Six Severall TREATISES 1 The Promises made and fulfilled in Christ 2 Absolute Promises made to sinners as sinners 3 The Life of Faith and in particular In Justification Sanctification and Expectation 4 The Saints Anchor rightly cast 5 Christs New Command 6 Of Offences By the late worthy and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ John Tillinghast Published by his own Notes LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1657. To the Reader IT is a matter of Lamentation to those who are left behinde that so many Sons of Sion are transplanted to eternity whose Counsels Praiers Experiences might have been very useful if the Lord had seen it good to continue them on earth towards the directing helping and comforting may weak doubting and despondent souls in their journey towards Heaven And amongst others in our day the death of that gracious and sweet-spirited man Mr. Tillinghast deserveth much to bee lamented But there it matter of rejoycing in the midst of our mourning for the Saints in that death bringeth them to the possession of those Promises which before they were but heirs under age unto As Christ said to his Disciples John 14.28 If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I. So if wee rightly loved the Saints wee would rejoice when they go unto the Father for then they receive the End of their Faith and then they injoy the chiefest object of their hope even eternal life And it is our great mercy who still remain that although the Author of the ensuing Treatises was plucked away like a blossome in the prime yet hee hath left us so many useful Instructions about the Promises the life of Faith and hope c. that it may bee said of him by these hee being dead yet speaketh Wee forfeited all our mercies in the first Adam by sin and could never have attained unto grounded hopes of grace or glory if the Lord had not vouchsafed to enter into Covenant with us in and for the sake of Christ the second Adam But now there are given unto all that are in Christ 2 Pet. 1.4 exceeding great and precious promises that by these they might bee partakers of the Divine nature Promises are divine Engagements wherein as with reverence wee may speak it the Lord doth pawn his own faithfulnesse for a security to our saith and hope Oh what matter of admiration is here that the God of glory should condescend so far as to come under Engagements to poor sinful and unworthy creatures and still there is more matter of astonishment if it bee considered what glorious things are put under Promise to the Saints even God himself Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minde and write them in their hearts and I will bee to them a God c. Christian what wouldest thou have more is not God thy all in all is there not enough in God to answer all thy desires to satisfy all thy longings to supply all thy wants behold thou hast him in the Promise hee hath made over himself to thee in the way of a Covenant hee hath engaged himself to bee thy God If the Lord had promised only earthly injoyments health wealth though it had been in great abundance and mountains of gold and heaps of Pearls c. yet it had been nothing in comparison of this to say I will bee thy God Thou art rich indeed who art in Christ all the Promises are thine and so God thine and therefore all thine Thou mayest in all straits exigencies and necessities go to God in the way of the Promise for the improvement of any of his Attributes that thou standest really in need of the use of for they are all engaged for thy advantage When Satan useth his policy against thee then thou mayest say Lord thou hast promised to bee my God and so thy Wisdome is engaged for mee O! let mee finde that improved for the defeating my subtil enemy in his enterprizes When thou art assaulted with strong temptations which thou art no way able to withstand or haste some great difficulty in the way to hinder thee in comming up to any duty or to obstruct thee in the exercise of any grace as faith patience humility c. Then thou mayest say Lord thou hast promised to bee my God and so thy Power is mine O now let it bee improved for my help and assistance against these difficulties which are too strong for mee to overcome and so for all other Attributes of God thou mayest in all times of need claim an interest in and by the Promise plead a laying of them out for thy good I am perswaded that many of the fears doubts disquiets c. of many Christians about their eternal conditions and their great distances from assurance take their rise hence because they do not clearly understand or are not throughly perswaded that the way of Gods making over himself unto souls is the way of a Promise that a Covenant is that whereby the Lord giveth us hold of himself in this life and whereby hee giveth us assurance of all the blessings which are to bee injoyed in another and a better life Were they heartily and explicitly convinced that the injoyments of God which they are to look for here must bee by Faith and so through the glasse of a Promise then they might finde that they have had many such injoyments of God which they have overlooked The great temptation of this age is to look more to a life of sense and feeling than to a life of Faith to look more to a Christ within than in the way of a Promise to a Christ without Many will own none as injoyments of God but inward feeling of supports quickenings enlargements consolations c. It is no longer than they injoy these that they think they injoy God whereas they ought to let out their hearts in the way of a Promise to God through Christ for such mercies when they are under the deepest sense of the want of them and there are as real injoyments of God in such out-goings of the heart to God as in those sensible incommings of joy and comfort c. For the life of Faith consisteth in such an out-going of the whole heart in the way of a Promise Christ-ward hence Faith is called a comming to Christ John 6.35 Hee that commeth to mee shall never hunger this is expressed by beleeving in the latter end of the verse hee that beleeveth on mee shall never thirst So that Faith is the motion of the whole heart Christ-ward Faith doth not consist so properly in beleeving that Christ is thine or that thy sin is pardoned as in the letting out thy heart to Christ in the way of the New Covenant for his righteousness and the remission of thy sin
except them from having benefit by them when he willed his Son to take mans nature upon him rather than theirs Now adding this to the former that the promise cost Christ so dear and can be put to no other use than to bee fulfilled to his people this may give us good assurance both of the great engagement that lyeth upon Christ to do it and also that it shall bee done For if a man hath bought a thing deare and there is but one use it can bee put to hee will not fail of that Engage 3. The promises are now in Christs hand Christ takes it ill from men if they have a talent in their hands and do not improve it as in the Parable of the Sloathful servant Now Christ having so great a talent in his hand as the rich treasure of the promises which talent as it may bee improved much for the glory of God and the good of his people so can it not bee improved any way but by fulfilling them and in case Christ see them not fulfilled the talent lyes by in his hand useless which cannot but engage Christ to see to it that the promises bee fulfilled this the Apostle seemeth to hint at in the Text when hee saith All are in him i.e. they are in Christs hand in his keeping and therefore saith hee They are Yea and Amen i.e. true certain immutable shall most certainly bee fulfilled Christ will not suffer such a Talent to bee in his hand and not improve it Engage 4. The promises are not onely in the hand of Christ but Christ hath received them of his Father for this end that hee should give them forth to sinners God gave them into Christs hand upon this condition that hee should not keep them himself not let them lye by useless but give then forth to poor sinners as Act. 2.33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Engage 5. Christ by promise is engaged to see them fulfilled A mans promise lays an engagement and an obligation upon him Christ hath promised to see them accomplished Hee gives us his promise upon his Fathers promise that the promises shall be fulfilled Luke 24.49 And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you God the Father had promised to send the Spirit here Christ adds his promise to it as to say Hath my Father promised the Spirit why I do promise it shall be made good for I will send him Now poor soul dost thou doubt whether the Promises shall be fulfilled why consider a little what engagement lies upon Christ to see to the fulfilling of them 2 I may demonstrate the truth from those great ties and engagements that lye upon God the Father to see to it that the Promises bee fulfilled As there are great engagements lye upon Christ so upon the Father also Engage 1. The declaration God hath made of his own name engageth him to it Exod. 34.6 God hath declared this to be a part of his Name that the is abundant in goodness and truth and how can this bee should hee not fulfill his promise Engage 2. Gods faithfulness engageth him to it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised This was the ground of Sarahs beleeving God promised and though much might bee said in reason against the thing yet judging him faithful she beleeveth Heb. 11.11 Through faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a Childe when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised Hence Balaam reasons God is not as man therefore cannot lye or be unfaithful Engage 3. Gods promise it is a part of his Covenant what is the Covenant of Grace but a bundle of precious Promises now God wil not break his Covenant in any part of it See for this Isa 54.10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee God speaks high language Engage 4. God hath added his Oath to his Promise Heb. 6.17 wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath As an Oath confirmeth another in the certainty of the thing he swears to and therefore saith the Apostle An Oath is for confirmation vers 16. so doth it lay upon another an engagement to do what the hath sworn to and indeed the great engagement that an Oath lays upon the party swearing is that whereby the other is confirmed Now God hath for the strengthening of our faith added his Oath to his Promises God as with reverence I may say should break his Oath and forswear himself if he should not see to it that the Promises be fulfilled Engage 5. God hath pawned and morgaged Heaven and Earth upon it the Covenant of the day and night that hee will not break his promise Jerem. 31. vers 34 35 36 37. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward paris vers 35. Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light to the day and the courses of the Moon and of the Starres for a light to the night which breaketh the Sea when the waves thereof roar his name is the Lord of Hosts vers 36. If these Ordinances depart out of my sight saith the Lord then shall the seed of Israel cease from being a Nation before me for ever vers 37. Thus saith the Lord if the Heavens can bee measured or the foundations of the Earth be searched out beneath then will I cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. God before had made many precious Promises to Israel now lest any should doubt of the fulfilling of them God here lays Heaven and Earth to pawn upon it so Chap. 33. ver 25 26. the same with the former Engage 6. God expects wee should fulfill our promises to him and therefore by the rule of equity he himself will do the same Deut. 23.23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform as thou hast vowed it willingly unto the Lord thy God for thou hast spoken it with thy mouth Engage 7. God takes breach of promise exceeding ill in man and therefore himself will not do it Nehem. 5.13 To all that hath been said let mee adde a word or two more 1 The Saints venture upon the Promises and so should be deceived in their hopes if they were not fulfilled 2 They are the Saints inheritance Saints are heirs of promise Heb. 4.1 6.17 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise Saints should
c. And if this were duly considered souls would never in their lowest saddest and most deserted conditions bee shy of beleeving for who can question at any time whether they may thus let out their hearts to Christ or no and yet the doing this is beleeving yea the properest act of Faith consiseth therein and if at any time a soul bee inabled by grace to this then it hath a sweet injoyment of God and Christ in the Promise though sensible quickenings c. bee wanting for no act of Faith can bee without an injoyment of God If thou bee'st inabled with thy whole heart to take hold of Gods Wisdome and Power c. in a Promise thou dest as really injoy God so long as thy soul sticketh close to him there whilest the sensible improvements of those divine Artributes ars denyed thee as thou dost afterward when these are granted And the same may bee said for any promised Mercy if the heart bee throughly drawn out Christ-ward in the way of the Promise for it in its proper season as when that mercy is sutable to the present condition c. there is as real an injoyment of God in such a waiting for it as in the after fruition of it for there is the life of Faith before it is afforded and Faith cannot be without a fruition of God The Proper time of Abrahams acting Faith for Isaac was before Isaac was given Rom. 4.19 And being nor weak in Faith he considered not his own body now dead vers 20. Hee staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in Faith So that injoyments of God by Faith may be as well before as when a promised mercy is afforded I do not speak against looking for sensible feelings of Christs presence within in enlargements and quickenings c. but against judging these the only injoyments of God and against looking more for these than for out-goings of heart to Christ by Faith whereas the best way to attain more of these is to act Faith on the Christ of God who is without us in the way of a Promise for them The Lord would take care of Christians comforts if they were more careful to own his faithfulnesse in his Promise And if you would bee successful in any of your dealings with the Promises then bee sure that your souls do clasp hold of Christ therewith for all the Promises in him are yea and in him Amen And seeing the faithfulnesse of God is ingaged for the accomplishment of all Promises Oh what sweet incouragement doth this afford to exercise hope on him for all those mercies which are promised and which wee are yet without Christians are exceedingly backward to the exercise of this grace of Hope which might bee of admirable use to them and most averse to exercise it about eternal life which is the highest and chiefest object of it Some hope not only for temporal but also for spiritual mercies necessary in some conditions they are exercised in as under deadness of heart they hope for quickenings under streightnings they hope for inlargements under witherings they hope for flourishings of grace but where is the soul that is hoping for the glory of God Rom. 5.2 A hoping for Heaven and the life to come it is the casting hope within the vail that rendreth it of use as a Soul-anchor that secureth against the storms of affliction and temptation which are met withall in this World A great reason of the sinking of many under these is because they cast away their anchor the hope of eternal life when the tempest riseth highest and when they have most need of it It is very sad to observe that carnal men are so high in their Hopes for heaven who have no grounds for hoping and on the other hand that Christians are so low in their hopes who have such firm grounds for them There is 1 A hope of desire 2 A hope of Assurance or Confidence Christians you may sometimes bee under such doubts and questionings about your conditions as you may not be able to conclude with a hope of confidence and Assurance that you shall injoy God to all eternity But a Hope of Desire after the injoyment of God as the chiefest good as reckoning nothing such a matter of Hope as a full fruition of him and Jesus Christ to all eternity this Hope of Desire under the saddest desertion you may keep up and sinne if you do not Cant 3. v. 1 2. Cant. 5.6 The Spouse sought her beloved when hee had withdrawn himself As under the hidings of Christs face the saints may have a Hope of Desire to see his face again on earth so as well may they then long to see him face to face in heaven The Saints should say when will the bridge-groom of our souls come when shall wee have full fellowship with him when shall wee have full imbraces in his armes when shall wee injoy the Promised everlasting rest when shall we have a full freedome from all sinne and suffering thus Paul had a Hope of Desire to bee dissolved that hee might be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and Rom. 8.23 wee groan within our selves that implyeth a weariness of the present Condition but the inducement was the hope of Glory waiting for the adoption the redemption of our body but where is the soul that is under a wearinesse of its present Condition not barely to be freed from burdens and afflictions but out of a want of heavenly glory and a full communion with Jesus Christ O Christians you can never want a ground thus to hope and therefore put on your Helmet the Hope of Salvation cast forth the Anchor and that within the Vail that your Lord may finde you looking for the blessed Hope of his coming We shall add no more but this that the Lord graciously granted us the priviledge to be ear witnesses that diverse of the Sermons in these Treatises for the substance of them giving allowance to such defects of the Emanuensis which cannot but bee expected ordinarily were Preached by that Servant of Christ Mr. Tillinghast and others are as they were found in his own hand-writing Some Sermons are wanting but could not be gained yet these being so useful we were unwilling the World should be without them so desiring that the blessing of Christ may accompany these labors We remain 10 Month 24th day 1656. Thy Servants for Jesus sake Samuel Petto John Manning The Contents The Promises made and fulfilled in Christ from 2 Cor. 1.20 The Text opened from page 1. to page 3. Doct. That all the Promises of God made to sinners in Jesus Christ shall most certainly bee fulfilled and accomplished ibid. That all the Promises of God run in Christ or are made to us in Christ ibid. The Promises distinguished into absolute and conditional 1 Absolute Promises p. 4 2 Conditional Promises ibid. Pro. 1 That all the Promises of God whether those that are absolute or such as are
unto thee and though I am still as vile a Sinner as any man in the world yet am I as just before thee as any Saint in heaven though I have nothing of my own to boast of before thee except it bee my shame and nakedness yet have I that of anothers wherein I boast and glory and herein will I glory though of my self I will not glory but of mine infirmities This righteousness of Jesus Christ which is neither the righteousness of works nor our inherent righteousness but another distinct from and above all these a forreign righteousness â—or a righteousness without us is that alone which the soul which lives by faith for Justification bears all upon in this business It counts not it self one whit the more righteous or justified because it hath done much for God nor one whit the less because it hath done little but it bears all its Justification upon this that it is righteous in the righteousness of Jesus Christ it lays the whole weight of this great business upon the shoulders of Christ It sees and knows that God the Father hath laid the whole stress of the business there that he hath not appointed any other righteousness neither of men or Angels to the work and therefore saith the soul though I had all the righteousness of all the Saints on earth and Angels in Heaven to bring to God for my Justification yet would all this never justfie me because the Father hath not appointed that either the righteousness of men or Angels should do it and yet though I have in a manner nothing of these as little creature active righteousness as any yet do I in some measure beleeve that I am justified because I have another and better righteousness which through Grace I have been enabled by faith to lay hold of even that righteousness of God or that righteousness of Jesus Christ which God the Father hath ordained and appointed to bee my everlasting Righteousness and Justification The more you and I live by faith the more shall we daily come up to this to lay the whole strength of our Justification upon this righteousness without us not reckoning our selves to bee one whit the more righteous when we have done a great deal of good nor one whit the lesse when we have fallen into sin though my heart hath been more carried out for God in this duty then I was in a hundred before yet now to go to God and say for all this I am not one jot the more righteous as to my Justification that is wholly by another righteousness which this comes not at all into it meddles not with but is a stander by and when I have fallen foulely into sin then to go to God and say Lord I am as vile a sinner as any in the world I have walked as like a wretch as ever creature did and yet for all this I am not one jot less righteous as to my Justification that is still by another righteousness which my good reacheth not my evil hinders not This we may see in Paul 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified As to say O yee Corinthians I have preached the Gospel among you and I have whatsoever you judge or think of me the testimony of my Conscience that I have laboured to do it in all simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by manifestation of the truth making it my design to approve my self to every mans Conscience in the sight of God yet for all this though I have endeavoured and obtained mercy of the Lord in my work to bee faithful am I not thereby justified I do not put this upon the account of my Justification So Rom. 7. when the Apostle had at large discoursed as of the good so also of the great mass of iniquity that was in him whereby he was captivated and made to serve sin yet he presently triumphs Chap. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ as if he should say Though I finde an unregenerate part as lively and powerful in me as any other doth or I think can do yet am I not hereby condemned this doth not at all hinder my Justification no I thank God for Jesus Christ that is all in him the business of that lies upon his righteousness though I had ten times more sin then I have to contend with to mourn and be humbled for yet could it not prejudice my Justification that is only by the righteousness of Christ and blessed bee God Christ is mine his righteousness mine there is therefore now no condemnation 3 Faith leads the soul out unto and constantly keeps it to the word of promise where the righteousness of Christ is held forth to poore Sinners for the obta ning and holding of it Faith ever loves to have its hold-fast in its hand because it knows that the better the thing is which it holds if once it lets go its hold-fast the more eager and watchful the Devil is to snatch it from it Now this thing of the righteousness of Christ it is Faiths Jewel the promise as by it it first gets hold of this precious Jewel so is it its hold-fast by which it keeps this Jewel from being plucked away by Satan therefore doth faith lead the soul out unto Christ keep him close to the word of promise continually saith Faith as you love the comfort of your Justification through the righteousness of Christ so hold to the Promise keep to the Promise let go the Promise but a moment your adversary will snatch your Jewel out of your sight Faith it takes a poor soul by the hand and carries him out to the Promise saith â—olt behold here is a promise see what is in it why an everlasting righteousness for my Justification here an eternal Salvation hereafter take hold of it therefore O my soul take hold of it is there not a blessing in it yea is there not that in it which will make thee blessed for ever keep hold of it therefore O my soul keep hold of it Rom. 10. vers 6 7 8 9 10. The Apostle speaking of the righteousness of Christ which faith hath hold of saith thus Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead but what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thine heart that is the word of faith which we preach i.e. do not think you must go up to heaven to fetch it that there is no getting it except you climbe thither neither say Who shall descend i. e. that it is in the Grave I must go thither for it go hang or drown my self if I will have it but what saith it The Word is nigh thee What word why of Faith and the Promise i. e. the promise of faith
justification 2 The constant holding our Justification in our sight maketh the soul take all the dealings of God in good part put a good construction upon all Gods dealings whereas another who is dark in justification he can take no dealing in good part at the hand of God A soul that beholdeth his justification can as long as that is clear behold the love of God in Christ towards it it can put a good construction upon all Let God give a mercy he will say that it is out of love let God take away a mercy he will say that is out of love Let God smile he seeth his love let God frown through his frown he beleeveth his love Let God put him into a prosperous condition he seeth love let him put him into an afflicted adverse condition he can beleeve God is his God But take a poor soul that is dark in that let him give a mercy he saith O I am affraid it is in Judgement let him take away a mercy this is in judgement I have abused it Let God smile he is affraid to own it lest hee be deceived let God put him into prosperity he thinks that will ruine him into affliction he thinketh that is to destroy him 3 The constant beholding our Justification doth carry out a soul with a sweet Son-like frame of Spirit in all its actings towards God Take a soul that is dark in its justification there will not bee childe-like actings but slavish actings a spirit of bondage servile actings But take a soul that hath his justification in his eye and there will bee sweet Son-like actings when hee goeth to duty hee goeth with the spirit of a Son I see Hell is gone Heaven is given and doth not perform duty to avoid the one or procure the other but doth all as to a Father because God hath taken Hell away and given Heaven and is my Father therefore I go about the work of God When it mourneth for sin it doth not mourn for fear it should bee Damned but because it hath sinned against a Father I do not say it is so with a Saint at all times but when a soul beholdeth its justification so it is 4 This constant beholding our justification doth dis-inamour and wean the heart from worldly things our hearts are never so weaned from the Creature as when wee see through justification our interest in the Creator When the poor soul cometh to see the great God of Heaven and Earth is my Father and I have a glorious inheritance provided above in Heaven for me then it saith Why should I dote upon Creatures As a Princes Son is estranged from the company of other Children why I am the Princes Son they are companions below me this maketh him leave other Boys and not play with them so a Princes Son wil not go and hoard up Counters why I am a Princes Son so a poor soul when it beholdeth its justification is estranged from the world upon this consideration I am a Son of God a Childe of God have an interest in Heaven a glorious inheritance there and this weaneth the heart from the world The beholding our actual justification begets such actuall considerations as these 5 It armeth us against all Satans temptations it puts the soul into such a condition as it can grapple with Satan when he cometh to assault it with his fiery darts let the Devil shoot never so many fiery darts yet so he hath his justification in his eye it will keep off all and therefore it is called a Shield They used a Shield to repel Arrows from the party Faith is our shield to repel the darts of Satan and beat them back again so this is another advantage 3 That soul that liveth by faith in justification is delivered from the great evil other souls run into of adding to or detracting from his justification it is a great evil incident to the Saints they look upon themselves as more or less justified accordingly as they are more or less holy and their works more or less spiritual I do not say but that we should endeavour after holiness and spirituality to the utmost but not to make our justification less or more as these things are lesse or more 1 Because it puts our justification as a stock into our own hands that by our care and diligence wee might augment or by carelesness and negligence might diminish it whereas our justification is a stock the Saints have but it is in the hands of their Suerty which though they are and ought to use all Christian care and diligence yet by all their care and diligence there is not one dram added to their justification Though they are to take heed of all carelesness and remisness and avoyd them yet though they should fail there is not one whit not one dram taken away from their justification by all Justification is as the Childes Portion in the Executors hands the Childe hath some spending-money but his Portion is in the hands of the Executor So is our justification that is a stock in the hands of our Executor the Saints have something in themselves and they spend much of that but they would spend their justification too if the stock were in their own hand but it is in the hands of their Suerty Executor and they cannot spend that he will not let them have that so that that cannot be spent Now when we look upon our justification as that which may be added to or detracted from we do not look upon it as in the hands of our Suerty but in our own hands and that is a great evil 2 It is a great evil because it maketh our Justification like our Sanctification in part for that which is perfect can have nothing added to it or taken from it if any thing could be added to it then it was not perfect before perfection doth neither admit of addition or diminution Now our Justification is perfect by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 them the Father hath set apart he hath perfected for ever Now if I should be more justified at one time than at another then Justification were not perfect 3 It maketh justifying grace to depend upon Creature actings for if I am more justified when I do more and less when I do less then my actings have influence into my justification and so justification depends upon Creature actings and so if of works then it is no more of grace 4 It is a great evil because it doth much dishonour Christ it speaketh the righteousness of Christ insufficient for our justification if the righteousness of Christ be sufficient to justification then all I can do cannot help it forward If it need any thing of ours then it is not sufficient of it self I speak this to shew the great evil of adding to or detracting from justification which how usual it is to look upon our selves more justified at one time
the Resurrection of Christ it did revive and hath quickning already Saith the soul though I am dead my graces lye as though dead affections dead heart in duty dead yet I have quickning in Christ I have a stock of life in Jesus Christ Coloss 3.3 Yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God though it do not for the present appear it is hid with Christ 3 Faith in this business of vivification sheweth the soul that there is a streame of vertue and efficacy comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ quickning of it and this is that Paul presseth after That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may have the power of his Resurrection raising and quickning of mee The Resurrection of Christ though but one act yet hath a continual stream of vertue flowing from it for the quickning of souls 4 Faith taketh hold of any word of promise in the book of God that may bee any ground of encouragement to beleeve his quickning it as that word of Christ Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly See saith Faith Jesus Christ is come that I might have life And because I live yee shall live also Joh. 14.19 because there is life in Christ shall I live then I will go to him for life Quest 3. Why is a Christian to live by faith for Sanctification Answ 1. Because our sanctification is altogether of grace therefore the Spirit by which wee are sanctified is said to bee given of God and the blood of Jesus Christ which hath such an influence into Sanctification that is of Grace It was of Grace that Christ shed his blood of more grace that this blood of Christ should bee applied to thy soul for the washing away of thy sin So Faith which is a help in our Sanctification that is of Grace therefore Faith is said to bee the gift of God Eph. 2.8 And to you it is given to beleeve Now if Sanctification bee of Grace wee are to live by faith for it 2 Because our Sanctification as well as our Justification is primarily in the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1.30 and so wee are to live by faith for it for whatsoever is in the Lord Christ I am to partake of it by faith 3 Because wee have promises of Sanctification What I have a promise for I am to live by faith for because the promise is the ground of faith but wee have promises of Sanctification of MORTIFICATION Sin shall not have dominion over yon Rom. 6.14 of VIVIFICATION because I live yee shall live also Joh. 14.19 therefore wee are to live by faith in it 4 Because we are to pray for Sanctification and therefore we are to beleeve for it What is my duty to pray for I am to beleeve for because Prayer must bee in faith Every Petition I put up to God in Prayer it is my duty whether I do it or no to act faith in the thing desired If I am to pray for it I am to beleeve for it But I am to pray for it Jesus Christ teacheth us to pray for it when hee himself prayed for our Sanctification Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth and Jesus Christ teaches it in that Prayer we call the Lords Prayer the three first Petitions respecting in a great part our Sanctification Hallowed be thy Name It is as much as that God would help us to honour and Sanctifie his great Name Thy Kingdome come It is as much as to pray that God would set up his Spiritual Kingdom in our hearts that we might bee ruled and guided by his Spirit having all corruption mortified and grace quickned Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven This is as much as to pray that wee poor creatures here on earth might do the will of God so freely fully and cheerfully as the Saints in Heaven So that wee are to pray for Sanctification and then wee are to beleeve for it because our Prayer must bee in faith Quest 4. What is the difference between that Sanctification which ariseth from an enlightned conscience and that Sanctification which ariseth from faith or beleeving There is a Sanctification which ariseth from the meer dictates of the Law of Nature and that Sanctification the Heathen Moralists attained to a great deal of And there is a Jewish Sanctification or Legal and that is such a Sanctification as is begotten by the terrors of the Law But there is another Sanctification and that is a Gospel-Sanctification that is such a Sanctification as is wrought in the soul from the beholding the love of God in Jesus Christ such a Sanctification as is wrought from beleeving his Justification Now there is a great difference between this Sanctification and the other which arises onely from an enlightned conscience for both arise from an enlightned conscience the one from conscience being enlightned by Natures law the other from the written Law but there is a great difference Answ 1. That which ariseth from natural conscience is something of the more gross part of Sanctification but a piece and doth not take in any thing of the finer part of Sanctification A forsaking some sins that are outward and gross his conscience cannot but flye in his face so that hee shall not rest quietly night nor day such as Drunkenness Adultery and the like It is in respect of those duties that are more apparent such as Prayer hearing the word such if a man should let alone hee should have no quiet nor peace in conscience But that Sanctification that cometh from faith that is in respect of the inward more secret evils of the soul the secret rising of pride unbeleef and passion and so for more inward duties that Sanctification teacheth a man to deny himself to submit himself to Gods will to be content with Gods disposal 2. That Sanctification which cometh from an inlightned conscience onely raiseth a man to bee more self conceited but that Sanctification that cometh from faith and beleeving throweth a man down in respect of all self-conceit it maketh a man more mean and low in his own eyes As the Scribes and Pharisees and Jews in our Saviours time they had a great deal of this outward holiness and Sanctification but see how it puffed them up how they stand upon tip-toes and crow over poor Harlots and Publicans as not fit to come in the company of such as they were But that which cometh from faith maketh the soul more humble What abundance of Sanctification Paul had hee did press after perfection did walk more like one in heaven than on earth yet hee could look upon himself as the least of Saints concerning acting for God labouring in the work of God hee preached the Gospel from Jerusalem to Illiricum laboured more abundantly than they all yet how humble Yet not I but
of a Saint is within the vail Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vail In the opening of it I shall shew 1 What is the meaning of this phrase of speech Within the vail 2 What notable Anchor-hold there is within the vail 3 Why a Christians hope must bee fixt within the vail And then the Application First What is the meaning of this phrase within the vail The words are spoken by an allusion to the Temple and Tabernacle of old The Temple of old had three parts in it there was the outward Court and the Holy place and the Holy of Holies The outward Court into that came all sorts of persons that is all sorts of the Jews came into the outward Court Into the Holy place came those that did the service about holy things the Priests and Levites into the Holy of Holies entered onely the High Priest once a year with blood These were typical The outward Court typified common Professors of all sorts the holy place wherin entred those that performed the service and worship of God typified the Church Visible Worshippers The Holy of Holies typified Heaven Now between the Holy place and the most Holy was a vail a precious hanging of blue Purple and Scarlet as you may see in Exod. 26.31 32. And the vail shall divide unto you between the Holy place and the most Holy Here was the use of the vail it was to divide between the Holy place and the most Holy Now within the vail was the most Holy place or Holy of Holies Now the Holy of Holies that was a type of Heaven And as you may see if you look into Heb. 9.24 Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self The Holy place made with hands into which the High Priest entred once a year typified Heaven the figure of the true which is Heaven it self whither Christ is gone Now this Holy of Holies that was the place that was within the vail for the holy place and outward Court was without the vail Now wee shall fee the meaning of within the vail that is A Christians hope is grounded upon something out of this world something in Heaven For within the vail was the Holy of Holies so that a Christians hope is grounded upon something that is not in all this world something in Heaven within the vaile that is a Christian casts his Anchor of hope as far as Heaven and fixes and layes hold upon something in Heaven within the vail Quest But you will say What is that within the vaile that a Christians hope can found upon Ans O there is abundance within the vail for a Christian to ground his hope upon First Within the vail there is the Lord Jesus Christ the Rock of Ages As it is in the verse following the Text Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus so wee have Jesus Christ within the vail who is that onely Rock upon which all our souls must anchor that Rock is within the vail is now in Heaven But then consider Christ is within the vail First as a Forerunner Whither the Forerunner is for us entred that is Christ is now entred into heaven as our Forerunner as one that is gone before to make way for us into Heaven one that is gone before to draw us into heaven after him And is not here great ground for a Christians hope to found upon that the Lord Christ the only Rock is in heaven and gone as a Forerunner to make way to set open heaven gates for us and as one that will draw in all his Children after him What ground is here for hope that the Lord Jesus is in Heaven as my Forerunner and therefore hath made way for mee and therefore will draw mee after him When hope pitches upon this and eyes this Jesus as a Forerunner that is entred into Heaven this strengthens the hope of a Saint Secondly Jesus as hee is entred within the vail as a Forerunner so as the Great Sacrifice The High Priest in the time of the Law when the Great Sacrifice the Annual Sacrifice the yearly Sacrifice the High Priest as soon as the Great Sacrifice was slain without was to take the bloud of that Sacrifice and carry it within the vail Thus the body of Jesus when slain was the Great Sacrifice and Christ takes his own blood and carries it into the Holy of Holies so that the Great Sacrifice is carried within the vail Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us So Christ is entred as the Great Sacrifice carrying the Great Sacrifice of his blood thither and that washeth us from our sins Now is not here great ground for hope That the Lord Jesus Christ is gone into Heaven as the Great Sacrifice and the blood of that Great Sacrifice that purges away sin is within the vail therefore all my hope of taking away sin is within the vail Thirdly Jesus Christ is entred within the vail as the righteous one So you may see if you look into 1 Joh. 2.1 My little children If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus Christ who is the righteous is now with the Father and that is within the vail Jesus Christ as the Lord our righteousness is within the vail not onely the passive righteousness of Christs blood but all the active righteousness of Christ is within the vail the passive righteousness or Christ is that which justifies us from death eternal and the active righteousness of Christ that justifies the soul to life eternal that is within the vail too so that all that makes up our Justification is within the vail Christ the righteous one having all righteousness to cover poor souls hath perfectly satisfied the Law of God This Jesus Christ as the righteous one is within the vail Fourthly Jesus Christ the righteous one our Advocate is within the vail If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ as our Advocate is within the vail hee lives to make Intercession for us but where there the Lord Christ makes Intercession where he now is and that is in heaven Heb. 9.14 Christ is entred not into the holy place made with hands but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Now this Intercession of Christ is that whereby pardon of sin is given forth whereby all gifts and grace is given forth to us that whereby strength against all our sins is given forth All this is within the vail Jesus Christ as an Advocate is within the vail to procure pardon of sin grace and strength against sin and what ever wee want to have it supplied all is within the vail and is not here
at rest now I am well now I am sure for Heaven settled shall never fall this is without the vail For the Sanctuary or holy place which was a type of the visible Church that was not the Holy of Holies that was without the vail So if thy hope for Heaven Brethren and Sisters here of the Church look where your hope is pitcht if it bee grounded upon this that I hope God will save mee because I am in the Church O I tell thee that thou mayest bee and yet perish for ever thou mayest have thy hope grounded upon this that thou art a Church-member and yet no hope at all within the vail but upon a sandy foundation and when a storm comes thou wilt suffer shipwrack if a Church suffer not shipwrack for thee If this bee the ground of thy hope O go home labour to pull up Anchor and cast thy Anchor upon that within the vail This is not enough to bee in a Church-society as those of old might come into the place of worship and yet never come within the vail so mayest thou the Lord help us that wee may look to this that our Anchor of hope bee pitched within the vail bee grounded upon something there else it will not hold it is not to walk in the Heathenish way of Morality nor Profession nor holy place within the Sanctuary it must bee within the vail If thou art a moral man not so bad as others art thou one that hath made a profession of Christ and done something answerable or art come into a visible Church art a Church-member for the Lords sake go home pluck up Anchor pluck up such hopes by the roots as you love your souls as you love your eternal souls Pull up Anchor or thou art undone for ever thou wilt surely suffer shipwrack my life for thine if thou goest on if thou Anchor here if thou pitch not within the vail thou wilt suffer shipwrack one day thou wilt not hold when the storm comes but if thou hast cast Anchor upon Jesus Christ the Great Sacrifice upon the blood of Jesus the righteousness of Jesus if thy hope bee grounded upon the Intercession of Jesus the Covenant of Grace the Promises of God this is that foundation of hope within the vail that will hold Therefore go home labour to pluck up your salfe hopes and say Lord Lord Pitch Pitch my Anchor of hope upon the blood of Jesus upon the Covenant of Grace upon the Righteousnesse of Christ J have all along hoped for Heaven upon something without the vail Lord Lord Come now now Pitch my Anchor upon this within the vail the Blood of Christ the Righteousness of Christ the Intercession of Christ the Covenant of Grace the Promises of God such things as these ground thy hope for Heaven If thou ground upon any other thou wilt perish for ever And O how many are there that if I should aske What is your hope built upon O saith one I hope God will save mee I am not so bad as such and such I doe not live in such sinnes I pray sometimes doe some good Duties I hope God will save mee I am a Church-member Are your hopes grounded pitched upon such things as these O you will perish if your hopes continue here if they bee not pitched within the vail there is the onely place where a Christians hope is to Anchor Nay I am not to pitch my hope upon my Graces or Qualifications though they are good and things desireable to have as much grace as may bee yet I must not pitch my hope upon this that I finde an humble heart a heart full of love to God a broken heart I must not Anchor my hope upon this because these are short of the vaile I doe not say this is such a foundation as the other That a soule that pitches upon shall split his soule for ever though God may save him yet hee shall bee split in respect of his peace comfort assurance day after day If you ground your hope upon this That you have an humble broken heart It may bee to day thou findest an humble heart but to morrow a proud heart Where is thy hope now Thy comfort is split if thou groundest thy hope upon this that thou hast a broken heart to weep in this duty and the other but thou findest a heart like a stone in another where is thy comfort now If thou groundest it upon thy love to thy brother it may bee to day thou lovest him to morrow thou art full of wrath though thy hope shall not perish for ever though the foundation bee from God though within us from the Spirit of God yet all the comfort thou takest from this will bee split thou wilt bee undone in thy comfort for a time therefore the onely ground for our hope must be within the vail Let this then stir up every one to pitch their Anchor within the vail Art thou such a one as hath thy Anchor yet to cast That is one that hath no hope not from any thing at all or one that hath some hope it may bee from Profession Civility or Church-membership O labour now to pitch thy hope upon something within the vail I will onely shew you a few things by way of motive from the consideration of that glorious place within the vail it would incourage any one to cast their Anchor of hope there there are so many gloious things to bee injoyed there First Consider within the vail that is in heaven there is the blessed presence of God to bee seen for ever There is the Beatifical vision beholding of God for ever and ever it is within the vail there is the beholding God as a reconciled God for ever and ever there they shall see God face to face behold all the glory of God not a little bâ—t fully and perfectly Secondly Within the vail there is full participation of God A poor soul that casts his hope within the vail there hee shall come to partake of God of the love of God there hee shall not have it by drops as now but it shall come streaming forth wee are here to pray that wee may bee filled with all the fulness of God there wee shall have the answer of this prayer in being filled with all the fulness of God Thirdly There is the society of all the blessed Saints and Angels There is society and injoyment of all the Saints and Angels all the Saints of God they shall see them within the vail and what a blessed thing is it to have society with all the blessed glorified Saints and all the blessed Angels together There are all the Saints wee knew here all that are Saints wee shall injoy them all together there there wee shall come to the General Assembly of the spirits of just men made perfect Fourthly There are many glorious Priviledges Freedomes and Immunities there that are not to bee injoyed any where else 1 There is freedome from
opinion I will love him if not let him bee as holy as hee will I will hate him and revile and speak evil of him No no Love all as Saints Let mee tell you Hee that loves another for parts loves him for something of the creature for parts are such hee that loves another for his opinion loves him for himself for hee loves himself and his opinion in the man But he that loves another because hee is a Saint and hath the Image of God upon him hee loves him purely for Gods sake Now to set this truth upon our hearts consider 1 If ever thou wouldest have God to own thy love love Saints as Saints God will own no other love though it go currant on earth it will not in Heaven Christ at the last day owns onely that love shewn to Saints at Saints to the least of Saints Matth. 25. Think you not that there were many at Christs left hand at this day who had loved great Saints c. and yet Christ owns not their love 2 If ever thou wouldest have the comfort of thy love love Saints as Saints The Devil will finde some flaw in thy love let it run in what channel it will if not in this he will say when thou wouldest take comfort from thy love that thou didst not love such a one because a Saint but because he was of thy opinion or rich or of great gifts and parts 3 If ever thou wouldest love as God loves love Saints as Saints God loves his people out of no other respect but as they are Saints as he sees his image upon them As a Father loves his childe out of no other respect so much as this as he is his childe not so much because of his shape or part little or great a Boy or Girle c. So saith a Father This is my childe and therefore I love him saith God This is my childe he hath my image upon him and therefore I love him If thou wouldest love as God loves look at nothing in the world so much in those whom thou lovest as whether they bee Saints or no. I had rather love a man and hold communion with him who differs in a hundred things from mee if I see in him the Image of God and the Spirit of a Saint than he that jumps with mee in every tittle if this bee wanting I had rather love a man that can speak but ten words and hath in him the power of what hee speakes and is humble withall than hee that can utter ten thousand curious notions and is proud and self-conceited therewith wanting the power of them all because so doing I should love as God loves and hold communion as God holds communion 4 If ever thou wouldest love here as thou shalt love in Heaven hereafter love Saints as Saints There are many souls who if ever God bring them to Heaven will love their brethren in another guise way than now they do then they shall not flye one on the back of another and one bee ready to kick another out of Heaven saying You are such a one and the other him and you are such a one No then they shall bee ashamed of such childish tricks as a grown man is ashamed to thinke of what trickes hee plaid when hee was a childe how hee scratched one brother and because hee was but a little crossed in his will laid another cross the pate No then Saints shall love Saints as Saints Then shall one say I love thee because I see the Image of my Father in thee and the Glory of my Father upon thee And then shall the other say and I love thee for this and nothing else Now from what hath been said of loving Saints as Saints that you and I may practice it let us endeavour to have our hearts brought up to love these four sorts of Saints and so we shall love Saints as Saints 1 Love little Saints See Christs care of little ones Matth. 28.18 how will hee take it at the hands of those who shall receive them Vers 5. How ill hee takes it from them who offend them Verse 6. How carefull he is that they may not be despised Vers 10. And how carefull his Father is of their salvation Vers 14. Yea Matth. 25. When Christ passeth sentence hee absolves or condemns men according as they behaved themselves towards the least of his Saints either in doing or not doing for them Vers 40.45 Christ doth not say In as much as you have done or not done thus and thus for Sir such a one and Master such a one my servant But in as much as you have done or not done thus or thus to one of the least of these Saints that goe in their Scarlet Coat in their Silkes and Velvet many will love but yet they love not Saints as Saints Wouldest thou love Saints as Saints labour to love Grace in the Grey Coat Leather Coat as much as in any other 2 Love Saints in their lowest condition If thou hast loved a Saint when the world and friends favoured him see thou lovest him as much when all these frown upon him 3 Love contrary minded Saints It is nothing to love a man that will speak as I speak and do as I do 4 Love offending Saints I am to forgive him and I can never heartily forgive him if I doe not love him Matth. 18.21 12. Peter thought seven times a great matter Christ bids him forgive his brother seventy times seven to teach us that many offences should not break the band of love amongst Saints I shall conclude all concerning this with that of the Apostle Col. 3.10 11. where he tells us that in the New creature there is neither Greek not Jew i.e. Men are not to be considered as of this Nation or that Circumcision or Uncircumeision of this opinion or that these were so great contrary opinions in those dayes or as enjoying outward priviledges or wanting them as Circumcision was accounted a great priviledge to those that had it Barbarian Scythian as they are rude illiterate or clownish persons as the Barbarians Scythians were a rude people Bond or Free that is a Master or servant in Authority or out But Christ is all and in all i.e. Christ is all we are to look at and it is Christ in all wee are to look at all are to be looked at as they are in Christ as Saints 2 Love though thou are not loved Thus Paul loved 2 Cor. 12.15 There was abundant love in Pauls heart to them though little in theirs to him Yea the lesse in theirs the more in his It is the practice of most they will love onely so far and so long as they see themselves beloved and therefore upon any suspicion of theirs that their Brothers love declines towards them theirs immediately cools towards him and that is an evill which both speaker and hearers have too much their shares in whereas the contrary is our duty who ever