as they are taken in an euill Net Satan takes them there to destroy them eternally Againe the afflictions of the godly are not so heauy to them as the afflictions of the wicked are GOD afflicts them in the branches not in the roote they drinke of the Cup but not of the dregs but as for the wicked hee smites them so as that hee smites them not the second time that they roare for his wrath Psal. 31.24 The godly though hee fall yet shall he rise againe he shall not be cast off the Lord puts vnder his hand That is though the godly fall into affliction yet he is not broken in the fall GOD puts vnder his hand hee fals soft he fals not so as to breake his necke to be vndone so there is that difference So that though GOD doe the same act to both yet he doth it to the one for loue to the other he doth the same act for destruction Like to a man that loppes Trees there is a certaine season in the yeere when if he loppe his Trees they will be the better for it if they be lopped in due season they are the better loppe them at another time and they will wither So God comes to the wicked man in the vnfittest time to him a time when they looke not for him a time that the wicked men feare least then hee comes iust as a Thiefe doth in the worst and most dangerous time of all for the owner of the house then comes the Thiefe he pickes out that time So GOD comes vpon the wicked and afflicts them when they are in peace and prosperity take heede that he loppe thee not at that time when thou shalt wither to destruction when thou art not prepared So the Scripture saith sudden destruction comes vpwicked men So that suddennesse is when men are not prepared And so when God saith will free the godly from sudden death his meaning is he will prepare him and fit him for death Put all these together That the wicked bring their enterprizes to passe that the godly are crossed and afflicted that GOD hath a speciall end in this that death affliction and sicknesse come suddenly vpon none but wicked men and it will giue satisfaction to any man I should come now to presse the point but the time is past I cannot doe it So much shall serue for the second Vse for the answering of the Objections The third thing to set faith on worke in is to sanctifie you to mortifie your lusts to reuiue and strengthen you in the inward man and to make it quicke in euery good worke This point I intended to handle at this time Faith is exceeding effectuall to doe this I will touch it but in one word I will not hold you long Set faith aworke to sanctifie thy heart You will aske me How shall I doe it Faith doth it diuers wayes I cannot goe thorow them Set faith a worke to beleeue the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes to beleeue the loue of GOD towards thee to beleeue the promises and thou shalt finde that these will sanctifie thy heart this act of faith wil purifie thy-heart But how can that be Because this shall turne thy heart from thy sinnes to GOD for there is no way to mortifie lusts and to quicken thy heart but by causing thee to delight in GOD. No man can haue his heart weaned from sinne diuorsed from sinne which he hath beene wedded to all his life except he find another Husband in whom hee may delight more Now the more thou beleeuest that God is thine the more thou beleeuest that thy sins are forgiuen the more thou canst set faith on worke to doe this the more victory thou shalt get ouer thy sinnes that is the nature of mans disposition that still it desires that object that is amiable and pleasant Now if thou looke on GOD as a Iudge that will turne thee away from him that makes thee continue stil in sin but when thou lookest vpon him as vpon one that loues thee as one that fauoureth thee as one that is thy frend that accepts thee this will winne thine heart this will cause a mans heart to turne from sinne to turne from darknes to light it will make him to leaue the wayes wherein he delighted before it will diuorse a mans heart from the sinne wherein it hath taken pleasure a long time so that it shall neuer get the victory ouer it Therefore the best way in such a case is to set faith aworke to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes remember the promises of GOD those promises you haue heard often that God will forgiue thy sinnes that he will pardon thee take these promises and apply them see GOD ready to forgiue this will turne thy heart from sinne thou shalt finde sinne dye and wither in thee and thy heart to growe and bee quickned in grace you know that to get a louing heart is to beleeue that GOD loues vs to beleeue that our sinnes are forgiuen Now I say there is nothing that weakneth sinne indeede but to loue GOD whatsoeuer sinne is weakned by other meanes then by loue to GOD by turning the heart to him by repentance and mortification that sinne lyeth hid though it seeme no way to increase this increaseth loue when we beleeue the promise of GOD that he is ready to forgiue that is effectuall for this purpose When CHRIST came to Peter and said vnto him Louest thou me then saith he feede my Sheepe So after this manner when thou once beleeuest that GOD loues thee and canst bring thy heart to loue him againe if now CHRIST should come to thee and say Louest thou me who loued thee and gaue my selfe for thee If thou doest loue me disdaine such a thing which I hate doe not such things as will grieue me keepe my Commandements keepe my Sabbaths if thou louest me let not thy conuersation be in wantonnesse in strife and enuying it thou loue me labour to bring some glory to my Name and to doe some good to mankinde if thou loue me be diligent in thy Calling if thou loue mee honour mee doe good to others doe good to thy selfe with it Let a man goe thorow all the particulars of sinne and he would abstaine from it if hee would set faith on worke this way to sanctifie his heart Againe faith doth it by ouercomming the World that when a man is drawne one of these two things drawes him Either some offer of some great benefit or some great euill which he is put in feare of now when hee lookes and seeth that GOD is able to keepe him when men doe their worst and that hee can giue him a heauenly Kingdome when he lookes to the promise he is aboue the World Againe he not onely ouercomes riches but he makes aduantage of them hee not onely loues them as a slaue but he gets the victory ouer them and hee gets seruice from
that is to say not in the sight of man onely as if he should haue said many make a profession of faith and goe for beleeuers in GOD and for louers of GOD and men iudge them so but you haue it in the sight of God that is not only in the sight of men not only in your owne fancie apprehension and opinion but indeed in good earnest in sincerity Lastly In the sight of God our Father hee describes GOD by this property hee is a Father I need not say more for the opening of the words We will come to that point for which wee haue chosen them which is the first thing for which hee giues thankes Remembering your effectuall Faith This point wee will deliuer to you out of them that The Faith that saues vs must be effectuall This Doctrine wee haue neede to adde to that which we formerly deliuered for hauing said so much of faith that faith is that that saueth men and that there is no more required of you but to take the gift of righteousnesse onely that you receiue CHRIST onely that you beleeue in God that iustifieth the vngodly that is that you onely accept oâ— that iustification that God is ready to giue to euery man be hee neuer so vngodly Now when we heare so much of faith and that there is nothing at all required of vs but a meere taking left any man should bee deceiued and run away with a false opinion that if he haue but a naked apprehension and no more he shall doe well enough I haue chosen this Text that you may know what kinde of faith it is that is required of vs namely effâ—ctuall faith The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Now Saint Paul adding this word to it remembering your effectuall faith he giues vs this intimation that there is a faith which is not effectuall there is a faith in the world that goes for true faith which if it be examined is not a faith that saues We see through the Scriptures much mention made of a certaine faith which men had which yet was not a sauing faith we see many came and beleeued in our Sauiour but he would not commit himselfe to them for he knew what was in their hearts Here was a faith to beleeue in him nay further it was such a faith as had some effect too for it made them come to him and yet for all this it was not such a faith as God accepts it was not an effectuall faith So when Iohn Baptist came before Christ there were many hundreds that came to him and reioyced in his light but it was not effectuall but a counterfeit faith that they had notwithstanding all that So there came many that were invited to the Wedding so that the house was full but yet euery man had not a Wedding garment There was a certaine faith which brought them to the House but they had not true faith they had not the Wedding garment that is they had not such a faith as could produce and bring forth in them a conjugall affection which is the Wedding garment So two of the foure grounds had faith they brought foorth some fruite that faith strengthned and enabled them to doe so much as they did but yet it was not true faith it was not the faith which the fourth ground had And not onely in the New Testament but in the Old Testament also there is often mention made of such a faith and of such a trust in GOD as enabled men to doe much but it was not an vnfained trust it was not effectuall but as it is Ieremie 3.10 Treacherous Iudah hath not turned to mee with her whole heart but feignedly saith the LORD Therefore certainely saith the LORD their turne of euill and misery shall come they trusted in GOD but not with their whole heart So likewise Deut. 5.25 the people there desire Moses to goe and receiue the Commandements from God for them and whatsoeuer God should say to them that they would doe here was a faire profession it is likely themselues thought it to bee sound and good yet Moses tels them they were deceiued in it Oh saith hee that this people had a heart to doe this indeed So we see there is a faith that is not effectuall and therefore wee haue the more need to looke to it because there is so much false faith in the World As when you that are Tradesmen doe heare that there are so many counterfeit Drugges or so many counterfeit Colours or whatsoeuer you deale in you will looke the more to it so we should looke the better to our faith in this regard Therefore to open this point a little wee will doe these three things First I will shew the cause why there is so much vneffectuall faith why there is so much faith that is not sound and substantiall Secondly I will shew wherein the efficacy of faith consists what it is for faith to be effectuall Thirdly I will shew the reasons why God will accept no other faith at our hands why wee cannot bee saued vnlesse we haue such a faith For the first namely the causes of vneffectuall faith the reasons why the faith of many is vneffectuall that it workes not powerfully that it is not substantiall you shall finde them to be these fiue First the vanity or vneffectualnesse of faith ariseth vpon our taking of CHRIST vpon mis-information when wee know not who it is that we take when there is an errour in the person we take when wee vnderstand not aright what wee doe Many doe as the yong man that came running to CHRIST he came hastily he made account to bee his follower but CHRIST tels him that hee might mistake him and therefore he lets him know what it was to follow him what a Master he had betaken himselfe vnto saith hee if thou wilt be my seruant goe sell all that thou hast As if he should haue said Mistake me not if thou wilt be mine thou must be mine altogether thou must take vp thy Crosse thou must part with any thing Now if the yong man had gone away with this mistake that he had not vnderstood CHRIST he had become a Disciple of CHRIST as well as others but it had beene vpon a mistake And so likewise that Scribe to whom CHRIST said The Sonne of Man hath not whereon to lay his head As if hee should haue said It may be thou lookest for ease for Bed and Boord with me thou lookest for a pleasant life but it will not be so I leade not a pleasant life my selfe I haue not whereon to lay my head I am not in so good a condition as many Fowles are as many Beasts are I haue not a nest I haue not a denne that is I haue not that which should bee in steade of these to me and therefore know what thou doest
will bee minding other matters some about their profits and some their pleasures c. but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things that is when he presents them to vs that draweth the heart from minding other things to seeke after CHRIST to long after him and not to content your selues till you be vnited to him But besides this there is a third act of the Holy Ghost by which hee workes it and maketh this faith effectuall and that is the testimonie that the Spirit giues to our spirits telling vs that these things are ours when the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed vnto vs that wee prize them and long after them yet there must bee a third thing that is to take them to our selues to beleeue that they be ours and there needeth a worke of the Spirit for this too for though the promises be neuer so cleere yet hauing nothing but the promises you will finde that you will neuer be able to apply them to your selues but when the Holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine and these things belong to thee and GOD is thy Father when the Spirit shall beare witnesse with our spirits by an immediate work of his owne then we shall beleeue This is necessarily required and without this wee shall not beleeue It is true the holiest man doth it two wayes One is by cleering of the promises shining into our hearts by such a light as makes vs able to discerne them and to beleeue them and to assent to them But besides that hee doth it by an immediate voice by which he speaketh immediately to our spirits that wee can say as they said Ioh. 16. Now thou speakest plainly and speakest no parable we vnderstand thee fully so till the Holy Ghost speake to vs we are in a Cloud GOD is hid from vs wee cannot see him cleerely but when we haue this Spirit of Adoption to giue vs this witnesse then wee beleeue plainely indeed Therefore in Isay 57.19 saith the Lord I create the fruit of the lips Peace c. That is the Ministers may speake peace to you but vnlesse I goe and ioyne with the Minister except I adde a power of mine owne that is such an almighty power as I vsed in the Creation it shall neuer bring peace to you I create the fruit of the lips that is the words of the Minister to be peace otherwise they would be ineffectuall Therefore I say there must bee a worke of the Spirit to perswade a man in such a case And you shall finde by experience let a Minister come to them that are in despaire they will not apprehend the promises though we vse neuer so cleere reasons though we argue with them neuer so long and neuer so strongly we shall finde that all will doe nothing it will be but labour spent in vaine till GOD himselfe open the Clouds till hee will smile on a man and send his Spirit into the heart to giue a secret witnesse to him till there be a worke of his owne joyning with the promises we finde by experience that our labour is lost It is true we ought to doe this and euery man is bound to looke to the Word for faith commeth by hearing and to hearken to the Ministery for it is Gods ordinance to breed faith in the heart but yet till there be a worke of the Spirit a man shall neuer be so perswaded as to haue any sure and sound comfort by it Now all this is done by the Spirit it is the wonderfull worke of GOD for when CHRIST is propounded to men when he is offered as we haue often offered him to you we haue shewed you what accesse you haue to him that no man is excluded that he is offered to euery creature vnder heauen we haue shewed you the generality of the promise that it takes in all that you are contained vnder it that you may apply it to your selues I say when all this is done yet when a man comes to performe this to apply it to himselfe he is no more able to doe it then a dead man is able to stirre himselfe Therefore the same power that raised CHRIST from the dead is required to worke faith in our hearts as it is in Eph. 1.19 According to his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead So that it is as great a worke to moue a mans heart to CHRIST as to put life into a dead man we are as vnapt and backward to it as a dead man is to receiue life For what else is the reason that when we preach CHRIST to you when hee is offered to you that there bee so few that are affected with him that there be so few that take him doth it not shew that you are dead yea so dead that vnlesse GOD call you and that there be a mighty worke of the Spirit the hearts of men will neuer answer vnto vs. Therefore that is required as a condition in all them who will come Act. 2. So many as the LORD our GOD shall call That is when wee preach except there bee a secret voyce of the Spirit of CHRIST speaking to your hearts as wee doe to your eares and saying Come and take CHRIST no man will come We see CHRIST said to his Apostles Follow mee and presently they followed him for it was not the outward voice that did it there was a secret voice within so when GOD shall call men to take CHRIST then they doe it but not before That word that is vsed Luk. 14.23 Goe and COMPELL them to come in that my House may be full it intimates a great backwardnesse in vs. When men are compelled it shewes that not onely the arguments are strong and forcible but that there is a great backwardnesse in men that they must as it were be constrained that they must be put on it by force and against their will such is the vnaptnesse that is in men So saith CHRIST no man comes to me except the Father draw him That phrase of the Holy Ghost shewes that there is an extreme backwardnesse that if they be not forced to come as it were they will not doe it not but that when a man is once wrought vpon by the Holy Ghost hee commeth of himself but that phrase is vsed only to shew that backwardnesse that is in man by nature For when the Holy Ghost hath wrought vpon the will and hath turned that then a man commeth vpon his owne legs and is moued from an inward principle of his owne therefore men are so drawne that withall they runne after him as it is Cant. 1. but it shewes this thing for which I haue vsed it that there is a wondrous backwardnesse in all of vs by nature and that this must be done by a great worke of the Spirit Therefore the Apostle
may be many delusions in this kinde many Hypocrites may haue great raptures they may haue great ioy as if they were lift vp into the third heauen they may haue a great and strong perswasion that their estate is good Satan is very apt to delude vs in this kinde to put a counterfeit vpon vs in stead of true faith Therefore wee will not content our selues with this but giue other markes that will not deceiue At this time you are to consider you that come to the Sacrament Is it not a maine thing to consider whether you haue faith or no What do you here else you haue nothing to doe with Christ you haue no interest in him and if you haue no interest in him what doe you with the Elements which represent his body and his blood And therefore you haue cause to attend to it First therfore if thou find such a worke in thy heart for if thou conclude that there is no such worke thou needest not examine further thou maist be sure that thou hast not faith but if thou haue such a worke if thou wouldst know whether it be really and truly or whether it be a fancie or delusion consider First if it be true it purifies the heart in Acts 15.9 saith the Apostle Peter there God hath put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith hee had purified their hearts So in Acts 26.18 And thou shalt preach forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that are sanctified by faith So that this you must take as a sure rule If thy faith bee true it purifies thy heart it sanctifies thee And therefore you see faith and repentance are alwaies put together Repent and beleeue for they are neuer disjoyned If thou find the worke of repentāce be not wrought throughly soundly in thee if thou finde thy heart not purified if thou be not sanctified if there be not a sanctified disposition in thee be sure it is a delusion it is not faith or if faith be as you heard heretofore a taking of CHRIST not as a Sauiour onely but as a Priest and not as a Priest onely but as a King too it must needes be that there must be reall obedience or else it is not faith thou hast not taken him If there be nothing but a meere assent as the Papists affirme in another case For faith is a taking of Christ and a giuing of our selues to him againe so that there is a match there is a bargaine a Couenant betweene vs as hee saith in Heb. 8.8 I will make a New Couenant with them Now a Couenant hath two parts If GOD doe this for you you must doe somewhat on your part you must loue him and obey him As in a Marriage the Husband doth not onely take the Wife but the Wife also takes the Husband If faith bee such a thing as this there must needes be a generall reformation of the life or else it is certaine thou hast not taken him Therefore know that as there is a liuely hope so there is a liuely faith And when it is said to be a liuely faith it intimates that there is another that is a dead faith that is There is a kinde of beleeuing a kinde of taking Christ a kinde of giuing a mans selfe to him but yet marke it saith he it is such a one as breeds no life in thee Marke if thy faith be such a faith as hath brought Christ to dwell in thy heart so as the soule dwels in the body if it be such a dwelling in thy heart that there be life in thee for Christ when he dwels in vs he acts the soule as the soule acts the body As the body now when the soule is there is able to moue is able to stirre is able to doe any thing So the soule of a man it fals to the duties of godlinesse and new obedience to all good workes it is ready as the Apostle saith to euery good worke it is nimble and ready to goe about them you are aliue to righteousnesse Hath faith so brought Christ into thy heart that he liues in thee as he did in Paul that thou canst finde and say truely I am dead to sinne and liue to righteousnesse That thou hast mortified the deedes of the body by the Spirit that thou findest another life working in thee except thou canst finde this it is not true faith for true faith is such as brings Christ to dwell in thy heart and he dwels there when he reviues thy spirit as it is Isay 57.13.14 I dwell in the high Heauens and with him also that is of a contrite spirit to reviue the Spirit of the humble that is he neuer dwels but he giues life And if thou finde not such a life in thy selfe conclude that thy faith is not good And this you ought the more to marke because many thousands seeme to take CHRIST and to doe much and yet for all this they haue not life all the while Take two grafts it may be there is incision made in both both may be planted as you often see in Plants after they bee planted if you would know whether the grafting bee true or no if you come a while after and see one of the grafts dead and withered you say this grafting was not good or the stocke was not good somewhat was amisse and if you finde it to bud and that there be life in it then you say it was grafted indeed the grafting was good and right So when a man comes and takes CHRIST if thou see thou be grafted if thou find thy life to be the same if thou finde thou art no more able to pray nor no more able to doe any duty then thou wast before that thou liuest in thy lusts as much as euer thou didst thou hast not that new heart that new spirit and that new affection which the Scriptures speake of bee sure then that thou art not grafted for if thou wert grafted aright by faith for it is that which grafteth there would bee life When as the graft is taken out of the former Tree it beares no more that fruit but it liues and beares another fruite Therefore consider if this be so or no and that is the reason of that answer of Philip to the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts Vers. 37. The Eunuch professed to beleeue and would haue beene baptized Saith Philip thou mayest if thou beleeue with all thine heart Thou mayest thinke it is nothing but it is a resoluing from time to time to giue vp thy selfe to be Christs seruant to take his yoake to weare his Liuery and his Badge Now Baptisme is but a seale to confirme and testifie this to thy selfe and to the World that thou hast giuen thy selfe to CHRIST saith Philip take heede to thy selfe if it bee a false taking thou maist not haue him but if thou
beleeue with all thy heart thou mayest be baptized So I say to men there is a kinde of taking Christ when a man takes him with some part of his heart when he resolueth I confesse it is good I haue a present disposition to it it will serue me for such a turne I am afraid of Hell it will deliuer me from that in such an exigent in such a crosse in such a trouble that will come vpon me it will free mee from that but this is not enough but if thou beleeue with all thy heart that is when thou hast summed and reckoned all together all reasons and all objections to and fro thou resoluest altogether to take him in all respects Againe when all thy heart shall come in that is when the vnderstanding of a man is fully perswaded of these promises that they are true and that it is best for him to take CHRIST if the perswasion be good and the will follow for that you may take for a sure rule there is no man that is fully perswaded and convinced euery way that such a thing is best but the will will follow If the mind be right the will will follow and if the will follow be sure the affections will follow For if a man wils a thing in good earnest and resolue I would haue it indeed then his desires will come and be earnest and if hee be in doubt feare will come and if any thing hinder anger will come and thrust away the impediments and if he get the thing there will be reioycing and so all the affections will follow and then certainely action and endeuour will follow There is no man that desires a thing earnestly but where the affections are strong and busie action and endeuour will be answerable Now if thou take CHRIST with all thy heart that there is no reseruation that it is not done by halues then thou mayest haue him and the fruites and all the priuiledges by him so as thou shalt be saued by him Consider whether this be done or no. When we preach faith you may see what it is in Acts 26.17 18. Marke what the message was that CHRIST sends to Paul nothing but to preach faith but what was that Saith hee to turne men from the power of Satan to God to turne men from darknesse to light That is to cause them to forsake their former wayes of darknesse that they haue beene ledde into by the Deuill and to turne them to GOD to seeke him So that then a man is said truely to beleeue when his heart is turned to GOD that is when a man before was giuen to this pleasure or to that pleasure and commodity his heart was wedded to it hee would haue an estate in this world and hee would haue credit in the world and he would haue place with men and he would be some-body in the flesh his heart was set on these things he would follow them Now faith is nothing but this wee come and tell you that Christ is offered if you will be content to let all these things goe and to turne your hearts to him that the whole bent of a mans minde is turned the contrary way and set vpon Christ this is faith indeede when there is this generall turning of a mans minde from these things Therefore know that faith in CHRIST and couetousnesse cannot stand together When thy mind goeth a whoring after thy wealth what hast thou to doe with CHRIST That is not to take CHRIST For to take CHRIST is to turne the minde from these things to seeke him Againe if thou wilt haue praise with men thou canst not beleeue and haue that too it is impossible And so for any pleasure for any lust dost thou thinke to follow thy pleasure to seeke that to satisfie thy flesh and to haue CHRIST No it is another kinde of taking and this is not done with that sleightnesse as they did Ieremy 3. You turned to me saith the LORD feignedly and not with all your hearts but it is to turne in good earnest to turne to GOD vpon sound ground therefore now let vs come to the examination of this Now if we were not mistaken in it there would be no question of this we thinke that faith is nothing but a perswasion that our sinnes are forgiuen a perswasion that the promises are true a perswasion that the Scripture is true a perswasion that CHRIST dyed for my sinnes And thence it is that men are apt to be deceiued in it If they tooke faith as it is in it selfe a marrying of our selues to CHRIST with all our heart and affections when hee hath giuen himselfe to vs as in marriage and we are giuen to him in doing this wee should neuer bee deceiued If thou wouldest know now if thy faith bee right examine it as thou wouldest examine another thing If you take Wine if you would know whether it be good Wine if you finde it flat and dead if you drinke it and it heates you not it warmes you not at the heart it quickens you not it reviues not your spirits you will say it is naught if it were good Wine it would doe this If you come to looke on Plants if you find there no fruite nor no leaues you say this Plant is dead So take a Iewell and when it comes to the Touch-stone or any way that you try it you say it is faire but it is a counterfeit Iewell it is a false Diamond or whatsoeuer it be If you come to take a dramme of Physicke if you take a Drugge if it doe not worke Take Leauen and put it into your Dough if it sower not the lumpe you say it is dead Leauen it is a counterfeit thing So I say If thou finde not in faith this effect this operation vpon thy heart that it workes not this generall change in thee that it fires not thy soule with loue to CHRIST if thou finde not life in it and that it bring forth such fruites if thou finde it not grow that it put another taste vpon the whole soule that it leauens it throughout know that thou art deceiued rest not in it cast it away get a right faith such as will not deceiue thee But I cannot stand vpon this This is the first signe of effectuall faith Before I come to the second thing know this by the way you that receiue the Sacrament That if you be vnworthy receiuers you cannot doe your selues a worse turne then to offer to come to the Sacrament without faith to prouoke GOD more to eate and drinke your owne damnation Now examine your selues by such rules as this If you haue changed your life If you haue receiued it heretofore and continue still in your sinnes If you say it is true I haue done it I haue returned againe to my gaming I haue returned againe to my swearing to my loosenesse to my company-keeping but
that though your faith be weake yet he belongs to you it is a true faith Againe it shuttes out those that have false hearts although thou thinkest thy perswasion be full that Christ belongs to thee yet if thy heart be not thus prepared to seeke him and to esteeme him thy faith is not true I can stay no longer in the opening of this so much shall serve to shew you what this love is You see what love is in generall and this love to the Lord this love to Christ. Now I come to prosecute the point having gone thus farre in the explication of it I say this love is so necessary to salvation as that hee that hath it not is in a cursed and damnable condition he is not in Christ if he doe not love that as the Apostle saith hee that beleeves not shall be damned we may say as well of love for there is a tye betweene all these faith repentance and love And therefore wee finde these words put promiscuously sometimes he that beleeves not shall not be saved sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved sometimes he that obeyes not sometimes hee that loves not shall not be saved and therefore the Scripture is cleere in it and there is good reason for it First because if a man love not there is a curse there is a woe due to him for wheresoever there is not love a man is an hypocrite as our Saviour saith to the Scribes and Pharises Wo be to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites that is because you are hypocrites Now wheresoever love is not there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart For what is hypocrisie Hypocrisie is nothing but to doe the outward action without the inward sinceritie as we say it is counterfeit golde when it hath the forme and colour of golde but in the inside is base as we say he is a false Hector when he acts the part of Hector but is not so indeede So hypocrisie is to doe the outward act without the inward sincerity Now to doe them without inward sincerity is to doe them without love for to doe a thing in love is to doe it in sincerity And indeed there is no other definition of sincerity that is the best way to know it by A man that doeth much to God and not out of love all that he doth is out of hypocrisie he is an hypocrite and there is a woe belongs to him So that as we deale with counterfeit wares wee breake them in peeces or we set markes upon them as we doe with counterfeit peeces of golde and silver we bore holes in them as condemned peeces so the Lord proposeth a woe to such as love him not for in that hypocrisie consists when a man doth much and doth it not out of love Againe hee that breakes the law you know there is a curse belongs to him Now there is a double keeping of the law a strict and exact keeping of it and there is an Evangelicall keeping of it that is when you desire and endeavour to fulfill the law in all things and accordingly there is a double curse there is a curse that followes the breach of the morall law that belongs to all mankinde till they be in Christ there is besides an Evangelicall curse that followes upon the Evangelicall breach of the law Now when a man loves not he breakes the whole law for as love is the keeping of the whole law so the want of love is the breach of the whole law because though hee may doe many things of the law though he may keepe the sabboth though he may deale justly though he may heare the word and doe many things yet because it is not out of love he breakes the whole law When he breakes the law thus there is a curse belongs to him and it is the curse of the Gospell that cannot be repealed it is more terrible than the curse of the law And therefore he that loves not is in a cursed and damnable condition Againe you know in the law of God an Adulterer ought to die as in the law of triall when the woman was to drinke the cursed water if shee were an Adulteresse it was a curse to her the Lord appointed it to be death to her Now hee that loves not the Lord is an Adulterer that is hee is false to the Lord that should be his husband And when he loves not the Lord he doth love somewhat else And doth it not deserve a curse to preferre their pelfe before the Lord that he should love pleasures more than God that he should love the praise of men more thā the praise of God And this is the case of every man that loves not the Lord hee loves the world and hee that loves the world is an Adulterer and an Adulteresse saith St. Iames. Lastly when the Lord shall be a suiter to us when God shall offer his owne Sonne to us in marriage and we refuse him when Christ shall come from heaven to shew us the way to salvation and to guide our feete into the way of peace and we shall either be carelesse or resist it doe you not thinke the Lord will be filled with indignation against such a man will hee not be angry with such a man Is not the Sonne angry when he is not received Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry Will he not lay the axe to the roote of the tree and cut off such a man as men doe briers and thornes whose end is damnation This is the case of all those that love not when they reject the Lord and the Lord shall come to be a suiter to them and they will have none of him This is enough to cleare this to you That whosoever loves not is in an evill condition in a state of damnation he is not in Christ he is a man without the Covenant We come to make some use of this If it be of such moment to love the Lord then let every man looke to himselfe and consider whether hee have in his heart this love to the Lord Iesus for as it is with men although you may doe them many kindnesses yet if it proceed not from love they regard it not so it is with the Lord whatsoever you doe though you may doe much though you pray never so constantly though you sanctifie the Sabboth never so diligently doe what you will yet if you love him not he regards it not Neither circumscision is any thing nor uncircumcision is any thing but love Indeede when a man doth love him the Lord beares with much as you see hee did with David because he was one that loved him But when you love him not performe never so much he rejects all he heedes it not As you see it was with Amaziah you know how much he did yet it was not accepted hee did it not with a perfect heart that is he did it not out
of love And therefore the Lord doth with us as we doe with men when men have false hearts we see they love us not we say they doe but complement So the Lord Iesus doth This should helpe us to discover our selves there is no way to discover hypocrisie none so sure a signe of it as where love is not And therefore learne by this to know your selves and to judge of your condition It may be when we confesse our sinnes wee have not thought of this that we love not Christ or at the least we have not considered what a sinne it is but you may know what a sinne it is by the punishment of it 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus You may know the greatnesse of the sinne by the greatnesse of the punishment for the punishment is the measure of the sinne and marke it he doth not say if you beleeve not in the Lord Iesus or if you doe nor obey him but if you love not the Lord Iesus That is if there be an omission but of this one thing that you love not let such a man be accursed yea let him be had in execration to the death Therefore consider this how great a sinne it is not to love the Lord. And when you consider your sinnes and make a catalogue of them looke on this as that which discovers to us the vilenesse of our natures as Paul saith of lust I knew not that it was sinne but by the law but when sinne began to live he died So I may say of this it may be men take not this into consideration this sinne that they have not loved the Lord and therefore learne to know it When we consider this that he is accursed who loves not Christ it may open a crevise of light unto us to see what condition wee are in how cursed our nature is how hainous this sinne is when a man sees that there is a cursed man a man whom the Lord sets himselfe against a man whom the Lord is an enemie to whom he puts all the strength and power he hath to confound when hee sees there is a man whom the Gospell curseth which is more terrible than the Law because the curse of the Law may be repealed there is a remedie for that in the Gospell But the Gospell if that curse a man there is no remedie This should humble us for the Gospell should humble us as well as the Law And there are sinnes against the Gospell as well as against the Law and whatsoever is sinne should humble us yea the sinnes against the Gospell are greater than the sinnes against the Law And therefore in this sense the Gospell is fitter to humble us Now when a man comes to consider his sinne it may be possibly he lookes to sinnes especially against the morall Law but you must learne to doe more than that Begin to thinke Have I received the Lord Iesus Have I beleeved in Christ These are great sins against the Gospell and these sinnes should chiefly humble us If you thinke I presse this too hard consider the words of the Apostle I named Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus Let these words be sounding in your eares compare your hearts to them sometimes cast your eye on the one and sometimes on the other and see if it be not absolutely required to love the Lord. And againe reflect on your hearts and see if you be in the number of those that doe love him And take heede herein that you deceive not your selves for it is the manner when we presse the love of Christ upon them they are ready to say I hope I love the Lord I hope I am not such a miscreant as not to love him yea but consider whether thou doe or no it is true thou maist deceive me or another man when thou professest love to God but in this thou canst not deceive thy selfe for a man knowes what he loves love is a very sensible and quick affection When a man loves any thing when hee loves his wife loves his friend loves his sonne loves his sport his recreation he knowes he loves it he hath the sense of that love in himselfe Therefore consider with thy selfe whether thou hast any such stirring affection towards the Lord Iesus or no doest thou feele thy heart so possessed with him art thou sicke of love as the Spouse saith in the Canticles I am sicke of love That is are you grieved when he is absent are you glad when you have him when you can get into his presence for there is a kinde of painfulnesse in love and all painfulnesse is of a quicke sense When it is said the Church was sicke of love sicknesse is painfull And therefore when you want the Lord when there is a distance betweene him and you when he doth not looke on you as he was wont there will be painfulnesse in it and griefe Againe there will be much joy and gladnesse when you have him Therefore let it be one way to examine your selves if you feele such a love towards him or no. Besides that let mee aske thee if thou walke with the Lord if thou converse with him if thou be perfect in his presence if thou doe as Enoch did walke with the Lord from day to day as it is an argument of an evill man that he walkes not with the Lord that he restraines prayer from the Almighty that is that he doth not converse with him So is it a great argument of love to desire Gods company to desire to be with him to walke with God to use that phrase You will say What is that to walke with him To walke with him is to observe the Lords dealing with you and to observe your carriage and dealing to him againe that there may be continuall commerce and intercourse every day that continually every houre every moment you would consider and thinke what the Lord doth to you what his carriage is to you what passages of his providence concerne you Againe consider what you doe to him what carriage there is betweene you I say this conversing is an argument of love Shâ—ll a wife professe love to her husband and ne-never come where he is never be within dores and never be in his companie So will you say you love Christ and not be frequent in prayer or neglect and slight that duty seldome converse with him and seldome speake of him When you love your friend you are with him as much as you can you love to speake with him and to speake of him So it is with the Lord if you love him certainly you will love his company you will love his presence Besides if you love the Lord you know love is a diligent thing and therefore it is called dâ—ligent love 1 Thess. 1.4 Effectuall faith and diligent love that is when a man loves a thing he is diligent
desire long enough but how shall we be able to doe it I will tell you in a word and so conclude First you must pray for it it is a lovely suite when we come to the Lord and tell him that we desire to love him that we would faine doe it if we could and beseech him not to deny us that request that we know is according to his will doe you thinke that the Lord will refuse you in that case especially if you begge it importunately at his hands For if you object and say we have prayed and have not obtained it know that to love the Lord is a precious thing and therefore the Apostle reckons it so You will say How doth this prayer doe it I say that it doth it partly by obtaining at Gods hands for when you crie earnestly hee cannot denie you But as he did with the lame and the blinde when they were importunate hee never neglected any but healed them When you crie to the Lord and say I would faine love thee but I cannot will hee not be as willing to heale thy soule to give thee legges to runne after him and eyes to see him as he was to heale the lame and the blinde certainly he will not denie thee But besides that prayer doth it because it brings us to converse and to have communion with him by prayer wee are familiar with God by that meanes love growes betweene us as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love Againe prayer doth it because when wee are much in calling upon God the Lord delights to shew himselfe to such a man yea at such a time for the most part as hee shewed himselfe to Christ when he was praying as he did to Moses and to Cornelius and others And againe prayer it exerciseth this love it blowes up the sparke of this love and makes a flame of it therefore much prayer begets much love If you would be abundant in love be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer pray much and you shall finde this effect of it it will beget love in you You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love The reason is because love in an especiall manner is a gift of the Spirit a fruite of the holie Ghost and it is true it must be a peculiar worke of the Spirit to beget love It is true faith comes by hearing and hearing begets faith it is done likewise by the Spirit but love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the holie Ghost And therefore 2 Thess. 4. saith the Apostle You are taught of God to love one another That is it is such a thing as God teacheth or else our teaching will never doe it that which he saith of love to the brethren we may say of the love of God the Lord hath put love into man man loves many times and knowes not why many times he hath reason that he should love and yet he cannot because it is a peculiar gift of God That naturall affection for a man to love his children all the world cannot doe it all the arguments in the world cannot perswade a man for if arguments could doe it we might perswade others to doe so but none can love so as the father doth his childe and why but because the Lord workes that in men So the love of God is a peculiar worke of the holy Ghost none are able to love Iesus but hee in whom the Lord hath wrought it in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost to goe to him and say Lord I am not able to doe it this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevaile Besides you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature that except the holy Ghost worke more than nature we shall never be brought together in agreeablenesse and sutablenesse wee are no more able to love the Lord than colde water is able to heate it selfe there must be somewhat to breede heate in that water so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us it must be kindled from heaven or else we shall never have it Secondly another speciall meanes to enable you to love the Lord is to consider your owne condition to consider your sinnes what you are what hearts you have and what lives you have lead You will say how doth this beget love Yes this is a great meanes Mary loved much because much was forgiven her that is Mary Magdalen had great sense of her sinnes the Lord had opened her eyes to see what a one shee had beene what sinnes she had committed And because she had that sense of her sinnes her eyes were open to see her owne vilenesse thence it is saith he she loved much For when we are humble and poore in spirit when we are little in our owne eyes then the Lord will come and shew mercy on us when a man shall see his sinne and shall thinke with himselfe I am worthy to be destroyed I can expect nothing but death then the Lord shall come sodainly as it were and shall tell us you shall live and shall reconcile himselfe to us this will command love We shall never receive the Gospell as to love Christ till we come to poverty of spirit till we be thus humbled as in the first of Luke it is the speech of Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and why because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaiden When she was little in her owne eyes and made no account of her selfe and thought not her selfe worthy to be looked after the Lord comes and takes her and vouchsafes her such an honour as to cause his owne Sonne to be borne of her now she could not holde but that was it that enflamed her heart with love to the Lord my soule doth magnifie the Lord because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaid So wee see in David you never finde a greater expression of love in David than at that time when hee was most humbled when the Prophet came to him and tolde him what the Lord would doe for him that he would build him and house David begins to consider what he was what is David saith he What am I or what is my fathers house That is I am but a poore miserable man I am but thus borne what have I done that the Lord should respect me so farre If David had not beene so little and so vile in his owne eyes those great mercies had never so wrought on his heart And therefore I say the way to make us abundant in love is to consider our sinnes to be humbled to consider what
all that you doe Beloved he knoweth your hearts and seeth what motions you have and prizeth your actions accordingly If you doe any action for him that costs you something he observeth that likewise In Rev. 2. I know thy workes and thy patience so doth the Lord say of every man I know what such a service cost thee I know what losse thou sufferedst when thou didst part with such a thing for my sake Therefore if you would shew your love to the Lord and would have a testimonie in your hearts that you have this love wrought in you be not backward to bestow any thing upon Christ. The woman that brake the boxe of precious oyntment you see how the Lord accepted that worke of hers so much that he puts it down that it should never be forgotten For love wheresoever it is will open the heart and open the hand and bestow any thing upon Iesus Christ that is in our power Now if we examine whether love be amongst men by this signe wee shall finde but little love and we may justly take up the complaint of the Apostle Every man seekes his owne things and not the things of Iesus Christ that is when any thing is to be done men are ready to enquire thus it is the secret inquisition of their hearts What is this to mee what profit will it bring mee wherein will it be to mine advantage And if they finde it is a thing that will cost them something and a thing that they shall get nothing by how colde and backward are men to doe it It is from this that men seeke their owne things But here every man will be ready to professe and say that he is not so strait handed but hee is readie to doe manie things for Christ that hee is bountifull and seekes not his owne things My Beloved let us trie this now a little thou thinkest thou art so bountifull for the Lord I would aske thee this Doest thou doe it purely for the Lord in such a case when there is no profit nor praise with men nor advantage redounding to thy selfe art thou as forward then as when there are all those respects art thou as abundant in it as diligent and as ready to doe it This discovers the falshood of mens hearts for the most part And besides take it in the case of selfe-love consider what thou doest when thine owne selfe-love shall come in competition with this love to the Lord for in that we shall know our love to the Lord when wee denie our selves when wee crosse our selfe-love and reject and refuse it for otherwise it is no thanke to us when there is no inward crossing in us no contrary affections drawing us another way Therfore if you would know whether you love the Lord or no trie what you doe in the things that are dearest to you consider what you doe in those things that of all others you are most unwilling to part with for indeed herein is the tryall as the Lord said to Abraham when hee would have offered up his sonne Now Abraham I know that thou lovest mee As if he had said this is a sure testimony that thou lovest me because thy sonne is not deare to thee So I say when you are to part with something that is deare to you consider what you doe in such a case consider whether you can say generally I account all things but as losse and dung for Christ. It may be thou art willing to part with something that thou carest not much for but this is nothing Some man will not lose his credit that is deare to him Examine thy selfe now if thy credit be deare to thee art thou content to lose the praise of men for Christ when thou art put to a hazard art thou content to suffer the losse of thy estate Every man hath some particular temptation young men for the most part are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God and olde men are lovers of their owne wealth more than of God Therefore consider what you will doe now in your severall cases Christ you know requires this at every mans hands that his wife and children that his father and mother and whatsoever is dearest to him that hee should neglect it all for his sake and herein a mans love is seene And when you have done all this I will adde that further though you doe bring your hearts to doe it yet are you willing to doe it doe you doe it chearfully and readily for why doth the Lord require that as a necessarie condition that whatsoever is done to him might be done chearfully and willingly For no other reason than this but because hee regards nothing but that which commeth from love and if it come from love we know we doe it cheerefully Therefore consider whether thou art willing to doe this chearfully and with a full hand not nigardly and pinchingly and by this you shall know whether you have this love to the Lord Iesus or no whether you be bountifull whether you seeke the things of the Lord and not your owne things In the second place you shall finde this to be one propertie of love by which you may trie your selves it will be content with nothing but with love againe from the party whom wee love If one love another let him doe never so much let him be never so kinde in his actions towards him let him be never so bountifull to him yet except he have love againe hee is content with nothing Indeede when we doe not love a man we can be content to receive profit from him and it is no matter though his heart goe another way so we enjoy it but it is the nature of true love to desire to be paid in its owne coyne Now if thou love the Lord Iesus if thou mightest haue all the blessings that he could bestow upon thee if hee should open his hand wide and compasse thee about with abundance yet if thou louest the Lord thou wouldest not be content with this but thou wouldest have assurance of his love thy heart would be at no rest else And this you may see in David Psal. 51. David you know was well enough hee had health and wealth and abundance of all things yet you see how miserably he complained because he wanted that joy that hee was wont to have because he was not in those termes with the Lord that he was wont to be and till hee had that his bones were broken with sorrow and hee tooke it so to heart that nothing in the world could content him till he was assured of Gods favour And it is certaine that if thou love the Lord nothing will satisfie thy soule but the assurance of his loving countenance to thee againe Therefore that which Absolom did we may make use of upon this occasion hee had that wit to make a right pretence whatsoever his intent was when hee was called from
banishment where hee lived well enough and enjoyed all things hee wanted nothing but had as much as hee could desire yet saith he what doth all this availe me so long as I may not see the Kings face It was but his craftinesse Yet thus much we may observe out of it that this is the property of love that till a man see the face of God that is till he enjoy a neare and close communion with God untill he can have the love of God witnessed to his soule hee cares for nothing in the world besides As you have it in 2 Chron. 7.14 you have that condition put in If my people saith he when they are in distresse shall humble themselves and seeke my face then I will doe thus and thus As if he should say it may be they may seeke libertie when they are in captivitie it may be they may seeke health when they are in sicknesse it may be they may seeke deliverance from enemies under whom they are enthralled but that is not the condition that I put them upon but if they humble themselves and seeke my face then I will heare in heaven c. So I say now if you will trie whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you seeke his face that is whether you seeke grace or no whether nothing in the world can content you but his favour For it is the property of one that is truly sanctified mercie alone will not content him but hee will have grace as well as mercy Another man that loveth not the Lord it is true it may be hee is pinched with the sense of his sinnes but let him have mercy it is enough hee thinkes but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God except he have grace it contents him not for that is the property and nature of true love that it careth for no wages all that it desires is the love of the party that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted and there is a great difference in that You know a nurse doth much unto the childe as well as the mother and it may be more but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired but the mother doth it for nothing and she doth it more abundantly because she doth it out of love and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it because shee loves her childe So I say if you love the Lord Iesus it is not wages that you seeke but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you if you may have his favour if you may have opportunitie to doe him service in your place it is enough for you you care not for the present wages nor for future Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love the rightnesse and ingenuity of it if it be so that all that you doe is out of love to the Lord and if you can content your selves with love againe from God it is a signe that you love the Lord Iesus Againe to proceed if you love the Lord Iesus you will also love his appearance as you have it in 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse is laid up for me and as many as love the appearance of Iesus Christ and in Heb. 9. ult Hee was offered for the sinnes of many and shall appeare the second time to such as looke for him c. For whom was he offered and to whom shall he appeare To as many as looke for his comming againe So in 2 Pet. 3.13 What manner of men saith the Apostle ought we to be in all godlinesse holy conversation looking for and hasting to the appearance of Christ c. So that it is certaine every man that loveth the Lord Iesus hee loves his appearance hee hasteneth to the comming of the Lord he lookes for his comming againe and it must needes be so in reason For if you love any you know you must needes love their presence will you professe that you are louing to any that when you heare of their comming towards you there is no newes more unacceptable to you If a woman had a husband in the East Indies and report of his comming home should be the worst newes that shee could heare shall wee thinke that such a woman loues her husband So if you did loue the Lord Iesus you would be glad to haue his appearance And Beloved seeing the Apostle hath chosen out this note why should not we presse it in our examination of our selues whereby wee may know whether wee loue the Lord Iesus or no whether wee desire to be with the Lord whether we can say as the Apostle Paul Wee desire to be at home and to be with the Lord If we examine the loue of men by this rule wee shall finde that there is exceeding little loue to the Lord Iesus men are so exceeding backward in desiring to be at home and to be with him and we may know that by our backwardnesse to be in the Lords presence upon earth Shall wee thinke that men are desirous to be in his presence in heauen and yet are so unwilling to draw neare to him upon earth But you will object Many of those that loue the Lord that are men truly sanctified yet are afraid of death and the newes of death is terrible to them and therefore surely this is a rare signe euen in those that haue faith and loue to desire the appearance of Iesus Christ I answer it is true there may be a backwardnesse even in the Saints but you must know upon what ground it is A spouse that is to marrie a husband no question but shee would be glad to be handsome and to be prepared for his comming and though shee may desire his companie exceedingly yet because things are not so readie as she would have them or for feare that he may finde that which may divert and turne away his eyes from delighting in her perhaps shee desires not his comming at that time There is a certaine negligence and unpreparednesse in mens hearts which breedes an unwillingnesse in them sometimes and makes them afraid of seeing the Lord and yet there may be a true and inward love after him Besides you know there is flesh as well as spirit and the spirituall part desires as Paul did to be at home and to be with the Lord and to enjoy his presence but that flesh that is in us is alwayes backward to it Therefore in Revel 14.13 Blessed are those that die in the Lord so saith the Spirit but so saith not the flesh the voice of the flesh is contrary to it but it is the voice of the spirit and the regenerate part that is in us So that this I may boldly say to you that every man that hath this faith and love wrought in him by the Spirit of God hee hath that in him which doth earnestly desire communion with
after an other manner he sees now an other beautie in God than ever he saw before hee sees an other excellencie in him for that knowledge he had of him before bredd not love But when a man is once within the Covenant the Lord will teach him such a knowledge of himselfe as withall will worke the love of him Such a knowledge you must have of the Lord and you may help your selves to love him by reasoning if ever you saw any excellencie in any man or in any creature it did help you to love that creature Thinke with your selves there is more in God that made that creature He that made the eye shall hee not see So he that wrought that excellency shall not he have it in himselfe in a greater measure Besides you may consider how the Lord hath described himselfe that hee is most wise most mercifull and full of kindness and gentlenes and abundant in truth as you know that description in Exod. 34. Go through all the vertues and excellencyes that are amiable if you looke in the Scripture you shall find them to be in the Lord. This serious consideration will help you to increase your knowledge of the Lord and by consequent your love of him So that if you would come to loue a man what is it that causeth you to love him but because by his speech and by his carriage and behaviour you come to have such an apprehension of his disposition he hath a minde thus framed thus qualified thus beautified When you conceiue such an Idea of him you love him So when you apprehend the Lord aright when you observe him as he is described in his word when you observe his doings when you consider his workes and learne from all these together a right apprehension of him I say when you have such an Idea of him such an opinion of him then the will followes the understanding and the affections then followes then you come to love him and to delight in him Therefore learne to know the Lord by his former carriage towardes your selves how kinde he hath beene how exceeding patient how exceeding readie to forgiue how much kindnesse he hath shewed how hath he in mercy remembred you though you have forgotten him how you haue recompenced him evill for good yet hee hath not broaken off the course of his mercie towards you Consider his dealing with you and learne by this to know the Lord and this will be a meanes to encrease in you the love of the Lord. This is not all there is another thing which is the second branch that I tolde you of that is to looke upon God as one sutable to you and to your disposition For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him if he be not agreeable to you you love him not A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent in many respects yet he is not a fit husband for her It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition that causeth us to love him Therefore when you put these two together consider the Lords mercie and see that and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull and looke on your selves as very weake needing that power when you looke on him as the Lord of life and see your selves subject to death and needing that life when you see your owne folly and his wisedome go through all in him and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable as one that is agreeable to you and till you come to this you shall never love him and long after him till the heart namely is thus framed till a man is humbled till he comes to the sight of himselfe for as you must know God so you must know your selves before you can love him I say when a man comes to that hee begins to looke on God as upon one agreeable to him As take a man who is touched with the feare of his sinnes whose heart is broken who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath and of his owne unworthinesse such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world but the assurance of Gods love and his favour As you see in naturall things let a man be very weary the daintiest meate in the world whatsoever you give him will not heale him but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect nothing will helpe him but rest Againe let a man be hungry and faint for want of meate all the musicke the best ayre or whatsoever you can give him will doe him no good it must be meate that must helpe him If a man have a disease it is not sleepe it is not meate and drinke it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease So it is with the heart of man when his heart is so broken so humbled and touched with the sense of his sinnes that hee longs after nothing but remission nothing but the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of his love and kindnesse nothing will satisfie him but that it is so in naturall defects and so it is in the soule when the heart of a man is so fashioned that it lookes upon God as one agreeable to him and there is nothing else sutable but onely the Lord and his favour and his love that is required to breede this love in you towards him What is the reason else that it is said Hosea 5. ult When they are afflicted they will seeke mee diligently But because afflictions teach a man to know himselfe it teacheth him to know his owne weaknesse to see his owne sinne his owne impotency his owne unworthinesse and when he hath done this then he lookes upon God as one who onely is fit for him as one who is onely able to helpe him Affliction doth but discover what was there before For man is a weake and impotent creature made for the Lord he is nothing without the Lord it is the conjunction with God that makes him up onely he knowes not this he understands not this Therefore when God opens a mans eyes either by the immediate worke of his Spirit to teach him to know himselfe or by affliction then he comes to seeke after the Lord when they are afflicted they will seeke me diligently If thou shouldest have such an offer as was made to those Acts 2. Peter tells them there they should have remission of sinnes they should receive the gift of the holy Ghost if this had beene offered to them before they knew themselves before they had beene humbled and pricked at the heart as it is said they were would they have regarded such an offer as this No they would not although they had understood that offer never so well So I say though you know his name and his excellent attributes never so perfectly yet till
desire God were not wee hate him 3 131 O. Oathes Wherein lesser oathes exceed greater 3 114 Obedience 2 94 Object Iustifying faith differeth from generall faith in the obiect 1 48 Obiect of faith 1 52 Faith and opinion differ in the obiect 1 120 Offer Errours touching the generall offer of Christ. 1 11 Who sleight Gods offer 3 21 God offers his love to us 3 144 Office Things are effectuall when they doe their proper office 2 21 Onely Christ must be taken only 1 19 Opinion Opinion 1 47 Opinion variable 1 98 Opinion wherein it differeth from faith 1 120 Errours in opinion the worst errours 3 210 Opportunities Opportunities neglected shew want of love 3 62 Opportunities not to be slipped 3 211 Outward Outward things whence it is that wee overvalue them 2 161 In outward things God dealeth promiscuously 2 204 Not to iudge by Gods outward dealing 2 205 Gods curse in outward estate 3 180 P. Pacifie To pacify the heart an act of faith 1 62 Pardon Wee should labour for assurance of pardon 2 73 Pardon propounded generally 2 150 Passeover The Lords Supper beyond the Passeover in two respects 2 58 Paines Measure of grace not gotten without paines 3 203 Peace Peace a signe of faith 2 108 Peace wicked men may live and die in it and why 2 209 Peace twofold 2 112 Peace unsound a great iudgement 2 114 Person We must take heede of errour concerning Christs Person 1 18 True love lookes to the Person 1 53 Many take Christ but love not his Person 2.12 Love must be pitched on Christs Person 3 171 Perfect Faith made perfect by workes what 2 69 Perswasion Perswasion of forgivenesse on what ground to build it 1 99 Perswasion degrees in it 1 118 Perswasion to grow in it 1 127 Perswasion false what 2 17 Perswasion secret of the Spirit 2 84 Perswasion may be in men that beleeve not 3 16 Perswasion may be weake in a true beleever 3 17 Persecute They that persecute Christians persecute Christ. 3 121 Pitty A love of pitty 3 8 Plague Plague causes of it 3 91 Plague how to remove it 3 94 Pleasures Pleasures how faith guides in them 2 164 Pleasures of sinne forsâ—ken of good men why 2 165 Pleasures to love them more than God is to hate him 3.133 Pleasures not to love them more than God what 3 107 Plenty Plenty a man may be cursed in it 3.181 Poore We cannot love Christ till we be spiritually poore 3 52 Posterity How faith guides a mans care for posterity 2 165 Power Power to receive Christ is of God 1 11 Power given by God when wee resolve to take Christ. 1 26 Power against sinne where Christ dwelleth 2 102 Powers of the world to come what meant by tasting them 2 134 Love powerfull as fire 3 87 Prayse Praysing God the ground of it 1 80 Prayse with men 2 159 Practise Practise of Christ when hee was on earth 1 111 Prayer Prayer how to prevaile in it 1 13â— Spirit of prayer a signe of faith 2 103 Prayer what maketh earnest and bolde in it 2 104 Prayer what 2 105 Prayer double Ibid Prayer a meanes to love God 3 â—9 Prayer workes love 4 wayes Ibid. What kinde of prayer comes from love 3 81 Prayer needfull in times of iudgement 3 212 Preaching Preaching of Christ and his Apostles the summe of it 1 84 Presence Presence of Christ desired according to the measure of faith 3 74 Presence of God separation from it a curse 3 179 Preparation Good preparation makes faith effectuall 2 29 Pride Pride a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Priviledges Priviledges spirituall why they affect us not 1 108 Prize That we may prize blessings GOD defers the giving them 2 199 Love sets a price on all we doe 3 151 Private Private duties performed without love 3 8â— Profit How faith guides in case of profit 2 160 Promise Promises the certainty of them 1 34 Promises two things in laying holde of them 1 94 Promises made in sicknessâ— seldome performed 2 11 Promises the beleeving of them in particular 2 34 Promises made promiscuously 2 4â— Promises the application of them wrought by the Spirit 2 53 Promises cleared 2 88 Promises not seen without the Spirit 2 89 Promises how to know they are cleared 2 91 Promises how to try our faith in them 2 114 Prosperitie Prosperity of wicked men 2 200 Prosperity hurts wicked men 2 205 Prosperity in sinne a miserable condition 2 206 Providence Providence of God crossed by our prayers 2 200 Purposes Purposes of good why they come to nothing in many 2 74 Purposes good whence they arise 3 192 Purifie To purify the heart an act of faith 1 165 True faith purifieth the heart 2 93 Q. Qualification Vpon what qualification Christs righteousnesse is given 1 12 See Exclude Qualitie see Faith Quicke Love of a quick nature 2 125 Love quick like fire 3 85 R. Reason Faith a new addition to the light of reason â— 55 Received Receiving Righteouâ—nesse of Christ must be received as well as offered 1 15 In receiving of Christ 3 things must concurre 1 28 Wee must not onely beleeâ—e in but receive Christ. 1 51 None have benefit by Christ but thâ—se that receive him Ibid. Reconcile To reconcile us to God an act of faith 1 62 Reciprocall Reciprocall match betweene Christ and us 2 92 Reflect Reflect act of faith admits degrees 1 126 A beast cannot reflect on his actions 2 91 Rejoyce Reioyce we should in GOD. 1 76 Reioyce in our selves wee are prone to it 1 77 Religion Religion hated under other notions 3 104 Religion what 3 199 Remedie The curse of the Gospell without remedy 3 23 Repentance Repentance required when wee have taken Christ. 1 23 Repentance ioyned with faith 2 94 Repentance not to be deferred 2 106 Repentance removes a plague 3 94 Revealed Why Christs righteousnesse is said to be revealed 1 4 Wee should labour to have more truthes revealed 1 129 Respect GODS respect to Christians in affliction 2 209 Reward Reward according to our workes 2 71 182 Reward we may use motives from it 3 80 Reward love bargaines not for it 3 96 Riches see Happie Righteousnesse Righteousnesse why revealed in the Gospell 1 2 Righteousnesse in the Gospell commended 1 3 Righteousnesse 6 questions about it 1 5 Righteousnesse of Christ how wee come by it 1 7 Righteousnesse to whom it is given 1 9 Righteousnesse what required of us when we have it 1 23 Christ our righteousnesse 2 150 Rob. If we love not GOD we rob him 3 46 Rooted How to be rooted in love 3 171 S. Sacrament Sacraments preach faith 1 87 Sacrament rules of examination touching it 2 202 Sacrament not to be omitted why 3 58 Sacrament unworthily received a cause of the plague 3 92 Saints Saints love to them a signe we love God 3 100 120 Saints foure tryalls of our love to them 3 101 Sanctification Sanctification God puts
will shut men vp in Hell and therefore it is of no small moment He giues a reason in these words why it is the power of GOD to saluation For saith he by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed That is the righteousnesse which is of GOD which only GOD accepts and by which alone men can be saued is reuealed by the Gospell and no other way But to what purpose is this reuealed if I know not how to come by it Many things are reuealed but how shall I know that they are mine Therefore he addes it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeues As it is reuealed by the Gospell so something is to be done on our part as GOD manifests it exposes it and layes it open so you must receiue it by faith I but I haue not so strong a faith I cannot beleeue as I would and as I should Sayes he Faith hath degrees it is reuealed from faith to faith That is one receiues it in one degree and the same afterward receiues it in a greater degree and so forward All are alike iustified but there is difference in Faith some is stronger some is weaker which I will afterward shew at large The point to be gathered out of these words is this That Righteousnesse by which alone we can be saued now in the time of the Gospell is reuealed and offered to all that will take it When you heare this it may be at the very reading you may not haue such a conceit of the thiâ—g as you should haue but it is not a matter of light moment but an exceeding great thing to see the righteousnesse of GOD reuealed It is the great glorious mysterie of the Gospell which the Angels desire to pry into which made Paul in his Ministery so glorious which swallowed vp his thoughts that he could not tell how to expresse it that now in this last Age Christ hath reuealed through vs the vnsearchable Riches of his Grace that is Riches which I know not how to expresse Therefore hee prayes that God would open their eyes that they might comprehend with all the Saints the height and length and breadth of that Redemption which Christ hath wrought for them It is past a full comprehension yet he prayes that they may comprehend it in such a measure as is possible though there is a height and breadth and depth therein which could not be measured And this is it that is reuealed to the soules of men the scaping of Hell and death this free accesse to the Throne of Grace which none before had this liberty to be made sonnes of GOD an heyres of heauen yea Kings and Priests to GOD and making good of all promises and the entayling of them to our posterity and making them Yea and Amen All this I say is now reuealed which before was not 2. It is said to bee reuealed marke that partly because this of all other things was neuer written in the hearts of men The Morall Law was written therein but they had not the least inckling the least creuice of light to see this partly because it is now opened in a larger measure then it was heretofore in the times of the Prophets the doore was a little open before but now it is wide open and nothing is hid from the soules of men that is necessary for them to know Againe it is reuealed not onely in regard of the Preachers that make it knowne but likewise in regard of them that heare it for there is a greater measure of the Spirit of Reuelation dispensed vnder the Gospell Therefore Eph. 1.18 the Apostle prayes that the eyes of their vnderstanding might be opened that they might know what is the hope of their Calling and the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints For what is it to haue a light shining if their eyes be shut to whom it shines So the thing reuealed is the Righteousnesse of God And lastly it is that Righteousnesse by which alone men can be saued This is the maine point which that you may vnderstand I will open by answering these 6. Questions 1. How this righteousnesse of GOD or which is accepted of GOD saues 2. How it is offered to vs. 3. To whom it is offered 4. Vpon what qualifications 5. How it is made ours And lastly What is required of vs when we haue it These hang one on another but for memory sake I haue thus distinguished them First How doth it saue I answer 1. This righteousnes saues after the same manner that the vnrighteousnesse of Adam did condemne let vs set these two together and the thing will be plaine First as Adam was one man yet the common roote of all mankinde of whom all that are guilty of death and shall be damned must be borne so CHRIST the second Adam stands as a publike person and the Root of all that shall be ingrafted into and borne of him Secondly as Adams first vnrighteousnes the first sinne he committed is communicated to men and made theirs by imputation and not so onely but by inherencie also for it hath bred in them originall sinne After the same manner and by the same equity the righteousnesse that Christ wrought is made ours by imputation and this imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ worketh a righteousnesse which qualifies the person and is inherent in vs. Lastly as after this vnrighteousnes comes death which rules and raignes in vs bringing euery thing into subjection so that all the comforts men possesse are ouercome in some degree while we liue here all sicknesses and troubles and crosses being as so many skirmishes which Death hath with vs before the maine Battell comes So in CHRIST life raignes ouer all and brings all into subjection to him that is it brings all the troubles man sustaineth all the enemies he hath yea death and sinne into subjection by degrees in this life and after death perfectly There is a comparison made in Rom. 5.14 which you shall finde more fully to expresse and more largely to set this out then I haue done The first Adam was a figure of him that was to come and 1 Cor. 15.45 CHRIST is called the second Adam now you doe see the miserable fruit of Adams fall you see by lamentable experience what originall sinne is and how much it hath corrupted vs why then should you thinke it a strange thing that the righteousnesse of CHRIST should be imputed Againe Death you see raignes ouer all by one Why then will not you beleeue that life shall reigne ouer all men that is bring euery enemy of ours into subjection by the other For the righteousnesse of one saues as the vnrighteousnesse of the other condemnes Another expression I finde in 2 Cor. 5.21 As CHRIST was made sinne for vs who knew no sinne so are we made the righteousnesse of God in him That is though CHRIST was a man without sinne in himselfe
whom you will serue altogether So that to take CHRIST with a iustifying faith is nothing else but to receiue him as it is expressed in many other places of Scripture Ioh. 1.11 Hee came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not but to as many as receiued him he gaue power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name And so it is not as the Papists say a meere act of the vnderstanding but a taking of him for your GOD your Sauiour to whom alone you will bee subject and giue your selfe Last of all When these two are done and effected so that there is no errour either in the person or in the forme there is yet one thing more remaines behinde and that is to take and accept him with a compleate a deliberate and true will For euen as in other matches put the case the person bee knowne and the forme duely obserued yet if there does not concurre a compleat will it is not properly a match and therefore those matches are vnlawfull which are made before yeeres of discretion when a man hath not the vse of his will or when a man is in a phrenzie because there is then no compleat or deliberate will so in this spirituall Match you shall see how many the want of such a will excludes First I say it must be compleat which excludes all wishers and woulders that prize CHRIST a little that could bee content to haue CHRIST but it is rather an inclination then a compleat will that are in an Aequilibrio that would haue CHRIST but not yet that would liue a little longer at ease and haue a little more wealth but are not come to a resolute peremptory will that haue onely a weake inclination which is not enough for in a match the will must be compleate and it 's needfull it should be so it being a thing that must continue all a mans life Againe it must be a deliberate will and this excludes all those that will take CHRIST in a good moode on some sudden flash when they are affected at a good Sermon and haue some good motions cast into their mindes that will at such a time be content to take CHRIST to serue him and obey him to forsake their sinnes and giue ouer their former lusts but the will is not deliberate Last of all as it must be compleat and deliberate so it must be a true will that is it must be free and that excludes all them that meerely for seruile feare at time of death in the day of sicknesse and trouble when Hell and Heauen are presented to them will take CHRIST Indeede you can scarce come to any but in such a case hee will professe that he is now content to take CHRIST for his Lord and Sauionr but this is done by constraint and so the will is not free So I say when all these concurre the match is now made and you are iustified But after the match is made something is required Therefore there is one Question more and that is What is this that is required after the making of the match I answer It is required that you loue your Husband Iesus Christ that you forsake Father and Mother and become one Spirit with him as you are one flesh with your Wife for you are now bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh 2. Againe it is now required that you should repent And that is the meaning of that place Repent for the Kingdome of heauen is at hand I tell you of a Kingdome and a great Kingdome but no man can come into that Kingdome except hee repent You must walke no longer after the flesh but after the Spirit You must haue your flesh crucified with all the affections and lusts of it Thirdly You must part with euery thing for his sake whether you haue riches or honours or credit or whatsoeuer it is no matter you must be ready to let them all goe 4. Againe You must be ready to vndergoe any thing for his sake you must haue him for worse as well as for better you must be content to bee hated of all men for his sake you must take vp your crosse and follow him 5. Againe You must doe much aswell as as suffer much for him he dyed to this end that he might purchase to him a peculiar people zealous of good workes you must respect him as a Wife doth her Husband not as a seruant doth a hard Master you must not looke on his Commandements as a hard taske whereof you could willingly be excused but as one that hath his heart inflamed to walke in them as a louing Wife that needes not to be bidden to doe this or that but iâ— the doing of it may aduantage her Husband it will be a greater griefe to her to let them lye vndone then labour to doe them But now men say This is a hard condition I little thought of it It is true the condition is hard and that is the reason that so few are willing to come in when they vnderstand these after-clap conditions that they must part with all that they must be persecuted that their wil must be perfectly subject to the will of Christ that they must be holy as he is holy that the same mind must be in them that is in Christ Iesus that they must be of those peculiar people of GOD. And therefore haue wee told you that none will come in to take CHRIST for their Husband till they haue beene bitten with the sense of their sinnes till they be heauy laden and haue felt the weight of Satans yoake till then they will not come vnder the yoake of CHRIST but those that be humble that haue their hearts broken that know what the wrath of GOD is that haue their consciences awaked to see sinne will come in and be glad they haue CHRIST though on these conditions but the other will not If you will haue CHRIST on these condition you may But we preach in vaine all the world refuseth CHRIST because they will not leaue their couetousnesse and idlenesse and swearing and their seuerall sports and pleasures their liuing at liberty and Company-keeping they will not doe the things that CHRIST requires at their hands and all because they are not humbled they know not what sinnne meanes whereas should GOD shew it to them in its right colours should they be but in Iudas his case had they tasted of the Terrours of the Almightie were their consciences enlightned and did it set them on they would take him with all their heart But an other Objection comes in I would come in but how should I doe it I want power and ability I cannot mortifie the deedes of the body could I doe that I would not stand on the businesse To this I giue a speedy answer If thou canst come with this resolution to take him take no care for doing
Publican for he was in outward performances better then he but because he had an opinion of his owne righteousnesse he was conceited of a worthinesse in himselfe therefore he went home not iustified What was it that excluded the Iewes was it not an opinion of something they had of their owne The Laodiceans they thought they were rich and increased and wanted nothing therefore they neuer came to buy of CHRIST That which a man thinkes he hath already of his owne hee will neuer bee at the cost to buy therefore that is the first thing that a man must doe hee must thinke himselfe of no worth at all he must be empty of all opinion and conceit of his owne excellency But this is not all although a man be perswaded of this that he hath no worthinesse in himselfe yet if he thinke hee is able to helpe himselfe and can stand alone without GOD he will not come to take CHRIST and therfore this further is required that a man see that he hath no ability to helpe himselfe that all his redemption must come from CHRIST for if you aske many men whether they haue any opinion of worth in themselues they will be ready to answer No. What then is the reason that they come not to CHRIST It is because they are in health and prosperity and they can doe it soone enough hereafter they can yet for the present subsist without Christ but when GOD shall shew a mans heart to himselfe when GOD shewes a man his danger and shewes it him as a present and how vnable he is to helpe himselfe out of danger then a man will haue no rest till he haue Christ. Therefore you shall see both these required 1 Cor. 1.30 CHRIST must be to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption too First if a man thinke that there is any thing in him either wisdome righteousnesse or sanctification that excludes him for he will reioyce in himselfe and that concernes the first condition required to be empty of all opinion of worth But yet if a man thinke that hee is able to stand safe and secure for a time that hee is able to be a Buckler to himselfe that hee hath somewhat wherevnto he may leane and doth not see that CHRIST must be his redemption also he will not come at CHRIST That which kept the Prodigall sonne away it was not an opinion of any worth in himselfe but because he thought hee could liue without his father hee had his portion in his owne hands and at his owne disposing and he would not come home to his Father till he could liue of himselfe no longer so that though wee haue an opinion of no worth in our selues yet if wee conceiue or thinke that we can liue without CHRIST wee will not care for him This was the fault of those that were inuited to the marriage they refused to come not because they thought that themselues were of worth but they were perswaded that they needed not those things to which they were inuited Therefore I say these two things must be done a man must be emptied of all opinion of worth in himselfe And secondly of all ability in himselfe to helpe himselfe and when faith hath done both these then it brings a man to CHRIST when a man seeth that there is nothing in him why GOD should regard him and that he cannot stand longer nor be in safety longer then CHRIST helps him and speakes peace to him now a man is fit to take hold vpon CHRIST and therefore we must learne to come to CHRIST with an empty heart Many men complaine that they would beleeue but they want that sorrow that they should haue they want that repentance that they would haue they thinke they are not yet fit therefore they dare not apply the promises To these we say now that there is a double kinde of complaint One is when a man lookes vpon these things as vpon things that make him fit which if he haue he thinkes GOD will respect him and if he haue not he thinkes that GOD will not looke after him If thy complaint be thus it is sinfull for in this thou seekest something in thy selfe But if a mans complaint be this that he is not yet awaked enough that he is not yet sensible enough of his sinnes the doctrine of the remission of his sinnes and free Justification doth not affect him as it should Indeed here is iust cause of complaint for these things are necessary before you can come to take CHRIST Therefore that place in Mat. 10.11 will explaine this and answer an objection that may be made against it when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospell when they came to any house they were bidden to Enquire who were worthy If any man be worthy saith CHRIST your peace shall come vpon him but if he be not worthy shake off the dust c. A man would thinke by this that there were some worthinesse required in the partie that comes to CHRIST and that before hee can apply the first promise of Justification To this we answer the worthinesse that is required here is nothing else but an ability to prize CHRIST to set him at a high rate to long after him to hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse your peace shall come vpon such a man That is if there bee a broken-hearted man that lookes after CHRIST whose heart yeranes after him that he is able to prize him aright he shall be accepted but if they bee such men as will not receiue you such as will not set meat before you such as will giue you no respect shake off the dust of your feete c. So that I say such a complaint we may make If we finde a want of desire after CHRIST for that is required but if we looke vpon any thing as a qualification in our selues such a worthinesse is not required we must be driuen out of all conceit of it or else we cannot take Christ. So much for the Vse that seeing it is onely faith whereby wee lay hold of Christs righteousnesse that then we haue no reason to be discouraged in respect of any want nay we must finde a want of all things before wee can be made partakers of this righteousnesse Againe secondly if it bee by faith onely by which we are made partakers of this righteousnesse and by which we are saued then we should learne hence to reioyce onely in GOD and not to reioyce in our selues for this is the very end why GOD hath appointed this way of saluation Eph. 1.6 For he hath chosen vs to the praise of the glory of his grace in his Beloued That is that he might haue the praise of the glory of his grace as it is in Ephes. 2. Therefore it is of faith and not by workes that no man should boast of himselfe 1 Cor. 1.30 Therefore CHRIST is made to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification
goest and nothing but death shall part betweene me and thee When Naomi saw that she was stedfastly minded she tooke her along with her So if GOD should receiue men at the first many men would come in and take hold vpon Christ and make a profession of his Name but they would not hold out to the end with him But when CHRIST shall tell them I haue not so much as a place to lay my head in if thou wilt haue me thou must deny thy selfe and take vp thy Crosse and thou shalt finde a great deale of trouble and suffer persecution If a man now notwithstanding this will not be beaten off from Christ but though Christ turne the deafe eare to him for the present and present to him all manner of difficulties yet if he will notwithstanding all this be constant still in importuning God to haue CHRIST when GOD shall see that his mind is thus set he will take him along with him hee will be thine and thou shalt be his his people shall be thy people this is it that knits the knot betweene you My Beloued is mine and I am his his Word is passed for it he hath promised his consent now if we will giue ours the match is made If it were doubtfull whether wee should haue his consent it were another case but we haue a sure Word for it wee should learne therefore to importune him Now when we haue done this when wee are come with this boldnesse and haue laid hold vpon CHRIST then let vs looke to the priuiledges then let vs take the pardon of our sinnes adoption and reconciliation and all things else only remember that condition of after-obedience that though wee may come freely and come with this boldnesse and though nothing be required but that we take this Sonne of GOD that is offered yet I say there is a condition of after-obedience wee must resolue to serue him and to loue him with all our heart we must resolue to doe that that Ruth promiseth to Naomi to liue with him and to be with him and that his people shall be our people c. But you will say I am willing to doe this to part from my lusts and to be to CHRIST alone but I am not able my lusts are strong and preualent To this I answer If thou bee but willing Christ desires no more I would but aske thee this Suppose that thou wert able to ouercome those lusts take a man that is strongly giuen to good-fellowship as they call it to company-keeping that is giuen to fornication to swearing or whatsoeuer the sinne bee take any preualent lust that is in any man that now heareth me I would aske him this Question Put the case thou wert able to get the victory ouer thy lust wouldst thou be content to part with it and to take CHRIST If thou sayest No I had rather enioy the sweetnesse of my lusts still Art thou not now worthy to be condemned But if thou answer I would vpon condition I were able to ouercome my lusts I assure thee GOD will make thee able GOD requires no more but a willingnesse to come and take CHRIST the other is Gods worke I but I haue tryed and haue not found it so I answer it cannot be thou hast not yet solued to part with thy lusts thou hast not yet set downe this peremptory conclusion in thy selfe that thou wilt forsake euery thing that you may haue CHRIST If any man say he is willing to take CHRIST and to part with the sweetnesse and the pleasantnesse and the profitablenesse that his lust brings to him if he could get the victory if hee were freed from the sollicitations of them Let me tell thee thou must first resolue to take Christ vpon his owne conditions and for the other GOD hath promised to doe that himselfe 1. Cor. 8.9 God will confirme you and keepe you blamelesse for he is faithfull that hath called you to the fellowship of his Sonne As if hee should haue said Doe you thinke that GOD will call men to CHRIST that he will beseech men to take his Sonne will he call you to the fellowship of his Sonne and will hee not keepe you blameles he hath promised it and sworn it if he should not doe it hee should be vnfaithfull when GOD calleth you to come vnto Christ he promiseth that the vertue of Christs death shall kill sinne in you and that the vertue of Christs Resurrection shall raise you vp to newnesse of life GOD hath promised that he will giue the Holy Ghost for he neuer giues his Sonne to any but he giues them the Spirit of his Sonne too Now Hee that hath called you is faithfull and he will doe it So that I say if thou wilt come in that is if thou wilt accept of CHRIST vpon his conditions it is certaine GOD will receiue thee and if thou find thy selfe troubled with the violence of any lust or of any temptation presse vpon GOD vrge him with his Word and promise that he would assist thee by his own strength that he would enable thee to ouercome that he would giue thee the Spirit of his Sonne and resolue as Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him for I haue a sure promise Heauen and Earth shall passe but not one tittle of his sure Word shall passe till it be fulfilled Now because this is a point of much moment this laying hold vpon the promises and because it is a thing that is not easily done therefore I will shew you these two things The first is this that the vnderstanding must be rightly informed what ground a man hath to doe it when a man comes to beleeue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes let him not thinke I haue a perswasion that my sinnes are forgiuen therefore they are forgiuen but a man must labour to see the ground of it for a thing is not true because wee are perswaded it is so but the thing is first true and then we beleeue it GOD hath first offered forgiuenesse of sinnes to you and then you looke vpon his Word and so beleeue it But I say when a man is perswaded in a confused manner without any iust ground without a cleere knowledge of the progresse of faith how it goeth along this is not right this keepeth many from assurance because they are not cleerely instructed in it For to the end that faith may take hold of the promise that it may be sure to vs we must conceiue of the right method and that stands in these foure things First we must see our owne condition we must be sicke before we can seeke to the Physician we must see our selues to be condemned men that there is nothing in vs to helpe our selues wee must be broken in heart in some measure wee must see our selues to bee children of wrath and then we will come and seeke for a remedy and that
of GOD when a businesse is to be done with the will and affections GOD must perswade it as in Noah's speech God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Sem As if he should say I may perswade in vaine except GOD put to his hand to the worke So it is the property of the Spirit to conuince as Ioh. 16. The Spirit shall conuince the World of sinne and righteousnesse That is he shall shew men their sinnes and their neede and withall conuince them and perswade them to take Christs righteousnes Thus I say it is GOD that draweth the will it is he that puts a strong instinct into the heart of man it is he that must worke on the heart as in Ioh. 6.44 None can come to me except the Father draw him How shall that be done If GOD doth once draw a man hee will haue no rest till he haue Christ hee will not bee at quiet till he haue gotten him compare that place None come to me except the Father draw him with that Cant. 2.3 Draw vs and we will runne after thee it is not such drawing as when a man is drawne by force but it is a drawing which is done by changing the will and affections when GOD alters the bent of the mind when GOD iustifies a man hee will affect a mans heart so that hee shall bee so affected with Christ as that he shall haue no rest till he haue him when he doth see his neede of him he shall not giue ouer till he be assured that he is reconciled to him Draw vs and we will runne after thee It is such a drawing as is called the teaching of GOD Ioh. 6.45 Ye shall be taught of God that is when GOD comes to teach a thing he boweth the will and affections to doe it Wee heeretofore exemplified this by the similitude of the Ant and the Bee and other creatures they are said to be taught of GOD when GOD puts a strong instinct into them to doe such and such a thing he teacheth them to doe this and this So GOD teacheth men to come to Christ that is he puts a strong inclination into their hearts and when that is there once they can haue no rest as the Iron cannot rest till it come to the Loadstone and as the stone cannot rest till it come to the center so the heart of man when GOD draweth it when hee hath changed the will then hee findes such a disposition in him as was in the Spouse Cant. 2. She fought him whom her soule loued she sought him by night and by day she sought him in the street and among the Watchmen and neuer rested vntill shee had found him So when GOD hath drawne a mans heart when hee hath inclined a mans will to embrace Christ hee is neuer satisfied vntill he haue found him But you will say GOD doth this by meanes he vseth Arguments to draw the will It is true The Question therefore is How GOD doth this we will propound 3. meanes by which GOD doth vsually doe it First the will is drawne by being perswaded what the miserable condition of a man is that is not yet come to CHRIST that hath not yet taken him that hath not gotten the pardon and forgiuenesse of his sinnes that hath not got assurance that Christ hath receiued him to mercy The second thing is the good that he shall get by it The third thing is that he shall not lose his labour if he doe attempt it The first thing I say that drawes vs to CHRIST is to consider how miserable wee are without him if men were perswaded of this they would more seeke him It is true if a man could liue alone he would not come to him take Rebels Pyrates if they were able to maintaine themselues abroad if they could be as happy in rebellion as in receiuing mercie they would neuer come in So it is in this case If we be brought to this exigent that we see wee cannot hold out any longer we are not stronger then he as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. Are we stronger then he when a man is perswaded of that when a man seeth this necessity is laid vpon him or else he perisheth then he will come in So take a seruant or a sonne if he be able to liue from his Father or Masters house perhaps he will run at ryot still but when he seeth he cannot haue so much as huskes hee can haue nothing to sustaine him that is it that will bring him home So take a Wife a Spouse if one come to wooe her if she be able to liue without him it may be she will refuse him but if the case be so that she cannot subsist but the Creditors will come vpon her she must needs haue a Husband to protect her to be a barre and a couering vnto her now she seeth a necessity of it Therefore we say the Law driues men vnto CHRIST and the Law doth it by shewing a man his sinne and the curse due to it by shewing a man his vilenesse and if this will not doe it then it shewes him the curse when a man sees the misery that the Law brings vpon him and pronounceth against him that he is condemned that perswades him Therefore the Law drawes a man and the sence of his misery shewing him that hee is out of CHRIST this drawes him to consider that GOD is his enemy that all the creatures are his enemies for if GOD bee thine enemy then needes must all the creatures be so because they turne with him to and fro as an Armie turnes at the becke of the Generall Now to haue GOD and the creatures to bee a mans enemy to haue euery thing to worke together for a mans hurt prosperity slaies him and aduersity is not a Plaster or Medicine but a poyson to him euery thing ioynes for his hurt the Word which is the sauour of life to others is the sauour of death to him the Sacraments which are a meanes to conuey grace and assurance to others it is a meanes to conuey Satan to his heart it increaseth his condemnation and his iudgement when the wrath of GOD abides vpon a man tâ—at is it shall be vpon him for eternity hereafter for he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Ioh. 3. vlt. when a man seriously considers all this when he seeth what case he is in that he cannot liue without CHRIST this will be one thing that boweth and inclineth the will to come in and take CHRIST but this is not all But in the second place a man will know what good he shall haue by such a Husband and indeed if this were all hee could neuer marry out of loue and if he doe not it can be no match Therefore we must finde some good some excellencie in CHRIST and this is the second thing that drawes the will If we take him we shall haue all his wealth
when there is more things reuealed to them and I take it this place will carry that the righteousnesse of GOD is reuealed from faith to faith that is the righteousnesse of CHRIST was reuealed in the time of the Law and the Prophets it was reuealed obscurely and there was a little saith among them to beleeue it was enough to saue them but when the time drew neerer there were greater reuelations as we know in the time of the Prophets their faith was great as there were more reuelations so there was more faith So I say it admits degrees in regard of the extent of reuelation as the Apostles when CHRIST was vpon the earth they had a degree of faith but when Christ ascended then there was more reuelations then they grew from faith to faith because they grew from reuelation to reuelation then the Spirit of God was sent into their hearts to reueale all things and to leade them into all truth you know they had abundance of reuelations afterwards So in this regard in regard of the extent faith receiues degrees not because the habit is increased but because the reuelations and objects are more And therefore that is the comfort of poore Christians those that are yet ignorant they may haue a true habit and as true a grace in the heart and though a man bee more conuersant in Scripture and knowes more then they he hath more reuelations and in that sense though he haue a greater faith then the other yet the other hath a like precious faith with him in regard of that grace So wee see how faith receiues degrees in these three respects Now last of all that faith that giues assurance that pacifieth and comforteth the heart which is nothing but a reflect act by which we know and are perswaded that wee haue taken CHRIST and that our sinnes are forgiuen this admits of degrees of proofe And here as the euidences of sanctification are more so is the assurance as the Apostle saith the Spirit witnesseth to our spirit he discouers good things to vs wee had neede of the light of the Spirit to iudge aright of the sincerity of the graces that wee haue we shall goe amisse else we shall not be able except wee haue the Spirit to helpe and assist vs and so wee grow from assurance to assurance Now for the second part that wee must grow in all these First as faith admits of degrees so we must labour to grow in all these degrees First labour to grow to a more full and firme assent by that meanes we shall draw neerer to CHRIST and receiue him in a greater measure Marke this very act of taking CHRIST that immediately iustifies but it is fed with assurance in the vnderstanding it is that which doth increase and strengthen and supply this action of the will in taking CHRIST So that the more strong assent the minde and vnderstanding of a man giues to those truths which concerne iustification deliuered in the Scripture the stronger his will is in taking Christ As in the Act of marriage a Woman takes such a one to bee her husband but yet there are degrees in the will one may take him with greater greedinesse with a more full perswasion that it is best for her with more loue and with more resolution So the stronger the assent is that we giue to the promises of GOD wherein he assures vs of the pardon of our sinnes wherein CHRIST is offered freely vnto vs the more we take CHRIST and so the vnion is greater betweene vs wee are linkt and knit together and married as it were in a greater degree Secondly in regard of difficulty which is the second thing wherein faith admits degrees when we beleeue hard things or easie things propounded with slender arguments Labour to grow in this for this is very profitable for you I will giue you but these two instances You know what Moses lost and what Abraham got Moses lost Canaan he lost the honour of carrying in the people he lost the honour of concluding his worke when hee had taken so much paines and all because he did not beleeue when he strooke the Rocke for want of faith Abraham now that beleeued things that were of a high of a difficult nature you see what hee got by it for this cause saith the LORD I will doe thus and thus because thou hast not spared thine onely Sonne which is repeated Rom. 4. Abraham being strong in faith gaue glory to GOD. And therefore you see Abraham is set aboue all men he is the Father of all the faithfull he is the head the top of those to whom GOD shewed mercie he shewed mercie to all for Abrahams sake Abraham Isaac and Iacob Abraham is first this did Abraham get for euer because he beleeued in God in so great a matter this you shall gaine if you will beleeue it will bring a great reward yea it will not onely bring a reward such as Abraham had but it will bring increase of the same faith God will reueale more to you and giue you more of his Spirit as he did to Nathaniel Beleeuest thou for this saith Christ thou shalt see greater things then these If we beleeue in difficult cases GOD will make vs with facility to beleeue them another time Thirdly for the multitude of reuelations for the extent of faith that way we should labour to be filled full of faith as Barnabas is said to be full of faith And how is that By studying the Word much for therein will GOD reueale this this is it that Paul magnifies so much in 2 Cor. 12. that which he gloried in he doth not name it in his owne person but saith I knew a man in CHRIST had such a reuelation he glories not in this that he had wealth or honour but in the multitude of reuelations that of all other might haue exalted Paul but he was wise he knew what he did when he was so apt to be exalted in that it seemes there was some extraordinary excellency in it Lastly labour to get full assurance the more assurance you haue the more loue Againe you shall doe the more worke when once we are assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as 1 Cor. 15. vlt. it will make vs abound in the workes of the Lord. Againe it stablisheth a man in well doing he shall neuer hold out and be constant till he come to haue assurance that he shall not lose his reward I cannot stand on this point I will name the Vses that so I may not leaue the point vnfinished The first is a Vse of much comfort if there be such degrees in faith then let vs not be discouraged though we come not to the highest if we haue but a little yet since there are degrees this is enough to make vs partakers of the righteousnesse of CHRIST and of saluation The end of this is to comfort those which are apt to be
therein this efficacie lyeth when the heart is knit to him as the soule of Ionathan was to Dauid and when CHRIST shall be knit to vs againe that we shall be content to leaue Father and Mother and to become one spirit with him as it is Eph. 5.23 It is a similitude expressing the vnion betwixt Christ and the Church A man shall forsake Father and Mother and shall cleaue to his Wife The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to glew if there bee any conjunction that is neerer then other it is signified in that word there is not a word in all the Greeke Language that signifieth a neerer conjunction then the word there vsed for cleauing or glewing When a man shall forsake all euen Father and Mother the dearest things in the world and shall cleaue to Christ it is a repetition of what is said Gen. 2.24 concerning Adam and Eue when faith hath done this worke it is an effectuall faith But yet adde this againe a man may take Christ and seeme to draw neere to him when it may be it is done out of feare it may bee out of loue to his and not out of loue to him it may be done out of mis-information and mistake but when wee draw neere to GOD and doe it out of loue put these two together that we so take Christ as that there is an vnion made betweene vs and him and when it is done out of loue as that condition is put in in 1 Tim 1.5 The end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned As if hee should say There is a double kinde of faith a false faith and a faith that is not hypocriticall that is the word vsed in the Originall Now saith hee the end of the Commandement is loue c. That is all that God lookes for is such a loue as comes from a faith that is vnfeigned that is not counterfeit Herein is faith seene not to be counterfeit if it beget loue and out of that loue we cleaue to Christ. So that this is the third thing that makes faith effectuall Fourthly faith is then said to be effectuall when it hath not onely done all this when there is not onely a good preparation made for it when it is well built in the vnderstanding and when the will hath thus taken Christ but there must bee a further act and that is the turning of the whole soule and a seconding of it in our whole liues practice a seconding of it in our executions and doing the things that Christ commands as in Gal. 5. In Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by loue Such a faith as workes that is effectuall faith As if he should haue said Many will be ready to beleeue in CHRIST but will doe nothing for him they will not worke Now working is in doing or in suffering for in suffering there is a worke as well as in doing onely it is a worke with more difficulty a worke with more impediments Againe if they will doe any thing for Christ it is not out of loue but for other respects perhaps out of some flash or good moode or some other respects out to doe it as being rooted grounded in loue if faith haue this worke it is effectuall faith and therfore when faith hath once taken Christ it must shoot it selfe into all the affections for when they are all set on worke endeuour will follow If the will bee so set on worke indeed the rest will follow after it Loue will follow Desire after Christ will follow Feare to offend him will follow Repētance and turning from Satan will follow bringing forth fruits worthy amendment of life and obedience c. will follow Therefore you shall finde that the promises are made promiscuously sometimes to one thing sometimes to another sometimes he that repenteth shall be saued sometimes he that beleeueth shall be saued somtimes he that obeyeth shall be saued you shall finde them promiscuously because that when faith is effectuall it hath all these with it it purifieth the heart and bringeth forth fruit worthy amendment of life Therefore this must be added to shew the efficacie of faith and if this be wanting faith is not effectuall not that it can be disjoyned from the other but that it is that wherein it consisteth with the rest And therefore it is GODS vsuall manner when men seeme to take CHRIST and to beleeue in him he puts them to the tryall to see what they will doe whether their faith will worke or no. Thus he did with Abraham when hee would proue him hee was a faithfull man before God had experience of him before but yet he would proue Abraham by offering his sonne and when he saw he did it he concluded that he had faith indeede it was a strong faith for it endured the tryall I say GOD will put men to it So likewise those in Ioh. 12.42 Many of the chiefe Rulers beleeued in him but they durst not confesse him for feare of the Iewes lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue There was a faith in them a taking of Christ but when it came to the tryall it held not out they durst not confesse him because they feared to bee cast out of the Synagogue that is when they came to suffer a little for Christs sake when they came to such an action as confessing his Name when they came to endure but such a thing as to bee cast out of the Synagogue they forsooke him which shewed that their beliefe was ineffectuall So that let a man seeme to haue all the other three yet when the praise of men shall come in competition with any command of GOD when God shall put him to doe any thing to part with any thing that is deare to him as he did Abraham if his faith worke not if his faith hold not out in the tryall but start aside like a broken Bow it is not effectuall faith So you see the things wherein the efficacie of faith consisteth First in the soundnesse of the preparation Secondly when the mind apprehends the promises and sees good ground to pitch vpon them Thirdly when the will so takes Christ as to bring Christ into the heart so that Christ liues in vs and that out of loue And fourthly when faith worketh and that in the time of tryall when God shall put vs to it I say when you finde these foure things you may conclude that your faith is effectuall The last thing I propounded is to shew how this is wrought how our faith is made effectuall It is made effectuall by the Spirit of God it is not in our owne power we are not able to beleeue nay wee are so farre from it that wee striue against it the spirit in vs resists it so that if GOD
himselfe put not his hand to the worke no man is able to beleeue You may thinke when you see such generall propositions as these that Christ is offered to euery creature vnder heauen and that whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued you may thinke I say that it is easie to bring this home in particular to say Surely this pardon belongs to mee My Brethren it is another thing for a man indeed to beleeue for him to take CHRIST so as to deny himselfe for him to take him so as to mortifie his lusts so as to take vp his crosse so as to obey CHRIST to follow him in all things this is a thing that no man is able to doe vnlesse GOD enable him to it with his almighty power For the heart of euery man by nature is so shut vp against CHRIST that it will giue no entrance to him he may stand and knocke long enough vnlesse GOD himselfe shake off the bolts and open the gates and breake open these euerlasting doores that the King of Glory may come in we will not admit him but keepe him out Euery man naturally hath a hard heart that cannot repent that cannot turne from sinne he will bee content perhaps to take Christ for a Sauiour but to take him so as to obey him and feare him so as to loue him this no man will doe or can doe vnlesse the Holy Ghost enable him But you will aske How doth the Holy Ghost doe it The Holy Ghost doth it by these three acts First by putting an efficacie into the Law and making that powerfull to worke on the heart to make a man poore in spirit that so he may be fit to receiue the Gospell For the Law though it be fit to humble a man yet it is no worke of sanctification If a man were able to doe any thing he were able to see the righteousnesse the Law requires and how far he is from it and to discerne the curse vpon the not doing of it and yet this he is not able to doe without the spirit of bondage the spirit of bondage must make the Law effectuall as well as the spirit of Adoption doth the Gospell That is except the LORD himselfe presse the Law on our hearts so as to cause it to make sinne appeare to vs wee that are the Ministers of GOD may discouer your sinnes we may shew you the rectitude required in the Law we may shew you the danger yet all will be to no purpose vnlesse God awaken you if he will set sinne vpon the conscience to worry a man to plucke him downe when GOD shall charge sinne on him that he shall feele the weight and burthen of it when he shall sharpen sinne and cause it to vse its sting this makes a man fit to receiue CHRIST otherwise if the sonnes of Thunder should speake to men if we should come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay if GOD himselfe should thunder from heauen all would not moue the heart of a man all would not awaken him to see his sinnes till God himselfe shake the heart To conuert the Gaâ—ler in Acts 16. the foundation of the Prison was shaken which was a resemblance of the shaking of his heart wee may as well shake the Earth as strike the heart of a sinner without the worke of GOD. For though the Law be a sword yet vnlesse GOD take that sword into his hand and strike therewithall himselfe it shall not be able to wound a sinner Therefore the first worke of the Holy Ghost is to awaken a sinner to set sinne vpon him that he may be fit to receiue CHRIST Secondly when this is done that the heart is thus prepared by the Spirit then the Holy Ghost shewes vs what we haue by CHRIST he shewes the vnsearchable riches of CHRIST what is the hope of our calling and the glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power in them that beleeue I say we neede the Spirit to shew these things But you will say a man may see these things without the helpe of the Spirit It is true in some manner you may but not in such a manner as shall affect you For there is a manner of seeing proper onely to the Saints and that is the proper worke of the Spirit in them when wee shall so see them as to be affected with them Otherwise you may reade the Scriptures a thousand times ouer you may vnderstand them yet you shall not bee affected with them till the Holy Ghost shew them vnto you This is the secret of GOD that he reuealeth to those whom he meaneth to saue that is when hee presents these spirituall things prepared for vs in Christ in such a manner as that we shall loue them and embrace them when we shall not only see the truth of them but the goodnesse of them when GOD shall not onely shew vs the aduantages we haue by Christ but the excellency of Christ so that we shall be in loue with his person as well as to be ready to receiue the priuiledges with him Now this is done by the Spirit 1. Cor. 2.12 Wee haue receiued the Spirit of GOD by which wee know the things that are giuen vs of GOD and they are reuealed to vs by the Spirit They are two or three times repeated in that Chapter as if he should haue said If you saw them no more then other men doe then naturall men doe you would bee no more affected with them then they are but when you haue the Spirit of GOD to shew you the things that are giuen you of GOD that is the thing that workes vpon you and affects you And so in Ioh. 14.21 saith CHRIST I will come to him and shew my selfe to him When CHRIST sheweth himselfe to a man it is another thing then when the Ministers shall shew him or the Scriptures nakedly read doe shew him for when Christ shall shew himselfe by his Spirit that shewing draweth a mans heart to long after him otherwise we may preach long enough and shew you that these spirituall things these priuiledges are prepared for you in Christ but it is the Holy Ghost that must write them in your hearts we can but write them in your heads Therefore the Lord taketh that as peculiar to himselfe I will write my Law in your hearts That is I will make you affected with the things that I shew you and this is the teaching of GOD. There is a teaching by men and a teaching by GOD that is when God shall enable a man to see things in good earnest otherwise it will be but as a man that sees a thing when his minde is vpon another matter so wee shall see and not see but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things you shall see indeed till then you may heare oft enough of these things but your hearts
Paul in Eph. 1. in all the former part of the Chapter to the 18. Verse hauing declared the great Mysterie of saluation he takes himselfe vpon the sudden and beginnes to thinke with himselfe though I shew you all this it is to no purpose if GOD send not the Spirit of reuelation c. Therefore hee lifts vp his heart to GOD beseeching him to giue them the Spirit of revelation to open the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might see the hope of their Calling and the riches of their inheritance with the Saints So should Ministers learne to doe to pray for the people that GOD would infuse and send his Spirit into their hearts that they may be able to perceiue these things effectually with a right apprehension to see the secrets of GOD in them you also should goe to GOD and beseech him to helpe you with his Spirit that so you may be able to apprehend these things and that they may be powerfull to worke the same thing for which we deliuer them to you and so wee haue shewed you these three things First what effectuall faith is namely in shewing you why it is called effectuall faith Secondly wherein the efficacie of faith consists and Thirdly how it is wrought Now last of all wee are to shew you the reason why GOD accepts no faith but that which is effectuall And there is good reason why no faith should be accepted of GOD but that which is effectuall First because otherwise it is not faith at all if it be not effectuall and if it be not faith it is no wonder that he doth not accept of it I say it is no more faith then a dead man is said to be a man you giue the name of a man to him yet he is not a man no more is faith that is not effectuall any faith it hath only the name of faith and there is no more in it but as dead Drugges which haue no efficacie in them or as dead Plants or dead Wine which is turned to Vinegar it ceaseth to be Wine it is no longer Wine but Vinegar so it may be said of ineffectuall faith it is not faith it hath the name and the shaddow of faith onely and therefore God accepts it not Againe GOD will saue none vnlesse they be reconciled to him and be such as loue him for that condition is euery where put in All things shall worke together for good to them that loue him and he hath prepared a Crowne for them that loue him Now if faith be not effectuall there will be no loue and if loue be necessarily required GOD cannot accept that faith that is ineffectuall Againe if GOD should accept of a faith that is ineffectuall the Deuils haue such a faith by which they apprehend the Word and a faith that brings forth effects for they feare and tremble but this is not the faith that purifieth the heart it is not an effectuall it is not a purging liuely faith Againe CHRIST receiues none but them that deny themselues and are willing to take vp their crosse and to follow him that mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit Now an ineffectuall faith doth none of these and therefore that faith that saueth must bee a working faith or else these things should not be necessarily required Againe it was Christs end in comming into the world that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill and for this end hath the grace of God appeared that men should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and for this end did hee giue himselfe to purifie to himselfe a people zealous of good workes He comes to be a King as well as a Sauiour to rule among his people to haue men obey him which could not be if faith were not effectuall if it did not purifie the heart and enable men to deny all worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world And last of all good workes are required of necessity as the way to saluation Eph. 2.10 We are Gods workmanship created in Iesus Christ vnto good workes which he hath ordained that we should walke in them Good workes are required of necessity GOD judgeth vs according to our workes Rom. 2. and at the last day the reward is pronounced according to that which men haue done When I was in prison you visited me when I was naked you cloathed me c. And if they be required of necessity then it is not a dead liuelesse workelesse faith but a powerfull energeticall faith a faith that is stirring and actiue a faith that is effectuall which GOD requires without which we cannot be saued We come now to make some Vse of what hath beene said First If GOD accept no faith but that which is effectuall it should teach vs not to be deceiued in a matter of so great moment It should teach vs to looke to our faith to consider whether it be a right faith or no. If a man haue Euidences vpon which his lands and whole estate dependeth if one should come and tell him that they were false Euidences it would affect him he would at the least be ready to looke and to examine them and yet these are matters of lesse moment If one be told that his Corne is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his money is counterfeit a man would looke euen to these things a man would haue that which he hath to be sound and not counterfeit and shall not we then looke to the faith that we haue vpon which the saluation of our soules depends seeing God accepteth none vnlesse it be â—ound and seeing there is so much counterfeit faith in the world It should teach vs to looke about vs and consider what our faith is For as Iames saith faith without workes cannot saue vs. What auaileth it my Brethren if a man say he hath faith and hath not workes can his faith saue him So I say to euery man in such a case thou that thinkest thou hast faith if there be not workes too if it be not effectuall if it be not a liuely faith will such a faith saue thee If a man should come and say to one that brags of the Balsome or Drugges which he hath that are dead and haue lost their efficacie Will such a Balsome heale thee If a man haue a guilded Target made of paper a man may say to him Will that Target defend thee And so I say when a man hath a counterfeit faith Will such a faith as this saue thee It will not saue you you may please your selues in it as a man is pleased with a false dreame but when you are awaked you will finde that you are deceiued Learne therefore to consider of your faith to see if it be effectuall When the LORD proclaimed himselfe to be a mercifull God forgiuing iniquity
convinced of sinne if a man know in good earnest throughly what the danger is that he must perish if he haue not this Pardon Now I say if thou haue such a testimony build vpon it For it is true that GOD before hee comes in the soft voice he sends a Wind before that rends the Rockes downe that brings downe the Mountaines there so much as makes the way plaine before hee can come within the soft voice I say if the Mountaines be broken downe after what manner soeuer it be that is enough doe not stand on that Be sure of this that if there come a soft voice thou hast reason to beleeue that whatsoeuer preparations were before which are diuers for GOD workes sometimes after one manner sometimes after another But now what is this soft voice that I may a little further come to explaine that for certainely if he come in the soft voice that is the voice of the Gospel you are sure But what is it I take it to be this One thing is when there is a clearing of the promise for the voice is the very Gospell it selfe Now when wee preach the Gospell to men and open the promises of saluation and of life if God doe not joyne with vs now and cleare them to you by kindling a light within that you see the meaning of them except he I say doe thus joyne with vs you shall not be able to build vpon these promises Therefore that is one thing that God must doe For though it bee true the Word is neere you that you neede not goe vp to heauen nor downe to hell to fetch it for saith Moses the Word is neere you the promises are neere in your mouthes in the midst of you yet except God doe shew them as cleare as they be you cānot see them As when Iesus stood by Mary Magdalene he was neere enough but till her eyes were opened she saw him not So Hagar the Well was neere enough to her but till her eies were opened she could not see it So when wee preach these promises when we lay them open as neere as we can as neere as may be yet it must be the worke of the Spirit to see the promises to see them so as to beleeue them and to rest on them Therefore that is one part of this soft voice to open the Gospell vnto you There is another which is the immediate testimony of the Spirit spoken of in Rom. 8. This Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits when God comes and by a secret testimony of the Spirit worketh such a perswasion in the heart that he is a Father that he is a friend that he is reconciled to vs. But you will say this may be a delusion Therefore you must haue both together know that they are neuer disjoyned GOD neuer giues the secret witnesse of his Spirit he neuer workes such a perswasion such an immediate testimony but it hath alwaies the testimony of the Word going with it bee sure to joyne them be sure thou doe not seuer them one from the other So that if you would know now whether you haue faith or no consider whether euer GOD hath spoken this to you or no whether euer hee hath wrought this worke in you For faith you must know is wrought in this manner The Spirit comes and shewes CHRIST to you and not onely shewes you his merits not only tels you that he will be a Sauiour not only tels you of a Kingdome that you shall haue by him but shewes you the beauty and excellencie of CHRIST it shewes you what grace is and makes you loue it and then hee shewes you mercy Out of this you come to long after CHRIST and to say I would I had him a man comes to loue him as the Spouse loues her Husband Now to this worke hee addes a second CHRIST comes and tels a man I will haue thee he comes and shewes himselfe he discouers himselfe to a man and speakes plainly as in that place wee haue often mentioned Iohn 19. and saith to him I am willing to marry thee When this is done on the Holy Ghosts part and we on our part come to resolue to take him now the match is made betweene vs and this is faith indeede when this worke is done a man may truely say This day is saluation come to mee Now thou art sure that all thy sinnes are forgiuen now faith is wrought in thy heart Therefore if thou wouldest know whether thou haue faith or no looke backe reflect vpon thine owne heart consider what actions haue passed thorow there for that is the next way to know what faith is to looke what actions haue passed thorow a mans heart a man may know what the actions of his soule are for that is the benefit of a reasonable soule that it is able to returne vpon it selfe to see what it hath done which the soule of a beast cannot doe Now let a man consider whether such a thing haue passed or no that is marke it whether on Christs part there hath beene such a cleering of the promise that thou art so built that if an Angell from Heauen should come and preach another Gospell if Paul himselfe should be liuing on the earth and should preach the contrary thou wouldest not beleeue him Dost thou see the Word so cleerely art thou so set vpon the Rocke as it were that thou canst say in good earnest as the Apostle said in Rom. 8. I know that neither principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any thing in the world shall euer seperate me from the loue of God in Christ and that because I haue his sure Word Againe when thou hast such a secret impression of assurance from his Spirit which will not faile thee when thou findest this on GODS part and againe when thou findest this act on thy owne part when thou sayest I haue resolued to take him for a man may know what he hath done I haue resolued to take him for my husband I haue resolued to prefer him before all things in the world to be diuorsed from all things in the world and to cleaue to him This I know these acts haue passed on Gods part and this I haue done on my part when thou findest this wrought in thy selfe be assured there is faith wrought in thee when the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to thee and when CHRIST hath spoken peace and when thou art built vpon him againe consider if this hath beene wrought This is the first meanes to try thy faith but because this may bee an ambiguous meanes a man may be deceiued in it therefore faith doth shew it selfe by many other effects And therefore we will adde to this which is the very thing wherein faith consists other signes and they are fiue in number First a man must know that there
as thou hast beene a stranger to him and he to thee all thy life Certainely thou canst not And when thou commest and prayest earnestly when some great crosse is on thee in some great exigent in the day of death in the time of thy sicknesse know that though thou pray neuer so feruently although thou adde fasting to quicken it yet it is doubtfull whether it bee acceptable prayer at all in that exigent The Scripture giues it another terme in Hosea 7.14 Saith he You prayed not to me with your hearts but you howled vpon your beds it came not out of any loue to mee nor from any change of heart it came not out of a holy disposition in you Therefore you praied not to mee when you howled vpon your beds that is as if hee should say they were no more but howlings Will not a dogge or a beast or any other vnreasonable creature when they are pinched when they are in extreamity will they not cry will they not moane for helpe Your prayers were no more they were but howlings vpon your beds And what were they for They were to bee deliuered from the present affliction they were to haue Wine and Oyle in that great dearth that was vpon them And so in those cases your earnest prayers are but howlings vpon your bed And therefore thinke not that this is prayer be not deceiued in it And therfore it is the manner of the Saints if you would know it when they come to pray they come boldly to GOD they come boldly to the Throne of Grace as the Apostle saith Eph. 3 7. By faith we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence Another man hee prayes earnestly but examine his heart and he must needes say Indeede GOD is a stranger to mee I cannot be confident it may be he heares me it may be he heares me not Whereas we are required to lift vp pure hands in euery place without wrath or doubting we are required to come with boldnesse And know this that if otherwise thou pray morning and night if thou make neuer so many prayers from day to day if thou be neuer so constant in them GOD regards them not hee takes them by weight and not by number not by labour not by earnestnesse which is a thing that may come from the flesh If thy prayer come from his Spirit he accepts of it if not be sure it is no prayer and if there be no prayer there is no faith Thirdly if thou wouldest know whether thou hast faith or no consider whether thou haue peace for faith pacifies the heart aswell as purifies it as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith wee haue peace with God Now if thou wouldest know whether thy faith which thou hast be right or no consider if there be peace there Hast thou that peace that passeth al vnderstanding You know now if a man were in debt and were ready to bee cast into prison and saw not how he should escape and one should promise him an hundred pounds which would deliuer him if he beleeue this friend he is full of peace and quiet if thou beleeue thy pardon to be good there will be peace But you will say to me there is many a man hath peace who hath no faith It is true But I would aske this Question concerning this peace Is it a peace that comes after Warre Hast thou knowledge of that enmity betweene GOD and thee Hast thou had the sense of it and after this hast thou beene reconciled againe Is it such a calme that followed after a storme going before As I said before when it hath beene alwaies so with thee when thou hast had peace and there hath beene no difference with thee certainely this is not peace this is a blinde peace when a man is at peace not because he hath escaped the danger but because he neuer saw the danger because he saw not what danger there was Hence it is that many men yea many thousands of men liue peaceably all their liues and dye peaceably Alas the reason is because they were neuer acquainted with the Doctrine of Iustification and of Sanctification they are strangers to it and hence it is that they die with as much confidence as the best Christians they haue no more trouble then holy men for this is all one to be sure that I am free from a danger and not to know it both breed alike confidence Againe know that there may bee peace built on fancy such contentments as a man may find in a pleasant dreame he is as strongly perswaded as the waking man So many hypocrites that haue had some trouble before and come to haue some peace after they thinke it sure when it is built vpon a false ground and not vpon the sure Word Therefore consider whether it be such a peace as is well built whether it be such a Peace indeed that casts out Satan and thou findest some assaults made by him againe For be thou assured if it be true peace if Satan bee cast out he will not let thee alone thou shalt bee sure to haue thy peace troubled he will make many rebellions against thee by the flesh and the world And therefore if thou finde all quiet that there are no such assaults in thee that there are no troubles or attempts made on thee be thou assured it is counterfeited peace But still keepe this that if there bee faith there will be peace that is the heart will be at rest it will be quiet there will be a certaine security in GOD. See it in other things Take faith in any thing else and you shall see so much faith so much quiet in you For example Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.18 when her petition was granted that she beleeued it saith the Text she went away and tooke meate and looked no more sad That was an argument that she beleeued she tooke meate and looked no more sad Take Moseâ— at the Red Sea Exod. 14. you shall finde that the people were all troubled and disquieted and that they knew not what to doe But marke how Mosâ—s carrieth himselfe Moses was quiet and stood still he was not troubled And why Because he beleeued and they did not if they had beleeued as well as he they would haue beene at rest as well as hee Marke what hee saith Stand still and see the salâ—ation of the Lord and the Lord will fight for you and therfore feare not As if he should say If you did but beleeue you would be at quiet you would stand stiâ—l you would not feare you would not haue your soules troubled So I say so much faith so much quiet Looke vpon Dauid in Psal. 3. when he fled before Absolon saith he Thou art my Buckler c. And therefore I laid me downe to rest and sleepe that is I was as a man that sleepes quietly One would thinke that that was a matter that would
breake a mans sleepe when he lay in that danger that if Achitophel's councell had taken effect hee had beene destroyed and yet now saith he I laid me downe and slept as if he should say This is an argument of my faith my heart is at rest and quiet so that I can sleepe quietly without stirring And â—o Paul see how hee accompts it how he behaued himselfe when God told him that he should appeare at Rome before Caeâ—â—r he knew that he should be deliuered from Ship-wracke and though forty men had bound themselues with a curse that they would destroy him and hee was told of it yet he made no great matter of it but said Goe and carry this young man to the Captaine So consider whether thy heart be quiet and rest vpon God or no for so much faith so much peace as in particular so in generall for matter of assurance know that there is a double peace or assurance One peace that ariseth from the confidence in the creature when a man thinkes he is strong in his wealth when he thinkes he is at rest The other is from assurance in GOD I know that he will be as good as his word I know whom I haue trusted Let security be built on this ground and the more security the more faith Therfore examine thy faith by peace I should adde somewhat more in this and some other signes which I must reserue vntill the next time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fourth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE third Character of Faith which I named in the morning but did not fully finish is this If we haue justifying faith then we haue peace In this we should take heede As it is a great mercy to haue a true and sound peace so to haue a peace not well bottomed is the greatest judgement in the world when GOD giues vp a man that he shall be secure and at rest that he shall not haue his minde occupied about sinne or about matters of saluation I say it is a signe that such a one God hates if it continue so with him it is a signe God will destroy him But yet peace of conscience vpon a good ground is a signe of faith as I shewed in Moses Hannah Dauid and the rest So farre wee went in the morning Now you must know that all those instances that we brought you that where there is faith there is peace and quiet they were not onely for resemblance to shew you that as it is in those other things wherein wee beleeue so it is in the maine as you doe not beleeue any particular promise except you haue some quiet in your minde after it but likewise to shew you whether that peace bee good or no whether that faith be sure or no. For if you beleeue the maine certainely you will beleeue the lesse Therefore consider with your selues wee will inlarge this signe so farre If thou wouldest know whether thy faith be good or no whether thou haue peace indeede concerning the maine Consider with thy selfe whether thou art able to beleeue those promises which concerne those particular things which thou hast daily vse of For there are many promises which thou hast vse of continually in thy course thou hast euery day some occasion or other of trusting GOD See in these how thou doest beleeue whether thou hast peace and know that if thou haue not peace in these it is a signe thou hast not peace in the maine I will name but one place for it Looke in Phil. 4.6 In nothing be carefull but in all things let your requests be made vnto God And then saith he The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus Marke the opposition saith he In nothing be carefull when matters of trouble come when crosses come when great businesses come wherein thou knowest not which way to turne thee saith hee in such a case be not thou carefull doe the thing thou must haue so much care as to set thy head aworke as to deuise what to doe and to set thy hand aworke to act it but let there be no sollicitude to disturbe and disquiet thy affections within Let thy request be made knowne to GOD then the peace of GOD which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe thy heart and minde in Christ Iesus As if hee should say if thou be not able to doe this it is an interruption of that peace it is a contradiction to that peace which passeth all vnderstanding that keepes thy heart in communion with CHRIST if thou be not able to cast thy care on him for other things that peace belongs not to thee Where there is a secret intimation not but that men may haue this peace and be inordinately carefull but ordinarily it is not so He speakes not of such infirmities as the Saints are subject vnto by distemper but of an ordinary course Consider now what thou dost for the things of this life Saith CHRIST Math. 6. Oh you of little saith Why so What was the signe of a little faith Saith CHRIST Doest thou thinke that hee will cloathe the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Ouen Doest thou thinke that he will prouide for the yong Rauens that call vpon him and wilt thou not beleeue that he will doe so for thee If thou doe not beleeue this thy faith is nothing If thou beleeue little thy faith is little Consider that consider how you carry your selues for the things of this life doe you thinke that GOD will doe the maine and will not doe the lesse Doe you thinke that he will giue you Christ and will he not giue you other things The same faith that takes hold of the maine promise is it not ready to take hold of the lesse and to depend vpon it GOD is able to doe the greatest and is hee not able to doe the lesse Therefore I say in such a case as CHRIST saith Ioh. 3.12 to Nichodemus 〈◊〉 saith hee I come and tell you of earthly things and you beleeue me not how would you beleeue if I should tell you of heauenly things So I say if you will not beleeue GOD concerning earthly things when hee promiseth these how will you beleeue him for the greatest matters of saluation How will you beleeue in him for the giuing of CHRIST How will you beleeue in him for the raising of you vp at the last day Therefore consider whether you be able to doe this or no and know that if there be faith if you haue faith for the maine you will haue faith in particular cases As for exmple to giue you some instance Gen. 24.7 when Abraham had a particular occasion to send his seruant to get a Wife for Isaac saith the seruant Suppose the woman will not come with me See now what Abrahams answer was That God which tooke
me from my Fathers House and hath made me many promises before that is GOD that hath done the greatest matters for me that hath promised me the blessed seed in which all the Nations of the World shall be blessed doest thou thinke hee will not helpe mee in such a particular hee will send his Angell before thee and will certainely giue thee good successe Consider what you doe in such cases as these these are things which you haue continuall vse of you are put many times to such exigents that you shall haue somewhat to trust GOD for and you will be tryed in it So likewise Peter that trusted GOD for the maine when it comes to the particular case that hee is bid to lanch out into the deepe when hee is commanded to draw out the Ship and to goe a fishing although he had no hope to doe it hee trusted in those particulars that CHRIST would not faile him when he bade him goe vpon the water he trusted that he would support him Take Dauid see how he trusted in GOD how many occasions had he to trust on him As it is true for the maine so for the particulars So Paul did not he trust GOD for his maintenance See in his Epistles how carelesse he was that way So it is with all the Saints Consider what you doe in these things See whether your hearts bee at peace in these things whether you trust in GOD or no so that your hearts are at rest that you can sit still and commit your care to GOD if so it is a good argument that you rest in him for the maine So much for that The fourth signe or Character of faith is To hold out and that you shall see in these three branches First when it shall cleaue to CHRIST constantly Secondly when it will take no denyall Thirdly when it is content to waite in prayer and not be weary and giue ouer I say if you would know whether your faith be effectuall you shall know it by your holding out whether it cleaue constantly to Christ. If thy faith be ineffectuall as you haue heard the last day it comes either from mis-informaton you know not what Christ is nor what it is to take him you looke for other things from him when you see what it is if your faith be not effectuall you will goe backe or else you take him out of feare or out of loue to his and not to him or else out of false and slender grounds Now if you would know whether your faith bee such a faith or no consider if it hold out if it cleaue to him If thy faith come of mis-information when thou hast experience of CHRIST when thou seest what hee requires at thy hands when thou considerest and vnderstandest what he puts thee to there is an end thou giuest ouer If thy faith come of feare as soone as the storme is ouer as soone as those troubles in minde those disquiets in conscience are past there is an end thy faith cleaues to CHRIST no longer If faith come out of loue to his of loue to a Kingdome nothing but Hell and Heauen and some present commodities that moue thee when better things are offered that are more present commodities there is an end of it Againe if it be out of false slender and slight grounds when stronger reasons and objections come that faith ceaseth likewise But now then when thou findest that thy faith holds out when all these are past when all these are taken away when the feare is gone when such an offer is made when all the objections are made that can be this argues that faith is sound and good Consider therefore whether thy faith cleaue fast and constantly to CHRIST or no whether it hold out when those flashes and good moodes will not whether it ouercome when it is assaulted by the Gates of Hell comming against it That is when a mans faith is good it is built vpon the Rocke vpon such a Rocke that if the Deuill himselfe and principalities and powers come with all their strength and all their wit with all their temptations and deuises if faith be sound it will hold out the Gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it The Woman of Canaan she had a shrewd tryall when CHRIST tels her she was a Dog in plaine termes and when it came from Christ himselfe and yet when her faith was good indeed she could not chuse but she must cleaue to him she would not giue ouer there was a strong faith that did knit her heart secretly vnto CHRIST there was the ground that she held out notwithstanding all objections although it may be she knew not how to answer them yet she let not goe and that was a signe her faith was good So consider whether thy faith hold out when thou art put to such tryals as these gaine consider whether thou wilt receiue no denyall when thou commest and seekest to him when thou commest to seeke fauour at GODS hands when thou commest to seeke forgiuenesse of sinnes consider whether thou art able to hold out though hee deferre long before hee grant it There is no grace that GOD giues but hee hath tryals for it afterward Hee giues thee the grace of Patience he will put thee to it thou shalt haue some crosse some affliction or other If hee giue thee Loue hee will doe as hee did with Dauid hee will see whether thou wilt forsake him or no hee will make thee an offer of preferment an offer of wealth of praise of somewhat or other to see if thou wilt part with that for his sake or no. If he giues vs Faith he often tryes vs in this case he denyes vs long hee wrestleth with vs as he did with Iacob he makes many shewes of going away Thus we know he dealt with Daniel as soone as hee beganne to pray the answer comes that his request was granted but GOD would not let him know so much hee lets him goe thorow with the worke hee lets him seeke earnestly and then he reueales and makes it knowne vnto him So perhaps GOD intends thee good but he will put thee to the tryall consider therefore if thy faith hold out in such a case Againe when thou hast gotten an answer perhaps after thou hast gotten thine answers thou must waite long before the thing it selfe be giuen thee Therefore consider if thou be content to waite for it for that is the property of faith to be willing to waite as Dauid often repeates it I waited vpon the Lord. You know Abraham how GOD tryed him that way when hee made him a promise of a seede of a Sonne you know how long he waited for the performance So Isaac he waited long before hee had those two sonnes Iacob and Esau. So GOD will put thee to it to waite it may be for matter of justification that is he will not shew himselfe he will not
ioy and those that followed Iohn the Baptist reioyced in his light and in Heb. 6. the Apostle saith they haue tasted of the good Word of God they haue tasted with sweetnesse that is they haue had ioy in it It is true we confesse there is a false ioy and therefore if thou wouldst know whether the ioy which thou hast be good or no consider these three things First consider whether thy faith hold out in tribulation or no. Therefore the Apostle addes Rom. 5.3 not only so but we reioyce also in tribulation As if he should say those that are hypocrites those that haue a false faith there may be much reioycing in them for a while but we reioyce in tribulations yea we not onely reioyce in tribulation but our ioy is increased by them they are as fuell they adde to our ioy as in Act. 5. the Disciples went away reioycing because they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ. Wheras the second ground when persecution comes there is an end of their ioy Therefore consider whether thy ioy will hold out or no. Againe consider the greatnesse thereof you know those words are added 1 Pet. 1.8 reioycing with Ioy vnspeakable and glorious If it bee right Joy it will bee such a great Joy it will exceede all other it will be like to that ioy in Haruest as Isay speakes it will be a Joy vnspeakeable for the greatnesse of it such a Joy that at the least is so great that whatsoeuer comes yet it exceedes it the other temporary Christian may haue joy but it is not so great but some other joy will come and ouercome it and drowne it and put it out Therefore in the second ground as their humiliation was slight so was their Faith they had a little humiliation for their sinnes and they tooke CHRIST in a more remisse manner And as their Faith was so was their joy all slight But now when Faith is sound and good that Joy is accordingly great it is a great Joy that at the least ouercomes all other that take what joy you will if a man could haue an earthly Kingdome heere if a man could haue as great pleasure here as mans nature is capable of if he had neuer so much praise and glory of men these things wee naturally rejoyce in a right Christian that hath Faith indeed will not so rejoyce in these but that he will rejoyce in CHRIST aboue them If thy Joy therefore be so great that it ouercome and exceede all other be sure that Joy is good But yet we must haue one thing more in Joy In whom though you haue not seene yet you joy with Joy vnspeakable and glorious That is if it be such a Joy as is right indeed which is a testimony of faith that it is a signe thou beleeuest it is a Joy that is glorious it is a Joy that is glorious and spirituall Now an hypocrite may rejoyce he may rejoyce in Christ he may rejoyce in the Kingdome of GOD and the assurance he hath of it and he may reioyce in the hope that he hath that his sins are forgiuen but all this while he reioyceth after a carnall manner as you know a man may reioyce in spirituall things after a carnall manner as a man may reioyce in a carnall thing after a spirituall manner Therefore the ioy of Hypocrites when it is at the best it is but a carnall ioy there is something there that his flesh is able to reioyce in it may be he had some feare and terrour in his conscience and after this comes a perswasion perhaps that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is in a good estate that same fleshly feare and griefe before that worldly feare and griefe will haue a Joy answerable to it a naturall ioy and yet it may be great it may be a great flash of ioy that may be as a Land-flood make a great shew which because it hath no spring is soone dryed vp but it makes a great flash and therefore in that Heb. 6. they tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come I take this to be the meaning of it not as it is commonly interpreted That an Hypocrite may taste of the good Word of God and of spirituall priuiledges he may taste of them but not drinke deepe of them but this is certainely the meaning of the place They tasted some things in the good Word of God which was sweet to them Now in such men there is nothing but flesh Marke If a temporary Christian beleeues for a time he hath ineffectuall faith in such a man there is nothing but flesh That conclusion must be set downe and if there be nothing but flesh there is nothing can taste but flesh for there is nothing else to doe it and the flesh tastes nothing but objects that sute with it selfe What shall we say then There is somewhat in him that pickes out that in these spirituall comforts in these spirituall blessings in this good Word of GOD he pickes out that which sutes with his flesh That is such a carnall man may be able to reioyce in the Word Doe you not thinke that such a good Word of GOD may make carnall men reioyce in it May he not taste such sweetnesse as to take vpon him the profession of Religion and to bring forth fruit and to hold out long No doubt there is Are there not such things in that which wee propound in the Gospell To tell men of a Kingdome of saluation of the loue of GOD of the precious promises of an inheritance of escaping of Hell may not a fleshly man a man vnregenerate may he not see and reioyce in these He may and hath such a taste as is there expressed Consider now therefore if thy Joy be right If it be a signe of faith if it be good and sound if it be a Joy that is spirituall and vnspeakable that is if it be a Joy that is so great as that it exceedes all other joyes if this Joy doe but hold out in tribulation it is a certaine signe thy faith is good Now last of all the last concomitant of Faith is Humility If thy Faith be right it will bring that with it to make thee humble and vile in thine owne eyes For what is true faith It is that which brings CHRIST into the heart as you haue heard oftentimes that which knits Christ and the soule together it is that which causeth him to come and dwell with thee Now wheresoeuer Christ comes to dwell he comes with a light hee shewes the creature his vilenesse he makes a man see his sinne he makes him see what creature he is whereas another that hath great hope and professeth that he hath much assurance his heart is lifted vp and not cast downe Such are not men which thinke themselues vile and naked and miserable but they thinke themselues better
then other men they are forwarder then others in any thing they thinke other men are not like them And therefore they are ready to be more bold and venterous in any thing they are ready to take vp opinions they are ready to strike out this way or that way But now a true Christian is humbled with it because when Christ comes into the heart he makes a man to see his vilenesse As you know when GOD drew neere to Iob when he came neere him indeed then he abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes then hee saw what a one he was he saw not before he thought the contrary but when GOD drew neere indeed that made him manifest So it was with Isay when he saw GOD vpon his Throne and the Angels about him when he saw his holinesse then Woe is me I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lips He was so before but when he drew neere to GOD he saw it So Peter said depart from me I am a sinfull man when he saw Christ when Christ came neere him when he manifested himselfe in his Diuinity that he saw GOD in him for so he did by that Miracle that amazed Peter and cast him downe and made him see what hee was So Dauid when GOD drew neere to him and promised to build him an House to giue him a House that should be eternall to giue him the Messiah whose Kingdome should neuer end for that is included in the giuing him a Kingdome for euer and a House that should haue no end when God vouchsafed him so great a fauour we see Dauid was neuer so cast downe as then in the sight of his owne vilenes he was neuer so little in his own eyes he neuer said so much as he said then Now saith he what is Dauid What am I or what is my Fathers house that thou shouldst regard me thus that thou shouldst bring me hitherto This is Gods manner when he comes into a mans heart when he speakes peace indeed when Faith is a right Faith that brings CHRIST to dwell there I say it makes a man exceeding humble Therfore the spirit of Christians is a meeke spirit they are humble and gentle they are little in their owne eyes Consider whether thou hast such a disposition bred in thee or no it is a signe thy faith is good if there be if there be not it is a signe thy faith is not true So much for the signes of faith I make haste because I haue one Vse more to adde If nothing be regarded of GOD but effectuall faith that is if that be the vertue of faith to be effectuall or else it is nothing worth then we should learne hence not to let that be wanting to our faith which is the excellencie of it which is the vertue of it which is the proper quality of it As if it be the vertue of a Horse to goe well If it be the vertue of a Knife to cut well If it be the vertue of a Souldier to fight well or whatsoeuer you will instance in whatsoeuer vertue it be or whatsoeuer thing you labour to find that in it whatsoeuer be wanting for euery thing hath some proper excellency some speciall vertue wherein the thing consists Now to be effectuall to be working to be operatiue If this be the vertue of Faith as it were if this be the character and excellency of faith Let not this therefore be wanting in faith What is that then thou shouldst doe Vse thy faith set faith aworke liue by it You will say This is more then I can doe this is Gods action he must set faith aworke and worke this in me I say thou art able to doe this of thy selfe when thou hast faith once I speake to those that haue it and this exhortation is to you If you haue faith vse it many haue it that doe not vse it This is a thing that you are able to doe For though God worke in you all the worke of faith as it is receiued yet know he doth not worke in you onely but by you he makes you instruments you are not as dead instruments but as liuing instrumēts to moue of your selues It is true that before you haue faith you are able to doe nothing but when you haue it once then you are able to vse it Before a man hath life he is not able to stir but when he hath life once then he is able to moue and stir himselfe for there is life there when the Lampe is once lighted you know you may feede it with Oyle and if you put more Oyle to it you shall haue the greater flame There is light and you may increase it indeed the difficulty is to light it and that is Gods worke he kindles the first fire hee workes faith in the heart But now when thou hast it learne to vse it Dost thou thinke a necessity lyes vpon vs to vse other Talents that GOD hath put into our hands and will he not require that thou shouldst vse the Talent of Faith Wilt thou wrap that in a Napkin and let it lye dead by thee Will not he call thee to an accompt for it What folly is it my brethren you haue faith which is so excellent a Grace able to doe so great things as it is and yet you will not vse it There are many Christians that haue Faith indeed and yet will not set it on worke How great things would it doe what a reward would it bring As Aristotle saith of habits That if a man haue no more but a habit and vse it not there is no difference betweene the wisest man and a foole for what are habits for but for action what is the Tree for but for fruit The habit serues but for the act and this is according to the iudgement of Scripture in Rom. 2. God rewards not men according to the habits they haue but according to their workes Therefore thinke not that thou shalt be rewarded according to thy habits of Faith which thou hast though it be true that that sanctifies thee but GOD doth reward vs according to the vse of our faith according to the workes that our Faith doth bring forth according to the efficacie of our faith It is true the taking of Christ is one worke of Faith thou shouldst set it aworke to doe that and besides that all the workes of sanctification are all workes of Faith all thy life long euery houre thou hast somewhat for Faith to doe Set thy faith aworke and thy reward shall be accordingly And againe if thou vse not Faith thou shalt haue little enough of it the vsing of it is that which strengthens Faith It is Gods vsuall manner when he giues Faith to a man to giue him exercise to keepe his Faith breathing as it were hee will be sure to haue somewhat wherein hee will put him to it some tribulation he will put fire to
as if he vsed it not he would not care for losses crosses he would not grieue for them as one that is not able to beare them Thus we should learne to set faith on worke in beleeuing these priuiledges that we may be able to walke with God as Henoch did and as Paul and Moses did to walke with him in the vpper Region aboue the stormes There is much variety of weather when a man is below here now it is faire and then it is foule if a man were aboue these there is a continuall serenity So a man that hath his heart in Heauen a man that walkes with GOD that hath his heart raised aboue others if you would doe this if you would vse Faith if thou wouldest consider this it would set thee aloft aboue these things thou wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle thou wouldest care no more for these things then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes they are trifles thou wouldest ouerlooke them all If we did consider this seriously how would it alter our course It would worke another disposition another affection in vs. A man would consider that if GOD be sure what matter is it if a friend die If I haue GOD what is the losse of any creature And so if a man suffer wrong in his name what is it if he haue praise of GOD If thou beleeue and see GOD in his greatnes to haue praise of such a one as he will make thee to contemne the rest And so for wealth What is pouerty What account did Paul make of it It is nothing to one that hath Treasure in Heauen to one that beleeues indeede to one that seeth hee hath all GODS Treasures opened to him Thou shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest If a man would set this Faith aworke to beleeue it his heart would be fixed hee would bee afraid of no euill tydings hee would say with himselfe if there bee no ill tydings from heauen it is no matter from whence they come on earth If a man would build through faith vpon the promise and consider it really This is the vse of Faith thus a mans heart should be filled with ioy a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report through want and through abundance without being much troubled with either the one would not much puffe him vp nor the other would not deject him but he would goe as a Gyant and march thorow the variety of conditions he would passe through them that neither the one hand nor the other the good successe nor the ill successe should worke vpon him much This is a strong man and this Faith will make thee able to doe if thou vse Faith and set it aworke But I am sorry the time hath cut me off this is but an entrance I giue you but a little taste There are many things wherein Faith stands vs in much stead wherin if wee did vse Faith how much seruice would it doe vs But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith I had thought to haue shut it vp at this time to shew you how to vse it how to make it effectuall how to set it aworke how to walke by it how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your owne But I cannot stand on it So much for this time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fifth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE first thing wherein thou shouldest vse Faith is to comfort thy selfe by it Therefore consider you that doubt of this you that make question I speake to those that haue the work wrought whom the Holy Ghost hath made to desire Christ aboue all things I say remember that God iustifieth the vngodly and that you haue nothing to doe but to take him 2. Remember that CHRIST is made righteousnesse to vs that no flesh might reioyce in his sight but he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. 3. Remember that the pardon is generall Looke to the promises of the Gospell you shall finde them without all exception To vs a Sauiour is borne to take away the sinnes of his people he came to take away sinnes of all sorts Now when GOD hath made no exception why should we make any 4. Consider that wee haue to doe with a GOD who delights to shew mercie it is a thing that he is not weary of it is naturall to him And therefore as the eye is not wearie of seeing nor the eare of hearing because it is naturall to them no more is GOD weary of shewing mercie Nay he delights in it Mic. 7.8 Who is a God like vnto thee taking away iniquities delighting to shew mercie c. Why so Because mercy pleaseth him That is there is no worke that he is so much pleased in as in shewing mercy 5. Consider thou that art in such a case consider that his mercy is as large as any other attribute Euery man thinkes that this is no newes what need you tell vs that GOD is infinite in mercy I say this is a thing that thou dost not consider if thou diddest thou wouldest not sticke vpon it as thou doest If thou diddest beleeue that GOD were as mercifull as he is but we scant GOD according to our measure we square Gods mercy according to our own thoughts Euery man measures Gods mercy according to that which he can conceiue He thinkes with himselfe if a man commit one sinne it might be forgiuen but when his sinnes exceede when they grow out of measure sinfull when they are sinnes so circumstantiated as we say that they are out of measure sinfull here a man stands at a stay What is the reason of this Because we draw a scantling of Gods mercy according to our owne conceits Whereas if we considered that his mercie were as large as any other attribute then we would consider that it hath no limits and if it haue no limits then whatsoeuer thy sinnes are it is all one 6. Dost thou thinke that Christ came from heauen and tooke flesh and suffered death to forgiue small sinnes No it was to forgiue the greatest the worke is large enough to match with the greatest sinnes These and such like reasons thou shouldest labour to bring to heart that thou mayest beleeue perfectly and throughly and giue not ouer till thou haue done it Let not thy faith trust in Christ by halues but trust throughly Thou shouldest come to this disjunction If I bee out of the Couenant why doe I beleeue at all why doe I receiue any comfort If I bee in the Couenant why doe I not beleeue perfectly I say giue not ouer till thou haue brought thy heart to a full assurance Thus a man should doe that yet doubts whether his estate be good whether CHRIST bee his when he is his For when a man is once in the Couenant that the match is made betweene him and thee why doest thou doubt If thou
great care hee had rather lay vp faithfull prayers in heauen he had rather see them brought vp in the feare of GOD for hee trust GOD and he thinkes that his blessing can doâ— it without meanes and he knows that great meanes without Gods blessing cannot doe it But when another man is in this case hee lookes to that which is represented to his eyes and therefore he will not haue done till he haue prouided such a portion for such a childe till he haue built him houses till he haue made them firme on euery side till he haue added house to house this is out of want of faith he beleeues not hence it is that these two runne a different course So againe one man lookes to his businesse he will not spend time to examine his heart he will not spend time in prayer from day to day he saith my businesse will goe at sixe and seuens my businesse will not be done when as another man that hath chosen Maries portion is content to lose somewhat hee is content that many things should goe amisse he is content to lose somewhat of his estate he is content to let his businesse lye vndone or not to be so well done because he thinkes to be busie in good workes in prayer and to haue the fauour of GOD is greater aduantage he thinkes hee hath chosen the better part Now it is faith that workes this difference What should I doe Why should I name any more Instances You may name more to your selues as you haue faith so it will guide you it will turne you this way and that way in the turnings and passages of your life But now because I am farre in the poynt and I see the time runnes fast away before I leaue I would not only shew you what faith is able to doe but I would worke you to this a little You will say then What is it to trust in GOD For that is the reason of all the difference you see Therefore saith Paul 1 Tim. 4.10 We labour and suffer rebuke what is the reason If you would know the cause why we leade such a life why we runne another course then others why wee liue a painefull life in labour from day to day but if a man had good wages he might well doe that we labour and suffer and are rebuked and haue nothing but persecution for our paines but saith he we doe it because we trust in the liuing God therefore we labour and suffer and are rebuked because wee trust in the liuing GOD. I say doe this and thou shalt be able to doe the same that Moses did thou shalt be able to doe the same that Paul did the same that all the Saints haue done If I could but perswade you now to trust in God to set your faith aworke thus farre There is no man that heares me this day that is in any other course then in the wayes of Religion and godlinesse but he would turne his course and therefore I will labour in this a little You will aske me then what it is to trust GOD I will shew you a little what it is because euery man is ready to say I trust in GOD but I am not able to doe this that you say when I come to such a hard turning Deceiue not thy selfe this is to trust in God namely to be vnbottomed of thy selfe and of euery creature and so to leane vpon GOD that if hee faile thee thou sinkest There is many a man that pretends he trusts in GOD but hee so trusts GOD that withall hee will prouide for himselfe such a man saith GODS blessing is a good addition but to haue that for all hee will not he will be sure he will be strong he will make his Mountaine strong about him and he will haue the blessings of GOD too for faith in the promises hee makes them good notions but for things to trust to to rest on it is a thing he will not be perswaded to Now this is not to trust in GOD. But this is to trust in him when thou doest so cast thy selfe on him that if he should faile thee thou wert vndone by it To exemplifie it to you There was an action that Alexander the Great did I vse it onely to expresse what I meane by trusting in GOD When hee was sicke there comes a friend that was alwaies close with him that was a Physician and he prepared him a Potion but before the same came to him there was a Letter deliuered to him to signifie to him that that very Potion was poyson when his friend came with his Potion in his hand he takes the Letter that was sent to giue him notice of the Treason and drinkes off the Cup with one hand and reaches the Letter with the other so he dranke off the Cup before he shewed the Letter Here Alexander trusted him if he had failed him he had lost his life he did not first shew the Letter and then heare his excuse for himselfe but hee shewed that he trusted him In such a case if thou be able to trust GOD if thou canst put thy selfe vpon him if he faile the thou art vndone in such a case this is to trust in GOD. To vse another expression that you may know what it is There was a King of this Land that sent his seruant a Generall of his Army to spare a Citie he had command vnder the Broad Seale from the Councell and from the Kings owne hand to doe it and to disobey this Warrant was death But withall the King sent him a secret message that he should destroy the Citie and to trust him to saue his life The party did so The Broad-Seale and Commission was to spare the City to sorbeare it The secret charge was to destroy it This he did and trusted the King for his life if hee had fayled him he had been destroyed These similitudes shew what it is to trust in GOD If thou be brought to such an exigent if thou wilt trust GOD in such a case as wherin if he faile thee thou art vndone This is to trust GOD not to seeke his blessing so as to make that an addition but to put all vpon him Therefore that you may know that this is to trust in GOD know that except thou doe it thus GOD is not ready to answer thee Therfore commonly he puts not forth his strength to deliuer men or to bestow vpon them any great blessing but when hee hath brought men to such an exigent And because men will not trust in him commonly while other props are taken away For wee should trust in GOD in the middest of prosperity and happinesse but because men will not doe it till then hee strips them of all that they may doe it he brings a man to such a case that he shall haue nothing else to trust vnto What is the reason that Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.
case It was concluded that hee and all the Jewes should bee slaine The Decree was gone out there was nothing in the World for ought hee saw that could hinder it the very night before Hester was to come to the King to make her request if it had beene but a night longer perhaps it had failed but that there might be a concurrence of all this it is said in Hester 6. The King hee could not sleepe that night and when hee could not sleepe he might haue called for another Booke then the Booke of the Chronicles and when hee had the Booke brought he might haue falne vpon another place and not vpon that where Mordecai's act was recordâ—d but that there should bee a concurrence of all this in that very time Is not GOD the same GOD why should not wee bee ready to trust in him still Doe wee not see the same daily If his Workes were recorded and obserued in our remembrance certainely we should trust in GOD. But you will object The LORD doth euery thing by meanes hee doth not worke Wonders hee workes not Miracles now a dayes And when I see no meanes I hope you will not haue mee to expect Miracles at GODS hands to tempt him You must remember Ahaz his case when GOD came to Ahaz and told him by the Prophet Esay Isai. chap. 7. That Aram and Remaliah's sonne those two smoking Fire-brands should not haue their wils should bee disappointed that he would fight for him against them Saith the Prophet to him Aske a signe of the Lord in the Heauen aboue or in the Deepe below No saith hee Ahaz will not tempt GOD. What is the meaning of that That is I will prouide for my selfe I will not trust to his Word I will looke vnto my selfe I will prouide an Armie I will not tempt GOD That is I will not goe about it without meanes I will looke about mee And for such a signe as resting on that promise If I should doe this I should tempt GOD. See heere is a faire excuse Take heede of such excuses say not I shall tempt GOD. And know that though there be not Miracles yet GOD he workes wonders now a dayes as well as then his hand is not shortned now he is the same GOD he is as powerfull as hee was It is true now as it was in Dauids time that wonderfull are thy workes And CHRIST now in the time of the Gospell his Name is wonderfull In Isai. 9. The gouernment is vpon his shoulders and his Name shall bee called wonderfull that is in the gouernment of his Church hee doth wonderfull things that is when a thing seemes to bee neuer so strong and well built when the strength of the Enemy seemes to be neuer so great and inuincible hee is wonderfull to disappoint them Againe when the strength of the Church seemes to be little he can make that effectuall to doe great matters it shall doe wonders and therefore I say GOD is able to doe wonderfull things now Now those very things which seeme wonders to men are not Miracles though they may be great workes That Wonder that Elisha said that the next day things should bee so cheape you see that was reckoned so great a matter yet it was done after an ordinary manner There was but a false feare scattered in the Armie and it was done Therefore he that workes wonders he can doe the same now That deliuerance which the Iewes had it was a thing that may be done now So those wonders those great acts which God did when men trusted in him they are things which he doth daily now Therefore to answer punctually because men doe deceiue themselues in that when we exhort them to trust in GOD they say still we must vse the meanes I will giue a threefold answer to it It is true that GOD vseth meanes but they are meanes of his owne prouiding and not the meanes many times that thou pitchest vpon For thus farre it is true GOD doth it not but by meanes that is he doth things by second causes hee doth them not by an immediate hand of his owne though hee be able to doe it But now what those causes are thou knowest not Therefore this set downe that GOD doth it by meanes of his owne and not by those meanes thou seest It may bee thou pitchest vpon some particular meanes and thinkest surely it must be done by this and because thou seest no other thou thinkest if that fayle all is spoiled But it is not so GOD will not doe it by these but GOD is so farre from doing it that his vsuall course is when men haue pitched vpon particular meanes and thinke surely the businesse must bee brought to passe by this or else all will faile GOD many times vseth not that but a meanes which thou neuer thoughtest of In such a case it fares with vs as it did with Naaman the Assyrian when he comes to the Prophet of GOD hee thought before-hand that the Prophet would haue spoken some words and haue healed him but he bids him goe and wash which was a thing that hee neuer thought of So thou many times thinkest of these meanes thou preconceiuest things in thine owne heart thou thinkest thou art right thou thinkest it must needes be done this way thou seest no other meanes but it may be GOD will not doe it this way but he will doe it a way that thou thinkest not of So Ioseph when hee was in fauour with Pharoah his Steward one would thinke that this should haue beene the meanes of Iosephs aduancement and of bringing to passe that promise but this was not the meanes that GOD vsed Againe when that Pharoah his chiefe Butler was deliuered one would thinke that that should haue beene the meanes to haue wrought his exaltation but yet these were not there fell a meanes that Ioseph thought not on and so GOD doth daily Many times the thing that we most trust vnto and put most confidence in doth faile and deceiue vs GOD dasheth in pieces such meanes and vseth other meanes to helpe that neuer came into our hearts to thinke of Doe we not see it oftentimes Againe that meanes which wee thinke will not doe oftentimes doth it Therefore say not I trust in GOD that he will doe it by meanes for GOD delighteth to doe it by meanes Men are ready to say Oh if had such a Physician or if I had such ayre or such meanes I should doe well enough How doest thou know that It may be GOD will not vse that So those that are in distresse Oh if I had such a man to comfort me Why thou knowest not whether that be the meanes that GOD will vse or no. Therefore say not because I see not meanes therefore I will not trust in GOD. I say GOD will doe it by meanes but he vseth meanes of his owne prouiding and not of thy seeking This is the first answer
to it The second answer If thou say that GOD doth it by meanes yet remember that it is his blessing or his curse which makes those meanes on which thou art fixed effectuall or ineffectuall The greatest meanes the fairest the most specious and most probable to bring things to passe remember that if GOD doe but say to that meanes prosper not for that is the curse when hee bids a thing wither thou shalt not doe it Againe If it be weaker if GOD say to such a thing goe and doe this businesse it shall be able to bring it to passe this is his blessing and his curse you should learne to haue these words not onely in your mouthes but to know the meaning of them and not onely so but to come to the practice to say with your selues when things are faire and probable Except GOD bid this doe it it shall not be effectuall if he curse it it shall wither Thirdly remember this That his blessing is dispensed not according to thy meanes but according to the vprightnesse of thy heart according to thy workes One would thinke when he hath riches then he should bring it to passe but saith the Prophet Psal. 62. Riches belong to the Lord they come neither from the North nor from the South And when riches increase set not your heart vpon them Saith he it is not riches that makes men happy for that Objection will come in If I had riches I should be able to doe this or that they are the meanes to make a man happy though happinesse consists not in them No saith he when riches increase set not your hearts vpon them As if he should say If wealth would doe you good I would giue you leaue to set your hearts vpon it but it is not in wealth or riches to make a man poore or rich but that comes of the Lord. But now comes in the Objection Yea but GOD doth it by meanes the Lord doth it by riches No GOD rewards men according to their workes not according to their wealth So that when thou trustest to the meanes know that GOD blesseth thee according to thy workes not according to the outward condition thou art in Thus we should learne to doe when we say GOD doth things by meanes when a man sees the fairest meanes yet if thou find that thou hast not prayed thou hast not sought to GOD thou hast no secret assurance of his blessing thinke not that such a businesse will be done Againe when the meanes are low meane and weake yet if thou haue sought him earnestly if thou hast had a secret assurance of him that he will be with thee let not thy heart be discouraged doe in this case as Dauid did Psal. 31. saith he I heard the speaking against of great men they sate and conspired against me but I trusted in thee I said my times are in thy hands Marke When Dauid saw the greatest meanes vsed against him as might be They were great men set against him and many of them they ioyned together they tooke councell against him he was not discouraged but saith my times are in thy hands If my times were in their hands they might make me miserable I had reason to bee discouraged at that but my times are in thy hands See if thou canst say this on both sides When great men ioyne for thy wealth say not now I shall bee made a great man in the World but say My time is in Gods hand it is not in their power to doe it Againe when great men seeke and consult against thee say not now I shall be miserable but consider thy times are in GODS hands it is not in their hands to doe it FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The sixth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. WEe haue already answered one Objection that God workes by meanes we shewed after what manner Well if this be so before we leaue the point take heede you deceiue not your selues you commonly say GOD workes things by meanes The saying is true if thy heart be not false for it is true hee workes things by meanes but if such meanes come in competition as GOD hath not appointed that which is vnlawfull for thee to doe if it come in competition with that which GOD hath set apart in such a case thou must let such meanes goe else thou mayest vse that meanes but it is the meanes alone thou shalt haue no encouragement in the vse of them If thou hast meanes encourage not thy selfe so much because of them but because thou hast GOD for thy friend Let not the rich man reioyce in his riches nor the strong man glory in his strength or the wise man ioy in his wisedome Ier. 10. but let him that glorieth and reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. If they could doe a man good we might reioyce in them The Lord requires nothing but that which is reasonable I dare be bold to declare it that if the confidence in the strength of a man were able to doe him good he might reioyce in it Therefore we see in that place hee saith it comes of the Lord. As if he should say We see by experience when GOD will vse them as instruments it is otherwise then they doe that which of themselues they cannot they doe it no farther then GOD blesseth them for else they hurt and doe no good to a man Take heede therefore thy heart bee not false and deceiue not thy selfe that thou mingle by-respects in the businesse but vse the meanes and depend and trust in God for the bringing it to passe which thou shalt know by this if thou draw neere to God for that is a tryall Ier. 17. Cursed is he that maketh flesh his arme This drawes the heart from GOD you shall finde that noted in 1 Tim. 1.6 The Widdow that trusts in God prayeth day and night Therefore when thou hast the best meanes if thou be not slacke in prayer it argues thy trust in GOD when thou goest to GOD and striuest with him by prayer and seekest not to the creature to say thy wealth or riches or the like shall helpe thee So much for the answer to the first Objection Another thing that we are ready to object is But what if such a thing should come to passe what if the euill that I feare should fall vpon me what if the businesse I goe about proceed not which is of that moment I am vndone if it be not done Herein the heart of a man must be quiet First It may be thou art too hasty in this kinde many times thou thinkest in such cases that thou art without helpe and without hope when it is not so Know therfore that a man may be vnder water and rise againe he may sinke twice or thrice before he be drowned thou mayest receiue many foiles many blowes and yet not lose the victory The best Saints haue beene
thee yet conclude not with thy selfe that thou art not yet fit There is somewhat more that must be done Dauid a man would thinke that he had beene fitted for the Kingdome before that time but GOD deferred it vntill Dauid was humbled enough till he was broken enough till GOD had prouided a Kingdome as he promised And so he did with Ioseph and so with the people of Isâ—ael they were kept long in bondage they were long pressed before they were fit to be deliuered GOD tendred his people then hee had no delight in their afflictions And so we may see in the whole Booke of the Iudges how God suffered his people to be afflicted to fit them for deliuerance So thinke with thy selfe thou art not fitted yet if thou wouldst go by a rule see the rule 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selues vnder his mighty hand that he may exalt you in due time Marke whensoeuer God layes any affliction vpon any man his end is to humble him And if the worke be done he will performe that which he hath promised assoone as thou art humbled he will exalt thee therefore that word is added he will exalt you in due time not when thou thinkest hee will before-hand for GOD is wise and will doe it in due time if he should defer it beyond the time when thou art fitted he should not doe it in due time but beyond the time Againe if he should send deliuerance before thou art fit it were not in due time it would come too soone But assure thy selfe when thy heart is humbled and weakned from the world when thy lusts are mortified and when thou art made spirituall and heauenly-minded by such afflictions be sure GOD will not deferre one iot he will come in the exactnesse of time that as it is said in the fulnesse of time his Sonne came so it is in the fulnesse of time before he will saue thee in the fittest time Therefore I would say to thee whosoeuer thou art that suest to GOD for pleasure for honour it may be to be relieued in thy state for health for life or for comfort I say GOD hath made a promise and it is impossible that he should faile in the performance of of it as Salomon saith Prou. 22.4 Riches and honour and life shall he giue but to to whom to him that is humble and that feareth the Lord. You must put in both the conditions Many men feare the LORD which are not humbled and some men are humbled but they haue some secret way of wickednesse wherein they are induldent to themselues but they must goe both together Let a man be holy that he may haue no way of wickednesse in himselfe and let him be humbled or else GOD may bestow wealth on thee but if thy heart be not holy thou wilt forget GOD in it And if he giue thee health if thy heart be not humbled thou wilt be ready to vse it intemperately thou knowest not thine owne heart but be assured when thou commest to God he heares the requests that are made by his Spirit that if thou be prepared he will not deny thee the promise is absolute let the condition be fulfilled for those are the words The reward of humility and the feare of God is riches and honour and life Except not these when there is not the precedent preparation for it is not best for thee Thirdly it may be GOD doth it not because there is a defect in thy prayer hee will haue thee pray more feruently that condition is put in Iam. 5. The prayer of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Indeede GOD might bestow blessings vpon vs for the meere asking if we did but make our requests knowne yet he is pleased to require that condition that our prayers be feruent and he defers the giuing of the blessing vntill we be quickned and therfore he defers oft-times to inhance and to cause vs to prize his blessings lightly come lightly gone as we vse to say Things that come easily we willingly part with but GOD will haue vs prize them high and therefore we must begge them earnestly he holds them backe to affect our appetites to make vs contend with him in prayer or else why did hee deferre to grant the Woman of Canaans request why did he defer to giue Iacob deliuerance from his brother Esau if he had done it in the beginning Iacob had not so wrastled he had not done that excellent duty of prayer all night When Hannah comes to aske a sonne of the Lord he hath giuen to many with lesse adoe but he would not grant it her till her spirit was troubled till she prayed earnestly with contention and violence that Ely thought she was drunke No said she but I am a woman troubled in spirit they must be earnest those prayers that God will haue at thy hands and if thou be not heard goe and mend thy prayers that thou mayest mend thy speeding quicken thy prayers as thou labourest to make thy heart more righteous that thou mayest be fit The prayers of the righteous preuaile much if they be feruent so pray more feruently Fourthly it may be God heares thee but it crosseth some other secret passage of his prouidence There are many things that GOD the great Gouernour of the world must bring together and though thou see no reason why he should not heare thee yet it may be hee will discouer vnto thee that the sum of all things being put together thou shalt see that it is not best for thee to be heard Dauid now when he comes to aske a request at Gods hands that he might build him a Temple it was a thing that he desired and he made no question but that it was according to Gods will and Nathan was of that opinion too Goe saith hee and doe all that is in thine heart Dauid did not know what belonged to that businesse because no man can iudge of those things that GOD hath appointed to bring to passe a man cannot see round about all the corners of GODS prouidence no man is able to see it wee see not the concurrence of things how one thing stands with another And therefore we ought not to looke in such cases to be heard as the Wisemen they thought it fit to haue returned by the way they came but God saw a reason to turne them another way Therfore be not hasty in thy requests but know that GOD is wise and will worke all for the best his glory must goe in all and one thing must be done that his end may be brought to passe in all Againe it may be God will grant thy request but for the manner and the meanes by which he will doe it and for the time it is in his own power But because these things are knowne I will not stand to presse them farrher but now I come to the last Objection Last of all you will be
ready to say It is true I would trust in God if he did alway shew mercie for my sake If I saw the Saints alwaies bring their enterprizes to passe If I did see it still well with them that trust in him but I finde it contrary for the most part It is ill with them that trust in the Lord and euill men prosper and therefore what encouragement haue I to trust in GOD in this manner as you exhort me to doe when I am brought to such an exigent to such a case that my life or my goods are in hazard or my name it is not my best way so to doe I see by experience that those that are wise men politique men and those that haue the greatest meanes they prosper when as other men that feare GOD doe not bring thy deuices to passe I will answer this and so will haue done with the point First I answer it is true that ill men oft-times doe prosper and that good men many times doe not succeede I say we will not deny it for wee see the Scripture is plentifull Psal. 37. Feare not the man that bringeth his enterprizes to passe where it is supposed that they doe so In Ier. 12.1 Why doe the wicked prosper where the Prophet sets out in particular how they prosper he saith they grow and take roote they spring and bring forth fruit And you know what Salomon saith who was a wise man and looked through many euents that fall out vnder the Sunne Eccles. 8.14 I haue seene this venity saith he that where should haue beene Iustice there hath beene wickednesse and it hath come vnto the iust as vnto the wicked I haue seene the Battell hath not beene to the strong nor bread to the wise And so he goes along as you know well He sets out in that Booke plentifully that euill men may prosper long and may exceedingly bring their enterprizes to passe Againe on the other side the Saints may not prosper and that in those things which they doe according to Gods will When Christ sent his Disciples ouer the Water and bade them goe to the other side yet they rowed all night there wâ—s a great storme that they could doe no good so that they were in great jeopardy and danger and yet it was his owne appointment So I say thou mayest goe about a businesse and yet finde such stormes such contrary windes and waues such streames running against thee that thou mayest be exceedingly hazarded though GOD himselfe set thee on worke When Paul went to Macedonia you see GOD called him from another place and bade him goe thither you shall not finde that Paul was the better vsed nay you shall finde that for the time he seemed to doe lesse good there of any place there were few that beleeued in GOD. And Peter when hee came to CHRIST on the water he had a warrant for it he did that which was a fruit of his faith yet for all that he sunke he beganne to sinke till CHRIST put forth his hand and was saine to helpe him Therefore I say you may goe about Gods businesse and yet it may not prosper Therefore wee must set downe that conclusion it is a great light to know that it is so The Wiseman giues the reason of it Eccles. 7.14 Saith hee Thou shalt finde great variety thou shalt finde some times good times and in the day of wealth when thou hast it reioyce Againe another time afflictions will come know that GOD hath done this for some purpose He hath made this contrary to that that thou shouldst finde nothing after him That is that all the world may see that his wayes and his actions are past finding out If God should deale alwayes after this manner you might know where to haue him in his wayes If he should alwayes giue affliction to sinners a man might say surely GOD will doe this but it is not so hee hath made this contrary to the other that is he takes different courses with men he hath made this contrary to that that men should not finde the print of his footsteps to say that GOD will certainely doe this another time Therefore hee addeth those words which doe immediately follow that none might finde out any thing after him I haue seene the iust perish in his Iustice and I haue seene a wicked man goe on long in his malice This God hath done that men might know to feare before him that men might learne to cry out with Paul Oh the depth of his wisdome and vnderstanding and his wayes are past finding out that men might tremble before GOD and acknowledge his wisdome But I come now to a particular answer for it is a point worthy the answering it is a point that will stand vs in much stead when wee meete with many such objections as mans heart will haue in that case Therefore I answer particularly and briefely First though GOD doe so yet remember that thou must not iudge any thing till thou see he haue finished the worke thou wilt not iudge a mans worke till hee haue done it If a man goe about to build iudge not his worke till it bee done because thou seest not for what end many things are framed and made wilt thou therefore say that hee is an vnskilfull builder it were folly to doe so but stay till hee haue finished worke and then see how one part answers with another and in what proportion So in all the workes of GOD if thou see it goe well with those that are ill and those that are good are afflicted stay till thou see GOD haue finished his worke And therefore I say to thee in this case as Saint Iames saith Know ye not what end the Lord made with Iob So marke what end the Lord makes as with Iob so with all the Saints know what is their ends And otherwise take all the euill men as Ieroboam and Saul and see what end the LORD made with them their prosperity was as a pleasant Dreame which was soone gone as the flower of the grasse vpon the house top which withereth Looke to the end of things I cannot stand on it Secondly though the wicked prosper yet their prosperity hurts them as much as affliction and aduersity doth good to the godly their prosperity slayeth them whereas the afflictions of the other benefits them if thou finde this to be thy case that thou prosper and that thou seest thou goest on in sinne thou hast no cause to reioyce in this or if thou seest other men prosper thinke them not happy for this it is out of mistake It is the miserablest condition in the world you know what GOD did to Hophni and Phineas he did not afflict them he let them goe long he sent them no disease hee interrupted not their course What was the reason Hee had a purpose to destroy them So againe when thou dost not succeede in thy matters but art
them And so when men can make their recreations to serue their turnes for better purposes when a man not onely ouercomes them gets the victory of them but makes them seruiceable so a man make aduantage of the World Againe when thou wouldest haue thy sanctification increased increase thy faith The more thou beleeuest the more the Spirit of Christ is conueyed into thy heart The stronger thy faith is the more the winde of grace the sappe shall flow from CHRIST into thy heart As old Adams corruption it is with the grace of CHRIST when thou commest neere thou art ingraft into the similitude of his death that is there comes a gift from him he sends his Spirit into thy heart that doth make thee ioy in him that causeth thee to dye to sin and to liue to righteousnesse This I thought to haue opened But so much shal serue for this time and for this Text. FINIS OF LOVE THE FIRST SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love IN the fourth verse of this chapter the Apostle affirmes that there is no justification by the law for saith hee If you be justified by the law you are fallen from grace that is you cannot be partakers of that justification which is by grace Because for to have it by the law and to have it by grace are opposite And he gives a reason for it because saith he Through the Spirit we waite for the hope of that righteousnes which is by faith and not by the law When he had expressed himselfe so farre which is the righteousnesse received by faith that is that righteousnesse which is freely given by God offered to us wrought by Christ but taken by faith on our parts Thus saith he you must be justified Now to confirme this he gives a reason in this verse that I have read for saith he In Christ Iesus that is to put a man into Christ Iesus or to make him acceptable to God through Christ Iesus to doe this neither circumcision availeth any thing or uncircumcision That is neither the keeping of any part of the ceremoniall law or the omission of it nor the keeping of the morall law or the breaking of it will helpe to ingraffe a man into Christ or to make him acceptable to God through Christ What will doe it then nothing saith hee but onely faith Now lest we should be mistaken in this as if he should require nothing at their hands but an empty idle faith hee addeth further it must be such a faith as is effectuall as is working And that is not enough but it must be such a faith as workes by love So that you have two parts in this Text One is a removall or a negation of that which doth not ingraffe us into Christ or that makes us not acceptable to God through Christ it is not being circumcised or uncircumcised or any thing of that nature The other is the affirmative part What is it that doth it that makes us in a glorious condition that makes us sonnes of God saith he it is onely faith and love it is such a faith as is accompanied with love and good workes so that you see hee removes all workes of ours all workes of the ceremoniall law circumcision is nothing it is as good as if you were not circumcised it is all one And by the same reason that circumcision is excluded all other is And not onely workes of the ceremoniall law but all the workes of the morall law also considered as the meanes of justification because they are opposite to faith they exclude faith and faith excludes them so as they are as well to be shut out as the workes of the ceremoniall law None of these saith the Apostle will doe it For you must know the way to salvation is contrary to that of damnation Looke how you lost the kingdome of God so you must get it looke what gate you went out at by the same gate as it were you must come in at What was it that lost all mankind the kingdome of heaven You know it was not our particular breaches of the morall law but it was the fall of Adam and when the root was dead you know all the branches died with it Well what way is there then to regaine this losse We must goe in againe into Paradise by the same way that wee went out that is by being borne of the second Adam and by being made partakers of his righteousnesse By being borne of him or ingrafted into him As you communicate of the sinne of the other because you are his children so you must partake of his righteousnesse Againe saith the Apostle it is the Lords pleasure that you should be saved after this manner because he would have it to be of grace If you should have beene saved by any workes of your owne you would have imputed it to your selves and to your owne strength But the Lord would have it to be of grace of his free will and therefore hee will have it meerely of faith by taking the righteousnesse of the second Adam which he hath wrought for you Againe he would have it sure to all your seede if it had beene by workes it would never have beene sure unto you you could never have kept the law so exactly But since Christ hath wrought righteousnesse and you have no more to doe but to take it now it is sure or else it would never have beene sure Againe if it had beene by workes the flesh had had wherein to rejoyce it might have something to boast of But the Lord will have no man to rejoyce in the flesh but let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in the Lord. Now if it had been by works if it had beene by any inherent righteousnesse by any ornament of grace that the Lord had beautified us with we had had rejoycing in our selves but now that it is by the second Adam by comming home to him by taking him by applying his righteousnesse Now no flesh can rejoyce in it selfe but now whosoever rejoyceth rejoyceth in the Lord. Therefore saith the Apostle you must know this truth you can never be saved by doing these actions no nor you shall not lose salvation by omitting them for this is not the way that the Lord hath appointed mankinde to be saved by But the way by which mankinde must be saved is by receiving Iesus Christ and his righteousnes But you must remember that you must take him so as to love him And it must be such a love as is fruitfull in good workes and not an emptie and idle love that is a love in shew onely but it must be a love in deede and in truth Now in the handling of these words we will begin with the affirmative part because though the other be put first yet the affirmatiō you know in order of nature is before the negation therfore I wil begin with
his scholler that is every way towardly so the father loves his sonne as one in whom hee is well pleased Fourthly there is a love of friendshippe that goes beyond this love of complacency because in the love of friendship there is a reciprocation of affections when a man both loves and is beloved againe So a man loves his friend and is loved againe by his friend Lastly there is a loue of dependance when one loues one upon whom all his good depends so we are said to loue God wee loue him as one upon whom all our good and happinesse all our comfort and hope depends Now as you shall see after with these three last loues we are said to loue the Lord wee loue him with the loue of complacence because he is a full adequate object to the soule we loue him with a loue of friendship because there is a mutuall loue he loues us and we loue him as the spouse saith My Beloved is mine and I am his Againe we loue him with a love of dependance for we hang and rely upon him for all our happinesse and comfort Now this loue wherewith we loue any object that is sutable to us it hath degrees and that loue is stronger as the object of that loue is more adequate and full Againe as it is more free from mixture for all things that we loue in this world we know there is some mixture of evill in them and therefore our loue is lesse Againe as the thing we loue is more high and supernaturall as wee hang and depend upon it more so we loue it more and these you shall finde in God Now lay these generall principles and we will make use of it afterwards Onely this obserue more before I passe frō the general description of it That there is a naturall loue that God hath placed in the heart of every man and that loue wherewith every man loues himselfe such a loue as every man hath to his children such a loue as wherewith a man loues his wealth or any thing by nature that is good to him Now this naturall loue hath two other loues hanging on both sides of it One is a vicious and sinfull loue that carries it the wrong way to loue sinfull things The second is a spirituall loue which sets limits to this naturall loue that sets bankes as it were to the streame of naturall affection that suffers it not to runne over and not so onely but gives a higher rise to this naturall loue and pitcheth it on higher ends it elevates naturall loue and makes it an holy loue So that all naturall loue is to be subordinate to this otherwise it is not good for naturall loue is but given us to help us to goe that way that spirituall loue should carry us even as the winde helpes the ship whereas otherwise it should haue beene driven with oares And therefore the Lord to helpe us to loue our selues and to loue our children and to loue those things that are sutable and convenient to us hee hath in mercie and for a helpe to us put a naturall affection into our hearts which yet is to be guided by spirituall loue that we are now to speake of So the next thing is to shew what is this spirituall loue this loue of God this loue of Christ Iesus And first we will shew how it is wrought and withall what it is For you must know that every man by nature hates God by reason of that opposition and contrariety which is betweene God and every man by nature for all loue comes from similitude and agreeablenesse And therefore where there are two of a contrary disposition there must needs be hatred Now the pure nature of God is contrary to us and therefore every man by nature hates God And therefore that love may be wrought in the heart of man towards God this sinfull nature of ours must bee broken in peeces and subdued And againe it must be new molded and framed before that can ever be fit to loue God Therefore if you would know how this loue of God is wrought in us it is done by these two things First by breaking our nature in peeces as it were that is by humiliation and by the law Againe by moulding it anew which is done by faith and by the Gospell For when we come and propound Christ to men to be taken and to be received and loved by them what is the answer wee have from them Most men either minde him not or regard not at all this invitation to come to Christ but they deale with us as those that were invited to the marriage saith the Text they made light of it they cared not for the invitation it was a thing they looked not after or againe if they doe yet they minde them uot enough because they doe not prize Christ enough Therefore the first thing the Lord doth to prepare mens hearts to loue him is to send the law to humble them to discover to men what neede they are in to make an impression on their hearts of that bond of damnation that they are subject unto when the law is broken that mens eyes may be opened to see their sins then a man begins to looke toward Christ to looke on him as the captiue lookes on his Redeemer as a condemned man lookes on him that brings him a pardon as a widdow that is miserable and poore indebted and undone lookes upon her husband that will make her rich and honourable that will pay all her debts I say when a mans heart is thus humbled and broken by the law by sound humiliation then he begins to looke towards Iesus Christ. But I say men doe faile partly that they haue no sense of their sinnes or else they haue a sense of their sinnes but not enough to bring them home to Christ for that was the fault of the second and third ground there was impression made in them that they prized Christ but there was not so deepe a preparation as to loue Christ indeede so as to preferre him aboue all things so as to cleaue to him so as they will let him goe for nothing And therefore this is required that our natures be broken all in peeces that is that the humiliation be deepe enough not a little light impression a little hanging down of the head a little sense of sinne but so farre as it may be to purpose that he lookes to Christ as to the greatest good in the world that he will rather undergoe any thing than misse of him that hee will rather part with all his pleasure than hee will goe without him That is the first thing that must be done to prepare our hearts for this loue our hearts must be humbled by the law Now when this is done they must be made up againe as I tolde you they must be moulded anew and that is done by the Gospell and by faith For when the heart is
looke upon the Lord as upon a judge whether you doe not all that you doe to him as one that lookes upon a judge If you feare the Lord in this manner it is certaine you hate him for those whom you thus feare you hate and that you shall finde in 1 Ioh. 4. If you feare saith hee you love not for perfect love casts out feare when you look upon God as upon a strict judge and that is it that puts you on to doe all that you doe that is it that makes you keepe a good conscience in secret for this you may doe and yet looke upon God as a judge to feare with this kinde of feare is a signe you hate the Lord for whom you feare you hate Besides this Doe you not looke upon God and upon his wayes as contrary to your hearts that your hearts and the wayes of God are in an opposition your hearts and sanctifying the Sabboth will not agree the Lord would have your speeches to be good and holy he would have you not onely abstaine from evill but to hate it to have your hearts rise up against it Are not these commandements contrary to you Consider but that holinesse that is expressed in the booke of God and that is expressed also in the lives of the Saints who carry his Image stamped on them and is there not a kinde of contrariety betweene your wayes and theirs betweene your hearts and them If there be it is a certaine signe of hatred for wheresoever there is contrariety there is hatred Examine your selves by this and see whether you doe not hate the Lord. And yet to come to one more if you love pleasures more than God and wealth more than God you hate God For so you have it Mat. 6. No man can serve two Masters but either hee must hate the one and love the other c. That is when you love other things though you thinke you doe not hate the Lord yet I say in that you love pleasures and love the world and the things of the world in that you love your lusts and the objects of them in doing this you hate the Lord. Now if this be your case if upon these expostulations that I have propounded if upon these rules of examining your selves you finde that you doe not love the Lord if this be your condition as it is your wisedome to deale strictly with your selves for hence it is brethren that the soules of men perish because they will not see and search into their estates they will not come to this examination of themselves it is a painfull thing to them men are backward to examine themselves in private what is the reason of that phrase in the Psalme Examine your selves upon your beds but because examination should be when a man is most retired I say if you finde it to be so as it is the case of many then it should open a window to you to see what you have deserved at the Lords hands how just it were that the Lord should cast you off For when you are enemies to the Lord can you thinke much at it My brethren what a condition is that man in that hath the great God of heaven and earth to be his enemie And besides this have you not reason to justifie God in his just judgements upon others when you shall see God sharply plaguing them It may seeme to you that it is a hard thing that men should be so punished but when wee consider that they are haters of God that they are enemies to him you may justifie God in that hee doth But to conclude you ought to humble your selves if upon these tryalls you finde your selves to be lovers of the world and not lovers of God And you that are young and put off repentance it should move you to come in betimes For if this be required of you to love the Lord and you shall not be exempted from death when it comes though you be never so able and never so strong and lustly what condition doe you thinke you will be in if you die enemies to God and haters of him as you needes must be if you love him not And if you thinke you have time enough hereafter to settle your affections Consider is it in your owne power though you have warning before death to have this affection of love You may doe many good duties you may be sorry and repent for your sinnes but though you doe this and a thousand times more yet if you have not this love-wrought in you by God if it come not from heaven if it be not the fruite of his owne Spirit all your repentance and all your forsaking of sinne all your doing of duties the change of your courses is nothing the Lord regards it not unlesse you have this naturalnesse of love I have stood therefore the longer upon it and upon this part concerning examination because it is a matter of great moment Wee should have come to the next part concerning exhortation which wee would not disjoyne because it is very usefull and profitable but we cannot doe it now but reserve it for the afternoone FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love AND before we leave this poynt one thing I must add For what reason doe we put you vpon this disposition vpon this examination whether the love of God be in your hearts or no The reason is not that you should be discouraged that you should be put off from comming to God that you should be greived with the sight of the want of your love but the end of it is to stirre you up to gett it if you want it You know we have formerly delivered some meanes of getting it onely there is one which we will commend unto you which we gave a little touch on but could not handle it and it consists of these Three branches if you would love the Lord First you must know him for otherwise you cannot love him As it is in naturall loue that is bred between man and man you say love ariseth from sight they must see before they can love so you must know the Lord there must be a sight of God by faith before you can love him And every man that sees him and knowes him as he is will love him he cannot chuse for that is the Lords worke to all the Saints Ierem. 31 You shall he taught of me and you shall know mee from the greatest to the least It may be in some manner they knew God before but although a man have never so exact knowledge of him yet till he be a regenerate man he never knowes him indeede it is an other kind of knowledge that hee hath when a man is regenerate whē God teaches him to know him he lookes on God with an other eye every thing is presented to him
hinderance on Gods part And for thy owne part there is no more requyred of thee but sinceritie that thou take him sincerely resolving to thy selfe I will serve him for the future I will be contented to be divorced from all my former loves from all the sinnes that I have delighted in before I am willing now to take him and to serve him and to love him and to give my selfe wholly to him I say this sinceritie of resolution is enough there can be no hindrance if this be found in thee Therefore doe not thinke with thy selfe I want sorrow for my sinnes such a degree of sorrow my heart is not broken enough and therefore I am not fit for thou must know thus much that the promise is made to the comming and not to the preparations If thou canst come and take the Lord it is enough if a man have so much sorrow so much heart-breaking as brings him home to Christ as makes him willing to match with the Lord if hee have that wrought in him doubt he not of the other But now I come to the other those that are already within the Covenant to you I say you may much more easily and fully come to this assurance because ye have the fruits of the Spirit in you which are the seales of his love you have cause to trust perfectly through the grace that is revealed in Iesus Christ you know that exhortation Trust perfectly to the grace revealed c. that is in the free offer to every man by Christ trust not in that by halves remissively and unperfectly and weakly but trust perfectly be confident in that that the Lord will thus receive you trust perfectly in the grace revealed But you will say I commit many sinnes from day to day I am negligent in many duties I find much unevennesse in my life many distempers in my affections c What if you finde all this in your selves yet so long as your hearts are sincere you must know this that every breach every offence doth not breake the band of wedlocke betweene the Lord and you you must not thinke there is a breach of covenant betweene God and you upon every â—inne that is committed but know that the Covenant holds good till you come to choose another husband the Lord continues your husband still Therefore when thou art married to the Lord it is not for thee to thinke then of questioning the match but studie to please thy husband and to doe thy dutie You know there may be many offences and many slight breaches betweene a man and his wife but the bond holds good there is no bill of divorcement except it be in case of adultery that shee choose an other husband so thinke in such a case the bond is not broken upon every offence and every sinne that is committed Learne to know this for thy comfort for it is a great matter to have this assurance full And besides consider this thinke not with thy selfe because I have not attained such a degree of holinesse as another hath therefore I have none at all that is an evill reason that discourageth the Saints discourageth many times those that should be incouraged that are already within the Covenant he lookes on another and sees he cannot reach him he propounds to himselfe such a measure of grace and of holinesse and of mortification of his lusts and hee cannot come neere it and hee thinkes because I cannot doe this I have no sincerity in mee Not so there are degrees when a man is within the doore hee may goe further and further and though all may be within yet one may be further in than another Besides all this know that the Lord is faithfull he cannot denie himselfe though thou faile on thy part yet hee continues the same and renewes his mercy to thee as thou renewest thy repentance But to conclude this if you would love the Lord labour to doe these three things Labour to know him more Labour to know your selves more that so you may long after him as after one that you neede And thirdly labour to get this assurance for it is this assurance that breedes the love that seales it up when a man shall looke on God as one who may hate him for any thing he knowes who may be an enemie to him one day hee can never love him heartily When a man hath no ground to set his foote on he will doe it tenderly and nearely but when he lookes upon God as one whom he may trust whose love he is sure of that he builds on that as a rocke this is that which makes his heart perfect to him when hee can say as Paul I know whom I have trusted If a man have never so much excellency in him if you conceive him to be hollow-hearted to you your affections are not perfect towards him so is it if you looke on God as one that may be your enemie As wee say friendship with Princes it is like that familiarity that those men have with Lyons that keepe them A Lyon you know will suffer a man to play with him as long as he lists and when he lists he will rise and devoure him and rend him in peeces so I say the love of a Prince may be and the love of men may be But the love of the Lord is not such when he loves he loves perfectly It is true hee hath the strength of a Lyon he is able to doe it you are weake creatures subject to him but hee hath that constancie in him that when hee loves once it is alwayes perfect and unchangeable Let all these be well considered and wrought on your hearts and it will be a meanes to beget this love in you Even as fire begets fire so this will beget love in your hearts towards him againe So much for this The second point which I intend to handle at this time is this another consectary another use we are to draw from this doctrine Hee that loves not is not in Christ. The next use is to exhort you to come in if it be a thing of that moment now our businesse is to exhort to love the Lord Iesus And is there not much reason to move you to it if you had this love in your hearts would it not be a ground of much comfort to you for if you were able to beleeve in Iesus Christ and love him you should have your salvation sure if once you could finde this disposition in your selves as it must be in you if ever you be saved that your hearts long after him still you are growing towards him hanging that way as a stone to the center as the iron to the loadstone there is such a lingring after him the heart makes towards him and will have no deniall but as the woman of Canaan it breakes through all impediments no barre can keep it froÌ„ him as those that love they are not easily
put off but are importunate til they have obtained reciprocal affections of the party beloved I say if thou finde this disposition in thy heart it is the greatest consolation that thou canst have in this world for if this be thy case thou maist boldly looke that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against thee and if thou love the Lord in this manner heaven and earth shall passe rather than thy salvation shall be hindred it is impossible because then thou hast a good ground of hope and hope will make thee not ashamed but be assured that God is thine and all that hee can doe and all that is his is thine as Paul tells us his power and his wisdome and all is thine He is a Sunne and a shield to thee thou shalt want nothing that is good nothing that is evill shall hurt thee the Lord brings all with him this is your case if that you doe love him this is your consolation this is that which may inflame your hearts with a desire of this affection For know this that there is scarcely any thing else that we can instance in but an hypocrite may goe cheeke by jowle with a good Christian in that he may doe all outward duties he may abstaine from sinnes there may be a great change in him you know how farre the third ground went and those Heb. 6. but this they cannot counterfeit to love the Lord. Therefore if thou finde that thou love the Lord thou hast this consolation that thou art now sure and indeede thou art never till then sure And as reason differenceth a man from a beast so love makes the great difference betweene a Christian and an other Indeede we say it is faith but you know that faith is differenced by love that is such a faith that breedes love and so love is it that breedes that great consolation And therefore this is thy comfort if thou canst once bring thy heart to love the Lord hee will beare with any thing hee will beare with many infirmities as you know he did with Dauid when he saw that he loved him David had many great infirmities as wee see in the whole story the whole relation of his life yet because hee loved the Lord the Lord passed by all and in the end he gave him this testimonie that hee was a man after his owne heart So I say love the Lord once and he will beare with much in thee On the other side if thou doe not love him doe what thou wilt the Lord accepts it not As wee see in the case of Amaziah it is said that Amaziah walked in all the wayes of his father David and of the good Kings hee did as much as they hee was as great an enemie to idolatry hee did all the duties of religion onely this was wanting he did it not with an upright heart that is he did it not out of love and therefore the Lord regarded it not And therefore let this move you to get this affection there is much if I could stand to presse it that might inflame your hearts with a desire of it onely it is this love that sets a price on all that you doe that makes all that you doe currant as this stampe is set on your actions more or lesse so they are more or lesse acceptable This was that which set a price on the widdowes mite that set a price on a cup of colde water this set a price upon Abels offering and made it more acceptable than his brothers the meanest service when it hath this stampe on it is currant and good in Gods sight hee accepts it againe the greatest performance without it is nothing And if thou give thy body to be burned if thou suffer martyrdome if thou give all thy goods to the poore doe what thou wilt without love it is nothing thy labour is lost this love sets a price on all that thou doest Besides this consider this is that that must stirre you up aboue all other arguments that if thou love the Lord thou shalt be no looser by it in all other love a man seemes to be a looser for when you loue an other as you know it is no love except it bee fruitfull and actiue when you bestowe on an other your time and your paines and your money you know you have so much the lesse your selfe And therefore it is that men are so full of selfe love because that ingrosseth all a man in that keepes all to himselfe when hee comes to love an other and partes with something of his owne And thence it is that men are so backward to love in truth and in good earnest They love in shew and in complement that is easie but to love indeed is difficult because it takes somewhat from them But in loving the Lord it is not so there is a difference betweene that and other loves when you give the Lord your hearts and bestowe them on him he will giue you them every â—ot againe and reserue not any for himself You will aske me what is the meaning of this My meaning is this whatsoever you bestowe on the Lord all the loue that you give to him it reflectes and redoundes to your advantage you gaine by it all as we see Isai 48.17 I am the Lord that teacheth thee to Profite for if thou keepe my commandements thy reward thy prosperitie should be as a flood and thy reioycing as the waves of the Sea Marke it well as if he should say to them when I command you to serue me and to loue me with all your soule and with all your strength know that all this is for your owne profit it shall all redound to you For if you keep my commandements your prosperitie shall be as a floud that is it shall runne over the bankes it shall be so large and so great and your righteousnes that is the reward of your righteousnes as the waues of the sea that is one reward should follow upon the neck of an other as one billow followes upon the neck of an other This should be your case saith he if you loue me and keep my commandements and serue me And therefore saith hee when I require your love and your service herein there is a difference betweene that that which any man requires at your hands all this is for your owne profite it redounds to your selues your selves fare the better for it as it is said of the Saboth so I may say of this commandement and all the rest it was made for man and not man for this that is for the profit of man for the advancment of man thy louing the Lord is for thy advantage thou gainest by it as it is Deut 5.29 Oh saith he that there were a heart in this people to love me and to feare me as they have promised then it should goe wellwith them and their children after them Not that I might be a gainer
actions that is they are likewise precious Therefore let no man say he hath faith and love and as good a heart as the best though his actions be not so good though he be not so strict in his carriage for it cannot be my brethren For first of all if a mans heart be good hee hath the spirit of God dwelling there now saith the Apostle 2 Tim 1.6 The spirit is not a spirit of feare or a spirit of weaknesse a spirit that onely makes attempts and is not able to bring things to passe but it is a spirit of power a spirit of a sound minde That is doe not thou pretend thou meanest well and desirest well and thinke it is sufficient but stirre up the gift that is in thee set thy selfe on worke doe the actions that belong to thee in thy place and doe not say I am not able to doe it for wee have not received a spirit that is weake but a spirit of power the same I may say to every Christian If ye be in Christ yee have the spirit which is a spirit of power So you have it likewise Gal. 5.25 If you live in the spirit walke in the spirit that is if you have so much of the spirit as to make you living men shew it by walking in the spirit by following the spirit by doing that which the spirit guides you to therefore it is impossible that a man should have a right minde but that his workes also will be good because grace is strong in 2 Tim. 2.1 And thou my sonne be strong in the grace received c. As if hee should say grace is a strong thing it strengthens every man that hath received it if thou professe thou hast received the grace of Christ to regenerate thee to change thee and to make thee a new creature let that appeare by shewing thy selfe strong in thy actions able and ready to doe every thing that belongs to thee in thy place Indeede flesh is weake so much flesh so much weaknesse for that is weake and fading and withering and mutable it is grasse and all the purposes of it and the desires of it are no better but the spirit is strong and grace is strong quite contrary to the flesh as the Prophet speakes Isa. 31.3 Yee are men and not Gods flesh and not spirit when he would shew their weaknesse as if weaknesse were a concomitant of the flesh and strength a concomitant of the spirit Therefore if you have the spirit of Christ in you there will be strength to goe through good workes not onely to intend them and purpose them and resolve on them but you will put those resolutions and purposes in execution Secondly it must needes be so because there is a chaine betweene good workes and the inward rectitude of the heart a chaine that cannot be disjoyned for ye shall finde that these three things alwayes goe together First as that indeede is the beginning of every mans renewing there must be a knowledge a man must be enlightened hee must be renewed in the spirit of his minde as the Apostle saith Now if the knowledge bee right if it bee a convicting knowledge a sanctifying knowledge a knowledge to purpose it will draw on affections it cannot chuse they are never separated you are never truly enlightened by Gods spirit but affections follow necessarily and then if the affections be right if knowledge draw on holy affections love and feare and desires c. affections are the immediate principles of actions there is no man that hath right affections but good workes will follow so that these three are never disjoyned sanctified knowledge draweth on holy affections and holy affections draw on good actions as yee have it in Matth. 13.5 Their hearts are waxed fat and their eares are dull of hearing and why you shall see the chaine there lest seeing with their eyes they should understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heale them Marke it if they should see with their eyes the Lord hath given them up to judge amisse of things that seeing they doe not see that is they see not to purpose they are not convinced they doe not judge for if they did see with their eyes that is if they did see indeede they would have understood with their hearts their affections would follow in their hearts and if they were set aright then they would be converted that is their lives would be turned to God and if these three were done he must needes heale them but saith God I am resolved not to heale them therefore they shall see as if they did not see for these will draw on one the other So I say if the heart were right if there were faith and love good workes would follow therefore let no man say hee hath grace hee hath love and faith except his life also be holy and good Lastly wheresoever there is faith and love there is a change of nature for you know that wheresoever they come faith that is effectuall and love that followeth from faith it makes a man a new creature they are the very things wherein a new ereature consists Now when a mans nature is changed it must needes be active for that which is naturall to a man he doth without unevennesse there is no inequality in his doing it he doth it constantly where there are naturall principles of actions the actions flow like water from a spring indeede where the nature of a man is not changed that is where there is onely good purposes and good desires and no alteration of nature there actions doe not come as water from a spring but as water from a pompe that is forced and extorted but where there is a change of nature there is no difficultie a man doth it with facility and with desire it is his meate and drinke to doe the will of God Therefore I say good workes will follow there will be the same degree of holinesse of rectitude in your lives in your actions as there is of grace as there is of faith and love in your hearts And this is enough to make the point plaine to you the maine businesse will be to make use of it and to apply it to your selves And first let us make this use of it not to content our selves with good meanings onely as it is the fashion of men to say my heart is as good as yours and my meaning is as good as yours though I be subject to infirmities though I cannot make such a shew though I cannot doe so much as others doe this is the common objection and though men say it not constantly yet they thinke it otherwise they would not content themselves in such a condition as they doe But I say deceive not your selves in this for my brethren you must know that you may have good purposes and good meanings we will not deny you that you may have these
and yet have no true grace for you must know thâ—t good purposes and desires may arise from these two things which every unregenerate man is capable of There may be knowledge as you know an evill man may have knowledge of all the mysteries of salvation as well as the most holy I doe not say he hath the sanctified knowledge but the law of God is partly written in his heart the Lord hath taught every man somewhat Secondly in an evill and unregenerate man there may be not onely knowledge but an approbation of that which is good they can approove that which is good so farre they may goe I doe not say they can delight in it for that is another thing they doe not love and delight in it that is not sutable to them yet they may approove it Now from these two principles to know that which is good and to approove it they may goe so farre as to purpose and desire to serve God they may have good meanings but yet if actions follow not if there be not reformation in their lives if a man deny not himselfe in his beloved sinne if hee come not to that outward profession of holinesse that is required in Scripture and is seene in the lives of the Saints he hath nothing to comfort himselfe withall these good meanings will not serve the turne For know this though it be true as wee see there may be actions where there is no sound heart as the second and third ground brought forth a kinde of fruite when there was neither of them right hypocrites you know may goe farre they may make a blaze as your commets doe more than the true starres though this be true that there may be abundance of good workes where there is no rightnesse and soundnesse no sincerity no purenesse within yet againe also on the other side wheresoever there is sincerity there are good workes and though many times the outside be cleane when the inside is not yet the inside is never cleane but the outside is cleane too And that is the thing we must examine our selves by though it be not a good rule to say I have good workes therefore my heart is right yet it is a good rule to say on the other side I want good works therefore my heart is not right except there be a generall reformation in your lives except things be reformed that you know to be amisse Indeede when it is not revealed to you then there is something for you to say but when you know that such a duty is to be done that your speeches should be holy that they should be seasoned with salt that you ought to abstaine from sinnes of all kindes from all appearance that you ought not to admit any kinde of dalliance not the least touch of any sinne now not to set your selves with all your might to reforme this this is a sure argument you are not right for if the generall frame of the heart be good there will be a generall reformation of the life Therefore let no man say I purpose well but in this particular infirmity I must be spared to such a thing my nature is prone and I am given to it I cannot tell how to refraine it and I hope it is not so great a matter say not so for if the heart be right the actions will be right and unblameable For though you see sometimes a man may have a good colour from flushing and painting when the constitution of the body within is but crasie and unsound yet againe it is true there is never any that hath a sound and haile constitution there is never a healthfull body but the complection is good the heart is never right but you shall see it without though you have leaves without fruit yet you never have fruite but there are leaves there are actions appearing Therefore learne to judge aright of your selves content not your selves with good purposes onely you see the complaint of the Scripture of the lacke of this in people What is the reason the Lord calls for obedience rather than sacrifice because that is the touchstone that every man is tryed by I am weary saith he of your fat of rammes I am burdened with your sacrifices Esay 1. The thing that I desire is that you cease to doe evill and learne to doe well that is the thing that the Lord lookes for at every mans hand these outward performances are good they must be done and these good meanings must be had but yet that is not enough you are not to judge your selves by that But it will be objected that the best men have their failings those that have a good heart yet doe wee not finde them subject to infirmities as well as other men and if this be the rule we are to be judged by who shall be saved To this I answer first it is true that the most holy men may many times doe that which is ill but it is by accident it is when they are transported when they are carried besides their purpose As a man that is bound for such a place sayling such a way his compasse stands stil right he alters not that though the wind carry him violently another way yet he lookes still to the right way that is his intent still and it is knowne by this when the winde is over and the gust is past he returnes againe and saileth to the haven he intended to goe to at the first So it is with all the Saints they saile by a right compasse their intents are still good whensoever they doe otherwise it is by accident it is when they are overborne by some temptation by some passion when they are not perfectly themselves Againe you must know this that every holy man as hee hath grace in him and a principle of holy actions so he hath also flesh in him and a principle of evill actions now that principle may sometimes prevaile and get ground of him yea it may prevaile mightily sometimes and make him doe as evill actions as the worst man For that is a true rule a man that excelleth in grace may sometimes excell in ill doing you must take me aright that is a man that hath a more impetuous spirit than another so that none excelleth such a spirit when it is set aright he may be as impetuous in evill-doing for a fit for a time when that evill principle within him shall get the better Therefore though you see a good man sometime unlike himselfe for a fit yet it is at that time when the flesh prevailes for now grace though it be there yet sometimes it is laid asleepe it is not alwayes acted As the Philosopher was wont to say It is one thing to have knowledge and another thing to use it alway so it is with grace sometimes the Saints doe not use that grace and holinesse and hence it is
offer the day may come when you would be glad to haue it You that are now in the height and flower of your youth and you that are more ancient liuing in health and wealth and hauing your fill of pleasures it may be for the present you haue other things to take vp your mindes but the time will come when the Bridegroome shall enter in and the doores shall bee shut when your Houre-glasse shall be out and your time spent and then this relation of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes now offered would be reckoned glad tydings but take heede that it be not too late beware lest you cry and GOD refuses to heare Not but that GOD will heare euery man if his cry comes from vnfeigned faith and loue but it may be GOD will not giue thee that vnfeigned faith and loue when you be come to that extremity seeing you would not come when he called it may be he will not come when you call it may be he will not breathe the breath of life nor giue such a spirit and disposition as he will accept of Christ dyed to purchase to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes and not onely to saue men He dyed for this end that men might doe him seruice and if you will not come in now in time of strength and youth when you are able to doe him seruice I say in his ordinary course he will reject you now in your extremity you may not then expect mercie at his hands Therefore doe not say I will follow my couetousnesse and idlenesse my pleasures and businesse my lusts and humours and heereafter come in for you are not to chuse your own time If he call you and you refuse to come take heed lest in his wrath he sweare that you shall not enter into his rest FINIS OF FAITH The second Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith THe next point that these words affoord vs is this that Faith is that whereby the righteousnesse of God is made ours to saluation The righteousnesse of GOD saith the Apostle is reuealed from faith to faith That is it is so reuealed and offered by GOD that it is made ours by faith we are made partakers of it by faith you see it ariseth cleerely from the words Now for the opening of this point to you you must vnderstand that there are two waies or Couenants whereby GOD offereth saluation to men One is the Couenant of workes and that was that righteousnesse by which Adam had beene saued if he had stood in his innocencie for it was that way that GOD appointed for him Doâ— this and liue But Adam performed not the condition of that Couenant and therefore now there is another Couenant that is the Couenant of Grace a Board giuen vs against Ship-wracke Now this Couenant of Grace is double Either absolute and peculiar Or conditionall Absolute and peculiar onely to the Elect so it is expressed Ier. 31. I will put my Lawe into your inward parts and write it in your hearts and I will be your God and you shall be my people So likewise in Ezek. 36. I will giue you a new heart and put a new spirit within you and I will take your stonie hearts out of your bodies Heere the Couenant is expressed absolutely and this is proper onely to the Elect. But now beside this there is a conditionall Couenant of Grace which is common to all and that is expressed in these termes Christ hath prouided a righteousnesse and saluation that is his worke that hee hath done already Now if you will beleeue and take him vpon those termes that he is offered you shall bee saued This I say belongs to all men This you haue thus expressed in the Gospell in many places If you beleeue you shall be saued as it is Mark 16. Goe and preach the Gospell to euery creature vnder Heauen hee that will beleeue shall be saued he that will not beleeue shall bee damned It is the same with that Rom. 4.5 To him which worketh not but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted righteousnesse Marke it To him that beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly that is there is a certaine iustice or righteousnesse that CHRIST hath prepared or purchased for men though they be vngodly he requires nothing of them before-hand though they be wicked and vngodly yet this righteousnesse is prepared for them that which is required of them is onely that they take it Now hee that will beleeue GOD that he hath prepared this for him and will receiue it it is enough to make him a righteous man in GODS acceptation so that this is the onely way now by which men shall be saued The worke is already done on Christs part there is a righteousnesse that GOD hath prepared which is therefore called the righteousnesse of GOD and there is nothing precedently required or looked for on our part but taking and applying of it But you will say Is there nothing else required of vs Must GOD doe all and must we doe nothing but onely take that righteousnesse that is prepared for vs I answer it is true indeede we must lead a holy life a religious sober and righteous life for for this end hath the grace of God appeared saith the Apostle yet you must know withall that we cannot worke in our selues this holinesse this religious and sober conuersation that must be Gods worke altogether we are onely to take this righteousnesse and the other is but a consequent that followeth vpon it To illustrate this vnto you by a similitude A Wheele or a Bowle runneth not that it may be made round that is the businesse of the workeman who makes it round that it may runne So it is in this case GOD doth not looke that we should bring holines and piety with vs for we haue it not to bring we are at the first onely to beleeue and accept this righteousnesse that is offered vs when that is done it is Gods part to frame vs and to fit and fashion vs for a holy life such a kinde of speech you haue it expressed in Eph. 2.10 We are Gods workmanship fashioned in Christ Iesus to walke in good workes which he hath ordained c. Marke it it is not an action of our owne but GOD is the workeman we are the materials as the clay and the wood that he takes into his hands when wee haue but taken this righteousnesse that is offered it is Gods worke to cast vs into a new Mould to giue vs a new heart and to frame a new spirit within vs that so we may walke in good workes before him this is the great mystery of godlinesse for we haue much adoe to perswade men to beleeue that the righteousnesse prepared by CHRIST
should be offered to them and nothing be required but receiuing of it this will not sinke into the hearts of men by nature they thinke they must doe something precedently or else this righteousnesse is not offered them But my beloued we must learne to belieue this and know that it is the worke of GOD to sanctifie vs after hee hath iustified vs. I confesse it is not so in other things there is still some action of our owne required to gaine this or that habit or ability as you see in naturall things there are some kinde of habits that we get by some precedent actions of our owne as the learning of Arts and Sciences to learne to write well c. here there is some action of our owne required to fit vs for it and then we get the ability to doe it But besides these there are other habits that are planted by nature in vs as an ability to heare to see to taste c. Now for these we neede not any action of our owne for the attaining of them because they are planted in vs by nature So it is in these things that belong to saluation It is true indeede we may get habits of morall Vertues by labour and paines of our owne there are actions of our owne required to them and in that the Philosopher said right that we learne to be temperate and sober and chaste c. But now for the Graces of the Spirit there it is not so those habits that nature hath planted in vs we exercise them naturally without doing any action of our owne to attaine them as we doe not by seeing oft learne to see but it is a faculty naturally planted in vs so it is in all the workes that we must doe which are the way to saluation GOD workes them in vs he infuseth those habits into vs. Therefore this conclusion is good that it is faith alone by which this righteousnesse is made ours to saluation This is euident by the Apostle Gal. 2. vlt. Saith he it is not by the Law If righteousnesse had beene by the workes of the Law then Christ had dyed without a cause As if he should haue said saluation must needes be by one of these two Either by something that we doe our selues some actions that we our selues haue wrought or else it must be meerely by faith Now if it had beene attainable by any worke of our owne CHRIST dyed without a cause as if he should say CHRIST could haue giuen you ability to doe those workes without his dying but for this very cause Christ came into the World and dyed that he might worke righteousnesse and make satisfaction to God so that you haue nothing to doe for the first attaining of it but to receiue it by faith And if you would know the reason why GOD that might haue found out many other wayes to leade men to saluation yet hath chosen this way aboue all others to saue men only by faith receiuing the righteousnesse of CHRIST which he hath wrought for vs you shall finde these foure reasons for it in the Scriptures Two of them are set downe Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace Marke it This is one reason why GOD will haue it by faith that it might be of grace For if any thing had beene wrought by vs as hee saith in the beginning of the Chapter it must haue beene giuen as wages and so it had beene receiued by debt and not by fauour but this was Gods end in it to make knowne the exceeding length and breadth of his loue and how vnsearchable the riches of Christ are his end was to haue his Grace magnified Now if there had beene any action of ours required but meerely the receiuing of it by faith it had not bin meerely of grace for faith empties a man it takes a man quite off his owne bottome faith commeth as an empty hand and receiueth all from GOD and giues all to GOD. Now that it might be acknowledged to be free and to be altogether of grace for this cause GOD would haue salvation propounded to men to be receiued by faith onely Secondly as it is by faith that it might come by grace so also that it might be sure that the promise might be sure if it had been any other way it had neuer beene sure Put the case that GOD had put vs vpon the condition of obedience and had giuen vs grace and ability as he did to Adam yet the Law is strict and the least fayling would haue bred feares and doubts and would haue caused death But now when the righteousnesse that saueth vs is wrought already by GOD and offered to vs by him and offered freely and that the ground of this offer is the sure Word of GOD and it is not a conjecturall thing now we may build infallibly vpon it for vnlesse faith haue footing on the Word wee cannot say it is sure all things else are mutable and subject to change therefore when GOD hath once said it we may firmely rest in it and it is sure And this is the second reason why it is onely by faith Thirdly it is by faith that it might bee to all the seede not onely to those that are of the Law but also to them which were strangers to the Law If it had beene by the Law then saluation had beene shut vp within the compasse of the Iewes for the Gentiles were strangers to the Law of GOD they were vncleane men shut out from the Common-wealth of Israel but when it is now freely propounded in the Gospell and nothing is required but onely faith to lay hold vpon it when there is no more looked for but beleeuing and receiuing hence it comes to be to all the seede for Abraham himselfe before he was circumcised he was as a common man the vaile was not then set vp yet euen then his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse The last reason why it is of faith is that no man might boast that no flesh might reioyce in it selfe for if it had beene by any other means by any thing done in our selues we had had cause to reioyce in our selues but for this cause saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. As if he had said if GOD had giuen vs a wisedome of our owne wee had had cause to haue reioyced in our selues but we are darknesse Eph. 4. there is nothing but foolishnesse and weaknesse in vs to the end that no flesh might reioyce in his presence Againe if we had had grace put into our selues though it had beene but little for which GOD might haue accepted vs the flesh would haue boasted therefore his righteousnesse is made ours But when this is done yet if after iustification it had beene in our power and ability