It doth see such a measure of goodnesse and mercy from God through Christ and such a height and depth and breadth of love to us in Christ and such an excellency of holy perfections and amiablenesse in Christ which drawes the soul with strong affections of love to Christ againe Secondly if faith might be without love then a person in Christ might be Anathema-maranatha forasmuch as he who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ is c. but it is a monstrous wickednesse to conceive that a beleever in Christ should be so Secondly there is no believer in any degree of faith but he hath a love of Christ The weak Christian as well as the strong the plant as well as the cedar The Father of a child who cryed out I believe help my unbelief as well as Abraham the father of the faithful Though one Christian may produce some testimonies which another cannot though every one cannot say with Paul I am fully perswaded yet every one can say with Peter when Christ demanded of him Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Joh. 21. 17. He said unto him Lord thou Knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Yea thirdly whatsoever straits the believing soul is cast into when it is in death in flames for Christ yet it can love Christ when it is under the crowd of temptations when it is in the bitter dayes of desertion When the Skirmish of reasonings do prevaile upon the soul so highly and strongly that the heart is ready to conclude against it self that God looks not on it Christ will not be mine yet even then however I love the Lord Jesus Christ I love him though I can see no sensible testimony of love from him my heart is still towards him he is my Center and Loadstone No meerly unbelieving person can love the Lord Jesus Christ For what is love Love you know it is the setling and transplanting of the heart It is such an affection as knits the soule to Christ but it is impossible that this should be whiles the heart hath no faith So then love of Christ is an infallible testimony of faith in Christ But you will say this is strange that love of Christ should be so Obj. lively and so distinguishing a testimony of true faith why doth not many a man yea every man professe that he loves Christ Beloved What men professe is one thing and what they Sol. affect and love may be another thing the semblance of love is a thing distinct from the sincere affection of love If your love be true and sincere never question the matter any further assuredly thy faith is right But this is the doubt this is it we question as much as the former Obj. whether we truly love Christ or no. A word to it and so an end of that triall If the love be true Sol. which is to Christ Then It will bestow our hearts on Christ only Nothing is too good for him whom we heartily love in true love the heart is in him who is loved and not in him who loves Anima est ubi amat non ubi animat and which way the heart goes all shall go that way It pitches on the person of Christ Love is base if it be 'twixt person and estate but pure love is 'twixt person and person I confesse that a wicked man an unbelieving person may have a tooth at the portion of Christ he may marvelously desire the merits of Christ pardon of sin exemption from hell but faith is it which drawes out such a love as makes the soul to admire it and to cleave unto the person of Christ It is sincere and conjugall It is not an adulterous love which is divided amongst several Paramours O no True love of Christ knowes no husband but Christ and no Lord but Christ he is the covering of our eyes SECT III. A Second trial of our true faith in Christ Jesus is this inward change and sanctity of the heart is an infallible testimony of a living faith Divines distinguish of a common faith and of a special faith and according to their nature so are their effects a common faith may elevate the minde to singular apprehensions notable expressions outward conformities in matters either not difficult or dangerous But special faith hath a distinguishing operation it works that which no false or pretensive faith can What 's that This is it it doth change the heart and is ever a companion with inward holinesse There be three things which I will shew you about 3. Things this First that true faith doth produce a change there is a twofold change 1. One of the condition which is when a man once in the state of death is now passed over to the state of life once in the termes of condemnation is now translated to the state of absolution and this change faith findes for us in Iesus Christ the imputation of whose righteousnesse in justification changeth the state so that our guilty debts are taken off and we are reconciled Secondly which is of the person and this change is the alteration of a mans nature for faith is not only a justifying grace but it is also a sanctifying grace Hence these phrases Acts. 15. 9. purifying their hearts by faith Acts 26. 18. that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ. As the blood of Christ is a pure blood as well as a precious blood and as it is a clensing blood as well as an expiating blood so faith is a grace not only to acquit but also to purge and renew It is not onely an entitleing grace that is that grace which doth interest us into Christ and his benefits but it is also a conforming grace that is such a grace as works into us the vertues and holy qualities of Christ And therefore you read that it doth engraffe us into the similitude of his death Ro. 8. and into the fellowship of his sufferings and resurrection Phil. 3. 10. Secondly observe that every believer hath a changed and a holy heart 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ and you know that it is faith which unites to Christ and plants us into him he is a new creature that is that a man is altered in his inward frame in his faculties in his inclinations all over There is a change either in the cessation of some particular actions which an unbeliever may attaine and there is a change in the newnesse of nature when the soul is turned and biassed and enclined quite another way I confesse the Apostle doth not say if any man be in Christ he is a strong creature yet he saith he is a new creature for though every believer hath not that maturity and ripenesse and strength yet he hath a newnesse in his nature an holy change wrought in him throughout Look as the first Adam derived guilt and corruption to his posterity
darknesse and David answers him in Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me How triumphant is Paul and beyond both himself and all crosses and all because of his assurance and perswasion Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Ver. 37 Nay in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Ver. 38. For I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Can more be said need we to adde See him againe in Romans 5. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Objection Who would not may some reply in so great a good Sol. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation also and who can do this but he who hath some measure of assurance Indeed faith can make the soul to submit in a crosse but it is assurance which makes the soul to rejoyce and to triumph What the Apostle spake of death that is true of all afflictions the sting of them is finne where the conscience is wounded and the sight of heaven is darkned there the crosse is heavy and bitter A man hath a burden on his shoulders and a burden on his conscience and yet a burden that he cannot see any to smile on him and comfort him But now when the spirit of a man is sound and the evidence of faith is cleare when a man feeles all to be right within all to be peace abroad that all stands faire 'twixt him and his God Nay and he can see God as his God the strength of this assurance doth not onely allay a burden but raiseth the heart exceedingly above it yet God is good to Israel and though I see the Olive to faile and the Fields not to yield and the flocks to be cut off yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength Hab. 2. 17 18. Sixthly it makes all kinds of duty to flow and to rise I wil instance briefly in some 1. In the Active 2. In the Passive 1. Active 1. Praise and thankfulnesse Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Verse 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Nay he is at it againe Psal 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take up the cup of salvation c. O the evidence and apprehension of so great a mercy and salvation it fills every vain of the heart c. Musick is highest and sweetest in the fairest weather He who disputes his mercy can hardly bless for it Now I see much forgiven and therefore I blesse much What! and all this forgiven to me and so freely and so fully also so many transgressions yet to cover all yet to be reconciled yet to put down the gracious pardon before mine eyes 2. Prayers There are two properties in these which will surely arise out of assurance One is confidence and boldnesse A man will come boldly to the throne of grace who is once assured by faith Now that of John comes in indeed 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have iâ— him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us Christ I remember teacheth his Disciples and in them all Beleevers to pray for many excellent things both for soul and for body but then he preferred he set this in the front Our Father as if he had clearly suggested this unto us that the assurance of God as our Father is that which gives unto the heart a strong confidence in all petitions why who will not come freely and confidently to a Father to his Father to his reconciled Father Another is quicknesse and life in the affections Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Observe it I will seek thee there is now diligence early will I seek thee there is quicknesse of affection and why I will seek thee early because O God thou art my God 3. Ordinances Now a man will flie to them as the Doâ—es to the windows it is the Prophet Isaiah's expression A man hath an heart to bow the knee when he knows that my God will help him A man hath an heart to heare the Word when he knows my God will teach him to profit and will speak peace unto him A man will with cheerfulnesse addresse himself to the Sacrament when he knowes this is the blood which was shed for the remâ—ssion of his sinnes and his salvation is there sealed The Apostle hath an apt passage in 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word and surely that is with much delight and with much earnestnesse for so do babes desire the milk of the breasts But what might stirre up this Ver. 3. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious a taste of God of God as gracious yea this is it which whets the appetite this sets on the heart to the ordinances indeed 4. All obedience actuating the whole kinds of duty Why assurance in the soule makes all duty both cheerful and stedfast Psalme 26. 3. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes therefore have I walked in thy truth Why is duty to good hearts sometimes so weary-some so slack so troublesome verily faith is weak doubts are strong feares are many could they once see God to be their God Christ to be their Lord and Saviour sinnes pardoned in his blood and all this to them Now even the lame would walk and the weary would runne the heart would set upon obedience with all its strength and all its care 2. The like may be said for passive obedience assurance enables it exceedingly The love of Christ constraineth us said Paul 2 Corinth 5. I remember the Apostle hath a notable passage Romans 5. 7. For a good man some will even dare to die That is for a bountiful man a man of eminent and singular good to preserve him for his sake a private man would lay down his life If the goodnesse and kindnesse of a man hath sometimes such a force with us what influence then hath the goodnesse of a God upon a beleeving heart the kindnesse the blood of a Christ upon a beleeving and an assured heart Who would not suffer reproach for Christ who suffered death for him who would not kiss the stâ—â—ke to bring him honour who shâ—d his blood to get his
streames on the Spring or the beames on the Sun and the fruitfulnesse of both depends upon the richnesse of faith Though the habits of grace depends immediately on Gods Spirit and not on faith yet the measures of grace depend instrumentally very much on faith it being the Conduit pipe that which draws grace for grace from Christ A weak believer cannot have such a strength of affection nor vigor of actions as the strong He is not so thankful you shall for ever finde this to be true that what is a weakening to faith that is a lessening to thanks No mans tongue is more in praise then he whose heart is filled with perswasion God hath but cold thanks from him who is yet disputing and questioning his receipts where the mercy is fully cleared there the heart is exceedingly enlarged But till the soul sees it self indeed a debter it will prove but an ill and slow pay-master How can I fully thank God that he hath expressed that Mirandum of love to give Christ to me when yet I do in my soul suspect and question whether this be so or no How can I fully blesse and praise God for his rich mercy in the pardon of my sinnes whiles my soul doth yet suspect that the book is uncrossed and the controversie of guilt is not yet taken up 'twixt God and me But where faith is strong there praise is great when the Moon is fullest of light then the tydes are higher in their returnes so the more clear apprehensions of Gods love to us in Christ even raiseth affections to a greater flow of thankful retributions Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits See how he chargeth and rechargeth his soul to praise but why Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Ver. 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and mercies 7. The weak Beleever will be more puzled to die then the strong believer It is with the strong believer as with Simeon who held Christ in his armes Now said he lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He may easily desire death to let him out of a miserable world who hath assuredly got and hath Christ the Authour of a better life Or as with Paul having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know if our earthly house c. we have a building of God For the strong believer knows that Christ is to him in life and death advantage By him we shall go to the God of all mercies and to the Father of all consolations He shall go to that mansion which his Saviour hath provided and there have a glorious union with God and society with Saints for ever But the weak beleever will perhaps stagger and his heart will divide it self I would not yet die if I must what shall I do Christ is he whom I have loved and served but I am not sure that he is mine Heavenly glory is the wages for our service but I am not sure that I shall go into it matters are yet doubtful and my heart is yet fearful I know not whether such sinnes are yet taken off and how will God look upon me if I die of whose loving favour I have not been assured whiles I have lived I hope the best and yet I see cause to fear death may do me good yet I had rather live to clear accounts 'twixt God and my soul that so then I might give up c. 8. The weak beleever hath not such cheerful expectations nor quiet submissions as the strong believer The strong believer is at it as the Church in Micah My God will hear me and if he denies a particular good yet he can sit down and sing when he is going to prayer he chears up his heart with a confidence on God and when he findes God determining and revealing his will there he blesseth God and follows his calling But the weak believer is apt to forestal a mercy he cannot see a plain way for his grant nor an easily quiet heart after his denial 9. The efficacy of temptations doth more intangle the weak beleever then the strong like the weaker vessel at sea amidst the greater waves Satan doth cousen his soul with ease and ever and anon disrobes him of his comforts like a lewd subtile enemy he forceth the weak believer often to try and clear his title and increaseth mistakes in all passages 'twixt God and the soul 1. If he doth cast himself on mercy then it is presumption If he holds off then it is infidelity and rejecting of Christ 2. If he doubts then it is despaire and a forsaking of God 3. If he sinnes then it is unpardonable because since knowledge and mercy 4. If he findes distractions in dutie then this is hypocrisie in the heart 5. If he meets with hellish suggestions of which Satan is only the Author O then who could be in Christ and have such abominable thoughts 6. If the Ordinances do not presently comfort O then they are sealed up and there is no faith else the Word would profit 7. If every corruption be not subdued in every degree and motion and act O then vertue is not gone from Christ the heart is still nought and the faith unsound 8. If not the same constant tenor of smart affections why then there was never any true love of God no reverence of him now nor fear nor duties but the soul is dead utterly hardened and God hath no pleasure in it 9. If God doth answer the soul yea but that is but an imagination If he doth not answer why then it is cleare that God neither doth nor will ever regard you 10. If I do not go to the Sacrament why then thou slightest Christ and his blood If I go and come away with tears O then thou wast unbeleeving or else thou hadst been sent away with joy and increase 11. If I do not put on for grace then thou art wicked If I do put on for grace then thou art so wicked that God will not bestow it on thee Thus doth Satan involve and distresse and set the soul of a weak Believer like a man at chesse forward and backward he makes him to suspect every mercy and every grace and every affection and every duty and every promise and every Ordinance so violently doth he tosse though he cannot totally sink the heart of a weak believer SECT VIII Motives to strive to greaten thy faith 1. THis is a signe of truth True grace is rising dead things do moulder and artificial things remaine the same but the living childe is growing to a full stature Phil. 3. Not as though we had already attained the graine of mustard-seed grows and the smoaking flax will flame Presumption hath all its perfections at first 2. This is
before had a base and unworthy opinion of Paul and Silas but now Lords Sirs what shall I do As the Heart is so the Judgement is and Newnesse of Nature hath with it Newnesse of Light We can now see the men and their authority and their office and embassage and the end of all their reproofes and instructions and therefore the very feet of them who bring good tydings and publish peace and salvation are beautiful It argues the heart to be base and sordid which can slight and scorne the Messengers of Christ he hath no grace who can contemne and vilifie a Minister of grace But two things God ever works when he confers grace viz. A love of the word of Grace and an Honouring of the Messengers of Peace Sensible sinners are ever inquâ—sitive Sirs what shall I do and so they in Act. 2. 37. Even they were pricked in their hearts they cry out men and brethren what shall we do There are two sorts of sinners First some are hardned unsensible wholly overgrown with sin and are past feeling Eph. 4 18. Their sin is in them like the waters in the Ocean under all which if a man doth lye yet he feeles no weight nor burden because the Elements in their proper places are not sensibly weighty so where sin is in its center men are unsensible of the burden of it They feele it not nor their misery and therefore neither complaine nor enquire Secondly others are made sensible not onely by the ordinary light of a naturall conscience but by the contrary principle of new and infused Grace It is with them like as with a man recovering out of a deep sicknesse his health comes in and makes him now sensible of his weakness and complaining and desiring help So when God doth by his blessed spirit work the lively sense of sinne in the heart of a person the basenesse of it the danger and misery of it O he cannot now remaine thus live thus he must have a guide he goes to a Messenger one of a thousand to instruct and direct him For first conscience truly awakned cannot beare its own burden it s own divisions feares accusations present condition and therefore the person will enquire whether there be no balme in Gilead Secondly againe sensiblenesse of sin is Opus respectivum it is a work for further work God doth for this very end make us sensible of our sin and misery that we might enquire after the meanes of grace and safety Thirdly once more scarse one sensible sinner of many thousands that is able to be his own Counsellor or comforter we are not able always to apply those sweet directions those proper and heavenly comforts as God promises to our own necessities which yet we may distribute with a full and tender heart to others in their exigencies for there is a great difference betwixt the proposing of comfort and the applying of comfort He who is to propose it hath a medicine to deliver He who is to apply it hath a medicine to take There be many contrary arguments and risings of an unbelieving and fearful nature in the person who is to apply the truth and goodness of Gods promise to himself so that he is not alwayes able to see the reach and compasse of them to himself and therefore no marvel if he seeks out for direction in the midst of his own confusions and for a help to apply in the midst of his own feares and distractions The maine and choise thing which the troubled soule lookes after is how to save it selfe Sirs what shall I do to be saved There be divers sorts of troubles and according to their grounds and qualities doth every person lay out for help and remedy Some are troubled with meer sickness and health is the thing which they would have Some with poverty and riches are the things which they would have Some with ignominy and favour and good opinion is the thing which they would have Some with outward afflaction and punishment and exemption is the thing which they would have Remove from me this Plague onely said Pharaoh Some are troubled with meer terrors of conscience and quiet and ease is the thing which they would have Others are troubled in soule for their sinnes by which God is dishonoured and their heart polluted now how these may be saved This is the thing which these would have Come to a soul sensibly groaning under the weight of sinne and say why Soul be of good cheer thou hast goods laid up for many yeares Oh sayes that soul miserable comforters are they to me Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come againe and say you have many good and kinde friends Alas saith the soul friends are Physicians of no value to my troubled and perplexed soul Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come to that soul and discourse to him of the defect of sin of the richnesse of divine mercy of the Grace that God hath promised to give of that sorrow of that repentance of that faith of that blood of Christ O now sayes that soul say on give not over mercy is that which I would have and Grace and Christ and Salvation this is it which I would have how I may be brought out of this miserable and damnable condition Suppose a man were very sick and one should come and tell him many merry tales to delude the sense of his sicknesse this were nothing to a man sick indeed for it is not a tale but wholsome Physick which would help him he had rather by much heare the Physitian discoursing and counselling and applying So it is with the truly troubled soul yea that is it which he desires and would have to be set in the right way how to save his soul Shew us the Father said Philip and that is sufficient so here shew me the way of salvation and I desiâ—e no more And the reason of it is this because There is nothing which suitâ— with the troubled soul but the way of salvation the helps and remedies of it are not to be found unless in these wayes If a man hath a burden on his back take it off and that is the way to ease him if a man hath a feavour cure him of that and this is the way to help him if a mans bone be out of joynt set it in his proper location and this is the way to comfort him In like manner is it here The distresses of the soul are spiritual and only spiritual waies relieve spiritual troubles I now see God at difference with me how may I be reconciled to him I see the dishonour against him how may I pacifie him I feel the guilt of sin who shall take that off for me I would be a changed and new person who will work this in me what course must I take to get God to look graciously on me to get these sins pardoned this heart to be sanctified I cannot passe over this point without a
word of application If salvation be the maine enquiry of a truly troubled soul Vse then verily many people have not yet been truly troubled for their sinnes why Because they strive not how to save their soules The Psalmist speaks of some that God was not in their thoughts and we may say of some that Salvation is not in their mindes He who hath abundance hath this question who will shew us any good and he who is in want hath this question what shall I do But what shall I do to be saved few think of this it is a marvelous thing that so noble a creature as man who carries in him the singular stamp of heaven a spiritual and immortal soul should so infinitely forget both himself and his errand into this world I am a miserable sinner said Saint Hicrome and born only to repent We are born transgressors from the wombe and with hell at our heeles God is pleased to draw out the threed of our life and to vouchsafe to give us this hint that we are sinners and must dye and if we change not our condition we perish forever And besides that he hath addressed the wayes of Salvation to our hands so plainely that he who runnes may read Yea and there is something implanted in men which secretly inclines them to be affected with a generall desire of Salvation nevertheless to observe men how variously they flye off how little they minde that which most of all concerns them how infinitely one drudgeth for riches how illimitedly another pursues pleasures so that when we come to dye we have hardly thought wherefore we were borne There is a Salvation and a way tending thereunto but we forget that all our dayes We have other employments but let us soberly recall our selves Is there any thing better then Salvation Is there a nearer thing then the soul Is there not a necessity to be working in the way if ever we would attain unto the end O then let this take us up let heaven take us up let our souls take us up but let not our sins let not the world take us up Vbi pompa said Saint Augustine ubi exquisita convivia ubi gentiorum ambitio ubi argenti auri pondus immensum Transient omnia ab oculis ejus putatur requiesere corpus ejus habitat in inferno anima ejus multiplâ—cavit agros plantavit vineas implevit horrea yet saith he Sâ—ulâ—e hac nocte He enlargeth his Fields plants his vines fills his Barnes loseth his soul The like saith Saint Bernard Dic mihi ubi sunt amatores seculi qui jam diu fuerint Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria Brevis laetitia mundipotentia Quid carnis voluptas quid falsae divitiae ubirisus ubi jocus ubi jactantia Hic caro eorum vermibus illic anima ignibus deputatur infernalibus I say no more but labour to save that which if it be lost the world cannot procure it and believe it that the soul can never be saved by that which is not worth a soul Another conclusion from the words of the text may be this That persons rightly sensible are as throughly resolved for the meanes and wayes as for the end and scope The Jayler doth not say I desire Salvation barely but what must I do to be saved as if he said I desire Salvation and I do conjecture that it is an end and therefore means there are leading to it now whatsoever they are point them out unto me that I may apply my self for the prosecution of the end There are two things which deceive a mans heart One is presumption which is a skipping over the lesson and taking forth before we have learned our part my meaning is this that it is an opinion of our happinesse without any use of meanes As if a man went to heaven as the Ship moves in the Tyde whether the Master wakes or sleeps Another is hypocrisie which is an inquality of the heart to all the wayes of Salvation No hypocrite will apply himself to every thing which may indeed save him But where the heart is rightly understanding and truly sensible there is not only a consideration of meanes but an illimited resolution for all the wayes of Salvation whatsoever course God doth by his Word reveale and prescribe for that it is resolved and purpâ—sed though they may be contrary to my proud reasoning and capacity though they may be contrary to the bent of my affections though they may require much time and employment c. What the Princes speak with a disembling heart that the sinner rightly sensible of his condition affirms with a plaine spirit of true intention The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God He who will be saved must come to this to deny his own will to crucifie his own affections to captivate his own imaginations to resigne up his own desires and pleasures to afflict his heart for his sins to give up himself to the rule and command of Gods Word to draw off his heart from the world to settle all his confidence upon Jesus Christ to watch over his own spirit To love the Lord God with all his soul and with all his might These and other things are required as the way to life and unto them all doth a sinner rightly sensible yield up himself with all readiness and gladnesse For as much as though there may be some difficulty in these yet there is Salvation by them yea and there is a singular help for them as well as a special reward but the present and former condition and way of sinne is engraven with much paines and sore horror and death and hell But I pass on Another conclusion from the words is this When God doth throughly work upon mens consciences personall injuriousnesses must be forgotten by them who are to deale with them You see here that Paul and Silas speakes not a word of this cruel usage towards them but instantly addresse themselves to the direction of his safety and comfort Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ c. We read of the Father of the Prodigall that when his son came humbling and bewailing his fore-past miscarriages of Prodigality and Luxury He saw him a far off and ran to meet him and kissed him and put the raiment on him and a gold Ring He did not rate and upbraid him Nay I will not look on thee I will not accept of thee go now to thy Harlots amongst whom thou hast riotously wasted all that goodly portion which I put into thy hands O no he accuseth not him whom he heares to accuse himself and reviles
not him whom he seeth to condemn himself It is enough that his Son who was lost is now returned and that he who was dead is now alive We must imitate our heavenly Father in this who in the Covenant of Grace will forgive our iniquities and remember our sins Jer. 31. 34. no more So in another place If the wicked will turn from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. All Ezek 18. 21 22. his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Why Brethren If God forgives the man all the wrongs done against him should not we forgive the smaller trespasses against us and what have we to do to upbraid when God is pleased to forgive and convert and what should we stand upon our respects when God hath past by all the indignities cast upon his honour and glory There are two sorts of sinners Stout and resolute who know how to slight mercy neglect command and to fear at the threatnings A severe denunciation of judgment and wrath a conviction and aggravation of their sinnes are the proper discoveries for them For where hath God spoken a word of peace or comfort or ease to such Bleeding and afflicted who tremble at threatnings gaspe for mercy faint for deliverance and change Here now Ministers must have eyes of pity and tongues and hands of Oyl they must not pour in scorpions nor add terrors to the afflicted but Preach liberty to the Captives They must binde up the broken hearted and give them beauty for ashes the Oyl of joy for mournings the garment Esay 61. of prayer for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord Isai 61. 1 2 3. In these cases we are not to look on our selves but on our office not on our own indignities but on the patients necessities that way which God looks and speaks that must we speak also Now God looks on the Contrite to revive them and speakes comfort to the troubled soules and therefore we must be silent to upbraid and ready to direct and comfort afflicted souls Troubled souls must be directed to Christ for this is it which Paul and Silas adviseth the afflicted Jayler Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ c. They do not direct him to any man or Angel to any pilgrimage or Saints they set him not up on any selfe-standing project but Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ But why to Christ Because none is appointed to relieve a troubled soul but Christ Him hath God the father sealed and he was anointed to preach glad tidings Secondly none is able to pacifie and quiet a troubled soul but Christ whatsoever is sinful or imperfect cannot be a stay to an afflicted conscience But Christ hath perfect righteousnesse he hath wrought full redemption he is able to save to the utmost That which cannot satisfie Gods Justice can never pacifie an afflicted heart but if God might be fully satisfied if he might be reconciled then the conscience would be quiet now Christ hath done this he hath made peace and become a curse and is a propitiation c. He will relieve the afflicted heart He is called a merciful High Priest and one who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and he will not break the brused reed and he calls the heavy laden to come to him to be eased There be three things which would marvelously ease and refresh a troubled soul One if he could get off the guilt of former sins Another if he could get such a righteousness as with which he might boldly stand before God A third is if he could get his heart and wayes to be changed Now Christ can yield out all this his blood gets off the gilt of our sins he is made sin for us that we may be made the righteousnesse of God in him and he can change our natures by his blessed Spirit Therefore the Apostle saith that he is made redemption righteousnesse and sanctification unto us But I passe over all these conclusions and come to that upon which I must somewhat insist CHAP. III. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the onely way to salvation TO believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of Salvation The text is cleare for it Parallel places are these Mark 16. 15. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 16. he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved For the discovery of this assertion we must open these particulars First the meaning of each of these titles viz. Jesus and Christ and Lord. Secondly what the believing in the Lord Jesus Christ doth import Thirdly how it may appeare to be the onely way of salvation Fourthly the usefull application of all this to our selves What is the sense and summe of those three titles Jesus Christ Lord I shall resolve them distinctly SECT I. JEsus signifies a Saviour as it was a name imposed from the Sect. 1. pleasure of heaven by an Angel Mat. 1. 21. Thou shalt cast his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes The first name that you read of imposed on Christ in the New-Testament is this name of Jesus for the best name that sinners could possibly desire to heare was this that God hath provided a Saviour for them The Prophet Isaiah 9. 6. saith that his name shall be called wonderful and indeed Jesus is a wonderful name It is a name which breeds just wonder and admiration to all the world to men and Angels it may make our hearts to wonder at the hyperbole of Gods love as one of the Fathers speaks that he Mirandum Amoris should notwithstanding our vile deserts bestow a Saviour upon us who else had been lost for ever The Apostle saith Phil. 2. 9 10. That it is a name above all names no name like it either for the authority which was conferred on him who bare that name or for the comfort which that name beares in it for a sinner Therefore said the Angel to the Shepherds fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour Luk. 2. 11. yea that is good news indeed A Saviour for a sinner What kind of Saviour Christ is no such news as that Now here observe divers things The Sonne of God is a singular Saviour No Saviour in all the world like him Joshuah is called a Saviour and the Judges were called so yet the Son of God is a Saviour infinitely beyond them For. They could save
obedience in none but him I rest on none but him on him do I believe he hath satisfied to the utmost and I trust on him that he hath done it for me Brethren the case stands thus a man is borne in sin and he goes on in much sin a long time at length God awakens his conscience makes him to possesse the iniquities of his heels of his birth of his youth of his age of his life and perhaps besets the soul round about with some sensible dread of his infinite displeasure Now the man knowes not what to do good Lord saith he what a miserable creature am I here 's sin committed over and over the Law broken God provoked conscience raging hell gaping I am violated saith the Law wronged saith Justice thou hast sinned saith Conscience I will be satisfied saith the Lord saith the poor soul what shall become of me what have I to quiet God I can finde nothing what shall I do to pacifie him I cannot imagine it If I say that I have not sinned my conscience tells me I lye if I say I will not sin hereafter Why yet how will this satisfie for former gilt I tell you brethren that a heart brought to this sensible experience is marvelously oppressed the very heart cracks and the sins of that soul snap a sunder under the sense of manifold gilt and Gods displeasure But then God comes in the Gospel and calls out to the poor and distressed sinner come hither saith God I will shew thee a way of salvation O how the soul listens to such a message but how Lord can this be what am I or what can I do Nothing saith God for thou art an enemy and thou art without strength But I have laid Salvation upon one that is Mighty Who is that Lord It is my own Son whom I have out of my love sent into the world to be made man and to dye and satisfie for sinners to beare their iniquities to answer for all their transgressions and he is become a surety and a Priest and hath sacrificed his own soul to be an offering for sin and I offer him unto thee to be thy surety to be thy Priest to take away thy sinnes Now take him saith God to the soul and with him the discharge of thy sins Hereupon the soul being perswaded of the truth of this good testimony and with many teares admiring at the riches of divine love and mercy it doth now by faith close in with Christ put it self on him embraceth him with all the heart as a sufficient and perfect Saviour As if the soul now fastning it self by faith on Christ in this respect should thus be speake the Lord. O Lord thou art pleased justly to charge my sins upon my conscience I confesse and am ashamed that I have thus sinned against thee yea and I acknowledg that I am never able to answer thee for those sins But thou hast appointed thine own Son to be my Saviour and Priest whose office it was to beare the sins of the people these sins therefore which conscience now chargeth upon me I do by faith charge upon thine own Sonne for he was made sin for us thou didst ordaine him to be a surety and therefore I beseech thee Lord look for satisfaction of my debts in his precious blood and take away thy curse from my soul for he was made a curse for us he did susteine thy wrath in our steed to deliver from wrath Now therefore O Lord I put my soul only upon thy only Son whom I take to be my sacrifice him I offer up unto thee as my propitiation I have sinned but thy Son hath dyed for my sins I have provoked thee but thy Son hath pacified thee I have wronged thee but thy Son hath satisfied thee he did not die for his own sins but for my sins he was not made a curse for himself but for me I lay hold on his blood to be my peace and satisfaction and salvation As if a man were like to be carried to prison for debt and hunting up and down for a friend to stand for him at length he findes one only man and him he brings to the creditor and saith here 's a man will pay you and ransome me so faith for a troubled and obliged sinner to God it findes out Christ and saith Lo Lord here is thy Son who is my surety he will discharge he is my ransome SECT IV. FOr Christ as a Saviour and King and Prophet and Lord what is the exercise of faith there I tell you what I think of it It is a work of a believing heart whereby it doth accept of Christ to be the sole teacher and ruler of heart and life and resigne up himself wholly to him to be fashioned as it were and guided by him A man never comes to the truth of beleeving but he shall finde this that faith will change his Master For faith changeth the heart and the heart being once changed will quickly change its Lord So that to believe on Christ as a King as a Lord as a Prophet it is to admit him to give him up the whole man into his hands to his holy and spiritual Government as if the heart should say thus much thou art a Holy Christ and thou art he who art to reigne now I take thee to be my Holy Lord and I resigne up my selfe I passeover my selfe unto thee I will have no Lord but thee and I do with all my heart accept of thee to make me Holy as thou art Holy and to subdue this vile heart of mine and to rule in me by thy blessed and mighty Spirit SECT V. THus briefly of the immediate object of faith on which faith immediately looks viz the person of Jesus Christ to take and receive Christ as Lord and Saviour This is true faith yet by the way note a few things First that this taking is with all the heart it is not a pretended taking a dissembled work there is a taking of Christ with the tongue and a taking of him with the heart O no when true faith takes Christ it brings in the very strength of the soul O Lord Jesus I do embrace thee accept of thee with all my soul with all my might and with all my affections Secondly this taking of Christ is of all Christ of Lord as well as Jesus when the heart is made sensible of sin and Satan and world and Christ and now falls off from them I will have no more to do with you I will serve you no longer Christ only shall be my Saviour and he only shall be my Lord I will put my soul under his Scepter and Government Thirdly this taking of Christ is onely of Christ For it is a conjugall taking which consists of unity one they say in the Metaphysicks is divided in it self and divided from all besides it self so is it in faiths taking of Christ One Faith One Lord said the Apostle
Eph. 4. It takes Christ so as none with Christ or besides Christ The Patriarchs had most of them a wife and a concubine it is not so here Faith doth match with an absolute exclusion of all other matches It is not the soul and Christ and sin nor the soul and Christ and the world nor the soul and Christ and the Devil it is not the soul and Christ in chief and sinne in service as a deputy or a corrivall a secondary thing c. Fourthly this taking is freed from mistaking Faith knowes what it doth it sees its way it understands 1. Who that is whom it takes 2. Upon what termes he will be taken 3 Its grounds of taking First who it is viz. the Son of God God and man a most holy person a mighty Redeemer and Saviour Secondly upon what termes viz. He will not come in by the by he will not be taken as a vassaile as a captive as a drudge he will not be taken for base and changeable reasons meerly to stop a gap in the conscience or only in faire weather but he will be taken as Lord and King to command all the heart to dispose all the wayes to rule our very thoughts he will be taken for his own sake out of a judicious love and estimation of his person he will be taken with all the estates and conditions that befall on the crosse crucified as well as in the way to Hierusalem magnified as one persecuted and distressed on earth as well as one raised and glorified in heaven and thus true faith takes Christ Thirdly upon what grounds viz. upon Gods offer of Christ and promise that whosoever believes on him c. and on his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son whereupon faith brings in the soul to Christ it believeth that God saith true that he doth not call upon men he doth not command men he doth not promise men and all this to delude men so that if you should ask faith what warrant had you to bring in such a soul to Christ Why saith faith God revealed and offered his Sonne and commanded me to believe and promised not to cast off any that come c. Fifthly this taking is resolved against untaking All takings are not of the same force and power if I take a servant I take him so that upon good reasons and occasions I can put him off againe but if I take a wife there can be no untaking on my part unless God takes her I must never forsake her Faith takes Christ this way to be a Saviour for ever to be a Head an Husband a Lord for ever I observe that there are two kindes of taking Christ to be a Lord one is compulsory and violent as when an enemy is made to rule a man in a sicknesse in a terror of conscience in a day of wrath in an expectation of death he will take Christ to be his Lord he will say Oh! sinne is vile I abhor it I will become a new man I will have none but the Lord Christ and he only shall be my Lord and hereupon the man sets about the work of shewing that Christ is his Lord he will command his servants to pray to heare to read to keep the Sabbath c. Yet this man as soon as Gods hand is off as soon as ever he is freed from his bands he will like a lewd apprentise break loose from his Lord and Master he will serve Christ no longer he will to his sins again to the world again to his base society again c. Why because this accepting was only violent and no actions are stedfast or constant whose causes are compelling and violent Another is ingenious of faith and this taking of Christ is grounded onely in Christ in its excellencies beauties perfections which are not like the light of a candle this houre very cleare and the next none at all but like light in the Sunne still abiding and remaining and therefore when a man doth by faith take Christ he takes him for ever for faith can never change for the better and it sees stedfast reason in Christ to cleave to Christ Now I come to the consequent object of faith and that is remission of sinnes and righteousnesse and whatsoever good comes from Christ For thus it is faith doth order its motions or actions according to the word Now the word reveales and offers Christ first and then the benefits next It is not whosoever beleeves eternal life shall have Christ the Sonne of God but whosoever beleeves on the Sonne of God shall have eternal life Nor is it whosoever beleeves the remission of sinnes shall have Christ but whosoever beleeves in Christ shall have the Remission of sinnes Yet when faith hath made the soule to take Christ it goes then from the person to the portion from Christ to the good in Christ and by him for if Christ be ours all is ours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. SECT VI. I Will therefore speak a word of faith as conversant about First Remission of sinnes Secondly Righteousnesse For the first of these viz. the pardon or remission of sinnes Consider That remission of sinnes is an Action of God acquitting the gilt and the punishment so that he will never reckon with the soul any more in a judicial way for those sinnes which are pardoned As when the King throughly pardons a Malefactor he dischargeth him and takes off the gilt we speak of it in respect of redundancy that it shall not now prejudice the person any longer so doth God when he pardons sinne Though he doth not in this annihilate the sinne that is make that to be no sinne which was sinne yet he doth prejudice sin that is he takes off the guilt that it shall never redound to the damnation of the sinner no nor to his dammage Jesus Christ hath procured remission or pardon of sinne for us hence Ephes 1. 7. In whom you have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of your sinnes His blood was shed for many for the remission of sinnes Mat. 26 that is he did die and by his death hath merited and procured our pardon and discharge God offering Christ offers with him the purchase of Christ viz. the pardon of sinnes If you will take my Sonne I will pardon your sins Now faith inclines the soul which is sensible of its sinful guilt to put it self on Jesus Christ for the discharge of them As the wife looks for none and goes to none but to her husband to discharge her debts so faith goes to none for to procure remission of sinnes but only to Christ and on him doth it rest O Lord Christ saith Faith thou didst take these my sinful debts upon thee and thou didst undertake to satisfie for them and to get them to be blotted out yea and I know that thou didst make a full satisfaction Now I renounce all hope of pardon from any thing in me
the Law of God requires under the paine of eternal damnation The perfection of good works according to the strict exigence of the Law consists especially in two things 1. One is that a man be able to performe them with all of his heart and with a plenary love without the intervening or sliping in of any evil inclination or motion which abates that due and required intension or in any measure sprinkleth or tainteth them with any defilement 2. Another is that a man is to perform good works in that manner with a perpetual and constant ten our or course all his life Those two are the ingredients of perfection as appears by that of Christ Thou shalt love the Lord c. And that of Paul He is cursed that doth not continue in all that is written c. Gal. 3. 10. These are the conditions of works legally good and which must justifie a man if he will be justified according to the legal Covenant But who can performe such perfect and good works Adam might have done them and Christ did but what one sinner can who can say my heart is cleane and that we do not in many things offend all Paul cries out I am carnal but the Law is spiritual The good that he would do he could not do and the evil which he would not do that did he do Good Lord how often are we at a losse in our most retired meditations and how our hearts lie flat on earth when our eyes look towards heaven in prayer For one good work that we do how many bad which we should not do like boyes for one faire line twenty with blots and blurs or like the Archers whereas they hit the mark once they misse it a hundred times Let us but cast the accounts of our ill works with the good and we shall finde with shame and sorrow that our good works are not equal with our bad in number nor so strong in dignity to wipe out the bad but the bad as they are more for number so their cry of gilt is more meritorious to cast both our persons and all our works before the judgement seat of God then the good to ingratiate or merit for us 2. What proportion 'twixt our works and 'twixt our pardon and salvation If Jacob be lesse then the least of outward benefits Good God! how far more unworthy are we of the spiritual yea of the Eternal When we have done all we have not done more then duty and that can never be merit which is but duty nay when we have done all we can we have not done our duty we are but unprofitable servants and that which failes of duty comes short of dignity or merit It is true that God commands accepts delights in will graciously reward good works what for their own sake No for his mercies sake he will save the man whose heart is holy and whose life is fruitful What for the works sake No but for his Christs sake It cannot be denied but that there is some relation 'twixt good works and salvation as between the meanes and the end but there is not that relation as 'twixt an efficient cause and an effect for the efficient cause of our salvation is only Gods grace and favour Nor as 'twixt a meritorious cause and the reward for the meritorious cause of our salvation is only the obedience of Jesus Christ Nor as 'twixt an apprehensive cause may I use such an improper speech for that only is faith the instrument of our salvation c. There is not in regenerate men such an adequation or full 3. Noe ability to keep the whole Law wholly answerablenesse of duty as to keep and fulfil the Law as it is the Covenant of life and salvation There are divers Arguments to cleare this I will touch one or two 3. Reasons 1. Imperfect actions do not fulfil a perfect Rule no more then a short line answers a long copy or a line partly crooked doth that which is streight But the duties which regenerate men perform are imperfect actions for as much as they flow from an imperfect agent viz. from the soul of a Christian which is partly spiritual and partly carnal not wholly spiritual nor wholy carnal even from this doth the Apostle conclude the impossibility for us to fulfil the Law Rom. 8. 3. viz. from the weakness or infirmity of the flesh that is of the old man not yet fully purged and changed 2. If any man could perfectly fulfil the Law then some man had no need of Christ either to be his Redeemer or to be his Intercessor for a Redeemer and Intercessour is in case of transgression and failing and so Christ should be to a regenerate person at least an idle and fruitlesse intercessour for as much as it doth appertaine to his intercession to pacifie and reconcile and ingratiate but what use of this where all things and services are just already as they should be without any animadvertency of the Law against them But Christ is an Intercessor even for the Saints He makes intercession for us saith Paul Rom. 8. and Saint John implies that an Advocate is for a sinner only for him 1 John 2. 1. If any man sinne we have an Advocate c. If for a sinner only then for a transgressor of the Law and if for a transgressor of the Law then not for one who doth perfectly fulfil it 3. If the just must live by faith Then he cannot perfectly fulfil the Law for then he might live by his works but the just shall live by his faith Gal. 3. 11. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith Mark the place shall live by faith If it comes to the matter of life and death then farewel works Cursed is every one that doth not continue in all that is written to do them If he will save his life he must get him faith to fly to mercy and Christ yea and mark of whom he speaks this It is not of a person unconverted but it is of the just even the just must live by his faith that is By Christ on which faith doth rest not by his own merits works obedience Now put all this together there are but two ways to save a man either by faith in Christ or else by the observance of the Law But none can observe the Law so as to be justified by it Because 1. His holinesse is short 2. His works ineffectual 3. His performances unanswerable Ergo to beleeve in Christ is the only way Every mouth is stopped by the Law and all the world is to become gilty before God Therefore by the Deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 19 20. Suppose a man had many great debts and several poore friends and he seeks to one of them good sir be
and mistake about beleeving Thirdly the bitter danger and sure misery of not beleeving in Jesus Christ 1. The difficulty of beleeving is increased by the singularity of so strange and wonderful a goodnesse It is so great and so unparalell'd that a man can hardly believe it to be true To have an estate in Christ in God freely all at once How can this be The depth of gilt I am an enemy God is Just I have runne into such high forfeitures so unnecessarily lost my self provoked God so often and the threatnings are planted against sinners there is no hope no probability if a small debt c But for the difficulty of it that it is not so easie a thing to beleeve in Christ Jesus this shall appeare in divers particulars First there is no natural principle of justifying faith now in man An act or motion or quality which hath a rise and bottom within the subject may spring forth with some ease a stone having a natural propension and impetus to descend Simile if you do but quit the hand of it it will down but now to make a mighty stone to mount the hill to get up into the air there being no natural aptnesse to this it is a hard and difficult attempt 'T is true that a man hath an understanding and will but the Obj. Mystery of Jesus Christ is a riddle to the natural understanding Sol. the faculties naturally considered have no elevation to this object unlesse the Lord by his Almighty power begets and works faith in the soul The soule thinks not on him neither can it draw it self to him Like the needle untill it be Simile touched it will not start up towards the pole so unlesse the Lord doth touch our hearts by his blessed Spirit we shall never close with Christ So then this is one thing to shew the difficulty of beleeving the habit of it is out of our power out of our sphear it cannot be produced by any strength of nature but by the sole Arme of God Hence that of the Prophet Isa 53 1. Vnto whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed who hath beleeved our report The testimony of the Gospel concerning Christ will not be beleeved unlesse the Lord doth reveale his own Arme that is until he doth put forth his own Almighty strength 2. There is a natural principle of infidelity and unbelief in every mans heart If the paper were faire if there were no precedent blurs and blots then it were not so hard to imprint some legible Characters Or if the wax were soft and the iron heated now it were easie to engrave what kinde of armes the Artifier pleaseth But when the wax and the iron are hard and cold now the impression is difficult because the resistance is strong if there were in our hearts any obediential principles which could before hand temper the minde and frame the will then when God offers Christ little a do would serve the turne But our hearts naturally bend the other way there is in us a natural unaptnesse nay an enmity to beleeve Enmity to the habit and nature of faith blindnesse errour pride stubbornnesse disobedience in our hearts We have such slow and untoward hearts so armed with all sorts of corrupt reasonings so consulting with sense and rational evidences so ready on every inevidence to mistrust doubt question gainsay that all Arguments will not perswade us that God will give us Christ and pardon our sinnes You know that when the Lord Jesus was personally on earth and did preach himself and in that manner that none spake with that Authority as he and confirmed the truth of his Divinity and Mediatorship by Scripture and miracles yet very few beleeved historically that he was the Christ that he was the Sonne of God Take me now a person who is sensible of his sinful guilts Tell him of the need he hath of a Saviour he will grant it represent unto him the sufferings the excellency the tendernesse of the Lord Jesus that he is the Mediator the Propitiation for sinnes that Remission of sinnes is in his blood both intensively for the great degrees and aggravations of sinne and extensively for the several kindes of sinne Tell him that the Lord Jesus came to seek such a lost person as he that he came to loose such a captive as he that he came to binde up such a broken spirit as he is that he came to ease and refresh such a burdened and laden soul Yea and answer objection after objection doubt after doubt fear after fear that the person cannot put by the arguments why he should beleeve nor urge and reinforce his reasons why he should hold off from closing with Christ and putting his soule on him yet this we finde he cannot when all is said he cannot beleeve Vnbelief doth throw up so many mists and so many feares and is many times so unreasonable that yet it will hold off the heart Neither the goodnesse of God nor the truths of God nor the mercies of God nor the freeness of them nor the person of Christ nor the merits of Christ nor the tendernesse of Christ nor the gracious offer invitation command threatning of Christ will make the heart to come in unto him 3. There is a natuâ—al opposition in the Heart against Christ and therfore it is hard to beleeve on him The opposition is manifold First to his Person the Lord Jesus Christ is an holy Person and A fourfold opposition none can take him in truth but must take him so to be holy as he is holy He is the holy one of God and he is called the holy Child Jesus and an holy undefiled high Priest separated from sinners Now the heart naturally is in love with sinne and Christ tells us that this very thing is a cause why men beleeve not See John 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light Christ comes thus to a man I am he who will save thy soule if thou wilt take me but then know that I am an holy person if thou wilt have me thou must let go thy sinnes Now this breaks off the match hinders the bargain this goes to the heart A man naturally will as soon part with his life as with the sin of his love Secondly to his condition There is a double condition of A double state of Christ Christ one is Triumphant another is Militant Gloria in excelsis that is the triumphant condition Tubulationes in Terris that is the militant condition the Crown of Glory that is the triumphant condition the Crown of Thornes that is the militant condition Now the heart naturally is unsuffering It is a terrour to it to speak of afflictions sorrowes reproaches losses We are willing to enjoy the world to taste of pleasures to handle profits to rest in ease to walk at liberty to rejoyce with our Friends to be spread abroad
with high estimations The young man when Christ bade him sell all that he had and give it to the poore It was praeceptum experimentale he goes away sorrowfull Thirdly to the Scepter and Government of Christ we will not have this man Reigne over us say they and you reade in Psalme 2. How they did consult to break his bands asunder The Scepter of Christ is Heavenly and his Lawes are spiritual and his Wayes are righteous and straight they lay injunctions on the inward man as well as on the outward conversation and binde the thoughts and the intentions and affections Now what do you meane to pinne up a spirit which would have elbow roome what would you have a licentious heart and a turning and winding conscience to be precised and narrowed and restrained and so every way straitened You must give it leave to break the Sabbath to improve its gaines dishonestly to sweare now and then and to comply c. Fourthly to the Righteousnesse of Christ O what a do had that blessed Apostle with the Romanes with the Galatians with others to break them off from Iustification by Works And to fasten upon their hearts the Justification by Faith We are apt to stand upon our selves and to look for the matter of our acceptance and acquittance in our selves on man he thinks that his good meaning shall make him speed Another thinks that his doing no body any harme will let him into Heaven or else God help us Another stands on his devout Sacrifices Another on his charitable bounties Yea and those who should know better in the Doctrine of Justification how extreamly do they cling to their inherent Graces much a do before they can be made to cast their Crowns to the earth and to give the glory only to Christ who is worthy What paines is God forced to take to break us off from our selves we are so proud and so unwilling to be beholding to Gods free grace and Christ that God is faine to break our heart to pieces and to split our ship into shivers that we might only to Christ He must imprint the holy and mighty vigour of the Law on our consciences to shew us our utter impotency and sensibly acquaint us with our marvellous imperfections in graces and interruptions in duties and excursions of daily sinnings and all to fetch us entirely to cast our safeties only on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI The facility of error and mistake about believing SEcondly as it is hard to believe so it is easie to mistake and delude our selves in the matter of believing Four things make it to be so 1. One is the various kindes of faith 2. Another is the consimilitude of one of the extreams of faith 3. The easinesse of both And 4 the aptnesse in our hearts to be satisfied with these First there are divers kindes of faith As the Apostle spake of bodies all bodies are not the same bodies but there are bodies Coelestial and bodies Terrestial so I say of Faith all faith I speak of habitual faith is not the same kinde of faith we read of a Faith which the Devils have and we read of a Faith which the Hypocrites have and we read of a Faith which even Christs enemies whom he did not dare to trust had and we read of a Precious Faith a Faith of Gods Elect a justifying and saving faith Divines ordinarily distinguish of faith There is an Historical faith which is a crediting the word relating but not an embracing of it promising it is like the passing through a Garden and observing and smelling but not a flower is gathered so in Historical Faith the eye of the understanding goes over the Word of God and hath some apprehensions and general grants and intellectual submissions that God doth not lye but what he saith is true Neverthelesse there is not that quality of justifying faith in this which makes the heart to close with the goodnesse of truth and to embrace Christ 2. There is a wonderful faith a faith of miracles to remove mountaines to raise the dead which had some special and immediate promise and yet it was a gift bestowed on those who had no faith to save themselves Many who have cast out devils may at the last day be cast among the devils Lord Lord have not we Prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils And yet Christ bid them depart Non novi vos 3. There is a temporary faith which hath in it some great apprehensions of the truths of God yea and reverent assents yea and some delightfull contentations in the same yea and some fruitfull expressions and with all these a singular degree of profession even to a zealous forwardnesse and notoriousness so that a man may be in the eye of others like a tall Ship and yet there is a Leake in the bottome which on the sudden sinks all This temporary faith though in many respects it handles the same object with saving faith it is tampering much about Christ and the promises yet it is intrinsically and extreamly different from it It doth not differ from it in respect of eminency or degrees nor in respect of existence or duration onely for the one is a living Spring and the other is a decaying Flood but in respect of formal nature also The temporary faith doth not indeed bring all the heart and settle it on Christ 4. There is this justifying and saving faith which bestowes the whole heart on Christ and takes Christ unfeignedly to be Lord and Saviour Now where there are so many sorts it is not a great difficulty nor an impossibility to mistake error is manyfold said the Phylosopher but the truâ—h iâ— single and there is but one line to hit the mark out many to misse it Nay secondly there is a great consimilitude of one of the extreames of faith with faith it self viz. credulity It is strange yet ordinary that a man should make a heaven of his own and a God of his own and a Christ of his own and a faith of his own and a way to heaven of his own Presumption is a work much of an idle fancy and a gracelesse heart like a thiefe very apt to finger the Kings coine but without a warrant But to the thing Is there knowledge in faith why presumption pretends to that is there confidence in faith what more bold then presumption is there any sweet assurance in faith why presumption never doubted but could believe ever since a man was borne is there any joy in faith why presumpâ—ion is as jocond and carelesse as if there were no heaven to be got no sinne to be bewailed nor course to be reformed Lastly these are easie and we are apt to content our selves with these instead of a true beleeving in Jesus Christ. To get a little seeming knowledge to carry Religion upon the lip and Christ on the tongue to be bold upon Gods mercy and Christs death
and with all those to have a heart glued to the world folded up in the love of sinne resolved against all hazards to shift off all profession rather then to endure any storme what so great a task is this But to have a minde taught of God and to have an understanding bowed with the strength of Divine light and inward change to the obedience of truth and to have a will sweetly renewed and with an holy trembling humbly receiving Christ in his person and offices and bestowing the whole soul and body on him againe here the work sticks CHAP. XII The sure and dangerous misery of unbeliefe THe last thing which may stirre us to try our selves is the consideration of that amazing danger and unspeakable misery to which the soul is assuredly obnoxious in case of unbelief Why will you say What danger if we believe Obj. not I answer there are three special dangers First all thy sinnes stand upon record against thee like so many sad debts which thou hast run thy self into from thy conception to this very day They are all written with the pen of a Diamond there is no blotting out of a mans sinnes but by the blood of Christ and the unbeliever hath not his portion in that blood and therefore there are all thy sinnes uncancelled thy sinnes of nature and all thy sinnes of life such a sin and such a sin then and there and againe committed c. O how great is the volume of them the number of them cannot be numbred and the guilt of them cannot be conceived if one sin binds thee over to hell Good God! To what flames of vengeance and horrible degreâ—s and intensions of misery and wrath do all thy sins oblige thee Yea and as Solomon said in another case Prov. 9 12. If thou scornest thou alone shalt beare it so I say here if thou remain an unbeliever thou alone must answer for all thy sinnes Whatsoever the wrathful displeasure of God is whatsoever the horrors of conscience are whatsoever the gnawings of that worm are whatsoever the heat of hell flames are Whatsoever the doleful separation from God is Whatsoever curse the Law implies for sin that maist thou expect who wilt not believe in Christ O! if that wrath was so hot when it obliquely as it were fell on Christ where it had no unholy and self-guilty quality to admix with it selfe that he sweat drops of blood and cryed out my God c. How wilt thou with any patience ease possible quietnesse susteine the extream wrath of the Almighty Judge who art vile and filthy and hast a conscience with all thy torments to gall and vex thee with the stings of misery guilts and self-accusations tell me how art thou able what canst thou say how canst thou beare up before the Lord if he should arise if he should terribly arise to judge the nations He is the Holy God and Just and is True and Great in power What satisfaction canst thou bring where are thine oblations or with what wilt thou reconcile thy self to the Lord Whereby canst thou either make thy former sins to be no sins or perswade the Lord to be propitious to thee without Christ Nay verily he will judge thee as an unrighteous person for if thou hast not Christ what righteousnesse hast thou there is no hope for thee to be acquitted nay nor hope to be saved nay thou art sure to be damned Mark 16. 15. Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God 36. He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Son shaâ—â— not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rev. 2. 8. The fearful and unbelieving are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone But you will say Why This is strange Why such Obj. extreame misery for not beleeving what sinne is it It is one of the greatest sins in the world not to believe that is Sol. not to receive the Lord Jesus Christ Because It is a sinne against the greatest love to the world Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave c. Rom 5. 8. But God commendeth his love towards us that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us God shewed the greatnesse of his love to bestow his Sonne and Christ shewed the greatnesse of his love to dye for us Greater love said Christ can no man shew then to lay down his life c. Now for the Lord to finde out a way of Salvation and in love to our soules to offer this Son of his unto us and to beseech us to be reconciled and then for us like them who were envited to the supper we cannot come we will not come O this c. It is a sin for which there can be no remedy for asmuch as it is a sin against the only remedy of a sinful soul The sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel but not ècontra There is no plaister for the soul but the blood of Christ which yet unbelief will not take and receive It is a sinne which as much as in it lies makes void and vaine all the Covenant of Grace turning all the goodnesse of it into nothing and all the truthes of it into lyes and makes the blood of Christ to be shed in vaine He that beleeveth not makes God a lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Sonne 1 John 5. 10. It is a sin which directly murders the soul because it doth wilfully hold it off from Christ who would upon believing pardon and justifie and save All these things being premised let us now descend towards the triall or evidences of true faith in Christ where I beseech you observe CHAP. XIII Rules for the discovery of faith FIrst some Rules of Direction for the manner of â—vidence and testifying of faith that you may neither be deceived by presumption nor perplexed by error and doubting Two things Secondly some lively instance of true faith as the Word of God doth clearly represent them The Rules of discovery and finding out faith which are these SECT I. THere are some things without which faith cannot be in the heart and yet they do not necessarily and infallibly conclude that a man hath faith They do well distinguish in the Schools 'twixt an Antecedent and a Cause a Cause is such a thing as is before the effect and which beiâ—g put the effect also is put one will not go without the other But an Antecedent is that which must go before another thing yet it is not necessary that if it be that the other thing should follow The rising of the Sunne is a cause of day and therefore this will
alwayes hold If the Sunne be up it is day But this now Learning is or should Simile be an Antecedent to preferment it should go before it yet it is not an infallible truth that every one who gaines learning should enjoy preferment Thus is it in the nature of faith There are some Antecedents there are some things which must of necessity go before faith yet they alone do not formally and assuredly conclude that a man hath faith as for instance A man cannot beleeve in Christ he cannot receive Jesus Christ with all his heart he hath some historical evidence of Christ he must have some knowledge of Christ what he is and what he hath done or else he cannot take him to be his Lord and Saviour Yet this knowledge doth not infallibly conclude justifying and saving faith for as much as the Devils and Hypocrites may see much of Christ they may have a high degree of intellectual apprehension Again a man cannot by faith take Christ to be his Lord and Saviour unlesse he hath some sensiblenesse of his sinful condition our heart will not look towards Christ it cannot conceive of his excellencies nor of his own necessity until we feel our sinfulnesse and lostnesse and vilenesse The whole neither need nor look for a Physician yet a person may be sensible of his sinful condition he may not only by the light of natural conscience apprehend some broader and stirring enormities but he may by a smart and quick light let in by the Ministry of the Word discern heaps of wickednesse in his life and heart for which his conscience may sting him with wonderfully bitter accusations and yet such a person possibly may not rise from trouble to faith as is evident in Cain and Judas So then remember this that in the searchings and trials for faith you do not conclude the presence of the habit from the common antecedent of faith for as much as faith is but a contingent consequent of them sometimes it doth follow sometimes it doth not As in Marriage sometimes it doth follow the motion which is made and sometimes it doth not so the espousing of our soules to Christ by faith sometimes it doth follow knowledge sometimes it doth not sometimes it doth follow the preaching of the Word and yet sometimes it doth not for all have heard yet who hath beleeved said the Apostle Rom. 10. sometimes it doth follow the motions and inward excitations of the Spirit and sometimes it doth not 2. There are some things which faith only doth produce yet because it doth not produce them alwayes a man therefore must not negatively conclude from the absence of them the absence of faith You know that holy and spiritual joy it is the sole fruit of faith therefore faith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 8. Beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious There is nothing which can present to the heart of a Christian such full cause of joy as faith such a God such a Christ such a love such a blood such a mercy such happinesse such unmixt and proper and sutable good There is a carnal joy which sparkles from the cup of pleasure and there is a glistering joy which the raies of gold may produce and there is a beastly joy which the fulfilling of sinful lusts may send forth and there is a flashing and transient joy which the pride of hypocrites may dart out but sound and weighty and holy and pure and spiritual joy which is a well grounded and not to be repented affecting of the heart that comes only from faith Yet it comes from faith as a separable effect look as trouble and sorrow is a Contingent antecedent so even in actu imperato true joy is a separable fruit of faith Though the branches and green leaves do sprout out of the living root only yet this color doth not appeare at all times Though the blade comes only from the graines cast into the earth yet you cannot alwayes observe the blade Though the flesh and natural complexion flows only from health yet there may be sad occasions which though they do not extinguish health may yet fowle and blubber the complexion So even the beleeving person may sometimes have a tear in his eye an handkercheif in his hand a sigh in his breast and yet have faith in his heart He may sit down in ashes and feed on tears as David did and for all this he may be a true beleever He is not alwayes able to see the causes of his joy nor to break through the contrarieties to his faith nor to remove the quashings of his comforts Therefore when you are to try your selves about your faith do not make a negative inference from separable evidences 3. There are some things which faith only doth produce not as essential properties but as magnificent testimonies The moral Phylosophers distinguish 'twixt the effects and acts of liberality as it is absolutely considered and as it is eminently considered being raised to magnificence To give a farthing according to the rules and circumstances of morality even this is an act of liberality but to build a Colledge this is now an act of liberality grown into the greatnesse of magnificence So is it in the matter of faith there are some fruits of faith which come from it absolutely considered according to the vital constitution of it And there be other fruits which come from it eminently considered faith is come to an height to a strength when it sends them forth Though a child cannot bear a burden of an hundred pound weight yet he can desire the breast and suck the bearing of such a burden belongs to strength and yet the very sucking shews that he hath life Though a Christian be not able in all respects at all times with all moderation and silence to passe presently through every heavy occurrence which shews strength of faith yet his heart may most affectionately cling about Christ which shews the truth of faith Assurance is a fruit of an eminent faith and so is a more habitual 3. Eminent fruits stedfastnesse of quiet submission and confidence in all estates conditions and so is that maintenance of the heart upon Gods promises in the times of strong contrarieties Now as Divines should warily open their lips so should you wisely distinguish of the evidences of a true faith some being if I may so terme them essential and others being eminent some there are which discover the truth others which testifie the strength of faith It is one thing to shew unto you the properties of a man another thing to shew unto you the properties of a strong man Many a poore Christian hath been deeply gravell'd â—â— others and extreamly afflicted by his own spirit for want of this distinction of the properties of faith Because he reades and hath heard what admirable and singular fruits and effects faith hath sent out as Assurance and full assurance and with these some glorious
acts of self-denial as in Abraham and his unstaggering embracing of a promise against which both reason and sense and nature might have disputed and urged O say they we have no faith Abrahams faith wrought full assurance removed all staggerings our hearts are still doubting we can hardly be perswaded we reel and stagger like the waves now on the shore and then instantly off now we beleeve anon we let go our hold and doubt And hence they uncomfortably conclude against their own souls the utter absence of faith from the defect of some particular and eminent expressions of faith not absolutely as faith but of faith as strong and exceedingly ripened we must not conclude negatively from the degrees to the habit As if one should conclude that he hath no silver in his purse because another hath a bank of many thousands or that he hath no legges to go because he is not so swift as Asahel or that the Sparrow flies not because he cannot mount up to the Sunne with the Eagle or that a child is no man because he cannot expresse the acts of a strong man 4. There are and will be many inward contrarieties to the intrinsecal acts and fruits of faith notwithstanding faith be truly in the soul and works there Faith though it hath the preheminence of other graces in respect of its office being the only Embassador as it were of the soul to Christ yet it hath no priviledge above them in respect of the subject that is in respect of the act and workings of it there but look as every other Grace hath some or other particular corruption opposite to its particular nature and its particular actings So even faith it self hath infidelity and unbelief opposing it both in the quality and in the several exercisings or actings of it There may be flame of the smoak and a hand with shaking and a tree trembling and a faith of doubting Yea if any grace hath the hardnesse of a more general and 〈◊〉 opposition then faith is it it being a grace of general 〈◊〉 and use to fetch in more grace and more strength against aâ—l sinne Now in our trials for faith it will be with us as with the Artificer in his search for the little raies of gold It 's true he shaâ—l finde much drosse here and there and yet if he can finde a very little peece of gold though amidst an heap of drosse he will say this is gold and will preciously esteeme of it and lay it up So when we are searching our hearts by the light of Gods Word for true faith without all doubt we shall meet with many doubtings much unbelief yet if we can finde any one degree of true faith which is more precious then gold we may not cast it away because it is found amongst its contraries but we must cherish and embrace it because the touchstone of the Word hath approved it to be a precious faith For and mark this we are not able to give you any evidences of faith or any other grace by way of abstraction but by way of existence that is not what may discover faith in a notional and the most singularly conceivable profession of it but such testimonies you have to discover faith as faith is now abiding in sinful persons who though they may have true faith yet as long as they live in earth will have many things in them contrary to faith There is a double contrariety to faith A double contrariety One is natural and this more or lesse will be in the soul of any beleeving person tell you can utterly raise the heart and eject sinne by the alteration of glory So long as we have flesh and spirit there will be a conflâ—cting 'twixt faith and unbelief As there was a mixtuâ—e of joy and sorrow at the erecting of the Temple Another is approved when a man neither doth nor will beleeve he neither doth accept of Christ nor will he have Christ to reigne over him and he likes his unbeleeving condition this is a fearful estate But though the contraries to faith do arise yet if they be not approved yet if they be resisted we must not conclude that we have no faith because of the opposition but rather assure our selves that we have it because of the resistance of that opposition We must not conclude against faith because of opposition inward or outward This inequality of acts conclude not an absence of the habit of faith Distinguish of 1. Radical habits 2. Actual exercisings which are sometimes more sometimes lesse sometimes clear sometimes interrupted sometimes the soul is free sometimes oppressed and violently carried by temptation to misjudge the condition The censure of our faith must not be allowed as is given in the time of our temptation and passion c. I said in my haste Psalme 116. Obj. But you will say we grant all this But how may a man know that his faith in Jesus Christ is a true and lively faith Sol. I answer SECT II. FIrst A true love of Christ is an infallible and essential evidence of a true faith in Christ There are foure things which will clear this as a lively testimony 4. Things of true faith If we can prove First that love is not separated from faith Secondly that there is no beleever in any degrees of faith but he hath a love of Christ Thirdly That there is no time or circumstance into which the beleeving soul is cast but still he loves Christ Fourthly that no unbeleeving heart can and doth love Christ I say if we can prove these foure conclusions then it will be most evident and certaine that the love of Christ is an infallible Argument or Testimony of a true faith in Christ Thus then 1. Love is not separated from faith If you peruse the Scripture you shall finde them go hand in hand Gal. 5. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcission availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which works by love that is Christ is not mine because I am a Jew nor is he mine because I am a Gentile but he is mine because I am a Beleever and if my Faith in him be true it will expresse it self by love I Thes 1. 3. Your work of faith and labour of love in our Lord Jesus Christ Faith and love are like a warm hand faith is the hand and love is the warmth in it faith cannot be the hand to take Christ but love will be the warmth to heat our affections unto Christ 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Ghrist Jesus Faith and love are like the husband and the wife and faith and love are like the mother and the daughter See 2 Tim. 1. 13. and Phil. 5. And indeed it stands with unanswerable reason that faith and love cannot be divided for as much as faith in Christ First represents the absolute and effectual cause of love to Christ
so the second Adam derives pardon and holinesse therefore he is called a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. It is not 'twixt Christ and believers as 'twixt a root and a dead limb which hangs on but hath no life nor sap Christ hath really no such members in his body he is not like Nebuchadnezzars image whose head is of gold and the feet of clay for a man to boast much of his head of Christ of gold and yet he to remaine a piece of clay he to have a nature utterly heterogeneous unto Christ this man deceives himself For every plant every graff that is inserted into Christ hath the aliquality of his nature Hence those who in John 1. 12. are stiled Beleevers they are said in the next ver 13. to be borne of the Will of God Now as in the natural birth there is a new forme so in the heavenly there is a supernatural and holy frame of grace ingenerated Thirdly No man hath a changed nature but a Beleever Why Because no man hath grace but from Christ and none have Christ but Beleevers Again it is impossible for a man to be lovely in the eyes of God without faith but if any man might have a changed and sanctified heart and yet want faith then one might be lovely in Gods eyes wanting faith for as much as God loves and delights in an holy heart So then this is most evident that if faith goes not without a change and if every Beleever hath a change and no unbeleever hath it I say this will follow Therefore if a man can finde a change of his heart he then hath the truth of faith Now then enquire is there vertue gone from Christ to make thy dark minde seeing thy stubborn judgement yeilding and prizing thy proud heart humbling thy filthy heart cleansing thy hard hard relenting and mourning thy carnal affections to be heavenly thy sinful soul to be holy be confident of this that it is sound faith Though there be yet remainders of corruption yet if the inclination of the soul be châ—nged by grace doubt it not thou hast faith But for such as talk of a faith which stands in opposition to hoâ—inesse and please themselves in a gracelesse faith in such a faith as hath no society or companâ— of graces in the soule O farre be such a faith from any one of us An unholy beleever is as proper a phrase as an holy devil Presumption is a most confident work but it is a very loose quality 1 Cor. 6. 9. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde verse 10. Nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkarks nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Ver. 11. And such were some of you but you are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Do not abuse thy soul with a conceit of faith and justification if thou hast no change of heart by sanctification SECT IV. THirdly a third tryal of true faith in Christ Jesus is this It will stoop to Christ as well as rise to him It enters the soul into a new service it takes Christ and him only to be its Lord. You read that there was a Marriage feast to which some did come and there was the Kings son sent out to rule and reigne but few yeilded unto him Many men will come to Christ to finde a feast but few come to Christ to bear his Scepter they would come under the safe-guard of his blood who flie the Authority and dominion of his sword they like Christ the Priest but not Christ the Lord. I will briefly shew you two things to clear this tryal 2. Things First no unbeliever will accept of Christ to be his Lord only because 1. His heart hath another Lord It hath set up some sinne or other or some part of the world or other to which it gives service as to his Lord. He is our Lord to whom we give service and his servants we are whom we do obey Now the unbeleeving heart either serves the world or obeys sinne in the lusts thereof Let the commands of sinne and Christ come into an ordinary and usual competition let the commands of profit or pleasure and Christ come into competition Now you shall see that the unbelieving heart will go after its Lord it will not hearken to Christ it prefers sin before him it will easily adventure Christs displeasure to fulfil its own lusts 2. Againe his heart cannot choose Christ it cannot like him for a Lord Why because the dominion of Christ is holy and heavenly and directly opposite to the fordid principles and affections and wayes of an unbeleeving heart It is a burden yea a very vexation to such a heart to heare but the report of the holy Laws of Christ and of their power and authority to oblige the inward man and the outward conversation Psal 2. 2. They take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed saying ver 3. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 'T is true whether wicked men will stoop or no Christ is a Lord in respect of designation but he is not their Lord in respect of approbation They will not have this man to rule over them Secondly Every Beleever admits of Christ to be his Lord as Thomas said My Lord and My God John 20. 28. see c. and so 1. Faith sets up the Scepter of Christ and sweetly frames the soul to a willing subjection 2. Again faith takes whole Christ and therefore Christ is the only King and Lord to faith 3. Again faith knows that the whole person is Christs purchase his blood hath bought us and so passed us into the entire dominion of Christ ye are bought with a price ye are not your own said the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Now then try your selves in this who is your Lord why brethren Thus it is faith gives the propriety and title and disposition of our hearts and wayes to Christ Obj. 'T is true before we were called to faith in Christ we were disobedient we served divers lusts we set up our sins and the world Sol. But now being made partakers of rich mercy and grace in Christ we shall surely rebel against other Lords but Christ that is against all other Lords whose commands are contrary to Jesus Christ Our hearts are his and our affections his and our strength his and our service and submission his Obj. I deny not but sinne will be stirring even in a beleeving heart it will be assaulting it will now and then usurp upon the soul and vex and captivate Sol. But the rebellion of a sinful nature is one thing and the dominion of it is another thing Sinne will stir as an enemy where Christ doth reign as a Lord But it is one thing for thee to be a combitant with sinne
another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave gâ—od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine â—hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal
to do them Sol. I answer 1. Good works may be so stiled either First materially because they are such things as may do good Secondly formally being sealed with all the circumstances which are required to make them good both for spiritual composition and Divine acceptation Now though wicked men may performe works good materially yel formally they do not for to make a work formally good there must be the concurrence of all circumstances the person must have a good heart and a good ground and a good end and a good Christ c. 2. Though every Beleever cannot actually do every good work yet some good works or other he can do though he cannot give mony yet he can give prayer c. Now think on this ye who have riches and wealth and professe faith on Christ and yet scarce a person a poor distressed person can blesse God for your fruitful faith nay the very doing of a small good work sometimes doth even try all the faith in the soul a man doth many times beleeve he shall surely want and impoverish his estate if he should be rich in good works SECT VII SIxthly true faith doth desire and endeavour after increase Help my unbelif said the unbeleeving father O Lord increase our faith said the Disciples I pray observe a few things 1. That true faith begins in weaknesse Like a childe at the first very tender oâ— like the light at the first very broken Presumption being a work of fancy and borne with its strength and perfection it is fully assured and utterly confident at first But Jacobs ladder hath many steps 2. That though it hath weaknesse yet it hath life as the spark of fire though it be little yet it is hot and though the childe be weak yet it can suck even the weakest faith in Christ will be much about Christ it will be weeping at his grave or washing of his feet or looking on his person 3. There are yet many degrees wanting to faith either thou canst not be perswaded or not fully perswaded or not constantly pâ—rswaded 4. If the faith be true and living it will bend after a rising and that First in respect of its acts of receiving trusting perswading Secondly in respect of its object It would yet apprehend more and feel more of the communion and vertues of Christ All the preaching in the world doth not increase a false and presumptuous faith nor doth the administration of the Sacraments adde thereto But the living they grow and he must have more faith who hath any Paul would apprehend even as he is apprehended The soule which hath true faith would have yet more victorious â—ieldings more stedfast embracings more confident restings c. like the childe which sucks and thrives SECT VIII SEventhly true faith in Christ and a mournful heart for sinne go together Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only sonne There are two things which faith will fetch up in the soule one is love to Christ another is sorrow for sinne There may be a terror without faith the conscience may be crackt and wounded but till faith comes there is no sorrow the soul is not altered nor melted that which melts the soul is kindnesse and mercy and that which 〈◊〉 them is faith if thou doest cast an eye of Faith on Chrisâ— that eye will have some tears for forced sinning against Christ You shall finde in Scripture that true beleevers are characterized by this That they be mourners in Sion and they return with weepings and supplications and they poure out waters before the Lord and unbeleeving persons are described by hearts of Adamant of rocks of stone by hardned by unsensible by irrelenting hearts The text saith that when Christ looked on Peter he went out and wept bitterly there is a piercing vertue in a gracious look from Christ. The soule which hath been long humbling it selfe and much in seeking for mercy and a good look from heaven It is when any gracious manifestation of favour darts down even resolved into tears never did the child weep more soberly upon his reconciliation to his loving father then the beleeving Christian doth mourn in sober sadnesse when his faith gets to see God reconciled to him in Christ he reades his pardon with teares of joy There are two parts of sorrow One is essential which consists in a strong displeasure of the will against the soul for sinning against a good God Another is contingent which consists in those dreary teâ—res flowing into the eyes now this is contingent for when the heart is many times filled with teares like Davids bottle yet it may so fall out that the eyes may be silent in such expressions c. CHAP. XIV Singular comfort for all true Beleevers IF to beleeve in Jesus Christ be the only Vse 3 way to be saved then here is singular comfort to all true beleevers What Solomon spake of wisdome that I say of faith her Prov. 3. 17 18. wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that reteineth her If this be a happy thing to have the Lord to be our God and David judged it to be a superlative happinesse If this be a blessed thing not to be offended at Christ O how sweetly and greatly blessed is the condition of a beleeving soul which hath God to be its God Christ to be its husband and heaven to be its portion Faith and Christ why they are the ring and the diamond they are the way and the life the soul cannot have such a prize as Christ nor such a hand as faith such a match as Christ nor such a grace to contract it as faith Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation said Simeon He may cheerfully lay down his body in the dust who hath by faith given up his soule to Christ But to descend to some diâ—â—inct particulars of comfort to the soule which beleeves truly in the Lord Jesus Christ observe SECT I. FIrst this is one comfort in the Text that they are in the way to heaven Naturally we are out of our way as soone as we enter into the world as soone as they be borne they go aside said David and the way of peace they have not known and nothing sets us in the right way but faith for Christ is the way and it is faith which findâ—s a Christ It was not Philips natural eye but his spiritual faith which spied the Messias Christ is the waâ— to heaven and saith is the way to Christ Salvation it is the great object of â—he greatest desire and indeed I know no more excellently desiâ—able thing then God in a glorious union with whom is the perfection of our salvation Now if thou be a true beleever thou art in the way
she yea the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table As if she might say Be it so Lord Jesus I am no better then a dogge an unworthy creature yet let me have the compassions to a dogge though not plenty yet the crumbs Now what saith Christ of her Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith Remember it that the faith which can bring up the soul which can lead it up to heaven against discouragements Though God doth not answer yet I will seek though he kill me yet I will trust in him I say such a faith is strong an expostulating faith a faith which will make the soul to presse on after denials Job after suspensions it is come to a great measure of faith which will not be answered or will not be gone a faith that will not let God go or Christ until it speed Jacob was as a wrestler he would not let God go except he blessed him A faith that can dispute it much with God which will in a holy reasoning take and urge God with God and will so enforce the promises on him which he hath made that God is even faine to yeild Be it unto thee as thou wilt this is faith ripened 3. The more entirely the soul is carried to expectation from the sole strength of a Divine promise the greater and the stronger is that faith As in Abrahams case He wanted a sonne and God promised him an Isaac Abraham did not now stagger through unbelief he did not consult the truth of it from his own natural abilities How unable he was that he neglected but how able God was to perform his own word upon this his faith did pitch And for this the text saith that he was strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. Remember this that the more sensible helps the soul needs to draw out the act of beleeving the weaker is the faith as the man is judged to be very weak who cannot go without many crutches and holdings But the more strength a naked promise hath with the soule when it alone puts life and quietnesse into us now faith is grown As David said The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me So when we can quash all our troubles with the sight of a promise I have Gods word for my pardon his word for my help his Word for my comfort I desire no better pay-master then God no better security then his own promise though all things stand contrary in sense and feeling yet all is sure in Gods promise and there I will settle this argues a great faith 4. The more ability a man hath to deny himself in neare and great occurrences the greater is his faith Abraham in leaving of his countrey parting with Isaac The more easily we can beleeve great things and part with great things the stronger is our faith There is nothing more hard then to give up a mans self There is a threefold self First his sinful self in respect of old and dear sins Secondly his natural self in respect of the separation of soul and body Thirdly his temporal self in respect of the comforts of this life And it must be a strong faith which must enable to strong denials of our selves when a thing comes nearer to the quick either when God denies a man a special comfort or draws off from him a special comfort now to submit now to be quiet I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul I know how to want and how to abound to be exalted and to be abased I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented To have the heart pleased with Christ alone and satisfied with his presence mark it the more entirely that the soul makes up its state in Christ and the lesse power that the world imprints upon the heart in its changes this imports the faith is come to strength Strong faith is like a strong tree which holds its body unmovable against great tempests but weak faith is like a plant which every winde makes almost to touch the ground Fifthly the weaker the arguments of distrust grow in the heart this is a signe that the faith is got to a strength This I conjecture that the strength or weaknesse of faith is not to be judged by the multiplicity of distrustful arguments but by the force and efficacy of them It is possible that manifold arguments of feare and doubts may present themselves to the minde of a strong beleever as well as unto the judgement of a weak beleever but then if faith be strong it doth weigh them down it doth prevaile over them that is it brings the soul to Christ it cleaves still unto him The soul maintaines its title to Christ and owns God in his promises it will not cast away its hope nor its strength wherein the soul can habitually foyle the reasonings which crosse its way and can cleare up and vindicate its state what God is to it and Christ is to it and what it hath received from them this is an argument that it is not weak but strong Sixthly the more easie compliance with change of a mans condition is an evidence of a faith which is more strong There are several changes incident to mans temporal life the Moon sometimes is ful and anon it is in the Eclipse our sea doth ebb and flow sometimes prosperity like the candle of the Lord shines upon us by and by adversity like the winde blows out the candle sometimes we abound and our mountaine seemes strong anon we are stript and our mountaine is shaked one while health and presence of friends another while sicknesse and losse of all Now in these changes not to be changed like the ship right up in a calme but tossing and reeling in a storme but to be as the rock fixed and setled holding up and rejoycing in the God of our salvation and encouraging our selves in the Lord our God and willing to be any thing in any condition yea to blesse God for all as Job did If I die I shall go to God If I live I will serve my God If I enjoy I will be fruitful If I want I will be thankful The more Passive the heart is the more active and strong the faith is Paul had been learning that lesson In every state therewith to be content O when a Christian can comply with contrary states not through an insensiblenesse of Spirit but from an apprehension and approbation of divine wisdome goodnesse love and authority his faith is singularly cleared and well improved 7. The more satisfaction and quiescence that the soul hath in Christ alone the greater is the faith when a naked Christ is the centre and loadstone and the All in all As the Sunne to make day I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified said Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there
though weak and strong faith may vary much in the manner and degree of the apprehension or perswasion or reading of the pardon yet they both agree in the strength and in the latitude of pardon The weak believer hath as an effectual and as ample and full remission as the strongest believer for Christ did not become an unequal surety or an uneven Sacrifice for sinne my meaning is this that he did not only undertake the debts of some believers but of every one nor did he undertake some debts only of some beleevers but all the debts of all beleevers Therefore it is said Esay 53. 6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and Jer. 32. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned which words extend to all beleevers because to all that are covenanted Thirdly Justification by imputed righteousnesse There is a common equal interest in this by all beleevers It is but one garment for every beleever it is an entire thing One believer hath not one righteousnesse to justifie him and another believer another but all are justified by the same righteousnesse of Christ neither is the imputation of this righteousnesse partial or unequal but alike to all that believe Rom. 3. 21. The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Ver. 22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve for there is no difference Therefore God is said in v. 26 the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus if any man doth truely believe in Christ God justifies that man and Christ is made righteousnesse unto him that is the Lord will reckon unto him the righteousnesse of Christ he will in Christ pronounce him just and acquit him The most elevated beleever cannot be presented in a judicial way before Gods justice safely in the strength of his own perfections and therefore hath no reason to glory or boast and the most weak beleever is not excluded but adorned with the robe of Christs compleat righteousnesse notwithstanding his own manifold imperfections and therefore hath no reason to be discouraged or dismayed for as much as Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believes Rom. 10. 4. Fourthly the inheritance of glory even those weak Disciples who were oft rebuked for their fears and doubtings were commanded by Christ to rejoyce because their names were written in the book of life If we be Believers we are sonnes and if sonnes then heirs heires of life and co-heires with Christ in glory Rom. 8. 16 17. Gal. 4. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Vers 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life for eternal life is founded in Christ God hath put all life in him from him we draw our life of grace and by him we possesse our life of glory 1 John 5. 11. God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Sonne Verse 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life Obj. Yea but who are they who have the Son Sol. See ver 13. These things I have written unto you that believe on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life as if he should say every believer is he who hath the Sonne and by him that eternal life 3. Every beleever hath vertual interest in Christ that is he shall partake of the vertues and graces and strength of Christ The vertues of Christ are many I will touch at some viz. 1. A crucifying vertue which subdues the love and dominion of sinne now every beleever shares in this though one beleever be more troubled with the insolent motions of sinne then another yet no believer shall lie under the dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace Gal. 5. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Every beleever is gathered under the rod and Scepter of Christ and is made alive to Christ and dead to sinne yea and Christ will more and more mortifie his corrupt heart He will be made death to the strongest lust in the weakest believer 2. An assisting vertue which aides the soul in matter of duty and service now Christ will not only guide the strong but also lead the weak believer He will send forth his enabling strength for all the services which he requires 2 Cor. 12. 9. He said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse most gladly therefore will I glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me As if he should say there was weaknesse and infirmity on Pauls part but there was strength and power on Christs part and this strength would Christ make to appear in Pauls weaknesse that is though Paul saw and felt his own strength insufficient yet he should find Christ sufficient sufficiently inabling him in that particular Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Mark that place though we are very infirme very weak to any holy duty to prayer and the rest yet Christ will help he will come in with his Spirit which shall enable us with supplications so that even very weak believers may take comfort in this that Christ will strengthen and aide them by his Spirit in duties as well as the strongest The greatest believer cannot performe service by his own strength and the weakest shall be inabled by Christs There be three things which Christ will communicate to every believer even to the weakest about duty One is an affection and heart Another is strength and assistance The last is pardon and acceptance what is amisse and wanting shall be pardoned and what is imperfectly and weakly good shall yet through his intercession be accepted His Father for his merits will not despise the day of small things 3. Persevering vertue by which the soul comes at length to cast Anchor and to be safely landed Now the strong faith hath in a sort heaven already yet weak faith shall also make a saving voyage as it was with them in Pauls shipwrack some of them could swim and quickly and better get to shore others were more unskilful and therefore laid hold and made use of broken boards yet the text saith That they all came safe to land That I say of strong and weak faith though the strong believer can better cut through the manifold oppositions of the world though he can rise more easily above the waves of Satans temptations then the weak believer
satisfaction or else concluding no interest in his favour and gracious intentions besides forgetting usually the mediation and intercession of Christ in whom alone the soule and petitions are worthy 4. The weak believer hath not that succesfulnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath For all doubtings do prejudice our suits There is not a more sure and compendious way to non-suit our suits then by delivering them out of an unbelieving heart No faith may be sure of denial and he who delivers up his requests to God with an hand and an hand with an hand of faith and a hand of doubting either he hath a longer or else a shorteranswer According to thy faith be it unto thee said Christ strong faith brings God much glory and doth fetch in much good to the soul but the lesser faith the lesser good as according to the largenesse of the vessel or strength of the hand c. The higher the Sun is the more light is in the Horizon so the greater the faith is in our requests the sooner and the larger shall be our promised answers You remember what Elisha said unto Joash King of Israel take the arrowes and he took them and he said smite upon the ground and he smote thrice and stayed And the man of God was wrath with him and said thou shouldst have smitten five or six times then hadst 1 King 13. 18 19. thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice Prayer is the arrow of the soul it is the swift messenger sent up to heaven and faith is the hand which dispatcheth it now according to the strength of faith is the greatnesse of prayer in successe Thou didst pray though with much weaknesse of faith and hast got a little comfort why didst thou not smite the ground six times why didst thou not double thy strength in believing thou shouldst then have had comfort like a river whereas now thou hast only the smaller drops Thou hast prayed though with much weaknesse of faith and hast got a little power over thy sinful and rebellious heart why didst not thou smite the ground six times why didst thou not abound in more believing for then thou shouldst have had a fuller victory over thy corrupt lusts and inclinations Herein hath strong faith the preeminence of weak that the one hath not that full speed at heaven as the other not that God will not answer the faith that is weak but that its answers are not so full because it is accompanied with doubtings This we finde experimentally that our helpes much of them yet stick behinde in heaven and our corruptions much of them yet insult below in our hearts not that we do not hate them not that we do not pray against them but because our faith is new or weak we rather think that God will not help then that he will indeed answer or do us good 5. The weak believer is more under the power of the creature then the strong My meaning is this that his heart is more apt to sink and faile and perplex and disquiet him in the changes of outward things a crosse cannot come but he startles and if the affliction be close he can hardly hold up if he hath not some friends to smooth and cherish him some calme estate to maintaine and uphold him If the tyde comes not in if the winde doth not blow if the fig-tree doth not blossome if God puts him upon an unusual way if he toucheth him in his Name ease advantage any neer outward support if the crosse be long now I am cast off I shall perish what shall I eate what shall I drink what shall I put on we and ours are undone there 's none cares for my body as David spake for his soule The heart gathers into many agonies many prognostications many challenges of God many impatient vexations perhaps murmurings repinings and discontents and distempers yea and hath sometimes vile and inglorious thoughts of the fruitlesseness of serving God c. I think there is scarce any one of these which the weak believer doth not sensibly feel in the times of his straits and exigences which may exceedingly humble and abase his soul therefore But the strong beleever is a better Sea-man his soul is more quiet in the absence because more loosened by faith in the presence of the creature In a faire day God was much better though others break with joy in the fruition of wine and oyle yet Lord saith David lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me As if he should say I prize and joy in that more then in any thing else In a Fast day God is enough Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Verse 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death I will feare none evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Verse 6. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life So Psalm 93. 3. The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their waves Psalm 93. 4. The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the Sea So Psalme 118. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me Ver. 10. Aâ—l Nations compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them Ver. 11. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but c. Ver. 12. They compassed me about like Bees they are quenched as the fire of thornes for in the Name of the Lord c. So Psal 48. 14. This God is our God for ever and e-ever he will be our guide even unto death Sin is a greater trouble and the world is a greater burden to the weak then to the strong believer 6. The weak beleever cannot bring God so much glory as the strong beleever God hath Glory from us many wayes Glory to God three wayes By acquitting his fidelity and truth and power and other attributes Rom. 4. 20. By a bearing and fruitful heart and life John 15. 8. By thankful praises and acknowledgements Psal 50. 23. Now the weak believer he doth not acquit God so in his Attributes It is often with him Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be gracious or will he be favourable no more or if thou wilt thou canst do this for me It doth not so clearly justifie God in the greatnesse of his power in the readinesse of his mercy in the immutability of his truth He is not so fruitful for where the root is weak there the branches are not so strong or full the fruitfulnesse of the heart consists in the rich increase of all graces and in the enlarged heavenlinesse of the affections and the fruitfulnesse of the life depends upon the inward inriching of the heart as the
thou not heard of that accursed and despitfull death which I was put to numbred with transgressors cast out of the City nailed to the crosse pierced through the heart and yet my love to thy soul made me to poure out my soul an offering for thy sins Why and shall I veile my glory under the condition of a servant in vaine shall I combate and conquer Satan in vaine shall I beare the scorne of men the wrath of God the terrors of death the curse of the Law in vaine was not all this for thee shouldst not thou have susteined all this if I had not and must thou not if thou refusest him who hath done it and yet wilt thou prefer thy sins before me yet wilt thou not accept of me yet wilt thou not get faith to receive me have I sought thee freely bought thee so dearly and thou neglect and refuse me so easily Thirdly consider thou hast extreame need of a Lord Jesus 3. Motives Christ Excellency prevailes much with an ingenious nature and necessity with the worst when the Lepers saw that they must either venture their lives or die they would out into the Camp when the Prodigal saw he must famish abroad or repaire home he would then back to his fathers house Why Brethren the Captive doth not more need a Redeemer and the sick doth not more need a Physician then the sinner doth need a Christ and a Saviour Were we in Adams created innocency then we need not to look after a Saviour but we are fallen but we are broken but we are sold under sin but we are transgressors from the womb but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath Had we any stock left in our hands to set up our broken souls againe had we any strength to repaire our losse to recover our good to purchase our own peace and salvation but we are dead in trespasses Eph. 2. 1. we all fall short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. we are all without strength Rom. 5. 6. Could any thing be a Plank to the Shipwrack but Christ or an hand to lay hold on the rock but faith then we needed not to give such diligence for faith to believe but there is no salvation in any other name and there is no quality but faith to get us into Christ It is not the confidence which thou mayest put upon the faith of another which will do it as every mans soul is for his own body so every mans faith is for his own soul the wise virgins had no more oile then would serve their own Lamps and no mans faith is more then enough for himself Though Christ can save many yet faith saves him only who hath it It is not the confidence of a naked decree which will do it if God hath decreed to save me I shall be saved O no his decrees are his own secret wayes and the way which he hath opened to us is to get faith and to believe in his Son It is not an empty profession nor the worthlesse accesse of all the creatures that can ensure or save thy soul Only Christ none but Christ thou art wounded and Christ is thy plaister thou art dead and Christ is thy life thou art sold and Christ is thy ransome thou art an enemy and Christ is thy peace The debts are infinite the curse great the justice of God pure thy strength nothing and nothing satisfies and delivers but Christ and none hath Christ but the believer why then wilt thou not labor for faith Fourthly consider Christ is every way fitted to thy need 4. Motive Why Brethren gold will ransome a debtor to man it will not ransome a sinner from the Law an offender against God Why look upon your need aright and then judge who but Christ for a sinner There is guilt much guilt lying upon thy soul and who is the Priest to suffer to offer to satisfie to take away transgressions but Christ None can blot out the guilt of sin for us but he who had not a spot of sin in himself There is filth much filth defiling our natures poysoning our actions and who is the Prophet to enlighten to teach to change to cleanse from sinfulnesse but Christ None can teach us holinesse and obedience but he who was Holy undefiled separated from sinners and was obedient to the death There is dominion much dominion of sin prescribing a Law to our members sending out all insolent inclinations holding us in a willing subjection to every base lust and who is the King to conquer the heart to subdue iniquities to lead captivity captive to spoile principalities and powers to bid the captive go free to erect a thorne of righteousnesse and peace in the soul but Christ So that the wise love of God hath prepared and fitted Christ in all respects sutable to the exigencies and straits of a sinful soul and hath appointed faith to be that which shall put on this Christ upon the needy soul why then will we not labour for faith Fifthly God hath not only fitted a Saviour for thee but he 5. 〈◊〉 comes neer unto thee with him he deales mightily with thy soul â—o beleeve on him Thou hast the word of revelation to this very day wherein the mystery of thy salvation is made known and cleare unto thâ—e Thou needest not to say in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deeps to bring up Christ againe from the dead But the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 6. 7 8 9. Thou hast the word of gracious proposition God hath offered Christ with all his plentiful redemption with his strong salvation unto thee yea he hath assured thee by his Word of John 3. truth which cannot lie nor deceive that if thou believest on him thou shalt be saved by him Thou hast the word of injunction which layes a bond of duty upon thee This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name John 3. 23. of his Son Jesus Christ Nay thou hast the word of penalty and correction God hath said that he will judge thee for not believing and that in the sharpest method of expression He that believes not shall be damned Nay thou hast the word of obsecration and gentle intreaty God stoops infinitely below himself he doth streine curtesie with thee God doth beseech you by us and we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God Nay thou hast the word of expostulation why will you not beleeve why will ye die in your sins why will ye not come to me that you may be saved How often would I have gathered thee All the day long
resting upon thy selfe and are thy works such absolute bottomes and foundations when the Heathens can match them and exceed them or cannot God espy a flaw in thy Ship and much false conveyance in thy title and much defect in thy deeds who can charge folly upon the Angels And are thy meanings and works so good while thy heart is yet so ignorant thy life yet so prophane Can what thou doest finde acceptance or merit when yet thou trustest not on him who only is the merit for a sinner Thinkest thou thy meanings can be good which dishonour the Redemption by Christ and the freenesse of mercy O no my brethren the soul is the passenger graces are the sailes the Spirit is the wind but Christ only Christ is the bottom which carries all safe and sure to heaven Nay if thou canst see a Saviour in thy own good meanings if a Saviour in thy own good works a Saviour in any part or degree of inherent righteousnesse either inward for the change of nature or outward for the emprovement of life this this will keep thee and Christ asunder No man will labour for faith in Christ who hath a faith in himselfe already as his own Saviour Therefore as they in the Acts of the Apostles burned their books when they came to believe in Chhist so must we unbottom our selves of our selves Renounce our menstrous rags abhor our selves in dust and ashes lay flat before the mercy-seat cry out with the Leper I am uncleane unclean with Daniel To us belongs nothing but confusion for we have sinned with David enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh righteous be justified with the Publican stand afar off and say Lord be merciful to me a sinner with Paul I count all things but as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and I desire to be foundin him not having my own righteousnesse but that which is of faith with those Elders cast if we had them our very crowns to the earth before the Lamb and say he only is worthy If ever thou wouldest get to believe in Christ labour to get Do not stand in thy own light the mountaines to be levelled the high imaginations to be cast down to cast thy self out of thy self There is nothing that I have been or have done or do or can do which I can trust to I seek for the living among the dead whiles I look for a Saviour in my self He is farre enough from safety who rests on the arme of his flesh and we shall never close with or magnifie Christs righteousnesse until we can in matter of merit or justification deny our own 4. A fourth impediment to beleeving is the league of the heart with sinne Light is come into the world but men love darknesse rather then light John 3. 19. Sinne absolutely doth not prejudice the contract of the soule with Christ for Christ doth not negotiate for any soul but the sinful soul He doth not come to a person and say if thou hast no sinne I will bestow my self on thee or if thou hast not committed sinne I will be a redeemer a Saviour unto thee O no the offer of Christ is only to the sinner and it is none but the sinner who is to beleeve in Christ But that which hinders the contract ' twixtt men and Christ it is the love of sin Christ comes in the Ministry of the Gospel unto us and reports unto us our own exceeding sinfulnesse and then his exceeding graciousnesse and invites the soul by many sweet and tender arguments to accept of him to be Lord and Christ and assures it of pardon and righteousnesse and salvation Now saith Christ that which I require of you is this leave but your sinnes your sinnes which will damne you and I will be yours Why saith the soul this is but reason and I will hearken to it well then saith Christ go and quit such a lust thy uncleannesse or thy Sabbath breaking or thy drunkennesse or thy lewd society c. Why now the base and foolish heart falls off I cannot live without my nature I must and will be allowed in such a course The heart riseth up O Benjamine shall not go nay any thing but this lust I will never be divorced from it if I may have Christ and this sinne too well and good Thus the love of sinne steâ—les awâ—â— the heart it bestows the heart else where nay it infâ—ames an opposition against the Lordly power of Christ the soul will never yeild to the dominion of Christ which delights in tâ—e 〈◊〉 to sin Brâ—thren if we could bâ—â— rip up the secrets of mens hearts unto you you should 〈◊〉 discâ—â—â—â—e that it is the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 oft-times can mâ—ke no exception aâ—ainst Christ they 〈…〉 to come in 〈…〉 know they 〈…〉 be saved without him but 〈…〉 will not 〈…〉 sinnes it â—uâ—s their soules to think of such a divorce come on it what will thâ—y will take their pleasure and hold faâ—t their wickednesse 5. A fifth impediment is the world The honours of it how can you believe who receive honour 〈…〉 â—nother and 〈◊〉 not the honour that 〈…〉 â—od only John 5. â—â— The profâ—â— of it He went away sorrowâ—ul for he had great possessioâ—s Mâ—t. 19. 22. The Examples of it Have any of the 〈◊〉 or of the Pharisâ—es beleeved on him John 7 48. The teâ—rors of it the feâ—â—e of the Jews kept off many from coming to Christ The losses of it and crosses He that will be my Disciple muâ—â— deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The cares and thoughts of it when a man mindes earthly things and will be rich and devours all his prerious thoughts to compasse that which will be but a fether a thorne vanity or vexation Presse men to lâ—bour for Christ why we have no leasure presse to frequent the wayes of getting faith why lwe must not neglect our callings Urge them to embrace Christ as Lord to shape and fashion their hearts and ways according to his rules after his righteous Laws and to deny themselves in some sinful compliances O then we shall not be esteemed of we shall be derided and scoffed at as vaine and singular O these sensible things which we can see with our eyes and grasp with our hands they put us off from the great moments of our best and eternal good And what are the honours of this world but as the shade of the Sunne which every discontented cloud and frown removes and what are the profits of it but heapes of chaff which any windeâ— from heaven may scatter and what are the friends of it but a gourd which any worme may gnaw out and shrivel And why doest thou fear man whose utmost power exceeds not thy body and fearest not that God whose vengeance can seaze on thy soul and why wilt thou bestow the strength of thy time to get no more
then nothing and in the mean time to lose eternity a soul a Christ a heaven yet thus it is the poor creatures at the best but our servants have goâ— our hearts whiles Christ complaines against us we withhold our souls from him our just Lord and best Master But if there were not more glory in Christ then honour in the world if there were not more gaine in Christ then profit in the world if there were not more love in Christ then friendship in the world if there were not more comfort in Christ then discouragements in the world if there were not more safeâ—ies in Christ then dangers in the world nay if the real and â—rue exceedings of infinite betternesse were not on Christs part iâ— durst not so to encline your hearts for saith in him c. Sixthly the cunnings of naâ—ural unbâ—l of are a great impedimâ—nt I will not speak of al of them only I wil discover a few all which are hindrances Imaginations of impossibiâ—iâ—y it cannot be that if I should labor for faith that ever I should get it the intentions of mercy lie not that way nor do the streames of graâ—iousness â—un towards such a deeply sinful and guilty soul my sins are grown to such a vastnesse of provocation as if all the Angels in heaven should be senâ— unto me I could never credit their relation of hope or peâ—câ— unto me Now when the heart is thus forestalled with a strength of conceit that God never did nor wilâ— bend the â—uâ—ement of the blood of Christ towards the soul Why the bands sink no man will be perswaded to compasse impossibilities Apprehensions of difficulty Vnbelief sets upâ—â— Lyon in every paâ—â— and so keeps off from all endeavour First I shall never be able to pare time I shall never be able to pray I shall never be able to keep on in such a course I shall never be able to leave such society I shall never be able to deny the world I cannot take such paines I cannot waite I cannot tell how to get off these sinnes to change this heart to bring it to yield to Christ Discourse of carnall reasonings which try all the promises of God at a humane bar disputings against just precepts by unjust practices and the undertakings of a great and faithful God by the shallownesse of a blind and proud and weak understanding throwing up infinite exceptions Instances of sense and feeling Why if a man will judge of God by what he alwaies hears and feels within himself he shall never believe Yea if I were now sure I should have mercy that Christ were mine that my sins were pardoned if I could see my heart changed and sins dispersed and subdued then I would put out for faith and then I would look up to Christ And wouldst thou have thy cure before thy plaister thy health before the Physick thy life before thy soul the portion before the person thy nonefast before thy meal the benefits of Christ the vertues of Christ before Christ himself SECT III. Thirdly the Meanes NOW I come to direct you unto the use of such meanes by which God workes this saving faith in the hearts of men Where premise with me some particulars 1. There is no natural power in man to produce a cause within himself This great grace of faith is no fruit of the wisdome of the flesh nor is it the birth of a corrupt will if it were possible for a natural heart to see all the excellencies of Christ if it were possible for him to draw out and behold all the arguments of Scripture yet could he not by his own strength make his own heart to believe 2. The immediate and sole cause of faith is the Spirit of God He it is who is greater then the heart and who can perswade and draw the heart and who can change and renew the spirit which till it be renewed by him will never be moved to beleeve in Christ 3. There are meanes appointed by God and which God doth ordinarily blesse for the production of faith as he hath ordained meanes for the revelation of Christ so he hath likewise consecrated meanes to lead the soul unto him to implant faith 4. Now the great and ordinary meanes by which God workes faith in the hearts of men I speak of such as are come to ripenesse of years is the preaching of the Word So Acts 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordeined to eternal life believed Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation That the Word is the Ministerial instrument which God useth to beget faith in Christ may thus appeare 1. It is that which discovers unto the soul its extreame misery and great need of Christ nothing quickens the conscience to that reflexive evidence to the cleare and true sight of the natural state which pricks the soul which in a sort compels the soul to look after the Redeemer of the world as the Word doth You see it hath been thus formerly that when men have heard it it hath unfolded their state unto them it hath broken all their proud imaginations it hath driven them to their feet it hath made them to cry out men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Yea and we find it in experience to be so that the preaching of the Word it opens the eyes of sinners it frames in them the sense of sinfulnesse and accursednesse it makes them indeed to feel the need of a Physician of such an one as Christ 2. It is that which discovers a share for a broken ship which doth reveale and proclaime to poor sinners Articles of peace in Christ it makes known the great love of God and Christ and how that Christ is the Sonne of God and was sent by God and satisfied for sinners and this was accepted 3. It makes the soul to confesse those things as most true and good in themselves It convinceth a man that of a truth God meanes graciously to men that his Sonne was a Sacrifice was a propitiation that he did purchase pardon and salvation for sinners 4. It is that which casteth down all the reasonings arguments and dâ—sputes of the minde against the conditions of Christ and râ—nders all the termâ—s of Christ upon which he will be taken as most equal and faire and reasonable 5. It is that which clears the way for the soul against all its feares and unbeleeving doubts from the freenesse of Gods mercy from the fulnesse of Christs redemption from the willingnesse on Christs part and requests unto us to accept of him 6. It is that which doth powerfully renew the disposition of the understanding and will and so incline them to esteeme of Christ as the highest truth and to bend after him as
the chiefest good 7. It is that which stirres up the heart with a choice of Christ and resolution to have him what ever may befal it 8. It is that which makes the heart to cry servently to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to work his blessed grace of faith Yea which draws out of us strong supplications with many teares and longings and to implead all the promises of making mercy good and Christ good and faith good unto us 9. It is that which establisheth the soul to a patient expectation for ever to lie at the poole for ever to attend the doors of the Sanctuary till the soul can take and close with Christ by true beleeving But then to open unto you the way more distinctly I would commend this course unto a person that he may at length get a believing heart 1. Study thy natural condition throughly The right sense of this 8. Things though it doth not formaâ—ly cause faith yet it may have a compelling force to make us look after Christ and to strive for faith The Apostle calls the Law a Schoolmaster to Christ Gal. 3. why because it doth reveal such a smart and strong evidence of the sinful condition that it scourgeth a man out of himself to look for a Saviour yea it helps much to cast the proud soul down and to break and crush his natural bottom which otherwise would stâ—ve off and hinder a man from believing Therefore study thy natural condition O I would believe and I would have Christ yea but why what need seest thou in thy self of him I tell you that the more desperate the soul sees its own natural condition the more willingly may it be drawn to apprehend adore and embrace its remedies and safeties Now there are three things to convince our selves of about our natural condition I meane the state without Christ First the ugly vilenesse of it That it is sinful and stark naught it is no such thing as God doth like or approve but his soul abhors and hates it For it is compounded of nothing but want of good and inclination to evil to all that is opposite to God and holinesse That thou art in it poor and blinde and miserable and naked an ignorant opposing unconceiving creature of any spiritual good proud and sensual and vain and earthly loathsom and dead Secondly the sure and fearful misery of it Thou art without God without Christ without the Covenant not a drop of mercy for thee whiles thou remain'st thus but all the wrath of God is against thee and thou art under the dominion of sinne and terrible curse of the Law all the threatnings in the book of God are ever ready to sease on thee and how soon may they arrest thee if God gives them commission Thirdly the utter insufficiency to deliver thy self out of this state Thou art never able to merit the least mercy nor to answer the great justice of God Though thou shouldest offer thousands of lambs and ten thousand rivers of oyle thou art so totally broken in thy strength that thou canst not pay a farthing and never canst thou be a Redeemer to thy self from thy sins or Gods justice Now drive and fasten these things as real and experimental truths into thy heart till thou art shut up under sinne as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. that is so convinced on all sides concerning thy natural self that thou art faine to fall down and cry out O Lord I am unclean I am uncleane I am uncleane a miserable wretch a lost person for ever unlesse thou shew great compassion to my poor soul This condition is deadly and barren I am full of sinne and without strength and this condition is so fearful that verily I will not rest in it Men and brethren what shall I do to be saved Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded soul no City of refuge for a distressed sinner no Rock of safety for a shipwrackt person no hope of salvation yet left for me 2. Then study the hope of a sinful soul Why though thou hast been very wicked and hast exceeded in transgressions yet there may be hope The Gospel it is the â—ape of good hope it is that which thrusts out some sight of land to a tossed sinner It is a message from heaven proclaiming both the hope and possibility and also the way and method of salvation for a sinful person Look as the Law points out a way of salvation for a righteous and innocent man so the Gospel doth for an offending and sinful man Therefore study it much take some accurate paines to be throughly and really informemed and convinced what Gods dispositions are therein revealed towards sinners Now here are two things which I would commend 1. One is the study of Christ Study him all over perhaps thou mayest see that in him which may answer many yea all thy feares Perhaps thou mayest see so much in him as may win much upon thy heart to come in and accept of him by faith Therefore peruse him well First that he is God and man and as so a Mediator and because so therefore an Almighty and a compassionate Redeemer Secondly that it proceeds from the love and Counsel of God to give him to be the Saviour of sinners God did see the fallen state and great misery of men and his absolute insufficiency to recover himself and therefore his own love moved him to give his own Sonne in whom he did ordain the salvation of sinners Thirdly that Christ was willing to become a Mediator yea he did freely give his life to make peace and procure salvation and this sacrifice of his was both acceptable and effectual Fourthly that God would have thee to come unto him for life and that Christ is the surety and Mediator and only hope of sinners Fifthly that Christ hath in him all and enough to make up thy state and to reconcile thee and God and to get full pardon and to present thee righteous and to procure for thee eternal life Sixthly that Christ seeks even after thee by the Ministry of the Gospel and both offers himself with all his purchase unto thee and hath and yet doth beseech thee to accept of him I say study these things who knows how the great studies of Christ may be at length blessed with faith in Christ This I am sure of that the ignorance of the nature and offices and works and benefits and alsufficiency and marvellous affections and readinesse in Christ is a notable strength to unbeliefe Ergo on the contrary the knowledge of them is a good means for faith 2. Another is the study of the new Covenant Why what mayest thou not there see to draw on thy soul to Christ yea what arguments doth God there fill thy mouth with to conquer himself He gives thee in that Covenant ample and prevailing grounds by which thou maâ—est with an humble confidence even plead with him for Christ and faith
Thou shalt see there all thy good set freely open that God stands not for this nor for that and it matters not what thou hast been there is mercy enough for what is past and there is grace to renew thy heart for the present and strength for the future and thou mayest sue out the Lord for this faith of which we now speak and he will surely give it unto thee 3. Study the main hinderances of distance twixt Christ and the Covenant and thy soul There is one thing above all the rest which keeps thee off and that is unbelief For God doth not require any other thing of thee in the entrance of Christ but only to accept of him He doth not say if thou hadst never offended me then I would have bestowed my Sonne on thee or if thou hadst not offended me so much or if thou canst bring any singular nature and excellent qualities of thine own then I will give my Sonne unto thee or then I will give thee leave No but all that he requires is this Beleeve and accept of my Sonne to be thy Lord and Saviour and I will in him give thee pardon Why now brethren this is the last and sore check of the match our hearts are unbelieving we will not condescend to this condition but fly hovering after some unknown and devised method of our own 4. Study much the sinfulnesse of unbelief that it is a sinne and a great sinne and that in thee What! after all sense of misery to hold off from remedy not to close with Gods great love as if God were not wise enough to shew thee the way of salvation or as if he were not true that thou darest not to venture and fasten thy soule and state upon his Word 5. Study well wherein the nature of faith doth consist Many Obj. persons seeme to complaine that they have no faith and Sol. cannot believe Why they are not right in the doctrinal part of faith they mistake faith exceedingly thinking it to consist in a full assurance and in a sensible taste of Gods love in Christ and in a sensible and clear perswasion that their sins are pardoned which because as yet they never had they therefore perplex themselves much about faith Therefore inform thy self what faith in Christ is It is the hearty accepting of Christ upon his own conditions if thy heart and soul are willing to accept of Christ as the only Lord to rule thee and as the only Redeemer to save thee and to cleave unto him for better for worse through all the changes which may befal thee for Christs sake why this is faith viz. An accepting of his person and a reposing of the soul upon him for its safety and a cleaving to him upon all states If thou canst finde thus much that there is no one sinne which shall rule thee to the love and obedience of which thou wilt resigne thy selfe but Christ is he whom thou choosest for to be thy Lord And there is no Name in heaven and earth upon which thou wilt put confidence for thy righteousnesse and discharge and salvation but only in Christ. And upon him thy soul entirely and unfainedly desires to rest it self thou hast true faith 6. Know this and convince thy self of it that thou shalt never hurt thy self nor offend God if thou couldest believe wherefore hath God given Christ and wherefore hath Christ given himselfe and wherefore is he now offered to sinners and wherefore are we commanded to beleeve if yet to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to consent to the acceptance of his person upon his own condition were a sinne 7. Withal this beg fervently of God that he would perswade thy heart to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour and to rest thy soul upon him No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Now then O Lord draw me and I shall runne after thee O subdue this unbeleeving heart and give unto me the Spirit of faith and love and obedience Lastly look for this gift of faith to be wrought in thee by the Spirit of Christ in the Ordinances and wait upon God there continually Thou shalt in time perhaps sooner perhaps later finde thy soule touched and thy feares answered and thy soule made exceedingly willing to accept of Christ as thy Lord and to put it self upon him as thy Saviour Yea hold on in waiting and seeking and thou shalt not only have Christ formed in thee and faith formed in thee but thou shalt come to know him whom thou hast accepted and trusted This is a sweet and safe course for a sensible sinner viz. 1. To present up his request unto God in the Name of Christ earnestly beseeching him to declare this Almighty working of his Spirit in causing the heart to beleeve 2. Then to stand in the wayes of grant and come to the Ordinances wherein God doth reveale his arme and give faith and so enclines and unites the soul with Christ What thou doest earnestly seek in a private way that God doth ordinarily answer and bestow in a publick 3. Then wait and expect not to limit God just to this time nor to this preacher nor to cast off all confidence of answer upon present denials but to look up from day to day from week to week if at length God will give thee faith I never reade or heard of any whose hearts were thus set but God hath found a time to give unto them the desires of their souls He hath repâ—enished their souls with his salvation and loving kindnesse Therefore go on cheerfully in the use of these meanes whatsoever befals thee yet it shall be well with thee He that hath found Christ cannot but say that this way is good and he who is thus seeking of him shall say it was not in vaine to follow it SECT IV. Fourthly The Objections NOw I proceed to the resolution of those Scruples which do entangle the soul of a sinful sinner and hinder him from beleeving which beget extream fears and doubts that he may not lay hold on Christ and that God will never bestow Christ on him neither would he take it well of the soul to be so busie and forward Obj. 1. Why saith the sensible sinner my sinnings have been so great and transgressions so mighty that I may never look up with any confidence upon the rock of salvation nay it is not Satan onely but my own conscience which doth testifie against me the manifold numbers and the high exceedings of my rebellions I tell you you would tremble to think of such lewdnesse whereof I have been and now do stand guilty and the sensible consideration of them makes my heart to sink and checks me with shame and blushing when I think of laying hold on Christ Sol. For the assoyling of this Objection consider these particulars First the greatnesse of sinning should be a strong reason to compel in the soul
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
upon all his termes and articles of peace and life and may cast and repose it self on him as the only rock and hope of the soul and yet it may be so farre from assurance even at that time when it doth so earnestly cleave unto Christ that instead of assurance it may be both tossed and prevailed upon by doubtings suspitions and feares concerning its particular and personal propriety in Christ and in his merits But the last of the propositions I am Christs and Christ is mine this is formal assurance for this concludes the dispute of the heart and hath in it particular and personal evidence 2. It is a victorious conclusion against the strength of doubting you know that in the minde of man there are three kinds of working about an object comprehending goodnesse and truth One they call peremptory assenting and peremptory dissentings in which the minde doth yeild plainly or else refuseth to subscribe and grant the matter proposed to be true and good Another they call doubtings which are the wavering acts of of the minde wherein it doth not absolutely grant or deny it doth not absolutely conclude that so it is nor absolutely that so it is not yet rather enclines for want of further evidence in the soul that it is not so then that it is so The third they call evidence or assurance which is such a work of the minde wherein against all doubtings and suspitions the minde sees clearly the thing to be so or not to be so And thus is it here in the assurance of faith it hath such a light the minde hath that it is able to rise beyond and against doubtings and to convince the soul against all suspitions that Christ indeed is mine and I am his Where by the way observe thus much that assurance doth presuppose some doubtings for if the mind of a believer had not doubtings about its personall interest it could not well be said to be now assured Doubtings did verily and do and may work in a believing soul yea but am I sure that Christ is mine is it certain that my sins are pardoned I trust they are but I fear they are not Now assurance comes and conquers these workings and clears all the doubting arguments and convinceth the minde that of a truth Christ is mine and my sins are pardoned There are two degrees of doubtings One consists in the questioning of our beleeving proprieties is Christ mine is his righteousnesse mine c Another exceeds this and consists in dominion when the soul is supprest by the strength of these doubtings to side with it and still to hang in suspense Now this latter degree especially is assurance opposite unto namely it conquers our doubtings answers our arguments cleares it unto the soul against the many suspitions which did arise that Christ doth indeed owne it that he is the Saviour thereof and therefore I call it a victorious conclusion 3. Assurance of faith it is an ascertaining or perswading act and that is proper and inseparable from assurance therefore is it so expressed in Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come ver 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea and it is expressed by a word of personal certainty 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed In knowledge there is alwayes a certainty for that is one of the maine differences 'twixt it and opinion that the one leaves the minde uncertain and wavering and the other determinates the minde with certainty and infallibility Whiles the minde remaines like a paire of indifferent scales which bend this way and that way or like a boat in the river now floating up and then sinking down now reeling to this side by and by to that side it cannot be said to be assured perhaps Christ is mine perhaps I am his this is a plaine uncertainty for the minde is not perswaded But in the assurance of faith the minde is like a scale that weighs down it is perswaded and ascertained there is a prevalent evidence of the thing Not only in absolute tearmes that Christ belongs to a believer but in reflexive tearmes that Christ belongs to me he gave himself for me and he is my redeemer and this particular or personal perswasion is assurance 4. Assurance is not all kinds of perswasion or ascertaining there are two kindes of assurance or perswasion of the minde touching a mans personall interest in Christ One is Imaginary and deluding for as the heart of a man may deceive it self about the habit of faith or any other grace so it may delude him about the acts and degrees of the same doth the true believer believe in Christ so thinks the Hypocrite that he doth too Hath the true believer a perswasion of his personall propriety in Christ which cleares the minde of doubting so hath the Hypocrite too a most exalted confidence an iron faith that would never bend nor bow by doubtings It may be with him as with a poore man in a dreame what the rich man hath by propriety and in possession even that same thing may the poorest man have in a dreaming fancy and imagination But then ask the Hypocrite by what grounds art thou thus confidently perswaded what did encline thy mind hereto what promise hast thou found that Christ is and will be his whose heart was never humbled for sin whose heart still retains the love of sin Now as the man who being demanded how he came without his wedding garment he is speechlesse The fool saith Solomon Prov. 14. 16. rageth and is confident and so the presumptuous person He sinneth and yet is perswaded he walketh in his sinnes and yet is assured I pray you remember that the assurance of faith is no such absolute and boystrous setling of the minde that Christ is mine however though I be never so ignorant and wicked and though I live never so wretchedly and profanely yet Christ is mine and God is my mercifull Father and my sinnes are pardoned O no this is a Diabolical assurance it is no Evangelical assurance Another is grounded and divinely rational and it alwayes followes sound repentance and faith That assurance which goes before these is false absolutely I am bound to repent and to believe but I cannot be assured but in a conditionall order If I should be assured that Christ were mine before before I did believe this were a lie forasmuch as Christ is not mine untill I do by faith accept of him and if I should be assured that my sins were pardoned before I did repent I did in this delude mine own heart forasmuch as sin is not pardoned unlesse it be repented of No but I must repent of my sins I must accept of Jesus Christ offered unto me in the Gospel to be my Lord and Saviour
pardon and to crown him with eteâ—nal glory Beleeve it assurance will make thy life more fruitful and thy heart more suffering Faith will make holy duties to be no harden and assurance will make it a delight Faith will make a man to bear the Câ—osse â—nd assurance will make a man to triumph under it We are more then conquerours said perswaded Paul Seventhly Assurance of faith it is a bathing spring to all our graces Shall I instance in some 1. The mourning heart doth much depend upon the assured minde No man ever did or ever shall take God by the hand as reconciled to him or look on Christ as redeeming him or read his pardon with assurance but his heart shall be full of joy and his eyes full of teares They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourne as a man mournes for his only childe Zach. 12. 10. There is nothing softens the heart so well as faith and which melts it so much as assurance The powers of the greatest kindnesse and most gracious love do open the fountain of godly sorrow within the soul 2. Love kindles in the heart upon assurance To whom much is forgiven the same will love much said Christ Luke 7. 47. We love him because he loved us first said John The love of God to us is the cause of our love to him againe and againe and the more that love is cleared to us the more is our love rekindled to him goodnesse is a cause of love here it is bountifulnesse is a cause of love here it is knowledge of both a special provocation of love in assurance here it is What a thing is this that God should give his Covenant to me his Sonne to me his Mercies to me his loving kindnesse to me his glory in heaven unto me I love a man who defends my Name I love a man who gives me a book I love a man who gives me my ransom I loue a man who gives me a meales meat Ah! poore things in comparison how do I then infinitely exceed in love to my God who I know hath pardoned hath justified hath accepted will save me for ever More might be said of all particular graces whatsoever 8. Assurance by faith doth but ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it 1. It easeth us of the world How can he walk with cares who is indeed perswaded that God is his Father he that gave him Christ will give him all other things freely God will not stand for a little earth who hath bountifully given a whole heaven and he will surely finde me food and rayment for my body who found mercy and the blood of his own Sonne for my soul 2. Nay it mounts us above the world they do observe that these lower things grow little and lesse by how much the higher a man is seated If a man could be elevated to one of the celstial orbes the whole world would seeme but a narrow spot of ground unto him In one point this is most true the neerer God draws unto the soule the more nothing doth this world appeare O the blessed favour of God! the evidences of our union with Christ This is like the light of the Sunne which puts out the light of ten thousand candles Thou wouldest never complaine of too little in the world if thou haddest so much as made up a true assurance of heaven 9. Lastly Assurance will breed comfort in life and confidence in death Object Why are Gods people afraid many times to die they cannot say with Christ I will go to my Father They have the bond but see not the seale They are not assured of Reconciliation of pardon of salvation But if they could with Simeon Take Christ into their armes if once they could be assured Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He who by assurance looks Christ in the face may with cheerful confidence look death in the face I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 23. How so verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gaine But how knows he that 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day So 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens SECT V. Quest 1. NOw I come to the last inquiry by what means the soule mâ—y get up to this assurance Sol. I shall only 〈◊〉 be such rules as reach a beleeving person Thereâ—oâ—e 〈◊〉 1. If thou be a bâ—â—eever and wouldest be assured then preserve the sense of thy own natural wretchednesse and of the darknese of thy souls state without assurance Christ came to Mary when shee was weeping and the Great God looks down upon thâ— broken Spirit The highest mountaine hath the first sight of the Sunne but the lowest Christian hath the first sight of God When the people of God were mourning then saith God Comfort ye comfort ye my people and say unto them your sins are pardoned You shall finde this That the truely sensible heart hath Note three properties in it which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with assurance viz. One that is very humble Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and mercy And a third that it is exceeding thirsty after a good look from God after some taste of Christ and God will satisfie all these 2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances you shall finde this that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the seeds of it The word you know is the soule of faith it was that which did incline the heart to yeild which did make it to accept of Christ and it is that also which can make us to know our possessions 1 John 15. 13. These things have I written vnto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life So 1 John 1. 4 These things we write unto you that your joâ— may be full More plainly In whom after you heard the Word of truth ye beleeved in whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1. 13. For look as the Word hath promises which draw the soul to Christ so it hath promises to clear the soul in its interest in Christ to answer all doubts and feares and to answer the feare about acceptance so it removes doubts which strive against evidence and propriety The Sacrament you know it is the Seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. Look as a Seale doth distinguish and confirme and settle the minde so is the Sacrament ordained to satisfie and perswade the heart of a beleever God appointed this
heart p. 178 Our natural condition what to be convinced of about it p. 179 Need. We have extream need of a Lord Jesus Christ p. 163 Christ is every way fitted to our need p. 164 O Offended A heart apt to be offended at the estate of Christ shews faith is weak p. 135 Opposition A manifold opposition against Christ his person condition Scepter and government and his righteousnesse p. 8. 82 83 Ordinances Ordinances are meanes to grow up unto assurance p. 280 P Peace Peace in the conscience what it is p. 148 Peace of a Christian must be ratified in a double Court p. 148 The difference betwixt the peace of a strong and weak believer p. 148 Power No natural power in man to produce faith p. 176 Persevering Persevering vertue from Christ p. 144 Preaching Preaching the Word the ordinary means by which God works faith p. 177 Prayer Prayer a meanes of assurance p. 281 Priest Christ anointed to be a Priest p. 21 A satisfactory Priest p. 21 An expiatory Priest p. 21 22 Christ how the Priest and Altar p. 23 The efficacy of his Priestly sacrifice p. 24 Christ a Priest by way of intercession vid. Intercession Prophet Christ anointed to be a Prophet p. 26 What it implies p. 27 Presumption vid. Faith Presumption a most confident work but a very loose quality p. 100 101 A pregnant difference betwixt Presumption and faith p. 208 209 Promise A Divine promise entirely rested on an Argument of strong faith p. 126 Many promises believed at once the stronger is our faith p. 130 Discouraging objections about the promises answered p. 235 Vid. Truth R. Receive It is very unequal and unreasonable not to receive Christ so offered p. 166 Redemption Redemption all beleevers have a share in it p. 140 141 Refusal Former refusals of Christ should not keep us off from present accepting of him p. 20 The sinfulnesse and danger of such refusals yet even such have encouragement to beleeve p. 201 202 Such have the more reason to come in and not to refuse any longer p. 204 Relation A near relation betwixt Christ and a beleever p. 253 A special Relation gives special title and a special obligation and hath a special affection p. 254 Remission Remission of sins what it is p. 48 74 The soul sensible of sinne puts it self on Jesus Christ for remission of sin p. 49 Remission of sinnes belongs to justification p. 74 How far remission of sinnes extends in Justification p. 75 Remission of sinnes every beleever hath an interest in it p. 141 Righteousnesse A twofold Righteousnesse inherent and imputed p. 51 Faith rests only on imputed Righteousnesse for justification p. 51 The Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is that by which only we are justified p. 76 What is meant by the righteousnesse of Christ p. 76 Several objections against the imputation of righteousnesse answered p. 76 77 Whether this righteousnesse imputed be the passive or active and passive reasons of the latter p. 78 Christ bestows his righteousness upon us the comfort of it p. 113 Confidence in natural righteousnesse an impediment to faith p. 171 S Sacrifice vid. Priest Sacraments Sacraments meanes of assurance p. 281 Salvation Salvation some things have reference to it by way of proper causality and some things by way of order p. 54 Vid. Grace Salvation is conferred in such a way wherby God only may have the glory of it p. 63 Salvation is not sure but by beleeving p. 64 Sanctity vid. Change Satisfaction Satisfaction of soul in Christ alone an Argument of a strong faith p. 129 Saviour Christ is a singular Saviour how p. 14 Difference betwixt him and other Saviours p. 14 A General Saviour in what sense p. 15 A mighty Saviour how this appears p. 16 A perfect Saviour in what this consists p. 16 The alonenesse fulnesse and efficacy of his Salvation p. 16 Scorners Scorners will become troublers p. 3 Seeking Many seekings and yet nothing comes of them should not discourage from beleeving p. 213 Efficacy of seeking wherein it consists p. 213 Right seekings shall alwayes come to something p. 214 A double answer to the seeking of the soul p. 214 Something may come in upon every faithful seeking p. 215 Self-denyal Self-denyal in near and great occurrances an argument of strong faith p. 127 A threefold self to be denyed p. 127 Sense Sensible A double sense of sin p. 206 Sensible sinners are inquisitive p. 5 Reasons of it p. 6 Sinners some hardned some made sensible p. 5 Sensible sinners are resolved for the meanes as well as for the end p. 9 Two sorts of sinners generally corrupted and sensibly experienced p. 34 Several degrees of sensiblenesse in sinners p. 35 Some sensiblenesse of our sinful condition must go before faith taking Christ as a Lord and Saviour p. 91 What is a sweet and a safe course for a sensible sinner p. 183 The truly sensible heart hath three properties in it that do invite the Lord to gratifie it with assurance p. 280 Sick Christ is a Physician to a sick sinner p. 207 Christ will not loath thee because of thy sinful nature but will help thee because thou art a sick person p. 208 Sin Sinning When sin decayes in strength faith is strong p. 129 The league of the heart with sin an impediment to beleeving p. 153 Greatnesse of sinning a strong reason to compel the soule to Christ p. 184 Sorrow Sorrow for sin and faith in Christ go together p. 108 Soul None have right to thy soul but God and Christ p. 166 Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul p. 166 How shameful and unreasonable it is to keep the soule from Christ p. 167 Spirit Spirit of God the immediate and sole cause of faith p. 176 177 Studied What things to be principally studyed by him that would get a beleeving heart p. 178 179 Strength Present corruptions in exceeding strength no prejudice to faith p. 205 206 Suspect To suspect Gods favour and Christs love a signe of weak faith p. 132 T Taking Taking of Christ is of all Christ p. 46 It is only of Christ. p. 46 This taking is freed from mistaking p. 46 Vpon what grounds the soul takes Christ p. 47 This taking is resolved against untaking p. 47 Two grounds of taking Christ to be a Lord compulsory and ingenuous p. 47 48 Thanks What is a weakning of faith is a lessening of thanks p. 153 Temptations Two sorts of temptations against which assurance doth arme a beleever p. 272 Temporary vid. Faith Tendernesse Gods tendernesse most towards weak beleevers p. 146 Troubled A troubled soul looks mainly how to save it self p. 6 Reasons of it p. 7 They are not troubled for sinne who do not strive to be saved p. 8 Troubled soules must be directed to Christ p. 12 Reasons of it Ibid Truth Truth and fidelity as applyed to promises consists in three things p. 236 V Vertue Vertual A vertual interest in Christ every Beleever partakes of