with Christ when they are inviteâ— to come and partake of it And say silently â—o the Minister or rather to their own conâ—ciences I pray you have me excused at this â—ime as these Luk. 14. 18. But I would only ask at such have ye any lawfull excuse why ye will not come and partake of this Great Salvation Is there any person here that hath any lawfull excuse to present I shall never take that off your hand Have me excused But be sure of this I shall never excuse you but accuse you Therefore I desire that these persons who have slighted the Great Salvation by complementing with Christ that they would complement no more wiâ—h Him at all But now imbrace it IV. The fourth sort of persons who slight this Great Salvation are these who give way to discouragements and unbelief so that they will not come and partake of this Great Salvation I say such of you are slighters of it and Christ will esteem you such Oh if ye knew the worth and vertue of this Great Salvation there would not be a tentation you could meet with â—hat would hinder you from imbracing it but if thou could not answer these â—emptations thou would not own them I say unto such undervaluers and slighters of the Great Salvation as discouraged persons And these who stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children thaâ— when ye cannot answer your objections which hinder you from closing with Christ I intreaâ— you disown them as if you heard them not Say â—â—e Think ye this lawfull I say it is both lawfull and expedient for it was the practicâ— of believing Abraham Hee considered not 〈◊〉 own body being dry as an old stick Nor thâ— deadnesse of Sarahs womb Hee did not consâ—der these things which might have been objections to keep him from believing Heâ— might have started at these two objections Alas I am old and that objection could heâ— not answer And my wife is past child heaâ—â— neither could hee answer that objectionâ— What then did hee with them Hee slighteâ— them both and considered them not Secondly I would say this to you who thuâ— slight it because of discouragements If yeâ— did know the worth of the Great Salvatioâ— which is in this Gospel redemption that is offered unto you although ye had an Army oâ— objections to go through yee would go through them all To get a drink of the wateâ— of this well of Bethlehem V. The fifth sort of persons who slighâ— this Great Salvation are these who wilâ— not do so much as take care and give painâ— to hear this Great Salvation offered unto them for there are some persons who iâ— they come to the Church desire to sit farrest off and so never take care to hear a worâ— of this Great Salvation And such are dreadfull slighters of it Like unto these mentioned Ier. 6. 10. To whom shall I speak anâ— give warning that they may hear Behold their ear is uncircumised and they cannot hearken Isa. 28. 12. But they would not hear Jeâ—â— 7. 10. Who say we are delivered to do all thesâ— abominations yet they did come and stanâ—â— before him in the House which was called by his Name VI. Sixthly These persons are slighters of this Great Salvation who when they hear it are no more nay not so much affected with it â—hen if they were telling unto them the most senslesse history of Thomas the Rymer or some other old fable Like unto these mentioned Ier. 6. 10. The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it I would pose you all as in the sight of the Author of this Great Salvation men or women did you ever set your selves or took ye ever pains to bring up your hearts to the love of this Great Salvation Was it ever the rejoycing of your hearts that Christ dyed and rose again I do certainly believe it and I am perswaded that there are decrees past in Heaven against many of you That in hearing ye shall hear but not understand and in seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For God hath made your hearts harder then the Flint or Adamant so that ye shall refuse to return when he doth exhort you Believe me if I may so speak I think there is as much probability that the stones in the wall would hear if we would speak to them as soon as many of you VII Seventhly These persons are slighters of the Great Salvation who did never complain that they wanted a right to this Great Salvation I hope some of you are now convinced that ye never came within the compasse of this Great Salvation I say yet unto you if ye did never spend one houâ— in secret weeping and lamenting because yâ— had not a righâ— to this Gospel Redemptionâ— it is but too probable you never haâ— yet â— right to it Yea know it that such of you would little care to let precious Christ deparâ—â— without any grief of heart I think if thiâ— were voiced within this house to day whether or not shall Christ go and depart I doubâ— if there would be many Heart dissâ—nters though many Tongue dissenters Oh I fear there would be many hearts here saying O Christ depart and go thy way yea there are many Gadarens here who prefer their â—ine and swine to precious Christ and would beâ—eech him to go out of their coasts VIII Eightly These persons slighâ— the Great Salvation who never took painâ— to engage their hearts to take hold of Christ and the Gospel Christ is near to you this day The Great salvation is near to you and is now even now offered unto you Therefore are there any who will take pains to lay hold on it I obtest you all who are here by the beauty and excellency of him who is the Author of this Great salvation that ye come and partake of it I obtest you by all the joyes of heaven that ye imbrace this Great salvation I obtest you by all the â—errous in hell that ye imbrace it I obtest you by the promises of the everlasting Covenant that ye imbrace it I obtest you by all the curses which are written in this Book of the Covenant that ye imbrace it I obtest you by the love ye owe to your immortall souls that ye would once be wise and come and partake of the Great salvation May I now have it saith thou Yea I say unto you all ye may have it to day ye may be partakers of it before ye go hence And so before I proceed any further I do in the Name and Authority of him who sent me here to day and is the Author of this Great Salvation freely offer it unto you Therefore take it off my hand embrace this Great Salvation offered to you to day But I know there will be eight sorts of humors within this house to day in relation to this Great Salvation which now is offered unto you 1. I think
upbraideth then because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to wit hardnesse of heart this is clear also from Act. 19. 9. Where these two sister devils are conjoyned and locked together unbelief and hardnesse of heart because it is unbelief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of tendernesse must be maintained V. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with childe of apostacy from God and of defection from him according to that word Heb. 3. 12. Beware lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and there the fruit of it to depart from the living God And certainly it is no wonder that unbelief travel in birth till that cursed childe of Apostacy be brought forth not onely because of this that an unbelieveâ— loseth the thoughts of the excellency of Christ but also because he increaseth in his thoughts of love towards his idols for Christ doth decrease in those who misbelieve and their idols do increase in their love and in their desires and in their estimation VI. There is this sixth disadvantage in the sin of unbelief it hindereth the communication of many signall workings and tokens of the love and favour of the most High according to that sad word that is in Mat. 13. 58. at the close He could not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief Unbelief as it were laid a restraint on Christ that he could not effectuaâ—e these things which he was willing to perform And to shut up our discourse at this time I would only adde these two aggravations which may somewhat enforce what we have spoken I say there are these two aggravations in the sin of unbelief even in his own who have a right and also his call to believe 1. That after Christ hath given most sensible discoveries of himself Wherein yee have seen him as it were face to face yet wee will not believe this is clear from Ioh. 6. 36. Though ye have seen me saith Christ yet yee do not believe in me There is not a manifestation of Christs presence but it is a witnesse against you because of your unbelief Would ye heat the voice of sense that is rectified It is this believe on the Son of God Secondly That notwithstanding of the signal demonstrations of the power of Christ yet though it were the mortifying of some lust and idol within them yet they will not believe but upon new temptations will doubt of his love to them Christ preacheth faith by his Word He preacheth faith by His fufferings He preacheth faith by his dispensations He preacheth faith by his promises he preacheth faith by his rods and if these five instruments will not ingage your hearts to believe what can move them Do not his two wounds in his precious hands preach out this point of Faith believe him Doth not that hole opened in his side preach this Doctrine That we should believe in him And these two wounds that he received in his precious feet do they not preach this That we should believe on a crucified Saviour And we would only say this that sometime it is the case of his own that after the convictions of this that it is their duty to believe and also after some desires to close with Christ yet they find inability to close with him Is it not certain that to will to believe is sometime present with you but how to perform ye know not And I would have a Christian making this foursold use of such a dispensation as that which is most ordinarily when convictions of our duty to believe and some desires to close with Christ is not followed with actual performances 1. To study to have your convictions more deeply rooted within you for it doth sometimes follow that resolutions and minâ—s to believe are not blest with actual believing because the conviction of our duty to believe is not deeply imprinted upon your conscience 2. Be convinced of that desperate enimity and that mystery of iniquity that is within you that yee can have some will to do without ability to perform Wee confesse it is not an ordinary disease in these days to have such a contrariety betwixt a Christians will and his practice our will for the most part being no better then our practice But sometime it is which may make you cry forth O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 3. That ye would be much in the imploying of Christ that as hee hath given you to will so also hee might make you to do Christ is about to convince his own in such a dispensation as that That faith is the gift of God Faith is so noble a grace that it cannot be spinned out from our resolutions nor from our endeavours Faith is such a divine plant as the Fathers right hand must plant in our souls 4. Let it convince you of the excellency of the grace of Faith for the difficulty of attaining to any thing may speak out the excellency of that thing there is no sin but it may be easily win at There is an easinesse and facility to overtake the paths of our idols but the graces of the Spirit are so excellent things that wee must fight before we attain them And you who are strangers to Christ Iesus and have never known what â—t is to close with him wee would request you in Christs Name to be reconciled to him What know ye O men or rather Atheists but this shall bee the last summonds that yee shall get to believe And that because yee disobey this precious summonds there shall be one presented to you that yee cannot sit I remember of one man who looking upon many thousands that were under his command weeped over them when he considered how that within a few years all these should be laid in their graves and should be in eternity O but it were much of our concernment to bee trying our selves how it is with us We are not afraid that it is a breach of charity to wish that but one of each ten that are within these doors were heirs of the grace of life and had the solide and spiritual expectation of heaven I think if Christ were to come presently to speak to us hee might not onely say to each twelve that are here One of you shall betray me but wee are afraid that hee would say to each twelve that are here Eleven of you shall betray mee and but one only shall passe free O doth it not concern you to enquire where ye shall rest at night when the long shadows of the everlasting evening shall be stretched out upon you I think there are some that are so settled upon their lies that if they were one day in hell and saw all the torments that are there and were brought from it the next day to live on earth they would not repent And more there are some that take them up
precious excelâ—ency of this grace of Faith and we shall only â—peak to these things I. The first thing that speaketh out the â—xcellency of Faith is this it exerciseth it â—elf upon a most noble Object to wit Jesus Christ Faith and love being the two arms â—f the immortal soul by which we do imâ—race a crucified Saviour which is often â—ointed at in Scripture and we shall point â—t these three principall acts of Faith which â—t exerciseth on Jesus Christ as the Object fit 1. The first is to make up an Union beâ—wixt Christ and the Believer Faith being â—ndeed an uniting grace and that which â—nitteth the members to the head and to â—ake this more fully appear we would point â—ut a little what sweet harmony and corâ—espondency there is betwixt these two sister graces to wit faith and love Faith iâ— that nail which fasteneth the soul to Chriâ—â— and love is that grace which driveth that naiâ— to the head Faith at first taketh but a tender grip of Christ and then love cometh iâ— and maketh the soul take a more sure grip oâ— him Secondly Ye may see that harmonâ— in this Faith is that grace which takeâ— hold as it were of the garments of Chrisâ— and of his words but love that ambitioâ—â— grace it taketh hold of the heart of Chrisâ— and as it were his heart doth melt in thâ— hand of love Thirdly It may be seen iâ— this Faith is that grace which draweth thâ— first draught of the likenesse and image Christ upon a soul but that accomplishinâ— grace of love it doth compleat these fiâ—… draughts and these imperfect lineaments 〈◊〉 Christs Image which were first drawn on thâ— soul. Fourthly By faith and love the heaâ—â— of Christ and of the Believer are so uniteâ— that they are no more two but one Spirit 2. There is this second act that Faith 〈◊〉 exciseth on Christ and it is in discovering tâ—â— matchlesse excellencies and the transceâ—dent properties of Jesus Christ O whâ—â— large and precious commentaries doth faiâ—â— make upon Christ It is indeed that faith â—â—spy which doth alwayes bring up a goâ—â— report of him Hence it is that faith is câ—â—led understanding Colos. 2. 2. Because it â—â— that grace which revealeth much of the prâ—cious truth of that noble Object 3. And there is this third noble act 〈◊〉 Faith exercising it self upon Christ 〈◊〉 maketh Christ precious to the soul accorâ—ing to that word 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you which â—elieve hee is precious And if there were â—o other thing to speak forth its worth but â—â—at it is more then sufficient for no doubt â—â—is is the exercise of the higher House to be â—welling on the contemplation of Christs â—eauty and to have their â—ouls transported â—ith love towards him and with joy in â—im Reason and amazement are seldome â—ompanions but here they do sweetly joyn â—ogether First a Christian loveth Christ â—ecause of Christs actings and then hee loâ—eth all these actings because they come from Christ. II. Now secondly this pointeth out the â—recious excellency of the grace of Faith it â—â— that grace which is most mysterious and â—ublime in its actings it hath a more divine â—nd sublime way of acting then any other â—race Hence it called The mystery of faith â—hich speaketh this that the actings of â—aith are mysteries to the most part of the world and I shall only point at these things which may speak out the mysterious actings â—f the grace of Faith 1. Faith can believe and fix it self on a word of promise although sense reason and â—robability seem to contradict the accomâ—lishment of that promise Faith it walketh â—ot by the low dictates of sense and reason â—ut by a higher rule to wit The sure word â—f prophecie which is clear from Rom. 4. 19. â—here Abraham believed the promise notwithâ—anding that sense reason seemed to contradict it Hee considered not the deadnesse of his own body neither the barrennesse of Sarahs womb but was strong in the faith giving glory to God As it is clear from Heb. 11. 29 34. Where Faith believed their passing through the red sea as through dry ground which waâ— most contrary to sense and reason Faith believed the falling down of the walls of Iericho by the blowing of rams horns Which thingâ— are most impossible to sense and reason for sense will oftentimes cry out All men are â—iars And reason will say How can such a thing be And yet that Heroick grace of Faith cryeth out Hath he spoken it He will also do it Hath he said it Then it shall come to passe 2. Faith can believe a word of promise notwithstanding that the dispensations of God seem to contradict it as was clear in Iob who professed Hee would trust in God though he should kill him And no doubt but this was the practice of believing Iacob hee trusted that that promise should bee accomplished That the elder should serve the younger though all the dispensations of God which he did meet with seemed to say that promise should not be accomplished 3. Faith can believe a word of promise even when the Commands of God seem to contradict the accomplishment of that promise This is clear in that singular instance of Abrahams faith that notwithstanding hee was commanded to kill his promised seed upon whom he did depend the accomplishment of the promises yet hee believed that â—e promises should bee performed And â—â—ough there were indeed extraordinary and â—range trials of his faith as he had natural â—ffections to wrestle with yet over the belâ— of all these believing Abraham he giveth â—aith to the promise and bringeth his Isaac â—o the Altar though hee did receive him â—ack again this is clear from Heb. 11. 17 â—8 19. 4. Faith can exercise it self upon the promise notwithstanding that challenges and convictions of worthinesse and guilt do wait on the Christian This is clear 2 Sam. 23. 5. That although his house was not so with God as did become yet he believed the promise As â—ikewise it is clear from Psal. 65. 3. Iniquiâ—ies prevail against mee and yet that doth not interupt his Faith but he saith As for our â—â—â—â—gressions thou shalt purge them away And â—ertainly iâ— were a noble and precious act of Faith to believe notwithstanding of unâ—nswerable challenges of guilt the best way â—oth to crucifie our Idols and to answer â—hese challenges is believing And hoping aâ—ainst hope and closing with Christ This is most clear from Isa. 64. 6 7. compared with â—ers 8. where after strange challenges the prophet hath a strange word But now O Lord â—hou art our Father There is an Emphasis in â—he word now for all this Yet thou art now our Father 5. And lastly this pointeth out the mysterious acting of the grace of Faith that it exerciseth it self upon an invisible object even upon Christ not yet seen according to that word 1 Pet. 5. 8. Whom having not seen yet ye love in whom though now ye see
house and his banner over her was love Believe mee more communion with an absent Christ would make more intimation in a divine manner of our peace with him wee desire to blesse these that are above the reach of all these disputings and questionings that wee are so much subject unto III. This is a sealing time to a Christian when hee is much in the exercise 〈◊〉 secret Prayer and of much conversing and corresponding with God in that duty as is clear from that word in Dan. 9. 21. when Daniel was praying at the evening oblation in the â—3 verse he meets with a divine intimation of his peace with God O man greatly beloved of God as the Original hath it O man of great desires for he was desirable indeed and precious to him who holdeth the Saints in his â—ight hand IV. This is also a sealing-time to a Christian when hee is called to the exercise of some great work and is to be put upon some eminent holy employment this is clear Ier. â— 5. Where Ieremiah being called to preach the Gospel unto such a rebellious people â—hen hee hath this eternal election declared â—nto him Before thou wast formed in the womb I knew thee Christ as it were giveth them that to be meat to them for fourty dayes and that in the strength of it they may go many a dayes journey V. There is also another sealing time When â— Christian is first begotten to a precious and everlasting hope for when at first Christians begin to be acquaint with Christ even then sometimes he declareth to them his boundless and everlasting love And that is the ground why some of those who are but babes in Christ â—re so much in the exercise of diligence so much in the exercise of the grace of love and â—o much in the exercise of the grace of tendernesse it is even because of the solemn impression of their interest in Christ that as it â—ere they are daily taken in to read their own names in legible letters in the Lambs book of life VI. And there is this last time that is â— sealing time to a Christian and that is when he is put under some sad and afflicting dispensation When the furnace is hot seven times more then ordinary Then doth God condescenâ—â—o manifest himself to his own When was it that Iohn met with most of the revelationâ— of Heaven Was it not when hee was in the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus Christâ— Kingdom and patience of our blessed Lord Rev. 1. 9. And in that place 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed day by day Now wee would presse you to bee more serious in the exercise of this precious grace And I shall tell you the compend of Christianity in these few words 1. By faith to solace your selves in Christs invisible vertues and excellencies And 2. by hope to beâ— viewing that precious Crown and these everlasting dignities that are to bee given to the Saitns And 3 by mortification to be crucifying your idols And 4. by patience to bee possessing your souls untill once yeâ— shall passe through that dark land to thaâ— valley of everlasting delight And as foâ— those that contemne and undervalue thâ— bloud of this everlasting Covenant and 〈◊〉 would have all these that delight not in closing with Christ and these who have noâ— misbelief as their crosse to consider this The wrath of the living and eternal God doâ—â— abide upon them who do not believe according â—â— that word Ioh. 3. 36. He that believeth â—â—ot the wrath of God abideth on him It is a remarkable phrase because of this the wrath of God will not bee a Pilgrime to a mishbeâ—ever that will turn aside to tarry but for 〈◊〉 night but the wrath of God to them who will not believe shall bee their houshold â—ompanion and shall dwell with them and â—o wo to them eternally who have this sad â—nd everlasting companion to abide with â—hem the wrath of a living God There is â—ne thing we would have these knowing that among all these who are eternally to bee dearted from Jesus Christ misbelievers are put â—â— the foremost rank Rev. 21. 8. There he is to â—ut away the fearful and unbelieving And â—om 2 Thess 1. 18. When Christ shall come from heaven with ten thousand of his Saints What â—o do It is even to execute vengeance on thâ—se â—hat obey not the truth of the Gospel that is who do not believe And I pose your own hearts with this whether or not your names â—ee written there in that â—oll among these sho shall be cut off And that word 2 Thes. â— 12. That they might be damned who believed â—ot but took pleasure in unrighteousnesse O but â—he wrath of a dying Christ and of a crucifiâ—d Saviour is dreadful It is more sad and terâ—ible then the wrath of God should have been 〈◊〉 Christ had not died I will tell you O â—ypocrites in Sion the worst news that ever were published in your eâ—â—s and it is this Christ died and rose again and to those that â—re begotten to a lively hope they are glad â—â—dings of great joy and therein they may comfort themselvs but ye may wear a rough garment to deceive and go to heaven in your own apprehension But O the sad disappointment that is waiting on many such And to close with this we would obtest you as ye would answer to your terrible dreadfull Judge that shall stand one day upon his Throne which he shall fix in the clouds we obtest you by all the joyes of heaven and we obtest you by all the everlasting pains of hell and we obtest you by all the curses that are written within the volume of this Book and by all the sweet comfortable promises that are in this everlasting Gospel and by the love that ye owe to your immortal souls and as ye would not crucifie Christ afresh believe and imbrace the offers which are presented now unto you Know ye whether or not this shall be the last summonds that ye shall get to believe That so if ye do reject it Christ shall come from heaven and pronounce that sad and lamentable sentence to you Depart from me 〈◊〉 cursed I know you not Now to him that caâ— blesse these things to you we desire to give praise SERMON III. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ c. IT was a command that Solomon gave unto his Son Prov. 22. 26. That he should not be surety for debt nor should be one of those that stricketh hands But O! what spotlesse breaches of that Command hath our blessed Lord Jesus committed when he did condescend to be surely for our debt and to pay that that was impossible for us to satisfie Hath not Christ made a precious exchange with sinners He wreathed about his own precious neck that
he please It is this be much in the grace of Faith this is clear from Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith By the exercise of all other graces Christ is but a sojourner That turneth aside to tarry but for a night but by the exercise of this grace he cometh to take up house with us I will tell you what faith is It is a ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth daily go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which wee have accesse to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the Believer to the Throne and without it hee cannot have accesse there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith A believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9. 24. where these two are conjoyned together Lord I believe and then hee falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou my unbelief And it is clear from Psal. 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh is it not the neglect of this precious exercise of faith and of the duty of secret Prayer that makes our leannesse testisie to our Face and maketh our souls as a barren wildernesse I am perswaded of this that since Christ had any followers and since ever this everlasting Goâ—pel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected Wee have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what â—t is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to inquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diâ—ersion from sleep to retire our selves in the â—ilent seasons of the night from all thoughts â—bout worldly matters and to converse with â—hat invisible Majesty VI. There is this sixth consideration to â—oint out the advantage of Faith That Faith â—s that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and â—asie This is clear from Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham when commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether â—e went The word may be rendered He did â—hearfully obey And ver 17. By faith he ofâ—ered up his only Son Would ye know the reaâ—on why his commands are your burden and why his precepts are your crosses It is beâ—ause of this Yee do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Chriâ—tian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience â—ithout the exercise of Faith Faith holdeth â—p the Crown to a Christian and this crown â—aketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength â—rom Christ and that strength maketh obeâ—ience very easie Faith â—aketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question What is the first most requisit for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisit Faith And what thirdly is most requisit for a Christian even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our service and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith Iâ— is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelievers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain and we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shall likewise addâ— this that Faith is the graâ—e by which a Christian hath that perfect and immediate sight as it were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian withiâ— sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to thaâ— word Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence â— things not seen and that noble paâ—adox thâ—â— is said of Faith Heb. 11. 27 By faith Mosâ—â— saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this That Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can yee do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more wee shall propose to you the disadvantages of that wofull sin of unbelief I. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1. 15. But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing is sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14. 23. What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances II. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to moâ—tifie a lust or idol and wee may allude unto these words in Matth. 17. 20. When his disciples came to him and asked this question Why could wee not cast out this devil That was given as an answer because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for our idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded â— treaty of peace with our idols that we shall not offend them if they offend not us III. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win nor attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro untill once hee win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isa. 7. 9 Except ye believe ye shall not be established IV. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it it is the mother of hardnesse and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16. 14. Where he
is a sweet and refreshing command for it is oftentimes recorded in Scripture to the advantage of this grace and unspeakable joy and heavenly delight are the hand-maids that wait upon it But more particularly to make it out we shall speak to these things The first is That this grace giveth a Christian a broad and comprehensive sight of Christ and maketh him to behold not only the beauty of his actings but the beauty of his person and there are these three precious sights that Faith giveth to â— Christian of Christ. First It letteth the Christian see Christ in his absolute and personalâ— excellency taking him up as the eternal Soâ— of God as the Ancient of Dayes as the Father of Eternity as the expresse Image of Hiâ— Fathers person and the brightnesse of his glory and this filleth the soâ—l with divine fear anâ— admiration Hence is that word Heb. 11. 27 That we see by Faith him that is invisible As if he had said Faith is that grace that maketh things that are invisible visible unto us Secondly It letteth the soul see Christ in his relative excellencies that is what he is to us Faith taketh up Christ as a Husband and from thence we are provoked to much boldnesse and divine confidence and withall to see these rich possessions that are provided for us by our elder Brother who was born for adversity Faith taketh up Christ as a blessed Days man that did lay his hand upon us both And from thence it is constrained to wonder at the condescendency of Christ it taketh him up as dying and as redeeming us from the power of the grave and from the hands of our enemies and this provoketh Christians to make a totall and absolute resignation of themselves over unto Christ To serve him all the dayes of our life in righteousnesse and holinesse And thirdly Faith maketh the soul behold these mysterious draughts of spotlesse love those divine emanations of love that have flowed from his ancient and everlasting love since the world began Would you know the great ground why we are so ignorant of him who is the study of Angels and of all that are about the Throne it is this we are not much in the exercise of faith And if we would ask that question What is the way to attain to the saving knowledge of God in Christ We could give no answer to it but this Believe and again believe and again believe Faith openeth these mysterious seals of his boundlesse perfection and in some way teacheth the Christian to answer that unanswerable question What is His Name and what is his Sons Name There is this secondly that pointeth out the sweetnesse of Faith that it giveth an excellent relish unto the promises and maketh them food to our soul. What are all the promises without faith as to our use but as a dead letter that hath no life But faith exercised upon the promises maketh a Christian cry out The words of his mouth are sweeter unto mee then the honey and the honey comb as is clear from Heb. 11. 12 13. It is by Faith that wee imbrace the promises and do receive them Thirdly The sweetnesse of Faith may appear by this that it enableth a Christian to rejoyce under the most anxious and afflicting dispensations that hee meeteth with while hee is here below as is clear from Rom. 5. 1 5. where his being justified by Faith hath this fruit attending it to joy in â—ribulation And likewise from Heb. 10. 34 35. Doth not Faith hold the crown in its right hand and letteth a Christian behold these infinit dignities that are provided unto them after they have as a strong man run their race And when a Christian is put into a furnace hot seven times more then ordinary it bringeth down the Son of man Jesus Christ to walk with them in the furnace So that they walk safely and with joy through fire and water and in a manner they can have no crosse in his company For would yee know what is the description of a crosse It is to want Christ in any estate And would ye know what is the description of prosperity It is to have Christ in any condition or estate of life What can ye want that have him and what can he have that want him He is that All so that all things besides him are buâ— vanity But beside this Faith doth discover unto a Christian that there is a sweet period of all his trials and afflictions that he can be exposed unto so that he can never say that of faith which Ahab spake of Micajah He never prophesieth good things to me But rather he may say alwayes the contrary Faith never prophesieth evil unto me it being a grace that prophesieth excellent things in the daâ—kest night and sweetly declareth that though weeping do endure for the evening yet joy cometh in the morning And that though now they â—o forth weeping bearing precious seed yet at last they shall return rejoycing having sheaves in their bosome And this may bring in the fourth consideration to point out the sweetnesse of Faith That it giveth a Christian a refreshing sight of that â—and that is a far off and maketh him to behold that inheritance that is provided for the Saints in light it goeth forth to the brook Eshcol and there doth pluck down those grapes that grow in Emanuels land to bring up a good report upon that noble Countrey we are sojourning towards and the City the streets whereof are paved with transparent gold And howbeit it may be a perplexing debaâ—e between many and their own souls whether or not these eyes that have been the windows through which so much uncleannesse hath entered and these species of lust have been conveyed into the heart shall once be like the eyes of a dove washed with milk and fitly set and be admitted to see that glorious object the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne Or whether ever these tongues that have been set on fire of hell and these polluted lips that have spoke so much against God and Heaven and all his People and Interests shall ever be admitted to sing these heavenly Halelujahs amongst that spotlesse queer of Angels and that assembly of the first born or if these hands or feet that have been so active to commit iniquity and so swift to run after vanity shall even bee admitted hereafter to carry these Palme Branches and to follow the Lamb where ever hee goeth and whether ever these hearts that have been indeed a Bethaven and house of idols may yet notwithstanding bee a dwelling for the Holy Ghost Though these things wee say and such like may bee the subject of many sad debates to some weary souls and cause many tossings to and fro till the morning yet faith can bring all these mysteries to light and looking within the vail can let us see thousands of thousands who were once as ugly as our selves yet now having washed their robes and
of this Great Salvation O fire hail snow vapors stormy winds and tempests praise Him who is the Author of this Great Salvation All the tribes of the earth praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation Our own soul praise him who is the Author of this Great Salvation and all that is within us blesse him who is the Author of this Great Salvation O who would not praise Him who is the Author of this Great Salvation Are there any here that will refuse to commend him O think upon him and let not this be a day of slighting him Now where are your hearts at this time I will tell you where many of your hearts are they are thinking upon the world but I am sure there are not many of them thinking upon this Great Salvation Now what resolution mind ye to go away with to day Oh have ye no resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hither to day Are there any here who have this resolution To whom shall we go but to him who is the Author of this Great Salvation who alone hath the words of eternal life Even the Lord breath it upon you Or is this your resolution that through Christs strength forsake him who will ye will never forsake him Or have ye this resolution That ye will esteem more highly of the Great Salvation then ever ye did O that the Lord may keep these in the imaginations of the thoughts of your hearts for ever But as for you who have no resolutions to imbrace this Great-Salvation O wherewith shall I commend it unto you Do not your own necessities commend it But if nothing can perswade you to come away and imbrace it then this place shall be a heap of witnesses against you For it hath heard all the words of the Law which he hath spoken unto you Josh. 24. Oh cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house and stones in the walls I take them as so many witnesses that they may speak and testifie against you in the great day of the Lord if ye neglect this Great Salvation to day Therefore as ye go away be thinking upon it and whether or not ye minde to imbrace it now while you may have it This day I have set life and death before you I have set before you both the Great Salvation and the great damnation And O that ye had understanding in all these things that yâ—â— being wise might be provocked at last to imbrace this Great Salvation the which we do yet again intreat you to think upon Is not heaven looking upon you at this time to see what ye will do with this great offeâ— of Salvation which I have this day from the Lord presented unto you Now â—â— Him that can perswade you to imbrace thiâ— Great Salvation this Gospel Redemption this blessed mystery into which the Angel desire to pry to Him Who can bring yoâ— back from the pit and can enlighten you witâ— the light of the living To Him who hath thâ— keyeâ— of your prison Who can open and none can shut and can shut and none can open To Him who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth communicate to Him who can deliver you from the power of the Grave and can set you free from all your enemies wee desire to give praise Amen SERMON II. Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him THere are two great and most ordinary complaints in these dayes 1. There are many who complain that their Estates and Persons are in bondage and that they are sold for slaves to the hands of strangers But O that wee could also turn over the complaint to this that our souls are in bondage and that we are yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity that so we might be provoked to long for the Great Salvation that is in our offer 2. There are many complaining and not without much cause that there is now such a tolleration of Errours But O will thou complain also of this that within thy heart there is a tolleration of lusts is there noâ— an act of tolleration concluded within thy breast that the devil and all his company may reign in thee at pleasure Oh have ye not need of Great Salvation Shall I tell you that Christ is couâ—ting you to imbrace it and that he putteth on all his most glorious robes and manifesteth himself unto you as a suiter making offer of himself and of his Great Salvation O tell me have ye seen him Or do ye think to see him this day What robes had he on There are five glorious Robes wherewith he cloaths himself when he condescendeth to manifest himself to his people First He cometh to his own with the garments of Salvation according to that word Zech. 9. verse 9. Rejoyce O daughter of Sion greatly shout O daughter of Ierusalem foâ— behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation ay your King is come here to day and will you not fall in love with him when he is cloathed with the garments of Salvation can ye ever have a more conqueâ—ing sight of Christ then when he is cloathed with such an excellent Robe and offering you Salvation Secondly He appeareth to his own sometimes in garmenes dyed in blood according to that word Isa 6. 3. verse 1 2. Who is this that cometh up from Edom with dyed garments in bloud as one that treadeth the wine fat And now I say to thee that will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of Salvation have ye a heart to refuse him that have fought such a combaâ—e for you who hath trode the wine-presse alone and hath stained all His garments with the bloud of his enemies oâ— is there any here who dare refuse this Salvation when they see how he treadeâ—h his enemies in anger and trampleth them in his fury and thus sprinkleth their bloud upon his garments O tremble at this sight and seek quarter from him in time or he shall dy his garments with the blood of thy immortall soul. Thirdly Christ appeareth unto his own being cloathed with these humble Robes of condescendency when he came in the simititude of sinfull flesh O what a sight waâ— that to behold the Prince of Heavâ—n clâ—athâ—d with our nature What a sight was that to bâ— hold him that was cloathed with light as with a garment to be cloathed with our infirmities yet he condescended to cloath himself thus that we might have accesse unto Him and be partakeâ—â— of His gifts O can we refuse Him when love hath thus pressed him to put on the beggar weed that he might say to worms yâ— are my brethren and my sisters Fouâ—thly Christ somtimes manifesteth Himself being cloathed with the garments of beauty and ravishing Majesty such was the sight that the