6. last for in them God seekes the praises of his Grace Eph 1. 6. and so they must be Gifts free Things Now a Gift must not be deserved for then it is a Debt Nor have any thing done for it but the receiving it for else it is an Exchange no Gift And indeed this is one maine reason why God so magnifies Faith as to make it the onely Meanes of obtaining Christ Salvation Because Faith onely magnifies Gods free Grace For if any thing were done then Christ Heaven could not be Gifts And this also shewes that Faith onely as it is a receiving Christ and no other way not as it is an Obedience or Deed done is the Meanes of obtaining Christ Salvation by him Because else they could not be Gifts nor of Grace Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace Secondly Because Man should be abased and stript of all boasting for whilst that nothing is required of him for having Christ Salvation but receiving and taking it he can attribute nothing to himselfe Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then It is excluded by what Law of Workes nay but by the Law of Faith Thirdly Because this makes Salvation sure to us Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith to the end the Promise might be sure for that it is grounded on God his Truth Faithfullnes and not on us as it was in Adam There are two Things by which some abuse this Doctrine which must be removed 1. Some be ready to thinke If all that God requires to Salvation be the Beleeving in Christ then may we live in Sinne as we list and yet come to Christ beleeve in Him and so be saved I Answer but this is prevented by the description of Comming to Christ receiving of Him or beleeving on Him It is as ye heard the entertaining and resigning up one selfe to Christ in all things to be taught ruled by him aswell as to be saved by him and they that doe not this doe not come to Christ nor receive nor beleeve in him So that the very nature of Beleeving and a carnall Heart Life are incompactible Faith unites to Christ and so from Christ there is communicated Death to Sinne Resurrection to newnes of Life Faith affords many holy reasonings whereby the Heart is stirred against Sinne and to Obedience Rom. 6. 10. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your Selves to be dead indeed unto Sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 1. Peter 4. 1. For as much thē as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arme your selves likewise with the same mind c. They that beleeve are married to Christ and therefore bring forth fruite by Him to God Rom. 7. 4. Christ Lives in them that beleeve Gall. 2. 20. And dwelles in their hearts Eph. 3. 17. Faith works by Love Gall. 5. 6. And Love makes us keepe that is Evangelically in desire indeavor all the Commands 2. Some be ready to thinke If all that be required to gett Christ Salvation be to come to Christ receive beleeve in Him then it is not so hard a worke to be saved as it is made to be for that it is an easy short worke to doe this I Answer but this is a grosse mistake for that there is nothing in the World harder then to Come to Receive or Beleeve in Christ therefore Christ saith No Man can come to me except the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. he must be drawne and that by an Allmighty Hand or he cannot come Therefore when so many were invited None came Luke the. 14. they all made excuse and they that came were compelled Verse 23. and therefore the Perfecting of Faith is attributed to Power 2. Thes 1. 11. and the Disciples pray for the Increase of Faith There is nothing that conduceth to Beleeving but it is all aboue the Power of Nature and contrary to Mans inclination As to goe wholy out of ones selfe and rest on an other for all good To apprehend Sinne its misery Therefore the Spirit must come from Heaven to Convince of Sinne Iohn 16 8. And then to apprehēd a way of being Iustified from Sinne the Spirit must likewise come from Heaven to Convince of Righteousnes which needed not if any thing but God could doe it And so for a Man to renounce his owne will wayes and give up himselfe to Christ whose Lawes be so contrary to Mans will this is above Nature Also the Devill is most strongly against this hence so many discouragements subtill tentations are put on them that indeavor to beleeve for Satan knowes that this onely gives Christ the Kingdome and turnes him out To conclude therefore is it so hard to be saved and so few are saved because it is so hard to beleeve and so few doe beleeve But it is farther objected against this Doctrine thus The Scripture calls for many Things besides Faith of them that be saved as legall Humiliation Mortificacion Holynes Obedience c. Therefore it seemes that Beleeving or Comming to Christ is not all that God requires I Answer The Legall Humiliations and all woundings of Spirit with the sight of Sinne are required not as Meanes by which we pertake of Christ Salvation for many have them that never obtaine Christ or Salvation but as Preparations whereby People are fitted inclined and drawne to Come to Christ to Receive Beleeve on Him and they be one Meanes by which the Father drawes and the Ministers compell People to come And Mortification Holynes Obedience c are onely the Fruites Effects of our Beleeving that which Christ doth in them he meanes to save after they have beleeved in Him These are the beginings of Salvation Glory which Christ begines and perfects in them that come to Him for Salvation So that allthough these must be in all that be saved Yet there is no other Meanes required of God for Obtaining Christ and Salvation but onely Beleeving USES Vse 1 First Vse may serve for Instruction in Three Perticulers Instructiō 1. To shew us in the Generall what to observe in Mans Salvation Viz Free Grace Certainty and that God is All in All in Itt These as ye heard in the Reasons of the Point are manifested aboundantly in Gods requiring no other Meanes of getting Christ and Salvation by Christ but onely Beleeving Therefore let us see these in God his saving of People This is indeed the sweetnes of the Gospel and that which makes it so much glorifie God incourage miserable Man that it assures us all Happynes is to be had in Christ for receiving it 2. To shew their Error that labour most for Pleasure Wealth Honour Content c. Whereas these neither are Meanes nor are required by God for our getting Christ Salvation Therefore folly it is to labour for them more then to Beleeve 3. To shew the Errors both Of Papists who seeke
INSTRVCTIONS ABOUT RIGHT BELEEVING SEVERALL SERMONS Leading unto Christ directing unto Faith and incouraging thereto Shewing the Nature Measure and necessitie of the sense of Sinne. Christ the bread of Life a sufficient Remedy for Mans misery with the way and meanes to obtaine him as also incouragements to come to him from his abilitie and readinesse to give full soule-satisfaction By JOHN ARCHER Master of Art sometime Preacher of All-hallowes Lumbard-street London ACTS 2. 39. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart MAT. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour are heavie laden and I will give you rest JOHN 4. 14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting life LONDON Printed for Benjamin Allen and are to be sold at his Shop at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1645. ⧠TO THE READER GOOD READER COnsidering the state of most people to be either wholy insensible of their miserable estate and goe on securely not minding the precious and soule-saving Remedy tendred or some others who are sensible who are oft discouraged both through the malice and subtiltie of the Devill these ensuing Sermons in a plaine and profitable way tending to helpe in both these respects are here presented for a farre more publick advantage then they could be in the preaching of them They are not corrected and fitted for the Presse as it were to be wished but neere the matter and way of his delivery and the experience had of some mens Sermons so printed hath incouraged to these conceiving they will be profitable hoping all will be so charitable as to put good constructions and not by the contrary prejudice themselves or others from the good intended Some things are but briefly propounded in the Close but there are sevcrall things profitably opened to direct sinners to Christ and incourage sensible ones to come to him with incouragements so to doe shewing his fitnesse and sufficiency for their helpe and readinesse to it and the Soule-satisfaction to be had by him All which is here commended to thee for thy good in desire and with desire of which and of thy amending what escapes thou meetest with I leave thee and it to the blessing of God CHRIST IS THE BREAD of LIFE A SUFFICIENT REMEDY FOR MANS MISERY John 6. 35. And Iesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that commeth to mee shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst THESE WORDS are an Answer to that Desire or Demand of the People in the former Verse Lord evermore give us this bread Wherein Christ opens to them What is that Bread which they seemed to desire Which Words of Christ I will Consider absolutely in themselves and passe what may be observed from their Coherence Dependence and will not stand on every thing which may be Collected frō the Verse but so much as may serve for my purpose Which is This Having shewed you the Misery you are in by Nature and how far you must be humbled with the sence The Sūme of the Wordes of it Now I shall shew ye the Remedy and by what Meanes it may be attained For which purpose this Verse is very full In which you have First a Discription of Christ Which is done Metaphorically by Bread I am the Bread of Life Secondly the Meanes by which this Christ may be had Viz By comming to Him That is as it s expounded By beleeving on Him Thirdly the Persons who may doe this and so make Christ their owne Viz Any One whoever as is implyed in the indefinite propounding of it He that commeth He that beleeveth as ye shall see more clearly heerafter Fourthly a strong Motive to perswade to labour for this Christ taken from the Benifitt Shall never hunger Shall never thirst FIRST The Description of Christ which is Metaphorically The Bread of Life DOCTRINE Doctrine CHRIST is the BREAD of LIFE Opened by answering divers Questions This is oft repeated in this Chapter And for opēing of which Consider these Questions Question 1 First What is ment By Bread of Life Answer I Answer whatever is needfull sufficient to bring People out of that Misery they are in by Sinne to that Happynes they lost in Adam A Sufficiency of Meanes To Free from Misery And Bring to Happynes As is more fully exprest though in other Metaphors In Verses 53 54. of this Chapter Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have no life in you c. And therefore Christ culls out a Metaphor that is one of the cheife to support Mans mortall Life Viz Bread And therefore adds this Epithite Of Life That as Bread is specially usefull for our Life So is Christ for the Spirituall Eternall Life The Bread of Life That is the Remedy of Mans misery in which he is by Nature Sinne. Question 2 Secondly Whether this be proper to Christ Or common with him to some other Answer I Answer it is proper to Him Nothing else nether in whole nor in part hath any share in it except as his Instruments These Words I am the Bread of Life are not onely declarative of what He is but impropriative and restraining this to Him onely This is the meaning That He and He onely is the Bread of Life Therefore that Verse 53. Except ye eate Him ye have noe Life Therefore He onely is the Bread of Life And Gen 3. 15. The seede of the Woman that is Christ shall breake the Serpents head That is recover Man out of Misery God never promised it should be but Onely by Him Therefore by Him onely it shall be And so much is exprest by that Iohn 6. 67. 68. Iesus said unto the twelue will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whome shall we goe Thou hast the Words of Eternall Life If Eternall Life could have been had by any other then they might have gone away frō Christ that reasō had not been strong And this is expresse by that Acts. 4 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved As the Israelites in the Willdernes had noe helpe from the deadly stings of fiery Serpents but by the Brasen Serpent Question 3 Thirdly By what Meanes Christ comes to be bread of Life I Answer by His Incarnation and all that He did suffered till He sate downe at Gods right hād in Glory All this was for the fiting making Him bread of Life How Christ comes to be Bread of Life as Christ came into the World for this end to become Bread of Life So all He did suffered in comming into and being in the World till He was translated out of it and set downe in Glory was for this end As 1.
exprest So as cannot be conceived This Mercy farther appeares If we Consider that which also this Doctrine teacheth us it cost God and Christ somewhat before they helped Soules Christ must be bread That is not his up doing it But much must he doe and indure before he was fited for it As Bread doth before it become Bread Therefore we are the more bound to Him for his undertaking the Worke of Our Redemption And to God the Father For Giving Him to that Worke If a King should appoint his Sonne and his Sonne undertake to save Traytors onely by comming to the Prison fetching them out it were worthy of much Thankes But much more when the Sonne by much paines and cost shall doe it Ioseph procured Bread for Egypt But Cbrist was made Bread 2. USE For Incouragement to Such as droope in the Sence of their Misery and want of Life I may say to such of you as be amazed with the Sence of your Misery by Sinne As Iacob to his Sonnes Gen. 42. 1. 2. Why doe ye looke one upon another Behold I have heard that there is Corne in Egypt c. Whatever you want whether Gods Favour Or Image The Life of Comfort Or of Grace despaire not For God hath provided Bread for you I and ye need not be affraid to come to this Bread and take it For he loves to have People eate of Him as will clearely appeare by this which also followes from this Point Viz That Christ Came from Heaven for this End To recover Sinners out of their Misery And to helpe them to live For that is the End of Bread It is not directly for any other use It is so of Christs Comming Math. 18. 11. For the Sonne of Man is come to save that which was lost Iohn 3. 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the World to condemne the World but that the World through Him might be saved And Chap. 12. 47. I came not to judge the World but to Save the World Therefore they that feele their need of him need not feare Comming to Him or question his helping of them It was the End of His Comming and the Use God cheifly put Him to Therefore he will not be averse from it Hence it was in that Math. 18. 11. Having told them that this was the End of His Comming to Save He by a Parable shewes them what Ioy it was to Him to save any one How can He but joy in making good the End of his Comming Therefore they that droope in a Sence of their Misery and dare not goe to Christ for helpe doe not knowe Christ Nor the Mistery of his Incarnation Nor the End of his Comming That it was to Releive the Afflicted Learne it now therefore and come confidently to Him for Helpe He cannot but with all readines entertaine thee and the Opertunity of making good the End of his Comming Therefore in Scripture Christ was greedy of any opertunity to releive a distressed Soule And did not quench the smoaking flax c. Math. 20 most meeke and gentle and easily intreated therefore a Dove sate on him in His first Instalement into his Office This is a maine thing that is taught in the Gospel and may be observed through the whole Story that Christ with abundance of gentlencs willingnes entertained incouraged all that in sincerity came to him for helpe Feare not then Christs rejecting thee so thou have a right desire to him but presse him if he seeme to deny thee as the Woman did Marke 7 27. 28. Let not want of Life or Weakenes hinder thee for he came to helpe such as bread is for the empty and weake Therefore say ye as Moses Exod. 16. 15. 16. This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eate c. 3. USE Vse 3 To teach us how much we should esteeme prize Christ and Labour for Him even as hunger starved people doe for Bread Israell desired a cruell Bondage for Breads sake Exod. 16. 3. the Egyptian bondage frō which they were freed And they Ioh. 6. 24 26. How did they follow Christ from one Coaste to another for Loaves What did Egypt doe for Bread-Corne not Bread nor fitted to their hands Gen 41. 55. They cryed to Pharaoh for bread And Cap. 47. 14. They parted with all their Mony for bread And Ver. 17. They parted with all their Cattle And Ver. 20. They parted with their Land And Ver. 23. They sould Themselves Would ye so doe for Christ ye should have him Isay 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no mony come ye buy eate yea come buy wine milke without mony and without price and why should ye not since He is Bread not bread corne but ready fitted to your hands How did all Nations flock to Egypt Gen 41. 57. Because Bread Corne was there And why flock ye not to Christ since He is the Bread of Life Doe ye not manefestly give him the lye who calls Himselfe Bread And yee who so much care for Bread as if ye call it to mind ye did lately in the Famine yet prize not not care to get Him Though it may seeme not desirable as Bread oft doth to Children therefore when it is given them they cast it away Yet consider the case of your Soules hunger-starved And He the Bread of Life That I may quicken ye up to prize esteeme Christ Christ is better thē any bread in many perticulers more Consider in how many Perticulers He is better then any other Bread 1. Other Bread onely supports Life it doth not give Life as ye all knowe But Christ is a Bread that gives Life to them that be dead and therefore is called the Bread of Life Iohn 6. 53. 54. 57. 2. Other Bread preserves Life but for a while Gen 3. Eate it till thou turne to dust It doth but repreive as it were till an other Sessiōs It Corrupts and keepes not the Body from Corrupting But this Bread gives Eternall Life Iohn 6. 50. 51. This is the Bread which commeth downe from Heaven that a man may eate thereof and not dye But live for ever Therefore Christ by this Argument perswades them to prefer this before other meate Iohn 6. 27. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth unto everlasting life which the Sonne of man shall give unto you 3. Other Bread helpes but the Body in Point of Life and but in an earthly Life But this helps the Soule Body and that in a Spirituall Life 4 Other Bread is not enough to Life but with that there must be other things even in this sence is that true Man lives not by bread alone Therefore ye have Sampson not complaining of danger of Death for want of Bread but Water But this Bread is Allsufficient It alayes Hunger Thirst both as is in the Text Yea Its Wine Milke fat Things
receives him could not have prerogative to be Gods Sonne as that Verse affirmes of him And else where it is called a takeing Reve. 22. 17. So that the Meanes by which Christ this Remedy of Mans misery may be had is Comming to Him Beleeving on Him Taking or Receiving of Him Hence observe DOCTRINE Doctrine The all onely MEANES of and that GOD requires for the Obtaining of CHRIST and Salvation by CHRIST Is the Comming to HIM Taking Receiving of HIM or Beleeving on HIM This is expresse in the Texts whence we now raise it there is no more to be done and Christ is injoyed If God required more or more must be done Then this Verse of my Text doth not fully direct how to get the Bread of Life But that it doth Therefore let a Man come to Christ and he shall have Christ This is all that God requires for the obtaining Christ and therefore our Saviour expresseth Christ by a Feast ready prepared and to be pertaked by all that come Pro. 9. 1. 2. 3. Wisdome hath builded her House She hath killed her Beasts She hath mingled her Wine She hath furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maydens She cryeth Who so is simple let him turne in hither She saith come eate of my Bread and drinke of my Wine which I have mingled Luke 14. 17. He sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden come for all things are now ready And they that eate not of it miste it because they came not Verse 24. And however there was One that came and yet was not permitted to eate at the Feast Math. 22. 11. 12. 13. yet it followes not that there is some what more required then Comming for he miscarried because he came not had he come indeed he had obtained but he did but seeme to come though it is called a Comming for the want of the wedding garment was onely a want of Comming as ye shall see heerafter when we shew what Right comming is This allso is farther proved by these Scriptures Iohn 5. 40. Chap. 6. 37. Chap. 7. 37. Math. 11. 28. And as the Scripture is expresse for the proofe of this under the expression of Comming So also is it as expresse under the Phrase of Beleeving Math. 21. 31. The Publicans Harlots goe into the Kingdome of God before you Why For Verse 32. Yee beleeved not but they did Therefore Faith is the Way Therefore when the People askt Christ What they should doe to worke the Worke of God that is to get Salvation He prescribes them this onely Iohn 6. 39. This is the Worke of God that ye Beleeve Hence that Marke 16. 16. He that beleeveth shall be saved This is taught by our Saviours making Faith the Instrument onely Meanes of Curing Helping all them He cured in the Gospel and where He found not Faith He did no great Cure Math. 13 58. Also hence it is that Unbeleefe is made the onely Ground Reason of Mens Damnation Iohn 3. 18. 36. Chap. 8. 24. Though Men shall be punished for all other Sinnes Yet not Beleeving is the Ground Reason why they perish by their Sinnes Because Beleeving is the onely Meanes of Salvation And this was typified by the Isralites not entering Canaan because of their Unbeleefe Heb. 3. last And hence also it is that Beleeving is in Scripture made the Fruite Signe Pledge of Gods ordaining People to Eternall Life Acts. 13. 48. And not beleeving is made the Fruite Signe of Gods not purposing to Save People Iohn 12 39 40. Because Beleeving is the onely Meanes of obtaining Salvation Lastly It is hence also that all the Requisites to Salvation are made in Scripture the Consequents Workes of Faith Namely The Righteousnes of Christ for our Iustification Rom 3. 22. And the Spirit of Christ for our Sanctification Gall. 3. 14. Thus ye see how the All and Onely Meanes of and all that God requires for Our obtaining Christ and Salvation by Him is to Come to Him Or Beleeve on Him And this was typified by the Brasen Serpent as it is expounded applyed by Christ Iohn 3. 14. as All that God required and was the Meanes for obtaining Cure from the Brasen Serpent was the Looking on it as you may reade Num 21. 8. 9. There are two Propositions of necessity to be knowne by all that would be saved One is that Christ is the All onely Remedy of our Salvation The other is that Comming to Christ or Beleeving on Him is the All onely Meanes whereby Christ saues us There is no Salvation but by Christ onely and there is no having Christ Salvation but by Faith onely As God conveyes Salvation onely by Christ So Christ Salvation are had onely by Comming to or Beleeving in Christ The former of these hath been taught you in the former Point and now the latter is as clearely taught For the better understanding and making use of this Doctrine It is fit to open shew What this Comming to Christ Receiving Taking and Beleeving on Him is They are as ye heard before severall Words expressing one and the same Thing And that is this The Act of the whole Man that is of every part and faculty of Man entertaining Christ offered in the What comming to and beleeving on Christ is Gospel and resigning up himselfe to Christ in all the Offices of Christ as a King Preist Prophet to be saved by Him through those Offices To Beleeve in Christ is not in Generall to phansy conceite that I shall be saved by Christ and he dyed for me as the Worlds Faith is Ye shall find Divines giving other descriptions of Faith As namely a perswasion of the forgivenes of my Sinnes Salvation of my Soule by Christ Or a Confidence Trust in Christ for Salvation which with all other descriptions of Faith I conceive to be Venire ad Christū est cum servatorem recipere se illi consecrare totum Bucer in hunc locum And see Bucer on Rom 4. 3. in Malorets Comment the expressions of some higher Degrees Effects Consequents of Faith and not to be the first act of Faith But as for this which I have now given so farr as I can find by Scripture it is the first act of Faith and that which truely gives title to interest in the Lord Iesus and Salvation by Him And being the first act it may be where other farther acts degrees of Faith cannot presently be found This is it which Bucer explaines the Comming to Christ to be To Come to Christ saith he is to receive him for a Saviour and to resigne give up his whole selfe to him The eateing this Bread is by Faith to receive him Calvin And therefore I thinke Beleeving is exprest by the phrases of comming to Him taking receiving of Him because it is a so doing as is before described For
Salvation by Workes also and not by Faith onely and so make it neither Free Grace Gift nor sure nor shutt Man out from all beasting And also the Error of many among us even that have some good thing in them who to the end they may get Christ Salvation labour most for Humiliation or for Holynes and least of all to Come to Christ beleeve on Him wheras onely Faith is the Meanes and All that God requires for our obtaining Christ Salvation There are Two Snares which the Devill sets for People One is when they hope to be saved by Christ and never looke to be humbled nor to be sanctified thus the Profane are caught which is a most silly thing to thinke that any can be Saved that be not regenerated sanctified or to thinke that one can beleeve not hate all Sinne study all Holynes or that any one can be brought to Heaven by Christ and not to Holynes first It was a good speech of Francis Spira lying in the distresse of Spirit I will not saith he detract from the Gospel it is most true that by Faith in Christ we be onely saved but yet take heede of resting on Faith and neglecting the Workes of Faith Faith requires not that we be Christians in word onely Beleeve me qouth he who have fully tryed the matter and therefore he much commended to them the Epistles of Peter which presse Sanctity Chastity c. This was good Counsell and very usefull against this Snare by which Satan intangles the most of People who rest in a Conceite that they beleeve and never care for the Workes of Faith but the Error of this hath been opened before There is an other Error which is a second Snare of Satan Viz To labour for Humiliation Mortification Holynes Obedience and not to labour to Beleeve this is the Snare in which many well disposed People are caught And the Error of it appeares by this Doctrine Because there is no other Meanes required by God for our obtaining Christ Salvation but onely Faith Indeed some measure of Humiliation must be had before we can beleeve as ye have heard before Viz So much as may make one hunger after Christ and be willing to receive Him on any Conditions But when thus much is obtayned which is when there is a serious labour after Mortification and all Obedience Yet then to labour for more Humiliation or Holynes and not first cheifly to labour to beleeve in Christ this is a great error for there is noe other meanes to get Christ Salvation but Faith So that all the other Labour is in vaine and for that which never can bring Christ or Salvation as if a Man that desires to bring his dead Freind to Life should onely labour to bring him to the acts of Life as to speake walke c. and not to the onely Meanes of Life to have his Soule joyned againe to his Body and that Satan knowes and therefore putts them on it to make them spend time paynes to noe purpose To such therefore I may say as Elisha in an other case to the Syrians 2. Kings 6 19. This is not the Way Ye seeke Salvation and Christ but by farther measure of Humiliation having enough allready to make you willing or by Holynes you can not get them there is but one Way one Thing that God requires and that is to Beleeve Therefore as Christ said to Martha in an other case Luke 10. 41. 42. Ye are carefull about many things but one thing is necessary Viz to Come to Christ and Beleeve in him to Entertaine him and Give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices doe this and you shall be saved When this is done then shall ye be able to attaine Mortification and Victory over your Lusts Sanctification Ability to Duty and not before These be the Fruites Effects of Beleeving and you must Beleeve before you can have these As the Woman must be marryed to the Man before shee can have lawfull Children by him And the Science must be ingrafted into the Tree before it can beare Fruite Were it not a simple thing for a Woman to expect Children Legitimate by a Man and then shee would marry him Or to expect that a Science should first beare Fruite by the Sap of a Stock and then ye would ingraft it to it Or to expect that a Roome should be first inlightned and warmed in the cold Winter and thē ye would bring in a Candle Fire As absurd is it to expect first to be Sanctified and then to Beleeve in Christ For Faith in Christ is the Cause of all Mortification Holynes It is Christ that sanctifies People Heb. 2. 11. And of His Grace conveyes to us Iohn 1. 16. and he never doth it but by our Faith in Him for it is by Faith that He lives in us dwells in us as ye have heard Holynes is the Meanes by which Christ after he is beleeved in brings them that beleeve in Him to Salvation It is therefore a most preposterous and wholy unprofitable way for People to labour for Holynes or Heaven or Christ and not first cheifly to labor to Beleeve in Christ The Right and onely Way is being soe farr humbled as I said before as to hunger after Christ and be willing to have him on any Tearmes thē to labour to Beleeve and after that is done to labour for Mortificatiō Holynes By From Christ to get it Whome thou hast made Thine owne by Faith Wherefore I beseech you see your Error who will not beleeve till first you have the Spirit quickning you Grace strengthing you to Duty and subduing Sinne in you if you could thus find it in you then you could beleeve and not else This is the inverting Gods Order and a way that will never bring you to Christ or Heaven Indeed and I pray observe it there is an Act of Faith which cannot be had till this be had and that Divines calls a reflect Act where by a Soule beleeves that it doth beleeve Before this can be there must be Repentance Holynes c. This is a knowing that we have Faith this is not the necessary Meanes to Salvation but to Assurance Comfort But there is an other Act of Faith Viz. the direct Act which is Beleeving not a Beleeving that I doe Beleeve but a Beleeving and this must be before we can repent or have or doe any good this is the Meanes and onely Meanes to be saved Now consider the absurdity of your Error before you labor to Beleeve you labor to knowe you doe Beleeve you will be sure you doe Beleeve before you will Beleeve you labor for the Evidence of Faith before you labor to have Faith it Selfe you more and first care for the Meanes of Assurance Comfort of your Salvation then the Meanes of being Saved And one maine Ground of your doing thus is partly Pride
after more then Faith and that Humiliation which fits for Faith But I will not addresse my Exhortation to you But to Such as be humbled troubled with their Sinnes Cry out What shall we doe to be saved To you I say as Luke 8. 50. Feare not onely Beleeve Yee have but one thing to doe there is but one thing God requires of you and you shall have Christ Salvation And that is to Beleeve Oh doe it this will certainly bring you all you desire Acts. 1◠3◠What must I doe to be saved Ver. 31. And they said beleeve on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And although Peter prest them to Repent as Acts. 2. 38. Yet that is but as if he had said Beleeve Which in by Repentance will shew forth it Selfe worke in you If ye feare Hell desire Salvation then Beleeve This is the one onely way All other Things that be good come after this All other Labour of thine is in vaine till this be done Therefore this is so called for and prest in Scripture It is charged on People by a Command 1. Iohn 3. 23. This is his Commandement that we should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ And so is in that Call to Repent Acts 17. 30. for till they Beleeve they cannot Repent And it is required with the greatest reward promised threat annexed Marke 16. 16. He that beleeveth is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned To perswade you to this duty Consider the evill of not Beleeving And the Benifite of Beleeving The Evill of not Beleeving is very great It s very Injurious to God Christ and your Selves To God It makes him a Lyer whereas Beleeving setts to your Seale that God is true therefore it is called a Iustifying of God Luke 7. 29. 30. His truth faithfullnes And not Beleeving is a condemning God as not true faithfull You also wrong God in not obeying his Cōmand which is to Beleeve and in not regarding his Feaste nor valueing his Dainties which made him say they that did so should not tast of them for he that beleeves not is exprest by them that refused to come when the Supper was prepared Luke the 14 And so ye wrong him in not receiving his Sonne for that is Beleeving when he proffers sends him to you It also is Injurious to Christ It s a slighting him as if he were not worth the taking It is a refusing to kisse Him and to let him raigne over you and a Hating Him Luke 19. 14. It is as much as to say he is not worth the taking up he is not sufficient or not free to helpe It is also Injurious to your owne Soules Luke 7. 30. against themselves that is not beleeving they did wrong themselves Iohn 3. 19. It is The Condēnation many Cōdemnatiōs ye have viz. Oathes Lying c. but this is The Cōdemnation Ye doe keepe your Selves frō Salvation because this is the onely Meanes ye will not use it Ye doe that Acts 13. 47. Judge your Selves unworthy and make the Preachers of Christ be turned from you And for you that by discouragmēts are kept frō Beleeving ye keepe your Soules from that pertaking of Christ and his Benifites which ye might attaine to And so also such as doe beleeve but weakely they wrong God Christ and themselves very much as if their food which God provides were not good enough as if Christ the Second Adam were not as good to helpe them as the First Adam was to hurt them and keepe themselves from that measure of Grace from Christ which they might attaine to As the Evill of not Beleeving is great So is the Benifite of Beleeving It s as effectuall as doing was with Adam With him it was doe live Now it is Beleeve and Live Not that God loves a fruitles Faith but because it is Faith that must helpe to doe and that is better esteemed with God then doing Rom. 4. 21. 22. Because Faith brings Christs doing which is Perfect and Ours is not Beleeving it is the very Key which opens Christ in whom are unsearchable Riches and gives enterance into Heaven It is the Bucket by which we fetch Water from that Well of Life And all that have this Key Bucket may take thence And therefore it is that many have noe Grace from Christ because they have no Faith in Christ And others have so little Grace because they have so little Faith for as we Beleeve so is it unto us Matb 8. 13. It is the turning the Cock which sets all a flowing from God both Mercy Grace It is in the least degree a sure Evidence of Heaven gives Title to Christ and all Promises brings Iustification Sanctification and Salvation affords Adoption Sonnship Iohn 1. 12. Now then Considering the Evill of not Beleeving and the Benifite of Faith What canst thou doe that is of so much Consequence as to Beleeve To helpe thee to Beleeve Observe these Directions Helpes to Beleeve First labour to understand be clearely convinced 1. Observe these Directions of these Perticulers 1. Christs Alsufficiency to helpe thee to all things needfull to Salvation 2. Gods Offer tender of Christ to all People where the Gospel comes without respect or limitatiō of Persons but onely of Conditions which is the next Point to come in our Text. 3. That God who offers him freely Is most true able and most sincere willing to give what he offers 4. That for the fitting us to have Christ or before we doe seeke for him God requires nothing but so farr to see our Misery as to desire Christ and be willing to take Him on His owne Conditions and that then we be fittest for obtaining Christ when we see in our Selves nothing but emptines of all Good and fullnes of Sinne Misery 5. That Beleeving brings Christ all Grace and must be the first thing we doe to gett Christ or Grace which is the Point in hand 6. That Christ readily imbraceth and sweetly incourageth all that attempt indeavour to beleeve in Him 7. That the expresse Command of God is upon All where the Gospel comes That they do beleeve These are undoubted Truthes expresse in the Scripture 2. Practise these Things Secondly Practise these Things 1. Pray to God for helpe grace to beleeve for it is his gift 2. Attend on the Preaching of the Gospel Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. 3. Strive to it sit not still give not way to Doubtings and Tentations and Carnall reasonings but reason from the above premised Propositions and presse your owne Heart with the Conclusions that must followe thence Also ponder consider of those Propositions resist all that furthers Doubting hinders Beleeving Thus make it your worke trade to worke your Heart to it 4. Bring your Selfe To venture upon that which the Word
sets before you even above Reason Hope and without Sence studiously search out what it is to Beleeve in the first least act of it and then doe that at a Venture and commit your Soule to it doing it what ever riseth against it in your owne reason And thus Faith begines Thus much for the Second Thing in the Text The Meanes by which this Bread of Life The All sufficient Remedy of Mans misery may be obtained THE THIRD THING in the Text is the The Third Thing in the Text. PERSONS that may use this meanes and so obtaine Christ In those Words He that Commeth He that Beleeveth That is Any One by these Meanes may obtaine Him It is an indefinite Proposition is equivalent to a universall It is as much as to say Who ever Comes as it is else where put Iohn 3. 15. That Whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have Eternall Life upon the use of this Meanes any Person whoever may obtaine Christ Salvation by him DOCTRINE Doctrine CHRIST and Salvation by CHRIST are free for any PERSON whatsoever to obtaine by Beleeving in CHRIST The meaning is not onely that Christ is for all sorts of People for all Sorts of People shall actually have him because God hath Elect of all Sorts both Men Women Children Yonge Old Poore Rich Wise Foolish One Nation Another c. But the meaning is this that there is no perticuler Person in the World which may not by Beleeving have Christ Salvation by him Christ is so freely tendered to all Commers to all Receivers to all that Beleeve in him that there is no person of any Sexe Age Country Condition or Sinnes whatever but by Beleeving may have Christ Salvation by Christ This is expresse in the Text whilst our Saviour saith He that comes He that beleeves that is Whoever comes beleeves As it was in the type the Brasen Serpent cured onely by being looked on and it cured all that looked on it so that whatever stung Israelite looked on it by that meanes was cured which tipyfied that what Person soever Came to Christ Beleeved on Him should be Saved for allthough the Serpent helped none as it is like but the Israelites yet Christ is larger then that type being for all whoever one or other that come to him as Himselfe applyes expoūds it Iohn 3. 14. 15. in other Scriptures And therefore Marke 16. 15. 16. He appoints His Disciples to preach the Gospel to every Creature that is to every one of Man-kind and then adds He that beleeves shall be saved that is whatever Creature of Man-kind whoever among them doth Beleeve shall be saved Indeed where the Gospel is not preached the People are not Commanded to Beleeve and so the Obedience cannot be exacted from them nor they punisht for the want of it Yet the Commission of Mercy Pardon given out is no way limited in regard of Persons but tenders Mercy Pardon without limitation of Persons upon Beleeving and therefore where ever it comes and is preached it offers Christ Salvation free for every Person of them whatever to be obtained by Beleeving And it may be truly said that Christ is free to be had by any Person by Beleeving even as it was with the Iewes in the Proclamation of Cyrus 2. Cron last two last Verses and Ezrah 1. 1. 2. 3. any Jew might have liberty freedome from Captivity upon the tearmes of accepting it for it was grāted to all whoever to depart that would depart Now though it is true all did not take it and so were not delivered yet Freedome was Free for every one to be had by accepting it So is it with Christ Salvation by Him although not every one nor the most doe obtaine it because they use not the Meanes accept not the Tearmes Cōditions And this was typified by the Yeares of Iubile which typified Christ as is cleare by Luke 4. 19. Christ is to preach the acceptable Yeare that is the Iubil He is to Preach it that is in by Him it is performed declared In those Yeares any Servant of the Hebrewes might goe from his Master and if he would goe and so accept of Freedome he was to have it Deut. 15 12. 13. any Hebrew was to have Freedom in this Yeare if he would accept it though if he would not accept it he was not to have it as we shall see heerafter which taught that any Persō for though the Tipe was limited yet the Antitipe is not because the Wall of Seperation is removed I say it taught that any Person whoever upon these Tearmes by these Meanes Viz Accepting Christ Salvation that is Beleeving in Him should have it And this seemes to be implyed in Rom. 3. 22. 23. That as there is no difference among People till they beleeve they are all Sinners So there is no difference in Gods offer of Mercy in the Gospel It s on the same Tearmes to be had a like by All and therefore with Christ The Angels said glad Tidings came to all People Luke 2. 10. Now if Salvation might not be had by All on the same Tearmes then were it not glad Tidings to All But this makes it glad Tydings to All That All whoever by Beleeving may have Salvation therefore is that Luke 2. 30. 31. Myne eyes have seene thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all People This is another maine thing to be knowne as that Christ is the All onely Remedy and that He is to be had by Beleeving So that any Person whatever by Beleeving may have Him As a Generall Pardon offering Mercy to all Traytors which submit come in any Traytor whatever upō those Tearmes may have Mercy Indeed Christ doth actually afford helpe to none but to them that Beleeve but his helpe is freely tendered all upon their Beleeving So that any One whatever Beleeving shall have helpe by Christ this is expresse Revela 22. 17. Neither let this Point be perverted for it shewes not that any Person may have Christ Salvatiō on any tearmes for so it should justifie incourage carnall Libertines Nor that all or the most shall have Christ on these tearmes that is actually injoy him by thus doing for the most shall not have Grace to doe so though by so doing they may have him But the Point shewes that any Person may have it on Christs tearmes and that every Person where the Gospel is preached may should indeavor to Beleeve and Beleeving shall have Christ And this is most cleare by those Scriptures which expresse Christ by a Feast Prov. 9. 1. Luke 14. 16. c. where all are invited and upon comming might eate of the Feast and the most unlikeliest of all to be permitted to come are instanced in Viz The Simple Fooles the Poore and the Hedge High way Persons to shew that None be excluded
out of the Offer but on the same Tearmes any one whatever may come injoye Christ REASONS Reasons First Because this much magnifies sets out Gods Grace Free-Mercy whilst that Christ Salvation may not onely be had for taking but also may be had by any One whatever for taking So freely to offer Christ and Salvation to a few were greate Mercy but to offer it so freely to every one that is Wonderfull Mercy As it is great Mercy for a Prince to offer Pardō to one or two Traytors upon the tearmes of accepting Pardon but to tender it to all Traytors on the same free tearmes is wonderfull Mercy even as it was wonderfull Riches in Solomon in the 2. Cron. 1. 15 to make Silver at Ierusalem as Stones that is that any one whatever may have for taking up if he desires them for so are Stones Even thus is the Riches of Gods Mercy set forth inasmuch as Christ Salvation Things of more worth then Gold Silver are to be had by any whoever if they accept thē that is Beleeve in Christ Secondly Because this Incourageth every one to obey the Gospel beleeve in Christ inasmuch as Christ is not limited nor are any sequestred shut out from having Christ by Beleeving Therefore there is good Incouragement for any one so for every one to indeavor to Beleeve And this is a wise Administratiō of God for by this meanes they who live under the Gospel and yet beleeve not are left wholy without excuse even as that Man Math. 22. 12. speechles for it will be cleare even their owne selves being Judges that they missed Mercy because they cared not for it but loved other things better for when it was free to be had by any one by Receiving Beleeving they would not doe that even as the Traytor who receives not the free and generall Pardon hath no plea nor excuse left him when he comes to receive the Sentence And this seemes to be implyed in Iohn 3. 19. The Condemnation to them that have heard the Gospel◠will be this That Light came into the World which must be supplyed and might have been had by every one of them if they would have received it but they would not so much as take it when they might have had it because their deeds were evill This free tender of Christ It discovers the wickednes of their Hearts the evill Deeds of thē for therefore they will not love nor receive the light and leaves them without all Plea and makes their Destruction to be of themselves their owne willfull ruine who doe perish under the Gospel And as there is this effect So also by this meanes the Persons as the Apostle speakes 1. Thes 5. 9. are appointed by God to obtaine Salvatiō by Christ they are brought on to Beleeve and so to be saved by Christ For God doth not first shew People that he hath Elected them and then thereby perswade bring them to beleeve but Election is concealed as a secret thing and by Gods offering Christ freely to every one to be had by Beleeving His free Offer incourageth them to labour to Beleeve and they finding themselves not shut out of Mercy they labour to Beleeve and God helpes gives them the Gift of Faith and so they Beleeving come to knowe that they are ordayned to Life Eternall Acts. 13. 48. This is a wise course way to bring in the Elect and discourage or hinder none USE Vse Incouragment For speciall Incouragement to every one of you To come to Christ beleeve in Him I now in Gods Name as his Messenger Embassador Tender Offer Christ to every One of You on these Tearmes that ye Come to Him Receive Him Beleeve in Him and assure you that so doing Ye shall be saved by Him I tender Christ to you All onely annexing these Two Cautions least ye should mistake or abuse this Doctrine Cautions First That none must meddle with Christ but they who be willing to have him on His owne Tearmes Viz. To be Lord King to them aswell as Preist Secondly Whoever doe get Christ they are surely Changed by Him and made New Creatures These being premised I doe this Day Offer Iesus Christ to yee All and assure yee He is to be had by you if ye Come to Him Receive Him Beleeve in Him that is If ye Entertaine Him and give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices upon these Tearmes He may be had by any of you It is most probable there be Some of You to whome God intends good where He so freely sends his Gospel Now let every one hope it is he And indeavor to make it so as men doe at a Dole and let Heaven Suffer Violence Oh Receive Him then Give up your Selves to Him in Covenant Accept Him for your King Preist and Prophet Resolve this Day The Lord Jesus Christ shall be my Prophet I will in all Things labour to be Taught Guided by Him And he shall be my King I will in all Things care to be Ruled by his Lawes And he shall be my Preist I will rest on Him for Attonement and Satisfaction to God-wards I must addresse my Selfe to Two Sorts of People among you 1. To such of you as are Willing that Christ should raigne over you but dare not or cannot trust in Him for your Salvatiō be ye incouraged for there is none such but be wellcome to Christ that is all he seekes to raigne over you it is all the tearmes he stands on ye having granted him his owne Conditions why should ye question his Mercy This I say to you 1. that if ye be made willing to give up your Selves to Christ in all things to be guided by him and covet his Kingly Office in your Soules and study seeke for Holynes And 2. If ye find that hope of Mercy makes ye feare to offend care to please God in all things and doth not make you presumptuous secure bold to Sinne Then you may and should apply Christ for Mercy and expect it from him And doe it now Now He is offered to you this Day as a Preist to save you reconcile God to you accept it in that Office put your trust in him Is he not free for every one upon these tearmes and why will you neglect so free Mercy You have sinned against it hitherto in doubting questioning of it Oh now sinne not any longer but boldly venture thy selfe on Christ feare not thy Wellcome or being permitted to apply Christ the free generall Pardon is given out sue it forth whoever layes hold on Chrst must be saved Christ puts this out of doubt Iohn 6. 37. He that comes I will in noe wise send away Limitt not where God hath not limitted doe not shut out thy Selfe where God hath not shut thee out doe not inquire whether thou art chosen or no but looke to the Gospel in
36. 8. 9. They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnes of thy house and Psal 63. 5. My Soule shall be satisfied as with marrow fatnes Such a fullnes satisfieing as they are capable of in this Life For instance a Child may be said to be a lusty strong Child whose strength is nothing in respect of the strength of a Man to which he may after attaine So Beleevers have Satisfaction suteable to their Condition proportionable to the State wherein they are a fullnes of Grace in regard of parts though not of degrees a Satisfaction according to their Capacity though not so absolute as they shall one Day be capable off Fourthly They are fully satisfied in this Life Because they have All Things actually in Christ and really by Faith whoever Beleeves in Christ hath all things actually in him Coll. 2. 10. They are Compleate in him There is in Christ a Fullnes of Grace Glory and All that is in Christ is theirs and they have it in him He being full they may truely be said to be full Christ not hungering and thirsting they may truely be said not to hunger or thirst Christ being fully satisfied they are said to be fully satisfied For Christ stands in their stead and possesseth all things in their name right Christ was their Substitute and that which is done to him may be truely said to be done to them as a Man who hath his debt fully payed to his Substitute though he receive it not by his owne hand yet may truely acknowledge satisfaction because the other is his Receiver on his behalfe So Beleevers may be said to have for the supply of all their wants because Christ hath received a fullnes that they out of his fullnes may receive a full supply And further as they have actually a compleate fullnes in Christ Soe they have really that fullnes by Faith In Christ He that beleeves hath everlasting Life Iohn 3. 16. 36. everlasting life admitts not of hūger thirst having cōpleate satisfactiō so faith brings in really a supply of all as God hath all things to come present by reasō of his Infinitnes Eternity so hath a beleever by faith which is the evidence of things not seene Heb 11. 1. as Abraham had Christs day present to him And they are growing up to Perfection dayly as the Child increaseth dayly for by Vertue of their Vnion to Christ. they receive of His fullnes in the use of the Meanes Iohn 1. 16. growing up by the Ordinances towards Perfection not onely a perfection of Parts for that is at first received but of Degrees Eph. 4. 12. 13. As the Branch from the Roote sucks more more Sapp or the Child from the Nurse or Body frō the Head Stomack by which it growes up to full Stature so that they be going to that Fullnes which is in Heaven wherein all desires shall be satisfied In these Respects it is true in this Life in some measure degree Secondly in the Life to Come it is Perfectly Compleately true Every Beleever then shall have All wants supplyed all desires alayed All the aboundance of Good that the Soule is capable off shall be there fully supplyed and so all desires must cease when there is a full Fruition Therefore it is called Ioy Math. 25. 21. because it is a full fruition of all desirable Good and they be said to enter into it to shew that it is so full large that it cānot enter thē but they enter it so they are every way filled with it As the Sea cannot be Cōtayned in a smalle Uessell which may enter into it be filled as full as it can hold yea swallowed up of it so shall they be fully supplyed and have more then they neede or can receive and he that enters into an infinite Satisfaction must needs have his finite Appetite fully satisfied as Psal 17. last When I awake that is am raised up out of the Dust at the last Day for Death is called a Sleepe and so Resurrection an awaking I shall be satisfied therefore no Hunger no Thirst and it must be so because of that where with we be satisfied Viz Gods Likenes that is God Him-selfe his Glory Gods Face as in the former words it shall be veiwed that is there shall be a full cleare fruition of God 1. Cor. 13. 12. Then I shall see Face to Face and know even as also I am knowne Therefore if God can give full Satisfaction it shall then be had for then shall that fully be made good Eph. 3. 19. That ye might be filled with the fullnes of God All the fullnes of God so far as ye are capable If therefore there be enough in God there then shall be enough Thus in the Life to Come He that beleeves in Christ shall have all wants supplied all desires alayed because he shall fully perfectly injoy God and so perfect Happynes Then all desires to Sinne shall be perfectly quelled for that all Sinne shall be compleately purged out Then all neede desire of the Creature in this World shall be quite removed because God shall be in stead of all as the Sunn is in stead of a Candle and the Ocean in stead of a Dropp 1. Cor. 15. 28. God shall be All in All Meate Drinke Clothing Honour Wealth Pleasure Friends and All Mark 12. 25. Then all desires after Grace shall be fully satisfied because there shall be a Perfection of all Grace in regard of measures degrees so much Grace shall be injoyed as is desired or needed Thus he that Beleeves in Christ shall never hunger nor thirst because God begines to alaye his desires so soone as he beleeves and never leaves till He hath brought him to the full Fruition of all desirable Good in the Heavens USES Vses First for Instruction Comfort to all that truely beleeve 1. For Instructiō Comfort in Christ What it is truely to Beleeve I opened in opening the Second Doctrine where I shewed It is not a groundles slight Conceite that Christ dyed for us but an entertayning receiving Christ in all his Offices a full resigning ones Selfe to Him Covenanting to be ordered Comfort for Beleevers in two perticulers guided by Him in all Things to such heere is Instruction Comfort and that In these Two Perticulers First You that beleeve in Christ shall never totally or finally fall away from God Grace so as wholly or for ever to loose them a Comfortable Point in these dangerous seducing declining Tymes For he that once beleeves in Christ saith Christ in my Text shall never hunger nor thirst that is shall never be wholy without God Grace Christ Happynes as ye have heard in opening of the Point Therefore whatever appearances there may be through the Subtilty of carnall Reason Satans Suggestions Be thou assured that having once beleeved in Christ thou shalt never be
wholly destitute of God Grace for then thou must hunger thirst which Christ saith shall never be Neither is that of weight against this Cōmfortable Truth that Some object So long as one beleeveth he shall never loose wholly God Grace But one that beleeveth may loose his Faith and then loose God Grace wholly This I say is of no weight For though one may loose the use of Faith for some tyme Yet None that Beleeve can ever wholly loose Faith nor any other saving Grace as hath been showed in the opening of this Point and so as he can never wholly loose Faith so neither can he ever loose Christ or Grace If the Covenant did run thus That he that beleeves so long as he beleeves shall never fall away But yet he might loose all Beleeving and so fall away then were not that true Isay 55 3. For with Every Beleever God makes an Everlasting Covenant Even the Sure Mercyes of David Now how were the Covenant Everlasting or the Mercy Sure if that he might wholy loose Faith and so loose God all Grace Surely that Place expresly teacheth That when any one Beleeveth God makes with him a Covenant that shall Last for Ever and bestowes on him Mercy that is Sure and therefore he cannot be disappointed He that once beleeves must be for ever Gods and never so fall as to misse Heaven For Christ hath prayed for All that beleeve that They should be with him see his Glory Iohn 17. 20. 24. The Sonnes of God and so is every one that Beleeveth Iohn 1. 12. must be Like Christ when He appeares at the Last Day 1. Iohn 3. r. 2. Therefore He that beleeveth must be saved and can never wholy loose God or Grace And therefore it is that He that once Beleeves can never wholy loose his Faith because to the end He may never loose God or Grace God preserves Faith in him and by that Faith preserves him in Grace Favour with God till he come to inherite Glory 1. Pet. 1. 4. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith c. Secondly You that beleeve in Christ shall have All your desires alayed All your wants supplyed your Soules satisfied fully in this Life 1. Your sinfull desires to Sinne the Worlds Vanityes these shall be alayed by removing the Cause of them Viz Originall Corruption the Vanity of your Minds Hearts Your Soules shall be purged from those ill Humors which make you Hunger after this Trash and shall be put in right frame and you made to Hunger after good wholsome Things Viz Gods Favour Holynes Gall. 5. 24. Chap. 6. 14. Examine your Selves well and ye shall find that ye doe not so hunger after these Things as ye did and be ye sure that ye shall doe it lesse lesse till at last ye shall be quite freed from that vaine Desire For those many Exhortations in Scripture to Mortifie those Affections and to Lay them downe as Eph 4. 22. 23. 24. Coll. 3. 2. 5. doe include Promises upon your indeavor that it shall be done as may be gathered from Rom. 6. 12 14. where God promiseth that shall be which he exhorts to Yea Gods Exhortations to Beleevers are as his Word in Creation was Operative and working that which he Calls for and Commands to be Therefore doe ye but Exercise your Faith and use the Meanes God hath appointed and you shall have your sinnfull troublesome Desires alayed 2. So also Your good cōmendable Desires after Grace Holynes Those shall be satisfied Christ will fill you as full as ye can desire or contayne Allready ye have in you the Store-house Treasury of all Grace the Spring is in you Christ in whome is all you neede and therefore it is in him that you may have it He is yours and from him ye may have whatever you neede doe but let downe the Bucket of Faith and drawe what Water ye desire He will never with-hold any Grace yee thirst after if ye trust in him and use the meanes Psal 81. 10 He will fill the Mouth that is opened and according to your hope in him will he doe to you he may defer you a while to try the strength of your Desire and of your Faith but he will not with-hold ever but satisfie your Desire Yea he cannot with hold for what you seeke by Faith in Him and in the use of His meanes he must give you His Promise Office doe tye him to it for He is your Spring of Grace to satisfie your thirsty Soules And as a Man 's owne Spring cannot with hold Water from him when he comes to it no more can Christ Some wants ye shall have so long as ye live heere but yet there shall be a satisfieing filling up though not filled up as the Child is growing though not fully growen till he comes to Age And ye shall have that fullnes satisfaction that is needfull requisite for this Life so much ye shall have Therefore be Comforted and sinke not under the sence of your wants It is good to be sensible of spirituall wants so as to seeke for supply but it is folly unbeleefe to be discouraged under them since that ye have in hand doe possesse as your owne that which is able ready to supply them all if you use the meanes Viz Christ the Promises Would not one thinke them Fooles that complaine of Thirst and had a Spring of there owne at their Doore Yea farther Consider that ye have actually all Fullnes Viz In Christ the Promises there is All Fullnes what can you desire that is not there and it is all yours So that in your Substitute Treasury Srore house Wardroope there is actually all that you neede or desire and it is all yours For all is yours as ye heard before 1. Cor. 3. 21. and therefore the Apostle speakes of Calvin on this Scripture saith well Si eges nō habes fidem Si habes fidē non eges Beleevers as possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. Iam. 2. 5. styles thē rich in faith that is not ment of abundance of Faith as sometime the word is taken but that by Faith they be Rich So that every one that Beleeves is Rich by Beleeving therefore possest of abundance else none are called Rich for the present injoying all that is needfull and Heires of a Kingdome for in the Life to come ye shall have a Satisfaction of all your Desires There ye shall have an absolute Fullnes all sinnfull worldly Desires shall be quite extinguisht all Holynes Happynes shall be perfectly administred there is nothing necessary or desirable for your Happynes but ye shall enjoy it actually in the highest Degree ye shall have your Wills to the full no Want or Crosse in any Desire God will say to you as Herod to Herodias her Daughter Marke 6. 22. 23. and
better not onely aske what you will to the Halfe of the Kingdome but to the Whole and it shall be granted you Whatever Christ Heaven God can give to fill you you shall have so far as you can receive In a Word Ye shall be as Christ is 1. Iohn 3. 2. So that if Christ is full Ye shall be full Wherefore be ye Comforted with these Things 2. USE Vse 2 For Tryall Ye may by this try whether ye Beleeve or For Tryall no If yee Beleeve ye doe not hunger thirst Thou that art not thus alayed in thy Desires Thou either dost not Beleeve Or dost not exercise use Faith Or Cbrist saith not true Ye that have gaping wide Desires after Sinne that feed on Sinne as an hungry Man and drinke downe Iniquity as Water ye doe not beleeve Ye that as fully admire seeke delight in the Things of this World as ye did formerly and hunger thirst cheifly after them Ye Beleeve not If your Desires goe out constantly in an inordinate Way to any of these Worlds Contents It s a Signe you have not Faith Hence also a Discovery may be made Both concerning the Measure and Exercise of Faith The strōger your Faith is the lesse is your hunger after the World and Sinne c. and according as you exercise Faith will be the alaye of your desires after such things You want the exercise of Faith who cannot supply your wants as you feele them For Faith if exercised will draw from Christ and the Promises such a fullnes as is convenient for this Life It will shew you a Compleat fullnes in Christ as your owne And where this is not there Faith is weake or not exercised as it ought to be 3. USE Vse 3 Shall be for Exhortation to Beleeve Because of the Benifite For Exhortation that comes by it This is Christs ayme in this Place And this Vse belongs First to such of you as yet never Beleeved Secondly to such as have and doe in some measure Beleeve First to you that yet never Beleeved That is never entertained 1. To Vnbeleevers Christ in all his Offices and never gave up your Selves to whole Christ as to your King Preist Prophet But the most ye have done is in a Generall manner to phansy Christ dyed for you and you shall be saved by him which is not true Faith as ye heard before You therefore that yet never rightly beleeved be ye perswaded to doe it and that above all things For why what can doe you so much good as this Is there any Thing in the World can satisfie all your Desires Sinne doth not Sinning alayes the Desire of Sinne no otherwise then casting on Oyle doth alaye the Fire it increaseth it the more ye sinne the more ye desire to sinne It is like the administring Wine in a Dropsy Riches satisfie not Ezekiell 7. 19. Eccle. 5. 10. He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase he spake it that had fully tryed it and therefore the more to be regarded And as it holdeth in Riches So likewise in Honour Pleasure or any Thing else ye seeke after and neglect Beleeving That which is reported of Alexander is to be found in every ones Heart which a Philosopher discovered in his by this Questiō to him When thou hast Conquered Greece what wilt thou doe He answered I will Conquer Asia and the whole World When that is done what wilt thou doe I will saith he wish for another World to Conquer thus unsatisfied was he by all his Honour And thus is it with Men both for Honour Pleasure c. Our Soules are made to enjoy God therefore Covet an Infinite Eternall Good which is ment by that Groping after God Acts. 17. 27. Not that they seeke God as God for so that is true Rom. 3. 11. There is none seeketh after God but in that they seeke blindly after an Infinite Eternall Good which onely is God though they thinke not so they be said to grope or feele after God and therefore rest unsatisfied in any finite or mortall good reall or seeming Our Soules are like the gapeing Earth full of Chinckes and great Crannyes which nothing in the World can fill satisfie but the Ocean or Showers of Heaven God Him selfe hence is that restlessnes that is in all Hearts Whatever they have even in this sence they are tossed up downe as the Sea and not quiet For so long as the Soule is in Desire it is in a restlessnes troublesome Motion And hence it is there be such shiftings frō one thing to another frō Coveteousnes to Prodigallity c. though ye never have the witt to shift from the Creature to God for then ye would be satisfied because in nothing ye be satisfied yea and God oft lets you have your Desires so much Wealth Pleasure or Honour as ye seeke and yet ye be not satisfied that so ye may knowe there is nothing can satisfie but God And this I assure you if ye Beleeve not Marke it for ye shall one Day remember ye were told of it ye shall ever hunger thirst and never be satisfied and that is a great Misery as He that beleeves shall never so you that beleeve not shall ever hunger want and never get Satisfaction Pro. 13. 25. Therefore such a Condition is discribed in Scripture by them that labour in the Fire and for Vanity Habuc 2. 13. That feede on Ashes Esay 44. 20. Follow the East Wind Hosea 12. 1. Labour wholly in Vaine as Esay 55. 2. Consider the Difference twixt them that Beleeve and those who doe not Beleeve Esay 65. 13. Gods Servants that is Beleevers shall have Ioy because full Satisfaction and so no hunger Ye that beleeve not shall want and so be ashamed because ye have not got that ye sought In this Life ye shall not be satisfied and much lesse in Hell there is Paena Damni ye shall be punished with losse want of what ye seeke Dives who was full of Honours Riches and enjoyed a fullnes of all outward Contentments while he was in the World yet this Dives because he was not a Beleever he thirsted after a dropp of Water and could not have that Thirst alayed There shall be continually Renisus Voluntatis your wills shall ever incline unto this that good which ye want but shall ever desire and never attaine to It is a painefull thing to hunger thirst and not to have to satisfie the Poore knowe this Oh! what is it thē to hūger thirst a Yeare together and never be satisfied and what is it to doe so Ever yet this all this is shall be your Case who beleeve not in Christ that is doe not so receive him in All his Offices as hath been opened But on the other side if ye will Beleeve in Christ yee shall never hunger nor thirst what
would a hungry Man doe for this will he not venter his Life If ye will Beleeve ye shall have a supply of all good things and be as Deut. 33. 23. Satisfied with Favour full of the Blessing of the Lord. Ye neede not goe out as I may so say but shall have of your owne whatever you neede for Soule or Body Ye may have outward Things yet want more or loose them againe But Beleeve ye shall have all Good and never loose it Ye desire Joy Heere is the Way to Full Ioy ye must have full fruition of all Good and that is onely had by Beleeving Your desires to Sinne shall be alayed and new Desires given you satisfied and that is all one as if ye had them of Sinne satisfied Therefore Consider what the Prodigall saith Luke 15. 17. 18. In my Fathers House is Bread enough and I dye for Hunger In God there is Fullnes enough of Satisfaction and I am distracted through want of it Reason then as the Prodigall did Allas I am heere ready to famish for want of Bread How unsatisfied is my Soule I follow after Wealth Honours Pleasures and yet my Soule hungers thirsts Why should my Soule be famished heere and perish heereafter There is Bread enough in the Gospel In Iesus Christ I may have to supply all my wants a Compleate Satisfaction Why should not I renounce my Selfe Forsake my Sinne and Goe to Christ I will goe to Him and Beleeve in Him How great a Benifite would it be to have Meate or Drinke that would alaye Hunger Thirst for Ever This is had by Faith This Argument perswaded the Woman Iohn 4. 14. 15. Let it perswade you Ye have heard in the former Doctrine That Any one what Person soever may by Beleeving get Christ God in his Gospel shutts out None therefore be not kept from indeavoring to Beleeve by a Conceite that such a Sinner as thou shalt not be accepted for any that come are Wellcome Labour thou thē to Beleeve and know that on these Tearmes Perfect Happynes is offered thee For it is that onely which can satisfie all Desires and therefore above all Labour to Beleeve in Christ If thou wilt not thou refusest Perfect Happynes and shalt have perfect Misery Secondly This serves also for Exhortation To You 2. To Beleevers that have Beleeved Gett more Faith and exercise Faith more So shall your Wants be supplyed and Desires satisfied and this is the Way to have more freedome from sinnfull worldly Desires and to have your fill of Grace God Happynes you want so much because you actually beleeve so little For Beleeving brings Satisfaction and the more ye Beleeve the more full Satisfaction Be allwayes then in the use exercise of Faith abound there with Sathan above all things labours to hinder your growth in Faith because by that meanes he would keepe you in want But learne you above all things to labour to abound in Faith for then shall you want nothing Hence are there so many Exhortations Prayers made by the Apostle in Scripture for Beleevers abounding in Faith For as they exercise increase in Faith so all Fullnes is farther conveyed to them Faith is as the Bucket which let downe fetcheth Water and the oftner you let it downe the more Water you have The Exercise of Faith is as the turning of the Cock which if turned let ts in Water So Faith exercised let ts in all supply and the more it is exercised the greater is the supply The more Faith the more fullnes If we want the want is not from Christ but from our want of the exercise of Faith Exercise Faith then and you will never be pincht with Hunger or Thirst or be so perplext as often ye are But you shall enjoy a Heaven upon Earth you shall have a sweete Influence of all Grace as fast as your Soules can receive it you shall enjoy the Spirit of God and the Favour of God and be fully satisfied All Supplyes are to be had onely from Christ and all to be had from Christ onely by Beleeving Faith Exercised doth Three Things Faith exercised doth 3 Things First It Conveyes the Thing that is sought Therefore so oft in Scripture It is made the Instrument of Conveyance of all Gods Blessings By Faith Sarah received the promised Sonne Heb 11. 11. So Gall. 3. 14. The Promise of the Spirit is received by Faith It is Faith brings it Therefore the Scripture makes Faith to Conveye the Pardone of Sinne the healing Diseases and whatever it beleeves Math. 8. 13. as ye heard before For whatever Faith layes hold on it makes it thine owne be it ever so much And. Secondly Vntill it hath Brought Conveyed the Thing It gives Assurance that it shall be had and so it gives Content Satisfaction in some measure as if it were had As it did to Abraham for his Isaac Gen. 17. 17. it made him laugh that is Ioy for it was another kind of laughing then Sarahs was who laughed out of scorne of the thing spoken as deeming it impossible therefore was shee rebuked I say Faith made Abrahamlaugh that is Ioy in the Assurance of the thing And so it made Hanna quiet and eased her of her perplexity 1. Sam. 1. 10. 18. upon Her praying shee Beleeving was Satisfied untill shee had it For Faith exercised doth assure the Soule the Thing desired shall be had in the best tyme manner Thirdly It presents all fullnes desirablenes as that which shall be in due tyme possessed enjoyed It gives a glimps of all that God hath Promised or thou desirest Faith leadeth thee to Heaven and sheweth thee the many Mansions the Crowne of Glory the glorious Roabes the immortall Inheritance the Kingdome that shall never be shaken whatever is to Come Faith gives the sight of it before hand looke as God did to Abrahā Gen. 15. He shewed him that full Posterity Possession that in due tyme he should have So doth Faith Heb. 11. 13. By faith they saw the things promised afarr off were perswaded of them embraced them or saluted them that is as things present and enjoyed by them Now Faith doing thus the more it is the more it doth thus as Fire heating the more the Fire is the more it heates and the more it is exercised the more it doth thus For it is with Faith as it is with any Skill Power or Habit if it be not used exercised it doth nothing he that hath it is never the better there is no difference twixt him another that hath noe such thing And this is the great folly of Beleevers that they grow not in and exercise not their Faith did they so they could want no good thing Therefore Consider what Increase can yeild ye so much Benifite as the Increase of your Faith what Exercise can doe ye so much good as the Exercise of your Faith