their Sins will find them out and they shall appear not only odious to God but to Men also We read of Redwald King of the West Saxons that after he had professed himself converted to Christianity he â—rected in the same Church one Altar for the Worship of the God of the Christians and another for the Worship of his Heathen Gods And this way of worshipping God was no worshipping and worse than no worshipping at all We have an Instance in that mixture of the Samaritans Religion Several Nations and Cities amongst them according to their own devised Intentions chose several Gods And it is said 2 Kings 17. 33. They feared the Lord and served their own Gods But what a Judgment the Lord passeth on them Psal 34. Vnto this day they do after their former manner they fear not the Lord. If then we pretend to love Christ and love other things in competition with him we do not love him at all It was the great Sin of the Jews to make mixt Marriages and to be unequally yoaked with Heathens Insomuch as their Language betrayed them not to be a genuine sort of the Jews not of the right breed of the Jews For they speak in the Language of the Jews and in the Language of Ashdod So it 's their Sin and a far greater to join Christ with Harlots I mean to yoak Christ and Anti-christ as far as in them lies together And such there are who would reconcile England and Rome Protestantism and Popery But they may as soon reconcile the Artick and Antartick Poles considering that there are between us fundamental differences both in Principles and Practices Christ will say one day as Elias doth to the Worshippers of Baal How long halt ye between two 2 King 18. 21. Opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him So it may be said why do People hanker between Christ and Antichrist Why do they not plainly declare themselves what they design that so we may know where to find them But be assured that if Men neglect Christ and seek after other Lovers If they leave the true Worship and betake themselves to false Worship they will pay dear for it Let Men pretend what they will if they have a Heart and a Heart a double and a divided Heart partly between Christ and any other Christ will not accept of their Love as genuine and right but account it false and spurious 4. Our Love to Christ must be sincere 4. Our Love to Christ must be sincere and incorrupt without Hypocrisy abstracted from all self-Interests and sinister Respects He that loves Christ must love him with a single sincere and incorrupted Spirit Incorrupted I name because I have the Apostle for my Warrant Grace be unto all them that love our Lord Jesus Eph. 6. 24. Christ in Sincerity The Word rendred for Sincerity signifies Incorruption Such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significatur is qui nulla vi nullis precibus nullis illecebris i. e. a recto abduci patitur Grot. who are sincere and incorrupt abhor all mercenary Love and all verbal Complements Between true Love and complemental Love there 's as wide and vast a difference as there is between Courtship and Friendship Christ ought to be loved for Himself for his Beauty Goodness and Excellency There 's enough in Christ to enamour a Soul and ravish it with Delights notwithstanding all the hardships and sufferings which come by Christ For one Beam of Christ's reconciled countenance and one glimpse of his Love will superabundantly recompence the greatest sufferings for his sake Wherefore let us lay aside altogether all oblique aims and collateral Interests and in the simplicity and singleness of our Hearts love Christ with the most ardent Affection The Shecemites embraced Circumcision upon a Politick Design to compass in all the Cattel and Substance of the Israelites The People Gen. 34. 23. followed Christ for the Loaves And therefore the Gadarens petitioned for Christ's departute because they were so affected with the loss of their Swine insomuch that they preferred their Swine before a Jesus A Man mentioned in the Gospel pretended such respect to Christ as he offered to follow him whether ever he went But Christ who knew his Heart discovered that he only aimed at his own accommodations for a dwelling place as may appear by Christ's Answer Mat. 8. 20. And Jesus saith unto him The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not whereon to lay his Head Herein consists the high commendation of Love when self is abandoned and the Beloved is entirely embraced and when we renounce all self Love and in Sincerity set our Affection on Jesus Christ then our Love is genuine and of the right stamp For to love Christ for Himself and Holiness for its self is a constitutive difference of a Child of God a divisive difference to distinguish a true from a counterfeit Lover and one that loveth in shew and semblance from him that loveth in reallity and in Truth 5. Love to Christ must be constant and 5. Love to Christ must be constant lasting we must not love him by fits and starts as humors take us and as may serve most for our particular Interests Both in Prosperity and Adversity in a Storm as well as in a Calm in days of Afflictions and Troubles when Wars and Oppositions are multiplyed as well as in Halcionian Days of Peace and Tranquillity our love must be one and the same fixed on Jesus Christ The Church was of such an excellent frame of Spirit as to give thanks in a time of God's displeasure Isa 12. 1. O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me Both in Prosperity and Adversity David had a fixed and an established Spirit For when his Soul was amongst Lyons and when their Teeth was as Spears and Arrows and their Tâ—nguâ—â—a Psal 57. 7. sharp Sword When his Enemies prepared Nets and digged Pits for him yet then he professeth My Heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise And when he was in Prosperity he shews Ps 108. 1. the same excellent temper O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my Glory Love is that grand lasting Grace It lasts unto Eternity Faith and Hope carry us as I may say to Heaven Doors and there leave us for when we enter into Heaven our Faith is turn'd into Vision and our Hope is turn'd into Fruition there we shall enjoy the blessed Presence of the Holy Trinity But Love abideth for ever We shall always love God Our Love is here begun on Earth and shall never be consummated till we pertake of Eternal Glory Wherefore then whilst we live here in this World let us not abate a jot of our Love but dayly endeavour after Augmentations Notwithstanding Hardships and Oppositions from the World let our Love
Cant. 5. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 70. white and Ruddy the chiefest of ten Thousands Christ is white for his innocency and purity ruddy for his Sufferings as his bloody Sweat Agony and Passion upon the Cross Now because it infinitely exceeds the capacity of Men or Angels to represent Christs Dignity Honour and excellencies to the full in positive expressions therefore by way of negation we express the Price Dignity Valuation of Christ to be infinite unparrallell'd and inestimable and when we have said inestimable it 's beyond the sphere of our activity as an ancient * Nobis ad intellectum pectus angustum est ideâ— sic Deum digne estimamus dum inâ—stimabilem dicimus Min. Felix Father observes to reach any higher in our expressions 2. Here 's another word 2. What is meant by Believers to be explained viz. Believers It s sayd * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sola est â—des quae pretium ac excellentiam Christi nobis patefacit Calv. in loc Vnto you therefore which believe For as judicious Calvin observes it's faith alone which lays open to us the price and excellency of Christ Such then as believe unto Salvation are such whose hearts are k Act. 15. purified by faith l Rom. 5. 1. and justified by Faith and have such a faith as m Gal. 5. 6. works by love Called n Tit. 1. 1. the faith of Gods Elect. * They are chosen saith the Apostle unto Salvatioâ— through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2. 3. Quia electi sunt elegerunt non quiâ— ellegerunt electi sunt elligentium meritum nullum esset nisi â—os eligentis gratiâ— Dei preveniret Aug. These have their Robes washt and made white in the Blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7. 14. They are begotten again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. and made Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. These and these alone discern the Excellency and Dignity of Christ and they set the highest estimate and valuation upon him From the Premises thus divided and expounded there results this Doctrinal Conclusion That Christ is of inestimable Dignity and Honour Doctrine and infinitely Pretious in the accompt of all true Believers For the Methodical inlargment of this Method propounded Excellent Doctrine my work in the ensuing Treatise shall be first to give in the clear proof of the Doctrin and afterwards to infer an useful improvement thereof The Assertion to be proved is That Christ is of inestimable Dignity This shall constitute the Doctrinal part That which shall be intended by way of improvement is That as Christ is thus pretious and highly to be valued as in himself or so he ought to be by all true Believers This shall constitute the particular Use and Application of all 1. That Christ is of inesâ—imablâ— Dignity Honour and this is proved in 5 several Particulars In handling of the former Assertion I shall confine my self to these ensuing Heads of discourse 1. To reckon up several excellent Names of Honour and Dignity appropriated unto Christ in Scripture 2. To unfold the grand Mystery of the Divine and Humane Nature of Christ Hypostatically united in one Person 3. To represent the invaluable worth of those threefold Offices of Christ viz. Sacerdotal Prophetical and Regall 4. To set down several Metaphors and Resemblances in Scripture which applied to Christ declare his singular Dignity 5 To consider those great Purchases which Christ hath made for his People which are Justification Sanctification and Glorification These Heads of discourse I shall endeavour through Christ that strengthens me to inlarge in so many distinct Chapters Which as I hope and desire will abundantly satisfy confirm and establish us in this Fundamental Truth That Christ is pretious and estimable for Dignity and Honour Of these I shall treat in order in the following Chapters CHAP. II. Chap. 2. Containing an enumeration of several choice and honourable Names in Scripture ascribed unto Christ AMongst variety of Names in Scripture appropriated unto Christ I shall select these following not naming all that might be named and explain them as I go along The first I shall mention is Shiloh Gen. 1. Name Shiloh 49. 10. Which name the whole current of Orthodox Interpreters unanimously apply unto Christ The name signifies safe happy and blessed as * Est nomen verbale Salvus beatus faelix unde Shiloh derivatur Servator felicitetor hoc est faelices reddere Pet. Mart. in Gen. 49. 10. Peter Martyr observes some render Shiloh as learned Jerome and others He that is to be sent * Quasi tranquillatorem dicas qui tranquillitatis nostrae spiritualis Authâ—r sit futurus Scultet Exercit. Evangel Scultetus after he had mentioned variety of Interpretations acquiesceth in this That Shiloh signifies to cease and be quiet Ludovicus de Dieu understands Shiloh to be the promised Seed which was to spring from Judah The version of the 70 is emphatical and plainly declares Christ to be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 70. Interpretum a Saviour That Jacob's Prophesy was fulfill'd and that the Scepter did not depart from Judah till the coming of Christ may thus be convinced For the Politick state amongst the Jews was not changed but still the * Non auferetur Sceptrum Regium dicet regnum permansurum esse in Judausque ad Christum quantumvis affligeretur propecollapsum videretur Vaâ—abl in loc â— Name a Star 1 The Star of Jacob. Regal Dignity and Politick Government continued in Judah Maugre all Persecutions and Oppositions whatsoever Judah was the Law-giveing Tribe And those Laws continued till the coming of Christ But at Christs comeing the Scepter departed from Judah and was translated to an Heathen King 2. Another Name attributed to Christ is a Star He is called the Star of Jacob and a bright Morning Star 1. He is called by Balaam the Star of Jacob Numb 24. 17. although Balaam was a Mercenary Prophet who as he is branded by the Apostle a 2 Pet. 2. 15. loved the Wages of unrighteousness Yet he gives this true attestation There shall saith he come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel This is a clear Prophecy concerning * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 70. Surget Princeps ex Israel Vers Syr. Ungetur Christus de domâ— Israel Paraphr Chald. Christ Christ is that Star that lightneth and Shineth and what light we have is borrowed and derived from him who is that great light b Joh. 1. 9. which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Malachy calls him c Mal 4. 2. the Sun of righteousness Zachary calls him d Luk. 1. 78. The Day spring from on high St. Peter calls him e 2 Pet. 1. 19. The Day Star For Christ shines gloriously in the Gospel He inlightens guides and directs He scatters Clouds and
Neither is Faith the Hand of a Work-Man that earns his Wages but the Hand of a Beggar that receives all of Favour and Mercy 2. Justification by Faith consists in the 2. Justification consists in the Remission of Sins Remission of Sins and non-imputation of Transgressions Ps 31. 1 2. Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity Likewise the Apostle declares how the great work of Reconciliation was transacted 2 Cor. 5. 19. Not imputing their Trespasses unto them It 's true that the best of Gods Children have their Failings For in many things we offend all and he that is without Sin let him cast the first Stone and it will recoil upon himself that casts it But Gods Children are humbled for Sin they water Psal 6. 6. their Couches as David did with their Tears They sigh with Ezekiel to the Ezek. 2â— 6. Jer. 31. 19. breaking of their Loins with Ephraim they smite upon their Thighs Sin is their Sorrow Grief and Burthen wherefore they are by Christ call'd unto Repentance and Christ imputes their Sins not unto themselves but unto himself They indeed are the Principal Debtors but Christ hath made himself liable to pay their Debts and make full satisfaction because he hath become surety for them unto the Father 3. Justification consists in the Imputation 3. Justification consists in the imputation of Christs Righteousness of Christs Righteousness 2 Cor. 5. 21. We are made the Righteousness of God in him Of Unrighteous we are made Righteous of Ungodly we are made Godly And though we are Ungodly Christ justifieth us for he doth not find us good but he makes us so Now this Righteousness of Christ is altogether a Righteousness without us not depending on any inherent Righteousness nor any work in us But it 's free and Gratuitous without any Praevision or Intuition of Grace in the Person to be justified St. Bernard Assignata est homiâ— justitia â—lienâ— quiâ— carâ—it suâ— Justitia Bern. Ep. 190. fully expresseth it saying that anothers Righteousness is assign'd to Man because he wants a Righteousness of his own Hence our Works and Services though Failings in themselves are accepted Righteous by imputation of Christs Righteousness How miserable would our condition be if our Services were no better offer'd to God than they come from us But Christ mends our Services in the carriage by offering them to the Father in his own Name and Mediation so that though our Duties be raw weak and imperfect yet Christ makes them perfect by the imputation of his own Righteousness and so they obtain acceptance with the Father 4. Justification brings forth choice and 4. Justification brings forth choice and excellent Fruits excellent Fruits as we may read Rom. 5. 1 2 3. All those choice Fruits grow on that Tree of Justification Faith is the Mother-Grace there mentioned Peace and Access unto the Throne of Grace Joy Hope Glorying in Tribulation are the Daughters or the Fruit which grow on this Tree Wherefore though Faith only Justifies yet Faith is not alone when it Justifieth For it is accompanied with a Goodly Train of Graces Though Faith Justifieth the Person yet Works Justifie the Faith or declare the Faith to be true Faith works by Love and purifies the Heart Gal. 5. 6. Act. 15. 9. and it 's the Apostles charge Tit. 3. 8. This * Hujus fidâ—i charitâ—â— non est forma sed frâ—ctus pâ—nitâ—â—tiâ— est justificati conditiâ— non causa justificationis fidâ—s 〈◊〉 quâ— justificat non quae justificat est sine operibus sola dicitur in isto munere non solitaria respectu comitatus aliarum virtutum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per non propter fidem Justi declaâ—â—â—r per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—icâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prideaux Manuductio ad Theologiaâ— is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have Believed in God might be careful to maintain good Works A Learned Professor very dextrous in stating of Controversies concludes thus Love is not the form but the Fruit and Repentance is the Condition of him that is Justified not the cause of Justification c. This then is the Purchase of Christ who imputes his perfect Righteousness to his Members and their Sins to himself and this Justification is active whereby Christ fulfilled the whole Law and passive whereby Christ became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross SECT II. Of Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ A Second Purchase of Christ is Sanctification 2. Purchase of Christ Sanctification â—â— the Spirit For whom Christ justifies by his Grace those he Sanctifies by his Spirit In order of Nature Justification may be conceived to preceed Sanctification because Justification is the Root or Mother Grace The Works of Sanctification are the Fruit proceeding from it yet in order of time they are simultaneous Those who are purged from the guilt of Sin labour to be purged from the filth of Sin It 's a good Character to be as solicitous and desirous for Mercy to sanctify renew and purify as for Mercy to pardon us Wherefore Sincerity is an undoubted evidence of a justified Condition Psal 32. 2. It 's an infallible sign of Justification In whose Spirit there is no Guile In handling of the Doctrine of Sanctification we are to consider these ensuing Particulars which may serve as so many strong Arguments to perswade or as so many Motives to stir us up to the practice of Holiness The first Motive is drawn from Election Motive 1. We are elected unto Holiness we are elected unto Holiness Eph. 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Election doth not give the least licentious Liberty but engageth us unto Holiness Observe the Words now cited It is not said that we should live as we list Non eliguntur Paulus qui ei similes sunt quia â—rant sancti immaculati sed eliguntur praedestinaâ—tur ut in sequenti vita per â—pera atque virtutes sancti immâ—culaâ—i fiaâ—t Hieron in â—ph 1. 4. but that we should be holy Neither is it said that we are elected for any Holiness foreseen Election and effectual Calling go together and to be assured of our Election we must make sure of our effectual Calling 2 Pet. 1. 10. Calling is put before Election in the situation of the Words and in respect of our Duty incumbent on us Wherefore saith the Apostle the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Now if we ask why doth Christ purchase Sanctification for us The Answer is because he loved us His Love moved him to wash and put such Royal Dignities upon his Children Rev. 1. 5 6. Vnto him that loved us and
keep my Words It 's not the verbal Profession of Love to Christ that will serve the turn but a practical Conformity to the Commands of Christ which will obtain acceptance Pretences of Love are like the barren Fig-tree which had Leaves without Fruits or like the Apples of Sodom which seemed beautiful to the Eye but as soon as they were touched they dissolved into Cinders and Ashes We must not be Christians only in Name but in Deed and in Truth We must not only name the Name of Christ but we must depart from Iniquity And we must not only say that we love Christ but we must express our Love by our Obedience unto his Commandments And we must not Deus non vult cum exceptone coli Le◠Dei est una tota copulutiva Illeric make any exceptions but we must take in all It 's commonly observed that the Love which descends is greater than that which ascends as the Love of the Father to his Child is greater than the love of the Son to the Father I am sure God's Love to us is infinitely greater than our Love can be to him However we must endeavour after a sincere chearful and universal Love God's Love to us is his Bounty and Beneficence our Love to him must be a Love of Duty and Service And though we can never equalize and match the Love of Christ to us Yet we must endeavour by our Obedience to study to please him and walk in the ways of his Word and hereby we giue Testimony of our Love to Jesus Christ 2. Our Love to Christ must be a supream 2. Our Love to Christ must be a supream principal Love and principal Love Inferiour and secondary sorts of Love are due to Relations provided they be in subordination to the Love of Christ and neither stand in competition with him nor opposition to him We may and ought to love our Relations and love our Lives and Creature-Comforts always provided that the primacy of our Affections be given to Christ Though things of this World be dear and near unto us yet Christ must be esteemed dearer and nearer than all Christ must be preferred above all and before all The Parents of our Bodies the Children of our Flesh the Wives of our Bosom the Blood in our Veins the Heart in our Breast even all the dearest things in this World must be laid down and foregone if they stand in comparison and competition with Jesus Christ That Man that hath had experience of the Love of Christ in his own Soul and hath tasted how good and gracious Christ is he cannot but acknowledg that there is ten thousand times more Beauty and amiableness more Honours and Riches and more solid Satisfaction in Christ than all the choicest admirable things which the World can afford in its greatest Estate and Confluence Christ therefore must have the chiefest Love more than superlative even our Love to him must be beyond all degrees of comparison It 's to be observed that the high Priest might not marry a Widdow Why not a Widdow Because Lev. 21. 14. her first Love was given to a former Husband The high Priest was a Type of Christ He will not be contented with a second Love He must be loved supreamly and principally His Services must be the best A Lamb without blemish a Male in the Flock and the best of the Substance was to be offered unto God in the Levitical Law And under the Gospel the Worship must be pure pure Hands must be lifted up and purifyed Hearts are required by Christ Fervent Jam. 5. 16. 2 Cor. 1 12. Mal. 1. 8. Prayer Sincere Love Simplicity and Godly Sincerity are required God rejects the lame and the blind and curseth the Deceiver Mal. 1. 14. that hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and offers unto the Lord a corrupt thing God's Mat. 6. 23. Kingdom and his Righteousness must be sought in the first place That Figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be abhorred in God's Worship God must have the prime of our Strength the Marrow of our Bones the Vigour of our Soul the Activity of our whole Body dedicated to his Service Whatever is lovely and desireable under the Sun must strike Sail and yeild Homage unto Jesus Christ The supream and primary the highest and the dearest Love must be given unto Christ alone 3. This Love must be a whole entire 3. Our Love must be whole and undivided and undivided Love It must not be shared with any Corrivals Christ will not admit any Competitors or Corrivals with him He will either have all our Love or none Christ allows not Partnership nor will have his love to be let to halves Christ is all in all unto us and our Affection must be all in all unto him When the Sun ariseth in its Brightness the lesser Stars appear not upon the appearance of our Love to Christ all other sorts of love vanish and disappear I haue read that in a Battel between Alexander and Darius a Motion was made that there should be made an equal devision between them so that by giving each a part a farther tryal by the Sword might be laid aside But Alexander refused the Motion No saith he there can be but one Sun in the Firmament meaning that his aim was to be sole Lord and Master of all To Christ this may be much more applyed He is our sole Redeemer He hath conquered the World Satan and our own corrupt Selves He hath wrought a perfect Redemption for us He hath merited our whole Love and requires it wholly and undividedly It was the Language of that notorious Strumpet Let it be neither thine nor mine but let it be devided A divided Heart is faulty Hos 10. 2. Their Heart is divided now they shall be found faulty David professed with my whole Ps 119. 10. Heart have I sought thee And our Love must be with the whole Man many All 's are reckoned together Deut. 6. 45. Hear O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength Christ expects from us a total not a partial Love He will not have his Love parted between him and Anti-christ between him and Mammon between him and a Lust Christ will not be so unequally yoaked The Ark and Dagon the Ephod and Teraphim cannot stand together A Mungril Religion partly for Popery and partly for Protestantism is abominable in the fight of God When Men as Water-men look one way and Row another pretend in visage and shew to be for the Interest of Christ but in reallity drive Designs for Anti-christ When Men as Sanballat and Tobiah offered to build for the Jews but intended to destroy them pretend in publick to propagate the true Religion but in private undermine and seek the extirpation thereof such as these God will discover and
to Christ be like the Love of Jonathan that abode in its Strength Love which holds out to the end which passeth through good report and bad report both through fair and foul Weather that 's the Love which will obtain Acceptance Love will conquer Difficulties as Jacob's did to Rachel who thought many years but a few days because he loved her Love to Christ will make us willing to pass through Fire and Water and encounter Sons of Anach and Beasts of Ephesus Love will cause a Christian to be willing to bear and suffer any thing for Christ Persecutions Oppositions and variety of Sufferings try the Sincerity and Constancy of a Christian's Love to Christ There 's a constraining Power in the Love of Christ which engageth all Christ's adopted Children to hold fast their Profession to be faithful to Death to account Christ All in all and persevere in their Faith so that Difficulties are as Whet-stones to sharpen a Believers Fortitude And the Snuffers of Persecution makes the Saints Candles burn brighter And thus in these five mentioned particular Tryals I have represented our Love to Christ CHAP. XI Containing an Vse of Exhortation to labour for the excellent Grace of Faith and an Vse of Direction THe foorth Use is for Exhortation Use 4 For Exhortation to labour for Faith Is it so that Christ is only precious to Believers then let 's hence infer one grand Duty to labour for the excellent Grace of Faith Hereby we shall set the highest value on Christ Faith is an instrumental means to help us to know the excellency of Christ For Faith is an Eye to â—ehold Christ Faith is a Hand to receive Christ a Mouth to feed on him an Heart to believe on him But we must interpose this caution that Faith receives all of Grace and Mercy and nothing of Merit Faith embraces Christ but Christ first gives Faith to embrace him Faith rests and relies on Christ but Christ supports our Faith If we believe he works it in us we must be thankful for what we receive and give God the Praise and Glory of all The Apostle gives an absolute determination Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace are ye saved through Faith it is the gift of God That our Endeavours Affections even the whole Man may be quickned to get this choice and excellent Grace of Faith I shall lay down these ensuing persuasive Arguments in the following Section SECT I. Containing persuasive Arguments to get Faith THat I may use all the prevailing Arguments as far as I apprehend to get Faith I shall insist on these following 1. Faith is a condition of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Works was Arg. 1 Faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace do this and live none but Christ who is God and Man could perform this Covenant The Covenant of Works will not abate us a Transgression in the least title It exacts perfect Obedience and curseth the Transgressor Who continues not in all Gal. 3. 10. things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them But the Covenant of Grace runs Believe and thou shalt be saved The Law sheweth us our Sores and Wounds the Gospel applyeth Soveraign healing Plasters The Law like a Serjeant arrests and shuts us up and so hampers us that we cannot possibly escape The Gospel sets us at Liberty Gal. 3. 22. But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lex veluti sit complexa concluserit que omnes in peccatum peccaturum virsus ostendit Oecum Rom. 9. 20. Scripture hath concluded all Men under Sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Who then can lay any claim to this Covenant but the true Believer God accepts the Faith of a Believer through Chtist's Merits instead of legal Obedience Where fore we read of that Righteousness which was of Faith which is a Righteousness imputed by Christ's Righteousness even a Righteousness without us which is our Justification And here 's the great priviledg of a Believer That he is justified by the Righteousness of another and not by any Righteousness of his own but only by the Righteousness of Christ by imputation By Christ's Merits of Unrighteous we are made Righteous For saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he hath made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him So that hence it 's evident that He was accounted a Sinner by Imputation for he imputed our Sins unto himself and we are accounted Righteous by Imputation for he imputes his Righteousness unto us Here then appears Riches of Mercies that Evanglical Righteousness is accepted instead of Legal Righteousness Christ's Wisdom makes amends for our Folly Christ's Obedience for our Disobedience and Christ's absolute Perfection for our manifold Imperfections Now the Believer only hath interest in the Covenant of Grace Covenants essentially include Conditions The Covenant is a free Covenant a free Gift and of free Grace The Condition on our part is Faith but the Condition as well as the Covenant are given of God Take heed therefore O Christian that thou Sacrifice not to thine own Net and Dragge O do not trust to thy own Strength and Ability as if thou wert able to perform this Condition For the best of Believers by rheir own Strength are no more able to believe than to perform the Commandments Both to will and to do are the work Phil. 2. 13. Ki 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys of God And as Chrysostome observes God gives the very propension and inclination to will Faith indeed is the Believers Act and it 's his duty to believe but it 's God's Gift Faith is a lively Motion working upon a Believers Heart but this Motion is powerfully wrought by the Assistance of God's Spirit Whoever thou art if thou believest give God the praise of working this Belief in thee For God enables thee to perform what he requires and thou couldst not do any thing acceptably unto God unless he first gave to thee what he commandeth of thee Hence the Apostle tells us that We are buried with Col. 2. 12. him in Baptism through the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead The self-same Power that raised up Christ from the Dead must raise us up to believe in Christ 2. Faith is an instrumental means of our Arg. 2 Faith is an Instrumental Means of our Union unto Jesus Christ Union unto Christ Between Christ and us there must be an Union before there can be an Imputation of Righteousness We believe before we are Justified How Justification may be as some suppose ab Aeterno I can no more conceive than Glorification is such is in the secret Decree of God That Faith goeth before Justification is evident from Gal. 3. 24. The Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith We believe
Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is Righteous for I Rebelled against his Commandement A Wise Man will inquire into the end of all God's Chastisements and Labour to answer God's End and that is A Deo putimur sed ipsi facimus ut puniamur Id. lib. 8. Isa 9. 12. 13. to Repent and Turn unto God For this very Reason The Anger of God is not turned away but his Hand is Stretched out still For the People turneth not to him that Smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts Here then lieth the great Wisdom to understand God's Meaning and end in Chastising and that is to reform purify and new mold us and to bring us forth out of the Furnace purified Seven times Every Good and Wise Man should ponder in his Heart and practise accordingly that excellent Speech of Elihu Job 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not Teach thou me If I have done Iniquity I will do no more This is the right use of Wisdom under the Rod of Correction Second The excellency of this Spirit â— Faith Shines in a strong vigorously acting Faith The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 5. 7. We Walk by Faith not by Sight Sense fail'd in the time of a dark Vision but Faith failed not Heb. 2. 4. The just shall Live by his Faith Estates Contrivances Friendship and Favour of Men Projects and Expectations all these may Fail A Believer cannot Live by any oâ— these but the Life of Faith is such an excellent Life as we may compare it to Goliahs Sword and say of the Life of Faith as David said of that Sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. Give me that there is none like it What Wonders Faith did the 11. Chap. to the Hebrews gives an ample Catalogue Sense fail'd Job on the Dunghill he saw no visible means of Restauration to his former Enjoyments yet how strenuously did his Faith act Job 13. 15. Though he Slay me yet will I Trust in him And on his Dunghill he saw Job 19. 25. his Redeemer Reason was non-plust concerning Sarahs bringing forth a Son against the Course of Nature But Abraham against Hope believed in Hope that he might become the Father of many Nations c. See Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Stephen when the Stones were clattering about his Ears saw Christ standing Acts 7. 56. on the Right Hand of God We often Read in Scripture of Christ sitting in Majesty and Glory but when Stephen was a Stoning Christ was said to be a Standing a ready posture to vindicate the Credere impossibilia rationi Sperare dilata amare deum cum se praebeat inimicum Luther Quarrel of his Suffering Servant Luther gives Three grand Properties of Faith viz. 1. To believe things impossible to Reason 2. To hope for things defer'd 3. To love God when he shews himself an Enemy There are also two great Properties of Faith One is Prophetick to foresee Deliverance Answers of Prayers Removal of Judgments and such like Another is Magnetick to have an attractive Vertue to draw things near that may seem to be afar off Faith will Approximate a Promise and by a patient waiting Spirit acquiesce in the same not doubting the performance thereof in the appointed Season Faith will trust God upon his Word Third Hope acts vigorously in a disconsolate 3. Hope Condition Ezra Comforts the People thus Yet now there is Hope Ezra 10. 2. in Israel concerning this thing Hope is like a Prop or Pillar to support and stay a Building from falling It 's an Anchor cast out in a Storm to stay the Ship The Church quietly bore those sad Calamities incumbent on them Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a Man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. ver 29. He putteth his Mouth in the Dust if so be there may be Hope But what 's the Ground of Hope Read ver 21. The Lord will not cast off for Ever There 's Hope that the Rod will not alwaies be on our Backs And there 's Two strong Grounds for our Faith 1. There are Multitude of Mercies in God ver 32. 2. He doth not Afflict willingly We may add further that God poureth not out his whole Wrath Heb. 3. 2. but in Wrath he remembers Mercy God hath not forgoten to be Gracious nor shut up his loving Kindness in displeasure Were it not for Hope we should not receive such Comforts from the Scriptures as we do But amidst all the Troubles of God's People they draw singular Grounds of Hope and Consolation from the Scriptures And to this purpose are the Scriptures Wrote Rom. 15. 4. The Saints rejoyce in Hope Rom. 5. 2. Rom. 12. 12. Although they are cast into Prison they learn their Duty there Rev. 2. 10. And though they are close Prisoners they are Prisoners of Hope Zach. 9. 12. Hope is the Saints Helmet 1 Thes 5. 8. In great Troubles and Perplexities there 's a Door of Hope to get out of them For after Achan was Stoned it was promised that the Valley of Achor should be a Door of Hos 2. 14. Hope Times of Jacobs Troubles should be special times of Jacobs Trust It was a dismal day mentioned Jer. 30. 5 6 7. But there 's Comfort near approaching It is even the time of Jacobs Trouble but he shall be Saved out of it In the Grave though the Body moulder into Dust there 's a certain Hope of a Resurrection Psal 61. 9. comp with Acts 2. 9. Now the same God that can raise the Body out of the Dust can raise up those that lye in the Dust though despised and trampled upon by malitious and inveterate Enemies Anti-christ shall fall and never rise more A Mill-Stone shall be put about his Neck and he thrown into the Sea But Gods People though they may fall they shall rise again though their Sufferings be Sharp yet they shall be short as Athanasius said of Julians Persecution Nubecula est cito transitura And the greater the Sufferings of God's People are for Righteousness sake their Resurrection shall be more Glorious There 's Matter of Comfort and Duty by them to be put in Practice mentioned Micah 7. 8 9. Rejoyce not against me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in Darkness the Lord shall be a Light unto me I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have Sinned against him Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas Horat. Eccles 7. 8. Fourthly There followeth the Exercise of Patience And this will make an hard Yoak easy and an heavy Burthen light The Patient in Spirit as Solomon tells us is better than the Proud in Spirit The Reason a Learned Author gives is because Anger is Rash and Precipitate Quia ira praecâ—ps est finem nunquam expectabit quod faciet patiens ira
lentus iram moderabitur exitum spectans Merc. and will never expect an End but a Man Patient and slow to Anger will moderate his Anger expecting an End By Faith we possess the Head by Love we possess one another by Patience every one possesseth himself wherefore Christs Charge is to be again and again inculcated Luke 21. 19. In your Patience possess ye your Souls The Saints are Recorded for Patterns Non potest accipi dolorum passionum corona nisi praecedat in dolore passione patientia Cyp. de Bono patientâ—ae of Patience Heb. 6. 12. We are here Commanded to be followers of them Who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises The Patience of Saints is Commended Rev. 2. 19. Rev. 3. 10. There 's a necessity of Patience Heb. 10. 36. Cyprian that Holy Martyr tells us That we cannot receive the Crown of our Sufferings unless Patience go before And he saith likewise in the same Book which is De Bono patientiae That we are Hoc ipsum quod Christiani sumus fidei Spei res est ut autem spes fides ad fructum sui possint pervenire patienti â—opus est Cyp. de Bono patientiae Christians this is the Matter of our Faith and Hope but that our Faith and Hope may come to any Fruit we have need of Patience This Grace of Patience shines in the Dark and in the Night of Sufferings puts forth it self more Conspicuously For Sufferings are the Tryals of Patience Hence it comes to pass that even in times of a dark Vision when God clouds his Countenance a Spirit endowed with Patience Waits Believes Hopes Prayes and thus is prepared for the reception of Mercy when it comes and for the bearing of Sufferings whilst they continue Lay then aside all querulous murmuring revengeful Thoughts and let it be a Christians Strength to sit still and wait quietly and patiently for the Salvation of God 5. Self-Denial Fifthly Amidst Losses and Sufferings Self-Denial Eminently appears and shews it self When the World Frowns Enemies Rage all Cystern and Creature-Helps are dried up quite or Run very low when Interests fail then to keep a Composed quiet Frame of Spirit and to get the Heart above Envy Hatred and Malice is a rare Frame of Spirit But it 's much more an excellent Frame of Spirit to deny a Man's self in time of Prosperity when one enjoys the World as we say at Will and to be in the Float of Prosperity then to strike Sail and to deny Pleasures Luxury and Excess this is a property of an excellent Spirit Of this Spirit was Moses Heb. 11. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 11. 11. when he liv'd at Court When he came to Years more properly rendred when he became Great refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter Thus did Uriah in a time of War deny himself Godfry of Bulloyne would not wear a Crown of Gold where Christ was Crucified Abdicare a teipso ne abdiceris a Christo â—epudia te ut recipiaris â— Christo Salv. lib. 5. with a Crown of Thorns This Duty of Self-Denial is frequently Commanded in the Gospel as an Instrumental means to receive Christ. And it 's worth our Observation that as we are Commanded to beg our Dayly Bread Day by Day so we are Commanded to Deny our selves and to take up our Cross Day by Day The same Expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt dies diem sequitur sic crux crucem excipit Beza we have in Luke 9. 23. and Luke 11. 3. For an Ambitious Man to Deny his Honours a Rich Man to Deny his Riches a Voluptuous Man to Deny his Pleasures these are great Acts of Self-Denial Sixthly and Lastly there follows holy 6. Holy Courage Courage a well temper'd and regular Zeal which as Luther used to say When it 's well Temper'd it 's the best gift Ira in suo loco est optimum dei donum Luther of God Here 's a Critical Distinction of Zeal which is of the right Stamp from a private Grudg or distemper'd Passion viz. By being Zealous in the Cause of God and by being meek in a Man 's own private Cause Of this Heroick Spirit was Moses when a Calf was made and there was Dancing about it Moses Transported with singular Zeal threw the Tables out of his Hand and Broke them and Stampt the Calfe to Powder and caus'd Exemplary Justice to be Executed upon the Idolaters Thus Zealous Causa redditur cur Deus injuriam Mosis ul ciscendam crediderit quia ipse in suis injuriis ferendis erat lenissimus Grotius was he for the Cause of God But in his own Cause none more Meek for when Aaron and Miriam chode with him concerning the Aethiopian Woman the Text gives an ample Testimony of his Meekness leaving it upon Record Numb 12. 13. Now this Man Moses was very Meek above all the Men which were upon the Face of the Earth Luther used to say in the Cause of God Hic gero In aliis mansuetus ero in Blasphemiis in Christum non item Zuinglius titulum cedo nulli Though Zuinglius was of a comparative Moderation yet in case of Blasphemies he was a Man of Courage The Courage of Martyrs is renowned in Ecclesiastical Histories Amongst variety that might be named I 'le relate only this following viz. The Si Patibulum crucis inquit Martyr Expavescerem gloriam crucis non predicarem Bern. in vigilias Andreae Coutzen Aulae speculum p. 47. History of Surgius and Bacchus two great Courtiers who being accused for Christians and commanded to Offer unto Idols refused to go to the Temple and gave this answer to the Emperour Nos Imperator sola terrrena militiâ tibi obstricti sumus In animas nullum tibi jus est Illarum Dominus est solus Deus There are two Apostolical Characters of Zeal which if observed we may go on Couragiously and Prosper One is Zeal must be in a good Matter Gal. 4. 18. Saul's Zeal before his Conversion was Predicare Evangelium est derivare in se furoremtotiâ—us Inferni Satanae Luth. Loc. Com. stark naught And the other is it must be according to Knowledg Rom. 10. 2. Luther used to say That to Preach the Gospel was to bring all the Devils in Hell about his Ears yet he was resolved That if every Tile on the Houses was a Devil he would go to Worms and Preach the Gospel CHAP. IX Containing a Third Reason drawn from the Utility and Benefit accruing from this yielding Submissive Spirit A Third Reason shall be drawn from Reas 3 from the Benefit of a submissive Spirit the Utility and Benefit accruing from this yielding Submissive Spirit The Benefit is exceeding great because hereby the whole Man is set in a right Frame and Order When we can chearfully rely upon God and depend upon his All-Sufficiency then our Thoughts Words Affections and
Actions even our whole Life and Conversation are all Ordered aright and we are exceeding great gainers thereby Now to Prosecute these Four Particulars First Our Thoughts are rightly Ordered 1. Hereby our Thoughts are Rightly ordered The Thoughts may be compared to the Reubens of our Souls They are the beginning of our Strength but they are as Reuben was Unstable as Water How many vain Thoughts seize on us But though they come violently upon us we must not willingly give them any Harbour or Lodging How long shall thy vain Thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. Thoughts are the Womb to conceive Vanity wherefore the Physitians Rule is Obsta Principiis Our care must be to crush the Cockatrice in the Egg and to stifle bad Thoughts in the first Conception As Streams flow from the Fountain and as the Fruit grows on the Tree so Thoughts flow from and grow out of the Heart Out of the Heart proceed both good and evil Thoughts And it may be Marked that what Sin a Man is most prone to his Thoughs run most that way Let 's beware of allowing our selves in any Evil Thoughts least those Thoughts bring forth Evil Words and those Words end in abominable Deeds Because Thoughts come not within the compass of Man's Cognizance and so are not liable to Man's Punishment God himself will Punish them most Severely For God Threatneth Jer. 6. 19. Hear O Earth Behold I will bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their Thoughts Thoughts are not free however some presume from the Judgments of God A good Remedy to Cure evil Thoughts is prescribed Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy Works unto the Lord and thy Thoughts shall be Established And likewise we should bear in our Mind Heb. 4. 12. That God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quia cogitationes compaginatas secernit q. d. Hic filius Dei ad haec omnia efficax est nihilque illum latere potest Tena in loc Word is a discerner of our Thoughts Let 's then abandon vain ungodly Thoughts distrustful carking and vexatious Thoughts and labour to get our Thoughts quieted and settled and established upon the Word of God Second If we believe God's Omnipotency 2. Our Tougues will be rightly ordered and Omniscience his care and providence in Governing of the World then our Tongues will be bound to their good Behaviour they will be set in such an excellent order as all querulous reviling Language will be avoided The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rotam nativitatis nostrae Qui calumniatur non satis est quod vapulet in corpore suo sed propter eum vapulet mundus Drusius Apostle hath a great Expression concerning the ill Government of the Tongue Jam. 3. 6. That he setteth on Fire the Course of Nature If then O Christian thou wouldest learn the right Art of the Government of the Tongue thou must begin at thy Heart first and reform that For the disorders of the Tongue usually proceed from the disorders of the Heart A rotten Heart vents it self by a rotten Language Hence the Apostle cites Menander a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Warrant that Heathen Authors upon a good occasion may be quoted 1 Cor. 15. 33. Evil words corrupt good Manners and it followeth in the same Author If thou conversest with Evil Men thou thy self will be Evil. Luther was falsely reported for it was his Enemies custome to raise Slanders on him to be a Trumpet Tuba Rebellionis of Rebellion But our Tongues ought to be the Trumpeters of our Creators Praise and Glory We are exhorted Celebrabo te Jehova quia mihi iratus redieris tamen statim in gratiam Calv. Psal 100. 4. To be thankful unto God and bless his Name A great and signal Act of Thankfulness is mentioned Isa 12. 1. O Lord I will Praise thee though thou was Angry with me To Praise God for Chastisements and to acknowledge with Thankfulness the benefit of Afflictions is so high a pitch as few can attain unto it How have many learned to bridle their Tongues and to set a Watch before the Door of their Mouths after they have felt the smart of Afflictions Some given to rash Censuring and Murmuring have learned to be of a more calm and charitable Frame of Spirit Some given to frothy Discourse and vain Jesting after they have been under the Rod of Correction have proved more serious and sober in their Discourses The Apostles charge is Eph. 4. 29. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is Good to the use of Edifiing that it may Minister Grace to the Hearers The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Putrefacio translatio ab arboribus quidam praetulerunt spurcus obscaenus ac corruptus Drus. word rendered Corrupt cometh from a Verb that signifieth to Putrify Rotten Words and Putrifying Speeches become not Christians Neither doth customary jesting become us though a facetious affable Behaviour kept within due bounds is commendable yet a jesting and frothy Spirit is much unbeseeming a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be reputed for a Vertue in Aristotle yet it 's reckoned by Saint Paul amongst Eph. 5. 4. those things which Are not convenient Cicero himself sets bounds to jesting and Non generati sumus a natura ut ad ludum jocum facti esse videamur sed ad severitatem potius ad quaedam studia graviora atque Majora Cic. offic lib. 1. tells us that we are not Born for sport and jesting And it 's a Verse not more common than true Non patitur ludum fama fides oculus But what shall we say of some who jest at Sin and when they hear or see Sensus est Simplicissimus Stultos Sermone ornare delictum offensum Mercer notorious Debaucheries laugh and jest at them Solomon gives them a Brand of Infamy Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock at Sin And those especially are to be reproved who vent their frothy Fansies in a Pulpit having no reverend Thoughts of the dreadful Presence of God to them I may apply those sayings Qui ludunt in Cathedra lugebunt in Gehenna Non est tutum ludere cum sacris Third Our Affections will be set right 3. Our Affections must be set in Order We are apt to misplace our Love Loving where we should Hate and Hating where we should Love Our Joy Hope Fear c. are out of Order and placed upon wrong Objects It 's almost as difficult to hold the Wind in ones Fist or to turn the Tide as to bound the Affections To Conquer an inordinate Te vince mundus tibi victus est Prov. 25. 28. Affection is a great Victory But for a Man to have no Rule over his own Spirit is as Solomon saith Like a City that is broken down and without Walls A Man that hath no Government over his Passions exposeth himself in all Companies to variety of Mischiefs He resembles
take these following First There 's an Insufficiency and Mot. 1. There 's Insufficiency in all Creatures utter Impotency in all the Creatures in the Universe If you make an Extract of the choisest and most admired Creature-Comforts they cannot give any reaâ— and solid Satisfaction They are in their best Estate Vanity and Vexatiâ— Eccles 2. 11. Isa 55. 2. Eccles 1. 8. on of Spirit and no way able to satisfy an Immortal Soul The Eye is not satisfied with Seeing nor the Ear filled with Hearing The Heart of Man is Triangular and the World is a Circle and it 's imposible for a Circle to fill a Triangle Take all the Melodious Musick to tickle the Ear and all the gaudy Pageants to please the Eye and all the admirable Fancies Contrivances and Imaginations to affect the Heart yet upon a serious deliberate Review there 's Vanity Insufficiency and Dissatisfaction in them all The desire is Insatiate crying out with the Horse-leeches Daughter Give give When Men are upon their Sick-beds and Tormented with great Pains What help can Riches afford When Men are troubled in Conscience the Guilt of Sin flies in the Sinners Face | Multo difficilius est conscientean afflictum consolari quam Mortuos texcitare Luth. in Gen. What can the Pomp and Riches of the World do to quiet and settle the Spirit A Man may as soon hoard up the Graces of Faith Love Patience and such like in his Coffer as satisfy his Soul with Gold and Silver The Soul is Immaterial and Infinite the things of the World are Material and Finite and between Material and Immaterial Finite and Infinite there holds no Rule of Proportion Secondly Confider whatsoever is Mot. 2. All that 's Good is derivative from God Good Amiable and Desirable in any of the best Creatures it is derivative and borrowed from the Creator Creatures are when compared to God not so much as the Dust to the Ballance nor so much as a Ray to the Sun or a Drop to the Ocean God is not only Eminently Good and All-Sufficient but Exclusively for he admits no Competitors nor Corrivals with him God is a Fountain opened Zach. 13. 1. Jer. 2. 13. and a Fountain of Living Waters An inexhausted Fountain which never fails nor can be drawn dry Creatures are oftimes Pits without Water and what Water they have at any time it 's borrowed elsewhere But the Spring never fails The Fountain of Grace and Mercy is a Well of living Water Springing up unto Eternal Life Thirdly God is infinitely Excellent Mot. 3. God is infinitely Excellent absolutely perfect and what he doth is Compleat and every way Perfect Eccles 3. 14. I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for Ever nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it and God doth it that Men should fear before him It 's ordinary amongst Creatures for one Artificer to mend the Work of another because one Man hath more Dexterity and Sagacity in managing his Trade than another Every one hath not Arrived to the Skill of Bezaliel and Aholiab who were filled with Wisdom from God Nothing more common than for one to find fault with anothers Work And many Eyes may See Plus vident oculi quam oculus more than one It 's not unusual for the self-same Man to mend his own Work for One day may learn of another But all Posterior dies est prioris discipuâ—uâ— God's Ways are absolutely Perfect And God alone is able to perswade the Heart to Acquiesce and rest satisfied in him alone Whereas no Creature-comfort can quiet the Heart and remove all discontents The want of a bended Knee more vexed and displeased Haman than all his Court-Favours and Promotions pleased him | Omnia haec non habent pretium valorem dignitatem apud me Lud. de Dieu Esth 5. 13. Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King's Gate Fourthly God is an Universal Good Mot. 4. God is an Universal Good at all times in all Cases Places and in all Conditions Creatures at the best are but particular Goods and serve for use only in some particular Cases and in others are not useful nor helpful at all For Instance Fire and Cloaths warm the Body but cannot satisfy Hunger nor quench the Thirst Friends may be willing to help but are absent and cannot convey help or if they be present they may not be able They cannot help a Man to Health in Sickness nor to Riches in Poverty nor to Peace in a time of War But God is every where by the Ubiquity of his Presence and alwayes able to help All Creatures are at God's Command All Cattle on a Thousand Mountains are at God's Disposal In all Conditions Wants and Distresses Supplies Helps and Relief come from God It hath pleased the Father that in Christ should all Fulness dwell Col. 1. 19. There 's Fulness of Wisdom to Counsel of Power to Defend of Mercy to Pardon of Righteousness to Justify of Habet omnia qui habet possidentem omnia August Holiness to Sanctify of Grace here and of Glory hereafter Now He hath all who hath Interest in him who Possesseth all Fifthly God is an Eternal Good His Mot. 5. God is an Eternal Good Jer. 31. 3. Ps 130. â— 2 Sam. 23. 5. Inter peritura vivimus Sen. Love is Everlasting his Mercy Endureth for Ever his Covenant Everlasting No Creature in the Universe is of any long Continuance Time is short and Riches are but for a short time Health Peace Friendship Relations dearest and nearest are Transient and of short Continuance It 's to be Observed when Solomon Breve est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat Bellar de Contemptu munâ—i reckons a time for several Purposes and Conditions Eccles 3. 1 2 3. c. He Mentions no time to Live Orimur morimur From our Cradle to our Gravâ— there 's one continued progressive Motion There 's something cutting at the Root and hastening us each Moment to our Grave Where then shall we Rest and confidently Secure our â—elves We must Ascend from Earth to Heaven from Transient and Fading Creatures to an Eternal and Unchangeable God No rest for Noah's Dove till She was took into the Ark no rest nor acquiescence for a Christian but In omnibus quae percurro non invenio tutum locum animae meae nisi in te quo colligantur sparsa mea nec a te quicquam recedat ex me Aug. confes l. 10. in God Whereever I go saith Augustin I find no Safety but in Thee Let 's then have continual Recourse unto God In his Presence there is fulness of Joy and at his Right Hand there are Pleasures for Evermore Withal Holy Greediness and unwearied Pains let us pursue the Wayes of Wisdom There 's a great Incouragement Prov. 8. 18. Riches and Honours are with me yea durable Riches
of Christ Life of Christ Christ's Life is a perfect Pattern for our imitation and an exact example of Holiness Christ lives in every true Believer and he lives in Christ Christ's Image which consists in Righteousness Gal. 2. 20. is imprinted upon the Lives and Hearts of all his Adopted Children Christ propounds his own example for Meekness and Humility Let 's then thus argue the case every one in particular Was Christ Mat. â—â— 29. humble and shall I swell with Pride Was Christ meek and shall I be transported with anger Christ was much in Prayer and Meditation much exercised in watching and fasting O! what a similitude ought there to be in every one of us unto the Life of Christ Christ went about doing good comforting the Afflicted counselling the ignorant strengthning the weak His whole business even his Meat and Drink was to do the Will of his Father Now what pains should we take to imitate Christ in some proportion Quest But some will say how can we be Quest as Holy as Humble and as Meek as Christ was Answ I Answer though we cannot attain Answ to that Equality and Measure of Holiness which is in Christ yet we must endeavour after the quality and similitude of that Holiness which was in Christ And what measure of Grace we have already attained we may not propound as the Just Standard or the Ne plus ultra but still we must labour for augmentation of every Grace after the example of the Apostle forgetting those things which are behind Phil. 3. 13 14. and reaching unto those things which are before I press towards the Mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Every one that hath true Grace labours for more accessions to it and he Qui desinit proficere incipit deficere Bern. Desinit esse bonus qui desinit vel le fieri melior Bern. 3. There will be a Conformity to Christ in his Sufferings that ceaseth to get more Grace begins to fail of what he seemeth to have Here than is that perfect Pattern for our imitation even the Holiness Meekness Humility and other Graces which eminently appeared in Jesus Christ 3. There will be a conformity to Christ in his Sufferings The Apostle tells us Phil. 1. 24. Who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church We are not to conceive Christs Sufferings to be imperfect for by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified But as Christ had personal Sufferings in his Humane Body which are finished so Christ hath and shall yet have more Sufferings in his Mystical Body the Church Christ hath suffered once for all upon the Cross But the Saints Militant which are Christ's Body must prepare for Sufferings they are-appointed 1 Thess 3. 3. Luk. 9. 23. thereunto They must take up their Cross daily When Saul was Converted to be a Preacher of the Gospel and was chang'd both in his Name and Nature and of a Persecuting Saul became a Preaching Paul and a chosen Vessel to bear the name Acts 9. 15 1â— of Christ unto the Gentiles then the Lord shewed him how great things he must suffer for his sake And this is that knowledge that the Apostle so highly valued that he might know the fellowship of his Sufferings Phil. 3. 10. being conformable unto his Death Every true Christian is a Martyr in Heart and Resolution willing to lay down his Life for Christs sake It 's observ'd that Luther used to say that he should never have the Honour to dye for the Professing of the Gospel But he was a Man valient for the truth and a Martyr in the purpose and Integrity of his Heart and a willing mind obtains acceptance It 's said by Faith Abraham when he was tryed Heb. 11. 17. offered up Isaack God accepted the real Intentions of Abraham as if he had actually Sacrificed Isaack Christians must consider before hand what Religion will cost them not only the loss of Liberties Riches Honours but sometimes the loss of their Lives also And happy are they that die for and in Christ Men in this respect have a preheminence above Angels for Angels have not Bodies to suffer withal as Men have Christians must consider that they are Members of Christ their Head and he hath gone before them in Sufferings leaving them an example to follow his Steps Shall Christian sexpect Pleasure and think to Crown themselves with Rose Buds when Christ drank a Cup of trembling and wrung out those bitter ingredients down to the very Dreggs Shall Christians pamper their Appetites and live in Luxury and Wantoness when Non oportet membra deliciari sub capite spinis coronato Tert. Phil. 3. 10. as Christ drank Gall and Vinegar and in scorn was Crown'd with Thorns Let 's consider farther that we must with the Apostles desire to be made conformable unto Christ's Death Quest But it will be askt wherein consists this conformity unto Christ's Death Answ I Answer in regard of Mortification of Sin Christ condemned Sin in Rom. 8. 3. the Flesh And there holds some proportion beâ—ween the Death of Christ and the Death of in u. Christ died for us that our Sins should dye in us Christ died a Cursed Death to note that we should abhor Sin as a most accursed thing Christ drank Gall and Vinegar to signifie the sharpness of Gods Displeasure against Sin and that Sin ought to be in our account a most grievous and bitter thing Christ was nailed to the Cross and endured great pains to shew that we should never let Sin have a quiet Minute of ease but that we should Crucifie every corruption SECT III. Shewing that those that prize Christ burn in ardent Afflictions of Love to him LOve is as strong as Death It 's hotter Prop. 3. then the Coals of Juniper All the Waters and Floods of Persecution cannot quench Love There 's nothing can turn Christ's Love from us and therefore nothing should be able to extinguish our Love towards him Now where Christ is valued there cannot be wanting an ardent Love For those things which we prize most we love most But because there are many pretences and semblances of Love where Love in reallity is wanting we must bring the Love which ought to be in every Believer towards Christ unto the Touchstone and Tryal Wherefore I shall fix upon five tryals of our Love to Christ 1. Our Love must consist in an universal 1. Our Love must consist in an universal Obedience to the Commands of Christ chearful and cordial Obedience unto the Commands of Christ Obedience to Christ's Commands is an evident Character of our sincere Love to Christ John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keeps them he it is that loveth me And ver 23. If any Man loves me he will
used to say Although Esto Diabolus magnipoteris nunquam eris Omnipotens Luth. the Devil could do great things yet he shall never do all things This Adversary is a subtil Adversary He hath Devices Methods Snares and Depths He is an inveterate and long experienced Enemy He useth all the Sophistry and subtil devices to seduce Mankind To Envy he adds Lyes and to Lies malicious Prosecutions and the most exquisite arts of cunning conveyance to destroy precious and immortal Souls How necessary is it for us to be always ready armed with the Divine Panoply even the compleat Armour of a Christian viz. The Eph. 6. 14 15 16 17. Girdle of Truth the Breast-plate of Righteousness the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit Let us fight with these Weapons and we shall overcome Let us resist the Devil and he will Jam. 4. 7. flee from us Notwithstanding all the Arts of Legerdemain and the cunningest sort of Sophistry which Satan useth a well grounded unfeigned Faith which worketh by love and purifieth the Conscience and which relyeth and stayeth upon God's Promises this Faith under God will conquer Satan's subtile Machinations This is the Faith which will be victorious Such a Faith joined with fervent Prayer was in Luther who fasted and prayed for a young Man at Wittenberg who had given his Soul to the Devil Whereupon the Devil threw in the Indenture through the Window Let Faith hold out and let the strength of Faith act vigorously then will the Temptations of Satan be quickly vanquished 3. Enemy is the World with all its 3. Enemy is the World Riches Honour Grandeur Pomp and Bravery These tempt and allure Men to Conformity to them The World throws to one a Ball of Pleasure to another a Ball of Honour to a third a Ball of Profit and exceeding great Riches O! what sweet melodious Musick doth the World play and how doth it bewitch Multitudes to dance after the World's Pipe and how many are there who for the fruition of a few paltry Delights of this present World have hazarded their Souls to all Eternity What way then is their left to get Victory over the World The Apostle informs us 1 John 5. 4. This is the Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith Where Faith is principled in the Word of God it will prevail with a Christian not to be conformed Rom. 12. 2. 1 Joh. 2. 15. to the World And not to love the World Faith will help a Christian to live above the World and to mind heavenly things and to have his Conversation in Heaven And thus through the strength of Faith being acted and enlivened by the strength of Jesus Christ we get Victory over our Spiritual Enemies viz. the Flesh the Devil and the World 4. Faith gives us a Title to and Interest 4. Faith gives us a Title to and Interest in the Divine Promises 2 Cor. 2. 20. Tim. 4. 8. in the Divine Promises All the Promises are made in Christ and in him they are yea and Amen Now Believers have only a propriety in the Promises without Faith we can lay no claim to any Promise Godliness saith the Apostle hath the Promises of this Life and that which is to come There 's a love of Beneficence whereof all Creatures are partakers Not the least creeping Creature but tastes of God's Bounty God feeds the poorest Creature This is a general Providence which extends to all good and bad just and unjust The Sun shines on the unjust as well as on the just through God's common Bounty But how many Curses Forfeitures and Variety of Mischeifs befall wicked Men so that their Bread is Gravel their Table their Snare their Bed a Bed of Thorns They have outward Riches and no Man should rob them because they are wicked yet they have them unsanctifyed they have not God's Turkium Imperium quantum est est nisi mica Panis quam Pater Familias proâ—icit suâ— Canibus Luth. reconciled Countenance to comfort them Therefore Luther speaking of the Turkish Empire saith that as great as it is it is no more than a Crum of Bread which the Father of the Family gives to his Dogs Whatsoever wicked Men have is ex largitione of common Bounty and by vertue of a general Providence But Godly Men enjoy all their Substance ex speciali Providentia Promisso They have Christ with all their worldly Enjoyments They receive all outward things in Mercy and sanctified Not a Bit of Bread a Believer eats but it is by vertue of a Promise Wherefore Faith helps a Believer in all Streights and Difficulties to apply the Promises for his Supportation and Consolation Poor Persons plead their wants and pressing Poverty But Faith answers all Objections by proposing the Promises one is Psal 35. 9 10. O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Another is Psal 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly A third is Matth. 6 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you A fourth Promise is Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things And that one Promise may be added ex abundanti the last but not the least of what hath been already mentioned viz. Heb. 13. 5. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave leave thee nor forsake thee Those five Negatives have the force of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strongest Negation Consider that all the Faithful are the Houshold and Family of God and he is never a whit the poorer by maintaining Multitudes Rich Men may decrease in their Estates by being over liberal to others this the * Muâ—â—â— Patâ—imonia estudeâ—runâ—â—â—câ—â—sulte 〈◊〉 ende Qâ—id autem stultiui est quam quod libeâ—ters â—acias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diutiâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Offic. l. â— Orator reproves as a very great folly But God by giving wasteth not The Sun looseth no Light by communicating Light to others For its Light cannot be wasted The Fountain looseth no Water by giving Water to Streams Now God is a Light never extinct a Fountain never exhausted all the Granaries Treasures Cattle on a Thousand Mountains and all the Hearts of Men are at Gods disposing and he orders them all for the supply of his People There 's no deficiency nor weakness nor Poverty in God All the Promises are the Believers Interest or Magna Charta for Heaven They are so many Wells of Salvation
the Word read nor from the Word preach'd Both are Instruments to get and increase Faith 3. Both to reading and hearing let 's 3. The Word Meditated joyn Meditation otherwise we may loose the fruit of our Labours Meditation is the Spiritual Digestion of the Soul It Psal 4. 4. â—uk 2. 19. Jâ—r 8. 6. consists in a Communing with our own Hearts a pondering a calling our selves to an account and asking the Question What have I done It 's a ruminating digesting a making what we hear or read our own by a particular application 'T is true the work is difficult it is as it were the climbing up a great Hill but it 's exceeding profitable and comfortable For this Meditation is a Divine Contemplation whereby we have a view and Prospect of Eternity It 's the Wing of the Soul by help whereof it soars aloft as high as Heaven Wherefore that we may profit by the Word read and by the Word preach'd we must exercise our selves seriously and frequently in this Divine art of Meditation This was the frequent practice of David Ps 63. 6. Ps 119. to Meditate on God in the night watch He both Meditated on the Word of God â—â—n the Works of God He awakened with God in the Morning and lay down with him in the Evening by heavenly meditation The Character he gives of a blessed Man is that his delight is in the Law of the Psal 1. 2. Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night This was Isaac's practice to meditate in the Field at the eventide Gen. 24. 63. He went out and sequestred himself from other Company that he might enjoy Communion with God This then is the choice and excellent means for Christians to thrive in Faith Love and all the Graces of the Spirit and to be good Proficients in the School of Christ when they addict themselves unto frequent and serious Meditation A Second External Means both of getting 2. Prayer is a means of getting encreasing Faith and encreasing Faith is Prayer Faith is worth the asking for Let 's then â—e earnest and sollicitous to the Throne oâ— Grace to obtain it Let 's pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith For he that hath true Faith is desirous of accessions thereunto He finds many things wanting in his Faith and therefore he prays for daily Supplies and Augmentations Let 's pray as the Man in the Gospel did Lord I believe help my unbelief There 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 3. 10. may be the Root of the Matter even true Faith in a Christian yet he is sensible of his Unbelief He apprehends the remainders of Infidelity vexing him as a broken Bone he meets sometimes with Fears Doubtings and Perplexities distracting Thoughts but these things are his Burthen and a Perplexity upon his Spiritâ—â— Herein consists our Duty to be much iâ— Prayer that God would give us the Spiriâ—â— of Faith The Spirit is promised to thosâ— that ask for it And it 's the Spirit thaâ— works Faith in us and Prayer is an Instrumental means to get the Spirit God promiseth his Spirit Luke 11. 13. Mattâ— 7. 11. He promiseth to give good things tâ—â— them that ask him which evidently shewâ— that God by giving his Spirit gives aâ— good things Let 's then be quickned tâ— our Duty to pray in Faith and to pray for more Faith and then we shall be surâ— to speed Matth. 21. 22. And all thingâ— whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believinâ— ye shall receive Go then to God and complain of thy unbelieving Heart mourâ— for it be earnest and importunate foâ— Faith As Rachel cryed out Give me Chiâ—dren or else I die so cry out Lord givâ— me Faith or else I am undone Loâ—â— strengthen my weak Faith quicken mâ— dull Faith thus making our applicatioâ— to God in the Name of Christ we shaâ— receive a gracious Answer 3. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper â— The Sacrament â—â— the Lord's Supper is a great means to confirm our Faith is a great means to confirm our Faith It 's to be necessarily presupposed that before we come to the Lord's Table we must have Faith otherwise we cannot discern the Lord's Body There is a great difference between the Word and the Lord's Supper For the Word both begets and encreaseth Faith but the Lord's Supper ordinarily encreaseth Faith where it was begun before The Sacrament is a Seal and God doth not set his Seal to a Blank An ignorant Person is as a Blank and he hath no right to approach unto the Lord's Supper An ignorant Person is more fit to go a gâ—azing with Nebuchadnezzar amongst the Beasts of the Field than to participate of the Sacramental Elements of Bread and Wine exhibiting Christ Sacramentally to the Faith of true Believers And profane Persons are uncircumcised in Heart No uncircumcised Person ought to participate of the Passover neither may the uncircumcised in Heart any debauch'd scandalous Liver presume to approach unto the Lord's Table There was but one Man who came without a wedding Garment and Christ found him out and doom'd him to Judgment Such then as walk in their Pollutions and with profane Hands and Hearts receive the Holy Eucharist expose themselves to dreadful Judgments both temporal and eternal 1 Cor. 11. 28. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation unto himself not discerning the Lord's Body It 's of absolute necessity that we should labour for Faith pray for Faith read the Word hear it preached and meditate on it that we may get Faith And upon survey of our Hearts and diligent Inquisition when we find our Faith weak and flagging we should adde more unto our Prayers and apply our selves to the sealing Ordinance of the Lord's Supper Sometimes we may not meet with God in the Word read our dulness may not apprehend the manifestation of God's gracious Countenance unto our Souls Therefore we must apply our selves to the Word preached It may be through our inadvertency and distractions we may not meet with God in the Word preached Let 's then fall upon our Knees in earnest Prayer It may be God may hide his Face from us Some Jonah we must cast over Ship-board and then there will be a Calm Some Achan must be ston'd and then the Valley of Achor will be a Door of Hos 2. 14. Hope And to hearing reading and praying let 's with preparation receive the Holy Sacrament Before we go thither let 's do as the Jews did in case of Leaven They first made diligent inquisition and took a Candle and searched every Corner throughout Having found Leaven they cast it out And iâ— they found none they took a voluntary curse upon themselves if willingly they left any Leaven in their Houses Let us go and do likewise Let us light up a double Candle viz. the Candle of the Word and the Candle of our own Consciences then upon discovery
Spirit of Christ asswage and bring down all proud swelling thoughts High Inclinations are cast down by the Spirit of God The hard Heart is molified and of insensible it becomes sensible and of seared it becomes tender and apprehensive of Sin 2. Ointment hath a penetrating Power to pass through the Pores and diffuse it self through every Pore of the ill affected part So where there is the Unction of the Spirit it openeth the Eyes subdues the Will raiseth the Affections enlargeth the Heart Hence saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. 20. But ye have an Vnction from the Holy One and ye know all things i. e. All things needful for Salvation And this Unction is an abiding Unction ver 27. But the annointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you that is they need not that any should teach them any new Opinion Let them retain those Principles wherein they have been taught and stick close unto them 3. Ointment hath a refreshing and comforting Vertue Ointments as they make way for the emission of all noxious Humors so likewise for the free passage of all Vital Spirits which do enliven refresh and comfort the Heart Hence we Ps 104. 15. â—sal 4â— 7. Isa â—1 3. Joh. 14. 25 Joh. 14. 16 read that Oil makes the Face to shine And it 's called the Oil of Gladness and the Oil of Joy So the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Consolation call'd the Comforter A Comforter that may abide with us for ever In all our Troubles if we can get God's Spirit for our Comforter we shall chearfully rejoice in Tribulation The Question was Job 15. 1. â— propounded to Job Are the Consolations of God small with thee So it may be ask'd Are the Consolation of God's Spirit small with thee No questionless for they abound in Comfort The Illapses Influences and Communications of the Spirit of God in comforting the Afflicted binding up the Broken-hearted refreshing the Languishing raising up those that are Fallen strengthning the Weak all these set forth abundantly the singular benefit of Divine Consolations flowing from the Spirit of God A fourth Demonstration that Believers Demon. 4. Believers have a Pâ—eâ—ions Inheritance are Precious in the sight of Christ is because that Christ assures them of a Precious Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven Heaven is Christs Purchase and by vertue of Christs Purchase it becomes the Saints Inheritance The Tenure where by the Saints hold is in capite in their Head Christ Now for their full assurance there 's a threefold Title whereby true Believers lay claim to Heaven viz. By Promise Donation and Possession 1. By Promise Christ hath promised 1 Title by Promise Heaven unto his Children Amongst many I shall select a few excellent Promises one is Joh. 14. 23. In my Fathers House aâ—e many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Another nother Promise is Matth. 19. 28. Verily I say unto you that ye which have follow'd me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thronis Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel A third Promise is Matth. 19. 29. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother shall receive an hundred fold and shall Inherit Everlasting Life The meaning is not that all these things should be made up in kind that he should receive so many Fathers Mothers and Sisters in the room of them but the meaning is that he shall receive Christ and Everlasting Life which is his Purchase and is infinitely more worth than all the World A second Title which Believers have to 2. Title by Donation Heaven is a Title of Donation Eternal Life is the gift of Christ as may appear Joh. 10. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand Further Christs Donation is evident John 17. 22. And the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them Heaven is Christs Gift and there is no merit nor any thing in the Creature to procure God to bestow his great Gift for saith our Saviour Luk. 12. 32. Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good Pleasure to give you the Kingdome But though we cannot merit Heaven yet we must be constant and conscientious in the performance of our Duties we must repent believe and be zealous to do good works and to such as are faithful unto Death the promise will be made good unto them Rev. 2 10. I will give thee a Crown of Life It 's true that Salvation is a free Gift and Heaven is the purchase of Christs Blood yet our Duty is to work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling Phil. 2. 12. A third Title to Heaven is that of Possession 3. Title by Possession Joh. 3. 36. He that Believes in the Son hath Everlasting Life A Believer hath such an assurance as present Possession can give him For the Word of God is his assurance He hath a Witness 1 John 5. 10. He that believes on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself And he hath both Sealing and Earnest Eph. 1. 13 14. Ye were Sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance The Sealing of the Spirit is Assurance the Earnest is part of Payment or some first fruits of the Harvest so than to have a Title of Promise Donation and Possession must needs be a strong Title Quest But the Question hence will be moved whether any can be assured of their Salvation in this Life Answ To this I Answer That some have been assured and others may be assured 1. Some have been assured as Job c. 19. v. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and Paul Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me And 2. Why others may be assured of their Salvation in this Life For in those Beautitudes mentioned Math. 5. If upon serious search and Examination a Believer can conclude that he is poor in Spirit pure in Heart c. Thence he may infer that he is in a state of Blessedness Likewise the Scriptures give several distinguishing Characters whence we may evidence the assurance of Salvation One is love to the Brethren 1 Joh. 4. 14. We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Another Character is the loving of Christs appearing The Apostle speaks not only in his own name but also in the name of all Saints Henceforth there is 2 Tim. â—8 laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only
but unto all them that love his appearing A third Character is effectual calling If we make our calling sure thence we may be assured of our election 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and Election sure These may suffice for the Trial of the Grounds of assurance But we must know 1. That many Precious Servants of God may for a time want the sence of Gods favour and be at a loss for assurance Ps 10. 1. Psal 88. 5. David complains of Gods hiding his face from him And so did Heman complain that he was free among the Dead like the Slain in the Grave whom thou remembrest no more And he likewise expostulates the case with God why hidest thou thy face from me Gods Children are always in a safe condition yet they are not always apprehensive of their safety Sometimes they are under Desertions and Withdrawings of Gods Countenance A Child of Light may walk in Darkness Comfort Isa 50. 10. may be near him and yet he may not discern it as Mary could not see Christ for Tears in her Eyes 2. Assurance admits Degrees sometimes it 's more sometimes less The best are not always at a stand Upon strict Inquisition in their Hearts they find cause of Humiliation and walking heavily The remembrance of an old Sin may cause a great damp and sadness upon the Heart 3. Assurance may be a long time before it be obtained There will be long searching the Heart fighting against Sin Fervent and Assiduous Prayer a great deal of combating against the Flesh A Holy Martyr could not get assurance till he came to the Stake at last he told his Friend O Glover Act. Mon. Q. M. dayâ— Austin he is come he is come he is come 4. Notwithstanding there may be assurance yet sometimes Doubts and Troubles may arise in the Spirit upon Apprehensions of Gods clouding his Countenance and upon Apprehension of the difficulty to get rid of some secret Sin Quest But what 's our Duty Answ 1. Allow thy self in no Sin be Direct 1. it ancient customary beloved or secret away with it The hankering after any beloved Sin the delay of executing Justice upon it may break thy peace and hinder thy assurance Wherefore give no quarter to Benhadad nor to Agag Make a League with no Gibeonite Foster no Dalilah no Herodias Throw Jonah over Ship-board that 's the way to make the Sea calm Stone Achan that 's the way to make the Valley of Achor a door of Hope Brain Goliah a Champion Sin and than other Hos 2 14. Sins will sooner be vanquished as the Philistines were when Goliah was destroyed 2. Make it thy serious business to clear Direct 2. Make it thy business to clear up thy evidences up thy Evidences for Heaven Examine whether thou hast Christ formed in thee whether the new Creatute is manifested in thy understanding to know God in thy will to obey God in thy affections to love him in thy Heart and Life whether they are inlarged to run the ways of Gods Commandments search and examine whether Sin be mortified and the Body of Sin Crucified Whether thou art Justified by the Bloud of Christ and Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ whether thou art Redeemed from thy vain Conversation upon such a serious Inquisition into thy Heart assurance may be obtain'd 3. If thy Evidences be dim and thou canst not read them yet let not thy Direct 3. Let not thy hold go hold go What thou wantest in Evidence make up in Adherence to and recumbance and reliance on God Thus did David under Disertions Ps 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God And thus did Job behave himself amidst all his Afflictions Job 13. 15. Though he slay me yet I will trust in him And such as are in a dark condition who apprehend not the light of Gods Countenance they are exhorted to trust and stay upon God Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeys the voice of his Servant that walketh in Darkness and have no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God 4. Be fervent and frequent in Prayer Direct 4. Be frequent and fervent in Prayer Gen. Rebekkah when there were struglings in her Womb went to enquire of God If it be so why am I thus So amidst the Troubles Fears and Tumults of thy Spirit exercise Prayer If Gods Countenance be clouded pray with David Restore unto me Ps 51. 22. the Joy of thy Salvation Thou wantest assurance and art troubled upon the suspensions and hidings of Gods Countenance thy duty is to be an earnest Solicitor unto the Throne of Grace and pray that the Lord would lift up the light of his Countenance on thee Ps 4. 6. Great things are promised Ezek. 36. viz. Sprinkling of clean Water v. 26. A new Heart the Spirit 27. Security 28. Plenty and Fruitfulness yet God expects and requires the Prayers of his Children Ch. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them If than we would obtain assurance of Gods Love we must pray much and joyn Fasting and Watching with Prayer Gods loving kindness is better than Life Ps 63. 3. therefore we must pray for it and labour to get assurance of Gods love unto our Souls How welcome was Samuel to Hannah being the Child of her Prayers And oh how highly valued will assurance be to him who hath obtain'd it in answer to his Prayers Wait than and pray continue instant in Prayer And to Prayer joyn Hearing Reading Meditating and receiving of the Lords Supper And when once thou hast got it be sure thou be thankful and watchful Take heed of the least Sin The least crum of Leaven must be cast out A Servant being incouraged by more wages hath more strong Obligations on him to serve his Master with more diligence and Fidelity Assurance and Manifestations of Gods love to a Christian are Ingagements to excite him to a more humble holy and close walking with God The more mercy he recieves the more he is ingaged to a faithful performance of his Duty Whatever Manifestation of love is given unto thee know that thou ought to be more thankful and fruitful in every good work The Apostle Writing of the Blessed Vision 1 Joh. 1. 2. For we shall see him as he is infers our great Duty to be reduced unto Practice v. 3. And every Man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he Matt. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. is pure The pure in Heart are Partakers of the Blessed Vision And without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. Let 's than follow after Holiness If ever we hope to
be happy hereafter we must here be Holy No Holiness no Happiness SECT II. Containing the Fruits of Justification which are a Ground of the Believers Comfort HAving proved the first Ground of the Comfort of Believers because they are Precious in the 〈◊〉 of Christ I come now and with this Section I shall conclude To lay down a second Ground of Believers Comforts drawn from the Fruits of Justification And they are set down Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4. Therefore being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God And not only so but we Glory in Tribulation also knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope There are sixspecial Fruits of Justification by Faith mentioned as so many Daughters of that Mother or as so many Precious Fruits growing on that Tree And they are Peace Access Joy Hope Patience and Experience These I shall inlarge particularly and so finish the Treatise 1. By being Justified by Faith we have 1 Peace with God Peace with God We have sweet tranquility and security upon our Spirits What though Men Condemn and the World Persecute us What though troubles come as violently as Waves in a Storm dashing upon us with more renewed fury Yet Peace with God and security of Conscience will quiet our Spirits and comfort us amidst discontents and fortifie us against Euroclydons and most Tempestuous Storms When God Justifieth who can Condemn When God speaks Peace who can speak Trouble It 's a grand incouragement notwithstanding Troubles come thick and three-fold that in Christ we have Peace He is our Peace and Peace-maker and Reconciler However the World Storm yet Christ becalms the most Blasting Winds These things saith he I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have Peace But in the John 15. 33. World ye shall have Tribulation be of good chear I have overcome the World We should indeavour after the things that make for Peace and as the Apostle Commandeth If it be possible as much as in you Rom. 12. 18. lies live peacable with all Men. But some are of such implacable Spirits as will never be at Peace and of the same malitious temper with David's Enemies who when he was for Peace they make themselves Psal 120. 7. ready for Battel Yet here 's a ground of of singular Comfort that we have Peace with God and this will make amends for all For saith the Apostle What shall we then say to these things if God be for Rom. 8. 32. us who can be against us Wherefore let 's labour to get and keep Peace with God and a good Conscience Peace within will support and quiet us against all Troubles without as Aarons Rod swallowed up the Rods of the Aegyptians 2. Another Fruit of Justification by 2 Accesâ— unto God Faith is Access unto God Sin sets Bars against us and hinders our Access unto the Throne of Grace But Christ breaks the Rom. 5. 2. Barrs and gives us Admission We are led by the hand of Christ unto the Father The Original Word imports as much Rom. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Manuduction or leading of us by Christ unto the Father is a great Priviledg Hereby we are admitted into the presence of the great King None might presume to come into the Court of Ahasuerus unless the King held out to him the golden Scepter Behold Christ hath purchased this Priviledg of the King of Kings to hold forth his golden Scepter and admit Believers into his presence Hence a Beleiver enjoys a sacred Communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and hath freedom to make his request known in Prayer and Supplication What then remains but that we should make use of our Priviledg and reduce the Apostle's Precepts in continual Practice Heb. 4. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need A third Fruit of Justification by Faith is 3. Joy Joy and this is Joy in the Lord or a spiritual Joy in believing The sence of God's Love The apprehension of his reconciled Countenance The Believers Interest cleared up that he hath a new Name a white Stone and the hidden Mannah rejoyceth his Heart more than the Fruition of all the Honours Pleasures and Profits which the Universe can afford When God speaks to the Soul and saith Thy sins are pardoned this is the most joyful and welcome day that ever a Believer saw The good Hearers received the word with Joy and brought forth Fruit with Patience Amidst great straits and exigencies the Church discovers an heroical Resolution Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I Hab. 3. 1â— will Joy in the God of my Salvation Amidst multiplicity of rolling troublesome Thoughts the Psalmist takes ground of encouragement Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my Thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul A Believer's Joy acts extraordinarily that which extinguisheth the Joy of a Carnal Man is Feweâ— to enkindle the Joy of a Godly Man â—or saith the Apostle And not only so but we Rom. 5. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5. 2. glory in Tribulation also A Believer accounts it all Joy when he falls into divers Temptations He kisseth the Rod that beats him and with a Martyr bids welcome to the Cross of Christ and with the Apostles rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Acts 5. 41. O! what Joy doth Faith bring to Believers in all their Sufferings so that scoffs and reproaches they account their Honour whips and tort ures scars of Marâ—yrdoms Though a Believer be tost up and down with boistrous Waves and Tempests he can see Christ by the Eye of Faith Though his Body be tormented upon the Rack yet he can see Christ his Comforter Though his Name be trampled on upon Earth yet he rejoiceth that his Name is written in Heaven A fourth Fruit of Justification by Faith 4. Hope is Hope and this is the Anchor of the Soul Were it not for Hope the Heart would break in the days of Jacob's Troubles But days of Jacob's Troubles are days of Jacob's Hope When Ezra and the People were full of grief and perplexities because the Holy Seed had mingled themselves with Heathens and were unequally yoaked with strange Wives but notwithstanding Hope was left quasi tabula post naufragium Ezra 10. 2. Yet now there 's Hope in Israel concerning this thing Rom 8. 24. By Hope saith the Apostle we are saved When Spoilers come a Believer is a Man of Hope Whatever they take from him yet they cannot take away his Hope Amidst Clouds of Darkness his Hope is That the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healings under his Wings He hopes against his Reason