from uncertain The stampe of a Seal impressed on an Instrument renders it indubitable and unquestionable The Jews had the externe seal of Circumcision and the Grecians were sealed with the marque of their Idols ay but saith Paul Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article here is treble which carries in it a great Emphase and demonstrates some extraordinary work of the holy Spirit It seems to refer to the great Promisse of the Spirit Luke 24. 49. as elsewhere But what is meant by this seal of the Spirit I know some understand it of the Seal of Assurance whereby they were assured of their eternal possession and we need not altogether exclude this sense yet I humbly conceive that this Seal is primarily to be understood of the Stampe or Impresse of Grace at first Regeneration which is communicated to al Believers whence it is said they were sealed with that Holy Spirit i. e the Spirit of Sanctification Now this Impresse or stampe of the Spirit of Sanctification after their first believing is said to be ver 14. the earnest of our inheritance c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the general signifies al that which is given for the confirmation of a promisse and particularly among the Phenicians whence the Grecians seem to have derived the word it notes earnest-money So that the sense is this Ye who have believed have received the earnest of the Spirit of Grace whereby you have hopes and expectation of glory Hence Faith has the Bridegrooms coming fixed on its eye the sound of the last Trumpe ever ringing in its ear Ay but Unbelief removes al these far from the soul it says in the language of those secure sinners 2 Pet. 3. 4. Where is the promisse of his coming do not althings continue as they were Unbelief is possest with a kind of sleeping Devil it dreams of nothing but building Tabernacles here What a stranger is it to eternitie and the concernes thereof If the secure sinner be now and then a little awakened and startled at the apprehensions of future jugement how restlesse is Unbelief til it has got the soul asleep again How are the eyes shut and the wil bolted against al foresight and expectations of Christs second coming Oh! what a torment is it to the Unbeliever to lie under awakened apprehensions expectations of and approches towards future jugement What would he give if eternitie were buried in oblivion There is nothing in the world that the Unbelievers heart is more alienated from and averse to than the second coming of Christ Faith breeds a