God and his motive to make and enter into this covenant was his everlasting love the righteousnesse upon which it is established is an everlasting Righteousnesse and all the mercies and blessings thereof are everlasting as everlasting pardon for I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and Iniquities will I remember no more Everlasting kindnesse In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer everlasting mercy for the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Everlasting joy and the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with Songs and everlasting joy upon their heads c. Everlasting consolation Now our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe and God even our Father who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation c. and likewise everlasting life For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life God hath ordained men unto eternal life before they believe and faith is a fruit of the spirit of Christ and of consequence we must be in Christ before we can bring forth fruit that whosoever believeth on him should not perish c. This and such like expressions are to be considered as declarations of the qualification of such as are saved not that faith gives us any interest in Christ but manifests unto us that he who hath loved us with an everlasting love hath by his Spirit come into our hearts and created faith there and shewed forth this love unto us When God is said to be in Covenant with a Soule A soule is then properly actually or expressy in Covenant with God when God hath come to it in the promise and then when it feels it self under the power of the promise it begins only to know it is in Covenant and yet to obey as if it were but to enter into that covenant which God hath made with it in Christ before it could do any thing so as they that believe doe rather feele themselves in that covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance c. The effect of this Covenant The Lord in and through this covenant brings a poore creature to see and seeing to admire the superabundant riches of his free grace and love and humbly and thankfully to embrace the same and the heart thus wrought upon vehemently desires that such carriage and kindness of its God might not slip out of mind but that the consideration of this soul-ravishing heart-melting and astonishing grace and loving kindnesse might through the Spirit of the Mediatour of this covenant carry him forth stedfastly to believe in dearly to love chearfully to obey and dutifully to honour and serve the God of this mercy in soule body and spirit so long as the Sun and Moon endure and for ever in a word the soul is carried forth out of selfe unto God and in God alone finds rest and satisfaction Divers inviting Characters and soul-winning encouragements of faith Faith is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise not from any thing the soule sees or feels in it selfe but from something it apprehends in God in his word faith sometimes is attended with much strife and strugling for Satan wil say to the soule it is in vain to believe Christ saith come I will ease thee and faith sweetly perswades the heart to rest upon the ability and fidelity of God in his free promise Faith is an emptying grace yea it is its property to empty the soule and keep it empty of selfe confidence and thereby it makes way for receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ even as the poor widows empty vessels for the receiving of the oyl out of the cruse whereas the fulnesse of the vessel caused the stay Yea it implies an emptinesse of selfe that we may be filled with him out of whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace Faith is a believing that Jesus Christ is the Christ which implies a seeing and knowing that all is in Christ for life and salvation and so to rest upon him for it he that thus believs in Christ is brought over by Christ unto Christ and so centered upon him that he wil never go from him My soule wait thou on God for my expectation is from him And in those souls who enjoy this precious faith old things are done away and they are new creatures there is a light set up in the soul and the soul sees and knowes all is by Christ and that there is no way or meanes of life but by him and thereupon closes with him and rests upon him Faith looks unto what God saith rests upon it and sets to its seale that God is true Faith doth not lay hold on Christ to fetch Justification from him till Christ hath first laid hold on us and imputed his righteousness unto us and by his Spirit in a free promise of grace declared the same unto us and then faith becomes active to receive and depend upon Christ and his everlasting righteousnesse Faith works by love and most highly prizeth Christ and his righteousnesse debases and vilifies self admires the immense and infinite riches of Gods free grace and love and engages the heart to holinesse yea to dedicate it selfe as a monument of eternal praise and thanksgiving for his inestimable goodnesse Yea that soul that is possessed of such precious faith can never in its owne eye see God high enough nor it selfe vile enough and fetches all its strength from Christ to doe all it doth There are many mistakes about faith some have thought comfort joy or ravishments of soule with God to be faith and so because they had not them have concluded they had no faith it is not mens believing but the object of faith that gives faith its denomination There are many precious souls that trust in Christ for life from an hope of mercy but this hope though the poore soul at present sees or knowes no certainty of enjoyment of what it hopes for hath a blessing intailed on it Turn ye to the strong hold ye prisoners of hope Eleven Motives to believe 1. By believing we come to know our interest in Christ and salvation by him 2. By believing we honour God he that receives his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true 3. If ye believe not surely ye shall not be established there is no true quietnesse and settlement of soule without believing thou standest by faith and fallest into sin by unbeliefe the word preached is precious and powerful yet it profited not being not mixed with faith in them that heard it 4. It s faith that
be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousand rivers of oyle Shal I give my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul No all this is ashes and all those that have not bread must die for hunger It is the vvill of God that the ends of the earth look up to Christ that those who have no price nor mony of their own might have milke and honey freely All the duties performances and righteousnesse which poor miserable man accounts gaine shall if he belong to Christ be by him counted a gaine to be losse for Christ And it would be seasonable to remember what the wise man saith Whoso trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Hence it appears that the strength and confidence of a deluded man may be so great that it may seem unto himselfe an unreasonable thing once to question it yea such an ones confidence of his salvation may be greater and stronger then the faith of some of the Lords deare ones and yet be false and nothing but a delusion of Satan and a deceived heart It is not the greatnesse or strength of any mans confidence can assure its possessor that it is not a delusion but confidence is proved to be true oâ— false by the ground of it the cause and foundation of it if it be grounded upon or caused by any mans qualifications either abstinence from sinne doing of good or upon his inward peace comfort joy c. it is false But if it be founded upon Christ alone in his free grace from the word and promise of God then it will hold in a storm In his word do I hope But I hope in thy word Did God give thee a tast not only of a river of Divine consolation running by thee but a relish and digestion of the matchlesse goodnesse of the Lord Jesus from a fountaine thereof before thee and transform thee into his own image thereby I say did God so convince thee that thou becamest lost and fatherlesse in thy owne sight and apprehension and perswade thy soul that he hath mercy for thee and cause thee to hope in him for it it is no delusion For the eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy And this is the work of God to perswade the heart to rest upon his free mercie in Christ did but God work upon thy heart so that thou longest for and thirstest after Christ and an interest in him and in his estimable goodness certainly thou art not deluded God is thine for he satisfieth the longing soule and fils the hungry soul with goodnesse Wherein Faith and Presumption differ He that presumes his confidence of pardon is without ground he hath no word of God to back his confidence but his confidence is fetched from his own conceits he seeks not life in and from Christ his word and promise and if he doth receive a promise he receives it upon his own qualifications without respect unto Christ and drawes conclusions of life from what he himselfe is and his owne doings and as his owne righteousnesse was never unto him as drosse and dung so he depends upon his faith and not upon Christ by faith his conâ—idence being grounded upon his own being so good or not so bad as others like the proud Pharisee such an one was never fatherless nor did he ever receive the sentence of death in himselfe and for that sin never revived in him he never died but was alwaies perswaded that it is a very easie thing to believe and assumes a confidence contrary to the word of God which hardens him and renders him bold to venture upon sinful practises whereas he that truly believes in Christ Jesus receives no promise of life but in and through him in the riches of his grace and for the sake of Christ this poor believer wil suffer the losse of all things his hope and helpe is only in the Lord his faith works by love he abhors that which is evil and cleaves unto that which is good and having this hope in him purifies himself as Christ is pure the Lord purifies his heart by Faith Who are weak members of Christ The weake member of Christ or the weake believer is either habitually or accidentally weak 1. I terme those habitually weake in whom the breathings or fruits of the Spirit are but in a low infant-like and feeble measure or degree True grace is very little at first and therefore compared to the least of grains mustard-seed A huge Oak was but an Acorne at first a bonefire a spark A poor weak believer is little in his own eyes and little in the eyes of the world the Pupil of the eye is very little yet seeth a great part of the heaven at once though faith be no bigger then a mustard seed yet it is all eye to behold Christ True grace is as the morning light and hath these three properties viz. 1. It is a remaining seede a living spring that shal never fail 2. It is stil growing and increasing its going forth is as the morning and riseth up to a glorious day 3. It wil in the end overcome all that overshadows it A poore weake believer being at first but a babe in Christ and consequently feeble is upon that account by the Spirit of the Lord in Isa 40. 11. likened unto a Lamb in Christs fold He shall gather the Lambs with his arme c. And hereupon God the father appoints Jesus Christ for poore sin-weakened believers as in Isa 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted A true member of Christ may be weak in respect of life in whom indeed the spirit breaths though faintly whose pulse beats but feebly whose heart pants after Christ but weakly whose soul is indeed alive though his actions not lively who performs spiritual duties from an internal principle or power of spiritual life though but in the initiation of it in whom Christ who is the wisdome of the Father shines though through many clouds very dimly whose faith is weak who indeede receives Christ and his free grace though with a shaking hand who is a believer though but of little faith who hopes that Christ wil not cast him off though not sure he wil take him up who though he cannot see himself worthy can notwithstanding see God gracious or at least hath a glimmering thereof A poor weak believer is described by a desire to fear the name of the Lord and if this be all thou hast it is accepted there is as much difference betweene some of the Lords people as between willing and doing a will to obey the Lord is sometimes all that a blessed Paul can finde One may be a
rids the soule of all its distempers doubts feares and discouragements we may not separate the Spirit from faith nor faith from the Spirit nor Christ from both 5. By faith in Christ thou shalt be kept in perfect peace it will sweetly and transcendently refresh the soule thou shalt keep him in perfect peace because he trusts in thee Being justified by faith we have peace with God by faith we apprehend Christ our Justification the fruit of which is joy and peace 6. By unbelief we adde sinne unto sinne in the highest nature if we believe not what God saith we accuse God of speaking falsely he that believeth not hath made God a lyer It is impossible for God to lye the strength of Israel cannot lye nor can it be any dishonour to God or danger to thy selfe to hope in his mercy and believe in him The eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy 7. As bad as thou canst be have been received unto mercy Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation When thou layest in thy blood it was a time of love He justifies the ungodly While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us have hope therefore feare not but believe the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time and in the night his song shall be with thee hope thou in God 8. Unbeliefe streightens thy heart stops thy mouth and hinders thy thankfulnesse and praysing of God thou shalt be dumb because thou believest not 9. Unlesse we believe we can never glorifie God Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God 10. Our naked cleaving to God in his free promise shall carry down all our distempers at once and drowne them in it as in a Sea the promises will answer all thy doubts and feares whatsoever and fill our soules with peace in believing 11. By our unbeliefe wee oppose riches of grace and love yea that love that could love enmity it selfe and reconcile those unto God that are enmity against him There is but looking up to Christ Jesus and salvation is in thy soule and believing with thy heart and thou art saved thou wert saved by Christ before but now in thy selfe Jesus Christ and forgivenesse of sins in his name and redemption through his blood is the first and only thing held forth in the Gospel to sinners the other mysterie of Righteousnesse is revealed to believers forgivenesse of sins is first taught that they may believe and the other glorious mysteries are taught that they may know what they believe they are first to see Gods love and afterwards his glory Jesus Christ crucified is the best story for sinners and Jesus Christ exalted for Saints and therefore it is that in all the Apostles Sermons the story of blood and redemtion was first preached and when they did believe that then they wrote Epistles and Revelations of greater things unto them so as they spake of Christ only to make them beleeve and wrote to them of him when they did beleeve Salvation is not made any puzzling work in the Gospel it is plainly easily and simply revealed Jesus Christ was crucified for sinners this is salvation and this work of salvation is past and finished sins are blotted out sinners are justified by him that rose for their justification now that which we must do to be saved is to believe in the Lord Jesus Jesus Christ and the promise is annexed thou shalt be saved All that is to be done in the work of salvation is to believe that there is such a worke and that Christ dyed for thee among all those other sinners he dyed for This is the commandment that ye believe on his Son Jesus Christ that is that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins and for your sins and we are called on to believe because they only that can believe are justified by him all that believe are justified so that salvation is not a business of our working and doing it was done by Christ with the Father Sin Satan and hel were all triumphed over by Christ himself openly for us and all our worke is no worke of salvation but in salvation in the salvation we have by Christ We receive all not doing any thing that we may receive more but doing because we receive so much and because we are saved therefore we work not that we may be saved and yet we are to worke as much as if we were to be saved by what we doe because so much is done already for us and to our hands as if we were to receive it for what we did our selves this is short work believe and be saved and yet this is the only gospel work and way Christ tels ye in few words and his Apostles in as few As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believes on him should have eternal life Saith Saint Paul say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall descend into into the deepe that is to bring Christ from the dead but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart the word of faith which we preach if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved The work is already done but then thou shalt see that it is done There are five grounds why salvation is so soone done 1. Because it was done before by Christ but not believed on before by thee til now 2. Because it is the Gospel way of dispensation to assure and passe over salvation in Christ to any that will believe it 3. There needs no more on our sides to work or warrant salvation to us but to be perswaded that Christ Jesus died for us because Christ hath suffered and God is satisfied now suffering and satisfaction is that great worke of salvation 4. Because they and they only are justified who can believe Righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith all that believe are justified 5. That it may be by grace and not of works being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus How God begets faith in an unbeliever We are commanded to believe and faith is the gift of God and the Spirit of Christ without which we can do nothing enlightens our understandings and worketh faith in us and hereupon our believing is said to be the work of God and the Spirit having set up a divine light in our understandings we being before altogether darknesse bowes our hearts to believe and indeede without
must be done in the Scriptures owne caution and way the surest knowledg that any one hath that he hath received the promise is the closing of his heart with Christ the real receiving and believing and relying and going out of the heart upon Christ The Just shal live by faith We walke by faith and not by sight This was the assurance of the father of the faithful who staggered not at the promise but gave glory to God There is yet something in man besides faith to be satisfied reason wil have more light to see by and therefore the workings of the Spirit in new obedience love repentance and self-denyal these may be compared to the tokens and change of raiment whereby Jacob was perswaded that Joseph was alive The word saith that we are complete in Christ and righteous in Christ hereupon saith the soule being a reasonable and discoursive spirit when I repent love or obey I believe I am in Christ and therefore my love repentance and obedience are such as I may believe though not in themselves yet in him to be good and spiritual 2. The Scriptures laie down these following things that is to say Christs sanctification or his true holinesse to be ours and faith about our owne sanctification 1. Christ is revealed to be our sanctification Christ is made unto us Righteousnesse Sanctification c. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Ye are Christs But ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus He hath quickned us together with Christ We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Jesus Christ being the corner stone That Christ may dwel in your hearts by faith The new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bone And be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse I can doe all things through Christ that strenthens me That we present every man perfect in Christ Jesus But Christ is all and in all Your life is hid with Christ in God All these Scriptures set forth and declare Christ the sanctification and the fulnesse of his the all in all Christ hath obeyed perfectly he hath mortified sinne perfectly and all are ours and we are Chrsts and Christ is Gods 2. The other thing is faith about our own sanctification we must believe more truth of our own graces then we can see or feele the Lord hath in his infinite wisdome so ordered that here our life should bee hid with Christ in God that we should walk by faith and not by sight so as we are to believe our repentance true in him who hath repented for us our mortifying of sin true in him through whom we are more then conquerours our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed for us and is the end of the law to every one that believeth Our change of the whole man true in him who is righteousnesse and true holinesse and thus without faith it is impossible to please God This is the Scripture assurance for a child of God or a believer to see every thing in himselfe as nothing and himselfe every thing in Christ faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene It is our leaving out Christ in our Sanctification that is the foundation of all our doubts fears and distractions and he that looks on his repentance love humility obedience and not in the tincture of the blood of Christ must needs believe weakly and uncomfortably I cannot see God and if I were one of his Children he would not hide himselfe from mee as he doth surely he hath forsaken me Is Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse set in thy soul Remember the Psalmist though sadnesse come at night joy may returne the next morning And in the meane time there shall be moon and starre light and these though they cannot make day are some comfort to travellers In Christs withdrawings you have faith the evidence of things not seene and all the promises as stars about her a glorious spangled canopy over you so that you shall live by faith and adhere to Christ in such a condition the seede of Christ remains in you the suns heate is felt when his light is not seen Saints may have grace when they want comfort from Christ the Spouse thought shee had lost Christ yet stil she had a principle of love to him and a resolution to seeke him thy love unto Christ shal continue he wil be as good as his word The Lord shall arise and his glory shall be seene upon thee 1. Sometimes God hides himselfe from his and seemes to leave the poore soule for its sinnes and sometimes onely to exercise his own graces in the soule But alwayes in much love unto it Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe I opened to my Beloved and he had withdrawn himselfe Behold I goe forward and hee is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he worketh but I cannot behold him on the right hand but I cannot see him yet he doth but hide himselfe behinde the Curtaine he cannot forsake thee for thy maker is thy husband the Lord of Hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel c. The Lord in another place to condescend unto the weaknesse of our capacities holds forth his love unto us by the similie of a Fathers love I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my first borne 2. When God hides his face waite upon him and looke for him for he will returne againe But Sion saith the Lord hath forsakâ—n me and my God hath forgotten mee Can a woman forget her sucking childe c. yea she may yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord. Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee And the Spirit of the Lord bears witnesse that Israel hath not beene forsaken nor Judah of his God of the Lord of Hosts though their Land was filled with sinne against the holy one of Israel And the Lord saith in another place Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto her I have seene his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners Although the Lord absent himselfe from his yet his love to and care for them is the same as when he manifests most of himself unto them when the Sun of Righteousnesse sets with us he
assurance is by so much the lesser is our faith 2. Consider that besides the illumination which wicked men and devils may have as wel as a believer there is a twofold act of faith viz. a direct act and a reflect act of faith 1. A direct act of faith is to believe that Christ is and that life and every good thing is treasured up in him this is to believe the record that God hath given concerning his Sonne And that he came into the world to save sinners and thereupon for the soule to look unto Christ that it may be saved and so to long for him rest upon and trust in him for life from an hope though not from an assurance of mercie a man may believe and yet not know that he hath eternal life yet those who have such faith as this are blessed Turne ye to the strong hold ye prisoners of hope and these are really possessed of Christ though at present they themselves perhaps know it not Those are blessed that hope in Christs mercy The reflect act of faith is to believe in Christ the soul knowing its proprietie in him for thee to believe that Christ came to save thy soul from thy sins this is to trust him from a knowledge of our interest in him The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God We believe and are sure c. Hee that hath this act of faith hath also the former but there are divers precious soules that have the former and yet have not attained this though they are under the promises of it They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord. 3. Consider that there are divers that have this direct act of faith who yet being babes do through ignorance unskilfulnesse and want of experience of the order and manner of Gods dealing with his call it into question whether they have any faith or not yea and when Christ doth not clearly appeare and faith not lively act in the soule they resolve it in the negative but when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shines forth againe upon this poore creature with his beames of soule-reviving and soul-raising love then are these clouds dispelled and the soule satisfied and armed for the future with experiences of God against giving way unto doubts of such a nature I feare that my faith is not the faith of Gods Elect but a presumption it being attended with so many doubtings Poore heart consider five things viz. 1. Consider that though faith is not doubting and doubting not faith yet both of them usually lodg in one soule Thy fears and doubts are indeed the effects of unbeliefe but do argue only weaknesse of faith and sure it is that faith may be true and lively when weake and smal yea further there may be not only true but great faith where there is feare and trembling so that you neither put faith for unbeliefe nor light for darknesse 2. Consider that to doubt because of doubting is to relie rather upon our faith then upon Christ it is not the greatnesse of our faith but Christ whom faith receives and apprehends that makes us accepted and this a weake faith may doe as truly as the strongest Those that were stung of the fiery Scorpion and looked up to the Brazen Serpent though with the weakest eye of faith were healed Christ is the same to the weak that he is to the strong in point of justification yet the more of Christ and of faith that a man hath the more strength and comfort he enjoyes It is our dutie in the strength of Christ to withstand doubting it being a weaknesse and a flie in our box of oyntment and to endeavor to be strong in faith and lay hold on that everlasting Covenant which God hath made and confirmed with an oath 3. Consider that none is able to perswade a soul that it doth believe but he on whom it believes God shall perswade Japheth who can more principally and with clearer satisfaction perswade the Spouse of the good will of him she loves but himselfe Can all the love-tokens or testimonial rings and bracelets They may concurre and help in the manifestation But it is the voice of the beloved that efficaciously doth the work My beloved spake and said unto mee rise up my Love my faire one saith the Spouse 4. Consider that we are to believe that we may know we believe that we may be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise for the witnesse comes by believing The Spirit bearing witnesse And he that believeth hath the witnesse in himselfe We believe and are sure the way to be warme is not only to ask for a fire or whether there be one or not and hold out the hands towards it and away and wish for a greater but to stand close unto that fire there is and to gather heat Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God They entred not in because of unbeliefe 5. Consider the happiness of a believer in Christ feed thy faith with suitable promises live upon Christ above pray in faith ask his Spirit and thou shalt have it which will revive and fill thy soule with joy and peace in believing In the same measure that God reveals his love to a soule in that measure doubts and fears are cast out perfect love casts out fear I cannot believe that I am elected therefore nothing can doe mee good 1. This is a secret and to be left unto God and not medled withall by us Secret things belong unto God and revealed things to us 2. Consider that it is most certain that these thoughts come from Satan being so directly contrary to God in his word and Satan is most especially not to be hearkned unto when he tempts to unbeliefe the stalke upon which all other sinnes grow saith Satan if thou are elected thou dost believe and this faith brings forth the pleasant fruits of righteousnes This is one of the grand polices of Satan wherewith he nonpluses poore soules for by this hee sets on the soule for evidence of its justification from things which he knows can afford little but questionable assurance at best as perswasion most upon markes and signes of our owne sanctification or good works which can not hold good without love to Christ and without faith it selfe to bring downe Christ upon them wee know that every piece of coyne is valued according to the image and superscription that it beares and if Caesar be not there though it bee silver stil yet it is not coyne it is not so currant and he that hath it cannot make such use of it and so assure himselfe to
trade with it as otherwise he might so there is not any thing of sanctification currant and of solid comfort to a believer unlesse Christ be there and his image which is righteousnes and true holinesse 3. Consider that it is a usual delusion of Satan to tell a poore soule that God hath no mercy for it when the soule hath obtained mercy and this mercy not farr from it yea at the gate as it were and that it is the nature of unbeliefe to be inquisitive and curious to find out any colourable pretention whereby it may seeme to doe wel in excluding it selfe from grace and in not harkening unto what God saith in his word I would gladly believe but I dare not besides I cannot believe Consider four things viz. 1. Consider with thy selfe and examine what reason thou hast or canst have to doubt or be afraid since Christ cryeth saing If any man thirst let him come to me and drink The spirit and the Bride say come and whosoever wil let him come Doth God invite you to come and are you afraid oh come he wil not quench the smoking flax Hope thou in his mercy and know that the Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him in them that hope in his mercy Examine thy soule why it would flie unto the hills of its owne preparations seeing that God who is a strong hold hath invited thee unto himselfe and indeed the first thing that a poore soule that sees it self lost and fatherlesse is to do is to believe in the Lord Jesus he expects no previous qualifications and indeed the best preparation for Christ is to see in our selves no preparation at all for him 2. Consider that if thou desirest to believe thy will is in part regenerate and thou dost in some measure believe though weakly Lord I believe help thou my unbeliefe And remember that the heart in a mystical and spiritual acceptation is seated in the will and in the understanding but more principally in the will so that that object or thing unto which the will is most inclined or the desires runne out most after unto that is the bent of the heart said to be if our wills be renewed our hearts are renewed Saith Paul to will is present with me good I would do so then with my mind I serve the law of God whereby it evidently appears that the will is one with the mind and that the heart is one with them and that these three are one and are alike spirituall where your treasure is there will your hearts be also there will be your mind and your affections and by affections the heart is meant Set your affections on things above Gods servants are in Scripture described by a desire to feare his name Those desires that work towards God came from him The Spirit returns to him that gave it If thy desires be spiritual thou art spiritual they flow from faith and from the Spirit and are a part of the worke of grace in us which he having begunne will perfect to his own praise A man cannot desire that which he doth not believe to be nor love To wil to believe and repent is an evidence that the soul doth believe and repent to will to be regenerate is an effect and testimonie of regeneration It is God that worketh in you to will c. Spiritual desires cannot possibly be in that soule that hath not spirituall life for to desire after Christ or to a believe in him is an act of spirituall life a dead man cannot desire and nothing but Christ can possesse the soule of a sense of its want of him the depraved will of man being wholly inthralled unto sin can contribute nothing hereunto but is altogether insufficient for and averse unto it and also to the perceiving and receiving of the things of God they being spiritually discerned God must give eyes to see and an heart to understand 3. Considert hat many doe believe and yet know not whether they believe or no and thereupon they doe as the blinde man did call their faith unbeliefe many give God their hearts and know it not being ignorant of what is meant by the heart and where it is seated viz. in the will understanding desires affections and delights though principally in the will 4. Consider that it is not in the power of the Creature to believe and that faith is not any condition of the covenant of grace required on thy part but a grace of the covenant on Gods part to be given for this covenant is not made with us but with Christ for us to believe is a fruit of the Spirit of Christ we must bee in Christ before wee can beare fruit therefore we must be in Christ before we can believe hee that hath the Spirit of Christ hath Christ we have the Spirit of Christ before we believe therefore we have Christ before we believe and men are ordained unto eternall life before they believe I am afraid the day of grace is past and so nothing can doe me good 1. You must not give way to such discouraging thoughts answer them with Jonah who knowes but the Lord may returne 2. For which of Gods loving kindnesses and rich mercies hast thou taken up such hard thoughts of him to nourish Jealousies against his love remember what David saith How precious are thy thoughts to me oh God great is the summe of them If I should count them they are more then the Sands and what Christ saith Be not afraid onely believe and what he did he received sinners 3. If thou thinkest the day of grace is past because thy sinnes are great that argument will not hold hearken what God saith I have spread out my hand all the day to a rebellious people that provoke me to anger continually to my face 4. Consider That if thou hast an heart desirous to returne unto God thy day of grace is not past Christ knocks still If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes c. Saith a poore drooping believer I feare that when persecution comes I shall not suffer nor hold out unto the end but dishonour God betray his truth shame and grieve his people Cast all these cares and feares upon the Lord In nothing be carefull hee will care for thee he that hath ingaged his owne faithfulnesse for the making good of every tittle of his promises hath promised I will never leave thee nor forsake thee God will take care for his owne glory truth and servants his wisdome power Love and faithfulnesse shall order all I am discouraged because that of all the spirituall things I hoped for none are made good to mee I doe not possesse any 1.
whereby they are led forth to weigh their state of grace only in the scale of mortification of sinne as it is commonly taken for dying to particular Acts and in so doing they unavoidably come short of that comfortable perswasion as to the eternal condition of their soules which others who place their assurance in Christ and his free promise do enjoy because sinne hath a stronger side in us then the Spirit and for that the spiritual condition in this life consists more in being justified from sin then cleansed from it and our blessednesse more in having the curse of sin removed then the corruption our justification being more glorious then our sanctification and our forgivenesse of sinne is farre more glorious then our cleansing from sinne for the just shall live by his faith which is not a life by sense and sanctification only but a life by believing for life in another in Christ and thereupon our life is said to be hid with Christ in God and Christ is called our life When Christ who is our life c. I speake now to the weak and wounded believers for sinne not to the carnal and unregenerate in sinne God will have Christ to be our life and our all that our all that man may be nothing And as the light of the Sun damps the fire and extinguishes its light as not enduring any light but it selfe so when Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse arises in a poor soul out-goes all fire and candle light yea and sparke light of its own kindling wherewithal the soule had compassed it selfe about it leaves not one spark remaining to walke in or for the heart to derive comfort from Saith such a soule what if all the fire which I have heretofore kindled and compassed my selfe about withall be extinguished and annihilated Christ is infinitely a better light heate and comfort and sparkles with the brightest lustre when alone 2. From ignorance of the ends that God many times proposes unto himselfe in suffering corruption to be strong in his deare children God hath in wisdome and much love left sinne in his to abase them in their own eyes and to keepe them humble in the sense of their transgressions and that we may know what we are and our strength and that our God might thereby exercise in us the fruits and graces of his own spirit faith for pardon wisdome watchfulness self-denial meekness â—umility c. and that we might love Christ the more in that all our sins are pardoned which graces had we no sin left in us we should not have such occasion to exercise as also that he might inure us to live upon him by faith that we might long to be in heaven where we shal enioy perfect freedome from all sin and that we seeing our selves to stand in such need of Christ to manifest unto our consciences our pardon thereof and to heale us might love and prize him the more and depend upon him for strength against sin and live upon his fulnesse and that the power of Christ might the more palpably appeare in the miraculous preservation of a little sparke of grace in the midst of the ocean of our corruptions and that the power of his grace in subduing of our so strong and so many corruptions might be made manifest Saith Paul I glory in my infirmities not simply as they are sins but in that the power and goodnesse of God is the more seene both in pardoning and healing of them if there were not evil it could not be knowne what is good justice and mercy had not been knowne And when thou sinnest against the Lord Jesus albeit he will tell thee of thy fault in thy conscience to humble and abase thee in thine own eyes yet he still remembers the grace that is in thee The sinning Church in Sardis hath but a few good names among many bad and Christ records them thou hast a few names even in Sardis c. And falling Philadelphia hath but a little strength and yet Christ eyes it and blazons it Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my words and hast not denyed my name Because thou hast kepâ— the word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation which shal come upon all the world to try them that dwel upon the earth Christ will not forget thy weake grace though mixed with strong corruptions he turns all his childrens sins to their good he makes Samsons riddle a truth in believers souls Out of the Eater there comes forth meat and out of the strong sweetness Christ makes the devouring corruption in believers to become meate for their faith to feed upon while he is killing of one sin he gives ground to believe the ruin of another and he brings forth sweetnesse out of their strong sins in making his grace to superabound where sin did but abound The Lord Jesus kindles the Spouses love even by her coldnesse doth he not cause her sleeping while he knocked to end in a healthfull fit of love-sicknesse when shee awaked 3. From their ignorance or forgetfulness that they are in all their dealings with God to draw neare and come unto him as having put on Christ and sonship first and not as sinners and unrighteous A believer is to consider himselfe thus in Christ in the first place and to put on the relation of Sonship and righteousnesse and to look at or consider sinnes no otherwise in himselfe then as debts paid and cancelled by the blood of Christ and never to conceive himselfe and Christ as two but endeavour clearly and constantly to see that whatsoever good there is in Christ is his owne as if it were in his owne person and by this all bondage fears and doubtings are removed and his spirit is free For the Son hath made him free indeed And now he comes in the Spirit of Adoption and calls God Father And here begins all faith hope confidence love liberty when as others dare not believe themselves in such a condition til upon termes of humiliation sorrow for sinne and works of righteousness they have as they think a reasonable price or satisfaction to come with and then begin to believe hope and be confident And thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God deal with him at all occasions but such submit not to the righteousnesse of God and the free gift of Justification by grace and give not glory to God we must either have all in Choist or nothing in him hearken what the spirit saith of every true believer she is black but comly he is clothed with the white robes of Christs purity and holiness and therefore comly in the sight of God though in himselfe in the glass of the Law reason and sense he appears black yet in Christ
through the Gospel he ever remaines beautifull and comely to an eye of faith whereby he sees himselfe in the righteousnesse of Christ made perfectly and everlastingly righteous yea presented in the body of Christs flesh through death holy unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God 4. From ignorance of their glorious Gospel freedome Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law c. that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law But no true Believer is under the Law but they are all under grace In the first Adam we had to doe with God onely in a way of subjection and righteousnesse but now in our second Adam in a way of Sonship or adoption free grace and love For what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his own sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh That the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death We are delivered from the Law that we should serve in newnesse of Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the Letter Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and taken it out of the way nayling it to his Crosse He hath led Captivity captive That he might deliver the creature from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God the Spirit saith that no Curse can come nigh our dwelling place The glorious beames of Christs grace and love now shine forth upon the soules of his poore children like the Sunne in the spring time which light carries a vertue causing the earth to spring and blossome as the garden of the Lord. Christ hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve in newnesse of Spirit without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life The Spirit of Christ doth indeed set a believer as free from hel the Law and bondage here on earth as if he were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him thus free but to bring him to believe that he is so for Satan sinne sinful flesh and the law are all so neer and about him in this life that hee cannot so walke by sight or in the clear apprehension of it but the just live by faith and faith is the evidence of things not seene Two wayes for a believer to hold stable comfort hope Joy and confidence in God at all times 1. To live in Christ and not in our selves A believers condition is twofold yet as a believer he hath but one in Christ in himselfe yet he ought ever to consider himselfe in Christ by faith and not in himselfe In Christ he hath perfectly obeyed the whole law perfectly suffered and satisfied for all his sins to the justice of God and in Christ is perfectly just and righteous and thereupon it is said that our life is hid with Christ in God And we are raised up with Christ and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus even already but in himselfe there is a body of lust corruption and sinne and there is a law revealing sinne accusing and condemning so as if a believer live only by sense reason and experience of himselfe and as he lives to men he lives both under the power and feeling of sinne and the law but if he by the eie of faith lookes upon himselfe to be within the walls of that strong and impregnable City of refuge the Lord Jesus the law and divine Justice of God cannot pursue him for his sins if he live by faith in Christ and in the apprehension of his love believing in the life righteousnesse obedience satisfaction and glory of him whom the Spirit calls ours Christ is ours we are Christs and Christ is Gods he then lives out of the power of all condemnation and unrighteousnesse Christ being the end of the Law for righteousnesse c. And thus a believer is blessed only in a righteousnesse without not within and all his assurance confidence and comforts are to flow in unto him through a channel of faith and not of works believing himselfe happy for what another even Christ hath done for him not for what he hath done or can doe for himselfe for when wee are at the best we are but unprofitable servants and may not live in our selves nor by sight but by faith and when we are at the worst we are to live upon Christ by faith and derive all our comforts from God in in his everlasting and inviolable covenant of grace which is an inexhaustible fountaine of divine consolation for a poore believer to have recourse unto for the stability of soulâ—satisfying joy and comfort sparkling from the face of God upon him and indeed the glorious joy of a believer would be alwaies unspeakable did he alwaies apprehend his happinesse in and by Christ Jesus 2. To live by faith which consists in the souls communion with God in Christ and the soules enjoying of Christ in his promises both spiritual and temporal Faith supplies all wants it honours God and God honours those most that live by it By faith we live to God a life of joy in him our righteousnesse as if we had never sinned by faith wee live above sinne infirmities temptations desertions sense reason feares and doubts faith sweetens the sweetest mercie and the bitterest miseries it renders great afflictions as none it is the Bulwarke of the souls strength and comfort By faith wee obey God it makes the yoke of Christ easie and sweet it states the soul in the possession of heaven while the bodo remains on earth By saith wee view the glory of heaven and know our selves to be happy even then when to a carnal eye we seeme most miserable By faith we can chearfully part with and suffer deprivation of the sweetest outward comforts and enjoyments and welcome death knowing that we do but exchange the worst place and things for better Those that live by faith live upon God and are feasted in his banquetting house which is plentifully stored with all desirable dainties having this welcome Eate O friends and drinke abundantly It is oh believer thy portion duty and priviledge to refresh and exhilerate thy soule with his dainties and to enjoy Christ in them all that so thy joy may be full To live by faith in effectual calling
and that is for the soule to cleave to and depend upon God in Christ for life and salvation upon such places of Scriptures as these To live by faith in justification The Lord Jesus having spoken peace to the soule that he hath paid all for it and that its sins shall be remembred no more now the soule knowes its happy and enjoyes the comfort of it is filled with joy and peace in believing his life is a life of comfort beholding and enjoying Christs righteousnesse as his owne lives upon it whatsoever befals him he is comforted in his interest in the righteousnesse of Christ as sufficient to satisfie him at all times living upon such places of Scripture as these To live by faith in Sanctification which is twofold 1. For the soule to cleave unto Christ its sanctification Secondly for a Believer to cleave unto God in his promise to cleanse and renew his heart and life and to be a quickning Spirit in him To live by faith in Infirmities And that is for the soule to believe that God will be to us according to his owne gracious promise and Covenant for ever a God of love grace and mercy notwithstanding all our daily omissions and commissions excesses and defects according to that blessed word of his If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips c. He that lives by faith in infirmities may be thus characterized First he will hear Christ and not the voice of a stranger Secondly he is not offended at whatsoever Christ requires Thirdly the revealed will of God in the Scripture is his rule Fourthly he will trust God and rely upon his word he eyeth the promise and saith Surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength c. Fifthly he will contend for the truth Sixthly he will doe others good Seventhly his sin doth not sink him into dispair though he may have many doubtings yea he is not by any sinne or trouble reduced unto dispaire He will and indeed the weakest Believer ought in the midst of all his imperfections say I have as much of the love of God acceptation and perfect righteousnesse in Christ as the best Saint ever had my state is as happy as any of theirs And say with Habakkuk Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines The labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Such as live by faith in infirmities live upon Christ in his promise for strength against all infirmities in such places of Scripture as these In deadnesse of heart 35 Isa 5 6. If falne by passion not to sinke under it 5 James 17. 14 Acts 15. They relie upon God for ability to obey him and for fruitfulnesse in season 17 Jer. 8. 1 Psa 2 3. 92 Psa 13 14. 61 Isa 9. 62 Isa 12. Psa 84. 7. If they are under temptations they have a promise that no temptation shall be above their ability to beare and to have a good issue To live by faith for Protection and supply of all wants They who live by faith for these things relie upon Christ in such Scriptures as these are if in sicknesse 41 Psa 3. 103 Psa 3. to be hid in times of danger 3 Zeph. 16 17. v. for a supply of every thing we need 4 Phil. 6. 19. if in Prosperity 29 Jer. 5 6. till God see it good we shall meet with no change our condition may be changed indeeed but our God iâ— Jehovah that changes not 13 Heb. 5 6. If in adversity to be contented in a hard or low condition 13 Heb. 5. 18 Joh. 11. 4 Phil. 11. 12. it is appointed 1 Thes 3. 3. John 16. 33. Joh. 7. 30. Wee stand in need of such a condition if our need required it not our God that loves us would not afflict us with it 1 Pet. 1. 6. and the time cannot be long ere they shal be no more And they live upon Christ and his presence in times of trouble in such places of Scripture as these Psalm 91. 15. Psal 9. 9. Psal 37. 39. That the troubles shal not be too great Jer. 30. 11. and that they shall profit by them Heb. 12. 11. for deliverance out of them Job 5. 19. Psal 50. 15. for speedy deliverance Psal 31. 2. Psal 69. 17. Isaiah 58. 8. To live by faith in glorification Which is by the eye of faith to behold hold the rest joy peace and perfect happinesse which is provided for us in heaven firmly believing that God will after this life give us all those things with himselfe which hee hath promised his For the resurrection of my body 1 Thes 4. 16. To have a spiritual body 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. To have a glorified body Phil. 3. 21. The Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as the bodies of the Saints shall be because the Sunne is but a naturall body To have fulnesse of knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. To have fulnesse of joy and pleasure Psal 16. 11. Such as shall be internall pure full spiritual and eternal no miserie hunger cold nakednesse paine griefe nor wearinesse but rest without labour 2 Thes 1. 7. In rest tranquillity in tranquillity contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security eternity To see the Lord as he is 1 John 3. 1 2. 1 Cor. 13 12. To behold his glory John 17. 24 with him in glory Col. 3. 4. And to be changed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. To have fulnesse of communion with God Ephes 3. 19. Sight is a degree higher then presence union then sight communion then union and full communion is more Wee shall have as much of God as we can desire be filled with him and enjoy the Quintessence of all sweetnesse fulnesse and goodnesse in God yea we shall be raised inflamed and ravished with him in admiration of the perfection of his beauties and this shall coninue without intermission or wearinesse this is our Summum bonum our chiefest good and the end of our being viz. To be for ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4 17. and enjoy the things which eye hath not seene neither ear heard neither came into mans heart to conceive which God hath prepared for