and preach what need men in naturall condition have of Jesus Christ what a wofull condition they are in without him what a readinesse there is in Christ to save them and upon this presse faith doe you think it is not possible that some soule may be startled and run out of it self and rest truly upon Christ and yet not be for the present so well instructed as to give you an account of the Trinity of persons And yet without question it is a truth and a fundamentall truth too Acts 19. v. 2. Paul came to Ephesus and found certain men that were Disciples v. 1. He asks them if they had received the Holy Ghost they ingenuously confest that they were so farre from receiving the gifts of the Holy Ghost that they had not so much as heard whether there was an Holy Ghost or no I know most of expositors construe it of the gifts of the holy Ghost but for my part I cannot subscribe to their opinion but think the latter clause hath more then the former and that there is an emphasis in their answer and so Ioh. 20. v. 9. we find the Disciples of Christ ignorant in the point of Christs Resurrection from the dead and Christ chides his Disciples for their ignorance in this point The Disciples were ignorant concerning the Father Ioh. 14. 8. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Luk. 24. v. 5. The very Apostles were ignorant in the point of Christs Kingdome and rule and dreamt of Christs restoring the temporall Kingdome to Israel Act. 1. v. 6. This is the case of many a poor Christian it may be it cannot read or it hath not lived where there hath been any faithfull powerfull soule-enlightning preaching but when Gods time comes he brings the soule to heare and it doth possibly heare of its poor naturall undone condition and that there is none other name by which the Christian may be saved but onely the Name of Jesus yet this now being the work of Gods Spirit the spirit carries on its own work and creates faith in the soule brings the soule to trust and rely on Iesus Christ There may be divers fundamentall points that the soule all this while hath not heard a word concerning as how many yeare sometimes doth a Minister preach and not directly meddle with the Doctrine of the Trinity c How many weeks and not preach the Doctrine of the Resurrection But here is now the condition of such a Christian after the Spirit of God hath enlightned him and convinced him c. the poor soule that regarded not instruction before now begins perhaps to learn to read pray now he heareth the Word more enquireth concerning God more c. and every day discovers more truth then other to which the soul by nature was blinded then begins Satans work the soule reflects upon it self and begins to say now Wo is me I have my work still to begin I have made my self beleeve I have been a beleever so long and alas I have been a poor blind ignorant wretch blind to the truths of Iesus Christ c. how could I beleeve while I knew so little Yes Christian thou mayest be a Scholler though thou beest but in thy Accidence there are some truths which are the Credenda ad salutem the very foundation upon which salvation standeth Now true faith is not consistent without these I cannot rest upon Christ and Christ onely for salvation and yet not know that there is a Christ nor what this Christ is how proportionate a Saviour for me without question the knowledge of the Doctrine of faith in Iesus Christ the Son of God and the Saviour of man what he is what he hath done what need we have of him what a fulnesse there is in him what a sufficiencie of salvation for every soule that beleeveth c. is so much knowledge as is absolutely necessary and without which no soule can be saved yet this must not be understood without some caution as I shall shew you anon for though it be truth such a blind soule may be enlightned so far as truely to beleeve yet if so it will deny no truth but labour and thirst after the knowledge of every truth A man may be a Grecian and yet not know every word in the Greek tongue no not every Radix Beleevers shall not bee saved by their Book Secondly A Beleever may be ignorant in many circumstanciall points of Religion and yet be a true Beleever this is clear from many examples in Scripture Peter himself did not know he might eat those birds and beasts Acts 11. which to the Iewes were unclean The beleeving Romanes did not know their liberty in point of holy-dayes Rom. 14. and eating of meats first offered to Idolls Gal. 4. which maketh the Apostle take a great deale of paines for setting Rules to strong Christians how to carry themselves in relation to their weak brethren Gal. 5. whose consciences were stumbled at their eating both in the 24. Chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes and also in his Epistle to the Corinthians he harps upon the same string again The Churches of Galatia and Colosse were ignorant about the point of Christian liberty The indulgent Master will not throw away the childs Exercise for want of a Comma Christ rejects not the Christians Faith because it is not fringed with a knowledge in every circumstantiall in Religion I call no truth circumstantiall as by a slighting and neglective terme for it is a beame of God but as comparatively though they be truths to be known embraced loved practised yet they touch not the vitals of salvation as I may say They are not necessary to be known ad esse to make a true beleever Thirdly a Christian may be ignorant in the History of the Bible and yet have true justifying faith Every Scholler is not a Chronologer nor an Historian no more is every beleever I may know what Christ was though I know not what Moses and Aaron were I may know which way Christ took to bring my soule out of darknesse into marvellous light though I do not know which way Moses took to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt I may know there is but one King of Kings though I do not know how many Kings there were of Israel and Iudah The Disciples did not know all the Prophets had spoken Luk. 24. 25. Fourthly a Christian may be a true beleever and yet not know the meaning of many places in Scripture God would never have appointed expounders of the Law if every Christian qua Christian were to have been a generall Commentator That Well is deep and every one hath not a Bucket to draw There are that tell us that â—e Spirit reveales the meaning of Scripture to the beleever and would thence evince that whoso hath the Spirit must needs bee fit to unty every knot and unriddle every mystery of Scripture but every one that hath
in times of apparant danger to rely Ib. Because dangers are obvious to sense The object of faith is out of sight p. 168 Promises where the flesh is concerned where sense failes are harder to be relied on then promises meerly relating to the soule p. 167 168 2. The soule may have more cause to feare Gods fulfilling of promises for this life then it hath or can have to feare the fulfilling of promises for eternall life p. 169 The reason of it p. 169 170 SERM. X. 6. COnsid A Christian may hang tremblingly on the promises and yet truly p. 171 Severall causes of a believers trembling sometimes p. 173 174 c. 1. Cause The deep apprehension of their misery proceeding p. 173 2. Cause The holds that have already deceived the soule p. 174 3. Cause The distance of the promise to sense and the generality of them p. 175 176 4. Cause Desertions p. 177 Whence ariseth trembling in desertion viz. from the sense of sin occasioning this desertion Ib. 2. Cause Why the Believer trembles in desertion is because the very essence of desertions is the withdrawing of the shinings of Gods love which onely can keep the soule from trembling p. 177 178 179 7. Consid Thou mayest truly rely upon Christ and the promises and yet not be able at all times fully and truly to appropriate and peculiarise them to thy selfe p. 180 Severall distinctions of promises and times to be observed for the clearing up the consideration p. 181 182 183 184 2. Distinctions of promises instanced in Temporall Spirituall Absolute Conditionall p. 180 181 1. Temporall promises made to particular Persons and Kingdomes must not be appropriated they are canceld bonds p. 184 2. We may truly appropriate Spirituall promises though we cannot for the present particularly apply temporal bodily promises p. 185 186 What promises are absolute what conditionall p. 181 182 A Distinction of times must be observed there is a difference betwixt the Saints Winter and Summer p. 183 What are the soules Winter and Summer 〈…〉 Ib. The truth of the consideration in certain conclusions 1. Particular promises must not be expected to be peculiarised our name is not in the bonds p. 184 2. At sometimes possibly we may not be able to appropriate temporall promises Ib. Certain such times exprest p. 184 185. 1. A time of extreme want and penury 2. In the darke day of desertion 3. In a misty day of Melancholy 4. In a black day of bodily afflictions 5. It doth not argue a nullity of true faith in spirituall promises not to be able to believe with a speciall faith the promises for this life at any time p. 185 3. Conc. For those that are conditionall promises in darke times the soule may not be able clearly and fully to apply them rest upon them and peculiarly apply them and yet at the same time truly dwell and rest upon them p. 186 4. Conc. In darke times the truly believing soule though it can give no reason for it may not be able to apply the most absolute peculiar promises as its peculiar portion p. 187 This must be cleared by considering what is required for a soule to be able to rest upon any promise as its peculiar portion p. 188 189 SERM. XI A Progresse in the former subject Three things requisite to be found in that soule that peculiariseth any promise so as to say this is my portion p. 189 1. There must be a clear understanding of the promise Ib. 2. A clear understanding of our own condition Ib. 3. A mighty and particular working of God upon the soule Ib. A misunderstanding of the person to whom the promise is made or of the matter of the promise may be a cause of thy non application p. 190 2. Rules for the understanding of the promises in order to our particular application of them p. 192 1. Generall promises are to be particularly applied and particular promises are to be generally applied p. 192 This rule enlarged in 3 branches and opened p. 192 193 2. Rule Whatsoever promises thou findest in the word of God made to any particular Church or People for spirituall and soule mercies we may still apply to the present Church though not the same and any member therof p. 193 3. Things to confirme this 1. God is immutable p. 194 2. The promises were made to them not as such and such people but as Gods people Ib. 3. The promises were made to Christ and the covenant of which they are branches were made to him and his heires p. 195 Many reasons of Master S. Rutherford to prove that the promises and the covenant was originally made to Christ personall not Christ mysticall p. 195 196 Master Rutherfords Distinction of a Covenant and Promises made to Christ some to him alone some part to him and his p. 196 197 What they are in their distinction p. 197 A 3d. rule for the understanding of the promises Conditionall promises require not that we should fulfill the conditions required p. 197 198 199 The 2d thing required to make the soule particularly apply the promises viz. A cleare understanding in the soule of its own condition p. 200 201 The 3d thing required to make the soule particularly apply the promises is a constant wonderfull working of the power of God upon the soule p. 202 This may be sometimes more sometimes lesse p 202 203 SERM. XII CHAP. XII COncerning those weaknesses that may in a gracious soule accompany the bighest act of faith viz. Assurance and how to satisfie the soule that scruples its faith because it cannot be assured at all or if at all yet weakly and inconstantly Severall Conclusions to comfort the soule under troubles of this nature 206 207 208 209 1. Conc. Thou mayest have a true and certain faith and such a one as will richly save thee and yet have no assurance of thy salvation p. 206 Various Opinions concerning Assurance p. 206 207 How farre perswasion comes into justifying faith p. 206 207 208 The 2 former distinctions concerning perswasion repeated and enlarged Ib. Master Burges his 3 Reasons why our sins are not actually and formally pardoned from eternity but onely when we believe p. 209 A fourth reason added to his p. 209 The 4 formerly mentioned conclusions concerning perswasion againe repeated and demonstrated p. 210 211 2. Other Conclusions concerning assurance added and proved p. 211 212 1. That it is false that the Papists say no particular assurance can be procured or ought to be looked after 2. It is as false that Antinomians say that there is no true faith without a fulnesse of perswasion Faith without Assurance may be 1. Saving 2. Strong 3. It may be certain p. 212 213 It is certain in respect of the 1 Object p. 214 2 Event p. 215 2d Concl. Thy assurance may be true though weak and inconstant in degrees p 215 216 What times ordinarily assurance is most strong p. 217 1. Ordinarily it is very high
fathers bosome and endear them to my fathers heart Read his Sermons observe his pains thou wilt finde a willing Saviour not excepting Publicans and Harlots from the Kingdom of God 10. Wouldst thou have more tokens of his will yet Mat. 21. 31. See him dying hanging upon the crosse dropping out his last blood breathing out his last breath stretching out his dying arms to encircle sinners should run into him breathing out the breath of free-grace i◠his very last act upon a theefe that had not an hour to live Who shall dispair who shall say Christ is not willing to save him and not blaspheme eternall love speak truth corrupt heart say thou art not willing to be saved 11. Is not this yet enough Observe him setting Ministers in his Church left thou shouldst not reade and none should tell thee the truth of his eternall love to speak out his good will in thine ears All our errand is nothing but this sinners Christ is willing to save you And as Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Why canst thou not beleeve his will Consider in thy Saviours will there is not onely a latitude for but an eagernesse of thy eternall salvation Why therefore doest thou say my sins are so great that God will not pardon me Beleeve O blaspheme not the God of infinite good-will But thirdly Consider That Gods eye of free-grace hath looked fauourably upon and Christs blood hath washed as filthy and polluted creatures as thou art or canst be Christ hath planted in the wildernesse The shittah tree Esa 41. 19. the mirtle and the oil-tree and hath set in the desert the fir-tree and the box and the pine tree He hath made as bad crab-stocks Esa 51. 13. as thy soul is bring forth pleasant and delitious fruits It is a note of Master Rutherfords That the dew of grace hath ordinarily faln upon the most gracelesse souls Possibly thou mayest see and finde presidents of actuall sinners born as black as the Ethiopian and that have made it their work to colly themselves with the soot of sins as much as thou hast and that have dried in sin with as long customary continuance as thou hast done yet Christ took them and washed them milk-white hast thou been an idolater a persecutor so was Manasses hast thou been unclean so was David hast thou crucified Christ so had they that were converted at Peters Sermon Act. 2. hast thou denied Christ so did Peter himself hast thou been a blasphemer so was Paul yea the chiefest of sinners yet received to mercy hast thou had seven devils so had Mary Magdalen yet purged and dispossest hast thou put off all to the last cast so did the theefe upon the crosse Lo here souls all mire and dirt that nothing could be discerned in them but filth and putrefaction their faces were so mired with sin that nothing of goodnesse could be discovered yet these are now in heaven all purified Saints in whom there is no blemish no spot all crowned spotlesse heirs of glory without the least speck of the ink of sin upon them Hast thou sinned beyond these thinkest thou it is hardly credible but suppose that free-grace hath not so far as thou canst finde any where set a stamp of love upon a soul so actually wicked as thou art before God Yet secondly There is never a Saint this day in glory that was not as seminally and habitually wicked as thou art or canst be And free-grace looked upon him in restraining the corruptions of his heart and preventing him otherwise he had run with thee to the same excesse of riot and wickednesse David was as filthy a wretch when he wallowed and tumbled in his naturall blood as thou art or canst be But to passe on to a fourth consideration which will hang upon a chain with this Fourthly If thou couldst suppose that infinite free-grace never yet did so great a work as to wash and save such a sinfull soul as thine is yet this could not in reason be a just hinderance to thy Faith because the depth of infinite love and free-grace was never yet sounded Though thou couldst truely say God never manifested his power and good will in pardoning such a creature of hell as I am yet what would follow Therefore God cannot pardon me or therefore God will nor pardon me Did ever God do his utmost Christian thousands of thirsty filthy creatures since the world began have been bringing their buckets and diving into the infinite depth of eternall love but did ever any Ethiopian soul dive so low as to bring up a stone from the bottome was ever any sinfull soul that was brought to the streams of free mercy such a capacious bucket that it could not be filled without grating upon the bottome of unfadomable love nay did ever any carry away so much for their own wants that they left the living fountain at a low water Paul brought as large a bucket as any and had as much need of a great measure of free-grace Well he plungeth himself in but doth he dive to the bottome or doth he not almost drowned in that depth of eternall sweetnesse turn head and come up again with his belly and throat and mouth full of living waters from the springs of eternall love Rom. 11. 33. And cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches c. mark how he puts all the children of love upon diving into the depth but puts them out of hope of finding the bottome or top of that height and depth and length and breadth of love Eph. 3. 17 18 19 Eph. 3. 17 18 19. which passeth knowledge It is not so much to thee whom God hath pardoned as whom God will pardon is not the fountain of his love dry are the springs yet running nay can he pardon beyond the measure of his former mercies then how can thy sins be too great to be pardoned were there never such sinners pardoned Esa 43. 18 19. Behold saith God I will do a new thing in the earth I will make a way in the wildernesse and rivers in the desert therefore remember not the former things consider not the things of old not to stint the Lord by them What do you tell me saith God what I have done I can do more then ever I yet did I am not tied to presidents I can make them Fifthly There is as much reason on thy part for Iesus Christ to receive thee though thou beest as thou sayest the worst of sinners as ever there was in Noah Daniel or Job for him to receive them This is Master Rutherfords note Rut. triall of Faith p. 20. What internall cause was there thinkest thou in any spotlesse Saints of glory why Jesus Christ gave them Faith here and hath now crowned them with a crown
do many truths there are that I cannot assent unto and those which I doe assent to sometimes me thinks I do assent to them and sometimes again no and when I am at the best my assent is so misty and dark that I almost assent to I know not what Now I shall shew thee how much weaknesse and doubting in relation to this act of faith may yet be consistent with true justifying saith in thee I shall shew it for thy direction and establishment in these particulars First of all A Christian that is a true beleever may think that he doth not assent unto the Word of God when indeed he doth It is a known maxime in Divinity That faith may be true without sense of faith True Faith is one thing and sense of faith is another and as it is with the other acts of faith so it is with this also As a man may cheat himselfe that he doth assent and consequently truely beleeve though all the world may see that he doth nothing lesse by his irregular walking contrary to his professed assent So it is as true that a Christian may truly assent unto the truth of God though he conceits he doth not assent wee are ordinarily ill Judges of the acts of our mind because they are secret and occult acts which traffique between the soule and Heaven in an invisible way and therefore the truth or falshood of these acts is ordinarily discerned by the outward acts of our body as if I hear a man professing that his soule doth assent and close with that portion of Gods Word 1 Cor. 6. 9. Neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor effeminate persons nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor covetous persons nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God yet at the same time see he lives in them very sinnes he shall pardon me if I do think that he doth not assent and whatsoever his tongue speaks yet his heart doth not close with it as a truth of Jesus Christ So on the contrary if I heare a true Christian complaining that he cannot get his heart to close with the Word of God and what ever the world thinks hee doth not assent to the truth yet if I see this man fearing to sin against God and trembling at the threatning Word of God and walking as even as he can set his feet according to the directive part of Gods Word that as David he makes the Word of God a light unto his feet and a lanthorn unto his paths Let them think what they will they shall give me leave to think that they doe assent unto and close with the Word of God Take a proof of it Ionas 3. v. 5. Ionas there had preached against Nineveh Ion. 3. v. 4. yet 40 dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed v. 5. So the people of Nineveh beleeved God that is gave a full assent and â—redence to the Word of God were perswaded that that which Ionah spake to them in the Name of the Lord was true But how shall we know that the Holy Ghost tells us it was evident by the effects they proclaimed a fast and put on sack-cloth from the greatest of them to the least it was manifest by their actions in relation to this Sermon studying and labouring what they could to pacifie the wrath of God before the 40. dayes were come about that they did verily think it was a word of truth that Ionas spake to them and that they were perswaded and from this assertion of the Holy Ghost we may certainly conclude that when we see men living and acting according to the Word of God and squaring their lives by the compasse of it they do beleeve that is assent unto it as a word of truth whether they will confesse so much or no As when we see a man build houses purchase lands give great portions to his children keep a great house we may conclude he is rich though he goes as if he were not worth a groat and though he will tell you he is not worth a groat The heart is the seat of assent and the throne of faith confession is not essentiall nor sense materiall to it Sense of faith is comfortable but truth and sincere reality of faith is that which is necessary Confession of faith with our lips brings glory to God externally but it is the reality of faith in the heart which brings glory to God internally It is he that doth assent that doth the will of God not he alwayes that saith he doth it or thinks he doth it Mat. 21. 28. We have a parable propounded by Christ to his Disciples it was of a man that had two sonnes and hee came to first and said Son go work to day in my Vineyard he answered and said he would not but yet hee repented and went And he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go Sir and went not whether of the twain saith Christ did the will of his Father They said unto him The first To apply it God sayes unto all men Beleeve and close with and be perswaded of my truth One sayes I do beleeve and assent but his irregular life is such that all the world â—ees he gives his tongue the lye Another sayes Lord I doe not assent to and beleeve it yet he dares not swerve a foot from it Which of these do you think does the will of Christ Surely the latter though he will not say nor think that he doth it but suffers his tongue to give his heart the lye indeed sense and perswasion of faith is that which we ought to strive after to be perswaded that we do close with the truth of Christ but yet many a one doth that which he doth not know he doth the Christian is his own worst Judge and doth and will do more a great deale for God then he will speak of But I hasten to the second Secondly A true beleever may sometimes doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no or indeed may be tempted to do it rather then do it this is that which troubles many a gracious Christian Alas they do not beleeve the Word of God they are troubled with many Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts that they cannot tell what to think whether the Word be the Word of God or onely as Atheists dreame a modell of Scripture drawn by some to keep mens consciences in awe c. and this makes them conclude Tush I cheat my own soule to think I have faith when I question even the principles of Christianity c. and shake the foundation with one shake and yet at the very same time they live close to the rule of it and it hath a strict and severe command over their consciences Now this I say is rather a temptation to doubt of the truth of Gods Word in their soules then a reall and positive doubt The Devill
as a truth and it hath the attest of my heart Now in this regard a Christian cannot be properly and positively said to assent unto any truth of God which he doth not know though it be contained in the Word of Truth to which hee doth fully and firmly assent As for example it was a truth that the beleeving Romanes were not after Christ was come tyed to dayes and meats it was a truth of Gods Word yet it is cleare â—4 Rom. 4 5 6. c that they did not know and were not convinced of this truth and so consequently did not could not assent unto this particular truth though in Gods Word yet it is clear that they were true beleevers and so consequently did assent unto the whole word of truth conjunctim though not to every particular portion and piece of truth contained in that word divisim Phil. 3. 15. there is a further revelation of truth for beleevers If any saith the Apostle be otherwise minded God shall reveale this to him but till that revelation there cannot be expected a full assent onely thus farre The Christian that is the true beleever doth not dissent from any truth in the Word of God but prayes for the increase of knowledge that so his faith also may increase in the closing with the truth and giving full assent unto the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. It may be occasioned through weaknesse Possibly something may be taught from the Word of God which is the Truth of God that I heare and cannot altogether and firmly assent unto and close with for truth As put case it be the baptizing of infants without question it is the truth of God and a truth revealed in his Word that infants ought to be baptized and it is a robbing of the child of its right not to bring it to that holy Sacrament yet through weaknesse some that yet do assent to the Word of God and would gladly close with every portion of truth revealed in it dare not assent to this particular portion of Truth but are grieved for their weaknesse in it and desire to walk up to every portion of truth they know in the word shall wee say their faith is not true in any clearely revealed piece of truth because to this they cannot declare a full assent though even froÌ„ this they do not dissent so as to deny this to be a truth but labour after a more cleare manifestation of it God forbid hee that conceales the Truth in unrighteousnesse indeed cannot bee said to beleeve but he that to some particular portion of truth not absolutely necessary to salvation is a debtor through weaknesse I conceive cannot come alwayes within the censure of an infidell 'T is one thing peremptorily to deny any particular portion of truth and another thing not to subscribe to it and by a present assent not to close with it Fourthly A Christian that is a true beleever may possibly not assent to the true meaning of Scripture yea close with a false meaning in this or that particular place Beleevers judgments are not all of a Last and many a one that doth fully and firmly assent to every tittle of Gods Word doth not cannot alwayes subscribe to the judgement of this or that man or to the ordinarily received opinion of godly men concerning such or such a portion of Scripture Scripture is very deep who can finde it out and though the Holy Ghost hath left some shallowes that the meanest Christian may wade through yet there are also some depths which are past finding out places about which the learned in the world have posed themselves VVe see it an ordinary experience even in the dayes wherein we live such or such an Exposition hath been received almost of all former Writers yet when one of us cometh to examine the grounds of such or such a sense and to weigh the context and compare it with other places of Scripture though we assent to the truth if it be one as wrapt up in some other portions of Scripture yet we cannot assent to it as the truth of that place and yet possibly it may be too that theirs is the truth of it and ours is the errour Every misbeleever is not an unbeleever nay yet further A man may misunderstand some places of Scripture and thereupon hold that to be truth which is not so it be not in the points that are necessary and fundamentall to salvation and yet have true faith and yeeld true assent unto the Word of God Every particular imperfection in a righteous mans life will not argue that a man is an unrighteous man in the generall nor every deviation from truth argue a man an heretick nor every mistake of truth argue that a man doth not assent unto the truth of Gods Word The Disciples did verily beleeve that Christ should have a reall Kingdome upon the face of the earth that should break in pieces all other Kingdomes and consume them utterly Acts 1. 6. as is cleare Acts 1. 6. They asked of him Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel And the mother of Zebedees children was speaking for Courtiers places for her sons which was but a plaine and cleare mistake of that place in the 2 of Daniel 44. yet who durst but say they had true faith 2 Dan. 44. So many in these dayes do clearly beleeve that Christ shall reign personally here upon earth a thousand years with his Saints it is the Millenaries opinion which for my part I do not think it is true and I think that is the opinion of the most and I think it is a cleare mistake of that place Rev. 20. 4. and other places Revel 20. v. 4. yet I would be loth to say that one cannot assent and truly assent to the Word of God that runs upon this mistake surely such an opinion is consistent with true faith indeed if a man doth not fully assent to those truths revealed in Scripture that hold the foundation of faith firm and stedfast then you may suspect the truth of his pretended faith I come to the last Conclusion Fifthly A Christian may truly beleeve and truly and clearly assent unto the truth of God though he cannot in all things give a cleare evidence for his assent This is that which puzleth many a Christian Alas I cannot clearly discern the truth of God in his Word I may think I assent but can I be said to assent to that which I cannot clearly see and comprehend and make out Yes without question there are but very few truths of God which the Christian hath a clear and full sight of and gives a cleare assent unto for a clearnesse of assent must proceed from a clearnesse of knowledge Now a truth may be cleare to a mans soule two wayes 1. To the eye of his Reason 2. To the eye of his Faith There are some truths which are clear even to the naturall man to
seed of Abraham to whom the promise is made Gal. 3. 29. And if ye be Christs that is such as by faith are united to Christ then are yee Abrahams seed and heires according to the Promise And this will be further evident if you consider in the third place That the whole Covenant of which every promise is but a branch or member was made originally and primarily with the Lord Iesus Christ for all beleevers Gal. 3. 6. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made but as of one Gal 3. 6. and to thy seed which is Christ Beza and Piscator and many other Expositors would have that place understood not of Christ personall but of Christ mysticall as if it had not been to be understood that the promise was made betwixt God the Father and the Person of Christ but with the Church which is the mysticall Body of Christ But learned Mr. Rutherford disproves that Exposition and proves that the promise was indeed made with the Person of Christ from the 17. v. for it was made with that Christ Rutherforâ— Triaâ—l of Faith p. 51 52 53 54. 1. In whom the Covenant was confirmed 2. In whom the Nations were blessed 3. In whom we receive the Promise through faith Mr. Rutherfords 〈◊〉 reasons tâ— prove the Covenant and Proses were made to Christ for us v. 14. 4. With that Christ that was made a curse for us v. 13. Which must needs be understood of a personall not a mysticall Christ and it is plain saith he from Heb. 1. 5. compared with Psal 89. 26. I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a sonne And secondly The Covenant made to the fathers and David and his seed is fulfilled to Christ and his seed Act. 13. 34 35. And thirdly he was the second Adam Now as the Covenant of works was made with the first Adam for him and his seed and hee was the publike covenanting person for all his posterity So Christ was the second Adam and the Covenant was made with him for all those that should be his seed 1 Cor. 15. 22. And fourthly All that is required in a Covenant we finde betwixt God and Christ God demanded he should lay downe his life and for it he promiseth that hee should see his seed and God should give him many children Isa 53. 10. Christ consenteth to come and lay down his life and doe his Fathers will Isa 40. 7. Ioh. 20. 8. So that whatsoever promises were made for spirituall and eternall mercies to the Jewish Church or any members of it are still applicable to the Church and Children of God under the New Testament for the Promises were not made to them as Jewes but as Christians though not known under that name which was first given to them at Antioch that is Act. 11. 26 such as were heires of Christ and children of Christ for the Promise was made originally to Christ to him and to his heires that is those which should beleeve in his Name so that the promises have made so farre an influence upon us as Christ hath and they had no other upon the Iewes But yet for the true understanding of the promises it must further be understood that there were some promises only made to the Person of Christ and not to descend to his children as that Phil. 2. 9 10 11. and Heb. 1. 5. 13. and Is 53. 10. Psal 110. 2. Ps 2 8 9. There are other promises which are made To him and his even as there is a difference in bonds some run onely to the person of the man others run to him his heires executors administrators or assignes And first saith Mr. Rutherford I will be thy God The Mother-Promise is made to him Psal 89. 26. Ioh. 20. 17. and to his people too Ier. 32. 38. Zach. 13. 9. And speciall promises secondly are made first to him and then in proportion to us as grace to him is promised and in proportion to us Ier. 32. 39. Eze. 36. 26. 27. Ioh. 1. 16. 2. Iustification is promised to him not personall but of his cause as Mr. Rutherford distinguishes Isa 50. 8. and justification of our persons to us Ephes 1. 7. Ier. 1. 32 33. 3. Victory and dominion is promised to him Psal 110. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 25. and to us Ioh. 16. 11. 14. 30. 4 The kingdome and glory is promised to him Phil. â— 9 10. and to us Luk. 12. 32. Ioh. 17. 24. 5. For his resurrection after three dayes Psal 6. 10 11 to us after a longer time Ioh. 11. 266. â—8 39. For these things more fully I shall referre you to Mr. Rutherfords tryal and triumph of faith p. 54 55. so that you see clearly that whatsoever promises were made to the Jewes either to the Church or to the persons of the beleeving Iewes are to be applyed to us because they were primarily and originally made with Christ to whom we have as great a title and in whom we have as great a share as they have And that is the second rule to help you for the cleare understanding of the Promises I will adde but one more which together with these will meet with all mistakes which in my little experience I have met with in troubled spirits concerning the understanding of the Promises Thirdly that is this though some promises are conditionall yet none require of us a fulfilling of the conditions by our owne strength This is that which troubles many poor soules and is a great baâ—e to their faith and staves them off from applying of the Promises O but I cannot fulfill the conditions of the Promise I cannot be heavy laden and weary I cannot hunger and thirst c. I told you before what promises were ordinarily proposed conditionally in Scripture viz. Promises of second mercies in order to our salvation as the promises of justification Isa 55. 1 2. ease peace which follow after vocation Rom. 8. 30. Mat 11. 29 Ho every one that thirsteth c. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Matth. 5. v. 6. Now here doth many a poor soule stand Alas saith a poor Christistian I perish I perish We say to the soule in such a complaint Heark what Christ sayes Come unto mee all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 29. And againe Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come yee buy and eate c. Incline your eare and come unto mee heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 55. 1 3. And againe Isa 1. 16 â—7 â—8 Wash you make you cleane put away the evil of your doings before mine eyes cease to do evil learne to do well Come now and let us reason together though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though