yet our sinne was imputed to him and hee was by GOD reckoned as a sinner and then he kils him putting our curse vpon him so to vs that are free from righteousnesse CHRIST is made righteousnesse so that GOD lookes on vs as if wee had performed perfect righteousnesse and when that is done he saues vs. And so much for the first Question But now when we heare that this righteousnesse saues the Question is How shall wee come by it In that it saues it is good and comfortable but it may saue some men and yet I haue no share nor part in saluation I answer It is freely giuen to vs euen as Fathers giue Lands and Inheritances to their children and as Kings giue Pardons and Titles and Honours and Riches out of their clemencie because they will to shew their magnificence and goodnesse to their Subjects So doth GOD giue this righteousnesse As you shall finde it expressed Esay 9.6 To vs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen a place worth your marking and obseruation And Iohn 3.16 GOD so loued the World that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. And Rom. 5.17 it is called the Gift of Righteousnesse That is a thing which GOD freely simply voluntarily and onely because hee will bestowes on men not looking on any worthinesse in them of the same as we say nothing is so free as gift The passage is this For if through the offence of one Death raigned in all much more they which receiue abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnes shal raign in life by one Iesus Christ. So that GOD giues it freely out of his meere loue without any other motiue or end but to shew his magnificence and to make manifest in the Ages to come the vnsearchable riches of CHRIST the great and exceeding glorious riches that he hath prouided for them that loue him But what is the reason that God will haue it communicated to the sonnes of men no other way but by gift You shall see it Rom. 4.5 that it is for these causes First That no man might boast in himselfe but that he that reioyceth may reioyce in the Lord. If any other bargaine or manner of conueyance had beene made wee should haue had something to boast of but comming meerely from God as a gift we haue cause to glory in God and nothing else Againe it is a gift that men may learne to depend vpon GOD for it GOD will haue no man challenge it as due for it is a meere Grace Lastly it is a gift that it may be sure to all the seede If there had been any thing required at our hands This doe fulfill this Law and you shall haue this righteousnesse it had not beene sure nay none had beene saued for by the Law is transgression and wrath but being by gift it is firme and sure to all the seed for when a thing is freely giuen and nothing expected but taking it and thanksgiuing for it what is more sure But when you heare this righteousnesse is giuen the next Question will be To whom is it giuen If it be onely giuen to some what comfort is this to me But which is the ground of all comfort it is giuen to euery man there is not a man excepted for which we haue the sure Word of GOD which will not faile When you haue the Charter of a King well confirmed you reckon it of great moment What is it then when you haue the Charter of GOD himselfe which you shall euidently see in these two places Mark vlt. 15. Goe and preach the Gospell to euery creature vnder Heauen What is that Go and tell euery man without exception that there is good newes for him Christ is dead for him and if he will take him and accept of his righteousnesse he shall haue it restraine it not but go and tel euery man vnder haeuen The other Text is Reu. vlt. Whosoeuer will let him come and take of the waters of life freely There is a guicunque vult whosoeuer will come none excepted may haue life and it shall cost him nothing Many other places of Scripture there be to proue the generality of the offer and hauing a sure Word for it consider it But if it be objected It is giuen only to the Elect and therefore not to euery man I answer when we haue a sure word that it is giuen to euery man vnder Heauen without any restraint at all why should any except himselfe Indeed when Christ was offered freely to euery man and one receiued him another reiected him then the Mystery of Election and reprobation was reuealed the reason why some receiued him being because GOD gaue them a heart which to the rest hee gaue not but in point of offering of Christ we must be general without hauing respect to Election For otherwise the Elect of CHRIST should haue no ground for their faith none knowing he is elected vntill he hath beleeued and repented But Christs righteousnesse being offered to men in state of vnregeneration How shall I know it belongs to me There is no other ground but this Syllogisme This righteousnes belongs to euery man that beleeues but I beleeue therefore it belongs to me Therefore though it be applyed onely to the beleeuers yet it must be offered to euery man Againe we are bound to beleeue that the thing is true before we can beleeue our share in it we doe not therefore make it true because we beleeue but our beleeuing presupposeth the object of our Faith which is this that CHRIST is giuen now the very beleeuing doth not cause Christ to be giuen but he is giuen and therefore we beleeue In all actions the object is in order of nature before the action it selfe my beliefe makes not a thing true but it is true in it selfe and therefore I beleeue it It being true that CHRIST is offered to all men therefore I beleeue that I am reconciled and adopted and that my sinnes are forgiuen Againe if he should not be offered to euery man we could not say to euery man if thou dost beleeue thou shalt be saued but this we may say to all euen to Iudas if thou beleeuest Iudas thou shalt be saued Againe if it were not offered to all then wicked men should bee excluded as much as the Deuils but Christ tooke their nature on him therfore it is possible for them if they beleeue to be saued But how differs this from the doctrine of the Aduersaries for they also say that Christ is offered equally to all I answer In 2 respects not to run through all The first is this We say Though CHRIST be offered and freely giuen to all yet GOD intends him onely to the Elect. They say His intention is the same to all to Iudas as to Peter The other is They affirme that as CHRIST is offered to all men
make your selves new creatures expresse your diligence therefore in labouring to adorne your hearts with graces that the Lord may take a delight to dwell in you be diligent also in cleansing your selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit that when the Lord commeth hee may finde no sluttish corner within you for the Lord hateth these As the Israelites were to goe with a paddle and cover every filthy thing because saith the text The Lord walketh among you so must we doe keepe our hearts cleane if wee will have the Lord delight to dwell with us we must be diligent to remove out of his sight whatsoever he hateth Lastly wee must be diligent in keeping his commands wilt thou say thou lovest God and yet doest disobey him and rebellest against him from day to day The Lord careth for no such love for indeede love cannot be otherwise judged of than in obeying to say thou lovest him and keepest not his commands it is but a dead love and a picture of love it is not love indeede it is but as the Apostle saith to doe it in word and not in truth for when you love him in deede you doe the things he would have you to doe Therefore so much diligence in keeping his commands so much love he that doeth most loveth most And so you see the conditions that are required in this love what a kinde of love it is that God will have at your hands or else he will not take it of you Now my brethren there remaines but one thing more wherewith wee will conclude this point that is now I have beene so large in shewing you what this love is wherein you cannot blame us if we presse you to it because it is one of the greatest and most radicall vertues faith and love therefore we have beene the larger in describing it to you I say now you have heard what it is what remains but this to shew you the great danger in not loving and that we wil make to be the last consectary that we will draw from this doctrine I say consider how dangerous a thing it is to neglect it the Lord you see requires it upon paine of damnation whatsoever you have yet notwithstanding if you have not this love you are not in Christ and so you shall be excluded Let no man thinke that this is exaction that it is a hard thing that the Lord requires it with this exaction for what is it that he requires If hee had required of you to offer sacrifice as he did in the olde law then the poore man might have objected he had not where withall if he had required us to fight battells the weake man might have said he could not doe it he was not able but now young and olde rich and poore all can love Besides if we consider who it is that requires this love is it not the great God of heaven and earth is it not the Sonne If hee had commanded thee the hardest thing in the world if he had said thou shalt cast thy selfe into the fire thou shalt sacrifice children to me you are his creatures and you must obey him But when he requires this onely at thy hands to love him is it not equall Besides when he requires this it is for your benefit for when you have given the Lord your hearts the Lord gives you them againe even as the earth the water it receives from the sea it returnes it better back againe in springs and fountaines and pure streames so doth the Lord give you your hearts backe againe when you have bestowed them upon him and withall he gives you leave to bâ—stow them upon other things to love all things that you may and ought to love and which is good for you to love therefore the Lord may require it upon this penalty for he askes but his owne and what hee hath deserved at thy hands therefore it is a most reasonable and equall request For what doth the Lord thy God require of thee saith Moses but onely that you love the Lord your God So I say to you what else doth the Lord your God require of you But againe know this that as it is a command full of equity and reasonablenes so the danger is the greater if you doe it it not and what that is I will shew you but by one place that is 1 Cor. 16.22 Cursed is hee that loves not the Lord Iesus yea let him be had in execration to the death That is the place I would have you consider that now when you have beene acquainted with this whole doctrine of love you might know the danger of not performing and doing it whosoever loues not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maranatha he curseth him in two languages to shew that it is a peremptory curse But what is that to be cursed My brethren to be cursed is to be separated to be set apart or appointed unto evill so that all that love not the Lord Iesus they are men separated and set apart to evill so that no man may meddle with them no man may touch them to doe them good as the Saints and those that love the Lord they are set apart that no man may touch them for hurt so it is here when a man is cursed the meaning is this he is set apart secluded from all good things that none are to meddle with him hee is set apart for evill all things shall concurre together to doe him hurt this is when the Lord curseth any man and this is the case of every man that loves not the Lord Iesus Our businesse when we preach the Gospell is but to offer the Lord Iesus to you that is all that we have to doe and all that you have to doe that heare us is to take Iesus Christ to beleeve in him to love him Now saith the Lord if you will not doe this if you will not love him every such one let him be accursed Now when the Lord shall curse a man as Isaac said I have blessed him and he shall be blessed So whom the Lord curseth he shall be cursed and it is a fearefull thing if you consider it and therefore wee will a little open it and shew you wherein this curse consists Which I urge the more because it is an usuall thing among men when they come to consider their sinnes in particular wherewith they have provoked God to anger they looke upon this or that grosse sinne but this defect and omission of love they scarce put into the number of their sinnes But that you may know now what it is not to love him you may consider by the greatnesse of the punishment and that you see here is a curse Now that you may know what this curse is know that it consists in these foure things First it consists in this hee shall be separated from grace and goodnesse from holinesse
that loves not let him bee accursed let him bee had in execration to the death I should prosecute it further and shew the reasons why wee should loue the Lord as there is great reason But that I must deferre till the afternoone FINIS THE SECOND SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last tryall of our love to Christ was its constraining vertue love will constraine you to serve him you cannot choose but doe it it so constraines a man as the weight of a stone compelleth it to goe to the center as the lightnesse of the fire compells it to ascend up for such a thing is love a strong inclination of the heart when the soule puts it selfe on any thing from an inward principle from a bottome of its owne when it is carried on with no other motive but the amiablenes of the object Now to conclude this wee must beseech you to consider your owne condition and examine your selves by these rules that you may be able to say as Peter said Lord thou knowest I love thee that is to have such an assurance that your hearts may be well affected towards Christ Iesus that you may love him that you may be able to say to God who knowes our hearts searcheth our reines that knowes all the windings and turnings of your soules Lord thou knowest that I love thee Since it is a matter of such moment wee should be carefull to examine if we finde that we have not yet this love for we must know that all that we have all that we doe it will nothing availe us but faith which worketh by love And if you object why doe ye preach damnation to us doe you tell us we are in an evill condition for want of this love I answere it is profitable for you while you are in such a condition to have it preached it is good for you to speake this damnation to your selves that while yet there is hope you may seek to be healed that you may be translated into another condition that you may not perish in the evill day when there shal be neither hope nor helpe for you For you must know that when wee deliver you these signes of examining your selves our end is not to grieue you this doctrine tends not to destruction but to discover to you your owne hearts that you may know your owne condition that if you want it you may seek after it If therefore you finde a want of this love that we will doe next shall be to shew you what reason you have to love the Lord Iesus for there is no better way to get it in you than to describe him to you to shew you what cause there is of loving him if wee were able to present him to you as he is we should effect this thing but that must be the worke of the holy Ghost notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such reasons as we finde used in the Scriptures And first let this moue you to loue him that he is worthy to be beloved as David speakes Psal. 18.3 The Lord is worthy to be praised so wee may say the Lord is worthy to be loved for what is it that makes any thing worthy of loue it is the excellency that we finde there Now in the Lord there is all kinde of excellency whatsoever there is that is amiable under the Sunne all that you shall finde in him more abundantly If ever you see any thing in any creature any thing amiable in man if ever you saw any beauty any vertue any excellency all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures And therefore if you haue a loue as there is no man without some loue or other some creature seemes beautifull to you thinke with your selues this is more in the Lord. If ever you see excellency in any man if ever you see any noblenesse any holinesse any excellency of disposition know that it is more abundant in the Lord Iesus Let these rivers leade you to that Ocean to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you loue any creature let it be with a little loue let your affection be proportionable to the object as it exceedes in the Lord so let your loue exceede towards him to loue him with all your soule and all your strength And know this that hee hath not onely that in an omnipotent manner that is but sprinkled among the creatures they haue but a sparke but a drop of it but also there is this in the Lord that there is nothing in him but that which is amiable every creature hath some imperfection in it there is somewhat in it may cause aversation in you there is no man but hath some weaknesse but hath some infirmity there is no creature but it hath some want some defect in it but in the Lord there is no want there is nothing to put you off but as the Church saith Cant. 5. He is wholly delectable that is there is nothing in him but that which is amiable That would be a very profitable thing for us in this case often to thinke on the Lord Iesus to present him to our selues in our thoughts as the Spouse doth Cant. 5. shee considers her wellbeloved is the fairest of ten thousand so wee should beholde the person of our husband You know it is but a harlottry loue to consider what wee haue by our husband to consider what riches he brings what honour and not often to contemplate upon his person and upon his vertue and excellency wee should learne to doe this with the Lord that wee may loue him Therefore that wee may helpe you a little in this contemplation wee will shew you how the Lord hath described himselfe Exod. 34.4 when the Lord describes himselfe to Moses thus he declares his owne name The Lord Iehovah strong mercifull gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and in truth reserving mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne c. Wee will a little open to you this description that the Lord giues us of himselfe that so you may learne to know what hee is for the way to loue the Lord is to know him and indeed therefore we loue him not because we know him not there is no other reason why in heaven when we shall come to be present with him wee shall loue him so abundantly but because wee shall know him face to face that is the reason the Angels and the Saints loue most And of every man amongst the Saints hee that knowes most loues most Therefore it should be your labour to know the Lord. But to open as I say this description unto you First he is Iehovah that is hee is a constant friend to whomsoever he is a friend he is alway the same for that is another name by which the Lord describes himselfe to Moses when he sends him
THE BREAST-PLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE A Treatise Wherein the ground and exercise of FAITH and LOVE as they are set upon Christ their Object and as they are expressed in Good Workes is explained Delivered In 18. Sermons upon three severall Texts By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of Faith and Love 1 Thes 5.8 What will it profit my Brethren if a man say he have faith and hath not workes Can faith save him Iames 2.14 LONDON Printed by W. I. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be solde at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1630 ILLVSTRISSIMO NOBILISSIMOQVE VIRO ROBERTO COMITI WARVVICENCI IOHANNIS PRESTONI S. T. D. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS Q. MAGISTRI CVIVS TVTELAE DVM IN VIVIS ESSET PRIMOGENITVM SVVM IN DISCIPLINAM ET LITERIS EXPOLIENDVM TRADIDIT POSTHVMORVM TRACTATVVM PARTEM DE NATVRA FIDEI EIVSQVE EFFICACIA DEQVE AMORE ET OPERIBVS BONIS DEVOTISSIMI TAM AVTHORIS DVM VIVERET QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM M. D. D. D. RICHARDVS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT To the Christian Reader Christian Reader INnumerable are the sleights of Satan to hinder a Christian in his course towards Heaven by exciting the corruption of his own heart to disturbe him when he is about to doe any good or by discouraging him with inward terrours when he would solace himselfe with heavenly comforts or by disheartening him under the feares of sufferings when hee should be resolute in a good cause A type whereof were the Israelites whose servitude was redoubled when they turned themselves to forsake Aegypt Wherefore we have much neede of Christian fortitude according to that direction Watch ye stand fast quit your selves like men especially since Satan like a Serpentine Crocodile pursued is by resistance put to flight But as in warres which the Philistines knew well in putting their hope in Goliah the chiefe strength of the Souldiers lyeth in their Captaine so in spirituall conflicts all a Christians strength is in Christ and from him For before our conversion we were of no strength since our conversion we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought And to worke out from the Saints all selfe-confidence God by their falls teacheth them To rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and to have no confidence in the flesh Whatsoever Christ hath for us is made ours by Faith which is the hand of the soule enriching it by receiving Christ who is the treasure hid in the field and with him those unsearchable riches of grace which are revealed and offered in the Gospell Yea it is part of our spirituall armour That which was fabulously spoken of the race of Gyants is truly said of a Christian hee is borne with his armour upon him as soone as hee is regenerate hee is armed It s called a Breast-plate because it preserves the heart a long large shield as the word signifieth which is usefull to defend the whole man from all sorts of assaults Which part of spirituall armor and how it is to be managed is declared in the former part of the ensuing Treatise in ten Sermons Now as all rivers returne into the sea whence they came so the beleeving soule having received all from Christ returneth all to Christ. For thus the beleever reasoneth Was Gods undeserved unexpected love such to me that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gave him to die for mee It s but aequall that I should live to him die for him bring in my strength time gifts liberty all that I have all that I am in his service to his glory That affection whence these resolutions arise is called Love which so inclineth the soule that it moveth in a direct line towards that obiect wherein it expecteth contentment The soule is miserably deluded in pursuing the winde and in taking ayme at a flying fowle whilest it seekes happinesse in any creature which appeares in the restlesnesse of those irregular agitations and endlesse motions of the mindes of ambitious voluptuous and covetous persons whose frame of spirit is like the lower part of the elementary region the seate of windes tempests and earthquakes full of unquietnesse whilest the beleevers soule like that part towards heaven which is alwayes peaceable and still enioyeth true rest and ioy And indeed the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in union with the chiefe of spirits which communicateth his goodnesse to the creature according to its capacity This affection of Love as it reflecteth upon Christ being a fruit and effect of his love to us apprehended by faith is the subiect of the second part of the following Treatise in 7. Sermons The iudicious Authour out of a piercing insight into the methods of the Tempter knowing upon what rockes the faith of many suffers shipwracke that neither the weak Christian might lose the comfort of his faith through want of evidences nor the presumptuous rest upon a fancy in stead of faith nor the adversaries be emboldened to cast upon us by reason of this doctrine of Iustification by faith onely their wonted nicknames of Soli-fidians and Nulli-fidians throughout the whole Treatise and more especially in the last Sermon he discourseth of good Workes as they arise from faith and love This is the summe of the faithfull and fruitfull labours of this Reverend learned and godly Minister of the Gospell who whilest he lived was an example of the life of faith and love and of good workes to so many as were acquainted with his aequall and even walking in the wayes of God in the severall turnings and occasions of his life But it will be too much iniury to the godly Reader to be detained longer in the porch Wee now dismisse thee to the reading of this profitable worke beseeching God to increase faith and to perfect love in thy heart that thou maist be fruitfull in good workes Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ RICHARD SIBS IOHN DAVENPORT OF FAITH The first Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith IN the words I haue read vnto you Paul tels them that he is not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST For it was a shame to him partly because the very substance of the Gospell was then persecution and partly because he was plaine in speech hee came not with excellency of words or mans wisedome and therefore you may obserue what adoe he had to defend himselfe in his Epistles to the Corinthians a wise people who partly hated and partly despised his manner of deliuery but saith hee I am not ashamed of it for it is the power of God to saluation it is that which being receiued will bring men to heauen being rejected
receiue this rghteousnesse taking Christ for our Husband our King and Lord. But you will say Faith is more for Fides est actus intellectus It is an act of the vnderstanding assenting to Truths for the Authority of the Speaker therefore the mind and will must concurre to make vp this Faith For the better vnderstanding of it marke this word the righteousnesse of God is reuealed wherein is likewise implyed though it bee not expressed that it is offered for to what purpose or what comfort is it to see that there is such a righteousnesse if it be nothing to vs but it is so reuealed that it is also offered Now being both reuealed and offered you must finde something in men answerable to both these to the reuelation of it the vnderstanding assenting to it as a Truth that CHRIST is come in the flesh and offered to all men Againe to answer to the matter of the offer there is also an act of the will whereby it comes in and takes or embraceth this righteousnesse Both these 1 Tim. 1.15 are put together This is a faithfull saying and worthy to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners It is true saith the vnderstanding and therefore that beleeues it but it is worthy to be receiued saith the will therfore that comes in takes and accepts it As in matter of marriage If one come and tell a Woman there is such a man in the world that is willing to bestow himselfe on you if you will take him and accept him for your husband Now marke what it is that makes vp the marriage on her part first she must beleeue that there is such a man and that that man is willing to haue her that this message is true that it is brought from the man himselfe and that it is nothing else but a true declaration of the mans minde This is an act of her minde or vnderstanding But will you take him and accept of him for your Husband now comes the will and the concurrence of these two makes vp the match So wee come and tell you There is such a one the Messiah that is willing to bestow himselfe on you If you beleeue that we deliuer the message from Christ and doe consequently embrace and take him now are you iustified this is the very translation of you from death to life at this very instant you are deliuered from Satan possessed of a Kingdome and saluation is come to your house Now because this taking of CHRIST is the maine point which makes CHRIST ours and the want whereof is the cause that euery man is condemned it comming neerest to life and death that you may know what it is we must tell you that this is required therein First there must not be Error personae errour of the person Secondly you must vnderstand aright what this taking is Thirdly there must be a compleat deliberate will which must concurre to this action of taking These three being declared we shall not easily be deceiued in it First when you heare of this righteousnes of CHRIST and of its being made ours you you must know that first CHRIST himselfe is made ours and then his righteousnesse as first you must haue the Husband and then the benefits that come by him I say take heede that there be not an errour of the person that you mistake him not And this excludes all ignorant men that take not Christ indeed but onely in their owne fancie Therefore when you come to make this marriage you must know that CHRIST is most holy that he is also such a one as will bring persecution with him as sayes of himselfe that he knowes not where to lay his head such a one as for whose sake you must part with euery thing such a one as is hated in the World and for whose sake you must be hated some would haue the man but they know not the man and so many thousands are deceiued that are willing to take CHRIST but they know not what they take they vnderstand not Christ aright there is an errour of the person and so a misse of the match and consequently of Justification for so as to make him their Lord so as to be subiect to him they take him not they do not consider that he requires such and such things at their hands Secondly If there be no mistake of the person yet what is this taking In marriage there is a certaine forme to be obserued and if that forme be mist of there is a misse of the match This taking therefore is nothing but this So to take him as to be diuorced from all other Louers so to serue him as you serue no other Master so to bee subject to him that you be subject to nothing in the World besides This is properly to take CHRIST and this excludes the greatest part of men they being ready to take Christ but then they will loue the World too but GOD tels them that if they loue the World the loue of the Father nor the Sonne is not in them You must haue your affections weaned from euery kinde of vanity Goe thorow the whole Vniuerse looke on all the things that are Riches and Pleasures and Honours Wife and Children if your heart be not weaned from euery of them you take him not as a Husband Againe others will serue CHRIST and their riches too their credit too their owne praise with men too but CHRIST tels them no man can serue both you must serue him alone and be obedient to none but him if you doe so you take him for your Lord indeede So many will be subject to him as a King but they will bee subject to their lusts too if their lusts command them they cannot deny them some they will reserue and you know how many this excludes Therefore you shall find that no man can take Christ and his wealth you know the young man was shut out because he would not let goe his possessions which he must part with or else haue none of him So Ioh. 5.44 If you receiue the praise of men how can you beleeue That is if you be not weaned and diuorced from all you cannot beleeue Though you be the off-scowring of men though you bee mocked and scorned it matters not but if you seeke the praise of men you cannot beleeue Where by the way you may marke something and adde it to that I said before What is the reason that the seeking praise of men should hinder from beleeuing Certainely if Faith were onely an Act of the vnderstanding assenting to the truth for the Authority of its Speaker it would bee no hindrance or impediment to the act of the mind in beleeuing that such a thing is true so that it must needs haue reference to the will Therefore saith CHRIST While you seeke the praise of men how can you beleeue That is take me for your GOD and LORD
seeth that hee doth much of the second Table and little of the first and the hypocrite againe doth much of the first and little of the second let them consider that faith enableth a man to haue respect to all Gods Commandements it workes a generall change And as this is true for the substance so it is also for degrees for if God accepts onely effectuall faith then so much efficacie and so much working as you finde in any man so much faith there is If there be no workes there is no faith if the workes be few the faith is a languishing faith if the workes be many the faith is great and strong That is the second Vse wee should make to learne to judge aright of our selues and others Thirdly if it be onely an effectuall faith which GOD accepteth then this justifieth our Doctrine against the Papists that say we teach that onely faith justifieth and require no good workes I say we teach that not a naked but an effectuall faith doth it So that all the difference betweene them and vs is this we agree both in this that workes are necessarily required to saluation that no man shall see GOD without them without purenesse of heart and integrity of life We say Except men mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit they shall dye and there is no condemnation to them that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit That is there is a necessity put vpon men to walke after the Spirit in this we agree but here is the difference They say that faith and workes both are required to justifie we say that nothing is required but faith and that workes follow faith wee say faith indeed is working and produceth â—uch effects so that whereas they say faith and workes we say faith only but it must be an effectuall faith a working faith If they object that place of Iames wee are not justified by faith but by workes I answer that there is a double justification there is a justification of the person so was Abraham justified by faith as Paul expresseth it Rom. 4. But then there is a second justification a justification of the faith that Abraham had he justified his faith by his works he shewed that hee had not a dead faith a liuelesse faith a faith without workes but that he had a liuely effectuall faith for he added workes to his faith his workes wrought together with his faith So that if the question be Whether Abraham was an hypocrite his workes justified him that hee was none If the question be Whether Abraham was a sinner his faith justifieth him and shewes that he was made righteous through faith So there is a justification of the person and a justification of the faith of the person as when a man is said to justifie such an action or such a cause the meaning is not that he will make that just which was vnjust before but he will make it appeare to be just so Abraham was declared to haue a justifying faith by that power and efficacie it wrought in him in offering vp his sonne Againe it is objected out of that place that by workes faith is made perfect therefore it seemes that faith is nothing alone if workes bee not joyned with it I answer that when it is said that faith is made perfect by workes the meaning is that faith is made good by workes the perfection of faith is declared by workes As one that professeth that he hath an Art and that he is able to doe this and that if he doe the worke wherein his Art is shewed if he make any artificiall worke by that he maketh good his Art Or as when we say these Trees are good because they haue sappe in them they are not dead Trees Now the Tree is made perfect by the fruit so faith by workes is made perfect Not that workes put life into faith the sap must first be in the Tree and then it bringeth forth fruit so there must first be a life in faith and then it bringeth forth workes So that when we say that faith is made perfect by workes the meaning is that workes declare faith to be right as the fruit doth declare the Tree to haue sap Againe if it be objected as it is by them that workes and loue c. are to faith as the soule is to the body for as the body without the soule is dead so faith without workes is dead Hence they gather that faith is as the body and that loue and workes are as the soule therefore faith justifieth not but workes To this I answer They take the comparison amisse For the scope of it is this as a soulelesse body is nothing worth it is dead and no man regardeth it so is a workelesse faith The meaning is not that workes are as the soule and faith as the body but as a man when he lookes vpon a carkasse and seeth no life in it no pulse no motion no sence such a body is nothing worth so when we see a faith without motion that hath no pulses that hath no expression of life in it such a faith is of no worth But you will say if we be not justified by workes to what end are good workes required I answer there is end enough there are motiues enow Is not loue a ground strong enough to bring forth good workes When this objection was made to Paul Rom. 6. If Grace abound why may wee not sinne the more for Grace aboundeth as sinne aboundeth he might easily haue answered Except you doe good workes you cannot be saued but he saith How can we that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein That is when a man is once in CHRIST there will be such a change wrought in him that hee shall finde CHRIST killing sinne in him and hee shall be raised againe to newnesse of life insomuch that he must of necessity doe it there will be loue in his heart that will set him aworke that will constraine him therefore saith he are you not baptized into Christs death That is when a man is in CHRIST he is dead to sinne as CHRIST dyed for him so that though there be no such motiue as for a man to get Heauen by his workes yet vpon the taking of Christ there is a loue planted in the heart there is a change wrought in the heart so that there is an aptnesse in it to doe good workes so that now a man delighteth in the Law of God concerning his inward man he desires nothing more then to be employed in it it is his meate and drinke to doe the will of GOD. Is not this enough to moue vs Againe though good workes be not required for justification yet this may be a motiue GOD rewards vs he chastens and afflicts vs according to our workes 1 Pet. 1.15
this what it is that puts us into the happy estate of life and salvatiō Faith But it is faith that works by love This is enough to make this cleere to you that these two great radicall vertues faith and love are the two pillars as it were upon which our salvation is built The first of them we have handled at large Faith and the efficacy of it in the Text we handled of effectuall faith Now the other remaines of Love whence wee will deliver this point to you that Whosoever loves not whatsoever else he find in himselfe whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus is not in Christ and by consequent in a cursed and damnable estate Because this is necessarily required that you have faith and love or else you can have no salvation or else you are not in Christ and cannot be acceptable of God through Christ. So our businesse will be to open unto you this grace of love that you may know what it is And that you may know it we must first declare unto you a little in generall what this affection of love is All affections as you know are nothing else but the diverse motions and turnings of the will as the will turnes it selfe this way or that way so a man is said to be affected to love or to hate to grieve or to rejoyce Now love is that act of the will whereby it turnes it selfe to a thing as hatred is that wherby it turnes it selfe from a thing And that which is the object of this affection of love is something that is good for that which is true and that which is beautifull is not the proper object of love that is the object of the intuitive understanding but it is no further the object of love than it is good For this take for a generall rule We love nothing but as it is good And a thing is said to be good when it is sutable proportionable and agreeable to us for that is the definition of a good thing There may be many things that are excellent that are not good to us we say not that any thing is good but that which sutes and is agreeable to us and convenient for us So that if you take the definition of this affection in generall of love Love is nothing else but a disposition of the will whereby it cleaves or makes forward to some good that is agreeable to it selfe I say it is a disposition of the will whereby it cleaves to and makes forward to some good thing agreeable to it selfe which you must marke for we shall have use of all this in the sequel of this tract Now this love shewes it selfe by two effects it would have the thing it loves to be preserved And secondly a man that loves would have it his and therefore he drawes neere to it or else he drawes the thing neere to him For ◠take it not to be true that is commonly taken for granted that love is a desire of union for we doe not alwayes desire that the thing should be united to us that we love for a thing may be too neare us as letters may be too neare the eye as well as too farre off But wee would have things in such a distance as is most agreeable to us as we love fire for our use but it may be too neare us and wee love a knife for our use but it may be too neere So by the way marke it It is not alwayes a desire of union but it is a desire to have the thing it loves in such a distance as is most agreeable to us but still remember this that love shewes it selfe by these two effects It desires the preservation of the thing Secondly he would that what he loves might be his As when a man loves an unreasonable creature when hee loves a glasse when he loves a horse he preserves the glasse he keepes the horse strong and faire and if he can he would have them for his use So a man that loves riches or honour or that loves a good name he preserves them he would have them his that is he would have them at his owne arbitrement for his owne turne service So a man that loves his sonne or his friend he desires the preservation of them and withall he would have them his that is he would have them so sure united to him as may stand with his conveniencie This is the nature of love one thing more know of it it is a commanding affection Love and hatred are as it were the great Lords and Masters that divide the rest of the affections betweene them as when a man loves he desires he goes and makes forward towards the thing he loves if he obtaine it he rejoyceth in it if he doe not obtaine it yet if there be probability then hee hopes if there be no probability then he despaires if there be any inconvenience and impediment that hinders him in his prosecution he is angry with it and desires to remove it thus these affections hang on love Againe on the other side as love desires the preservation of the thing in a neerenesse and union of it so hatred desires the destruction of the thing and the separation from it And upon this affection likewise hang the others when a man hates a thing he flies from it if it overtakes him hee grieves if it be likely it will overtake him though it be not yet on him he feares if he thinke he is strong enough to resist it hee is bolde and confident So these two affections I say divide the rest Now I will adde but this further that I may declare to you the generall nature of this affection that is the kindes of love And you shall finde these kindes of love I will name them briefly First there is a love of pitty as when you love a thing you know you desire the preservation of it when you finde any thing lye upon it that destroyes it you pitty the thing you love and desire to remove it So a father pitties his sonne when hee is sicke when hee is vicious and untoward hee loves him now with a love of pitty he desires to remove the thing that hurts it Secondly there is a love of concupiscence that is when a man desires the thing that hee is said to love meerely for his use As when you love an inanimate creature or any other creature for your use you are said to love it with a love of concupiscentiall desire and this in common men is a sutablenesse between the object and the lower faculties Thirdly there is a love of complacency when a man is well pleased with the thing that is when the object is somewhat adaequate to the higher faculties of the will and understanding that there is some agreeablenesse betweene the thing loved and the frame of the soule so that when he looks on it hee is well pleased with it So the master loves
that though your faith be weake yet he belongs to you it is a true faith Againe it shuttes out those that have false hearts although thou thinkest thy perswasion be full that Christ belongs to thee yet if thy heart be not thus prepared to seeke him and to esteeme him thy faith is not true I can stay no longer in the opening of this so much shall serve to shew you what this love is You see what love is in generall and this love to the Lord this love to Christ. Now I come to prosecute the point having gone thus farre in the explication of it I say this love is so necessary to salvation as that hee that hath it not is in a cursed and damnable condition he is not in Christ if he doe not love that as the Apostle saith hee that beleeves not shall be damned we may say as well of love for there is a tye betweene all these faith repentance and love And therefore wee finde these words put promiscuously sometimes he that beleeves not shall not be saved sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved sometimes he that obeyes not sometimes hee that loves not shall not be saved and therefore the Scripture is cleere in it and there is good reason for it First because if a man love not there is a curse there is a woe due to him for wheresoever there is not love a man is an hypocrite as our Saviour saith to the Scribes and Pharises Wo be to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites that is because you are hypocrites Now wheresoever love is not there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart For what is hypocrisie Hypocrisie is nothing but to doe the outward action without the inward sinceritie as we say it is counterfeit golde when it hath the forme and colour of golde but in the inside is base as we say he is a false Hector when he acts the part of Hector but is not so indeede So hypocrisie is to doe the outward act without the inward sincerity Now to doe them without inward sincerity is to doe them without love for to doe a thing in love is to doe it in sincerity And indeed there is no other definition of sincerity that is the best way to know it by A man that doeth much to God and not out of love all that he doth is out of hypocrisie he is an hypocrite and there is a woe belongs to him So that as we deale with counterfeit wares wee breake them in peeces or we set markes upon them as we doe with counterfeit peeces of golde and silver we bore holes in them as condemned peeces so the Lord proposeth a woe to such as love him not for in that hypocrisie consists when a man doth much and doth it not out of love Againe hee that breakes the law you know there is a curse belongs to him Now there is a double keeping of the law a strict and exact keeping of it and there is an Evangelicall keeping of it that is when you desire and endeavour to fulfill the law in all things and accordingly there is a double curse there is a curse that followes the breach of the morall law that belongs to all mankinde till they be in Christ there is besides an Evangelicall curse that followes upon the Evangelicall breach of the law Now when a man loves not he breakes the whole law for as love is the keeping of the whole law so the want of love is the breach of the whole law because though hee may doe many things of the law though he may keepe the sabboth though he may deale justly though he may heare the word and doe many things yet because it is not out of love he breakes the whole law When he breakes the law thus there is a curse belongs to him and it is the curse of the Gospell that cannot be repealed it is more terrible than the curse of the law And therefore he that loves not is in a cursed and damnable condition Againe you know in the law of God an Adulterer ought to die as in the law of triall when the woman was to drinke the cursed water if shee were an Adulteresse it was a curse to her the Lord appointed it to be death to her Now hee that loves not the Lord is an Adulterer that is hee is false to the Lord that should be his husband And when he loves not the Lord he doth love somewhat else And doth it not deserve a curse to preferre their pelfe before the Lord that he should love pleasures more than God that he should love the praise of men more thā the praise of God And this is the case of every man that loves not the Lord hee loves the world and hee that loves the world is an Adulterer and an Adulteresse saith St. Iames. Lastly when the Lord shall be a suiter to us when God shall offer his owne Sonne to us in marriage and we refuse him when Christ shall come from heaven to shew us the way to salvation and to guide our feete into the way of peace and we shall either be carelesse or resist it doe you not thinke the Lord will be filled with indignation against such a man will hee not be angry with such a man Is not the Sonne angry when he is not received Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry Will he not lay the axe to the roote of the tree and cut off such a man as men doe briers and thornes whose end is damnation This is the case of all those that love not when they reject the Lord and the Lord shall come to be a suiter to them and they will have none of him This is enough to cleare this to you That whosoever loves not is in an evill condition in a state of damnation he is not in Christ he is a man without the Covenant We come to make some use of this If it be of such moment to love the Lord then let every man looke to himselfe and consider whether hee have in his heart this love to the Lord Iesus for as it is with men although you may doe them many kindnesses yet if it proceed not from love they regard it not so it is with the Lord whatsoever you doe though you may doe much though you pray never so constantly though you sanctifie the Sabboth never so diligently doe what you will yet if you love him not he regards it not Neither circumscision is any thing nor uncircumcision is any thing but love Indeede when a man doth love him the Lord beares with much as you see hee did with David because he was one that loved him But when you love him not performe never so much he rejects all he heedes it not As you see it was with Amaziah you know how much he did yet it was not accepted hee did it not with a perfect heart that is he did it not out
of love And therefore the Lord doth with us as we doe with men when men have false hearts we see they love us not we say they doe but complement So the Lord Iesus doth This should helpe us to discover our selves there is no way to discover hypocrisie none so sure a signe of it as where love is not And therefore learne by this to know your selves and to judge of your condition It may be when we confesse our sinnes wee have not thought of this that we love not Christ or at the least we have not considered what a sinne it is but you may know what a sinne it is by the punishment of it 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus You may know the greatnesse of the sinne by the greatnesse of the punishment for the punishment is the measure of the sinne and marke it he doth not say if you beleeve not in the Lord Iesus or if you doe nor obey him but if you love not the Lord Iesus That is if there be an omission but of this one thing that you love not let such a man be accursed yea let him be had in execration to the death Therefore consider this how great a sinne it is not to love the Lord. And when you consider your sinnes and make a catalogue of them looke on this as that which discovers to us the vilenesse of our natures as Paul saith of lust I knew not that it was sinne but by the law but when sinne began to live he died So I may say of this it may be men take not this into consideration this sinne that they have not loved the Lord and therefore learne to know it When we consider this that he is accursed who loves not Christ it may open a crevise of light unto us to see what condition wee are in how cursed our nature is how hainous this sinne is when a man sees that there is a cursed man a man whom the Lord sets himselfe against a man whom the Lord is an enemie to whom he puts all the strength and power he hath to confound when hee sees there is a man whom the Gospell curseth which is more terrible than the Law because the curse of the Law may be repealed there is a remedie for that in the Gospell But the Gospell if that curse a man there is no remedie This should humble us for the Gospell should humble us as well as the Law And there are sinnes against the Gospell as well as against the Law and whatsoever is sinne should humble us yea the sinnes against the Gospell are greater than the sinnes against the Law And therefore in this sense the Gospell is fitter to humble us Now when a man comes to consider his sinne it may be possibly he lookes to sinnes especially against the morall Law but you must learne to doe more than that Begin to thinke Have I received the Lord Iesus Have I beleeved in Christ These are great sins against the Gospell and these sinnes should chiefly humble us If you thinke I presse this too hard consider the words of the Apostle I named Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus Let these words be sounding in your eares compare your hearts to them sometimes cast your eye on the one and sometimes on the other and see if it be not absolutely required to love the Lord. And againe reflect on your hearts and see if you be in the number of those that doe love him And take heede herein that you deceive not your selves for it is the manner when we presse the love of Christ upon them they are ready to say I hope I love the Lord I hope I am not such a miscreant as not to love him yea but consider whether thou doe or no it is true thou maist deceive me or another man when thou professest love to God but in this thou canst not deceive thy selfe for a man knowes what he loves love is a very sensible and quick affection When a man loves any thing when hee loves his wife loves his friend loves his sonne loves his sport his recreation he knowes he loves it he hath the sense of that love in himselfe Therefore consider with thy selfe whether thou hast any such stirring affection towards the Lord Iesus or no doest thou feele thy heart so possessed with him art thou sicke of love as the Spouse saith in the Canticles I am sicke of love That is are you grieved when he is absent are you glad when you have him when you can get into his presence for there is a kinde of painfulnesse in love and all painfulnesse is of a quicke sense When it is said the Church was sicke of love sicknesse is painfull And therefore when you want the Lord when there is a distance betweene him and you when he doth not looke on you as he was wont there will be painfulnesse in it and griefe Againe there will be much joy and gladnesse when you have him Therefore let it be one way to examine your selves if you feele such a love towards him or no. Besides that let mee aske thee if thou walke with the Lord if thou converse with him if thou be perfect in his presence if thou doe as Enoch did walke with the Lord from day to day as it is an argument of an evill man that he walkes not with the Lord that he restraines prayer from the Almighty that is that he doth not converse with him So is it a great argument of love to desire Gods company to desire to be with him to walke with God to use that phrase You will say What is that to walke with him To walke with him is to observe the Lords dealing with you and to observe your carriage and dealing to him againe that there may be continuall commerce and intercourse every day that continually every houre every moment you would consider and thinke what the Lord doth to you what his carriage is to you what passages of his providence concerne you Againe consider what you doe to him what carriage there is betweene you I say this conversing is an argument of love Shâ—ll a wife professe love to her husband and ne-never come where he is never be within dores and never be in his companie So will you say you love Christ and not be frequent in prayer or neglect and slight that duty seldome converse with him and seldome speake of him When you love your friend you are with him as much as you can you love to speake with him and to speake of him So it is with the Lord if you love him certainly you will love his company you will love his presence Besides if you love the Lord you know love is a diligent thing and therefore it is called dâ—ligent love 1 Thess. 1.4 Effectuall faith and diligent love that is when a man loves a thing he is diligent
desire long enough but how shall we be able to doe it I will tell you in a word and so conclude First you must pray for it it is a lovely suite when we come to the Lord and tell him that we desire to love him that we would faine doe it if we could and beseech him not to deny us that request that we know is according to his will doe you thinke that the Lord will refuse you in that case especially if you begge it importunately at his hands For if you object and say we have prayed and have not obtained it know that to love the Lord is a precious thing and therefore the Apostle reckons it so You will say How doth this prayer doe it I say that it doth it partly by obtaining at Gods hands for when you crie earnestly hee cannot denie you But as he did with the lame and the blinde when they were importunate hee never neglected any but healed them When you crie to the Lord and say I would faine love thee but I cannot will hee not be as willing to heale thy soule to give thee legges to runne after him and eyes to see him as he was to heale the lame and the blinde certainly he will not denie thee But besides that prayer doth it because it brings us to converse and to have communion with him by prayer wee are familiar with God by that meanes love growes betweene us as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love Againe prayer doth it because when wee are much in calling upon God the Lord delights to shew himselfe to such a man yea at such a time for the most part as hee shewed himselfe to Christ when he was praying as he did to Moses and to Cornelius and others And againe prayer it exerciseth this love it blowes up the sparke of this love and makes a flame of it therefore much prayer begets much love If you would be abundant in love be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer pray much and you shall finde this effect of it it will beget love in you You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love The reason is because love in an especiall manner is a gift of the Spirit a fruite of the holie Ghost and it is true it must be a peculiar worke of the Spirit to beget love It is true faith comes by hearing and hearing begets faith it is done likewise by the Spirit but love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the holie Ghost And therefore 2 Thess. 4. saith the Apostle You are taught of God to love one another That is it is such a thing as God teacheth or else our teaching will never doe it that which he saith of love to the brethren we may say of the love of God the Lord hath put love into man man loves many times and knowes not why many times he hath reason that he should love and yet he cannot because it is a peculiar gift of God That naturall affection for a man to love his children all the world cannot doe it all the arguments in the world cannot perswade a man for if arguments could doe it we might perswade others to doe so but none can love so as the father doth his childe and why but because the Lord workes that in men So the love of God is a peculiar worke of the holy Ghost none are able to love Iesus but hee in whom the Lord hath wrought it in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost to goe to him and say Lord I am not able to doe it this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevaile Besides you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature that except the holy Ghost worke more than nature we shall never be brought together in agreeablenesse and sutablenesse wee are no more able to love the Lord than colde water is able to heate it selfe there must be somewhat to breede heate in that water so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us it must be kindled from heaven or else we shall never have it Secondly another speciall meanes to enable you to love the Lord is to consider your owne condition to consider your sinnes what you are what hearts you have and what lives you have lead You will say how doth this beget love Yes this is a great meanes Mary loved much because much was forgiven her that is Mary Magdalen had great sense of her sinnes the Lord had opened her eyes to see what a one shee had beene what sinnes she had committed And because she had that sense of her sinnes her eyes were open to see her owne vilenesse thence it is saith he she loved much For when we are humble and poore in spirit when we are little in our owne eyes then the Lord will come and shew mercy on us when a man shall see his sinne and shall thinke with himselfe I am worthy to be destroyed I can expect nothing but death then the Lord shall come sodainly as it were and shall tell us you shall live and shall reconcile himselfe to us this will command love We shall never receive the Gospell as to love Christ till we come to poverty of spirit till we be thus humbled as in the first of Luke it is the speech of Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and why because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaiden When she was little in her owne eyes and made no account of her selfe and thought not her selfe worthy to be looked after the Lord comes and takes her and vouchsafes her such an honour as to cause his owne Sonne to be borne of her now she could not holde but that was it that enflamed her heart with love to the Lord my soule doth magnifie the Lord because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaid So wee see in David you never finde a greater expression of love in David than at that time when hee was most humbled when the Prophet came to him and tolde him what the Lord would doe for him that he would build him and house David begins to consider what he was what is David saith he What am I or what is my fathers house That is I am but a poore miserable man I am but thus borne what have I done that the Lord should respect me so farre If David had not beene so little and so vile in his owne eyes those great mercies had never so wrought on his heart And therefore I say the way to make us abundant in love is to consider our sinnes to be humbled to consider what
banishment where hee lived well enough and enjoyed all things hee wanted nothing but had as much as hee could desire yet saith he what doth all this availe me so long as I may not see the Kings face It was but his craftinesse Yet thus much we may observe out of it that this is the property of love that till a man see the face of God that is till he enjoy a neare and close communion with God untill he can have the love of God witnessed to his soule hee cares for nothing in the world besides As you have it in 2 Chron. 7.14 you have that condition put in If my people saith he when they are in distresse shall humble themselves and seeke my face then I will doe thus and thus As if he should say it may be they may seeke libertie when they are in captivitie it may be they may seeke health when they are in sicknesse it may be they may seeke deliverance from enemies under whom they are enthralled but that is not the condition that I put them upon but if they humble themselves and seeke my face then I will heare in heaven c. So I say now if you will trie whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you seeke his face that is whether you seeke grace or no whether nothing in the world can content you but his favour For it is the property of one that is truly sanctified mercie alone will not content him but hee will have grace as well as mercy Another man that loveth not the Lord it is true it may be hee is pinched with the sense of his sinnes but let him have mercy it is enough hee thinkes but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God except he have grace it contents him not for that is the property and nature of true love that it careth for no wages all that it desires is the love of the party that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted and there is a great difference in that You know a nurse doth much unto the childe as well as the mother and it may be more but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired but the mother doth it for nothing and she doth it more abundantly because she doth it out of love and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it because shee loves her childe So I say if you love the Lord Iesus it is not wages that you seeke but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you if you may have his favour if you may have opportunitie to doe him service in your place it is enough for you you care not for the present wages nor for future Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love the rightnesse and ingenuity of it if it be so that all that you doe is out of love to the Lord and if you can content your selves with love againe from God it is a signe that you love the Lord Iesus Againe to proceed if you love the Lord Iesus you will also love his appearance as you have it in 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse is laid up for me and as many as love the appearance of Iesus Christ and in Heb. 9. ult Hee was offered for the sinnes of many and shall appeare the second time to such as looke for him c. For whom was he offered and to whom shall he appeare To as many as looke for his comming againe So in 2 Pet. 3.13 What manner of men saith the Apostle ought we to be in all godlinesse holy conversation looking for and hasting to the appearance of Christ c. So that it is certaine every man that loveth the Lord Iesus hee loves his appearance hee hasteneth to the comming of the Lord he lookes for his comming againe and it must needes be so in reason For if you love any you know you must needes love their presence will you professe that you are louing to any that when you heare of their comming towards you there is no newes more unacceptable to you If a woman had a husband in the East Indies and report of his comming home should be the worst newes that shee could heare shall wee thinke that such a woman loues her husband So if you did loue the Lord Iesus you would be glad to haue his appearance And Beloved seeing the Apostle hath chosen out this note why should not we presse it in our examination of our selues whereby wee may know whether wee loue the Lord Iesus or no whether wee desire to be with the Lord whether we can say as the Apostle Paul Wee desire to be at home and to be with the Lord If we examine the loue of men by this rule wee shall finde that there is exceeding little loue to the Lord Iesus men are so exceeding backward in desiring to be at home and to be with him and we may know that by our backwardnesse to be in the Lords presence upon earth Shall wee thinke that men are desirous to be in his presence in heauen and yet are so unwilling to draw neare to him upon earth But you will object Many of those that loue the Lord that are men truly sanctified yet are afraid of death and the newes of death is terrible to them and therefore surely this is a rare signe euen in those that haue faith and loue to desire the appearance of Iesus Christ I answer it is true there may be a backwardnesse even in the Saints but you must know upon what ground it is A spouse that is to marrie a husband no question but shee would be glad to be handsome and to be prepared for his comming and though shee may desire his companie exceedingly yet because things are not so readie as she would have them or for feare that he may finde that which may divert and turne away his eyes from delighting in her perhaps shee desires not his comming at that time There is a certaine negligence and unpreparednesse in mens hearts which breedes an unwillingnesse in them sometimes and makes them afraid of seeing the Lord and yet there may be a true and inward love after him Besides you know there is flesh as well as spirit and the spirituall part desires as Paul did to be at home and to be with the Lord and to enjoy his presence but that flesh that is in us is alwayes backward to it Therefore in Revel 14.13 Blessed are those that die in the Lord so saith the Spirit but so saith not the flesh the voice of the flesh is contrary to it but it is the voice of the spirit and the regenerate part that is in us So that this I may boldly say to you that every man that hath this faith and love wrought in him by the Spirit of God hee hath that in him which doth earnestly desire communion with
inward man will languish and grow faint But to speake a word unto you likewise Doe you thinke that you love the Lord Iesus in good earnest and yet have scarse leisure to thinke of him from morning to night that you cannot take time to speake to him to seeke him nor to prepare your hearts for him Besides this generall come to particular sinnes sabbath-breaking neglecting of private prayer vaine speeches concupiscence and sinfull lusts secret courses of uncleannesse swearing if not by greater yet by lesser oathes which indeede in this exceede the greater because in the other you sweare by the Creatour in these by the creature You that doe these things will you say you love the Lord You must know that it is a contradiction it is impossible For if you love me keepe my commandements if you keep not the commandements of God certainly you love him not But it may be you will say that your meaning is good that you are well affected to Christ and therefore surely you doe not hate him My brethren you are deceived in this thy meaning is not good for while you cast the commandements of God behinde you you cast him away and let me say to you in this case as you have it in Ier. 3.4 You professe well in saying Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth but you doe evill more and more So I say when you professe you love the Lord and that you reckon him your Father and your Husband thus you say indeede but you doe evill more and more and that is a certaine argument you love not the Lord. Therefore examine your selves by this rule For if you love the Lord you will reverence him You know whom we love we reverence and whom we reverence we dare not doe any thing unmeete in their sight Take any one whom we love whose good opinion wee seeke for wee had rather that all the world should see us doe an unseemely thing than that he should and certainly if you love the Lord you would not dare to provoke him to anger Therefore this carelesnesse in serving of him is a certaine signe of want of love to the Lord Iesus this fearefulnesse and carelesnesse when you dare not shew your courage for him when you account it a small matter to commit a sinne against God this ariseth from the defect of your love In the second place as you may try your love by your taking care not to offend God so likewise you may try it by your sorrow and griefe after you have offended him For you must know this that love as it hath the greatest joy of any thing else when it obtaines that which it would have so it is attended with the most exquisite griefe when it is disappointed As when one loveth another earnestly if any breach fall out that shall make a separation betweene them if any strangenesse grow betweene them if they love they will never be at rest it will trouble and disquiet them but as the Scripture speakes they are sicke of love that is they cannot be quiet while there is such a condition while there is any alienation while there are breaches and offences betweene them for you know that nothing is so sweete as love as you have it in Cant. 1. Love is better than wine and as David expresseth it Psal. 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better than life So sweete I say is love as sweete as wine and better than life Now by the rule of contraries then to have a breach made to have a barre and an interruption in this loving kindnesse of the Lord towards us or in our love towards him it is bitter as wormewood and sharpe as death Therfore you may examine your selves by the offences you offer to God when they are past if you love him it is certaine they will trouble you exceedingly for so much sorrow for sinne so much love And you may take it for a sure rule in what measure any man desires to please the Lord in that measure hee will be grieved that he hath displeased him Therefore examine thy selfe Hast thou sinned against him many times and doest thou looke backe upon those sinnes in a carelesse manner be sure that thou lovest him not Examine this by that which passeth betweene man and man When a father or a husband hath any thing committed against them by a childe or a wife if they shall withdraw themselves and professe themselves displeased and yet the childe or the wife in the meane time be never troubled at this but be at rest well enough content it should be so and are not disquieted for it will not the parent or husband take this exceeding ill at their hands when hee seeth his displeasure slighted For this is much greater than the offence it selfe So I may say whatsoever the sinne be that you have committed this hardnesse of heart this negligence after the sinne is committed when you are not disquieted for it when your hearts are not troubled for it it is a greater signe of want of love to the Lord it is a greater signe of an evill and untoward disposition than the sinne it selfe Therefore this want of sorrow for sinne is a sure argument that you love not the Lord. You may take that for one signe of want of love that we commit sinnes against God from day to day For doe but goe to your neighbours and professe your love to them and yet you injure them againe and againe you care not what wrong you doe them will they thinke that such a profession as you make is true and will the Lord regard when you say that you love him if you provoke him to anger and renew your sinnes and relapse into them againe and againe and when you have sinned take it not to heart No my brethren if you doe love him you will doe as it is said Zach. 12. when you have sinned you will mourne as he that mourneth for his onely sonne your hearts will melt as Iosiahs did your hearts will smite you as Davids did him thus it is with all that love him in deede and in truth Therefore in Levit. 16.29 and likewise Levit. 23.27 they are both one and the same the Lord appoints a feast and a meeting together for cleansing of sinnes it was the feast of atonement saith hee In that day when you come together to offer sacrifice unto me and to make an attonement you shall humble your soules and whosoever doth not afflict his soule on that day he shall be cut off from his people As if he should say At that day you come to reconcile your selves to the Lord you make profession of your love to him and of the desire you have to bee friends with him Now if you come and make this profession and doe not humble your selves nor afflict your soules on that day for those breaches that have beene betweene God and you all your
looke upon the Lord as upon a judge whether you doe not all that you doe to him as one that lookes upon a judge If you feare the Lord in this manner it is certaine you hate him for those whom you thus feare you hate and that you shall finde in 1 Ioh. 4. If you feare saith hee you love not for perfect love casts out feare when you look upon God as upon a strict judge and that is it that puts you on to doe all that you doe that is it that makes you keepe a good conscience in secret for this you may doe and yet looke upon God as a judge to feare with this kinde of feare is a signe you hate the Lord for whom you feare you hate Besides this Doe you not looke upon God and upon his wayes as contrary to your hearts that your hearts and the wayes of God are in an opposition your hearts and sanctifying the Sabboth will not agree the Lord would have your speeches to be good and holy he would have you not onely abstaine from evill but to hate it to have your hearts rise up against it Are not these commandements contrary to you Consider but that holinesse that is expressed in the booke of God and that is expressed also in the lives of the Saints who carry his Image stamped on them and is there not a kinde of contrariety betweene your wayes and theirs betweene your hearts and them If there be it is a certaine signe of hatred for wheresoever there is contrariety there is hatred Examine your selves by this and see whether you doe not hate the Lord. And yet to come to one more if you love pleasures more than God and wealth more than God you hate God For so you have it Mat. 6. No man can serve two Masters but either hee must hate the one and love the other c. That is when you love other things though you thinke you doe not hate the Lord yet I say in that you love pleasures and love the world and the things of the world in that you love your lusts and the objects of them in doing this you hate the Lord. Now if this be your case if upon these expostulations that I have propounded if upon these rules of examining your selves you finde that you doe not love the Lord if this be your condition as it is your wisedome to deale strictly with your selves for hence it is brethren that the soules of men perish because they will not see and search into their estates they will not come to this examination of themselves it is a painfull thing to them men are backward to examine themselves in private what is the reason of that phrase in the Psalme Examine your selves upon your beds but because examination should be when a man is most retired I say if you finde it to be so as it is the case of many then it should open a window to you to see what you have deserved at the Lords hands how just it were that the Lord should cast you off For when you are enemies to the Lord can you thinke much at it My brethren what a condition is that man in that hath the great God of heaven and earth to be his enemie And besides this have you not reason to justifie God in his just judgements upon others when you shall see God sharply plaguing them It may seeme to you that it is a hard thing that men should be so punished but when wee consider that they are haters of God that they are enemies to him you may justifie God in that hee doth But to conclude you ought to humble your selves if upon these tryalls you finde your selves to be lovers of the world and not lovers of God And you that are young and put off repentance it should move you to come in betimes For if this be required of you to love the Lord and you shall not be exempted from death when it comes though you be never so able and never so strong and lustly what condition doe you thinke you will be in if you die enemies to God and haters of him as you needes must be if you love him not And if you thinke you have time enough hereafter to settle your affections Consider is it in your owne power though you have warning before death to have this affection of love You may doe many good duties you may be sorry and repent for your sinnes but though you doe this and a thousand times more yet if you have not this love-wrought in you by God if it come not from heaven if it be not the fruite of his owne Spirit all your repentance and all your forsaking of sinne all your doing of duties the change of your courses is nothing the Lord regards it not unlesse you have this naturalnesse of love I have stood therefore the longer upon it and upon this part concerning examination because it is a matter of great moment Wee should have come to the next part concerning exhortation which wee would not disjoyne because it is very usefull and profitable but we cannot doe it now but reserve it for the afternoone FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love AND before we leave this poynt one thing I must add For what reason doe we put you vpon this disposition vpon this examination whether the love of God be in your hearts or no The reason is not that you should be discouraged that you should be put off from comming to God that you should be greived with the sight of the want of your love but the end of it is to stirre you up to gett it if you want it You know we have formerly delivered some meanes of getting it onely there is one which we will commend unto you which we gave a little touch on but could not handle it and it consists of these Three branches if you would love the Lord First you must know him for otherwise you cannot love him As it is in naturall loue that is bred between man and man you say love ariseth from sight they must see before they can love so you must know the Lord there must be a sight of God by faith before you can love him And every man that sees him and knowes him as he is will love him he cannot chuse for that is the Lords worke to all the Saints Ierem. 31 You shall he taught of me and you shall know mee from the greatest to the least It may be in some manner they knew God before but although a man have never so exact knowledge of him yet till he be a regenerate man he never knowes him indeede it is an other kind of knowledge that hee hath when a man is regenerate whē God teaches him to know him he lookes on God with an other eye every thing is presented to him
you come to know your selves too you will never love him you will never desire him you will never long after him for both these must goe together the knowledge of God and the knowledge of our selves to teach you to love him The knowledge of God without the knowledge of your selves is a fruitlesse speculation And againe the knowledge of your selves and your owne miserie without the knowledge of him and his mercy is a miserable vexation The knowledge of God without knowledge of your selves is as if a man should know a medicine but should not know what defect it were fit to supply And to know your selves and your owne case without him is to have the disease discovered and not to know how to helpe it And therefore learne to know both God and your selves If you will love him then you must learne to studie those two We say schollers studie bookes and Politicians studie men but a Christian should studie God and himselfe to learne to know God and himselfe better by this meanes he comes to know the Lord as wheresoever you finde any love to the Lord expressed you shall finde these two going together as David oft Psal. 18. and Psal. 116. I love the Lord c. Why For I was in distresse I was in griefe the grave overtooke mee and I was compassed about with death and I cried to the Lord and he healed me and set mee at libertie hee is my fortresse c. That is when David saw himselfe to stand in neede he saw his weaknesse and looked on God againe as one that would helpe him and heale him as one that could set him at liberty this caused him to say I love the Lord dearely So Paul when he saw these two I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter and looked on Christ who had beene mercifull to him with faith this was that which caused Paul so to abound in love towards Christ. And so Mary Luke 1. My soule doth magnifie the Lord And why For he had respect to the low estate of his handmaid I was poore and meane and loe hee hath raised mee to a high degree This sutablenesse this knowledge of God and of our selves is that which breedes in us a love of him But is this enough now to know God and our selves This is a faire step to beget in you this love of him for as you heard before love is an inclination of the heart to some good thing agreeable to us But yet you must have a third or else this will not doe that is assurance of the Lords love to you for if you long after him never so much if you thinke him worthy to be desired on the other side yet if for all this you are not perswaded of the Lords love to you you cannot be affected towards him Wee cannot love any man whom we conceive to be ill affected to us And therefore you shall see in the course of the Scriptures love proceedes from faith faith must beget love that is the assurance of Gods love must goe in This is the third ingredient to make it up You will say to mee wee doubt not of this but if wee be perswaded of Gods love wee shall love him but how shall wee come to this perswasion how shall wee assure our selves of his love Those to whom I should speake now are of two sorts either such as are out of the Covenant or such as are already within it For you that are without to you I say you may if you will consider it come to the assurance of his love towards you For first the Lord hath made knowne his owne willingnesse to take you to marriage There are but two that are to give their consent the Father to give his Sonne and the Sonne to give his owne consent The Father you know hath given his consent Isay 9.6 A Sonne is given He so loved the world that he gave his Sonne Therefore certainely you have the Fathers consent he hath given Christ as a father gives his sonne in marriage But now whether we have the Sonnes consent or no of that wee make question saith the Apostle Hee loved us and gave himselfe to us and for us yea hee not onely gives his consent for his part but he hath purchased his wife with his owne blood And therefore you cannot doubt but that hee is willing to marrie with you to take you and to receive you if you will come in Why then what is required now Nothing at all but thy consent if thou give thy consent to the Lord thou needest not to question his favour thou maist assure thy selfe of his unchangeable love in Iesus Christ for he hath revealed it on his part in his word you have his sure word for that heaven and earth shall passe rather than that word This is the sound consolation that will not faile you when you come to examination and thinke with your selves upon what ground am I assured of Gods affection towards mee that hee loves mee I have his word for it he hath said it and he cannot recall it yea he hath added his oath that by two immutable witnesses you might have strong consolation that is that you might have the greatest degree of assurance that can be Why now why doest not thou give thy consent why doest thou no more rest on it You will say alas I am willing to giue my consent if that would doe it But first I am unfit to marry the Lord I am not prepared for such a match as that is my heart is too bad and my life hath beene too sinfull to thinke of such preferment and advancement Take thou no care for that the Lord knew thy unfitnesse when he made that promise to thee when hee gave his Son and the Sonne gave himselfe to thee he was well enough acquainted with thee and with thy nature he had an intention to marry a blackmoore he justifieth the wicked he knowes thou art so and yet he will doe it he will put a fairenesse he will put a beautie upon thee when thou art his wife therefore let not that hinder thy unfitnesse You will say againe it may belong to such and such it doth not belong to me my case is such I have provoked him in this manner my sinnes are of such a nature This shall not shut thee out neither For why shouldst thou make exceptions where the Lord makes none Goe Preach the Gospell to every creature under heaven What is the meaning of that That is goe tell every man without exception whatsoever his sinnes be whatsoever his rebellions be go tell him this glad tidings that is to preach the Gospell to him that if he will come in I will accept him he shall be saved his sinnes shall bee forgiven him if he doe no more but come in and take me and receive me Therefore to conclude this doubt not thou that that shall be a
his children to waite in it 2 122 Sanctification we must set faith on worke to increase it 2 212 How faith sanctifyeth the heart 2 213 Saved If Christ should not receive sinners none should be saved 1 113 Scriptures Scriptures beleeved in generall 2 34 Science Science 1 47 Sciences of two sorts 3 200 Seale Seale double 2 153 Security Security a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Security double Ibid. Seed How salvation is sure to all the seed 1 44 Season Season our workes must sute with it 3 209 Season what duties befit us in it Ibid. Selfe Self-crossing a signe of love to God 3 64 Why we must love God above our selves 3 166 Service Service to God and men different 3 154 Shew Difference betweene faith and a shew of holinesse 1 85 In prayer God sheweth himselfe to us 3 50 Gods shewing himselfe begets love 3 54 Shepheard Magistrates shepheards 3 78 Signe Signe in what cases God will give it 1 124 Sin Sinfull Sin the greatnesse of it 1 26 Sin the nature of it not altered by faith 1 59 Sin the efficacy of it taken away by faith 1 60 Sins most hainous Christ came to pardon 2 151 Sinfull love 3 10 Sin the consideration of it makes us love God 3 52 Sin delight in it and love of GOD cannot stand together 3 159 See Exelude Slippery Slippery places wicked men stand in 2 210 Sonne Sonne of GOD offereth his love to us 3 144 Soule Soule turned to GOD by faith 2 44 Soule needeth refreshing 3 114. Soule the adorning of it 3 173 Sound Sound heart hath good workes 3 193 Sorrow Sorrow for offending God a signe of love 3 116 Sorrow the want of it worse than the sin it selfe 3 117 Speake Love delights to speake of the party loved 3 75 Spirit Spirituall Spirit given more largely now than before 1 4 Spirit makes us love Christ. 2 50 Spirits testimony wrought two wayes 2 53 Spirit all arguments without it prevaile not 2 54 Spirits of men not alike troubled in conversion 2 86 Spirits immediate testimonie 2 89 Spirits testimony how to know it 2 90 Spirituall ioy 2 133 Spirit sound will beare affliction 2 191 Spirit the more we beleeve the more wee have of it 2 215 Spirituall love 3 11 Spirit is strong 3 187 Stranger Strangenesse Wicked men come to God as a stranger 2 106 Strangenes dissolveth love 3 105 Strength Faith takes away opinion of our owne strength 1 72 We daily want new strength 1 135 Strengthening of faith usefull 2 73. Study Study of a Christian. 3 142 Stone White stone what it signifieth 2 85 Successe Successe promised to good causes 2 163 Sudden Miseries come suddenly on the wicked 2 210 How things are said to be suddaine Ibid. Holy men may be suddainely transported to sinne 3 195 Sure How righteousnesse becomes sure 1 8 43 Sutable Looking on GOD as sutable to us breedes love 3 139 Suffering Suffering for Christ. 1 24 Suffering a fruite of love 3 77 Suffering a kinde of doing 3 77 Suffering a good worke 3 209 T. Taking Taking of Christ what 1 16 When we come to take Christ. 1 96 The efficacy of faith in taking Christ 2 41 What taking of Christ is effectuall 2 43 Taking Christ deceitfully 2 97 Taking Christ the way to salvation 3 5 Taught A Christian better taught than learned men wanting grace 3 197 Teaching Teaching of GOD what 2 12 Temptation Some cleave to Christ â—or want of temptations 2 25 Every man hath some particular temptation 2 65 Testimonie see Spirit Time Our time in GODS hands 2 182 GOD meetes with evill men in the worst time 2 211 Time a precious talent 3 113 Triall GOD puts men to tryall that they may holde out 1 9â— GOD gives no grace but hee hath tryalls for it 2 121 Trouble True ioy holds out in trouble 2 132 Trust. Trusting GOD. 2 116 Trusting GOD instances of it 2 117 Trusting in GOD what 2 168 When we are said to trust in GOD 2 171 Trusting GOD ingageth him to helpe us 2 17â— See Meanes Truth GOD abundant in truth 3 42 Turne Turning To turne to GOD what 2 99 How to use faith in the turnings of our life 2 156 V. Vaine Faith without workes is vaine 2 63 Vehement Love vehement as fire 3 89 Vertues Morall vertues GOD regards not without faith 1 82 Difference betweene faith and morall vertues 1 83 Virgins see Love Vnderstanding Faith wrought in the understanding 1 16 Vnderstanding what required in it touching faith 1 55 Vnderstanding 4 things in it touching the promise 1 95 Vnderstanding cleare makes faith effectuall 2 â—3 Vnderstanding what in it hinders love 3 108 Vneffectuall 5. Causes why faith is uneffectuall 2 6. Vngodly God iustifieth the ungodâ—y 2 149 Vnworthily To receive the Sacrament unworthily what 1 87 Two sorts receive the Sacrament unworthily 3 59 Voice Voice immediate 2 53 Voice soft what 2 88 Voice of the Spirit in us 2 105 Voice of Gods Spirit how to know it 2 106 Vprightnes Gods blessing according to our uprightnes 2 181 Vse Those that have faith are able to use it 2 139 How to use faith 2 142 Vse of grace increaseth it 3 204 Vile When a man is vile in his owne eyes 2 136 W. Wages Love desireth no wages 3 27 Walke To walke with GOD what 3 25 Warre True peace comes after warre 2 109 Way When wee looke on Gods wayes as contrary to us we hate him 3 132 See Good workes see Taking Waite True faith is content to waite 2 121 Instances of waiting 2 122 Weake Faith is weake for want of using 2 140 Love to God weakeneth sinne 2 214 Weake grace is grace 3 148 Will Willing Will faith wrought in it 1 16 Will must take Christ. 1 21 Will three things in it in taking Christ. 1 22 Those that are willing to take Christ how they are affected 1 32 Iustifying faith differeth from generall faith in the act of the will 1 49 Will what required in it touching faith 1 56 We must be willing to kill our lusts 1 92 Will the drawing of it to take the promises 1 101 Will how drawne 1 103 Will drawne by three meanes 1 104 Will what in it hinders love 3 108 Will taken for the deed when 3 201 Wee must be willing to suffer for Christ. 3 99 Wisedome Wisedome in three things 2 199 Property of wisedome 3 206 Wonders Wonders wrought now though no miracles 2 177 Worth Worthy To be worthy of Christ what 1.29 75 Faith take from a man all opinion of worth 1 71 Christ worthy of our love 3 34 Worship If Christ were not ready to pardon hee should not be worshipped 1 113 Worke Working Faith and opinion differ in their working 1 120 Working shewes a thing to bee effectuall 2 27 Working in doing and suffering 2 45 Good works the way to salvation 2 60 Worke-lesse faith five arguments against it 2 62 True