purse he cannot abide to let it be tryed but if it be sound and good he is not affraid to bring it to the touchstone God in this case will take nothing for currant but what hath his own stamp upon it The word of God hath that in it that will try us let us therefore every one deal sincerely with our own hearts as in the sight and presence of Almighty God that so we may know whether we have this blessed Grace of Faith or no. But before we come to this let us consider these grounds First That all that live under the Gospel have if not though it be called the word of Faith and be the very meanes to beget Faith For this look 2 Thess. 3. 2. where it is given as a reason why those that truly receive the Gospel are so reproached and hardly dealt withall by the world even because all men have not Faith for if all had Faith then could all be of the same minde and Holinesse Righteousnesse and Love would be their delight Secondly That this triumphing Faith which upholds a man and opens his mouth to speak upon grounds of Faith is so far from being a common giâ—t to all that but few indeed have it It is a special and peculiar grace that makes a man triumph over condemnation That this was hard to be found the Prophet complains in his dayes Isa. 53. 1. Lord Who hath believed our report And that not among the heathen onely but even among the people of God The like complaint Christ takes up in the very words of the Prophet Iohn 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. He admires at the paucity of true believers So now the sound of the Gospel hath come to all of us but who shewes this faith of Gods elect in them This also we may see in the parrable of the sower wherein is set forth the estate of the visible Church Where there is but one sort of the four kinds of hearers that bring forth this fruit Three sorts come to hear some but for fashion sake or compelled thereunto some to get knowledge onely some to carpe scoff or catch somewhat to run to rulers with or to judge that which shall judge them one day This triumphing faith it ariseth from an Immortal seed of Gods word alone Thirdly That though there be but few that have this faith yet not the poorest and meanest of Gods children if they have any true hope of Gods mercy but in his time shall come to it Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed whosoever is Gods childe shall have this faith and therefore Titus 1. 1. it is set out to be a pecular grace and gift of God that onely belongeth to the elect Gal. 3. 6. all are said by faith in Christ to be Gods sons Iohn 10. our Saviour shewes as none will so none can believe but such as are Gods sheep that is his elect even those that are chosen in Christ to eternal life The fourth thing we are to consider as a matter to bee believed is That those that have this faith that will save their souls they may know they have it Which is against Bellarmines reasons of diffidence and doubting First They may know it to themselves for their comfort and next they may make it known to others by the fruits thereof 1 Cor 2. 12. That we may know saith the Apostle the things which are given us of God in Christ which is spoken in common to all that truly believe and not onely to any special person the true beleever hath such a light going along with his faith that he comes to know though not perfectly yet truly and infallibly that God hath chosen Adopted and sanctified him c. He takes hold of the promise of Salvation upon Gods commandment Faith is that which receiveth the word and promise and cherisheth himself in a special manner in the Word and Sacrament The Devils works are in darknesse God gives his in light and therefore his children are called Saints in light Col. 1. 12. and Iohn 15. 10. He that believes in the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself So that thou needest not have others tell thee that thou dost believe for if thou hast faith indeed t is not so hid and buried in thy heart but that thou mayest know it Secondly Others also may know it as it manifests it self in the fruits Rom. 1. 8. Their faith was spoken of far and near which was known by their wonderful change they were become new creatures such as were now of a holy life and conversation for which Paul thanks God and desires to be with them to be comforted with their faith and his own Nâ—xt to this considâ—r that this triumphing faith wheresoever it is kindled it will endure the tryal even the fire of Gods spirit it will endure also the fiery tryal of affliction 1 Cor 3. 13. It is not a chaffie or counterfeit faith that all the troubles or temptations can blow away But being begotten by the word it pacifies the conscience and stablishes the heart in the bloud of Christ And purges the heart to make it fit for the Holy Ghost to dwell in also it works by love and makes a man not churlish and froward but loving and that even to his very enemies for Christ sake thy heart will tell thee thus much and make thee say I thank God I have this faith in me Lastly seeing it is thus namely that it is the duty of all every one that lives under the Gospel to prove his heart and search it to the bottom 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith this shewes that it is not a thing to be taken as granted that we have this faith except we find that we have it indeed but to search and try our selves for it Because else we are in a great danger even in the state of reprobates Therefore examine thy self and if thou hast it bless God that ever thou wert born to be brought to such a blessed state wherein thou mayst thus triumph Now for the notes whereby thou mayest try thy self they may be these The first is taken out of Rom. 8. 15. yea have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abbâ—… Father Thou hast found thy self before to have bin in an estate of bondage as those believing Romans there who were accepted in an estate of fear and bondage under the curse of the Law and condemnation even in despair of themselves the spirit of Bondage for that time shews us the law that condemns us and makes it to triumph over a man so long as it lasts try therefore if thou hast felt thy conscience set on thee and found thy self to be condemned for thy sins Thus all Gods children truly converted indeed have felt though some more some less and lyen under it some a longer
Rom. 6. 1. the Apostle abhors even so much as to think of his former conversation to live in the corruption of it They that have this faith indeed there is an uproar as it were in their hearts against sin and when they are overtaken and stumble 2 Cor. 7. oh how careful are they to repent and pray to God to be washed from their sins And all this may serve to shew what kind of persons they be even the most fearful to sin and careful to please God of all others Paul after he was converted would rather never eat then he would justly offend his Brother and all because God had given him this triumphing faith This care and fear should be in all of us for he that is bold in sin say what he will he finds not this faith nor can triumph in it Sixthly It a man have this then is he the most forward unto and fruitfulness and abounding in good works above all others in the world for this faith it transplants and sets us being by nature wilde olives into Christ the true Vine who is no barren root but fruitful 2 Cor. 9. this we may see in the believing Corinthians charity he speaks of there and in the woman that cast all that she had into the Treasury and in Zacheus that gave half his goods to the poor faith opened his heart that before was nigardly and so Iohn 12. how did Mary pour out the ointment and that good woman Act. 9. 36. so full of chastity so also Acts 2. 4. they were now content all should be for Christ. Now these examples with many more are all set down for our learning and imitation if we will find indeed such a faith as will save our souls another day Seventhly he that hath this insulting faith he doth already conquer his enemies he finds the power of it dayly in giving him victory in some kind over his in-dwelling sin and strengthening him against the world and temptations leading him to sin though he find them not fully conquered yet is not his heart so fully and altogether taken up but that he hath some freedom in the midst of all the affairs and businesses of this world to set some time apart for Divine exercises to honour God he is not a slave to the world 1 Iohn 1. 5. this faith lifts him so up as he is above the dominion of the world though he may be often foiled yet gets he up again and gets ground of lusts daily and is not as many that are led away and made slaves to their pleasures profits c. This faith gets victory over the immoderateness of recreations and delights in some sort Lastly This faith 't is no phantasie of a mans brain but that which Gods Word is the ground of and therefore he that hath it it makes him receive the Ministers testimony to Gods Word which is true Now this faith it carries life in it whereby a man may know he hath it the Scripture is manifest for this Gal. 2. 20. The life that I live is by faith in the Son of God Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith and that righteousness which brings into Gods presence and favour it hath a light within which consists 1. In that if thou hast this triumphing faith then thou hast a sweet apprehension of Gods favour by an inward feeling of a reconciliation with an angry God whom thou hast so offended 2. In some peace of Conscience 3. Unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost even when the world sets against thee and sorrows oppress thee 4 In a change a new creature the Dâ—vils image defaced and the Image of God that was lost restored 5. It shews it self also in warranting thy actions and letting thee see that the thing thou dost in regard of the substance is good also it covers the defects of thy actions in Christ and tells thee that God accepts of thy poâ—r endeavours in him and hereupon it is that Gods children when they find God reconciled to them and themselves once brought into his favour are so stirred up to good works and prayer also in afflictions that it is which keeps the heart close to God in his promises neither tying God to time means nor manner but waiting patiently for deliverance This faith also it hath his sence an eye an ear a hand c. likewise its voice both inward and outward when God sayes believe it makes a man find a spirit within sayâ—ng Lord I believe indeed it makes him also outwardly with the Publican confess his sin and wretchedness as also how doth a true believer pray he not onely speaks but even speaks because he doth believe Now of the lets to this faith there are a world of hindrances the Devil blows into the brains of men by ordinary conceits arising in their imaginations to hinder and keep them from such a faith as may assure their hearts that there is no condemnation belonging to them and so go on cheerfully about their business having all their wants supplied And there is indeed no Christian that is in Christ that can possibly be clean without them onely the difference is some have more some less but let us all well weigh them and they will appear all but conceits and to have no reality and truth in them 1. Now the first of these is That it is presumption which is a conceit the Papists take up and is in us all so far as we are naturally Popish we think this faith is but a presumption yet this is but a meer conceit for if we have faith it assures us through Christ that nothing can destroy us All presumption is either upon a mans own merit or Gods mercies as Divines acknowledge Now that faith doth neither of these it is plain for he first that knows Christ according to his Word layes hold on Christs merits and Gods mercy in him and so applies and rests thereupon before God labouring to bring forth fruit and so is assured of Gods love And this is no presum tion for he relies not upon his own merits but Christs 2. This faith builds not on Gods mercy at large but on his mercy in Christ he believes on him that hath satisfied Gods justice and therefore knows that God cannot but must needs shew mercy If this were presumption who would seek after it to lose his labour but this the Lord commands and therefore it is no presumption but obedience and duty to do it Nay if thou shouldst not seek after this faith and assurance it were a neglect and contempt of the Commandement of God A second impediment that keeps men from seeking this faith is a conceit that it is impossible ever to get it and this sticks too much in our unbelieving hearts and is strongly rooted in our ignorant Protestants that give themselves to other Books but not to the careful and conscionable reading of Gods Book
should be the deeper yet know this till thou art in Christ all is abominable before God and but lâ—st labour Phil. 3. 5 6. Paul he had a zeal enough in him before he came to believe in Christ and not only a good meaning but thought he did more and better then others and for his righteousness towards man he was unrebukeable none could come neer him but after he came to see it was a hindrance for that it was without Christ and so made him to run so far out of the way and therefore we must cast off all our own righteousness before we can be in Christ. This Paul saw and that made him come to Christ and say that he counted all loss yea but dung that he might win Christ and be found clothed in that righteousness which is by faith in him which before he could not attain unto notwithstanding he might have stood upon his priviledges and have boasted of the excellent things he had done yet was he fain to cast away all his confidence in the flesh that is his prerogatives righteousness and zeal c. and so must we cast away all our own righteousness and goodness and fetch all from God and serve God according to his wil and not after ourown phantasies or the prescripts of man dealing also truly with every one we have to do withall 'T is not our own righteousness but the relying on it that hinders and keeps a man from faith without which all is but abominable even our eating drinking and whatsoever we do is odious before God untill we come to get this true faith to triumph over condemnation A man when he is naked in in himself is then the fitter to be cloathed with Christs robe every thing is then sweet to him and so he comes to desire and say Come Lord Iesus A fourth means is a poor spirit and beggarly that is such a one as hath neither comfort within nor without when nothing will now so comfort him as the thinking of his present estate will humble him And this will make a man poor indeed though he be never so rich and bring him with David to say I am poor and needy Lord help me Psal. 70. 5. This will let him see that he is a poor Lazer begging at the gates of God who is rich in mercy And it is a further degree to bring him to Christ and make Christ to enrich him That which hinders many from coming to Christ is that they are full enough these whatsoever they say in words they indeed cast off Christs righteousness because their spirits are not cast down to beg at Gods hand if they have children honour wealth and professions tell them of condemnation they are proud and think themselves well enough they will tell you that they hope to be saved as well as the best But let such know all fulness dwells in Christ none at all in us in the matter of salvation Get Christ first to raign in thee that thou mayest after come to raign with him in glory A fifth means is the fair free large and great offer of Grace made in the Gospel where are they now that say they would and so would indeed believe Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world c. Here is a means to bring thee to believe indeed A strange thing that the Judge and partie offended should thus offer to every soul to whom the Gospel comes his Son that God himself should offer a pardon who would not strive with himself and sigh and groan yea even burst his heart in pieces to believe This is one of the specialest means of all to bring a man to believe that God himself the party offended should come and say here is my Son take him unto thee Labour therefore to get him lay fast hold on him and he will bless and comfort thee for ever If thou doest open thy heart and let him in he offers his son to thee to believe in And why Is it because thou art such a beautiful and great person c. No it comes from the love of his own heart and therefore it is free As thy righteousness cannot further it so thy sins cannot hinder it if thou lay but hold on it The offer is not onely to noble rich young c. But to all whosoever believes though never so mean poor old may take him go away with him and live with him for ever Many think they should have something of their own No God looks at his own love and so do thou that his love mercy grace may be magnified in thee Let us therefore stir up our sevâ—s and look and seek to God He will give his spirit to all his at one time or another A sixth means is to know that there is not onely a free offer but also a commandment to enjoyn us not to refuse and neglect Gods offer that is the greatest blessing that can be to have him come unto thee to raign over thee and subdue thy sin It is the spirit of God that would draw thy heart to believe open therefore and receive it Consider for this 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ And search thy heart to try if thou hast gotten such a faith God commands thee to believe and therefore it is not indifferent whether thou hast it or no or to think onely that thou hast it And this is a further means and that which leaves us without all excuse if we obey not A man oft times will do a thing upon command that else he would not do A Seventh means is to remember the fearful threatnings Ioh 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God God sees all is little enough we have such carnal hearts consider that well and it will awaken thee out of thy security and make thee see thou canst not tell what to do if thou dost not get this faith which except thou dost seek to God for and get even this that here hath been said shall stand up in Judgement against thee another day Now to encourage thee hereunto know this that God hath promised that though thou canst not do it yet if thou seek to him he will help thee Go to God therefore upon his promise if thou wouldest not have thy portion with the condemned Devils He that will not believe hath nothing to uphold him against the guilt of conscience then the which there needs no more He that hath the wrath of an infinite God to wrestle withall cannot but be condemned The care of this therefore ought to be above all other care for wife children or any thing else in the world whatsoever But you are very strict and hard may some possibly say If thou think strange of this think strange of God for here is nothing spoken but from
believe how doth he rejoyce on the contrary if we tell one of an evil about to happen to him as if a Physician should tell a man he should die presently if he should believe it it would make him sad if one told another of a good course of life if he did believe it to be so he would take it so if there be any promise in the word if it were believed it would make a man to rejoyce if we did believe any threatnings we would fear them more then any cross if we did believe any direction we would follow it faith is the pen that writes the word in the heart to wit in the will which hath an influence in the whole man therefore God mâ—kes his convenant that he will write his word in their hearts Fifthly It must be received with an honest heart Luke 8. 15. it is required and it is the quality of the fruitful ground to receive the seed of the word into an honest heart that is when a man comes with resolution to do whatsoever he sees to be Gods will And it stands in two things First To be easy to be convinced of a truth to be hard to be convinced of an untruth is a sign of an honest heart Ier. 4. 3. 2 These that Ieremy told they should not go into Egypt would not believe but said he spake falsely and the reason was because they were unwilling to staâ— in Iudea whence it is plain that if the will be bent to do a thing the understanding will hardly hold the contrary Let reasons be brought out of the Scriptures to prove usury unlawful and to prove that sabboths must be kept holy if men will not be kept in or will not be so straight laced they will not be convinced the spirit must convince them Otherwise for the Minister to speak without the spirit is as it were to bring a letter 〈◊〉 written without a candle to read being dark For the Minister may bring reasons but if the spirit light us not to read them they will not profit us nor convince us Secondly It stands in doing whatsoever we are convinced of See an example of an honest heart to be considered in Cornelius Act. 10. 33. we are here present saith he to Peter to hear whatsoever is commanded of God to hear viz. to obey See in Nathaniel behold a true Isralite in whom there is no guile This is guile in a mans heart when he makes a shew to do many things and deceives himself in doing them See in Paul when he was strucken down to the earth Act. 9. he said Lord what wilt thou that I do and I will do it And so he did not onely in doing but suffering for him and such a heart is in every man after conversion for till then he will not give his shoulders to the yoke See an example of an honest heart seemingly in Iohanan Ier. 42. where he bids Ieremy to go to God and see if they should go down into Egypt there he made a shew that he would do whatsoever God commanded yet after he tells him he intends it not unless the word should run with the streams of his affections Ezech. 14. 3. these men saith God have set up idols in their heart yea and a stumbling block before their faces So that there is an Idol in the hearts of many when they come to hear and that hinders their profiting by it and hearing by accident that makes it worse as we see in Physick impurum stomacum quo magis nutrieris eo magis laseris an impure stomack the more it is nourished the worse it is because the stomack is of that nature that either it assimulates the meat into nourishment or else rejects it but unto an unhonest heart the word is a reproach and therefore when in the Word it meets with admonitions it swells and is moved at them as if it were provoked by a defamation This concerns Ministers onely if the words of a Minister must be wholesome then Ministers must behave themselves accordingly And there are six advertisements for them First That concerns the act of doing and the five other the manner First If the words of a Minister must be wholesome then he must be diligent because his words must be health and Physick if he neglect this then he hinders them both of the profit of health and Physick And as none must do this so especially not those that have a flock depending on them For if he be worse then an infidel that provides not temporal food for his family what is he then that provides not spiritual food for them that depend on him asmuch as a family doth upon a master if he loves not his brother that hath this worlds goods and seeth him want and gives not to him how then doth he love God that hath spiritual food and seeth others want and gives it not As we count rich men cursed who are hoarders up of corn when the year is plentiful by not bringing it into the markets So there is no famine of the word knowledge doth abound as water in the sea yet a famine is made because Ministers bring it not out into the congretions that the people may feed thereof and live As any thing has more in nature so it communicates more to others The greatest luminary gives the greatest light the fullest fountain the most water the most fruitful soil brings forth the most fruit so ought we in good things to do as the preacher did Eccl. 12 9. The more wise he was the more he taught the people knowledge The Word is Physick therefore they are the Physicians and must heal them least they take that complaint Ier. 8. last Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there Why then is not the health of my people recovered Let us make up the similitude a little the word is balm the Ministers the physicians the people patients now we reckon him no better then a murtherer that being sent to a sick man should take his fee and all this time he is with him spend his time in sporting and let his patient die so if the people that are sick for knowledge send for a Physitian a Minister and give him his fee and he neglect them and they perish he is a murtherer Though many perish ex morbo non ex defectu medici by reason of the disease and not the defect of the Physician yet this is the fault in most Again if the word be food then the Ministers are shepherds and a shepherd must not feed himself with ease and pleasure not but that these may be conveniently taken but he must not spend his time in them See if this induction be not made Ezech. 34. 23. Wo to the shepherds that feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flock they eat the fat and clothe them with the wooll they kill them that are fed by other But here because they
and that a man doth easily but to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is above nature and then there must be much intention a man must have something in him to move him to mind it most and above all other things When a boat goes against the streame and against the wind you know there must be much labour to drive it on So to seek the things of Christ it being above the the stream of nature there must be anintention from above you must beseech God to keep it in the intention of your hearts Now again to these two when a man hath given up himself to Christ and when he doth mind it and intend it and pray for it you must add to this faith without which no man can do it for this objection presently cometh what must I seek the things of Jesus Christ and not mine own what will then become of me how shall I provide for my self or for my family and those that depend upon me Now there must be faith to give this answer the Lord will provide for thee For till a man think that there is another that hath will and power to take care for him and to provide for him it is impossible that he should seek the the things of that other but believe this once that God will take care for thee and then thou wilt be content to deney thy self As if a Master should say to his servant be you diligent in my service I will take care for your meat and drink and clothing and when your apprentiship is out I will give you sufficient to live upon if the servant believe this he will be willing to neglect all other things and to seek his Masters profit and to intend his Masters business So here we should seek the things of Jesus Christ for saith he I will provide for you I will take care for you you shall want nothing in this present life you shall have all things necessary and when your appentiship is at an end I will provide an inheritance for you If you will believe these things and these promises you will then seek the things of Jesus Christ and not your own things You have a promise for this Mat. 6. seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof that is mind this one thing seek not your own things seek the Kingdom of God and then all things else shall be ministred unto you that is God will undertake to provide for you the things of this life you shall have enough of them Now to believe this promise this faith in the promise is that which prepares and enables the heart not to seek its owne things but the things of Christ. Now you must have not onely faith in the promise but faith in the providence of God for a man may believe the promise but because he doth not believe the particular providence of God that he is not onely able but that he doth bring things to pass and that all things are guided by him he is ready to doubt and to fear a loss if he seek the things of Jesus Christ. As Iacob and Rebecka they had both faith in the promise but because they had not a faith in the particular providence of God about the bestowing of the blessing therefore we know how they missed So Moses had faith in the promise that God would provide meat for a moneths time but he knew not how therefore you see how many objections he brought shall all the fishes of the sea be brought together and all the beasts of the field c. Therefore I say put these together when a man hath faith in both that is in the promise of God and in the particular providence of God that enableth a man not to seek his own things You shall see them joyned together 2 Tim. 3. for I know saith the Apostle whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him to that day Mark it as if he should say do not wonder at me that I am willing to lose my liberty and my ease or to endure so much cold and nakedness to expose my self to so many perills as I do for I trust God I believe God I have committed my safety and my life and my health and all that belongeth to me to him and I know he is able to keep it So I say now when you are about any business of Christ in which there is any difficulty or any hardness or any likelyhood of losing any thing except thou believe the particular providence of God and canst commit that which thou hast to God and say I dare trust him and I know that he will keep it for me thou wilt never be able to deny thy self and to do the things of Jesus Christ but if thou think that what thou losest for God God will keep it for thee thou wilt say thus wiâ—h thy self I will commit this unto God I know it shall be reserved for me and therefore whatsoever becomes of these things I will do the work I will do the business of Christ I will imploy my self in his service this makes a man bold in the most difficult cases So David I will lay me down saith he and sleep because the Lord sustaineth me That is I care not for any thing I have committed my self and my safety and all unto God and therefore when his heart was quieted and setled upon this that he knew whâ—m he had trusted he had faith in God in his promise and in his providence he had ground enough for rest This is the third thing that prepares us to give up our selves to Jesus Christ. Now fourthly Wee must adde to our faith Love for Love enableth a man to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Therefore 1 Cor. 13. it is said that Love seeketh not her own things If you would bring your hearts not to seek your own things but the things of Christ get Love That is you must know that self-love seeks its own things and the more self-love is in any man the more respect he hath to himself the more he seeks his own things which tend to his own advantage but the love of another makes a man seek the things of another it makes a man bountiful as Saint Paul saith I am ready to be bestowed for your sakes And therefore you have that saying that love edâ—fieth that is it makes the magistrate to take care for the good of the people the Minister for his charge c. The Mother and the nurse where they love you see what pains they take what neglect they expresse of themselves and all that they may do good to the Child for that is the nature of love And therefore when we do not seek the things of Christ it is an argument that we want the love of Christ and the love of God You see the
what abundance of peace and wealth is for even these things we most esteem but this is not the thing for here we need no exhortation Secondly Spiritual mercies those are they we do not hunger after we are backward enough to desire them and therefore we have so few of them Therefore that which I must press upon you is to desire earnestly these spiritual mercies if you desire them much you shall have much of them for you must know before you have them God will teach you to know how precious they are for if he hath commanded us not to cast pearls before swine he himself will not cast the riches of his mercy before those that prize and regard them not As for instance forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God this is a spiritual mercy this if you would hunger much after you should have it yea and according to the measure of your desires but when you prize it not that is it which keepeth it back you may say the like of all other mercies therefore prize them much that is be sensible of your misery without them call your sins to remembrance go over them summe them up and let your hearts stay and dwell upon the meditation of them give not over till you be touched with them and do this often we might be more humbled if we would take pains with our hearts but we slight it and do it overly as being an exercize needless and tedious but do it not so lâ—bour to get a sense of your sins that will make you prize the mercies of justification and reconciliation for this cause many thousands misse of the forgiveness of their sins it is not a thing they esteem much they do not strive and contend with God for it as a matter of such great moment whereas it is the preciousest mercy of all other it is the immediate door that openeth into the favour of God which is the cause of all other mercies and then no good thing can be withholden from you foâ— it is your sins that keep good things from you now if your sins were taken away what need you fear either diseases or death or revilings and disgraces for your profession or imprisonment or poverty if you had the forgiveness of your sins you might enjoy the prosperity you have freely and as for crosses either you shall be freed from them or else they shall be as serpents without a sting or as great bulks without burthen and weight this you should have if you had the forgiveness of your sins consider all this labour to sâ—t a price upon it and so for â—ll other mercies work your hearts to this to esteem the Mercies of God Again labour to see an excellency in them The same as I said of forgiveness the same may you say of love or of patience see the preciousness and excellâ—ncy of them the more you prize them the more you shâ—l have of them If you could beg for forgiveness as for life if you could reckon other things but as dross and dung in comparison of that as Saint Paul did which was nothiâ—g but the forgiveness of his sins you would be sure to have these mâ—râ—iâ—s but men do it not men live in prosperity in health and wealth and abundance of all things and such mercies as these they regard not forgiveness of sins reconciliation the gospel of Christ this they despise but we should prize these even then when they are nakedly propounded to us The reason we do it not is because we have not the sense of our misery What careth the innocent man for a pardon What careth a whole man for a medicine Mercy is the medicine of misery labor therefore to be sensible of your misery that you may partake of this mercy All the promises runne upon this condition all that are weary and heavy laden shall find rest Math. 11. The more weary any man is the more rest he shall have and so again the poor saith Christ receive the Gospel the more poor he is the more he shall receive and so he that hungreth and thirsteth after righteousness shall be filled the more you hunger and thirst the more you shall be filled In a word the more you desire the more you shall have The reason you have not these mercies is because you desire them not or else your desires are not strong for strong desires would bring forth strong endeavours and these would take spiritual mercies by force as it is said of the kingdom of heaven that it suffereth violence even so these violent desires would extort it from God by an holy earnestness A 2d way to be made partakers of the riches of Gods mercy is to believe them Adde to your desires a belief for believing is that which openeth the hand of God to give and openeth your hearts your hands to receive put but these two together to desire the mercies of God and to believe that God will give them and then open your mouthes wide God will fill them This I shal manifestly shew from these folowing places of scripture as we finde them often Go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole when Christ bestowed any mercy upon men that is added in the Gospel thy faith hath done it thy faith hath made thee whole if they were forgiveÌ„ they might thank their faith for it as it is the instrumental means to obtain the mercies of God the more faith the more mercies for we shal alwais find that by faith men obtained mercies and the want of faith missed them It is certain God is a merciful God you should finde him so if you could believe him to be so for the believing that he is merciful makes you partakers of the riches of his mercy because it is his pleasure to put it upon that condition he might have put it upon other conditions but this is his pleasure to say if you believe you shall have these and these mercies for faith knitteth us to him faith makes us to know him and makes us give him the glory of the mercies we have faith ascribes it wholy unto him it makes it every way to be his work faith makes us righteous now the righteous obtain mercy this faith is imputed for righteousnes God reckoneth every man the more righteous as he aboundeth in faith therefore the way to fill your selves with the riches of Gods mercy is to believe much and as you grow in faith so you shal grow from mercy to mercy if Christ could say to us as he did to the woman O woman great is thy faith we should be sure to have great mercies my meaning is this that beleiving is nothing else but this To be perswaded that God will be kinde and favourable to you that hispromises belong to you that he will pardon your sins and receive you into grace and favour with him that he loveth you and is your friend that he is ready to bestow
Heb. 11. That is faith in Christ made him to chuse grace before the things of this world but it was not thus with the other he chose it not out of faith as Moses did that is he saw not Gods Commandments carnal men they do many things but they do them not to this end for then and not till then is a spiritual man strong when he will let life riches honor pleasure liberty and all go for Christ which he cannot do without faith The natural man will never do this this is the only property of faith which is a supernatural work in the soul and therefore the Holy Ghost saith they suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly go life and liberty and all shall go before Christ shall go A noble Romane may do some thing for his country and for himself but there is a by end in it that is he doth it not in a right manner to a right end but the spiritual strong man doth all things in a spiritual manner to a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightness of heart For in faith there is a double work First it empties a man that is as a man that hath his hands full cannot take another thing till he hath let his handful fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of self-love self-will that is it purgeth out the rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all go to get hold on Christ all shall go then life and honour profit and pleasure and he is the truely spiritual man that can thus lose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot and by emptying himself of himself he is filled with the power of Christ. Secondly As it empties the heart of that which may keep Christ out of the soul so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods Love and Gods blessing upon what he doth enjoy and then he goes unto secondary means and useth them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all go for Christ he will not seek first unto God in any thing but unto secondary means and then if he fails that is if he want power to supply then it may be he will seek unto God and hence it is that he will not lose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Again this makes the difference between the Christian and Christian namely Faith and hence it is that some are weak and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Religion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can do more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others And so Paul said of himself that he could do more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith for the truth of a mans strength is known by his strength of faith that he hath it discovers whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first work of the spirit after Humiliation in the conversion of a sinner namely to work faith in him and no sooner faith but assoon strength and the promise followes faith He that believeth and is baptixed shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 15. 15. And this is the course that we take first we preach the Law unto you and we do it to this end to humble you and to break the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ And when we have thereby humbled you then we Preach unto you the Gospel beseeching and exhorting you to believe in Christ for the pardon of sins past present and to come and to lay down the arms of Rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved And yet notwithstanding how few are either humbled by the one or perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith having eyes and see not ears but they hear not that is seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear as for example when a man is shewed a thing but yet he mindes it not that is the eye of the mind is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter pleaded before him hears it but his mind being otherwise imployed he regards it not in that respect he may be said to hear and not to hear because he mindes it not And what is the Reason that we Preach the Law and the judgements of God so much unto you and what is the Reason that we beseech and intreat you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time and day by day and yet we see how little efficacie the word hath what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as not to humble you what is the reason that you are not more affrighted with the judgements of God then you are what is the reason that you remain as ignorant and careless as ever you were but because you do not believe that is you want a true saving and applying faith for if you had the word would work other effects in you then it doth as for example if one should tell a man that such a benefit or Legacie is befaâ—n him that would raise him to great honour though before he lived but in a mean condition if this man did but believe it surely he would be affected with it and rejoyce So truly if you did but believe that Christs Grace and Salvation were so excellent and that Holiness and the strengthening of the Inward man would bring you to so happy a condition and estate as to be the heirs of Heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace onely Again if you did but believe that the word of God is true and that God is a just God I say if the drunkard did but believe that the drunkard shall be damned or if the Adulterer did believe that no Adulterer should inherit the Kingdom of God and of Christ or if the prophane person and the Gamester did but know that they must give an accompt for all their mispent time and idle words and vain communication they would not sport themselves in their sins as they do Again if we did but believe that God calleth whom and when he pleaseth and that many are called but few are chosen that is if a man consider that though here be a Church full of people yet it may be but a few of them shall be saved I say if a man did but believe this surely they would not defer their repentance That
meditate power to love power to obey all above nature and a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things which no man will do except he have the Spirit Secondly as it gives a strength and an excellent qualitie above nature so it adds unto it holiness that is it puts a tincture of goodness upon all your actions it warmeth the gifts of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kind of strength but they want holiness and sanctification with it Now a man is said to be a holy man when the soul is separated and divided from things that are contrarie to its salvation and happiness and joyned And then joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally Then and not until then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse she is separated from others and united to her husband are joyned to the Spirit have holiness with it and separated from sin The vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed to Gods worship in like maner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aims and ends to pitch upon Gods glory And this can no man do till the spirit of Christ be his In Cant. 6. 3. The Church saith I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine That is because he is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holiness And our Saviour prayeth for this holiness for his Disciples In Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is Truth That is the word is the means to work holiness in them when they want holiness they want all things for when profit and pleasure comes then the Spirit of holiness is as it were plucked from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanitie of these earthly things therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it shewes him the vanitie of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the Adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holiness have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third sign whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what means it came into thy heart This is the sign that the Apostle makes in Galat. 3. Did you saith he receive the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith preached That is if you have the Spirit then tell me how you came by it how and by what means came he first into the heart But here all the Question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer That this you must know that the onely means to receive the Spirit into the heart that is the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the word purely preached That is when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the Preaching of the word by these two things 1. By the Antecedent 2 By the Consequent First I say you shall know it by that which went before I say if the spirit hath been brought into the heart by the word then there will be a deep humiliation wrought in the soul for sins And then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart begins to cheer up the dejected sou and hereupon there will be a through change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the spirit is first to pull down what mans corruptions have built And then to lay the foundation of the spiritual building Humilitie And then afterwards to rear the buildings of grace in the soul. As for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no Then you must know that first they must be cut off from their own stock and then they must be ingrasted into that and then see whether they have the fatness of the Olive and then whether they bear the Olive leaves So a Man that hath not received the the spirit by the word he shall see it by the ripeness of sin the corrupt branches the bitter fruit that comes and is brought forth by him But on the contrarie if the word by the spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly by the light of your sin and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving a justifying faith and if it hath made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could do before then surely the spirit came into the heart the right way and works in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the word as in Iohn 1. 8. The Spirit shall reprove the world of sin of Righteousness and of judgement First he will reprove them of sin to humble them Secondly of righteousness because they have not believed the all-sufficiencie of Christ. Thirdly of judgements that they might change their opinions that they might do those things and bring forth that as fruit is agreeable to Gods will Secondly consider the consequence that is look to the thing that followeth the spirit where it comes in Where the spirit comes it works a through change in the soul I call it not a bare change but a through change for as there may be a glistering shew of something like gold that is not gold so there may be a cessation and a change from sin but not throughly or heartily and so not at all for what will it avail Herod to forsake some and like of Iohn Baptist in some things well if he will not forsake all and like of Iohn Baptist in reproof of all In like manner what if you change your opinions of some sins That is what if ye esteem some sins to be sins indeed if you have no the like opinion of all whatsover you think of your selves as yet you never had the spirit Therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a through change wrought in you That is whether you do not esteem every sin to be sin but also what spiritual life you finde in you I say you shall know whether the holy spirit be in you by this
which are means for the getting of the spirit Neglect none of the means because you know not in which nor when the spirit will come it may be he will come now and not another time it may be he will breath upon you at such a ordinance and not at another In Acts 9. whilest Peter was Preaching unto them The holy Ghost came upon them that heard him So be diligent in waiting upon the means and the holy Ghost at one time or other will come Again he could have sent the spirit to Cornelius without the sending for Peter in Acts 10 But Peter must be sent for and he must Preach unto him and then he shall receive the holy Ghost Thus much for the means and for this time CHRIST the best INHABITANT Text EPHES. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith I Have chosen this Text by reason of this Sacramental occasion which doth represent Christs dwelling in us and it is the second head of Pauls Prayer The first was That they might be strengthened in the inward man This That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith Having in the former discourse opened the words I shall not need to adde any thing here The point hence arising is That it is a great prerogative of which all the Saints are partakers that they have Christ to dwell in their hearts The Apostle prayeth for it being directed by the spirit of God in his prayer and therefore we should esteem of it as of a great priviledge And as of that of which all the Saints are partakers because it is necessarie to salvation none are saved without it Now for the better understanding of it I will first of all shew you these two things 1. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 2. What benefits we receive by his dwelling in them For the first what it is to have Christ to dwell in our hearts To this I answer That then Christ dwells in our hearts when as he works in them in another manner then he did before he hath other works and we see other effects then formerly First he shewes himself kinde and favourable to us inlightning giving comfort refreshing framing and ruling ouâ— spirits that beâ—ore he did not and he doth not in others he is said to dwell in the Temple because his eyes are upon it his ears are there open to hear the prayers of men his mercy seat is there T is true God fills heaven and earth yet he is said to dwell in the Temple because there he manifesteth his peculiar presence so the phrases of the Scripture are to be understood Go not up for God is not with you That is he will not assist you God dwells where he assists he dwells not where he helpes not That you may understand this consider these four particulars First where a man dwells he must come to the house and abide in it so Christ comes into the hearts of believers in whom he dwells and unites himself to them and their hearts to him And that is done by a double act of the Spirit First he humbleth and convinceth men of sin he makes some alive and us to be dead the way to life is death as the corn dies that it may live And this the spirit of bondage doth by putting an edge to the Law by making men desirous of Christ. Secondly the Spirit of adoption that unites us that perswades us that Christ is ours Love makes the union Faith is the agent in this union but it doth it by love as fire is said to heat though the qualitie doth it immediately when after sound humiliation we believe reconciliation with Christ there is a love to Christ then there is a union That is the first word he unites himself to the heart and it to him Secondly It is not enough for a man to come to the place to be conjoyned to it for a time but he must continue there else he dwells not there but is a stranger a dwell â—r must continue Christ abides with us for ever according to that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with 〈◊〉 Is 55. 3 He hath made an everlasting Covenant with us even the sure mercies of David He never seperates himself from us after he comes he continues for ever But it may be objected though Christ will not depart from us yet we may depart from him To this I answer that he will not suffer us to depart from him Ier. 32. 4. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is 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 we are knit together without separation he never departs from us nor we from him The reason why we continue in the state of grace is not because grace is of an unsatiable nature for it is a creature and may vanish as all other creatures do But it never failes because it is in Christ and supported by his arm of omnipotencie The light in the air may quickly perish but if the sun be ever with it it never perisheth â—o the water of a stream may fail but if there be a spring to supply it it never fails grace may perish as it did in Adam but men ingrafted into the second Adam can never fall because Christ is never severed from them we have his word for it he keeps us by his power There is an everlasting Covenant on both sides The Sacrament se ls this unto us That God hath made a Covenant that he will never depart from it and we set our seal by it that we will never depart from him Gal 5. 3. He that is circumcised is bound to keep the whole Law So he that receives the Sacrament is bound he engages himself to keep the Law of faith and he receives that oath when he was baptized Thirdly where a man dwells there he must delight else he is not said properly to dwell there a man that is imprisoned is not said to dwell in the spirit because he delights not in it Now Christ is said to dwell in us because he delights in us Esai 62. 4. Thou shalt no more be called forsaken but Hephsebah because the Lord delighteth in thee presence argues delight God delights in the Saints therefore he dwells in them he works in them that which is pleasing to them Artifex amat opus proprium He loves his own workmanship Thus First God delights in them as in those that are beautiful Cant. 4. 1 2 3. Thou art beautiful my Love thou art fair Thou hast Doves eyes thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which are shorn which came up from washing thy lips are a thread of Scarlet thy Temples like a piece of Pomegranate Secondly as one delights in a garden so God delights in them Cant. 4. 12. because he hath
heart close to God peculiar to him alone eying God in all things When he turneth from him that is the unholiness of the spirit This benefit we have by Christ dwelling in our hearts our spirits are consecrated unto him all that is in us is turned and looks that way and so much for this fifth Benefit The sixth and last benefit we have by Christ dwelling is defence he defendeth those in whom he dwelleth he covereth them he is a buckler and protector to them he preserveth them from all evil from all crosses or the evil of crosses This is a great benefit For there is this difference between Christ and other Inhabitants other Inhabitants are defended by the house wherein they dwell but here the Inhabitant defendeth the house And the reason is good because though he dwell in our hearts yet he is our habitation as it is in the Psalm that is we dwell in him he covereth us as a house covereth a man and defendeth him from the violence of the weather This you have excellently exprest in the 4. Isaiah the two last verses Upon all their glory shall be a defence that is upon all the people of God which are glorious he calleth them glory in the abstract I will defend them from all evil If you ask what defence it is you shall see a distribution of it in the verses following I will be as a covering in the heat of the day That is one kind and a place of refuge and covert from storm and from rain That is if there be heat I will keep you from that if there be storms and rain I will preserve you from that you shall be as a man within doors Thus Christ defendeth those that belong unto him he is a covering to them he keepeth them safe in the 1 Cor. 3. Him that destroyeth the Temple of God him will the Lord destroy It is his Temple it is the place where he dwelleth and be assured Christ will not have his house pulled down over his head no man will promise his Inheritance to be spoyled Now Gods children are his portion they are his sheep he will not suffer them to be plucked out of his hands Therefore the Prophet Esay compareth his Church to a Tent that though it be made of two or three materials onely cords and stakes yet saith he there shall not a cord be broken nor a stake plucked up My Brethren if you look upon the Church you will wonder that they should not have been swallowed up ere this time but know that God dwelleth in this Tent he keepeth and defendeth them Christ dwelleth thus in every believer in particular he will be a buckler and defence unto him And this benefit you have by Christ dwelling in you And so much for the Benefits you receive by Christs Inhabitation in you We must add something now for the application of this point and first you may make this use of it Learn to judge aright of the works of God in your hearts and remember that it is wrought by Christ himself It is Christ himself that is in you that consulteth with you that acts in you that enliveneth you to every duty he himself is given us of God to be our wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption it is he himself that will come in and sup with us Rev. 3. And therefore if you would have a great measure of grace a great measure of comfort and refreshing if you would feel the life of grace flowing abundantly in your hearts fasten your eyes upon Christ the fountain This is our fault my Brethren that we look upon grace and remission of sins and sanctification separated from Christ we labour not for Christ in the first place we look upon pardon for sin we go unto God for it but we think not upon Christ learn first to get Christ to dwell in your hearts fasten your eyes upon him intreat him to come thither and sup with you and then take from him justification and sanctification the spirit and every grace For so it is as when a wife marrieth a husband she must not think of the titles honours and commodities that he bringeth separately from himself for then it is an adulterous thought she must first take her husband and then those other things come along with him so must we do with Christ fasten our eyes upon Christ himself love him cleave to him labour to have our heartâ— married to him by faith then we have remission of sins then we have adoption then we have reconciliawith God and every particular grace coming along with him Even as if a man would have a treasure that lieth hid in a field he must first have the field it self and then he may take the treasure he must not think of the treasure as of a thing abstracted from the field even so thou must get Christ for in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and of his fulness we receive grace for grace But this is our hinderance that we look upon these things separately and apart from Christ. But let us remember that it is Christ that dwelleth in our hearts and although indeed it is by his spirit yet it is he himself that is the fountain of all get Christ therefore more and more into your hearts for you must know that there are degrees of dwelling as the Sun dwelleth more in the house at several times so Christ dwelleth more and more plentifully in the hearts of men even as there is a neerer union between us and him and so he dwelleth in us accordingly as there are degrees of familiarity between friends so are there degrees of union and habitation between Christ and us And accordingly are there degrees in all the effects of his habitation labour therefore to get Christ in your hearts But you will say how shall this be done Labour to get a contrite and humble heart there God delighteth to dwell there are but two places in which he delights Isa. 57. In the highest heavens and with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit look what delight he hath to dwell in the heavens the same delight he takes to dwell in him that is of an humble spirit This is the reason why so many living in the Church have not Christ in them they are not yet humbled they are not yet sensible of their sins they know not as yet that they are children of wrath whereas a man that is humbled and broken with the sense of his sins that hath his heart wounded with them this is one that is a fit habitation for Christ to dwell there Therefore it is that even the Saints themselves when they begin to have their hearts lifted up in them that Christ removeth them far from him and therefore also is it that he humbleth them before he returneth to them again So it was with David and Hezekiah when they were liâ—ted
is a lyar now that he should swear to that Testament of Christs blood it is even because we should have hearts strengthened to believe and therefore now it is a shame if we have not more faith obedience and holiness then heretofore Certainly if we had faith instead of our presumption what abundance of peace of conscience and sweet and comfortable joy might we have because Christ hath done so much for us as we have heard and all that nothing might hinder the salvation of a poor believing soul. Now to handle this point as it is contrary to the erronious doctrine of the Church of Rome Who can condemn none This is the speech of the Apostle in the person of every true believer as well as those to whom he then wrote at Rome Onely those that have but a weak faith the weaker assurance yet all shall find the truth her oâ— if they believe both weak strong this then may serve in the next place against that tormenting and racking Doctrine of doubting so much maintained by Bellarmine t is true indeed saith he we doubt not of Gods mercy and the merit of Christ nor of the efficacy of the Sacrament c. but in regard of our own indisposition infirmities unworthiness and sins in respect of these we ought to doubt and fear And so by a counsel hath the Romish Church accursed all such as say they are assured of their Salvation though here every believer is enjoyned to believe it assuredly But as the Psalmist saith he that loves cursing it shall enter into his own bowels But what are Bellarmines reasons against assurance First Saith he because of our unworthiness But to this I answer to what purpose should the Apostle speak that which he doth here if our own unworthiness or sins could condemn But if they stand upon unworthiness we will say as much of our selves as they can possible But seeing Christ hath undertook as our surety in our stead and God through his grace gives power to believe he takes away our unworthiness and gives us Christs righteousness to go out and in as he hath done and so we make all our challenge in Christs name not in our selves and so our unworthiness obliges us more strongly to rest our selves upon Christ. In which case we resemble the vine that goes up layes hold on that which is stronger then it self so we in our selves weak close with Christ in whom God looks on us not as we are in our selves but in him in whom he is well pleased So we stand not upon nor look unto our righteousness but to God in Christ by whom our sins are washed away in his bloud and our persons covered with his righteousness I but saith he the promises of Salvation are made conditionally if we repent and beleeve now in regard of our selves we cannot beleeve and therefore we are to doubt To this the Apostle shall answer Though the promise of Salvation be conditional yet every on that truly beliveth his faith hath from God a light in it that makes him believe and repent 1 Cor. 2. 12. Wee have received saith the Apostle not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God So that the true believer hath received such a light from the word which letteth him see and know in some measure that hee hath faith and repentance Then what can hinder him from believing in Christ that hath done all this for him he may know he is chosen in that he is effectually called he may know he is effectually called in that he hath true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus and therefore he may be assured of his Salvation I but who can tell saith he that he hath sufficient faith and sufficient repentance Our assurance depends not upon the sufficiency that is upon the measure but the truth of our faith and repentance As our faith is true and strong so is our assurance though it be but as smoaking flux yet if it be true Christ will not quench it It stands not upon this how much or how little we believe but how truly Acts 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved They said not believe thus much I but saith he a true believer hath many secret sins how can he then be assured The true believer though he do fall into sin yet if he be in Christ and Christ raign over him then sin raigns not over him and so long there is no condemnation to him as it is Rom. 8. 1. Seeing that sin doth but dwell though it trouble so it raign not it hinders not but he may have assurance Assurance may stand with secret sinnes that a man confesseth and humbles himself for but if a man be given up to any sin he cannot be assured else he may howsoever sin may trouble him much Lastly He saith we must doubt in regard of our selves because all we have is but natural assurance A man may hope well that he grants but he cannot be certainly assured Romanes 5. verse 5. He that hath sound hope is assured That I soundly hope I know for I truly believe which shews what the Doctros of the Romish Church are Though greatly learned yet fearfully given over to delusion for all true hope is grounded upon present faith So that if a mans hope be sound his faith is sound and therefore the true believer may have assurance A true Christian he looks not on himself but upon Christ what he hath done for him utterly disclaiming his own merits Now we have heard this great Doctors reasons and confuted him by scripture let us hear the instances he brings out of Scripture to maintain doubting There are three examples Bellarmine brings of holy and righteous men in Scripture that saith he durst not stand upon assurance where is then that man saith he that dare presume of his assurance The first is Iob. 27. 6. where he saith my heart shall not reprove me all my dayes I have lived so as in the main I have had a care to please God therefore â—…t my friends say what they will I will never forsake my righteousness Now saith Bellarmine If a man can say thus and yet fear as he doth Iob 9. 20. saying If I would justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I would be perfect he shall judge me wicked Though I were perfect yet I know not my soul. Who then dares stand upon assurance For answer hereunto we must understand and know that justification is double First from Faith Secondly from the fruits of faith namely that righteousness we receive by his grace the Imputative righteousness that is by faith in Christ that Iob there speakes not of so that we go not about to free our selves by our own righteousness or any thing that we can do but by Christ.
where there is nothing so beaten upon both in Old and New Testament as that we should trust in God and not upon our selves and that this which belongs to every child of God that shall be saved is no conceit of impossibility but this faith belongs to every child of God therefore not impossible to be attained and this is plainly proved Gal. 3. 26. where it is said Ye are all the Sons of God by faith there is none the Son of God but by believing in the Son of God and Act. 13. 40. So many as were ordained to eternal life believed which shews that all such shall have this faith that is a true and a saving faith not the counterfeit faith of the world for it is a gift common to all Gods children without which a man cannot be a Son of God A third hindrance is a conceit that it is very hard and difficult though not impossible a man may labour will some say seven years and never attain thereunto But admit it be hard as it is indeed so to flesh and blood to which every good course is irksom yet consider that the first point in Christianity is to deny our selves and to go to Christ alwayes knowing that whatsover the first Adam lost the second Adam Christ Jesus hath it for thee Nâ—w Christ he hath bidden thee to take upon thee his yoâ—k and that is part of it even this conquering and triumphing faith and whatsoever belongs to Christs yoak it is easie Iohn 14 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me saith Christ where he commands thee to believe and Mat. 11. 28. Christ calls thee to come to him if thou be heavy laden and weary of thy sins Why shouldst thou then fear any thing when he can make all things easie to thee Go therefore to God in Christs Name he hath promised to give thee above all thou canst ask or think This conceit of difficulty in obtaining such a faith it belongs onely to sluggish and slothsul Christians who yet notwithstanding for the things of this world will sit up all night and ride and run through thick and thin Be not thou less careful and diligent for thy soul this faith this excellent thing will quit all thy pains if thou dealest not in thine own wisdom and strength but goest out of thy self and seekest it of Christ which if thou doest then shalt thou find it no hard thing but easie because God will give it thee in the use of the means if thou be constant therein Let not therefore this misconceit by any means hinder thee A fourth let or hindrance is a conceit that it is either needless or at least not of such absolute necessity but that a man may do well enough though he come not to such assurance and confidence in his faith as to insult and triumph therein And this is a conceit that hinders those that are more forward in profession then others and in the performing of some duties more careful yet go not home to God so throughly as they should but keep their souls aloof as it were from God but without this faith it is impossible for them to know whether they be elect or reprobates hypocrites or the true children of God indeed and therefore let such know it is of absolute necessity 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that they are in the faith saith the Apostle except ye be as reprobates Let not therefore any such conceit still possess thee but seeing this saith is of absolute necessity as the truth of Gods Word shews pluck up thy heart and go to God for it A fifth impediment is a conceit that this is the onely way to open a gap to all licentiousness but who are they that say thus surely none but Athiests that fear neither God nor man or else Papists that are blinded themselves and would blind others Oh that such learned men as many of them be should be so grossly ignorant of Gods truth Indeed they that have not this faith may open a gap to all licentiousness but no true believer that hath found this conquering and insulting faith for he is the most fearful man of all other to commit sin and before this a man never makes conscience of sin Act. 15. 9. and Act. 26. 15. when this once comes it opens his eyes and makes him pry into his own heart to see what a dunghil it is and so makes him labour to cast out all his filthy affections and sinful lusts and to endeavour after holiness and righteousness so far is this from making a man licentious for it is the very roâ—t from whence all holiness of heart and life flows and therefore let no man suffer this conceit to hinder him from seeking this faith We shall be kept to the possession of that salvation we once believed and hoped for if we could quite lose it again then must there be something stronger then the power of God but we know that cannot be for God onely hath power to consume all things from the earth in a moment with the breath of his nostrils and therefore there is nothing above his power O then in how blessed an estate are they above all the world whom the Lord hath pleased to set in such an estate as once to be assured of this faith and walk in it Beware therefore of conceits a conceit had almost made the Iaylor to kill himself Acts 16. 27. 2 Kings 7. 19 20. a conceit hindered the Prince go thou therefore by sound judgement from the Word of God false suppositions and conceits make men so differ as they do All conceits at last will fall on thy head and thou with thy false conceits as chaâ—t be blown away labour thou therefore for truth and right in all things that will be a Buckler which will defend thy head but make account the Devil will hinder thee herein what he can for he knows well enough if thou once get this thou wilt soon be gone out of his Kingdom Now come we to consider the means which God hath appointed to work this faith and encrease it in our selves which be indeed abundant but the main means of all is the lifting up the standard The preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And therefore we are diligently to attend at wisdoms posts to hear Gods word Rom. 10. 14. It is that which opens the heart and so lets in Christ who by his spirit doth inable us from an inward light and power to say Lord I believe and therefore am assured of my salvation This faith leaves not a man with his sins about him to go on in the course of this world still doubting for he can tell how he came by his faith and it is not a common but a true substantial faith that will never fail when hee comes to stand most in need of it and is no conceit or bare imagination gotten by contemplation but a settled perswasion arising from Gods
word even the root of all good works that can possibly be accepted in Gods sight And the first means whereby to come to such a faith is to see consider and take to heart what estate we are in without believing in Christ this is the first step thereunto and before this a man can never come truly to believe and so to be knit to Christ in the mariage bond of Grace Now what estate we are in before may easily appear by these particulars as That we all in Adam are fallen away and so have lost the image of God Are wholy under the guilt of sin The children of Gods wrath In the power and snares of the Devil Under the curse of the Law howsoever we may bless our selves and the world think us blessed c. And lastly guilty of eternal condemnation and so endangered to be swallowed up of the gulfe of Hell when we are dead without we get this faith Now by all this we may see what need we have to get into the rock Christ it being the estate of every child of Adam Kings Emperors c. even all and every one by nature Which when the poor soul strucken with the word comes to understand aright and feel it as in the presence of God then he comes To think how he shall be brought to God again How he may be born again being of such a sinful case How he may get the heavy curse removed How he shall come to get out of the power and snares of the Devil How to come to be a child of Gods love To think how he shall be freed from the gulfe of Hell when he dies Now when a man sees this and is convinced throughly thereof in his judgement hee cannot be quiet until he hath sought some remedie then hath he set the first step to this blessed estate of true saving faith Examples hereof we have Act. 2. In those three thousand that were converted at one Sermon who having their case layed open cryed out what shall we do to be saved and that was the first step to their believing for after that they came to believe so likewise Act. 16. 30. The Iaylor when he came in trembling and desired to know by what means to come to salvation then the Doctrine of faith took place even so we before we can attain to this faith that triumphs against condemnation we must go out of our selves and run to God onely in Christ without whom we perish And the reason many find not this faith is because they have a general and conceited faith wherewith they content themselves which makes them to slubber over all things and so live and die in the same even because they come not soundly to understand by the word of God their woful and lamentable estate by nature the true and effectual knowledge whereof is the first step to true saving faith A second means is when a man not onely sees it soundly and so doth effectually go out of himself but also resolveth to cast away that sin he sees in himself a man may come to consider his estate deeply and yet go on in wicked courses But when he can desire with all his heart to bee rid of all his sinne and cast it off it is a special meanes and a further step to this faith at least to the manifestation of it to us Repent and believe is the voice of the gospel No man can believe except he repent and cast off sin so no man can repent except he believe and have some hope that his sins may be pardoned Many see their sins yet cast them not away and therefore the conscience beats them off and will not let them believe It tels them that Christ and such a soul cannot stand together The door is shut if thou makest not account in thy affection and conversation to leave all sin 1 Io. 3. 6. whosoever saith the Apostle sinneth hath not seen God So that the soul hath a second step to believe when a man truly repents of all his sins 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Then God offers himself as a father to a man when he casts off such as are lin be as it were of Satan and of the fellowship of darkness that is when a man casts off his evil company and all sin that may defile his soul and make him unworthy to be Gods child and therefore when a man casts off sin and the instruments of sin then is he fit to believe and God will be ready to shâ—w himself unto him not a judge but a father Rev 3. 19. When a man begins to be zealous for God and amend his sinful wayes and courses and leaves cherishing those abominable sins that before he hath lived in and for want of this resolution to take Christs part against sin it comes to pass a mans heart and conscience will not let him come to lay hold of Christ even because he harbors Christs enemies that will not suffer him to come in A third means is when a man renounces as well his own righteousness as his sinnes It is Christs righteousness that must make us righteous before God that is our justification to eternal life There is to say the truth no righteousnesse before a man comes to be in Christ onely 't is call'd an outward righteousness and is so taken before men and therefore if thou wilt come to this faith thou must cast off all not conceit of righteousness but thine own righteousness indeed For that cannot further thee in this point as thine own sins cannot hinder thee What hindred the Jewes and Papist and thousands of Protestants at this day from faith that should uphold their souls but a conceit of their own righteousness The Jewes they would perform obedience to the law and venture their salvation upon that righteousness Rom. 10 2â— And therefore they could not believe So the Papists now they do still in part stick upon their own righteousness whereas there is none in himself righteous but God alone Iehouah who is righteousness as he proclaims himself We lost all in Adam and recover all again in Christ. Many ignorant Protestants and some that have knowledge also will not stick to say that if a man have a good meaning dealing righteously and serving God he shall be accepted all which is nothing without Christ for the more a man goes on in good intentions before he be in Christ by faith all his performances are but cursed abominations and so further off from faith and that which God hath most severely punished as he did Saul his good intention without obedience unto him But may some say if it be so then it is better to sin and not do good works â—t all Not so for then thou encreasest thy punishment thy sin is the less if thou hast a good meaning because thou thinkest that thou dost that which is good if thou knewest and thoughest otherwise thy condemnation
so readily there is an impediment in it so it is with the mind when it is not accustomed Every action you do helps to mould the soul more and makes it a vessel fit for the Lord and for every good work Besides this as there must be a moulding of the heart and fitting it for exercise so there must be a removing of impediments that hinder Therefore we see in that place 2 Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared to every good work There is a certain rustiness that cleaves to the wheels of the soul that it moves not nimbly and readily in the doing the works we are called to do this rust must be rubbed off There be impediments of divers sorts worldly-mindedness is a great impediment and hindrance And so cares and pleasures and lusts those that are called thorns that hinder growth all these impediments this uncircumcision of heart these hinder from working and these must be removed before we can be ready to do it We see in Psal. 51. saith David there Lord deliver me from blood guiltiness this sin that I have committed and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The meaning is this David found that that was the sin wherewith his soul was hindred that it made him unfit so that though there were a fountain of grace in his heart yet it was not able to flow forth but was stopped up as it were therefore he prayes to God to open his mouth How should it be opened by removing that sin by taken away that indisposition which that sin had brought on his mind As we see a fountain may be stopped up with mud or dirt or stones or any thing remove these and the fountain is open and when it is open it is ready to flow out So then there must be a removing the impediments let every man see what it is that hinders him when there is a fountain of grace when it flows not out readily If a man be not ready to good works there is some impediment that must be removed But that is not enough to use our selves and fashion our hearts to them and to remove the impediments But thirdly there is a work of the Holy Ghost he must act and stir us up there is a certain work of the Spirit that must help us upon all occasions For even as you see in Trees there may be sap enough in a Tree yet till the Spring-time come till the heat of the Sun come till moysture come that sap is not drawn up to the branches and so long it brings not forth fruit nor leaves So a man may have much grace in his heart much habitual grace but unless this be brought forth more immediately to act there is no fruit brought forth Now what is it that brings it near the branches Why that which makes the spring-time of good actions and fills a man with the fruits of righteousness it is the holy Ghost that is the moysture and the Sun and the rain that moystens and quickens us There must be a certain action of the spirit I say to help us to do every good work we must seek to the Lord for this Lord I have such a business to do I confess I am unapt and indisposed to it I beseech thee help to quicken me by thy spirit But further there are certain duties that more immediately fit and prepare us that is the communion of Saints that whets and warms us and stirs up the grace of God in us So likewise prayer be much in prayer and in the communion of Saints and that will make a man strong it will make him ready to use his strength and the grace he hath But I hasten The main thing that I have to commend to you to stir you up to use your strength to do the Lords work and to use the grace you have upon all occasions for his advantage it is this consideration to deny your selves and to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is the last thing I will pitch on for that is all in all What is the reason that a man useth not the strength he hath because he seeks his own things and not the things of Jesus Christ. If the heart were brought to this to deny it self and to neglect its own things and to seek the things that are Jesus Christs he would be ready then to stir up his stength he would be ready then to run and to go to do any service to the Lord. You have that in Phillip 2. I have no man like minded that will faithfully care for your things for every man seeks his own and not the things that are Iesus Christs Now to heal that disease in your selves to bring your hearts to a quite contrary temper not to seek your own things but the things that are Christs labor to have this wrought on your hearts and that is it that will most immediately prepare you and inable you to use your strength for the Lord upon all occasions You will say how shall we do this Consider that there is a necessity lies upon you to do it And if there did not a necessity lie on you yet it were best for you to do it And if it were not best for thee yet Christ hath deserved it at thy hands he is worthy of it that thou shouldest not seek thy own things but the things of Jesus Christ. These things we will a little inlarge and so end First I say there is a necessity lies on thee to do it It is true if thou wert thy own master if a man were sui juris he might do with himself what he would he might seek his own things but if thou be none of thine own if thou have hired thy self to Christ if thou have sold thy self to him thou art his and if thou be his there is a necessity lies on thee now to seek his things and not thine own A woman while shee is a maid or a widow shee may dispose of her self as shee will shee may seek her own things and stand upon her own bottom but when she is married once she must please her husband and be obedient to him I say when thou art Christs once for I speak to those that profess themselves to be his those that have strength and need nothing but to stir it up other men may do what they will as it is said when there was no King in Israel every man did what was good in his own eyes But when thou hast put thy self under his yoak and accepted him for thy King thou must live by the laws of his Kingdom and be subject to thy Prince When thou hast taken Christ for thy King as every man hath that is once entred into Covenant with him
For in many things we sin all but the course of life contrary to the profession as some flashes of goodness make not a good man so some slips make not an evil man therefore in thus speaking they speak against Christians It is not to be expected that Religion should be spoken against under the name of Religion For if the Devil could speak against it he would not speak against it under the name of Religion but Hypocrisie when therefore these words are so general and he that speakes them knowes they will not be so taken it is a sign that Religigion is spoken against under the name of hypocrisie and religious men under the name of Hâ—pocrites They say they speak against the shewes cannot men be religious say they in secret but they must hang out flags of it and be so much in appearing Where the truth of Religion is there will be showes painted Religion and painted fire cannot heat break â—orth or ascend but if it be true fire or true Religion it will break forth and shew it self as they say in the Spanish proverb three things cannot be kept in fire love and a mans cough so I may add grace as a fourth As there cannot be a candle in a Lanthorn but it may be seen through the horn so there cannot be true grace but there will be shewes so that shewes cannot be separated from Religion which is true no more then light from the Sun or heat from the fire Shews are commanded as well as substance for as the Glory of a King is in the multitude of his Souldiers so the Glory of Christ is in them that profess his Name we are commanded as well to confess in mouth as to believe in heart What need speaking against shewes in these blasting times which have nipt them in the head when all that can be said is not enough to keep men from denying of Christ. They say although they know not what to call it yet they love religion and religious men therefore they mean not them and they think it much uncharitableness to be so judged of Many while they thus speak that they conceive it not to be religion that they speak against I may say of them as Peter said of them that crucified Christ they did it of ignorance for had they known that they would not have crucified the Lord of life so if they knew it were religion they spake against they would not speak thus But it is their misery that they know it not and it is but a little excuse to say I was a blasphemer saith Paul but I did it out of Ignorance and zeal so Christ saith the Jews knew not what they did and yet his blood shall be required of them Yea it is upon them as we see at this day and Iude saith they spake evil of the things they knew not and yet their sentence is they shall be reserved to the blackness of darkness So though they know not that it is religion that they speak against yet they are persecutors and God accounts them so Saul heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he himself thought he had done well And if they say Lord we know it not I will answer them that in as much as they did it to these they did it to me In other cases there is a difference and some plead for ignorance as if a man kill another man in stead of a stag he is no murtherer but if a man strike at Religion with his tongue though he knew it not he is a blasphemer because he is bound to know for if a man be brought up among hereticks he is an heretick because he is bound to the contrary Let these therefore that have used these speeches kick no more against pricks least they bring that curse on them which was on them that brought an ill report upon the holy-land viz. that they should not enter into it The second use is for hearers that they have a part in this exhortation as well as Ministers as they must deliver nothing but that which is wholesome so they must receive none else and there are two duties for them First As the Minister must not mingle any thing in his preaching but that which is sound so hearers must be careful not onely that they do not here gross points of heresie but if there be any tincture of error in the points they hear they must not maintain them As one that hath an Antipathy with a thing as with a serpent will not onely be affraid of it whilest it is alive but he is loth to handle the skin of it though it be stuft with hay So hearers should be afraid of the tincture of the skin of heresie A man cannot be too curicus of infectious things for as he will not come into the house where they are so he will not touch the cloth of those that have them For we ought to hate the garment spotted with the flesh First Hearers must be rightly disposed to receive that which is wholesome and therefore three duties in scripture are commanded to hearers 1. To be able to discern that which is wholesome that which is not 1 Thes. 5. 21. prove all things 1 Ioh. 4. 1. try the spirits that is get spiritual tasts whereby you may judge of it for as the pallat or the taste diserns corporal food so there is a faculty in every regenerate soul for this end that it may discern betwixt that meat which is wholesome and that which is not As a natural mans taste is a signe of natural life so a spiritual taste is a signe of a spiritual life and it is certain that they whose pallats are not vitiated with corrupt humors can judge of their meat Rom. 12. 2 be transformed in the renewing of your mindes to try as a Toutch-stone doth the silver what is the acceptable will of God from that which is not And they that finde not this taste in them either they have no spiritual life or else their pallats are vitiated with corrupt humors If therefore we want this discerning taste we must labour to get it if we be sick and our pallats do corrupt we must labour convalescere to wax whole that so we may judge a right For as the best hearers love the purest word so the hearers whose hearts are full of corruption love the froth of eloquence Secondly To desire that which is good 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word As if he should have said there are no babes but they will desire the dugge Perhaps you may keep them quiet with apples a while but they will cry for it at length And if you have once tasted of the sweetness of the Word you will desire it when you have found out what meat is nourishing then desire it that is chuse the savourest meat read the books that are must
debt And the strength of the argument is thus If Christ had not risen again but been still in the power of the grave and kept under by the enemy of our salvation the poor believer might have been justly afraid his debt had not been paid but Christ being risen and out of hold he is out of doubt As when the debtor sees the Kings Son that was his surety at liberty and in the Kings Court he fears not but his debt is paid so when the poor believer sees Christ set free from the power of the grave c. he knows God hath accepted the payment he hath made as sufficient for him Let us therefore look upon our selves as having a part in Christ and know whatsoever he did it was for us even for every true believer so that he rising again we rise again which being so it manifests that God hath accepted Christ his payment if any thing could hinder it must be death and the grave but Christ being risen they have lost their power and so none able to condemn Rom. 6. 9. Christ rose for us never to dye again and therefore that we should never dye eternally A third reason is taken from the sitting of Christ at the right hand of God which puts all out of question that he paid our debt when he laid down his life in that he is risen and ascended up to his Father Now God would never have admitted him to sit at his right hand had the work been unfinished but now being ascended to the right hand of his Father where he is advanced to the highest pitch of honour glory and Majesty and that in our Nature sitting in full authority King of heaven earth there for ever by his spirit to gather and guide all his children and quell the power of their enemies it is apparent that our Sureties payment is accepted so that now nothing can condemn a Believer not his conscience nor any thing else can condemn him and therefore he may triumph over all accusations In the fourth place add unto all this that Christ doth not onely sit at Gods right hand but so as that he also maketh intercession for every true beleever having not onely power but even the same good will and mind that ever he had to do them good consider this well whether thou beleeving needest to fear the face of any enemy whatsoever The poor man that was indebted to the great King For whom the Kings son was pleased to undertake and satisfie when he sees him come out of prison set at liberty in his fathers Court in greater honor and not onely so but highly favoured of the King his father and continually requesting him for that poor man What needs he now care for all his enemies He need not be affraid to look all officers in the face c. Is this the secure and happy estate of every true believer out of himself in Christ. Then see the necessity of using all those means and that constantly whereby Christ our Blessed Redeemer is pleased to communicate himself and this his grace unto us Faith is a special gift and grace and comes from God in Christ and Christ he comes onely in the meanes which are channels and conduit-pipes Therefore if thou wouldest have this grace and be strengthened and increased therein even as thou wouldest have thy soul thus dignified use carefully all the means As The word which is the Scepter of Christs Kingdome submit thy soul to it If thou wilt have an excellent spirit such a one as Ioshua had pray to God for it and take heed of grieving the spirit of God by continuing in the practice of any known sin which is as water that quenches the fire but rather cherish thy faith and put fuel unto it by constant consionable hearing reading prayer meditation receiving the Sacrament holy conference and watching over thy heart For if thou put fuel to thy faith and keep away that which may quench it thou shalt clearly see this blessed truth and find the power of faith in this that hath been said Therefore as thou wouldest have this confidence and comfort in thy heart and soul use the means for it The dilligent hand becomes rich in Gods ordinary providence and so mayst thou in this grace if thou use diligence there is no way else Therefore whilst thou hast time use the means give attendance to the word and all those heavenly meanes before mentioned It s true indeed Christ hath freed himself by dying rising again and bring at the right hand of God and this I believe saith the poor soul in the midst of his fears temptations and troubles of mind but how should I bee comforted in knowing that I am freed from all that danger and condemnation which my sins do deserve Yes upon this ground every beleeving soul and so thou if thou doest believe mayest be sure to be freed as Christ himself is freed and that even because Christ undertook and did all this for the poor believing soul and he had not done it but for him Esai 9. 6. Toâ—us a child is born to us a Sonne is given All he did was for us and for our Salvation so that if Christ hath any happiness thou believing in him mayest be assured of it as Christ himself All Gods intentions towards thee are founded in love else how should that be true Iohn 3. 16. God so Loved the world c. Christ also took all upon him for our sake even to redeem and save us he needed not have done it for himself for he was God in glory c. lift up therefore thy heart by faith and beleeve this and thou shalt find it true though we miserable wretches are unworthy of any such mercies yet is God worthy to be believed Look on Christ and consider who he is and reflect it upon thy self and if thou canst believe the Lord Jesus hath done all this for thy sake To help and strengthen thee to this First Consider Christ did it for us that believe as a surety we were all bannk-rupts in the law of God for want of obedience thereunto now Christ the surety of mankind comes and undertakes for us and hath done iâ— Hebrews 7. 22. He was made surety of â—a better testament Therefore think on him alwayes as thy Surety in glory Christ there is said to be a Surety of better things then the legal Rites were even of the New Testament wherein whatsoever is contained it is for us and there it is treasured up ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt find All he did he did as my Surety all the evil he took away and all the good he purchased it was for me A second means or help to strengthen thee if thou art one that art humbled for sin and desirest more and more to believe is to know that God hath bound himself and sworn to it and he is true though every man