himself Exod. 2.11 with Acts 7.35 Moses whom they refused saying who made thee a ruler and a judge The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer He supposed his Brethren would have understood that by his hand God would deliver them But afterward having found the work so hard he could not hope to do it though God expresly set him about it and gave him his Commission for it Exod. 3.10 11. Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayst bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt And Moses said unto God Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt Yea when he had now had some experience of the power and presence of God with him in the undertaking yet he speaks as despairing of bringing it to any effect because he found so much difficulty in it Exod. 5.22 23. Moses returned unto the Lord and said Why is it that thou hast sent me for since I came to Pharoah to speak in thy name he has done evil to this people Neither hast thou delivered thy people at all So Christians newly converted make almost nothing of resolving if God will pardon them and speak peace to them to do all that they shall know to be duty and breaking off from all Sin for ever after But in process of time they find Sin so mighty in them that they think they shall never do any thing to purpose in that work of Godliness So they find themselves utterly unable for obedience and holy walking in their own strength This is the first Experiment tending to this dependance on the power of Grace in Chrst 2dly They find that there is a presence of God sometimes with them helping them against all weakness to perform their duty with much ease and pleasure so they are marvellously encouraged in trusting God Enlivened in seeking of him animated in speaking and acting for him and made free and chearful in submitting to his Providence insomuch that they cannot but wonder at themselves that they should be so transported beyond their ordinary bounds of weakness heaviness and indisposition as Hab. 3.19 The Lord God is my strength he maketh my feet like hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon high places And on this occasion they many times err thinking that it will continue always so with them as they have found it 3dly They find that this assistance usually comes in most when they are most sensible of their own weakness and despairing of themselves 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then am I strong The like you shall see in the 94th Psalm 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up That is very notable and observable to this purpose Judges 6.14 The Angel bids Gideon go forth in this thy might why what was his might He being humble in the sense of his weakness God would be with him 4thly They find that the more earnestly they look to God for his help the more sensibly he is pleased to relieve and succour them with it as David said in the 28th Psalm 7. The Lord is my strength my heart trusted in him and I am helped They fail most when they either forget their weakness and think to go forth as at other times as Sampson said or when they conceive no hope of help from God but provoke him by despair to leave them for the time to sink in their sorrows And thus Experience plainly leads them to a constant and steddy dependance on the gracious Power of God for all their work and suffering When they find themselves unable God enabling them and that when they are most sensible of their weakness and when they wait most earnestly on him for strength What can be more plainly taught than all this teaches them to depend on the power of Grace for the performance of their whole Christian duty Now for the Uses Use 1. This shews how far they are from the true spirit of Christianity who make their weakness an Apology for their sloth and negligence instead of looking to Christ for strength of grace They cast off the Duties of Repentance and new Obedience and plead for themselves that they are not able of themselves for such work and God has not given them power and grace that 's requisite to it and therefore they must let it alone unassayed unendeavoured till more strength comes First 'T is evident they do not love Christian duty They are unwilling to it or they would be impatient of their weakness crying out for strength as the poor Syrophenician Woman when Christ seemed to neglect her Lord help me Matth. 15.24 25. 2dly They do not heartily believe the necessity of holiness and obedience to Salvation that of the Apostle Heb. 12.14 Without holiness none shall see God has no power on their hearts Nor that in 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ For let 's reason it a little If you believe these things why do you not live holy and religious lives Why do you suffer your Lusts and bruitish Appetites to lead and carry you to such Company and such Courses as you know are unsuitable to Christianity and such as you are ashamed Persons of any Religion and soberness should take notice of Why do you not set up a strict exercise of Religion in your hearts and lives and devote your selves to the practice of Godliness If you say you do not because you cannot you have no ability Then it seems you think you cannot but perish you cannot but be damned for he that cannot be holy cannot see God and cannot but fall under the Vengeance of Eternal Flames and do you believe this No no if you did you would not live an hour at quiet never enjoy your selves or any thing in this World but be always crying out O wretched man c. No I 'll never think you can be such monsters as to believe you are under a necessity of perishing and yet be pleased and quieted in that Estate But you will be secure and hope the best and quarrel at them that would disturb you Well If you will rather disbelieve God and make him a Liar than be disturbed in your security who can help it you will shortly find your Error Use 2. It informs us of the unsoundness of that Faith which looks only at safety from misery and not at the Spirit of Grace and Holiness to do all things through Christ True Saving-faith relies on God for grace to the performance of duty as well as for the Reward and for a freedom from Punishment Though at first Christians are usually but low in this act of Faith yet Experience brings them to it The third Use Use 3. Is
though shame and fear may for a time restrain them they at length open their griefs and state the case of their Souls earnestly pursuing the great Question What shall we do The Fifth Step or Degree of this Work is An heedful and humble Attendance on the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ contained in the Gospel as 't is said of Lydia she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul And what was the Sum of his Doctrine every where we know viz. That which alone gives a satisfying Answer to the Question What must I do to be saved This is the next Step toward Conversion and Salvation after Consultation had about the way to escape the wrath of God But as there are many considering Souls that never come to any full Conviction and some convinced who yet are never soundly humbled yea many proceed as far as a Legal Repentance and Humiliation and yet never come to any serious Enquiry So there are many that consult with themselves and may be with others for and about a Remedy for their bad Estate and yet never attain so far as to give any heedful Attention to the Doctrine of the Gospel as that which propounds the only way of life for dying Souls 1. Some pitch upon false Remedies and heal the Wound slightly as the Prophet speaks being deceived by their own hearts or misled by erroneous and unskilful Teachers And the Rock that men here usually split upon is an opinion that they may satisfy God and save themselves by their own works by amending their Lives breaking off from former Sins and taking up neglected Duties emancipating themselves to the Law as the Prodigal hired himself to the Citizen in hope to recover favour with God and escape his Judgment by reformation of their Lives Now they fall to praying hearing of Sermons reading of Scripture and other good Books they forsake their bad company and leave off their licentious courses and so pacify their Consciences choke their Convictions and drain up their Sorrows till at length all their trouble being suppressed they grow secure again and by degrees return to their old course or else which makes their case less hopeful having accustomed themselves to a form of godliness take up with that and run the stage of Hypocrites It is indeed their Duty to reform their Lives and high time When they see themselves perishing for Sin But to rest in that Reformation as the price of their Acceptance with God is that wherein they seduce themselves to their own ruin if God do not graciously seize upon them and give them another shaking to bring them back into the way 2. Others after some Consultation had with themselves and sometimes with others also fall into incurable Despair They can devise no Remedy for themselves and therefore they verily think there is none or they have good counsel offered them by those they advise with but understand it not aright or they ask advice of those that are unable to direct them or careless of their sad condition which was the case of Judas he considered his estate was convinced of his sin and the deserved punishment of it he was deeply humbled and proceeded to consultation But this was his unhappiness he opened his case to those that had no compassion for him no not when he professed himself tormented in Conscience with the pains of that sin into which they had hired him Mat. 27.4 What is that to us see thou to that Poor Judas He had betrayed his Lord and could not go to him for comfort he had forsaken the Disciples and could not look them in the face To whom should he betake himself for advice in so great a distress when he saw the wrath of God smoking against him and ready to consume him but to the Priests whose office it was to instruct the People to have compassion on the ignorant and those that are out of the way Hebr. 5.1 2. and who were so greatly concerned in his sin but they rejected him and left him perishing in his despair Unhappy Souls who under the Terrors of the Almighty fall into the Hands of such hard-hearted Confessors But where the work of Salvation goes on the Enquiry spoken of before never ceases till the Soul sets it self down under the teaching of the Gospel as God some way or other provides it for him and hearkens diligently to the proposals therein made to Sinners for Salvation see Acts 11.14 with Acts 10.33 Now he hears the Gospel after another manner and reads it with another attention than heretofore watches and observes every word that falls from the mouth of God as Benhadad's Servants watched the words of the King of Israel that if any argument of hope were offered they might be sure to lay hold on it O how still were the Jews and how closely attentive to Peter's discourse Acts 2. while he was preaching the Gospel to them after they had propounded to him that weighty question What shall we do Now the Sinner will not miss a Sermon that he may hear nor lose a Sentence for want of heed taking that he may see if there be any hope for such a one as he is Every one says our Saviour that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me John 6.45 Now is the Soul of whom we are speaking hearing the Father what offers he makes of his Son to poor Sinners and what encouragement he gives them to come to him and trust in him And if he do but understand and learn what he hears it will be well with him The Sixth step or degree of this work is Belief of the Gospel an hearty Assent to the word of Salvation Attention to the Gospel serves properly to bring the Soul to a belief of it there being such evidence of a Divine Authority and Majesty in it as strongly demands the credit of him that seriously attends it But even in this place also there is danger of obstruction or diversion to be heedfully observed Men that do attentively consider the Gospel are yet in danger to be turned aside First By Disbelief The Gospel is so great a Mystery and Salvation by Jesus Christ so strange and so unlikely a thing to the judgment of Flesh and Blood that the poor affrighted Sinner cannot bring himself to believe that there is any such way and means of Life as the Word propounds tho it may be he never doubted of it before while as yet he never understood the evil of his own estate nor what an hateful thing a Sinner is That which he never questioned before he now looks upon as hard to be believed That Jesus Christ is ready and willing to save Sinners especially so great a Sinner as he accounts himself to be and this incredulity will be his destruction if help come not in from Heaven against it 2. By Misbelief A man may attentively hear or read the Gospel and yet be far from understanding it As the Eunuch said
How can I understand except I have some one to guide me Some take Redemption to be more extensive than it is and think it enough to entitle them to Salvation that they are Sinners because Christ died to save Sinners Thus many make no more doubt of calling Christ their Saviour than of calling him the Saviour Others again mistake the other way and think some Sinners to be excluded from Salvation especially such as they take themselves to be though they come never so heartily to Jesus Christ to seek it And indeed there are many such Souls as have been hitherto described that fall into this Error and by it into despair mistaking such places as that in Luke 13.24 Many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able That in Matth. 12. Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Ghost it shall never be forgiven And so that in Heb. 6. c. As if these and such like Scriptures were Exceptions to the offer and promise of Salvation So all the former work of Conviction Terror Consultation c. is lost by reason of such like misapprehensions How sadly Judas miscarried in the point of consultation was shewed before And probably that took him very much off from studying what he knew of the Gospel But yet 't is very likely he might stumble also at this Stone though he was not ignorant of the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ yea had often preached it to others yet he might think himself excluded from the Grace of the Gospel though it be never so freely offered to Sinners in general because Christ had so often denounced irreversible Judgment against the man that should betray him though in truth that was no bar to his Salvation if he had sought it in the way of the Gospel For this is the condemnation of them that perish that they will not come to Christ that they may have life And that was his Condemnation For though many shall seek to enter in and not be able yet that is at the Day of Judgment as appears by the next words to these Luke 13.25 And as a man that has sinned against the Holy Ghost might have pardon but that the nature of that Sin is such as binds the Sinner up in impenitency and unbelief so that Sin of Judas was such as hardned his heart against any serious Address to Christ for pardon And so our Saviour doomed him to destruction not as one excepted from the Promise but as one concluded under unbelief Thus many men come near to Faith and yet miscarry by reason of a misunderstanding of the Gospel But where God goes on with the design of Conversion he so directs the humbled Sinner in his Attention to the Gospel as to bring him at the next Step to an hearty believing of it So the Jews Acts 2. attending diligently to the Gospel preached by Peter at length gladly received it which they could not have done if they had not heartily believed it This is that which the Apostle calls Believing of the record which God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.10 and which is usually and fitly called Assenting Faith This Assenting Faith consists in two things 1. A Perception or understanding of the Doctrine of Salvation in the Gospel 2. A Reception or taking of it for Truth upon God's own Testimony 1. First The humbled Soul by a serious Attention to the Gospel comes to understand what is the Report and Account which it gives of the Salvation that is in Christ Nothing can be believed that is not understood the Soul must apprehend the sense and import of that which is propounded to belief before it can believe the truth of it Now the sum of the Gospel which is to be known and believed to Salvation is That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting life 3 John 16. or as it is Epitomized in 1 John 5. This is the record That God has given us eternal life and this eternal life is in his Son Which may be thus plainly expressed That whereas the Law condemns every Sinner to Eternal Death and Justice requires Execution Jesus Christ hath satisfied the Law in his own Death and Righteousness so that now God may save Sinners at his own pleasure without offence to his Justice And accordingly he doth most seriously and freely offer Salvation to all Sinners without exception Particularly 1. That the Law condems Sinners and Justice demands Execution is presumed by the Gospel and the Sinner under Soul-humbling Consideration is convinced of it already as has been said God so loved the world that whosoever believes might not perish This doth manifestly imply that according to Law and strictness of Justice all Mankind is under Condemnation to perish eternally and must perish if God had not made provision for the saving of some The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 2. That Christ not only fulfilled all Righteousness in obeying the Law in his Life but endured in his Death the Punishment which it denounceth against Sinners is manifestly the Doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 3.10 Isa 53.4 5 6. 2 Cor. 5. c. For though he was not under the Wrath of God he bore the Pains and Torments in which the Wrath of God is poured out on Sinners and the anguish of a forsaken Person though he was not forsaken And though his Sufferings were not Eternal yet they were equivalent to Eternal by reason of the unconceivable greatness of them for the time and the infinite worth of his Person 3. That by this means it is become free for God to save Sinners without prejudice to his Justice is clearly asserted by the Gospel Rom. 3.24 25 26. Herein is declared the Righteousness of God in forgiving sin because he doth it not against Law but upon a full satisfaction given to it So that he is not only Merciful in justifying him that believes but Just in shewing that mercy on him 4. That God in Christ hereupon most seriously offers Salvation in a way of free gift to all Sinners without Exception This is indeed the very Gospel it self as the Apostle John expresses it This is the record That God has given us eternal life c. What Salvation is we are plainly taught in Joh. 3.16 Not to perish but to have eternal life this is to be saved To have Sin pardoned that we may not perish and so to be brought into an holy Union and Communion with God which is begun in this Life and compleated in that to come and so continued to Eternity This I say is Gospel-Salvation for a man to be freed from Condemnation for Sin and to be brought into an holy and blessed Conjunction with God By Nature we are dead in Trespasses and Sins How dead Dead because Sin separates from God and a man divided from God is as a Body separated from the Soul so take away Sin by
to the means is called Faith As we are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 or as Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope I shall therefore for plainness treat of fiducial Faith and Hope as one Act not as affecting to follow the Schoolmen or others who go that way but as intending the best advantage of the Understanding which is usually disturbed by an unnecessary multiplication of things And if Scripture commonly speaks of both as one Act which is confessed why may they not be so handled Obj. If any object that in 1 Cor. 13.13 Where Faith Hope and Charity are enumerated as three distinct Graces Ans I answer If we take Faith for Assenting Faith which is primarily and most properly Faith the number is made good and indeed it is most probable that the Apostle intends that Faith whereby we believe those thing now which we shall hereafter see as by Hope he means the confident expectation of that Good which we shall hereafter enjoy These things premised I proceed to the Description of fiducial Faith Viz. A Resting or trusting in the mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation tendered to Sinners in the Gospel Here we are distinctly to consider 1. The end of Faith the Salvation of God 2. The tendency of Faith to that end and that is in Hope 3. The foundation of that Hope the mercy of God in Christ First The End of Faith i. e. that which it looks to attain is the Salvation of Christ propounded in the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.9 What this Salvation is was shewed before Viz. Pardon of Sin and an holy union and conjunction with God John 3.16 not to perish i. e. to be condemned for Sin but to have everlasting life i. e. he united to God and enjoy him which is the Soul's life Sin separates from God meritoriously and legally by virtue of the Curse binding the Sinner over to an everlasting Separation from his glorious presence and to everlasting Destruction And it separates from him naturally and formally though there were no punishment by Law assigned to the Sinner for what fellowship has light with darkness Now separation from God is man's spiritual Death even as the separation of the Body and Soul is his natural Death So men are by nature dead in Trespasses and Sins as well as liable to death for them Death is the work of Sin as well as its wages And the Salvation of Christ consists as well in delivering men from Sin it self as from the punishment of it Matth. 1.21 And if he did not this as well as the other he could never make them happy Sin would keep them miserable still though they were redeemed from the pain of sense Then a man is saved when he is brought to God 1 Pet. 3.18 i. e. into an union and conjunction with him And indeed pardon of Sin is but in order to this part as the principle of mans Salvation The Law subjecting the Sinner to his Sin and giving him up to Satan as the most signal part of his punishment it is impossible that he should be delivered from Sin unless the bond of the Law the Curse I mean which holds him under Sin be loosed 1 Cor. 15.56 This then is the End of Faith Salvation from Hell and Sin Pardon and an holy Conjunction with God Secondly The tendency or motion of fiducial Faith to this end i. e. toward Salvation is in a way of Hope Faith rests on Christ in hope of everlasting Life All fiducial Reliance or trusting in any thing or person in reference to any good to be attained is in hope of that good When a Man trusts in a Physician for his Health 't is in hope of obtaining it When a rich Man trusts in his Riches 't is in hope of safety and favour among Men c. When the Jews trusted or were said to trust on the broken Reed Egypt it was in hope of aid from thence So to trust in Christ for Salvation is to hope for his Salvation Tit. 1.2 The faith of God's elect is in hope of everlasting life Now Hope as was said before is the Intention or Desire of the Soul to some good thing which is looked upon as attainable Some put in difficulty but that is not always competent to the object of hope Hope therefore implies First 1. An earnest desire of the thing hoped for Secondly 2. A Perswasion in the mind that it may be attained Where-ever these two meet there is Hope and no where else No man hopes but as the word is sometimes used Catachrestically for that which he desires not A Man may desire that which he has no hope of As Men totally despairing under sense of God's Wrath have a desire of Pardon else they could not be grieved as they are for want of it but they have no hope of Pardon A Man may wish himself an Eagle or a Swallow as David but can have no hope to be so For besides desire Hope always implies a Perswasion that the good desired may be attained or which is more that it shall be attained Devils may have a desire to be out of Torment and 't is certain they have so but no hope of it because they cannot believe it attainable The lame man Acts 5. hoped to receive Money of the Apostles as desiring it and thinking they had it to give him But as for a Cure he desired that also but hoped not for it because he did not believe at first that they had such an healing-power about them He that hopes for any thing looks on it as attainable and the more likely he apprehends it to be attained the more confident he is in his hope And if he looks upon it not only as probable but as certain then 't is full Assurance of hope as Heb. 6.11 Now to apply this to the case in hand When God has brought the humble Soul to an hearty believing of the Gospel he thereby works him up to an hearty desire of the Salvation therein propounded and withal perswades him that he may for his own part attain it and so the Soul begins to hope for everlasting Life The Soul understanding already and believing the Gospel sees such an excellency in the Salvation of God as makes him vehemently desire it he now accounts it the greatest happiness in the World to be delivered from Sin and Hell and joined unto God though he made never so light of it before and earnestly crys out Oh that I might have peace with God Union with God and God to be my God for ever Oh that I might eat Bread in my Father's house Luke 15. Thus the Merchant having seen the Pearl like Achan presently fell in love with it and so importunately desired it that he stuck not at selling all he had to buy it This is that Hunger and Thirst to which the promise is made Matth. 5.6 Isaiah 55.1 and elsewhere This is that willingness which makes a Soul capable of the Water of
rests it self in the Act of Saving Faith may thus appear 1. Man being an Offender and guilty of Death Eternal cannot be saved but in a way of Pardon which is an act of Mercy And thereforefore he can have no hope of Salvation from God but as he is a merciful God He that 's bound over to the punishment of Eternal Death must either suffer it or be forgiven it Now nothing forgives but Mercy Look upon God as Almighty and it speaks terror to the guilty Soul Power makes him able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell Look upon him as Just and Justice speaks terror as that which makes him hate Sin and punish Sinners But consider him as he is merciful and pitiful to poor Creatures in their misery and there you have some ground of hope Hope can never find whereon to rest the sole of its foot till you come to a sight of God as merciful God be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18.13 He could light on nothing in all the World to stay his Hope upon but Mercy The poor Leper Matth. 8. urged our Saviour with his power to make him clean but if he had not had some hopeful conceit of his willingness to relieve poor Supplicants in such a case he would never have asked him for the cure He that expects a Debt may trust in the Justice of him that owes it But he that expects an Act of Grace must rest on the mercy of him from whom he expects it or he has nothing to trust to Obj. You will say a Believer hopes in the Faithfulness of God and the infallible Truth of his Word as well as in his Mercy Ans I grant it A believer hopes in the Truth of God but 't is only as his Truth and Faithfulness doth assure the Soul of his Mercifulness God professes and declares himself merciful the Soul believes that he is so and will approve himself so because it judges him faithful and therefore hopes in Mercy so declared So the Soul relying on Mercy relies upon the Power of God but only as Mercy turns and uses it to the saving of Sinners otherwise he is true to punish according to his Threatnings as well as he is true to save according to his Promise So he is mighty to destroy as well as to save Yea the Soul relying on Mercy relies also on the Justice of God as he is just in shewing mercy But all this while Mercy lies at the bottom as the foundation of a Believer's Hope Let God be never so mighty never so wise never so faithful never so righteous all this speaks no encouragement to the poor humbled Sinner but all against him till Mercy be discovered and then some ground appears for him to build his hopes upon And now the other Attributes of God give their assistance and bear up Expectation 2. But yet no man can safely hope in the absolute Mercy of God for Salvation but only in the Mercy of God consider'd as he is merciful in Jesus Christ i. e. as he is merciful so as to provide and accept a satisfaction to Justice in the Death of his Son and so to offer Salvation freely to Sinners or in the words of Scripture As loving the world so as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life For 1. If the humbled Sinner considers Mercy absolutely Justice presently comes in and damps his hopes of Salvation For as it is not to be expected that God though he be Almighty should do any thing which his Wisdom doth not allow of because he is infinitely Wise as well as Almighty so neither can it be hoped though he be infinite in mercy that he should do any thing in a way of pity to a Sinner which his Justice will not bear because he is just as he is merciful Now Justice requires that the Law should proceed and that the Soul that has sinned should die Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 But God in giving his Son to die for Sinners has so satisfied the Law that Justice has nothing at all to plead against the Salvation of any one Sinner whom God will please to save Rom. 3.25 26. By this means God has so ordered it that he is highly just in shewing mercy to the Sinner as having laid the punishment which belonged to him upon his own Son And therefore Mercy thus considered is a sufficient ground of hope but not otherwise as Heb. 9.21 Without shedding of blood there is no remission no hope of Pardon and Salvation but through the Death of Christ though God be never so merciful Secondly If the humbled Soul considers Mercy absolutely he can have no Assurance of the Terms on which he will save Sinners supposing that he will save any of them and so the Soul may object against his own hopes of Salvation Obj. 1. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that have not broken out into gross wickedness but have restrained themselves to some bounds of fairness and morality And 't is great mercy if he will save such But I have exceeded in Sin and done evil with an high hand Obj. 2. It may be he will be so merciful as to save Sinners that have sinned out of ignorance as being uninformed and unconvinced of the evil of the things wherein they have offended and 't is great mercy if he will save such But I have rebelled against the light and sinned against knowledge and the express dictates of my own Conscience Obj. 3. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that accept the first or second call that he gives them to Repentance and close with offered Grace betimes and 't is great mercy if he will save such Sinners But alas I have withstood many gracious Invitations and neglected Salvation when it has been offered to me God knows how many times and so my day may be expired It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that have not signally contradicted their Professions in the course of their lives who as they have not practised Godliness so have never much pretended to it and 't is great mercy if he will save such or some of them But I have dissembled with him and lived the life of the Ungodly under the profession of Godliness yea I have given up my Name to Christ and yet have given my hand to Satan and my own Lusts Object 4. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that have not sinned against the Holy Ghost and 't is great Mercy if he will vouchsafe to save some of them But I fear I have sinned the Sin that 's never to be pardoned Object 5. It may be God will save some great and eminent Sinners but they are such only as are within the eternal purpose of Election and he shews great mercy in saving them but I fear I am under the decree of Reprobation
rather And if you tell the humble Soul that they that Sin against the Holy Ghost never heartily repent of it and no Man in this Life can certainly conclude himself reprobated because for ought any knows he may repent and turn to God He will yet object Object 6. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that are deeply and kindly humbled for their Sins and full of the Spirit of mourning and 't is Mercy indeed if he will save such But I have an hard heart and an uncontrite Spirit I cannot grieve for Sin to any purpose though I know my self to be one of the chief of Sinners All these and many more such Objections will be unanswerable if the Soul considers only the absolute Mercy of God For God may indeed be merciful and gloriously merciful in saving Sinners though he should only save some of the most restrained and least provoking the soonest yielding and most signally humbled and mourning Sinners and so the Soul that judges worse of himself can have no hope of his Salvation But the Mercy of God in Christ is such as that he freely offers his Salvation to all even the worst of Sinners to whom the Gospel is preached inviting and commanding them to accept it and rely upon him for it And this answers all Objections The worst the Soul can say against himself exempts him not from the number of Sinners and Salvation is freely offered to all Sinners in general He is one of them let him make as bad of himself as he can And though he thinks it never so unreasonable for him to hope for Mercy yet no reason in the World can have any force against the Command of the most High God which requires him to repose his hope and trust in Christ for his Salvation Thus 't is evident that the ground of a Christian's hope or that which he relies and rests upon in his hope of Salvation is the free Mercy of God in Christ And therefore is Faith commonly in Scripture called a trusting or believing in Jesus Christ because the Satisfaction which he has given to the Law and the free tender of Salvation which he makes in the Gospel to Sinners in general is the only sufficient ground that any Soul has to stay and rest upon in hope of his Salvation John 3.15 16 18 36. John 6.35 1 Pet. 2.6 Acts 11.17 Acts 16.31 and many other places Faith is a believing in God But 't is a believing on him looked upon and considered as he is in Jesus Christ The Soul cannot believe or trust in God for Salvation but as he trusts in Christ 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him believe on God who raised him from the dead c. It is a trusting or hoping in the Mercy of God Psalm 15.5 Psalm 147.11 But 't is a trusting in Mercy only as 't is expressed displayed and offered to Sinners in Jesus Christ It is a trusting or hoping in the Word Psalm 119.42 74. in as much as it declares and propounds that Mercy of God in Christ on which alone the Soul may rest it self in hopes of Salvation Thus have we seen the Sinner brought by the several Steps of Consideration Conviction Humiliation c. to a fiducial Faith or believing on Jesus Christ And now is he in the state of Effectual Calling or Conversion 1 Thess 2.13 Then Men are called and converted when they believe in Jesus Christ as 't is fully proved in Rom. 1.16 with 1 Cor. 1.24 Now is the Soul set safe from Condemnation and therefore is this Faith called Justifying Faith Rom. 5.1 Now is the Soul adopted and entitled to everlasting Life And therefore is Faith called saving Faith or believing to Salvation Heb. 10. Yea now the Soul is by the work of the Spirit possessed of all Graces necessary to qualify and prepare him for Heaven the heart being purified by Faith Acts 15.9 and taken up by the Lord Jesus for his Habitation Ephes 2.22 with Ephes 2.17 where-ever there is Faith in Christ there is also Love to God Obedience Patience Humility Self-denial and all other Graces in which the Law is written on renewed Hearts The Exercises and Encreases whereof come next to be considered The Sum of all is 1. The Sinner takes the estate of his Soul into serious Consideration Ezek. 18.28 He considereth and turneth away from his Transgression 2. He finds himself to be in a lost and perishing Condition Luke 15.17 I perish for hunger 3. The sight of himself in this estate affects his Soul with deep Sorrow and distressing Trouble Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pierced at the heart 4. This distress puts him upon a studious consultation and enquiry for a Remedy of his Estate And they said Men and Brethren what shall we do 5. Upon this enquiry God directs him to a serious and heedful attention to the Gospel Acts 11.14 Send for Peter he shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And Acts 10.33 We are all c. 6. Thus attending the Gospel he comes to understand and believe the Doctrine therein contained and to receive it for certain truth upon God's Testimony Acts 2.41 They that gladly received his word were baptized John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me 7. Upon the belief of the Doctrine of the Gospel he proceeds to an hearty reliance on the free Mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation For Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ 1. Believing the Gospel he is informed of the excellency of Christ's Salvation and so desires it earnestly for himself 2. Believing the Gospel he sees this Salvation is freely offered to Sinners in general and so conceives hope that he may have it 3. Believing the Gospel he sees that Salvation is procured and granted only through the Mercy of God in Christ and therefore he rests only upon that Mercy in hope of his Salvation PART II. Of the Progress of a Believer from his Conversion to his Perfection under the work of Sanctification 1 PETER II. 2. As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby THE Text is an Exhortation to an earnest desire after the Word Where note first 1. The Persons exhorted they are lately converted Christians compared to new-born Babes so young and incompleat Christians are called 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Babes in Christ because the work of Sanctification had gone on but a little way in them they being hitherto very Carnal 2. The matter of the Exhortation a desire after the Word Where note First First The object of this desire
the Word compared to pure Milk the sincere Milk of the Word that is the Word which is for you as pure Breast-milk is for the new-born Babe sweet and pleasing nourishing and strengthening the means appointed to the perfecting of the Work of Sanctification John 17.17 Sanctify them by thy truth thy word is truth And Edification unto Glory Acts 20.32 The word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Secondly Secondly The desire it self described by the appetite of new-born Infants to the Nurses Milk that is a vehement and importunate desire and such as will not otherwise be satisfied Thirdly The end of this desire growth in Grace that ye may grow thereby What that is in which they should intend a growth appears plainly by the Sequel of the Apostle's Discourse to be Faith and Holiness The Grace wherewith the Souls of Christians are qualified by the Spirit of God unto Salvation as 't is expressed in the last words of the next Epistle Grow in Grace Growth is the gradual process of living Creatures to their due Measures and Maturity And of all the growths the growth of Children which is here the Apostle's Similitude is a very slow and imperceptible Motion Such is the tendency of saving Grace in the Souls of Christians towards its proper and purposed Perfection Mark 4.27 the Seed springs and grows up we know not how And hence we way observe Direct 1. That saving Grace begun in converted Souls goes gradually on to its perfection under the sanctifying work of God Justification is perfected at once and with it Adoption But the work of Holiness is begun in low degrees and brought on by steps to it its intended height and fulness See this proved in Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ So again in Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day So likewise Hosea 6.3 His going forth is as the morning And Mark 4.26 The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground c. The Kingdom of God is his work of Grace in the Souls of Men in which he begins that which in its perfection is the Kingdom of Glory So Grotius and some others understand those three Ages 1 John 2.12 13. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because you have overcome the wicked one But I shall prosecute this Doctrine in a distinct Consideration of the several advances of Grace in the Souls of Christians towards perfection from their first Conversion And that in ten successive periods of their Motion First The first Period or Point of a Christian's Motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is 1. A vehement pursuit of some clear and comfortable assurance of Salvation When once Men are brought through the Terrors of the Law by the Invitations of the Gospel to believe in Christ for his Salvation they presently become very laborious to get some comfortable Assurance that they are in a saved Estate They do not indeed neglect the duties of Obedience the mortifying of Lusts well ordering of their Lives and the glory of God as the end of all But that which they especially and most ambitiously intend now at their first setting out is a Soul-quieting certainty that all is well between God and them Though they do believe in Christ and know that he that believeth shall be saved yet 't is usually a great while before they can clearly understand themselves to be Believers in Christ and by Faith saved Persons A man must be of necessity a Believer before he can know himself to be so and Faith is sometimes very long unevident to him that has it And though he do perceive the believing act in himself and dares not deny it yet he is very doubtful whether it be true saving Faith or no and very impatient of the doubt And this is commonly the main Intention of young Converts and their great affair to assure themselves that they are in Christ and not perishing with the World 'T is true the very act of Faith through the Grace of Christ brings in a sweet calmness of Spirit easing the Soul of those despairing and tormenting fears with which 't was overwhelmed before and therefore Faith it self is in Scripture called a resting on the Lord and a staying of the mind on God Isa 26.3 But a positive Assurance of ones being in the state of Salvation is a further benefit and must be sought after in the use of means appointed to the making of our Calling and Election sure And this is usually the great study of new Converts as Hosea 6.2 He will receive us that was it in prosecution whereof they stirred up themselves to follow on to know the Lord. And that they do mainly intend and follow this appears First In their eager desire after Ordinances and means appointed to this end to confirm Faith and work assurance As soon as the Eunuch was converted he was presently ambitious to be baptized upon the first opportunity Acts 8.36 37. And the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayst And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Baptism being a confirming Ordinance a seal of the Promise and Covenant of Grace he was very desirous to have that Doctrine sealed to him by washing which he had lately heard preached out of Isa 53. And Paul when converted assayed to join himself with the Church Communion with Saints being a good means to inform us of our own good estate Acts 9.26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the Disciples 2dly Their earnest hearkening after Promises and such parts of the Word as declare the love of God to poor Sinners They are not at first so studious of that Word which sets forth that Reward which Saints shall have in Heaven as of that Word of Promise which serves to give humbled Souls notice of their Interest in Christ and the Love of God They go to every Sermon that they hear in hope of a word of peace And are mightily taken with that Word which sets forth the love of Christ descending and stooping down to poor unworthy Wretches Though they heartily like a Boanerges a Son of Thunder and bless God that ever they have heard the Terrors of the Lord in the Doctrine of the Law yet now they are sore and wounded and most earnestly desire after Barnabas the Son of Consolation to pour some Oil into their Wounds
concernment of every one that thinks he stands 1 Cor. 10 12. to take heed lest he fall That your grounds may be good and safe take a few Directions Direct 1. Be very careful to acquaint your selves with the Word of God 'T is the Glass in which you may see your own faces and what manner of persons ye are James 1.24 2dly Watch narrowly over your hearts and lives that you may know what is your general aim and intendment wherein you exercise your selves as Paul Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self c. For a Christian is to try himself by his main purpose and design as the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience 3dly Rest not upon other mens judgments of you Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work the work that is wrought by him of what sort it is and so the work of Grace which is by himself or others thought to be wrought in him 4. Think not to confirm your Assurance by changing modes and ways of Christianity Neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father John 4.21 In this Mountain there was their Forefathers Example leading them to Mount Gerezim c. But ye that is the Jews plead Solomon's building and God's blessing the Temple at Jerusalem Some have tried this way of changing forms and been quieted a little while but their doubts have returned and must needs for any help that can be that way gotten Evidences of Salvation are internal and standing things abiding 5thly Slight not any hopeful Evidence because you yet find some doubts Paul blessed God that with his mind he served the law of Christ though with the flesh the law of sin Rom. 7. last Assurance is always imperfect and this first work is always needful as I shall shew if God will in the next Step. 6thly Wait always on God by Prayer for information concerning your own estate See Psalm 139.1 2 and 23d Verses Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting MATTH XIII 44. The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field The which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth that he hath and buyeth that field THE second Period or degree of a Believer's motion towards his Perfection may be described by rejoycing in Christ as that which is most signal and remarkable in Believers of some little standing after they have a-while conflicted with Fears and Doubts and taken some solicitous pains to assure themselves that they are in a state of grace By this time it is usual with God to give them peace and persuade them of his special love Some Sermon or other he imploys on purpose to disperse their darkness Some Promise or other he so interprets and applies to them as to make it look them in the face and speak comfort to them Sometimes it comes in return to some earnest prayer that they have lately made for it Sometimes when they are sadly pondering their doubts and almost overwhelmed with sorrows But usually when they have little expectation of it then they hear the voice of peace and receive intimation of the love of God and this highly rejoyces and chears up their hearts As our Saviour's words which I have read imply The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath By the Kingdom of Heaven I understand the Salvation of God in Jesus Christ the perfection whereof is that it crowns men with a Kingly Heavenly and Eternal Glory This Salvation our Saviour here compares to hidden Treasure because as it is of infinite value and excellency so it is unseen by men till their eyes are opened by the Gospel and they are brought by Faith to Jesus Christ and made to believe in him 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Then when a man believes he finds the Treasure Jesus Christ is found by faith Isa 65.1 To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Christ is the arm of the Lord and when he is revealed he is found and he that finds him findeth life Prov. 8.35 and when the Soul has thus found Salvation his great care is to secure it to himself that he may be sure of it and not fail to obtain it which I take to be here intimated by hiding of the Treasure when 't is found For in such a case a man's way to ascertain himself of the attainment of what he has found is to make it as sure as he can from other hands that he may not miss of it and having so done he rejoices in the hope of having it to himself which signifies that joy whereof I am now speaking viz. The joy of a Believer under persuasion that he is in a state of salvation The same joy is that reported of the Samaritans Acts 8.8 There was great joy in that city And Verse the 39th it 's said The Eunuch went on his way rejoycing And that in Acts 16.34 He rejoyced believing with all his heart And Rom. 5.1 2. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Some Instances of this Joy in Christians upon their first assurance of Salvation after their coming to Christ by faith I shall now shew you And the first Instance is Inst 1. A very thankful remembrance of the means by which they have been awakened and persuaded to return to God Though many Christians are unable to give a particular account of the first time and means of their Conversion yet ordinarily they remember by what means they have been more remarkably stirred up and moved to enquire after God and seek peace with him and are very thankful to God for it And so you shall hear them blessing God for such or such a Sermon or such a man's Ministry whereby it pleased God to set them a moving toward himself O that was a proper word for my case I thought the word was chosen and the Sermon studied on purpose for me it came home so closely to me discovering my sin shewing me what was my confidence and how I deluded my self in it what was my danger and how near I was to it I little thought to have been so fully met withal so clearly to have seen my own face in the glass of the Law to have returned so convinced so affrighted c. I used to hear for others and to observe how they were met with and concerned in what was said But now it pleased God to give me my Portion and send me home with my own Burthen and blessed be his Grace that so and so
newness of the way of Christianity to them is very much a cause of their pleasure in it They take up Duty in obedience to God and love it for its goodness and so far Grace acts them and works in them But besides there is a natural pleasure which they take in it as a new course of life to which they have not been used And this serves for a while to hold them up to a great deal of forwardness and activity which afterwards wears off with its cause and leaves but so much activity behind as there is Grace in the Soul to produce and maintain it This sometimes makes Christians seem to others to have been but Hypocrites in their former diligence in Christianity because they are now more remiss and commonly themselves at some time or other are brought to suspect that they have no saving Grace in them at all because as they think they are grown worse whereas indeed there is but an accidental Motive fallen off which makes the Motion slower than it was though the true and proper Principle remains As if a Man pulls a Clock or Jack by the Line when 't is going it goes apace but when he withdraws his hand it goes more slowly and yet it goes as fast as the proper weight made it go before and is not grown a worse Clock or Jack but only the Hand-help is withdrawn This newness is it which causes that first love which the Ephesians are blamed for leaving Rev. 2.4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Now this some take to be the zeal and forwardness of Christianity for the newness of it But some may object and say Object This may seem to be no fault in the Ephesians and not reprovable in them 't is no fault to leave it I answer Answ 'T is Sin in others as in them when we do not love Duty still in as high degree for Christ's sake when such accidental motions fall off as when they are at the highest as a School-boy should love his Book when 't is old as when it was fresh and new so perhaps new Converts loved Christianity better at first than afterward but it 's their fault Thus far have I been speaking concerning Christians that are hopefully and comfortably in a state of salvation I now proceed to the reason of this why Christians that are comfortably assured of their safe estate do give up themselves to the practice of godliness why they are so active and forward in the Duties of Religion First 1 R. Christians comfortably assured of their Justification or Interest in Jesus Christ do therefore heartily give up themselves to the service of Righteousness because they love God and this is the proper exercise of their love The grace of love to God is implanted in their Souls in their first Conversion when as yet they have no clear assurance of their salvation but when they come to a comfortable perswasion that they are in a state of grace they love God because he has first loved them see Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice And in 1 Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us Secondly 2 R. The trouble and torments which their Sin has brought upon them makes them gladly betake themselves to a course of Holiness in hope to be at ease Psal 25.12 13. What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse His soul shall dwell at ease c. Obedience seems to flesh and blood a very hard and wearisom course of life and therefore it pleases God so to order it that men should return to him wearied with the troubles and vexatious fears and despairs which attend on Sin that they may be the more willing to give up themselves to Holiness and Obedience 3 R. Thirdly They know it is the way to their compleat happiness Tho Heaven be not merited by Holiness yet 't is not to be obtained without it as Heb. 12.14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. It 's a usual saying of Divines That Holiness does not merit Heaven but it is the way to it and this Christians understanding are more willing and forward in the practice of Holiness I come now to the Uses Use 1. This confutes the usual Objection against the Doctrine of Assurance of Salvation that it leads to the neglect of duty for say they that deny Assurance attainable If once men be persuaded that they are in a state of Salvation and shall be saved they will presently think it needless to take more pains about their Salvation But we have seen that a comfortable persuasion of their being in a safe Estate is an effectual argument to duty and Christians never set so couragiously and resolvedly upon the practice of Godliness as when they have attained a good assurance of their Salvation Use 2. This Doctrine which I have been propounding to you may convince men of their Self-deceit who neglect duty and take liberty to sin because they hope to be saved It 's a false Opinion of an interest in God that stands with the neglect of his Commands especially when 't is the ground and argument of that neglect I am God alsufficient walk before me and be perfect Gen. 15. So God indents with them whom he receives for his people and they consent with him You that live beside the known Rules of Christianity without any stated worship of God in your Families without the Exercise of Secret Prayer and meditations in your Chambers and Closets you that ordinarily profane the Sabbath and lay it common to your worldly Uses that are ordinarily guilty of swearing lying defrauding and injuring your Neighbours that are intemperate in eating and drinking c. and you that so clearly know your sin that you use your art and skill to hide it from the eyes of men Do you not know that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against such unrighteousness of men Yea but possibly some may say We have believed in Jesus Christ and are justified through his Blood and hope to be saved as well as those that live the strictest lives Certainly your hopes deceive you and you are in a perishing estate For the knowledge of being in a state of Grace will make them apply themselves to the practice of Godliness being made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Such is the case of those that encourage themselves in the Examples of Noah and David Fore-fathers or of men reputed godly Use 3. It helps much to confirm Christians in their hopes of Salvation who find themselves moved and excited to Obedience 't is a sign your Persuasion is rightly grounded And thus much for this third Step of Converts toward their Salvation A resolved setling upon a course of Christian Practice 2 COR. V. 1. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE fourth Period space or interval of a Christian's motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is a laborious endeavour to mortify in-dwelling Sin which is intimated in these words as here laid in an Exhortation from Chapter the Sixth When a Christian under persuasions that he is in a state of Grace has for some time made it his business to reform and rectify his life though he meets with no small obstacles without yet he manifestly perceives at length that the greatest difficulty of his work arises from the evil that is within him that other law of which the Apostle speaks so fully Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and thereupon proceeds to the great Design of mortifying his inherent Lusts and Corruptions Let us cleanse our selves c. The Apostle Paul here represents himself and the Corinthians 1. First As in a state of Grace and Salvation Having the Promises in which God undertakes to be their Father and takes them for his Children 2dly As being comfortably persuaded that they were in that happy estate 3dly As intending to perfect holiness That is to perform the Will of God in a course of obedience Perfecting holiness in the fear of God And in order to this he stirs up himself and them to a strenuous and diligent endeavour to purge out their yet remaining and indwelling Sin Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit And hence we have this Doctrinal Observation Doctr. That Christians heartily intending obedience to God in their Lives are thereupon effectually disposed to mortify Sin dwelling in their Souls Heb. 21.1 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and run with patience c. They that are heartily intended to run the race of duty are thenceforth put upon it to cast off the weight and fetters of inherent Sin Such is Paul's report of his own Example in the 1 Cor. 9.26 I so run not as uncertain that is that I may certainly obtain There is his intention of obedience And that he may so obey he mortifies the body of Sin I keep under my body and bring it under subjection Now that a man does indeed intend the mortifying of his Sin that is within him will appear if we consider these Evidences following First Evid 1. Such Christians they are full of sorrowful complaints of the evil and naughtiness of their hearts they would go forward in a way of holiness but being hindred by evil Inclinations and Indispositions to duty they sadly bewail the unhappy temper of their Souls which plainly argues a great desire and inclination to a better and more purified Estate Men that are always complaining of the evil posture of things Political State-matters Maleadministrations and Mis-governments are usually looked upon as studying Innovations So here The man that is generally querulous against the Corruptions of his own heart is certainly to be accounted a man aiming at the purging them out and endeavouring a thorough Reformation within his own Territories Thus Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Earnest complaints against Persons and Parties in a Nation are plain indications of a desire and intention to expel them if it may be and drive them out Christians What is your Errand to God when you make your secret Applications to him is it beside other things of like importance very much to give in Accusations against your proud Hearts your sensual Hearts your covetous worldly hypocritical Hearts This is a great sign you are endeavouring the mortification of your Pride Sensuality Covetousness and Hypocrisy Christians at first mostly confess their actual sins especially which lay upon their Consciences but after some progress made in Christianity and some essays to reform their Lives they come in with new complaints against themselves for the Sin that is within them that gives rise and egress to all their actual Sins 2dly Such persons are utterly unsatisfied with all their former humiliations for sin as finding themselves worse and more desperately wicked than ever they thought they were all the Sorrows that ever they have had for Sin seem nothing in proportion to that vileness and wickedness which they observe in their hearts and therefore their common complaint is of a hard heart a stony heart c. Now this is manifestly an assay to mortify their Sin to drown and choak it as I may say In godly sorrow an indeavour in the language of the Prophet to wash the heart from wickedness Jer. 4.14 as the words may be expounded by James 4.8 9. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded Though sorrow and mourning do nothing to the washing away the guilt of Sin yet it doth much to the removal of the filth of it Though it has no validity to satisfaction for sin yet it has much efficacy to purification of the Soul from it 3. They are always inquisitive after means and directions to the bettering of their hearts What may I do says one to get an humble heart an heavenly mind Inquiring how to suppress evil Thoughts and keep them out to subdue unruly affections and resist sinful Desires As before they were much in asking what is the will of God that they might do it so they are now in seeking how they may withstand and overcome their own Wills which they find rebelling against the known Command of God As Diseased Persons are always asking when they meet with those that are skilful what is good against a Consumption a Dropsie the Scurvy c. so Christians heartily intending holiness and mortification of their Sins are much disposed to Questions though not in the Jewish sense about purifying Questions about healing of Soul-diseases and purging out of evil Humours That Word that Sermon is most acceptable to such a Soul which gives most proper Directions and prescribes most hopeful Remedies against evil and sinful Inclinations and gives him most assistance against himself as he is corrupt and sinful He is not so much taken with a fine notion or an ingenious gloss upon a Text or a witty Interpretation as a solid direction against the evil of indwelling Sin 4thly They are always calling for the help of the spirit against their sins as finding themselves unable to destroy and mortify them Who shall deliver me that is to say wilt not thou O God as Psalm 60.9 10. At first newly converted Souls are all for the comforting operation of the Spirit but now for his Soul-sanctifying Work that they may through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 and as David requests in Psalm 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God 5thly They are altogether uncontented with the good apprehensions that others profess to have of them Yea rather discontented at them because they know so much evil by themselves which others are
not aware of So though their Brethren justify them they condemn themselves and have it usuall in a readiness to answer Oh if these men that seem to have such hopeful thoughts of me did but know the vile workings of my wicked heart they would never endure me They judge of me as they think but little think what I know by my self The heart as Solomon says knows its own grief The Soul that 's burthened with sinful Lusts and labouring against them cannot believe the Case of any others to be so bad as his As no man thinks his Neighbour's trouble though of the same kind so grievous as his own This high dislike and loathing of a man 's own Sin when it lies quite out of sight of other men is a great evidence that the work of Mortification is set on foot and proceeding in the Soul for God giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. and as Grace is coming in Sin is going out And thus have I endeavoured to shew you those Evidences that appear in Christians that are heartily intending and endeavouring the mortifying of inherent Sin But now a little to speak to the consequence which the endeavour of mortification has to the sincere practice of Holiness or the Reasons why Christians intending an holy Life are thereupon disposed to mortify indwelling Sin R. 1. A sincere intention of obedience gives a man notice of the sin within him By a sincere endeavour to reform his Life a Christian comes to discover Sin that is within himself As 't is said of Ephraim Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind Newly converted Christians till they have tried a-while what they can do in practice of Godliness little think what proud stubborn earthly and hypocritical hearts they have within them little think what work they have to do in their own Souls But by that time they have applied themselves a-while to it they find such a backwardness to duty as they could not have imagined and such an aptness to receive Temptations and Sin without temptation as they did not think themselves guilty of their often relapses and breaking of Resolutions sheweth them the falshood and treachery of their hearts which they were not formerly aware of and now they see that they have a great work of reformation to do as well within as without as if a man reform his Family he shall find not only ill Companions without but some of his own Children against it 2dly Internal Sin once discovered appears more evil and hateful to a Christian than his outward sinful Actions It is that which the Apostle calls exceeding sinful Sin as Rom. 7.13 Outward Acts of Sin derive all their Evil from the vicious Inclinations and evil Intentions of the Soul The more there is of Pride Wilfulness and Stubborness of the Heart in any Sin the worse and more hateful it is If we sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after we have received thâ— knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin And the soul that doth ought presumptuously shall be cut off Numb 15.30 So that now a Christian sees that he has cause and need to labour more to mortify his internal Corruption than to rectify his outward Actions that being the greatest part of his work 3dly Outward Reformation can never be throughly carried on without reforming the heart All the practice of Christianity that we can attain to in our outward Actions while Sin is unmortified in the heart is but forced and violent and such as will not hold Weeds you know that are cut off above the ground will grow again you must pluck them up by the roots if you would clear the ground of them therefore the Apostle blesses God for the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them Rom. 7.13 Cleansing the heart is of necessity to washing the hands in innocency Psal 73.13 till they come to this Christians do but intend and assay to rectify their Lives never do it to purpose But 4thly The motion of a Christian towards God is in prosecution of communion with him which is hindred by indwelling Sin Iniquities separate If a Christian would walk with God he must cleanse his heart or he can have no intimacy with him This Duty of Self-cleansing is propounded in the Text to this very end that we may attain the happiness of God's gracious presence that he may dwell and walk with us as in Chap. 6.16 17. I will dwell in them and walk in them Where God walks with a man he dwells within him and that cannot be without an ejection of Sin The Apostle James requiring men to draw nigh to God promises that he will draw nigh to them presently commands them to purify their hearts Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts 5thly Mortificatson of Sin is the proper effect of a sincere Obedience Every gracious action adds something to the habit or principle of grace in the Soul so much it doth to the weakning of the contrary corruption To perform the work of a godly man is the way to become more godly The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 And by holding on his way he grows stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Now the stronger a man is in grace the weaker sin is in him contrary qualities destroy one another as they increase Grace by doing its own work undoes its Adversary I now proceed to the Uses 1 Use The first Use is for comfort to sincere Christians against all the activity of men to hinder them in their spiritual work and business A main part of a Christian's work lies where men can give it no impediment nor so much as see what is done it lies within doors where no other person can force an entry It was the great endeavour of the Jews enemies to hinder their work of building the Temple and then of the wall at Jerusalem Neh. 4.11 And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease So 't is the design of Satan and his Followers to hinder the work of Christianity but against this part of a Christian's work they can do nothing He may throw down and demolish the works of Satan and fortify himself inwardly against temptations and seducements and none can hinder him or observe him all external opposition serves to carry on this work to make Christians more holy within more heavenly-minded more zealous for God and indifferent to the world So they that would hinder you from the outward part of your Duty will further you in that which is your great and main work purging out malice and envy and wrath and bitterness against them
speaking to the Colossians bids them mortify their members that is to say your hands your feet your eyes which is the very language of our Saviour If thine eye offend pluck it out Mat. 5.29 And that of David Psal 38.4 5. is most plainly and naturally resolved into this sense Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me He was engaged as every good man is in a Combat against Sin and the work too hard for him and his Sin a burden too heavy and that distressed him Troubles of Christians about Indwelling Sin 1. The first Trouble is That it seems to increase and grow upon them It 's a very grievous thing to be conflicting with a growing Adversary as David says Psal 3.1 Lord how are they increased that trouble me A great discouragement and heart-killing thing to a Christian striving against Sin when he apprehends it more and more abounding in him When the Body of Sin appears in him like the Hydra of which the Poets give us their Fictions of a Serpent of Fifty Heads whereof when one was cut off two more presently grew up in the stead of it what hope off overcoming such an Adversary and the unlikeliness of the Victory must needs be a sore trouble to the Combatant Thus Paul complains that he was sold under Sin verse 14. as a Captive or a Slave that is sold in the Market by him that has him in his power to do what he will with him as 2 Tim. 2. ult Taken captive by Satan at his will He that 's sold is more hopeless than he that is but newly taken Alas says the Soul I am at that pass now that one sight of a tempting Object one word one thought will hurry away my Soul into sinful desires and reaching after forbidden things which awhile ago were abominable to me and I thought all the Art of Hell could never reconcile me to them sure I am much worse than ever O wretched man that I am Besides this growth of Sin appears in a woful backwardness and indisposition to Duties of Holiness to which the Soul was much inclined heretofore Time was when I found no hindrance to Duty but worldly business or the prohibition of Superiors or the Scorns of Neighbours c. And if I could but get time from my Calling and leave of my Friends and liberty of my Superiors I easily broke through other discouragements and found nothing to stay me but now when I have leisure enough and leave enough to wait on God in Duties my heart stands off from them I am fain to force and drive my self to them and many times cannot do so much certainly Sin is encreasing and growing in me against all my Prayers Resolutions and Endeavours to forsake it 2dly They very much suspect themselves to be altogether graceless and unrenewed They see so much Sin in themselves and that so hateful and abominable that they can hardly think it possible it should stand with Grace It 's true the Apostle Paul could in this case distinguish between himself absolutely considered and himself in his flesh or fleshly part and therefore when he was saying In me there dwells no good thing he limited it to the flesh in me that is in my flesh but every Christian has it not in a readiness so to distinguish Many sincere Christians conclude themselves to have no Grace because that they see they have so much Sin and this is a sore Affliction I had hoped says a Christian that I was in Christ and took much joy in my supposed saved Estate after much fear and terror I had my heart quieted and I thought upon right grounds then I set upon Reformation and I thought was acted in it by the Holy Spirit but now I fear the work of Conversion was never soundly wrought in me as the Disciples were distressed with fear that Jesus was not the Christ We hoped it had been he that should have redeemed Israel I find my self so proud so sensual so under the power of brutish and base Lusts that it seems utterly improbable there should be one spark of saving Grace in me Oh sad Case so many Convictions so many Sorrows endured so many Hope 's conceived so many Prayers for Mercy poured out and so many Purposes and Resolutions of Obedience taken up and all lost and am I a graceless Sinner yet O wretched man that I am Such a Soul knows by what it has formerly felt and suffered under condemnings of Law and Conscience what 't is to be in an unregenerate Estate and therefore is most sadly afflicted when it falls under fear of being yet in that Estate 3dly They many times fear they shall never prevail against their Indwelling Sin because they find it so strong and active They labour sadly under bondage to their Lusts and they fear it will never be better with them and this must needs be a sore trouble to a Soul that has so much Grace as to make Sin a burden to him and to make him hunger and thirst after Righteousness It was a grievous thing to David that God seemed to forget him but that made it a full Affliction indeed that he begun to fear that it might be so for ever Psal 13.1 To be always thus enslaved to vile affections c. it 's a woful misery What should I do in this Case says the Soul if I humble my self acknowledge my Sin flie to mercy and cry out for help from Heaven c. it 's but the same I have done already and for ought I see the evil Spirit prevails upon me as that of old did upon the Sons of Sceva and if this be the success of such Assays what hope but I must be a Slave to Satan and to abominable Lusts while I live 4thly They charge themselves as Hypocrites in all their Profession and Practice of Christianity hitherto If they had been sincere they think they could not have been so bad and so base as they now find themselves to be within No sure such an heart as mine is must needs be unsanctified and graceless and then have I dissembled with God and Man all this while How often have Ministers comforted me as a Convert and Christians received me and prayed for me as a Believer and thought a good Work was wrought in me and were glad of it and alas I fear I have been all this while but a painted Hypocrite as the Martyr said of himself This is a sore trouble to him that knows the danger that Hypocrites are in but much more to him that hates Hypocrisy 5thly They sadly fear they shall return to their former wickedness or more in their lives Seeing they have so much Sin in themselves they can hardly hope better but that God will give them up to the Lusts of their hearts and then they believe they shall be as bad as any Work Iniquity with greediness to their own shame and the shame
Conscience falls fiercely on the Soul for them and this is plainly the Reproofs of the Almighty within a man Conscience being his Deputy and Remembrancer yea Death it self is a Rebuke for Sin God would never put us to the pains of Death were it not that we have sinned As when God pardoned the sin of David yet he appointed him the sword to dwell in his house as a sorrowful memorial of his sin 2 Sam. 12.10 so he appoints all his people many afflictions in this life though he forgives their sin and Death at last as an unavoidable Rebuke for sin As if he should say I take away your sin and free you from the curse of my Law but yet not a man of you shall get to Heaven but through the pains of death through the dark valley of the shadow of death Yea many times Christians have Reproofs given them in their Death for some particular Sins which God gives them notice of as Moses and Aaron died in the Wilderness for a Reproof of their Unbelief And many of the Corinthians were judged of God in their Death for their Sin about the Holy Supper 1 Cor. 11. that is as the Apostle there expounds it They were chastened of God that they might not be condemned And this is a very sorrowful thing to be smitten with Death in a Rebuke for Sin as Moses complains of it Deutr. 4.22 The Lord sware against me that I shall not go into the land of Canaan Thus Death is so sorrowful a thing as would be too much for a Christian to endure without spiritual comfort to take off the bitterness of it Reas 3. It is highly due to the Honour of Christianity that a Christian should die comfortably in the exercise of spiritual joy Christianity propounds life and glory to be enjoyed after Death and teaches men to accept of Death as a passage to such happiness as eye hath not seen c. Blessed are the dead dying in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Now if they that hold up this Profession among men should be as sadly surprized with Death and as much affrighted and appaled at it as other men this would bring a shame upon their Profession and lay it open to the reproach of those who will be ready to say I thought you had been going home to your Father to your beloved Jesus Christ to your blessed Inheritance c. and can you die sorrowfully Thus Christians are exercised with great Afflictions and no appearing help Adversaries are presently ready to ask Where now is your God and there is no sufficicnt Answer but to acknowledge his comforting and supporting presence where is He why here he is in our hearts and souls strengthning and upholding us So 't is in the case of Death no maintaining the credit of Religion against Reproach but by rejoicing in the Lord when we are going out of the world and therefore our great care should be that we may die in peace with God Reas 4. It 's a necessary part of a Christian's love to those whom he leaves behind him to die chearfully A Christian's chearful Death eases the sorrow of surviving Friends and we should 1. Endeavour so to go out of the world as to leave them as little trouble as may be that stay behind us Especially to provide what we can that if they mourn they may not mourn as those without hope concerning us 2. But besides this A Christian's chearful and comfortable dying is an encouragement to others to follow him in the way of Christianity Balaam himself desired to die the death of the righteous but where grace is the death of the righteous will encourage a man to live the life of the righteous considering as the Apostle says the end of their conversation Hebr. 13.7 Now for the Uses Use 1. Hence we learn That the work and care of a Christian is as lasting as his life When he is converted to God and believes in Christ he must take care to live well and when he has walked with God and demeaned himself like a Christian in his conversation he must have a care also to die well that he may depart in peace and in the joy of the Lord. They greatly mistake that think a Christian once justified and adopted has no more to do but stay the time when he shall go to Heaven He must take heed how he lives and have a care how he dies so that living and dying he has peculiar Duties to attend Use 2. It shews the happiness of a Christian in his death He dies such a death as will not only bear joy and comfort but requires it He has not only cause to rejoice when he goes out of this world but ought to do it Blessed are the dead dying in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Men of this world please themselves in the present delights of their life but that 's a happy life indeed which tends to a pleasurable and truly joyous end Use 3. The third Use teaches and exhorts Christians to be always providing not only for a safe but a comfortable death And to this end take these few Directions following Direct 1. Be diligent to assure your selves that you are reconciled to God in Jesus Christ and at peace with him The great terror of death is that it brings men to the Bar of God's great judgment But when we are once sure of Pardon we may safely expect a justifying Sentence and an Adjudication to Glory And there is no danger in appearing before that Judge by whom we shall certainly be acquitted when a man can say I am going to my God my Father my Redeemer c. This will make it comfortable dying as our Saviour said I go to my Father and your Father This assurance made Paul triumph over death as in Rom. 8.38 Neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so in 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Direct 2. Be much in meditation of heaven according to the report that Scripture gives of it that which is more and better than Eye has seen or Ear heard yea a fulness of joy Or as as Eliphaz said to Job of hearing Job 5.27 Hear this and know it for thy self Think of these things for your selves How happy shall I be if once I may behold the face of God in Righteousness be like him and see him as he is When the Prodigal thought what was in his Father's House it made him glad to return and that 's the Argument that our Saviour gives his Disciples against trouble in this World the consideration of what is provided for them in his Father's House John 14.2 In my father's house are many mansions And in Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ We look at things not seen Direct 3. Be always labouring to discharge your selves of earthly hopes We are looking for some contentment in things of this World and that makes Death more unacceptable But you have no certainty of any Earthly comfort that you can propound to your selves and be it what it will there is better to your satisfaction to be had in Heaven Remember what Leah and Rachel said to Jacob Is there any portion or inheritance yet for us c. Gen. 31.14 That made them willing to go into Canaan They had no expectation left in Padan-Aram Direct 4. Endeavour always to maintain uprightness and sincerity of heart That 's the comfort of Christians while living and dying that 's comfort while we live 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience And when we dye Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace And so Prov. 14.32 The righteous has hope in his death Direct 5. Diligently apply your selves to all duties of righteousness and goodness toward men It conduces much to the comfort of our death to live as in the exercise of holiness toward God so in practice of honesty and goodness to men It helps to make a man wait with confidence for the coming of Christ Tit. 2.12 13. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ See how Paul takes his dying leave of the Ephesians though he was not presently to die Acts 20.33 I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel Sixthly and Lastly Direct 6. Live in a continual exercise of faith in Jesus Christ for remission of sin and everlasting life Be always trusting and renewing your confidence in Christ There is no preserving our assurance of peace with God no maintaining of our hope of glory without continual recourse had to the great Advocate for the saving benefits of his Mediation He can never dye comfortably that doth not always live by faith 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith The continual exercise of judgment and holy discretion in our Actions is a keeping of Judgment Psal 106.3 Blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doth righteousness at all times So the continual exercise of Faith is a keeping of Faith which confirms the Soul against the fear of Death and Judgment 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Thus now have I endeavoured to shew you what is necessary to a Christian's comfortable passage through this World and that 's the last thing of a Christian's motion towards his Perfection To go well out of this World And now this work of a Christian's motion towards his Perfection I shall conclude with this I have finished my course FINIS