the man should offer to hold any part of it backe we will not abate him any thing we will have it all because it cost deare I tell you pardon of sin peace with God the adoption of sonnes the spirit of grace perseverance to the end the kingdome of glory the riches of mercy have beene bought for you by a deare and great price the precious blood of Christ and therefore if the justice of God should hold back any thing or thy owne unbeliefe tell thee these are too great and many for so vile a creature as thou art to enjoy yet abate the Lord nothing say thou art vile yet Christs blood that bought not some but all these is very precious and therefore take them all to thy selfe as thy portion for ever and blesse the Lord as David doth Psal. 16.7 that gave thee this counsell Whiles you are in peace it may be you may neglect so great salvation but the time of distresse and anguish may come wherein you may feel a need of all even of those hidden depths of mercy above your reach and reason and therefore as bees gather in your honey in summer time and with Ioseph lay up in these times of plenty wherein the exceeding riches of grace is opened and poured out at your heeles for those times of approaching famine and for those many yeers of spirituall desertion and distresse wherein you may think Can it stand with the honour of God to save such a poore sinfull creature as I am what iron heart is not drawn by this love for the Lord to invite you to possesse 〈◊〉 or nothing Dives in hell was desirous of a drop to coole his tongue and behold the very depths and seas of grace are opened for thee to come in and partake of if the Lord Jesus should be offered unto thee to pardon some sinnes but not all to pardon all sinnes but not to heale thy nature also or to heale some back-slidings but not all to supply thy spirituall wants but not outward also as may be best for thee or to supply outward but not inward and spirituall if he should offer to doe thee good in this life but not in death nor after death you might refuse to come in but when all is offered all that mercy which no eye ever saw to pitty thee all that love wherewith Abraham David Paul c. were embraced now to refuse to come up and possesse these how can you escape the sorest vengeance of a jealous God that neglect so great salvation Oh Lord what extremity of anguish and bitternesse wilt thou one day be in when the contempt of this grace glowing upon thy conscience shall presse thee downe with these thoughts I am now under all misery but I might have had all Gods grace all Christs glory but wretch that I am I would not Me thinks if your owne good hereby should not draw you yet the exceeding great glory the Lord shall have hereby should force you to accept of all this grace for if thou didst receive a little grace beleeve a little mercy toward thee this makes thee sometime exceeding thankfull doth it not and the very hope of more makes thy heart break forth into a holy boasting and glorying in Christ Who is a God like unto thee Suppose therefore you drank in all and received all that which the Lord freely offers should not the Lord be exceedingly magnified then couldst thou containe thy selfe then without crying out Oh Lord now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene and my soule hath now possession of thy salvation wouldst not call to the hills and seas and earth and heavens and Saints and Angels to break forth into glorious praises and blesse this God But what have I to doe to come that am so poore and empty and full of woes and wants and sinnes never was any so miserable and blind and naked as I. If Faith commeth for all to Christ and fetcheth all from him then never be discouraged because thou hast nothing to bring unto him let all thy wants and miseries be arguments and motives therefore to come unto him Revel 3.17 18. Because thou art poore and naked nay because thou knowest it not and art not affected with it therefore come unto me and buy eye-salve and gold and white rayment Lord pardon my sinne saith David because it is great have mercy upon me for I am consumed with griefe and am in trouble Let mercy and truth continually preserve me for innumerable evills have compassed mee round about Let us returne unto the Lord because hee hath wounded us I am a dogge therefore let me have crums said the woman of Canaan oh this is crosse to sense and reason and we cannot beleeve while we are so exceeding poore empty vile that the Lord should look upon us but beloved you little think what wrong you doe to your selves the Lord Jesus hereby for by this means Christ is not so much exalted nor the creature humbled both which concurring in faith make those acts of faith most precious for while you stand upon something and would have something to bring to Christ you hereby exalt your selves but when you come with sense of nothing else but woes and wants and see Christ now making of you welcome oh this is not only mercy but ravishing mercy If you should come with sense of somewhat to Christ and to see his love to you you might glorify mercy in the height and length and breadth of it but not in the depth of it unlesse you see it reaching its hand to you when you are fallen into so low and poor a condition as nothingnesse and emptinesse and misery it selfe And therefore doe not come to Christ only for the benefits of the covenant but for the condition of it also when you feele a want of faith it selfe as Hezekiah did Isay 38.14 Lord I am oppressed undertake for me 1 Kings 8.57 58. Doe not undertake to fulfill any part of the covenant or any condition in it or any duty required of thee of thy selfe but goe empty to Christ and say as David Lord I will run the wayes of thy salvation if thou wilt set my heart at liberty Psal. 119.32 33. Quicken me and I will call upon thy name Psal. 80.18 Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might but not of thine owne But I come for all and am never a whit the better but as poor and miserable still as ever I was If the Lord keeps you poor and low yet the same motive that made thee come let it make thee stay it may be the Lord sees thou wouldst grow full and lifted up if he should give thee a little therefore keeps thee low better be humble then full and proud Let us goe unto the Lord because hee hath wounded broken and slaine us But they might object we doe come but find no help no cure
of Adamant that would not melt and come in at this Oh my beloved this very call is done as really by Christ in his Ministers now though not so visibly and immediately as I now describe and therefore take heed how you refuse to heare him that speakes from heaven Heb. 12.25 Consider whom the Lord calls and that is thee in particular who ever thou art to whom the Gospell of Christ is sent for if you think Christ calls some only that are so and so deeply humbled only to come and not unto you in particular you will never come in but we have proved this that the Lord calls all in generall and consequently each man in particular the consideration of this may bring you in Men fear to commit murther and steale c. but you feare not unbeleefe but the Apostle bids you feare that for the Gospell is preached sayth he unto you as well as unto those that fell by unbeliefe Heb. 4.1 2. doe not say he calls me indeed but it is no more then what he doth to reprobates true in the outward call it is so yet upon this ground you may think the Lord commands not calls not you to sanctifie a Sabbath or to honour Gods name because this is as common to reprobates as unto you doe not say I am not able to come and therefore I am not called no more are you able to attend the rules of the morall Law yet you look upon them as appertaining to you and because you cannot doe them you intreat the Lord to enable you and so because you cannot come you should looke up to the Lord to draw you and verily many times the great reason why the Lord doth not draw you is because you doe not deeply consider that he doth really and affectionately call you doe not say I am a dry tree the Lord cannot look upon me whose condition is worse then ever I heard or read of yet remember what the Lord speaks to such Isay 56.3 4 6 7. Look not thou to thy barren dead heart but give glory unto God as Abraham did Rom. 4.19 20. and receive his grace with more thankfulnesse then any else because none ever so miserable as thy selfe you young men heare this though you have spent the flower of your yeares in vanity madnesse and filthy lusts yet the Lord calls you in to him you old men grown gray-headed in wickednesse though it be the last houre in the day of your life yet behold the Lord would hire you and calls you to come in before the â—orest wrath of a long provoked God break out upon you you that have despised Gods messengers crucified the Lord Jesus afresh embrued your hands in his blood scorned and hated the Saints and the word of Gods grace hear what wisdom saith Prov. 1.22 23. Return yee scorners oh consider you that are ignorant of Christ that never sought after Christ many a yeare together that have continually provoked him to his face how the Lord calls you Isay 65.1 2 3. you even you are those the Lord calls and will you not come Consider why the Lord calls thee is it because hee hath any need of you to honour him I tell you he could have gone to others that would have given his Gospell better welcom thâ—n it hath had from you he could have gone to many Kings and Princâ—s and out of that golden mettle have made himselfe vessels of honour rather then out of such base mould as thou art made of hee could have honoured himselfe in thy ruine as in many millions of other men and lose nothing by thee neither he could have been blessed without you in the bosome of his Father or is it because thou hast done any thing for him alas thou hast not returned him thy nutshells thou hast not had so much as a forme of Religion thou hast done as much mischiefe to him as thou couldst Ier. 3.5 thou hast wearied him with thine iniquities and made him serve with thy sins and hast sadded his heart exceedingly by strange impenitency Isay 43.24 The only reason that hath moved him to call to thee hath been pity to thee seeing thee running to the fire that never can be quencht without stop or stay 2 Chron. 36.15 16. and because thou art fallen by thine iniquities Hos. 14.1 And shall not this bring you home Consider for what end the Lord calls thee is it not to come and take possession of all the grace of Christ Gal. 1.6 nay of all the glory of Christ 1 Thess. 2.12 nay to a most neare sweet and everlasting fellowship with Christ himselfe 1 Cor. 1.9 and can I say any more can you desire any more then this if the Lord should say unto any of us Come into the garden and there watch and pray with me sorrow and suffer with me who of us would not account our selves unworthy of such honour but for the Lord to say Come and enter into your rest the land the kingdome of grace and glory is before you goe up and possesse it oh where are our hearts if this call will not draw if the Lord should say at the day of judgement when the heavens and earth shall be on a light fire and the Lord Jesus set upon the throne of his glory admired of all his Saints and Angels Come you blessed and take the kingdome prepared for you would you not gladly come at that call oh beloved the Lord Jesus now in the throne of his glory in heaven behold he calls you unto a better good then that kingdome he calls you to come and take himselfe and all his precious benefits prepared for you though in thy selfe accursed and would he have you take possession of all this is it not the praise of the riches of his grace Eph. 1. If this be his end then if thou wilt not come for thy own good yet for his sake his grace sake come in How long the Lord hath called thee how oft he would have gathered thee he hath stood so long untill his locks are wet with dew of the night Cant. 5.1 2. It may bee you are afraid it hath been so long that now time is past oh no for whiles the Lord calls by his word and spirit now is the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6.2 I confesse there is a time wherein the Lord will not be found but whiles the Lord is neare unto thee by his Ministery by his Spirit convincing affecting stirring knocking at thy heart the time is not yet past the Sun is not yet set so long as those beames appeare Isay 55.6 those thoughts which discourage thee from coming to Christ whiles the voyce of his call is heard cannot be of Christ but Satan whose principall work is to lay such stumbling blocks in our way to him Consider the greatnesse of your sinne in not coming to him 1. This is the condemning sin for no sin should condemne thee if thou didst come to him Iohn 3.17
the bottome as may fit the soule for healing For 1. If the Spirit make a man feele sin truly the soule feeles it as it is it is not the name and talk of the danger of sin that troubles it but the Spirit ever making things reall loads the soule with it indeed and as it is now it is the greatest evill and therefore so it feeles sin Beleeve it you never felt sin indeed as it is if you have not felt it thus 2. Else no man will prize Christ as the greatest good without which no man shall have him 3. Else a man will live and continue in sinne If sinne had been a greater evill to Pilate then the losse of Caesars friendship hee would never have crucified Christ. If sinne had been a greater evill to Iehu then the losse of his Kingdome he had never kept up the two calves If sinne were a greater evill then poverty shame griefe in this world many a Professor would never lose Christ and a good conscience too for a little gaine profit or honour Beloved the great curse and wrath of the Lord upon all men in the world almost is this that the greatest evils should be least of all felt and the smallest evils most of all complained of What is death that onely separates thy soule from thy body to sin that separates God blessed for ever from thy soule and therefore the Lord Jesus will remove this curse from those he saves But you will say What is that evill the soule sees at this time in sinne that thus affects the heart with it as the greatest evill This is the last difficulty here There is a three-fold evill especially seen in sinne 1. The evill of torment and anguish 2. The evill of wrong and injury to God 3. The evill of separation of the soule from God The first may affect Reprobates as Saul and Iudas who were sore distressed when they felt the anguish of conscience by sin The second is onely in those that are actually justified called and sanctified who lament sinne as it is against God and a God reconciled to them and as it is against the life of God begun in them and hence they cry out of it as a body of death The third the elect feele at this first stroke and wound which the Spirit gives them the anguish of sinne indeed lyes sore upon them but this much more Christ is come to seek that which is lost The sheep is lost when First it is separated and gone from the owner Secondly when it knowes not how to returne againe unlesse the Shepherd find it and carry it home so that soule is properly and truly lost that feeles it selfe separated and gone from God knowing not how to returne to him again unlesse the Lord come and take it upon his shoulders and carry it in his armes this lyes heavy upon it viz. that it is gone from God and wholly separated from all union to him and communion with him You may observe Iohn 16.9 that the Spirit convinces of sinne how because they beleeve not in me i. Because they shall see and feele themselves quite separated from me they shall heare of my glory and riches of mercy and that happinesse which all that have me shall and doe enjoy but they shal mourne that they have no part nor portion in these things they shall mourne that they live without me and that they have lived so long without me I confesse many other considerations of the evill of sin come now in but this is the maine channell where all the other rivelets empty themselves And hence it is that the soule under this stroke is in a state of seeking onely yet finds nothing it seeks God and Christ and therefore feeles a want a losse of both by sinne for the end of all the feares terrours sorrowes c. upon the elect is to bring them back againe to God and into fellowship with God the onely blessednesse of man Now if the soule ordained and made for this end should not feele its present separation from God by sinne and the bitternes of the evil of it it would never seek to return again to him as to his greatest good nor desire ever to come into his bosome againe for look as sinne wounds the soule so the soule seeks for healing of it if onely the torment of sinne wound ease of conscience from that anguish will heale it So if separation from God wound the heart onely union and communion with God will heale it and comfort it againe The Lord Christ therefore having laid his hand upon the soule to bring it back to himselfe first and so to the Father being designed to gather in all the out-casts of Israel those he ever makes to feele themselves out-casts as cast away out of Gods blessed sight and presence that so they may desire at last to come home againe Reprobates not made for this end have not this sense of sin the means of their return And hence it is that the soules of those God saves are never quiet untill they come to God and communion with him but they mourn for their distance from him and the hiding of his face untill the Lord shine forth againe Whereas every one else though much troubled yet sit down contented with any little odde thing that serves to quiet them for the time before the Lord return to them or they enter into their rest in that ineffable communion with him Let me now make Application of this before I proceed to open the next particular of Humiliation This may shew us the great mistake of two sorts 1. Such as think there is no necessity of any sense of misery before the application of the remedy or their closing with Christ because say they where there is sense there is life all sense and feeling arising from life and where there is life there is Christ already And hence it is that they would not have the Law first preached in these dayes but the Gospell the other is to goe round about the bush I answer that for my owne part this doctrine of seeing and feeling our misery before the remedy is so universally received by all solid Divines both at home and abroad that I meet with and the contrary opinion so crosse to the holy Scriptures and generall experience of the Saints and the preaching of the other so abundantly sealed to be Gods owne way by his rich blessings on the labours of his servants faithfull to him herein that were it not for the sake of some weak and mis-led I should not dare to question it the Lord himselfe so expresly speaking that he came not to call the righteous but on the contrary onely to heale the sick who know and feele their sicknesse chiefly by the Law Rom. 3.20 Dost thou think therefore that there is spirituall life where ever there is any sense Then I say the devils and damned in
denyed as well as to be heard and he shall undoubtedly find the thing it selfe a lust is properly such a desire though for lawfull things wherein a man must have the thing because it pleaseth him as when Rachell asked for children she must have them else she must needs dye Give us water that wee may drinke was their brutish cry Exod. 17.1 2. not that we may live to him that giveâ— it holy prayers or desires opposed unto lusts are such desires of the soule left with God with submission to his will as may best please him now the Lord will heare the desires indeed of all that feare him but not fulfill their lusts These three are the essentiall properties of such prayer as is heard or if you will of that which is properly or spiritually prayer fâ—rvency and assurance c. are excellent ingredients but yet the Lord may heare prayer without them it is true the Lord may sometimes not heare us presently for our praying time is our sowing time we must not look presently for the harvest The Lord heares the prayer of the destitute Psal. 102.17 the originall word is of the shrub or naked place of the desert which the Prophet saith Ier. 17.6 sees no good when good comes yet such as feele themselves such the Lord doth regard them and will have a time to answer them and though the Lord may not give us the thing we pray for nor as good a thing of the same kind yet he ever gives us the end of our prayers hee that is at sea and wants stiffe winds to carry him to his port yet hath no cause to complaine if the Lord secretly carries him in by a strong current of the sea it selfe and it is certain at the end of all Gods dealing with you you shall then see how the Lord hath not failed to answer you in any one particular Ios. 23.14 Oh therefore see and be perswaded of this your priviledge that God will now heare every prayer many make a question How may we know when the Lord grants out any blessing as an answer to prayer many things are said to this purpose but the simplicity and plainnesse of the answer liâ—s in this viz. if it be a prayer God heares it if it be put up in Christs name it is then a prayer and that you may beleeve this and glory in this consider these reasons only to confirme this truth From the promise of Christ as in this place Iohn 14.13 14. which was a promise in speciall to be accomplished when hee came to his kingdome and therefore though it is true Gods grace is free and therefore you think the Lord may as well refuse to heare you as heare yet consider that by his promise he hath bound himselfe to heare From the Fatherly disposition that is in God Iohn 16.26 27. and hece he loves us and hence cannot but heare us Because all prayers put up in Christs name Christ makes intercession that they may be heard Heb. 7.25 hee hath laid downe his blood that all our prayers might be heard as we have provâ—d and indeed hence ariseth the infinite efâ—icacie of prayer because it is built upon that which is infinitely and eternally worthy Because all prayers of the faithfull arise from the Spirit of prayer Rom. 8.26 because as that which is for the flesh is of the flesh so that which is for the Spirit or for the sake of Christ for spirituall ends is ever of the Spirit Iohn 7.18 Because of the glory of Christ that the Father may be glorifyed in the Son cannot Christ be glorifyed unlesse he heare all prayers yes he could but yet his will is to reveale his glory by this meanes so that thou and thy prayers be vile and therefore deservest no acceptance nor answer yet remember that his glory is deare it is the glory of Kings to heare some requests and petitions but they cannot heare nor answer all it is the glory of Christ to heare all because he is able without the least dishonour to himselfe thus to doe Oh be perswaded of this how should your joy then be full how should you then delight to be oft with him how would you then encourage all to come unto him how would you then be constrained to doe any thing for him who is ready to doe all for you but oh woe unto our unbeleefe for that which the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.14 was ground of his confidence viz. that what ever wee aske according to his will hee heares us is no ground to us and wee may say and mourne to think this is our diffidence that what ever I aske according to Christs will he heares me not but oh recover from such a distrustfull frame and from all dead-heartednesse in this duty with all lest the Lord send task-masters and double our bricks and then we groan and sigh and cry and learne to pray that way that will not pray nor beleeve now If the Lord would but give us hearts assuredly you might not only rule your selves and families but by the power of prayer pull down and raise up Kingdomes dispose of the greatest affaires of the Church nay of the world you might hereby work wonders by meanes of him who ruling all things yet is overcome by prayer Hos. 12.4 5. SECT VI. Sixthly Glorification This is the sixth and last priviledge and benefit and you all know is the last thing in the execution of Gods eternall purpose toward all his beloved and chosen ones whom he hath predestinated called justified them he hath also glorified Rom. 8.30 hereby we are made perfect in holinesse no more sinne shall stirre in us perfect also in happinesse no more teares nor sorrowes nor temptations nor feares shall ever molest us Heb. 12.23 Revel 14.13 and all this shall bee in our immediate communion with God in Christ Col. 1.28 Iohn 17.23 24. wee shall be then saith Paul for ever with the Lord if the Lord would but open our eyes and give us one glimpse of this what manner of persons should we be how would we then live how willingly then should wee embrace faggots and flames prisons and penury the light afflictions here would not they work for us glory nay the Apostle useth such a phrase which I beleeve may pose the most curious oratour in the world to expresse to the life of it an exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 What is our life now but a continuall dying carrying dayly about us that which is more bitter then a thousand deaths what faith the Apostle to us You are dead yet when Christ shall appeare you shall appeare with him also in glory the generall security of these times foretold by Christ especially when Churches become Virgins and People are seeking after purity of Ordinances it shall not be in a want of watchfulnesse against the present corruptiions of the times so much as in a carelesse want of expectation of the comming oâ— Christ
in glory not having our loynes girt and lamps burning nor readinesse to meet the Lord in glory Mat. 25.1 2 3 4 5. c. oh that I were able therefore to give you a blush and a dark view of this glory that might raise up our hearts to this work Consider the glory of the place the Jewes did and doe dreame still of an earthly Kingdome at the comming of their Messiah the Lord dasheth those dreames and tells them His Kingdome is not of this world and that he went away to prepare a place for them that where he is they might bee John 14.2 3. and be with him to see his glory John 17.23 24. the place shall be the third heaven called our Fathers house built by his owne hand with most exquisite wisdome fit for so great a God to appeare in his glory Iohn 14.2 3. to all his deare children called also a Kingdome Mat. 25.31 Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you which is the top of all the worldly excellencie called also an inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 which the holy Apostle infinitely blesseth God for as being our owne and freely given to us being our Fathers inheritance divided among his sonnes which is a greater priviledge then to bee borne an heire to all the richest inheritances on this earth or to bee Lord of all this visible world for this inheritance hee tells us is 1. incorruptible whereas all this world waxeth old as a garment 2. T is undefiled never yet polluted with any sinne no not by the Angels that fell for they fell in paradâ—â—â— when Guardians to man whereas this whole creation groaneth under the burden and bondage of corruption Rom. 8. 3. This never fadeth away t is not like flowers whose glory and beauty soone witheâ—s but this shall be most pleasant sweet and ever delightsome after we have been ten thousand yeers in it as it was the first day we entred into it for this is the meaning of the word and so it differs from incorruptible whereas in this world suppose a man should ever enjoy it yet there growes a secret satiety and fulnesse upon our hearts and it growes common and blessings of greatest price are not so sweet as the first time wee enjoy them they clog the stomach and glut the soule but here our eyes ears minds hearts shall be ever ravished with that admirable glory which shines brighter then ten thousand suns the very fabrick of it being Gods needle-work if I may so say quilted with variety of all flowers in divers colours by the exactest art of God himselfe as the Apostle intimates Heb. 11.10 Secondly consider of the glory of the bodies of the Saints in this place the Lord shall change our vile bodies which are but as dirt upon our wings and clogs at our feet as the Apostle expressâ—th it Phil. 3. ult Paul was in the third heaven and saw the glory doubtlesse of some there see what he saith of them 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. 1. It shall be an incorruptible body it shall never dye nor â—ot againe no not in the least degree tending that way it shall never grow weary as now t is by hard labour and some time by holy duties nor faint nor grow wrinkled and withered Adams body in innocencie potuit non mori we say truly but this non potest mori it cannot dye and hence it is that there shall be no more sicknesse paines griefes fainting fits c. when it comes there 2. It shall be a glorious body it shall rise in honour saith Paul and what glory shall it have verily it shall be like unto Christs glorious body Phil. 3. ult which when Paul saw Acts 9. did shine brighter then the sun and therefore here shall be no imperfection of limbes scars or maimes naturall or accidentall deformities but as the third heaven it selfe is most lightsome Gen. 1.1 2. so their bodies that inhabit that place shall exceed the light and glory thereof these being more compacted and thence shining out in greater lustre that the eyes of all beholders shall be infinitely ravished to see such clods of earth as now we are advanced to such incomparable beauty and amiablenesse of heavenly glory 3. It shall be a powerfull strong body It is sowne in weaknesse saith Paul it shall rise in power it shall be able to help forward the divine operations of the soule which are now clogg'd by a feeble body it shall be able to beare the weight of glory the joy unspeakable and full of glory which our weake bodies cannot long endure here but we begin to burst and breake in pieces like vessels full of strong spirits with the weight and working of them and therefore the Lord in mercy keeps us short now of what else we should feele it shall be able to sing Hallelu-jahs and give honour glory power to the Lambe that fits upon the Throne for evermore without the least weariness 4. It shall be a spirituall body our bodies now are acted by animall spirits and being earthy and naturall growes feeds eates drinkes sleepes and hath naturall affections and desires after these things and â—is troubled if it wants them but then these same bodies shall live by the indwelling of the Spirit of God powred out abundantly in us and upon us and so acting our bodies and swallowing up all such natural affections and motions as those be here as Moses being with God in the Mount forty dayes and nights did not need any meat or drinke the Lord and his glory being all unto him how much more shall it bee thus then I doe not say we shall be spirits like the Angels but our bodies shall be spirituall having no naturall desires after any earthly blessing food rayment c. nor troubled with the want of them and hence also the body shall be able as well to ascend up as now it is to descend down as Austin shewes by a similitude of lead which some artists can beat so small as to make it swim we are now earthly and made to live on this earth and hence fall downe to the center but we are made then to bee above for ever with the Lord the Lord proceeding from imperfection to perfection as the Apostle here shewes not first spirituall and then naturall but first that which is naturall in this life and then that which is spirituall 3. Consider the glory of the soule now we know but in part and see but in part now we have joy at some times and then eclipses befall us on a sudden but then the Lord shall be our everlasting light Isa. 60.19 then we shall see God face to face 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. we shall then know and see those things that have been hid not onely from the wicked but from the deepest thoughts of the Saints themselves in this world 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul saw some things not fit to be uttered or that he could not utter we shall be swallowed up in
saved Now to beleeve with the heart as it doth not exclude assent so it necessarily includes the acts of the will and affections in relying upon him and comming to him And hence when Peter had made that confession Acts 16.16 Christ tells him Thou art Peter i. e. a stone resting upon the rock as some good Interpreters expound it and therefore Peters faith did not exclude these principall acts of resting on Christ cleaving to Christ but did include and suppose them 2. Some run into another extreame and make faith nothing else but a perswasion or assurance that Christ dyed for me in particular or that he is mine That which moves some thus to think is the universall redemption by the death of Christ they know no ground or bottome for faith but this Proposition Christ dyed for thee and hence make Redemption universall And hence the Arminians boast so much of their Quod unusquisque tenetur credere c. But 1. This is a false bottome for Christ hath not dyed for all because he hath not prayed for all Iohn 17. 2. T is a sandy bottome and foundation which when a Christian rests upon it shakes under him when the soule shall think though Christ hath dyed for me yet no more for me then for Iudas or thousands of reprobates now in hell Indeed after faith a Christian is bound to beleeve it as Paul did Gal 2.20 1 Cor. 15.1 2. I conceive therefore those holy men of ours who have described Faith by Assurance have not so much aymed at a description of what Faith is in it selfe as it possesseth us with Christ but of what degree and extent it may be and should be in us they describe it therefore by the most eminent act of it in full assurance and therefore consult with the Authors of this description and enquire of them Is there no doubting mixt with faith Yes say they mans doubtings sometimes are even unto a kind of despaire but then say they it should not be thus The Papists commend doubtings and deny assurance place faith in a generall assent our champions that were to wrastle with them maintained it to be a particular application and not onely a generall assent and that with a ful assurance of perswasion which being the most eminent act of faith excludes not other inferiour acts of it which as they are before it so may possesse the soule with Christ without it Although withall it is certaine that there is no true faith but it hath some assurance of which afterward Let me now come to the explication of the description given where note these five things 1. The efficient cause of Faith it is a work of the Spirit 2. The subject or matter in which it is seated viz. the soule of an humble sinner 3. The forme of it viz. the comming of the whole soule to Christ. 4. The end of it viz. for Christ and all his benefits 5. The speciall ground and means of it viz. the Call of Christ in his Word 1. The efficient cause of Faith Faith is a gracious work of the Spirit of Christ the Spirit therefore is the efficient cause or principall workman of faith the Spirit doth not beleeve but causeth us to beleeve t is not principium quod the principle which doth beleeve but principium quo the principle by which we doe the soules of all the elect especially when humbled are of all other things most unable to beleeve nay look as before compunction and humiliation Satan held the soule captive chiefly by its lusts and sinnes so now when the Lord hath burnt those cords and broken those chaines all the powers of darknesse strengthen themselves and keep the soule under mightily by unbeliefe What doe you tell me of mercy saith the soule t is mercy which I have continually resisted desperately despised why doe you perswade me to beleeve Alas I cannot t is true all that which you say is true if I could beleeve but I cannot see Christ I cannot come at Christ I seek him in the meanes but he forsakes me there and I am left of God desolate and here beloved the soule had not formerly so many excuses for its sinne as now it hath clouds of objections against beleeving the Spirit therefore takes fast hold of the soules of all the elect drawes them unto Christ and therefore it is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 and that by an omnipotent and irresistable power Esay 53.1 Who hath beleeved and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed that the soule must and shall beleeve now Compell them to come in saith the Lord of the Supper Luke 14.23 This the Arminians will not beleeve for say they the Question is not Whether we are enabled to beleeve by grace but Wheâ—her it be after this manner and by this meanes viz. modo irresistibile Consider therefore these Reasons to cleare this point 1. Whence doth our call and comming to Christ arise but from Gods immoveable and unchangeable purpose the Lord therefore must either alter his purpose or prevail with the soule to beleeve and over-power the heart thereunto 2. Is not Christ Jesus bound by office promise to his Father to bring in all his lost scattered sheep that so the Father and he may be glorified in them Iohn 10.16 Other sheep I have those I must bring home and they shall heare my voice You that complaine you cannot beleeve nay that you have no heart to beleeve the Lord must fetch you in and you shall heare the Bride-groomes voice with joy 3. Is not the act of beleeving wrought by a creating power Eph. 1.9 Eph. 2.10 Esay 57.18 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is near and a far off and is not a creating voice irresistible though there be nothing for it to work upon so though you have no ability heart head or strength to beleeve yet the Lord will create the fruit of the lips of Gods messengers Peace Peace 4. Doth not the Lord let in that infinite and surpassing sweetnesse of grace when he works the soule to beleeve standing in extreame need of that grace that it cannot but come and cleave to it Psal. 63.2 3. I long to see thee saith David for thy loving kindnesse is better then life is it possible for a man not to cleave to his life much more to that which is better then life the light is so cleare it cannot but see and wonder at grace the good is so sweet it cannot but tast and accept what God so freely offers and therefore the poor Canaanitish woman Mat. 15. could not be driven away though Christ bid her in a manner be gone but she made all the objections against her arguments for her as usually faith doth when under this stroake of the Spirit The violent take the Kingdome of heaven by force the Spirit puts a necessity upon them and irresistibly overpowers them and this is the cause
of it And is not this matter of great consolation to all those who feele themselves utterly unable to beleeve you think the Lord would give peace and pardon life and mercy if I could beleeve oh consider the Lord hath undertaken in the Covenant of Grace to worke in all his the condition of the Covenant as well as to convey the good of it Ier. 31.31 32 33 34. He hath done this for others by an irresistible power Heb. 12.1 2. Look up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith he came out of his Fathers bosome not onely to give life by his death but to enable his to eat and close with him by Faith that they might never dye Iohn 6.50 so that the Lord may work it in thee it is true also he may not yet it is unspeakable comfort to consider that if the Lord had put it over unto thee to beleeve it is certaine thou shouldst never have beleeved but now the work is put into the hand of Christ that which is impossible to thee is possible nay easie with him hee can comprehend thee when thou canst not apprehend him this is exceeding sweet when thy body is sick and soule is deserted incredible things to be beleeved are propounded an impossible work to thy weaknesse urged upon paine of Gods sorest and most unappeasable wrath to consider it is not in me but in the Lords owne hand and it is his office his glory to work faith and as the Apostle speakes to shew mercy unto them that are shut up not onely under sinne but also unbeleefe Rom. 11.32 But why hath the Lord made thee feele thy inability to beleeve truly the end of our wants is not to make us sin and shift for our selves but to aske and seek for supply and the end of the continuance of those wants is that we should continue to aske and seek And dost thou thinke thou shalt seek to the Lord by his owne hand to create faith and fetch thee in and will not the Lord take his time to work it He that beleeves saith the Apostle Rom. 10.11 shall not bee ashamed why so because the Lord saith he who is over all is rich unto all that call upon him verse 12. If thou hast not a heart shut up from asking of it the Lord who hath power hath not a heart shut up towards thee from working it But withall be thankfull exceedingly all you whose hearts the Lord hath drawne and overcome he came to his owne people the Jewes and would oft have gathered them but they would not and therefore he forsook them and left their habitations desolate oh how oft would the Lord have gathered you and you would not yet the Lord hath not forsaken you but called you in whether you would or no the Lord hath taken many a man at his first word and left him at the first repulse shaken off the dust of his feet against him presently Mat. 10.14 without any more intreaties to accept of him yet though thou hast not only refused but even crucified the Sonne of God yet hee hath not been driven from thee but his bowels have been oft kindled together when he hath been ready to give thee up when thou hast been under the hedges and in the high-wayes that lead to death didst never think of him nor didst desire him yet hee hath compelled thee to come in hee hath made thee feel suâ—h an extream need of him and made himselfe so exceeding sweet that thou hast not been able to resist his love but to cry out Lord thou hast overcome me with mercy I am not able to resist any more nay which is more wonderfull when thou hast been gathered and gone from him and lost thy selfe and him also againe and it may be hast bin offended at him yet he hath gone before thee into Galilee and gathered thee up when thou hast been as water spilt upon the ground what should be the cause of this but only this the work of faith lies upon him both to begin and finish he must gather in all his lost sheep and therefore hee hath put forth an irresistible power of his Spirit upon thy heart which must carry thee captive after him I am afraid my faith hath been rather presumption a work of my owne power then faith wrought by the Spirits power how may I discerne that If you are wrapt up in Gods Covenant if any promise be actually yours it is no presumption to take possession by faith of what is your owne dost thou seriously will Christ and resolve never to give the Lord rest untill he give thee rest in him then see Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the water of life Dost thou thirst after Christ then read Esay 55.1 〈…〉 Iohn 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink When Christ saw their faith Mat. 9.1 2. what said he Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven the word signifies be confident It is no presumption to beleeve pardon of sinnes now thou art come unto me not onely for the healing of thy body but especially for pardon of sinne It is the great sin of many Saints when they doe thirst and beleeve and come to Christ and so are under the promise of grace yet they think it presumption now to believe and take possession of all those treasures that be in Christ but look that the Lord should first make them feele and then they will beleeve whereas faith should now receive and drinke in abundantly of the fulnesse of Christ shall it be accounted presumption for any man to eat his owne bread and drink his owne drink and put on his owne cloathes the promise makes Christ and all his benefits your owne therefore it is no presumption to apply them Suppose you cannot find your selfe within any promise and you see no reason to beleeve onely you have the Lords call and command to beleeve doe you now in conscience and obedience to this command or to Gods invitation and intreaty in the Gospell beleeve because thou â—â—rest not dishonour God by refusing his 〈◊〉 thou dost therefore accept oâ— it this is no presumption unlesse obedience be presumption nay the most acceptable obedience which is the obedience of Faith Iohn 6.38 For what was the ground on which those 3000 beleeved Acts 2.38 39. c. Peter said Repent that you may receive remission of sinnes now what followes they that gladly received the word were baptized Oh that word repent i. e. as Beza expounds it return to God and come in was a most sweet word to them and therefore they received it this was no presumption either for Peter to exhort them to repent or for them to take the Lord as that godly man said at his first word I know there is a subjection to the Gospell arising only from slavish fear and carnall hopes Psal. 66.3 Psal. 18.44 this may bee in presumptuous reprobates but