will bee minding other matters some about their profits and some their pleasures c. but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things that is when he presents them to vs that draweth the heart from minding other things to seeke after CHRIST to long after him and not to content your selues till you be vnited to him But besides this there is a third act of the Holy Ghost by which hee workes it and maketh this faith effectuall and that is the testimonie that the Spirit giues to our spirits telling vs that these things are ours when the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed vnto vs that wee prize them and long after them yet there must bee a third thing that is to take them to our selues to beleeue that they be ours and there needeth a worke of the Spirit for this too for though the promises be neuer so cleere yet hauing nothing but the promises you will finde that you will neuer be able to apply them to your selues but when the Holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine and these things belong to thee and GOD is thy Father when the Spirit shall beare witnesse with our spirits by an immediate work of his owne then we shall beleeue This is necessarily required and without this wee shall not beleeue It is true the holiest man doth it two wayes One is by cleering of the promises shining into our hearts by such a light as makes vs able to discerne them and to beleeue them and to assent to them But besides that hee doth it by an immediate voice by which he speaketh immediately to our spirits that wee can say as they said Ioh. 16. Now thou speakest plainly and speakest no parable we vnderstand thee fully so till the Holy Ghost speake to vs we are in a Cloud GOD is hid from vs wee cannot see him cleerely but when we haue this Spirit of Adoption to giue vs this witnesse then wee beleeue plainely indeed Therefore in Isay 57.19 saith the Lord I create the fruit of the lips Peace c. That is the Ministers may speake peace to you but vnlesse I goe and ioyne with the Minister except I adde a power of mine owne that is such an almighty power as I vsed in the Creation it shall neuer bring peace to you I create the fruit of the lips that is the words of the Minister to be peace otherwise they would be ineffectuall Therefore I say there must bee a worke of the Spirit to perswade a man in such a case And you shall finde by experience let a Minister come to them that are in despaire they will not apprehend the promises though we vse neuer so cleere reasons though we argue with them neuer so long and neuer so strongly we shall finde that all will doe nothing it will be but labour spent in vaine till GOD himselfe open the Clouds till hee will smile on a man and send his Spirit into the heart to giue a secret witnesse to him till there be a worke of his owne joyning with the promises we finde by experience that our labour is lost It is true we ought to doe this and euery man is bound to looke to the Word for faith commeth by hearing and to hearken to the Ministery for it is Gods ordinance to breed faith in the heart but yet till there be a worke of the Spirit a man shall neuer be so perswaded as to haue any sure and sound comfort by it Now all this is done by the Spirit it is the wonderfull worke of GOD for when CHRIST is propounded to men when he is offered as we haue often offered him to you we haue shewed you what accesse you haue to him that no man is excluded that he is offered to euery creature vnder heauen we haue shewed you the generality of the promise that it takes in all that you are contained vnder it that you may apply it to your selues I say when all this is done yet when a man comes to performe this to apply it to himselfe he is no more able to doe it then a dead man is able to stirre himselfe Therefore the same power that raised CHRIST from the dead is required to worke faith in our hearts as it is in Eph. 1.19 According to his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead So that it is as great a worke to moue a mans heart to CHRIST as to put life into a dead man we are as vnapt and backward to it as a dead man is to receiue life For what else is the reason that when we preach CHRIST to you when hee is offered to you that there bee so few that are affected with him that there be so few that take him doth it not shew that you are dead yea so dead that vnlesse GOD call you and that there be a mighty worke of the Spirit the hearts of men will neuer answer vnto vs. Therefore that is required as a condition in all them who will come Act. 2. So many as the LORD our GOD shall call That is when wee preach except there bee a secret voyce of the Spirit of CHRIST speaking to your hearts as wee doe to your eares and saying Come and take CHRIST no man will come We see CHRIST said to his Apostles Follow mee and presently they followed him for it was not the outward voice that did it there was a secret voice within so when GOD shall call men to take CHRIST then they doe it but not before That word that is vsed Luk. 14.23 Goe and COMPELL them to come in that my House may be full it intimates a great backwardnesse in vs. When men are compelled it shewes that not onely the arguments are strong and forcible but that there is a great backwardnesse in men that they must as it were be constrained that they must be put on it by force and against their will such is the vnaptnesse that is in men So saith CHRIST no man comes to me except the Father draw him That phrase of the Holy Ghost shewes that there is an extreme backwardnesse that if they be not forced to come as it were they will not doe it not but that when a man is once wrought vpon by the Holy Ghost hee commeth of himself but that phrase is vsed only to shew that backwardnesse that is in man by nature For when the Holy Ghost hath wrought vpon the will and hath turned that then a man commeth vpon his owne legs and is moued from an inward principle of his owne therefore men are so drawne that withall they runne after him as it is Cant. 1. but it shewes this thing for which I haue vsed it that there is a wondrous backwardnesse in all of vs by nature and that this must be done by a great worke of the Spirit Therefore the Apostle
that is to say not in the sight of man onely as if he should haue said many make a profession of faith and goe for beleeuers in GOD and for louers of GOD and men iudge them so but you haue it in the sight of God that is not only in the sight of men not only in your owne fancie apprehension and opinion but indeed in good earnest in sincerity Lastly In the sight of God our Father hee describes GOD by this property hee is a Father I need not say more for the opening of the words We will come to that point for which wee haue chosen them which is the first thing for which hee giues thankes Remembering your effectuall Faith This point wee will deliuer to you out of them that The Faith that saues vs must be effectuall This Doctrine wee haue neede to adde to that which we formerly deliuered for hauing said so much of faith that faith is that that saueth men and that there is no more required of you but to take the gift of righteousnesse onely that you receiue CHRIST onely that you beleeue in God that iustifieth the vngodly that is that you onely accept oâ— that iustification that God is ready to giue to euery man be hee neuer so vngodly Now when we heare so much of faith and that there is nothing at all required of vs but a meere taking left any man should bee deceiued and run away with a false opinion that if he haue but a naked apprehension and no more he shall doe well enough I haue chosen this Text that you may know what kinde of faith it is that is required of vs namely effâ—ctuall faith The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Now Saint Paul adding this word to it remembering your effectuall faith he giues vs this intimation that there is a faith which is not effectuall there is a faith in the world that goes for true faith which if it be examined is not a faith that saues We see through the Scriptures much mention made of a certaine faith which men had which yet was not a sauing faith we see many came and beleeued in our Sauiour but he would not commit himselfe to them for he knew what was in their hearts Here was a faith to beleeue in him nay further it was such a faith as had some effect too for it made them come to him and yet for all this it was not such a faith as God accepts it was not an effectuall faith So when Iohn Baptist came before Christ there were many hundreds that came to him and reioyced in his light but it was not effectuall but a counterfeit faith that they had notwithstanding all that So there came many that were invited to the Wedding so that the house was full but yet euery man had not a Wedding garment There was a certaine faith which brought them to the House but they had not true faith they had not the Wedding garment that is they had not such a faith as could produce and bring forth in them a conjugall affection which is the Wedding garment So two of the foure grounds had faith they brought foorth some fruite that faith strengthned and enabled them to doe so much as they did but yet it was not true faith it was not the faith which the fourth ground had And not onely in the New Testament but in the Old Testament also there is often mention made of such a faith and of such a trust in GOD as enabled men to doe much but it was not an vnfained trust it was not effectuall but as it is Ieremie 3.10 Treacherous Iudah hath not turned to mee with her whole heart but feignedly saith the LORD Therefore certainely saith the LORD their turne of euill and misery shall come they trusted in GOD but not with their whole heart So likewise Deut. 5.25 the people there desire Moses to goe and receiue the Commandements from God for them and whatsoeuer God should say to them that they would doe here was a faire profession it is likely themselues thought it to bee sound and good yet Moses tels them they were deceiued in it Oh saith hee that this people had a heart to doe this indeed So we see there is a faith that is not effectuall and therefore wee haue the more need to looke to it because there is so much false faith in the World As when you that are Tradesmen doe heare that there are so many counterfeit Drugges or so many counterfeit Colours or whatsoeuer you deale in you will looke the more to it so we should looke the better to our faith in this regard Therefore to open this point a little wee will doe these three things First I will shew the cause why there is so much vneffectuall faith why there is so much faith that is not sound and substantiall Secondly I will shew wherein the efficacy of faith consists what it is for faith to be effectuall Thirdly I will shew the reasons why God will accept no other faith at our hands why wee cannot bee saued vnlesse we haue such a faith For the first namely the causes of vneffectuall faith the reasons why the faith of many is vneffectuall that it workes not powerfully that it is not substantiall you shall finde them to be these fiue First the vanity or vneffectualnesse of faith ariseth vpon our taking of CHRIST vpon mis-information when wee know not who it is that we take when there is an errour in the person we take when wee vnderstand not aright what wee doe Many doe as the yong man that came running to CHRIST he came hastily he made account to bee his follower but CHRIST tels him that hee might mistake him and therefore he lets him know what it was to follow him what a Master he had betaken himselfe vnto saith hee if thou wilt be my seruant goe sell all that thou hast As if he should haue said Mistake me not if thou wilt be mine thou must be mine altogether thou must take vp thy Crosse thou must part with any thing Now if the yong man had gone away with this mistake that he had not vnderstood CHRIST he had become a Disciple of CHRIST as well as others but it had beene vpon a mistake And so likewise that Scribe to whom CHRIST said The Sonne of Man hath not whereon to lay his head As if hee should haue said It may be thou lookest for ease for Bed and Boord with me thou lookest for a pleasant life but it will not be so I leade not a pleasant life my selfe I haue not whereon to lay my head I am not in so good a condition as many Fowles are as many Beasts are I haue not a nest I haue not a denne that is I haue not that which should bee in steade of these to me and therefore know what thou doest
the foundation vpon the word of a man you are not built vpon this Doctrine that I teach meerely because I teach it but you are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is you see the Prophets and Apostles deliuer this Doctrine I but one may seeke a further ground then that What foundation haue the Prophets and Apostles Saith he Christ is the chiefe corner stone on which they are built So that when you haue this tract of consequence I see the promise is sure Why Because it is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets they haue affirmed it But how shall I know that they are sure Because Christ himselfe hath spoken by them hee is the chiefe corner stone when faith is thus grounded then we are truely said to bee built and rooted and grounded in faith Therefore as the Samaritanes said Ioh. 4 44. We beleeue not because thou toldâ—st vs not for thy words but wee haue heard him our selues and wee know that hee is the Messias and Sauiour of the World Now if those Samaritanes had onely beleeued because the Woman brought that relation their faith might haue fayled them but when they heard CHRIST themselues vvhen they saw him vvith their owne eyes when they could say in good earnest out of their owne knowledge wee know that this is CHRIST the Sauiour of the World that is such a faith as will hold out So when a man doth onely take a perswasion out of the generall preaching of the Word without a certaine ground it prooues ineffectuall faith but when men beleeue because themselues haue seene and out of that knowledge can say they know CHRIST to bee the Messias when they know CHRIST to bee theirs when they know CHRIST to bee the Sauiour of the World and so by consequence of them which are a part of the World then they may be truely said to bee built to bee rooted and grounded in faith This is that that Saint Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 1.19 Wee know that wee are of GOD and that all the World lyeth in wickednesse Wee know that wee are of GOD that is it is not a thing that we are vncertainely perswaded of but it is a thing that wee know as certainely as any man knowes a thing that is before his eyes as a man knowes a thing of which hee doubts not wee know that although all the World be against vs though all the World runne another way though all the World condemne vs for vaine men idle men for trusting in CHRIST crucified yet we know that we are of GOD and that all the World lyeth in wickednesse I say when a man holds out thus when hee is put to the tryall when a man knowes in his owne knowledge that it is so as Peter saith to CHRIST Ioh. 6.68 many had taken CHRIST that went away againe Saith CHRIST to his Disciples Will you also goe away Marke the answer that Peter giues No saith he Whither should wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life I know and beleeue that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD. As if he should say It is impossible that I should goe away for I know and beleeue that is I know vpon good ground I haue another manner of ground then they had If I had no more ground then the rest I should goe away as well as they but I know and beleeue that thou art CHRIST the Sonne of the liuing GOD therefore it is impossible that I should euer forsake thee although all should forsake thee This is to bee rooted and grounded in faith in this second sense when we see an infallible ground a sure Rocke vpon which our faith is built and we are willing to aduenture our selues vpon it to aduenture our goods our name our life our liberty that if a man bee brought to Martyrdome hee can aduenture himselfe and put all that hee hath vpon it This ground will hold out I say when the vnderstanding of a man is thus built vpon the Word when a man is examined euery way when hee is able to answere all arguments and all objections that may be brought against it This is the second thing wherein the effectualnesse of faith consists I should adde more but I must deferre them till the afternoone FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The Second Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THe third thing wherein the efficacy of faith is seen is when we take CHRIST this is the action of the will when wee take him in a right manner when we take him so as to hold him when we take him in such a manner as that we are knit and vnited to him That this is required First I will shew it in the generall it is a point that wee haue often mentioned heretofore but to all that I haue said I will adde that in Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neere with a true heart and assurance of faith Marke it first there must be an assurance of faith that is in the vnderstanding and minde of a man and to that must be added drawing neere and that is an act of the will for when we are assured of the truth of the promises and haue appropriated them to our selues then followes the act of the will therefore in vers 38. of that Chap. it is said The iust shall liue by faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him That Antithesis that opposition that is made in that withdrawing of a mans selfe from God is opposed to faith to drawing neere to him when a man not only beleeueth the promises but accepts and receiues them Now to doe this in a right manner is that wherein the efficacy of faith doth principally consist Now what is that It is to take Christ to draw neere to him in a right manner and then it is done when you so take him that you bring Christ into your hearts to dwell there as it is expressed Eph. 3.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith That is when there is an vnion made betweene Christ and vs when he comes into the heart when he dwels in vs and we in him when Christ is so brought into our hearts that hee liues there and when wee are so vnited to him that we liue in him when he growes in vs as the Vine in the branches and we grow in him as the branches in the Vine when faith hath done this then it is an effectuall faith when it knits and vnites vs to CHRIST as he saith I will come in and sup with him That is I will continue with him I will liue in him and rule ouer him Now when Christ is in the heart he is not there to no purpose but as Paul saith I liue in Christ and he in me I say when our taking of CHRIST shall proceede so far as to make this vnion betwixt vs
therein this efficacie lyeth when the heart is knit to him as the soule of Ionathan was to Dauid and when CHRIST shall be knit to vs againe that we shall be content to leaue Father and Mother and to become one spirit with him as it is Eph. 5.23 It is a similitude expressing the vnion betwixt Christ and the Church A man shall forsake Father and Mother and shall cleaue to his Wife The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to glew if there bee any conjunction that is neerer then other it is signified in that word there is not a word in all the Greeke Language that signifieth a neerer conjunction then the word there vsed for cleauing or glewing When a man shall forsake all euen Father and Mother the dearest things in the world and shall cleaue to Christ it is a repetition of what is said Gen. 2.24 concerning Adam and Eue when faith hath done this worke it is an effectuall faith But yet adde this againe a man may take Christ and seeme to draw neere to him when it may be it is done out of feare it may bee out of loue to his and not out of loue to him it may be done out of mis-information and mistake but when wee draw neere to GOD and doe it out of loue put these two together that we so take Christ as that there is an vnion made betweene vs and him and when it is done out of loue as that condition is put in in 1 Tim 1.5 The end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned As if hee should say There is a double kinde of faith a false faith and a faith that is not hypocriticall that is the word vsed in the Originall Now saith hee the end of the Commandement is loue c. That is all that God lookes for is such a loue as comes from a faith that is vnfeigned that is not counterfeit Herein is faith seene not to be counterfeit if it beget loue and out of that loue we cleaue to Christ. So that this is the third thing that makes faith effectuall Fourthly faith is then said to be effectuall when it hath not onely done all this when there is not onely a good preparation made for it when it is well built in the vnderstanding and when the will hath thus taken Christ but there must bee a further act and that is the turning of the whole soule and a seconding of it in our whole liues practice a seconding of it in our executions and doing the things that Christ commands as in Gal. 5. In Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by loue Such a faith as workes that is effectuall faith As if he should haue said Many will be ready to beleeue in CHRIST but will doe nothing for him they will not worke Now working is in doing or in suffering for in suffering there is a worke as well as in doing onely it is a worke with more difficulty a worke with more impediments Againe if they will doe any thing for Christ it is not out of loue but for other respects perhaps out of some flash or good moode or some other respects out to doe it as being rooted grounded in loue if faith haue this worke it is effectuall faith and therfore when faith hath once taken Christ it must shoot it selfe into all the affections for when they are all set on worke endeuour will follow If the will bee so set on worke indeed the rest will follow after it Loue will follow Desire after Christ will follow Feare to offend him will follow Repētance and turning from Satan will follow bringing forth fruits worthy amendment of life and obedience c. will follow Therefore you shall finde that the promises are made promiscuously sometimes to one thing sometimes to another sometimes he that repenteth shall be saued sometimes he that beleeueth shall be saued somtimes he that obeyeth shall be saued you shall finde them promiscuously because that when faith is effectuall it hath all these with it it purifieth the heart and bringeth forth fruit worthy amendment of life Therefore this must be added to shew the efficacie of faith and if this be wanting faith is not effectuall not that it can be disjoyned from the other but that it is that wherein it consisteth with the rest And therefore it is GODS vsuall manner when men seeme to take CHRIST and to beleeue in him he puts them to the tryall to see what they will doe whether their faith will worke or no. Thus he did with Abraham when hee would proue him hee was a faithfull man before God had experience of him before but yet he would proue Abraham by offering his sonne and when he saw he did it he concluded that he had faith indeede it was a strong faith for it endured the tryall I say GOD will put men to it So likewise those in Ioh. 12.42 Many of the chiefe Rulers beleeued in him but they durst not confesse him for feare of the Iewes lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue There was a faith in them a taking of Christ but when it came to the tryall it held not out they durst not confesse him because they feared to bee cast out of the Synagogue that is when they came to suffer a little for Christs sake when they came to such an action as confessing his Name when they came to endure but such a thing as to bee cast out of the Synagogue they forsooke him which shewed that their beliefe was ineffectuall So that let a man seeme to haue all the other three yet when the praise of men shall come in competition with any command of GOD when God shall put him to doe any thing to part with any thing that is deare to him as he did Abraham if his faith worke not if his faith hold not out in the tryall but start aside like a broken Bow it is not effectuall faith So you see the things wherein the efficacie of faith consisteth First in the soundnesse of the preparation Secondly when the mind apprehends the promises and sees good ground to pitch vpon them Thirdly when the will so takes Christ as to bring Christ into the heart so that Christ liues in vs and that out of loue And fourthly when faith worketh and that in the time of tryall when God shall put vs to it I say when you finde these foure things you may conclude that your faith is effectuall The last thing I propounded is to shew how this is wrought how our faith is made effectuall It is made effectuall by the Spirit of God it is not in our owne power we are not able to beleeue nay wee are so farre from it that wee striue against it the spirit in vs resists it so that if GOD
may be many delusions in this kinde many Hypocrites may haue great raptures they may haue great ioy as if they were lift vp into the third heauen they may haue a great and strong perswasion that their estate is good Satan is very apt to delude vs in this kinde to put a counterfeit vpon vs in stead of true faith Therefore wee will not content our selues with this but giue other markes that will not deceiue At this time you are to consider you that come to the Sacrament Is it not a maine thing to consider whether you haue faith or no What do you here else you haue nothing to doe with Christ you haue no interest in him and if you haue no interest in him what doe you with the Elements which represent his body and his blood And therefore you haue cause to attend to it First therfore if thou find such a worke in thy heart for if thou conclude that there is no such worke thou needest not examine further thou maist be sure that thou hast not faith but if thou haue such a worke if thou wouldst know whether it be really and truly or whether it be a fancie or delusion consider First if it be true it purifies the heart in Acts 15.9 saith the Apostle Peter there God hath put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith hee had purified their hearts So in Acts 26.18 And thou shalt preach forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that are sanctified by faith So that this you must take as a sure rule If thy faith bee true it purifies thy heart it sanctifies thee And therefore you see faith and repentance are alwaies put together Repent and beleeue for they are neuer disjoyned If thou find the worke of repentāce be not wrought throughly soundly in thee if thou finde thy heart not purified if thou be not sanctified if there be not a sanctified disposition in thee be sure it is a delusion it is not faith or if faith be as you heard heretofore a taking of CHRIST not as a Sauiour onely but as a Priest and not as a Priest onely but as a King too it must needes be that there must be reall obedience or else it is not faith thou hast not taken him If there be nothing but a meere assent as the Papists affirme in another case For faith is a taking of Christ and a giuing of our selues to him againe so that there is a match there is a bargaine a Couenant betweene vs as hee saith in Heb. 8.8 I will make a New Couenant with them Now a Couenant hath two parts If GOD doe this for you you must doe somewhat on your part you must loue him and obey him As in a Marriage the Husband doth not onely take the Wife but the Wife also takes the Husband If faith bee such a thing as this there must needes be a generall reformation of the life or else it is certaine thou hast not taken him Therefore know that as there is a liuely hope so there is a liuely faith And when it is said to be a liuely faith it intimates that there is another that is a dead faith that is There is a kinde of beleeuing a kinde of taking Christ a kinde of giuing a mans selfe to him but yet marke it saith he it is such a one as breeds no life in thee Marke if thy faith be such a faith as hath brought Christ to dwell in thy heart so as the soule dwels in the body if it be such a dwelling in thy heart that there be life in thee for Christ when he dwels in vs he acts the soule as the soule acts the body As the body now when the soule is there is able to moue is able to stirre is able to doe any thing So the soule of a man it fals to the duties of godlinesse and new obedience to all good workes it is ready as the Apostle saith to euery good worke it is nimble and ready to goe about them you are aliue to righteousnesse Hath faith so brought Christ into thy heart that he liues in thee as he did in Paul that thou canst finde and say truely I am dead to sinne and liue to righteousnesse That thou hast mortified the deedes of the body by the Spirit that thou findest another life working in thee except thou canst finde this it is not true faith for true faith is such as brings Christ to dwell in thy heart and he dwels there when he reviues thy spirit as it is Isay 57.13.14 I dwell in the high Heauens and with him also that is of a contrite spirit to reviue the Spirit of the humble that is he neuer dwels but he giues life And if thou finde not such a life in thy selfe conclude that thy faith is not good And this you ought the more to marke because many thousands seeme to take CHRIST and to doe much and yet for all this they haue not life all the while Take two grafts it may be there is incision made in both both may be planted as you often see in Plants after they bee planted if you would know whether the grafting bee true or no if you come a while after and see one of the grafts dead and withered you say this grafting was not good or the stocke was not good somewhat was amisse and if you finde it to bud and that there be life in it then you say it was grafted indeed the grafting was good and right So when a man comes and takes CHRIST if thou see thou be grafted if thou find thy life to be the same if thou finde thou art no more able to pray nor no more able to doe any duty then thou wast before that thou liuest in thy lusts as much as euer thou didst thou hast not that new heart that new spirit and that new affection which the Scriptures speake of bee sure then that thou art not grafted for if thou wert grafted aright by faith for it is that which grafteth there would bee life When as the graft is taken out of the former Tree it beares no more that fruit but it liues and beares another fruite Therefore consider if this be so or no and that is the reason of that answer of Philip to the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts Vers. 37. The Eunuch professed to beleeue and would haue beene baptized Saith Philip thou mayest if thou beleeue with all thine heart Thou mayest thinke it is nothing but it is a resoluing from time to time to giue vp thy selfe to be Christs seruant to take his yoake to weare his Liuery and his Badge Now Baptisme is but a seale to confirme and testifie this to thy selfe and to the World that thou hast giuen thy selfe to CHRIST saith Philip take heede to thy selfe if it bee a false taking thou maist not haue him but if thou
as if he vsed it not he would not care for losses crosses he would not grieue for them as one that is not able to beare them Thus we should learne to set faith on worke in beleeuing these priuiledges that we may be able to walke with God as Henoch did and as Paul and Moses did to walke with him in the vpper Region aboue the stormes There is much variety of weather when a man is below here now it is faire and then it is foule if a man were aboue these there is a continuall serenity So a man that hath his heart in Heauen a man that walkes with GOD that hath his heart raised aboue others if you would doe this if you would vse Faith if thou wouldest consider this it would set thee aloft aboue these things thou wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle thou wouldest care no more for these things then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes they are trifles thou wouldest ouerlooke them all If we did consider this seriously how would it alter our course It would worke another disposition another affection in vs. A man would consider that if GOD be sure what matter is it if a friend die If I haue GOD what is the losse of any creature And so if a man suffer wrong in his name what is it if he haue praise of GOD If thou beleeue and see GOD in his greatnes to haue praise of such a one as he will make thee to contemne the rest And so for wealth What is pouerty What account did Paul make of it It is nothing to one that hath Treasure in Heauen to one that beleeues indeede to one that seeth hee hath all GODS Treasures opened to him Thou shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest If a man would set this Faith aworke to beleeue it his heart would be fixed hee would bee afraid of no euill tydings hee would say with himselfe if there bee no ill tydings from heauen it is no matter from whence they come on earth If a man would build through faith vpon the promise and consider it really This is the vse of Faith thus a mans heart should be filled with ioy a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report through want and through abundance without being much troubled with either the one would not much puffe him vp nor the other would not deject him but he would goe as a Gyant and march thorow the variety of conditions he would passe through them that neither the one hand nor the other the good successe nor the ill successe should worke vpon him much This is a strong man and this Faith will make thee able to doe if thou vse Faith and set it aworke But I am sorry the time hath cut me off this is but an entrance I giue you but a little taste There are many things wherein Faith stands vs in much stead wherin if wee did vse Faith how much seruice would it doe vs But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith I had thought to haue shut it vp at this time to shew you how to vse it how to make it effectuall how to set it aworke how to walke by it how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your owne But I cannot stand on it So much for this time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fifth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE first thing wherein thou shouldest vse Faith is to comfort thy selfe by it Therefore consider you that doubt of this you that make question I speake to those that haue the work wrought whom the Holy Ghost hath made to desire Christ aboue all things I say remember that God iustifieth the vngodly and that you haue nothing to doe but to take him 2. Remember that CHRIST is made righteousnesse to vs that no flesh might reioyce in his sight but he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. 3. Remember that the pardon is generall Looke to the promises of the Gospell you shall finde them without all exception To vs a Sauiour is borne to take away the sinnes of his people he came to take away sinnes of all sorts Now when GOD hath made no exception why should we make any 4. Consider that wee haue to doe with a GOD who delights to shew mercie it is a thing that he is not weary of it is naturall to him And therefore as the eye is not wearie of seeing nor the eare of hearing because it is naturall to them no more is GOD weary of shewing mercie Nay he delights in it Mic. 7.8 Who is a God like vnto thee taking away iniquities delighting to shew mercie c. Why so Because mercy pleaseth him That is there is no worke that he is so much pleased in as in shewing mercy 5. Consider thou that art in such a case consider that his mercy is as large as any other attribute Euery man thinkes that this is no newes what need you tell vs that GOD is infinite in mercy I say this is a thing that thou dost not consider if thou diddest thou wouldest not sticke vpon it as thou doest If thou diddest beleeue that GOD were as mercifull as he is but we scant GOD according to our measure we square Gods mercy according to our own thoughts Euery man measures Gods mercy according to that which he can conceiue He thinkes with himselfe if a man commit one sinne it might be forgiuen but when his sinnes exceede when they grow out of measure sinfull when they are sinnes so circumstantiated as we say that they are out of measure sinfull here a man stands at a stay What is the reason of this Because we draw a scantling of Gods mercy according to our owne conceits Whereas if we considered that his mercie were as large as any other attribute then we would consider that it hath no limits and if it haue no limits then whatsoeuer thy sinnes are it is all one 6. Dost thou thinke that Christ came from heauen and tooke flesh and suffered death to forgiue small sinnes No it was to forgiue the greatest the worke is large enough to match with the greatest sinnes These and such like reasons thou shouldest labour to bring to heart that thou mayest beleeue perfectly and throughly and giue not ouer till thou haue done it Let not thy faith trust in Christ by halues but trust throughly Thou shouldest come to this disjunction If I bee out of the Couenant why doe I beleeue at all why doe I receiue any comfort If I bee in the Couenant why doe I not beleeue perfectly I say giue not ouer till thou haue brought thy heart to a full assurance Thus a man should doe that yet doubts whether his estate be good whether CHRIST bee his when he is his For when a man is once in the Couenant that the match is made betweene him and thee why doest thou doubt If thou
great care hee had rather lay vp faithfull prayers in heauen he had rather see them brought vp in the feare of GOD for hee trust GOD and he thinkes that his blessing can doâ— it without meanes and he knows that great meanes without Gods blessing cannot doe it But when another man is in this case hee lookes to that which is represented to his eyes and therefore he will not haue done till he haue prouided such a portion for such a childe till he haue built him houses till he haue made them firme on euery side till he haue added house to house this is out of want of faith he beleeues not hence it is that these two runne a different course So againe one man lookes to his businesse he will not spend time to examine his heart he will not spend time in prayer from day to day he saith my businesse will goe at sixe and seuens my businesse will not be done when as another man that hath chosen Maries portion is content to lose somewhat hee is content that many things should goe amisse he is content to lose somewhat of his estate he is content to let his businesse lye vndone or not to be so well done because he thinkes to be busie in good workes in prayer and to haue the fauour of GOD is greater aduantage he thinkes hee hath chosen the better part Now it is faith that workes this difference What should I doe Why should I name any more Instances You may name more to your selues as you haue faith so it will guide you it will turne you this way and that way in the turnings and passages of your life But now because I am farre in the poynt and I see the time runnes fast away before I leaue I would not only shew you what faith is able to doe but I would worke you to this a little You will say then What is it to trust in GOD For that is the reason of all the difference you see Therefore saith Paul 1 Tim. 4.10 We labour and suffer rebuke what is the reason If you would know the cause why we leade such a life why we runne another course then others why wee liue a painefull life in labour from day to day but if a man had good wages he might well doe that we labour and suffer and are rebuked and haue nothing but persecution for our paines but saith he we doe it because we trust in the liuing God therefore we labour and suffer and are rebuked because wee trust in the liuing GOD. I say doe this and thou shalt be able to doe the same that Moses did thou shalt be able to doe the same that Paul did the same that all the Saints haue done If I could but perswade you now to trust in God to set your faith aworke thus farre There is no man that heares me this day that is in any other course then in the wayes of Religion and godlinesse but he would turne his course and therefore I will labour in this a little You will aske me then what it is to trust GOD I will shew you a little what it is because euery man is ready to say I trust in GOD but I am not able to doe this that you say when I come to such a hard turning Deceiue not thy selfe this is to trust in God namely to be vnbottomed of thy selfe and of euery creature and so to leane vpon GOD that if hee faile thee thou sinkest There is many a man that pretends he trusts in GOD but hee so trusts GOD that withall hee will prouide for himselfe such a man saith GODS blessing is a good addition but to haue that for all hee will not he will be sure he will be strong he will make his Mountaine strong about him and he will haue the blessings of GOD too for faith in the promises hee makes them good notions but for things to trust to to rest on it is a thing he will not be perswaded to Now this is not to trust in GOD. But this is to trust in him when thou doest so cast thy selfe on him that if he should faile thee thou wert vndone by it To exemplifie it to you There was an action that Alexander the Great did I vse it onely to expresse what I meane by trusting in GOD When hee was sicke there comes a friend that was alwaies close with him that was a Physician and he prepared him a Potion but before the same came to him there was a Letter deliuered to him to signifie to him that that very Potion was poyson when his friend came with his Potion in his hand he takes the Letter that was sent to giue him notice of the Treason and drinkes off the Cup with one hand and reaches the Letter with the other so he dranke off the Cup before he shewed the Letter Here Alexander trusted him if he had failed him he had lost his life he did not first shew the Letter and then heare his excuse for himselfe but hee shewed that he trusted him In such a case if thou be able to trust GOD if thou canst put thy selfe vpon him if he faile the thou art vndone in such a case this is to trust in GOD. To vse another expression that you may know what it is There was a King of this Land that sent his seruant a Generall of his Army to spare a Citie he had command vnder the Broad Seale from the Councell and from the Kings owne hand to doe it and to disobey this Warrant was death But withall the King sent him a secret message that he should destroy the Citie and to trust him to saue his life The party did so The Broad-Seale and Commission was to spare the City to sorbeare it The secret charge was to destroy it This he did and trusted the King for his life if hee had fayled him he had been destroyed These similitudes shew what it is to trust in GOD If thou be brought to such an exigent if thou wilt trust GOD in such a case as wherin if he faile thee thou art vndone This is to trust GOD not to seeke his blessing so as to make that an addition but to put all vpon him Therefore that you may know that this is to trust in GOD know that except thou doe it thus GOD is not ready to answer thee Therfore commonly he puts not forth his strength to deliuer men or to bestow vpon them any great blessing but when hee hath brought men to such an exigent And because men will not trust in him commonly while other props are taken away For wee should trust in GOD in the middest of prosperity and happinesse but because men will not doe it till then hee strips them of all that they may doe it he brings a man to such a case that he shall haue nothing else to trust vnto What is the reason that Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.
as they are taken in an euill Net Satan takes them there to destroy them eternally Againe the afflictions of the godly are not so heauy to them as the afflictions of the wicked are GOD afflicts them in the branches not in the roote they drinke of the Cup but not of the dregs but as for the wicked hee smites them so as that hee smites them not the second time that they roare for his wrath Psal. 31.24 The godly though hee fall yet shall he rise againe he shall not be cast off the Lord puts vnder his hand That is though the godly fall into affliction yet he is not broken in the fall GOD puts vnder his hand hee fals soft he fals not so as to breake his necke to be vndone so there is that difference So that though GOD doe the same act to both yet he doth it to the one for loue to the other he doth the same act for destruction Like to a man that loppes Trees there is a certaine season in the yeere when if he loppe his Trees they will be the better for it if they be lopped in due season they are the better loppe them at another time and they will wither So God comes to the wicked man in the vnfittest time to him a time when they looke not for him a time that the wicked men feare least then hee comes iust as a Thiefe doth in the worst and most dangerous time of all for the owner of the house then comes the Thiefe he pickes out that time So GOD comes vpon the wicked and afflicts them when they are in peace and prosperity take heede that he loppe thee not at that time when thou shalt wither to destruction when thou art not prepared So the Scripture saith sudden destruction comes vpwicked men So that suddennesse is when men are not prepared And so when God saith will free the godly from sudden death his meaning is he will prepare him and fit him for death Put all these together That the wicked bring their enterprizes to passe that the godly are crossed and afflicted that GOD hath a speciall end in this that death affliction and sicknesse come suddenly vpon none but wicked men and it will giue satisfaction to any man I should come now to presse the point but the time is past I cannot doe it So much shall serue for the second Vse for the answering of the Objections The third thing to set faith on worke in is to sanctifie you to mortifie your lusts to reuiue and strengthen you in the inward man and to make it quicke in euery good worke This point I intended to handle at this time Faith is exceeding effectuall to doe this I will touch it but in one word I will not hold you long Set faith aworke to sanctifie thy heart You will aske me How shall I doe it Faith doth it diuers wayes I cannot goe thorow them Set faith a worke to beleeue the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes to beleeue the loue of GOD towards thee to beleeue the promises and thou shalt finde that these will sanctifie thy heart this act of faith wil purifie thy-thy-heart But how can that be Because this shall turne thy heart from thy sinnes to GOD for there is no way to mortifie lusts and to quicken thy heart but by causing thee to delight in GOD. No man can haue his heart weaned from sinne diuorsed from sinne which he hath beene wedded to all his life except he find another Husband in whom hee may delight more Now the more thou beleeuest that God is thine the more thou beleeuest that thy sins are forgiuen the more thou canst set faith on worke to doe this the more victory thou shalt get ouer thy sinnes that is the nature of mans disposition that still it desires that object that is amiable and pleasant Now if thou looke on GOD as a Iudge that will turne thee away from him that makes thee continue stil in sin but when thou lookest vpon him as vpon one that loues thee as one that fauoureth thee as one that is thy frend that accepts thee this will winne thine heart this will cause a mans heart to turne from sinne to turne from darknes to light it will make him to leaue the wayes wherein he delighted before it will diuorse a mans heart from the sinne wherein it hath taken pleasure a long time so that it shall neuer get the victory ouer it Therefore the best way in such a case is to set faith aworke to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes remember the promises of GOD those promises you haue heard often that God will forgiue thy sinnes that he will pardon thee take these promises and apply them see GOD ready to forgiue this will turne thy heart from sinne thou shalt finde sinne dye and wither in thee and thy heart to growe and bee quickned in grace you know that to get a louing heart is to beleeue that GOD loues vs to beleeue that our sinnes are forgiuen Now I say there is nothing that weakneth sinne indeede but to loue GOD whatsoeuer sinne is weakned by other meanes then by loue to GOD by turning the heart to him by repentance and mortification that sinne lyeth hid though it seeme no way to increase this increaseth loue when we beleeue the promise of GOD that he is ready to forgiue that is effectuall for this purpose When CHRIST came to Peter and said vnto him Louest thou me then saith he feede my Sheepe So after this manner when thou once beleeuest that GOD loues thee and canst bring thy heart to loue him againe if now CHRIST should come to thee and say Louest thou me who loued thee and gaue my selfe for thee If thou doest loue me disdaine such a thing which I hate doe not such things as will grieue me keepe my Commandements keepe my Sabbaths if thou louest me let not thy conuersation be in wantonnesse in strife and enuying it thou loue me labour to bring some glory to my Name and to doe some good to mankinde if thou loue me be diligent in thy Calling if thou loue mee honour mee doe good to others doe good to thy selfe with it Let a man goe thorow all the particulars of sinne and he would abstaine from it if hee would set faith on worke this way to sanctifie his heart Againe faith doth it by ouercomming the World that when a man is drawne one of these two things drawes him Either some offer of some great benefit or some great euill which he is put in feare of now when hee lookes and seeth that GOD is able to keepe him when men doe their worst and that hee can giue him a heauenly Kingdome when he lookes to the promise he is aboue the World Againe he not onely ouercomes riches but he makes aduantage of them hee not onely loues them as a slaue but he gets the victory ouer them and hee gets seruice from
them And so when men can make their recreations to serue their turnes for better purposes when a man not onely ouercomes them gets the victory of them but makes them seruiceable so a man make aduantage of the World Againe when thou wouldest haue thy sanctification increased increase thy faith The more thou beleeuest the more the Spirit of Christ is conueyed into thy heart The stronger thy faith is the more the winde of grace the sappe shall flow from CHRIST into thy heart As old Adams corruption it is with the grace of CHRIST when thou commest neere thou art ingraft into the similitude of his death that is there comes a gift from him he sends his Spirit into thy heart that doth make thee ioy in him that causeth thee to dye to sin and to liue to righteousnesse This I thought to haue opened But so much shal serue for this time and for this Text. FINIS OF LOVE THE FIRST SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love IN the fourth verse of this chapter the Apostle affirmes that there is no justification by the law for saith hee If you be justified by the law you are fallen from grace that is you cannot be partakers of that justification which is by grace Because for to have it by the law and to have it by grace are opposite And he gives a reason for it because saith he Through the Spirit we waite for the hope of that righteousnes which is by faith and not by the law When he had expressed himselfe so farre which is the righteousnesse received by faith that is that righteousnesse which is freely given by God offered to us wrought by Christ but taken by faith on our parts Thus saith he you must be justified Now to confirme this he gives a reason in this verse that I have read for saith he In Christ Iesus that is to put a man into Christ Iesus or to make him acceptable to God through Christ Iesus to doe this neither circumcision availeth any thing or uncircumcision That is neither the keeping of any part of the ceremoniall law or the omission of it nor the keeping of the morall law or the breaking of it will helpe to ingraffe a man into Christ or to make him acceptable to God through Christ What will doe it then nothing saith hee but onely faith Now lest we should be mistaken in this as if he should require nothing at their hands but an empty idle faith hee addeth further it must be such a faith as is effectuall as is working And that is not enough but it must be such a faith as workes by love So that you have two parts in this Text One is a removall or a negation of that which doth not ingraffe us into Christ or that makes us not acceptable to God through Christ it is not being circumcised or uncircumcised or any thing of that nature The other is the affirmative part What is it that doth it that makes us in a glorious condition that makes us sonnes of God saith he it is onely faith and love it is such a faith as is accompanied with love and good workes so that you see hee removes all workes of ours all workes of the ceremoniall law circumcision is nothing it is as good as if you were not circumcised it is all one And by the same reason that circumcision is excluded all other is And not onely workes of the ceremoniall law but all the workes of the morall law also considered as the meanes of justification because they are opposite to faith they exclude faith and faith excludes them so as they are as well to be shut out as the workes of the ceremoniall law None of these saith the Apostle will doe it For you must know the way to salvation is contrary to that of damnation Looke how you lost the kingdome of God so you must get it looke what gate you went out at by the same gate as it were you must come in at What was it that lost all mankind the kingdome of heaven You know it was not our particular breaches of the morall law but it was the fall of Adam and when the root was dead you know all the branches died with it Well what way is there then to regaine this losse We must goe in againe into Paradise by the same way that wee went out that is by being borne of the second Adam and by being made partakers of his righteousnesse By being borne of him or ingrafted into him As you communicate of the sinne of the other because you are his children so you must partake of his righteousnesse Againe saith the Apostle it is the Lords pleasure that you should be saved after this manner because he would have it to be of grace If you should have beene saved by any workes of your owne you would have imputed it to your selves and to your owne strength But the Lord would have it to be of grace of his free will and therefore hee will have it meerely of faith by taking the righteousnesse of the second Adam which he hath wrought for you Againe he would have it sure to all your seede if it had beene by workes it would never have beene sure unto you you could never have kept the law so exactly But since Christ hath wrought righteousnesse and you have no more to doe but to take it now it is sure or else it would never have beene sure Againe if it had beene by workes the flesh had had wherein to rejoyce it might have something to boast of But the Lord will have no man to rejoyce in the flesh but let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in the Lord. Now if it had been by works if it had beene by any inherent righteousnesse by any ornament of grace that the Lord had beautified us with we had had rejoycing in our selves but now that it is by the second Adam by comming home to him by taking him by applying his righteousnesse Now no flesh can rejoyce in it selfe but now whosoever rejoyceth rejoyceth in the Lord. Therefore saith the Apostle you must know this truth you can never be saved by doing these actions no nor you shall not lose salvation by omitting them for this is not the way that the Lord hath appointed mankinde to be saved by But the way by which mankinde must be saved is by receiving Iesus Christ and his righteousnes But you must remember that you must take him so as to love him And it must be such a love as is fruitfull in good workes and not an emptie and idle love that is a love in shew onely but it must be a love in deede and in truth Now in the handling of these words we will begin with the affirmative part because though the other be put first yet the affirmatiō you know in order of nature is before the negation therfore I wil begin with
actions that is they are likewise precious Therefore let no man say he hath faith and love and as good a heart as the best though his actions be not so good though he be not so strict in his carriage for it cannot be my brethren For first of all if a mans heart be good hee hath the spirit of God dwelling there now saith the Apostle 2 Tim 1.6 The spirit is not a spirit of feare or a spirit of weaknesse a spirit that onely makes attempts and is not able to bring things to passe but it is a spirit of power a spirit of a sound minde That is doe not thou pretend thou meanest well and desirest well and thinke it is sufficient but stirre up the gift that is in thee set thy selfe on worke doe the actions that belong to thee in thy place and doe not say I am not able to doe it for wee have not received a spirit that is weake but a spirit of power the same I may say to every Christian If ye be in Christ yee have the spirit which is a spirit of power So you have it likewise Gal. 5.25 If you live in the spirit walke in the spirit that is if you have so much of the spirit as to make you living men shew it by walking in the spirit by following the spirit by doing that which the spirit guides you to therefore it is impossible that a man should have a right minde but that his workes also will be good because grace is strong in 2 Tim. 2.1 And thou my sonne be strong in the grace received c. As if hee should say grace is a strong thing it strengthens every man that hath received it if thou professe thou hast received the grace of Christ to regenerate thee to change thee and to make thee a new creature let that appeare by shewing thy selfe strong in thy actions able and ready to doe every thing that belongs to thee in thy place Indeede flesh is weake so much flesh so much weaknesse for that is weake and fading and withering and mutable it is grasse and all the purposes of it and the desires of it are no better but the spirit is strong and grace is strong quite contrary to the flesh as the Prophet speakes Isa. 31.3 Yee are men and not Gods flesh and not spirit when he would shew their weaknesse as if weaknesse were a concomitant of the flesh and strength a concomitant of the spirit Therefore if you have the spirit of Christ in you there will be strength to goe through good workes not onely to intend them and purpose them and resolve on them but you will put those resolutions and purposes in execution Secondly it must needes be so because there is a chaine betweene good workes and the inward rectitude of the heart a chaine that cannot be disjoyned for ye shall finde that these three things alwayes goe together First as that indeede is the beginning of every mans renewing there must be a knowledge a man must be enlightened hee must be renewed in the spirit of his minde as the Apostle saith Now if the knowledge bee right if it bee a convicting knowledge a sanctifying knowledge a knowledge to purpose it will draw on affections it cannot chuse they are never separated you are never truly enlightened by Gods spirit but affections follow necessarily and then if the affections be right if knowledge draw on holy affections love and feare and desires c. affections are the immediate principles of actions there is no man that hath right affections but good workes will follow so that these three are never disjoyned sanctified knowledge draweth on holy affections and holy affections draw on good actions as yee have it in Matth. 13.5 Their hearts are waxed fat and their eares are dull of hearing and why you shall see the chaine there lest seeing with their eyes they should understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heale them Marke it if they should see with their eyes the Lord hath given them up to judge amisse of things that seeing they doe not see that is they see not to purpose they are not convinced they doe not judge for if they did see with their eyes that is if they did see indeede they would have understood with their hearts their affections would follow in their hearts and if they were set aright then they would be converted that is their lives would be turned to God and if these three were done he must needes heale them but saith God I am resolved not to heale them therefore they shall see as if they did not see for these will draw on one the other So I say if the heart were right if there were faith and love good workes would follow therefore let no man say hee hath grace hee hath love and faith except his life also be holy and good Lastly wheresoever there is faith and love there is a change of nature for you know that wheresoever they come faith that is effectuall and love that followeth from faith it makes a man a new creature they are the very things wherein a new ereature consists Now when a mans nature is changed it must needes be active for that which is naturall to a man he doth without unevennesse there is no inequality in his doing it he doth it constantly where there are naturall principles of actions the actions flow like water from a spring indeede where the nature of a man is not changed that is where there is onely good purposes and good desires and no alteration of nature there actions doe not come as water from a spring but as water from a pompe that is forced and extorted but where there is a change of nature there is no difficultie a man doth it with facility and with desire it is his meate and drinke to doe the will of God Therefore I say good workes will follow there will be the same degree of holinesse of rectitude in your lives in your actions as there is of grace as there is of faith and love in your hearts And this is enough to make the point plaine to you the maine businesse will be to make use of it and to apply it to your selves And first let us make this use of it not to content our selves with good meanings onely as it is the fashion of men to say my heart is as good as yours and my meaning is as good as yours though I be subject to infirmities though I cannot make such a shew though I cannot doe so much as others doe this is the common objection and though men say it not constantly yet they thinke it otherwise they would not content themselves in such a condition as they doe But I say deceive not your selves in this for my brethren you must know that you may have good purposes and good meanings we will not deny you that you may have these
to haue performed the workes of sanctification by any power or strength of our own we should yet haue beene ready to boast thereof Christ is made sanctification too so that we are not able to thinke a good thought we are not able to doe the least good thing without him It is I saith the Lord that doth sanctifie you It is I that doth act euery Grace it is I that doe put your hearts into a good frame Christ is made sanctification to vs so that take a holy man after he is iustified it is CHRIST that sanctifieth him and that carries him thorow his life in a holy and righteous conuersation and all this is done that no flesh should reioyce in it selfe And yet one thing more is added by the Apostle for if a man could rid himselfe out of misery if a man could helpe himselfe when he is vnder any crosse or trouble hee would then be ready to boast in himselfe therefore saith he Christ is made to vs redemption also so that take any euill though it be but a small euill a small disease a little trouble no man is able to helpe himselfe in this case it is Christ that redeemes vs from the least euils as well as from hell it selfe For you must know that all the miseries that befall vs in the World they are but so many degrees so many descents and steps towards hell now all the redemption that we haue it is from CHRIST so that let vs looke into our liues and see what euils we haue escaped and see what troubles we haue gone thorow see what afflictions we haue beene deliuered from it is all through CHRIST who is made redemption for vs. It is true indeede there are some generall workes of GODS prouidence that all men taste of but there is no euill that the Saints are freed from but it is purchased by the Blood of CHRIST and all this GOD hath done that no flesh might reioyce in it selfe and for this cause saluation is propounded to be receiued onely by faith there is no more required at our hands but the taking of Christ by faith and when we haue taken him then hee is all this to vs. So that now you see the point cleared and the reasons why it is by faith onely that the righteousnesse of CHRIST is made ours to saluation Now in the next place If to this that wee haue said wee adde but one thing more to cleere the point we shall then haue done enough to satisfie you in this point and that is this to shew you what this faith is for when wee speake so much of faith as wee doe euery man will be inquisitiue to know what this faith is therefore wee will endeuour to doe that at this time First Faith if we should take it in the generall it is nothing else but this An act of the vnderstanding assenting to something But now this assent is of three sorts First there is such an assent to a truth as that a man is in a great feare lest the contrary should be true and this we call opinion when we so assent to any proposition as that that which is contrary may be true for ought we know There is a second kind of assent which is sure but it is grounded vpon reasons and arguments and that we call Science or knowledge that is when we are sure of the thing we assent to wee make no doubt of it but wee are led vnto it by the force of reason Againe there is a third kinde of assent which is a sure assent too but we are led to it by the authority of him that affirmeth it and this is that which is properly called Faith So that a generall definition of Faith is this It is nothing else but a firme assent giuen to the things contained in the holy Scriptures for the authority of God that spake them This is properly Faith or beleeuing if wee take the word in the generall But if we speake of iustifying Faith we shall finde that that is not commonly expressed in the word beleeuing only but beleeuing in Christ which is another thing and therefore you shall finde that it differeth in two things from this common and generall faith First in regard of the object and indeede that is the maine difference for whereas the other faith lookes vpon the whole Booke of GOD and beleeues all that GOD hath reuealed because GOD hath reuealed it This iustifying Faith pitcheth vpon CHRIST and takes him with his benefits and priuiledges so that the difference lyeth not in the habit of Faith but in the object for with the same faith that we beleeue other things we beleeue this as with the same hand that a man takes other Writings with he takes a Pardon with the same eyes that the Israelites see other things they looked vpon the brazen Serpent the difference was not in the faculty but in the object vpon which they looked by which they were healed so it is in this betweene this â—aith and the other they differ not in the habit but in the object There is a second difference which is a maine difference too the other faith doth no more but beleeue the truth that is reuealed it beleeueth that all is true that is contained in the Scriptures and the Deuils may haue this faith and wicked men may haue it but iustifying faith goeth further it takes CHRIST and receiues him so that there is an act of the Will added to that faith as it is expressed Heb. 11.13 They saw the promises afarre off and embraced them thankfully Others it may be see the promises and beleeue them but they take them not they doe not embrace them So that if I should define iustifying Faith vnto you it may bee thus described It is a Grace or a habit infused into the soule by the Holy Ghost whereby we are enabled to beleeue not onely that the Messias is offered to vs but also to take and receiue him as a Lord and Sauiour That is both to be saued by him and to obey him Marke it I put them together to take him as a Lord and as a Sauiour for you shall find that in the ordinary phrase of Scripture these two are put together Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Therefore we must take heede of disjoyning those that GOD hath joyned together we must take CHRIST aswell for a Lord as a Sauiour let a man doe this and he may be assured that his faith is a iustifying faith Therefore marke it diligently if a man will take CHRIST as a Sauiour onely that will not serue the turne CHRIST giueth not himselfe to any vpon that condition only to saue him but we must take him as a Lord too to be subject to him to obey him and to square our actions according to his will in euery thing For he is not onely a Sauiour but also a Lord and he will
himselfe put not his hand to the worke no man is able to beleeue You may thinke when you see such generall propositions as these that Christ is offered to euery creature vnder heauen and that whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued you may thinke I say that it is easie to bring this home in particular to say Surely this pardon belongs to mee My Brethren it is another thing for a man indeed to beleeue for him to take CHRIST so as to deny himselfe for him to take him so as to mortifie his lusts so as to take vp his crosse so as to obey CHRIST to follow him in all things this is a thing that no man is able to doe vnlesse GOD enable him to it with his almighty power For the heart of euery man by nature is so shut vp against CHRIST that it will giue no entrance to him he may stand and knocke long enough vnlesse GOD himselfe shake off the bolts and open the gates and breake open these euerlasting doores that the King of Glory may come in we will not admit him but keepe him out Euery man naturally hath a hard heart that cannot repent that cannot turne from sinne he will bee content perhaps to take Christ for a Sauiour but to take him so as to obey him and feare him so as to loue him this no man will doe or can doe vnlesse the Holy Ghost enable him But you will aske How doth the Holy Ghost doe it The Holy Ghost doth it by these three acts First by putting an efficacie into the Law and making that powerfull to worke on the heart to make a man poore in spirit that so he may be fit to receiue the Gospell For the Law though it be fit to humble a man yet it is no worke of sanctification If a man were able to doe any thing he were able to see the righteousnesse the Law requires and how far he is from it and to discerne the curse vpon the not doing of it and yet this he is not able to doe without the spirit of bondage the spirit of bondage must make the Law effectuall as well as the spirit of Adoption doth the Gospell That is except the LORD himselfe presse the Law on our hearts so as to cause it to make sinne appeare to vs wee that are the Ministers of GOD may discouer your sinnes we may shew you the rectitude required in the Law we may shew you the danger yet all will be to no purpose vnlesse God awaken you if he will set sinne vpon the conscience to worry a man to plucke him downe when GOD shall charge sinne on him that he shall feele the weight and burthen of it when he shall sharpen sinne and cause it to vse its sting this makes a man fit to receiue CHRIST otherwise if the sonnes of Thunder should speake to men if we should come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay if GOD himselfe should thunder from heauen all would not moue the heart of a man all would not awaken him to see his sinnes till God himselfe shake the heart To conuert the Gaâ—ler in Acts 16. the foundation of the Prison was shaken which was a resemblance of the shaking of his heart wee may as well shake the Earth as strike the heart of a sinner without the worke of GOD. For though the Law be a sword yet vnlesse GOD take that sword into his hand and strike therewithall himselfe it shall not be able to wound a sinner Therefore the first worke of the Holy Ghost is to awaken a sinner to set sinne vpon him that he may be fit to receiue CHRIST Secondly when this is done that the heart is thus prepared by the Spirit then the Holy Ghost shewes vs what we haue by CHRIST he shewes the vnsearchable riches of CHRIST what is the hope of our calling and the glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power in them that beleeue I say we neede the Spirit to shew these things But you will say a man may see these things without the helpe of the Spirit It is true in some manner you may but not in such a manner as shall affect you For there is a manner of seeing proper onely to the Saints and that is the proper worke of the Spirit in them when wee shall so see them as to be affected with them Otherwise you may reade the Scriptures a thousand times ouer you may vnderstand them yet you shall not bee affected with them till the Holy Ghost shew them vnto you This is the secret of GOD that he reuealeth to those whom he meaneth to saue that is when hee presents these spirituall things prepared for vs in Christ in such a manner as that we shall loue them and embrace them when we shall not only see the truth of them but the goodnesse of them when GOD shall not onely shew vs the aduantages we haue by Christ but the excellency of Christ so that we shall be in loue with his person as well as to be ready to receiue the priuiledges with him Now this is done by the Spirit 1. Cor. 2.12 Wee haue receiued the Spirit of GOD by which wee know the things that are giuen vs of GOD and they are reuealed to vs by the Spirit They are two or three times repeated in that Chapter as if he should haue said If you saw them no more then other men doe then naturall men doe you would bee no more affected with them then they are but when you haue the Spirit of GOD to shew you the things that are giuen you of GOD that is the thing that workes vpon you and affects you And so in Ioh. 14.21 saith CHRIST I will come to him and shew my selfe to him When CHRIST sheweth himselfe to a man it is another thing then when the Ministers shall shew him or the Scriptures nakedly read doe shew him for when Christ shall shew himselfe by his Spirit that shewing draweth a mans heart to long after him otherwise we may preach long enough and shew you that these spirituall things these priuiledges are prepared for you in Christ but it is the Holy Ghost that must write them in your hearts we can but write them in your heads Therefore the Lord taketh that as peculiar to himselfe I will write my Law in your hearts That is I will make you affected with the things that I shew you and this is the teaching of GOD. There is a teaching by men and a teaching by GOD that is when God shall enable a man to see things in good earnest otherwise it will be but as a man that sees a thing when his minde is vpon another matter so wee shall see and not see but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things you shall see indeed till then you may heare oft enough of these things but your hearts
beleeue with all thy heart thou mayest be baptized So I say to men there is a kinde of taking Christ when a man takes him with some part of his heart when he resolueth I confesse it is good I haue a present disposition to it it will serue me for such a turne I am afraid of Hell it will deliuer me from that in such an exigent in such a crosse in such a trouble that will come vpon me it will free mee from that but this is not enough but if thou beleeue with all thy heart that is when thou hast summed and reckoned all together all reasons and all objections to and fro thou resoluest altogether to take him in all respects Againe when all thy heart shall come in that is when the vnderstanding of a man is fully perswaded of these promises that they are true and that it is best for him to take CHRIST if the perswasion be good and the will follow for that you may take for a sure rule there is no man that is fully perswaded and convinced euery way that such a thing is best but the will will follow If the mind be right the will will follow and if the will follow be sure the affections will follow For if a man wils a thing in good earnest and resolue I would haue it indeed then his desires will come and be earnest and if hee be in doubt feare will come and if any thing hinder anger will come and thrust away the impediments and if he get the thing there will be reioycing and so all the affections will follow and then certainely action and endeuour will follow There is no man that desires a thing earnestly but where the affections are strong and busie action and endeuour will be answerable Now if thou take CHRIST with all thy heart that there is no reseruation that it is not done by halues then thou mayest haue him and the fruites and all the priuiledges by him so as thou shalt be saued by him Consider whether this be done or no. When we preach faith you may see what it is in Acts 26.17 18. Marke what the message was that CHRIST sends to Paul nothing but to preach faith but what was that Saith hee to turne men from the power of Satan to God to turne men from darknesse to light That is to cause them to forsake their former wayes of darknesse that they haue beene ledde into by the Deuill and to turne them to GOD to seeke him So that then a man is said truely to beleeue when his heart is turned to GOD that is when a man before was giuen to this pleasure or to that pleasure and commodity his heart was wedded to it hee would haue an estate in this world and hee would haue credit in the world and he would haue place with men and he would be some-body in the flesh his heart was set on these things he would follow them Now faith is nothing but this wee come and tell you that Christ is offered if you will be content to let all these things goe and to turne your hearts to him that the whole bent of a mans minde is turned the contrary way and set vpon Christ this is faith indeede when there is this generall turning of a mans minde from these things Therefore know that faith in CHRIST and couetousnesse cannot stand together When thy mind goeth a whoring after thy wealth what hast thou to doe with CHRIST That is not to take CHRIST For to take CHRIST is to turne the minde from these things to seeke him Againe if thou wilt haue praise with men thou canst not beleeue and haue that too it is impossible And so for any pleasure for any lust dost thou thinke to follow thy pleasure to seeke that to satisfie thy flesh and to haue CHRIST No it is another kinde of taking and this is not done with that sleightnesse as they did Ieremy 3. You turned to me saith the LORD feignedly and not with all your hearts but it is to turne in good earnest to turne to GOD vpon sound ground therefore now let vs come to the examination of this Now if we were not mistaken in it there would be no question of this we thinke that faith is nothing but a perswasion that our sinnes are forgiuen a perswasion that the promises are true a perswasion that the Scripture is true a perswasion that CHRIST dyed for my sinnes And thence it is that men are apt to be deceiued in it If they tooke faith as it is in it selfe a marrying of our selues to CHRIST with all our heart and affections when hee hath giuen himselfe to vs as in marriage and we are giuen to him in doing this wee should neuer bee deceiued If thou wouldest know now if thy faith bee right examine it as thou wouldest examine another thing If you take Wine if you would know whether it be good Wine if you finde it flat and dead if you drinke it and it heates you not it warmes you not at the heart it quickens you not it reviues not your spirits you will say it is naught if it were good Wine it would doe this If you come to looke on Plants if you find there no fruite nor no leaues you say this Plant is dead So take a Iewell and when it comes to the Touch-stone or any way that you try it you say it is faire but it is a counterfeit Iewell it is a false Diamond or whatsoeuer it be If you come to take a dramme of Physicke if you take a Drugge if it doe not worke Take Leauen and put it into your Dough if it sower not the lumpe you say it is dead Leauen it is a counterfeit thing So I say If thou finde not in faith this effect this operation vpon thy heart that it workes not this generall change in thee that it fires not thy soule with loue to CHRIST if thou finde not life in it and that it bring forth such fruites if thou finde it not grow that it put another taste vpon the whole soule that it leauens it throughout know that thou art deceiued rest not in it cast it away get a right faith such as will not deceiue thee But I cannot stand vpon this This is the first signe of effectuall faith Before I come to the second thing know this by the way you that receiue the Sacrament That if you be vnworthy receiuers you cannot doe your selues a worse turne then to offer to come to the Sacrament without faith to prouoke GOD more to eate and drinke your owne damnation Now examine your selues by such rules as this If you haue changed your life If you haue receiued it heretofore and continue still in your sinnes If you say it is true I haue done it I haue returned againe to my gaming I haue returned againe to my swearing to my loosenesse to my company-keeping but
yet I had a good meaning I intended it at that time well that is not enough If thou hadst faith thou wouldest doe it indeed doe not say I had a good meaning for if thou hadst faith it would not onely worke a good meaning in thee but it would worke power in thee to doe this that thou wouldest be able to mortifie these affections it would worke a reall and an effectuall change in thee Consider how faith doth it faith takes CHRIST when you haue taken CHRIST as soone as euer you haue him he sends his Spirit into your hearts and the Spirit is able to doe all this and doth as Saint Paul saith when hee had CHRIST once I am able to doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee So certainely when thou hast CHRIST as thou commest to take the elements of Bread and Wine if thou hadst taken him indeed thou wouldst be strengthned to doe all things thou wouldst finde thy heart able to doe this thou shouldest finde a change in thy heart that thou wouldst doe it without difficulty thou wouldest finde thy selfe turned and changed thou wouldst haue new affections and a new life And if thou doe not finde this know that thou hast nothing to doe with the Sacrament know it before-hand and know that thou hast had warning giuen thee that thou receiuest vnworthily and art guilty of the body and blood of CHRIST that is thou committest such a sinne as those did that killed CHRIST What was their sinne that killed him They despised him they mocked him they knew him not to be CHRIST they made no account of him their greatest worke in killing him was they despised him they mocked him So thou commest and art bold with him here it is a despising of CHRIST If thou didst reuerence him if thou didst feare him if thou didst tremble at him if thou didst know him to be such a one as he is thou wouldst not be bold to doe it And therfore if thou wilt venture vpon small grounds to goe on in sinne and yet come and receiue the Sacrament the Apostle saith thou art guilty of the body and blood of Christ that is thou committest a sinne of that nature and therefore looke to it Secondly if thou wouldst know whether thy faith be true or no consider whether thou hast this consequent of it the Spirit of Prayer for wheresoeuer there is a Spirit of faith there is also a Spirit of prayer that is marke it and you shall see the reason why I deliuer this to be a signe of faith Faith you know is wrought in vs by the Spirit of Adoption Now what is the Spirit of Adoption but the Spirit that tels you that ye are sonnes as in Gal. 4.6 So many as are sonnes receiue the Spirit of sonnes Now whensoeuer the Spirit tels a man he is a sonne that is workes faith in his heart the second thing that the Spirit doth it teacheth him to pray and therefore those words are added that you cry Abba Father that is the Spirit neuer doth the one but it doth the other if it be the testimony of the Spirit And therefore this is the second signe If thou haue such a perswasion that the Spirit haue spoken to thee if thou wouldest know whether this be a delusion or no thou shalt know it by this If thou haue the Spirit it will make thee able to cry Abba Father it will make thee able to doe two things First it will make thee able to cry that they shall be earnest prayers which thou makest thy prayers shall be feruent they were cold before thou camest to performe lip-labour thou camest to doe the duty to performe it perhaps euery day but alas what prayer was it This shall make thee cry But againe which is the maine not onely so but thou shalt speake to him as to a Father that is thou shalt goe to GOD and looke vpon him as one doth vpon a Father as one lookes vpon one whose loue he is sure of of whose fauour he doubts not one that hee knowes is readie to heare his requests It may bee thou hast prayed before but not to him as to a Father all the while that is the worke of the Spirit if it euer giue thee testimony of thy sonneship it will make thee pray feruently and it will make thee pray to God as to a Father that is to be made able to pray But you will say euery body can pray Is that such a signe is that such a distinguishing marke and character to bee able to pray My brethren be not deceiued in it you must know that prayer is not a worke of the memory or a worke of the wit A man that hath a good wit or a ready invention or a voluble tongue may make an excellent praier in his owne esteeme and in the esteeme of others but this is not to pray Prayer is the worke of a sanctified heart it it the worke of GODS Spirit There is a double prayer Rom. 8. there is one praier which is the voice of our owne spirit there is a second praier which is the voice of Gods Spirit in vs that is when the Holy Ghost hath so sanctified the heart when hee hath put it into such a whole-frame of grace that the heart comes to speake as it is quickned as it is acted and moued from GODS Spirit Now saith the Text there God knows the voice of his own Spirit for that makes requests according to his will he heares that prayer But now the prayers which are made by the voice of our owne spirit he knowes not the meaning of them that is he heares them not he hearkens not to them Consider whether thy prayer be such or no consider whether thy prayer bee the voyce of Gods Spirit in thee But thou wilt say How should I know that Thou shalt know it by this as I said before Dost thou come to him as to a Father Another man prayes to GOD it may be all his life but hee comes to him as to a stranger yea sometimes he may be very earnest when it is no prayer but when he is put to an exigent he may be earnest as a Thiefe is earnest with the Judge to spare him there may be much earnestnesse although this may bee farre off from prayer But canst thou come to GOD as to a friend Canst thou come to him as to one whose fauour thou art assured of Canst thou come to him as to a Father Except thou canst doe this know that he regardeth not thy prayers And this me thinkes now when we consider we should not deferre our repentance and thinke with our selues I will repent when I am sicke I will goe to GOD in the time of extremity Well it may be thou maist doe it but alas canst thou come to speake to God now as to a friend when
as thou hast beene a stranger to him and he to thee all thy life Certainely thou canst not And when thou commest and prayest earnestly when some great crosse is on thee in some great exigent in the day of death in the time of thy sicknesse know that though thou pray neuer so feruently although thou adde fasting to quicken it yet it is doubtfull whether it bee acceptable prayer at all in that exigent The Scripture giues it another terme in Hosea 7.14 Saith he You prayed not to me with your hearts but you howled vpon your beds it came not out of any loue to mee nor from any change of heart it came not out of a holy disposition in you Therefore you praied not to mee when you howled vpon your beds that is as if hee should say they were no more but howlings Will not a dogge or a beast or any other vnreasonable creature when they are pinched when they are in extreamity will they not cry will they not moane for helpe Your prayers were no more they were but howlings vpon your beds And what were they for They were to bee deliuered from the present affliction they were to haue Wine and Oyle in that great dearth that was vpon them And so in those cases your earnest prayers are but howlings vpon your bed And therefore thinke not that this is prayer be not deceiued in it And therfore it is the manner of the Saints if you would know it when they come to pray they come boldly to GOD they come boldly to the Throne of Grace as the Apostle saith Eph. 3 7. By faith we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence Another man hee prayes earnestly but examine his heart and he must needes say Indeede GOD is a stranger to mee I cannot be confident it may be he heares me it may be he heares me not Whereas we are required to lift vp pure hands in euery place without wrath or doubting we are required to come with boldnesse And know this that if otherwise thou pray morning and night if thou make neuer so many prayers from day to day if thou be neuer so constant in them GOD regards them not hee takes them by weight and not by number not by labour not by earnestnesse which is a thing that may come from the flesh If thy prayer come from his Spirit he accepts of it if not be sure it is no prayer and if there be no prayer there is no faith Thirdly if thou wouldest know whether thou hast faith or no consider whether thou haue peace for faith pacifies the heart aswell as purifies it as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith wee haue peace with God Now if thou wouldest know whether thy faith which thou hast be right or no consider if there be peace there Hast thou that peace that passeth al vnderstanding You know now if a man were in debt and were ready to bee cast into prison and saw not how he should escape and one should promise him an hundred pounds which would deliuer him if he beleeue this friend he is full of peace and quiet if thou beleeue thy pardon to be good there will be peace But you will say to me there is many a man hath peace who hath no faith It is true But I would aske this Question concerning this peace Is it a peace that comes after Warre Hast thou knowledge of that enmity betweene GOD and thee Hast thou had the sense of it and after this hast thou beene reconciled againe Is it such a calme that followed after a storme going before As I said before when it hath beene alwaies so with thee when thou hast had peace and there hath beene no difference with thee certainely this is not peace this is a blinde peace when a man is at peace not because he hath escaped the danger but because he neuer saw the danger because he saw not what danger there was Hence it is that many men yea many thousands of men liue peaceably all their liues and dye peaceably Alas the reason is because they were neuer acquainted with the Doctrine of Iustification and of Sanctification they are strangers to it and hence it is that they die with as much confidence as the best Christians they haue no more trouble then holy men for this is all one to be sure that I am free from a danger and not to know it both breed alike confidence Againe know that there may bee peace built on fancy such contentments as a man may find in a pleasant dreame he is as strongly perswaded as the waking man So many hypocrites that haue had some trouble before and come to haue some peace after they thinke it sure when it is built vpon a false ground and not vpon the sure Word Therefore consider whether it be such a peace as is well built whether it be such a Peace indeed that casts out Satan and thou findest some assaults made by him againe For be thou assured if it be true peace if Satan bee cast out he will not let thee alone thou shalt bee sure to haue thy peace troubled he will make many rebellions against thee by the flesh and the world And therefore if thou finde all quiet that there are no such assaults in thee that there are no troubles or attempts made on thee be thou assured it is counterfeited peace But still keepe this that if there bee faith there will be peace that is the heart will be at rest it will be quiet there will be a certaine security in GOD. See it in other things Take faith in any thing else and you shall see so much faith so much quiet in you For example Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.18 when her petition was granted that she beleeued it saith the Text she went away and tooke meate and looked no more sad That was an argument that she beleeued she tooke meate and looked no more sad Take Moseâ— at the Red Sea Exod. 14. you shall finde that the people were all troubled and disquieted and that they knew not what to doe But marke how Mosâ—s carrieth himselfe Moses was quiet and stood still he was not troubled And why Because he beleeued and they did not if they had beleeued as well as he they would haue beene at rest as well as hee Marke what hee saith Stand still and see the salâ—ation of the Lord and the Lord will fight for you and therfore feare not As if he should say If you did but beleeue you would be at quiet you would stand stiâ—l you would not feare you would not haue your soules troubled So I say so much faith so much quiet Looke vpon Dauid in Psal. 3. when he fled before Absolon saith he Thou art my Buckler c. And therefore I laid me downe to rest and sleepe that is I was as a man that sleepes quietly One would thinke that that was a matter that would
thee yet conclude not with thy selfe that thou art not yet fit There is somewhat more that must be done Dauid a man would thinke that he had beene fitted for the Kingdome before that time but GOD deferred it vntill Dauid was humbled enough till he was broken enough till GOD had prouided a Kingdome as he promised And so he did with Ioseph and so with the people of Isâ—ael they were kept long in bondage they were long pressed before they were fit to be deliuered GOD tendred his people then hee had no delight in their afflictions And so we may see in the whole Booke of the Iudges how God suffered his people to be afflicted to fit them for deliuerance So thinke with thy selfe thou art not fitted yet if thou wouldst go by a rule see the rule 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selues vnder his mighty hand that he may exalt you in due time Marke whensoeuer God layes any affliction vpon any man his end is to humble him And if the worke be done he will performe that which he hath promised assoone as thou art humbled he will exalt thee therefore that word is added he will exalt you in due time not when thou thinkest hee will before-hand for GOD is wise and will doe it in due time if he should defer it beyond the time when thou art fitted he should not doe it in due time but beyond the time Againe if he should send deliuerance before thou art fit it were not in due time it would come too soone But assure thy selfe when thy heart is humbled and weakned from the world when thy lusts are mortified and when thou art made spirituall and heauenly-minded by such afflictions be sure GOD will not deferre one iot he will come in the exactnesse of time that as it is said in the fulnesse of time his Sonne came so it is in the fulnesse of time before he will saue thee in the fittest time Therefore I would say to thee whosoeuer thou art that suest to GOD for pleasure for honour it may be to be relieued in thy state for health for life or for comfort I say GOD hath made a promise and it is impossible that he should faile in the performance of of it as Salomon saith Prou. 22.4 Riches and honour and life shall he giue but to to whom to him that is humble and that feareth the Lord. You must put in both the conditions Many men feare the LORD which are not humbled and some men are humbled but they haue some secret way of wickednesse wherein they are induldent to themselues but they must goe both together Let a man be holy that he may haue no way of wickednesse in himselfe and let him be humbled or else GOD may bestow wealth on thee but if thy heart be not holy thou wilt forget GOD in it And if he giue thee health if thy heart be not humbled thou wilt be ready to vse it intemperately thou knowest not thine owne heart but be assured when thou commest to God he heares the requests that are made by his Spirit that if thou be prepared he will not deny thee the promise is absolute let the condition be fulfilled for those are the words The reward of humility and the feare of God is riches and honour and life Except not these when there is not the precedent preparation for it is not best for thee Thirdly it may be GOD doth it not because there is a defect in thy prayer hee will haue thee pray more feruently that condition is put in Iam. 5. The prayer of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Indeede GOD might bestow blessings vpon vs for the meere asking if we did but make our requests knowne yet he is pleased to require that condition that our prayers be feruent and he defers the giuing of the blessing vntill we be quickned and therfore he defers oft-times to inhance and to cause vs to prize his blessings lightly come lightly gone as we vse to say Things that come easily we willingly part with but GOD will haue vs prize them high and therefore we must begge them earnestly he holds them backe to affect our appetites to make vs contend with him in prayer or else why did hee deferre to grant the Woman of Canaans request why did he defer to giue Iacob deliuerance from his brother Esau if he had done it in the beginning Iacob had not so wrastled he had not done that excellent duty of prayer all night When Hannah comes to aske a sonne of the Lord he hath giuen to many with lesse adoe but he would not grant it her till her spirit was troubled till she prayed earnestly with contention and violence that Ely thought she was drunke No said she but I am a woman troubled in spirit they must be earnest those prayers that God will haue at thy hands and if thou be not heard goe and mend thy prayers that thou mayest mend thy speeding quicken thy prayers as thou labourest to make thy heart more righteous that thou mayest be fit The prayers of the righteous preuaile much if they be feruent so pray more feruently Fourthly it may be God heares thee but it crosseth some other secret passage of his prouidence There are many things that GOD the great Gouernour of the world must bring together and though thou see no reason why he should not heare thee yet it may be hee will discouer vnto thee that the sum of all things being put together thou shalt see that it is not best for thee to be heard Dauid now when he comes to aske a request at Gods hands that he might build him a Temple it was a thing that he desired and he made no question but that it was according to Gods will and Nathan was of that opinion too Goe saith hee and doe all that is in thine heart Dauid did not know what belonged to that businesse because no man can iudge of those things that GOD hath appointed to bring to passe a man cannot see round about all the corners of GODS prouidence no man is able to see it wee see not the concurrence of things how one thing stands with another And therefore we ought not to looke in such cases to be heard as the Wisemen they thought it fit to haue returned by the way they came but God saw a reason to turne them another way Therfore be not hasty in thy requests but know that GOD is wise and will worke all for the best his glory must goe in all and one thing must be done that his end may be brought to passe in all Againe it may be God will grant thy request but for the manner and the meanes by which he will doe it and for the time it is in his own power But because these things are knowne I will not stand to presse them farrher but now I come to the last Objection Last of all you will be
Christ to live with him for ever to be in his presence continually although there may be some reluctancie by reason of the flesh that is there Take a man that hath sore eyes you ynow to the eye the light is exceeding pleasant but look how much sorenesse and defect there is in the eye so much the light is burdensome to it but so farre as the eye is right so farre as it is perfect so farre is the light pleasing and delightfull to it so it is with the heart of the regenerate man looke how much faith looke how much spirit there is so much desire there is of the presence of Christ and it is most pleasing and acceptable to him as the light of the Sunne is to the eye but looke how much sorenesse that is looke how much flesh there is in him so much reluctancie so much unwillingnes there is in him and that hee must strive against But still the rule holdeth good that wheresoever the heart is right there is alwayes an earnest desire and longing to be with Christ. And indeede this is only found in the Saints for evil meÌ„ if they knew what heaven were they would never desire it for they desire heaven in another notion they would be well they would be freed from misery and discontent which they mette with in the world they would have whatsoever the flesh desireth and that is it they looke after but to desire heaven as it is that is to desire an excellency in grace to be alway praising God to be continually in his presence to be freed from the practise of sinne this is a thing that if men aske their owne hearts they doe not desire in this manner for they desire it not here upon earth when they are in the communion of Saints When they are in places where there are holy speeches and holy exercises it is burthensome to them they are out of their element they are as men that are not upon their proper center these men desire to be in heaven but they desire another kinde of happinesse than there is in heaven the felicity there is presented unto them under another Idea they desire no more than the flesh desires but to desire heaven indeed as it is heaven to desire God there in his purenesse and holinesse to desire it so as thereby to be sequestred from all worldly carnall and sensuall delights this a carnall man desires not Therefore this is a distinguishing note and signe that he that loves the Lord will love his appearance Fourthly you shall finde this to be the property of love hee that loveth is very readie to speake of the party loved love is full of loquacitie it is readie to fall into the praises of the party beloved and to keepe no measure in it to abound in it that is the disposition of every man that loveth So is it in this love to the Lord Iesus You may see it in David as he abounded in love to the Lord so hee could never satisfie himselfe in praising the Lord in Psal. 105. which is repeated 2 Chron. 15. you shall finde that hee hath never done with it but is alwayes singing praises to the Lord Sing praise to the Lord and be alway talking of his wondrous workes And againe Remember his marvaâ—lous workes that hee hath done of olde and all the wonders c. As if he should say if you love the Lord shew it in praising of him Doe you professe to love the Lord and yet never delight to speake of him nor delight to heare others speake of him My Beloved this backwardnesse that is amongst us to holie and gracious speech to speeches that tend to the setting forth of the Lords praise shewes that love to the Lord Iesus is wanting among us You know it is naturall for every man to abound in the speeches of the things they love of what nature soever they be Mariners are delighted to talke of their voyages and souldiers of their battells and huntsmen of their games If you delight in the Lord certainly your tongues will be much in speaking of him you will be ready to doe it upon all occasions Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and if love to the Lord doe abound in your hearts this love will be expressed in your tongues upon all occasions and therefore at the least you may judge of the measure of your love by this Hee that speakes much of loving God and yet hath his speeches empty vaine and unprofitable surely we may guesse that he loves him not at all and this is a marke that will not deceive us And now what will you say for your selves that you speake no more upon those severall occasions that you meete withall in the world is it because you are ashamed because you are bashfull and fearefull to expresse your selves and to make an open profession of that holinesse that is in your hearts Certainly it is a signe that you love not the Lord Iesus for hee that loveth is never ashamed because whom a man loveth he magnifieth hee prizeth much hee hath a high esteeme of and therefore that bashfulnesse and fearfulnesse that you object will not keepe you backe if you did love the Lord in truth and sincerity Or else why is it that you speake of him no more is it because you cannot speake is it because your understandings are weake and dull because you are not able to doe it as well as others and therefore you are loath to expresse your selves You know when you love any that love will teach you to speake it will quicken the dullest wit and invention love sharpeneth and maketh the rudest tongue eloquent It is the nature of love to set the heart on worke and when the heart is set on worke the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer You know how the Apostle setts it forth Our heart is enlarged to you love openeth the heart wide and the heart openeth the tongue wide therefore if you love the Lord much you will bee much in speaking of him Consider therefore what your speeches are concerning God whether you your selues are ready to speak much and to delight to heare others speake also whether you be glad of any occasion as those that love are glad to heare those that they love to be spoken of Fifthly love will doe much and suffer much for the party loved Paul as he was abundant in love so he was abundant in labour likewise whosoever aboundeth in love will abound in workes also Therefore see what you doe for the Lord Iesus see what you suffer for his sake When Christ came to Peter and asked him that question Peter lâ—vest thou me hee puts him upon the tryâ—ll by this fruit of his love Feede my Lambes As if he should say Peter if thou wilt shew that thou lovest me expresse it in doing something for my sake Feede my Lambes herein thy love
another much he is much affected with what he doth Now when the Lord shall shew some tokens of his wrath those that love him and esteeme of him those that prize him cannot but be affected Shall the Lyon roare and shall not the beasts of the field tremble Consider how you are affected therefore when the Lord shall discover any expression of his wrath and what doth hee else in this stroake which is now vpon this place is there not wrath gone out from the Lord You know the plague is more particularly Gods hand then any other affliction Therefore David saith when he chose the plague that he would choose to fall into the hands of God intimating that in that buysinesse God was in a more peculiar manner the doer of it As the thunder is sayd to be the voyce of the Lord so the plague may properly be sayd to be the stroake of the Lord more peculiarly than any other affliction Consider therfore what your affections are in this case for my beloved let it not be in vayne to you that the Lord stretcheth forth his hand as hee doth now at this time among vs. It is but yet in the beginning and what is the Lords meaning in it Is it not as a messenger sent vpon an errand If it had its answer if that were done for which the Lord had sent it would he not remoue it againe Would he not bid the destroying Angell to put up his sword into his sheath Doubtlesse he would if you would doe that at the beginning of this sicknesse that must be done before the Lord will remoove it from you You will say what shall we doe then I beseech you consider what commonly is the cause of a plague among vs. Consider what hath ben the cause of the plague in former times You shal finde in Numb 25. two causes of the plague One was the superstition and Idolatrie of the people they begann to be yokt with Idolatrie They joyned themselues to Baal Peor I confesse that sinne was not yet growne to any great height it was but yet in the beginning in the seedes and yet you know how the Lord was offended with them And the second was fornication the sinne of vncleanes that was coÌ„mitted It is not likely that all the people fell into that sinne of Idolatry or into the sinne of Fornication but yet the Lord was offended with the whole Congregation for those that did it as the manner is to be So here you see two causes of a plague Idolatry which was but beginning and the very admitting it into the Campe and the Fornication of the people Another cause of the plague you shall find in Davids numbring the people it was their securitie and pride and trusting to themselves and the creatures for surely it was not Davids sinne only who had somewhat forgotten God and trusted to his mountaine thought that that was strong enough but it was the sinne of the people It is good my beloved to be secure out of confidence vpon God and therein the more securitie the better but to be secure for any outward help either in the number of men or ships or strength or policie or because we are compassed about with the walls of the Sea or whatsoeever it is wherein wee thinke our safetie consisteth the more confidence in this the worse The Lord smott the people for this security in Dauids time Another cause is the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament Many are sicke among you saith the Apostle and many are dead because you receive the Sacrament unworthily The Lord is pleased to punish that particular sinne of receiving the Sacrament unworthily with some sicknesse or other whether the plague or no we cannot say but this we may be sure of that this was the cause why so many were sicke and dead You know that passage in the booke of Chronicles concerning Ezekias when the people had not prepared themselves aright as they ought hee prayed to the Lord and it is said The Lord healed the people we cannot say what the Lord healed them of but yet it makes it evident that the Lord had some way smitten theÌ„ Moses for the omission of the Sacrament the Lord would have slaine him that is he would have sent something upon him whether some disease as is most probable or some other thing which should have taken away his life in the end The omission and negligent receiving of the Sacrament I put together which mooveth God to anger and to inflict plagues upon a people I will name yet one more besides these and that is the coldnesse and deadnesse of their hearts who belong to the Lord from whom he expects better things and more zeale which I gather hence What was the reason that the zeale of Phineas stayed the plague Numb 25. Because his love was hot and his anger was kindled in a holy manner against that Israelitish man and the Midâ—anitish woman that had committed fornication among the people If the zeale of Phineas was the cause of staying that plague and of withholding the Lords hands then surely the coldnes of those from whom the Lord lookes for much heate for much fervency of spirit whom God expects should stand in the gappe I say that is the cause that the Lord goes on in punishing But what should we doe now to remove it Amend the things that are amisse repent and amend and he will turne from his fierce wrath which he not onely intendeth against us but is also already upon us Labour to cleanse your hands from idolatry and superstition and cleanse the land from the crying sinne of uncleannesse and fornication and every man labour to cleanse his owne heart And againe to turne to the Lord to take heede of security which is a forerunner of a ruine as a great calme is a forerunner of an earthquake Againe take heed of receiving the Sacrament unworthily many of you this day have received therefore I should speake something particularly to them but in truth this concernes all among us but chiefly let me speake to those a little that are able to pray that have some fire in them that have had the worke of grace in their hearts wrought by the Spirit of God that have some sparkes if they were blowne up that are men fit to stand in the gap It belongs to you my brethren to doe something that the Lord may stay his hand and remember that when the Lord begins to send forth tokens of his wrath and displeasure against a Nation it is a time wherein he expects and lookes for humiliation and repentance Therefore take heede of neglecting that in Isay 22. In that day saith the Lord when I called for humiliation beholde killing of fatlings and oxen c. Therefore know what your dutie is and learne now to see what belongs to you to doe shew your love to the Lord in trembling at his judgements
looke upon the Lord as upon a judge whether you doe not all that you doe to him as one that lookes upon a judge If you feare the Lord in this manner it is certaine you hate him for those whom you thus feare you hate and that you shall finde in 1 Ioh. 4. If you feare saith hee you love not for perfect love casts out feare when you look upon God as upon a strict judge and that is it that puts you on to doe all that you doe that is it that makes you keepe a good conscience in secret for this you may doe and yet looke upon God as a judge to feare with this kinde of feare is a signe you hate the Lord for whom you feare you hate Besides this Doe you not looke upon God and upon his wayes as contrary to your hearts that your hearts and the wayes of God are in an opposition your hearts and sanctifying the Sabboth will not agree the Lord would have your speeches to be good and holy he would have you not onely abstaine from evill but to hate it to have your hearts rise up against it Are not these commandements contrary to you Consider but that holinesse that is expressed in the booke of God and that is expressed also in the lives of the Saints who carry his Image stamped on them and is there not a kinde of contrariety betweene your wayes and theirs betweene your hearts and them If there be it is a certaine signe of hatred for wheresoever there is contrariety there is hatred Examine your selves by this and see whether you doe not hate the Lord. And yet to come to one more if you love pleasures more than God and wealth more than God you hate God For so you have it Mat. 6. No man can serve two Masters but either hee must hate the one and love the other c. That is when you love other things though you thinke you doe not hate the Lord yet I say in that you love pleasures and love the world and the things of the world in that you love your lusts and the objects of them in doing this you hate the Lord. Now if this be your case if upon these expostulations that I have propounded if upon these rules of examining your selves you finde that you doe not love the Lord if this be your condition as it is your wisedome to deale strictly with your selves for hence it is brethren that the soules of men perish because they will not see and search into their estates they will not come to this examination of themselves it is a painfull thing to them men are backward to examine themselves in private what is the reason of that phrase in the Psalme Examine your selves upon your beds but because examination should be when a man is most retired I say if you finde it to be so as it is the case of many then it should open a window to you to see what you have deserved at the Lords hands how just it were that the Lord should cast you off For when you are enemies to the Lord can you thinke much at it My brethren what a condition is that man in that hath the great God of heaven and earth to be his enemie And besides this have you not reason to justifie God in his just judgements upon others when you shall see God sharply plaguing them It may seeme to you that it is a hard thing that men should be so punished but when wee consider that they are haters of God that they are enemies to him you may justifie God in that hee doth But to conclude you ought to humble your selves if upon these tryalls you finde your selves to be lovers of the world and not lovers of God And you that are young and put off repentance it should move you to come in betimes For if this be required of you to love the Lord and you shall not be exempted from death when it comes though you be never so able and never so strong and lustly what condition doe you thinke you will be in if you die enemies to God and haters of him as you needes must be if you love him not And if you thinke you have time enough hereafter to settle your affections Consider is it in your owne power though you have warning before death to have this affection of love You may doe many good duties you may be sorry and repent for your sinnes but though you doe this and a thousand times more yet if you have not this love-wrought in you by God if it come not from heaven if it be not the fruite of his owne Spirit all your repentance and all your forsaking of sinne all your doing of duties the change of your courses is nothing the Lord regards it not unlesse you have this naturalnesse of love I have stood therefore the longer upon it and upon this part concerning examination because it is a matter of great moment Wee should have come to the next part concerning exhortation which wee would not disjoyne because it is very usefull and profitable but we cannot doe it now but reserve it for the afternoone FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love AND before we leave this poynt one thing I must add For what reason doe we put you vpon this disposition vpon this examination whether the love of God be in your hearts or no The reason is not that you should be discouraged that you should be put off from comming to God that you should be greived with the sight of the want of your love but the end of it is to stirre you up to gett it if you want it You know we have formerly delivered some meanes of getting it onely there is one which we will commend unto you which we gave a little touch on but could not handle it and it consists of these Three branches if you would love the Lord First you must know him for otherwise you cannot love him As it is in naturall loue that is bred between man and man you say love ariseth from sight they must see before they can love so you must know the Lord there must be a sight of God by faith before you can love him And every man that sees him and knowes him as he is will love him he cannot chuse for that is the Lords worke to all the Saints Ierem. 31 You shall he taught of me and you shall know mee from the greatest to the least It may be in some manner they knew God before but although a man have never so exact knowledge of him yet till he be a regenerate man he never knowes him indeede it is an other kind of knowledge that hee hath when a man is regenerate whē God teaches him to know him he lookes on God with an other eye every thing is presented to him
hinderance on Gods part And for thy owne part there is no more requyred of thee but sinceritie that thou take him sincerely resolving to thy selfe I will serve him for the future I will be contented to be divorced from all my former loves from all the sinnes that I have delighted in before I am willing now to take him and to serve him and to love him and to give my selfe wholly to him I say this sinceritie of resolution is enough there can be no hindrance if this be found in thee Therefore doe not thinke with thy selfe I want sorrow for my sinnes such a degree of sorrow my heart is not broken enough and therefore I am not fit for thou must know thus much that the promise is made to the comming and not to the preparations If thou canst come and take the Lord it is enough if a man have so much sorrow so much heart-breaking as brings him home to Christ as makes him willing to match with the Lord if hee have that wrought in him doubt he not of the other But now I come to the other those that are already within the Covenant to you I say you may much more easily and fully come to this assurance because ye have the fruits of the Spirit in you which are the seales of his love you have cause to trust perfectly through the grace that is revealed in Iesus Christ you know that exhortation Trust perfectly to the grace revealed c. that is in the free offer to every man by Christ trust not in that by halves remissively and unperfectly and weakly but trust perfectly be confident in that that the Lord will thus receive you trust perfectly in the grace revealed But you will say I commit many sinnes from day to day I am negligent in many duties I find much unevennesse in my life many distempers in my affections c What if you finde all this in your selves yet so long as your hearts are sincere you must know this that every breach every offence doth not breake the band of wedlocke betweene the Lord and you you must not thinke there is a breach of covenant betweene God and you upon every â—inne that is committed but know that the Covenant holds good till you come to choose another husband the Lord continues your husband still Therefore when thou art married to the Lord it is not for thee to thinke then of questioning the match but studie to please thy husband and to doe thy dutie You know there may be many offences and many slight breaches betweene a man and his wife but the bond holds good there is no bill of divorcement except it be in case of adultery that shee choose an other husband so thinke in such a case the bond is not broken upon every offence and every sinne that is committed Learne to know this for thy comfort for it is a great matter to have this assurance full And besides consider this thinke not with thy selfe because I have not attained such a degree of holinesse as another hath therefore I have none at all that is an evill reason that discourageth the Saints discourageth many times those that should be incouraged that are already within the Covenant he lookes on another and sees he cannot reach him he propounds to himselfe such a measure of grace and of holinesse and of mortification of his lusts and hee cannot come neere it and hee thinkes because I cannot doe this I have no sincerity in mee Not so there are degrees when a man is within the doore hee may goe further and further and though all may be within yet one may be further in than another Besides all this know that the Lord is faithfull he cannot denie himselfe though thou faile on thy part yet hee continues the same and renewes his mercy to thee as thou renewest thy repentance But to conclude this if you would love the Lord labour to doe these three things Labour to know him more Labour to know your selves more that so you may long after him as after one that you neede And thirdly labour to get this assurance for it is this assurance that breedes the love that seales it up when a man shall looke on God as one who may hate him for any thing he knowes who may be an enemie to him one day hee can never love him heartily When a man hath no ground to set his foote on he will doe it tenderly and nearely but when he lookes upon God as one whom he may trust whose love he is sure of that he builds on that as a rocke this is that which makes his heart perfect to him when hee can say as Paul I know whom I have trusted If a man have never so much excellency in him if you conceive him to be hollow-hearted to you your affections are not perfect towards him so is it if you looke on God as one that may be your enemie As wee say friendship with Princes it is like that familiarity that those men have with Lyons that keepe them A Lyon you know will suffer a man to play with him as long as he lists and when he lists he will rise and devoure him and rend him in peeces so I say the love of a Prince may be and the love of men may be But the love of the Lord is not such when he loves he loves perfectly It is true hee hath the strength of a Lyon he is able to doe it you are weake creatures subject to him but hee hath that constancie in him that when hee loves once it is alwayes perfect and unchangeable Let all these be well considered and wrought on your hearts and it will be a meanes to beget this love in you Even as fire begets fire so this will beget love in your hearts towards him againe So much for this The second point which I intend to handle at this time is this another consectary another use we are to draw from this doctrine Hee that loves not is not in Christ. The next use is to exhort you to come in if it be a thing of that moment now our businesse is to exhort to love the Lord Iesus And is there not much reason to move you to it if you had this love in your hearts would it not be a ground of much comfort to you for if you were able to beleeve in Iesus Christ and love him you should have your salvation sure if once you could finde this disposition in your selves as it must be in you if ever you be saved that your hearts long after him still you are growing towards him hanging that way as a stone to the center as the iron to the loadstone there is such a lingring after him the heart makes towards him and will have no deniall but as the woman of Canaan it breakes through all impediments no barre can keep it froÌ„ him as those that love they are not easily
day saith the Apostle it shall be the day of the manifestation of the just wrath of God in that day when the Lord shall open the treasures of his wrath those which have beene so long time a gathering While wee live here the clouds of Gods indignation are but gathering then they shall grow thicke and blacke and fasten upon you to the uttermost then all the great deepes shall be broken up then the flood-gates of Gods judgements shall prevaile and overflow you that case shall be yours at that time and this is a time which is to be considered by you now in Eccles. 1.7 Remember the dayes of darknesse for they are many My brethren eternity is an other thing than wee consider it to be while wee live in this world In Psal. 78.38 The Lord called backe his wrath and stirred not up all his indignation but at that time the Lord shall stirre up all his wrath yee doe here but sippe of this cup but then yee shall drinke up the dreggs of it for ever This shall be the case of those that love not the Lord. But you will say this is afarre off and therefore the lesse terrible it is not neere at hand Well though this curse in which wee have shewed these foure branches be not presently executed yet remember this that when we preach the Gospell to you as we doe from day to day and are still offering you Christ beseeching you to come in and take him and love him but yet you will not know that there is a thunderbolt alwayes following this lightening when Iohn Baptist came and preached the Gospell hee tells them presently of the curse that ws to follow You doe not know the time when the Lord will execute this curse Cain was cursed many yeares before he died and so Saul when the Lord had rejected him and had made a separation between God and him for a curse is but a separation when a man is cast aside and set apart for such a purpose so Saul was set apart for evill yet hee reigned many yeares after notwithstanding hee was under the curse So those that the Lord sware in his wrath they should not enter into his rest there was a curse upon them yet they lived many yeares in the wildernesse Therefore though the execution be not presently and though thou be in prosperity for the present yet it is but Cains prosperity though he had his life continued yet the curse lay upon him notwithstanding therefore I say take heede of refusing and deferring lest he sweare in his wrath that ye shall not enter into his rest it is a dangerous thing to refuse the Lord Iesus when hee is offered the first second third and fourth time and still you will not come in take heede and remember that speech of the Apostle that we named to you Whosoever loveth not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed When the Apostle looked upon the men to whom hee had preached and written you Corinthians to whom the Gospell hath beene plentifully preached and made knowne those among you that have heard me and have beene made acquainted with this doctrine of the freenesse of Gods offering grace to you if you will not take Christ in good earnest if you will not love him let such a man be accursed and brethren S. Paul was stirred up by the Spirit of God to pronounce this curse So I say let these words continue in your mindes that whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maranatha and he that hath eares to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith for happy and blessed are those that love the Lord Iesus but miserable and cursed are those that doe not love him FINIS THE EIGHTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love HAVING spoken of faith and love it remaines that we adde to them good workes for which wee will goe no further than this Text wee cannot have a fitter for saith the Apostle when you come to have to doe with Christ Iesus to be ingrafted into him to make your selves first acceptable to God through him all the workes you can doe are nothing they are no more than the omission of them circumcision is the same with uncircumcision But what is of moment then Faith saith hee But what faith must that be Such a faith as begets love And what love must that be Such a love as sets you on worke so that you have a chaine here consisting of these three linkes faith which when it is right will beget love and love when it is right will set you on worke faith which workes by love So the point we will deliver to you out of these words shall be this That we are to be judged not onely by our faith and love but also by our workes that no man hath faith and love that none are new creatures that none have sincerity but workes will follow this is a point which I doe not meane to handle at large as we have done the other but will endeavour to finish it at this time and it is a very necessary point because men are ready to applaud themselves in their knowledge in their good meaning in their honest desires and in the meane time they faile in their lives and actions therefore as those are the radicall verâ—ues which indeede make up the new creature Faith and Love so you must know that good workes are never disjoyned from them wheresoever there is sinceritie and a new creature good workes will follow The Scripture you know is evident in this A good tree bringeth forth good fruite Matth. 7. that is it cannot be that a mâ—n shall have a new heart it cannot be that a man should be regenerate but that his workes will be also new looke how farre the heart of any man is holy looke how farre his heart is put into a new frame of grace in that measure his workes will be good and his life sanctified In Acts 14.22 speaking of David I have found a man after mâ—ne owne heart who will doe whatsoever I will and in Mat. 23.26 Make the inside cleane that the outside may be cleane also As if he should say if the inside be right if the heart be set right within if that be well moulded the outside will bee cleane they cannot bee disjoyned If a man have a treasure within there will be silver in his speeches and actions but if his heart be nothing worth his words and actions will be but meere drosse It is the scope of that Prov. 10.20 The words of the righteous are as fined silver but the heart of the wicked is nothing worth That is when his heart is nothing worth his speeches and actions are nothing worth too but the good man that hath his treasure in his heart there is silver and golde in his speeches and
and yet have no true grace for you must know thâ—t good purposes and desires may arise from these two things which every unregenerate man is capable of There may be knowledge as you know an evill man may have knowledge of all the mysteries of salvation as well as the most holy I doe not say he hath the sanctified knowledge but the law of God is partly written in his heart the Lord hath taught every man somewhat Secondly in an evill and unregenerate man there may be not onely knowledge but an approbation of that which is good they can approove that which is good so farre they may goe I doe not say they can delight in it for that is another thing they doe not love and delight in it that is not sutable to them yet they may approove it Now from these two principles to know that which is good and to approove it they may goe so farre as to purpose and desire to serve God they may have good meanings but yet if actions follow not if there be not reformation in their lives if a man deny not himselfe in his beloved sinne if hee come not to that outward profession of holinesse that is required in Scripture and is seene in the lives of the Saints he hath nothing to comfort himselfe withall these good meanings will not serve the turne For know this though it be true as wee see there may be actions where there is no sound heart as the second and third ground brought forth a kinde of fruite when there was neither of them right hypocrites you know may goe farre they may make a blaze as your commets doe more than the true starres though this be true that there may be abundance of good workes where there is no rightnesse and soundnesse no sincerity no purenesse within yet againe also on the other side wheresoever there is sincerity there are good workes and though many times the outside be cleane when the inside is not yet the inside is never cleane but the outside is cleane too And that is the thing we must examine our selves by though it be not a good rule to say I have good workes therefore my heart is right yet it is a good rule to say on the other side I want good works therefore my heart is not right except there be a generall reformation in your lives except things be reformed that you know to be amisse Indeede when it is not revealed to you then there is something for you to say but when you know that such a duty is to be done that your speeches should be holy that they should be seasoned with salt that you ought to abstaine from sinnes of all kindes from all appearance that you ought not to admit any kinde of dalliance not the least touch of any sinne now not to set your selves with all your might to reforme this this is a sure argument you are not right for if the generall frame of the heart be good there will be a generall reformation of the life Therefore let no man say I purpose well but in this particular infirmity I must be spared to such a thing my nature is prone and I am given to it I cannot tell how to refraine it and I hope it is not so great a matter say not so for if the heart be right the actions will be right and unblameable For though you see sometimes a man may have a good colour from flushing and painting when the constitution of the body within is but crasie and unsound yet againe it is true there is never any that hath a sound and haile constitution there is never a healthfull body but the complection is good the heart is never right but you shall see it without though you have leaves without fruit yet you never have fruite but there are leaves there are actions appearing Therefore learne to judge aright of your selves content not your selves with good purposes onely you see the complaint of the Scripture of the lacke of this in people What is the reason the Lord calls for obedience rather than sacrifice because that is the touchstone that every man is tryed by I am weary saith he of your fat of rammes I am burdened with your sacrifices Esay 1. The thing that I desire is that you cease to doe evill and learne to doe well that is the thing that the Lord lookes for at every mans hand these outward performances are good they must be done and these good meanings must be had but yet that is not enough you are not to judge your selves by that But it will be objected that the best men have their failings those that have a good heart yet doe wee not finde them subject to infirmities as well as other men and if this be the rule we are to be judged by who shall be saved To this I answer first it is true that the most holy men may many times doe that which is ill but it is by accident it is when they are transported when they are carried besides their purpose As a man that is bound for such a place sayling such a way his compasse stands stil right he alters not that though the wind carry him violently another way yet he lookes still to the right way that is his intent still and it is knowne by this when the winde is over and the gust is past he returnes againe and saileth to the haven he intended to goe to at the first So it is with all the Saints they saile by a right compasse their intents are still good whensoever they doe otherwise it is by accident it is when they are overborne by some temptation by some passion when they are not perfectly themselves Againe you must know this that every holy man as hee hath grace in him and a principle of holy actions so he hath also flesh in him and a principle of evill actions now that principle may sometimes prevaile and get ground of him yea it may prevaile mightily sometimes and make him doe as evill actions as the worst man For that is a true rule a man that excelleth in grace may sometimes excell in ill doing you must take me aright that is a man that hath a more impetuous spirit than another so that none excelleth such a spirit when it is set aright he may be as impetuous in evill-doing for a fit for a time when that evill principle within him shall get the better Therefore though you see a good man sometime unlike himselfe for a fit yet it is at that time when the flesh prevailes for now grace though it be there yet sometimes it is laid asleepe it is not alwayes acted As the Philosopher was wont to say It is one thing to have knowledge and another thing to use it alway so it is with grace sometimes the Saints doe not use that grace and holinesse and hence it is
heate so every good action proceedeth from grace and good actions intend grace and therefore be still acting and judge of your selves by that for what is grace what is that you call Christianity else but to doe that which another man cannot doe Therefore if there be such a difference betweene you and others as you professe there is shew it by doing that which another man cannot doe by exposing your selves to that danger to those losses for any good cause which another would not doe by spending more time in prayer by taking more paines with your hearts from day to day than others doe by keeping the sabbath better than others doe by being more exact in looking to your wayes that you may be holy in all manner of conversation that other men will not doe I say shew your grace shew your regeneration by being new creatures by doing more than others this is that which wil make the world beleeve that you are Christians in good earnest and not in shew onely that your profession is in deed and in truth and truely there is no other way this doing is that which makes a man excellent You heare men complaine of the barrennesse of their grounds many times wee may likewise justly take up the complaint against the barrennesse of the lives of men How goodly a sight is it when a man looks into the husbandry to see the vine full of clusters to see the furrowes full of corne to see the trees laden with fruite when we looke upon men it is the goodliest sight we can behold in Gods husbandry to see men full of actions and good workes I beseech you consider of it seriously and now set upon the doing of it while there is sand in the houre-glasse your life will not last long the day doth not continue alwayes the night will come when no man can worke When a candle is put out you may kindle it againe when the Sunne is set it riseth againe but when our life is past when the glasse is runne it ariseth no more it is turned no more It is appointed to all men once to die if ye might die twice or thrice it were another case but now it is your wisedome therefore while it is time while this short day lasts to doe that you have to doe concerning your salvation with all your might because the time is short There is nothing that is a truer property of wisedome than for a man to take holde of opportunities not to lose the day nay not an houre in the day for time is most precious it is like golde of which every shred is worth somewhat it is your wisedome therefore to be oft sowing seede to the spirit there is none of those good workes not the least of them but will doe you good in the latter end for alas what are your lives but your actions so much as you doe so much you live your lives are short of themselves why doe you make them shorter by doing nothing for as wee have said heretofore one man may live more in a day than another in twenty because hee doth more you live more as you act more Besides what is it a man serves for in all his labour under the Sunne what is it that hee desires but pleasure comfort and contentment Now my brethren this consists in doing in working for all pleasure followeth upon operation and further than there is working there is no delight Therefore it was a wise saying in that Philosopher that the happinesse and comfort that a man hath in this life consists not in abundance of wealth in swimming in delights but it consists in doing the actions of a living man which is the greatest comfort you can finde here in this life Doe the exercises and actions of holinesse and the more yee doe the more comfort yee shall have for even as light followeth the flame so pleasure and contentment followeth action And besides my brethren what doe you live for is it not to glorifie God You professe so much and how is it done Not by your desires or good meanings but by your actions those are the things that men see and feele and glorifie your heavenly Father for when your actions shine before men Herein is my Father glorified saith Christ that ye bring forth much fruite the doing of much is that which brings glory to God the more you doe this the more glory you bring to him Againe another end of your life is to doe good to mankinde shall they be able to fare the better for your purposes for your good resolutions no they fare the better onely for that you doe for them and to them it is your actions that benefit men Lastly for your selves what is it that helpeth you and doth you good onely your good deeds and your actions it is that which furthers your reckoning and account That place is much to this purpose Phil. 4.17 I care not for a gift but I desire fruite because it will further your account marke the phrase the meaning is this every good worke that a holy man doth from the time of his regeneration for till then no actions are spiritually good it is put upon his score it stands upon his reckoning there is not a penny nor a halfe penny lost that is the least good worke is not done to no purpose but the Lord will repay him againe euery pennie and farthing this saith hee will further your account And when will the Lord pay Not onely in the day of judgement then indeede you shall be paid to the uttermost but you shall be paid even in this life marke that too You shall have an hundredfold here saith Christ They that forsake father or mother or wife or children shall have an hundredfold in this life Therefore brethren if there bee any wisedome in the world this is the onely wisedome to be still doing to be much in actions Why doe you trifle out your time therefore to no purpose Why sit ye idle here why doe you not rise up and bestirre your selves why doe you not fill your lives with many actions You have good purposes in you why doe you not stirre them up It is true indeede we are becalmed many times because the Spirit doth not blow upon us but yet notwithstanding if we would pray for the Spirit the Lord would quicken us But you will say alas what shall wee doe it may be our callings give us no opportunity to doe that which other mens callings doe if we might be Preachers and have such and such businesse wherein wee might onely minde the things that belong to salvation then it were easie My brethren you must know that you shall finde continuall occasions of doing good actions every day whatsoever your callings are It is an errour among the Papists to thinke that to give almes to crucifie the flesh and to use that hardly to fast and
Obiect Answ. Psal. 31. Ier. 10. 1 Tim. 1.6 2 Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. 2 Cor. 11. Simile Rom. 8. 3 Obiect Concerning Gods hearing our prayers Ans. Why God heares not sometimes Obiect Ans. When we aske amisse 2 Cor. 12. 2 When we are not fitted for mercies 1 Pet. 5.6 Prou. 22.4 3 To make vs pray feruently Iam. 5. 4 When it crosseth Gods prouidence otherwise 4 Obiect About the prosperity of wicked men and the Saints afflictions Psal. 37. Ier. 12.1 Eccles. 8.14 Eccles. 7.14 We must not iudge by Gods outward proceedings Obiect Answ. We haue need of long and strong afflictictions Dan. 11.7 Psal 37. Quest. Answ. Ier. 24. Difference betweene the Saints and others in the same afflictions Prou. 1.27 Afflictions easie to the godly Psal. 21.34 Simile Faith must be improued to increase sanctification Quest. Ans. How Faith sanctifies the heart Doct. Love what Five kindes of love Three sorts of Love Love of God how wrought in the heart The loue of Christ what Reas. 1 Hypocrisie vvhat Reas. 2. Reas. 3 Reas. 4 1 Vse 1 Cor. 16.22 1 Tryall of love by the affections 1 By griese 2 By ioy 2 Tryall by walking with the Lord. To walke with God what 3 Tryall by the diligence of love 1 Thess. 1.4 4 Tryall desire of present enioyment of the thing beloved 5 Tryall of loye it is its owne wages 6 Tryal of love by its constraining us to please God 2 Cor 5. Object Answ. Motives to love Christ. 2 Mot. 3 Mot. 4 Mot. 5 Mot. Iosh. 24. Deut. 32.13 6 Mot. Ier 2. 2 Sam. 12.7 7 Mot. Gal. 2.10 Obiect Answ. Meanes to enable us to love God Prayer Object Answ. Obiect Answ. Prayer workes love 4 wayes Object Answ. 2 Thess. 4. 2 meanes to consider our sinnes Object Answ. Ier. 3.1 3 Meanes to beseech the Lord to shew himselfe to us Exod. 33. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is not to be omitted Reasons The Lords Supper beyond the Passeover in two respects 2 Men ought not to come negligently to it Two sorts receive the Sacramentunâ— worthily Properties of love 1 It is bountifull 1 Cor. 13. Acts 20.24 Revel 2. Object Answ. 2 It is content with nothing but love again Psal. 51. 2 Chron. 7.14 3 It desires the second comming of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 9. ult 2 Pet. 3.13 Object Answ. 1. Revel 14.13 Simile 4 It delighteth to speake of the party beloved Psal. 105. 2 Chron. 15. 5 It will doe much and suffer much for the party beloved 2 Sam. 6.21 Heb. 10. Object Answ. 1 Iohn 5 3. opened 6 Property of love it is like fire in 4 things Cant 8. Mat 24 5. 7 Property of love it commandeth the affections especially anger and feare 1 Sam. 4.3 Ier. 36.24 Act. 17. These sermons were preached in the time of the great pestilence 1625. Quest. Answ. Causes of the plague Numb 25. Numb 25. Quest. Answ. Isay 22. 8 Property of love it doth things freely 9 Property of love hatred of sinne Object Answ. Rev. 2. Answ. Three differences betweene hatred and anger 10 Property it loveth the Saints 1 Iohn 4.20 opened 4 Tryalls of our love to holy men Object Answ. 2 Cor. 6. Two impediments of the love of Christ. 1 Strangenes Quest. Answ. 2 Vncircumcision of heart Deut. 30.6 1 Iohn 2. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. When love to the creature is adulterous Note Knowledge of God especiall helpe to make us love him Vse Examination 1. Tryall Object Answ. Ier. 3.4 2. Tryall Cant 1. Psal. 63.3 Zach. 12. Levit 16.29 23.27 3. Tryall Acts 13.22 Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Obiect 2 Answ. 4. Tryall 1 Iohn 2.15 Quest. Answ. Three tryalls of our love to the world Ioh. 12.42 Heb. 11. Iohn 8. Object Answ. Rom. 13. 5 Tryall Quest. Answ. Naturalnesse of love to the Lord is known by two things Object Answ. Rom. 1. Quest. Answ. Foure signes of hatred of God 1 Iohn 4. Mat. 6. The last helpe of the love of God consisting of three branches The knowledg of God A looking upon God as one sutable to us 3 Assurance of the Lords love to us Object Answ. Meanes whereby men may be assured of Gods love to them 1 Such as are without Isay. 9.6 Obiect 1. Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. 2 Such as are within the Covenant Object Answ. 2 Answ. 3 Answ. 4 Mot. 2 Mot. Isa. 48.17 Deut. 5.19 Object Answ. Two Requisites in the love of God 1 It must be with all the heart Object Answ. Hosea 3.3 Simile 2 Requisite in love it must be with all your night Object Answ. 3 Requisite to love him above all Else wee love him not as God Else we should not love him constantly Simile Why wee must love the Lord above all Object Answ. Why we must love God above our selves Not to love pleasures more than God what Quest. Answ. Deut. 30.6 Object Answ. 4 Requisite to be rooted and grounded in love Eph. 3.17 Iam 1.12 Our love to God not alwayes in the same degree How to bee rooted in love 1 To be rooted in faith 2 Pitch your love on his person 5 Requisite it must be diligent 1 Thess. 1.3 Wherein our love should be diligent 1 In preparing for Christs comming 2 In adorning the soule 3 In keeping his commandements God dealeth not hardly with us in requiring love because 1 It is that which every one may give 2 Hee that requires this might have required harder things 3 It is for our owne benefit The danger of not loving the Lord. 1 Cor. 16.22 To be cursed what The curse of God in foure things 1 Separate from grace 2 Separation from the presence of God Gen. 4. 3 A curse on the outward estate Object Answ. A man may be cursed in outward things in the midst of plentie 4 The eternall curse at the day of iudgement Eccles. 1.7 Psal. 78.38 Men may be cursed though the curse be not executed Doct. Wee are to be iudged not only by our faith and love but by our workes Mat. 7. Acts 14.22 Mat. 23.26 Prov. 10.20 Reas. 1 Because every Christian hath the spirit and that is strong 2 Tim. 1.6 Gal. 5.25 2 Tim 2.1 Isay 31.3 Reas. 2. Inward rectitude and good workes alway goe together Mat 13.5 Reas. 3. Because there is a new nature Vse 1. Not to be content onely with good meanings Good purposes whenee they arise 1 Knowledge 2 Approbation of that which is good Though there may bee good workes where the heart is unsound yet wherever the heart is sound there is good workes Simile Isay 1. Object Answ Holy men have failings 1 When they are suddenly transported Simile 2 Holy men have flesh in them as well as spirit Object Answ. The good that evill men doe it cannot bee said that they doe it Rom. 7. A man may do good and not be good Vse 2. Christians better taught than great learned men without grace Wisedome in three things Religion an art of holymen not of learned men Sciences of two sorts Object Answ. The will taken for the deed 1 When the impediment cannot be removed 2 When a man is ignorant of somethings and yet his desires are right No man hath a great measure of grace without paines Vse 3. An exhortation to doing Motives to be workers 1 Thess. 5.6 7 8. The use of grace increaseth it A goodly sight when mens lives abound with good workes A true property of wisedome Simile Pleasure and contentment is in action The end of our life 1 To glorifie God 2 To doe good to men Phil. 4.17 Object Answ. In every calling men have occasion of dong good Good actions what Good workes In suffering In sicknesse In mastering our lusts Quest. Answ. Our workes must be sutable to the season Quest. Answ. Duties suting the present times 1 Contend for the faith Discretion Moderation The faith once delivered Common faith Errour in opinion worse then errours in practise These sermons were preached in the Parliament time in 1625. where diverse of the Parliament were present Opportunities not to be slipped Rom. 15.20 2 Duty Fast and pray 3 Duty Renew our Covenants 2 Chron. 16. The sinnes of Gods children helpe to bring iudgements
offer the day may come when you would be glad to haue it You that are now in the height and flower of your youth and you that are more ancient liuing in health and wealth and hauing your fill of pleasures it may be for the present you haue other things to take vp your mindes but the time will come when the Bridegroome shall enter in and the doores shall bee shut when your Houre-glasse shall be out and your time spent and then this relation of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes now offered would be reckoned glad tydings but take heede that it be not too late beware lest you cry and GOD refuses to heare Not but that GOD will heare euery man if his cry comes from vnfeigned faith and loue but it may be GOD will not giue thee that vnfeigned faith and loue when you be come to that extremity seeing you would not come when he called it may be he will not come when you call it may be he will not breathe the breath of life nor giue such a spirit and disposition as he will accept of Christ dyed to purchase to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes and not onely to saue men He dyed for this end that men might doe him seruice and if you will not come in now in time of strength and youth when you are able to doe him seruice I say in his ordinary course he will reject you now in your extremity you may not then expect mercie at his hands Therefore doe not say I will follow my couetousnesse and idlenesse my pleasures and businesse my lusts and humours and heereafter come in for you are not to chuse your own time If he call you and you refuse to come take heed lest in his wrath he sweare that you shall not enter into his rest FINIS OF FAITH The second Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith THe next point that these words affoord vs is this that Faith is that whereby the righteousnesse of God is made ours to saluation The righteousnesse of GOD saith the Apostle is reuealed from faith to faith That is it is so reuealed and offered by GOD that it is made ours by faith we are made partakers of it by faith you see it ariseth cleerely from the words Now for the opening of this point to you you must vnderstand that there are two waies or Couenants whereby GOD offereth saluation to men One is the Couenant of workes and that was that righteousnesse by which Adam had beene saued if he had stood in his innocencie for it was that way that GOD appointed for him Doâ— this and liue But Adam performed not the condition of that Couenant and therefore now there is another Couenant that is the Couenant of Grace a Board giuen vs against Ship-wracke Now this Couenant of Grace is double Either absolute and peculiar Or conditionall Absolute and peculiar onely to the Elect so it is expressed Ier. 31. I will put my Lawe into your inward parts and write it in your hearts and I will be your God and you shall be my people So likewise in Ezek. 36. I will giue you a new heart and put a new spirit within you and I will take your stonie hearts out of your bodies Heere the Couenant is expressed absolutely and this is proper onely to the Elect. But now beside this there is a conditionall Couenant of Grace which is common to all and that is expressed in these termes Christ hath prouided a righteousnesse and saluation that is his worke that hee hath done already Now if you will beleeue and take him vpon those termes that he is offered you shall bee saued This I say belongs to all men This you haue thus expressed in the Gospell in many places If you beleeue you shall be saued as it is Mark 16. Goe and preach the Gospell to euery creature vnder Heauen hee that will beleeue shall be saued he that will not beleeue shall bee damned It is the same with that Rom. 4.5 To him which worketh not but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted righteousnesse Marke it To him that beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly that is there is a certaine iustice or righteousnesse that CHRIST hath prepared or purchased for men though they be vngodly he requires nothing of them before-hand though they be wicked and vngodly yet this righteousnesse is prepared for them that which is required of them is onely that they take it Now hee that will beleeue GOD that he hath prepared this for him and will receiue it it is enough to make him a righteous man in GODS acceptation so that this is the onely way now by which men shall be saued The worke is already done on Christs part there is a righteousnesse that GOD hath prepared which is therefore called the righteousnesse of GOD and there is nothing precedently required or looked for on our part but taking and applying of it But you will say Is there nothing else required of vs Must GOD doe all and must we doe nothing but onely take that righteousnesse that is prepared for vs I answer it is true indeede we must lead a holy life a religious sober and righteous life for for this end hath the grace of God appeared saith the Apostle yet you must know withall that we cannot worke in our selues this holinesse this religious and sober conuersation that must be Gods worke altogether we are onely to take this righteousnesse and the other is but a consequent that followeth vpon it To illustrate this vnto you by a similitude A Wheele or a Bowle runneth not that it may be made round that is the businesse of the workeman who makes it round that it may runne So it is in this case GOD doth not looke that we should bring holines and piety with vs for we haue it not to bring we are at the first onely to beleeue and accept this righteousnesse that is offered vs when that is done it is Gods part to frame vs and to fit and fashion vs for a holy life such a kinde of speech you haue it expressed in Eph. 2.10 We are Gods workmanship fashioned in Christ Iesus to walke in good workes which he hath ordained c. Marke it it is not an action of our owne but GOD is the workeman we are the materials as the clay and the wood that he takes into his hands when wee haue but taken this righteousnesse that is offered it is Gods worke to cast vs into a new Mould to giue vs a new heart and to frame a new spirit within vs that so we may walke in good workes before him this is the great mystery of godlinesse for we haue much adoe to perswade men to beleeue that the righteousnesse prepared by CHRIST
should be offered to them and nothing be required but receiuing of it this will not sinke into the hearts of men by nature they thinke they must doe something precedently or else this righteousnesse is not offered them But my beloued we must learne to belieue this and know that it is the worke of GOD to sanctifie vs after hee hath iustified vs. I confesse it is not so in other things there is still some action of our owne required to gaine this or that habit or ability as you see in naturall things there are some kinde of habits that we get by some precedent actions of our owne as the learning of Arts and Sciences to learne to write well c. here there is some action of our owne required to fit vs for it and then we get the ability to doe it But besides these there are other habits that are planted by nature in vs as an ability to heare to see to taste c. Now for these we neede not any action of our owne for the attaining of them because they are planted in vs by nature So it is in these things that belong to saluation It is true indeede we may get habits of morall Vertues by labour and paines of our owne there are actions of our owne required to them and in that the Philosopher said right that we learne to be temperate and sober and chaste c. But now for the Graces of the Spirit there it is not so those habits that nature hath planted in vs we exercise them naturally without doing any action of our owne to attaine them as we doe not by seeing oft learne to see but it is a faculty naturally planted in vs so it is in all the workes that we must doe which are the way to saluation GOD workes them in vs he infuseth those habits into vs. Therefore this conclusion is good that it is faith alone by which this righteousnesse is made ours to saluation This is euident by the Apostle Gal. 2. vlt. Saith he it is not by the Law If righteousnesse had beene by the workes of the Law then Christ had dyed without a cause As if he should haue said saluation must needes be by one of these two Either by something that we doe our selues some actions that we our selues haue wrought or else it must be meerely by faith Now if it had beene attainable by any worke of our owne CHRIST dyed without a cause as if he should say CHRIST could haue giuen you ability to doe those workes without his dying but for this very cause Christ came into the World and dyed that he might worke righteousnesse and make satisfaction to God so that you haue nothing to doe for the first attaining of it but to receiue it by faith And if you would know the reason why GOD that might haue found out many other wayes to leade men to saluation yet hath chosen this way aboue all others to saue men only by faith receiuing the righteousnesse of CHRIST which he hath wrought for vs you shall finde these foure reasons for it in the Scriptures Two of them are set downe Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace Marke it This is one reason why GOD will haue it by faith that it might be of grace For if any thing had beene wrought by vs as hee saith in the beginning of the Chapter it must haue beene giuen as wages and so it had beene receiued by debt and not by fauour but this was Gods end in it to make knowne the exceeding length and breadth of his loue and how vnsearchable the riches of Christ are his end was to haue his Grace magnified Now if there had beene any action of ours required but meerely the receiuing of it by faith it had not bin meerely of grace for faith empties a man it takes a man quite off his owne bottome faith commeth as an empty hand and receiueth all from GOD and giues all to GOD. Now that it might be acknowledged to be free and to be altogether of grace for this cause GOD would haue salvation propounded to men to be receiued by faith onely Secondly as it is by faith that it might come by grace so also that it might be sure that the promise might be sure if it had been any other way it had neuer beene sure Put the case that GOD had put vs vpon the condition of obedience and had giuen vs grace and ability as he did to Adam yet the Law is strict and the least fayling would haue bred feares and doubts and would haue caused death But now when the righteousnesse that saueth vs is wrought already by GOD and offered to vs by him and offered freely and that the ground of this offer is the sure Word of GOD and it is not a conjecturall thing now we may build infallibly vpon it for vnlesse faith haue footing on the Word wee cannot say it is sure all things else are mutable and subject to change therefore when GOD hath once said it we may firmely rest in it and it is sure And this is the second reason why it is onely by faith Thirdly it is by faith that it might bee to all the seede not onely to those that are of the Law but also to them which were strangers to the Law If it had beene by the Law then saluation had beene shut vp within the compasse of the Iewes for the Gentiles were strangers to the Law of GOD they were vncleane men shut out from the Common-wealth of Israel but when it is now freely propounded in the Gospell and nothing is required but onely faith to lay hold vpon it when there is no more looked for but beleeuing and receiuing hence it comes to be to all the seede for Abraham himselfe before he was circumcised he was as a common man the vaile was not then set vp yet euen then his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse The last reason why it is of faith is that no man might boast that no flesh might reioyce in it selfe for if it had beene by any other means by any thing done in our selues we had had cause to reioyce in our selues but for this cause saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. As if he had said if GOD had giuen vs a wisedome of our owne wee had had cause to haue reioyced in our selues but we are darknesse Eph. 4. there is nothing but foolishnesse and weaknesse in vs to the end that no flesh might reioyce in his presence Againe if we had had grace put into our selues though it had beene but little for which GOD might haue accepted vs the flesh would haue boasted therefore his righteousnesse is made ours But when this is done yet if after iustification it had beene in our power and ability