out that word in Isa. 65. 1. Behold me behold me O may wee not summond Angels and these twenty four Elders about the Throne to help us to wonder that ever such a command as this came forth that wee should believe on the Name of the Son of God after that wee had broken that first and primitive command That we should not eat of the forbidden tree Was not this indeed to make mercy rejoyce over judgement And O may wee not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant whereby he hath sworn That hee delighteth not in the death of sinners What suppose yee were poor Adams thoughts when at first the Doctrine of Free-grace and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Saviour was preached unto him in Paradise What a divine surprisal was this that heaven should have preached peace to earth after that earth had proclaimed war against heaven Was not this a low step of condescendency to behold an offended God preaching peace and good will to a guilty sinner What could self-destroying Adam think of these morning and first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant Christ as it were in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love which was resting in his bosome and precious heart before the foundation of the world was laid Wee know not whether the infinitenesse of his love the eternity of his love or the freedom of it maketh up the greatest wonder But sure these three joyned together make up a matchlesse and everlasting wonder Would any of you ask the Question What is Christ worth Wee could give no answer so suitable as this it is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth to calculate his worth all men here must be put to a divine non plus This was Iobs divinity Iob 28. 13. Man knoweth not the price of wisedome And must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of Faith and wisedome of the Father bee a supereminent and excellent One who hath that Name of King of kings and Lord of lords not onely ingraven on his vesture which pointeth out the conspicuousnesse of his Majesty but even also upon his thigh to point out that in all his goings and motions hee proveth himself to bee higher then the Kings of the earth And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his Beauty and Majesty and to bee satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory then certainly wee should finde a blessed necessity laid upon us of closing with him for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious moâ—â—h by which hee doth subject and subjugate his own to himself as well as hee hath a sword girded upon his thigh by which hee judgeth and maketh war with his enemies Wee confesse it is not only hard but simply impossible to commit a Hyperbole in commending of him His worth being alwayes so far above our expressions and our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth therefore wee may be put to propose that desire unto him Exalt thy self O Lord above the Heavens But now to our purpose being at this time to begin our discourse upon that radicall and precious grace of Faith wee intend to speak of it under this twofold notion and consideration First We shall speak of it as it is justifying or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousnesse of a crucified Saviour makeing application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace which wee call justifying Faith And in the second place we shall speak a little-unto Faith as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength for advancing the work of mortification and doth discover the personal excellencies of Iesus Christ by which wee advance in the work of holinesse and divine consormity with God which wee call sanctifying Faith However it is not to bee supposed that these are different habits of Faith but different acts flowing from the same saving habit laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ in different respects and for diverse ends Now to speak upon the first we have made choice of these words The Apostle Iohn in the former verse hath been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of obedience and of keeping of his commands that such a one hath as it were an arbitrary power with God and doth receive many precious returns of prayer As likewise that one who is exercised in the grace of repentance is Gods delight which is included in this that he doth these things that are well pleasing in his sight And now in these words hee doth as it were answer an objection that might bee proposed about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages seeing his commands were so large and that hardly could they bee remembered This hee doth sweetly answer by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law and Gospel viz. That wee should love one another which is the compend of the Law and The we should believe on the Name of His Son which is the compend of the Gospel And by this he sheweth the Christian that there are not many things required of him for attaining these excellent advantages but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments he shall find favour both with God and man And as concerning this precious grace of Faith Wee have 1. the advantages of it implied in the words and clear also from the scope as no doubt all the commands have infinit advantages infolded in their bosome which redounds to a Believer by his practising of them And 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words in that it is called His command as if hee had no other command but this And the Greek particle is here prefixed which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 3. There is this also the absolute necessity of this grace holden forth here in this word His Commandment as if he would have said by proposing of this command I do set life and death before you and that ye would not conceive that it is an arbitrary and indifferent thing for you to believe or not But be perswaded of this that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment And lastly Yee have the precious Object upon which Faith which is justifying doth exercise it self and that is upon the Name of the Son of God And no doubt Faith is that excellent grace which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet and inseparable union with Christ and is that golden and precious knot that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious Image on our hearts and by love doth accomplish
love do flow Thirdly Faith maketh Christ more precious then Sense because Faith looketh not only to what Christ is presently but unto what Christ is from eternity before time and what Christ shall be unto eternity after time But sense onely doth look to what Christ is presently And ye must conceive that the sweet travelling of Faith betwixt infinite love from eternity before and infinite love unto eternity after must make Faith to fall in a sea of wondering and raiseth the thoughts to the highest pitoâ— of desire and estimation Fourthly We may likewise adde that the impression of the preciousnesse of Christ which sense maketh upon the soul it is not so constant not so single as that which faith doth make O but the grace of Faith giveth the Christian a broad look of Christ and letteth him see Christ cloathed with ornaments of Glory and divine Majesty Sense followeth Christ rather that it might see his Miracles and Love that it may be fed with Loaves but Faith follows Christ for himself above all II. The second consideration to speak the advantage of it is that the grace of Faith it hath as it were an arbitrary power with God so that whatsoever a Christian shall seek in Faith hee shall receive it It is the noble gift that was once given to Faith that it should never seek any thing and bee denyed according to that word in Matth. 21. 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive it And that word in Joh. 15. 7. Abide in me that is believe and the promise is annexed to this whatsoever ye shall ask yee shall receive And it is clear likewise from the preceeding verse to our Text that if we obey this command of Faith Whatsoever we shall ask of God we shal receive it And I would speak these two things to you from this First That oftentimes Christ putteth a blank in a Christians hand who is much in the exercise of Faith according to that in Matth. 20. 32. Is there not an ample blank put into that mans hand What wilt thou that I should do unto thee Christ desireth him to fill up that blank with what he would And secondly There is this which is one of the greatest steps of Christs matchlesse condescendency that oftentimes when his own have sought in their presumption a blank to be put in their hand Christ condescendeth to give it according to that strange passage in Mark 10. 35 36. The two disciples who present this desire to Christ We desire say they That whatsoever we ask thou shall give it unto us and presently that is answered What will ye that I should do for you Christ hath an infinite good will to satisfie the desires of his own and that which yet more speaketh out Christs boundlesse good will to satisfie the desires of all that belong to him It may be cleared in that word Ioh. 16. 24. Where he chargeth his Disciples with this Hitherto saith he have ye asked me nothing ye must not suppose that Peter Iames and Iohn never sought a suiâ— of Christ but the meaning of that expression is this ye sought nothing in comparison of that which I was willing to give and which your necessity did call for at my hands which ye should have sought III. There is this third consideration to point out the advantage of Faith It is that grace that keepeth all the graces of the spirit in life and exercise Faith is that higher wheel at the motion of which all the lower wheels do move If so wee may speak Faith is that Primum mobile that first moves and turns about all these lower graces of the Spirit according to that 2 Pet. 1. 5. Adde to your faith vertue and to your vertue patience and to your patience brotherly kindnesse First The grace of Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Love as is clear Eph. 3 17. where these two Graces are conjoyned As likewise from Rom. 5. 1. compared with verse 5. Being justified by faith Then this effect followeth upon it The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts And so it is certain that Faith keepeth Love in Life Faith being the Spy of the soul and that Intelligencer and precious Messenger it goeth out and bringeth in objects unto Love Faith draweth aside the vail and love sitteth down and solaceth it self in the discoveries of Faith Secondly The grace of Faith likewise it keepeth the grace of Mortification in exercise as is clear not only from Ephes. 6. 6. but from 1 Ioh. 5. 4. This is our victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith And it is certain that Faith keepeth mortification in exercise and advanceth holinesse not only because of this that Faith is that grace that presenteth to a Christian the absolute purity and spotlesse holinesse of Jesus Christ but also because it maketh them esteem their idols tastlesse as the white of an egge and they become unto them as their sorrowfull meat The best principle of mortification is this the discoveries of the invisible vertues of Jesus Christ. That mortification which aâ—iseth from the lovely discoveries of the excellency of Jesus Christ is most real and abiding as these waters which riseth from the highest springs are not onely constant but likewise most deep and excellent Thirdly Faith likewise hath influence upon mortification as it doth take hold of that infinit strength that is to Christ by which a Christian is inabled to moâ—â—ifie his corruptions Fourthly Faith likewise maketh application of the bloud of sprinkling by which wee are purified from dead works Fifthly Likewise the grace of Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Humility as is clear Rom. 3. 27. By what Law saith he is boasting excluded It is not by the Law of Works but by the Law of Faith Sixthly Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of joy as is clear Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing So that ye see the proper fruit of Faith is joy in the Holy Ghost And certainly did wee believe more wee should rejoyce more Seventhly and lastly Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of hope for it is impossible for hope to bee in lively exercises except Faith once bee exercised which may bee a shame unto you For how can wee hope to attain the thing that is promised except our faith first close with the promise So there is this difference betwixt the grace of Faith and the grace of Hope the grace of Faith closeth with the promises but the grace of Hope it closeth with the thing that is promised IV. There is this fourth Consideration that may speak out the excellency of the grace of Faith It is that grace by which a Christian doth attain to most divine fellowship and constant correspondency with Heaven Would yee have that question resolved and determined What is the best way Not to stir up our beloved nor awake him untill
he please It is this be much in the grace of Faith this is clear from Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith By the exercise of all other graces Christ is but a sojourner That turneth aside to tarry but for a night but by the exercise of this grace he cometh to take up house with us I will tell you what faith is It is a ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth daily go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which wee have accesse to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the Believer to the Throne and without it hee cannot have accesse there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith A believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9. 24. where these two are conjoyned together Lord I believe and then hee falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou my unbelief And it is clear from Psal. 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh is it not the neglect of this precious exercise of faith and of the duty of secret Prayer that makes our leannesse testisie to our Face and maketh our souls as a barren wildernesse I am perswaded of this that since Christ had any followers and since ever this everlasting Goâ—pel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected Wee have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what â—t is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to inquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diâ—ersion from sleep to retire our selves in the â—ilent seasons of the night from all thoughts â—bout worldly matters and to converse with â—hat invisible Majesty VI. There is this sixth consideration to â—oint out the advantage of Faith That Faith â—s that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and â—asie This is clear from Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham when commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether â—e went The word may be rendered He did â—hearfully obey And ver 17. By faith he ofâ—ered up his only Son Would ye know the reaâ—on why his commands are your burden and why his precepts are your crosses It is beâ—ause of this Yee do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Chriâ—tian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience â—ithout the exercise of Faith Faith holdeth â—p the Crown to a Christian and this crown â—aketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength â—rom Christ and that strength maketh obeâ—ience very easie Faith â—aketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question What is the first most requisit for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisit Faith And what thirdly is most requisit for a Christian even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our service and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith Iâ— is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelievers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain and we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shall likewise addâ— this that Faith is the graâ—e by which a Christian hath that perfect and immediate sight as it were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian withiâ— sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to thaâ— word Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence â— things not seen and that noble paâ—adox thâ—â— is said of Faith Heb. 11. 27 By faith Mosâ—â— saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this That Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can yee do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more wee shall propose to you the disadvantages of that wofull sin of unbelief I. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1. 15. But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing is sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14. 23. What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances II. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to moâ—tifie a lust or idol and wee may allude unto these words in Matth. 17. 20. When his disciples came to him and asked this question Why could wee not cast out this devil That was given as an answer because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for our idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded â— treaty of peace with our idols that we shall not offend them if they offend not us III. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win nor attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro untill once hee win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isa. 7. 9 Except ye believe ye shall not be established IV. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it it is the mother of hardnesse and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16. 14. Where he
upbraideth then because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to wit hardnesse of heart this is clear also from Act. 19. 9. Where these two sister devils are conjoyned and locked together unbelief and hardnesse of heart because it is unbelief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of tendernesse must be maintained V. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with childe of apostacy from God and of defection from him according to that word Heb. 3. 12. Beware lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and there the fruit of it to depart from the living God And certainly it is no wonder that unbelief travel in birth till that cursed childe of Apostacy be brought forth not onely because of this that an unbelieveâ— loseth the thoughts of the excellency of Christ but also because he increaseth in his thoughts of love towards his idols for Christ doth decrease in those who misbelieve and their idols do increase in their love and in their desires and in their estimation VI. There is this sixth disadvantage in the sin of unbelief it hindereth the communication of many signall workings and tokens of the love and favour of the most High according to that sad word that is in Mat. 13. 58. at the close He could not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief Unbelief as it were laid a restraint on Christ that he could not effectuaâ—e these things which he was willing to perform And to shut up our discourse at this time I would only adde these two aggravations which may somewhat enforce what we have spoken I say there are these two aggravations in the sin of unbelief even in his own who have a right and also his call to believe 1. That after Christ hath given most sensible discoveries of himself Wherein yee have seen him as it were face to face yet wee will not believe this is clear from Ioh. 6. 36. Though ye have seen me saith Christ yet yee do not believe in me There is not a manifestation of Christs presence but it is a witnesse against you because of your unbelief Would ye heat the voice of sense that is rectified It is this believe on the Son of God Secondly That notwithstanding of the signal demonstrations of the power of Christ yet though it were the mortifying of some lust and idol within them yet they will not believe but upon new temptations will doubt of his love to them Christ preacheth faith by his Word He preacheth faith by His fufferings He preacheth faith by his dispensations He preacheth faith by his promises he preacheth faith by his rods and if these five instruments will not ingage your hearts to believe what can move them Do not his two wounds in his precious hands preach out this point of Faith believe him Doth not that hole opened in his side preach this Doctrine That we should believe in him And these two wounds that he received in his precious feet do they not preach this That we should believe on a crucified Saviour And we would only say this that sometime it is the case of his own that after the convictions of this that it is their duty to believe and also after some desires to close with Christ yet they find inability to close with him Is it not certain that to will to believe is sometime present with you but how to perform ye know not And I would have a Christian making this foursold use of such a dispensation as that which is most ordinarily when convictions of our duty to believe and some desires to close with Christ is not followed with actual performances 1. To study to have your convictions more deeply rooted within you for it doth sometimes follow that resolutions and minâ—s to believe are not blest with actual believing because the conviction of our duty to believe is not deeply imprinted upon your conscience 2. Be convinced of that desperate enimity and that mystery of iniquity that is within you that yee can have some will to do without ability to perform Wee confesse it is not an ordinary disease in these days to have such a contrariety betwixt a Christians will and his practice our will for the most part being no better then our practice But sometime it is which may make you cry forth O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 3. That ye would be much in the imploying of Christ that as hee hath given you to will so also hee might make you to do Christ is about to convince his own in such a dispensation as that That faith is the gift of God Faith is so noble a grace that it cannot be spinned out from our resolutions nor from our endeavours Faith is such a divine plant as the Fathers right hand must plant in our souls 4. Let it convince you of the excellency of the grace of Faith for the difficulty of attaining to any thing may speak out the excellency of that thing there is no sin but it may be easily win at There is an easinesse and facility to overtake the paths of our idols but the graces of the Spirit are so excellent things that wee must fight before we attain them And you who are strangers to Christ Iesus and have never known what â—t is to close with him wee would request you in Christs Name to be reconciled to him What know ye O men or rather Atheists but this shall bee the last summonds that yee shall get to believe And that because yee disobey this precious summonds there shall be one presented to you that yee cannot sit I remember of one man who looking upon many thousands that were under his command weeped over them when he considered how that within a few years all these should be laid in their graves and should be in eternity O but it were much of our concernment to bee trying our selves how it is with us We are not afraid that it is a breach of charity to wish that but one of each ten that are within these doors were heirs of the grace of life and had the solide and spiritual expectation of heaven I think if Christ were to come presently to speak to us hee might not onely say to each twelve that are here One of you shall betray me but wee are afraid that hee would say to each twelve that are here Eleven of you shall betray mee and but one only shall passe free O doth it not concern you to enquire where ye shall rest at night when the long shadows of the everlasting evening shall be stretched out upon you I think there are some that are so settled upon their lies that if they were one day in hell and saw all the torments that are there and were brought from it the next day to live on earth they would not repent And more there are some that take them up
the harlot It is certain that grace when 〈◊〉 is the object of our Faith it doth provoke God to blast the lively exercise thereof and to make a Christian oftentimes have thâ—â— complaint Wo to me my leannesse my leaâ—â—esâ—â— testifieth to my face I will tell you thrâ—â— great mysteries of Christianity about grace The first is to ride marches between theâ—â— two not to deny what they have anâ— yet to bee denyed to what they have maâ—â— times there is grace-denying and not selâ— denying but this is that wee would presâ—â— upon you to bee denyed to grace according to that which is recorded of Moses his faâ—â— did shine and he knew it not hee did misâ—eâ—â— as it were and did not at all bee puffed â—â— with it for so the words wee conceive mâ—â— run Secondly it is a great difficulty fâ—â— a Christian to bee denied to his self denial 〈◊〉 â—ee humble in â—his being humble for if priâ—â— â—â—n have no other foundation it will build â—â— self upon humility and a Christian will â—â—ow proud in this that hee is growing humble Thirdly It is a difficultie for a Christian to examine his growing in grace and not bee puffed up It is certain a Christian ought to examine his growth in grace humbly according to that Psal. 63. 8. My â—â—ul followeth hard after thee thy right hand â—â—holdeth mee Hee doth not only take notice â—f this that his soul did follow after God â—ut of the measure of that pursuit my soul â—â—lloweth hard after thee and yet sweetly acknowledgeth it was not his own feet which â—â—rried him nor his own hand that kept him â—â—om falling 3. Yee are not to build your Faith upon â—our works and upon the righteousnesse â—f the Law I need not stand long to reâ—ure â—â—at practicall Popery that is amongst us â—â—at thinketh wee can go to heaven through 〈◊〉 Covenant of Works I told you not long â—â—â—e what your going to heaven through Covenant of Works speaketh even this â—â—râ—id blasphemy That it was an act of â—onstruous folly to send Christ to die for â—â—ers for if you can go to heaven withâ—â—t him was not Christ then crucified in 〈◊〉 And I would tell you now that â—â— is speaketh out your damnable ignorance 〈◊〉 the weaknesse and deceitfulnesse of your â—â—n hearts O yee that are so great deâ—â—ders of Salvation by the Covenant of â—orks I beseech you What is the reaâ—â—â— that yee break the Covenant of Works oftner then any for there is none thâ— thinketh they will go to heaven this way but these that are the greatest breakers of thâ— Covenant of Works And is not that inconsistent and most contradictory divinity yoâ—â— faith contradicting your practice and youâ— practice telling you that your faith is a lie Fourthly We must not mix our owâ— righteousnesse with Christ as the object oâ— our believing This is indeed an evill thaâ— often lodgeth in the bosome of the most refined hypocrite when Satan cannot prevaâ—â— to exclude Christ altogether then he is content with that whorish woman to divide thâ— childe and let the object of our faith be haâ— Christ and half of self And the truth iâ— many of these poor unwise sons who stâ—â— long in the place of the breaking forth â—â— children do willingly hearken to this oveâ—ture for fear it be presumption for such poâ—â— wretches to meddle too boldly with the righteousnesse of Christ but it were good sucâ— weak ones would consider that word Râ—â— 10. 2. where the Holy Ghost calleth thâ— making use of His righteousnesse an act â—â— submission They have not submitted saith hâ—â— unto the righteousnesse of Christ. O will yâ—â— not lay this to heart that our Lord will taâ—â— your believing or your putting on his righteousnesse for an act of great humility aâ—â— will take your misbelief as a marvelous act 〈◊〉 the highest pride and presumption Fifthly We are not to make providencâ— the object of our faith I know there â—â— some that ask the ground of their right 〈◊〉 heaven they will tell us that God hath been â—ind to them all their dayes I would only â—ay to such He may be feeding you unto the day â—f slaughter and no man knoweth love or hatred â—â—y any thing that is before him This much of â—he object of Faith negatively And now to speak to it positively we see â—he Text holdeth out Christ himself as that excellent and compleat object of Faith This â—s his Commandement that we believe on the â—ame of his Son and thus Faith closeth with Christ in a fourfold consideration First It â—oseth with God in Christ not with God immediatly and nakedly for hee dwelleth in â—â—ght inaccessible that no man can approach unto He is higher then the heaven what can we do â—nd deeper then hell what can we know Job 11. â—herefore wee must approach unto Him â—hrough a vail even the vail of Christ His â—esh Heb. 10 God is a consuming fire and of â—â—rer eyes then that he can behold iniquity and therefore we must first cast our eye upon that â—essed Days-man that laid his hand upon us â—â—th and look upon God as in Christ reconâ—ling the world to himself and so draw near â—nto him through a Mediator who is the first â—â—d the last and he that liveth and was dead â—â—d is alive for evermore able to save to the â—termost all that come unto God by Him â—eing he liveth for ever to make intercessiâ—n for them Secondly Faith closeth with â—hrist as tendered freely in a Covenant of â—omise We could have had nothing to do â—â—th Christ if he had not been given of the â—ther and offered himself in a free Covenant of promise but he being thus holdeâ— forth upon tearms of free love which dotâ— utterly abominat hyre and so nodle a proclamation issued forth under the great seâ— of Heaven That whosoever will may come anâ— drink of the water of life freely Upon thâ—â— the poor creature draweth near by vertue 〈◊〉 a right and stretching out the armes of moâ—â— enlarged affections doth run upon him witâ— that joyful shout My Lord and my God anâ— then maketh an absolute resignation of it seâ— unto him which is holden out in the Scripture by that sweet expression of kissing 〈◊〉 the Son And there are three parts of Chrisâ— blessed Body that the Christian must endeavour to kisse and imbrace the mouth â—â— Christ the hand of Christ and the feet â—â— Christ the kissing of his feet importing thâ— exercise of love the kissing of his hands thâ— exercise of subjection and the kissing of hâ—â— mouth the exercise of communion and fellowship with him Thirdly Faith closeâ— with Christ as the purchaser and meritorious cause of all the good we receive He is the person that hath purchased all these thiâ—â— unto us and there is not one blink of lovâ— there is not the smallest enjoyment that Christian meeteth with but it is the price the blood of Christ Christs precious bloâ— was laid down
house and his banner over her was love Believe mee more communion with an absent Christ would make more intimation in a divine manner of our peace with him wee desire to blesse these that are above the reach of all these disputings and questionings that wee are so much subject unto III. This is a sealing time to a Christian when hee is much in the exercise 〈◊〉 secret Prayer and of much conversing and corresponding with God in that duty as is clear from that word in Dan. 9. 21. when Daniel was praying at the evening oblation in the â—3 verse he meets with a divine intimation of his peace with God O man greatly beloved of God as the Original hath it O man of great desires for he was desirable indeed and precious to him who holdeth the Saints in his â—ight hand IV. This is also a sealing-time to a Christian when hee is called to the exercise of some great work and is to be put upon some eminent holy employment this is clear Ier. â— 5. Where Ieremiah being called to preach the Gospel unto such a rebellious people â—hen hee hath this eternal election declared â—nto him Before thou wast formed in the womb I knew thee Christ as it were giveth them that to be meat to them for fourty dayes and that in the strength of it they may go many a dayes journey V. There is also another sealing time When â— Christian is first begotten to a precious and everlasting hope for when at first Christians begin to be acquaint with Christ even then sometimes he declareth to them his boundless and everlasting love And that is the ground why some of those who are but babes in Christ â—re so much in the exercise of diligence so much in the exercise of the grace of love and â—o much in the exercise of the grace of tendernesse it is even because of the solemn impression of their interest in Christ that as it â—ere they are daily taken in to read their own names in legible letters in the Lambs book of life VI. And there is this last time that is â— sealing time to a Christian and that is when he is put under some sad and afflicting dispensation When the furnace is hot seven times more then ordinary Then doth God condescenâ—â—o manifest himself to his own When was it that Iohn met with most of the revelationâ— of Heaven Was it not when hee was in the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus Christâ— Kingdom and patience of our blessed Lord Rev. 1. 9. And in that place 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed day by day Now wee would presse you to bee more serious in the exercise of this precious grace And I shall tell you the compend of Christianity in these few words 1. By faith to solace your selves in Christs invisible vertues and excellencies And 2. by hope to beâ— viewing that precious Crown and these everlasting dignities that are to bee given to the Saitns And 3 by mortification to be crucifying your idols And 4. by patience to bee possessing your souls untill once yeâ— shall passe through that dark land to thaâ— valley of everlasting delight And as foâ— those that contemne and undervalue thâ— bloud of this everlasting Covenant and 〈◊〉 would have all these that delight not in closing with Christ and these who have noâ— misbelief as their crosse to consider this The wrath of the living and eternal God doâ—â— abide upon them who do not believe according â—â— that word Ioh. 3. 36. He that believeth â—â—ot the wrath of God abideth on him It is a remarkable phrase because of this the wrath of God will not bee a Pilgrime to a mishbeâ—ever that will turn aside to tarry but for 〈◊〉 night but the wrath of God to them who will not believe shall bee their houshold â—ompanion and shall dwell with them and â—o wo to them eternally who have this sad â—nd everlasting companion to abide with â—hem the wrath of a living God There is â—ne thing we would have these knowing that among all these who are eternally to bee dearted from Jesus Christ misbelievers are put â—â— the foremost rank Rev. 21. 8. There he is to â—ut away the fearful and unbelieving And â—om 2 Thess 1. 18. When Christ shall come from heaven with ten thousand of his Saints What â—o do It is even to execute vengeance on thâ—se â—hat obey not the truth of the Gospel that is who do not believe And I pose your own hearts with this whether or not your names â—ee written there in that â—oll among these sho shall be cut off And that word 2 Thes. â— 12. That they might be damned who believed â—ot but took pleasure in unrighteousnesse O but â—he wrath of a dying Christ and of a crucifiâ—d Saviour is dreadful It is more sad and terâ—ible then the wrath of God should have been 〈◊〉 Christ had not died I will tell you O â—ypocrites in Sion the worst news that ever were published in your eâ—â—s and it is this Christ died and rose again and to those that â—re begotten to a lively hope they are glad â—â—dings of great joy and therein they may comfort themselvs but ye may wear a rough garment to deceive and go to heaven in your own apprehension But O the sad disappointment that is waiting on many such And to close with this we would obtest you as ye would answer to your terrible dreadfull Judge that shall stand one day upon his Throne which he shall fix in the clouds we obtest you by all the joyes of heaven and we obtest you by all the everlasting pains of hell and we obtest you by all the curses that are written within the volume of this Book and by all the sweet comfortable promises that are in this everlasting Gospel and by the love that ye owe to your immortal souls and as ye would not crucifie Christ afresh believe and imbrace the offers which are presented now unto you Know ye whether or not this shall be the last summonds that ye shall get to believe That so if ye do reject it Christ shall come from heaven and pronounce that sad and lamentable sentence to you Depart from me 〈◊〉 cursed I know you not Now to him that caâ— blesse these things to you we desire to give praise SERMON III. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ c. IT was a command that Solomon gave unto his Son Prov. 22. 26. That he should not be surety for debt nor should be one of those that stricketh hands But O! what spotlesse breaches of that Command hath our blessed Lord Jesus committed when he did condescend to be surely for our debt and to pay that that was impossible for us to satisfie Hath not Christ made a precious exchange with sinners He wreathed about his own precious neck that
is a sweet and refreshing command for it is oftentimes recorded in Scripture to the advantage of this grace and unspeakable joy and heavenly delight are the hand-maids that wait upon it But more particularly to make it out we shall speak to these things The first is That this grace giveth a Christian a broad and comprehensive sight of Christ and maketh him to behold not only the beauty of his actings but the beauty of his person and there are these three precious sights that Faith giveth to â— Christian of Christ. First It letteth the Christian see Christ in his absolute and personalâ— excellency taking him up as the eternal Soâ— of God as the Ancient of Dayes as the Father of Eternity as the expresse Image of Hiâ— Fathers person and the brightnesse of his glory and this filleth the soâ—l with divine fear anâ— admiration Hence is that word Heb. 11. 27 That we see by Faith him that is invisible As if he had said Faith is that grace that maketh things that are invisible visible unto us Secondly It letteth the soul see Christ in his relative excellencies that is what he is to us Faith taketh up Christ as a Husband and from thence we are provoked to much boldnesse and divine confidence and withall to see these rich possessions that are provided for us by our elder Brother who was born for adversity Faith taketh up Christ as a blessed Days man that did lay his hand upon us both And from thence it is constrained to wonder at the condescendency of Christ it taketh him up as dying and as redeeming us from the power of the grave and from the hands of our enemies and this provoketh Christians to make a totall and absolute resignation of themselves over unto Christ To serve him all the dayes of our life in righteousnesse and holinesse And thirdly Faith maketh the soul behold these mysterious draughts of spotlesse love those divine emanations of love that have flowed from his ancient and everlasting love since the world began Would you know the great ground why we are so ignorant of him who is the study of Angels and of all that are about the Throne it is this we are not much in the exercise of faith And if we would ask that question What is the way to attain to the saving knowledge of God in Christ We could give no answer to it but this Believe and again believe and again believe Faith openeth these mysterious seals of his boundlesse perfection and in some way teacheth the Christian to answer that unanswerable question What is His Name and what is his Sons Name There is this secondly that pointeth out the sweetnesse of Faith that it giveth an excellent relish unto the promises and maketh them food to our soul. What are all the promises without faith as to our use but as a dead letter that hath no life But faith exercised upon the promises maketh a Christian cry out The words of his mouth are sweeter unto mee then the honey and the honey comb as is clear from Heb. 11. 12 13. It is by Faith that wee imbrace the promises and do receive them Thirdly The sweetnesse of Faith may appear by this that it enableth a Christian to rejoyce under the most anxious and afflicting dispensations that hee meeteth with while hee is here below as is clear from Rom. 5. 1 5. where his being justified by Faith hath this fruit attending it to joy in â—ribulation And likewise from Heb. 10. 34 35. Doth not Faith hold the crown in its right hand and letteth a Christian behold these infinit dignities that are provided unto them after they have as a strong man run their race And when a Christian is put into a furnace hot seven times more then ordinary it bringeth down the Son of man Jesus Christ to walk with them in the furnace So that they walk safely and with joy through fire and water and in a manner they can have no crosse in his company For would yee know what is the description of a crosse It is to want Christ in any estate And would ye know what is the description of prosperity It is to have Christ in any condition or estate of life What can ye want that have him and what can he have that want him He is that All so that all things besides him are buâ— vanity But beside this Faith doth discover unto a Christian that there is a sweet period of all his trials and afflictions that he can be exposed unto so that he can never say that of faith which Ahab spake of Micajah He never prophesieth good things to me But rather he may say alwayes the contrary Faith never prophesieth evil unto me it being a grace that prophesieth excellent things in the daâ—kest night and sweetly declareth that though weeping do endure for the evening yet joy cometh in the morning And that though now they â—o forth weeping bearing precious seed yet at last they shall return rejoycing having sheaves in their bosome And this may bring in the fourth consideration to point out the sweetnesse of Faith That it giveth a Christian a refreshing sight of that â—and that is a far off and maketh him to behold that inheritance that is provided for the Saints in light it goeth forth to the brook Eshcol and there doth pluck down those grapes that grow in Emanuels land to bring up a good report upon that noble Countrey we are sojourning towards and the City the streets whereof are paved with transparent gold And howbeit it may be a perplexing debaâ—e between many and their own souls whether or not these eyes that have been the windows through which so much uncleannesse hath entered and these species of lust have been conveyed into the heart shall once be like the eyes of a dove washed with milk and fitly set and be admitted to see that glorious object the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne Or whether ever these tongues that have been set on fire of hell and these polluted lips that have spoke so much against God and Heaven and all his People and Interests shall ever be admitted to sing these heavenly Halelujahs amongst that spotlesse queer of Angels and that assembly of the first born or if these hands or feet that have been so active to commit iniquity and so swift to run after vanity shall even bee admitted hereafter to carry these Palme Branches and to follow the Lamb where ever hee goeth and whether ever these hearts that have been indeed a Bethaven and house of idols may yet notwithstanding bee a dwelling for the Holy Ghost Though these things wee say and such like may bee the subject of many sad debates to some weary souls and cause many tossings to and fro till the morning yet faith can bring all these mysteries to light and looking within the vail can let us see thousands of thousands who were once as ugly as our selves yet now having washed their robes and
with Christ when they are inviteâ— to come and partake of it And say silently â—o the Minister or rather to their own conâ—ciences I pray you have me excused at this â—ime as these Luk. 14. 18. But I would only ask at such have ye any lawfull excuse why ye will not come and partake of this Great Salvation Is there any person here that hath any lawfull excuse to present I shall never take that off your hand Have me excused But be sure of this I shall never excuse you but accuse you Therefore I desire that these persons who have slighted the Great Salvation by complementing with Christ that they would complement no more wiâ—h Him at all But now imbrace it IV. The fourth sort of persons who slight this Great Salvation are these who give way to discouragements and unbelief so that they will not come and partake of this Great Salvation I say such of you are slighters of it and Christ will esteem you such Oh if ye knew the worth and vertue of this Great Salvation there would not be a tentation you could meet with â—hat would hinder you from imbracing it but if thou could not answer these â—emptations thou would not own them I say unto such undervaluers and slighters of the Great Salvation as discouraged persons And these who stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children thaâ— when ye cannot answer your objections which hinder you from closing with Christ I intreaâ— you disown them as if you heard them not Say â—â—e Think ye this lawfull I say it is both lawfull and expedient for it was the practicâ— of believing Abraham Hee considered not 〈◊〉 own body being dry as an old stick Nor thâ— deadnesse of Sarahs womb Hee did not consâ—der these things which might have been objections to keep him from believing Heâ— might have started at these two objections Alas I am old and that objection could heâ— not answer And my wife is past child heaâ—â— neither could hee answer that objectionâ— What then did hee with them Hee slighteâ— them both and considered them not Secondly I would say this to you who thuâ— slight it because of discouragements If yeâ— did know the worth of the Great Salvatioâ— which is in this Gospel redemption that is offered unto you although ye had an Army oâ— objections to go through yee would go through them all To get a drink of the wateâ— of this well of Bethlehem V. The fifth sort of persons who slighâ— this Great Salvation are these who wilâ— not do so much as take care and give painâ— to hear this Great Salvation offered unto them for there are some persons who iâ— they come to the Church desire to sit farrest off and so never take care to hear a worâ— of this Great Salvation And such are dreadfull slighters of it Like unto these mentioned Ier. 6. 10. To whom shall I speak anâ— give warning that they may hear Behold their ear is uncircumised and they cannot hearken Isa. 28. 12. But they would not hear Jeâ—â— 7. 10. Who say we are delivered to do all thesâ— abominations yet they did come and stanâ—â— before him in the House which was called by his Name VI. Sixthly These persons are slighters of this Great Salvation who when they hear it are no more nay not so much affected with it â—hen if they were telling unto them the most senslesse history of Thomas the Rymer or some other old fable Like unto these mentioned Ier. 6. 10. The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it I would pose you all as in the sight of the Author of this Great Salvation men or women did you ever set your selves or took ye ever pains to bring up your hearts to the love of this Great Salvation Was it ever the rejoycing of your hearts that Christ dyed and rose again I do certainly believe it and I am perswaded that there are decrees past in Heaven against many of you That in hearing ye shall hear but not understand and in seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For God hath made your hearts harder then the Flint or Adamant so that ye shall refuse to return when he doth exhort you Believe me if I may so speak I think there is as much probability that the stones in the wall would hear if we would speak to them as soon as many of you VII Seventhly These persons are slighters of the Great Salvation who did never complain that they wanted a right to this Great Salvation I hope some of you are now convinced that ye never came within the compasse of this Great Salvation I say yet unto you if ye did never spend one houâ— in secret weeping and lamenting because yâ— had not a righâ— to this Gospel Redemptionâ— it is but too probable you never haâ— yet â— right to it Yea know it that such of you would little care to let precious Christ deparâ—â— without any grief of heart I think if thiâ— were voiced within this house to day whether or not shall Christ go and depart I doubâ— if there would be many Heart dissâ—nters though many Tongue dissenters Oh I fear there would be many hearts here saying O Christ depart and go thy way yea there are many Gadarens here who prefer their â—ine and swine to precious Christ and would beâ—eech him to go out of their coasts VIII Eightly These persons slighâ— the Great Salvation who never took painâ— to engage their hearts to take hold of Christ and the Gospel Christ is near to you this day The Great salvation is near to you and is now even now offered unto you Therefore are there any who will take pains to lay hold on it I obtest you all who are here by the beauty and excellency of him who is the Author of this Great salvation that ye come and partake of it I obtest you by all the joyes of heaven that ye imbrace this Great salvation I obtest you by all the â—errous in hell that ye imbrace it I obtest you by the promises of the everlasting Covenant that ye imbrace it I obtest you by all the curses which are written in this Book of the Covenant that ye imbrace it I obtest you by the love ye owe to your immortall souls that ye would once be wise and come and partake of the Great salvation May I now have it saith thou Yea I say unto you all ye may have it to day ye may be partakers of it before ye go hence And so before I proceed any further I do in the Name and Authority of him who sent me here to day and is the Author of this Great Salvation freely offer it unto you Therefore take it off my hand embrace this Great Salvation offered to you to day But I know there will be eight sorts of humors within this house to day in relation to this Great Salvation which now is offered unto you 1. I think