displayed by these tumults c. 2. It checketh fear 't is all in the hands of a good God as God tryeth you to see what you will do so you must wait upon God to see what he will do let him alone in and by all he will bring forth his work in due time 3. It sheweth their wickedness that take occasion to turn Atheists from the multitude or errours when the Church is rent into so many factions men foolish as if there were no God and the whole Gospel were but an imposture and well devised Fable that 's the reason why Christ prayeth John 17 Let them be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me i. e. that they might not suspect me for an imposture usually we find that thoughts of Atheism are wont to haunt us upon these occasions but there is little reason for it for all these things are fore-known by God fâ—re-told by God They must be 1 Cor. 11. 19. Mat. 24. 6. And never is there so much of God and of the Beauty of Truth discovered as when errours abound so that if there were not errours there would be more cause of suspition where all things run with a smooth and full consent and were never questioned then the strength and worth of them is not tryed But the words of the Lord are pure words as Silver tryed in a Furnace of earth purified seven times thou shalt keep them O Lord thou shalt preserve them from this generation Psal 12. 6. 7. 4. 'T is a ground of Prayer in times of delusion Lord this was ordained by thee in wisdome let us discern the glory in it and by it more and more the Church argueth that there was not onely Pilates malice and Herods malice but Gods hand and Counsel in the crucifixion of Christ Acts 4. 28. to do whatsoever thy Hand and Counsel determined before to be done Lord we know there is thy Counsel in it and thy Counsel still tendeth to good c. God loveth to be owned in every Providence and to be intreated to fulfil his own Decrees 5. It informeth us what a foolish madness it is to think that God seeth not the sin which we secretly commit surely he seeth it for he foresaw it before it was committed Yea from all Eternity So much for the first Point the next is That from all Eternity some were decreed by their sins to come unto judgement or condemnation Because this is one of the Texts which Divines bring to prove the general Doctrine of Reprobation I shall here take occasion 1. To open this Doctrine 2. To prove it 3. To vindicate it 4. To apply it In the First you will understand the Nature In the Second the Reasons In the Third the Righteousness In the Fourth the profit of this Decree 1. I shall open the Nature of it in several propositions 1. 'T is an Eternal Decree Gods Internal Acts are the same with his Essence and therefore before all time as beleevers are Elected before all worlds Eph. 1. 4. so are sinners reprobated they are both in time and order before ever the creature was Rom. 9. 11. Before the Creatures had done either good or evil it was said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Election and Reprobation are not a thing of yesterday and subsequent to the Acts of the creature but from all Eternity 2. There is a Decree and preordination not onely a naked fore-sight of those that perish Some Lutherans say that Praedestination is proper onely to the Elect but as to the Reprobate there is onely a praescience or naked foreknowledge no Preordination least they should make God the Author of the creatures sin and ruin but these men fear where no fear is the Scriptures shew that the greatest evil that ever was did not onely fall under the Fore-knowledge but determinate Counsel of God Acts 2. 23. 't was not onely fore-known but unchangeably ordained and determined 3. This Decree of God is founded in his own good will and pleasure for there being nothing higher and greater then God 't is a great errour to suppose a cause of his will either before it above it or without it Gods actions do all begin in himself and his Will is the supream Reason Mat. 11. 26 Even so Father because it seemed good in thy sight Jesus Christ would give no other reason why the Gospel was hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed unto Babes we are often disputing why of two men that are equal in misery the one should be taken the other left why the Lord will shew mercy to some that are no less unworthy then others but when we have all done we must meerly rest in the Will and good Pleasure of God Even so Father c. See Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth 't is not from the fore-sight of our wills receiving or rejecting grace proposed for then mans will would be made a superiour cause to an act in God 4. In this matter of Reprobation Preterition and Praedamnation must be carefully distinguished look as in Election God hath declared to bestow first grace and then glory to the Decree of giving grace preterition is opposed to the Decree of giving glory â—rdination unto judgement now Gods Preterition or passing by is meerly and barely from the good pleasure of God But Praedamnation presupposeth consideration of the creatures sin both these parts of the Decree are clearly set down in the word Preterition or passing by Rev. 17. 8. Whose names were not written in the Book â—f life from the foundation of the world so again Rev. 13. 11. In other places you have Predamnation expressed as 1 â—hes 5. 8. appointed unto wrath and here ordained to this judgement 5. Those who are passed by or not written in Gods Book never attain to saving grace 't is not given to them Mat. 13 11. To them it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom but to you it is not given Yea it is said to be hidden from them Mat. 11. 26. they may have common gifts or be under such a common work of the Spirit as leaveth them without excuse but because the Lord hath passed them by effectual grace is not given to them without which they cannot beleeve and be saved John 10. 26. Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my sheep that is not elected of my Father saving grace runneth in the Channel of Election so Acts 13. 48. as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Gods special gifts are dispensed according to his Decrees 6. Men being left of God and destitute of saving grace freely and of their own accord fall into such sins as render them obnoxious to the just wrath and vengeance of God Rom. 11. 7. The Election hath obtained and the rest were hardened freely and of their own accord they turned all things to their own judgement
had so much means Mark 6. 8. and another time at the faith of the Centurion a stranger Mat. 8. 10. who had so little means 't is a thing to be marvelled at that a people should have so much means and profit but little Wonder is a thing that proceedeth from ignorance and Christ though not ignorant yet would express all humane affections and the rather that we might look upon it as a strange and uncomly thing not to believe after so many helps vouchsafed to us 3 The more experiences comforts evidences and manifestations of God's power and presence we have had the greatâ—r the unbelief This was that which provoked the Lord against Israel to destroy them in the Wilderness Numb 14. 11. How long will it be ere ye believe in me for all the words that I have shewed God traineth up his people by experience that they may know what he can or will do for them and therefore by every experience we should grow up into a greater courage and strength of faith and as David draw inferences of hope against the present danger from the Lyon and the Bear 1 Sam. 17. 36. or as Paul he hath and doth and therefore will 2 Cor. 1. 10. otherwise these experiences are given in vain Christ was angry with his Disciples for not remembâ—ing the miracle of the loaves Matth. 16. 9. when they were in a liâ—e straâ—t again when we shew a child a letter here and the same letter again in another word and the same again in a third if he should be to seek when we shew him again the same letter in the next word we are angry and think our teaching lost So when God giveth an evidence of his power and care in this strait and in a condescention to our weakness giveth us a like evidence again and in a third strait he teacheth us how to read and apply a promise and yet upon the next difficulty we are to seek again God is angry with us because his condescentions are lost and in this sense God is more angry with the unbelief of his children then of others because they have more experiences and are so ready to distrust him that never failed them 4. The more deliberate our unbelief is the worse in times of inconsiderate passion and in a fit of temptation it may break out from God's children David when he spake in haste was fain to eat his words Psal 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are lyars Samuel and all who had told him of the Kingdom I shall never live to see the promise fulfilled so Psal 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cut off nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my Supplications in a fit discontent may break out but 't is presently opposed and checked but when it groweth into a setled distâ—mper then 't is worse as that in Psal 73. was a more lasting temptation therefore David calleth himself Beâ—st vers 22. for his foolish and brutish thoughts of providence 5. Where unbelief is expressed and put into words there 't is more hainous Vnbelieving thoughts are a great evil but when they break out into murmurings and bold expostulaâ—ions with or against God then they are worse 't is better to keep the temptation within doors that if the fire be kindled the sparks may not fly abroad to enkindle others you grieve God by your thoughts but you dishonour and disparage him when they break out into words Mal. 3. 13. Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord 'T is a greater daring to avow openly and publish our suspicions of God â—nd discontents against him Deut. 1. 34. The â—ord heard he voice of your words and was wroth saying not one of these shall enter my rest Others may be perverted and make ill use of our infirmities 6. Where there are professions to the contrary there the unbelief is the worse After these things do the Gentiles seek Matth. 6. 32. Christians are not only instructed to do better but profess to do otherwise Distrust is a Pagan sin you are acquainted with a particular providence with an heavenly father with the happiness of another world and for you to be worldly distrustful to make it your business what you shall eat and drink that 's a most unworthy thing for a professed Infidel that believeth not eternity that never heard of God's fatherly care nor of heaven or hell to be altogether in the world this were no such marvel but for you that profess to believe the Gospel to have your hearts fail and sink upon every occasion and to be under the tyrannie of distracting cares how sad is it Thus much for the hainousness of Vnbelief which I was willing to represent thus at large that you might see what just reason there was that God should destroy those in the wilderness that believed not The next thing thing is to open the nature of it I shall here give 1. The kinds 2. The Notes whereby this sin may be discovered For the kinds of it Unbelief is two-fold Negative Positive 1. Negative Vnbelief is found in those to whom the sound of the Gospel never came or to whom God hath denyed the means whereby faith might be wrought in them the want of means is not their sin but their punishment or misery at least and therefore they are not condemned so much for want of Faith in Christ as for not obeying the Law of Nature for sinning against that knowledge which they received in Adam now they never received the light of the Gospel in Adam neither had Adam the knowledge thereof revealed to him but by special grace after the fall when he stood in the quality of a private person then was the promise of the Womans seed revealed to him therefore they that never heard of Christ are not condemned simply for not believing in him â— for their sins against the law they are condemned not for their unbelief against the Gospel that 's the reason why Christ when he had said John 3. 18. Every one that believeth not is condemned already presently addeth by way of explication This is the condemnation that light is come into the world c. as restraining it to positive Infidelity though without Christ they can never be saved yet God will not damn them for this reason for not believing in Christ for he never gave them the means of the knowledge of Christ 2. Positive Vnbelief which is found in them that have means to believe in Christ and yet neglect and refuse him and the offers of grace and life in him and so continue in the state of nature This is two-fold 1. Total 2. Partial 1. Total unbelief in those that continue professed Infidels after the tenders of the Gospel as the Word where it came found different success as at Antioch Acts 13. 48. at Iconium Acts 14. 1 2. at Athens Acts 17. 34. many refused to make any profession 2. Partial When men are
and included in the general promise and precept and are accordingly affected then are we saâ—d to believe in Psal 27. 8. the injunction is plural seek ye my face but the answer is singular thy face Lord will I seek thus must all truths be applied and that in their method and order for there is an Analogy and proportion between them as the Doctrine of mans misery that I may consider this is my case and having a feeling of it may groan for deliverance the Doctrine of redemption by Christ that we may put in for a share and assure our own interest the Doctrine of the thankfull life that we may deny our selves take up our crosse and follow Christ in the obedience of all his Precepts The first Doctrine must be made the ground of complaint the second of comfort â—nd hope the third of resolution and practise But when we suffer these truths to hover in the brain without application or hear them onely as children learn them by rote never thus reflecting What am I What have I done What will become of me c unbelief remaineth undisturbed 7. By Apostacy or falling off from God the great businesse of faith is by patient continuance in well-doing to look for glory honour and immortality Rom. 2. 8. but now to tire and grow weary or to fall off from God as not worthy the waiting upon argueth the heighth and reign of unbelief what ever faith we pretended unto for a flash and pang 8. Desperation when conviction groweth to an heighth and legal bondage gets the Victory of carnal pleasure Gen. 4. 13. My sin is greater c. and Jer. 18. 12. Thâ—re is no hope c. when men think 't is in vain to trouble themselves their damnation is fixed and therefore resolve to go to hell as fast as they can such desperate wickednesse may there be in the heart of a man 2. Unbelief in part broken and so it implyeth the remainders of this natural evil in the Godly in whom though faith be begun yet it is mixed with much weaknesse Mar. 9. 24. Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef this unbelief is manifested 1. By a loathness to apply the comforts of the Gospel 't is the hardest matter in the World to bring God and the soul together or to be at rest in Christ when we are truly sensible we draw back depart from me saith Peter for I am a sinfull man and he should rather say draw â—igh to me the poor trembling sinner thinketh so much of the judge that he forgets the father though the soul longeth for Christ above all things yet it is loath to take him for comfort and reconciliation but floateth up and down in a suspensive hesitancy 2. By calling Gods love into question upon every affliction and in an hour of temptation unravelling all our hopes see Psal 77 7 8 9 10. If the Lord were the God of the Mountains and not of the Valleys we are wont to say if God did love us why is this befallen us those are fits of the old distemper Christ when crucified would not let go his interest but crieth out My God My God 3. By fears in a time of danger carnal fears such 〈…〉 do perplex us when we are imployed in Christs work and â—ervice as the Disciples that were imbarked with him were afraid to perish in his company Why are ye so fearful O ye of little faith Matth. 8. 26. filial fear or reverence of God is the daughter of faith as distrustfull fear is the enemy of it trouble is the touch-stone of faith if we cannot commit our selves to God in quietnesse of heart it argueth weaknesse God hath undertaken to bring his people out of every streight in a way most conducing to his glory and their welfare Rom. 8. 28. and therefore when the word yeeldeth up no support Psalm 119. 50. and the promises of God cannot keep us from sinking and despondency of heart we bewray our unbelief 4. By Murmurings in case of carnal disappointment discontent argueth unbelief they quarrel with Gods Providences because they believe not his promises Psal 106. 24. They believed not his Word but murmured in their Tents 't is ill and they cannot see how it can be better So Deut. 1. 32. with 34. in this you believed not the Lord your God 5. By carking in case of streights bodily wants are more pressing then spiritual here faith is put to a present tryal and therefore here we bewray our selves Matth. 6. 30. Shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith he doth not say of no faith for the temptation is incident to a Godly man they do oftener bewray their unbelief in distrusting God about outward supplies then about eternal life which yet I confesse is very irrational for if a man cannot trust God with his estate how shall he trust him with his soul and to a considerate person there are far more prejudices against eternal life than against temporal supplies look as it was a folly in Martha to believe that Lazarus should rise at the general resurrection and to distrust his being raised from the dead after four days lying in the Grave John 11. 24. so 't is a great folly to pretend to expect life eternal and not to be able to depend upon God for the supplies of life temporal 6. By coldness and carelesnesse in the spiritual life if men did beleeve that heaven were such an excellent place they would not so easily turn aside to the contentments of the flesh and the profits of the world men have but a conjectural apprehension of things to come of the comforts of another World as things at a distance sometimes we see them and sometimes we lose their sight so that we are not certain whether we see them yea or no so it falleth out in heavenly matters we are poor short sighted creatures 2 Pet. 1. 9. sometimes we have a glimpse of the glory of the World to come some flashes and again the mind is beclouded and that 's the reason why we mind these things so little and seek after them so little a steady view and sound belief would ingage us to more earnestnesse they that beleeve the high price of our calling will presse on to the mark Phil. 3. 14. surely men do not believe that heaven is worth the looking after otherwise they would seek it more diligently Heb. 6. 14. a poor beast that is going homeward goeth chearfully 8. Indirect courses to get a living and subsistance in the World as if God were not All-sufficient Gen. 17. 1. to break through where God hath made up the hedge argueth that we do not depend upon him as by temporising or by unjust gain This for a fit and in some distemper may be incident to Gods Children 3. The last thing in the method proposed is the cure of unbelief God by his mighty power can onely cure it Eph. 1. 19. but the means
17 18 19. Well then this life is never exempted from care either to get grace or to keep it we need to be watchful and diligent to the very last man is a changeable creature and Sathan is restless either he continueth the old suite or altereth the course of temptations 't is his subtilety in that he doth not always play the same game a man may stand one brunt and fail in another Joab turned after Adonijah though not after Absolon 1 Kings 2. 28. every new condition bringeth new snares Ephraim is a cake not turned Hosea 7. 8. A man may be well baked of one side and yet quite dough of another the children of God prosperous differ from the children of God afflicted Phil. 4. 12. we had need to learn how to walk up hill and down hill that we may keep with God upon all grounds again corruptions may be disguised a man may withstand open enemies and yet fail by the insinuations of those that have a shew of goodness the young Prophet withstood the King stoutly but yet was perverted by the insinuations of the old Prophet 1 Kings 13. 4. with nineteenth verse Meletius a Sufferer under Pagans but went over to the Arrians Again where there seemeth to be least danger there is most cause of fear Lot that was chast in Sodom miscarried in the mountains where there were none but his own family Conscience that is now tender may be strangely deaded and layed by for a time Who would have thought that he whose heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment should afterward fall into uncleanness and blood and lye asleep in it for a long time Confidence is sure to be dismounted Peter is a sad instance he told his Master if all men deny thee yet not I and he meant as he spoke he ventureth on a band of men with a rusty blade followeth Christ into the high Priests Hall who more secure than Peter but all this confidence failed though it met but with a weak tryal the soft words of a Damsels question such feathers are we when the bâ—ast of a temptation is let loose upon us Upon all these considerations now let us make it our care to keep what graces we have gotten which will never be done without watchfulness and diligence to quicken you further to it 1. Unless you keep it all is in vain if so be it be in vain Gal. 3. 4. 't is in vain as to the final reward 't is not in vain as to the increase of punishment you will lose all your cost you have been at for Christ Ezek 18. 24. John 2. â—p 8. your watchings strivings prayings sufferings come to nothing the Nazarite was to begin all anew if the dayes of his separation were defiled Numb 6. 12. nay 't is not in vain as to punishment 2 Pet. 2. 20. 21 22. 2. To lose any degrees of grace is a great loss 't is the most precious gift 2 Pet. 1. 1. conduceth to the highest ends eternal happiness fitteth us for communion with God all the world cannot repair this loss or purchase a supply for us we are to be accountable for degrees as well as for the grace it self they that had five talents reckoned for five a Factor that giveth an account only for a part of the estate received is not accounted faithful we may not be intrusted with so much again a man that hath faln may recover his peace and joy but in a lower degree a Prodigal that hath once broken is not trusted with a like stock again a man after a great disease may never come to the same degree and pitch of health so Christians may not recover that largeness of Spirit after their foul falls and fulness of inward strength and comfort 3. Those that have made profession of Love to God and yet afterwards break with him bring an ill report upon the Lord as if he were an ill Master I am perswaded that the Divel in policy lets many men alone for a while to make a strict profession and seem to be full of zeal and holiness that they may afterwards do Religion a mischief whilest they act for God though they do some things excellently Sathan never troubleth them he is at truce with them till they have gotten a name for the profession of Godliness and strictness of conversation and when once they have gotten a name their fall will be more scandalous more ignominious to themselves and disgraceful to Religion verily this is a common experience we see many forward hot and carried out with great impulsions of zeal and all this while Sathan lets them alone he knoweth how mutable men are and how soon they begin to tire in the ways of God therefore lets them alone till they have run themselves out of breath that afterward by a more notable defection they may shame themselves and harden others If Judas will be a Disciple he lets him alone if Simon Magus will be baptized and Nicholas bear Office in the Church he lets them alone he knoweth the best are mutable that many take up their Religion out of interest that men are soon weary of their own scrupulousness and rigid observances that they first make Conscience of all things and then of nothing and therefore he lets them go on without any notable defect or failing to fly some youthful lusts to renounce some interests till they have gotten credit enough to discredit Religion see 2 Tim. 2. 18. Oh Christians if you are not moved with respect to God yet for your own cause after a blaze will you go one in a stench an house begun and not finished is an habitation for screech Owls but on the contrary what an honour is it to hold out to the last to be like MNason an old Disciple 4. The worst is past we have but a few years service more and we shall be happy for ever Your salvation is neerer then it was when you first beleeved Rom. 13. 11. a little more and you will land safe at the expected Haven if we have a rough passage 't is a short one What will you not watch with me one hour saith Christ to his Apostles the longest life is no more in comparison of eternity Enoch lived longer then most men do he lived 365. years Gen. 5. 22. but all that while he walked with God and is it so tedious to us co tell ouer a few summers and winters before we come to Heaven The next Point is more particular and express That of all graces Love needeth keeping Why 1. Because of all graces 't is most decaying Mat. 24. 12. Rev. 2. 4. Flame is soon spent graces that act most strongly require most influence as being most subject to abatemenâ— we sooner loose our affections then any thing else 2. Because love is a grace that we can ill spare 'tis the spring and rise of all duties to God Man 1. To God love is the first
great judgements if great sins come between as after their deliverance out of Aegypt they were destroyed for Vnbelief This may be proved from Christ's advice to the man cured on the Sabbath dâ—y John 5. 14. Thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thâ—e There is the mercy the duty thence inferred and the judgmâ—nt that doth avenge the quarrel of the abused mercy Often it cometh to pass that many mens preservation is but a reservation to a worse thing to a greater judgement So see Joshua 24. 20. He will turn again and do you hurt after he hath done you good So Isa 63. 10. He bâ—re them in the arms of his Providence but they rebelled and vexed his spirit and he was turned to be their enemy None usually have greater judgements then such as formerly have had sweet experience of mercy Why There is no hatred so great as that which ariseth out of the corruption of love Disappointed love abused love groweth outragious When Amnon hated Tamar 't is said The hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love where with he loved her As 't is thus with men such a proportionable severity we may observe in the Dispensations of God after a taste of his mercies Joshua 23. 15. It shall come to pass as all good things are come upon you which the Lord your God promised you so the Lord shall bring all evil things upon you until he hath destroyed you when ye have transgressed the Covenant of the Lord your God No evils like those evils which come after mercy No sins are so great as those sins which are committed against mercies there is not only filthiness in them but unkindness Psal 106. 7. They provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea Mark 't is ingeminated for the more vehemency that at the Sea even at the red Sea where they had seen the miracles of the Lord and had experirience of his glorious deliverance that there they durst break out against God See the contrary in Judges 2. 7. Certainly the more restraints the greater the offence when we sin not only against the laws of God but the loves of God c. Well then 1 It informeth us that there may be danger after deliverance there are strange changes in providence Man in his best estate is altogether vanity Psal 39. When you are at your best as the Sun at the highest there may be a Declension 2. 'T is a warning to those that enjoy mercies Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto you The next judgement will be more violent There are some special sins which you should beware of even those which testifie our unthankfulness after the receipt of mercies As 1. Forgetting the vows of our Misery Jacob voweth Gen. 28. 22. but he forgets his vow and what followed Horrible disorders and confusions in his Family Dinah deflowred Reuben goeth into his Fathers Bed a murder committed upon the Sichemites under a pretence of Religion and then Jacob remembreth his Vow We promise much when we want deliverance and when we have it God is neglected but he will not put it up so by sad and disastrous accidents he puts us in mind of our old promises 2. When you kiss your own hand bless your dragge ascribe it to your merit and power Habb 1. 16. Deut. 9. 4. for these things are our mercies blasted 3. When we grow proud self confident If you were never so high God will bring you low enough 't is a great skill to know how to abound She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully Lam. 1. 4. when we forget the changes and mutations to which all outward things are obnoxious God will give us an experience of them 4. When you continue in your sins the judgement is but gone cum animo revertendi to come again in a worse manner See Psal 106. 43. 2. The next observation is taken from the cause of their destruction intimated in those words that believed not Many were the peoples sins in the wilderness murmuring fornication rebellion c. But the Apostle comprehendeth all under this they believed not Vnbelief is charged upon them as the root of all their miscarriages elsewhere as Numb 14. 11. and Deut. 1. 32. Whence observe That unbelief bringeth destruction or is the cause of all the evil which we do or suffer In handling this point I shall open 1. The hainousness of Vnbelief 2. The Nature of it 3. The Cure of it 1. The hainousness of the sin that we will consider in general or more particularly The general considerations are these 1. No sin doth dishonour God so much as unbelief doth 't is an interpretative blasphemy a calling into question of his mercy power justice but especially of his truth 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar You judge him a person not fit to be credited the giving of the lye is accounted the greatest injury and disgrace amongst men for truth is the ground of commerce and humane society So that to say a man is a lyar is as much as to say a man is unfit to keep company with men But especially is this a great injury to God because he standeth more upon his word then upon any other part of his name Psal 138. 2. He hath magnifyed his word above all his Name We have more experience of God in making good his word then in any other thing As faith honoureth God so doth unbelief dishonour him what God doth to the creature that doth faith to God God justifieth sanctifieth glorifieth the creature and faith is said to justifie God Luke 7. 29. To justifie is to acquit from accusation So doth faith acquit Gods truth in the word from all the jealousies which the carnal world and our carnal hearts do cast upon him Faith is said to sanctifie God Numb 20. 12. To sanctifie is to set a part from common use and God is sanctified when we set God aloof above all ordinary and common causes and can believe that he will make good his word when the course of all things seems to contradict it Faith is said to glorifie God Rom. 4. 20. We glorifie him declaratively when we give him all that excellency which the word giveth him Now because unbelief accuseth God limiteth him to the course of second causes and denyeth him his glory therefore is it so hainous and hateful to God 2. 'T is a sin against which God hath declared most of his displeasure Search the Annals surveigh all the monuments of time see if ever God spared an Unbeliever Hence in the wilderness the Apostle saith they were destroyed for Vnbelief Many were their sins in the Wilderness Murmurings Lustings Idolatry but the main reason of their punishment was they believed not look to their final excision and cutting off why was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for unbelief were they broken off Rom. 11.
20. not so much for crucifying the Lord of life the Gospel was tendred to them after Christ was slain 't was for not believing or refusing the Gospel If you will know what company there is in hell that Catalogue will inform you Fearful and Vnbelievers c. Rev. 21. 8. if you look to temporal Judgements that Nobleman was trodden to death for distrusting Gods power 2 Kings 8. 2. and could only see the plenty but not taste of it Nay 't is such a sin as God hath not spared in his own children Moses and Aaron could not enter into the land of promise because of their unbelief Numb 20 12. So Luke â— Zechary was struck dumb for not believing what God had revealed Christ did never chide his Disciples so much for any thing as for their unbelief Luke 24. 25. O ye fools and slow of heart to believe and Why doubt ye O ye of little Faith Matth. 8. 26. he chideth them before he chideth the wind the storm first began in their own hearts 3. 'T is the mother of all sin the first sin was the fruit of unbelief we may plainly observe a â—aultring of assent Gen. 3. 3 4 5. and still 't is the ground of all miscarriages of hardness of heart and Apostasie Heb. 3. 12 13. He that believeth not the judgements and threatnings of the word will not stick to do any evil and he that doth not believe the promises will not be forward to any good All our neglect and coldness in holy duties cometh from the weakness of our faith there is a decay at the 〈…〉 did we believe heaven and things to come we should be more earnest and zealous Many are ashamed of Adultery Theft Murder but not of Vnbelief which is the mother of all these 4. Final Vnbelief is an undoubted evidence of Reprobation See John 10. 26. Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep And Acts 1â— 48. Unbelief is God's prison wherein he keepeth the reprobate world Rom. 11. 32. He hath shut them up under unbelief c. And shall I continue such a black note upon my self I know not how soon God may cut me off and if I die in this estate I am miserable for ever Lord I desire to believe help my unbelief 5. 'T is a sin that depriveth us of much good of the comforts of providence Nothing doth ponere obicem bar and shut out God's operation in order to our relief so much as this sin Mark 6 5. He could do no mighty work c. So John 11. 40. Said I not unto thee if thou would'st believe thou shouldst see the glory of God So also of the comfort of Ordinances Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it So for Prayer James 1. 7 8 9. Nay it barreth heaven gates it excluded Adam out of Paradise the Israelites out of Canaan and us out of the Kingdom of heaven Heb. 3. 17 18. Well then Let us see if we be guilty of this sin Take heed saith the Apostle Heb. 3. 12. lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Vnbelief Many have an unbelieving heart when they least think of it 'T is easie to declaim against it but hard to convince men of it either of the sin or of lying in a state of Vnbelief 't is the Spirit 's work The Spirit shall convince of sin because they believe not in me There are many pretenses by which men excuse themselves some more gross others more subtile Many think that all Insidels are without the pale among Turks and Heathens alas many too many are to be found in the very bosome of the Church The Israelites were God's own people and yet destroyed because they believed not Others think none are unbelievers but those that are given up to the violences and horrors of despair and do grosly reject or refuse the comforts of the Gospel but they are mistaken the wholl word is the object of Faith the commandments and threatnings as well as the promises and carelesness and neglect of the comforts of the Gospel is unbelief as well as doubts and despairing fears Matth. 22. 5. But they made light of it He is the worst unbeliever that scorns and slighteth the tenders of Gods grace in Christ as things wherein he is not concerned Briefly then Men may make a general profession of the name of Christ as the Turks do of Mahomet because 't is the Religion professed there where they are born a man may take up the opinions of a Christian Country and not be a whit better then Turks Jews or Infidels as he is not the taller of stature that walketh in an higher Walk then others do They may understand their Religion and be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them and yet lie under the power of unbelief for all that as many may see Countries in a Map which they never enter into The Divel hath knowledge Jesus I know and Paul I know c. And those that pretend to knowledge without answerable practise do but give themselves the lye 1 John 2. 29. Besides Knowledge there may be assent and yet unbelief still the Divels assent as well as know they believe there is one God James 2. and 't is not a naked and inefficacious assent but such as causeth horrors and tremblings They believe and tremble and they do not only believe that one article that there is one God but other articles also Jesus thou Son of God Art thou come to torment me before my time was the Divel's speech where there is an acknowledging of Christ and him as the Son of God and Judge of the world and increase of their torment at the last day upon his sentence Assent is necessary but not sufficient Laws are not sufficiently owned when they are believed to be the Kings Laws there is somthing to be done as well as believed In the primitive times Assent was more then it is now and yet then an unactive assent was never allowed to pass for faith Confident resting on Christ for salvation if it be not a resting according to the word will not serve the turn there were some that leaned upon the Lord Micah 3. 11. whom he disclaimeth 't is a mistaken Christ they rest upon and upon him by a mistaken Faith 'T is a mistaken Christ for the true Christ is the eternal Son of God that was born of a Virgin and died at Jerusalem Bearing our sins in his Body upon a Tree that we being dead unto sin might be alive unto righteousness 1 Pet 2. 24. the true Christ is one that gave himself for us that he might purifie us to be a peculiar people zealous of good works and is now gone into heaven there to make Intercession for us and will come again from heaven in a glorious manner to take an account of our works Tit. 2. 13 14. But now when men lie