conclude there is some strong current that men are carried away with some great intanglements that men are thus ensnared with though many are not aware of it yet there are mighty temptations to lead them into this mistake and we may reduce them to these Heads 1. The pride of mans heart fallen man is a proud creature tho he has so much to bring down his spirit yet he is extreamly addicted to magnifie himself Job 11.12 vain man would be wise though man be born like a wild Asses colt self-self-love which is the very root of original sin runs principally in this channel men are miserably devoted to this way of sinning though men have extreamly debased themselves and degraded themselves from that excellency which God bestowed on them yet they are exceeding prone to swell with pride pride is thought to be the first sin of the devil and we are sure there was a great deal of pride in the first sin of man that temptation of being like Gods knowing good and evil had a principal influence into the apostacy of our first Parents and this spirit runs through the life of man from his child-hood to old age therefore called the pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 how many methods have men found out to gratifie their pride what cost are men at what pains do they take what hazards do they run that they may satisfie this lust of pride men are proud of every thing all natural excellencies acquired endowments external enjoyments are fewel to pride men are proud of their duties and graces yea proud of their sins too proud of the mercies that God bestows on them and proud of the afflictions that they have or have had pride is deeply rooted in the heart of man and hence it is that he is so addicted to seek salvation by his own righteousness the spirit of a self-righteous man is to exalt himself setting up a mans own righteousness is directly contrary to the work of humiliation and the grace of humility a Pharisaical spirit is a proud spirit Luk. 18.14 pride is the reason of mens setting up their own righteousness and it has an influence these two wayes 1. Pride makes men desirous to live upon themselves and to be beholden to the grace of God no more than needs must proud man had rather be the author of his own happiness than to have it in a way of free gift most men had rather earn their living with their fingers end than live upon the charity of other men so in this case men had rather compound with God for heaven upon the account of their own services than be beholden to free grace it would please the haughty heart of man exceedingly to have the honour of saving himself that he might have that to boast of that he had heaven as the fruit of his own labours Boasting is excluded by the law of Faith Rom. 3.27 and therefore the heart don't like that way mens spirits will very hardly come down to take life as a gift from a provoked God men can hardly stoop to it to come to the door of mercy if they can make any other shift they will not do it it is exceeding cross to flesh and blood to have nothing of his own to glory in and to yield himself to be a poor vile and unworthy creature to be altogether helpless in himself man was once set out with a good stock and might have earned heaven and t is very hard to him to yield himself a prodigal he stomacks it to come for alms it would be hard to one especially that has been rich so to do this we may see in the Prodigal Luk. 15.14 15. he began to be in want and went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey nothing but extremity would bring down his spirit so as to make him return to his Father he had rather work hard than come a begging to his Father 2. Pride makes men conceited of their own Righteousness proud men are wont to have an high opinion of their own things they set an high rate on their own excellencies and so do men of their Righteousness pride makes men unreasonable in their esteem of it they magnifie it beyond all bounds pride hinders them from passing an unpartial judgment upon what they do and are they think their hearts are a great deal better than they be when Hazael was told what he should afterward do he answers the Prophet Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this thing 1 Kings 8.12 13. they imagine that their corruptions are mortifyed that they love God and Jesus Christ Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes yet not cleansed from their filthiness pride makes them take up a good opinion of their own hearts upon small appearances and when they have only a few pangs of affection presently they are conceited that they have sincere desires after holiness and faith or at least that there is such an inclinableness to the ways of God which will with diligence grow up to be love to God and his Wayes They think they shall bring their hearts to it after a while and are conceited that their services are very pleasing and acceptable to God they think there is worthiness in them that they deserve to be accepted they think they carry it better than others pride makes men to admire their own excellency to fall in love with their own beauty they extol the services that they do because they are their own Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess 2. Another temptation is that God in the Scripture does manifest and testifie his great approbation of holiness and obedience prayer and repentance God gives great encouragement unto men to walk in ways of holiness He bears witness often to his acceptance of the obedience of his people God is all along in the Scripture witnessing the regard that he has unto holiness sometimes he tells us that he does delight in it Psal 15.8 The prayer of the upright is his delight that he loves it Psal 11.7 the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness that he loveth the Righteous Psa 146 8. The Lord loveth the Righteous that he is reconciled to such as do amend their ways Isai 55.7 let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and God makes promises of all sorts of blessings unto holiness of outward blessings peace and plenty and honour and long life and of spiritual mercies of the manifestation of himself and communion with them and of eternal life you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6 22. men meeting with abundance of such passages in the Scripture are greatly strengthened in their apprehensions of the efficacy of their own righteousness to procure their justification such passages of Scripture are strained by them and they grow up thereby into a more established opinion of their safety upon
holiness the external acts of grace may be so imitated that no man can discern the difference though ordinarily the conversation of the saints be better than the conversation of other men yet others may attend the external part of godliness as much as any saint for 't is not grace that gives men power to do that which is externally good nature gives men the power to do the action and grace gives men power to do it in a right manner and for a right end and the corruption in natural men be strong to hinder them from the external acts of Religion yet that may be over-ruled natural men have a power to do the external duty and they may have a will too through some over-ruling consideration Paul tho a Pharisee may have a blameless conversation tho Vrith was not a faithful Priest yet he was a faithful Witness Isai 8.4 many a natural man is of chast conversation temperate in the use of meat and drink just in his dealings with men charitable to the poor strict in observing of the Sabbath he may be greatly instrumental in promoting the publick good abound in Fasting and Prayer fall in with the better party take much pains for the conversion of others yea the Apostle intimates that a man may give all his goods to feed the poor and his body to be burned and not have charity 1 Cor. 13.3 an opinion of merit is sufficient to make many men give all they have to the poor and men may suffer death in the cause of God that have no grace either from sturdiness of spirit some are men of high spirits and count it a disgrace to them to yield they scorn that others should get the day of them they will not disparage themselves nor humor their enemies so as to yield to them or from confidence of their salvation lotting upon it that if they dye in such a cause they shall surely go to heaven 2. They may attain unto great religious frames many carnal men have had very strong pangs of affection their hearts may overflow in a religious way many that have no principle of grace have had great impressions on their hearts from the Word of God the hearts of natural men have been considerably engaged in the wayes of God the Gallatians many of whom Paul was afraid of were formerly greatly affected with the Gospel Gal. 4.15 he that was not prepared to go thorow sufferings tells Christ in a pang he will follow him whither soever he goes Luk. 9.57 58. Saul has a great pang because God had wrought salvation in Israel 1 Sam 11.13 they sang Gods praise that soon forgat his works Ps 106.12 13. men may receive the word with joy yet not hold out in a day of persecution Mat. 13.21 men may bewail their miscarriages tho their hearts be not mended 1 Sam. 26.21 men may delight in Religion that are not sincere in it Job 27.9 10. men may abominate some sins though none be mortified 1 Chron. 21.6 the Kings word was abominable unto Joab men may be full of zeal that are strangers unto Christ Phil. 3.6 these pangs and religious frames are nothing else but the various workings of an enlightned conscience and self-love some men are enlightned to see their danger in a way of sin and the hopes of blessedness in a way of returning to God God puts a light into the mind whereby men come to see their present danger and hell and eternity and wrath seem real things unto them and after a while God gives many of them some special encouragements of the possibility of salvation natural men are sometimes under a common conviction of the glory of God a natural man is capable of some discoveries that way and these convictions work upon that natural principle of self-love and hence arise that fear joy hope thankfulness that many natural men do experience all those religious frames and dispositions that are in natural men are nothing else but the various shapings of self-love the same principle of self-love which made them before to follow the World and their pleasures does after conviction make them seek after holiness Christ and salvation 3. They may continue in the practice of Religion all their dayes tho many times they do not but fall away sometimes to Heresie sometimes to Prophaness and ordinarily if they live long they grow sapless and unsavoury so as to have little relish of Religion upon their hearts and generally those taâ—ls which they have had of the good Word of God are lost after a while so as to have no enlivening impression on the heart these affections which sometime were in them wither away yet without question many of them do continue in the practice of Religion as long as they live if they may continue in the practice of Religion one year why not seven why not twenty why not as long as they live love of credit a compliance with the custom of the place where they live the workings of natural conscience may have such an influence upon them as to make them continue in the practise of Religion Christ indeed sayes of some that they believe for a time and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 but his meaning is that it is commonly so but experience shews that a temporary Faith may live under persecution all false Faith indeed may be called temporary because it is subject to perish in time it is not built upon such a foundation as to make it stand against all temptations true Faith is built upon firm foundations the power mercy and faithfulness of God and the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and in these things there is a bottom for Faith in the dismallest times that may come here is that which will answer all temptations 2 Thess 2.16 but a false Faith is built upon failing foundations the goodness of his frames mistakes about the love of God and hence his faith may fail though I know no condition that a false heart can be brought into except one wherein he may not continue to believe he may continue to believe under great afflictions from the hand of God under great persecutions from men in a dying day indeed if God do discover to him what an heart he has and shew him the plague of that his false Faith will die away for the foundation of it sc an opinion of his own goodness is taken away but yet even then he may continue in the practice of Religion 3. Let us consider what are the temptations that make men seek salvation by their own righteousness and certainly they must be great temptations that have so strong an efficacy upon the hearts of men godly men have much to do to restrain and subdue this spirit in themselves and generally convinced sinners are mightily carried away with this Spirit though God do so plainly witness against it in his Word yet multitudes of men are seeking life in this way so that we may
friends incurred the anger of men been reproached born Persecution and upon this account they count their services excellent they think it is no small matter to do what they have done and are ready to please themselves that they have merited highly hereby Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess 4. The serviceableness of their carriages They by their carriages have done great service and upon that account they do extol and magnifie them they have by their charity relieved many a godly man and by their zeal counsel bounty learning the publick good has been promoted they have been a means to promote religion in the place where they lived They have put their shoulders to the cause of God when it needed a lift they have been peace-makers they have been ready to forward any good designs they have comforted on ourners they have stirred up others to godliness there has been much good promoted by them they have had an hand in many a good work and have been instruments to promote the glory of God in their place and upon this account they think they have deserved well such services are not to be forgotten Mat. 7.22 Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name And there are two things that do considerably strenghthen this temptation 1. That others have a good and it may be an high opinion of them they take notice of that that others esteem them they pass currently for Saints where they are known they have the good word of others godly men that have a spirit of discerning do take them for Saints they have entertained them into their societies take delight in their company entreat their prayers this greatly establishes them in that apprehension that they carry themselves excellently they think they are not alone in judging so of themselves but others wise and experienced men judg so too it would shake their confidence if others thought them hypocrites but they perceive that others have no suspicion of them 2. That their carriages are far better than the carriages of many others When they compare themselves with many others they are hugely taken with themselves many others are prophane and vicious but they are not they don't lead such lewd lives as others do yea they carry it better than many Professors they are more exemplary in their conversation not carried away so with the sins of the times more strict in sanctifying the Sabbath and the like they are more forward for publick good not so passionate nor so covetous nor so haughty nor so complying as many others are Luke 18.11 I am not as other men nor as this Publican 4. A fourth temptation that proves a snare to them is that God owns them in this way since they have reformed their course and taken up the practice of religion Gods dispensations to them are otherwise than formerly And this confirms their apprehensions that God is reconciled unto them that they are taken into his favour and so that their works are taking with God and prevail for their acceptance with him they think the providence of God does witness for them that their services are of great account And there are three things in providence that they build upon 1. That God prospers them and succeeds them in their occasions they thrive in the World more than they did formerly their estates are blessed they don't meet with such crosses in providence as formerly that promise seems to be made good unto them Psal 1.3 Whatsoever he doth shall prosper God in his providence smiles upon them their cattle increase their trading succeeds and they have credit and good acceptance among men they are improved in publick service and this they attribute to the delight that God takes in their conversation they look upon this as the fruit of their goodness 2. That God has given some remarkable answers to their Prayers and that not only when they have joyned with others in prayer but when they have prayed alone in some particular case of their own they have gone before God and poured out their hearts before him and he has done the thing for them and granted the desire of their hearts and tho there be no evidence of favour meerly in Gods doing that which men ask for God hears the Ravens that cry Psal 147.9 and sometimes he grants mens desires in judgment Psal 106.15 yet these men build much on this thing inasmuch as God has gratified them in a thing that lay much upon their heart and did it also in answer to their prayer 3. That God does sometimes draw nigh to them and quicken and encourage them when they have been serving him sometimes when they have been at prayer God has greatly enlarged their hearts so in hearing of the Word and other Ordinances their heart does many times melt God assists them and don 't leave them to a dry sapless spirit in the practise of Religion but he warms their hearts and kindles gracious affections in them while others are sleeping in the House of God their hearts are greatly affected with spiritual things and they look upon this as a sign that their wayes are pleasing unto God they count that now they have communion with God and now and then they have had some special incouraging words set home upon their hearts some promises have come to them that have much revived them and this they think evidences the favour of God and the excellency of their carriages 5. The fifth temptation is that they don't know any other way to get the favour of God but by their own righteousness it is a dreadful thing unto them to go without the favour of God they have had convictions of the dreadfulness of Hell and they tremble to think of being rejected they would not for a world be cast away it is an amazing thing to them to think of dwelling with devouring fire so that they are pressed in spirit if it be possible to secure their salvation and get as strong and sure a title to heaven as they can and they don't know any other way but this by their own righteousness there is another way proposed unto them they hear often of the way of salvation by Christ but it is a meer mystery unto them they do not conceive the safety that is in this way their reason does not reach it what ever is said unto them they look upon it unlikely they are not satisfied in the justice of it or that God can find in his heart to pardon them in this way they are full of reasonings against it tho God testifie plainly unto this way of salvation yet they dare not venture it this way is hidden from them 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost hence they dare not give over seeking by their own righteousness and let go their carnal confidencies 't is with them as with a man that is falling down some steep
be put into them so the heart of a sinner must be first prepared before it be united unto Christ Act 2.37 9.4 5 16.29 30 and hence the call of the Gospel is particularly directed to them that are prepared to such as are a thirst Isai 55.1 to such as are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 not but that it is other mens duty also to believe but because it is their next and immediate work to close with Christ whereas it is other mens next work to come off from the World and out of themselves in order to their closing with Christ There are two degrees of this preparation the first is a work of awakening whereby the sinner is convinced of a present necessity of peace and reconciliation with God whereby be is put upon a diligent use of all means in order to his salvation the other is Humiliation whereby the sinner is brought out of himself and off from all his carnal confidences to yield himself a Prisoner to God until the soul be thus humbled he is not capable of Faith men will not come to Christ till they are convinced of an absolute necessity of Christ men will never take salvation as a gift of free grace until they are convinced of the necessity of the free grace of God they that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick Mat. 11.12 and they that conceit themselves whole do conceit that they don't need the Physitian men that do not come off from all their own confidences will not put their confidence in Christ and therefore until men have this work of Humiliation God does not open their eyes to see the offer of the Gospel so that whatsoever Faith men have that have not had a work of Humiliation their Faith is not of the right kind for this is the manner of God whenever he has fully prepared a soul for Faith by a work of Humiliation then to infuse Faith and many times he does it presently when he has by the wonderful work of his spirit prepared a sinner for Christ he does bestow Christ upon him though I dare not say there is any direct promise made to Humiliation in the Scripture a man is not an heir of the promises till he does believe yet universal experience does confirm it it seems to be in this case as in the work of nature when the Child in the womb is prepared for a soul God does alwayes infuse a soul into it though there be no such promise so where the sinner is prepared for Faith God does infuse that In order to your making use of this Trial we shall consider what this work of Humiliation is and the manner how it is wrought Question What is the work of Humiliation Answer 1. Negatively in two particulars 1. It is not a broken bleeding spirit for sin many men take it to be so and when they understand that they must be humbled before their coming to Christ they strive after this broken frame of spirit and when they find but little of it they complain they are not humbled enough and give that as a â—â—ason why they do not come to Christ but what sinners find this way is more like humility than humiliation men think if they could get much of this Spirit they should be prepared for Christ indeed but this is quite another thing from that humiliation that does go before Faith. Argument 1. This appears because an unregenerate man can't trnly mourn for sin from what principle should he do it before he is born again he may be grieved for it under other considerations as it exposes him to a great deal of misery here and hereafter yea as it is in it self evil but not as the greatest evil as it is against God to suppose that a man can sincerely mourn for sin before his conversion it is to suppose him converted before his conversion it is in regeneration that all the graces of the Spirit are implanted in the heart it is then that the heart of stone is taken away Ezek. 11.9 while men remain in a state of nature as they do under this work of humiliation it is absolutely beyond them to hate sin or mourn for sin nature improved by common conviction will never produce this effect every naturul man is dead in sin Eph. 2.1 all his works in religion are dead works Heh 9.14 there is no inclination in his heart to mourn for sin men must have a work of new creation upon them before they can do this Eph. 2.10 created in Christ Jesus unto good works Argument 2. While natural men seem to have relentings and breakings of heart for sin it is impossible but they should put their confidence therein as long as he does imagine that there are any good affections in himself he will be lifted up with them these affections will keep him from being humbled men will feed upon these husks as long as they can get them there is no bringing of a natural man out of his strong hold until it be thrown to the ground a bleeding heart is meat for carnal confidence there is that spirit of pride and slavish fear in natural men that as long as they can imagine any good in themselves they will hang upon it Rev. 3 17. thou sayest thou art rich and increased in goods Argument 3. When a man is indeed under the work of humiliation he sees he cannot mourn for sin he sees his mourning frames are gone he finds his heart shut up and the pangs of affection which he sometime had gone beyond recovery in order to the work of Humiliation God makes men to see their hard hearts and hence they are wont to complain when God is about to humble them that God has left them and is giving them over to an hard heart But it is one thing to be judiciously hardned another to have their eyes opened to see the natural hardness of their heart then a man sees that his heart is an heart of stone Argument 4. Mourning for sin is a fruit of reconciliation it folows upon the revealing of the mercy of God in Christ all the sorrow and shame that went before were meerly legal but evangelical repentance follows Faith men never come to have any genuine mourning for sin before they are converted all that went before was in hypocrisie but a spirit of repentance flows from faith and is peculiar to such as are reconciled Ezek. 6. ult thou shalt loath thy self when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou bast done saith the Lord God. 2. Humiliation is not a willingness to be damned some have thought that to be necessary and that this was humiliation some have thought they have attained to this and 't is possible that under some strong pang persons may find somewhat of this nature but certainly they did not know their own hearts in it neither does God require any such thing of men in order to their coming to
degree we read sometime in Scripture of an Assurance 1 Thess 1.5 of a full Assurance Heb. 9.22 of all riches of the full assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 this assurance in the first closing with Christ what ever degree it is in does not remove the habit and principle of doubting though it does mortifie it in part that it never recovers its strength again yet there will be frequent returnings of this spirit of doubting it will attend a Saint less or more as long as he lives and many times in the first closing with Christ the assurance is not in such a degree but that there will be actual doubting the workings of a spirit of fear are not wholly removed some doubtings and misgivings of heart are consistent with assurance a man may see that it must needs be so that it can't be otherwise and yet immediately have recoylings of spirit but the assurance of the soul so far prevails over all his doubtings that he can venture himself in the arms of Jesus Christ 3. The soul is assured at this time by the Spirit of God that the Gospel is true and the messages of salvation certain The comforter shall convince of righteousness Joh. 16.10 the Spirit works a principle of faith and draws it into act sanctifies the reason and understanding and discovers the glorious excellency of God whereby the heart is assured indeed this assurance cannot arise from any other cause natural reason will not assure men of this for the reason of man is miserably corrupted and cannot see such spiritual things 1 Cor. 2.14 the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Indeed natural reason from Scripture principles may strongly argue the truth of this way of salvation against the Papist and other Hereticks but natural reason can't satisfie men about those scripture principles yea though natural reason be enlightned by a common work of the Spirit so as to be greatly affected with the Gospel for a time yet it cannot assure a man of the truth of it neither is it possible for Satan to work any such assurance in men men are sometimes afraid whether the discovery they have had were not the delusions of the Devil but though the Devil may comfort false hearts and fill them with joy yet he cannot assure men of the truth of the Gospel for he can only raise those principles that are in men and not put a new principle of faith in them whereby it is that the truth of the Gospel is discerned neither can the Devil give a discovery to the soul of the glorious nature of God or excellency of Christ so as that the heart should trust him love him c. Satan can make no such discoveries to a natural man as a natural mind is uncapable of receiving so that this assurance is the peculiar work of the Spirit From this particular we may conclude the Faith of two sorts of persons to be false on this account that they never have been assured of the truth of the Gospel 1. Such as are perswaded of the truth of the Gospel only from tradition the bottonie of many mens perswasions is the profession and judgment of such men among whom they live this is the doctrine that they have been bred up in the principle that their Parents have taught them they abhor to have any thoughts to the contrary because they have been Educated in this way upon the same ground that a Mahometan and Papist is tenacious of the religion of his Country and as the Heathen were wont to stick to the religion of their Forefathers Jer. 2.11 14. Mic. 5. upon this account many receive the Gospel and this may be a great advantage to men because they are brought under means and are kept from prejudices against the Gospel and so tradition cannot be true faith men cannot be assured of the Gospel upon this foundation this can only be the bottom of a strong opinion and conjecture not of Assurance 2. There is also another sort whose Faith does appear from hence to be unsound namely such who believed that God meant them in the calls of the Gospel because they found some good affections in themselves if their heart had been dead and unsavoury they could not have thought that God called them but the foundation of their believing that they were invited was they found some goodness in themselves but certainly this was built upon conjecture and an opinion of their own and therefore they could not be assured of it they had no assurance that they were called though they might have a strong confidence yet they could not be assured from thence that they were invited 2. In the first closure of the soul with Christ the Soul comes to him meerly upon the incouragement of the call of God in the Gospel God invites sinners in the Gospel to come to Christ and many ways urgeth them so to do and from thence the soul takes its encouragement There were many other things that encouraged them before to wait upon God for converting grace as the power of God Gods converting of others his strivings with him by his Spirit but the thing that is his encouragement to come to Christ is the call of the Gospel he sees his warrant in the call of the Gospel the call of the Gospel is the foundation of his faith that is the reason of his faith that God calls him in his Word The call of God does contain in it sufficient encouragement to believe for therein God shews his readiness to save sinners therein he shews that there is a way of salvation prepared for them therein he binds his faithfulness to them and lays bonds upon himself to save them if they come to Christ and this is the encouragement to them to believe Acts 13 48. they glorified the Word of the Lord and as many for it may be read such as were ordained to eternal life believed For the right understanding of this Consider 1. 1. It is indifferent with this first closing with Christ whether the soul takes notice of the call to believe as Gods call or Christs call some souls in their first closing take notice that Christ calls them others that God calls them and it is no material thing which of these ways it be if either the soul hear God or hear Christ calling him the answer to that call is true faith for there is sufficient warrant for us to come either from the voice of God or the voice of Christ this is an abundant demonstration of it that the call of the Gospel is sometimes propounded to us in Scripture as the call of God Jer. 3.22 Gal. 3.15 2 Tim. 1.9 and sometimes it is propounded unto us as the call of Christ Rev 3.18.20 there is this difference between them that Christ calls us by an authority derived from God God does derive his
sign of an hypocrite to trust in his own duties and they set themselves to trust in Christ and think they do somewhat at it but their way of living is upon themselves and they are very great strangers to Christ this is not the guise of the people of God gal 2.20 the life thut I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. 3. Such persons as cannot venture upon Christ when they are in the dark about their estate when they think that they see signs that they are converted then they can believe they are very forward but when in the dark no Gospel encouragements will prevail upon them a saint may find it very difficult at such a time but a false heart stayes till he can discern some more hopes of his good condition before he can believe such a man does not live a life of Faith. Before I pass this way of trial I shall answer some Doubts about it that sometimes trouble the People of God. Doubt 1. I fear I do not live a life of Faith because I find abundance of unbelief I am exceeding distrustful see little as I ought to see of the excellency of Christ of the stability of the Covenant or of the freeness of Gods grace Answer It may be so and yet your Faith may be right there is a backwardness in Saints to believe Luk. 24.25 26. O fools and stow of heart to believe Saints have but a little Faith they that have most have but a little Rev 3.8 this is the general complaint of the people of God and generally it is from Faith that they are burdened with unbelief a spirit of Faith makes men qualified to discern their unbelief and makes men see an hainous evil in it Doubt 2. I fear I dont live a life of Faith because I am very ready to give way to a spirit of carnal confidence I am sure tâ—eâ—e is a great deal of false Faith in me if there be any stirrings of affection I am ready to idolize them and stay upon them Answer You may possibly think there is more carnal confidence working in you than there is hope of your good condition should be strengthened by the sanctifying fruits of the Spirit they are good signs but I grant you are not to be carnally confident though your Faith be of the right kind and you live a life of Faith yet you will be troubled with a spirit of carnal confidence as long as you live Mat. 13.27 Prov. 30.6 where the Apostle sayes we have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 his meaning is not that carnal confidence is wholly mortified but their Doctrine was that no confidence was to be in the flesh and they allowed none Doubt 3. I fear I dont live a life of Faith because my Faith brings me in so little supplies of Grace and Comfort God dont seem to own it Answer You gain confiderably by your Faith if you gain this to be kept following of God 1 Pet. 1.5 you must not be discouraged because God does not give you such signs as you desire Joh. 20 29. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed the measures of comfort that God gives to his People are very various and sometimes God puts his people upon it against hope to believe in hope and that is a sign of a good Faith when a man sees but little coming and yet will believe still Rom. 4.18 Abraham against hope believed in hope Doubt 4. I am afraid because I am so bold to trust in God from time to time though I have so much sin I am afraid it is a life of Presumption not Faith Answer There is indeed a boldness to trust in God from conceits of mens worth that is not right but there is a two fold boldness that God will never blame men for one is the bearing up of their heart with the hopes of Gods favour upon good experience of it notwithstanding sin only you must beware you do not make light of sin because God has given you such hopes the other is a depending on Jesus Christ for the pardon of sin and accepting Gods offer notwithstand your sins yea though you have not such brokenness of heart as does become you Heb. 4.16 Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace 4. Try the truth of your Faith by that holiness that does accompany and flow from Faith in Jesus Christ they that are true believers do lead an holy life Holiness does accompany Faith and therefore believers are commonly in Scripture stiled Saints 2 Cor. 1.1 there is a concatenation of Graces where there is one grace there is all as it is in a natural man all the natural faculties of the soul do accompany each other they live and dye together so it is with the several graces that are in Saints the same principle of Grace does inable the Soul to all sorts of holy actions Grace in the heart is but one principle though in respect of its various actings and objects it does receive various denominations and wherever Faith is it is accompanied with universal holiness and therefore holiness is given as a Sign and Character of Believers Gal. 5.24 they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts the actings of Faith go hand in hand with the excercise of other graces Faith is alwayes attended with universal holiness hence there are so many promises of Salvation made unto those that are holy though it be Faith only that gives men a title to heaven yet there are promises made unto holiness because that is a property of believers and hence also there are so many threatnings unto those that live unholily Heb. 12.14 without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And indeed holiness does not only accompany Faith but the exercise of it does flow from Faith Faith has a great influence into an holy life the actings of Faith upon the whole Word of God does greatly quicken a spirit of obedience it is a spirit of Faith that makes all the Arguments which the Scripture is full of to become powerful upon the heart whatever God proposes to us in his Word to make us obedient it will not have that effect upon our heart if it be not entertained by Faith men believe commands incouragements threatnings and so they become efficacious upon the heart the whole Word of God works on men as it is entertained by Faith all graces are quickened and drawn into exercise in this way men believe and hope they believe and love they believe and repent the Will and Affections never act in a gracious way but when the understanding does discover ground so to do by Faith we understand spiritual things and so our hearts are carried after them what ever grace is acted Faith is acted together with it and therefore in the 11th to the Hebrews whatever the Patriarcks did and suffered for God is ascribed to Faith. But as other
yielded any real obedience unto God therefore this threatning cannot be understood of the certain ruine of all that have hardned their necks after many reproofs if you he of this number there is free liberty and good encouragement for you to come to Christ notwithstanding Objection 5. But I am afraid that God has given me up to judicial hardness of heart that he has taken his spirit away from me and if so he does not intend me in the call of the gospel Answer 1. There is an hardness of heart that is not judicial indeed every man by nature is under the power of an hard heart there may be abundance of hard heartedness in you though no judicial hardness there may be some legal softness and tenderness and relenting where there is judicial hardness as it was with Pharaoh so there may be hardness where there is no judicial hardness this is an evidence of it because God promises them to take away the hardness of their hearts Ezek. 11.19 I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh 2. Many others have feared that they have been judicially hardened that have afterwards been converted they that are judicially hardened do not use to be perplexed with this fear the judgment it self is wont to deliver them from fears of this kind but it is a frequent thing for souls under trouble to be afraid of this others have seen afterwards that they have been mistaken and so may you 3. The reasons why persons under the work of conversion fear that they are given up to hardness and that the Spirit of God has forsaken them is because the spirit does after a while change its way of working when the Spirit begins to work upon them his manner is to discover their danger and after a while to give them some encouragement whereby they come to have strong affections sorrow desire delight and now they are easily perswaded that the Spirit is at work with them and dont look upon themselves hardened but after a while when these affection fail them and they find themselves dull and senseless now they are afraid that the Spirit has left them whereas the reason is the spirit has changed his work and is about to shew them what hearts they have in order to the work of Humiliation if men could maintain their lively affections they would never come to Christ therefore the Spirit of God does leave them unto and lead them into an experimental knowledg of the hardness of their hearts so that this is no sign of the Spirits leaving you but an effect of the presence of the Spirit his manner is to convince men that they are poor and wretched and blind and miserable Rev. 3.17 4. The conditional offer of the gospel is made to you how hard soever your heart is you are called and if you will accept you shall be saved God rejects none that come to him by Christ do you accept the gospel and God will never object your hard-heartedness against you he never turned any away because their hearts were hard come to him and he will give you pardon and a soft heart too Objection 6. I am afraid I have committed that sin for which there is no Sacrifice it is said if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin Heb. 10.26 and I am afraid it is so with me for I have had great enlightnings and since I have been enlightned I have been guilty of a great deal of rebellion against God and have felt the workings of enmity to God in my heart and if so it is a vain thing for me to come to Christ he was not sacrificed for such Answer For the answering of this Doubt I shall open this Scripture to you and shew you what is meant by sinning and by wilful sinning 1. By sinning here is not meant any sort of sin but some special sin particularly the sin of Apostacy and renouncing of the gospel this is evident because this sin is that which he speaks of in the verse immediately preceding there he speaks of mens casting off their Christian society and therewith the profession of the truth which is the thing he disswades from in this verse and he evidently speaks of Apostacy when he comes to explain his meaning more sully ver 29. he calls this sin a treading under foot the Son of God c besides the same Apostle speaking of the same sin Heb 6.6 calls it a falling a way 2. By sinning or apostatizing wilfully we are to understand a malicious apostacy the word indeed does signifie willingly but it also signifies spitefully or maliciously or as in our version wilfully there are three ways that men may apostatize from the profession of the Gospel they may do it ignorantly when men are blinded by the arguments of Hereticks they may do it against their light through a spirit of fear as some good men have done and many others that have not sinned unpardonably in time of Persecution many have through weakness denied the Gospel they may do it spitefully and maliciously that is here intended for they are said ver 29. to do despite to the Spirit of grace by this you may fee that though there have been many backslidings after your illumination though you have had a stubborn and rebellious heart yet you may be free from the sin here intended and have opportunity to come with acceptance unto Christ Objection 7. I have not the qualifications that are mentioned sometimes in the invitation of the Gospel as Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Mat. 11.28 come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest therefore I fear I am not invited Answer 1. Some persons have these qualifications that fear they have not some men think they are not a thirst because they don't find longing desire after Christ their hearts are dead and senseless they don't find any love unto Christ but souls may be said to be a thirst when they are in want of refreshing when their souls are parched under the sense of Gods anger their hearts are ready to fail for want of comfort so they think they are not heavy laden because sin is not such a burden to them as it should be because they have not an heart to mourn for sin but there is no man can mourn for sin aright until he has closed with Christ but you are heavy laden if the anger of God and your danger do load you and you can't find any means in your selves to ease you of your burden Act. 16.30 What must I do to be save 2. The invitation is not confined to men that have these qualifications but only particularly applied unto them such are under special temptation and have special need of support it is one thing to apply the call to one particular
discovery of reason the light of nature does not teach us that there is any way of reconciliation much less does it teach us what it is the light of nature may discover to us that many pretended wayes of acceptance are delusions for it is contrary unto reason to imagine that God will take up with such things but to determine what is the way is clearly beyond the most raised understanding of man without divine revelation upon a supposition that there was a possibility of any other way of acceptance for sinners besides this by Jesus Christ and I know no ground from Scripture to say that God was confined to this way that he was necessitated if he would save sinful man to take this course in order to his Salvation it will unavoidably follow that the light of nature will leave man short of this knowledg how can the light of nature reach the free determination of the Will of God but besides this the knowledg of the way of our acceptance with God through Christ does necessarily suppose the knowledg of those two great mysteries that of the holy Trinity and that of the Incarnation of the Son God which do utterly surpass all the dictates of the light of nature Flesh and blood reveals not those things but the Father that is in Heaven Mat. 16.17 hence the Gentiles were utterly mistaken as to this way of reconciliation and as Paul speaks became vain in their imaginations But besides these there are many others who have been advantaged with the light of the Gospel that have been unsatisfied in that account which the Scriptures have given concerning the way of our acceptance and have pleaded for such methods of Salvation as the Word of God is utterly a stranger to withal wresting many passages of Scripture to vindicate their own delusions thus as the Jews of old so especially the Papists Socinians now go about to establish a righteousness which the Gospel does not acknowledg and fix upon a way of acceptance with God that has no better foundation than their own sophistical reasonings this is not to be attributed to any obscurity in the Scripture in the matter of our Justification but greatly to the pride that men have in their own understandings carnal reason suggests that otherwayes are more probable than that which is commended to us by God carnal reason is full of objections against the Doctrine of our acceptance by Christs righteousness and men know not how to deny their own reason they dent carry a sence upon their hearts of the imperfections and deceits of their own reason they know not what dim sighted things they are carnal reason is a thing much idolized many men have not learned that lesson to be satisfied in the testimony of God but make their understanding the rule and measure of Principles in Religion lay so much weight upon their own reason that they judg things must be so as their reason represents them loth to entertain any thing in matters of Faith that they do not see with their own eyes partly to the enmity of the hearts of men unto this way of acceptance by Christ this way of Salvation is very suitable to our necessities but no wayes suitable to our natural disposition mans heart would sooner fall in with such a way of Salvation wherein he might have somewhat of his own to glory in this way tends much to the exalting of God and abasing and emptying of man the spirit of man is to set up his own righteousness and not be beholden unto the righteousness of another which makes men unwilling to believe this Doctrine of our acceptance by Christ and this opposition of the heart hereto prepares men to receive the contrary Doctrine Arguments that have little strength in them will take great impression upon men of corrupt minds where there is strength of affections plausible pretences will gain consent slender proofs will serve the turn where mens spirits are strongly byassed But it were well if none else did reject this Doctrine but only those that do professedly plead against it there be multitudes that do joyn in making this confession that are far from entertaining it how high so ever mens professions be there are no more that do thorowly believe this than are regenerated and effectually called there is a kind of perswasion of it which carnal men may have which perswasion the Scriptures sometime calls Faith but it is such a perswasion as leaves men really ignorant of this Truth some men have a perswasion of it wrought by tradition because it is handed down to them from former Generations and generally received in the places where they live or by those that they have particular esteem for upon the same account that a Turk gives credit unto the principles of his Religion Jer. 2.11 the Doctrine is received upon the authority and testimony of man which leaves the Soul under such uncertainty as quite obstructs the spiritual efficacy of the truth upon their hearts There is a perswasion that arises from rational convictions their reason tells them that other wayes of acceptance are frivolous that of all wayes that are pretended this must needs be the true way and they can strongly argue that there is acceptance to be obtained in this way from the accomplishment of the covenant of works by Christ from the design of God to magnifie his Grace c. but this perswasion is not sufficient to encourage a foul to venture himself on Jesus Christ There fs also a perswasion that ariseth from common illumination besides that light which is let into the hearts of men in their conversion there is a more than ordinary illumination bestowed upon some sinners the spirit of God gives an affecting sight of the way of Salvatipn enlightning natural Conscience with a great discovery of the way of life by Jesus Christ this is called a tasting of the good Word of God Heb 6.5 the fruit whereof is a rejoycing in the Gospel Mat. 13.20 this illumination is only by an extraordinary assistance of mens natural reason not by giving an eye of Faith unto them neither is this light sufficient to satisfie all the objections which may afterwards arise in the heart hence such men if afterwards they have a thorow sight of their hearts dare not venture their souls on Christ till God by a further work of the Spirit has convinced them of the certainty of the Gospel but there is no man how great soever his profession how large soever his knowledg is that continues in a natural condition does thorowly be-believe this truth This I shall clear up by two Considerations 1. Because all those that do thorowly believe this will immediately venture themselves upon Christ as there is no perswading of men before to come to Christ so there can be no keeping of them from Christ after they are convinced of this the assurance of the truth of the Gospel is ever accompanied with a powerful operation
of it upon the heart â— Thess 1.5 God teacheth men the truth of the Gospel and thereby prevails with them to come to Christ in that way it is the Father puts forth his drawing power Joh. 6.44 45. the Gospel alwayes works effectually where it is believed and received as the truth of God 1 Thess 2.13 God carries on all his works upon the hearts of his Elect in a way of conviction the devils way of working is by blinding of man by prejudice and false reasons but Gods way of working is by teaching of men thus God carries on preparatory work and thus he carries on saving work God deals with men as with rational creatures and prevails upon their hearts in a way suitable to those natures though he put forth acts of power yet not of violence on the Will but he gains the consent of that by the discovering of those reasons that are of sufficient weight to sway it indeed the understanding and will in man being faculties of the same soul and really one and the same thing the same act of God upon the Soul that puts light into the understanding does also suitably incline the will God works all holy inclinations in the will by convincing us and making us believe those truths that are the grounds of them we believe and love believe and repent believe and fear believe and submit believe and so venture on Christ God convinces us of the truth of the Gospel and that there is sufficient righteousness for us in Christ and so we come to him John 16.10 and therefore all those that are assured of the truth of the Gospel do close with Christ and are regenerated and this leads us to the interpretation of several passages of Scripture where such Men as assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel are said to be in a good condition Rom. 10.9 If shou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved 1 Joh. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he is in God 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Joh. 5.4 Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God These passages are not to be understood of that Faith which is common to Professors that Faith that may be separated from holiness which James calls a dead Faith Jam 2. ult but of that assurance that is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost A second thing that clears it is that when natural men fall under the awakening work of the Spirit they immediately call the Gospel in particular this truth of the safety of our appearing in Christs Righteousness into question though they might seem before to themselves and others well satisfied yet when ever they come to lie under the sense of Gods anger and Conscience is writing bitter things against them they are full of scruples and objections against the Gospel t is a long time usually before such persons can give entertainment to this Truth and when it is done it is wrought in them by the mighty power of God all that Ministers can urge upon them will not take place the choicest Evidences will not sink into them till God opens their hearts as he opened the heart of Lydia sometimes the hearts of such men will be objecting against this way in general as if there were not salvation for sinners in this way they scruple how the righteousness of one will avail for the Salvation of another c. but principally their scruples are respecting themselves in particular they are not satisfied that God calls them that there is enough in Jesus Christ for the washing away of their sins that God would take it well for them to venture themselves on Christ they think they must be better first and more broken for their sins this is directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel for the Gospel does not only teach in general that there is salvation in Christ for sinners but that it is safe for any that will be they never so blind hard-hearted impenitent and rebellious and guilty to venture themselves on the righteousness of Christ men do not only oppose the Gospel when they question whether Believers shall be saved but when they question whether there be sufficient encouragement for them to come to Christ There are two sorts of natural men that are pretenders not only to the belief of the truth of the Gospel but also to trusting in Jesus Christ which upon examination will be found to deceive themselves one sort are many unawakened sinners some of whom are not so much as civilized nor of moral conversation yet they profess to place their trust in Jesus Christ such as those the Apostle Iames expostulates with Iam. 2 14. ad finem but what ever such men say concerning their putting their trust in Christ the real foundation of this hope is an ignorance that they have offended God they may please themselves sometimes with the general notion that Christ has wrought out redemption for sinners and make a little use of Christ dying for sinners to quiet their hearts but the bottom of their confidence lies in this that they are strangers to the provoked justice of God they dont think that God is angry for their sins they live a life of carnal security Psal 50.21.55 11.9 the other sort are self-righteous sinners who say they put their confidence in Christ but their great encouragement is that they have attained somewhat that does draw the heart of God unto them there are many self-righteous men that do not profess any trust in their own righteousness they have been so trained up in the contrary Doctrine that they could not quiet their own hearts if they knew that they did it but yet under a notion of resting upon Christ they rest upon themselves their religious qualifications are their main stay they are far from putting themselves upon a strict Trial by the Law but they imagine some excellence in themselves and that is their encouragement to go to Christ the Jews made account their works would do much towards their Salvation the grace of God making up the defects thereof Rom 9.32 so do those trust partly to their works partly to Christ making a mixture of the Law and Gospel and both these sorts of men notwithstanding their pretences are strangers to the safety of appearing in Christs righteousness And as natural men do not truly believe this Doctrine so Saints themselves have but little belief of it the people of God may justly fall under that reproof Luk. 24.25 Fools and slow of heart to believe there are times when God is pleased abundantly to assure the Souls of his people of this truth 1 Thess 1.5 the fruit whereof is a sweet and quiet resting upon Jesus Christ but the natural unbelief of
the heart is darkening that light which God has put in and though it cant utterly extinguish it yet it raises many mists that do obscure it Paul himself that seems to be second to none in the knowledg of Christ intimates that he was sensible of a great want here in that expression that he may know him the power of his resurrection Phil. 3.10 There are these frames of heart that the people of God are subject unto that do plainly demonstrate that there is but little Faith concerning this Doctrine the first is a slighty frame concerning it as if it were not a matter of much moment whether it were true or no sometimes when Saints are meditating of it or hearing of it and the invitations of grace there is a senseless and regardless frame as if it were not worthy observation Discourses of that kind are not relished but become light food whereas if it were received by a lively Faith it would be affecting being a thing of greatest concernment the Doctrine of the Gospel when entertained by Faith is as a cordial to the Soul it is meat and drink to it Cant. 2.3 I sat under his shadow with great delight this Doctrine is full of sweetness and comfort 1 Pet. 1.9 16. Acts 1.34 the more assurance men have of the truth of it the more comforting power it has on the heart The second is a self righteous frame for as this spirit reigns in many natural men so it prevails much in Saints there is a great aptitude to be comforting of themselves in the hopes of acceptance with God from their own graces and duties not only as an evidence but as that which does ingratiate them with God hence they are more ready to trust in God when under the sence of gracious frames and their holy carriages then at other times whereas were they under the lively apprehensions of the certainty of this way of Salvation by Christs righteousness they would see there were no need of these things to commend them to God and were there not secret jealousies about the sufficiency of Christs righteousness for them they would not be so ready to catch at any appearance of somewhat in themselves to commend them to God such carriages are to be layed to the charge of an unbelieving heart The third is a discouraged frame Christians are many times much over-born with this frame their spirits are sunk within them lest they be not upright for fear they never had a thorow work of regeneration there are many more immediate occasions of this sometimes because they have not a distinct knowledg of the several steps of the spirit of God under the work sometimes because they see so little sanctification sometimes because they imagine that God does not deal with them as with such as are truly converted he dont answer their prayers comfort their Souls meet them in Ordinances as he does others but the very foundation and root of their discouragement is their doubtings of the truth of the Gospel for we may observe that men under discouragement are still harping upon the greatness of their provocations and their unworthy carriages they run in a legal strain they are still insisting on the multitude and aggravations of their sins had men but a spirit of Faith prevailing in them these would be humbling things but not discouraging men would not so harp on this thing but would see enough in Christ to quiet their hearts Psal 71.16 45 Isai 24. and accordingly it is observable that when a Saint is under greatest discouragements if God does but open his eyes to see indeed this way of Salvation by Christ he will no longer stand insisting upon his fears but with comfort and joy roll himself on Christ the inward discoveries of the Gospel make his temptations vanish yea he does not only rejoyce in Christ but can sometimes discern that sincerity which he was so doubtful of before indeed the doubting of the Gospel does not only make the hearts of men fail when they are fearful of their sincerity but it has often also a considerable influence into those doubtings about sincerity and hinder men from seeing those evidences that are discernable of their uprightness by all which it does appear that it is a matter of solemn care that sinners be convinced and assured of the truth of this Doctrine that it is safe appearing in the righteousness of Christ and that Saints also be further convinced that they may grow up to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God even of the Father and of Christ as the Apostle speaks Col. 2.2 which is the design of this present Treatise CHAP. II. TWo Things Promised 1. THe possibility of Salvation of Sinners it is not beyond Gods Mercy nor contrary to his Justice 2. What is intended by the Righteousness of Christ To make the way to the Subject proposed more plain I shall premise two things First That there is a possibility of the Salvation of Sinners for a sinner when his Conscience is awakened lies open to that temptation among others that it is impossible for such an one as he to be saved and these fears arise upon a double account the first is he fears it is beyond the mercy of God to pardon him his sins are so great that they have turned away the heart of God from him that God cannot find in his heart to pity and pardon such a sinner as he is man is very prone to limit the mercy of God and entertain low and dishonourable thoughts of his grace especially when under a sense of his anger but such an imagination as this is altogether groundless what his merciful purposes are towards this or that particular man is beyond us to determine till he makes it known but no man has cause to question the sufficiency of Gods mercy in order to his pardon and salvation there is an infinite Ocean of mercy in his heart sufficient for all sinners To clear up this I shall shew first wherein the merciful nature of God does consist and then shew you the greatness of it For the first The merciful nature of God is a divine perfection whereby he can find in his heart to shew mercy if he pleases a merciful nature in man is a bent and inclination of heart unto the exercises of mercy the heart of man is biassed set and bent that way but we must not conceive this of God the merciful purposes of God were the free actings of his own will God was an absolute free Agent either to bestow mercy or deny it as he pleased if he had naturally an inclination to shew mercy he could not have forborn to shew mercy without going contrary to the inclination of his own heart the exercise of mercy does not flow necessarily from the merciful nature of God but he exercises grace freely from His Sovereign Wiâ—l and Pleasure there is nothing in Gods
nature that does compel him to shew mercy to any man God had been infinite in mercy if it had pleased him never to exercise any there are voluntary inclinations in God to exercise mercy but no natural inclinations but his merciful nature is that whereby he can find in his heart to exercise mercy God is not of such a nature as to be uncapable of pitying and being kind there is no opposition in the nature of God unto acts of mercy his nature is such as that he can be willing to shew kindness and do good the merciful nature of God is a power to be willing to deal graciously with with his creatures God is of such a nature as that he can be willing to do good to those that are unworthy willing to pardon those that are guilty c. and this is called his merciful nature the words of Moses serve to clear up this Numb 14.17 18 19. Let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is long suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity transgression and sin pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy And the greatness of Gods mercy or merciful nature consists in this that he can find in his heart to do any thing that is an act of mercy his merciful nature reacheth to every thing that is an object of mercy there is nothing which it would be an act of grace or mercy to do be it never such wonderful grace but God can find in his heart to do it 't is true he can't pardon sin in a way contrary unto Justice for that would not be an act of grace but of injustice nothing that is an act of grace does exceed the grace of God and herein lies the greatness of his mercy the greatness of Gods power lies in this that he can do whatever is possible whatever is an act of power so the greatness of his Wisdom lies in this that it extends it self to every thing that is known the greatness of his Justice lies in this that he can find in his heart to do every thing that is an act of Justice so the greatness of his grace consists in this that there is no gracious act but it falls within the reach of his gracious nature and herein the grace of God doth exceed the grace of any man or angel is it an act of grace to send a Mediator for lost Sinners to bring worthless man to eternal glory to pardon multitudes of sins sins against light love covenant to convert all a mans children these and whatever else of the like nature may be thought on fall within the reach of divine mercy yea the reason why he does not pardon the sin against the Holy Ghost the sins of devils and reprobates is not for want of mercy but because of the soveraign determinations of his own will Rom. 9.15 That God is thus great in mercy may be made manifest from those two considerations First That there is no corruption in God to make him uncapable of performing any act of grace men can't find in their hearts sometimes to do acts of mercy because their lusts are too strong for them it will not suffer them their corruptions bear such sway that they cannot be willing sometimes mens covetousness is such that they cannot shew acts of mercy so it was with Nabal 1 Sam. 25. sometimes pride and passion so prevail that they cannot forget an injury they have a spirit of reverge and cannot satisfie their hearts without avenging themselves but God is altogether free from corruption there is no evil disposition in him to hinder him from doing good Mat. 7.11 he has no evil properties to be an impediment unto him men are ill conditioned which makes them unwilling to do good but God is of unsported purity and holiness Isai 6.3 God is not subject to any wrongful passions the Scripture does often attribute anger unto him but that must be understood so as is agreeable unto the nature of God whatever injuries God receives he never is transported with passion he can overlook millions of offences his grace is such as can prevail over all our guilt hence his grace is said to reign it overcome all those objections that are in the way of the exercise of it Rom 5.21 there is nothing of any unruly passions in God 1 Joh. 4.8 God is not subject unto envy he can find in his heart to advance his creatures unto eternal felicility he does not soorn or disdain that dust and ashes should have fellowship with him God is not of such a spirit that he can't bear that man should be happy but he can delight to make him so Mic. 7.18 By this we have gained one step namely that the grace of God does exceed the grace that is in sinful man which may be of advantage to us for there is that vanity in the heart that we are prone to measure the mercy of God by our own and to allow him no more grace than we find in our selves and others like our selves which God witnesses against when he tells us That his thoughts are not as our thoughts Isai 55.8 but there is a further consideration that will make it appear that the Grace of God does exceed the grace of the most glorious angel in heaven which is the unlimited perfection of Gods nature the Angels have a stinted measure of perfection the excelling of their nature is not sufficient in order to some acts of grace as in other respects they are not sufficient so they have not grace enough to pardon such wrongs as God pardons to be at such cost for mans salvation as God has been at 't is true that they do approve of and rejoice in all those acts of Grace that God does but such actions do exceed the grace that is in their hearts they have such imperfection of grace and mercy that they can't perform those acts of mercy that God does therefore where God would shew his sufficiency to pardon the iniquities of his people he tells them that he is God Hos 11.6 this infiniteness of Gods grace is the foundation of our faith for such things as we are utterly unworthy of Psal 36.7 how excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord therefore the Sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings There is an infinite Ocean of grace in the heart of God whereby he can bestow the greatest gifts upon his creatures that their natures are capable of this is plain from that absolute liberty which the Scripture does ascribe unto God in all his actions he does all things after the counsel of his own Will Eph. 1.11 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Rom 9.15 which shews there is no limitedness in his perfection to be any restraint unto him or a reason why he does not pardon and save these and those his glorious excellency is
set in the second place of dignity the throne being the highest the Lord Jesus is advanced unto greater glory in heaven as he is man then any angel in heaven in special besides other particulars in having the administration and government of all things in his hands This Exaltation of Christ is a clear evidence of Gods accepting that sacrifice that he offered up for us 〈◊〉 and being fully satisfied for our sins by the sufferings of Jesus Christ And there are three things therein that serve to convince us hereof 1. By Christs Exaltation he is delivered from that suffering estate which our sins brought him into he is hereby set free from that state of humiliation which he was in for our sins vengeance had taken hold of Christ as our surety the justice of God seized him he was apprehended as one liable to the Law and God took vengeance on him and soured out wrath on him but now by his Exaltation he is set at liberty justice has dismissed him God has done exacting any more punishment on him which is a clear evidence that he is wholly discharged of that guilt that was upon him Christ subjected himself to the wrath of God and God punished him as much as he pleased Christ bore the curse till God laid it was enough In his resurrection God opened the prison door and let him out God sent an Officer to deliver him from his grave Mat. 28. 2. The angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door Gods delivering of Christ evidenceth the satisfaction that he has received by his sufferings if Christ were not risen it would be an argument that sins were not satisfied for 1 Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not risen your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins but his resurrection shews that Gods demands are answered and therefore when Christ was raised from the dead he is said to be justified God gave him a legal acquittance and discharge from that guilt which he had taken upon him 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit the Apostle Peter expresses it thus he was quickned in the spirit 1 Pet 3.18 so that when he was quickned he was justified Christ could never have been delivered out of the hands of Justice if he had not paid the uttermost farthing Hence we are said to have a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 God has begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead this consideration is a means by Gods blessing to beget a lively hope in us the ground of our hope is the resurrection of Christ it might better be rendred a living hope the same word is rendred living 1 Pet. 2.4 this is such an hope as will abide and continue the hope that is built upon the foundation will never fail other hopes may dye away but this is a living hope a parallel Scripture to this is 1 Pet. 3.18 we have the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ a well-informed conscience is satisfied with this when a mans conscience accuses him of sins they are manifest and he can't deny them heinous and he can't excuse them yet this silences those accusations that Christ is risen Conscience sees in the resurrection of Christ the satisfactoriness of his sufferings and has peace on that account that the debt is paid and upon the same account it is that Paul attributes power to the refurrection of Christ Phil. 3.10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection when God sets this consideration home upon the heart it has a mighty comforting power this will raise up a drooping spirit when a man is distressed indeed with the guilt of sia the world has no power to comfort him his priviledge cannot his duties cannot but this thing set home has power to ease his heart resiesh his soul silence his conscience the sence of this brings great comfort to a christian and the Apostle mentions this consideration as the security of christians against condemnation and as that which adds further encouragement to that which rises from his death Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth it is Christ thao dyed yea rather is risen again 2. By Christs Exaltation he is rewarded for his sufferings God presently upon his sufferings took him up into heaven and bountifully rewarded him for his undertaking some seem loth to grant that Christ did merit for himself but there is no danger in affirming that according to compact God did gloriously recompence Christ for his Obedience and sufferings for us the primary design of Christs undertaking was to merit for us but it was every way suitable that this service of his should be rewarded 2 Phil. 8.9 he humbled himself and became obedient to death the death of the cross wherefore also God hath highly exalted him God took wonderful contentment in it that Christ would lay down his life for us that is the intendment of that expression therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life John 10.17 God did highly approve of it and took a complacency in it and in Christ by reason of it and manifested his approbation by rewarding it Christ has a glorious reward in heaven and this is an evidence that he has gone thorow his undertaking that he has not failed in the work that God committed to him If Christ had failed of righteousness not only we but he also would have failed of glory Christs own had a dependance upon his working out of perfect righteousness as well as ours his happiness and ours were imbarked together if he had not run the race he had not been crowned if he had not been a conquerer he had not received the prize if he had sunk under the work and not compleated our redemption God would not have bestowed this reward upon him but since he has received a glorious reward we may conclude he has done his work and performed the Office of a surety this argument the spirit of God makes use of John 16.8 9 10. the comforter will convince of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more the way whereby Christ came to sit down on the right-hand of the majesty on high was the purging of our sins with his blood Heb. 1.3 the thing whereby Christ came to be admitted into the holy place Was the obtaining of eternal redemption for us Heb. 9.12 The way that he came to partake of that priviledge of sitting down with his Father on his throne was the overcoming the difficulties of the work which he undertook Rev. 3.20 3. By his Exaltation he has the administration of things put into his hands that he may bestow upon sinners that salvation in order to which he suffered that he may put him into the possession of that glory which was the end of his undertaking it is
our selves with an idle dream which would deceive us â—â—men are blamed in the Word of God for such confidences Isa 29.18 it is not lawful or warrantable for us to believe in that which we have not sufficient encouragement to believe in but we have not sufficient encouragement to believe in the righteousness of Christ if it be not safe to appear before God in it what can encourage us to depend upon and be satisfied in that which it is not safe to depend upon 2. If it be commanded that we believe on the righteousness of Christ then it is duty so to doe then we are bound in conscience to come unto Christ we cannot without sin stay away from Christ and therefore surely it is safe to trust in the righteousness of Christ the holy God would never make it our duty to trust in that which is not a sufficient ground of faith it were an hard lesson to be bound in conscience to do that which we could not satisfie our consciences in doing it were wildness for any man to imagine that God should command us to love that which is not lovely or to mourn for that which is not matter of sorrow or to rejoyce in that which is not matter of joy so it is to think that God should require us to trust in that which is not a ground of confidence that would be very hard for God to bind us to put our confidence in that which we could not put our confidence in except we were out of our wits if it were not safe to trust in Christs righteousness what could induce us to do it except we were under a delusion it is against nature for man to put confidence in any thing but under this notion that there is ground of confidence in it what perswasions can prevail to make men rest on that which they could not safely rest upon the Lord is a righteous God and gives no such unequal command all his commands are righteous he requires but what is equal Psal 119 138. 3. If God commands us to believe on the righteousness of Jesus Christ then we must do it upon pain of damnation if we fail thereof every sin does by Law deserve death and the continuance in the neglect of any known command does unavoidably bring death and ruine and so the neglect of this command John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because be hath not believed in the Name of the only begotton Son of God certainly then it must be a safe thing to believe on Jesus Christ if there be no safety in believing there is no reason that we should be punished for not believing if there be no safety in believing in Christ then it is madness to believe in Christ and will God punish us for not acting the part of mad men it were an unreasonable thing for a man to believe in Christ if it were not safe so to do and therefore unreasonable that he should be punished for not doing of it will God damn man for not building their hopes for Heauen upon the sand will God cast a man into Hell because be will not embrace a delusion and put his confidence in a broken Reed the Lord is a righteous God and would never punish men for not believing if they had not abundant encouragement to believe the command of this holy God gives us great security in believing John 12.50 I know that his command is life everlasting OBJECTION Here it may be objected against this Argument That we are commanded by God to believe for many things and to believe in the righteousness of Christ for them which we have no certain security that we shall enjoy in a way of believing whatever we pray for we must do it believing and we must do it in the Name of Christ thus we are to believe for health for the conversion of all our Children for rain and other publick mercies so that it is no bard or unreasonable thing to be commanded to believe for that which is not sure in a way of believing neither do we want sufficient encouragement to believe though the thing we believe for be not sure to us in that way ANSWER That Act of Faith which is the condition of the Covenant of Grace is far differing from other acts of Faith that are required of us we do believe for a mercy when by a spirit of Faith we take hold of any of those encouragements which God gives us with respect to that mercy that when we are encouraged by the power of God the mercy of God the love of God to us indennite promises the redemption of Christ to rely upon God with quietness for a mercy with submission to his holy will. We do believe in God for that mercy and this we have sufficient encouragement to do though there be no certainty that we shall enjoy the mercy in that way and this God may fairly command us though he don't absolutely promise the mercy but that Faith which is the condition of the covenant of Grace does much differ from this that is an accepting of Christ and Salvation by him as offered to us and a relying on him for it according to the promise of the Gospel that this is the Faith that is required as the condition of the covenant of grace is evident because it is called a receiving of Christ justifying Faith is the receiving of the promise of the Gospel 't is a relying upon God in Christ according to the invitations of the Gospel and God would never require us to accept of an offer and rely upon him for it if it were not safe so to do how is it possible for any man to rely upon God for the making good of his offer if it were not safe so to do CHAP. VI. The seventh Argument from the Spirits assuring Men of the truth of the Gospel The eighth Argument from Gods bestowing the beginnings of Salvation on Believers here in this World. Argument 7. THat Righteousness which the Spirit of God convinces and assures men that they may safely appear before God in that they may safely appear in but the Spirit of God does convince and assure men that they may safely appear before God in the righteousness of Christ that must needs be true which the spiril convinces men to be true Satan labours to shake mens belief of this and raises doubts and questions in the heart about it and from thence we may argue probably that it is true but the spirit of God does perswade and convince men of the truth of it and establishes the heart in it and from thence may infallibly argue the truth of it In opening and declaring this Argument we may Consider 1. That many men are convinced and assured that it is fafe appearing before God in the righteousness of Christ there are some kind of perswasions about it in the hearts of many others that are bestowed partly upon the testimony of men partly
receive Gods testimony and act faith thereupon until he knows God Paul says I know him whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 and every man must know God before he will believe him many men â—o entertain some of the things that God says so the Devils believe and tremble but those perswasions rise from the convictions and not from faith in Gods Word No man will receive any thing meerly on Gods testimony until he know him and therefore will not be assured of that which he can know no other way but by faith and which carnal reason has many objections against 3. The conviction of this Truth is by the Spirit of God it is the work of Gods Spirit to satisfie the heart in this that it is safe appearing in the righteousness of Christ God does create light in the mind to discover this the outward call of the Gospel presents the object before men and the work of the Spirit is to give men eyes to see the truth of it mens natural reason makes them understand the sense of the Proposition and the Spirit of God puts a new light in them whereby they understand the truth of the Proposition their perswasion about this is the fruit of Divine Instruction This I shall shew from several Texts of Scripture John 16.7 8. The comforter will reprove the World of sin of righteousness and of judgment in this Text for the clearing of what is before us we shall take notice of three things 1. That the comforter here is the Spirit of God this is clear not only because he was a person sent to assist in and succeed the Ministry of the Apostles but also because he is called the Spirit of truth John 14.16 17. He shall give you another comforter even the Spirit of Truth 2. That the works of the Spirit here is conviction so 't is in the Margent the word signifies to convince by Argument and Reason and here is the Argument that the Spirit shall convince by ver 10. Because I go to my Father and ye see me no more so the word is used John 8.9 1 Cor. 14.24 3. That the thing that the Spirit does convince of is our safety in Christs Righteousness it is his righteousness that he speaks of for his going to the Father is the argument of it and it is the sufficiency of his righteousness to our salvation This is clear by two things First Because the Spirit is promised to confirm the Doctrine of the Apostles And then Secondly because the argument mentioned verse 10 does confirm this truth Christs Ascention to the right-hand of God shews that he has performed the work he came for and wrought righteousness John 6.45 Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth unto me the meaning of this is not that all that were godly among the Jews that had been taught of God should ackowledge Jesus of Nazareth and depend on him this is indeed a truth that upon the setting of convincting light before them they would do it so did Nathaniel Joh. 1.49 the Eunuch Act. 8.37 Cornelius and Lydia this is not the meaning for when he says every one that hath heard learned of the Father he means every one that has been taught by God the Doctrine of the New-Testament and he speaks of such teaching as did immediately draw men to Christ but the meaning is that they who have been taught the Gospel by God will believe on Christ so that this is clear from hence it is the work of God to encourage men to come to Christ and God encourages men by satisfying their hearts in the safety that is in the righteousness of Christ that perswasion that draws men to Christ is wrought by God. Rom. 8.30 And whom he called them he also justified by this Scripture it appears that it is Gods work to satisfie the heart in the safety of coming to Christ when he sayes that they are called of God he means they are inwardly called of God he intends not the outward call because he speaks of it as a proper effect of Predestination and certain fore-runner of Justification and this inward call is nothing else but the enlightning of the mind to see the truth and certainty of the outward call so that those Arguments which God sets before us in his Word to perswade us to come to Christ those he satisfies our hearts in by the inward work of his Spirit by his Spirit he sets home the precepts invitations and promises of the Gospel this inward Call is that which satisfies the heart so that it answers the call of God. Objection 1. It seems not to be work of the Spirit to convince men that they may safely appear in Christs Righteousness because after they have been convinced they doubt again and call it in question whether they may venture on the righteousness of Christ Answer We may well argue that if they have been convinced throughly by the spirit that they will never be utterly carried away with unbelief to reject this truth but we cannot conclude that they would never doubt men may call those things in question which they have learned by the spirit of God so the Prophet did 1 King. 13.17 18 19. yea men may question things that they have been taught by the saving work of the spirit God revealed it to the Disciples that Jesus was the Son of God Mat. 16.16 17. yet afterwards they questioned it Luk. 24.21 they say we verily thought it had been he that should have redeemed Israel the Psalmist no doubt had been convinced that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him and yet afterwards he had such workings of heart as these verily I have cleansed my heart in vain Psa 73.13 and it is no wonder for the blindness of the mind is but in part removed and sometimes they have not the exercise of that light which is in them the Devil is busie to throw scruples and objections into their hearts and they have several principles in themselves that lead them to doubt of those things that God has convinced them of they have a principle of unbelief carnal reason and enmity to the truth so that it is no wonder that they have doubts about it Objection 2. If men were convinced by the spirit they would have more understanding than many of them have of this way of salvation many of them understood very little of the confidency of this way of Salvation with the Law of God how the sufferings of one could answer for so many there are maeny Objections that they dont see through Answer Every one that is taught of the spirit has so much knowledg in this way of life as is a foundation for Faith he must have so much knowledg as that his Conscience may be satisfied in the truth of it t is also true that the teachings of the spirit do clarifie mens understandings they come hereby to have more clear conceptions of
Gospel truths but men may be taught by the spirit and yet be very unable to give a resolution of many Objections the Disciples were taught of God that Jesus was the Son of God Mat. 16.17 and yet knew not what to say to that Objections that Elias must first come Mat. 17.19 tho a Christian cannot answer many Objections about the sufficiency of Christs Righteousness yet he knows that that will satisfie his heart that it is sufficient namely that God gives this testimony to it and invites him to venture upon it 4. Consider in what way the spirit of God works this conviction and assurance and that is by a spiritual illumination of the mind the spirit of God is not wont in adult persons to reveal this Doctrine in any extraordinary way he works this conviction in such adult persons only as have the knowledg of the Doctrine by hearing and reading of the Word men must not expect to be taught that in a miraculous way which they may learn in an ordinary way neither would this be suffieient to work a through conviction and assurance of it a man may have things revealed unto him extraordinarily by God that has no Faith as Balaam neither does the Spirit assure men of this in way of testimony the Spirit of God is wont to testifie and witness some things to the soul of the Saints the Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 but he does not in that way reveal unto men the truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel but he openeth our eyes to see the truth of it the Spirit gives us eyes to see and also the actual understanding of the truth of the Gospel he puts a principle of spiritual understanding into us by a work of creation ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 he also assists us actually to discern the truth of this way of salvation by Christ while the soul is hearing reading and meditating of it he puts a light into him discovering it to be true and sometimes while the soul is thinking of his misery the spirit brings to remembrance some word and with that puts in a light into the soul that satisfies the heart in the truth of the Gospel and this is wrought these three wayes 1. The Spirit helps us to see the truth of this in the testimony of God in his Word 't is not any inward testimony that our Faith depends upon but the testimony of God in his Word and the inward work of the Spirit is to help us to receive the sure Word of Prophecy and depend upon that God witnesses in his Word plentifully to that that there is salvation wrought out for us by Christ that he has redeemed us purged away sins brought in everlasting righteousness and in this testimony of God we see the truth of the thing it self the Spirit satisfies the heart and clears it up to him that this is Gods testimony that it is no deceit that it is not any device or forgery of man under a pretence of Gods testimony but that this is the very Word of God the Word comes in Gods Name and has many characters of divine authority in it and the soul is satisfied that it is Gods Word 1 Thess 2.13 ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God The Spirit also satisfies the heart in the faithfulness of God naturally men have no assurance of the faithfulness of God though they profess it but the spirit convinces the soul that the Lord is a God of truth I know him whom I have believed 2 Tim 1 12. he does with Sarah judge him faithful that has promised and here though his soul be precious to him yet he can quietly venture it upon his Word 2. The Spirit helps us to see the certainty of this in a way of reasoning from other Principles which we do undoubtedly receive there is an assurance by arguing from such things as we are certain of this is called the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 when once a man is principled in that foundation that the testimony of God in his Word is certain and infallible then he is assured of such principles as these that Jesus Christ who was our Surety is exalted to the right hand of God that sinners are invited to rely upon the blood of Christ that Christ has fulfilled the righteousness of the Law for us for these things are plainly laid down in the Word of God he had the notion of these things before but now he is assured of them and being assured of them God help him to argue from them the infallible certainty of salvation by Christs righteousness John 16.10 the spirit convinces of righteousness because I go to my Father so a Christian sometimes after he is come to Christ finds by experience in that way the sanctifying and comforting presence of God with him and from hence he argues and is more established in the Doctrine of salvation by Christ 3. The Spirit helps to see the glorious excellency of God and Jesus Christ and thereby the great Objections of his heart do vanish away and fall of their own accord there are some less Objections which arise for want of distinct knowledg and from a mis-understanding of some places of Scripture which though they prove temptations yet don't wholly hinder the workings of Faith but the main Objections of the heart were that God could not find in his heart to pardon such sins as they have been guilty of and that the Law threatens them with ruine but the spirit discovers unto the soul the excellency of God in Christ the riches of Gods grace and the preciousness of the righteousness of Christ and then those Objections fall Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving-kindness O Lord therefore the sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Consider 5. That this is a great work of Gods Spirit to convince men and assure them that it is safe appearing in the righteousness of Christ it is a matter of exceeding great difficulty to give entertainment unto this truth and hence it is that many men are never satisfied in it all their dayes they continue all their lives long under the means of grace and yet never come unto the knowledg of this truth and many others whom God has perswaded of it have been long before they were satisfied though they have been full of inward troubles and fears and thereby put upon it to be inquisitive into the way of salvation yet were long before they came to Christ their hearts were unsatisfied about their safety in so doing and after prevailing and clear conviction doubts are ever and anon arising in their hearts and this difficulty must needs be very
if they be not sanctified but there be many in whose lives there is no evidence that they are destitute of holiness no man can justly charge them with living in any known sin with any unmortifyed corruption or acting from a corrupt principle in religion but this cannot be said concerning others that do not make this profession moral men among the Heathens Turks or Jews there are few or none of them but would make it evident to a man of a discerning spirit that was familiarly acquainted with them that they were under the rule and power of some lust 2. Among those that profess to believe in Christ there are many men in whom there are very speaking evidences that they lead an holy life they do not only walk inoffensively in their conversation but there is a great deal of the breathings of a spirit of holiness in them their carriage savours of the fear of God love to God submission to the will of God care of the advancement of the glory of God there carriage has a great relish of piety and holiness there is as much appearance of holiness as can ordinarily be expected from men that have still a principle of corruption remaining in them 3. Many of those who has formerly lived a corrupt life when once they are in appearance brought home to Christ do give great evidences of an holy life many that live among the people of God do live very corruptly but when once such men come to embrace the Gospel in appearance many of them do become very exemplary in holiness cast off all their former ways of sin and live an humble spiritual obedient life as far as man can judge But there are two wayes whereby the truth of this is evident above exception One is by the testimony of Gods Word the Scripture does commonly give the title of Saints unto believers hence that title of Saints in Christ Jesus is given to the Church at Philippi 1 Phil. 1. so they are called holy brethren that are partakers of the heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 and Saints and faithful in Christ Jesus are used as terms equivalent Eph. 1.1 all those that are implanted into Christ do crucifie their corruptions Gal 5.24 hence good works are a demonstration of the truth of Faith James 2.18 Another way whereby it is made evident is by the experience of many saints hereby it is made evident to them though not unto the world every believer has experience of a great change in himself though they have many fears whether it be indeed a life of holiness that they live it is exercising unto them whether they go beyond hypocrites and are acted by any higher principles than self-love and confcience yet there be several that at times do evidently see a spirit of holiness working in themselves so that their consciences do bear witness that they are the children of God besides what they do perceive of a daily bent of heart to keep Gods commands there are at times more visible and sensible actings of grace there are times when the strings are wound up to the height when grace breaks forth as the light and the heart is satisfied in that that he has a spirit of holiness John 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Psal 18.23 I was also upright before him And this fanctification which the people of God have they have in a way of believing some take sanctification so largely as to comprehend the work of regeneration and count regeneration also an effect of closing with Christ but I will not now discuss that controversy though there is no doubt but regeneration is the fruit of Christs purchase but I take sanctification for that work of Gods spirit whereby he does more and more purge away the remainders of sin and carry on the work of holiness in the hearts of his people and this is the fruit of faith in Christ Acts 26.18 they are sanctified by faith that is in me Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and this sanctification comes from Christs purchase he has by his death redemed us from the power of sin Tit. 2 4. who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purisie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works so John 17.1 Pet. 1.18 19. Heb. 9 14. 2 The people of God have inward spiritual comfort in a way of believing in the righteousness of Christ it is very true that many men that do not profess the true religion and many others that tho they do profess the true religion yet do not in sincerity embrace it have much inward comfort under an expectation of blessedness hereafter but the people of God that do believe in Jesus Christ have inward comfort in that way peculiar to themselves Which we may consider under these two heads of peace of conscience and communion with God. 1. The people of God in a way of believing have peace of conscience and this is not a particular priviledge of some believers but a blessing that all do in some degree partake of those men that before their coming to Christ were under the terrors of an evil conscience conscience was terrifying of them and binding them over to eternal judgement do upon their closing with Christ enjoy a tranquility of mind and inward peace Indeed this peace may be interrupted and disturbed because of darkness and temptations and because conscience is but in part satisfyed but they are never brought back to take up such conclusions against themselves as before their closing with Christ but commonly they do enjoy some comfortable serenity of heart have the answer of a good conscience by the resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 this comes to pass by these two things 1. When a soul comes to Christ the soul is satisfied that there is peace with God to be obtained in a way of coming to Christ that there is safety in coming to Christ the inward call of the Gospel satisfies the soul that there is salvation in Christ for all that come to him conscience is thereby well satisfied in the sufficiency of Christ the freeness and the fulness of the grace of God 1 Pet. 2.7 to him that believes Christ is precious the objections of the heart are removed by the convincing work of the Spirit 2. The first act of closing with Christ is not so sensibly done but that he does take some notice of it some after acts of faith may be more plain and in continuance of time the soul may lose the exact knowledge of the time of his first closing with Christ and the circumstances of it but this first closing with Christ is not so secret a thing but that it falls under the observation of conscience Jer. 3.22 This is clear For 1. The act it self is very observable when the soul comes at first to close with Christ there is a weighty change
that presents it self for his relief is the reformation of his sins and diligent applying himself unto the duties of Religion and they are travelling this way after peace sometimes many years with a neglect of Christ men ought indeed to seek their peace with reformation but not by their reformations but men are mightily wedded to this way of seeking salvation by their own duties this is one of those things that make the work of conversion so exceeding difficult it is a difficult thing to bring men to be earnestly seeking salvation and when they are brought unto that it is very difficult to bring them to seek it in the right way they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9.32 but men have no ground at all for this it is safe appearing before God in the righteousness of Christ but it is no ways safe for men to trust in their own righteousness when men make their own righteousness the ground of their confidence they do but flatter themselves and please themselves in a vain delusion their own works can never procure their acceptance with God. In prosecuting this Vse let us consider 1. Who they are that seek salvation by their own Righteousness 2. What righteousness they do attain unto 3. What are their temptations to seek their salvation in this way 4. What confidence they have in their own righteousness 5. How they do to hide it from themselves that they trust in their own righteousness 6. The vanity of mens trusting to their own righteousness The first thing to be considered is Who they are that seek salvation by their own righteousness But before I give you their characters it will be needful to premise two things 1. They that seek salvation by their own Righteousness do not expect salvation from the covenant of works as it requires perfect obedience in order unto life they dare not adventure their souls on the strictness of the Law though they had need to do so if they seek life by their own works but they do not thus they look upon their righteousness as that which will allay the Anger of God and be an inducement unto God to save them that which will win the good-will of God and draw the heart of God to them yea they look upon their righteousness as that which will bring God in their debt that God is beholden to them for their service yet they do not lay claim to blessedness by the strictness of the Law for they know and confess themselves to be sinners they pray for forgiveness which things are inconsistent with justification by their own works the Jews did not stand upon a strict covenant of works Rom. 9.31 32 they sought it as it were by the works of the Law but these men do make such a mixture of the covenant of works with the covenant of grace wherein the covenant of works is predominant they make some profession of the Gospel and yet adhere to a covenant of works therefore the Apostle tells them that if they be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 they made account to have some benefit by Christ so they made account to have some benefit by grace therefore the Apostle tells them that whoever of them are justified by the Law are fallen from grace they did not pretend to the strictness of the Law but took in Gospel Principles into their way of justification and yet were legal all the while this makes the Apostle dispute in that manner against them Rom. 6.11 if it be grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then is is no more grace otherwise work is no more works they mingled grace and works together they made their own works the foundation of their hopes and yet took in the plea of Gods grace and Christs Righteousness they thought their own works did contribute something and the grace of God through Christ would make up their defects 2. The Saints of God have a great deal of a self-righteous spirit remaining in them and men must not conclude because they find such workings in their hearts that they are self-righteous no doubt many of the Galatians that were tainted with the doctrine of the Legallists were really converted Gal. 4.14 there was somewhat of this spirit in Peter Mat. 19.29 we have forsaken all what shall we have therefore as the people of God are not compleatly delivered from other corruptions so not from carnal confidence there is such a spirit working and sometimes prevailing in them but there is also in the Saints an evangelical spirit Phil. 3.3 we rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh they allow not themselves to have any confidence in the Flesh These things premised take these characters of those men that seek salvation by their own righteousness 1. Such men as magnifie themselves by their duties and frames they count highly of themselves because of what they do pride is the very spirit of self-righteousness The self-righteous man sets a great price upon what he does he loves to be thinking upon what he has done how his heart melted in such a duty how his affections were drawn out and enlarged in such a prayer what he has done and suffered in the cause of God he loves to chew over duties again as things that do commend him to God while another man is magnifying free-grace and the Righteousness of Christ the self-righteous man is idolizing his own services falls in love with his own beauty is taken with his own carriage and thinks that God and man should be taken with him he thinks his works do ingratiate him with God and draw the heart of God towards him so the Pharisee Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess he minds God of it what a choice man he was and thinks that God has not many such servants as himself he counts his own righteousness his riches Rev 3 17. he is rich in prayers rich in mournings rich in duties of Religion and of charity he is not brought to be poor in spirit he don't see himself without money and without price but has a considerable estate of his own to live upon he thinks that by his duties he gains somthing towards the paying for salvation Phil. 3.7 he places his confidence in those things and glories in them as a rich man boasts of his wealth so he boasts of his righteousness and despises other men as the Pharisee Luk. 18 11. I am not as other men or like this Publican whereas the spirit of a Saint is to glory in the righteousness and sufferings of Christ Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Jesus Christ 2. Such men make their duties their refuge in time of danger such men are oftentimes scared from a remembrance of their former courses and sence of present
failings sometimes when they hear the threatnings of the Word sometimes when it is a time of mortality so when they are ill and under apprehension that dying time is come and when in this fright they betake themselves to their own righteousness as their strong-hold a godly man makes his uprightness an argument to hope the self-righteous man makes his duties the foundation of his faith in a stormy time he gets under them for shelter instead of getting under the shadow of Christ he flies to his own duties they are his castle wherin he fortifies himself against fear they are his harbour where he casts anchor from thence he takes his great encouragement This was Pauls sheet-anchor before his conversion that he was touching the righteousness of the law blameless Phil. 3.6 the self-righteous man comforts up his heart with this that surely God will have some respect unto his pains his affections his charity his strict walking this is his fort that he retires unto in time of danger he has not been so bad as other men and he hopes God will not deal in rigour with him he thinks that his duties do lay some engagements upon the love of God and compassion he hopes his prayers and tears have some constraining efficacy upon the compassionate heart of God. Sometimes he thinks that his duties lay some bonds upon the justice of God he thinks it equal that he should be spared and that it would be extream rigour for God to cast him off at last when he has done so much for him Sometimes he thinks his duties have laid a tye upon the faithfulness of God God has made promises to them that seek and he claims an interest in them he makes his duties the slay of his soul and when conscience is pursuing of him he takes sanctuary here 3. Such men take their encouragement from their frames and duties to come to Christ many self-righteous men do draw comfort from Christ and they think they have their dependance on Christ count themselves believers but the comfort they draw from Christ is at the second hand their encouragement takes its first rise from some excellency in themselves They would not dare to trust in Christ but under such considerations as these that they are reformed not so bad as other men have love to Christ are sorrowful for their sins have a good affection to Ordinances and the people of God such considerations do embolden them to come to Christ he thinks if he were so bad and so bad Christ would not accept of him but it being otherwise with him he thinks he may venture he desires to be better with all his heart and so hopes that it is not presumption for him to come to Christ finding such frames in his own heart he thinks that Christ does mean him in the invitations of the Gospel so he makes his own duties a step towards Christ he makes his own gracious frames a preparation to his coming to Christ He dresses up himself in his own righteousness and when he has made himself as comely as he can adventures to cast himself upon Christ he imagines something in himself why God should bestow the righteousness of Christ rather upon him than upon another whereas a Saint comes to Christ meerly upon Gospel encouragements from the grace and faithfulness of God and righteousness of Christ Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord Jehovah have I righteousness and strength 4. Such persons labour after some goodness to prepare them for Christ They are striying after some in order to their closing with Christ when they are invited to come to Christ for salvation they excuse themselves and think they are not good enough yet to come to Christ they think it would be presumption to come with such hearts as they have they think no body ever came to Christ that had such hearts but they think if they were better they might come and so they are labouring after some self-excellency in order to their closing with Christ they are purifying themselves and garnishing themselves that they may be fit to come to Christ they think if their hearts were more broken they might come if they had more love to Christ if they did see the real evil of sin and so they make it their business to get these qualifications they don't count it their next work to believe but think they must get some other self-excellency in order to believing so they make it their present work to mend their own heart and sometimes they think they get a little forward and then they go backward just like a man that undertakes to empty a fountain which fills as fast as he empties or like one that attempts to fetch a dead body to life he chafes it and it grows warmer but is as far from life as ever so those men are striving against their duliness hardness they tug with their own hearts to make them better for he thinks he must be better before he believes in Christ whereas a Saint when he finds his heart bad comes to Christ to make it better 5. They are discontented if they be not accepted because of their duties if God don't comfort them but they are held under terrors they wonder what the matter is and so likewise when God crosses them in his providences and follow them with afflictions their hearts are discontented they are heavy and displeased they think it strange that their duties are no more regarded that they should do so much and be requited so they lay hard dealing to Gods charge think it is not equal they are ready to look upon it to be a piece of cruelty that God dont help them when they have done so much for him especially if God comforts others that have not been so long in a way of Religion they find peace and communion with God this makes the heart swell men can't bear it that others should have mercy and they not a their services make them very discontented under Gods healing towards them Isai 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledg 2. Let us consider what righteousness such men may attain unto that seek salvation by their own righteousness and there is no doubt but such men may go a great way in Religion some attain one measure and others another but they may go far though they fall greatly short of what the least saints do attain yet they are capable of attaining a great deal they may attain so much as to exceed what many saints do attain as to the external part of Religion they may make a glorious shew so as to gain the approbation and applause of the people of God Take it under these three Heads 1. They may attain to as much as any Saint as to the external part of Religion all the external acts of holiness may be done by him that has no principle of
the account of their own righteousness meeting with such commendations of the practice of holiness they are much confirmed in their carnal confidence in such ways as these 1. Hence they think their own righteousness does draw the heart of God unto them they think that their holiness does attract the affection and good will of God unto them they imagine that their holiness does work them into Gods love that the beauty of their holiness does captivate the affections of God and their cries and carriages do work upon divine compassions and make God willing to bestow salvation upon them and indeed a self-righteous man doth attribute more to his own righteousness than a Saint does to the righteousness of Christ a godly man neither does nor ought to make the righteousness of Christ the foundation of Gods sove Christ has purchased the favour of God and reconciliation with him but he did not purchase the good will and love of God there was no need of purchasing that God could love sinners freely there was no possibility of purchasing that that was too great a thing to be 〈…〉 Christ procured the effects of Gods love but not the love it self Gods love was the cause of Christs coming not the effect thereof but the self-righteous man imagines a vertue in his own righteousness to draw the heart of God to him and engage the love of God. 2 Hence they think their own righteousness does make amends for their miscarriages that they have made are atonement for themselves for their former sins they think their repentance makes up that breach that sin had made and that out of a respect unto that God forgets what they have done amiss they imagine that there is a reconciling vertue in their reformations and good services that they satisfie God for what has been past And herein they attribute more to their own obedience than we ought to do to the active obedience of Christ Christs active obedience was not sufficient to satisfie for sin it purchased the blessings of the covenant but it did not deliver us from the curse active obedience to the Law has merit in it if it be perfect but it has not any satisfying vertue it is something of another kind that God requires for satisfaction the Law threatens death for sin Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death so that Christs active obedience could not satisfie for sins if he undertake to satisfie for sins he must bear the punishment of death 3. Hence they think that out of a respect to their own righteousness and upon the account therof God will bestow salvation upon them they think that this is that which interests them in all the good of the covenant their own prayers and reformations and affections and zeal in the cause of God is that which makes them heirs of glory and gives them a title to the eternal inheritance They look upon their own righteousness as the price of heaven and think they have done something to the earning of glory they are at work for God and look upon heaven to be their wages And herein they attribute that to their own righteousness that ought to be attributed unto the righteousness of Christ This was the very design of the active obedience of Christ to give us a claim to glory because we were very unworthy and could not fulfil the condition of the Law Jesus Christ undertook for us and has performed the righteousness of the Law and merited eternal life Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. Another temptation to make men depend upon their own righteousness and seek salvation in that way is the seeming excellency of their own righteousness there is a real excellency in true holiness it is the perfection of mans nature sin is a vile thing but holiness does advance and perfect mans nature holiness is the glory of man The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour the Righteous are called excellent ones Psal 16.3 and though all the righteousness of self-righteous men is but hppocrisie and therefore an abomination in Gods sight yet they themselves do imagine that there is an excellency in it and from hence they make it a ground of confidence imagining an excellency in it they think God is taken with it and that it is meritorious they do from the excellency of their carriage promise salvation to themselves And there is a four fold excellency which they are wont to take special notice of 1. The moral excellency of their carriage they count their carriage excellent because they live according to principles of honesty and sobriety and piety they are no Drunkards nor Oppressors not Railers nor Sabbath-breakers nor Swearers c. but they have a good conversation they do not live a prophane nor sensual life are not blemishing themselves by vicious courses they have an amiable lovely and justifiable carriage their outward carriages are according to principles of reason and religion their behaviour is equal and honourable they walk without blame the Pharisee was lifted up with that he was no Extortioner unjust person nor Adulterer the young man was taken with that that he had been moral from his youth Mat. 19 20. Paul speaks of that as a thing which men build much upon that as touching the righteousness of the Law they are blameless Phil. 3 6. 2. The religious affections that they feel working in their hearts Sometimes such men have great affections they have melting affections under the considerations of their sins and Gods mercies outward salvation the sufferings of Christ for sinners and the like they have a delight in Ordinances strong desires after Christ and holiness they have a zeal against the sins of the times and for the better party the Scripture is plentiful in instances of such affections in unconverted men as Saul the stony-ground hearers and others and they count these sincere and are highly taken with them they look upon these to be the very spirits of religion things which do greatly ingratiate them with God. They look upon these affections as blessed frame of heart these they think are the things that God does especially delight in they count these heavenly frames of heart they are much affected with their affections now they reckon they have a suitable frame of heart to spiritual things 3. The difficulties that they go through in serving of God which raises the price of their services and makes them more available they mind that they take a great deal of pains in serving God in reading and praying and taking spiritual opportunities they dont gratifie a slothful spirit but are laborious in religion and they hope God takes notice of that so they are at considerable expense they spend of their Estates in works of piety and charity and on that account value their duties highly so they are much in fasting and in that way afflict their bodies so they upon the account of Religion have displeased
Christ indeed it is contrary to nature for men to be willing to be damned wicked men do act as if they love damnation Prov. 8.36 they that hate me love death they do so interpretatively but for men directly and understandingly to be willing to be damned is against nature God had planted a principle of self-love in men whereby they do necessarily desire their own happiness no perswasions can prevail with men not to desire their own happiness we may as soon perswade a stone not to be heavy or the Sun not to shine there is a weight upon the soul of every man carrying of it that way this is implanted by God in the very constitution of nature and remains in man in his corrupt and his renewed estate a man must shake off his nature before he can shake off this desire self-love is natural unto man man is capable of happiness and being capable of it stands in need of it he cannot be satisfied until his capacity of happiness be filled hence he necessarily and perpetually desires happiness besides this it is contrary to Gods command for a man to be willing to be damned for God has commanded us to seek salvation he is often calling upon us to be seeking life and that with earnestness Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate and this seeking must be with earnest desires and indeed when this work of Humiliation is wrought in the heart he yields under this encouragement that there is some hope of salvation in God hopes of life in this way is one of the things that make him lie down at Gods foot the four leprous men fell unto the Host of the Syrians because that was the most likely way for their lives to be preserved 2 King. 7 4. the Syrians submitted to Ahab in hope to find favour 2 King 20.31 when the soul is humbled he is as desirous of salvation as ever and it is the hope of that that has a great influence into his humiliation 2. Affirmatively it is an absolute submitting of himself unto Gods disposal when humbled he yields himself into the hands of God and makes an absolute resignation of himself unto the will of God he yields himself a prisoner he would have yielded upon terms before but now he yields absolutely as a Rebel when he sees himself conquered yields so does the Soul to God. This carriage is opposite to his carriage before 1. He does not seek deliverance from himself he yields to God despairing in himself he don't feed himself with vain hopes and carnal confidences any longer those hopes have all died away his strong holds that he trusted in are thrown down he does not stay any longer upon his affections reformations victories over corruptions c. he has no dependance upon any strength of his own to gain any thing that will commend him to God he has no dependance on Ordinances on his own wisdom to discover any way of help but he throws up all his carnal hopes as vain and submits himself to mercy Luk 15.17 2. He leaves off quarrelling with God before he was humbled his heart wrought within him he could not bear the thoughts of it that God should cast him off his heart rose up against God and he thought he had hard measure from God his sins were all decreed he had done what he could he took great pains and yet God did not shew him mercy his heart rose to think that God should make him to damn him save and pardon others and reject him but now his mouth is stopt he is silenced he lets fall all his pleas yields it to be fair for God to cast him off he says as David Psal 51 4. against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mayst be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Question In what way is this work of Humiliation wrought and the soul brought to submit himself to God. Answer In general it is wrought by conviction it is not wrought by the infusion of any new principle into him the soul under this work is in a state of nature neither is it wrought by mens own endeavours Humilation is not the fruit of mans industry but is a thing forced on him by conviction as men under the first work of the Spirit are by conviction forced to fear and so by a work of conviction they are compelled to yield themselves to God their strong holds are pulled down and they necessitated to resign themselves God works this work by conviction Particularly 1. By giving him experience of the failing of all means he sees no other way left he has been trying to wring himself out of the hands of God he has been turning every way and refuge fails him he sees all his carnal hopes fall flat to the ground his carnal hopes vanish and dye away he has been waiting for light and behold obscurity he has been trying all conclusions every way he could devile and think of turning every stone he hoped by his prayers to make his heart better and by his fastings and by his watchfulness sometimes he thought if he had more terrors that would do sometimes if he had more encouragements then his heart would be better he has tryed the utmost of his skill upon his heart sometimes he hoped that in time his heart would grow better sometimes if he could hear such a Minister sometimes if he could get such a good book that others had got much good by then his heart would mend the sinner is like a man lost in the woods that thinks if he steers such a course that will bring him to the path and if that fails he thinks if he steers such a course that will do but at last he can contrive no longer but is utterly lost in his own sence so the sinner has had many contrivances but all his projects faiâ—le upon experience he finds himself after all his pains under the reigning power of sin and that he is spiritually dead he thought he had made some proficiency but now he finds by experience that the life of sin is whole within him and that he has no power nor disposition to any thing that is good he has no spirit to any thing that is good he had enlargements formerly and thought he could delight in Sabbaths but God is pleased to withdraw those encouragements that he had and suffers the corruption of his heart to break out and upon that occasion his affections wither away that discourages him that his heart dies within him and he has no more strength now he sees he cannot love God mourn for sin c. and hereby all his vain hopes of mending his own heart fall to the ground Rom. 3 9. Sin revivived and I died 2. By convincing of the strictness of the Law this is another thing that helps to make him yield God convinces him of the rigour and exactness of the Law he
imagined before that his duties would make amends for his sins that God would be at peace with him because of his affections but God shews him that the Law stands for perfect righteousness the Law must be fully satisfied that the Law pronounces a curse for every sin that it can neither be abrogated nor moderated but must be fulfilled that the law curses every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them gal 3.13 and herâ—by the sinner sees the insufficiency of all his duties and is brought to despair in himself 3. By leaving a hope in the heart that God may yet help him this conduces much to make the sinner yield there is a secret hope that God leaves in the heart that God will have mercy upon him God leaves an apprehension in men of the possibility of their salvation if they don't yield there is certain death but there is some hopes that God may spare them they have some hopes arising from the power of God he can make dry bones to live and from the mercy of God whose thoughts are not as mens thoughts nor his ways as mens ways but high above them as the heavens are above the earth that also begets some hope that there is a way of salvation by Christ that others have found help when they have been in such a case that there are promises of taking away the heart of stone Ezek 11.19 this hope helps the soul much in submitting to God. 4. By discovering his own Soveraignty men are greatly offended at Gods proceedings and unsatisfied about his decrees and providences and this hinders them from submitting unto him but God by his spirit lets in some discovery of his own soveraignty and thereby convinces him that God does him no wrong that God may bestow his grace where he pleases that he has dominion over his creatures this makes the soul confess with Job Job 42.2 I know thou canst do every thing the soul standing convinced of these things can do no other but yield up himself into the hands of God. Before I leave this way of trial I shall answer two scruples that may arise in the hearts of some of the People of God about their Humiliation 1. Doubt I sear whether I had a thorow work of Humiliation I never saw so much of the wickedness of my own heart as some others do speak of Answer 1. There is no necessity of seeing all those sinful inclinations that are in the heart particularly there is a great variety as to the particular discoveries that God makes to divers men and one great occasion of it is the different temptations that they are under some see more of a worldly spirit some more of a froward some more of an aspiring spirit a man may have discoveries of his own heart after he hath been a Saint many years that he never had before if a man see the fountain it is sufficient though he do not see all those various channels wherein it may run 2. There is no necessity of seing particularly their inability to every duty they must feel themselves spiritually dead they feel themselves unable to do any thing that is good but some men can speak abundance more particularly to their inability to this and that duty than others can there are some duties that did not come into their thoughts at that time it is necessary they should lose their sense of their ability to any thing should not be conceited of any power or sufficiency it is not enough for men to see that they can do nothing of themselves men may say that when they only find need of assistance and not of the infusing of a principle of grace into them but it is sufficient if they feel themselves spiritually dead but there is no necessity that at that time they must particularly take notice of their inability to love Gods People to be thankful c. though often they do their thoughts are wont to be fixed at that time on such particulars as they were wont before to pride themselves most in and such as they have special occasion at that time to think of from what the hear or read 3. There is a necessity of seeing so much of his own heart as to make him despair of mending it to see it wholly under the power of sin a man may see abundance of corruption and wickedness in his own heart and yet be a stranger to it though he sees a great deal yet if he imagines that he can cure it if he have hopes of getting victory over it he will not be humbled Isai 57.12 thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way yet sayest thou not there is no hope thou hast found the life of thy hand therefore thou wast not grîeved before he be humbled he must see himself altogether under the power of sin Rom. 7 9. 4. There is a necessity of seeing so much as to set him down that God may righteously cast him off a man may see much and yet not yield it that it is fair for God to reject him one foundation of quarelling is an opinion of what he is and has been doing this breeds a great deal of wrangling in the heart Isai 58 3 he is excusing of himself because he would be better and has taken pains in Gods service so that there is a necessity that he should see so much of his own wicked heart as may quite silence him that he may see himself inexcusable that he may not have a word to say but may be satisfied in Gods proceeding if he should cast him off Luk. 18.13 Doubt 2 I fear whither I have had a through work of Humiliation because I never found so much opposition to the yielding of my self into Gods hands as some others speak of others have more dreadful risings of heart and more horrible sturdiness of spirit and bore more dreadful terrors before they could be brought to yield were much longer opposing and resisting than it was with me somewhat this way I found but not so much as others and therefore I fear whither the work were true Answer 1. Men have had a great deal more of opposition to this work of Humiliation than they take notice off or understand all those methods and wayes that men take to establish a righteousness of their own are from a spirit of opposition to this work of Humiliation all mens endeavours to get any thing to commend them to God are the workings of this spirit mens flying to refuges of lies and hiding themselves in the strong-holds of their own righteousness are because they are not willing to submit to God all mens strivings to obtain the savour of God by their prayers affections reformations are upon this account that they are not willing to yield themselves to be lost why do men strive to earn their own salvation but because they are unwilling to submit to the meer mercy of
God. 2. Some men are naturally of a more stubborn spirit than others and upon that account they feel more dreadful opposition though every natural man is equally under the power of sin for they are totally so the disposition to sin against God does neither increase nor decrease in natural men though particular evil dispositions do yet some men by reason of their temper are of a more stubborn spirit and in other cases are wont to be more difficult to yield either to God or men than other men and that is one reason why they in this case do experience more opposition 3. There is a great difference in the risings of mens hearts against yielding to God from the different manner of Gods dispensations to the same under this work Especially in three things 1. Some men had abundance more confidence that they were in a good estate than ever others did obtain unto they were strongly perswaded that they were converted had had abundance of joy under the apprehension of their good condition and when these hopes come to be pulled away from them it is no wonder that their hearts work exceedingly they are like the troubled Sea that casts forth mire and dirt 2. Some men when they are emptied of their own righteousness are left more upon the borders of dispair than others are there is a secret hope that God does sustain the hearts of all by an hope rising from the power of God and the deliverance he has wrought for others c in some there is more of this hope in others less the more there is of this the more this work of submission is facilitated an enemy will sooner yield where he has more hope of mercy than where he has less the less hope men have the more difficult their submission will be that made the Syrians yield because they looked on the Kings of Israel as merciful Kings 1 King 20.31 3. God does discover his own soveraignty sooner unto some than unto others the conviction of that is the thing that silences the heart and makes it bow that brought down Jobs Spirit Job 42.2 5 the soul will not yield till convinced of this and God is pleased to deal with men variously as to this some he convinces sooner and thereby prevents much of those stubborn workings that otherwise would be 2. The second way of trial is by the manner of the Souls first closing with Christ there is a great difference between saints and hipocrites in their first venturing upon Christ though there be a similitude yet there is also a dissimilitude some persons indeed through negligence lose the distinct remembrance of this which occasions much darkness afterwards but a false heart does not experience such things in his first receiving of the Gospel as a sincere heart does there are some things that are common to one and to another but there are other things that are peculiar to the people of God if the manner of their closing were the same their Faith would be the same the manner of closing is such as doth distinguish them and take it up in such particulars 1. The soul is assured of the truth of the Gospel by the spirit of God before the Soul was full of doubts and questions but when he closes with Christ he is assured of the truth of the Gospel the reason that men do not entertain the truth of the Gospel is because they are not assured of the truth of it when they believe the truth of it then it works effectually up on them 1 Thess 2.13 ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe When the soul first closeth with Christ it is satisfied in the truth of the gospel In the consideration of this we may take notice of three things 1. That at this time the soul knows the truth of the gospel he had the notion of it before but now he sees it to be so indeed it is a real thing unto him there is a light let into that soul discovering the truth of the gospel the soul has not indeed at that time an actual and distinct consideration of all the sundamental truths of the gospel so as to yield a particular assent to every one of them but all those foundation truths are radically made known at that time that is there is that light put into the soul then that will make him yield an assent to all those truths when he comes to have the actual consideration of them 1 Ioh. 2.26 ye have an unction from the holy One and know all things and at this time the soul has the actual consideration of some foundation gospel truths such as the infinite free mercy of God the vertue of the blood of Christ or the like and sees such things as neither his own reason nor Satan could make him to apprehend and although the soul has not the actual consideration of all foundation gospel truths yet he sees so much at that time as satisfies him in the truth of the gospel for the knowledg of th truth of the gospel does not depend upon the knowledg of all those things which must be true if the gospel be true the knowledg of some particular gospel truths may abundantly satisfie a mans heart that the gospel is true so as to encourage him to come to Christ and although the soul at that time does not give a particular assent to all those gospel truths which are the Pillars of our Faith yet he does reject none the truth of the gospel is discovered unto him and that not only in general that there is salvation in Christ for them that come unto him but also in particular there is salvation for him if he will accept of it he sees that there is a way of salvation for the most unworthy he sees also that this is offered by God unto him that there is that preciousness in Christ that freeness in Gods grace that faithfulness in Gods Word that is a sufficient encouragement unto him to venture his soul on Christ his eyes are opened to see that there is safety for him notwithstanding his unworthiness he thought he believed the gospel before but only did not know that God called him but now he sees gospel principles in such a manner that he is satisfied that God called him and that he may venture upon Christ 2. The soul has at this time an assured knowledg of the truth of the gospel it is not an opinion or conjecture arising from some probable appearances but an assurance therefore they say we believe and are sure Joh. 6.69 the soul sees that it is certainly so God gives us outwardly great assurance of the truth of the gospel and at this time the soul has inwardly an assurance of it t is very true there is a difference in the measure of assurance that one has and another has all assurance is not in the like
authority from none but Jesus Christ as Mediator does derive his authority from God but his authority is a sufficient warrant Mat. 17.5 hear him and hence Ministers may indifferently invite men in the name of God or Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God. 3. There is no necessity that at the time of the souls closing with Christ he should be reading or hearing the call of the Gospel it is by those calls but many times they do not prevail while a man is hearing of them but afterwards sometimes it is in the very time of hearing Acts 14.1 2. Acts 2.41 but it may be as well afterwards it may be in time of prayer and often is or in meditation God does it for them that wait upon him in his Ordinances but not always in the time of Ordinances thus it is with other works of the Spirit awakening of finners comforting of Saints and Sinners Mat. 21.29 be said I will not but afterwards he repented and went. 3. There is no necessity that this closure with Christ should be wrought by the letter of the Scriptures frequently it is by some particular word but it is many times otherwise sometimes the thing is urged by a Minister according to the Scripture and God makes some sentence that he speaks effectual Acts 16.31 32. so somtimes in meditation God makes men see the general cal of the Gospel though no particular place be pitched upon thus 't is sometimes afterwards with Saints 4. There is no necessity that the particular word that draws the soul to Christ should be in the form of an invitation it is many times so as by those words Mat. 11.28 Rev. 22.17 but it may be by any other Gospel expression as by those words 1 Pet. 2.24 who bore our sins in his own body upon the Cross Isai 53.6 he was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities Eph. 5.2 he hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour it may be wrought by any Gospel precept promise declaration God by any such word may let in a light to shew the soul the truth of the Gospel Call. From this particular we may conclude the saith of two sorts of persons to be false 1. Such as ventured at first upon Christ from that encouragement that God loved them they thought that God had a love for them either from his outward providences he smiled on them in his providences and blessed them and heard their prayers or he manifested his love to them by restraining their corruptions and keeping of them from such evil practices as others are addicted unto or else from some inward comfort that God has given them God gave them some inward comfort when they were in a sad condition and from thence they conclude the love of God and so are bold to venture themselves on Jesus Christ they have had some inward joy and that they make the foundation of their Faith and so they quite prevent Gods order they get first a faith of assurance that God loves them and then they have a saith of dependance but the particular love of God is not the foundation of our faith there is no need of knowing that in order to believing the love of God is to be cleared up by effectual calling 2 Pet. 1.10 Gods love to the soul is a secret till he does believe Eph. 1.13 after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise God may reveal the love he has to a man unto some other before the man believes as the love God had to Jacoh was revealed to Rebecca but not to the man himself Gods particular love is not the foundation of Faith but the call of the Gospel 2. Such as ventured first upon Christ upon that encouragement that they loved God they found affections to God and Christ and that made them think that God meant them in the call of the Gospel that made them think that it was not presumption for them to come to Christ that made them think that God would not reject them their first encouragement rises from themselves and then in a secondary way they take encouragement from the Gospel that adds to their encouragement but this faith is a rotten faith it has not a right foundation such a faith may make men live more comfortable here but it will deceive them Rev. 3 17. 3. In the first closure with Christ there is such a light let into the Soul of the sinner that he cannot but come to Christ when he does come there is a necessity upon him to come it is thus many times very remarkable afterwards but eminently so at first before he comes he cannot come and when he does come he cannot but come the sinner has at that time such a supernatural light let into him that he is under constraints to come to Christ all the wit in hell can't perswade him to stay away where God begins to open the eyes there may be some objecting but before God has done the light is so full that the soul is carryed captive by it Ministers are required to compel men to come in Luke 14.23 that is to use compelling arguments such as when God sets the same home will compell men the light that God puts in to the soul at that time is such that he cannot withstand it it silences all his carnal reasonings stops his mouth answers his objections so that he cannot stand out any longer John 6.45 every one that has been taught and hath learned of the Father commeth unto me This I clear up from these considerations 1. All that have this inward light and teaching doe come unto Christ 't is true there is an illumination that is not effectual to work saith Mat. 13.20 2 Pet. 2.21 that light is only the irradiation of the natural understanding but there is an inward light that is always attended with faith such men as have a thorow conviction of the gospel doe ever close with it that light that is sufficient in order to saith is always efficacious the inward call of the gospel is always answered Rom. 8.30 whom he called them he also justified all those that God draws do run after him Cant. 1.4 they that know Christ will come to him John 17.35 Psal 9.10 and this shews that they cannot but come if this inward light could be resisted some would resist it among so many thousands some would refuse to come this way would not be universally successful with men of all tempers and inclinations if it did not necessitate them some or other would be found that would refuse 2. This inward light is said to come with power upon the soul it has a perswading overcoming power with it it has power to gain the will and draw the consent of the heart the gospel where the Spirit
does inwardly teach it has a prevailing power therefore it is called a rod of strength Psal 110.2 it comes with power upon the heart 1 Thes 1.5 when God convinces men of the truth of it it alwayes works effectually upon them 1 Thes 2.13 let but the truth of it sink into a mans soul and Christ will be precious unto him 1 Pet. 2.7 the light of the gospel turns about the wills of men Psal 110.3 3. If the sinner could stay away from Christ the corruption of his heart would make him stay away from Christ if men were able to stay away they would not be able to come there is a great deal of opposition in the heart of a sinner to believing in Christ men are as great enemies to the gospel as they are to the law sinners are dreadful averse to come to Christ how many objections and cavils have men to keep them from Christ how many by-paths will they turn into before they come to Christ how much sorrow will they endure before they come to Christ Phil. 3.18 Rom. 10.3 and this opposition of heart would not suffer them to come except they were made to come if they were nor under a necessity of coming they would stay away 4. It is against nature when men have this inward light let into them to stay away from Christ there is a principle put into every man in his first creation to seek his own happiness and however the nature of man be corrupted yet that principle is not lost but remains strong in men however they mistake the way yet the desire of all men is happiness the Devil blinds men and tells one that this is the way and another that that is the way but still they are driving an end that design Psal 4.6 who will shew us any good and therefore when the Spirit of God shews a man that Christ is the way to happiness that there is salvation in Christ he cannot but come to him Joh. 6.6.8 to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal Life 5. When the sinner comes at first to Christ this inward teaching of the Father works such affections that he cannot but come when his eyes are opened his affections are so wrought upon that he cannot but come when he comes out of darkness into light his heart is affected with the sight of Christ and he cannot stay away there are three affections that are wrought upon one is hope he sees a hope of blessedness if he comes to Christ he sees in that way hopes of pardon and glory Heb 6.18 who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before us another is Love when the soul comes to see Jesus Christ offering himself he cannot but love him and look on this way of salvation as a glorious way he despised Christ before but now he charges his mind he prizes him 1 Pet. 2.7 to them that believe in Christ is precious and then it works on fear he dare not lose the opportunity he does not know whether he shall have another call so that he dares do no other than take God at his word Objection This seems to overthrow the liberty of mans will if he can't come to Christ where is his Freedome Answer Liberty does consist in an indifferency unto contrary Acts or Objects sometimes indeed men have such a liberty but that is peculiar to some cases liberty is not opposed to necessity but to force the will cannot be force by any external violence but it may be necessitated by reason and conviction natural men sin voluntarily yet necessarily they reject the Gospel voluntarily Joh. 5.40 yet necessarily Joh. 6.44 Saints in heaven love and serve God necessarily yet freely so t is here Psal 110.3 thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power From this Particular we may conclude the faith of such men to be false as have made a faith of their own convinced sinners hearing they shall certainly be ruined that do not believe in Christ and that they that do believe shall be saved set themselves in their own strengths to work their hearts to this duty and after a while imagine that they have got the victory and have prevailed over their unbelief and wrought their hearts unto a closure with Christ this Faith is not right it s very true that after a man has been brought in he may in this way by Gods assistance come to perform renewed acts of Faith but it is never thus in the first closure with Christ at first God layes a necessity upon men they cannot but come to Christ Eph. 1 19 20. what is the exceeding greatness if his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead when the sinner comes indeed to Christ he is compelled to come Luk 14.23 Before I leave this Particular I shall answer two Doubts in the hearts of some Saints from hence Doubt 1. I fear my closing with Christ is not right because after God let light into me I objected awhile before I yielded the light did not at first overcome me Answer Many times when God comes with that inward call of the Gospel he does not at one instant let in such light as does overcome all objections but after God begins to bring the call home to the soul there are some struglings of unbelief before he yields sometimes the light is such that it strikes all objections dead at a blow sometimes it answers them gradually the light breaks in fuller and fuller till at last it quite overcomes him as in Moses's call Doubt 2. I fear my closing was not right because when I came first to Christ I had a fear and trembling on my heart I bad not such full satisfaction as some have but crouded through difficulties Answer Some have more clear light than others but every one has so much that he cannot but venture though there be remaining darkness yet they have so much light as overbears them that their hearts are carried out to rely on Christ and that is sufficient Rom. 4.18 who against hope be teved in hope 3. The third way of Trial is by living a life of Faith on Jesus Christ they that have received Christ by Faith do not satisfie themselves that they have believed but do from time to time live a life of dependance on Christ this life Paul lived Gal. 2.20 I live by Faith in the Son of God that is the duty of them that have believed 1 Joh. 5.13 I have written to you that have believed on the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Son of God. And this is the spirit of those that have believed they live a life of dependance upon Christ for every thing even for outward things for life health peace liberty provision protection for private and publick blessings
actings of Faith have an influence into Holiness so in a special manner the actings of Faith upon Jesus Christ we are satisfied by Faith in him Act. 26.18 the peculiar actings of Faith on Christ have a special influence into an holy life and that two wayes 1. The believing of the Gospel does in its own nature stir up men to holiness when men by Faith do entertain the calls of God in the Gospel it has a strong impression on their hearts to move them to holiness when men see the readiness of God to pardon them the wonderful grace of God in the Gospel it prevails with them to lead an holy life Psal 26.23 Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth the sence of the grace of God apprehended by Faith makes men admire the glorious excellency of God love God fear to offend him troubled that they have grieved him and wronged him the discoveries of Gospel grace leave an everlasting impression upon the heart to love and honour God. 2. The believing on Christ is the way wherein God has promised to carry on the work of Sanctification in this way God gives forth the assistances of his Spirit for the carrying on of this work God in the invitations of the Gospel calls us to glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 Faith in Christ is the condition of the covenant of grace and therefore thereby God becomes engaged to keep men in the wayes of holiness as all other covenant mercies are made over to the soul in this way so likewise sanctifying grace and besides that God has directed us to exercise Faith upon Christ for Sanctification he tells us that without him we can do nothing John 15.5 that he is made to us for Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 that whatever we do in word or deed we must do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Col. 3.17 this is a principal means prescribed unto us in order to the carrying on of the work of Sanctification we must attend other appointments and ordinances of God prayer reading hearing sacraments watching meditating sim but we may not trust to any of our own strivings but especially attend this ordinance of the covenant of grace to roll our selves upon Christ as being the purchaser and the dispenser of this blessing waiting for the influences of his Spirit and in this way he assists and strengthens his to lead an holy life For the opening of this way of Trial we may consider what an holy life is It is a course of walking in all Gods Commandments from a gracious respect unto God here you may distinguish between a principle of holiness an holy frame an holy action and an holy life a principle of holiness is a quality inabling and inclining a man to keep all Gods commands out of a gracious respect unto God an holy frame is a raised prevailing disposition unto holiness by the habit it is disposed to holiness by an holy frame to a more ready and chearful practice of holiness when the heart is in an holy frame it is like an instrument in tune like a good knife that has a good edge an holy action is an action commanded of God done out of a gracious respect unto God an holy life is a course of walking in all Gods commands from a gracious respect unto God In this discription three things are to be minded 1. That where there is an holy life there is a walking in all Gods commands there may be a reformation of some particular sins where there is not an holy life any one way of sin makes a mans life unholy if men allow any way of disobedience the life is not holy in an holy life there is an abstaining from every known sin and the practice of every known duty Luk. 1 6. They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless he that leads an holy life does observe all those commands that direct his outward behaviour of himself and he attends all those commands that direct the carriage and behaviour of the heart those commands that require internal duty love fear and those that do require the right manner of doing his duty doing of it for Gods glory doing of it in the Name of Christ doing of it with diligence with delight the casting off of any duty makes the life unholy The principle of grace that is in a Saint does both inable and incline the heart to keep all Gods Commands there is no command given by God but there is a suitable inclination in the heart of a Saint unto it there be in the heart of a Saint some general inclinations to all Gods commands some inclinations that respect every one of Gods precepts that are principles of universal obedience and they are three love to God fear of God and saith in God these three influence a man to all that obedience that God requires these incline the heart to do every thing that God requires hence sometimes we read that love makes us keep Gods commands 1 John 5.3 so all Religion is called the fear of God because that influences all Isai 50.10 so Faith is a general principle of obedience Heb. 11.7 8. besides these there are in a godly man more particular inclinations to the commands severally which are not of such latitude these are the off-spring of the other thus patience inclines a man to keep some commands temperance others bounty others pity others 2 Pet. 1.5 6. But this walking in all Gods commands does admit of divers degrees all the people of God in this life fall short of perfection and some fall far short of that perfection that others do attain every one that is travelling in a path don't travel with equal diligence and speed so here some are more dull heedless and negligent than others are and many Saints do fall short in respect of some outward commands of some that are but natural men but every one must have such a measure of obedience to Gods commands as speaks faithfulness such as speaks a spirit of fear faith and love there must not be an heart allowance of any sin the conscience of a natural man may allow none but the heart and will of a Saint does allow none there are many sins which a christian does commit often in a day as the actings of unbelief by-ends worldly affections and pride but yet he does not allow them and his disallowance is seen in acts of hatred towards these sins repenting of them watching against them out of hatred and by his performing contrary actions namely of humility faith c. 2. Where there is an holy life this walking in Gods commands is in a course that is their way and manner and trade whatever exactness a man may have for a fit that will not denominate his life holy he that leads an holy life is in his ordinary course attending the rules of holiness and that not
only rules of external obedience but also of internal reaching after the glory of God labouring to do duties with an upright heart watchful against the secret motions of sin Act. 24.16 and herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man such persons as have pangs upon their hearts to walk in Gods ways and then leave off again are far from an holy life that is the spirit of a wicked man Psal 36.31 he hath left off to be wise and to do good none can be said to live an holy life but such as in a course are practising of the ways of God and it is thus where there is an inward principle of holiness tho' habitual holiness be not sufficient in order to the practise of holiness without divine assistance yet Gods ordinary manner is to assist all sorts of principles which he has put into his creatures and he has promised also special assistance unto grace so that they that have a principle of grace are walking in their ordinary course in the way of holiness Prov. 2.22 That thou mayst walk in the way of good men But though they that lead an holy life keep Gods commands in a course yet they are guilty of continual sinning against God the corruption that is in the heart of a Saint is making continual opposition unto holiness as for the external part of it many a man attends that that has not a spark of grace and there is a great deal in a Saint besides grace that helps him to observe the outward part of his duty pride covetousness slavish fear contribute much to that but there is abundance of opposition to the inward part of obedience faith love c. and though there be a course of holiness and time after time an exercise of grace yet it does not follow that the inward actings of grace are more frequent than the actings of corruption without question the case is far otherwise though grace through the special presence of God is getting forward yet there are in the heart of a Saint abundance more of the workings of pride then humility unbelief than faith earthliness than heavenly mindedness the best of the Saints have but a little strength Rev. 3.8 a Saint commits a multitude of sins every day and the actings of grace are few comparatively And besides this though he that leads an holy-life walks in Gods command in a course yet he may have some special fits of sinning as he that is wise may in a fit carry him self very foolishly so he that is godly may in a fit carry himself very sinfully a meek man may have a fit of passion as Moses had and the Father of the Faithful may have a fit of unbelief there are sometimes when godly men have strong pangs of corruption and sin does prevail not onely over grace but over conscience and respect unto their credit and every thing that stands as an impediment in the way of it corruption may overflow all its banks and for a turn a good man may carry himself very badly and some of the people of God have more of such distempered fits than others have and they do prevail to a greater height in some than in others but these are but fits the ordinary way of a Saint is a way of obedience 3. Where there is an holy life this course of walking in Gods commands is out of a gracious respect unto God there be thousands of actions that are materially good that are not formally so if they be done meerly from self-love they are not good it is necessary that they be done out of a gracious respect unto God. I rather chose so to express it then to say they must be done for the glory of God because there are some internal actings of grace wherein the soul has no end thus when God draws the heart to love him the man has no end thus when the Spirit of God makes a mans heart break for sin he has no design in it when a man sets himself to mourn for sin he has an end but when the heart is grieved for sin he cannot help it he has no design in that though he has a motive and he ever has a gracious respect unto God the glorious excellency of God has an influence upon his heart that are some duties that cannot be done but from a gracious respect unto God there are some holy actions that cannot be done but by a principle of grace as to believe in Jesus Christ to love God to hate sin another man that has not grace may imitate these but he can't do them what faith he has and love c. differs to-to genere from the faith and love that is in Saints these holy actions cannot be done but by a gracious respect unto God selvish considerations may have some influence into these as Gods love to us has some influence into our love to him but in these actions the soul is principally swayed by a gracious respect unto God Job 42.5 6. and such other acts of obedience as may be done meetly upon selvish considerations are done by him that lives an holy life principally upon spiritual considerations Mat. 10.42 yet in a subordinate way he does and may make use of selvish considerations and such as moral men are swayed by such considerations in their place are of weight God urges them in his Word as the examples of men the benefit of holiness the punishment of sin men must not condemn themselves because they have a respect unto such things in their obedience Heb. 1.7 22. From this way of Trial we may conclude three sorts of men to have no true Faith. 1. Such persons as live from time to time in disobedience unto God there be pretenders to faith that live an irreligious and carnal life if they live not in any sensual lusts yet are indulging themselves in other sins regardless of fanctifying the Sabbath neglecting prayer allow themselves in worldliness pride malice and the like James has given us the character of the faith of such men Jam. 2.26 Faith without works is dead the gospel is a doctrine according to godliness there is no more effectual means to purge away sin than faith in Jesus Christ 2 Tit 11.12 faith is an heart purifying grace Act. 15.9 those that believe Christ have salvation began in them here they are saved from the dominion of sin and therefore those men that do indulge themselves in any lust are destitute of faith whatever their pretences be whatever they tell of their comforts and discoveries they have but a shadow of faith if they had faith as a grain of mustard-seed those corruptions would be removed faith don't work by wantonness and malice and sensuality and worldliness but by love Gal. 5.6 such men dream they have faith can men believe in Christ and be servants unto Satan are men believers yet rebellious persons do men receive the grace
endure that go to hell you may not think to escape as heathens will do your load will be heavier and your fire will be hotter and your judgment every way sorer than the judgment of other men God will proportion every mans misery to his iniquity and as you have enjoyed greater light and love so you must expect more amazing and exquisite wrath than other men conscience has more to accuse you of and condemn you for and so has God and you will sink down deeper into hell than other men you are treasuring up a greater measure of wrath than others against the day of wrath you have blessed God it may be many times for the means of Grace that he has bestowed upon you but you will curse your selves a thousand times more for not improving them you will wish that you had lived in the darkest corners of the earth among Scythians and Barbarians it will be a terror to you to think of your Baptism what books you have read what Ministers you have heard what counsels have been given to you every sinner will be in a dreadful condition then but it will be more tolerable for many than for you Mat. 11.22 24. 3. The third motive is that you shall be accepted and saved if you will believe Life and death are set before you though you have been a grievous sinner though you have hardned your heart against God along while though you have rejected counsels and despised reproofs and spent your dayes hitherto in sin and travelled a great way in the path that leads to death yet there is no necessity of your damnation you are capable of salvation still if you will not cast away your self by continuing in unbelief you must bear it your selves others that laboured after your salvation will do well enough the loss will be your own but there is no need of your being ruined there is yet an open door and liberty set before you to enter into the most holy place if you will but accept of Christ you shall have salvation you are crying out what must I do to be saved you are not so solicitous for worldly enjoyments but your care is to go to Heaven and there is reason for it it is a glorious thing to see the face of God to be spectators of his glory the glimpses of it here are more refreshing than all the sweetnesses of the World to see God Father Son and Holy Ghost and all the Attributes of God is most delightful if you go to Heaven there you will have an uninterrupted sight of God you shall see him as he is and no clouds shall ever darken the sight of his countenance then you shall have the abiding sense of his love never make any questien about it more but be delighting therein for ever then you shall be delivered from sin and made glorious after the image of God then you shall be with Jesus Christ it is a comfort to hear of him but then you shall be in his presence you have a fame of him now but then you shall see him your eyes shall behold your Redeemer him that is wonderful in his person God and man and wonderful in the glory that he is advanced unto you shall have external manifestations of his favour you shall hear his wisdom and see his glorious managements and behaviour of himself and have opportunity to express your thankfulness unto the face of Christ then you shall have the gifts of the Spirit in a glorious manner the company of holy Angels that have been helpful to you and Spirits that you have heard and read of in the Book of God Adam and Noah and Abraham Moses David Paul c. there your imployment will be glorious and your body will be glorious if you will but come to Christ besides a great deal of mercy that God will bestow upon you in this world you shall partake of eternal salvation as poor a sinful creature as thou art the Lord is offering eternal life to thee if you will but accept it as a free gift from him through Jesus Christ you shall be welcome to it though heavenly glory be so great and you be so unworthy God will bestow it upon you do you desire eternal life are you indeed set for happiness in another world if you are you may soon secure it and make it sure to you if you will entertain these calls of the Gospel and you shall be saved the Lord has given abundance assurance this is no pleasing dream but a thing certain and infallible This appears if you consider 1. Because God has been at a great deal of cost in order to the salvation of Believers If a man should engage so far in any undertaking as to spend a vast estate in it we should readily conclude that it lay indeed upon his heart that he was real in it and that his spirit was deeply engaged and thus it is in this case God has been at great expense he has laid out himself more for the salvation of Believers than he did for the making of the World he has exercised much of his wisdom on this design much power yea he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth on him might not perish but might have everlasting life Joh 3 10. must not his heart be much in it when he gave his Son to die could any thing have induced God to such a strange dispensation had not the salvation of Believers been a thing that his heart was resolved upon God has by this given conviction to the World that he is set to save believers when we consider how many wonders God wrought in order to it how he sent his Son from heaven constituted him a Mediator delivered him over unto death it may give us great satisfaction that God is really bent to save them why should he go so far if he did not intend to go thorow God that has spent so much for the salvation of believers will spend a little more to carry the work on to perfection God loves his Son too much to let him die in vain to put him to such sorrows and then to let the design of all his sufferings fall to the ground 2. God has promised Jesus Christ to save those that believe on him Christ Jesus did not die at uncertainties the Father had engaged to him the salvation of believers God covenantd with him multitudes should be saved by him and that in a way of believing Isai 53.11 by his knowledg shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities and Jesus Christ in expectation of that has laid down his life and is waiting for the accomplishment of the promise Christ has taken Gods word and has paid the price of their salvation and God will not fail of his promise this eternal transaction between the Father and the Son puts the salvation of believers beyond all question God stands engaged to Christ and Christ is set
a cloud of Witnesses that have gone before you in other ages and many at this day that betake themselves unto Christ for refuge others that have been trying all conclusions and turning every stone have at last seen a necessity to come unto Christ others have been satisfied with the encouragements that God has given and have taken sanctuary in Christ men of judgment and prudence not subject to be led by fancies and delusions more than other men have let go all carnal confidences and fled to this hope set before them and this they have done nor once or twice in any hurry of temptation but they live in this way I live by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2.20 their coming unto Christ is no rash inconsiderate act but after they have had the consideration of it many years have weighed it and pondred it looked on all sides and considered all that can be said they don't see cause to repent but continue to believe it is no unadvised act they understand what they do 2 Tim. 1.12 and the longer they live the more established in a way of believing Gods dispensations towards them since their coming unto Christ are not such as do discourage them but they are more encouraged still to commit themselves unto Christ why don't you come also unto Christ methinks you should be ashamed to be listning unto carnal reasonings and giving way to the pride of your hearts when others have overcome them methinks it should stir up a spirit of fear to see others getting into the way of salvation and you left behind to be a prey to Devils think what your sins have been what inward workings have been in your bea rt and you must say you have as much need of Christ as other men think what the call of God is how free and full the invitation is and you must say you have as much encouragement to come to Christ as other men and others that love their souls as well as you do yours have ventured them in the hands of Jesus Christ and do you not think that it will be hard to you to see others stand at the right-hand of Christ another day and your selves rejected 2. You must never expect inward peace and quietness unless you come unto Christ you complain now in the bitterness of your souls what a sorrowful life you lead you find little comfort in any thing you are so terrified with a guilty conscience that it eats out the comfort of your life a dreadful sound is in his ears Job 15.21 you are under such apprehensions of the anger of God that you know not how to bear it when you hear or read the threatnings of Judgment you are terrified that that will be your portion when you see instances of judgment you are afraid that God will do so with you leave you to such and such sins bring such and such calamities upon you your heart is meditating terror affrighted with the thoughts of damnation Sermons terrifie you providences terrifie you your heart is always loaded the way to have inward peace and quietness is to come to Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ but until you come to Christ you must never expect to be better you may have a pleasing dream it may be for a while and your wound may be skinned over but you must not expect to have any true peace so long as you stand at a distance from Christ what peace can men expect while their sins are not pardoned what peace can men enjoy as long as God is angry you must expect no other but to spend your days in vanity and your years in trouble if you give not entertainment unto Christ through fear of death they were all their life-time subject unto bondage Heb. 2.15 the venom of sin will be burning in your bowels until you look unto the brazen serpent and what madness is it for men needlesly to live a tormented life are you not weary of this condition have you a mind to live in sorrow longer don't you care to be delivered from your fears thou wilt never have peace without coming unto Christ you have tried a great while in vain and it will be in vain still but if you will give entertainment unto him his blood will heal the conscience scatter fears and refresh your hearts The sting of death is sin and strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God that giveth victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. If you do no not come to Christ you will lose all the pains that you have taken in religion you had need be careful that you lose not the things that you have wrought the labour that you have taken in religion is all lost with respect unto some expectations of yours therefrom as to the mortifying of sin thereby the getting of the good-will of God the purchasing of pardon c. and if you do come to Christ you must see it to be lost in this respect Phil. 3.7 those things which were gain to me those have I counted loss for Christ but yet in some respect the pains you have taken may be of advantage unto you in as much as you are nearer to salvation than before you began to seek after God you have been travelling in the way towards heaven some men are nearer the Kingdom of God a great deal than others Mark 12.34 Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God you have been taking a great deal of pains have withstood temptations have got much knowledge have broken off your sinful practices come to understand somewhat of the plague of your own hearts you are got over many bars that lay in the way of your salvation you have escaped many rocks upon which some souls have split in pieces are in a fairer way to get to heaven than you were sometime since and it would be sad to perish upon the borders of Cannan after sore travel in the wilderness to sink at the mouth of the harbour after you have rid out many Storms to lose all your care and labour and sorrows after all to go down to hell among those that never took any pains for salvation and this you will certainly do if you do not come to Christ though you are past the streight of reformation yet if you don't enter and go through the gate of humiliation and faith if you do not cast away your carnal confidences you will not enter into life when the Galatians were carried away with opinions of their own righteousness Paul says to them have you suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain gal 3.4 all your labour will be in vain and your souls will be lost if you come not to Christ 4. You will exceedingly bewail it hereafter if you do not accept of Christ you will rue it in another world you stand upon frivolous objections neglect to come unto
Lords Supper so when you meet with any temptations to beat you off from this way of believing when you have been contracting any special guilt when you go before God in solemn prayer and besides what is to be done on such occasions as these it is a duty to have the heart working and carried out in this way at other times and it will be so where the heart is in a believing frame men then will love to be thinking upon the precious righteoousness of Christ and putting forth acts of dependance thereupon God requires you to be much in the exercise of Faith 1 Joh. 5.13 those things have I written to you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God. This ought to be upon a double account 1. This is an honour due to God and Jesus Christ it becomes us to be putting honour upon them by reniewing those acts of Faith when a man is drawing his encouragement from the righteousness of Christ and the free grace of God prizing Christs Righteousness satisfied with that rejoycing in it rolling himself upon it he is putting honour thereupon and it is no more than it does deserve it becomes us to be giving this glory unto God and Jesus Christ when the acts of Faith are much intermitted and when there are any actings of unbelief we do deny them their due honour but the exercise of Faith is a practical acknowledgment of their glory and this is one part of that way of holiness wherein the people of God are walking unto salvation the first act of Faith in Christ is the fulfilling of the Covenant other acts of Faith are a part of our attending that way of holiness which is the way of life 2. This is the way of our comfort we need to be from time to time renewing the acts of Faith that we may live a comfortable life this is a way to have a stable and well grounded comfort for in this way of salvation God has given us everlasting consolation and good hope 2 Thess 2.16 the actings of unbelief fill the soul with trouble that saint must needs live a sorrowful life that is much carried away with an unbelieving heart such a life is attended with many terrors and fears unbelief is the sinking of the heart the prevailings of a spirit of discouragement bring a man into a most perplexed condition and he that lives in a way of carnal confidence will live a life of trouble though at times his joy may be great yet there will often be such discoveries of his heart and convictions of his danger as will fill his soul with fear and trembling the only way to live a sweet and comfortable life is to live by Faith upon Christ the actings of Faith give rest unto the heart there will be some measure of comfort wherever Faith is in exercise though a man be in the dark about his condition yet the very actings of Faith will support his heart Faith discovers a resting place for the soul in the exercise of Faith the soul is receiving of encouragement therefore Faith is often expressed in Scripture by joy Phil. 3.3 Hab. 3.18 indeed there is a sweetness and pleasingness in the exercises of every grace because they are suitable to that new nature that God has put into his Saints but there is a special sweetness in the exercise of Faith because the nature of it is to entertain a well grounded comfort and encouragement the very actings of Faith have a great deal of comfort in them and the reflection of the soul upon those acts of Faith has a great deal of comfort in them Faith it self is comfortable and the sight of Faith is comfortable Faith comforts as it entertains the glad tidings of the Gospel as it discovers a door of hope the light of Faith comforts as it discovers a sure evidence of Salvation In prosecuting of this VSE we shall consider three things 1. That Saints are apt to be discouraged from believing on the righteousness of Christ for acceptance 2. What their discouragements are together with proposals for the removing of them 3. What course saints should take that they may live by Faith on Christs righteousness and not be discouraged 1. Consider Saints are apt to be discouraged from believing on the righteousness of Christ for acceptance there are two sorts of discouragements that Christians have with respect unto their acceptance one sort is when they are discouraged as if they were not accepted as if they were not saints and in a state of salvation their present state is dark unto them and this arises either from Gods dispensations towards them or their carriages towards God God layes afflictions upon them exercises them with inward temptations don't give assurance of his love don't answer their prayers don't quicken their hearts in his Ordinances and they are carried away with corruption don't feel the working of love in their hearts have not such spiritual hearts as others of the people of God and so they are ready to sink as if their present state were not a state of peace with God the other sort of discouragement is when they are afraid to come unto Christ for acceptance they are called upon to believe but are discouraged from that duty it don't enter into them that God is free to accept of them through Christ they dare not believe and these two sorts of discouragements are generally Companions and go together though not alwayes usually when Christians are discouraged as to their present state they are also more backward to believe than at other times and their hearts are frighted because of the greatness and number of their sins and when they are in an unbelieving frame they are many times discouraged as if they were not Saints and can't discern those signs that they can see plain enough at another time this latter sort of discouragement whereby Saints are discouraged from believing in Christ is that we are now discoursing of and this discouraged frame is one of those frames that are contrary to a believing frame there are two other frames in Christians that are contrary to believing in Christ one is a slighty careless and regardless frame of spirit respecting acceptance with God and eternal salvation mens hearts are sometimes so deeply engaged in the world that they are little concerned about the state of their souls they have not the weight of it on their hearts to make sure a part in Christ sometimes Christians are under the prevailings of a sensless Spirit they have not sense nor solemnity enough upon their hearts to put forth an act of Faith the other is a self-righteous frame whereby Christians are apt to be drawing of their encouragements for their acceptance with God from their own righteousness but besides these there is a discouraged frame of spirit whereby Saints are afraid to believe
of great sinners that is evident because God does pardon great sinners Luk. 7.47 her sins which are many are forgiven 2 Jesus Christ has satisfied for great sins and great sinners as well as lesser when God sent Jesus Christ it was in his liberty to appoint him to dye for what sins and sinners he pleased Christ Jesus was capable of satisfying for one as well as for another for he was so worthy a person that he was capable by his sufferings to expiate the greatest sins his short sufferings were sufficient to satisfie for the greatest offences and God did put that work upon him to satisfie for great sins and he has discharged it he has satisfied for great offenders Christ has payed a price of redemption for the greatest sins one excepted therefore generally in Scripture it is said that he has made reconciliation for sins without any exception he bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.2 he has purged our sins Heb. 1.3 yea the Scripture testifies that his blood cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 he died for the chiefest sinners as is implyed 1 Tim 1.15 and therefore sinners without distinction are invited to come to Christ for forgiveness 3. Gods manner is to suffer a great deal of sin to remain in his people here he could if it pleased him purge it out all at once but he suffers it to be otherwise for many great ends as to magnifie his power in preserving the seed of grace notwithstanding all that opposition which is made by Satan and their own corruption so to carry on the work of sanctification in such a manner as that they shall stand in continual need of justification and pardon and among other ends this is not the least to try the saith of his people and exercise taht there be none of the people of God but are attended with a great deal of sin so was Noah Jacob Asa Jehosaphat and Paul Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members and that shews that God can love those that have a great deal of sin in them and that he can pardon them his suffering of it to be in his own evidences the sufficiency of grace to pardon it 4. God is as free to pardon hypocrites as any other men if they come unto Jesus Christ the people of God are afraid many times that they are hypocrites but that should not discourage them from believing hypocrites are as wellcome to come unto Christ as Saints God does not exclude those that have lived long in a way of hypocrisie they may come with freedom of spirit notwithstanding men should not suspend the exercise of Faith until it be cleared up to them they are no hypocrites when they are most in the dark about their state their way is to trust in the name of the Lord and stay themselves upon their God Isa 50.10 if you should be hypocrites there is encouragement enough to receive the Gospel God has pardoned thousands that have spent a great deal of time in hypocrisie were not the Jews that Christ and the Apostles offered salvation generally to hypocrites had not Paul lived a great while in a way of hypocrisie and Nicodemus God rejects not any man that accepts of Jesus Christ though he has been an hypocrite Discouragement 3. That God passes by many others and does not bestow salvation upon them there be many whole Nations that God passeth over and leaves to perish and many particular men among his visible people many are called but few are chosen Mat. 20.16 and they can't see any reason why God should bestow salvation upon them when he does deny it to multitudes of others why God should make such a difference between them and others when they are called on to believe on Christ they are afraid to do it it damps their hearts to think that there are so few that God does save so many rejected and they can fee nothing in themselves to incline the heart of God to them God passes over many wise men noble men valiant men rich men learned men good natur'd men men of great accomplishments and don 't bestow salvation on them if they could but see any reason why God should set his heart upon them and make such a difference between them and others it would not be so hard to them to believe but when they consider what kind of men God has cast off and rejected it makes them fear that God will reject them also the severity of God upon others discourages them as if there were little likelihood of their salvation they are frighting of themselves as if there were little hopes for them it is a sinking thing to them that many men more probable than they have fallen short of Salvation if they could give a reason why God should set his heart upon them when he rejects others it would mightily satisfie them but because they can't they are full of doubts For the removal of this Discouragement Consider 1. The only reason why God sets his love on one man and not upon another is because he pleases he acts the soveraignty of his own will in it it is his own will that makes the difference between men 1 Cor 4.7 who maketh this to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Rom 9.15 I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy God in loving of men acts arbitrarily he acts as the Potter in forming his Vessels to divers uses out of the same lump the with of God is sufficient to move him to chuse one and refuse another he can bestow his love upon men where there is nothing in them to draw it the will of God can act independently and indeed it cannot have a dependance upon any other thing there is nothing out of God that can incline the will of God all those things that men are apt to suppose to have an influence upon the will of God have indeed a dependance upon his will there is nothing in any man to sway the will of God any way there is nothing in any man to be an argument with the Lord to love him nothing that can work upon the affection of God to make God love him he has no excellency that can perswade the Lord to love him whatever beauty understanding good nature he has those things can't sway God God is not taken with those excellencies and accomplishments that are in men as to have his heart fastened and allured to them thereby and on the other hand there is nothing in man that can hinder God from loving of him if the man be weak in understanding of contemptible and wicked Parents and his outward condition mean yet God can set his heart upon him there is nothing in this and that man that can have any efficacy upon
the Lord to make him hate him there is nothing in man that can byas the will of God either way to love him or hate him but God herein acts from his meer pleasure 2. Hence it follows that this or that particular man is as capable of being loved of God as any other in the World God has manifested special love unto thousands of men and women and you are as capable an object of divine sove as any of them you are as capable as Abrahum Moses David Paul or any other it is true you are as capable of Gods hatred also as any other the meer pleasure of God does decide it who shall be the objects of his love and his hatred you have no reason to be discouraged because you can find no reason in your self of Gods love those that God did set his love upon could find no reason in themselves of Gods love though you be mean and despicable yet you are as capable to be an object of Gods love as any other I do not say that one man is under as great likelihood as another they that God brings under means are the children of godly Parents that God is striving with by his Spirit are more likely than others but one is as capable as the other for the free will of God is the only thing that does determine it and therefore you have sufficient ground of encouragement to accept the offer of salvation 3. If God have wrought a spirit of Faith and Holiness in you that is a manifestation that God has set his love upon you though you can find no reason why God should love you can't tell why God should have any respect unto you yet it is certain he does love you if you have a gracious change wrought in you though he has cast away thousands of greater natural and acquired endowments than you and of greater external enjoyments than you yet you are one of those that he has chosen and has set his heart upon 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath loved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Discouragement 4. They find things since their coming to Christ much contrary to their expectation they thought that they should have had more expressions of the love of God more quicknings of the Spirit more help against corruption more visible answers of prayer they thought that if they came to Christ they should have had little trouble or temptation but have lived a sweet easie and pleasant life but things are far otherwise things run very low in their souls they have a great deal of darkness and temptation they find very evil workings of heart and therefore they fear whether God has accepted of them or be willing to accept of them and to bestow salvation upon them did they walk in the light of the Lord and enjoy such communion with God as they expected and feel such evident fruits of the love of God as they promised themselves they should not be so backward to believe but since it is otherwise it begets a trembling and fearfulness in them it puts them to a great stand hence the calls of God take less impression on them especially because they think it is not so with others that come to Christ others do enjoy more manifest tokens of divine acceptance but they are both in inward and outward respects under tokens of divine displeasure and this is an hindrance unto their believing Job 9 16 17. If I had called and he had answered yet would I not believe that he had bearkened to my voice for he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without cause For the removal of this Discouragement Consider 1. That many sad and sorrowful dispensations are consistent with the favour of God men are ready to think that if God delighted in them he could not find in his heart to exercise them in such a manner his compassion would work so towards them that they should not experience such sorrows but men greatly mistake it is true that all the wayes of God are mercy to them that fear him but yet many times his wayes are in appearance contrary unto love it is common with God to bring those that he has rejected into a prosperous condition they are under very smiling providences and on the other hand God frequently frowns upon his own children not only in external dispensations but also by inward darkness leaving them to conflict with sore temptations the love of God to his people is not an affection as love in men is but it is a design to make them happy not to bestow all those degrees of blessedness upon them that he can but it is with subserviency to a greater design even the glory of his Name and therefore he leads them to happiness in such a way as is conducible to the manifestation of the glory of his pardoning grace his holiness and soveraignty and it is frequent with God to lay very heavy afflictions upon his dearest children Psal 73.14 all the day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning and God leaves his sometimes to a great deal of inward darkness Psal 88.15 while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted men that fear the Lord may be in darkness and have no light Isai 50.10 the dispensations of God unto Job and the issue of the controversie between him and his friends stand upon record to satisfie the hearts of Gods people in all ages in this particular 2. God does sometimes withdraw from his own children the sensible quicknings of his spirit God never takes away wholly his sanctifying presence from his people God is present with them to uphold the being of grace there is a divine manutenency whereby God does preserve the life of grace at all times but the sensible quicknings of his spirit may be often withheld God may often so far withdraw that they may not perceive any special gracious operation of the spirit upon their hearts and that as at other times so in duties of worship they may be left many times under great dulness and senslesness left much to the stoniness of their own hearts without any special impressions made on them by the spirit of God there are times when God makes their hearts burn within them but there are times when they are left unto a benummed frame of spirit as if they had no spiritual senses they have great cause of joy but their hearts do not rejoyce therein great cause of sorrow but unaffected with it great cause of fear but fearless their senses are bound up and spiritual truths that they think of or hear of don't sink into them Mat. 25.5 They all slumbred and slept 3. The people of God ought not to count it a frown that they have not the immediate light of Gods countenance frequently we must have a care that we do not complain
without cause the sealings of Gods spirit are wonderful mercies and special and more immediate discoveries of the love of God are glorious enjoyments but it is not Gods manner with his people to give them frequently when God bestows them he expects that men should go in the strength of them many dayes Paul was but once caught up to Paradise in his life time 2 Cor. 12.3 God has many other wayes to support the hearts of his people 4. Gods manner is to be training up his people to live a life of Faith to be depending upon him according to his word he is striving to bring his saints to live upon his promise he does in his providences put them upon that he takes away other props that they may lean upon the promise more they shall have time enough hereafter to see things in heaven Faith will be swallowed up in vision but here he would have them live by Faith upon his Word the people of God are apt to have too much dependance upon signs and to lay more weight upon them than upon the Word of God trusting more to signs and sometimes to fallible ones than they do unto the infallible testimony of God and upon that account God many times takes signes away Christians have enough left them to live upon when signs are gene God many times considers the weakness of his Saints as he did the weakness of Thomas John 20.27 but yet he is by degrees bringing them more off from a dependance upon signs to live upon his bare word they are apt to make too much of their signes and too little of his Word therefore he takes them away that they may have only his Word to trust to 2 Cor. 5.7 for we walk by Faith and not by sight Discouragement 5. They fear they were ever thorowly converted they cannot make it out to their own satisfaction that they have an interest in Christ they take notice of many things that make it doubtful unto them and if it should be so that they should not be converted then they cannot believe aright until first they have a work of preparation they must come to be convinced that they are in a natural condition that they never did any spiritual duty that they are under the regning power of sin before they can come to Christ in a right manner this Faith will be but a counterseit Faith if they be hypocrites now they shall be so until they have a work of legal humiliation wrought in them therefore they dare not cast themselves on Christ they think their next work is to resolve the case whither they be cnoverted or no. For the removal of this Discouragement Consider 1. That the call of the Gospel is sufficient encouragement to them that know not whether they be converted or unconverted if a man knows that he is unconverted yet there is encouragement enough in it if he be at a loss whether he be converted or not yet there is sufficient encouragement in it for the call is to every one that will Rev. 22.17 so that they that are at at a loss about their present condition have free liberty to come as well as others God requires no more of any man but acceptance of the call so that there is no bar in any mans way you are capable of accepting the call and if you do accept it God is engaged by promise to save you 2. Though you do not know whether you are converted or not yet if God discover this way of salvation by Christ unto you you cannot stay away from him when God lets in a spiritual light into the heart of a man clearing up this way of life to him he will not stand harping upon this objection or any other but will venture him self upon Jesus Christ when God satisfies the heart in this way he will not stay for satisfaction in this question whether he be converted or no he will see encouragement enough in Christ whatever he is or has been John 6.45 every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me 3. If when you are at a loss about your conversion you can venture upon Jesus Christ meerly upon Gospel encouragements that is a sign that you were converted the actings of Faith on Christ from the apprehension of his excellency having no dependance on that that you are or have hopes that you are in a good estate already is a sign of a good estate Phil. 3.3 we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Discouragement 6. That they have a slighty and unbroken heart they have not a due sence of sin they have been provoking of God by sinful carriages and have not a due sence of their iniquities upon their hearts and they think it would be a daring and presumptuous thing to go presently and rejoice in Christ they have more need to get a broken heart first to get their heart affected with sin to be stirring up a spirit of self-loathing and hatred of sin God expects a contrite and a broken spirit we had need have our hearts loaded and burdened with sin before we come unto Christ for pardon For the Removal of this Discouragement Consider 1. That it is no presumption to come unto Christ and rejoice in him how sinful soever you be though yon feel your heart very hard though you have just now done somewhat provoking unto God and have not yet bewailed it before God nor been labouring with your own heart to work the sence of the evil of it upon your own heart it is a presumptuous thing to sin men are too bold and daring when they take upon them to cross the commands of God and it is a presumptuous thing to make light of sin because Christ has died and salvation is procured by him sin is never the less heinous because Christ has died Gods mercy in pardoning of sin should make us more sensible of the evil of it but it can be no presumption to come to Christ though the heart be hard and senseless because there is enough in Christ for such as are hard hearted there is that preciousness in the blood of Christ that it has procured remission of sin for such 1 Pet 1.19 and pardon is freely offered to you Act. 10.33 whoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins and it is no presumption for you to accept of what God freely offers unto you and indeed if your eyes be opened to see the glorious excellency of Christ and the grace of God you will not make an excuse of an hard heart 2. Entertaining the calls of the Gospel is the way to have a spirit of repentance it is meet that you should repent and have your heart broken for your sins but the way to come at it is to entertain the Gospel offer there are other means in their place to be used but a principal means in order to repentance is to receive Christ believing in Christ
is the way to have grace quickned and strengthned Faith in Christ is the greatest furtherance of repentance and holiness Faith discovering the grace of God in Jesus Christ melts the heart for sin and arms the heart against it and Faith in Christ is the great ordinance of the Gospel for the subduing of sin in this way God will give his Spirit to work repentance and holiness Gal. 2.20 I live by Faith in the Son of God Isa 6.56 he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him 3. The next thing to be considered is what course Christians should take that they may live a life of Faith upon Christs Righteousness and not be discouraged Direction 1. Diligently attend the Ordinances of God unto that end the Ordinances of God have a tendency to stir up Faith as well as other graces and it is in that way that God has promised his presence and Spirit God delights to be found in ways appinted by himself God has not said that we should seek him in vain Isa 45.19 Christ will be present with us in those ways Mat. 28.20 Gods very prescribing of means is an encouragement unto us to attend upon them especially when he has annexed his promise to the same if men be remiss and slighty in attending upon Gods Ordinances they are not likely to thrive in faith or any other grace it would be no wonder if they should wither away and live in a dark discouraged condition but if christians be careful to attend Ordinances and improve them for the strengthning of their faith they are in a hopeful way to thrive no wonder if there be a blast upon the inventions of men but experience teaches the people of God to say it is good for us to draw nigh unto God Psal 73 28. God can make faith to flourish without Ordinances and so he can maintain mens bodily strength without food he can reveal himself to those that seldom wait upon him but his manner is to dole out his spiritual gifts at his own gates he can make them flourish else where if he please but he chooses to do it in his own courts Psal 92.13 14. the Psaimist might have understood the end of the wicked in another place if God had pleased but he chose to give him the understanding of it in the Sanctuary Psal 73 17. God has appointed the place where we shall meet with him and there we must wait for him if men desire to flourish in faith they must be diligently improving Ordinances that way God loves to honour his own Ordinances and help his people in a way of Obedience and give forth his presence in such a way that they may see his faithfulness as well as his mercy beware that you do not under any pretences grow negligent in waiting upon God some men are carried away with a sluggish spirit they cannot endure to take the pains to wait upon God constantly and solemnly they love their ease and indulge themselves in a lazy way of carrying an end their religion and some are carried away with a worldly spirit they are Martha like cumbring themselves with much buisiness involving themselves so deep in the world that they can find little leasure to wait upon God their worldly buisiness over-rules their religion if you give way to these lusts conclude upon it that you will not thrive in faith you must be content with a little faith that give way to a slighty spirit in waiting upon God you never knew an eminent believer that was not a great prizer of Ordinances in this way there is hope that Faith will increase therefore diligently attend them Particularly 1. Read the Word of God diligently it is very useful to this end to read the writings of faithful and experienced men such books are of great use for the understanding of the Scripture but there is a peculiar usefulness in the Word of God it self because that is without error and mistake it is given by inspiration from God 2 Tim. 3.16 in other mens writings you have the judgment of men and many times their judgments are according to the Word of God and cleard up from thence but in the Scripture you have the testimony of God himself there is a divine authority in the Scripture the Scripture is the sentence of God a message from God it is cloathed with divine Majesty the Word of God has a power over the conscience there is secret vertue in it to stir up Faith there is a majesty and commanding authority in the Scripture yea the Scripture is sanctified by God to work upon the hearts of men Joh. 20.31 these are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God there is a special advantage in it to hear God speaking in his own language 2. Frequently attend the preaching of the Word that which God makes use of especially for the begeting of Faith is very proper for the nourishing of it Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God this is an ordinance as well as the reading of the Word and there is a special usefulness in it several ways the life and zeal that is in the delivery is of special use and a great means to affect the heart in the preaching of the Word counsels and encouragements are directed more partiticularly unto them and that by those that God has set over them that must give an account of their souls Act. 20.28 yea the very solemnity of the Assembly does help to solemnize the heart and prepare it to receive what is spoken from the Word of God. And therefore you should be forward to take opportunities for the hearing of the Word men had need have weighty grounds before they remove to such places where they are like to live many years without the preaching of the Word on to such places that they and their families can seldom come to the Publick Assembly and you had need be careful that you do not make frivolous excuses to stay away from the House of God if the weather be difficult or if there be some small bodily indisposition many count they have a good warrant to stay at home persons that could overlook such difficulties in order to a worldly design and although there be more liberty respecting weekly opportunities especially in neighbour places yet you had need have the weight of those two things upon your heart that you don't cast contempt upon the Ordinance of God and that you don't neglect the advantages that God gives for spiritual profit Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the House of the Lord. 3. Attend the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the great design of this Ordinance is for the strengthning of Faith therein is offered to us special communion with a crucified Saviour therein is a sacramental representation made before us of the death of Christ therein is a special offer
made unto us of the blood of Christ for the remission of sins Mat. 26.26 27 28. herein the hearts of Gods people have had peculiar establishment some when in a discouraged condition are backward to come to this Ordinance the Devil has a great hand in it to keep them from that which is the means of help they are afraid that they shall eat and drink judgment to themselves but God no where requires a faith of assurance in those that partake of that Ordinance this Ordinance is a special help to those that are in the dark with a good conscience and though it must be granted that to partake of it without Faith is a sin and so deserves damnation and so it does to pray or hear without Faith yet when the Apostle says that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgment to himself 1 Cor. 11.21 he intends particularly that evil of not distinguishing this eating and drinking from common eating or drinking doing it either ignorantly or profanely therefore he adds not discerning the Lords Body 4. Be earnest with God in prayer for the strengthning of Faith Christ prayed for Peter on this account Luk. 22.32 and on the same account we should pray for our selves prayer is the way to win any thing that we need from God importunate prayer is like the sword of Saul that returned not empty tho' the people of God are compassed with infirmities yet their prayers are very prevailing Elias was a man of like passions yet his prayers were successful God loves to gratifie his people he takes delight in the exercise of their graces in prayer he loves to encourage them in waiting on him according to his appointment therefore constantly attend this duty and be much in secret prayer be often pouring out your heart unto him this is duty Mat. 6 6. and in this way christians have much communion with God whereby their faith is strengthned such christians as can make shift so to stifle their consciences as to be negligent in this duty lose a great advantage for their flourishing in faith and holiness 5. In case of need advise with those that can help you when under darkness and temptation have recourse to such as can direct you that can speak words in season to them that are weary make use of such as are skilful and faithful some out of fearfulness or pride or through ignorance of their duty go with an heavy load upon their hearts a long while whereas it may be their scruples might be easily answered if they would have recourse to those that have skill by the blessing of God they might soon be led into such a way that they might have comfort Joh 33.23 if there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness God fits some men to discover mens uprightness unto them and to shew them how to get it have recourse to such as may be able to comfort you with the comfort whereby they themselves are comforted of God. 6. Rely upon God in Christ to maintain Faith in you it is needful to have all your expectation from him if men be in the use of means for the strengthening of Faith and trust to their own endeavours they give God occasion to blast their labours and leave them to the doubtings and discouragements of their own hearts no wonder if God lets them fall that trust to their own strength you are not able to maintain a spirit of Faith in your selves nor to fortifie your hearts against discouragements by any power or wisdom of your own therefore it is fit you should depend on God in Christ to work it in you Christ is our under aker to preserve Faith Heb. 12.2 He is the author and finisher of Faith therefore be not proud of your own strength but under a sence of your own inability rely on Christ to work it in you continually Direction 2. Get a more clear large and distinct understanding of this way of salvation by Jesus Christ many Christians are exposed unto temptation by their ignorance though they know that that is a sufficient foundation for Faith yet they are but rude in knowledg greatly to seek about many things that they need to know for the establishing of their Faith many Christians fall under that reproof Heb. 5.12 ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God it is a great help against Discouragement to have a clear knowledg of the Gospel the highest degree of literal knowledg is not sufficient to make a man believe but without litteral knowledge there can be no Faith and without a considerable measure of it you will be in great danger to be out bid with such temptations as you might easily see thorow if you had more knowledg and therefore the Apostle exhorts them to grow in the knowledg of Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Christians should be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3.15 when they are under doubts a little information about the way of salvation by the gospel does remove their doubts therefore labour to get a distinct knowledg of the gospel that you may be able to give account of the design of God in it as it is revealed in the gospel of the equity of it and its consistency with the Law of the absolute freedome of the grace of God of the true reason why Christ died of the terms of the covenant of Grace and of the manner of Gods dealing with his when he brings them into union with Christ and after their union with him a clear knowledg of these and such like things are of great advantage unto faith two wayes 1. It supplies us with Arguments to prove this way of salvation hereby men are furnished with strong reasons for the confirmation of their Faith these things do shew that the salvation of a Believer is built upon a strong foundation by reason of mens ignorance men are strangers to many things that would confirm their Faith there be many things in the Gospel that would clear it up to men it they did know them that it is impossible that believers should fail of Salvation Men might if they had more knowledg be able many wayes to prove undeniably that it is a safe thing for them to come to Christ 2. It supplies us with answers to temptations and many carnal reasonings the strength of many of those reasonings that prove perplexing to the people of God lies in their ignorance many temptations would presently vanish if men had more understanding the objections that many times men are perplexed with are easily answered by those that are more skilful in the word of righteousness there is enough in the Gospel to satisfie their scruples if they did but understand it many things that are great stumbling blocks to them would not puzzle them at all if they had more knowledg Direction 3.
Have no dependance upon signs it is a great fault of the people of God that when they are called to believe they are waiting for signs sometimes God gives his people signs and sometimes he denies signs unto them when God gives signs it is a duty to take notice of them when he gives them we must improve them for the strengthening of Faith it was a sin in Ahaz to refuse a sign Isai 7.12 God many times considers the weakness of his people and gives them signs which are a strengthening unto hope Rom. 5.4 and it is lawful to desire signs out of a sensibleness of the unbelief of our own hearts under the sence of that that we are easily outbid with temptation that our unbelieving hearts are ready to take advantage from the want of such evidences we may desire signs but it is not lawful to desire them from unbelief unbelief is never good nor any natural effect of it we have no reason to lie waiting for signs when we have the Word of God to incourage us to believe Mat. 16.4 God has sometimes sharply shewed his anger when his people have neglected the promise waiting for signs he has brought sharp affliction upon them Luk. 1.11 20. indeed sometimes God has granted the desires of his people when they have been unbelieving and have desired signs but he does not therein shew his approbation of those desires he condescends because of the infirmities of his people so he did to Gideon but Gideons heart smote him for what he did Judg. 6.39 so Christ condescended to Thomas but withal reproved him Job 20.29 therefore never wait for signs have no dependance upon them Consider 1. When God denies signs there is a sufficient foundation for Faith God never leaves his people without a sufficient ground for Faith it is no sign that a man is not in favour with God that God takes away signs and there is a firm bottom for Faith when signs are withdrawn such as have no light may trust in the Name of the Lord Isai 50.10 Gods call is a sufficient warrant to believe 2. God many times withdraws signes to draw forth the more glorious acts of Faith when men have got signs they are very ready to live upon them and lay more weight upon them than on the stability of the Word of God and God takes away those crutches that men may learn to go without them men are brought into such a condition that they may have nothing else to rely upon but the Word of God 2 Cor. 1.9 3. God takes great delight in the acts of Faith at such a time when signs fail acts of Faith at such a time put a great deal of honour upon God and God does greatly approve of such a Faith God don't reckon men bold and presumptuous for believing at such a time God loves to see men with the shield of Faith defending themselves from all temptations this is a Faith very commendable in the sight of God and God will eminently reward his people for believing on him at such a time a man cannot please God better than by exercising Faith under such circumstances under this consideration Abraham's Faith is commended that against hope he believed in hope Rom. 4.18 and Jesus Christ commends the Faith of the Woman of Canaan when under great temptation yet she would rely upon him Matth. 15.28 O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Direction 4. Beware of frowardness and discontent frowardness is one great cause of discouragement and unbelief men get into a discontented frame and then they don't know how to believe their spirits are disordered by the dispensations of God unto them because God brings great and long afflictions upon them don't hear their prayers don't give them those inward comforts that he does unto others and when their spirits are distempered with discontent they are greatly disadvantaged to receive the encouragement that God offers unto them discontent is an enemy unto faith therefore beware of a discontented spirit when you are under any rebukes of Providence look to your spirits and labour against the first stirrings of a froward spirit the workings of frowardness does prove a temptation to unbelief and so do the workings of any other corruption as the sinfulness thereof does fright a man from believing but this is not all a froward spirit leads a man into unbelief it is a principle and cause of unbelief And that these two ways 1. Frowardness blinds the minds of men frowardness bereaves men of their understandings passion draws a vail before the eyes God presents before men several encouragements to believe but those things don t sink into mens hearts when discontented a man in a discontented frame is out of frame to consider the weight of those things that God sets before him discontentedness makes him rashly and inconsiderately to reject encouragements when God is encouraging him he don't hearken and regard it Ex. 6.9 they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage frowardness does prejudice men against believing when a man is in such a frame he construes all Gods difpensations to be from want of love he thinks if God had any love for him he would never have dealt so with him if God had had a kindness for him he would have done this for him and prevented this or that evil but he takes it as a sign that God don't regard him when froward he puts the worst sense upon every thing and represents Gods dispensations to himself as flowing from want of love he is ready to say as she how canst thou say I love thee Judg. 15.15 yea frowardness makes a man justifie his unbelief it so blinds him as it did Jonah that he thinks he does well vindicates himself as if he had cause for what he did 2. Frowardness makes men love to cavil against the encouragements that God sets before them a man in a froward frame studies objections and indulges himself in a way of cavelling there is a great deal of wilfulness in their unbelief a froward heart humours himself in his raising of objections men take a pride in cavelling and turning of the calls of God when the heart is discontented there is a great deal of a sturdy spirit working in their unbelief if I had called and he had answered yet would I not believe that he did hearken unto my voice for he breaketh me with a tempest Job 9.16 17. Direction 5. Set hefore your selves the examples of other Saints there is a cloud of witnesses gone before you men that under all sorts of difficulties and temptations have been exercising Faith remember how Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness how Job carried himself when he says tho' he slay me yet I will trust in him how David says why art thou cast down O my Soul hope in God how Jonah recovers himself yet will I look again