a second thing is expressed An Hypocrite may have a Taste of Jesus Christ in the Promises and be so affected with him that he doth despise all other things in comparison of him so as that he cometh to resolve for his part never to forgo him and hath so much confidence in God that he saith with Haman Whom will the King delight to honour more then my self and this illumination he taketh to be a strong and effectual conversion unto the Lord. 3. The Promises have a work of Conviction upon the Soul if any man refuse and despise them they leave him unexcusable Prov. 1.24 25 26. c. Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but you have set at nought all my Counsels and would none of my reproof I will laugh at your calamity c. thus is their bloud justly upon their own head that refuse and despise his Promises and they aggravate their condemnation another day and to this end the Apostle maketh use of a precious Promise of God Acts 13.38 39 40 41. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of by the Prophets Behold you despisers wonder and perish c. A strange Application of such a gracious Promise a sign there is a power in the Promises even unto this end Thus we see there is a marvelous gracious use of Promises before Union with Christ as to help Ministers and people with matter of Doctrine and Instruction and Exhortation so also to awaken men unto Illumination and Affection and Conviction and to seal them up unto everlasting destruction if they turn their backs upon them As the Promises are of use before our Union with Christ Ben. 2 so In our Union with him they are of great use for when the Lord giveth himself to the Soul he doth it in a promise He cometh unto the Soul riding as it were upon the Chariot of a Promise and begetteth faith in the Soul by the Promise or some such word of grace as is equipollent to a promise Ezek. 37.11 whereby we receive Jesus Christ though before him we can have no Promise yet in a Promise we do receive him This is the very first stroke of closing with Jesus Christ he giveth himself and we take him as he offereth himself even in a Promise such a like Dispensation of himself we read of Acts 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to besse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Here is Christ offered in a Promise of free grace without any previous gracious qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men was about 5000 about 3000 of them believed before so that here are 2000 that believe upon this gracious Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by faith Thus we see that Promises are not vain things but there are great use of them before our Union all Promises are of excellent use as also In our Union 3. After our Union with Christ they are of abundant useâ— They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kinde and 1. They serve for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in Jesus Christ and all the Treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto qualifications are laid up in him also 2. They serve for instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications and the blessings Promised unto them namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Jesus Christ no blessing belonging thereunto but it is found in Christ also in him therefore they are to be sought for so that though a poor Soul see himself wretched and blinde and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches is laid up this he is taught to know by the Promise and directed also to go to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3. They are of use to stirre up unto prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the Soul is set awork the holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly hath the Lord made so many gracious Promises unto such and such gracious qualifications whither then should I go either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of faith of love and of a sound mind and what else soever we stand in need of 4. They are of use to help us to know our spiritual state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the Promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvellous blessing upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given us them he then openeth our hearts to see what he hath given us and so to discern our sanctified estate Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine onely Son from me so the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 22.12 wherein he bare witnesse to his work and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation together with the oath of God unto him for now the Lord doth not onely know it but causeth him to know it also so that if the Lord do but breath in such a fruit of the Spirit if he doth but give power to the Soul to do such a work unto which the promise is made and do make it appear unto the Soul to be indeed such by the revelation of his own blessed Spirit then doth the Lord fill the soul with consolation Psal 9.18 The patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever when the poor soul is meekned by Gods hand and the Lord letteth him so discern it that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay and
whatsoever we have to do in the things of God that we should soon be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord and to be constantly for God from God and with God in all our Actions our base spirits are soon ready to be withdrawing from the Lord therefore the Apostle biddeth us follow after Peace and Holiness without which no man shall see God so that great is the necessity of Holiness and worthy to be followed after for though a mans own heart and the world and men and Satan withdraw us from it yet follow after it for without it no man shall see God There is a kind of holiness which some men have attained unto many a fair day ago but 't is a thousand to one whether it be the holiness which doth accompany salvation for that Holiness is not easily attained unto but the other will easily cleave close unto a man Now if you shall ask me Quest 1 wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after Holiness and what needeth it if the Spirit of Holiness dwell in me by an everlasting Covenant if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam it was another matter but though it may be quenched in us yet abideth it for ever what need then of gifts of Holiness That one word may be sufficient Answ which we find in 2 Tim. 2.21 If any man purge himself from these evils he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work This sheweth us why gifts of Holiness are requisite to be in Gods people namely that they might become meet instruments in the hands of God and fitted unto every good word and work therefore it is that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of Righteousness and fruits of his Spirit that we might be more fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and this is the principal Reason of the Point If then there be such gifts of holiness Quest 2 what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts cannot the Lord carry an end the work of our salvation by these gifts There is need that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us Answ notwithstanding 1. To keep these gifts in us 2. To act them in us 3. To witness these unto our souls for our comfort and the good one of another Some Scriptures for all these 1. That there is need of the Holy Ghost to keep these things in us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us There is a very worthy thing committed to us how shall we keep it not by our own wit and wisdom careful watchfulness and faithfulness though such things ought not to be wanting but the charge is Keep those things by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us We stand in need of Gifts to be fit instruments in the hand of God we stand in need of the Spirit of God to maintain that which God giveth us and though Adams Gifts were in perfection yet not having the holy Ghost to keep them for him they all flie from him as soon as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit and left him naked and desperate Therefore in the Covenant of Grace the Lord giveth the Holy Ghost to keep strong possession in his servants against the strong man armed This is the first ground why the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us 2. It 's the Holy Ghost that acteth the gifts given to us and enableth them in us for the Holy Ghost who keepeth possession doth derive continued strength into our faith which putteth life into all the gifts of God And if you shall ask how love and patience and the rest of the gifts of God do work The Holy Ghost stirreth up faith to look unto Christ who returneth strength by his Spirit unto Faith and so faith worketh by love and by meekness and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit Thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God come to any holy duty and it is the Holy Ghost that leadeth you along and atteth in you so Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements and do them And holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good work and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us 3. The Spirit of God doth not only keep these gifts for us and act them in us but it is the same Spirit of God that witnesseth to these gifts and sheweth what gifts he hath given us for such is the blindness of the nature of all the sons of men and it is a wonder to see that generally Christians when the Lord first worketh these gifts in them not one of a thousand but they think they are in a sad and fearful condition and so they are very uncomfortable but now left that we should alwayes mistake that which the Lord hath given us we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 he indeed taketh his own time to discover it to some sooner to some later but this is his intendment that he might honor his grace unto us by all the rich and gracious gifts which he hath given us He doth also reveal unto us the duties which he helpeth us to do Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh The Holy Ghost that wrought in him this brotherly-love the same Holy Ghost beareth him witness that he doth not lie and that he had continual sorrow in his heart and that he could have wished to have been accursed from Christ that they might be saved it grieved him so much that the whole Nation should be destitute of the Lord Jesus Christ Thus wee see how great need there is of the Holy Ghost to dwell in us to keep all the gifts of his grace in us to act them according to his will and to discover to us what gracious gifts the Lord hath wrought in us and what duties he hath helped us to do that we may be able to give account of them by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us and beareth witness with us So there is necessity both of the gifts of grace that we may be fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and fit instruments for him to work by there is need also the Holy Ghost
have feared well enough but here is his confidence vers 15. God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me But will not this make a Christian wanton against God and cause him to abuse his libety to hardness of heart no no brethren this is the kindly melting of a godly heart to consider a Redeemers love drawing him from the power of the grave and that he should by his sins pierce the Lord Jesus Christ this melteth his heart more then all his other sins specially considering the abounding Grace of God which where sin hath abounded grace aboundeth much more thus when a man doth not look for life by his own Righteousness but knoweth the Redemption of souls to be more precious then so this sheweth a man not to be under a Covenant of Works and then his very iniquity shall not make him afraid there is such a state in Christianity and let all men know it But will it not make men think the worse of Christian profession No David will have all to know it that they may see the difference between all worldly confidences and the confidence of Christians all their glory will leave them to be like the Beasts that perish and cannot redeem their souls that the Lord onely might be exalted 2. As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience so neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience he seeketh not for blessings from his obedience and therefore if there be any promises of blessing made to any obedience though God should help him to as much obedience as might be he doth not look for any blessing from that obedience Rom. 4.4 5 6. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works He looketh not for his blessedness from his works though he should perform all the conditions to which the promises are made yet he expecteth all his blessing from free justification and union with the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin this is the blessedness of Christians It is true the Lord doth bless the workings of his servants and accept them Mat. 25.34 35 36. The king shall say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Thus Christ blesseth them but they are not sensible of their good deeds so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake and therefore they make answer and say Lord when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c. neither do they fear the curse of God or that their sins should separate them from God those that are under the Law are cursed indeed if they do not continue in all things that are written in the Law to do them but this curse is removed from the elect by Jesus Christ 3. This also is a third effect of the freedom from the Covenant of Works that a Christian doth not look for conjugal comfort from his obedience nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience In a Covenant of works it is with a man as it was with Leah Jacob's wife who expected love and fellowship from her husband because of her fruitfulness Gen. 29.32 when she brought forth her first-born she said Now therefore will my husband love me and when she brought forth her third son ver 34. Now this time will my husband be joyned unto me but thus doth not a man under a Covenant of Grace for when he hath done all he can he is ready to say I am an unprofitable servant Luk. 17.10 and doth not challenge God for any of his dealing with him he seeth he deserveth not his daily bread and so looks for no reward from his good works though the Lord will graciously acknowledge his servants in what they do according to his will yet they are not wont to plead any such thing which is very observable in the practise of Jacob Gen. 32.9 10. c. O Lord God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me Return unto thy country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee I am less then the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So he doth not press his performance of Gods Commandment to procure blessing but acknowledgeth his unworthyness and looketh for Grace from the Promise of God Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother for thou saidest I will surely do thee good Nor doth a child of God fear divorce by his disobedience though it have been very great Sometimes the people of God have not onely rejected the servants of God but the Lord himself 1 Sam. 8.7 but when Samuel had pressed hard upon them for their sin Chap. 12. and they were truly humbled then Samuel said unto them vers 20 21 22. Fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and turn you not aside for then you should go after vain things that cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people therefore fear you not he will not cast you off So that mind you a poor Christian doth not fear divorce from his disobedience for if we should look for blessing from the one or cursing from the other we were not under Christ but under the Law but he that is freed from the Covenant of Works is freed also from expecting salvation or fearing damnation from what he doth he knoweth the Lord will hide his face from him if he doe evil but he knoweth the Lord will not cast him off for ever yet he dares not commit sin but being under Grace he is the more affected if he shall at any time displease God and procure chastisement to himself and by this means the Lord doth mortifie his distempers On the other side if he do well he will not say Now my husband will cleave unto me and dwell with me no no we are freed from the Law Rom. 7.4 which we were not if we look for conjugal love from God for our obedience to the Law it is true if a man be married to the Law his
should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might add this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more clear evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father both of what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us This the Holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father this is the comfort of Gods people Thus we see both these points opened to us How may we then imploy and improve this Sanctification which the Lord hath given us Quest 3 and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witness How or to what end shall we imploy it seeing the Lord undertaketh to do these things for us If so be it Answ that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we do not rest in any sanctification which doth spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his blessed Spirit The Spirit knitteth us unto Christ and Christ unto us he worketh faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same faith worketh all our holiness for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wis dom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption therefore we are to see him principal author of all these things in us and for us This is the principal comfort of all and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lieth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is sanctification in Jesus Christ when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holiness to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continual supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we go not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soul which may spring from a spirit of Bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restrain us from sin and constrain us unto duties but such holiness springeth not from union with Jesus Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sence of our need of Jesus Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27 Go thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it they have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me and so forth This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever you would make a right use of your holiness see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ that there be not only an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Jesus Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give their due honour unto all of them together 2. This may also teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their Holiness though they do spring from the Holy Gbost himself though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit your souls in Union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14 15. Thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot c. Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1. Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our sufficiency is of God He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not do any great matter by his own strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.12 if therefore we have any new work to do look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought And therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a Principle of Christian Religion that The just man liveth by his Faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God where he putteth it into his own experience why did he not live by Love and Patience and Zeal c. yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributed life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of his Life he maketh this his Universal Life I live by the Faith of the Son of God and I am I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9 10. The Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himself to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am less then the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God I but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spiritual sanctification that when the soul is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himself This is a marvelous spiritual poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their
conversion he counteth it all as dross and dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.6 7 8. And for our faith they are not to be trusted upon as grounds of it for all the gifts of our sanctification are fruits of our faith and therefore faith is said to work by love Gal. 5.6 And so it doth by all other gifts of the Spirit and if they be fruits of faith then faith is not built upon them And thus much for the second Use which Christians are to make of their sanctification 3. There is in the next place a point of witness which this Sanctification doth yield and the Spirit of God by it The water beareth witness to the bloud and the bloud to the water and the Spirit unto both 1 Joh. 5.6 7 8. A mans own spirit beareth witness also Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God and therefore as a witnesse of God unto our faith we may lawfully hear what it speaketh but this is the life of a true evidence that all these gifts of God do not bear witness any further then a man seeth the Lord Jesus working them in him and for him for it is faith that maketh all the graces of the Gospel active and it is a condition so requisite that unlesse our works be of faith and flow from it they are not acceptable before God Heb. 11.6 for without faith it 's impossible to please God therefore unless faith carry an end our works they are not works of holiness such as should bear witness to the soul Therefore the Apostle doth stir up the Corinthians unto this mainly Examine your selves whether you are in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 if he do exhort them to examination it is in point of faith and therefore some of our Divines as Reverent Forbes of Middleburgh by name who hath written a Sermon upon it wherein he noteth this that unless men find faith in their holiness none of all their Sanctification will become a sound witness of the grace of God unto them but if faith be found then you shall see Jesus Christ accepting you and breathing in you except you be reprobates There is a marvelous gracious witness that sanctification giveth unto him that liveth by faith in Jesus Christ if it be in Christ and from Christ and for Christ This only is that sanctification which the Lord commendeth unto his children to seek after it 4. A fourth Use of our sanctification is that the Spirit of God helpeth us by it in point of rejoycing and therefore it is that you shall see the servants of God rejoycing in their holiness so doth the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world he rejoyceth at what the Lord doth by him and with him Let every man prove his own work and so shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Gal. 6.4 But what is it that maketh the Apostle to rejoyce before God When he rejoyceth in his work before the Lord you shall ever find him rejoycing at the Lords acting these gifts in him and blessing him in his work let us look upon two or three Scriptures for this end 1 Tim. 1.12 13. I thank Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer c. this he thanketh God for so that mind you as he seeth God giving him these gifts and enabling him unto the work so he blesseth God in that behalf You shall find him also blessing God that had prospered this work of the Ministry wheresoever he came 2 Cor. 2.14 Thanks be to God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The Lord working in him and for him maketh him to triumph and to over-wrastle all the difficulties which he meeteth withal The Lord had given him gifts and taught him to exercise those gifts and doth accept him and therefore he expresseth himself in a marvelous strong speech Phil. 1.20 21. I am in nothing ashamed but that with all boldness as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain to me to live is Christ as if he had said I have no life but from Christ I put forth no act of life but for Christ this is the sum of all his conversation and if Christ be his life then death will be his advantage and Christ will be magnified in either Thus we may see how the Saints of God have made use of their sanctification they are careful to see that it flow from Christ and yet when they have it they dare not trust in their best gifts for the least duty neither do they look for their faith from their best gifts but they expect their best gifts to flow from their faith they make use of the testimony of their holiness when they see Christ in it and faith in it and the Spirit of God carrying them along in the waies and duties thereof thus they see their holiness and take comfort in it and from the witness of it as that by which the Lord dispenseth comfort unto his people when they receive it from the hands of Christ and by faith in him by which they are taught of God to carry an end their whole conversation in his name 5. Furthermore as we receive it from Christ and trust not in it but in Christ and receive the witness of it in Christ and in the holy Spirit of Christ and as we receive Joy and Comfort also which the Lord doth minister unto us in a sanctified course by his holy Spirit so we grow up and perfect our Holiness which we have received in his Name there is growth in grace this sanctification is not bedrid Christians are not as weak now as they were seven years ago nor do they stand at a stay but go forward in Christianity and hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians Ephes â— 6 to speak the truth in love that they may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ implying that men that enter into wayes of Holiness ought to grow on unto perfection in the fear of God The Righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 And many sweet means the Lord hath appointed for this end the communion of Gods people tendeth hereunto Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall learn wisdom all the Ordinances of God are appointed for this end also to beget and encrease faith and holiness therefore a Christian in the use of all these Ordinances doth not stand at a
find that differences which tend unto the discerning of grace will be of much less dangerous consequence then the other for thereupon lieth the very foundation of a Christian mans safe estate How far there is difference in the Country I cannot give an account but I desire that you may all understand what I say If you demand Quest 1 upon what grounds cometh the soul to close with Christ aright whether upon a conditional or upon an absolute promise And are they not both free I answer Answ It is true they are both free but when God is said to do any thing to a work as to apply a promise to a work it is not so properly said to be a promise of grace but I will not enter into Dispute This you will find to be true that take a soul that is in union with Christ and apply all the Promises to him he will make you this answer before the Spirit of Grace cometh into him he is clear in this that there are none of all the Promises of God belonging unto him till the Lord who hath broken him do bind him up again for his heart will tell you that his duties and reformations have been such as have kept him from Christ You will say I hope you trust upon Christ I will he say with that faith by which I trusted upon works before If you tell him of promises made to faith he will say But not to mine that hath only sprung from my own reformations Consider all you that search the word of God this day when the soul cometh to deny that it hath true faith what promise can it apply unto that which it denieth it self to have A soul will be ready to refuse promises even when the Spirit of God hath taken possession but then it is his sin yet all the time before there is no reason but that the soul should refuse to apply Promises when there was nothing but a power of the spirit of Reformation and till we be cut off from the old Adam we shall be ready to quarrel and snarle that the Lord should deal thus with us and why did he suffer Adam to fall and put upon us such a Law to obey and then condemn us for that which we were never able to perform Truly there is nothing to help in this case but the Lord will take away thy crabbed spirit he will make thee to lie flat at his feet and to say If he will kill me here I am and if he will save thee he will make thee content to receive all from Christ and to be willing that he should do with thee that which is good in his own eyes And what can help a soul now but only an absolute promise Whereby the soul is raised to look to the Name of that Christ whom he hath all this while blasphemed and persecuted Thus we see upon what terms and grounds any one is jealous of building his comfort upon conditional promises and why we are so loath to say that sanctification is an evidence of a mans justification it is because men may produce sanctification and promises unto it when it is but legal righteousness Yet some men will say I have been driven out of my own legal righteousness and now I rest upon Jesus Christ and may I not take comfort in such faith and sanctification flowing therefrom I confess faith in Christ and sanctification flowing from it are precious treasures but how camest thou by them If thou knowest not how I cannot but think that thou stoalest them and camest not by them in the right way you will say Well though I have no righteousness nor faith of my own yet I can wait upon Christ How camest thou by power to wait upon Christ Here is a branch of the old Adam still springing forth afresh thou art confident in thine own strength and worth and if God deal otherwise with thee then thou expectest thou wilt be apt to wrangle with the Lord so far wilt thou be from stooping to his will Search the Scriptures and see if it be not the truth of God See whether it be thy qualifications taken up upon unjust grounds that will save thy soul thou hast not been drawn far enough all this while if thou sayest thou hast been drawn to reformation and faith and waiting If thou hast been indeed drawn it is a comfortable sign but truely the Promises do not belong unto thee until thou art brought unto a flat denial of thy self and thy will be made to lie prostrate before the will of God and is unable to satisfie it self in any thing besides Jesus Christ the want of either of which will leave a man still a member of old Adam that either he will cavil with God or else will go away and be jolly and frolick and free of spirit though he knoweth not what the Lord will do for him which is a plain sign that the Spirit of God is not there then there is no condition of which it can be said This is the spot of Gods children This is the seal of the servants of the Living God If then the Spirit of God come upon the wings of a promise it is an absolute promise and then you must not wonder if we be thus afraid that men should build their faith upon conditional promises if men build their consolation upon conditions of obedience hypocrites have gone beyond it if you have trusted in your own faith hypocrites will plead that they have gone beyond that also for they have waited upon God that they might believe And therefore see the reason why we do so much mistrust the building of our faith upon promises made unto conditions in us And I have given you the grounds from the word of God for I should be a Traitour to the Lord Jesus if I should speak from any other grounds And though it be true which I have formerly said that the fruits of the Spirir of grace in the heart of a Christian as Faith and Patience and Love cannot be denied to be evidences of a good estate yet let it first appear from whence they come first draw neer unto God in Jesus Christ and when any are brought on to Christ by self-denial such mens faith and love are indeed evident tokens of salvation and communion with Christ but until men be thus brought on they can have no Evidence from such graces Therefore you see why we are so fearful to build our faith upon qualifications for any self-denying soul will tell you that no promise will serve his turn to build his faith upon but some such as speaks of Gods wonderful and free grace if there be any promise made unto faith he will find himself very unable to apply it until the Lord by some word of his free grace hath wrought faith in him You may see here the unsafeness of any such building Use 3 as when we are convinced of our sins then we