and to be disposed as the Lord pleaseth If he will have me to enjoy well if to want well if to abound well if to be abased well I would be as he would have me to be and I would be estated as he would have me to be estated If he thinks good to bestow a faire estate upon me I desire to be humble and thankful If he thinks good to limit me to a meane estate I desire to be humble and contented If he keeps me in a free condition I desire to love him if in a perplexed condition I yet desire to fear and serve him though I would be careful and diligent yet I would not be anxious and vexing I dare to trust him with my soul to preserve sanctifie uphold comfort save it I trust him with my body to preserve enable change and dispose it I trust him with my whole estate to give it alteâ— it increase it lessen it keep it blesse it as may make most for his glory and my good Secondly To live by faith is to depend upon God for all You all conjecture That First God is an alsufficient goodnesse he is goodnesse it selfe And whatsoever good the creature is capable of or doth actually participate he is the sole cause thereof meanes which be next at hand and neare our eyes are but pipes and stewards but God he is the fountaine and Lord. Secondly he hath put all Covenant good for his servants into promises The promises are nothing else but a deed of gift sealed with the truth of God There hath God freely undertaken whatsoever belongs to grace or glory to this life or to that which is to come doest thou want this or that Why whatsoever is fit for thee to have that I promise in the Name of my Sonne to give unto thee saith God Now to live by faith is to cast anchor at heaven gates it is to cast the soul upon Gods promises in Christ to rely on God for any good which God hath promised and undertaken this I want and this God hath promised he hath undertaken the supply and I will trust upon him for it Though I feel no such thing nay though I feel the contrary yet I do not cast away my confidence Though fig-trees blossome not though olives faile and hindes are gone yet if my supply appears in any word of promise I take heart and say yet my condition is good all is well and sure My God hath undertaken it for me and in his Word will I trust which is good and true he will not faile me I shall have whatsoever is good and that too in a good time This only in general SECT II. Quest 2. Sol. TO what states the life of faith may extend You know that there are two eminent states of our life 1. One is spiritual which respects all the exigencies varieties windings turnings changes defections eclipses tryals and hardships of the soul Whatsoever accidents may befall an holy soul about the heavenly condition that appertaines to the spiritual state all the supplies of grace of strength of comfort of assurance of assistance against temptations corrections troubles all enlivements and quicknings of the Spirit about all sorts of duties and services active or passive 2. Another is temporal which is not onely the terme of our natural breathings but also the sundry and manifold occurrences which befal us in the employments of our life all the accidents and interruptions crossings checkings contrarieties either in our bodies or calling or wealth or persons or children or servants or good name Briefly the temporal state comprehends all whatsoever may weaken or wast or distract All or any of our temporal contentments delights desires ends as also all our temporal supplements for the being or well-being of this poore and short life of ours as health strength friends food liberty estate peace and quietnesse c. Now then living by faith extends to both The just shall live by his faith said the Prophet Hab. 2. 4. of the Jews in the temporal state and I live by the faith of the Sonne of God said Paul in Gal. 2. 2. speaking of his spiritual state So that faith bears up soul and body and is both for heaven and earth It serves to fetch in the blood of Christ the redemption by Christ pardon of sinne Gods favour all grace and comfort to the soul And it serves to fetch in also health to the body riches to the estate plenty peace friends what not When I am sick I yet trust in God for health when poor I yet trust on God for sufficiency when under reproach I yet trust on God to clear my innocency when under discomforts and forsakements I yet trust on God for favor and countenance In all my distresses and reproaches I have yet his Word for my supplies and helps upon which I rest and thus I live by faith so far as the promises extend so far doth living by faith extend SECT III. Quest 3. NOw more particularly what it is to live by faith on Christ Sol. I will tell you what I think of it It is an holy work and course of a beleeving person wherein he doth depend on Christ and To live by faith in Christ make use of hâ—m for all the conditions and exigencies of the soul about its spâ—ritual state For the opening of this description I will touch upon three things 1. The particular conditions and exigencies of the soul by reason Three things of which it hath need to live by faith 2. The fulnesse and fitnesse and fidelity of Christ for the supply and help of a beleeving soul 3. The conjunction of both these together which is the very living by faiâ—h on Christ Fiâ—st the particular conditions and exigencies of the soul you must know this That to live by faith presupposeth two things on our part defect and insufficiency There is something lyes upon us which should not and we cannot help our selves and therefore we go abroad by faith this is to live upon the market Now there are many things which ly upon our souls 1. The sense of guilt this is a great matter it makes the very heart oft-times to tremble it is an heavy burden when a man sinnes against an holy and just God the least of them provoking and damnable This is a time of trouble for a man sees much in debt and nothing in stock he is not able to pay aâ— farâ—hing all that he is or can do can never answer divine Justice This is one exigence now which makes a man capable to live by faith to look out to Christ and to try what he will do for him a miserable sinner as you shall heare anon 2. The sense of unrighteousnesse Why God requâ—res an holy conformity to his divine will in heart and in life that our nature should be as he requires and our wayes as he commands but when the soul is able actively to reflect on it selfe and look on God
a right answer of great means To whom much is given of them much is required Pharaohs leane kine are called ill-favoured because in a great and large pasture All is not right when the breasts are full and the child is still weak The Gospel should be revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 3. The greater faith is the greater perfection every degree of farther grace is like a star of greater magnitude which differ in glory from another an addition of faith to faith is an adding to the treasury an enriching of the soul a farther clarifying of it The lesse of grace the more of corruption and the more of corruption the more of imperfection 4. The greater faith the greater comfort the Minde will have fewer doubts Will hath fewer fears Conscience more settledness the soul more sights of God and tastes of Christ Experiences in life and confidence in death 5. The greater faith will be the greater help in times of desertion in times of tryal in times of temptation in times of affliction and greater help to all active duty and passive changes Thou knowest not what may befall thee in evil times then thou wouldest be able to commit to submit to conquer to suffer to do much better if thy faith were much greater CHAP. XVI Exhortations to labour for saving faith IF to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ be the way to be saved Then be exhorted to labour Vse 4 for and to get this saving faith Let not the consolations of God seeme small unto thee said he to Job so say I let not the salvation of thy soul seem a light thing unto thee If a man were wounded deeply and there were but one plaister which could cure and this were presented unto him would he not put out his hand to receive and apply it the love of life would easily incline him Why brethren not a man of us but hath a deadly wound by sinne and there is no remedy for the sinful soul but in the blood of Christ O if the love of life will constraine us much let the love of eternal life the love of our souls of our salvation perswade us much more to get faith which gets Christ who gets salvation for our souls There are divers things which I will touch upon in the finishing 4. Branches of this Use viz 1. The Motives to perswade and draw the heart to put out for this saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. The impediments and hindrances which stop the soul from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which we must assay to answer and remove as he did the body of Asabel which stayed the people in their pursuit 3. The means or adjuments and furtherances to breed this believing quality in the souf 4. The resolutions or answerings of several doubtful grounds and arguments which intangle the heart of a sensible sinner and which he holds out as strong pretences why he should not by faith close with Jesus Christ Now that great and holy God who is the Author of faith and finisher thereof whose word is the word of faith and by whose Almighty working the hearts of men are perswaded to believe let him so direct me in speaking and all of us in hearing that after all his gracious and manifold revelations and offers of our Lord Jesus Christ our unbeleeving hearts may be subdued and true faith may be wrought in us all to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal salvation SECT I. First the Motives I speak this day to an understanding and sensible people to whom the doctrinal parts of our natural misery and of our purchased felicity are not hidden mysteries and therefore I trust that the succeeding arguments and motives shall finde little stop in your understandings but shall the more easily and powerfully passe down into your hearts and affections to perswade and excite you to lay out all your strength and that speedily to get this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Thus then First sadly and seriously consider the state of Positive infidelity A twofold indelity Divines observe a twofold infidelity One is Negative which is amongst the Heathens to whom Christ is not revealed and therefore they do not believe it consists both in the absence of the quality of faith as also in the object and doctrine of faith This Sunne of the Gospel hath not risen unto them and therefore they sit still in the regions of darknesse and for ought we know in the valley of death Another is Positive which is incident unto us Christians to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed Christ is manifested as the body of the Sun by the beams of light so he by the brightnesse and evidence of the Gospel and yet the soule knows him not receives him not doth not take him both as Lord and Saviour Of this there are several degrees and all of them fearfully dangerous to speak the truth plainly damnable 1. A carelesse neglecting of the Lord of life a not minding of that singular mercy and goodnesse which God hath treasured in Christ and reveales and offers to sinful men 2. A slighting of him and his excellencies which is a preferring as it were Barrabas before him a bestowing of our hearts and studies and labours and delights and services not on him but either on our sinnes or upon the world in the rivers of its pleasures and in the mountaines of its profits 3. A refusing of his Articles and Covenants which is a breaking off and vile disliking of those tearms upon which he offers himself to be ours we would bring him to termes of competition with sinne or the creature we would abridge his holy and Lordly Scepter like what we please do what we list have him to be our Saviour and sinne to be our Ruler we would bestow our safeties on him and our services upon the world we will not freely and fully consent to all that he is nor submit to all that he proposeth or may befall us with him and for him And so like the vaine Merchant we misse the pearle because we will not go to the price We enjoy our selves still and our sinnes and our world too but we forsake our mercies for lying vanities the soul is Christlesse still because thus sordidly unbeleeving 1. But then know of all estates in the world none so fearful so damnable as the unbeleeving estate A man may lose every farthing of his inheritance and yet faith will bring him to heaven he may lose every friend that he hath and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may lose every spirit in his members and every drop of blood in his body and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may be as poor as Job as distressed as David as sick as Lazarus as forsaken as Paul as derided as Christ and yet faith may bring his soul to heaven But if a man had as much wisdome as Solomon greatnesse as Nebuchadnezzar strength as
resting upon thy selfe and are thy works such absolute bottomes and foundations when the Heathens can match them and exceed them or cannot God espy a flaw in thy Ship and much false conveyance in thy title and much defect in thy deeds who can charge folly upon the Angels And are thy meanings and works so good while thy heart is yet so ignorant thy life yet so prophane Can what thou doest finde acceptance or merit when yet thou trustest not on him who only is the merit for a sinner Thinkest thou thy meanings can be good which dishonour the Redemption by Christ and the freenesse of mercy O no my brethren the soul is the passenger graces are the sailes the Spirit is the wind but Christ only Christ is the bottom which carries all safe and sure to heaven Nay if thou canst see a Saviour in thy own good meanings if a Saviour in thy own good works a Saviour in any part or degree of inherent righteousnesse either inward for the change of nature or outward for the emprovement of life this this will keep thee and Christ asunder No man will labour for faith in Christ who hath a faith in himselfe already as his own Saviour Therefore as they in the Acts of the Apostles burned their books when they came to believe in Chhist so must we unbottom our selves of our selves Renounce our menstrous rags abhor our selves in dust and ashes lay flat before the mercy-seat cry out with the Leper I am uncleane unclean with Daniel To us belongs nothing but confusion for we have sinned with David enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh righteous be justified with the Publican stand afar off and say Lord be merciful to me a sinner with Paul I count all things but as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and I desire to be foundin him not having my own righteousnesse but that which is of faith with those Elders cast if we had them our very crowns to the earth before the Lamb and say he only is worthy If ever thou wouldest get to believe in Christ labour to get Do not stand in thy own light the mountaines to be levelled the high imaginations to be cast down to cast thy self out of thy self There is nothing that I have been or have done or do or can do which I can trust to I seek for the living among the dead whiles I look for a Saviour in my self He is farre enough from safety who rests on the arme of his flesh and we shall never close with or magnifie Christs righteousnesse until we can in matter of merit or justification deny our own 4. A fourth impediment to beleeving is the league of the heart with sinne Light is come into the world but men love darknesse rather then light John 3. 19. Sinne absolutely doth not prejudice the contract of the soule with Christ for Christ doth not negotiate for any soul but the sinful soul He doth not come to a person and say if thou hast no sinne I will bestow my self on thee or if thou hast not committed sinne I will be a redeemer a Saviour unto thee O no the offer of Christ is only to the sinner and it is none but the sinner who is to beleeve in Christ But that which hinders the contract ' twixtt men and Christ it is the love of sin Christ comes in the Ministry of the Gospel unto us and reports unto us our own exceeding sinfulnesse and then his exceeding graciousnesse and invites the soul by many sweet and tender arguments to accept of him to be Lord and Christ and assures it of pardon and righteousnesse and salvation Now saith Christ that which I require of you is this leave but your sinnes your sinnes which will damne you and I will be yours Why saith the soul this is but reason and I will hearken to it well then saith Christ go and quit such a lust thy uncleannesse or thy Sabbath breaking or thy drunkennesse or thy lewd society c. Why now the base and foolish heart falls off I cannot live without my nature I must and will be allowed in such a course The heart riseth up O Benjamine shall not go nay any thing but this lust I will never be divorced from it if I may have Christ and this sinne too well and good Thus the love of sinne steâ—les awâ—â— the heart it bestows the heart else where nay it infâ—ames an opposition against the Lordly power of Christ the soul will never yeild to the dominion of Christ which delights in tâ—e 〈◊〉 to sin Brâ—thren if we could bâ—â— rip up the secrets of mens hearts unto you you should 〈◊〉 discâ—â—â—â—e that it is the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 oft-times can mâ—ke no exception aâ—ainst Christ they 〈…〉 to come in 〈…〉 know they 〈…〉 be saved without him but 〈…〉 will not 〈…〉 sinnes it â—uâ—s their soules to think of such a divorce come on it what will thâ—y will take their pleasure and hold faâ—t their wickednesse 5. A fifth impediment is the world The honours of it how can you believe who receive honour 〈…〉 â—nother and 〈◊〉 not the honour that 〈…〉 â—od only John 5. â—â— The profâ—â— of it He went away sorrowâ—ul for he had great possessioâ—s Mâ—t. 19. 22. The Examples of it Have any of the 〈◊〉 or of the Pharisâ—es beleeved on him John 7 48. The teâ—rors of it the feâ—â—e of the Jews kept off many from coming to Christ The losses of it and crosses He that will be my Disciple muâ—â— deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The cares and thoughts of it when a man mindes earthly things and will be rich and devours all his prerious thoughts to compasse that which will be but a fether a thorne vanity or vexation Presse men to lâ—bour for Christ why we have no leasure presse to frequent the wayes of getting faith why lwe must not neglect our callings Urge them to embrace Christ as Lord to shape and fashion their hearts and ways according to his rules after his righteous Laws and to deny themselves in some sinful compliances O then we shall not be esteemed of we shall be derided and scoffed at as vaine and singular O these sensible things which we can see with our eyes and grasp with our hands they put us off from the great moments of our best and eternal good And what are the honours of this world but as the shade of the Sunne which every discontented cloud and frown removes and what are the profits of it but heapes of chaff which any windeâ— from heaven may scatter and what are the friends of it but a gourd which any worme may gnaw out and shrivel And why doest thou fear man whose utmost power exceeds not thy body and fearest not that God whose vengeance can seaze on thy soul and why wilt thou bestow the strength of thy time to get no more
word of application If salvation be the maine enquiry of a truly troubled soul Vse then verily many people have not yet been truly troubled for their sinnes why Because they strive not how to save their soules The Psalmist speaks of some that God was not in their thoughts and we may say of some that Salvation is not in their mindes He who hath abundance hath this question who will shew us any good and he who is in want hath this question what shall I do But what shall I do to be saved few think of this it is a marvelous thing that so noble a creature as man who carries in him the singular stamp of heaven a spiritual and immortal soul should so infinitely forget both himself and his errand into this world I am a miserable sinner said Saint Hicrome and born only to repent We are born transgressors from the wombe and with hell at our heeles God is pleased to draw out the threed of our life and to vouchsafe to give us this hint that we are sinners and must dye and if we change not our condition we perish forever And besides that he hath addressed the wayes of Salvation to our hands so plainely that he who runnes may read Yea and there is something implanted in men which secretly inclines them to be affected with a generall desire of Salvation nevertheless to observe men how variously they flye off how little they minde that which most of all concerns them how infinitely one drudgeth for riches how illimitedly another pursues pleasures so that when we come to dye we have hardly thought wherefore we were borne There is a Salvation and a way tending thereunto but we forget that all our dayes We have other employments but let us soberly recall our selves Is there any thing better then Salvation Is there a nearer thing then the soul Is there not a necessity to be working in the way if ever we would attain unto the end O then let this take us up let heaven take us up let our souls take us up but let not our sins let not the world take us up Vbi pompa said Saint Augustine ubi exquisita convivia ubi gentiorum ambitio ubi argenti auri pondus immensum Transient omnia ab oculis ejus putatur requiesere corpus ejus habitat in inferno anima ejus multiplâ—cavit agros plantavit vineas implevit horrea yet saith he Sâ—ulâ—e hac nocte He enlargeth his Fields plants his vines fills his Barnes loseth his soul The like saith Saint Bernard Dic mihi ubi sunt amatores seculi qui jam diu fuerint Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria Brevis laetitia mundipotentia Quid carnis voluptas quid falsae divitiae ubirisus ubi jocus ubi jactantia Hic caro eorum vermibus illic anima ignibus deputatur infernalibus I say no more but labour to save that which if it be lost the world cannot procure it and believe it that the soul can never be saved by that which is not worth a soul Another conclusion from the words of the text may be this That persons rightly sensible are as throughly resolved for the meanes and wayes as for the end and scope The Jayler doth not say I desire Salvation barely but what must I do to be saved as if he said I desire Salvation and I do conjecture that it is an end and therefore means there are leading to it now whatsoever they are point them out unto me that I may apply my self for the prosecution of the end There are two things which deceive a mans heart One is presumption which is a skipping over the lesson and taking forth before we have learned our part my meaning is this that it is an opinion of our happinesse without any use of meanes As if a man went to heaven as the Ship moves in the Tyde whether the Master wakes or sleeps Another is hypocrisie which is an inquality of the heart to all the wayes of Salvation No hypocrite will apply himself to every thing which may indeed save him But where the heart is rightly understanding and truly sensible there is not only a consideration of meanes but an illimited resolution for all the wayes of Salvation whatsoever course God doth by his Word reveale and prescribe for that it is resolved and purpâ—sed though they may be contrary to my proud reasoning and capacity though they may be contrary to the bent of my affections though they may require much time and employment c. What the Princes speak with a disembling heart that the sinner rightly sensible of his condition affirms with a plaine spirit of true intention The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God He who will be saved must come to this to deny his own will to crucifie his own affections to captivate his own imaginations to resigne up his own desires and pleasures to afflict his heart for his sins to give up himself to the rule and command of Gods Word to draw off his heart from the world to settle all his confidence upon Jesus Christ to watch over his own spirit To love the Lord God with all his soul and with all his might These and other things are required as the way to life and unto them all doth a sinner rightly sensible yield up himself with all readiness and gladnesse For as much as though there may be some difficulty in these yet there is Salvation by them yea and there is a singular help for them as well as a special reward but the present and former condition and way of sinne is engraven with much paines and sore horror and death and hell But I pass on Another conclusion from the words is this When God doth throughly work upon mens consciences personall injuriousnesses must be forgotten by them who are to deale with them You see here that Paul and Silas speakes not a word of this cruel usage towards them but instantly addresse themselves to the direction of his safety and comfort Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ c. We read of the Father of the Prodigall that when his son came humbling and bewailing his fore-past miscarriages of Prodigality and Luxury He saw him a far off and ran to meet him and kissed him and put the raiment on him and a gold Ring He did not rate and upbraid him Nay I will not look on thee I will not accept of thee go now to thy Harlots amongst whom thou hast riotously wasted all that goodly portion which I put into thy hands O no he accuseth not him whom he heares to accuse himself and reviles
Eph. 4. It takes Christ so as none with Christ or besides Christ The Patriarchs had most of them a wife and a concubine it is not so here Faith doth match with an absolute exclusion of all other matches It is not the soul and Christ and sin nor the soul and Christ and the world nor the soul and Christ and the Devil it is not the soul and Christ in chief and sinne in service as a deputy or a corrivall a secondary thing c. Fourthly this taking is freed from mistaking Faith knowes what it doth it sees its way it understands 1. Who that is whom it takes 2. Upon what termes he will be taken 3 Its grounds of taking First who it is viz. the Son of God God and man a most holy person a mighty Redeemer and Saviour Secondly upon what termes viz. He will not come in by the by he will not be taken as a vassaile as a captive as a drudge he will not be taken for base and changeable reasons meerly to stop a gap in the conscience or only in faire weather but he will be taken as Lord and King to command all the heart to dispose all the wayes to rule our very thoughts he will be taken for his own sake out of a judicious love and estimation of his person he will be taken with all the estates and conditions that befall on the crosse crucified as well as in the way to Hierusalem magnified as one persecuted and distressed on earth as well as one raised and glorified in heaven and thus true faith takes Christ Thirdly upon what grounds viz. upon Gods offer of Christ and promise that whosoever believes on him c. and on his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son whereupon faith brings in the soul to Christ it believeth that God saith true that he doth not call upon men he doth not command men he doth not promise men and all this to delude men so that if you should ask faith what warrant had you to bring in such a soul to Christ Why saith faith God revealed and offered his Sonne and commanded me to believe and promised not to cast off any that come c. Fifthly this taking is resolved against untaking All takings are not of the same force and power if I take a servant I take him so that upon good reasons and occasions I can put him off againe but if I take a wife there can be no untaking on my part unless God takes her I must never forsake her Faith takes Christ this way to be a Saviour for ever to be a Head an Husband a Lord for ever I observe that there are two kindes of taking Christ to be a Lord one is compulsory and violent as when an enemy is made to rule a man in a sicknesse in a terror of conscience in a day of wrath in an expectation of death he will take Christ to be his Lord he will say Oh! sinne is vile I abhor it I will become a new man I will have none but the Lord Christ and he only shall be my Lord and hereupon the man sets about the work of shewing that Christ is his Lord he will command his servants to pray to heare to read to keep the Sabbath c. Yet this man as soon as Gods hand is off as soon as ever he is freed from his bands he will like a lewd apprentise break loose from his Lord and Master he will serve Christ no longer he will to his sins again to the world again to his base society again c. Why because this accepting was only violent and no actions are stedfast or constant whose causes are compelling and violent Another is ingenious of faith and this taking of Christ is grounded onely in Christ in its excellencies beauties perfections which are not like the light of a candle this houre very cleare and the next none at all but like light in the Sunne still abiding and remaining and therefore when a man doth by faith take Christ he takes him for ever for faith can never change for the better and it sees stedfast reason in Christ to cleave to Christ Now I come to the consequent object of faith and that is remission of sinnes and righteousnesse and whatsoever good comes from Christ For thus it is faith doth order its motions or actions according to the word Now the word reveales and offers Christ first and then the benefits next It is not whosoever beleeves eternal life shall have Christ the Sonne of God but whosoever beleeves on the Sonne of God shall have eternal life Nor is it whosoever beleeves the remission of sinnes shall have Christ but whosoever beleeves in Christ shall have the Remission of sinnes Yet when faith hath made the soule to take Christ it goes then from the person to the portion from Christ to the good in Christ and by him for if Christ be ours all is ours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. SECT VI. I Will therefore speak a word of faith as conversant about First Remission of sinnes Secondly Righteousnesse For the first of these viz. the pardon or remission of sinnes Consider That remission of sinnes is an Action of God acquitting the gilt and the punishment so that he will never reckon with the soul any more in a judicial way for those sinnes which are pardoned As when the King throughly pardons a Malefactor he dischargeth him and takes off the gilt we speak of it in respect of redundancy that it shall not now prejudice the person any longer so doth God when he pardons sinne Though he doth not in this annihilate the sinne that is make that to be no sinne which was sinne yet he doth prejudice sin that is he takes off the guilt that it shall never redound to the damnation of the sinner no nor to his dammage Jesus Christ hath procured remission or pardon of sinne for us hence Ephes 1. 7. In whom you have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of your sinnes His blood was shed for many for the remission of sinnes Mat. 26 that is he did die and by his death hath merited and procured our pardon and discharge God offering Christ offers with him the purchase of Christ viz. the pardon of sinnes If you will take my Sonne I will pardon your sins Now faith inclines the soul which is sensible of its sinful guilt to put it self on Jesus Christ for the discharge of them As the wife looks for none and goes to none but to her husband to discharge her debts so faith goes to none for to procure remission of sinnes but only to Christ and on him doth it rest O Lord Christ saith Faith thou didst take these my sinful debts upon thee and thou didst undertake to satisfie for them and to get them to be blotted out yea and I know that thou didst make a full satisfaction Now I renounce all hope of pardon from any thing in me
and do rest my soule on thy precious blood trusting that it was shed for the remission of my sins I have taken thee to be my Christ and therefore I commit the answering of my sinful debt to thy full satisfaction and sufferings Put the case to a beleeving heart you have many sinful debts to answer for sinnes before conversion and sinnes after conversion sins of ignorance and sinnes of knowledge these sinnes have that in them which bindes you over to wrath and curse now to whom doth it belong to pardon these sinnes your soul answers to God Who can forgive sinnes but God only And I even I am he that blotteth out thy sins c. yea but for whose sake will God pardon them the soul answers onely for Christ Jesus sake for he did shed his blood for their remission and therefore faith goes with the soul to Christ and saith O blessed Saviour thy blood was shed for the remission of sinnes and thou hast invited all that are heavy laden to come unto thee and thou wilt ease them Thou sayest if any man sinne 1 John 2. 1. he hath an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for sinnes Now I am thus and thus sinful and these guilts lie upon my conscience I am never able to get them to be pardoned for any thing in me but I do put my soul upon thee and do trust to thee to get off these sinnes I put them on thy account yea all of them and do beleeve that in thy blood they shall be pardoned c. SECT VII NOw for the second thing which faith looks on in Christ and that is Righteousnesse Beloved this know that God doth never Justifie a man nor will ever save a man who hath not a perfect Righteousnesse for he is a Righteous God and will not pronounce the sinner guiltlesse his Law and Justice must be satisfied in all points or else the sinner shall never come to heaven Now the soul of a person is marvellously distressed when it seriously thinks of this How shall I stand before the great and holy God another day being by nature so wholly sinful and at the best being but defectively and imperfectly good But faith in this case brings the soul to Christ and in him it findes a most perfect and absolute righteousnesse For whom saith the scrupulous soul for thee saith Faith what for me yea for thee for the Scripture saith That Christ was made the righteousnesse of 1 Cor. 1. 30. God for us and that he was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that if thou wouldst 2 Cor. 5. 21. have such a righteousnesse as may answer the Law and satisfie God and which God will accept for Justification Thou must by faith get out of thy self and lay hold on that righteousness which is in Christ As Paul I account all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 8 9. There is a twofold righteousnesse One inherent which is in us and this imperfect it can never justifie us in the sight of God Another is imputed which is not in us yet it is for us And this is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ both in his nature and in his obedience Active and Passive which God reckons unto him who doth beleeve in Christ of which the Apostle abundantly in Rom. 4. 12. c. 5. on this doth faith rest only in the matter of justication Though inherent righteousnesse be absolutely required to salvation yet no righteousnesse but that only which is Christs and is imputed to beleevers is the matter of our justification When a sinner comes to account it with God he can never say Lord Lo here I am see if there be any sin in my person or defect in my holinesse I will expostulate with thee upon bare termes I have not offended thee or if I have here 's grace enough to answer for me my heart is wholly cleane my duties at all times in every respect for matter and manner have been performed just as thou requirest in thy holy Law enter into judgement with me if thou pleasest I will be tryed by my own holinesse by my own goodnesse O no there can be no such thing no sinner can be pronounced just this way ever the Saints must cast their crowns to the ground and give glory to the Lamb who only is worthy For when we come to the point of justification before God we must renounce our own righteousnesse as filthy rags we must cry out enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified But as they who were in danger fled to the hornes of the Altar for their lives so must we if we would be justified fly by faith to the Altar of Christs perfect righteousnesse and so doth faith when it would present the person of a sinner perfect and unblameable before God It doth bring him unto Christ and saith before God I beleeve in him to be the Lord my righteousnesse CHAP. VII How it may appeare that to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved BEfore I give you the Arguments or Reasons to evince this I must premise some particulars viz. First That beleeving or faith may be considered four wayes either 1. Absolutely as a simple habit or quality of grace apt to change the unbelievingnesse of the heart and to send forth the acts of trusting and acceptance 3. Premises Thus faith is not the only way of salvation partly because other habits are required as well as faith and partly because there is not in faith absolutely considered any meritorious dignity of it self to challenge salvation We say that a Ring is worth a hundred pound not absolutely considered not that the gold which makes the Ring amounts to that value but in respect of the Diamond set in that Ring so faith is a grace of wonderful price much more precious then gold Not so much in respect of it self as if it did by its own natural dignity cause our Justification and salvation but in respect of Christ whose person it takes and on whose righteousnesse it doth rely so though this be true we are justified by faith yet this is as true we are not justified for faith but for Christ on whom faith doth trust 2. Actually that is for the very act of beleeving Arminius and Birtius and some of that cut do say That not the righteousnesse of Christ is that which justifieth but the act of beleeving on it is that which is imputed in our Justification A righteousnesse of Christ they do grant but 't is the act of our beleeving on this which by divine acceptation or favour is imputed for
righteouâ—nesse but this is a rotten opinion Because first it makes void the righteousnesse of Chrisâ— by his blood we are justified Rom. 5. 9. By his obedience are we made righteous verse 19. If this doth justifie us then faith as an act doth not unlesse we will be doubly justified Secondly no works of ours before or after grace do justifie us but the act of faith is one of these Eâ—go 3. Correlatively that is with relation to Christ and his righteousnesse and in this respect faith is the onely way one saith well faith doth not justifie as an action but as a passion his Bucer meaning is this not faith apprehending but the thing apprehended by faith doth justifie It is true I must by faith apprehend Christ if I will be saved but it is not the apprehension which saves but he who is apprehended is the cause of my salvation If I were like to be drowned in the water I must put forth my hand to him who stands and reacheth out his hand unto me yet it is not the meer putting forth of my hand which saves me from drowning but his hand which is laid hold on by mine which draws me forth and so I am preserved both must meet but the cause is in him 4. Instrumentally or in respect of office you know well how to distinguish 'twixt actions a man doth as a man and actions which a man doth as an officer If a man be condemned and ready for execution and one comes from the King with the message of pardon the delivering of this message is an act of his employment and office not of his absolute nature as a man only Thus it is with faith it sends out some actions as an absolute grace and it performes others as a grace in office as an instrument designed and deputed It justifies us in this latter respect not that it is the matter or cause which cleares all for us with God but because it is the instrument laying hold on him who doth this for us As the hand is said to cloath the body not that the hand is any cloathing for a man doth not weare his hand but because it is the instrument to put on our cloathing or as the cup is said to quench our thirst not that the mettal of the cup can go down and satisfie that natural appetite but because it holds that wine or liquor which doth quench so doth faith justifie a sinner not as the object not as the cause but as the instrument that is as the hand of the soule laying hold on the Robes of Christs righteousnesse putting on that garment of his and as an instrument receiving and holding and bringing to the soul that precious blood of Christ which onely can immediately satisfie God and appease a thirsty conscience 2. Againe we must distinguish of the manner and peculiar habitudes or respect of things unto salvation some things A twofold reference of things have a reference to salvation by way of proper causality which have in them a meritorious reason for the proper dignity of which a person is justified and saved And in this respect we say that beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only method and way of salvation Not that faith can from its own worth dispute and challenge from God but because Jesus Christ who is the object of faith hath as a cause merited our pardon justification and salvation Other things have a reference by way of order As suppose a man were to be Knighted by the King to obtaine this Knighthood he must come to the Court and stoop down on his knee and so receive that honour This accesse to the Court and humbling on his knee is not a matter of merit or cause but only of order and condition In this latter respect we deny not but good works look towards sâ—lvation and are required thereto Not as any cause Christ only is the cause but as conditions and orderly steps and wayes which we must tread if we will be saved via ad regnum non causa regnandi Bernard When we say that beleeving in Christ Jesus is the onely way to be saved you must not understand it so as if no other grace were required from a man but faith only but thus There is no other grace which layes hold on Christ who is the cause of salvation but faith only As it was with the father of the Prodigal when he met his sonne falling down on his knees he presently forgave him but before he brought him into his house he did cloath him with other garments So doth God our Father upon our humbling and believing freely confer on us remission of sins for his Christs sake yet before he brings us to heaven he doth invest our souls with the singular graces of his holy Spirit yea though justification be not sanctification yet where God doth the one he ever bestowes and works the other Therefore I pray you remember to distinguish 'twixt these two justification and sanctification The person justified and to be saved Though this be most true that there is no other meritorious cause of our justification and salvation but only Christ and there is no other instrument to lay hold on this but faith yet this is as true that the person justified and to be saved hath more graces in him besides his faith though there be not a co-operation of faith and other graces to justifie yet there is a co-existance of faith and other graces in the person justified Thou must have a good heart as well as a good Christ and an holy life as well as a precious faith or else thou shalt never come to heaven You know that in the body of man there be Eyes to see and Eares to hear and Hands to take and Feet to go of all these which are in the body yet no members are deputed to see but the eyes neverthelesse the eye must not say of the eares I have no need of thee nor the hand to the foot I have no need of thee it is granted that no member sees but the eye eates but the mouth walks but the feet layes hold on but the hands Their offices are singular yet their con-corporation is necessary So no grace but faith pitcheth on Christ layes hold on him as the cause of salvation yet there is need of other graces in the person to be saved There must be love and repentance and godly sorrow and true fear and lively hope and patience and zeal c. The estate is changed only by the blood of Christ but if we will be saved the person must also be changed by the Spirit of Christ. SECT I. THese things being thus premised I shall now give you some arguments by which the truth of the assertion shall appear First there is no other way to be saved but this viz. to believe on Jesus Christ Ergo it is the only way Three things I take as granted Hypotheses First that there is a
with high estimations The young man when Christ bade him sell all that he had and give it to the poore It was praeceptum experimentale he goes away sorrowfull Thirdly to the Scepter and Government of Christ we will not have this man Reigne over us say they and you reade in Psalme 2. How they did consult to break his bands asunder The Scepter of Christ is Heavenly and his Lawes are spiritual and his Wayes are righteous and straight they lay injunctions on the inward man as well as on the outward conversation and binde the thoughts and the intentions and affections Now what do you meane to pinne up a spirit which would have elbow roome what would you have a licentious heart and a turning and winding conscience to be precised and narrowed and restrained and so every way straitened You must give it leave to break the Sabbath to improve its gaines dishonestly to sweare now and then and to comply c. Fourthly to the Righteousnesse of Christ O what a do had that blessed Apostle with the Romanes with the Galatians with others to break them off from Iustification by Works And to fasten upon their hearts the Justification by Faith We are apt to stand upon our selves and to look for the matter of our acceptance and acquittance in our selves on man he thinks that his good meaning shall make him speed Another thinks that his doing no body any harme will let him into Heaven or else God help us Another stands on his devout Sacrifices Another on his charitable bounties Yea and those who should know better in the Doctrine of Justification how extreamly do they cling to their inherent Graces much a do before they can be made to cast their Crowns to the earth and to give the glory only to Christ who is worthy What paines is God forced to take to break us off from our selves we are so proud and so unwilling to be beholding to Gods free grace and Christ that God is faine to break our heart to pieces and to split our ship into shivers that we might only to Christ He must imprint the holy and mighty vigour of the Law on our consciences to shew us our utter impotency and sensibly acquaint us with our marvellous imperfections in graces and interruptions in duties and excursions of daily sinnings and all to fetch us entirely to cast our safeties only on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI The facility of error and mistake about believing SEcondly as it is hard to believe so it is easie to mistake and delude our selves in the matter of believing Four things make it to be so 1. One is the various kindes of faith 2. Another is the consimilitude of one of the extreams of faith 3. The easinesse of both And 4 the aptnesse in our hearts to be satisfied with these First there are divers kindes of faith As the Apostle spake of bodies all bodies are not the same bodies but there are bodies Coelestial and bodies Terrestial so I say of Faith all faith I speak of habitual faith is not the same kinde of faith we read of a Faith which the Devils have and we read of a Faith which the Hypocrites have and we read of a Faith which even Christs enemies whom he did not dare to trust had and we read of a Precious Faith a Faith of Gods Elect a justifying and saving faith Divines ordinarily distinguish of faith There is an Historical faith which is a crediting the word relating but not an embracing of it promising it is like the passing through a Garden and observing and smelling but not a flower is gathered so in Historical Faith the eye of the understanding goes over the Word of God and hath some apprehensions and general grants and intellectual submissions that God doth not lye but what he saith is true Neverthelesse there is not that quality of justifying faith in this which makes the heart to close with the goodnesse of truth and to embrace Christ 2. There is a wonderful faith a faith of miracles to remove mountaines to raise the dead which had some special and immediate promise and yet it was a gift bestowed on those who had no faith to save themselves Many who have cast out devils may at the last day be cast among the devils Lord Lord have not we Prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils And yet Christ bid them depart Non novi vos 3. There is a temporary faith which hath in it some great apprehensions of the truths of God yea and reverent assents yea and some delightfull contentations in the same yea and some fruitfull expressions and with all these a singular degree of profession even to a zealous forwardnesse and notoriousness so that a man may be in the eye of others like a tall Ship and yet there is a Leake in the bottome which on the sudden sinks all This temporary faith though in many respects it handles the same object with saving faith it is tampering much about Christ and the promises yet it is intrinsically and extreamly different from it It doth not differ from it in respect of eminency or degrees nor in respect of existence or duration onely for the one is a living Spring and the other is a decaying Flood but in respect of formal nature also The temporary faith doth not indeed bring all the heart and settle it on Christ 4. There is this justifying and saving faith which bestowes the whole heart on Christ and takes Christ unfeignedly to be Lord and Saviour Now where there are so many sorts it is not a great difficulty nor an impossibility to mistake error is manyfold said the Phylosopher but the truâ—h iâ— single and there is but one line to hit the mark out many to misse it Nay secondly there is a great consimilitude of one of the extreames of faith with faith it self viz. credulity It is strange yet ordinary that a man should make a heaven of his own and a God of his own and a Christ of his own and a faith of his own and a way to heaven of his own Presumption is a work much of an idle fancy and a gracelesse heart like a thiefe very apt to finger the Kings coine but without a warrant But to the thing Is there knowledge in faith why presumption pretends to that is there confidence in faith what more bold then presumption is there any sweet assurance in faith why presumption never doubted but could believe ever since a man was borne is there any joy in faith why presumpâ—ion is as jocond and carelesse as if there were no heaven to be got no sinne to be bewailed nor course to be reformed Lastly these are easie and we are apt to content our selves with these instead of a true beleeving in Jesus Christ. To get a little seeming knowledge to carry Religion upon the lip and Christ on the tongue to be bold upon Gods mercy and Christs death
another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave gâ—od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine â—hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal
to do them Sol. I answer 1. Good works may be so stiled either First materially because they are such things as may do good Secondly formally being sealed with all the circumstances which are required to make them good both for spiritual composition and Divine acceptation Now though wicked men may performe works good materially yel formally they do not for to make a work formally good there must be the concurrence of all circumstances the person must have a good heart and a good ground and a good end and a good Christ c. 2. Though every Beleever cannot actually do every good work yet some good works or other he can do though he cannot give mony yet he can give prayer c. Now think on this ye who have riches and wealth and professe faith on Christ and yet scarce a person a poor distressed person can blesse God for your fruitful faith nay the very doing of a small good work sometimes doth even try all the faith in the soul a man doth many times beleeve he shall surely want and impoverish his estate if he should be rich in good works SECT VII SIxthly true faith doth desire and endeavour after increase Help my unbelif said the unbeleeving father O Lord increase our faith said the Disciples I pray observe a few things 1. That true faith begins in weaknesse Like a childe at the first very tender oâ— like the light at the first very broken Presumption being a work of fancy and borne with its strength and perfection it is fully assured and utterly confident at first But Jacobs ladder hath many steps 2. That though it hath weaknesse yet it hath life as the spark of fire though it be little yet it is hot and though the childe be weak yet it can suck even the weakest faith in Christ will be much about Christ it will be weeping at his grave or washing of his feet or looking on his person 3. There are yet many degrees wanting to faith either thou canst not be perswaded or not fully perswaded or not constantly pâ—rswaded 4. If the faith be true and living it will bend after a rising and that First in respect of its acts of receiving trusting perswading Secondly in respect of its object It would yet apprehend more and feel more of the communion and vertues of Christ All the preaching in the world doth not increase a false and presumptuous faith nor doth the administration of the Sacraments adde thereto But the living they grow and he must have more faith who hath any Paul would apprehend even as he is apprehended The soule which hath true faith would have yet more victorious â—ieldings more stedfast embracings more confident restings c. like the childe which sucks and thrives SECT VIII SEventhly true faith in Christ and a mournful heart for sinne go together Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only sonne There are two things which faith will fetch up in the soule one is love to Christ another is sorrow for sinne There may be a terror without faith the conscience may be crackt and wounded but till faith comes there is no sorrow the soul is not altered nor melted that which melts the soul is kindnesse and mercy and that which 〈◊〉 them is faith if thou doest cast an eye of Faith on Chrisâ— that eye will have some tears for forced sinning against Christ You shall finde in Scripture that true beleevers are characterized by this That they be mourners in Sion and they return with weepings and supplications and they poure out waters before the Lord and unbeleeving persons are described by hearts of Adamant of rocks of stone by hardned by unsensible by irrelenting hearts The text saith that when Christ looked on Peter he went out and wept bitterly there is a piercing vertue in a gracious look from Christ. The soule which hath been long humbling it selfe and much in seeking for mercy and a good look from heaven It is when any gracious manifestation of favour darts down even resolved into tears never did the child weep more soberly upon his reconciliation to his loving father then the beleeving Christian doth mourn in sober sadnesse when his faith gets to see God reconciled to him in Christ he reades his pardon with teares of joy There are two parts of sorrow One is essential which consists in a strong displeasure of the will against the soul for sinning against a good God Another is contingent which consists in those dreary teâ—res flowing into the eyes now this is contingent for when the heart is many times filled with teares like Davids bottle yet it may so fall out that the eyes may be silent in such expressions c. CHAP. XIV Singular comfort for all true Beleevers IF to beleeve in Jesus Christ be the only Vse 3 way to be saved then here is singular comfort to all true beleevers What Solomon spake of wisdome that I say of faith her Prov. 3. 17 18. wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that reteineth her If this be a happy thing to have the Lord to be our God and David judged it to be a superlative happinesse If this be a blessed thing not to be offended at Christ O how sweetly and greatly blessed is the condition of a beleeving soul which hath God to be its God Christ to be its husband and heaven to be its portion Faith and Christ why they are the ring and the diamond they are the way and the life the soul cannot have such a prize as Christ nor such a hand as faith such a match as Christ nor such a grace to contract it as faith Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation said Simeon He may cheerfully lay down his body in the dust who hath by faith given up his soule to Christ But to descend to some diâ—â—inct particulars of comfort to the soule which beleeves truly in the Lord Jesus Christ observe SECT I. FIrst this is one comfort in the Text that they are in the way to heaven Naturally we are out of our way as soone as we enter into the world as soone as they be borne they go aside said David and the way of peace they have not known and nothing sets us in the right way but faith for Christ is the way and it is faith which findâ—s a Christ It was not Philips natural eye but his spiritual faith which spied the Messias Christ is the waâ— to heaven and saith is the way to Christ Salvation it is the great object of â—he greatest desire and indeed I know no more excellently desiâ—able thing then God in a glorious union with whom is the perfection of our salvation Now if thou be a true beleever thou art in the way
to salvation 1. Not in a by way in a false way but in a true and direct way If God doth skill the way to heaven if he hath laid out to sinners the right way then believing is it Eph. 2. 8. By grace you are saved through faith Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul 2. Not in an uncertaine but firme way It 's an infallible way of salvation Heaven is the assured mansion for thy soul if thy heart be the true lodging of saith 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in beaven for you Object True that may not fade away but we may fall away that may remain but we maâ— be lost Sol. No saith the Apostle but as that is reserved for you so you shall be preserved unto that as mercy and truth will keep your portion sure so truth and power shall keep your persons sure Ver. 5. Who are kept bâ— the power of God through faith unto salvation therefore he addes a word more ver 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Now is not this a comfort to a man that he is in the true and sure way to heaven Every man is in a journey in a way wicked men have their wayes but the end of them is bitternesse and hell after all their jollities and pleasures yet their wayes are the pathes of death But the beleeving soul is in the way of life and therefore he is said already to have eternal life John 3. and to be saved O what is this I am going to my God to my Father to my inheritance SECT II. SEcondly here is another comfort to true beleevers there 2. Simile is a real and blessed exchange 'twixt them and Christ As upon the conjugal knot there is a mutual resultancy of communion The wife partakes of the estate of her husband and the husband interchangably of the estate of his wife for the personal union draws with it the real union If thou be mine thine estate is mine So is it in the spiritual espousing of the soul and Christ by faith Christ partakes of our estate and we shall partake of his estate He is ours and all his are ours we are his and therefore ours are his This exchange consists in these things 1. Christ doth take our sins and debts upon himself Look as the man who marries the woman if he take her person he must take her debts and satisfaction too So doth Christ when he takes us to be his he takes our sinnes also to be his How to be his not by way of infusion and infection as if our sinful qualities were transmitted from our persons into his nature O no he never takes upon him our sinnes to make his nature sinâ—uâ— â—ut by way of imputation and of satisfaction The guilt of our sinnes is imputed unto him as to a willing surety who doth present himself in our stead to make payment and satisfaction As Paul said to Philemon concerning his servant Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account So saith Christ to the penitent and beleeving Philem. 18. soul if thou hast any guilt and debt to be answered for unto God put them all upon my account if â—hou hast wronged my Father I will make the satisfaction to the utmost for I was made sinne for thee 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. I poured out my soul for thy transgression It cost me my heart blood to reconcile thee to my Father and to slay enmity And as Rebekah said to Jacob in another case upon me my sonne be the curse so saith Christ to the beleeving soul Why thy sinnes did expose thee unto the curse of the Law but I was made a curse for thee I did bear that burden my self upon the crosse and upon my shoulders were all thy griefs and sorrows borne I was wounded for thy transgressions and I was bruised for thy iniquities And therefore we are said to have redemption and remission of sins in his blood Eph. 1. 7. Now what a comfort is this to a Beleever that Christ hath eased him of his great debts that he hath laid down the price for him he is his surety and hath diâ—charged and hath cancelled the Law of Ordinances and hath blotted out the hand writing God was in Christ saith the Apostle reconciling the world to himself not imputing their sinne unto them mark it not imputing 2 Cor. 5. 19. their treâ—passes unto them what is the not imputing of sinne but the not charging of it the not reckoning for it And what is it which he saith unto them trespasses were not imputed unto them as if God should say let them go I have nothing to say unto them my Sonne hath satisfied my justice fully for them Now saith Paul out of David Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sinne Yea he is blessed Rom. 4. 8. indeed for if the Lord should single out the most able transgressour for the least moity and scruple of guilt and arreigne his conscience with a judicial and straight severity O how the sinews of the soul would flie assunder and eternal despaire of ever satisfying so great and pure and infinite a justice would swallow up the thought and imaginations Till a man knows where to lay down his sinful burden his soul will be miserably afflicted but now if a man beleeves in Jesus Christ Christ will take off his burdens I will answer for thee saith Christ I will satisfie for thee As David spake in another case when Goliah presented himself against the Host of Israel Let no mans heart faile because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Phylestian So saith Christ to the beleeving soul be not dejected do not despaire though thy sins 1 Sam. 17. 32. be many and great yet I have overcome them I have discharged them my Sacrifice was presented it was sufficient it was effectual it was accepted for thee Secondly Christ doth bestow his righteousnesse upon us This is a great comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that there is a righteousnesse for it which it may safely and confidently present unto Gods justice These things are most true First that we are by nature all of us wretched sinners the whole Rom. 3. 19. world is guilty before God Secondly Divine justice hath a quarrel against every guilty soul and will have compleat and full and perfect satisfaction Thirdly no not our best graces performances are commensurate and square payment in the eyes of pure justice all of them as inherent in us and acted by us are but imperfect excellencies No man hath so much holinesse as is required nor doth he so much as he is obliged Every particular grace though it be of an heavenly and divine original yet it
she yea the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table As if she might say Be it so Lord Jesus I am no better then a dogge an unworthy creature yet let me have the compassions to a dogge though not plenty yet the crumbs Now what saith Christ of her Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith Remember it that the faith which can bring up the soul which can lead it up to heaven against discouragements Though God doth not answer yet I will seek though he kill me yet I will trust in him I say such a faith is strong an expostulating faith a faith which will make the soul to presse on after denials Job after suspensions it is come to a great measure of faith which will not be answered or will not be gone a faith that will not let God go or Christ until it speed Jacob was as a wrestler he would not let God go except he blessed him A faith that can dispute it much with God which will in a holy reasoning take and urge God with God and will so enforce the promises on him which he hath made that God is even faine to yeild Be it unto thee as thou wilt this is faith ripened 3. The more entirely the soul is carried to expectation from the sole strength of a Divine promise the greater and the stronger is that faith As in Abrahams case He wanted a sonne and God promised him an Isaac Abraham did not now stagger through unbelief he did not consult the truth of it from his own natural abilities How unable he was that he neglected but how able God was to perform his own word upon this his faith did pitch And for this the text saith that he was strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. Remember this that the more sensible helps the soul needs to draw out the act of beleeving the weaker is the faith as the man is judged to be very weak who cannot go without many crutches and holdings But the more strength a naked promise hath with the soule when it alone puts life and quietnesse into us now faith is grown As David said The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me So when we can quash all our troubles with the sight of a promise I have Gods word for my pardon his word for my help his Word for my comfort I desire no better pay-master then God no better security then his own promise though all things stand contrary in sense and feeling yet all is sure in Gods promise and there I will settle this argues a great faith 4. The more ability a man hath to deny himself in neare and great occurrences the greater is his faith Abraham in leaving of his countrey parting with Isaac The more easily we can beleeve great things and part with great things the stronger is our faith There is nothing more hard then to give up a mans self There is a threefold self First his sinful self in respect of old and dear sins Secondly his natural self in respect of the separation of soul and body Thirdly his temporal self in respect of the comforts of this life And it must be a strong faith which must enable to strong denials of our selves when a thing comes nearer to the quick either when God denies a man a special comfort or draws off from him a special comfort now to submit now to be quiet I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul I know how to want and how to abound to be exalted and to be abased I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented To have the heart pleased with Christ alone and satisfied with his presence mark it the more entirely that the soul makes up its state in Christ and the lesse power that the world imprints upon the heart in its changes this imports the faith is come to strength Strong faith is like a strong tree which holds its body unmovable against great tempests but weak faith is like a plant which every winde makes almost to touch the ground Fifthly the weaker the arguments of distrust grow in the heart this is a signe that the faith is got to a strength This I conjecture that the strength or weaknesse of faith is not to be judged by the multiplicity of distrustful arguments but by the force and efficacy of them It is possible that manifold arguments of feare and doubts may present themselves to the minde of a strong beleever as well as unto the judgement of a weak beleever but then if faith be strong it doth weigh them down it doth prevaile over them that is it brings the soul to Christ it cleaves still unto him The soul maintaines its title to Christ and owns God in his promises it will not cast away its hope nor its strength wherein the soul can habitually foyle the reasonings which crosse its way and can cleare up and vindicate its state what God is to it and Christ is to it and what it hath received from them this is an argument that it is not weak but strong Sixthly the more easie compliance with change of a mans condition is an evidence of a faith which is more strong There are several changes incident to mans temporal life the Moon sometimes is ful and anon it is in the Eclipse our sea doth ebb and flow sometimes prosperity like the candle of the Lord shines upon us by and by adversity like the winde blows out the candle sometimes we abound and our mountaine seemes strong anon we are stript and our mountaine is shaked one while health and presence of friends another while sicknesse and losse of all Now in these changes not to be changed like the ship right up in a calme but tossing and reeling in a storme but to be as the rock fixed and setled holding up and rejoycing in the God of our salvation and encouraging our selves in the Lord our God and willing to be any thing in any condition yea to blesse God for all as Job did If I die I shall go to God If I live I will serve my God If I enjoy I will be fruitful If I want I will be thankful The more Passive the heart is the more active and strong the faith is Paul had been learning that lesson In every state therewith to be content O when a Christian can comply with contrary states not through an insensiblenesse of Spirit but from an apprehension and approbation of divine wisdome goodnesse love and authority his faith is singularly cleared and well improved 7. The more satisfaction and quiescence that the soul hath in Christ alone the greater is the faith when a naked Christ is the centre and loadstone and the All in all As the Sunne to make day I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified said Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there
is none upon earth that I desire besides thee said Asaph Psalme 73. 25. I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Paul again Phil. 3. 8. Lord let thy servant now depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luke 2. 29 30. As when we come to heaven we shall be so heavenly that heaven alone will be enough to us and this shews perfection so whiles we live on earth if Christ alone be heaven and earth to us if he can fill our hearts and satisfie them O Lord Jesus thou art righteousnesse enough satisfaction enough wisdome enough peace and comfort and pleasure enough to my soul O this comes from great strength 8. The more that the body of sinne decayes in strength the lesser prevalency of it this shewes that faith is strong When sinne becomes more dead in its actions or more ineffectual in its temptations When a man can walk and not stumble and reele and fall he is now out-grown his former weaknesse It shews weaknesse when every stone makes thee apt to fall It is a signe the army is strong when the enemy many of them are slaine and the rest are easily discomfited Sinne is our enemy and Christ is our general and faith is our champion and the more that sinnes fall it is an argument that faith is become stronger The victorious faith is much more then the combating faith Sinnes go down by believing the more that any grace is in victory the more it is in strength Indeed it argues truth of faith to resist but to conquer sinnes this shewes strength to wrestle is something but to overthrow is more to oppose sin is not so much as to vanquish it 10. The more fruitful a Christian is in his graces and exercises of them the stronger is his faith You know that the extension of the branches ariseth from the intension of the sap if the branches grow big and yeild more fruit it is because the root is more full and filled Faith is well stiled the radical grace though the habits of other graces grow not out of it yet the measures and exercises do exceedingly depend upon it And according to the latitude of faith is the latitude of other graces as the dayes receive shortnesse or length from the Sunne A weak faith is attended but with a weak love and a weak patience and a weak hope and a weak joy But if the faith becomes strong now it is spring with our graces they revive and shoot out themselves there will be much love and much labour of love and strong hope and the better heart and life 11. The more able a person is to live upon Christ or Gods promises in the times of desertions and contrarieties the faith is certainly the greater The more use any can make of God or Christ at all his faith is greater for the more that any soule beleeves the more is his faith enabled thereby But then this is yet more strength even against hope to believe in hope to look up for that God that hides himself to venture on an angry God one who seemes to shut out our prayers one that speaks bitter things unto us like Levi not to observe our own children but to keep the Word and Covenant of God Deut. 33 9. 12. The more able the soul is to wait on God to pray and wait the stronger is the Faith A waiting faith meets with more difficulties and contrarieties and is upheld by the strength of a meer promise That man not only hath faith but lives by faith if he can wait Gods time c. 13. When you can glorifie many promises at once by beleeving yea when every promise can be trusted on upon gracious termes the more fully you can glorifie them by trusting for pardon of great sinnes subduing of strong corruptions deliverance out of great distresses the stronger is your faith The lesse difficulty you conceive in God to perform his Word when you can come for great matters with great confidence lesse doubts exceptions feare the lesse power discouragements have If you can beleeve against sense reason Though he kill me yet will I trust in him These are discoveries of faith in strength SECT IV. THe second part of the second general point at the instances of weak faith in truth Here are two things which I will touch One is some demonstrations that faith is weak Another is some directions of truth with that weaknesse Concerning the first observe these things Signes of a weak faith 1. The more that doubtings stagger the heart its is a sign that the faith is weak As the more smoak goes up with the fire it is an argument that the fire is little or as the more a person halts and reels in his motion it discovers the impotency of his strength and joynts You reade in Rom. 4. 20. That staggering at the promise by unbelief is opposed to a strong faith observe that word staggering It is such a temper of the soul wherein it doth suddenly and easily change its thoughts and acts As a man who is staggering his foot checks as it were it self and alters its pace and place so when a mans heart is giving on and then falling off may I take may I not I will lay hold I will not God will be good to me he will not I shall have mercy yet I shall not this is staggering The soul le ts go its hold doubtings prevaile against actual beleeving the beleeving soul sees strong arguments to draw it to fasten on Christ and on mercy and then it is putting forth the hand but then unbelief thrusts forth contrary arguments of suspition and feares so that the soul is in doubts may I indeed lay hold but will the Lord be merciful to me Why diddest thou doubt O thou of little faith said Christ to Peter and this stands with reason for the stronger that quality is which is contrary to faith the weaker is that faith which is contrary to that quality as the stronger sickness is the weaker health is c. 2. The more easily a man can suspect Gods favour and Christs love this is a sign that faith is weak See Psalme 77. 7 8 9. and then v. 10. They say of love that the more pure love hath least feare 1 John 4. 18 and multitude of jealousies is an argument of mixture in the affections So it is of faith the more stedfastly it can hold up the immutability of Gods love and kindnesse and his ancient grants of favour the stronger is the faith But the more apt it is to question the loving kindnesse which hath been ever of old now it is the weaker Luke 24. 21. We had trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day There be two things which a weak faith is very apt to challenge One in God for kindnesse Another in
Christ and a glad heart too the other hath a good Christ but yet a very heavy heart His possession is doubtful and therefore his heart is sorrowful 2. The weak beleever hath not that sweet peace that the strong believer hath where faith is weak there the conscience is not throughly setled Peace in the conscience is as it were the harmonious tuning of Peace whâ—t the soul it is a heavenly tranquility a serenity a gracious quieting and pacifying of the spirit of man springing from a perswasion of Gods love in Christ Now the weak faith hath strong scruples it hath many troubles it is not sure that all is right and all is cleare It may be that God is my God and it may be he is not it may be Christ is mine and perhaps not it may be my sins are pardoned and it may be they are not it may be that God is my friend and reconciled and it may be he is not You know that the peace of a Christian must be seen ratified in a double Court or else the soul will not be quiet One is in the Court of heaven another is in the Court of conscience Nay and the peace in this lower Court is not cleare til it comes from the higher Court conscience cannot be quiet till God be quiet it cannot give testimony and discharge untill God hath begun If God hath not yet dismissed the soul if he holds up the case of a sinful soul without release conscience cannot acquit and free that soul But weak faith sees its suit and tryal yet depending in the high Court of heaven a weak believer doth not yet see or know that God will assuredly pardon him that God is reconciled to him that God will indeed do good unto him here are his doubts and fears and therefore here are his troubles and perplexities The strong believer is like David in Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety The weak believer is like David in Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquietted within me The one is like the Mother which hath the child in her armes or at her breasts with many smiling delights and satieties the other is like the mother now in labor and travaile with the child which hath many bitter throwes and panges one succeeding the other The one is like a man standing upon a rock where his foot stands unmoved and steady but the oâ—her is like a man in a safe ship upon unquiet waters tossed up and down Weak faith is in a safe ship which is Christ but tossed upon variety of waves which are our doubtings sometimes faith and hope anon faith and feare sometimes I may have confidence anon I am cast out of his sight now I will look up to God as mine in Christ by and by surely this is presumption God will not accept of me Such a storme and such a calme is there in the weak believer such an unsetled setling The day of his small comforts doth easily sit and the night of many troubles abide long upon him You shall seldome see a weak believer without a teare at his eye a sigh in his breast and a fear in his heart yet I fear all is not sure O that God would once assure me that he is my God! I know not what to do or what to say or what to think I cannot see the hand writing yet blotted out nor the heavens opening and do you think there is any hope for me Thus the weak believer But strong faith can answer many arguments and uphold its evidence against many temptations It can more easily place and stay the soul upon its rest it hath seen and tasted more then weak faith it knows whom it hath trusted and that he will be its God and guide for ever that he hath pardoned transgressions and will remember iniquity no more where faith is great there the war is strong with sin and the love high to God and the peace more large and setled in the conscience The weak believer hath not that sweetnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath Take him in the way of Ordinances or in the way of Duties in both his conversings with God are more brackish and flat When any threatning is opened and applyed his heart presently misgives him may not this concerne me and I fear this is my portion When any precepts and graces are revealed and differenced he is usually apt to charge want of them or hypocrisie under them upon himself either I am not thus as God requires or if so yet not in truth When the Box of ointment is opened I mean the blood of Christ and the tender of rich mercy and spacious promises of God yet the savour of them is mixt to his soul he doth more dispute his right then can close with their goodnesse yea but how know I that I am intended and answers I am not ripe for such consolations my wounds have not bled sufficiently I am not fitted I doubt I should presume if I should apply Againe in matter of duty here he hath not a sweet communion For duties with God neither Sometimes so over-borne that he thinks it in vaine for him to pray or look up and therefore is ready in a fit of temptation to lay aside the work yet he cannot but pray but then the knee is bended with such suspitions and conclusions perhaps this shall be but to harden me more and God will not heare me or if the soul can gather any degrees of better confidence that it shall finde some grace and acceptance then instantly it questions all this and suspects even the very grants and answers as well as its own heart and petitions conjecturing them to be rather the deluding fancies of a deceitful heart wishing well to it self then the sincere resolutions and satisfactions of a good and gracious God who heareth prayer And thus is the weak believer for a long time kept in bitternesse he cannot taste the goodnesse of God which he desires to embrace nor relish those promises which he desires to apply but in all communions with God either dis-heartens his way before or displaceth his comforts afterwards either he is not fit to pray or else not fit to enjoy either he cannot desire what is good or else still he is questioning what is true So that oft-times even the wayes of his own comfort are uncomfortable to him and the very method of peace is his usual trouble and vexation The reasons of all which may be Not only the nature of unbelief which is an uncomforting ingredient and disquieting impedient to the soul in all holy communion But also the properties of this unbelief causing the soul to look more on it self then God and raising more feares for present want then hopes for assured and promised helpes besides the limittings of God to present
have I stretched forth my hands Nay thy unbelief grieves the very heart of Christ he grieved at their unbelief â—he complaines of that slownesse in thy heart to believe O slow of heart to believe c. nay and he sheds tears because thou dost not believe and receive him When he came near the City he wept over it O Hierusalem thou that c. How often would I c Sixthly consider how unreasonable and unequal and sottish 6. Motive a thing it is not to receive Christ being thus revealed and offered 1. There is none who have right to thy soul but God and Christ our souls are Gods workmanship and Christs purchase Why then should we not give to God that which belongs to God and to Christ that which is his own Ye are not your own saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. for ye are bought with a price God put forth his own power to make thy soul and Christ shed his heart blood to redeem thy soul and yet wilt thou through infidelity with-hold it from him and passe it over into the possession of a stranger an enemy 2. Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul he out-bids sin and he out-bids all the world and he out-bids Satan Can the Sonne of Jesse give you vineyards said Saul can sinne give thee that which Christ can can the world let them now appear and declare their strength and treasury Is there any one of them that presents redemption unto thee Is there any one of them that can procure remission and pardoning mercy for thee Is there any one of them which can satisfie the wrath of God for thee which can make thy peace which can present thee righteous before the judgement seat which can settle eternal life upon thee All this can Christ do none of this can they do 3. Thou canst not possibly be a loser by receiving or believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Suppose it cost thee many tears and many prayers and many searchings and many waitings yet Christ will recompence all these in a moment one word I am thy salvation It is I be not afraid I am thine as thou art mine thy sins are forgiven thee will be a day for all former nights Suppose that the world doth cast thee off as they cast him out of the Synagogue who beleeved and professed Christ yet Christ will come unto thee as unto him And as Elkanah said to Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better then ten sons or as the Prophet answered the King for the hundred talents God will be better unto thee 2 Sam. 20. 9. So will Christ he will supply all thy losses he will be better unto thee then houses and lands then father and mother an hundred fold better in this life and a thousand fold better in the life to come 4. What just extremity of shame and blacknesse of confusion will befal thee if thou be so wickedly unreasonable to keep off thy soul from Christ When thou art cited before God and Christ and the holy Angels and just men And God shall demand of thee why whom hast thou served upon whom hast thou bestowed thy soul who was it that made thy soul Thou Lord who was it that purchased and redeemed thy soul Thou Christ and who beseeched thee to bring back thy soul Thou by thy servants in thy Word And what did they say unto thee which should have prevailed upon thee They did assure me in thy Name that if I would come in and accept of Christ I should have favour and pardon and eternal life and what did keep back thy soul from accepting of this O it was such a lust that I loved and it was the world which I preferr'd And wouldest thou prefer earth before heaven thy profit before thy soul nay wouldest thou prefer a base sinne before a merciful God and a blessed Redeemer Thy own mouth doth testifie against thee was not my mercy better then a sinne was not my Sonne better then a sinne take him all ye children of darknesse sease on him my wrath to the utmost close him up in the lowest pit of hell conscience gnaw on him and sting him for ever fire and brimstone consume and torment him eternally he shall never have part in my mercy he shall never have portion in my Sonne He shall never see my face nor heaven who preferred his sinne his delights his profits before my love my mercy my Christ and his own soul Lastly faith would do great things for thee and Christ would do wonders for thy soul if once thy heart could be perswaded to consent unto him and to accept of him as Lord and Saviour SECT II. Secondly the impediments and hindrances Obj. But now as the Eunuch said There is water what hinders Obj. me that I may not be baptized so you may say why her is Christ set out to the life here are arguments faire enough to draw on my soul what hinders that we do not believe and receive Christ Sol. After all these discoveries yet the heart stands off and why because there are yet many cords with which the soul is held there are yet several impediments which do intangle and seduce the heart which keeps it down from mounting and rising up to the Lord of life against which we must earnestly labour if ever we would beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ I will touch some of the choisest of them 1. One impediment to faith is that natural Atheisme in the sons of men You know that as in the concoction or digestion of meats that which is a prejudice to the first concoction or digestion of meats is a hindrance to the two other and as in points of demonstration that scruple which weakens the apprehension of the truth of the principle it ever disable the strength of â—ssent to the deduced conclusion So is it in divinity whatsoever vile quality in the soul prejudiceth the reverent respects oâ— the most common and first truths it doth hinder it 〈◊〉 in the embracing of the depending truths which receive 〈◊〉 authority and strength from the grants of the 〈…〉 Now Atheisme it is a slighting quarrel with the first truths Atheistical spirit it hath most sordid and loose conceptions of God and of his Word it doth not set up God in the greatnesse of his nature and Majesty of his Attributes and Authority of his Word God looks not like a God unto him nor doth the Word of God work upon him like the Word of God God is not in all his thoughts he doth not really conceive of him as one who indeed is omnipotent and so holy and so just and so merciful as he reveales himself Those sweet truths of favour and kindnesse and mercy and the blood of Christ they are either nothing to him or as empty notions Those sharp threatnings against an unbelieving person with condemnation and wrath and hell they are as terrible fables and scar-crowes to him He doth not believe
then nothing and in the mean time to lose eternity a soul a Christ a heaven yet thus it is the poor creatures at the best but our servants have goâ— our hearts whiles Christ complaines against us we withhold our souls from him our just Lord and best Master But if there were not more glory in Christ then honour in the world if there were not more gaine in Christ then profit in the world if there were not more love in Christ then friendship in the world if there were not more comfort in Christ then discouragements in the world if there were not more safeâ—ies in Christ then dangers in the world nay if the real and â—rue exceedings of infinite betternesse were not on Christs part iâ— durst not so to encline your hearts for saith in him c. Sixthly the cunnings of naâ—ural unbâ—l of are a great impedimâ—nt I will not speak of al of them only I wil discover a few all which are hindrances Imaginations of impossibiâ—iâ—y it cannot be that if I should labor for faith that ever I should get it the intentions of mercy lie not that way nor do the streames of graâ—iousness â—un towards such a deeply sinful and guilty soul my sins are grown to such a vastnesse of provocation as if all the Angels in heaven should be senâ— unto me I could never credit their relation of hope or peâ—câ— unto me Now when the heart is thus forestalled with a strength of conceit that God never did nor wilâ— bend the â—uâ—ement of the blood of Christ towards the soul Why the bands sink no man will be perswaded to compasse impossibilities Apprehensions of difficulty Vnbelief sets upâ—â— Lyon in every paâ—â— and so keeps off from all endeavour First I shall never be able to pare time I shall never be able to pray I shall never be able to keep on in such a course I shall never be able to leave such society I shall never be able to deny the world I cannot take such paines I cannot waite I cannot tell how to get off these sinnes to change this heart to bring it to yield to Christ Discourse of carnall reasonings which try all the promises of God at a humane bar disputings against just precepts by unjust practices and the undertakings of a great and faithful God by the shallownesse of a blind and proud and weak understanding throwing up infinite exceptions Instances of sense and feeling Why if a man will judge of God by what he alwaies hears and feels within himself he shall never believe Yea if I were now sure I should have mercy that Christ were mine that my sins were pardoned if I could see my heart changed and sins dispersed and subdued then I would put out for faith and then I would look up to Christ And wouldst thou have thy cure before thy plaister thy health before the Physick thy life before thy soul the portion before the person thy nonefast before thy meal the benefits of Christ the vertues of Christ before Christ himself SECT III. Thirdly the Meanes NOW I come to direct you unto the use of such meanes by which God workes this saving faith in the hearts of men Where premise with me some particulars 1. There is no natural power in man to produce a cause within himself This great grace of faith is no fruit of the wisdome of the flesh nor is it the birth of a corrupt will if it were possible for a natural heart to see all the excellencies of Christ if it were possible for him to draw out and behold all the arguments of Scripture yet could he not by his own strength make his own heart to believe 2. The immediate and sole cause of faith is the Spirit of God He it is who is greater then the heart and who can perswade and draw the heart and who can change and renew the spirit which till it be renewed by him will never be moved to beleeve in Christ 3. There are meanes appointed by God and which God doth ordinarily blesse for the production of faith as he hath ordained meanes for the revelation of Christ so he hath likewise consecrated meanes to lead the soul unto him to implant faith 4. Now the great and ordinary meanes by which God workes faith in the hearts of men I speak of such as are come to ripenesse of years is the preaching of the Word So Acts 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordeined to eternal life believed Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation That the Word is the Ministerial instrument which God useth to beget faith in Christ may thus appeare 1. It is that which discovers unto the soul its extreame misery and great need of Christ nothing quickens the conscience to that reflexive evidence to the cleare and true sight of the natural state which pricks the soul which in a sort compels the soul to look after the Redeemer of the world as the Word doth You see it hath been thus formerly that when men have heard it it hath unfolded their state unto them it hath broken all their proud imaginations it hath driven them to their feet it hath made them to cry out men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Yea and we find it in experience to be so that the preaching of the Word it opens the eyes of sinners it frames in them the sense of sinfulnesse and accursednesse it makes them indeed to feel the need of a Physician of such an one as Christ 2. It is that which discovers a share for a broken ship which doth reveale and proclaime to poor sinners Articles of peace in Christ it makes known the great love of God and Christ and how that Christ is the Sonne of God and was sent by God and satisfied for sinners and this was accepted 3. It makes the soul to confesse those things as most true and good in themselves It convinceth a man that of a truth God meanes graciously to men that his Sonne was a Sacrifice was a propitiation that he did purchase pardon and salvation for sinners 4. It is that which casteth down all the reasonings arguments and dâ—sputes of the minde against the conditions of Christ and râ—nders all the termâ—s of Christ upon which he will be taken as most equal and faire and reasonable 5. It is that which clears the way for the soul against all its feares and unbeleeving doubts from the freenesse of Gods mercy from the fulnesse of Christs redemption from the willingnesse on Christs part and requests unto us to accept of him 6. It is that which doth powerfully renew the disposition of the understanding and will and so incline them to esteeme of Christ as the highest truth and to bend after him as
Thou shalt see there all thy good set freely open that God stands not for this nor for that and it matters not what thou hast been there is mercy enough for what is past and there is grace to renew thy heart for the present and strength for the future and thou mayest sue out the Lord for this faith of which we now speak and he will surely give it unto thee 3. Study the main hinderances of distance twixt Christ and the Covenant and thy soul There is one thing above all the rest which keeps thee off and that is unbelief For God doth not require any other thing of thee in the entrance of Christ but only to accept of him He doth not say if thou hadst never offended me then I would have bestowed my Sonne on thee or if thou hadst not offended me so much or if thou canst bring any singular nature and excellent qualities of thine own then I will give my Sonne unto thee or then I will give thee leave No but all that he requires is this Beleeve and accept of my Sonne to be thy Lord and Saviour and I will in him give thee pardon Why now brethren this is the last and sore check of the match our hearts are unbelieving we will not condescend to this condition but fly hovering after some unknown and devised method of our own 4. Study much the sinfulnesse of unbelief that it is a sinne and a great sinne and that in thee What! after all sense of misery to hold off from remedy not to close with Gods great love as if God were not wise enough to shew thee the way of salvation or as if he were not true that thou darest not to venture and fasten thy soule and state upon his Word 5. Study well wherein the nature of faith doth consist Many Obj. persons seeme to complaine that they have no faith and Sol. cannot believe Why they are not right in the doctrinal part of faith they mistake faith exceedingly thinking it to consist in a full assurance and in a sensible taste of Gods love in Christ and in a sensible and clear perswasion that their sins are pardoned which because as yet they never had they therefore perplex themselves much about faith Therefore inform thy self what faith in Christ is It is the hearty accepting of Christ upon his own conditions if thy heart and soul are willing to accept of Christ as the only Lord to rule thee and as the only Redeemer to save thee and to cleave unto him for better for worse through all the changes which may befal thee for Christs sake why this is faith viz. An accepting of his person and a reposing of the soul upon him for its safety and a cleaving to him upon all states If thou canst finde thus much that there is no one sinne which shall rule thee to the love and obedience of which thou wilt resigne thy selfe but Christ is he whom thou choosest for to be thy Lord And there is no Name in heaven and earth upon which thou wilt put confidence for thy righteousnesse and discharge and salvation but only in Christ. And upon him thy soul entirely and unfainedly desires to rest it self thou hast true faith 6. Know this and convince thy self of it that thou shalt never hurt thy self nor offend God if thou couldest believe wherefore hath God given Christ and wherefore hath Christ given himselfe and wherefore is he now offered to sinners and wherefore are we commanded to beleeve if yet to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to consent to the acceptance of his person upon his own condition were a sinne 7. Withal this beg fervently of God that he would perswade thy heart to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour and to rest thy soul upon him No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Now then O Lord draw me and I shall runne after thee O subdue this unbeleeving heart and give unto me the Spirit of faith and love and obedience Lastly look for this gift of faith to be wrought in thee by the Spirit of Christ in the Ordinances and wait upon God there continually Thou shalt in time perhaps sooner perhaps later finde thy soule touched and thy feares answered and thy soule made exceedingly willing to accept of Christ as thy Lord and to put it self upon him as thy Saviour Yea hold on in waiting and seeking and thou shalt not only have Christ formed in thee and faith formed in thee but thou shalt come to know him whom thou hast accepted and trusted This is a sweet and safe course for a sensible sinner viz. 1. To present up his request unto God in the Name of Christ earnestly beseeching him to declare this Almighty working of his Spirit in causing the heart to beleeve 2. Then to stand in the wayes of grant and come to the Ordinances wherein God doth reveale his arme and give faith and so enclines and unites the soul with Christ What thou doest earnestly seek in a private way that God doth ordinarily answer and bestow in a publick 3. Then wait and expect not to limit God just to this time nor to this preacher nor to cast off all confidence of answer upon present denials but to look up from day to day from week to week if at length God will give thee faith I never reade or heard of any whose hearts were thus set but God hath found a time to give unto them the desires of their souls He hath repâ—enished their souls with his salvation and loving kindnesse Therefore go on cheerfully in the use of these meanes whatsoever befals thee yet it shall be well with thee He that hath found Christ cannot but say that this way is good and he who is thus seeking of him shall say it was not in vaine to follow it SECT IV. Fourthly The Objections NOw I proceed to the resolution of those Scruples which do entangle the soul of a sinful sinner and hinder him from beleeving which beget extream fears and doubts that he may not lay hold on Christ and that God will never bestow Christ on him neither would he take it well of the soul to be so busie and forward Obj. 1. Why saith the sensible sinner my sinnings have been so great and transgressions so mighty that I may never look up with any confidence upon the rock of salvation nay it is not Satan onely but my own conscience which doth testifie against me the manifold numbers and the high exceedings of my rebellions I tell you you would tremble to think of such lewdnesse whereof I have been and now do stand guilty and the sensible consideration of them makes my heart to sink and checks me with shame and blushing when I think of laying hold on Christ Sol. For the assoyling of this Objection consider these particulars First the greatnesse of sinning should be a strong reason to compel in the soul
find eternal life So that you may from this take notice of three things One That to be assured of Christ as mine is no ground for to move a man to believe but it is a consequent of it Another that to be assured that Christ is willing and ready to be mine and to accept of me this is a sweet motive and an encouraging ground for the soul to believe A third there is no better way to feel the sweetnesse of Christs being willing to bestow himself upon a man then by believing first on him for it is faith in Christ which opens to a man all his interests in Christ And if this be sure that Christs willingnesse prevents thine if therefore thou be willing to accept the very nature of the treaty and match assures thee sufficiently that Christ was ready long ago 5. Obj. But then saith the sensible sinner I am not prepared and humble enough Christ is to binde up the broken hearted but my heart is still hard and Christ is to open the prison for them that are bound but I am not at least in sufficient bondage and he is to give the oile of joy for mourning but I have no melting nor mourning spirit and therefore I may not believe on him nor take him for I am distinguished Sol. I shall not need to say much to this because I have touched heretofore upon in the Exposition of Mal. 1. 1. yet I will touch a little at this time 1. There is a twofold humbling according to a double cause of it One is in the exceedings beating of the conscience with inward terrors and feares springing from the Power of the Law which quickens the conscience and wounds it with the expresse sense of former guilt and which presents God in all the glories and terrors of his justice and as the great and sure avenger of an unrighteous person When the soul is in this kinde of humbling it is filled with exquisite sense and exquisite torment like a man with a burning arrow in his thigh or like a thief hearing the sentence of death pronounced upon him by the judge Now this kinde of humbling though sometimes it may be an antecedent to faith in Christ for God doth many times bring a man to heaven by the gates of hell he doth bruise and wound and even kill him by the terrors of the Law and then revive him with the workings and tender goodnesse of the Gospel yet it may be possibly without any future accesse of the soul to Chrâ—st For this mark that though God doth many times graciously superad another work of conversion to this of legall affliction yet he may and doth many times distribute these sorrows in wrath and they are but the testimonies of his pure and displeased justice even in this life to begin an hell of anguish in the conscience of a proud and daring sinner Another is in the tender abasings and sweet bathings or mournings of the affections when there is a fountaine of sorrow set open within the soul giving out it self in severall streames of melting because of sin and transgression Now this latter is not an antecedent but a consequent of faith in Christ as you shall hear presently A man cannot rightly judge of his fitnesse to lay hold on Christ by the meer strength or measure of any legall humbling but by the Issue and event of them If instead of one item from conscience thou shouldest now heare an hundred and instead of one lash from conscience thou shouldst now feel a thousand though thy heart were broken into as many pieces as the glasse which is dashed against the wall though thy spirits did even fry within thee for the heat of horror and that thou didst roare day and night for the disquietment of thy guilty conscience yet couldst thou not confidently affirme by all this I am now for Christ and Christ will assuredly accept of me I shall not misse of him Reasons whereof are these 1. Because these may be Gods tokens of just vengeance on thee meer punishments and judicial acts 2. The soul under these may be rather taken up with the stinging guilt and feares of sin then with the foul vilenesse and base nature and acts thereof standing in contrariety to the holy and good will of a gracious God 3. The thus afflicted soul may cry out for Christ meerly out of self-love to ease the burden but not to cure the nature to deliver it from paine but not to heal it of the sinfull inclination Therefore this I would say to any legall broken spirit do not judge of fitnesse meerly by the strength or depth of teares there is a threefold enough 1. Intensive for the degree 2. Extensive for the time 3. Dispositive for the efficacy therefore do but observe what disposition attends and follows these There be five things which if they follow upon legall humblings may be subordinate encouragements to the heart to put it self upon Christ First if quite driven out of ones self Secondly if sin comes to be felt as the basest evil as the guilt of it hath been found the sorest paine A third is if the heart finds it self any way loosened from the league of iniquity yea and that a secret war is begun now 'twixt the soul and the sinner Fourthly an high estimate and valuation of Christ as the only and choisest good of my soul and hope c. An active and fervent desire to put the soul under the Government of the Lord Iesus Whether thy legall humblings be great or small long or short more or lesse that 's not the thing but if they be thus attended thou mayest safely venture thy soul upon the Lord Jesus thou mayest believe and he will in no wise refuse thee 3. Faith in Christ will not hinder the humblings or meltings of thy soul I observe when there is a Thunder-clap then there is such a hurry in the cloud that fire flasheth out and the cloud is brust insunder and a mighty deluge of water is thrown down and you may likewise observe that the Sun doth though there be no storme draw up and sweetly open and pierce the clouds which thereby give down the most seasonable and refreshing showres of rain The Law is like a Thunder-clap it doth many times so tosse and hurry and vex the conscience that infinite sighes and feares and teares gush out But then faith makes the Sun of righteousnesse to arise within the soul and nohing melts the heart more then Christ apprehended by faith Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and they shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born For faith First sees the greatest love the sweetest kindnesse the freest pardons 3. Reasons of it the readiest acceptations all which do even me it the heart into a river and works the greatest mournings I doubt not but
the very behaviour of the father of the Prodigal brake the heart of him with more thawings and kindly mournings then ever did his former misery and hardship O this that though he was an ungracious spend-thrift a stubborne childe a lewd companion Luke 15. yet his father should run to meet him that he should fall upon his neck and kisse him the kindnesse of those lips wounded his heart with the deeper sense and judging of his own unkindnesse So when a sinner shall by faith see Christ steping forward in the Gospel puting forth the hand to him calling him come thou hast done evil as thou canst hast wronged my father me my spirit my servants thy selfe I will get thee pardon for all feare not nor be dismayed I will will take upon me the discharge I will be thine my blood thine my righteousnesse thine O this melts the heart thou canst not take Christ but thy heart will break nor read thy pardon but thine eyes will melt what for me Lord yea for thee what after such deep rebellions yea after all and that most freely and willingly Good Lord how the soul weeps now c. Secondly faith sees sin in the greatest vilenesse It is one thing to see sin Hell-gates and another thing to see sin if I may so allude at Heaven-gates there I see it in its reward which causeth feare here I see it in its proper nature which causeth hatred when I can see sin as the wrong of a righteous and holy will as a rebellion against a holy and just Law as a provocation of a great and holy God as the speare thrusting through the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ as the basest quality and vilest abuse and indignity to love and mercy and blood now now I begin to melt to grieve a God is wronged a Father is wronged a Saviour is wronged 3. Faith melts the promises and the promises melt the heart Why brethren our soft and mourning hearts are not first in us and then in the promises but first in them and from them they come down into us The heart of flesh is first in that promise Ezek. 36. I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and thence it comes to the person for to fashion and mollifie his heart But what draws the promises Is it not faith It is the only hand which reacheth out unto them and receives them whence it doth fully follow that beleeving will be no prejudice but a great furtherance to thy mournful humblings and softnings Obj. I grant it when a man can indeed beleeve this beleeving will much abate and perhaps remove the actuals of an horrible stumbling that is a man shall not now feel such a desperate terrifying bitter hopelesse anguish as before but yet it doth open a full veine within the soul which drops with vitall sorrows with gracious lamentings with hearty displeasures with hopeful tears and though under them the soul is not so hurried yet it weeps bitterly as the wife which holds the lately reconciled husband by the hand or as the child which is newly pardoned and embraced This is a truth that faith can heale the teares of a slave and breed the tears of a childe It can rebuke the ragings of the sea and yet continue its flowing courses It can still a raging conscience and yet beget a streame of godly sorrow it can both quiet a troubled spirit and raise within us a soft and mourning heart Yea to speak plainly a man never till then begins to mourn as a childe till he hath faith to see God as a father and the gracious looks of Christ which only faith espies they upbraid our sinnings more and no such springs of grief as they 6. Obj. But I have stood out my day and have refused many invitations and offers as now I may not beleeve I am sure that Christ will never regard me because of my former proud refusals of him in his gracious offers and invitations Now the day is gone It is too late Sol To this I answer 1. That not only the positive refusals but also the slighting pretermissions of the voice of the Gospel are undoubted sinful for if disobedience to the Law then much more unto the Gospel is very bad no man can refuse his remedy but he makes his wound the greater 2. Again it is granted the greater kinde of refusal adde a greater measure of guilt the refusals of light against light is a more dark condition that is when a man knows the Gospel to be the voice of Christ and to propound heaven and mercy upon the only termes and yet he is not gathered this is sinne in more degrees then the passing over it then ignorance and inobservation againe the more wilfully a man refuseth his opportunity and invitations this also makes the refusal more hainous and calls upon the soule for greater humblings But then know 5 s Things 1. That Christ is not alwayes so quick to break off for ever for some refusals It is not an uncapable condition a sealed state if a man hath stood out against many particular invitations This simply is not the sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore it is pardonable and if the sinne be pardonable then the sinner is capable of Christ in whom alone sin is to be pardoned 2. Scarce any beleever who is called after the ripenesse of yeares but hath often refused before his conversion many invitations by grace and mercy It were an horrid harshnesse for any Minister to send all them to hell who once refuse the news and tender of heaven Nay we see that Christ hath several seasons of conversion some he brings home to himself at the night at the later end of the day who questionlesse refused him in the former part of the day nay that grace which doth gather a man to Christ conquers our refusing hearts Ergo meer refusing is not an eternal prejudice It is true that whiles I do refuse I cannot beleeve yet though I have formerly refused I may yet beleeve There is a double refusal of Christ and the invitations of the Gospel one is malitious this is fearful another is temerarious and this is pardonable That is accompanied with a despitefulnesse of spirit this depends much upon rashnesse temptations inadvertency Againe there is a double refusal one is total but temporary A man doth not hearken though Christ doth call he will not subscribe though Christ propounds but goes in his own way and course yet at length with Paul he may be struck to the ground and yeild up himself to Christ Another is total and final which is an impenitent rebellion A man holds out against the voice of Christ for ever there is no hope for such a person 2. No broken and grieved heart for former refusals can justly say that it hath stood out its day and it is too late to beleeve This is a thing of some concernment and many
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
and then to compare what it is and hath done with what it should be and should have done It is amazed at its own unrighteousnesse and this is much increased for it knows that no unrighteous person shall go to heaven It knows that God will not pronounce unrighteous judgement He will not acquit a man as righteous who hath not righteousnesse nor shall he ever stand in judgement before him Now this is another exigence which puts the soul upon the life of faith 3. The times of desertion when all the comfortable evidences of the Christian state are drawn off as it were when the Lord confines himselfe and all to his promise The poor soul hath no spark of comfort it hath no glimpse of divine favour if it can finde God to be his God and Christ to be its Christ in the promises well and good but there is no feeling nor handling any sensible tokens This is another exigence 4. The times of contrariety when the Sunne seemes to be darkened and when mercy seems to be angry and when fidelity seems to cast off when mindfulnesse seemes forgetful God seemes not to regard us but to fight against us and Christ who did call to us to come unto him doth seem to go away from us O this is a strong exigence of the soule and if ever now must it live by faith 5. The time of weaknesse when a man sees that his work is great and his strength is small duties many power little affections dull not able to do for Christ not able to suffer for Christ cannot pray hear receive obey as he should as he would This is also an exigence of the soul wherein it needs to live by faith on Christ 6. The times of corruption when a man feels sinne afresh he had thought sinne had been dead long ago and all conflicts had been past but now he perceives sinne to rise like an armed man and like a flood even ready to beare down the soule with that hideous insolency and violence of wicked thoughts and inclinations yea so great is this storme that as they said to Christ in another case so here Master help or else we perish 7. The times of temptation which like a crosse winde beares the ship almost under water The gates of hell seems to open themselves against the soul and the powers of darknesse fall in upon it with all the cunning of unbelief and excitation to blasphemy To deny God to slight his Word to let go our confidence in Christ so that the poore soul is almost brought to dust and death by reason of them This is also another exigence for the soul to make use of Christ and to live by faith 8. The times of contradiction when the mouths of wicked and foolish men like sharp rasors wound and cut off a mans good Name when their hands like claws of Lyons teare away the prey they take away the innocency of the upright and the estates liberties friends all the earthly encouragements of the righteous I say this may also be an exigence for the soul to live by faith in Christ and to make up all in him alone 2. Now as he who lives by faith is in the acting of that life still sensible of some one of these exigencies or straits of his soule so in the second place he must be able to Behold a sutable fulnesse in Christ He must know two things First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all these Secondly that Christ is appointed of God and willing to do it therefore I pray you remember First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all the exigencies of the soule Thy soule cannot be cast on any sea but he is there as a sure ship and harbour It cannot be cast upon any streight or trouble whatsoever but Christ is able to relieve it 1. For the sense of guilt Why in this there is that in Christ which can take it off His blood is good payment and it was shed for the remission of sins He can make perfect peace and satisfie to the utmost As the least sinne needs his me it so the greatest doth not exceed it If Christ would but offer up his soul for thine his merits for thy trespasses his precious blood for thy bloody crimes Why God will be pacified for his blood is the blood of atonement of reconciliation of blotting out of peace c. 2. So for unrighteousnesse Why there is that in Christ which can present the righteous unspotted unblameable which can present thee glorious without spot or wrinkle as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5. He can finde an ample garment without any rent an obedience which was perfect which God will accept for which he will justifie thee Though thine own righteousnesse for matter of judicial Justification be as filthy rags 3. The like may be said in a proportion to all the other exigencies Though thou be weak in grace feeble in duty yet he can make all grace to abound and he can strengthen the feeble knees and he can comfort the mourning spirit and he can open heaven againe He can open thy eyes that thou shalt see thy God again yea and as thou hast done formerly as thy God yea he can conquer the busiest corruption and put by thy strongest temptation and stand by thee in the bitterest opposition 2. Nay and Christ is both appointed of God to be and do all this for the beleever and is very willing He is made unto us of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption therefore is he called the horn of salvation the Justifier of his people the Standard to which we should repaire the strength of them that trust in him in a word he was invested a Mediator with his triple office of Priest and Prophet and King to be and to do all this for such as are believers Thou doest not mistake thy self nor misconceive of God or Christ when thou goest to the Lord Jesus in any of thy streits then to be a Priest for thee or to be a Prophet for thee or to be a King unto thee O no God hath appointed him to be the Saviour of his body to be the head of his Church and Christ who was thus ably invested is as willing and faithful to discharge and performe 3. These things being to be known and granted there followes in the third place the conjunction of these two together which indeed is the very living by faith upon Christ When the soul is in any exâ—gence and comes to Christ and puts it self upon him and trusts to him for help this is to live by faith on Christ Suppoâ—e a person sensible of much guilt many sinful commissions or â—omissions lay heavy and sore upon him he is grieved at heart that he hath so dishonoured God take them off he is not able and therefore he renounceth all in himself to Christ he goes and saith thus O blessed Lord
Jesus thou didst shed thy precious blood for the remission of sinnes thou hast offered me thy self and all thy precious purchases and benefits I have by faith accepted of thee of thee alone with all my soul to be my Lord and Saviour Now none in heaven or earth can procure me the pardon of these sins but thy self and thou canst do it I beseech thee that thy blood may be mine atonement to thy father yea I will and do cast my soul upon thee thee alone for the pardon and I will trust unto thee for the discharge of my many of all my transgressions Thy blood is the price that I will trust to and rest upon This is to lâ—ve by faith in Christ in that particular yea though the sense of guilt be great and the truth of it undeniable yet to believe the pardon in Christ and to offer his satisfactions yea to adventure and to roll the soul upon him for it for Christ hath called me and he hath said that he will ease me c. So againe suppose that thou feelest corruptions strongly working and temptations grievously assaulting now to live by faith on Christ is to come unto him knowing the Kingly power of his grace and to beseech him to subdue iniquities for thee and to send forth the rod of his Scepter the power of his gracious Spirit to mortifie thy lusts yet more and to trust upon him that he will do this for thee and therefore thou wilt apply thy self with patience and confidence to the use of all consecrated wayes and meanes through which Christ will manifest that power unto thy soul I thank God through Jesus Christ said Paul Rom. 7. As if he should say I am not able for my life to root out to beat down these vile motions but I cast my self upon Jesus Christ I trust unto him and verily beleeve he will deliver me the like may be said of all the other exigences but I cannot repeat all Consider that the habit or quality of faith is one thing and the use or exercise of faith is another thing the soul then lives by faith on Christ when it improves its interest in Christ when it can trust to him to supply all its wants a man is said to live by bread not when he hath it in his Cupboard but when he takes and eates it and a man is said to live upon his money not when he lets it to lie dead in his chest but when he turnes and windes it for his benefit and support So here to live by faith on Christ is to put faith to work my works are in my self but the supplies of my soul are in Christ as I go to divine providence and put my self on its faithful powerful goodnesse for my body so I must go to the Lord Jesus and put my self on his gracious and certaine fulnesse for my soul Yet observe a few things for the clearer opening of 4. Things this 1. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meere complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse To see scarsity in the house and plenty in the Market this may be and it may be vaine unlesse we go forth to fetch in the promises Whiles the soul keeps home it lives not by faith The life of faith lies abroad a man may have grace to see his wants and yet he lives not by faith till he can get out unto Christ I will go to the Prophet to the man of God said the woman who had a troubled spirit for her dead child Yea this recovered her child againe If I can but touch the â—hem of his garment I shall be whole said she in the Gospel you must bring the pitcher to the well if you will have water and the childes mouth must be applied to the breast if it would have milk and the soul must go unto Christ it must approach unto him or else it is but a fruitlesse trouble it is not a living by faith on him 2. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meer going to Christ though the motion of the soul out of it self be required yet that alone is not sufficient If I go to a man for to lend me an hundred pound if either I will not speak to him or trust him this is labour loft so though we do addresse our selves to Christ for help but will not trust upon him for supply this is not yet to live by faith For The life of faith on Christ is raised by three things First his fulnesse Secondly his goodnesse Thirdly his faithfulnesse and all these enduce the soul to trust unto him he is able enough Ergo I will trust him he is ready enough therefore I will trust him he is faithful and will certainly do me good therefore I will trust him So that to live by faith it is to live by trust one is said to live by trust when he hath nothing from another but his word or his bond I think him honest or I have him fast bound therefore I will trust him Thou hast the Word of Christ and the Promise of Christ which is a sure truth to which if thou doest trust thou doest live by faith If I feel and do not complaine if I complaine and do not pray if I pray and do not trust this is not yet to live by faith so farre as I can trust upon Christ that he will supply and help my soul so farre I do live by faith 3. Nay Thirdly to live by faith is not onely to trust upon Christ for supply but it is to expect the performance There is a great difference 'twixt the life of sense and the life of faith Sense is opposite to expectation it is only for the present what it hath that makes it up it lives upon no stock but that in hand but faith reckons its estate more from what lies in bonds then what the person findes in the purse It findes the greatest part of the souls estate yet in the promises and yet in Christ and in both graciously and assuredly undertaken whereupon it doth make the soul not only to go to Christ but to trust him and not only so but to expect and waite patiently he doth hear me he will do me good he will not suffer sin to have dominion he will send forth the rod of his power he will make all grace to abound he will not leave nor forsake me he will satisfie for me his intercession shall be effectual I shall yet feel the power of his death the vertue of his resurrection As to pray and not to trust so to trust and not to expect to trust and then to murmur to trust and to untrust whiles we are speaking to get the soul to put it selfe upon Christ and before we have done speaking to pluck of the soul againe to deface our own fealing to cast away our confidence this is ill very ill It is true that the
pardon and to crown him with eteâ—nal glory Beleeve it assurance will make thy life more fruitful and thy heart more suffering Faith will make holy duties to be no harden and assurance will make it a delight Faith will make a man to bear the Câ—osse â—nd assurance will make a man to triumph under it We are more then conquerours said perswaded Paul Seventhly Assurance of faith it is a bathing spring to all our graces Shall I instance in some 1. The mourning heart doth much depend upon the assured minde No man ever did or ever shall take God by the hand as reconciled to him or look on Christ as redeeming him or read his pardon with assurance but his heart shall be full of joy and his eyes full of teares They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourne as a man mournes for his only childe Zach. 12. 10. There is nothing softens the heart so well as faith and which melts it so much as assurance The powers of the greatest kindnesse and most gracious love do open the fountain of godly sorrow within the soul 2. Love kindles in the heart upon assurance To whom much is forgiven the same will love much said Christ Luke 7. 47. We love him because he loved us first said John The love of God to us is the cause of our love to him againe and againe and the more that love is cleared to us the more is our love rekindled to him goodnesse is a cause of love here it is bountifulnesse is a cause of love here it is knowledge of both a special provocation of love in assurance here it is What a thing is this that God should give his Covenant to me his Sonne to me his Mercies to me his loving kindnesse to me his glory in heaven unto me I love a man who defends my Name I love a man who gives me a book I love a man who gives me my ransom I loue a man who gives me a meales meat Ah! poore things in comparison how do I then infinitely exceed in love to my God who I know hath pardoned hath justified hath accepted will save me for ever More might be said of all particular graces whatsoever 8. Assurance by faith doth but ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it 1. It easeth us of the world How can he walk with cares who is indeed perswaded that God is his Father he that gave him Christ will give him all other things freely God will not stand for a little earth who hath bountifully given a whole heaven and he will surely finde me food and rayment for my body who found mercy and the blood of his own Sonne for my soul 2. Nay it mounts us above the world they do observe that these lower things grow little and lesse by how much the higher a man is seated If a man could be elevated to one of the celstial orbes the whole world would seeme but a narrow spot of ground unto him In one point this is most true the neerer God draws unto the soule the more nothing doth this world appeare O the blessed favour of God! the evidences of our union with Christ This is like the light of the Sunne which puts out the light of ten thousand candles Thou wouldest never complaine of too little in the world if thou haddest so much as made up a true assurance of heaven 9. Lastly Assurance will breed comfort in life and confidence in death Object Why are Gods people afraid many times to die they cannot say with Christ I will go to my Father They have the bond but see not the seale They are not assured of Reconciliation of pardon of salvation But if they could with Simeon Take Christ into their armes if once they could be assured Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He who by assurance looks Christ in the face may with cheerful confidence look death in the face I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 23. How so verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gaine But how knows he that 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day So 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens SECT V. Quest 1. NOw I come to the last inquiry by what means the soule mâ—y get up to this assurance Sol. I shall only 〈◊〉 be such rules as reach a beleeving person Thereâ—oâ—e 〈◊〉 1. If thou be a bâ—â—eever and wouldest be assured then preserve the sense of thy own natural wretchednesse and of the darknese of thy souls state without assurance Christ came to Mary when shee was weeping and the Great God looks down upon thâ— broken Spirit The highest mountaine hath the first sight of the Sunne but the lowest Christian hath the first sight of God When the people of God were mourning then saith God Comfort ye comfort ye my people and say unto them your sins are pardoned You shall finde this That the truely sensible heart hath Note three properties in it which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with assurance viz. One that is very humble Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and mercy And a third that it is exceeding thirsty after a good look from God after some taste of Christ and God will satisfie all these 2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances you shall finde this that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the seeds of it The word you know is the soule of faith it was that which did incline the heart to yeild which did make it to accept of Christ and it is that also which can make us to know our possessions 1 John 15. 13. These things have I written vnto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life So 1 John 1. 4 These things we write unto you that your joâ— may be full More plainly In whom after you heard the Word of truth ye beleeved in whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1. 13. For look as the Word hath promises which draw the soul to Christ so it hath promises to clear the soul in its interest in Christ to answer all doubts and feares and to answer the feare about acceptance so it removes doubts which strive against evidence and propriety The Sacrament you know it is the Seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. Look as a Seale doth distinguish and confirme and settle the minde so is the Sacrament ordained to satisfie and perswade the heart of a beleever God appointed this
Ordinance as for other ends so for this That the matter might be out of doubt out of controversie that Christ is ours and sinne is pardoned in his blood 3. Be much in prayer If a man would gaine assurance he must be much in prayers to perswade and assure the heart David found marvellous loving kindnesse but then he cried in supplications Psalme 31. 21 22. Thou must pray earnestly for mercy earnestly for pardon and most earnestly for Christ And thou must use diligence Remember this that in all thy endeavours for assurance thou must use diligence a cold hearing a cold reading a cold praying will not bring the soul to it No you must be most diligent and fervent in them and so c. 4 Again with all these there must be joyned strong upright care to please God This know that sinne separates but uprightnesse gathers God and the soule together To him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of the Lord Psalme 50. 23. Why Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Psal 97. 11. See that of the Prophet Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes Unevennesse of heart or way it is a flaw and it is that which cuts us off after many prayers it renews our doubtings again and we are as far to seek as at the first but if the heart be plaine if it be sincerely set for God desirous to please him in all things this a compendious way of assurance the Word falls in directly to settle and confirme such a soul The steps of the Words direct us to the sight of our God 5. Lastly you must be much in the exercise of faith There be two parts of it which you must improve One is you must against all sense and feeling and against all the contradictâ—ons of reason and unbelief cast the soul on God in Christ and rest on him to be your God and on Christ to be your Lord and Saviour and that your sins shall be pardoned Then you must wait you must not limit God but seek still I will hearken said David what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his Saints Psalme 85. 8. See Isa 64 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him The Lord will wait that he may be gracious blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30. 18. so Isa 25. 9. It shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him c. This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation For Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy So that this is the summe of all walk with all uprightnesse and with an humble penitent and believing soul cast your sins upon God in Christ trusting in him alone for the favour of God pardon of sinnes and eternal salvation and wait upon God for all this in the use of the means and constant diligency in prayer you shall at length have your hearts desire you shall hear from God thus much I am thy salvation and from Christ as much Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL Table A Affiance THe neer relation betwixt Christ and a beleever is the ground of Affiance p. 254 Anointing vid. Christ Antecedent The difference betwixt an Antecedent and a cause p. 90 What antecedents go necessarily before faith p. 91 There is no concluding the presence of the habit of faith from the common antecedents of faith p. 91 Assent Assent how one beleever differs from another therein p. 121 122 Assisting Assisting vertue from Christ p. 143 Assurance Three things granted about assurance p. 38 39 How assurance is an act of faith p. 39 Assurance of Christs willingnesse an encouraging ground to beleeve p 196 A double assurance of Christs willingness p. 196 Assurance a fruit of an eminent faith p. 93 Assurance easily let go argues a weak faith p. 134 The improvement of faith to a full assurance p. 259 What the assurance of faith is p. 260 Assurance is the conclusion of an evangelical sylogisme p. 260 Assurance is a victorious conclusion against the strength of doubtings p. 261 Assurance is an asserting or perswading act p. 262 Two kinds of assurance touching our personal interest in Christ and the difference of them p 263 Assurance of saith directs to a personal evidence of particular interest in Christ and his benefits p. 265 Every beleever may be assured thereof p. 266 Arguments to evince it Ibid To be assured how far it is a duty p 267 A Christian is obliged to assure his heart that Christ is his p. 268. Arguments to evince it Ibid Want of assurance hinders thankfulnesse p. 268 Arguments to perswade to labour for assurance p. 269 The things about which assurance is conversant are of greatest consequence p. 269 Assurance will marvellously quiet and settle the soul p. 271 Assurance arms the heart against future temptations p. 270 Assurance sweetens all other blessings to us p. 273 Assurance sweetens all our crosses p. 274 Assurance makes all kind of duty to flow and to rise p. 275 Assurance is a bathing spring to all our graces p. 277 Assurance doth ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it p. 278 279 Means by which the soul may get up to this assurance p. 280 Atheisme Natural Atheisme a hindrance to saith p. 168 How to be removed p. 169 Atheisme what it is p. 168 B Beleever Believing Believing in Christ what it doth import p. 29 The general nature of believing in several propositions p. 30 The difference betwixt knowledg opinion and belief p. 30 31 Believing as restrained to a divine and theological consideration what it is p. 31 Vid. Faith In what sense beleeving in Christ is the only way to be saved p. 54 The difficulty of believing in Jesus Christ p. 79 The facility of errour and mistake about believing and what makes it so p. 84 Comfort for all true believers p 109 Believers are in a true and sure way to heaven p. 110 Every Beleever hath a sure interest in Christ p. 140 Every Beleever hath a beneficial interest in Christ What these benefits are p. 140 141 Motives to beleeving p. 158 God deals mightily with the soul to believe in Christ p. 165 We are noâ— losers by beleeving on the Lord Jesus Christ p. 166 Boldness Beleevers may with boldness approach the throne of grace p. 116 This boldness cures sinful modesties and unbeleeving fears p. 116 C Certainty The difference betwixt reflexive certainty and real certainty of interest p. 140 Change An inward change an infallible testimony of a living faith p. 98 There is a change produced
Sampson dayes as Methusalah riches as Dives were his dwellings like the doors of the Sanctuary and shaped into the most imaginable Paradise of all exquisite and earthly delights If yet his soul remained and expired unbelieving if he had not faith His unbelieving soul shall be cast out into the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone Revel 21. 8. 2. Nay again A man may perhaps be guilty of many sins and those very fowle high and crying he hath perhaps been an Idolater or else an Adulterer or else a Blasphemer or else a Persecutor yea even of Christ yet upon his repentance and faith in Christ his soul shall be saved in the day of the Lord. For no former sinnes shall prejudice the soul which is now truly turned from them and hath by faith yeilded up it self to Christ But the unbeleeving person hath every sinne and every guilt upon a severe and sure account he rejects his own satisfactions by refusing Christ The Law of God will sue him cut for every rebellion and the justice of God will break out upon him for all his iniquities and conscience will give up all his guilts and because he is unbelieving vengeance to the utmost shall cease on him and there is none to deliver him nor he ever able to deliver himself Vnbelief it bindes all the sinnes upon the soul and condemnation fast unto the sinnes It leaves the sinning soul naked to the eye of divine Justice neither hath the soul any shelter which is out of Christ O thou who wilt not kisse the Sunne now who wilt not have Christ to rule thee who despisest the tender love of God the precious blood of Christ who wilt receive him for thy Priest for thy Prophet for thy King In the last day thou shalt curse thy heart and accurse thy sins and cry to the mountaines but they will not cover thee to mercy but that will not pitty thee to Christ but he will not regard thee to Justice but it will not heare thee thou wouldst not believe thou wouldst not receive Christ as Lord and Saviour but thou wouldst have the love of sin and therefore thou shalt have the portion of a sinner thou shall not see life but the wrath of God shall abide upon thee Nay if the father hath given and offered unto thee his own Sonne and thou harden thy heart by unbelief thou wilt not take him upon those termes I tell thee in the name of the Lord Jesus that if thou wilt thus bid Christ farewell thou dost bid God farewell all mercy farewell all salvation farewell all hope of it farewell and thou bindest all thy sinnes upon thy soul and all the curse of the Law upon thy soul Woe unto thee it s better thou hadst never been borne If thou hast any sense as an ordinary creature any reason as a man any understanding as a Christian any true estimation of an immortal soul any conceptions of heaven or hell if salvation be any comfortable thing if damnation be any miserable thing then I beseech thee I beseech thee labour for faith get out of an unbelieving condition thou perâ—shest if thou stay'st there thou art lost for ever he that believes not shall be damned said the Prince of salvation O repent and believe why will you die O house of Israel Consider throughly of the love of God in giving Christ and of 2. Motive the love of Christ in giving himself and perhaps this may perswade thee to labour for faith The love of God in giving of Christ See Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved O this love of God to sinners To give his Son and not a servant his own Son and not another his only Son and not a second his only begotten Son and not an adopted childe and that not for any ill but for good he did not send him as an enemy but as a friend not to deliver a poor and mean good but the best and highest good to save us not to deliver us from an ordinary danger but from condemnation Yea and he is sent and given he was not sought by us but given by him Yea and no way deserved but freely given yea and given to us not friends but enemies Thou hast shewed this day said Saul to David 1 Sam. 24. 18 How that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand thou killedst me not 19. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away Thus here 'twixt man and man but saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Now shall all this love be in vaine shall God think of a Christ and we pass by him shall he give a Saviour and we reject him shall he bring salvation to our doores and we not accept of it Why you need my Son and you are damned if you take him not and I freely offer him unto you that you may be saved and shall not we strive for faith to receive him The love of Christ O how wonderfull was his love to us it was not a love to the fallen Angels but to fallen man and such a love to fallen man as the like cannot be found He laid aside his glory to do us good he humbled himself to raise us he became poor to enrich us he fasted and prayed and endured the contradiction of sinners Reproaches Crucifyings Wrath Bloody agonies Conflicts with Satan sorrows in his soul piercings in his body and a bitter death to satisfie for us and to reconcile us and shall we not accept of him shall all this be in vaine Why doest thou not heare Christ calling and crying out unto thee never were any sorrowes like my sorrowes never was any love like to my love O unbelieving and sinning soul look upon me why doest thou passe by why doest thou hide thine eyes from me why doest thou stop thine eares at me I am the Saviour of sinners and there is none else besides me thy own miseries might cause thee to look up and embrace me And let my love unto thee a little draw thee move thee melt thee Hast thou not heard of the revilings and scoffes which I susteined my love to thy soul made me a willing patient Hast thou not heard of the agonies of my soul which made me to sweat drops of blood and my soul was exceeding heavy even to the death yet my love to thy soul made me willing to drink that cup Hast thou not heard of that desertion and of that wrath which made me to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet my love to thy soul made me to passe through it Hast