then saith he it is excluded By what Law by the Law of works No but by the Law of faith there is a Law of works and a Law of faith God doth not only give thee leave to come and take him and draw near unto him but he commands thee there 's a Law by the breach of that Law of faith thou art made guilty of a high sin There 's a full testimony of this 1 John 3.23 And this is the Commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. If a man should ask may I love my Neighbour would you not think him a fool because he must do it he is commanded So should a poor soul come and say to me may I believe thou fool thou must believe God hath laid a Command upon thee it is not left to thy choice The same Commandment that bids thee love thy brother bids thee to believe on Christ. To entreaty is added Gods Command and therefore if thou shalt argue what warrant have I to believe Why God injoyns it thee and commands it As the impotent man said so mayst thou He that healed me said unto me take up thy bed and walk This is the very Key of the Gospel and this is the way to turn it right When being thus clean nâ—ked we have as it were a Cable put into our hands to draw our selves out of this flesh and blood 5. The last thing is if keeping open house special Invitations Entreaties and Commands will not serve the turn then Christ waxeth angry What to be scorn'd when he profer'd Mercy and as it were invite all sorts and compel them to come in by his Preachers and by a peremptory Command Then he falls a threatning We are not of those which draw back unto perdition if thou wilt not come upon this Command thou shalt be damned Mar. 16.16 He that believed not shall be damned Christ commands them to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature unto every soul this Gospel which I speak If you will not hear and believe if you will not take God at his Word you shall be damned John 3. He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Here 's an Iron scourge to drive thee thou that art so flow of heart to believe In Psalm 78. where is set down Gods Mercy unto the Isâ—aelites afterwards comes one plague upon another verse 22. it is said They hardened their hearts as in the day of provocation This is applyed in Heb. 3.12 to Unbelievers The Lord heard this and was wrath a fire was kindled against Jacob and against Israel Why was this because they believed not in him because they trusted not in his salvation Nothing will more provoke God to anger then when he is liberal and gracious and we are straitned in our selves hearden our hearts and not trust him never forget this Sermon while you live this is the net which Christ hath to draw you out of the world I shal hereafter tell you what faith is which is to receive Christ and to believe in his name but that will require a more particular explication and on that I shall enter the next time FINIS EPHE 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise THE last time I entred on the declaration of that main point and part of Religion which is the foundation of all our hopes and comfort namely the offering of Christ unto us that as he did offer himself a Sacrifice to his Father for us upon the Cross so that which is the basis ground and foundation of our comfort he offereth himself unto us And here comes in that gracious gift of the Father which closes in with God That as God saith To us a child is born to us a Son is given c. so there is grace given us to receive him And as the greatest gift doth not enrich a man unless he accept it and receive it so this is our case God offers his Son unto us as an earnest of his love if we will not receive him we cannot be the better for him If we refuse him and turn Gods Commodity which he offers us back upon his hand then Gods storms and his wrath abides on us for evermore That it is his good pleasure that we should receive Christ it is no doubt we have his word for it all the point is how we may receive him and that is by Faith And in this Text is declared how Faith is wrought and that is by the Word of truth In whom also you trusted after you had heard the Word of Truth Now after this Faith there cometh a sealing by the Spirit of God In whom also after you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now lest a man should through ignorance and indiscretion be misled and deceived there is faith and there is feeling Where this is not I say not that there is no faith No for feeling is an after thing and comes after Faith If we have Faith we live by it But after you believed you were sealed You see then Faith is that whereby we receive Jesus Christ and to as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to as many as believe on his name The blood of Christ is that which cureth our souls but as I told you it is by application A Medicine heals not by being prepared but being applied so the blood of Christ shed for us unless applied to us doth us no good In Heb. 12. It s called the blood of sprinkling and that in the 51. Psalm hath relation to it where he saith Purge me with hysop In the Passover there was blood to be shed not to be spilt but to be shed and then to be gathered up again and put into a Basin and when they had so done they were to take a bunch of Hysope and dip and sprinkle c. Faith is this bunch of Hysope that dips it self as it were into the Basin of Christs blood and our souls are purged by being sprinkled with it In Levit. 14.6 There was a bird to escape alive but see the preparation for it You shall take it and the scarlet and the Cedar wood and the Hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed c. and then you shall sprinkle on him that had the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field We are thus let loose cleansed and freed but how unless we are dipt as the living bird was in the blood of the dead bird there is no escaping unless we are dipt in the blood of Christ Jesus this dead bird and sprinkled with this Hysop we cannot be freed
So that now to come to that great matter without which Christ profiteth us nothing which is Faith The Well is deep and this is the bucket with which we must draw This is the hand by which we must put on Christ As many as are baptized put on Christ thus must we be made ready we must be thus clothed upon and by this hand attire our selves with the Son of Righteousness Wherefore I declared unto you that this Faith must not be a bare conceipt floating in the brain not a device of our own The devil taking hold on this would soon lead a man into a fools Paradise To say I am Gods Child and sure I shall be saved I am perswaded so this the Devil would say Amen to and would be glad to rock men a sleep in such conceipts Such are like the foolish Virgins That went to buy oyl for their Lamps and were perswadâ—d they should come soon enough to enter with the Bride-groom but their perswasion is groundless and they are shut out So such groundless perswasions and assurances in a mans soul that he is the child of God and shall go to heaven is not Faith thou mayst carry this assurance to hell with thee This Faith is not Faith For faith comes by hearing and that not of every word or fancy but by hearing the word of Truth Faith must not go a jot further then the Word of God goeth If thou hast an apprehension but no warrant for it out of the Word of God it is not faith for it s said After you heard the Word of Truth you believed So that we must have some ground for it out of the Word of Truth otherwise it is presumption meer conceipts fancy and not Faith Now I shew'd unto you the last time how this might be for while a man is an Unbeliever he is wholly defiled with sin he is in a most lothsom condition he is in his blood filthy and no eye pities him And may one fasten comfort on one in such a condition on a dead man And this I shew'd you was our case When Faith comes to us it finds no good thing in us it finds us stark dead and stark nought yet there is a Word for all this to draw us unto Christ from that miserable Ocean in which we are swimming unto perdition if God catch us not in his Net Hearken we therefore to Gods Call there is such a thing as this Calling God calls thee and would change thy condition and therefore offers thee his Son Wilt thou have my Son Wilt thou yield unto me Wilt thou be reconciled unto me Wilt thou come unto me and this may be preacht to the veriest Rebel that is It is the only Word whereby faith is wrought It is not by finding such and such things in us before-hand No God finds us as bad as bad may be when he proffers Christ unto us He finds us ugly and filthy and afterwards washes us and makes us good It is not because I found this or that good thing in thee that I give thee interest in my Son take it not on this ground No he loved us first and when we were defiled he washt us with his own blood Rev. Now there is a double love of God towards his Creatures 1. Of Commiseration 2. Of Complacency That of Commiseration is a fruit of love which tenders and pities the miserable estate of another But now there is another love of Complacency which is a likeness between the qualities and manners of persons for like will to like and this love God never hath but to his Saints after Conversion when they have his Image instamped in them and are reformed in their Understandings and Wills resembling him in both then and not till then bears he this love towards them Before he loves them with the love of pity and so God lov'd the world that is with the love of Commiseration that he sent his only Son that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life Now we come to the point of Acceptation the Word is free and it requires nothing but what may consist with the freest gift that may be given Although here be something that a man may startle at Object Is there not required a condition of faith and a condition of obedience Sol. Neither of these according to our common Understanding do hinder the fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Not Faith because Faith is such a condition as requires only an empty hand to receive a gift freely given Now doth that hinder the freeness of the gift to say you must take it Why this is requisite to the freest gift that can be given If a man would give something to a Begger if he would not reach out his hand and take it let him go without it it s a free gift still so that the condition of Faith requires nothing but an empty hand to receive Christ. 2. Obedience hinders it not I am required may some say to be a new man a new Creature to lead a new life I must alter my course and is not this a great clog and burthen and do you account this free when I must crucifie lusts mortifie Passions c. Is this free when a man must renounce his own Will Yes It is as free as free may be as I shewed you the last time The very touching and accepting of Christ implies an abnegation of former sinfulness and a going off from other courses that are contrary to him If the King give a pardon to a notorious Rebel for Treason so that now he must live obedient as a Subject the King need not in regard of himself to have given the pardon if he give it it takes not from its freeness that he must live like a Subject afterwards the very acceptance of the pardon implies it But now to declare Faith and to open the Mystery thereof Faith is a great thing it is our life our life stands in the practise of it that as in the offering of Christ for us there is given him a name above every name That at the name of Jesâ—s every knee shall bow As I say in the purchasing of Redemption so in the point of acceptation God hath given unto this poor vertue of faith a name above all names Faith indeed as it is a vertue is poor and mean and comes far short of love and therefore by the Apostle love is many degrees prefer'd before faith because love fills the heart and faith is but a bare hand it lets all things fall that it may fill it self with Christ. It s said of the Virgin Mary That God did respect the low estate of his hand-maid So God respects the low estate of Faith that nothing is required but a bare empty hand which hath nothing to bring with it though it be never so weak yet if it have a hand to receive it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a like
ignorance thou hast no feeling yet if thou consent thou art justified it s the consent makes the match If thou consent to the Father and take Christ the Son know it or know it not thou hast him though thou knowest not whether thy sins are forgiven yet as long as thou keepest thy hold all the Devils temptations shall never drive thee from him thou art justified and in a safe case though ignorance and other things in thee cause thee not to feel it if thou layest hold on him for his sake thou art apprehended Object Now then this is an easie matter you will say Sol. Not so easie a matter as you guess it to be It were easie indeed were there nothing but saying the word to make man and wife there are terms and conditions to be agreed upon God casts not his Son away he looks there shall be conditions on thy side he must be thy King and Head if thou wilt have him to be thy husband But what shall I get by him then saith the wife Get there is no end of thy getting All is thine Paul Apollos Cephas Life c. Thou art Christs and Christ is Gods Every man will take Christ thus for the better but there 's somewhat else in the match If thou wilt have him thou must take him for better for worse for richer for poorer Indeed there are precious things provided for you It s your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom you shall be Heirs with Christ but for the present while you are in the Church Militant you must take up your Cross you must not look for great things in this world In this world you must have tribulation you must deny your selves and your own Wills What would you have Christ the wife and you the husband No If you think so you mistake the match Christ must be the Husband and the Head and as the wife promises to obey her husband to stick to her husband in sickness and in health and to forsake all others so Christ asketh wilt thou have me if thou wilt thou must take me on these terms thou must take my Cross with me thou must deny thine own Will yea it may be thine own life also Let a Christian consider all these things these are the words and these are the benefits and then compare them together then if he can say I will have Christ howâ—ver for I shall be a saver by him I 'le take him withâ—ll faults I know I shall make a good bargain therefore I will have him on any terms come what will when a man can have his will so perpendicularly bent on Christ that he will have him though he leave his skin behind him there 's a true acceptation of him We must not here distinguish with the Schools about Velleities a general wishing and woulding and true desires after Christ Wishers and Woulders never thrive but there must be a resolution to follow Christ through thick and thin never to part with him a direct Will is here required And therefore Christ bids us consider before hand what it will cost us If any man come to me and hate not Father and mother wife and children and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Do not think that our Saviour here would discourage men from love Doth the God of love teach us hatred The phrase in the Hebrew is loving less as it is said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated that is loved less If a man hath two wives one beloved and the other hated and they have born Children both the beloved and the hated By hated is not meant that the man hated one wife but less loved her then the other so if any man come to me and hate not father and mother and that is if he love not all less then me and that it is so we may see it expounded by our Saviour Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me There Christ expounds it He that will follow Christ in calm weather and not in a storm is not worthy of him Luke 14.28 Which of you intending to build a Tower sitteâ—â— not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it What is that to the purpose See verse 33. So likewise wâ—osoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple It s a small matter to begin to be a Christian unless you consider what it will cost you Do you tâ—â—â—k it a small matter to be the Kings son think not on so great a business without consideration what it will cost you It will be the denying of your own wills You must be content to follow naked Christ nakedly follow him in his persecution and tribulation in his death and suffering if thou wilt be conformable to him in glory When this case comes it makes many draw back as the rich man in the Gospel when he must forsake all he drew back When troubles arise many are offended so when it comes to a point of parting they go back Now we come to speak one word of the sealing in the Text. After that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise This sealing which is a point of feeling is a distinct thing of it self from faith no part of faith If I have faith I am sure of life though I never have the other these are two seals VVe put to our seals to the counter-part that is drawn betwixt God and us The first seal is our faith I have nothing but Gods VVord and indeed I have no feeling yet I venture my salvation and trust God upon his bare VVord I will pawn all upon it He that believeth saith John hath set to his seal that God is true If men doubt and trust God no further then they see him it is not faith But when God gives me a good word though I am in as much distress as ever yet I trust though it be contrary to all sense or outward seeming yet I put to my seal and trust him still Then comes Gods counter-part God being thus honoured that I believe his Word though contrary to all sense and feeling even his bare Word then God sets to his seal and now the Word comes to particularizing Before it was in general now it comes and singles out a man Say thou unto my soul that I am thy salvation Psalm 35.3 that is as I did apply the generality of Gods Word unto mine own case to bear me up against sense and feeling then comes the Spirit of God and not only delivers generalities but saith unto my soul I am thy salvation This is called in Scripture a manifestation when God manifests himself unto us as in Isa. 60.16 Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the brest of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer c. that
found him if they pleased to try it a skilful Linguist a Subtile Disputant a fluent Orator a profound Divine a mighty Antiquary an exact Chronologer and indeed a living and walking Library The greatest professors have admired the Concatenation of so much and such variety of Learning in one person 1. Do but think he that Learned to read of two of his Aunts that were both blind Was converted from a state of Nature into grace at ten years old Was admitted the first Scholar into the Colledge at Dublin and that upon design by reason of his pregnancy and forwardnesse at thirteen years of age Made an exact Chronology of good part of the Bible and of some other Authors he had read at fifteen years old Encountred a Jesuite at 19. years old and afterwards was called by him of such as are not Catholicks the most Learned Was Master of Arts answered the Philosophy Act and chosen Catechist of the Colledge when he went through a great part of the body of Divinity in the Chappel by way of common place at nineteen yeears old Commenced Batchelour of Divinity at twenty seven years old and immediately after was chosen Professor of Divinity in that Vniversity Do but think I say how mighty he was when beside his promptnesse in School Divinity he had read over all the Fathers and trusted his own eyes in the search of them by that he was thirty eight years of age and was Master of all other Learning also Secondly If any yet be found that would detract from so accomplished a person and indeed pillar of our Church in his Generation by reason of the distance at which they stand from Prelacy or by reason of their Engagement in the late civil and unhappy differences between The late King and Parliament claiming to themselves Liberty wherein soever they differ from others both in matters of Church and State but allowing to others as little concerning either to such as these if they be such as deserve satisfaction give me leave to say A Divine and Apostolical Bishop he was and next to the Apostles Evangelists and Prophets as great a Pastor and Teacher and trusted with as much of Gods mind as I believe any one since hath been An Ecclesiastical Bishop he was also and the most able Moderator in Church assemblies To him pertained the double honour for ruling well and for Labouring in word and Doctrine Famous were two of his Predecessors in that See of Armagh in their Generations the one for his sanctity the other for his Learning but both these Eminently met in him John the Divine commendeth the Angel or Bishop of Ephesus c. and Ireland will do no lesse for this Angel or Bishop of Armagh But for Popish Bishops none was further off then he Witnesse his Learned Writings against the Romish Synagogue his Judgement within the bounds of a moderated Episcopacy and when the Reader hath perused that frame of Church Government drawn up under his own hand and now published he will see what a good Bishop Doctor Usher was The last thing which I shall propose to the Reader is The Crown God set upon the head of this Humble Saint both in the Conversion and Edification of very many Indeed his bow seldome turned back nor his sword returned empty God was mighty in him which way soever he bent himself either in Conviction Conversion or Consolation wherein he had the Tongue of the Learned given unto him Witnesse the many Souls who were and are his Epistle known and read of all Men Witness again the successe God gave to divers of his Encounters with Adversaries to the true Religion some instances whereof the Learned Doctor that writes his Life hath given to which many more might be added Witnesse also such as were his frequent hearers how mightily the hand of God was with him so that a great number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. If they that turn many to righteousnesse shall shine as stars for ever and ever then this famous Evangelist is a star of the greatest Magnitude and will be able in the strength of Christ to say after him Behold I and the Children which God hath given me And though the work of the Ministry is ours the successe Gods yet who so expecteth blessing from God upon his Labours I cannot commend to such a pattern more exact to be imitated amongst the men of this Generation then this good Bishop especially in these three things First in making his whole life an example of his doctrine an example in word in Conversation in Love in Spirit in faith and in purity Many there were who in that respect Reverenced him though of the Romish Synagogue as Herod did John the Baptist knowing that he was a just and an holy man This blessed Preacher did Live all his Sermons and had learned of Jesus who began both to do and to teach Nazianzens Epitaph on the life of Basil was true in him His words were Thunder his Life Lightning Secondly in making Christ and the Apostles the pattern of his preaching this great Master in Israel was the most self-denying man in the pulpit and the most Reverend and Christ advancing Preacher He preached with great Authority as did our Saviour to the Conscience his speech was not with enticing words of Mans wisdome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that their faith might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God How oft have I seen my self and heard from others whilst he thus prophesyed some that beleeved not coming to hear him go away Convinced of all Judged of all and the secrets of their heart made manifest and so falling down on their face they have worshipped God and reported that God was in him of a truth He was an Apollos an Eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures he was another Paul in the preaching that did compare Scripture with Scripture and so make demonstrative Proofs from the spirit speaking in them Some that affected a frothy way of preaching by strong Lines as they call them after they heard him in Oxford decry that Corinthian vanity were much ashamed and took up a more profitable way of preaching Those words of his in a sermon at the Court before the King are worthy to be printed in Letters of Gold And oh that God would print them in the hearts of all the Ministers in the World Great Schollars said he possibly may think it standeth not with their Credit to stoop so low c. But let the Learnedst of us all try it when ever we please we shall find that to lay this ground-work right that is to apply our selves to the Capacity of the Common Auditory and to make an ignorant man to understand these mysteries in some good measure will put us to the tryal of our skill and trouble us a great deal more then if we
are setled on their lees Moab hath been at ease from his youth he hath been setled and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity Jer. 48.11 Consider we whether our security comes not from the same cause We have not been emptied from vessel to vessel we have alwayes been at rest Why have we so little conversion There are two things hinder it the hardening of a mans heart against the Word and our setling our selves on our lees When we we have no change in grace we are secure we never see an evil day And this is that which slays the foolish person Wo to them that are at ease It were better for thee to be emptied from vessel to vessel to go into captivity For as long as a man continues thus in an unregenerate condition he can look for â—othing but troubles certain judgments must necessarily follow and as sure as God is in heaven so sure may they expect misery on earth and they shall receive the eternal weight of Gods wrath treasured up against the day of wrath Therefore there is a necessity of our conversion if we will keep off either temporal or eternal wrath Our Saviour makes it the case of all impenitent sinners to be liable to wrath One judgment befell the Galileans an other those on whom the Tower of Siloe fell But what saith our Saviour Suppose you that these were greater sinners above all the men of Jerusalem I tell you nay but except you repent you shall all likewise perish Luk. 13.3 All every mothers son here present if you turn not from your sinful courses God will meet with you one time or other if you harden your hearts against him be sure Who ever hardned his heart against God and prospered As long as a man is in this condition his state is woful As many as are in the state of unregeneracie are under the power of Satan 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Mark the Apostles words In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will The state then of the hardned setled on their lees is as a bird in a cage taken alive at the will of the Fowler So is it here as long as we continue obstinate and hardned we are taken alive at Satans will we are at his disposing While we are at liberty we are way laid by his nets and traps and taken we are at his pleasure As long as we are hardned in heart we are in the Devils cage true repentance is that whereby alone we purchase our freedome whereby we recover our selves and therefore in Rom. 2.5 Hardness of heart and impenitency signifie the same thing After thy hardned and impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Mark then what 's a hard heart It 's an impenitent heart Dost thou harden thy heart then know that for the present thou art a dead man If notwithstanding all Gods threats out of his word thou art not a jot moved thou art dead whilst alive as the woman that lived in pleasure And if thou continuest so thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and the just revelation of Gods judgments Gods Word is the especial meanes to recover thee A man that is in a swoun they rub him to recover him because there 's life in him but if dead strong-waters or any thing else cannot restore him Examine thy self then does the working of the Word rub and gall thee it's a sign there is life in thee but if it make no impression it moves thee not it 's a sign of a dead heart Consider then the danger of this condition for a man to resolve on his evil courses never purposing to alter matters It exceedingly hastens Gods judgments But leaving this I proceed to the second point which is to direct us how to work our escape Though God threaten us yet if we have but the grace to look about us and remember our selves If God do but cause us to consider we have to deal with a merciful Father and make us meet him by humiliation then though our sins were as scarlet yet submitting our selves to our Judge living as obedient subjects the storm shall passe from us So that this is the 2d point 2. Notwithstanding God threatens us yet if he gives us but grace to repent and bethink our selves let our sins be never so great we may be sure of mercy O that we could see with what a gracious God we have to deal Canst thou but humble thy self all these things shall speak peace unto thee As an impenitent sinner is under the power of Satan and liable to all misery So contrariwise whoever returnes and seeks the Lord is sure to be under his wings and free from all evil Thinkst thou that God makes use of threatnings for thy hurt No he deales not with us as an angry Judge but as a compassionate Father men will take an enemy alwayes at an advantage when they may do him most hurt Gods terrors overtake us he threatens us that he will do this and this that we may prevent it He knows that unless his terrors awake us we will rest secure Before he smites us he tells us I will whet my sword He hath bent his bow and made it ready He hath prepared his instruments of death Psal. 7.12 13. He could shoot thee presently and instantly run thee through but he threatens thee that so he may not strike thee See what the Prophet Amos denounces from the Lord Cap. 11 12. I have given you cleannesse of teeth I have with holden rain v. 6 7 8. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew v. 9. I have sent amongst you the Pestilence v. 10. yet have you not return'd unto me Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel v. 12. What judgments have befallen us have befallen us for our own use if so be we will be warned by them The reason why God saith he will overthrow us is not because he meanes to do it but that we may prevent him by repentance Look into Jer. 3.1 and see what wonderful passages are to this purpose Ther 's a Law-case If a man put away his Wife and she go from him shall he return unto her again shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast plaid the harlot with many lovers And in the 20 v. As a wife treacherously departeth from her husband so have you dealt treacherously with me O house of Israel And yet see Gods unspeakable mercy Return again unto me And 23. v. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your backsliding turn to me and I le not cause mine anger to fall upon you Only acknowledge
thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God v. 13. See God makes us the worst and vilest of all and yet as it were intreats us to return See then the Conclusion of the second Point how if God give us but grace to repent let our former evils be what they will the danger is past But I leave this and come to the Third for which I chiefly chose this Text. You have seen how dangerous a thing hardness of heart is how it brings certain death and that if we have the heart to repent we are safe As to make it appear in an instance It 's not the falling into water but the lying under it that drowns a man Art thou faln into sin only lift up thy head if thou canst be but thus happy the promise of salvation belongs to thee The main thing then is this 3. It behooves us to set about the work of repentance presently God is angry with us and we know not whether God will execute his judgments on us this day or no therefore go about it presently God will remove all our adulteries and put away all our sins if we will come to him within a day Now what madness is it to neglect it After a certain time saith the Apostle according to that in the Psalmist Psal. 95. God hath limited a certain day Thou hast provoked the Holy Ghost and now he limits thee a day Heb. 3.7 Wherefore saith the Holy Ghost to day if you will hear his voice Now is it safe think you to pass this day A hard heart is a provoking heart and as long as it continues hard it continues provoking God and despising the Holy Ghost To day therefore hear his voice that is this present day But which is that day It 's this very time wherein you stand before God and in which you hear me If you embrace the opportunity happy are you if not you shall give as dear an account as for any thing you ever heard in your life There is no dallying with God take his proffer take him at his word in a matter of salvation He calls to thee to day peradventure he will speak no more therefore Heb. 3.13 we shall find it 's a limited day Exhort one another to day whilst it 's called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin While it is called to day that is stay not till to morrow but embrace the present opportunity This day God holds out the golden Scepter and my life for yours if you accept it you will be saved If you take it not to day your heart will be more hardned to morrow and so it may be you will never touch it your hearts will be like stones and you 'l be uncapable of yeilding God is angry with us Psal. 7.11 Why He is our adversary because we bear arms against him and will try the mastery with him We oppose him in hostile manner as long as we continue sinful against him What 's the best counsel in this case Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him It 's wisedome to do that soon which must of necessity be done If it be not we perish for ever Kisse the Son lest he be angry and thou perish from the right way Psal. 2. ult Obj. But what needs such haste I may do it hereafter when I come to my journeys end Sol. There needs haste The day is limited A thousand to one if God be angry but we perish from the way I have heard thee in an accepted time and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 It 's a day of salvation and would not we be glad to know this time Behold this is the accepted time Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near This is the accepted time this is the day of salvation Esa. 49. Embrace this time for now he may be found this instant is the time the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present now God at this time stirrs the waters if now thou wilt step in and close with God casting down thy weapons then this will be the day of thy salvation this is call'd as Gods day so our day O Jerusalem Jerusalem if thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes Luke 19.42 Mark If thou hadst known in this thy day So that if we pass by in this acceptable time those things which belong to our peace they will be hidden from our eies Therefore should the enemies of Jerusalem lay her even with the ground because she had neglected this opportunity the day of Gods visitation Wilt thou be so hard-hearted as to put from thee Gods grace If thou findest now that Satan hides this from thee and perswades thee to do it to morrow and to take a day of thine own neglecting Gods day Know and remember that he is a lyar from the beginning Give me leave to presse this to you for nothing more brings destruction then this putting from us the proffers of Gods grace unlesse we return to the Almighty humbling our selves there will be bitterness in the end There 's the matter whether God must wait on us or we on him This is the day of salvation saith God and we must take time to think of it whether it be seasonable or no. Alas 1. By this means we incur the highest presumption and this is no light thing inconsiderately to be passed over Shall God offer you such a proffer and you be so presumptuous as to think such a one more seasonable It 's high presumption for thee to make thy self wiser then God to neglect that he prescribes and that with a promise too as if thou hadst God at command If thou resolve to take to morrow it is requisite that thou have 1. Space to repent and 2. Grace to do it Now neither of these are in thine own hands if they were thou hadst ground for a farther delay If thou hadst power to say I will live so long or could by thine own might prolong thy life it were something but it 's otherwise In refusing Gods proffer thou refusest him that hath thy life in his hand What high presumption is this See it in Jezabel Rev. 2. I gave her space to repent but she repented not As if God should have said it 's I gave it her I gave her time to live I might have cut her off in the midst of her whoredomes Observe here by the way the reason why God gives us this space it is to repent What presumption must that be when we will go quite contrary to God and because we have space therefore we will not repent Why does not God smite thee from heaven when thou thus audaciously settest thy self against him Why do's he
beginning of the Commandement If wrong in all these then though the work be never so materially good being faulty in the original middle or end it 's so far from being a good work that God will not accept of it and thou mayst rather expect a plague for spoiling it then a cure See then the beginning of a good work it must be from a pure heart A man not ingrafted into Christ is a defiled polluted person his very mind and conscience are defiled The conscience is the purest thing a man hath it holds out last and taketh part with God that as Jobs messenger said I onely am escaped to tell thee so conscience onely remaines to declare a mans faults to God and to witnesse against the man and yet this very light the eye of the soul is defiled therefore if thou have a corrupt fountain if the heart be naught the fountain muddy whatever stream comes from it cannot be pure Again the end of it is love Consider when thou doest any duty what puts thee on work Is it love doth constrain thee If love do not constrain thee it is manifest that thou dost not seek God but thy self and art to every good work a Reprobate that is thou art not then able to do any thing that God will accept the best thing thou doest wil not relish with God A hard estate indeed that when a man shall come to appear before God he shall not have one good thing that he hath done in all his life that God will own Some there be that take a great deal of paines in coming to the word in prayer publique and private in charity and giving to the poor Alas when thou shalt come to an account and none of these things shall stead thee not one of them shall speak for thee but all shall be lost How heavy will thy ease be 2 John 8. Look to your selves that you lose not the thing that you have wrought By being indisposed to doe the works of a living man we lose all that is to say God will never own nor accept them we shall never have reward for them So that here is the case thou being dead unable to perform the works of a living man canst have no reward from heaven at all until a man is quickned and hath life from Christ. Without me saith our Saviour you can doe nothing St. Austin on this place observes that Christ saith not Without me ye can doe no great matter no but unlesse you be cut off from your own stock taken from your own root and be ingrafted into me and have life from me and be quickned by me you can do nothing at all Nothing neither great nor small all that you do is lost So that if there were nothing but this being dead you could do no good action I know that in me that is in my flesh saith St. Paul there dwelleth no good thing that is nothing spiritually good nothing for which I may look for a reward in heaven The Lord will say of such a man thou hast lived ten twenty forty or it may be fifty yeares under the Ministry and yet hast not done a good work or thought a good thought that I can own Cut down this fruitlesse tree why cumbers it the ground And this is the case of every man of us while we continue in our natural condition till we be ingrafted into Christ and live by his life God will own nothing we do But now we are not onely dead and indisposed to the works of a living man though this be a very woful case and we need no more misery for this will bring us to be cut down and cast into the fire if we continue so But this is not onely the case of a natural man but he 's very active and fruitful in the works of darknesse the others were sins of omission Here he is wholly set upon the commission of sins and trespasses Heb. 6.7 He not onely brings not forth meet fruit or good fruit or no fruit but he brings forth thorns and briars and is therefore rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burnt Thou art not onely found a barren tree and so deservest to be cut down but thou bringest forth thorns and briars and deservest to be burnt not onely no good fruit but noxious bad and poyson'd fruit and this doth mightily aggravate the matter Now for us that have lived so long under the Ministry and the Lord hath watered and dressed and hedged us do we think the Lord expects from us no good fruit Had we lived among heathens or where the word is not taught then so much would not be expected but we have heard the word often and powerfully taught and therefore it is expected that we should not onely bring forth fruit but meet fruit answerable to the means Where God affords greatest means there he expects most fruit If a man live thirty or forty yeares under powerful meanes the Lord expects answerable fruit which if he bring forth he shall have a blessing from the Lord. But when a man hath lived long under the meanes and brings forth no fruit pleasing to God but all Gods cost is lost when notwithstanding the dew and the rain which falls oft upon him he brings forth nothing but thorns and briars he is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burnt The earth which drinketh in the former and the latter rain c. if it bring not forth fruit answerable to the labour of the dresser it 's nigh unto the curse Now if we consider but the particulars and search into Gods testimonies we shall see how bad this man is But who should this man be We have Gods own word for it It 's men generally all men Gen. 6.5 God saw the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that every thought and imagination of his heart was onely evil continually Every word is as it were a thunder-bolt and was it not time when it was thus with them for God to bring a flood The thoughts are the original from which the words and actions do usually proceed Now all their thoughts were evil What was there no kind of goodnesse in their thoughts no they were onely evil continually and that was the reason the flood came Well but though it were so before the flood yet I hope they were better after the flood No God said again after the flood cap. 8. The thoughts of the hearts of men are evil c. Like will to like Men are all of one kinde till they receive grace from Christ. We are all of one nature and naturally all the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts are onely evil continually See it in the understanding 1 Cor. 3.14 The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them for they are foolishness unto him c. Look upon his will Rom. 8. It is not
so foul a sight that it would make us out of our wits as it were to behold it A man that is but natural cannot imagine what a black Devil there is within him But though he seeth it not yet he that hath eyes like a flame of fire Rev. 1.14 seeth our stains and spots Our Saviour shewes the filthinesse of the heart by that which proceeds out of the mouth Mat. 15.18 Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart And v. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Observe Of all evils we account evil thoughts the least This we think strange what thoughts defile a man what so light a matter as a thought Can they make any impression Yes and defile a man too leaving such a spot behind them which nothing but the hot blood of Christ can wash away So many evil thoughts so many blasphemies so many filthy things come from the heart every one being a new defilement and pollution that a man is made so nasty by it and filthy that he cannot believe that it is so bad with him as indeed it is The Apostle having shewn the Corinthians their former life and exhorted them against it 1 Cor. 6. goes on cap. 7. v. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Mark then there is a double filthinesse a filthinesse of the flesh and a filthinesse of the spirit The filthinesse of the flesh that every one acknowledgeth to be filthy carnality Fornication and Adultery c. These bestial lusts every one knowes to be unclean But then there is a filth of the Spirit too and such are evil thoughts They are the filth of the Spirit Corruptio optimi est pessima The corruption which cleaves to the best thing is worst The soul is the Best thing the most noble thing the filthinesse which cleaves to it therefore must needs be the greatest Fleshly filthiness as Adultery is filthy but contemplative Adultery to dwell thereon is worse however such a man may be pure from the filth of the flesh yet if he delight himself in filthy thoughts his spirit is abominable in the sight of God there is a stain by every one of thy impure thoughts left behind However an actual sin be far greater then the sin of a thought yet if that be but once committed and these are frequently in thee if thou alway lie tumbling in the suds of thy filthy thoughts thy continuing therein makes thy sin more abominable then Davids outward act which he but once committed So that we see there is a filthinesse of the spirit as well as the flesh In James 1.21 we have a word sets out the filthinesse of it which is Superfluity Lay apart saith he all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse First it 's expressed by the name of filthinesse â—hewing there 's nothing so defiles a man as sin Then 't is call'd superfluity of naughtinesse But what is there any naughtinesse to be born with and what exceeds that is it superfluity No that 's not the meaning of the place By superfluity is meant the excrements of sin Excrements are the refuse of meat when the good nourishment is taken away from it And 't is as if the Apostle had said Lay aside filthy nasty or excrementitious sin The word was used in the Ceremonies of the Jewes and thereby we may see what was taught concerning sin Deut. 23.12 13. Thou shalt have a place without the camp whither thou shalt goe c. Though the comparison be homely yet it shews the filthinesse of the sin that it is as a very excrement Thou shalt have a paddle and it shall be that when thou wilt ease thy self thou shalt dig therewith c. and thou shalâ— cover that which cometh from thee But what did God care for these things No it was to teach them a higher matter As the reason following implies For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp God would thereby shew them that those things at which every man stoppeth his nose are not so filthy to man as sin is unto God So that you see how the case stands with a sinful man sin defiles him it pollutes him 2. And then in the next place It makes Gods soul to hate and abhor him It 's true some sins there are that every man imagineth to be shameful and filthy but we see all sin is so to God 't is filâ—hinesse of flesh and spirit A man may hate carnality fleshly filthinesse peradventure also he may hate covetousnesse but pride and prodigality that he may get as he thinks credit by that he cannot maintain the reputation of a Gentleman without them A miserable thing that a man should account that a garnish of the soule which doth defile and pollute it If a man should take the excrements of a beast to adorn himself would not we think him an ass Well when we thus defile our selves by sin God cannot endure us he is forced to turn from us he abhors us And that 's the next woe 2. When thou hast made thy self such a black soul such a dunghill such a sty then God must be gone he cannot endure to dwell there It stands not with his honour and with the purity of his nature to dwell in such a polluted heart there must now be a divorce Holinesse becomes his house for ever His delight is in the Saints He is King of the Saints he will not be in a sty When thou hast thus polluted and defiled thy soul God and thee must presently part God puts thee off and thou puttest God off too We read in that place before alledged Eph. 2 12· that before they knew Christ they were without God in the world c. Atheists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in cap. 4. v. 18. Having your understanding darkned and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The presence of God is the life of our soules and we having through sin and ignorance banish't God we become strangers until the time of our ingrafting into Christ we are aliens to the life of God whereupon comes a mutual kind of abhorring one another God abhors us and we vile and filthy wretches abhor God again There is enmity betwixt God and us and between all that belongs to God and all that belongs to us There 's an enmity betwixt God and us and observe the expression of it Levit. 26.15 If you shall despise my statutes or if your soules shall abhor my judgments so that you will not doe my commandements c. See here how we begin to abhor God and then for judgment on such persons v. 30. My soul shall abhor you We are not behind hand with God in this abhorring Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me When we begin to abhor God Gods soul also abhors us When a man hath such a polluted soul he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
son of a temporary Prince be free how much more shall the Son of God be free But yet it behoves us to fulfill all righteousness He would be a subject unto Caesar and in recognition of his subjection he would pay Tribute though he fetched it out of the fishes belly Hence the Apostle tells us Rom. 13. For this cause you pay Tribute to testifie your subjection Neither was Christ only a servant to them who were in some Authority but generally among men he was in the state of a servant Mat. 20.28 The son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many Not to be a Master to command and have others to attend him but he came to be a servant see in what esteem he was had We account a servant in the next degree unto a beast for liberty is that whereby a man breâ—â—hs and a man were better be dead then have his liberty took from him and so Christ was not only a bond-man in regard of hâ—s Father but in regard of men In the estimation of men he was vilified for a bond-man and that will appear by the price for which he was sold. It was thirty pieces of silver To consider what the price was is a considerable part of his passion There is a Prophesie cited out of Jeremy in your books but it is Zachary though I have seen some copies which mentioned neither but only according to the words of the Prophet it is Zach. 11.13 Cast it unto the potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them He speaks it with disdain And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Exod. 21.32 There is a place parallel to it which will expound it clearly If an Ox shall push a man-servant or a maid-servant that he die the Owner of the Ox shall give to the Master of the servant thirty shekels and the Ox shall be stoned It was the very price that was paid for a slave Thirty shekels which is 3 l. 15 s. in our money A base estimation they had of Christ as if he were a bond-man the same price that was given for a slave that was killed by an Ox for this same price was he sold. In the second book of Josephus cap. 12. When Ptolomaeus Philadelphus would redeem all the Jews which were bond-men It s set down what he paid for a slave There is set down a great summ of money and the number of the slaves Here stands the valuation divide the number of Drachms by the number of slaves and you shall find the quotient for every man 120 drachms four Drachms make a shekel thirty shekels was the ordinary rate cryed in the Market for the price of a bond-man Thus Christ took on him the form of a bond-man not only Gods bond-man but in the estimation of men so despicable that they valued him at no higher rate then thirty pieces of silver This is but the beginning and entrance on Christs humiliation to be made in the similitude of sinfull flesh and in the verity of true flesh Christ had all infirmities as weariness hunger thirst which follow a sinfull man which were not sinfull such a nature he took upon him and then he became obedient both by active and passive obedience That which remains of the pains of his life to the passage of his dolefull death we will speak of the next time FINIS PHIL. 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Cross. IN these words and those that went before you see there is delivered unto us the point of the humiliation of the Son of God It stands in this 1. That he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man God the Son the second person in the Trinity did assume our dust and ashes unto the Unity of his own sacred person 2. This humane nature being thus assumed he was content to deprive himself a long time of that beatifical vision which he might have still enjoyed in that time was as obedient as the meanest and poorest servant of his Father Nor was he only actively but passively obedient He was obedient unto the death he was content to lay down his life for our Redemption And it was not every death that would serve the turn but it must be the death of the Cross the most accursed shamefull and painfull death that death which was most suitable and best able to answer the wrath of God First He humbled himself by taking our nature upon him He that thought it no robbery to be equal with God took upon him the form of a man If it were an abasement for God to look upon heaven the most glorious of his works how much more to take upon him a clod or peice of this earth and unite it to his own sacred person for ever This was a descending indeed he descended first that he might ascend Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth That is he descended into the womb of the Virgin and it was a great abasement indeed for him thus to descend Wherefore the Psalmist speaking of the wonderfull framing of the Babe in the womb saith Psalm 139.15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth So that we see God descended into the lowermost parts of the earth and there was he fashioned A great humiliation it was for him to be thus inclosed Thus did he humble himself in taking our nature Had he taken the form of a King upon him it hâ—d been a great humiliation how much more when he took on him the form of a servant He came not in state to be ministred unto but to minister as we shewed the last day Nor was he only his Fathers servant but a servant of servants and therein underwent Canaans curse A servant of servants shalt thou be Our Saviour became such a servant He which was the Author of freedom John 8.26 If the Son make you free then are you free indeed He I say who was the Kings son and so the most free the Author of it to all that enjoy any spiritual freedom became a servant that we which were servants might be made free But besides this it s added here that he humbled himself Having taken on him the form of a servant he humbled himself Where we may observe what made the suffering of our Saviour so meritorious It was because it was active free and voluntary Our Passions are contrary to our Will We are drawn to it as it is said of Peter When thou art old they shall lead thee whether thou wouldst not John 21.18 Peter dyed the same death our
of the disease that will not suffer the plaster to stick on It counts the blood of the Covenant wherewith we should be sanctified an unholy thing if this sinner would not pluck off the plaster and tread it under foot he should be saved but this is it when God is liberal and Christ is free we have not the heart to take him at his word and come to open this Word this is the point of all this is the free preaching of the Gospel indeed when a man hath nothing desirable in him but is stark naught and stark dead and is not worth the taking up that yet he may challenge Christ and be sure of all Unless thou hast Christ thou hast nothing by Promise not so much as a bit of bread by Promise if thou hast it it is by Providence All the Promises of God are in him that is Christ yea and Amen Ye are the Children of the Promise in Christ but you have nothing till you be in Christ. The Question is What must I do in this case what incouragement shall I have in my rags when I am abominable worth nothing There are certain things that are preparations to a Promise such as are Commands Precepts Intreaties which incourage them to it and then comes a proposition I being a Believer shall have eternal life If Christ be mine I may challenge forgiveness of sins the favour of God and everlasting life But how is Faith wrought believe not that foolish conceipt that is too common in the world that faith is only a strong perswasion that God is my God and my sins are forgiven this is a foolish thing a fancy a dream unless it be grounded on the Word of God It s but a dream else that will lead thee unto a fools Paradise Nothing can uphold faith but the Word of God here 's the point I being as bad as bad can be what ground have I out of the word of God of an Unbeliever to be made a Believer Now we must not take every Text but such only as may be appliable to a dead man one that hath no goodness in him that is yet out of Christ we were all swimming at liberty till this word catched us in we never thought of the business before till we were thus taken Now there are certain degrees to get faith in us 1. The first word is a general proclamation whereby Christ gives any one leave to come and take him Christ is not only a Fountain sealed as in the Canticles but a Fountain open for sin and for uncleanness as in Zachary so that now when he keeps open house he makes proclamation that none shall be shut out He puts none back sins not the greatest that can be can keep thee back this is the first thing and to confirm it we have our Saviours own proclamation Isa. 55.1 Ho! every one that thirsteth come you to the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without a price A strange contradiction one would think What! buy and yet without money and without price The reason is because there is a certain thing which fools esteem a price which is none Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire Why How must this be done Truly thus whensoever a sinner comes to Christ to have his sins pardoned and to be a subject of Christs Kingdom thou must not then be as thou wast but thou must be changed Thou must not live as thou didst before in the state of rebellion Now to leave sin is not worth a rush it s not a sufficient price but yet wee see a fool will esteem his own bables I must lay down my lusts I must lay down my covetousness intemperance c. and a man thinks it a great matter thus to do and to leave the freedom he had before though it be a matter of nothing When a rebel receives his pardon is the Kings pardon abridged because he must live like a subject hereafter Why should he else seek for the benefit of a subject This is said in respect of the foolish conceit of man who thinks it a great price to forsake his corruptions Again John 7.37 with the same loud voice Christ cryed when he offered himself a Sacrifice for sin he cryed at the time of the great feast that all should come In the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cryed saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink In ult Rev. there is a quicunque vult that is it I pressed It s a place worth gold And these are the places which being applyed make you of strangers draw near but now these are not appliable to a man before he hath grace every one cannot apply them Never forget that place while you live it s the close of Gods H. Book and the sealing up of his Holy Book What 's that It s in Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirsty come and drink of the water of life freely Whosoever will let him come what wouldst thou have more Hast thou no Will to Christ No Will to salvation then its pity thou shouldst be saved No man can be saved against his Will nor blessed against his Will If thou wilt not have Christ if thou wilt try conclusions with God then go further and fare worse but whosoever will let him come Oh! But I have a Will Why then thou hast a warrant take Christ Object But O Sir you are a great Patron of free-will What doth it all lie in a mans Will Will you make the matter of taking Christ lie there Sol. I say if thou seest thou hast a Will then thou hast a warrant I say not that this Will comes from thy self It s not a blind faith will do thee good the Word of God works faith in thee thou hast not a Will to it born in thee It is not a flower that grows in thine own Garden but is planted by God John 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him What Will Christ offer violence to the Will and draw a man against his Will No there 's no such meaning It s expounded in the 65. verse No man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father By this Christ sheweth what he meant If thou hast a Will to come thank the Father for it for of Him as in the Philippians we have both the Will and the deed Take for example that general proclamation in the book of Ezra VVhatever Jew would might be free Ezra 1.3 So said the King that had power to make them free Who is there among you of all his people his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the God of Israel Then we read verse 5. Then rose
taste it and therefore many Christians on serious consideration would not change their estate for the estate of Angels Why because hereby Christ is my husband I am wedded to him he is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh which the Angels are not capable of Our nature is advanced above the Angelical nature for we shall sit and judge the world with Christ judge the twelve Tribes of Israel And what an high preferment is this Nay observe this and take it for a Rule Never beg of God pardon for thy sins till thou hast done this one thing namely accepted of Christ from Gods hands For thou never canst confidently ask any thing till thou hast him For all the Promises of God are in him yea and Amen This may serve for the Object of faith to shew that the primary Object is Christ crucified and God by him We come now to declare 2. The Acts of faith what they are and there is some intricacy in that too There is much ado made in what part and power of the soul faith is We must not proportionate the Act of faith according to our own fancy For it s no faith but as it hath relation to the Word now look how is the Word presented After you heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation Now the Word is presented under a double respect 1. It s presented Sub ratione veri After you had heard the Word of Truth and there comes in the Understanding 2. Then Sub ratione boni as a good word that so we should lay hold on it and here comes in the Will For the Will we say challenges that which is good for its Object Now the Gospel of salvation is a good Word its glad tidings worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners And now as the Word is presented as a good Word so must my Act of faith be answerable unto it See in Heb. 11.13 The act of faith answering hereto These all died in faith not having received the Promises What did their faith to them It made them see the Promises a far off and they were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth So that by comparing place with place it appears that first this Gospel was presented as the Word of Truth they were perswaded of it It is the first Act of Faith to perswade men of the truth of the Word and then as it is a good word they embraced it these are the two arms of faith as true it perswades me as good I embrace it We must not now be too curious in bringing in Philosophical Disputes whether one Vertue may proceed from two faculties whether Faith may proceed from the Understanding and the Will The truth is these things are not yet agreed upon and shall we trouble our selves with things not yet decided in the schools as whether the practical Understanding and the Will be distinct faculties or no The Word of God requires that I should believe with my whole heart Act. 8.37 As Philip told the Eunuch if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest If with the heart but with what faculties may you say Why I tell thee believe with thy whole heart and what shall I peece and devide the heart when the whole is required Now to come to these two The Word is presented 1. As a true Word 2. Then as a good Word a word like Gospel like salvation 1. As a true Word And the Act of faith answering thereto is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowledge and Acknowledgement 1 Titus 1. 1 Peter 3. 1 Knowledge that 's a thing requisite Why because if there be a Remedy able to cure a mans disease if he do not know it what is he the better for it Knowledge is so essential unto Faith that without it there can be no faith In John 17.3 the terms are confounded the one put for the other This is life eternal to know thee to be the true God and whom c. to know thee that is to believe in thee because knowledge is so essential to belief as one cannot be without the other thou canst not believe what thou hast never heard of I know saith Job that my Redeemer liveth that is I believe he liveth and hereupon it s said in Isa. 53. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Knowledge is an Act primarily requisite to Faith to be justified by his knowledge is to be justified by faith in his blood this then is the first thing that I know it to be as true as Gospel then comes the acknowledgement 2. The Acknowledgement Joh. 6.69 We know and are assured that thou art that Christ. This is an assurance I say not the assurance of my salvation for that is another kind of thing but an assurance that God will keep touch with me will not delude me but that if I take his Son I shall have life I shall have his favour When God illuminates me I find all things in him when I have him I am made When the Understanding clearly apprehends this then comes the next word it is the Gospel of salvation there being a knowing and acknowledging the Act of the Understanding then comes the Will and it being 2. Propounded as a good word then follows 1. Acceptation 2. Affiance 1. Acceptation which receives Christ. 1 John 12. As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his name Then a man resolves I will take God on his word and thereupon follows A resting or relying on God which is a proper act of faith I need no other place then Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved But how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed that is on whom they have not reposed their confidence Mark the â—postle How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed That Faith which was in the antecedent must be in the conclusion therefore our faith is a relying on God and so in this place this trust is made the same with faith as it is in the Text in whom you trusted after you had received the word of Truth for our trust and belief there is the self-same word Nimium ne crede colori this Credo is to have a great confidence in fleeting and fading things and so it is in justifying faith If I have a knowledge of God and acknowledgement of him and from my knowing my will is conformed to accept Christ and if when I have accepted him I will not part from him this is faith and if thou hast this faith thou wilt never perish suppose thou never hadst one day of comfort all thy life long yet my life for thine thou art saved Perhaps by reason of thy
hath the promise And therefore the Scripture compares it to conjunction with Christ. And as in the Sacrament we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood the conjunction is between Christ and his Church And therefore the Scripture compares our conjunction by faith to the mystery of wedlock What makes a marriage its consent Wilt thou have this man to be thy husband she answers I will that expression makes the marriage The knot is knit by this mutual pledging of troth all other things are but subsequents of it So God saith Wilt thou have my Sonne Thou shalt have with him all his wealth though for a time thou must go bare and fare hard yet thou shalt have a Kingdome When a man considers deliberately here is the losse I must deny my self and obey him but I shall have a Kingdome Gods blessing and peace of conscience All things considered casting the best with the worst then the resolution is this is a true saying worthy of all acceptation c. I 'le take him on any termes be they never so hard for I shall be a saver in the end when we can take Christ as it were with all his faults this is the will which God requires There is another comparison in Scripture John 6.35 it s compared to hunger and thirst Believing was exprest by coming Believing is exprest by hungring and thirsting So when I see such a will and desire after Christ that I hunger and thirst after him that a hungry man longeth not more for bread nor the Hart thirsteth more for the water-brooks than my soul doth for Christ why then there is a promise made unto us and a promise is never made unto us till we be in Christ. Matth. 5. Rev. 22. Esay 55. We finde promises in them all in Mat. 5.6 Blâ—ssed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven they shall be filled Consider here what the nature of hunger and thirst is they shall be filled which implies they were empty before but now they shall be filled Suppose now I am not fill'd with Christ What am I without him No I want him yet there 's a blessing to the hungry and thirsty and there 's no blessing without faith If we be not heires of the faith we cannot be heires of the blessing Dost thou finde in thy self an hungring and thirsting after Christ Thou art blessed this faith will save thee Now faith will say I am wonderfully pained faint and even starved that I cannot be filled with Christ yet be content man thou shalt be filled with him in the mean while thou hast him and hast blessednesse and shalt be blessed It 's said 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Sonne of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Sonne of God Mark how the Apostle distinguishes these two things thou believest on the Name of Christ yet sayst thou though I believe I am not sure of my salvation I do not know it Why let not that much trouble thee that 's a consequent of it and that assurance will follow after therefore you should not confound it with believing These things have I written unto you that ye might know c. then there is a conclusion to be deduced from the premisses so that a man may have full hold of Christ and yet not be fully assured of his salvation So then here is the will which is the first thing But the Lord works the deed also And whereas it is said that God takes the will for the deed the place had need be well understood when we say God takes the will for the deed it is not alwayes true unlesse it be thus understood When a man hath done to the utmost of his power what he is able hath endeavoured by all means then God will take the will for the deed but if there be ability in me and I do not as much as I am able I do not my utmost endeavour then God will not take it but now God works the will and the deed when a man comes to the Throne of grace and sets forward in his journey towards God the first thing he doth is to come to the Throne of grace with Christ in his armes and then having fast hold on Christ he hastens and delayes not having hold as Joab on the horns of the Altar He hastens he sees its no time to delay he sees its now a time of need and Need as the old proverb is makes the old wife trot Is it not need to make haste when the pursuer of blood follows to the City of Refuge who would make delays and demurs and not run as fast as his legs would carry him Asson as I apprehend my need and see the golden Scepter stretched out then I come with might and main with Christ in my armes and present him to the Father and this is the approaching and drawing near in the Text to the Throne of grace But now when I am come thither what do I say there What shall I come and say nothing The prodigal soon resolved to go to his Father and say I will up and go there 's the will and say there 's his speech The believer is not like to the sonne that said to his father I will go but went not but when his father bids him come he will come he will not onely say so but will draw near and then he hath a promise He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast off But when we come thither what must we do why we must take unto our selves words according to the Prophets expression Hos. 14.2 Take unto you words and go unto the Lord and say Take away all our iniquities and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips When he comes to the Throne of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and sayes Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an almes of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have not tasted a bit of bread in so many dayes and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him
This being an accident we must have a subject for it Now there is a certaine kind of people that have supernatural workings some that are drawn up and down with every wind of Doctrine these are they that have this cold and temporary faith temporary because in the end it discovers it self to be a thing not constant and permanent We read in John 11.26 That they that are born of God never see death shall never perish eternally but yet we must know withal that there may be conceptions that will never come to the birth to a right and perfect delivery And thus it may be in the soul of a man there may be conceptions that will never come to a ripe birth but let a man be borne of God and come to perfection of birth and the case is cleare he shall never see death He that liveth and believeth in me shall not see death And this is made a point of faith Believest thou this There is another thing called conception and that is certain dispositions to a birth that come not to full perfection True a child that is borne and liveth is as perfectly alive as he that liveth an hundred years yet I say there are conceptions that come not to a birth Now the faith that justifies is a living faith there is a certaine kind of dead faith this is a feigned that an unfeigned faith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Dost thou think a dead faith can make a living soule It 's against reason A man cannot live by a dead thing not by a dead faith Now a dead faith there is A faith that doth not work is a dead faith Jam. 2.22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by his works was faith made perfect for verse 26. As the body without the spirit is dead or without breath is dead so faith without works is dead also See how the Apostle compares it as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also The Apostle makes not faith the form of works as the soul is the forme of the man but as the body without the spirit is dead so that faith that worketh not that hath no tokens of life is dead but then doth not the other word strike home Faith wrought with his works It seems here is not as the Papists say fides informis and works make it up as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it Compare this with the other places of the Scripture 2 Cor. 12.9 where the Apostle pray'd to God that the messenger of Satan might be removed from him and he said unto him My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse What does our weaknesse make Gods strength more perfect to which nothing can be added No it is My strength and the perfection of it is made known in the weaknesse of the meanes that I made use of for the delivery of mans soul from death So here the excellency and perfection of our faith is made known by works when I see that it is not an idle but a working faith then I say it is made perfect by the work when it is a dead faith that puts not a man on work never believe that will make a living soul. In St. Judes Epistle ver 20. it hath another Epithite viz. the most holy faith not holy only but most holy That faith which must bring a man to God the holy of holies must be most holy It 's said that God dwells in our hearts by faith Now God and faith dwelling in a heart together that heart must needs be pure and cleane Faith makes the heart pure It were a most dishonourable thing to entertaine God in a sty a filthy and unclean heart but if faith dwell there it makes a fit house for the habitation of the King of Saints therefore it purifieth the heart Well then doest thou think thy sinnes are forgiven thee and that thou hast a strong faith and yet art as prophane and as filthy as ever How can it be It is a most holy faith that justifieth it is not a faith that will suffer a man to lie on a dunghill or in the gutter with the hog There may be a faith which is somewhat like this but it is but temporary and cometh short of it But now there is another thing which distinguishes it it is the peculiar work of faith In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but the new creature Gal. 6.15 and againe Gal. 5.6 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but faith which worketh by love It 's twice set down Now what is a new creature why he that hath such a faith as works by love not a dead faith but a faith that works but how does it work it not only abstaines from evil and does some good acts which a temporary may do but it s such a faith as works by love The love of God constraines him and he so loveth God as that he hates evil for Gods sake the other does it not out of love to God all the love he hath is self-love he serves his own turn on God rather than hath any true love to serve him Now that we may the better distinguish between these two I shall endeavour to shew you how farre one may go farther than the other I know not a more difficult point then this nor a case more to be cut by a thread then this it being a point of conscience therefore First I declared unto you the nature of faith How God first works the will and the deed and that there is a hungring and thirsting after Christ. First I say there is a will and desire to be made partaker of Christ and his righteousnesse then there is the deed too We are not only wishers and woulders but do actually approach unto the Throne of grace and there lay hold on Christ touch the golden Scepter which he holdeth out unto us but Object Now you will ask Is there not an earnest and good desire in a temporary faith a desire unfeign'd Sol. Yes there may be for a time a greater and more vehement desire in a temporary then in a true believer then in the elect themselves all their life Object Where 's the difference then I thought all had been well with me when I had such a desire as I could scarce be at rest till it were accomplished Sol. I answer beloved It is a hard matter to tell you the difference but you must consider 1. From whence this desire flowes whether it come from an accidental cause as if by accident my heart be made more soft and I more sensible of my condition or whether my nature be changed to give you an instance in iron when iron is put into the forge it is softened and as soon as it 's taken forth we say 't is time to strike while
great work or to a great deal of joy he first humbleth him the Prince of our salvation was consecrated by afflictions and we must be conformable unto Christ our Head when the stormes are past the Sea will continue raging for awhile and when you have turn'd the wheel round if you take away your hand it will go round it self for a time So when you are justified by faith the storme is over yet the roaring of the waves will continue it will be so with the children of God though there be a calme yet there will be some remainders of a storm Again they are in travaile and that is a painful thing My little children with whom I travail they have the pangs of the new birth and it is a good while before they can finde that quietnesse their heart doth long for Again God purposely doth though he be friends with them take away from them the sense of peace because he takes delight to finde that strength of faith Faith is manifest that way faith is most strong when there is least sense My God my God why hast thou forsaken me the lesse sense the faster the hold and God loves this at life that when he spurns and frowns he will not let go nor be put off let him kill me he shall kill me with Christ in my arms I will not let go my hold God cannot fail he hath given me his Word therefore I will not let go such astrong faith had Abraham contrary to reason Gods Word is true he gives me his Word and I will trust him So a childe of God will not be put off though God write bitter things against him he will not forgo him we have an excellent example in the woman of Canaan the end of it is O woman great is thy faith but how doth the greatnesse of it appear Lord have mercy upon me my daughter is grievously afflicted c. why not rather Lord have mercy on my daughter the reason is because she was afflicted in her daughters affliction by the way we may hereby understand the meaning of the Commandment where it is said he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him but why to the third and fourth generation because I may see the third and fourth generation and may see the judgment of God on them and may remember my sinne for which they are plagued the case is mine and not theirs only Lord have mercy upon me for my daughter is diseased I see my own sinne is punished by the judgment on her in my sight poor woman Christ will not hear her she might have been dash't out of countenance the Disciples were weary of her clamorous cryes and say Send her away for she troubleth us what saith Christ Is â—t fit to take the childrens bread and cast it unto dogs This was enough to dash her quite before she was discouraged by silence but to be called dog it were enough quite to discourage her but see the fruit of faith she seeks comfort out of that which would have undone another what am I dog a under the Table there I shall get a crumme others of the children that are better let them have the loaves I account my self happy if I may but get a crumb Oh woman great is thy faith this is great faith when it goes contrary to all sense That when God calls me dog when he spurns at me and frowns on me I will not be put off Faith is of the nature of the Vine if it have but the least hold on the wall it makes use of it and climbs higher and higher So out of the least thing that drops from her Saviours mouth she raiseth her faith higher so though we have this peace with God yet oft ofttimes he with-holds the notification of it to us 3. The last thing is to note the difference between the peace of a carnal and a spiritual man carnal peace is mixt with a great deal of presumption and pride but the more spiritual peace thou hast the more thou art dejected in thy self the more cast down see it in Ezekiel Ezek. 16.60 61 62 63. I will establish with thee an everlasting Covenant then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thy elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant and I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou mayst remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord when God is pacified yet they hold down their heads and are ashamed when a man knoweth that God hath pardoned his sins he is ashamed that he hath carried himself so wickedly against God of whose mercy he hath now such experience When God is pacified a man remembers his former sinnes and is confounded as it is Ezek. 36.31 Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations in that time when I am pacified toward you That which would work in a carnal man security and pride for he never thinks himself better then when there 's peace within will work in the the childe of God the Spirit of humiliation In the last Chapter of Job God had manifested himself wonderfully to Job and however before he had very sharp afflictions his sufferings in soul were next to the sufferings of Christ. I believe never any man suffered so much as Job did insomuch that the arrows of the Almighty stuck in him thou hast eaten up my flesh c. This was the case of Job and he stood upon termes of justification he wâ—sh't that God would dispute with him that God would either be the Opponent or the Answerer If God would answer he would oppose or if God would oppose he would answer God comes as he would have him and Job is not at that point that he was before when God draws nigh unto him he saith I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye seeth thee Job 42.5 Well this may make thee a proud man and elevate thee no saith he now I abhorre my self in dust and ashes The nearer God draws unto us and the more merciful he is unto us by that light we the more discern our own abominations That which would make another man proud brings Job to the knowledge of his vilenesse Therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 3. Now another thing is Who is this peace-maker This I shall but touch We have peace with God But how through our Lord Jesus Christ he is our peace-maker and interposeth between his Fathers wrath and us Ephes. 2.14 For he is our