Thirdly In the last place I am to evince the impossibility of coming to Christ without the Fathers drawings and this 〈◊〉 will evidently appear upon the consideration of these two particulars First The difficulty of this work is above all the power of nature to overcome Secondly That little power and abiliâ—…y that nature hath it will never employ to such a purpose as this till the drawing power of God be upon the will of a sinner First If all the power of nature were imploy'd in this design yet such are the difficulties of this work that it surmounts all the abilities of nature this the Scripture roundly and plainly affirms Eph. 2. 8. by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God To think of Christ is easie but to come to Christ is to nature impossible to send forth lazy and ineffectual wishes to Christ we may but to bring Christ and the soul together requires the almighty power of God Eph. 1. 19. The grace of faith by which we come to Christ is as much the free gift of God as Christ himself who is the object of faith Phil. 1. 29. to you it is freely given to believe And this will easily let it self into your understandings if you but consider the Subject of this work of faith or coming to Christ. Act and Enemies First Consider the Subject of faith in which it is wrought or what it is that is drawn to Christ 't is the heart of a sinner 1. which is naturally as indisposed to this work as the wood which Elijah laid in order upon the Altar was to catch fire when he had poured so much water upon it as did not only wet the wood but also fill'd up the trench round about it 1. Kings 18. 33. For it 's naturally a dark blind and ignorant heart Job 11. 12. and such an heart can never believe till he that commanded the light to shine out of darkness do shine into it 2 Cor. 5. 14. Nor will it avail any thing to say though man be born in darkness and ignorance yet afterwards he may acquire knowledge in the use of means as we see many natural men do in a very high degree for this is not that light that brings the soul to Christ yea this natural unsanctified light blinds the soul and prejudices it more against Christ than ever it was before 1 Cor. 1. 21 26. As it is a blind and ignorant heart so it 's a selfish heart by nature all its designs and aims terminate in Self this is the Centre and weight of the soul no righteousness but its own is sought after that or none Rom. 10. 3. now for a soul to renounce and deny Self in all its forms modes and interests as every one doth that cometh to Christ To disclaim and deny natural moral and religious Self and come to Christ as a poor miserable wretched empty creature to live upon his righteousness for ever is as supernatural and wonderful as to see the hills and mountains start from their bases and Centres and flye like wandering Atomes in the Air. Nay this heart which is to come to Christ is not only dark and selfish but full of pride O'tis a desperate proud heart by nature it cannot submit to come to Christ as Benhadads servants came to the King of Israel with sackcloath on their loyns and ropes upon their heads To take guilt shame and confusion of face to our selves and acknowledge the righteousness of God in our eternal damnation to come to Christ naked and empty as one that justifies the ungodly I say nature left to it self would as soon be damned as do this the proud heart can never come to this till the Lord have humbled and broken it by his power Secondly Let us take the Act of faith into consideration also as it is here described by the souls coming to Jesâ—…s 2. Christ and you will find a necessity of the Fathers drawings for this evidently implies that which is against the stream and current of corrupt nature and that which is above the Sphere and capacity of the most refined and accomplished nature First It 's against the Stream and Current of our corrupt nature to come to Christ. For let us but consider the Term from which the soul departs when it comes to Christ. In that day it leaves all its lusts and ways of sin how pleasant sweet and profitable soever they have been unto it Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord way and thoughts i. e. both the practice and delight of sin must be forsaken the outward and inward man must be cleansed from it Now there are in the bosomes of unregenerate men such darling Lusts that have given them so much practical and speculative pleasure which have brought so much profit to them which have been born and bred up with them and which upon all these accounts are endeared to their souls to that degree that it 's easier for them to dye than to forsake them yea nothing is more common among such men than to venture eternal damnation rather than suffer a separation from their sins And which is yet much more difficult in coming to Christ the soul forsakes not only its sinful self but its righteous self i. e. not only its worst sins but it s best performances accomplishments and excellencies Now this is one of the greatest straits that Nature can be put to righteousness by works was the first liquor that ever was put into the vessel and it still retains the tang and savour of it and will to the end of the world Rom. 10. 3. For they being ignorant os Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have not submitted to come naked and empty to Christ and receive all from him as a free gift is to proud corrupt nature the greatest abasement and submission in the world Let the gospel furnish its Table with the richest and costliest dainties that ever the blood of Christ purchased such is the pride of nature that it disdains to tast them except it may also pay the reckoning If the old Hive be removed from the place where it was wont to stand the Bees will come home to the old place yea and many of them you shall find will dye there rather than go to the Hive though it stand in a far better place than it did before Just so stands the case with men The Hive is removed i. e. we are no more to expect righteousness as Adam did by obeying and working but by believing and coming to Christ but nature had as lieve be damned as do this it still goes about to establish its own righteousness Vertues Duties and Moral excellencies these are the Ornaments of nature here
cannot believe till God hath opened your eyes to see your sin your misery by sin and your remedy in Jesus Christ alone you find this act of the Spirit to be the first in order both of nature and time and introductive to all the rest Acts 26. 18. To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God As faith without works which must be a consequent to it is dead so faith without light which must be an Antecedent to it is blind faith is the hand by which Christ is received but knowledge is the eye by which that hand is directed Well then hath God opened your eyes to see sin and misery in another manner than ever you saw it before for certainly if God have opened your eyes by saving illumination you will find as great a difference betwixt your former and present apprehensions of sin and danger as betwixt a painted Lion upon the wall or sign post and the real living Lion that meets you roaring in the way Secondly Conviction is an Antecedent to believing where this goes not before no faith can follow after the Spirit first convinces of sin then of righteousness Joh. 16. 8. So Mark 1. 15. repent ye and believe the Gospel believe it O man that breast of thine must be wounded that vain and frothy heart of thine must be pierced and stung with conviction sense and sorrow for sin thou must have some sick days and restless nights for sin if ever thou rightly close with Christ by faith 't is true there is much difference found in the strength depth and continuance of conviction and spiritual troubles in converts as there is in the labours and travailing pains of women but sure it is the child of faith is not ordinarily born without some pangs Conviction is the application of that light which God makes to shine in our minds to our particular case and condition by the conscience and sure when men come to see their miserable and sad estate by a true light it cannot but wound them and that to the very heart Thirdly Self-despair or a total and absolute loss in our selves about deliverance and the way of escape either by our selves or any other meer creature doth and must go before faith So it was with those believers Acts 2. 37. men and brethren what shall we do they are the words of men at a total loss it is the voyce of poor distressed souls that saw themselves in misery but knew not saw not nor could devise any way of escape from it by any thing they could do for themselves or any other creature for them and hence the Apostle uses that emphatical word Gal. 3. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. shut up to the faith i. e. as men besieged and distressed in a garrison in time of a storm when the enemy pours in upon them through the breaches and over-powers them there is but one sally-port or gate at which they can escape and to that they all throng as despairing of life if they take any other course Just so do mens convictions besiege them distress them beat them off from all their holds and intrenchments and bring them to a pinching distress in themselves shutting them up to Christ as the only way of escape Duties cannot save me reformation cannot save me nor Angels nor men can save me there is no way but one Christ or Condemnation for evermore I thought once that a little repentance reformation restitution and a stricter life might be a way to escape wrath to come but I find the bed is too short and the covering too narrow all is but loss dung dross in comparison with Jesus Christ if I trust to those Aegyptian reeds they will not only fail me but pierce and wound me too I see no hope within the whole Horizon of sense Fourthly Hence come vehement and earnest crys to God for faith for Christ for help from heaven to transport the soul out of this dangerous condition to that strong rock of salvation to bring it out of this farious stormy Sea of trouble where it 's ready to wreck every moment into that safe and quiet harbour Christ. O when a man shall see his misery and danger and no way of escape but Christ and that he hath no ability in himself to come to Christ to open his heart thus to receive him but that this work of faith is wholly supernatural the operation of God How will the soul return again and again upon God with such crys as that Mark 9. 24. Lord help my unbelief Lord enable me to come to Christ give me Christ or I perish for ever what profit is there in my blood why should I dye in the sight and presence of a Saviour O Lord it is thine own work and a most glorious work reveal thine arm in this work upon my soul I pray thee give me Christ if thou deny me bread give me faith if thou deny me breath it 's more necessary that I believe than that I live O Reader reflect upon the days and nights that are past the places where thou hast been conversant where are the bed-sides or the secret corners where thou hast besieged heaven with such crys if God have thus inlightned convinced distressed thy soul and thus set thee a mourning after Christ it will be one good sign that faith is come into thy soul for here are certainly the Harbingers and fore runners of it that ordinarily make way for faith into the souls of men Secondly If you would be satisfied of the sincerity and truth 2. Mark of your faith then examine what Concomitants it is attended with in your souls I mean what frames and tempers your souls were in at that time when you think you received Christ. For certainly in those that receive Christ excepting those into whose hearts God hath in a more still and insensible way infused faith betime by his blessing upon pious education such concomitant frames of Spirit may be remarkt as these following First The heart is deeply serious and as much in earnest in this matter as ever it was or can be about any thing in the world This you see in that example of the Jaylor Acts 16. 29. he came in trembling and astonished it is the most solemn and important matter that ever the soul had before it in this world or ever shall or can have how much are the hearts of men affected in their outward straits and distresses about the concernments of the body their hearts are not a little concern'd in such questions as these What shall I eat what shall I drink where withal shall I and mine be fed and cloathed but certainly the straits that souls are in about salvation must be allowed to be greater than these and such questions as that of the Jaylors Sirs what must I do to be saved make deeper impressions upon the heart than what shall I eat or drink Some indeed
going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God Mans righteousness was once in himself and what liquor is first put into the vessel it ever afterward savours of it 't is with Adams posterity as with Bees which have been accustomed to go their own hive and carry all thither if the hive be removed to another place they will still flye to the old place hover up and down about it and rather dye there than go to a new place So it is with most men God hath removed their righteousness from doing to believing from themselves to Christ but who shall prevail with them to forsake self nature will venture to be damned rather than do it there is much submission in believing and great self denyal a proud self-conceited heart will never stoop to live upon the stock of anothers righteousness Besides it is no easie thing to perswade men to receive Christ as their Lord in all things and submit their necks to his strict and holy precepts though it be a great truth that Christs yoak doth not gall but grace and adorn the neck that Jugum Christi non deterit sed honestat colla Bern. bears it that the truest and sweetest liberty is in our freedom from our lusts not in our fulfilling them yet who shall perswade the carnal heart to believe this and much less will men ever be prevailed withal to forsake father mother wife children inheritance and life it self to follow Christ and all this upon the account of spiritual and invisible things and yet this must be done by all that receive the Lord Jesus Christ upon Gospel terms yea and before the soul hath any encouraging experience of its own to balance the manifold discouragements of sense and carnal reason improved by the utmost craft of Satan to dismay it for experience is the fruit and consequent of believing So that it may well be placed among the great mysteries of godliliness that Christ is believed on in the world 1 Tim. 3. 16. Infer 3. And then Thirdly hence it will follow that there may be more true and sound believers in the world than know or dare conclude Infer 3. themselves to be such For as many ruine their own souls by placing the essence of saving faith in naked assent so some rob themselves of their own comfort by placing it in full assurance Faith and sense of faith are two distinct and separable mercies you may have truly received Christ and not receive the knowledge or assurance of it Isa. 50. 10. Some there be that say thou art our God of whom God never said you are my people these have no authority to be call'd the sons of God others there are of whom God saith these are my people yet dare not call God their God these have authority to be call'd the sons of God but know it not They have received Christ that 's their safety but they have not yet received the knowledge and assurance of it that 's their trouble the Father owns his child in the Cradle who yet knows him not to be his Father Now there are two reasons why many believers who might argue themselves into peace do yet live without the comforts of their faith and this may come to pass either from First The inevidence of the premises Secondly Or the weighty importance of the conclusion First It may come to pass from the inevidence of the premises Assurance is a practical Syllogism and it proceeds thus All that truly have received Christ Jesus they are the children of God I have truly received Jesus Christ Therefore I am the child of God The Major proposition is found in the Scripture and there can be no doubt of that the Assumption depends upon experience or internal sense I have truly received Jesus Christ here usually is the stumble many great objections lye against it which they cannot clearly answer as Light and knowledge are necessarily required to the right 1. Ob. receiving of Christ but I am dark and ignorant many carnal unregenerate persons know more than I do and are more able to discourse of the mysteries of Religion than I am But you ought to distinguish of the kinds and degrees of Sol. knowledge and then you would see that your bewailed ignorance is no bar to your interest in Christ. There are two kinds of knowledge 1. Natural 2. Spiritual There is a natural knowledge even of spiritual objects a spark of nature blown up by an advantagious education and though the objects of this knowledge be spiritual things yet the light in which they are discerned is but a meer natural light And there is a spiritual knowledge of spiritual things the teaching of the anointing as it 's call'd 1 Joh. 2. 27. i. e. the effect and fruit of the Spirits sanctifying work upon our souls when the experience of a mans own heart informs and teacheth his understanding when by feeling the workings of grace in our own souls we come to understand its nature this is spiritual knowledge Now a little of this knowledge is a better evidence of a mans interest in Christ than the most raised and excellent degree of natural knowledge as the Philosopher truly observes praestat paucula de meliori scientia degustasse quam de ignobiliori multa one drachm of knowledge of the best and most excellent things is better than much knowledge of common things So it is here a little spiritual knowledge of Jesus Christ that hath life and savour in it is more than all the natural sapless knowledge of the unregenerate which leaves the heart dead carnal and barren 't is not the quantity but the kind not the measure but the savour if you know so much of the evil of sin as renders it the most bitter and burdensome thing in the world to you and so much of the necessity and excellency of Christ as renders him the most sweet and desirable thing in the world to you though you may be defective in many degrees of knowledge yet this is enough to prove yours to be the fruit of the Spirit you may have a sanctified heart though you have an irregular or weak head many that knew more than you are in hell and some that once knew as little as you are now in heaven in absoluto facili stat aeternitas God hath not prepar'd heaven only for clear and subtil heads a little sanctifified and effectual knowledge of Christs person offices suitableness and necessity may bring thee thither when others with all their curious speculations and notions may perish for ever But you tell me that Assent to the truths of the Gospel is 2. Ob. necessarily included in saving faith which though it be not the justifying and saving act yet it is presupposed and required to it now I have many staggerings and doubtings about the certainty and reality of these things many horrid atheistical thoughts which shake the
be taken in the soul remains in Satans possession 't is a greater work and we daily find it so to win one heart than to convince twenty understandings Inference 5. Hence also we may learn what strength and power there is in Inference 5. the lusts of mens hearts which are able to bear down so strong convictions of the Conscience before them that 's a great truth though a very sad one Eccles. 8. 11. The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil O how common is it every day and in every place to see men hazarding their souls to satisfie their lusts every man saith the Prophet turneth to his course as the Horse rusheth into the battel The Horse is a very sierce and warlike creature and when his courage is rouzed by the sound of Trumpets and shouts of Armies he breaks headlong into the ranks of armed men though death be before him Such boisterous and headlong lusts are found in many enlightned persons though their Consciences represent damnation before them onward they will rush though God be lost and a precious soul undone for ever Inference 6. To Conclude As ever you will avoid the deepest guilt and Inference 6. escape the heaviest condemnation open your hearts to obey and practise whatsoever God hath opened your understandings and Consciences to receive of his revealed will obey the light of the Gospel while you have opportunity to enjoy it this was the great counsel given by Christ John 12. 35 36. Yet a little while the light is with you walk whilst you have the light lest darkness come upon you The manifestation of Christ in the Gospel is the light of the world all the nations of the earth that want this light are benighted and those upon whom this light is risen have but a short time under it yet a little while the light is with you and whatever patience God may exercise towards poor ignorant souls yet commonly he makes short work with the despisers of this light the light of the Gospel is a shining Lamp fed with Golden-oyl God will not be at the expence of such light for them that do but trifle with it The night is coming when no man can work There are many sad signs upon us of a setting Sun a night of darkness approaching many burning and shining lights are extinguished and many put under a Bushel your work is great your time short this is the only space you have for repentance Rev. 2. 21. If this opportunity of salvation be lost it will never come again Ezeck 24. 13. How pathetical was that lamentation which Christ made over Jerusalem Luke 19. 41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Christ is threatning these nations with the removal of his Gospel-presence he hath found but cold entertainment among us England hath been unkind to Christ many thousands there are that rebel against the light that say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Christ will not tarry where he is not welcome who would that hath any whither else to go Obey the light therefore lest God put it out in obscure darkness The Thirty fourth SERMON Sermon 34. 2 COR. 4. 3 4. Text But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are The blinding policies of Satan opened as the cause of unbelief and forerunner of destruction lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them THe aversations of men from Jesus Christ their only remedy is as much to be admired as lamented one would think the news of deliverance should make the hearts of captives leap for joy the tydings of a Saviour should transport the heart of a lost sinner A man would think a little Rhetorick might suffice to perswade the naked soul of a sinner to put on the rich robes of Christs righteousness which cost him nothing but acceptance or the perishing starving sinner to accept the bread of God which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world This is the great design I have managed in this whole discourse the centre to which all these lines are drawn many arguments have been used and many ways attempted to prevail with men to apply and put on Christ and I am afraid all too little I have but laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought all these discourses are but the beating of the air and few if any will be perswaded to come unto Christ who is clearly opened and freely offered in the Gospel to them For alas whilst I am reasoning Satan is blinding their minds with false reasonings and contrary perswasions the God of this world turns away the ears and draws away the hearts of almost the whole world from Christ the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Satan is a great and jealous Prince and is well aware that so many of his subjects as shall be brought to see the misery of their condition will never endure to abide any longer in subjection to him 't is therefore his great policy to put out their eyes that he may secure their souls to darken their understandings that he may keep his interest firm and intire in their wills and affections and this makes the effectual application of Christ so great a difficulty that upon the contrary it is just matter of admiration that any soul is perswaded and prevailed with to quit the service of Satan and come to Christ. And therefore in the last place to discover the great difficulty of conversion and shew you where it is that all our endeavours stick and set so that we can move the design no farther with all our tugging and striving reasoning and perswading as also to mourn over and bewail the misery of Christless and unregenerate souls with whom we must part upon the saddest terms I have chosen this Scripture which is of a most awakening nature if haply the Lord at last may perswade any soul to come over to Christ thereby These words come into the Apostles discourse by way of prolepsis he had been speaking in the former Chapter of the transcendent excellency of the Gospel above the Law and among other respects he prefers it to the Law in point of clearness The Law was an obscure and cloudy dispensation there was a veil upon the face of Moses and the hearts of the people that they could not see to the end of that which is abolished but under the Gospel we all with open face
p. 76 10. 3. p. 79 10. 4. p. 82 83 Galatians Gal. 2. 20. p. 169 3. 23. p. 148 4. 4 5. p. 341 4. 6 7. p. 409 5. 17. p. 112 5. 6. p. 152 5. 17. p. 452 5. 24. p. 456 6. 1. p. 187 6. 22 23. p. 441 Ephesians Eph. 1. 22 23. p. 35 1. 10. p. 36 1. 19 20. p. 72 1. 7. p. 298 1. 6. p. 309 1. 18. p. 568 2. 10. p. 76 2. 1. p. 90 91 2. 10. p. 100 2. 13. p. 310 2. 12. p. 337 2. 12. p. 350 2. 1 2 3. p. 433 3. 17. p. 127 3. 8. p. 173 4. 15 16. p. 27 4. 7. p. 235 5. 31 32. p. 166 5. 14. p. 527 6. 32. p. 27 Philippian Phil. 1. 29. p. 79 1. 29. p. 282 2. 15. p. 503 3. 8. p. 81 3. 12. p. 91 3. 9. p. 168 3. 12. p. 500 4. 19. p. 176 Colossians Col. 1. 2 4. p. 29 1. 27. p. 136 1. 19. p. 250 1. 17. p. 251 1. 22. p. 310 2. 13. p. 95 2. 6. p. 158 3. 11. p. 172 3. 3. p. 434 2. 14. p. 326 1 Thessalonians 1 Thess. 1. 5 6. p. 7 5. 23. p. 98 2 Thessalonians 2 Thess. 1. 10. p. 282 1 Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 16. p. 190 1. 15. p. 193 5. 6. p. 108 2 Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 19. p. 499 Titus Tit. 2. 10. p. 284 3. 8. p. 16 Hebrews Heb. 2. 14. p. 327 3. 14. p. 28 3. 14. p. 344 4. 3. p. 205 5. 14. p. 111 5. 2. p. 223 5. 4. p. 504 7. 25. p. 196 7. 25. p. 253 10. 14. p. 29 10. 27. p. 187 11. 6. p. 194 11. 26. p. 281 12. 24. p. 257 12. 8. p. 326 James Jam. 1. 18. p. 431 4. 12. p. 279 1 Peter 1 Pet. 1. 2. p. 8 1. 2. p. 409 1. 5. p. 474 2. 4. p. 12 2. 2. p. 112 3. 18. p. 335 4. 4. p. 86 4. 4. p. 433 2 Peter 2 Pet. 1. 4. p. 96 1. 4. p. 481 1 John 1 Joh. 2. 27. p. 139 2. 27. p. 377 2. 6. p. 495 2. 6. p. 515 3. 7. p. 13 3. 9. p. 99 3. 8. p. 103 3. 7. p. 130 3. 24. p. 403 5. 11. p. 99 5. 9. p. 118 Jude Jude v. 6. p. 52 v. 21. p. 155 v. 6. p. 155 v. 12. p. 536 Revelation 2. 7. p. 11 3. 2. p. 438 5. 6. p. 257 21. 9. p. 255 Reader NOtwithstanding the extraordinary care of the Printer and Corrector some faults have escaped the Press which a little care of thine may easily rectifie in this manner CORRIGENDA PAge 12. line 4. add be before registred p. 27. l. 8. read though p. 31. l. 9. for it r. him p. 36. l. 20. add by nature p. 47. l. 31. for when r. whence p. 38. l. 22. dele And p. 71. l. 22. dele either and l. 23. for or r. this p. 74. l. 7. for of r. or p. 81. l. penult is is transposed p. 88. l. 3. for contain r. continue p. 117. l. 22. dele of and put it after actings p. 167. l. ult add to justifie us after as Christ hath p. 244. l. 26. for seems r. sees p. 158. l. 27. for of r. by p. 300. l. 9. for essentially r. especially p. 307. l. 38. for by r. of salvation p. 422. l. 2. dele not p. 323. l. 28. for are r. is p. 454. l. 9. for creature r. nature p. 475. l. 6. dele The earthliness of p. 487. l. 4. for our r. one p. 519. l. 19. for weaken r. meeken p. 507. l. 28. for as r. was p. 536. l. 12. for spiritual r. specifical p. 541. l. 23. for or r. and p. 549. l. penult for your r. you p. 558. l. 27. for us r. him Υποτυπωσις TOTIUS OPERIS Redemption hath 2 Parts viz. meritorious Impetration opened Part 1. and effectual Application opened in this 2d Part wherein it is considered and improved 1. Doctrinally both in its 1. General nature opened Sermon 1. 2. Special nature consisting in our 1. Union with Christ Serm. 2. including four things in it viz. 1. The Gospel offer Serm. 3 2. The Spirits drawing Serm. 4 3. Infusion of Life Serm. 5 4. Actual Faith Serm. 6 7 2. Communion with Christ in graces and Priviledges Serm. 8 2. Practically in 4. Uses 1. Exhortation to come to Christ Serm. 9. enforced by motives drawn from his 1. Encouraging Titles which are six 1. Title Serm. 10 2. Title Serm. 11 3. Title Serm. 12 4. Title Serm. 13 5. Title Serm. 14 6. Title Serm. 15 2. Excellent priviledges which are four 1. Priviledge Serm. 16 2. Priviledge Serm. 17 3. Priviledge Serm. 18 4. Priviledge Serm. 19 2. Conviction proving that none can ordinarily come to Christ without 1. The application of the Law Serm. 20 21 2. The teachings of the Father Serm. 22 23 3. Examination of our interest in Christ by four Trials viz. 1. The donation of the spirit Serm. 24 2. The new Creation Serm. 25 26 3. The mortification of sin Serm. 27 28 4. The imitation of Christ. Serm. 29 30 4. Lamentation representing the misery of Christless persons as they lie under and are exposed to 1. The Death of sin Serm. 31 2. The curse of the Law Serm. 32 3. Greater guilt and damnation Serm. 33 4. And in order thereunto they are blinded by the God of this world which forerunner of Damnation is opened and applied in Serm. 34 35. The First SERMON Serm. 1. 1 COR. 1. 30. Opening the general nature of Effectual Application But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousness sanctification and redemption HE that enquires what is the just value and worth of Christ asks a question which puts all the men on earth and Angels in heaven to an everlasting non-plus The highest attainment of our knowledge in this life is to know that himself and his love do pass knowledge Eph. 3. 91. But how excellent soever Christ is in himself what treasures of righteousness soever lye in his blood and whatever joy peace and ravishing comforts spring up to men out of his incarnation humiliation and exaltation they all give down their distinct benefits and comforts to them in the way of Effectual application For never was any wound heaâ—…ed by a prepared but unapplied plaister Never any body warmed by the most costly garment made but not put on Never any heart refreshed and comforted by the richest Cordial compounded but not received nor from the 〈◊〉 of the world was it ever known that a poor deceived condemned polluted miserable sinner was actually delivered out of that woful state until of God Christ was made unto him wisdom and righteousness sanctification and redemption For look * Parisiensis de causis cur deus homo cap. 9. Quemadmâ—…dum non transit Adae damnatio nisi per generationem in carnaliter ex â—…o generatos Sic non transit Christi gratia peccatorum remissio nisi perregenerationem ad
from them is and for ever will be marvellous in their eyes Oh what mercy would the damned account it if after a thousand years torments in hell God would at last be reconciled to them and put an end to their misery But believers are discharged without bearing any part of the curse not one farthing of that debt is levied upon them If you say how can this be when God stands upon full Object satisfaction to his Justice before any soul be discharged and restored to savour freely reconciled and yet fully satisfied how can this be Very well for this mercy comes freely to your hands how Solut. costly soever it proved to Christ and that free remission and full satisfaction are not contradictory and inconsistent things is plain enough from that Scripture Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus freely and yet in the way of redemption For though Christ your surety have made satisfaction in your name and stead yet it was his life his blood and not yours that went for it and this surety was of Gods own appointment and providing without your contrivement or thoughts O blessed reconciliation happy is the people that hear the joyful sound of it Fifthly and Lastly That God should be finally reconciled to sinners so that never any new breach shall happen betwixt him and them any more so as to dissolve the League of friendship is a most ravishing and transporting message Two things give Confirmation and full security to reconciled ones viz. The terms of the Covenant and the intercession of the Mediator The Covenant of grace gives great security to believers against new breaches betwixt God and them It 's said Jer. 32. 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The fear of God is a choice preservative against second revolts and therefore taken into the Covenant It is no hindrance but a special guard to assurance There is no doubt of Gods faithfulness that part of the promise is easily believed that he will not turn away from us to do us good all the doubt is of the inconstancy of our hearts with God and against that danger this promise makes provision Moreover the Intercession of Christ in heaven secures the Saints in their reconciled state 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation he continually appears in heaven before the Father as a Lamb that had been slain Rev. 5. 6. And as the bow in the clouds Rev. 4. 3. So that as long as Christ thus appears in the presence of God for us it is not possible our state of Justification and reconciliation can be again dissolved And this is that blessed Embassy Gospel Ministers are imployed about he hath committed to them the word of this reconciliation In the last place we are to enquire what and whence is this efficacy of preaching to reconcile and bring home sinners to 3. Christ. That its efficacy is great in convincing humbling and changing the hearts of men is past all debate and question The weapons of our warfare saith the Apostle are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. No heart so hard no conscience so stupid but this sword can pierce and wound in an instant it can cast down all those vain reasonings and fond imaginations which the Carnal heart hath been building all its life long and open a fair passage for Convictions of sin and the fears and terrors of wrath to come into that heart that was never afraid of these things before So Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked to the heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do What shall we do is the doleful cry of men at their wits end the voice of one in deepest distress and such outcries have been no rarities under the preaching of the word its power hath been felt by persons of all orders and conditions the great and honourable of the earth as well as the poor and despicable The learned and the ignorant the civil and profane the young and the old all have felt the heart-piercing efficacy of the Gospel If you ask whence hath the word preached this mighty power The answer must be Neither from it self nor him that preaches it but from the spirit of God whose instrument it is by whose blessing and concurrence with it it produceth its blessed effects upon the hearts of men First This Efficacy and wonderful power is not from the 1. word it self take it in an abstract notion separated from the spirit it can do nothing it is called the foolishness of preaching 1 Cor. 1. 21. foolishness not only because the world so accounts it but because in it self it is a weak and unsuitable and therefore a very improbable way to reconcile the world to God that the stony heart of one man should be broken by the words of another man that one poor sinful Creature should be used to breath spiritual life into another this could never be if this sword were not managed by an omnipotent hand And besides we know what works Naturally works necessarily if this Efficacy were inherent in the word so that we should suppose it to work as other Natural agents do then it must need convert all to whom it is at any time preached except its effect were miraculously hindered as the fire when it could not burn the three Children but alas thousands hear it that never feel the saving power of it Isai. 53. 1. and 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Secondly It derives not this Efficacy from the Instrument 2. by which it is ministred let their gifts and abilities be what they will it 's impossible that ever such effects should be produced from the strength of their Natural or gracious abilities 2 Cor. 4. 7. We have this treasure saith the Apostle in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us This treasure of Gospel light is carried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in earthen vessels as Gideon and his men had their Lamps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in earthen pitchers or in Oyster-shells for so the word also signifies the Oyster-shell is a base and worthless thing in it self however there lyes the rich and precious Pearl of so great value and why is this precious treasure lodged in such weak worthless vessels surely it is upon no other design but to convince us of the truth I am here to prove That the Excellency
infested to undermine and destroy the whole work of faith but God makes his people victorious over them yea and even at that time they do assent to the truths of the word when they think they do not as appears by their tenderness and fear of sin their diligence and care of duty If I discern these things in a Christians life he must excuse me if I believe him not when he saith he doth not assent to the truths of the Gospel Thirdly our receiving Christ necessarily implies our hearty approbation liking and estimation yea the acquiescence of our very souls in Jesus Christ as the most excellent suitable and compleat remedy for all our wants sins and dangers that ever could be prepared by the wisdome and love of God for them we must receive him with such a frame of heart as rests upon him trusts to and relys upon him if ever we receive him aright to them that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. this is the only soveraign plaister in all the world that is large enough and efficacious enough to cure our wounds and therefore as Christ is most highly esteemed and heartily approved as the only remedy for our souls so the soveraign grace and wisdome of God are admired and the way and method he hath taken to save poor lost souls by Jesus Christ most heartily approved as the most apt and excellent method both for his glory and our good that ever could be taken for 't is a plain case that none will espouse themselves with conjugal affections to that person whom they esteem not as the best for them that can be chosen none will forsake and quit all for his sake except they account him as the spouse did the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. There are two things in Christ which must gain the greatest approbation in the soul of a poor convinced sinner and bring it to rest upon Jesus Christ. First That it can find nothing in Christ that is distastful or unsuitable to it as it doth experimentally find in the best creatures In him is no weakness but a fulness of all saving abilities able to save to the uttermost no Pride causing him to scorn and contemn the most wretched soul that comes to him no inconstancy or levity to cause him to cast off the soul whom he hath once received no passion but a Lamb for meekness and patience there is not a spot to be found in him but he is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. Secondly As the believer can find nothing in Christ that is distastful so it finds nothing wanting in Christ that is necessary or desirable such is the fulness of wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption that is in Christ that nothing is left to desire but the full enjoyment of him O saith the soul how compleatly happy shall I be if I can but win Christ I would not envy the Nobles of the earth were I but in Christ. I am an hungry and a thirst and Christ is meat indeed and drink indeed this is the best thing in all the world for me because so necessary and so suitable to the needs of a soul ready to perish I am a law-condemned and a self-condemned sinner trembling for fear of the execution of the curse upon me every moment in Christ is compleat righteousness to justifie my soul O there is nothing better for me than Christ. I see my self plunged both in nature and practice into the odious pollutions of sin and in Christ is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness his blood is a fountain of merit his spirit a fountain of holiness and purity none but Christ none but Christ. O the manifold wisdome and unsearchable love of God to prepare and furnish such a Christ so fully answering all the needs all the distresses all the fears and burdens of a poor sinner Thus the believing soul approves of Christ as best for it And thus in believing it gives glory to God Rom. 4. 20. Fourthly Receiving Christ consists in the consent and choice of the will and this is the opening of the heart the opening and stretching forth of the soul to receive him thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal. 110. 3. 'T is the great design and main scope of the Gospel to work over the wills of poor sinners to this and this was the great complaint of Christ against the incredulous Jews Joh. 5. 40. ye will not come unto me that ye might have life It is disputed by some whether faith can be seated in two distinct faculties as we seem to place it when we say it involves both the approbation of the judgement and the consent of the will I will not here intangle my discourse with that fruitless dispute I am of the same judgement with those Divines that think Faith cannot be expressed fully by any one single habit or act of the mind or will distinctly for that as one well notes there are such descriptions given of it in Scripture Dr. Owen in his Doctrine of Justification p. 135. Consensus denotare videtur concursum voluntatis cum intellectu ad sentiendum idem quod intellectus sentit 12 Q. 15. a. 1. Fides non est virtus simplex sed diversis constat partibus notitia assensu fiducia quae ad eandem potentiam non pertinent Wendelini Theol. p. 450. such things are proposed as the object of it and such is the experience of all that sincerely believe as no one single act either of the mind or will can answer unto nor do I see any thing repugnant to Scripture or Philosophy if we place it in both faculties Consent saith Vasquez seems to denote the concourse of the will with the understanding but to leave that it is most certain the saving justifying act of faith lies principally in the consent of the will which consent is the effect of the almighty power of God Eph. 1. 19. he allures and draws the will to Christ and he draws with the cords of a man i. e. he prevails with it by rational Arguments for the soul being prepared by convictions of its lost and miserable estate by sin and that there is but one door of hope open to it for an escape from the wrath to come and that is Christ being also satisfied of the fulness and compleatness of his saving ability and of his willingness to make it over for our salvation upon such just and equal terms this cannot but prevail with the will of a poor distressed sinner to consent and chuse him Fifthly and Lastly The last and principal thing included in our receiving of Christ is the respect that this act of acceptance hath unto the terms upon which Christ is tendred to us in the Gospel to which it is most agreeable 1 Cor. 15. 11. so we preach and so ye believed faith answers the Gospel offer Rom. 6. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The will like melted
believer doth not marry the portion first and then the person but to be found in him is the first and great care of a believer I deny not but it's lawful for any to have an eye to the benefits of Christ. Salvation from wrath is and lawfully may be intended and aimed at look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa. 45. 22. Nor do I deny but there are many poor souls who being in deep distress and fear may and often do look mostly to their own safety at first and that there is much confusion as well in the actings of their faith as in their condition but sure I am it is the proper order in believing first to accept the person of the Lord Jesus heaven is no doubt very desirable but Christ is more whom have I in heaven but thee Psal. 73. 25. Union with Christ is in order of nature antecedent to the Communication of his priviledges therefore so it ought to be in the order and method of believing Sixthly Christ is Advisedly offered in the Gospel to sinners as the result of Gods eternal counsel a project of grace upon which his heart and thoughts have been much set Zech. 6. 13. 6. The counsel of peace was betwixt the Father and Son And so the believer receives him most deliberately weighing the matter in his most deep and serious thoughts for this is a time of much solitude and thoughtfulness The souls espousals are acts of judgement Hosea 2. 19. on our part as well as on Gods we are therefore bid to sit down and count the cost Luke 14. 28. Faith or the actual receiving of Christ is the result of many previous debates in the soul the matter hath been ponder'd over and over the objections and discouragements both from the self-denying terms of the Gospel and our own vileness and deep guilt have been ruminated and lain upon our hearts day and night and after all things have been ballanced in the most deep consideration the soul is determined to this conclusion I must have Christ be the terms never so hard be my sins never so great and many I will yet go to him and venture my soul upon him if I perish I periâ—…h I have thought out all my thoughts and this is the result union with Christ here or separation from God for ever must be my lot And thus doth the Lord open the hearts of his elect and win the consent of their wills to receive Jesus Christ upon the deepest consideration and debate of the matter in their own most solemn thoughts they understand and know that they must deeply deny themselves take up his cross and follow him Matth. 16. 24. renounce not only sinsul but religious self these are hard and difficult things but yet the necessity and excellency of Christ makes them appear eligible and rational by all which you see faith is another thing than what the sound of that word as it is generally understood signifies to the understandings of most men This is that fiducial receiving of Christ here to be opened Secondly Our next work will be to evince this receiving 2. of Christ as it hath been opened to be that special saving faith of Gods elect this is that faith of which such great and glorious things are spoken in the Gospel which whosoever hath shall be saved and he that hath it not shall be damned and this I shall evidently prove by the following Arguments or reasons Arg. 1. First That faith which gives the soul right and title to spiritual Adoption with all the priviledges and benefits thereof Arg. 1. is true saving Faith But such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd gives the soul right and title to spiritual Adoption with all the priviledges and benefits thereof Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd is true and saving faith The Major proposition is undeniable for our right and title to spiritual Adoption and the priviledges thereof rises from our Union with Jesus Christ we being united to the son of God are by vertue of that Union reckon'd or accounted sons Gal. 3. 26. You are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ the effect of saving faith is union with Christs person the consequent of that Union is Adoption or right to the inheritance The Minor is most plain in the Text To as many as received him to them gave he power or right to become the sons of God a false faith hath no such priviledges annexed to it no unbeliever is thus dignified no stranger entitled to this inheritance Arg. 2. Secondly That only is saving and justifying faith which is in all true believers in none but true believers and in all Arg. 2. true believers at all times But such a receiving of Christ as hath been described is in all true believers in none but true believers and in all true believers at all times Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd is the only saving and justifying faith The Major is undenyable that must needs contain the essence of saving faith which is proper to every true believer at all times and to no other The Minor will be as clear for there is no other act of faith but this of fiducial receiving Christ as he is offer'd that doth agree to all true believers to none but true believers and to all true believers at all times There be three Acts of faith Assent Acceptance and Assurance The Papists generally give the essence of saving faith Actus fidei consistit in assâ—â— quo quis assentitur alicui propositioni à deo revelatae propter authoritatem revelantis Becan Theol. Schol. Tom. 3. cap. 8. Q. 4. to the first viz. Assent The Lutherans and some of our own give it to the last viz. Assurance but it can neither be so nor so Assent doth not agree only to true believers or justified persons Assurance agrees to justified persons and them only but not to all justified persons and that at all times Assent is too low to contain the essence of saving faith it is found in the unregenerate as well as the regenerate yea in devils as well as men Jam. 2. 19. 't is supposed and included in justifying faith but it is not the justifying or saving act Assurance is as much too high being found only in some eminent believers Many new-born Christians live like the new-born babe vivit est vitae nescius ipse suae the whole stock of many a believer consists in the bare direct acts of faith and in them too but at some times there 's many a true believer to whom the joy and comfort of assurance is denyed they may say of their Union with Christ as Paul said of his vision whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell so they whether in Christ or out of Christ they cannot tell A true believer may walk in darkness and see no
light Isa. 50. 10. nay a man must be a believer before he know himself to be so the direct act of faith is before the reflex act so that the justifying act of faith lies neither in Assent nor in Assurance Assent saith I believe that Christ is and that he is the Saviour of the elect Assurance saith I believe and am sure that Christ dyed for me and that I shall be saved through him So that Assent widens the nature of faith too much and Assurance upon the other hand straitens it too much but Acceptance which saith I take Christ in all his offices to be mine this fits it exactly and belongs to all true believers and to none but true believers and to all true believers at all times this therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith Arg. 3. Thirdly That and no other is the justifying and saving act of faith to which the properties and effects of saving faith do Arg. 3. belong or in which they are only found But in the fiducial receiving of Christ are the properties and effects of saving faith only found This therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith First By saving faith Christ is said to dwell in our hearts Eph. 3. 17. but it is neither by assent nor assurance but by acceptance and receiving him that he dwells in our hearts not by assent for then he would dwell in the unregenerate nor by assurance for he must dwell in our hearts before we can be assured of it Therefore it is by acceptance Secondly By faith we are justified Rom. 5. 1. but neither assent nor assurance for the reasons above do justifie therefore it must be by the receiving act and no other Thirdly The Scripture ascribes great difficulties to that faith by which we are saved as being most cross and opposite to the corrupt nature of man but of all the acts of faith none is clog'd with like difficulties or conflicts with greater oppositions than the receiving act doth about this act hang the greatest difficulties fears and deepest self-denyal In assent a mans reason is convinced and yields to the evidence of truth so that he can do no other but assent to the truth In assurance there is nothing against a mans will or comfort but much for it every one desires it but it is not so in acceptance of Christ upon the self-denying terms of the Gospel as will hereafter be evinced We conclude therefore that in this consists the nature and essence of saving faith Thirdly Having seen what the receiving of Jesus Christ 3. is and that it is the faith by which we are justified and saved I next come to open the Dignity and excellency of this faith whose praises and Encomiums are in all the Scriptures there you find it renowned by the title of precious faith 2 Pet. 1. 7. enriching faith Jam. 2. 5. the work of God Joh. 6. 29. the great mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. with many more rich Epithets throughout the Scriptures bestowed upon it Now faith may be considered two ways viz. either Qualitatively or Relatively Considered qualitatively as a saving grace it hath the same excellency that all other precious saving graces have as it is the fruit of the Spirit it is more precious than Gold Prov. 8. 11 19. and so are all other graces as well as faith in this sense they all shine with equal glory and that a glory transcending all the glory of this world but then consider faith Relatively as the instrument by which the righteousness of Christ is apprehended and made ours and in that consideration it excels all other graces This is the grace that is singled out from among all other graces to receive Christ by which office it is dignified above all its fellows as Moses was honoured above the many thousands of Israel when God took him up into the Mount admitted him nearer to himself than any other of all the Tribes might come for they stood without the Rail while Moses was received into the special presence of God and was admitted to such views as others must not have so faith is honoured above all its fellow graces in being singled out and solemnly anointed to this high office in our Justification this is that precious eye that looks unto Christ as the stung Israelites did to the brazen Serpent and derives healing vertue from him to the soul. It is the grace which instrumentally saves us Eph. 2. 8. as it's Christs glory to be the door of salvation so it 's Faiths glory to be the golden key that opens that door What shall I say of Faith 't is the bond of Union the instrument of justification the spring of spiritual peace and joy the means of spiritual livelihood and subsistence and therefore the great scope and drift of the Gospel which aims at and presseth nothing more than to bring men and women to believe First This is the bond of our Union with Christ that Union is begun in our vivification and compleated in our actual receiving of Christ the first is a bond of Union on the Spirits part the second a bond of Union on our part Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and herein it is a door opened to let in many rich blessings to the soul for by uniting us to Christ it brings us into special favour and acceptation with God Eph. 1. 6. makes us the special objects of Christs conjugal love and delight Eph. 5. 29. draws from his heart sympathy and tender sense of all our miseries and burdens Heb. 4. 15. Secondly 'T is the instrument of our justification Rom. 5. 1. till Christ be received thus received by us we are in our sins under guilt and condemnation but when faith comes then comes freedome by him all that believe are justified from all things Acts 13. 38. Rom. 8. 1. for it apprehends or receives the pure and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus wherein the soul how guilty and sinful soever it be in it self stands faultless and spotless before the presence of God all Inveniri in Christo tacitam habet relationem ad dei judicium in iis nullam invenit condemnationem quia justitiâ qualem esse requirit i. e. perfectâ accumulatâ exornatos nos invenit nempe justitia Christi per fidem nobis imputata Bern. in Loc. obligations to punishment are upon believing immediately dissolved a full and final pardon sealed O precious faith who can sufficiently value it What respect Reader wouldst thou have to that hand that should bring thee a Pardon when on the Ladder or Block why that pardon which thou canst not read without tears of joy is brought thee by the hand of faith O inestimable grace that cloaths the pure righteousness of Jesus upon our defiled souls and so causes us to become the righteousness of God in him or as it is 1 Joh. 3. 7. righteous as he is righteous non
formali intrinsecâ Justitiâ sed relativâ not with a formal inherent righteousness of our own but with a relative imputed righteousness from another I know this most excellent and most comfortable doctrine of imputed righteousness is not only denyed but derided by Papists Stapleton calls it spectrum Cerebri Lutherani the monstrous birth of Luthers brain but blessed be God this comfortable truth is well secured against all attempts of its adversaries Let their blasphemous mouths call it in derision as they do putative righteousness i. e. a meer fancied or conceited righteousness yet we know assuredly Christs righteousness is imputed to us and that in the way of faith If Adams sin became ours by Imputation then so doth Christs righteousness also become ours by Imputation Rom. 5. 17. If Christ were made a sinner by the imputation of our sins to him who had no sin of his own then we are made righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousness to us who have no righteousness of our own according to 1 Cor. 5. 21. This was the way in which Abraham the father of them that believe was justified and therefore this is the way in which all believers the children of Abraham must in like manner be justified Rom. 4. 22 23 24. Who can express the worth of faith in this one respect if this were all it did for our souls But Thirdly It is the spring of our spiritual peace and joy and that as it is the Instrument of our Justification If it be an instrument of our Justification it cannot but be the spring of our consolation Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God in uniting us with Christ and apprehending and applying his righteousness to us it becomes the seed or root of all the peace and joy of a Christians life Joy the child of faith therefore bears its name Phil. 1. 25. the joy of faith So 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable we cannot forbear laughing when we are tickled nor can we forbear rejoycing while by faith we are brought to the sight and knowledge of such a priviledged state when faith hath first given and then cleared our title to Christ Joy is no more under the souls command we cannot but rejoyce and that with Joy unspeakable Fourthly It is the means of our spiritual livelihood and subsistance all other graces like birds in the nest depend upon what faith brings in to them take away faith and all the graces languish and dye joy peace hope patience and all the rest depend upon faith as the members of the natural body do upon the vessels by which blood and spirits are conveyed to them The life which I now live saith the Apostle is by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. it provides our ordinary food and extraordinary Cordials Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed And seeing it is all this to our souls Fifthly In the last place it is no wonder that it is the main scope and drift of the Gospel to press and bring souls to believing 't is the Gospels grand design to bring up the hearts of men and women to faith The urgent commands of the Gospel aim at this 1 Joh. 3. 23. Mark 1. 14 15. Joh. 12. 36. hither also look the great promises and encouragements of the Gospel Joh. 6. 35 37. so Mark 16. 16. And the opposite sin of unbelief is every where fearfully aggravated and threatned Joh. 16. 8 9. Joh. 3. 18. 35. And this was the third thing premised namely a discovery of the transcendant worth and excellency of saving faith Fourthly But lest we commit a mistake here to the prejudice of Christs honour and glory which must not be 4. given to another no not to faith it self I promised you in the fourth place to snew you upon what account faith is thus dignified and honoured that so we may give unto faith the things that are faiths and to Christ the things that are Christs And I find four opinions about the interest of faith in our Justification some will have it to justifie us formally not relatively i. e. upon the account of its own intrinsecal value and worth and this is the Popish sense of Justification by faith Some affirm that though faith be not our perfect legal righteousness considered as a work of ours yet the act of believing is imputed to us for righteousness i. e. God graciously accepts it instead of perfect legal righteousness and so in his esteem it 's our evangelical righteousness And this is the Arminian sense of justification by faith Some there are also even among our reformed Divines that contend that faith justifies and saves us as it is the Condition of the new Covenant And Lastly others will have it to justifie us as an Instrument apprehending or receiving the righteousness of Christ with which opinion I must close when I consider my Text calls it a receiving of Christ most certain it is That First It doth not justifie in the Popish sense upon the account of its own proper worth and dignity for then First Justification should be of debt not of grace contrary to Rom. 3. 23 24. Secondly This would frustrate the very scope and end of the death of Christ for if righteousness come by the Law i. e. by the way of works and desert then is Christ dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. Thirdly Then the way of our justification by faith would be so sar from excluding that it would establish boasting expressly contrary to the Apostle Rom. 3. 26 27. Fourthly Then there should be no defects or imperfections in faith for a defective and imperfect thing can never be the matter of our Justification before God if it justifie upon the account of its own worth and proper dignity it can have no flaw nor imperfection in it contrary to the common sense of all believers Nay Fifthly Then it 's the same thing to be justified by faith and to be justified by works which the Apostle so carefully distinguisheth and opposeth Phil. 3. 9. and Rom. 4. 6. so that we conclude it doth not justifie in the Popish sense for any worth or proper excellency that is in it self Secondly And it is as evident it doth not justifie us in the Arminian sense viz. as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere the Act of believing is imputed or accepted by God as our Evangelical righteousness instead of perfect legal righteousness In the former opinion you have the dreggs of Popery and here you have refined Popery Let all Arminians know we have as high esteem for faith as any men in the world can have but yet we will not rob Christ to cloath faith we cannot embrace their opinion because First We must then dethrone Christ to exalt faith we are willing to give it all that is due to it but we dare not despoyl Christ of his glory for faiths sake he is the Lord
our righteousness Jer. 23. we dare not set the servant above the master we acknowledge no righteousness but what the obedience and satisfaction of Christ yields us his blood not our faith his satisfaction not our believing it is the matter of our justification before God Secondly We dare not yield this point lest we undermine all the comfort of Christians by bottoming their pardon and peace upon a weak imperfect work of their own Oh how tottering and unstable must their station be that stand upon such a bottom as this what ups and downs are there in our faith what mixtures of unbelief at all times and prevalency of unbelief at some times and is this a foundation to build our justification and hope upon debile fundamentum fallit opus if we lay the stress here we build upon very loose ground and must be at a continual loss both as to safety and comfort Thirdly We dare not wrong the justice and truth of God at that rate as to affirm that he esteems and imputes our poor weak faith for perfect legal righteousness we know that the judgement of God is always according to truth if Ergo quia fides Christum justitiam nostram recipit gratiae dei in Christo omnia tribuit ideo fidei tribuitur justificatio maxime propter Christum non ideo quia nostrum opus est Confess Helv. 〈◊〉 the justice of God requires full payment sure it will not say it 's fully satisfied by any act of ours when all that we can do amounts not to one mite of the vast summ we owe to God So that we deservedly reject this opinion also Thirdly And for the third opinion that it justifies as the Condition of the new Covenant though some of great name and worth among our Protestant Divines seem to go that way yet I cannot see according to this opinion any reason why repentance may not as properly be said to justifie us as faith for it is a condition of the new Covenant as much as faith and if faith justifie as a condition then every other grace that is a condition must justifie as well as faith I acknowledge faith to be a condition of the Covenant but cannot allow that it justifies as a condition And therefore must profess my self best satisfied in the last opinion which speaks it an instrument in our justification it is the hand which receives the righteousness of Christ that justifies us and that gives it its value above all other graces as when we say a Diamond Ring is worth one hundred pounds we mean not the Gold that receives but the stone that is set in it is worth so much faith consider'd as an habit is no more precious than other gracious habits are but consider'd as an instrument to receive Christ and his righteousness so it excels them all and this instrumentality of faith is noted in those phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. 22. by faith and through faith And thus much of the nature and excellency of saving faith The Seventh SERMON Serm. 7. JOH 1. 12. Text. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name THe Nature and Excellency of saving faith together with its relation to justification as an Instrument in receiving Christ and his righteousness having been discoursed doctrinally already I now come to make application of it according to the nature of this weighty and fruitful point And the Uses I shall make of it will be for our 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation And. 4. Direction First Use of Information And in the first place this point yields us many and great 1. Use. and useful truths for our Information as Infer 1. Is the receiving of Christ the vital and saving act of faith Infer 1. which gives the soul right to the person and priviledges of Christ Then it follows That the rejecting of Christ by unbelief must needs be the damning and soul-destroying sin which cuts a man off from Christ and all the benefits purchased by his blood If there be life in receiving there must needs be death in rejecting Christ. There is no grace more excellent than faith no sin more execrable and abominable than unbelief faith is the saving grace and unbelief is the damning sin Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned See Joh. 3. 18 36. and Joh. 8. 24. And the reason why this sin of unbelief is the damning sin is this because in the justification of a sinner there must be a cooperation of all the Concauses that have a joint influence into that blessed effect As there must be free grace for an impulsive cause The blood of Christ as the meritorious cause so of necessity there must be faith the Instrumental cause to receive and apply what the free grace of God designed and the blood of Christ purchased for us For where there are many social causes or concauses to produce one effect there the effect is not produced till the last cause be in Act. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remissions of sins Acts 10. 43. Faith in its place is as necessary as the blood of Christ in its place 't is Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. not Christ in the womb nor Christ in the grave nor Christ in heaven except he be also Christ in you Though Christ be come in the flesh though he dyed and rose again from the dead yet if you believe not you must for all that dye in your sins Joh. 8. 24. and what a dreadful thing is this better dye the death of a dog better dye in a ditch than dye in your sins if you dye in your sins you will also rise in your sins and stand at the bar of Christ in your sins you can never receive remission till first you have received Christ. O cursed unbelief which damns the soul dishonours God 1 Joh. 5. 10. sleights Jesus Christ the wisdome of God as if that glorious design of redemption by his blood the triumph and master-piece of divine wisdome were meer foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. frustrates the great design of the Gospel Gal. 4. 11. and consequently it must be the sin of sins the worst and most dangerous of all sins leaving a man under the guilt of all his other sins Infer 2. If such a receiving of Christ as hath been described be saving and justifying faith Then faith is a work of greater difficulty Infer 2. than most men understand it to be and there are but few sound believers in the world Before Christ can be received the heart must be emptied and opened but most mens hearts are full of self righteousness and vain confidence this was the case of the Jews Rom. 10. 3. being ignorant of Gods righteousness and
assenting act of faith in the very foundation and hence I doubt I do not believe There may be and often is a true and sincere assent found in the soul that is assaulted with violent atheistical suggestions Sol. from Satan and thereupon questions the truth of it and this is a very clear evidence of the reality of our assent that whatever doubts or contrary suggestions there be yet we dare not in our practice contradict or slight those truths or duties which we are tempted to disbelieve Ex. gr we are assaulted with atheistical thoughts and tempted to slight and cast off all fears of sin and practice of religious duties yet when it comes to the point of practice we dare not commit a known sin the awe of God is upon us we dare not omit a known duty the tye of conscience is found strong enough to hold us close to it in this case 't is plain we do really assent when we think we do not A man thinks he doth not love his child yet carefully provides for him in health and is full of grief and fears about him in sickness why now so long as I see all fath rly duties performed and affections to his childs welfare manifested let him say what he will as to the want of love to him whilest I see this he must excuse me if I do not believe him when he saith he hath no love for him Just so is it in this case A man saith I do not assent to the being necessity or excellency of Jesus Christ yet in the mean time his soul is fill'd with cares and fears about securing his interest in him he is found panting and thirsting for him with vehement desires there 's nothing in all the world would give him such joy as to be well assured of an interest in him while it is thus with any man let him say or think what he will of his assent it 's manifest by this he doth truly and heartily assent and there can be no better proof of it than these real effects produc'd by it Secondly But if these and other objections were never so fully answer'd for the clearing of the assumption yet it often falls out that believers are afraid to draw the conclusion and that fear arises partly from First The weighty importance of the matter Secondly The sense of the deceitfulness of their own hearts First The conclusion is of infinite importance to them it is the everlasting happiness of their souls than which nothing is or can be of greater weight upon their spirits things in which we are most deeply concerned are not lightly and hastily received by us it seems so great and so good that we are still apt if there be any room for it to suspect the truth and certainty thereof as never being sure enough Thus when the women that were the first messengers and witnesses of Christs resurrection Luke 24. 10 11. came and told the disciples those wonderful and comfortable tydings it 's said that their words seemed to them as idle tales and they believed them not they thought it was too good to be true too great to be hastily received so is it in this case Secondly The sense they have of the deceitfulness of their own hearts and the dayly workings of hypocrisie there makes them afraid to conclude in so great a point as this is They know that very many dayly cozen and cheat themselves in this matter they know also that their own hearts are full of falseness and deceit they find them so in their daily observations of them and what if they should prove so in this why then they are lost for ever they also know there is not the like danger in their fears and jealousies that would be in their vain confidences and presumptions by the one they are only deprived of their present comfort but by the other they would be ruined for ever and therefore choose rather to dwell with their own fears though they be uncomfortable companions than run the danger of so great a mistake which would be infinitely more fatal And this being the common case of most Christians it follows that there must be many more believers in the world than do think or dare conclude themselves to be such Infer 4. If the right receiving of Jesus Christ be true saving and justifying faith then those that have the least and lowest degree and measure Infer 4. of saving faith have cause for ever to admire the bounty and riches of the grace of God to them therein If you have received never so little of his bounty by the hand of providence in the good things of this life yet if he have given you any measure of true saving faith he hath dealt bountifully indeed with you this mercy alone is enough to ballance all other wants and inconveniencies of this life Poor in the world rich in faith James 2. 5. O let your hearts take in the full sense of this bounty of God to you say with the Apostle Eph. 1. 3. blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and you will in this one mercy find matter enough of praise and thanksgiving wonder and admiration to your dying day yea to all eternity for do but consider First The smallest measure of saving faith which is found in any of the poople of God receives Jesus Christ and in receiving him what mercy is there which the believing soul doth not receive in him and with him Rom. 8. 32. O believer though the arms of thy faith be small and weak yet they embrace a great Christ and receive the richest gift that ever God bestowed upon the world no sooner art thou become a believer but Christ is in thee the hope of glory and thou hast authority to become a son or daughter of God thou hast the broad seal of heaven to confirm thy title and claim to the priviledges of Adoption for to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God To as many be they strong or be they weak provided they really receive Christ by faith there is authority or power given so that it 's no act of presumption in them to say God is our Father heaven is our inheritance Oh precious faith the treasures of ten thousand worlds cannot purchase such priviledges as these all the Crowns and Scepters of the earth sold at their full value are no price for such mercies Secondly The least degree of saving faith brings the soul into a state of perfect and full Justification For if it receives Jesus Christ it must therefore needs in him and with him receive a free full and final pardon of sin the least measure of faith receives remission for the greatest sins By him all that believe are justified from all things Acts 13. 39. it unites thy soul with Christ and then as
way upon Christ and the satisfaction of his blood when the efficacy and terrour of conscience is upon them and they feel the sting of guilt within them but assoon as the storm is over and the rod that conscience shak't over them laid by there 's no more talk of Christ then alas it was not Christ but quietness that they sought beware of mistaking peace for Christ. Direction 3. Thirdly In receiving Christ come empty handed unto him believing in him that justifies the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. and Direct 3. know that the deepest sense of your own vileness emptiness and unworthiness is the best frame of heart that can accompany you to Christ many persons stand off from Christ for want of fit qualifications they are not prepared for Christ as they should be i. e. they would not come naked and empty but have something to commend them to the Lord Jesus for acceptance O this is the pride of mens hearts and the snare of the Devil let him that hath no money come you are not to come to Christ because you are qualified but that you may be qualified with whatever you want and the best qualification you can bring with you is a deep sense that you have no worth nor excellency at all in you Direction 4. Fourthly In receiving Christ beware of dangerous delays Direct 4. O follow on that work till it be finished you read of some that are almost perswaded and others not far from the kingdome of God O take heed of sticking in the birth Hosea 13. 13. delays here are full of danger life is uncertain so are means of grace too the man-slayer needed no motives to quicken his flight to the refuge City Direction 5. Fifthly See that you receive all Christ with all your heart to receive all Christ is to receive his person cloathed with all Direct 5. his offices and to receive him with all your heart is to receive him into your understanding will and all the affections Acts 8. 37. As there is nothing in Christ that may be refused so there is nothing in you from which he must be excluded Direction 6. Lastly Understand that the opening of your hearts to receive the Lord Jesus Christ is not a work done by Direct 6. any power of your own but the arm of the Lord is revealed therein Isa. 53. 1. It is therefore your duty and interest to be daily at the feet of God pouring out your souls to him in secret for abilities to believe And so much as to our actual reception of Christ. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. The Eighth SERMON Serm. 8. PSAL. 45. 7. Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with Text. Setting forth the Believers fellowship with Christ the next end of his Application to them the oyl of gladness above thy fellows THe Method of grace in uniting souls with Jesus Christ hath been opened in the former discourses thus doth the Spirit whose office it is make application of Christ to Gods elect The result and next fruit whereof is Communion with Christ in his graces and benefits our Mystical union is the very ground-work and foundation of our sweet soul-enriching Communion and participation of spiritual priviledges we are first ingraffed into Christ and then suck the sap and fatness of that root first married to the person of Christ then endowed and enstated in the priviledges and benefits of Christ. This is my proper work to open at this time and from this Scripture The words read are a part of that excellent song of love that heavenly Epithalamium wherein the spiritual espousals of Christ and the Church are figuratively and very elegantly Hic Psalmus propheticus est continetque Epithalamium quo Christi cum ecclesia nuptiae celebrantur idemque habet argumentum quod canticum canticorum ejusque videtur esse Epitome Coc. in Loc. celebrated and shadowed The subject matter of this Psalm is the very same with the whole book of the Canticles and in this Psalm under the figure of King Solomon and the daughter of Aegypt whom he espoused the spiritual espousals of Christ and the Church are set forth and represented to us Among many rapturous and elegant expressions in praâ—…e of this glorious bridegroom Christ this is one which you have before you God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows i. e. enriched and fill'd thee in a singular and peculiar manner with the fulness of the Spirit whereby thou art consecrated to thy office and by reason whereof thou out-shinest and excellest all the Saints who are thy fellows or Copartners in these graces So that in these words you have two parts Viz. First The Saints dignity and Secondly Christs preeminency First The Saints dignity which consists in this that they are Christs fellows the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very full and 1. Consortes participes sodales socios copious and is translated consorts companions copartners partakers or as ours reads it fellows i. e. such as are partakers with him in the anointing of the Spirit who do Vox Hebrâ—… quodcunque societatis sive communionis genus significat Muis. in their measure receive the same Spirit every Christian being anointed modo sibi proportionato with the same grace and dignified with the same titles 1 Joh. 2. 27. Rev. 1. 6. Christ and the Saints are in common one with another doth the Spirit of holiness dwell in him so it doth in them too is Christ King and Priest why so are they too by the grace of Union with him He hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father This is the Saints dignity to be Christs fellows consorts or copartners So that look whatever grace or spiritual excellency is in Christ it is not impropriated to himself but they do share with him for indeed he was fill'd with the fulness of the Spirit for their sakes and use as the Sun is fill'd with light not to shine to it self but to others so is Christ with grace and therefore some translate the Text not prâ—… consortibus above thy fellows but propter consortes for thy 〈◊〉 fellows making Christ the first receptaâ—…le of all grace who first and immediately is fill'd from the fountain the Godhead but it is for his people who receive and derive from him according to their proportion This is a great truth and the dignity of the Saints lyes chiefly in their partnership with Christ though our translation above thy fellows suits best both with the importance of the word and scope of the place Secondly But then whatever dignity is ascribed herein to the Saints there is and still must be a preeminency acknowledged 2. in and ascribed to Christ if they are anointed with the Spirit of grace much more abundantly is Christ God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows By the oyl of gladness understand the
they receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Rom. 5. 17. of his fulness they all receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. all the fulness of Christ is made over to them for the supply of their wants my God shall supply all your need saith the Apostle according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. If all the riches of God can supply your needs then they shall be supplyed Say not Christ is in the possession of consummate glory and I am a poor creature struggling with many difficulties and toyling in the midst of many cares and fears in the world for care is taken for all thy needs and orders given from heaven for their supply my God shall supply all your need O say with a melting heart I have a full Christ and he is fill'd for me His pure and perfect righteousness is to justifie me his holiness is to sanctifie me his wisdome is to guide me his comforts are to refresh me his power is to protect me his all-sufficiency is to supply me O be chearful be thankful you have all your hearts can wish and yet be humble it is all from free grace to empty and unworthy creatures Infer 3. How absurd disingenuous and unworthy of a Christian is it to deny or with-hold from Christ any thing he hath or by which he Infer 3. may be served or honoured Doth Christ communicate all he hath to you and can you with-hold any thing from Christ On Christs part it is not mine and thine but ours or mine and yours Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Father and your father to my God and your God But O this cursed Idol Self which impropriates all to its own designs and uses How liberal is Christ and how penurious are we to him Some will not part with their credit for Christ when yet Christ abased himself unspeakably for them Some will not part with a drop of blood for Christ when Christ spent the whole treasure of his blood freely for us yea how loth are we to part with a shilling for Christ to relieve him in his distressed members when as yet we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich O ungrateful return O base and disingenuous Spirits The things Christ gives us are great the things we deny to him are small he parts with the greatest and yet is denyed the least The things he communicates to us are none of ours we have no right nor title by nature or any desert of ours to them the things we deny or grudge to Christ are by all titles his own and he hath the fullest and most unquestionable title to them all what he gives to us he gives to them that never deserved it what we with-hold from him we with-hold from one that hath deserved that and infinitely more from us than we have or are He interested you freely in all his riches when you were enemies you stand upon trifles with him and yet call him your best and dearest friend he gave himself and all he hath to you when you could claim nothing from him you deny to part with these things to Christ who may not only claim them upon the highest title his own soveraignty and absolute property but by your own act who profess to have given all in Covenant to him what he gives you returns no profit to him but what you give or part with for him is your greatest advantage O that the consideration of these things might shame and humble our souls Infer 4. Then certainly no man is or can be supposed to be a loser by conversion seeing from that day whatever Christ is or hath becomes Infer 4. his O what an inheritance are men possessed of by their new birth Some men cry out Religion will undo you but with what eyes do these men see surely you could never so reckon except your souls were so incarnated as to reckon pardon peace adoption holiness and heaven for nothing that invisibles are non-entities and temporals the only realities 'T is true the converted soul may lose his estate his liberty yea his life for Christ but what then are they losers that exchange Brass for Gold or part with their present comforts for an hundredfold advantage Mark 10. 29. So that none need scare at religion for the losses that attend it whilest Christ and heaven is gain'd by it they that count religion their loss have their portion in this life Inference 5. How securely is the Saints inheritance settled upon them seeing they are in commons with Jesus Christ Christ and his Saints Infer 5. are joynt-heirs and the inheritance cannot be alienated but by his consent he must lose his interest if you lose yours indeed Adams inheritance was by a single title and moreover it was in his own hand and so he might as indeed he soon did devest himself and his posterity of it but it is not so betwixt Christ and believers we are secured in our inheritance by Christ our co-heir who will never alienate it and therefore it was truly observed by the Father Foelicior Job in sterquilinio quam Adamus in Paradiso Job was happier upon the Dunghil than Adam was in Paradise The covenant of grace is certainly the best tenure as it hath the best mercies so it gives the fullest security to enjoy them Infer 6. How rich and full is Jesus Christ who communicates abundantly to all the Saints and yet hath more still in himself than is Infer 6. communicated to them although all they receive were brought into one heap Take all the faith of Abraham all the meekness of Moses all the patience of Job all the wisdome of Solomon all the zeal of David all the industry of Paul and all the tender-heartedness of Josiah add to this all the grace that is poured though in lesser measure into all the elect vessels in the world yet still it is far short of that which remains in Christ he is anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows and in all things he hath and must ever have the preeminence there be many thousand Stars glittering above your heads and one star differs from another star in glory yet there is more light and glory in one Sun than in the many thousand Stars grace beautifies the children of men exceedingly but still that is true of Christ Psal. 45. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men grace is poured into thy lips for all grace is secondarily and derivatively in the Saints but it is primitively and originally in Christ Joh. 5. 26. Grace is imperfect and defective in them but in him it is in its most absolute perfection and fulness Col. 1. 19. In the Saints it is mixed with abundance of corruption but in Christ it is altogether unmixed and exclusive of its opposite Heb. 7. 26. So
in heaven in the full enjoyment of God There is a sweet calm upon the troubled soul after believing an ease or rest of the mind which is an unspeakable mercy to a poor weary soul. Christ is to it as the Ark was to the Dove when she wandred over the watery World and found not a place to rest the soal of her foot Faith centres the unquiet spirit of man in Christ brings it to repose it self and its burden on him It is the souls dropping anchor in a storm which stayes and settles it The great debate which cost so many anxious thoughts is now issued into this resolution I will venture my all upon Christ let him do with me as seemeth him good It was impossible for the soul to find rest whilest it knew not where to bestow it self or how to be secured from the wrath to come but when all is embarqued in Christ for eternity and the soul fully resolved to lean upon him and trust to him now it feels the very initials of eternal rest in it self it finds an heavy burden unloaded from its shoulders it is come as it were into a new world the case is strangely altered The word rest in this place notes and is so rendered by some a recreation 't is restored renewed and recreated as it Recreabo vos nempe à lassitudine à molestia onere Vatab. Erasm. were by that sweet repose it hath upon Christ. Believers know that faith is the sweetest recreation you can take Others seek to divert and lose their troubles by sinful recreations vain company and the like but they little know what that recreation and sweet restoring rest that faith gives the soul is You find in Christ what they seek in vain among the creatures Believing is the highest recreation known in this world But to prevent mistakes three Cautions need to be premised lest we do in ipso limine impingere stumble at the threshold and so lose our way all along afterward Caution 1. You are not to conceive that all the souls fears troubles and sorrows are presently over and at an end as soon as it is come to Caution 1. Christ by faith They will have many troubles in the world after that it may be more than ever they had in their lives Luther upon his conversion was so buffeted by Satan ut nec calor nec sanguis nec sensus nec vox superesset Our flesh saith Paul had no rest 2 Cor. 7. 5. They will be infested with many temptations after that it may be the assaults of Satan may be more violent upon their souls than ever horribilia de deo terribilia de fide Injections that make the very bones to quake and the belly to tremble they will not be freed from sin that rest remains for the people of God nor from inward trouble and grief of soul about sin These things are not to be expected presently Caution 2. We may not think that all believers do immediately enter into Caution 2. the full actual sense of rest and comfort but they presently enter into the state of rest Being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. i. e. we enter into the state of peace immediately Peace is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Psal. 97. 11. And he is a rich man that hath a thousand acres of corn in the ground as well as he that hath so much in his barn or the money in his purse They have rest and peace in the seed of it when they have it not in the fruit they have rest in the promise when they have it not in possession and he is a rich man that hath good Bonds and Bills for a great summ of money if he have not twelve pence in his pocket All believers have the promise have rest and peace granted them under Gods own hand in many promises which faith brings them under and we know that the truth and faithfulness of God stands engaged to make good every line and word of the promise to them So that though they have not a full and clear actual sense and feeling of rest they are nevertheless by faith come into the state of rest Caution 3. We may not conceive that faith it self is the souls rest but Caution 3. the means and instrument of it only We cannot find rest in any work or duty of our own but we may find it in Christ whom faith apprehends for Justification and Salvation Having thus guarded the point against misapprehensions by these needful cautions I shall next shew you how our coming to Christ by faith brings us to rest in him And here let it be considered what those things are that burden grieve and disquiet the soul before its coming to Christ and how it is relieved and eased in all those respects by its coming to the Lord Jesus and you shall find First That one principal ground of trouble is the guilt 1. of sin upon the conscience of which I spake in the former point The curse of the Law lyes heavy upon the soul so heavy that nothing is found in all the world able to relieve it under that burthen as you see in a condemned man spread a Table in Prison with the greatest dainties and send for the rarest Musicians all will not charm his sorrow but if you can produce an authentick pardon you ease him presently just so it is here faith plucks the thorn out of the conscience which so grieved it unites the soul with Christ and then that ground of trouble is removed for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 11. The same moment the soul comes to Christ it is past from death to life is no more under the Law but Grace If a mans debt be paid by his surety he need not fear to shew his face boldly abroad he may freely meet the Sergeant at the prison door Secondly The soul of a convinced sinner is exceedingly 2. burdened with the uncleanness and filthiness wherewith sin hath defiled and polluted it Conviction discovers the universal pollution of heart and life so that a man loaths and abhorrs himself by reason thereof If he do not look into his own corruptions he cannot be safe and if he do he cannot bear the sight of it he hath no quiet Nothing can give rest but what gives relief against this evil And this only is done by faith uniting the soul with Jesus Christ. For though it be true that the pollution of sin be not presently and perfectly taken away by coming to Christ yet the burden thereof is exceedingly eased for upon our believing there is an heart-purifying principle planted into the soul which doth by degrees cleanse that fountain of corruption and will at last perfectly free the soul from it Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith and being once in Christ he is concerned for the soul as
the way of faith He is a restless spirit himself and would make us so too it is an excellent note of Minutius Foelix Those desperate Ad Solamen calamitatis suae non definunt per iâ—…i perdere Minut Felix and restless Spirits saith he have no other pleasure but in bringing us to the same misery themselves are in he goeth about as a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour It frets and grates his proud and envious mind to see others find rest when he can find none an effectual Plaister applied to heal our wound when his own must bleed to eternity and he obtains his end fully if he can but keep off souls from Christ look therefore upon all those objections and discouragements raised in your hearts against coming to Christ as so many Artifices and cunning Devices of the Devil to destroy and ruine your souls 'T is true they have a very specious and colourable appearance they are guilded over with pretences of the Justice of God the heinous nature of sin the want of due and befitting qualifications for so holy and pure a God the lapsing of the reason of mercy and an hundred other of like nature but I beseech you lay down this as a sure conclusion and hold it fast that whatever it be that discourages and hinders you from coming to Christ is directly against the interest of your souls and the hand of the Divil is certainly in it Inference 2. Hence also it follows That unbelief is the true reason of all that disquietness and trouble by which the minds of poor sinners are Inference 2. so rackt and tortured If you will not believe you cannot be established till you come to Christ peace cannot come to you Christ and peace are undivided Good souls consider this you have tryed all other ways you have tried duties and no rest comes you have tried reformation restitution and a stricter course of life yet your wounds are still open and fresh bleeding these things I grant are in their places both good and necessary but of themselves without Christ utterly insufficient to give what you expect from them why will you not try the way of faith why will you not carry your burthen to Christ O that you would be perswaded to it how soon would you find what so long you have been seeking in vain how long will you thus oppose your own good how long will you keep your selves upon the rack of Conscience is it easie to go under the throbs and wounds of an accusing and condemning Conscience You know it is not you look for peace but no good comes for a time of healing and behold trouble alas it must and will be so still untill you fall into the way of faith which is the true and only method to obtain rest Inference 3. What cause have we all to admire the goodness of God in providing for us a Christ in whom we may find rest to our Inference 3. souls How hath the Lord filled and furnished Jesus Christ with all that is suitable to a Believers wants Doth the guilt of sin terrifie his Conscience Lo in him is perfect righteousness to remove that guilt so that it shall neither be imputed to his person nor reflected by his Conscience in the way of condemnation as it was before In him also is a Fountain opened for washing and for cleansing the filth of sin from our souls in him is the fulness both of Merit and of Spirit two sweet Springs of Peace to the souls of men well might the Apostle say Christ the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 30. and well might the Church say he is altogether lovely Cant 5. 16. Had not God provided Jesus Christ for us we had never known one hours rest to all eternity Inference 4. How unreasonable and wholly inexcusable in Believers is the sin of backsliding from Christ Have you found rest in him Inference 4. when you could not find it in any other Did he receive and ease your souls when all other persons and things were Physicians of no value and will you after this backslide from him again O what madness is this Will a man leave the Snow of Lebanon which cometh from the Rock of the Field or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken No man that is in his wits would leave the pure cold refreshing streams of a Crystal Fountain to go to a filthy pudled Lake or an empty Cistern as the best enjoyments of this world are in comparison with Jesus Christ. It was Christs melting expostulation with the Disciples Joh. 6. 67 68. when some had forsaken him will ye also go away and it was a very suitable return they made Lord whither away from thee should we go q. d. from thee Lord no no where can we mend our selves Be sure of it when ever you go from Christ ye go from rest to trouble Had Judas rest had Spira rest and do you think you shall have reâ—… no no The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways Prov. 14. 14. you shall have your bellies full of it Cursed be the man that departeth from him he shall be as the Heath in the Desart that seeth not when good cometh and shall inhabit the parched places of the wilderness Jer. 17. 5. If fear of sufferings and worldly temptations ever draw you off from Christ you may come to those straights and terrors of Conscience that will make you wish your selves back again with Christ in a Prison with Christ at a Stake Inference 5. Let all that come to Christ learn to improve him to the rest and peace of their own souls in the midst of all the troubles and Inference 5. outward distresses they meet with in the world Surely rest may be found in Christ in any condition he is able to give you peace in the midst of all your troubles here So he tells you in Joh. 16. ult These things have I spoken to you that in me you might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation by peace he means not a deliverance from troubles by taking off affliction from them or taking them away by death from all afflictions but it is something they enjoy from Christ in the very thick of troubles and amidst all their afflictions that quiets and gives them rest so that troubles cannot hurt them certainly Believers you have peace in Christ when there is little in your own hearts and your hearts might be filled with peace too if you would exercise faith upon Christ for that end 't is your own fault if you be without rest in any condition in this world Set your selves to study the fulness of Christ and to clear your interest in him believe what the Scriptures reveal of him and live as you believe and you will quickly find the peace of God filling your hearts and minds Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. The Tenth SERMON
all to be administred in his name Church Officers are Commissioned by him Eph. 4. 11. The Judgement of the world in the great day will be administred by him Mat. 25. 31. Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory To conclude Jesus Christ shall have glory and honour ascribed to him for evermore by Angels and Saints upon the account of his Mediatorial work This some Divines call his passive glory the glory which he is to receive from his redeemed ones Rev. 5. 8 9 10. And when he had taken the Book the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of Odours which are the prayers of the Saints and they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation c. And thus you see that our Lord Jesus Christ is upon all accounts the Lord of Glory The Uses follow Inference 1. How wonderful was the love of Christ the Lord of glory to be so abased and humbled as he was for us vile and sinful Inference 1. dust 'T is astonishing to conceive that ever Jesus Christ should strip himself out of his Robes of Glory to cloath himself with the thread-bare tatters of our flesh Oh what a stoop did he make in his incarnation for us If the most magnificent Monarch upon earth had been degraded into a Toad if the Sun in the Heavens had been turned into a wandring Atom if the most glorious Angel in Heaven had been transformed into a silly Fly it had been nothing to the abasement of the Lord of Glory This act is every where celebrated in Scripture as the great mystery the astonishing wonder of the whole world 2 Tim. 3. 16. Phil. 2. 8. Rom. 8. 3. The Lord of glory looked not like himself when he came in the habit of a man Isai. 53. 3. We hid as it were our faces from him nay rather like a worm than a man Psal. 22. 6. A reproach of men and despised of the people The Birds of the air and Beasts of the earth were here provided of better accommodations than the Lord of glory Mat. 8. 20. Oh stupendious abasement Oh love unspeakable Though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. He put off the Crown of Glory to put on the Crown of Thorns quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior said Bernard the lower he humbled himself for me the dearer he shall be to me Inference 2. How transcendently glorious is the advancement of Believers by their union with the Lord of Glory This also is an admirable Inference 2. and astonishing mystery 't is the highest dignity of which our nature is capable to be hypostatically united and the greatest glory of which our persons are capable to be mystically united to this Lord of Glory to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh O what is this Christian dost thou know and believe all this and thy heart not burn within thee in love to Christ O then what a heart hast thou What art thou by nature but sinful dust a loathsom sinner viler than the vilest Toad cast out to the loathing of thy person in the day of thy nativity O that ever the Lord of Glory should unite himself to such a lump of vileness take such a wretch into his very bosom Be astonished O Heavens and earth at this this is the great mystery which the Angels stoopt down to look into Such an honour as this could never have entred into the heart of man it would have seemed a rude blasphemy in us once to have thought or spoken of such a thing had not Christ made the first motion thereof Yet how long didst thou make this Lord of Glory wait upon thy undetermined will before he gained thy consent Might he not justly have spurned thee into Hell upon thy first refusal and never have made thee such another offer Wilt thou not say Lord what am I and what is my Fathers house that so great a King should stoop so far beneath himself to such a worm as I am That strength should unite it self to weakness infinite glory to such baseness O grace grace for ever to be admired Inference 3. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory then let no man count Inference 3. himself dishonoured by suffering the vilest indignities for his sake the Lord of Glory puts glory upon the very sufferings you undergo in this world for him Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 26. He cast a Kingdom at his heels to be crowned with reproaches for the name of Christ. The Diadem of Egypt was not half so glorious as self-denial for Christ. This Lord of Glory freely degraded himself for thee wilt thou stand huckling with him upon terms 'T is certainly your honour to be dishonoured for Christ Act. 5. 41. To you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. The gift of suffering is there matched with the gift of faith 't is given as an honorarium a badge of Honour to suffer for the Lord of Glory as all have not the honour to wear the Crown of Glory in Heaven so few have the honour to wear the chain of Christ upon earth Thuanus Cur me non quoque torque donas insi nis hujus ordinis mili em creas Thuanus reports of Lodovicus Marsacus a Knight of France that being led to suffer with other Martyrs who were bound and he unbound because a person of Honour he cryed out Why don't you honour me with a Chain too and create me a Knight of that Noble Order My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Jam. 1. 2. i. e. tryals by sufferings David thought it an honour to be vile for God and that 's a true observation that disgrace it self is glorious when endured for the Lord of Glory Inference 4. Is Christ the Lord of Glory How glorious then shall the Saints one day be when they shall be made like this glorious Inference 4. Lord and partake of his glory in Heaven John 17. 22. the glory which thou gavest me I have given them yea the vile bodies of Believers shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. 21. What glory then will be communicated to their souls True his essential glory is incommunicable but there is a glory which Christ will communicate to his people When he comes to judge the world he will come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1. 10. Where he seemeth to account his social glory which shall
which effectually worketh also in you that believe 'T is a successful instrument only when it is in the hand of the Spirit without whose influence it never did nor can convince convert or save any soul. Now the Spirit of God hath a soveraignty over three things in order to the conversion of the sinner viz. 1. Over the word which works 2. Over the soul wrought upon 3. Over the time and season of working First The Spirit hath a glorious soveraignty over the word it self whose instrument it is to make it successful or not as it pleaseth him Isai. 55. 10 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from Heaven c. so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth as the Clouds so the word is carried and directed by divine pleasure 't is the Lord that makes them both give down their blessings or to pass away fruitless and empty yea 't is from the Spirit that this part of the word works and not another those things upon which Ministers bestow greatest labour in their preparation and from which accordingly they have the greatest expectation these do nothing when mean time something that dropt occasionally from them like a chosen Shaft strikes the mark and doth the work Secondly The Spirit of the Lord hath a glorious soveraignty over the souls wrought upon 't is his peculiar work to take away the stony heart out of our flesh and to give us an heart of flesh Ezec. 36. 26. We may reason exhort and reprove but nothing will stick till the Lord set it on The Lord opened the heart of Lydia under Pauls ministry he opens every heart that is effectually opened to receive Christ in the word if the word can get no entrance if your hearts remain dead under it still we may say concerning such souls as Martha did concerning her Brother Lazarus Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died So Lord if thou hadst been in this Sermon in this Prayer or in that counsel these souls had not remained dead under them Thirdly The Spirit hath dominion over the times and seasons of conviction and conversion therefore the day in which souls are wrought upon is called the day of his power Psal. 110. 3. that shall work at one time which had no efficacy at all at another time because this and not that was the time appointed and thus you see whence the word derives that mighty power it hath Now this word of God when it is set home by the Spirit is mighty to convince humble and break the hearts of sinners Joh. 16. 9. The Spirit when it cometh shall convince the world of sin the word signifies conviction by such clear demonstration as compelleth assent it not only convinces men in general that they are sinners but it convinceth men particularly of their own sins and the aggravations of them So in the Text sin revived that is the Lord revived his sins the very circumstances and aggravations with which they were committed and so it will be with us when the Commandment comes sins that we had forgotten committed so far back as our youth or childhood sins that lay slighted in our Consciences shall now be rouzed up as so many sleepy Lyons to affright and terrifie us for now the soul hears the voice of God in the word as Adam heard it in the cool of the day and was afraid and hides it self but all will not do for the Lord is come in the word sin is held up before the eyes of the Conscience in its dreadful aggravations and fearful consequences as committed against the holy Law clear light warnings of Conscience manifold mercies Gods long-suffering Christs precious blood many warnings of judgements the wages and demerit whereof by the verdict of a mans own Conscience is death eternal death Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 1. 32. Rom. 2. 9. thus the Commandment comes sin revives and vain hopes give up the Ghost Inference 1. Is there such a mighty power in the word then certainly the word is of divine authority there cannot be a more clear and Inference 1 satisfying proof that it is no humane invention than the common sense that all Believers have of the almighty power in which it works upon their hearts so speaks the Apostle 1. Thes. 2. 13. When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Can the power of any creature the word of a meer man so convince the Conscience so terrifie the heart so discover the very secret thoughts of the soul put a man into such tremblings No no a greater than man must needs be here none but a God can so open the eyes of the blind so open the graves of the dead so quicken and enliven the Conscience that was seared so bind over the soul of a sinner to the judgement to come so change and alter the frame and temper of a mans spirit so powerfully raise refresh and comfort a drooping dying soul. Certainly the power of God is in all this and if there were no more yet this alone were sufficient to make full proof of the divine authority of the Scriptures Inference 2. Judge from hence what an invaluable mercy the preaching of Inference 2. the word is to the world 't is a blessing far above our estimation of it little do we know what a treasure God committeth to us in the Ordinances Acts 13. 25. To you is the word of this salvation sent 't is the very power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. and salvation is ordinarily denied to whom the preaching of the word is denied Rom. 10. 14. It 's called the word of life Phil. 2. 16. and deserves to be valued by every one of us as our life the eternal decree of Gods election is executed by it upon our souls as many as be ordained to eternal life shall believe by the preaching of it Great is the ingratitude of this generation which so slights and undervalues this invaluable treasure which is a sad presage of the most terrible judgement even the removing our Candlestick out of its place except we repent Inference 3. How sore and terrible a judgement lies upon the souls of those Inference 3. men to whom no word of God is made powerful enough to convince and awaken them Yet so stands the case with thousands who constantly sit under the preaching of the word many Arrows are shot at their Consciences but none goes home to the mark all fall short of the end the Commandment hath come unto them many thousand times by way of promulgation and ministerial inculcation but never yet came home to their souls by the spirits effectual application Oh friends you have often heard the voice of man but you never yet heard the voice of God your understandings have been instructed but your
Consciences to this day were never throughly convinced We have mourned unto you but ye have not lamented Mat. 11. 17. Who hath believed our report and unto whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Alas we have laboured in vain we have spent our strength for nought our word returns unto us empty but O what a stupendious judgement is here Heb. 6. 7 8. The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned What a sore judgement and sign of Gods displeasure would you account it if your fields were cursed if you should manure dress plough and sow them but never reap the fruit of your labour the increase being still blasted And yet this were nothing compared with the blasting of the word to your souls that which is a savour of life unto life unto some becomes the savour of death unto death to others 2 Cor. 2. 16. The Lord affect our hearts with the terrible stroaks of God upon the souls of men 2d Use of Exhortation I shall conclude this point with a few words of Exhortation to three sorts of men Use 2. viz. 1. To those that never felt the power of the word 2. To those that have only felt some slight and common effects thereof 3. To those unto whose very hearts the Commandment is come in its effectual and saving power First You that never felt any power in the word at all I beg you in the name of him that made you and by all the regard 1. and value you have for those precious souls within you that now at last such Considerations as these may find place in your souls and that you will bethink your selves Consideration 1. Whose word that is that cannot gain entrance into your hearts is it not the Word of God which you despise and slight thou castest my word behind thy back Psal. 50. 17. O what an affront and provocation to God is this you despise not man but God the great and terrible God in whose hand your breath and soul is this contempt runs higher than you imagine Consid. 2. Consider that however the Word hath no power upon you the commandment cannot come home to your hearts yet it doth work and comes home with power to the hearts of others whilest you are hardened others are melted under it whilest you sleep others tremble whilest your hearts are fast locked up others are opened how can you choose but reflect with fear and trembling upon these contrary effects of the word especially when you consider that the eternal decrees both of election and reprobation are now executed upon the souls of men by the preaching of the Word Some believe and others are hardened Consid. 3. That no Judgement of God on this side hell is greater than a hard heart and stupid Conscience under the Word it were much better that the providence of God should blast thy Estate take away thy Children or destroy thy health than harden thy heart and seare thy Conscience under the Word So much as thy soul is better than thy body so much as Eternity is more valuable than time so much is this spiritual Judgement more dreadful than all temporal ones God doth not inflict a more terrible stroke than this upon any men in this world O therefore as you love your own souls and are loth to ruine them to all Eternity attend upon every opportunity that God affords you for you know not in which of them the Lord may work upon your hearts lay aside your prejudices against the Word or the weaknesses and infirmities of them that preach it for the Word works not as it is the word of man as it is thus neat and elegant but as it is the Word of God pray for the blessing of God upon the Word for except his word of blessing go forth with it it can never come home to thy soul meditate upon what you hear for without meditation it is not like to have any effectual operation upon you Search your souls by it and consider whether that be not your very case and state which it describes your very danger whereof it gives warning take heed lest after you have heard it the cares of the world choke not what you have heard and cause those budding convictions which begin to put forth to blast and wither carefully attend to all those Items and memorandums your Consciences give you under the word and conclude that the Lord is then come nigh unto you Secondly let this be matter of serious consideration and caution to all such as have only felt some slight transient 2. and ineffectual operations of the Gospel upon their souls the Lord hath come nigh some of our souls we have felt a strange power in the Ordinances sometimes terrifying and sometimes transporting our hearts but alas it proves but a morning dew or an early cloud Hos. 6. 4. we rejoice in the Word but it is but for a season Joâ—… 3. 35. Gal. 4. 14 15. they are vanishing motions and come to nothing Look as in nature there are many abortives as well as perfect Children so it is in Religion yea where the new Creature is perfectly formed in one soul there be many abortives and miscarriages and there may be three reasons assigned for it viz. First The Subtilty and deep policy of Satan who never more effectually deceives and destroys the souls of men than in such a method and by such an artifice as this for when men have once felt their Consciences terrified under the Word and their hearts at other times ravished with the joyes and comforts of it they now seem to have attained all that is necessary to conversion and constitutive of the new Creature these things look so well like the regenerating effects of the spirit that many are easily deceived by them The devil beguiles the hearts of the unwary by such false appearances for it is not every man that can distinguish betwixt the natural and spiritual motions of the affections under the word it is very frequently seen that even carnal and unrenewed hearts have their meltings and transports as well as spiritual hearts The subject-matter upon which the word treats are the weighty things of the world to come heaven and hell are very awful and affecting things and an unrenewed heart is apt to thaw and melt at them now here is the cheat of Satan to perswade a man that these must needs be spiritual affections because the objects about which they are conversant are spiritual Whereas it is certain the object of the affections may be very spiritual and heavenly and yet the workings of a mans affections about them may be in a meer natural way Secondly The dampening efficacy of the world is a true and proper cause of these
another these things are according as the teachings of God do accompany our teachings we often see a weaker and plainer discourse blessed with success whilst that which is more artificial neat and laboured comes to nothing St. Austin hath a pretty similitude to illustrate this Suppose saith he two Conduits the one very plain the other curiously carved and adorned with images of Lyons Eagles c. the water doth not refresh and nourish as it cometh from such a curious Conduit but as it is water Where we find most of man we frequently find least of God I speak not this to encourage carelesness and laziness but to provoke the dispensers of the Gospel to more earnestness and servent prayer for the assistance and blessing of the Spirit upon their labours and to make men less fond of their own gifts and abilities blear-eyed Leah may bear Children when beautiful Rachel proves barren Inference 4. Learn hence the transcendent excellency of saving spiritual Inference 4. knowledge above that which is meerly literal and natural One drop of knowledge taught by God is more excellent than the whole Ocean of humane knowledge and acquired gifts Phil. 3. 8. Joh. 17. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 2. Let no man therefore be dejected at the want of those gifts with which unsanctified men are adorned If God have taught thee the evil of sin the worth of Christ the necessity of Regeneration the mystery of faith the way of communion with God in duties trouble not thy self because of thine ignorance in natural or moral things thou hast that Reader which will bring thee to Heaven and he is a truly wise man that knows the way of salvation though he be ignorant and unskilful in other things thou knowest that which all the learned Doctors and Libraries in the world could never teach thee but God hath revealed them to thee others have more science thou hast more savour and sweetness bless God and be not discouraged 2d Use for Examination If there be no coming to Christ without the teachings of Use 2. the Father then it greatly concerns us to examine our own hearts whether ever we have been under the saving teachings of God during the many years we have sate under the preaching of the Gospel Let not the question be mistaken I do not ask what Books you have read what Ministers you have heard what stock of natural or speculative knowledge you have acquired but the question is whether ever God spake to your hearts and hath effectually taught you such lessons as were mentioned in our last discourse O there is a vast difference betwixt that notional speculative and traditional knowledge which man learneth from man and that spiritual operative and transforming knowledge which a man learneth from God If you ask how the teachings of God may be discerned from all other meer humane teachings I answer it may be discerned and distinguished by these six signs Sign 1. The teachings of God are very humbling to the soul that is taught Humane knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8. 1. but the teachings of God do greatly abase the soul Job 42. 5. I have heard of thee by the bearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes the same light which discovers to us the holiness justice greatness and goodness of God discovereth also the vileness baseness emptiness and total unworthiness of man yea of the best and holiest of men Isa. 6. 5. Sign 2. The teachings of God are deeply affecting and impressive teachings they fully reach the heart of man Hos. 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her or as it is in the Hebrew I will speak to her heart When God showeth unto man the evil of sin he so convinceth the soul that no creature comforts have any pleasure or sweetness in them and when he sheweth unto man his righteousness pardon and peace in Christ he so comforteth and refresheth the heart that no outward afflictions have any weight or bitterness in them one drop of consolation from Heaven sweetens a Sea of trouble upon Earth Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Sign 3. The teachings of God are sanctifying and renewing teachings they reform and change the heart Eph. 4. 21 22 23. If so be that you have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind c. See here what holiness and purity is the effect of divine teaching holiness both external and internal negative and positive holiness of every kind follows the Fathers teachings all the discoveries God makes to us of himself in Christ have an assimulating quality and change the soul into their own likeness 2 Cor. 3. 18. Sign 4. All Gods teachings are practical running into obedience Idle notions and useless speculations are not learnt from God As Gods creating words so his teaching words are with effect as when he said let there be light and there was light so when he saith to the soul be comforted be humbled it is effectually comforted Isa. 66. 13. it is humbled Job 40. 4 5. As God hath in nature made no creature in vain so he speaks no word in vain every thing which men hear or learn from the Father is for use practice and benefit to the soul. Sign 5. All the teachings of God are agreeable with the written word the Spirit of God and the word of God do never jarr Joh. 14. 26. He shall take of mine and shew it unto you When God speaketh unto the heart of man whether in a way of conviction consolation or instruction in duty he always either maketh use of the express words of God in Scripture or speaks to the heart in language every way consentaneous and agreeable to Scripture So that the written word becomes the Standard to weigh and try all divine teachings Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light or morning in them whatever is discrepant and jarring with the Scripture must not pass for an inspiration of God but a deluding sophism and insinuation of Satan Sign 6. The teachings of God are very satisfying teachings to the soul of man the understanding faculty like a Dial is enlightned with the beams of divine truth shining upon it this no mans teachings can do men can only teach objectively by propounding truth to the understanding but they cannot enlighten the faculty it self as God doth 1 John 5. 20. he giveth man understanding as well as instructions to be understood he opens the eyes of the understanding as well as propoundeth the object Eph. 1. 18. And thus we may discern and distinguish the teachings of God
to be led by the spirit ver 18. to be in the spirit and the spirit to dwell in them Rom. 8. 9. And so much of the first thing to be opened viz. what we are to understand by the giving of the spirit Secondly In the next place we are to enquire and satisfie 2. our selves how this giving of the spirit evidently proves and strongly concludes that souls interest in Christ unto whom he is given and this will evidently appear by the consideration of these five particulars First The spirit of God in believers is the very bond by which they are united unto Christ if therefore we find in our selves the bond of union we may warrantably conclude that we have union with Jesus Christ this is evidently held forth in those words of Christ Joh. 17. 22 23. The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me 't is the glory of Christs humane nature to be united to the God-head this glory said Christ thou gavest me and the glory thou gavest me I have given them i. e. by me they are united unto thee and how this is done he sheweth us more particularly I in them there is Christ in us viz. mystically and thou in me there is God in Christ viz. Hypostatically so that in Christ God and believers meet in a blessed union 't is Christs glory to be one with God 't is our glory to be one with Christ and with God by him but how is this done certainly no other way but by the giving of his Spirit unto us for so much that phrase I in them must needs import Christ is in us by the sanctifying spirit which is the bond of our union with him Secondly The Scripture every where makes this giving or indwelling of the spirit the great mark and tryal of our interest in Christ concluding from the presence of it in us positively as in the Text and from the absence of it negatively as in Rom. 8. 9. now if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Jude ver 19. sensual not having the spirit this mark therefore agreeing to all believers and to none but believers and that alwayes and at all times it must needs clearly inferr the souls union with Christ in whomsoever it is found Thirdly That which is a certain mark of our freedom from the Covenant of works and our title to the priviledges of the Covenant of grace must needs also inferr our Union with Christ and special interest in him but the giving or indwelling of the sanctifying spirit in us is a certain mark of our freedom from the first Covenant under which all Christless persons still stand and our title to the special priviledges of the second Covenant in which none but the members of Christ are interested and consequently it fully proves our Union with the Lord Jesus This is plain from the Apostles reasoning Gal. 4. 6 7. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. The spirit of the first Covenant was a servile spirit a spirit of fear and bondage and they that were under that Covenant were not Sons but Servants but the Spirit of the New Covenant is a free ingenuous spirit acting in the strength of God and those that do so are the Children of God and Children inherit the blessed priviledges and royal immunities contained in that great Charter the Covenant of Grace they are heirs of God and the evidence of this their inheritance by vertue of the second Covenant and of their freedom from the servitude and bondage of the first Covenant is the spirit of Christ in their hearts crying Abba father So Gal. 5. 18. if ye be led by the spirit ye are not under the Law Fourthly If the eternal decree of Gods electing love be executed and the vertues and benefits of the death of Christ applyed by the spirit unto every soul in whom he dwelleth as a spirit of sanctification then such a giving of the spirit unto us must needs be a certain mark and proof of our special interest in Christ but the decree of Gods electing love is executed and the benefits of the blood of Christ are applyed unto every soul in whom he dwelleth as a spirit of sanctification This is plain from 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ where you see both Gods election executed and the blood of Jesus sprinkled or applyed unto us by the spirit which is given to us as a spirit of sanctification There is a blessed order of working observed as proper to each person in the Godhead the Father electeth the Son redeemeth the spirit sanctifieth The spirit is the last efficient in the work of our salvation what the Father decreed and the Son purchased that the Spirit applyeth and so puts the last hand to the compleat salvation of believers And this some Divines give as the reason why the sin against the spirit is unpardonable because he being the last agent in order of working if the heart of a man be filled with enmity against the spirit there can be no remedy for such a sin there is no looking back to the death of Christ or to the Love of God for remedy this sin against the spirit is that obex infernalis the deadly stop and bar to the whole work of salvation oppositely where the spirit is received obeyed and dwelleth in the way of sanctification into that soul the eternal love of God and inestimable benefits of the blood of Christ run freely without stop or interruption and consequently the interest of such a soul in Jesus Christ is beyond all dispute Fifthly The giving of the spirit to us or his residing in us as a sanctifying spirit is every where in Scripture made the pledge and earnest of eternal salvation and consequently must abundantly confirm and prove the souls interest in Christ Eph. 1. 13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. So 2 Cor. 1. 22. who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts And thus you have the point opened and confirmed The Use of all followeth Use. Use. Now the only Use I shall make of this point shall be that which lyeth directly both in the eye of the Text and of the design for which it was chosen namely by it to try and examine the truth of our interest
change from sin to grace is no way inferiour to it Nay in some respect beyond it for the change which glory makes upon the regenerate is but a gradual change but the change which regeneration makes upon the ungodly is a spiritual change Great and admirable is this work of God and let it for ever be marvellous in our eyes Inference 3. If unregenerate souls de dead souls what a fatal stroke doth death give to the bodies of all unregenerate men A soul dead in sin and Inference 3. a body dead by vertue of the curse for sin and both soul and body remaining for ever under the power of eternal death is so full and perfect a misery as that nothing can be added to make it more miserable 't is the comfort of a Christian that he can say when death comes non omnis moriar I shall not wholly die there is a life I live which death cannot touch Rom. 8. 13. The body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power As death takes a believer from amidst many sorrows and troubles and brings him to the vision of God to the general assembly of all the perfected saints to a state of compleat freedom and full satisfaction so it drags the unregenerate from all his sensitive delights and comforts to the place of torments It buries the dead soul out of the presence of God for ever 'T is the king of terrours 't is a serpent with a deadly sting to every man that is out of Christ. Inference 4. If every unregenerate soul be a dead soul how sad is the case of Hypocrites Inference 4. and temporary believers who are twice dead These are those cursed trees of which the Apostle Jude speaks Jude v. 12. Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots The Apostle alludes unto dying trees Trees that are dying the first time in the spring they then fade decay and cast their leaves when other trees are fragrant and flourishing But from this first death they are sometimes recovered by pruning and dressing or watering the roots But if in Autumn they decay again which is the Critical and Climacterical time of trees to discover whether their disease be mortal or not if then they wither and decay the second time the fault is ab intra the root is rotten there is no hope of it The husbandman bestows no more labour about it except it be to root it up for fewel to the fire Just thus stands the case with false and hypocritical prosessours who though they were still under the power of spiritual death yet in the beginning of their profession they seemed to be alive They shewed the world the fragrant leaves of a fair profession many hopeful buddings of affection towards spiritual things were seen in them but wanting a root of regeneration they quickly began to wither and cast their untimely fruit However by the help of ordinances or some rouzing and awakening providences they seem to recover themselves again but all will not do the fault is ab intra from the want of a good root and therefore at last they who were always once dead for want of a principle of regeneration are now become twice dead by the withering and decay of their vain profession Such trees are prepared for the severest flames in hell Mat. 24. 51. Their portion is the saddest portion allotted for any of the sons of death Therefore the Apostle Peter tells us 2 Pet. 2. 20 21. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them Double measures of wrath seem to be prepared for them that die this double death Inference 5. If this be so then unregenerate persons deserve the greatest lamentations Inference 5. And were this truth heartily believed we could not but mourn over them with the most tender compassion and hearty sorrow If our husbands wives or children be dying a natural death how are our hearts rent in pieces with pity and sorrow for them what cries tears and wringing of hands discover the deep sense we have of their misery O Christians is all the love you have for your relations spent upon their bodies Are their souls of no value in your eyes is spiritual death no misery Doth it not deserve a tear The Lord open our eyes and duly affect our hearts with spiritual death and soul miseries Consider my friends and let it move your bowels if there be bowels of affection in you whilst they remain spiritually dead they are useless and wholly unserviceable unto God in the world as to any special and acceptable service unto him 2 Tim. 2. 21. they are uncapable of all spiritual comforts from God they cannot taste the least sweetness in Christ in duties or in promises Rom. 8. 6. They have no beauty in their souls how comely soever their bodies be 't is grace and nothing but grace that beautifies the inner man Ezek. 16. 6 7. The dead have neither comfort nor beauty in them They have no hope to be with God in glory for the life of glory is begun in grace Phil. 1. 6. Their graves must shortly be made to be buried out of the sight of God for ever in the lowest hell the pit digged by justice for all that are spiritually dead The dead must be buried Can such considerations as these draw no pity from your souls nor excite your endeavours for their regeneration Then 't is to be feared your souls are dead as well as theirs O pity them pity them and pray for them in this case only prayers for the dead are our duty who knows but at the last God may hear your cries and you may say with comfort as he did This my son was dead but is alive was lost but is found and they began to be merry Luke 15. 24. The Thirty second SERMON Sermon 32. JOHN 3. 18. Text. But he that believeth not is condemned already The Condemnation of unbelievers opened and applied because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God CHrist having discoursed Nicodemus in the beginning of this Chapter about the necessity of regeneration proceeds to shew in this following discourse the reason and ground why regeneration and faith are so indispensably necessary viz. Because there is no other way to set men free from the curse and condemnation of the Law The curse of the Law like the fiery serpents in the wilderness hath smitten every sinner with a deadly stroke and sting for
which there is no cure but Christ lifted up in the Gospel as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness ver 14. Neither doth Christ cure any but those that believingly apply him to their own souls The result and conclusion of all you have in my Text He that believeth in him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already c. In this clause which I have pitched upon we find these three parts 1. The sin threatned viz. unbelief 2. The punishment inflicted viz. Condemnation 3. The immediate relation of the one to the other he is condemned already First Let us take into consideration the sin which is here threatned viz. unbelief The neglecting or refusing of an 1. exalted and offered Jesus Unbelief is twofold viz. Negative or Positive Negative unbelief is the sin of the heathens who never had the Gospel among them nor the offers of Christ made to them these cannot believe on him of whom they have not heard Positive unbelief is the sin of men and women under the Gospel to whom Christ is actually opened and offered by the preaching of the Gospel but they make light of it neglect the great salvation receive not Christ into their hearts nor consent to the severe and self denying terms upon which he is offered This is the sin threatned Secondly The punishment inflicted and that is condemnation 2. a word of deep and dreadful signification appearing in this Text as the hand-writing upon the plaister of the wall unto Belteshazzar Dan. 5. 5. A word whose deep sense and Emphasis is fully understood in hell Condemnation is the Judgment or Sentence of God condemning a man to bear the punishment of his eternal wrath for sin the most terrible of all sentences Thirdly The immediate relation or respect this punishment 3. hath to that sin of unbelief The unbeliever is condemned already i. e. he is virtually condemned by the law of God His mittimus is already made for hell he is condemned as a sinner by the breach oâ—… the first Covenant but that condemnation had never â—…n his ruine except it had been ratified by the sentence of God condemning him as an unbeliever for slighting and rejecting the grace offered in the second Covenant So that the unbeliever is already virtually condemned by both as he is a sinner and as he is an unbeliever as he hath transgressed the law and as he hath refused the gospel as he hath contracted sin the mortal disease and refused Christ the only effectual remedy He is virtually condemned now and will be sententially condemned in the Judgment of the great day Unbelief is his great sin and condemnation is his great misery Hence the observation will be this DOCT. That all unbelievers are presently and immediately under the Doct. just and dreadful sentence of Gods Condemnation John 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day John 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Three things are to be opened in the Doctrinal part of this point 1. What unbelief or the not receiving of Jesus Christ is 2. What condemnation the punishment of this sin is 3. Why this punishment unavoidably follows that sin First What the sin of unbelief or not receiving Christ is By unbelief we are not here to understand the reliques or remains 1. of that sin in the people of God which is mixed with their imperfect faith for there is some unbelief still mingled with faith in the best hearts He that can say Lord I believe hath cause enough to cry out with tears help thou my unbelief However this doth not bring the soul under condemnation or into the state of wrath The word condemns this unbelief in them but doth not condemn their persons for this unbelief But the unbelief here spoken of is the neglecting or refusing to take Christ upon the terms of the Gospel and so is exclusive of the saving act or effects of faith First It is exclusive of the saving act of faith which as hath been already declared is the due receiving of Christ offered in the Gospel consenting to take him upon his own terms This the unbeliever will by no means be perswaded to do He will be perswaded to accept the promises of Christ but not to accept the person of Christ he is willing to accept Christ in part a divided Christ but not to accept Christ entirely in all his offices He will accept the righteousness of Christ in conjunction with his own righteousness but he will not accept the righteousness of Christ as the sole matter of his Justification exclusive of his own righteousness he is willing to wear the Crown of Christ but cannot be perswaded to bear the cross of Christ. Thus Christ and unbelievers part upon terms God will come down no lower and the unbeliever will come up no higher God will not alter his terms and the unbeliever will not alter his resolution and so Christ is refused Salvation neglected and in effect the unbeliever chooseth rather to be damned than to comply with the severe terms of self-denial mortification and bearing the cross of Christ. Thus it excludes the saving act of faith Secondly It is exclusive of the saving fruits and effects of faith Faith produces love to God but the unbeliever doth not truly love him But I know you saith Christ to unbelievers that the love of God is not in you John 5. 42. Faith purifies the heart of a believer but the hearts of unbelievers are full of all impurity The believer overcomes the world the world overcomes the unbeliever Faith makes the Cross of Christ sweet and easie to the believer Unbelief makes Christ because of the Cross bitter and distastful to the unbeliever Thus unbelief excludes both the saving act and fruits of faith and consequently bars the soul from the saving benefits and priviledges of faith viz. Justification and peace with God Secondly Next let us consider the punishment of this sin which is condemnation Condemnation in the general is the 2. sentence of a Judge awarding a mulct or penalty to be inflicted upon the guilty person There is a twofold Condemnation 1. Respectu culpâ—… in respect of the fault 2. Respectu poenae in respect of the punishment First Condemnation with respect to the fault is the casting of the person as guilty of the crime charged upon him Condemnation with respect to the punishment is the sentencing of the convicted offender to undergo such a punishment for such a fault to bear a penal for a moral evil This forensick word Condemnation is here applied unto the case of a guilty sinner cast at the bar of God where the fact is clearly proved and the punishment righteously awarded Thou art an unbeliever for this sin thou shalt die eternally
mercy and therefore the means that begat and encreased it must be so too but yet it is a mercy liable to the greatest abuse and the abuse of the best mercies brings forth the greatest miseries Alas Christians your duty is but half learnt when you know it obedience to light makes light a blessing indeed Joh. 13. 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if you do them Happiness is not entailed upon simple knowing but upon doing upon obedience to our knowledge otherwise he that increaseth knowledge doth but increase sorrow for that servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself nor did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 13. 47. And to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 17. We are bound with all thankfulness to acknowledge the bounty of Heaven to this sinful generation in furnishing us with so many excellent means of light beyond many other nations and generations that are past but yet we ought to rejoice with trembling when we consider the abuses of light in this wanton age and what a dismal event is like to happen unto many thousands among us I fear the time is coming when many among us will wish they had never set foot upon English ground God hath blessed this nation with many famous burning and shining lights it was once said to the honour of this Nation that the English Ministry was the worlds Clerus Anglicanus stupor mâ—…ndi wonder and when a man of another Nation began to Preach methodically and convincingly they were once wont to say we perceive this man hath been in England the greater will our Peâ—…cipimus â—…c hominem fâ—…isse in Anglia account be for abusing such light and rebelling against it the clearer our light is now the thicker will the mists of darkness be hereafter if we thus wantonize under it and rebel against it The Devils have more light than we and therefore the more torment of them it is said Jam. 2. 19. The Devils also believe and tremble the horror of their Consciences is answerable to their illumination they tremble the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 aâ—…itatio Eustach signifies the rote of the Sea or such a murmuring dreadful noise as the tempestuous Seas use to make when they break themselves against the Rocks Inference 2. If the abuse of light thus aggravates sin and misery then times of great temptation are like to be times of deep guilt Wo to an Inference 2. inlightned knowing generation when strong temptations befall them How do many in such times imprison the known truth to keep themselves out of Prison offer violence to their own Consciences to avoid violence from other hands * Opificeâ—…â—…iversorum 〈◊〉 invenire fâ—…le neque inventum iâ—…â—…gus promulgare tutum Plato was convinced of the unity of God but durst not own his own convictions but said it was a truth neither easie to find nor safe to own And even * In â—…nimi religione non habeat sed in actibus fiâ—…t Seneca the renowned moralist was forced by temptation to dissemble his conviction of whom * Colebat quod reprebendebat agebat quod arguebat quod culpabat adorabat Augustin saith he worshipped what himself reprehended and did what himself reproved and even a great Papist of later times was heard to say as he was going to Mass eamus ad communem errorem let us go to the common error O how hard is it to keep Conscience pure and peaceable in days of temptation doubtless it is a mercy to many weak and timerous Christians to be removed by a seasonable death out of harms way to be disbanded by a merciful providence before the heat of the battle Christ and Antichrist seem at this day to be drawing into the field a fiery tryal threatens the professors of this age but when it comes to a close grapple indeed we may justly tremble to think how many thousands will break their way through the convictions of their own Consciences to save their flesh Believe it sirs if Christ hold you to himself by no other tye than the slender thread of a single conviction if he have not interest in your hearts and affections as well as in your understandings and Consciences if you be men of great light and strong unmortified lusts if you profess Christ with your tongues and worship the world with your hearts a man may say of you without the gift of prophecie what the Prophet said of Hazael I know what ye will do in the day of temptation Inference 3. If this be so what a strong engagement lieth upon all enlightned Inference 3. persons to turn heartily to God and reduce their knowledge into practice and obedience The more men know the more violence they do to their own Consciences in rebelling against the light this is to sin with an high hand Num. 15. 30. Believe it sirs you cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do knowledge in a wicked man like high mettle in a blind Horse doth but the sooner precipitate him into ruine You may know much more than others but if ever you come to Heaven it must be in the same way of faith and obedience mortification and self-denial in which the weakest Christian comes thither whatever knowledge you have to be sure you have no wisdom if you expect salvation upon any other or easier terms than the most illiterate Christian finds it It was a sad observation of the Father surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum the unlearned rise and take Heaven What a pity 't is that men of such excellent parts should be enslaved to their lusts that ever it should be said sapientes sapienter descendunt in Gehennam their learning doth but hang in their light it doth but blind them in spiritual things and prepareth them for the greater misery Inference 4. Hence it also follows that the work of conversion is a very difficult work the soul is scarcely half won to Christ when Satan Inference 4. is cast out of the understanding by illumination The Devil hath deeply intrenched himself and strongly fortisied every faculty of the soul against Christ. The understanding indeed is the first entrance into the soul and out of that faculty he is oftentimes expulsed by light and conviction which seems to make a great change upon a man Now he becomes a professor now he takes up the duties of Religion and passes up and down the world for a convert but alas alas all the while Satan keeps the Fort-royal the heart and will in his own possession and this is a work of more difficulty The weapons of that warfare must indeed be mighty through God which do not only cast down imaginations but bring every thought of the heart into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. While the heart stands out though the understanding
behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. Against this discourse the Apostle foresaw and obviated this objection If your Gospel be so clear what is the reason that many who live under the ministration of it and they none of the meanest neither for wisdom and understanding do yet see no glory nor excellency in it To this he returns in the words I have read if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded c. q. d. 'T is true multitudes there are who see no glory in Christ or the gospel but the fault is not in either but in the minds of them that believe not The Sun shines forth in its glory but the blind see no glory in it the fault is not in the Sun but in the eye In the words themselves we have three parts to consider 1. A dreadful Spiritual Judgement inflicted 2. The wicked instrument by whom it is inflicted 3. The politick manner in which he doth it First We have here a very dreadful Spiritual Judgement inflicted upon the souls of men viz. the hiding of the Gospel 1. from them if our Gospel be hid For these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are a concession that so it is a very sad but undeniable truth Many there are that see no beauty in Christ nor necessity of him though both are so plainly and evidently revealed in our Gospel if our Gospel be hid 't is called our Gospel not as if Paul and the other Preachers of it were the Authors and Inventers of it but our Gospel because we are the Preachers and Dispensers of it We are put in trust with the Gospel and though we Preach it in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power using all plainness of speech to make men understand it yet it is hid from many under our ministry 't is hid from their understandings they see no glory in it and hid from their hearts they feel no power in it Our Gospel notwithstanding all our endeavours is a hidden Gospel unto some this is the sorest and most dreadful Judgement Secondly We have here an account of that wicked Instrument 2. by whom this judgement is inflicted viz. Satan called here by a Mimesis the god of this world not simply and properly but because he challenges to himself the honour of a God rules over a vast Empire and hath multitudes of souls even the far greater part of the world in subjection and blind obedience to his government Thirdly Here also we have an account of the politick manner of his government how he maintains his dominion 3. among men and keeps the world in quiet subjection to him namely by blinding the minds of all them that believe not putting out the eyes of all his subjects darkning that noble faculty the mind or understanding the thinking considering and reasoning power of the soul which the Philosophers truly call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading and directing faculty for it is to the soul what eyes are to the body and it is therefore called the eyes of the understanding Eph. 1. 18. These eyes Satan blinds i. e. he darkens the mind and understanding with ignorance and error so that when men come to see and consider spiritual things they see indeed but perceive not Isa. 6. 9 10. They have some general confused notions but no distinct powerful and effectual apprehensions of those things and this is the way indeed none like it to bar men effectually from Jesus Christ and hinder the application of the benefits of redemption to their souls 'T is true the righteous God permits all this to be done by Satan upon the souls of men but wheresoever he finally prevails thus to blind them it is as the Text speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them that are lost or appointed of God unto perdition The elect of God are all blinded for a time but Christ applieth unto them his Eye salve effectually opens the eyes of their understandings and recovers them thereby out of Satans power and dominion but as for those who still continue thus blinded the Symptoms and Characters of eternal death appear upon their souls they are a company of lost men DOCT. That the understandings of all unbelievers are blinded by Satans policies in order to their everlasting perdition Four things must be opened in the Doctrinal part of this point First what the blinding of the understanding or hiding of the Gospel from the understanding is Secondly I shall demonstrate that the understandings of many are thus blinded and the Gospel hidden from them Thirdly I shall shew what policies Satan uses to blind the minds of men Fourthly That this blindness is the sorest judgement and in order to mens everlasting perdition Fifthly And then apply the whole First we shall enquire what the blinding of the mind or hiding 1. of the Gospel from it is Two sorts of men are thus blinded in the world 1. Those that want the means of illumination 2. Those that have the means but are denied the blessing and efficacy of them The former is the case of the Pagan world who are in midnight darkness for want of the Gospel The later is the case of the Christian world The greatest part of them that live within the sound of the Gospel being blinded by the God of this world Isa. 6. 9 10. And he said Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Thus when the Son of righteousness actually rose in the world it is said John 1. 5. The light shined in darkness but the darkness comprehended it not So we may say of all that light which is in the understanding of all unbelievers what Job speaks of the grave Job 10. 22. That the light there is as darkness But more particularly to open the nature of this Spiritual blindness I will show you 1. What it is not opposed unto 2. What it is opposed unto First Let us examine what Spiritual blindness or the hiding of the Gospel from the minds of men is not opposed unto and we shall find First That it is not opposed unto natural wisdom a man may be of an acute and clear understanding Eagle-eyed to discern the mysteries of nature and yet the Gospel may be hidden from him Who were more sagacious and quick-sighted in natural things than the heathen Philosophers renowned for wisdom in their generation Yet unto them the Gospel was but foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 20 21. S. Augustine confesseth that before his conversion he was filled with offence and contempt of the simplicity of the Gospel Dedignabar esse parvulus saith he I scorned to become a child again And that great
is an unreasonable doctrine and not worthy of credit that God should choose some and refuse others every way as good as those he hath chosen or if there be any certainty in that doctrine then men may throw the reins upon the neck of their lusts and live at what rate they list For if God have chosen them to salvation their wickedness shall not hinder it and if he have appointed them unto wrath their diligence and self-denial cannot prevent it Thus the Doctrine of free grace is by the like Sophistry of Satan turned into lasciviousness If grace abound men may sin the more freely and the shortness of our time upon earth which in its own nature awakens all men to diligence is by the subtilty of Satan turned to a quite contrary purpose Lâ—…t us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Fifthly Satan darkens the minds of men and shuts them against the light by blowing them up with pride and self-conceitedness perswading them that they know all these things already and causing them to contemn the most weighty and precious truths of God as trite and vulgar notions The word cannot be received without meekness and humility of mind Jam. 1. 21. Psal. 25. 8 9. and pride is the nurse of ignorance 1 Tim. 6. 4. 1 Cor. 8. 7. The Devil is aware of this and therefore blows up the pride and conceitedness of mens hearts all that he can and this temptation of his generally prevails whereever it meets with a knowing head matched with a graceless and unsanctified heart And thus we see by what wiles and policies Satan keeps out the light and prevents the access of it to the minds of men But if he miss his design here and truth gets into the mind Then Secondly he labours to obstruct the efficacy and operation of the light that though it do shine into the understanding yet it shall be imprisoned there and send down no converting influences upon the will and affections and this design he promotes and manages diverse ways First By hastening to quench convictions betime and nip them in the bud Satan knows how dangerous a thing it is and destructive to his interest to suffer convictions to continue long and therefore it is said of him Mat. 13. 19. When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart Satan is compared in this Scripture to the fowls of the air which pick up the seed before it take any root in the earth The Devil is very jealous of this and therefore labours all he can to destroy the word before it comes to operate upon the heart which he doth sometimes by the cares of the world and sometimes by vain companions who prove meer quench coals unto beginning convictions One sinner destroyeth much good Secondly No sooner doth the God of this world observe the light of truth begin to operate upon the heart but he obstructeth that design by procrastinations and delays which delude and baffle the convinced soul he perswades them if they will alter their course it will be time enough hereafter when such incumbrances and troubles in the world are over is he prevail here 't is a thousand to one but the work miscarries James 1. 23 24. if the hearer of the word be not a doer i. e. a preâ—…ent doer while the impressions of it are fresh upon the soul he doth but deceive himself For it is with the heart as it is with melted wax if the seal be clapt to it presently it will receive a fair impression but if it be let alone but for a little while you can make none at all it was therefore Davids great care and wisdom to set about the work of Religion under the first impetus or vigorous motion of his heart and affections Psal. 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments Multitudes of souls have perished by these delays 'T is a temptation incident to all that are under beginning convictions especially young persons whom the Devil perswades that it were no better than madness in them to abridge and deny themselves so much delight and pleasure and steep their youthful thoughts in such a melancholy subject as Religion is Thirdly If all this will not do but convictions still continue and get ground in the conscience then he endeavours to scare and fright them out of their convictions by representing to them the inward terrours troubles and despairs into which they are about to plunge themselves and that henceforth they must never expect a pleasant day or comfortable hour Thus doth the God of this world blind the minds of them that believe not both by hindering the access of light to the mind and the influence of it upon the heart Thirdly There is yet one policy of Satan to keep souls in 3. darkness and that is by the mis-application of truth perswading them that whatsoever they read or hear of the misery and danger of Christless and unregenerate persons doth not in the least touch or concern them but the more notorious and prophane part of the world and by this policy he blinds the minds of all civil and moral persons Thus the Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others And so the Laodiceans thought themselves rich and increased with See my Touchsâ—…one of sincerity upon Rev. 3. 17 18. goods that is in a very safe and good condition Now there are diverse things notably improved by Satans policy in order to these misapplications of truth as First The freedom of their lives from the most gross pollutions of the world Mat. 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up A civil sober course of life is a most effectual blind before the eyes of many a mans conscience Secondly It is the policy of Satan to prevent conviction by conviction I mean effectual convictions by convictions that have been ineffectual and are now vanished away Thus the troubles that some persons have been under must pass for their conversion though the temper of their heart be the same it was their ineffectual troubles are made use of by the Devil to blind them in the true knowledge and apprehension of their condition For these men and women can speak of the troubles they have had for sin and the many tears they have shed for it whereby thorough conviction is effectually prevented Thirdly Gifts and knowledge are improved by the policy of Satan against the true knowlege of Jesus Christ and our own estate by nature As conviction is improved by Satans policy against conviction so is knowledge against knowledge This was the case of them in Rom. 2. 17 18. Thou art called a Jew and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are excellent being instructed out of the law and art confident that thou thy self
great must that darkness be for now the blind lead the blind and both fall into the ditch The blind judgement misguides the blind affections and both fall into hell O what a sad thing is it that the Devil should lead that that leads thee That he should sit at the helm and steer thy course to damnation The blinding of this noble faculty precipitates the soul into the most dangerous courses persecution by this means seems to be true zeal for God John 16. 2. They that persecute you shall think that they do God service Paul once thought verily with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Acts 26. 9. i. e. He thought he had pleased God when he was imprisoning and persecuting his people as many do at this day it will make a man to sin conscientiously which is a very dangerous way of sinning and difficult to be reclaimed Secondly it is a dreadful Judgement if we consider the Object about which the understanding is blinded which is Jesus Christ and Union with him Regeneration and the nature and necessity thereof For this blindness is not universal but respective and particular A man may have abundance of light and knowledge in things natural and moral but spiritual things are hiâ—…den from his eyes Yea a man may know spiritual things in a natural way which increaseth his blindness but he cannot discern them spiritually this is a sore judgement and greatly to be bewailed Thou hast hid these things said Christ from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Mat. 11. 25. Learned and knowing men are ignorant of those things which very babes in Christ understand They are prudent in the management of earthly affairs but to save their own souls they have no knowledge They are able with Berengarius to dispute De omni scibili of every thing investigable by the light of nature yea to open the scripture solidly and defend the doctrines and truths of Christ against his adversaries successfully and yet blinded in the greatmystery of regeneration Blindness in part saith the Apostle is happened unto Israel and that indeed was the principal part of knowledg viz. the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified we see farther than they The literal knowledge of Christ shines clearly in our understandings We are only blinded about those things which should give us saving interest in him about the effectual application of Christ to our own souls Thirdly The dreadful nature of this spiritual blindness farther appears from the consideration of the season in which it befalls men which is the very time of Gods patience and the only opportunity they have for salvation after these opportunities are over their eyes will be opened to see their misery but alas too late too late Upon this account Christ shed those tears over Jerusalem Luke 19. 42. O that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Now the season of grace is past and gone opportunities are the golden spots of time and there is much time in a short opportunity as there are many pieces of silver in one piece of gold Time signifies nothing when opportunities are gone to be blinded in the very season of salvation is the Judgement of all Judgements the greatest misery incident to man to have our eyes opened when the seasons of salvation are past is but an aggravation of misery There is a twofold opening of mens eyes to see their danger Viz. 1. Graciously to prevent danger 2. Judicially to aggravate misery They whose eyes are not opened graciously in this world to see their disease and remedy in Christ shall have their eyes opened judicially in the world to come to see their disease without any remedy If God open them now it is by way of prevention if they be not opened until then it will produce desperation Fourthly The horrible nature of this Judgement farther appears from the exceeding difficulty of curing it especially in men of excellent natural indowments and accomplishments Joh. 9. 40 41. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him Are we blind also Jesus said unto them If ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth q. d. The pride and conceitedness of your hearts adds obstinacy and incurableness to your blindness these are the blind people that have eyes Isa. 43. 8. in seeing they see not The conviction of such men is next to an impossibility Fifthly The design and end of this blindness under the Gospel is most dreadful so saith my Text the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Answerable whereunto are those words Isa. 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and Ira est Dei non intelligere delicta ne sequatur poenitentia Cyp. Ep. 3. Percussi sunt animi caecitane ut nec intelligant delicta nec plangant indignantis Dei major haec est ira Cypr. de lapsis shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed So that it is plain this blinding is a praeludium to damnation as the covering of Hamans face was to his destruction When the Lord hath no purpose of grace and mercy to a mans soul then to bring about the damnation of that man by a righteous permission many occasions of blindness befal him which Satan improves effectually unto his eternal ruine among which fatal occasions blind guides and scandalous professors are none of the least they shall be fitted with Ministers suitable to their humours who shall speak smooth things if a man walk in the Spirit and falshood i. e. by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of falshood do lie saying I will prophesie to thee of wine and strong drink he shall even be the prophet of this people and the slips and falls of professors shall do the Devil not a little service in this his fatal design Mat. 18. 7. Wo to the world because of offences This shall blind them and harden them to purpose Thus you see what a dreadful Judgement this is a stroak of God upon the soul which cuts off all the present comforts of Christ and Religion from it takes away the bridle of restraint from sin and makes way for the final ruine of the soul. A far greater Judgement it is than the greatest calamity or affliction which can befal us in this world If our names suffer by the greatest reproaches our bodies by the most painful diseases our estates by the greatest losses if God strike every comfort we have in this world dead by affliction all this is nothing compared with
p. 385 Believers their general assembly p. 338 Believers undergo two changes p. 335 Believers have Christ for their Altar p. 316 Believers should have a free spirit p. 332 Believers in what manner brought to God p. 338 Bodies of sinners how smitten by death p. 536 Blindness of mind what it is p. 569 Blindness-spiritual what it includes p. 571 Blindness-spiritual what it excludes p. 570 Blindness of mind evidenced six ways p. 574 Blinding artifices of Satan what ibid. Burdensom nature of sin opened p. 185 Burden of sin why it must be felt p. 191 C. CAre of Christians over Christs honour p. 28â—… Carnal relations admonished p. 85 Charity to Saints strongly urged p. 37 38 Causes of spiritual life twofold p. 532 Christ transcendent in holiness p. 500 Christians no troublers of the world p. 476 Christ outbids all other offerers p. 74 Christ the mercy of mercies p. 234 Christ eight things in him attractive p. 154 Christ communicates all blessings to us p. 172 Christ makes hast in extremity p. 191 Christs burden exceeding heavy p. 185 Christ the only Physician p. 217 Christ qualified as foretold p. 240 Christ comprehensive of all that 's lovely p. 250. Christ an incomparable friend p. 257 Christ the desire of all Nations and how p. 264 Christ the Lord of Glory p. 277 Christs glory twofold p. 278 Christ the only comfort of Saints p. 290 Christ should be precious to Saints p. 319 Christians why void of comfort p. 293 Circumspection how necessary p. 588 Civility no evidence of grace p. 449 Companions in sin to be abandoned p. 384 Communion with Christ twofold p. 166 Communion with Christ in what it consists p. 167 Communion with Christ a great mysterie p. 173 Communion with Christ admirable p. 174 Communion with Saints how pleasant p. 179 Compassion due to the distressed p. 186 Coming to Christ what it includes p. 193 Communion with God kills sin p. 484 Conviction precedaneous to faith p. 147 Contentation of Christ in a low estate p. 513 Condemnation twofold p. 542 Content pressed upon Converts p. 23 Conversion introductive to all mercies p. 19 Condescension of God in the Gospel p. 50 Conversion how illustrated p. 76 Consent included in faith p. 120 Consolation what it is p. 288 Consolation three kinds thereof ibid. Consolation three ingredienâ—…s thereof p. 289 Contempts of the world contemned p. 318 Conviction the first work of the Spirit p. 414 Congruity of divine drawings with the will of man p. 72 Concomitants of faith what they are p. 150 Conversion its stupendious effects p. 86 Conscience the offices thereof p. 186 Conscience benummed how sad p. 189 Complaints to men fruitless ibid. Confidence without ground what p. 349. Converts exhorted to praise p. 371 Corruption of nature discovered p. 8â—… D. DAmned their dreadful state opened p. 187 Danger of refusing Christ. p. 156 Damnation how aggravated p. 354 Danger of false confidence ibid. Death and deadness how differenced p. 422 Degrees of faith the least precious p. 142 Despair in our selves necessary p. 147 Despair not of carnal relations p. 87 Death how made sweet p. 43 Death on what account dreadful p. 189 Death of Christ its design and end p. 336 Deliverance from sin what a mercy p. 380 Decrees of God how executed p. 409 Delight in God eminent in Christ. p. 509 Death spiritual what it is p. 530 Dignity of Saints whence inferred p. 36 Discourses of Heaven sweet in the way p. 343 Difficulty of faith discovered p. 137 Diseases of the soul what they are p. 217 Directions about faith six p. 159 Directions to inflame desires p. 273 Discouragements in godliness unreasonable p. 387 Divine authority of Scriptures p. 364 Dominion of sin cured by Christ. p. 219 Dominion of sin destroyed in Saints p. 327 Dominion of sin wherein it consists p. 461 Drawings of God what they are p. 71 Drawings of God opened five ways p. 73 Duties no evidences of grace p. 450 Desires after Christ examined p. 270 Desires after Christ include blessings ibid. Dejections of Saints groundless p. 344 E. EFficacy of the Gospel how great p. 358 Efficacy of preaching whence it is p. 55 End of the new Creature twofold p. 435 English preaching its encomium p. 560 Embryo's spiritual what they are p. 370 Enjoyment of God mans chief good p. 337 Enemies to souls who are so p. 355 Engagements to obedience what p. 561 Engage not sin in our own strength p. 486 Esteem nothing lovely but Christ. p. 259 Eyes opened two ways p. 585 Evidences of spiritual death p. 531 Evidences of persons unreconciled p. 61 Evidences of carnal security p. 350 Evidences of the power of the word p. 359 Evidences of the Spirit in us p. 415 Evidences of mortification p. 469 492 Extent of Christs Kingdom large p. 265 Expectations of wrath terrible p. 187 Examples motives to faith p. 198 Expectation implied in faith p. 195 Experiences of others relieving p. 190 Examples useful in mortification p. 491 Examples of the world not to be imitated p. 587 F. FAith its subject act and enemies p. 79 Faith considered two ways p. 128 Faith whether in two faculties p. 120 Faith its encomium above other graces p. 129 Faith justifies not as a work p. 132 Faith justifies as an applying instrument p. 133. Faith precious in the least degree p. 144 Faith of Papists an absurd faith p. 145 Faith its Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents p. 146 Faith is not the souls rest p. 207 Faith how great a mercy to men p. 546 Faith its instrumentality in mortification p. 483 Fall of Adam how aggravated p. 51 False joy the only joy of carnal men p. 350 False joy twofold p. 351 Fears of death how cured p. 209 Fellowship with Christ our dignity p. 163. Fellowship with Christ not natural p. 171 Fellowship of Saints advantageous p. 478 Filth of sin what and how removed p. 208 Folly of self-righteousness p. 226 Following Christ the Saints duty p. 344 Free-grace and full satisfaction consistent p. 53. Freedom from the rigour of the Law p. 326 Freedom from guilt what a priviledge ibid. Freedom from the first Covenant p. 409 Frustration of the Gospel how p. 354 Fulness of Christs saving power p. 383 G. GEnerality of men in the way to Hell p. 3â—…6 Gifts of the Spirit twofold p. 407 Gifts no evidences of Grace p. 450 Glory of the Saints will be very great p. 282 Gospels strange success whence is is p. 396 Gospel an invaluable mercy p. 365 Gospel why so unsuccessful p. 355 Gospel Embassy what it implies p. 47 48 Gospel why ineffectual to men p. 87 Gospels scope to bring men to believe p. 131 Gospel its power to awaken men p. 360 Gospel its enlightning efficacy ibid. Gospel its wounding power p. 361 Gospel how it turns the heart ibid. Gospel its power not in it self p. 362 Gospel efficacy not in the instrument ibid. Gospel in every part presses mortification p. 466 Gospel