do you thinke that he hath put off that disposition is he not the same still as it is in the Hebrewes Is he not a mercifull High Priest still and that the bowels of compassion in him melt ouer a straying sinner and is ready to receiue him his bowels yearne within him and therâ—fore doubt not but the Lord will receiue you Againe of necessity hee must receiue you or else the blood of CHRIST were in vaine his Crosse and death were of none effect What now can make the death of CHRIST to be of none effect but when it is not regarded when his blood is trampled vnder feere and despised of men when it doth no good when it is not improued for the purpose it was shed for Doe you thinke that GOD sent his onely Sonne from Heauen to dye a cursed death and would hee haue his blood shed in vaine Now except hee should receiue poore sinners when they come the death of CHRIST should be of none effect And therefore it cannot be but GOD must be ready to receiue them So that there is no difficulty in him all the difficulty is in our selues we are not willing to come Againe if we consider what he hath done for others how many hee hath receiued to mercie when one sees such Rebels receiued to mercie and considers with himselfe and thinkes how he gaue pardon to Manasses of his sinnes which were crying sinnes and of an extraordinary nature sinnes that were of long continuance he forgaue Mary Magdalens sinnes he forgaue these greater sinners and why should he not forgiue me If one should come to a Physician of whom he hath heard a great fame and if he should meet with hundreds by the way of his Patients and all of them should tell him he hath cured them and healed them it would encourage a man to go on with confidence Or if one should come to a Well of which he hath heard much and should meete with hundreds of people by the way and all of them should tell him we haue beene at the Well and it hath cured vs and made vs whole this would encourage a man to goe with confidence because of the multitude that haue tryed the experience of it so we should runne to CHRIST when so many thousands haue beene forgiuen why should not these perswade vs that he is ready to forgiue vs as Paul saith he hath shewed mercy to me that others might beleeue in GOD I am an example for them to trust in God therefore when we see he hath forgiuen others so many and so great sins why should we doubt Againe if CHRIST should not be ready to receiue vs no flesh should be saued nor there is no man that would feare him or heare him Psal. 130.3 there the same argument is vsed If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity who should stand but there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared That is if GOD should not be pittifull to mankinde and ready to receiue them notwithstanding their manifold failings and infirmities and rebellions they are subiect vnto no flesh should be saued but all the world should perish Againe not so onely but GOD himselfe should not be worshipped men would not regard him men would not serue him Therefore I say of necessity GOD must haue mercy vpon men that they may feare him and serue him and that men may be willing to serue Take a hard Master a cruell King a man that shuts out men and excludes them that haue no hope there is none that will serue such a man there is no man that will come in to him but there is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared and worshipped and men may come in and worship him and therefore doubt not but Christ is willing to receiue you If all this will not perswade you yet in Esay 55. there is one thing more if it will not enter into your thoughts If you thinke your condition be such if you thinke your sinnes so circumstantiated as I may say that they are committed in such a manner that you thinke though others haue beene forgiuen yet you cannot it passeth your thoughts you know not how to imagine it yet know his mercie is aboue all a man must hold that conclusion still And if this alone will not perswade me yet when all this is put together when I see the misery of a man without CHRIST when I see I shall be happy with him when I see it is of necessity and if I come I shall certainely be receiued he cannot refuse me all this will helpe to perswade a man this you should learne to presse vpon your own hearts wee that are the Ministers of CHRIST are bound to doe it and therefore he hath sent vs out to compell men to come in that his House may be full therefore he commands them to goe vnto the high-way and vnto the hedges and compell men to come in And what is that That is be so importunate with them promise them threaten them command them in the Name of Christ to consent and come in GOD would faine haue his House filled he hath killed his fatlings hee would not haue his Table ready and haue no guests he would haue his House filled that his Table might not be prepared in vaine and that it may not be in vaine we are to inuite you to this marriage we are to inuite you to these fatlings to this Wine and Milke it is a banquet and a banquet you know what it is In a banquet there is as much as will cheere the body a concourse of all pleasant things Such things are in Christ there is spirituall comfort a concourse a heape of all spirituall ioy and comfort of all precious things you can finde and if you will come and taste you shall haue all his Jewels all his Graces to beautifie and to adorne you withall let this perswade you to come in But some may object If I come in I must lose my right eye or my right hand I must part with my lusts which are as deare to me as these members I will be briefe for tâ—is point because I will finish the Text at this time and will answer it euen as CHRIST doth Matth. 5. It is true we must doe so but then remember we shall haue heauen for our labour if Heauen be not worthy losing of a right eye or a right hand keepe thine eye still if thou wilt needs keepe it but thou shalt be sure to goe to hell There needs no other answer doe but seriously consider of this If I will I may keepe this lust this fleshly desire but certainely that will leade me to hell Let that answer serue for this But it may bee further obiected If I doe thus I must deny my selfe and this is a difficult thing for a man to offer violence to himselfe to crosse himselfe in all his desires a man is able to doe much
to Aegypt I am that I am saith hee say I am hath sent me I take this word that it comes from the same roote Iehovah is described by that I am and by that it is best understood when the Lord calls himselfe I am whereas every man may say I was and I shall be this every creature may say but the Lord saith I am that is whatsoever the Lord was from eternity the same he is to eternity there is no change in him And that is a great excellency in him that may moue us exceedingly to loue him You know when we meete with a friend that is constant that hath no alteration in him that is a sure friend haue him once and haue him for ever it sets a higher price on him When we can consider what the Lord is that he hath dealt thus and thus with us that he hath loved us and when we consider he is constant in it that he embraceth them with the sure mercies of David as they are called that is his compassions faile not but when hee hath once begun to loue hee loues for ever it is not so with men if they loue us at one time they forget us againe as the Butler forgot Iosâ—ph when they are in prosperity they forget us but the Lord knowes us in all our conditions thou hast knowne my soule in adversitie When we are in a strait friends oft times are backward to helpe us but the Lord in such an exigent he is the same he appeares in the Mount when there is no helpe in man I say this constancy that God is alway the same to us that his mercies are sure for they are called the sure mercies of David He shewed mercies to Saul too but they were another kinde of mercies Saul was not one that he had chosen to himselfe and therefore his mercies continued not for indeed hee never loved Saul with that unchangeable loue But when he loues any man as he loved David his mercies are sure as they were to David David was ready to step aside often as well as Saul hee let Saul goe but he carried David along they were sure mercies and such hee shewes to all those that he hath begun to loue That is the first I am or Iehovah Secondly he is strong Iehovah strong mercifull and gracious c. that is Almighty What is the meaning of that that he is almighty The meaning of it is this that the Lord hath all the excellencies those which we call graces and vertues and qualities in men all these abound in the Lord for what serues any vertue for or any quality that you haue but to enable you to doe something if a man haue any science or art that is but to enable him to doe that which without it he cannot doe if a man hath the art of Arithmetique he is able to number or if he haue the art of Logicke he is able to dispute come to all morall vertues What is temperance but that which enableth us to doe such and such things uppon such and such occasions What is patience but that which enableth us to endure afflictions So all that is excellent in man all those amiable those beautifull qualities wherewith the soule is adorned are but so farre good as they enable a man to doe this or that Now when the Lord is said to be almighty the meaning is hee hath all excellency in him and hee hath it in the highest degree for in this sense God is able to doe more than any man in regard of excellency whatsoever a man is able to doe you know how infinitely the Lord hath it beyond him he is able to doe so much more as he is beyond any man For that power that attribute that quality that is in man it is not a quality in him he hath it beyond any man Againe when a man is able to doe one thing yet he is not able to doe another one creature is able to doe this another that But the Lord is Almightie therefore he is able to doe all things And therefore this is a kind of excellencie that is the second description he is Iehovah and he is Almightie But now when you heare that the Lord is thus constant and thus exceeding in excellencie a man will be ready to say what is this to me I am a sinfull man there is nothing in me but that which may turne away the Lord from me and cause him to abhorre me Well saith he to comfort you know that I am mercifull exceeding pittifull exceeding ready to forgiue though your sinnes bee exceeding many though they bee exceeding great yet the Lord he is mercifull he is ready to passe by all those infirmities And that is another of his excellencies You know we reckon it a very amiable thing in a man when we see him pittifull This doth more abound in the Lord than in any creature there is no man in the world so ready to forgive as God If he were not God if he were as man my brethren could hee beare with us as he doth Let us doe to a man injuries and injuries againe and againe and never give over what man can beare it doth he not in the end withdrawe himselfe and will no more be reconciled But it is not so with the Lord when wee have done all Yet returne to me saith the Lord Ier. 3.2 Well but if we haue such sinnes in us suppose the Lord is mercifull and ready to forgive but yet there is no goodnes in us wee haue nothing in us why he should regard us and why he should looke after us To that it is answered the Lord is gracious that is though there bee no worth found in you yet he is ready to doe you good as grace you know is proper to a Prince or a great man that is sayd to be gracious to his subject or to one that is very inferiour because hee can doe nothing to deserue it it is called grace for grace you knowe is nothing but freenes and to be gracious is to doe things freely when there is no motiue no wages when there is nothing to winne him but of free grace he doth it So the Lord doth what he doth of his free grace he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy that is when all men did stand before him alike though there were nothing when there was no cause why the Lord should regard them more than an other yet He will haue mercy on whome he will haue mercy that is he is gracious though there be nothing in us to winne that love at his hands Well but yet wee may be readie to object it is true the Lord hath been thus to me he hath ben very merciful to forgiue me my sinnes he hath beene very gracious to me to shew me favour when I never deserved it but after I was put into such a condition I provoked him to anger by relapsing into sinne againe and againe after
I have been in a good estate I have broken the covenant with him I continued not in that good estate that out of his mercy he hath put me into To this he answers He is long suffering that is though you provoke him out of measure though you have done it againe and againe he continues patient you cannot wearie him out but his mercy indures for ever you know that if there were an end of his mercy that on your sinning hee should give over to be mercifull his mercy did not indure for ever therefore it is said He is long suffering because though your sinnes be often repeated yet the Lord as often repeates his mercy therefore there is a multitude of mercyes in him as there is a multitude of sinnes in you there is a spring of mercy in him that is renued every day he opens a spring for Iudah Ierusalem to wash in it is not a Cesterne but a Spring that is renewed as much as your sinnes that as you are defiled daily so the Lords mercy is renewed to wash away those sinnes he is long suffering But besides all this he goes yet one step further he is abundant in kindnes and in truth that is if you would know the Lord yet further whereas you may thinke He is a terrible God because of his great Majestie and power and therefore that those disharten you as wheresoever you find terriblenesse that you know puts off it is contrary to love and therefore the Lord to winne us the more tells us that though he be so great a God as he is yet he is abundant in kindnesse that is He is exceeding ready to beare with us that looke what you finde in a kinde Husband in a kinde Father or in a kinde friend that you shall find in the Lord he is exceeding kinde to you he is not harsh he is not stiffe he is not ready to obserue all that you doe amisse if you will aske any thing at his hands if you want it as therein kindnes doth consist he is ready to doe it whatsoever it is he is a God hearing prayer he saith whatsoever you aske at his hands he will doe it can you have a greater kindnesse than this if kindnesse be an attractive to winne love hee is kinde and hee is abundant in it If you will not beleeve this assertion this affirmation this description of himselfe hee tells you he hath promised and he will be as good as his word he is abundant in truth that is as if hee should say I am not onely of such a nature and disposition as I have described my selfe to be but besides this I am engaged to you you have many promises I have made you I have sworne I will doe thus and thus Therefore I will adde this to this disposition I am abundant in truth that is you shall finde me as good as my word and not so onely but I will be better than my word I am abundant in truth that is his performances exceede they runne over whatsoever hee hath said he will surely doe it Consider this consider how many precious promises you have consider what the Lord hath said hee will doe for you how full is the Scripture of promises every where remember this the Lord is abundant in truth he will doe them and overdoe them hee will fulfill every word that hee hath said And that he may give you a proofe of it he addes that he reserves mercy for thousands that shewes hee is abundant in kindnesse and in truth as if hee should say when any of you doe mee service when you are faithfull as Abraham my servant was I am bound no more but to reward your selves but I am abundant in mercy and forgivenesse reserving mercy for thousands The Lord cannot content himselfe to doe good to a mans owne person but to his children to his generation As David when he loved Barzillay and Ionathan it extended to their posterity when his love was abundant so the Lord reserves mercie for thousands Lastly because the objection still comes in when you have such a description of the Lord I but my sinnes are still repeated hee addes in the conclusion he is a God still forgiving iniquitie transgression and sinne Why are those three words put in That you may know that hee forgives sinnes of all sorts for every man is ready to finde some peculiarity in his sinnes hee thinkes such and such sinnes cannot be forgiven sinnes that I have committed thus and thus Nay saith the Lord what sinnes soever they are of what nature soever he forgives iniquity he forgives naturall corruption he forgives lesse infirmities he forgives greater rebellions and he is still doing it for so the word signifieth hee is still and still forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne So we have shewed you what the Lord is that you may learn to know him therfore we wil conclude this first and say to you as the Spouse saith Cant. 5. Such a one is the Lord and such a one is our wellbeloved oh you daughters of Ierusalem that is he is wholly delectable if we were able to shew him to you it must be your labour to consider him that you may learne to know him and to love him Secondly when you know this and consider what the Lord is and what excellency is in him consider in the next place the greatnesse of the Lord and know that this great God is suiter to you for your love that is he that makes towards you If a great King or if your potent neighbour should sue to you for love would not that move you You know the weaker should seeke to the stronger men of meaner condition should seeke to him of higher place when the great God beseecheth us to be reconciled to him when hee desires to be at peace with us and to be friends with us I say the greatnesse of God is a great argument to move us to love him as you have that Deut. 10.17 when the Lord reasons there with the people to perswade them to love him saith hee I am the God of Gods the Lord of Lords mighty and terrible as if he should say this great God hath done all this for you and this he requires at thy hands that thou shouldest love him when he shall desire but this refuse it not If one that we contemne one that is beneath us should seeke our love we are not so ready to returne love againe for we say he is below But when we consider God in his majesty and greatnesse that he should seeke to be reconciled to us that should move us that should win our hearts to him Besides consider what the Lord might have required of you you know you are his creatures you know what a distance there is betweene the Lord and you if he had put you on a harder task you ought to have done it if he had said to us you shall offer your children to me
wee are and to conceive from thence the kindnesse of the Lord you know how it affected Saul when hee came into the hands of David that he had power to kill him he considered what he had done to Dauid how he had used himselfe to him and he saw Dauids kindnesse againe to him but unexpected and undeserved it was it melted his heart it dissolved him into teares So the love of the Lord when we consider how we have behaved our selves to him and yet he hath offered us peace and yet he saith Returne and I will forgive you I say this would worke on the hardest heart And therefore consider your sinnes it is not enough to say I am a sinner perhaps you are ready to doe so But come to particular sinnes consider wherein you have offended the Lord say you have done thus and thus as Paul reasons with himselfe I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter an oppressour and yet the Lord had mercy on mee so be ready to say I have committed such and such sinnes it may be uncleannesse it may be Sabbath-breaking and swearing c. yet the Lord hath beene mercifull or willing to receive me to mercy as that place Ier. 3.1 If a mans wife play the harlot will hee returne to her No he will put her away and give her a Bill of Divorcement but you have done it and done it oft and with many lovers and yet returne againe to mee saith the Lord So I say when Christ shall come to you when you have committed such and such sinnes and the Lord shall say to you though you have done this though you have done it often yet returne again to me and I will receive you to mercie I say this should melt our hearts and cause us to love the Lord. I should come to the third that is to beseech the Lord to shew his owne selfe to you for indeede wee shall never come to love him till the Lord shew himselfe to us It is one thing when we preach him to you and it is another when the Lord shewes himselfe For as the Sunne is not seene but by his owne light there is no way in the world to see the Sunne all the candles all the torches cannot doe it except the Sunne shew it selfe So I say of the Lord all the Preachers in the world though they should speake with the tongues of Angels they were not able to shew the Lord Christ Iesus what hee is but if the Lord shew his owne selfe to you if he open the cloud and shew you his glory and the light of his countenance then you shall know the Lord after another manner than we can shew him to you with another knowledge more effectually And when you have seene him thus you shall love him without this you shall not love him And therefore pray the Lord to shew himselfe to you as it was Moses prayer Exod. 33 Shew me thy glory What is that That is Lord shew me thy excellency which is exceeding glorious You must thinke Moses asked not this in vaine it was for some purpose hee asked not meerely to satisfie his fancie for the Lord would not then have heard him But what did he aske it for Surely that he might love the Lord the more by knowing him better And when Moses came to aske it at the hands of the Lord he did assent he proclaimed that is hee revealed himselfe more than ever he did before So I say to every one of you if you be earnest with the Lord desire him to shew you his excellencie that you might love him more serve him more and feare him more he could deny you no more than he did Moses for you must thinke that this is no extraordinary thing for the Lord to shew himselfe That which hee did miraculously to Stephen when he opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to the outward view that hee doth ordinarily to the Saints hee shewes himselfe to their mindes and inward affections When wee preach at any time except the Lord shew himselfe to you at that time then our preaching is in vaine for the word that we speake is but a dead letter it will worke no more upon you than a dead thing that hath no efficacy But when the Spirit goes with the word and hee openeth to you the thing that we speake then it is effectuall Therefore Paul to the Ephesians when he had opened those great mysteries hee concludes with this The Lord give you the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know what the hope of your calling is and what is the glorious inheritance of the Saints c. As if he should say when I have said all this it is nothing it will not doe it but he beseecheth the Lord to give them the Spirit of revelation and then it is done And so to conclude all when we have said all we can to move you to love the Lord it is all nothing except the Lord give you that Spirit of wisedome and revelation to open your eyes to see what is the exceeding greatnesse and excellency of his power FINIS THE THIRD SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love OVT of these words we have formerly delivered this point to you that Whâ— soever loveth not is not in Christ. The last thing in the prosecution of this point was the meanes whereby this love is wrought in our hearts which we did not then finish notwithstanding we will not proceed in it at this time but rather alâ—â—r the matter and doe that which I did not then intend because there are many this day that are to receive the Sacrament and you know when we come to receive the Sacrament our chiefe businesse is to examine our selves Let every man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. We have often pressed to you the necessitie of these two things First that you may not omit the Sacrament when it is administred in the Congregation whereof you are members for if they were to be cut off from the people that neglected the Passeover why should not this be accounted a greater sinne and to deserve a greater punishment to neglect the receiving of the Lords Supper which is come in the place of the Passeover and is farre beyond it First because it is more cleare and it is more cleare because the doctrine is more cleare for it doth more lively represent Christ now exhibited in the flesh than that which onely represented Christ which was then to come And secondly because the mercie that you are now to remember is your redemption from sinne and from hell a greater mercie than that which they were to remember in the Passeover which was their deliverance out of Egypt though that was not all therefore the neglecting of this must
as if he vsed it not he would not care for losses crosses he would not grieue for them as one that is not able to beare them Thus we should learne to set faith on worke in beleeuing these priuiledges that we may be able to walke with God as Henoch did and as Paul and Moses did to walke with him in the vpper Region aboue the stormes There is much variety of weather when a man is below here now it is faire and then it is foule if a man were aboue these there is a continuall serenity So a man that hath his heart in Heauen a man that walkes with GOD that hath his heart raised aboue others if you would doe this if you would vse Faith if thou wouldest consider this it would set thee aloft aboue these things thou wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle thou wouldest care no more for these things then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes they are trifles thou wouldest ouerlooke them all If we did consider this seriously how would it alter our course It would worke another disposition another affection in vs. A man would consider that if GOD be sure what matter is it if a friend die If I haue GOD what is the losse of any creature And so if a man suffer wrong in his name what is it if he haue praise of GOD If thou beleeue and see GOD in his greatnes to haue praise of such a one as he will make thee to contemne the rest And so for wealth What is pouerty What account did Paul make of it It is nothing to one that hath Treasure in Heauen to one that beleeues indeede to one that seeth hee hath all GODS Treasures opened to him Thou shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest If a man would set this Faith aworke to beleeue it his heart would be fixed hee would bee afraid of no euill tydings hee would say with himselfe if there bee no ill tydings from heauen it is no matter from whence they come on earth If a man would build through faith vpon the promise and consider it really This is the vse of Faith thus a mans heart should be filled with ioy a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report through want and through abundance without being much troubled with either the one would not much puffe him vp nor the other would not deject him but he would goe as a Gyant and march thorow the variety of conditions he would passe through them that neither the one hand nor the other the good successe nor the ill successe should worke vpon him much This is a strong man and this Faith will make thee able to doe if thou vse Faith and set it aworke But I am sorry the time hath cut me off this is but an entrance I giue you but a little taste There are many things wherein Faith stands vs in much stead wherin if wee did vse Faith how much seruice would it doe vs But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith I had thought to haue shut it vp at this time to shew you how to vse it how to make it effectuall how to set it aworke how to walke by it how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your owne But I cannot stand on it So much for this time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fifth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE first thing wherein thou shouldest vse Faith is to comfort thy selfe by it Therefore consider you that doubt of this you that make question I speake to those that haue the work wrought whom the Holy Ghost hath made to desire Christ aboue all things I say remember that God iustifieth the vngodly and that you haue nothing to doe but to take him 2. Remember that CHRIST is made righteousnesse to vs that no flesh might reioyce in his sight but he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. 3. Remember that the pardon is generall Looke to the promises of the Gospell you shall finde them without all exception To vs a Sauiour is borne to take away the sinnes of his people he came to take away sinnes of all sorts Now when GOD hath made no exception why should we make any 4. Consider that wee haue to doe with a GOD who delights to shew mercie it is a thing that he is not weary of it is naturall to him And therefore as the eye is not wearie of seeing nor the eare of hearing because it is naturall to them no more is GOD weary of shewing mercie Nay he delights in it Mic. 7.8 Who is a God like vnto thee taking away iniquities delighting to shew mercie c. Why so Because mercy pleaseth him That is there is no worke that he is so much pleased in as in shewing mercy 5. Consider thou that art in such a case consider that his mercy is as large as any other attribute Euery man thinkes that this is no newes what need you tell vs that GOD is infinite in mercy I say this is a thing that thou dost not consider if thou diddest thou wouldest not sticke vpon it as thou doest If thou diddest beleeue that GOD were as mercifull as he is but we scant GOD according to our measure we square Gods mercy according to our own thoughts Euery man measures Gods mercy according to that which he can conceiue He thinkes with himselfe if a man commit one sinne it might be forgiuen but when his sinnes exceede when they grow out of measure sinfull when they are sinnes so circumstantiated as we say that they are out of measure sinfull here a man stands at a stay What is the reason of this Because we draw a scantling of Gods mercy according to our owne conceits Whereas if we considered that his mercie were as large as any other attribute then we would consider that it hath no limits and if it haue no limits then whatsoeuer thy sinnes are it is all one 6. Dost thou thinke that Christ came from heauen and tooke flesh and suffered death to forgiue small sinnes No it was to forgiue the greatest the worke is large enough to match with the greatest sinnes These and such like reasons thou shouldest labour to bring to heart that thou mayest beleeue perfectly and throughly and giue not ouer till thou haue done it Let not thy faith trust in Christ by halues but trust throughly Thou shouldest come to this disjunction If I bee out of the Couenant why doe I beleeue at all why doe I receiue any comfort If I bee in the Couenant why doe I not beleeue perfectly I say giue not ouer till thou haue brought thy heart to a full assurance Thus a man should doe that yet doubts whether his estate be good whether CHRIST bee his when he is his For when a man is once in the Couenant that the match is made betweene him and thee why doest thou doubt If thou
that loves not let him bee accursed let him bee had in execration to the death I should prosecute it further and shew the reasons why wee should loue the Lord as there is great reason But that I must deferre till the afternoone FINIS THE SECOND SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last tryall of our love to Christ was its constraining vertue love will constraine you to serve him you cannot choose but doe it it so constraines a man as the weight of a stone compelleth it to goe to the center as the lightnesse of the fire compells it to ascend up for such a thing is love a strong inclination of the heart when the soule puts it selfe on any thing from an inward principle from a bottome of its owne when it is carried on with no other motive but the amiablenes of the object Now to conclude this wee must beseech you to consider your owne condition and examine your selves by these rules that you may be able to say as Peter said Lord thou knowest I love thee that is to have such an assurance that your hearts may be well affected towards Christ Iesus that you may love him that you may be able to say to God who knowes our hearts searcheth our reines that knowes all the windings and turnings of your soules Lord thou knowest that I love thee Since it is a matter of such moment wee should be carefull to examine if we finde that we have not yet this love for we must know that all that we have all that we doe it will nothing availe us but faith which worketh by love And if you object why doe ye preach damnation to us doe you tell us we are in an evill condition for want of this love I answere it is profitable for you while you are in such a condition to have it preached it is good for you to speake this damnation to your selves that while yet there is hope you may seek to be healed that you may be translated into another condition that you may not perish in the evill day when there shal be neither hope nor helpe for you For you must know that when wee deliver you these signes of examining your selves our end is not to grieue you this doctrine tends not to destruction but to discover to you your owne hearts that you may know your owne condition that if you want it you may seek after it If therefore you finde a want of this love that we will doe next shall be to shew you what reason you have to love the Lord Iesus for there is no better way to get it in you than to describe him to you to shew you what cause there is of loving him if wee were able to present him to you as he is we should effect this thing but that must be the worke of the holy Ghost notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such reasons as we finde used in the Scriptures And first let this moue you to loue him that he is worthy to be beloved as David speakes Psal. 18.3 The Lord is worthy to be praised so wee may say the Lord is worthy to be loved for what is it that makes any thing worthy of loue it is the excellency that we finde there Now in the Lord there is all kinde of excellency whatsoever there is that is amiable under the Sunne all that you shall finde in him more abundantly If ever you see any thing in any creature any thing amiable in man if ever you saw any beauty any vertue any excellency all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures And therefore if you haue a loue as there is no man without some loue or other some creature seemes beautifull to you thinke with your selues this is more in the Lord. If ever you see excellency in any man if ever you see any noblenesse any holinesse any excellency of disposition know that it is more abundant in the Lord Iesus Let these rivers leade you to that Ocean to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you loue any creature let it be with a little loue let your affection be proportionable to the object as it exceedes in the Lord so let your loue exceede towards him to loue him with all your soule and all your strength And know this that hee hath not onely that in an omnipotent manner that is but sprinkled among the creatures they haue but a sparke but a drop of it but also there is this in the Lord that there is nothing in him but that which is amiable every creature hath some imperfection in it there is somewhat in it may cause aversation in you there is no man but hath some weaknesse but hath some infirmity there is no creature but it hath some want some defect in it but in the Lord there is no want there is nothing to put you off but as the Church saith Cant. 5. He is wholly delectable that is there is nothing in him but that which is amiable That would be a very profitable thing for us in this case often to thinke on the Lord Iesus to present him to our selues in our thoughts as the Spouse doth Cant. 5. shee considers her wellbeloved is the fairest of ten thousand so wee should beholde the person of our husband You know it is but a harlottry loue to consider what wee haue by our husband to consider what riches he brings what honour and not often to contemplate upon his person and upon his vertue and excellency wee should learne to doe this with the Lord that wee may loue him Therefore that wee may helpe you a little in this contemplation wee will shew you how the Lord hath described himselfe Exod. 34.4 when the Lord describes himselfe to Moses thus he declares his owne name The Lord Iehovah strong mercifull gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and in truth reserving mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne c. Wee will a little open to you this description that the Lord giues us of himselfe that so you may learne to know what hee is for the way to loue the Lord is to know him and indeed therefore we loue him not because we know him not there is no other reason why in heaven when we shall come to be present with him wee shall loue him so abundantly but because wee shall know him face to face that is the reason the Angels and the Saints loue most And of every man amongst the Saints hee that knowes most loues most Therefore it should be your labour to know the Lord. But to open as I say this description unto you First he is Iehovah that is hee is a constant friend to whomsoever he is a friend he is alway the same for that is another name by which the Lord describes himselfe to Moses when he sends him
desire long enough but how shall we be able to doe it I will tell you in a word and so conclude First you must pray for it it is a lovely suite when we come to the Lord and tell him that we desire to love him that we would faine doe it if we could and beseech him not to deny us that request that we know is according to his will doe you thinke that the Lord will refuse you in that case especially if you begge it importunately at his hands For if you object and say we have prayed and have not obtained it know that to love the Lord is a precious thing and therefore the Apostle reckons it so You will say How doth this prayer doe it I say that it doth it partly by obtaining at Gods hands for when you crie earnestly hee cannot denie you But as he did with the lame and the blinde when they were importunate hee never neglected any but healed them When you crie to the Lord and say I would faine love thee but I cannot will hee not be as willing to heale thy soule to give thee legges to runne after him and eyes to see him as he was to heale the lame and the blinde certainly he will not denie thee But besides that prayer doth it because it brings us to converse and to have communion with him by prayer wee are familiar with God by that meanes love growes betweene us as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love Againe prayer doth it because when wee are much in calling upon God the Lord delights to shew himselfe to such a man yea at such a time for the most part as hee shewed himselfe to Christ when he was praying as he did to Moses and to Cornelius and others And againe prayer it exerciseth this love it blowes up the sparke of this love and makes a flame of it therefore much prayer begets much love If you would be abundant in love be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer pray much and you shall finde this effect of it it will beget love in you You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love The reason is because love in an especiall manner is a gift of the Spirit a fruite of the holie Ghost and it is true it must be a peculiar worke of the Spirit to beget love It is true faith comes by hearing and hearing begets faith it is done likewise by the Spirit but love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the holie Ghost And therefore 2 Thess. 4. saith the Apostle You are taught of God to love one another That is it is such a thing as God teacheth or else our teaching will never doe it that which he saith of love to the brethren we may say of the love of God the Lord hath put love into man man loves many times and knowes not why many times he hath reason that he should love and yet he cannot because it is a peculiar gift of God That naturall affection for a man to love his children all the world cannot doe it all the arguments in the world cannot perswade a man for if arguments could doe it we might perswade others to doe so but none can love so as the father doth his childe and why but because the Lord workes that in men So the love of God is a peculiar worke of the holy Ghost none are able to love Iesus but hee in whom the Lord hath wrought it in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost to goe to him and say Lord I am not able to doe it this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevaile Besides you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature that except the holy Ghost worke more than nature we shall never be brought together in agreeablenesse and sutablenesse wee are no more able to love the Lord than colde water is able to heate it selfe there must be somewhat to breede heate in that water so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us it must be kindled from heaven or else we shall never have it Secondly another speciall meanes to enable you to love the Lord is to consider your owne condition to consider your sinnes what you are what hearts you have and what lives you have lead You will say how doth this beget love Yes this is a great meanes Mary loved much because much was forgiven her that is Mary Magdalen had great sense of her sinnes the Lord had opened her eyes to see what a one shee had beene what sinnes she had committed And because she had that sense of her sinnes her eyes were open to see her owne vilenesse thence it is saith he she loved much For when we are humble and poore in spirit when we are little in our owne eyes then the Lord will come and shew mercy on us when a man shall see his sinne and shall thinke with himselfe I am worthy to be destroyed I can expect nothing but death then the Lord shall come sodainly as it were and shall tell us you shall live and shall reconcile himselfe to us this will command love We shall never receive the Gospell as to love Christ till we come to poverty of spirit till we be thus humbled as in the first of Luke it is the speech of Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and why because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaiden When she was little in her owne eyes and made no account of her selfe and thought not her selfe worthy to be looked after the Lord comes and takes her and vouchsafes her such an honour as to cause his owne Sonne to be borne of her now she could not holde but that was it that enflamed her heart with love to the Lord my soule doth magnifie the Lord because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaid So wee see in David you never finde a greater expression of love in David than at that time when hee was most humbled when the Prophet came to him and tolde him what the Lord would doe for him that he would build him and house David begins to consider what he was what is David saith he What am I or what is my fathers house That is I am but a poore miserable man I am but thus borne what have I done that the Lord should respect me so farre If David had not beene so little and so vile in his owne eyes those great mercies had never so wrought on his heart And therefore I say the way to make us abundant in love is to consider our sinnes to be humbled to consider what
banishment where hee lived well enough and enjoyed all things hee wanted nothing but had as much as hee could desire yet saith he what doth all this availe me so long as I may not see the Kings face It was but his craftinesse Yet thus much we may observe out of it that this is the property of love that till a man see the face of God that is till he enjoy a neare and close communion with God untill he can have the love of God witnessed to his soule hee cares for nothing in the world besides As you have it in 2 Chron. 7.14 you have that condition put in If my people saith he when they are in distresse shall humble themselves and seeke my face then I will doe thus and thus As if he should say it may be they may seeke libertie when they are in captivitie it may be they may seeke health when they are in sicknesse it may be they may seeke deliverance from enemies under whom they are enthralled but that is not the condition that I put them upon but if they humble themselves and seeke my face then I will heare in heaven c. So I say now if you will trie whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you seeke his face that is whether you seeke grace or no whether nothing in the world can content you but his favour For it is the property of one that is truly sanctified mercie alone will not content him but hee will have grace as well as mercy Another man that loveth not the Lord it is true it may be hee is pinched with the sense of his sinnes but let him have mercy it is enough hee thinkes but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God except he have grace it contents him not for that is the property and nature of true love that it careth for no wages all that it desires is the love of the party that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted and there is a great difference in that You know a nurse doth much unto the childe as well as the mother and it may be more but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired but the mother doth it for nothing and she doth it more abundantly because she doth it out of love and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it because shee loves her childe So I say if you love the Lord Iesus it is not wages that you seeke but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you if you may have his favour if you may have opportunitie to doe him service in your place it is enough for you you care not for the present wages nor for future Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love the rightnesse and ingenuity of it if it be so that all that you doe is out of love to the Lord and if you can content your selves with love againe from God it is a signe that you love the Lord Iesus Againe to proceed if you love the Lord Iesus you will also love his appearance as you have it in 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse is laid up for me and as many as love the appearance of Iesus Christ and in Heb. 9. ult Hee was offered for the sinnes of many and shall appeare the second time to such as looke for him c. For whom was he offered and to whom shall he appeare To as many as looke for his comming againe So in 2 Pet. 3.13 What manner of men saith the Apostle ought we to be in all godlinesse holy conversation looking for and hasting to the appearance of Christ c. So that it is certaine every man that loveth the Lord Iesus hee loves his appearance hee hasteneth to the comming of the Lord he lookes for his comming againe and it must needes be so in reason For if you love any you know you must needes love their presence will you professe that you are louing to any that when you heare of their comming towards you there is no newes more unacceptable to you If a woman had a husband in the East Indies and report of his comming home should be the worst newes that shee could heare shall wee thinke that such a woman loues her husband So if you did loue the Lord Iesus you would be glad to haue his appearance And Beloved seeing the Apostle hath chosen out this note why should not we presse it in our examination of our selues whereby wee may know whether wee loue the Lord Iesus or no whether wee desire to be with the Lord whether we can say as the Apostle Paul Wee desire to be at home and to be with the Lord If we examine the loue of men by this rule wee shall finde that there is exceeding little loue to the Lord Iesus men are so exceeding backward in desiring to be at home and to be with him and we may know that by our backwardnesse to be in the Lords presence upon earth Shall wee thinke that men are desirous to be in his presence in heauen and yet are so unwilling to draw neare to him upon earth But you will object Many of those that loue the Lord that are men truly sanctified yet are afraid of death and the newes of death is terrible to them and therefore surely this is a rare signe euen in those that haue faith and loue to desire the appearance of Iesus Christ I answer it is true there may be a backwardnesse even in the Saints but you must know upon what ground it is A spouse that is to marrie a husband no question but shee would be glad to be handsome and to be prepared for his comming and though shee may desire his companie exceedingly yet because things are not so readie as she would have them or for feare that he may finde that which may divert and turne away his eyes from delighting in her perhaps shee desires not his comming at that time There is a certaine negligence and unpreparednesse in mens hearts which breedes an unwillingnesse in them sometimes and makes them afraid of seeing the Lord and yet there may be a true and inward love after him Besides you know there is flesh as well as spirit and the spirituall part desires as Paul did to be at home and to be with the Lord and to enjoy his presence but that flesh that is in us is alwayes backward to it Therefore in Revel 14.13 Blessed are those that die in the Lord so saith the Spirit but so saith not the flesh the voice of the flesh is contrary to it but it is the voice of the spirit and the regenerate part that is in us So that this I may boldly say to you that every man that hath this faith and love wrought in him by the Spirit of God hee hath that in him which doth earnestly desire communion with
after an other manner he sees now an other beautie in God than ever he saw before hee sees an other excellencie in him for that knowledge he had of him before bredd not love But when a man is once within the Covenant the Lord will teach him such a knowledge of himselfe as withall will worke the love of him Such a knowledge you must have of the Lord and you may help your selves to love him by reasoning if ever you saw any excellencie in any man or in any creature it did help you to love that creature Thinke with your selves there is more in God that made that creature He that made the eye shall hee not see So he that wrought that excellency shall not he have it in himselfe in a greater measure Besides you may consider how the Lord hath described himselfe that hee is most wise most mercifull and full of kindness and gentlenes and abundant in truth as you know that description in Exod. 34. Go through all the vertues and excellencyes that are amiable if you looke in the Scripture you shall find them to be in the Lord. This serious consideration will help you to increase your knowledge of the Lord and by consequent your love of him So that if you would come to loue a man what is it that causeth you to love him but because by his speech and by his carriage and behaviour you come to have such an apprehension of his disposition he hath a minde thus framed thus qualified thus beautified When you conceiue such an Idea of him you love him So when you apprehend the Lord aright when you observe him as he is described in his word when you observe his doings when you consider his workes and learne from all these together a right apprehension of him I say when you have such an Idea of him such an opinion of him then the will followes the understanding and the affections then followes then you come to love him and to delight in him Therefore learne to know the Lord by his former carriage towardes your selves how kinde he hath beene how exceeding patient how exceeding readie to forgiue how much kindnesse he hath shewed how hath he in mercy remembred you though you have forgotten him how you haue recompenced him evill for good yet hee hath not broaken off the course of his mercie towards you Consider his dealing with you and learne by this to know the Lord and this will be a meanes to encrease in you the love of the Lord. This is not all there is another thing which is the second branch that I tolde you of that is to looke upon God as one sutable to you and to your disposition For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him if he be not agreeable to you you love him not A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent in many respects yet he is not a fit husband for her It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition that causeth us to love him Therefore when you put these two together consider the Lords mercie and see that and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull and looke on your selves as very weake needing that power when you looke on him as the Lord of life and see your selves subject to death and needing that life when you see your owne folly and his wisedome go through all in him and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable as one that is agreeable to you and till you come to this you shall never love him and long after him till the heart namely is thus framed till a man is humbled till he comes to the sight of himselfe for as you must know God so you must know your selves before you can love him I say when a man comes to that hee begins to looke on God as upon one agreeable to him As take a man who is touched with the feare of his sinnes whose heart is broken who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath and of his owne unworthinesse such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world but the assurance of Gods love and his favour As you see in naturall things let a man be very weary the daintiest meate in the world whatsoever you give him will not heale him but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect nothing will helpe him but rest Againe let a man be hungry and faint for want of meate all the musicke the best ayre or whatsoever you can give him will doe him no good it must be meate that must helpe him If a man have a disease it is not sleepe it is not meate and drinke it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease So it is with the heart of man when his heart is so broken so humbled and touched with the sense of his sinnes that hee longs after nothing but remission nothing but the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of his love and kindnesse nothing will satisfie him but that it is so in naturall defects and so it is in the soule when the heart of a man is so fashioned that it lookes upon God as one agreeable to him and there is nothing else sutable but onely the Lord and his favour and his love that is required to breede this love in you towards him What is the reason else that it is said Hosea 5. ult When they are afflicted they will seeke mee diligently But because afflictions teach a man to know himselfe it teacheth him to know his owne weaknesse to see his owne sinne his owne impotency his owne unworthinesse and when he hath done this then he lookes upon God as one who onely is fit for him as one who is onely able to helpe him Affliction doth but discover what was there before For man is a weake and impotent creature made for the Lord he is nothing without the Lord it is the conjunction with God that makes him up onely he knowes not this he understands not this Therefore when God opens a mans eyes either by the immediate worke of his Spirit to teach him to know himselfe or by affliction then he comes to seeke after the Lord when they are afflicted they will seeke me diligently If thou shouldest have such an offer as was made to those Acts 2. Peter tells them there they should have remission of sinnes they should receive the gift of the holy Ghost if this had beene offered to them before they knew themselves before they had beene humbled and pricked at the heart as it is said they were would they have regarded such an offer as this No they would not although they had understood that offer never so well So I say though you know his name and his excellent attributes never so perfectly yet till
Why God heareth not sometimes 2 194 Hearers Hearing Hearers of two sorts 1 28 What hearing of the word God requireth 3 81 Heart Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 26 Christ dwells in the heart how 2 95 How to know whether Christ dwell in the heart 2 96 To take Christ with the whole heart 2 97 Vncircumcision of heart 3 106 A heart after Gods heart is a signe of love 3 119 When wee give our hearts to God hee gives us them againe 3 155 Heaven Heaven how desired by wicked men 3 74 Helpe God can helpe in desperate cases 2 189 Hypocrites Hypocrisie Hypocrisy what 3 19 The Saints hated under the name of hypocrites 3 103 Christ persecuted under the person of an hypocrite 3 121 Holy Ghost How the holy Ghost worketh faith 2 49 Love a peculiar gift of the holy Ghost 3 50 Holinesse Holines wrought by God 1 40 Holines easier loved in the Saints than in God 2 127 Holines required in comming to God 2 199 Hope Hope ill grounded faileth 2 19 Hope distinguisheth the faith of Christians from others 2 127 Hope mingled with feare 2 128 Hope the property of it 2 129 Hold out To hold out what it implyeth 2 118 Howling The prayers of wicked men are howlings 2 107 Humbled Humiliation Humility Humiliation how it is required before we come to Christ. 1 14 None can take Christ till they be humbled 1 24 Want of humiliation causeth faith to bee vaine 2 15 Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest evill 2 16 Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. 2 30 Without sound humiliation men holde not out 2 32 Humility a concomitant of faith 2 136 Humility required in comming to God 2 199 I. Idolatrie Idolatry a cause of the pestilence 3 91 Iehovah Iehovah 3 36 Ignorance Ignorance what breedeth it 3 105 Imployment How faith guides a man in his imployment 2 166 Imperfection Imperfection in every creature 3 35 Impediment Two impediments of love to Christ. 3 104 When the impediment cannot be removed God accepteth the will for the deed 3 201 Implacable Hatred is implacable 3 101 Infinite Gods mercy is infinite 2 150 Infirmitie Love to God makes him beare with many infirmities 3 152 See Covenant Ingage We are ingaged to love the Lord. 3 45 Interest Faith gives us interest in all Gods riches 2 141 Intention A man may pray amisse though his intention be right 2 â—95 Ioy. Ioy increase of faith increaseth it 1 135 Ioy may be in hypocrites 2 93 Ioy a concomitant of â—aith 2 130 Ioy tryalls of it 2 132 Iudge Iudgements What God looks for when he sends Iudgements 3 94 To looke on God as a Iudge a signe of hatred 3 132 The sinnes of Gods children helpe forward Iudgements 3 216 Iustifie Iustification Faith how it iustifieth 1 59 Pharise not iustifyed why 1 72 Iustification difference betweene Papists and us in the doctrine of it 2 67 Iustification double 2 68 Good workes iustify not 2 71 Waiting in iustification 2 122 Workes and faith exclude each other in iustification 3 3 K Kindnesse God abundant in kindnesse 3 41 Kindnesse wherein it consists Ibid. Killing The great sinne of killing Christ. 2 103 Know Knowledge Particular knowledge 2 36 Knowledge of God a meanes to love him 2 108 Afflictions teach a man to know himselfe 3 141 Knowledge of God and our selves must goe together 3 142 Knowledge in wicked meâ— 3 192 L. Law Law how it drives men to Christ. 1 105 Law an efficacy put into it to work faith 2 49 Law breaketh the heart 3 12 Law of the Gospell who breake it 3 19 Liberty Liberty in giving our hearts to God 3 156 Life How to use faith in guiding our life 2 154 Life the end of it 3 207 Limit Love doth not limit it selfe in duty 3 95 Limiting in Gods service shewes want of love 3 96 Longing Longing after Christ whence it is 2 90 Long-suffering Long-suffering in God 3 40 Lose We lose not by ourlove to God 3 1â—3 God loseth when wee employ not our talents 3 162 Lord. Christ must be taken as a Lord. 1 50 Love Love to Christ when wee have taken him 1 23 Men in extremity would have Christ but not out of love 2 11 Love of harlots 2 14 Love of virgins Ibid. Love must make us come to Christ. 2 44 Vneffectuall faith workes no love 2 59 Love cannot be counterfeited by hypocrites 2 72 151 Love a concomitant of faith 2 124 Love tryalls of it 2 125 Love to Saints 2 126 Love to God weakeneth sinne 2 214 Love what 3 6 Definition of love in generall Ibid. Love two effects of it 3 7 Love five kindes of it 3 8 Love to God threefold 3 10 Love of three sorts Ibid. Love to God wrought by two things 3 12 Love to Christ what 3 14 Motives to love Christ. 3 34 Why we love the Lord no more 3 36 Love why it is planted in us 3 45 Love of God to us a motive to love him 3 48. Love to God meanes to beget it 3 49 Love the properties of it 3 60 157 Love the tryalls of it 3 113 Love an exhortation to it 3 150 Love motives to it 3 152 Lust. Thraldome to lusts shewes a desire not to part with them 1 93 Faith conflicts with lust 2 75 Satisfying of lusts cannot stand with faith 2 99 Lusts the best way to mortifie them 2 213 Lusts the mortifying of them a good worke 3 207 See Liberty M. Manna Manna hidden 2 85 Meanes Meanes of the use of them 2 176 Meanes that we use must be Gods 2 178 Meanes particular not to bee pitched on much Ibid. Meanes caution in using them 2 186 Meanes how to know we trust God in using them Ibid. Meaning We must not content our selves only with good meanings 3 191 Melancthon 2 163 Measure Punishment the measure of sinne 3 22 Mercy Mercy of God infinite and therefore should incourage us 1 114 Mercy sought of many and not grace 2 13 Mercy God delights in it 2 150 Mercy of God 3 39 Mercy remembred in the Lords Supper great 3 58 Might Wee must love God with all our might 3 160 Misinformation Misinformation the ground why many take Christ. 2 6 Faitâ— that comes from misinformation lasts not 2 119 Moderation 3 210 Mortifie Vneffectuall faith doth not mortifie sinne 2 59 Motions The affections are the severall motions of the will 3 6 Misery We must see our misery before wee apply the promises 1 59 The consideration of our misery draweth the will 1 104 Misery at the last befalls evill men 2 208 N. Name Good name like a glasse 2 190 Nature Naturall Righteousnesse of the Gospell not in men by nature 1 4 Naâ—urall love why it is planted in us 3 11 Naturalnesse of our love to God 3 130 Good workes come from a new nature 3 190 Neglect Men ought not to neglect the Sacrament 3 59 Not. If wee
helped by the Holy Ghost to know it but it is chiefly grounded vpon our owne experience for it is no more but the act of a mans owne heart reflecting vpon what hee hath done when hee considers Haue I taken CHRIST or no as a Lord and as a Sauiour as a Priest to saue me as a King to liue by his Lawes this is a looking vpon an act of mine owne therefore the vnderstanding and knowing of it must come from experience The last act of faith is to purifie and to sanctifie I cannot stand vpon it at this time nor make Vse and apply this as I desired therefore I will breake off heere So much for this time FINIS OF FAITH The third Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith THe last point that wee deliuered out of these words was this that Faith is that whereby we are made partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ. Wee come now to the Vses of it And first of all if it be by faith onely by which we are made partakers of that righteousnesse that saueth vs the first consectary that we will draw from hence is this That wee should learne to come to CHRIST with an empty hand and not to bee discouraged for any want that wee finde in our selues nor for the greatnesse of our sinnes wee should not bee discouraged for the want of a perfect degree of repentance and godly sorrow or for the want of whatsoeuer good worke you thinke is requisite to saluation for my beloued you must know that this is the nature of faith that it doth its worke best alone and faith is so farre from requiring any thing in the partie that shall haue CHRIST that necessarily he must let goe all things else otherwise hee cannot beleeue and this is a point necessarily to be considered for euery man is apt to conceiue and thinke that it is impossible that GOD should accept him vnlesse there bee something in him why GOD should regard him If he finde himselfe to be exceeding vngodly he thinkes that CHRIST will neuer looke after him And againe if hee haue nothing at all to giue if he haue nothing to bring with him in his hand hee thinkes that hee shall haue no pardon But you see that faith requires nothing in the first apprehension of CHRIST if a man bee neuer so vngodly it is all one the promise notwithstanding is made vnto him Againe Why should you looke for righteousnesse in your selues The worke of faith and it hath nothing else to doe is to take that righteousnesse of Christ that is none of your owne so that there is nothing else at all required for all that faith hath to doe is onely to take from Christ that righteousnesse that we want our selues so that I say there is no reason why any man should bee discouraged in his first comming for any want that he findes in himselfe or for any condition that he is in because faith onely is that that makes vs partakers of a righteousnesse to iustifie vs because we our selues haue it not I say faith is so farre from requiring any thing to be added to it to helpe it in the act of iustifying that of necessity it excludes all things else for faith hath this double quality not onely to lay hold of Christ offered but to empty a man of all things else whatsoeuer As for example Faith is not onely the beleeuing of a truth which is deliuered from the authority of him that doth deliuer it but it is a resting vpon Christ a casting of our selues vpon him Now when a man leanes vpon any other thing hee stands not vpon his owne legges hee stands not vpon his owne bottome for if hee did hee could not properly be said to leane If a man trust and depend vpon another he prouides not for himselfe but he that so lookes to himselfe that he prouide so as to make him selfe safe if another should faile him so farre he trusts himselfe so that beloued if you trust CHRIST it is of necessity required that you must bee vnbottomed of your selues you must altogether leane vpon him you must cast your selues wholly vpon him For faith hath such an attracting vertue in it that it fils the heart with CHRIST Now it cannot fill the heart with CHRIST vnlesse the heart be emptyed first Therefore I say faith hath a double quality not onely to take but to empty and they are reciprocall the one cannot be without the other Hence it is that we say faith ingrafts a man a man cannot be ingraft into a new stocke vnlesse hee bee quite cut off from the former roote therefore faith driues a man out of himselfe and makes him nothing in himselfe so that when he comes to lay hold on the promise of GOD he lookes at no quality or excellencie of his owne he lookes at no fitnesse nor worthinesse in himselfe but he comes with a hand and a heart altogether empty So that when a man comes to beseech GOD to receiue him to mercie and to grant him a Pardon of his sinnes when he comes to take hold of the righteousnesse of CHRIST for his iustification if he thinke that there is any little worthinesse in him or that there be no fault in him at all and from thence shall thinke that GOD will receiue him this man is not fit to come to Christ he must be wholly emptied of himselfe and then God will speake peace vnto him But you will aske What is that that faith doth empty a man of Faith emptieth a man of two things First of all opinion of righteousnesse in himselfe Secondly of all opinion of strength and ability to helpe himselfe for if either of these remaine in the heart a man cannot receiue CHRIST First I say a man must be emptied of all opinion of worthinesse in himselfe of all conceipt that he hath the least righteousnesse in himselfe therefore when the yong man came to CHRIST and CHRIST told him that he must keepe the Law and he said hee had done all those things from his youth CHRIST knew that he was not yet fit therefore saith he Goe and sell all that thou hast Christs end was nothing else but to discouer to him his owne vnworthinesse If thou wilt be perfect saith CHRIST take this tryall Canst thou be content to let thy wealth goe to follow me Canst thou be content to suffer persecution This shewed that hee was not perfect but that hee was still a sinfull man this was the way to prepare him for Christ this course we see CHRIST alwaies tooke we see it expressed in the Parable of the Publican and of the Pharise the Publican went away iustified because he was wholly emptyed of all conceipt and opinion of worth in himselfe But the Pharise was not iustified not because he was not a iuster man then the
discouraged A little grain of true Muske is able to sweeten a great deale So if faith be true a little true faith will perfume all the heart and soule it hath influence into euery thing and it puts a good tincture vpon all that a man doth though it be but little yet the influence is great Therfore though thou haue not a great measure of faith if thou haue a little comfort thy selfe with that we know the best bud drawes sap from the root as well as the greatest branches as truely so they that budde that are but yet in the beginning of faith yet they are as truly grafted into CHRIST and receiue life from him as those that are growne Christians And therfore be noâ— discouraged because thou hast not as yet a great measure of Faith say not because I am not as strong as such therfore I am no body reason not so if thou haue but as much as will bring thee within the doore within the Couenant within compasse once it is true when a man is within the doore there are greater degrees he may goe farther into the house or a little way in but all is one when he is in once So in faith a little faith is enough to put a man within the Couenant to put one within the Gate of Heauen as it were indeed when they are in some goe further and some goe not so farre but if thou be in at all comfort thy selfe with that and thinke not that euery little infirmity shall breake the Couenant when thou art in No that which makes a diuorse betwixt GOD and you will doe it but euery infirmity doth not that Take heed therfore of robbing GOD of his glory and your selues of comfort you know what a Father he is he is a tender and a wife Father we reckon it wisdome in parents when they consider the infirmities of their children GOD is wise let vs goe to him a Father will beare with his sonne and receiue him againe and againe though he haue infirmities So GOD is thy Father what though he see many failings in thee what though he see wee haue little grace or little faith yet wee are sonnes GOD will spare vs and therefore cast not away your hope but labour to know that though you be but as smoking Flax yet there is fire there as well as if it were all on a flame Now it is Satans end indeed to discourage and remember but that that the thing hee labours is to perswade you that you haue no faith and that a little will not serue the turne and that because thou art not so strong as the strongest Christians that therefore thou hast a false heart and art no body at all his end is to discourage labour to resist him And we that are Ministers of CHRIST wee are in this case to comfort and encourage you as Paul saith we were gentle among you as a Nurse among her children wee should bee tender ouer you and comfort and encourage you wee are not Lords of your faith And thereâ—ore in Ezekiel 33. it was the fault of the Shepheards they ruled all the people with rigour but we are helpers of your ioy for what haue we to doe but what our Master hath set vs about to doe as he did how did he behaue himselfe the smoking Flax hee did not blow it with a tender breath to kindle it more he dealt not roughly with it So the Ministers of GOD should labour to build men vp to draw them on Indeede sometimes the Minister must be sharpe to wake men when they sleepe to discouer hypocrites and temporizing professors to teach those to know themselues that haue a forme of godlinesse without the power thereof here the Word preached must be a two-edged sword that must pierce betweene the marrow and the ioynts here the Word must be as the Thunder and Lightning it must haue terrour in it So Christ comes with his Fanne in his hand and with his Axe in his hand he will burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire and hew downe the vnfruitfull Trees but this is to be vnderstood of those that are false-hearted those that are not sound that haue Christ offered them but doe not receiue him Indeede to those our Ministery is sharpe but for others it is not so And therefore in Ezekiel 34. we are to doe as the Shepheards doe there with their Flocks some Sheepe are weake and are not able to goe the pace of the rest some are broken some are lost and some are gone astray and some are great with yong our businesse is to seeke those that are lost to driue all according to the pace of the weakest to binde vp the broken to carry them in our armes thus Christ did and if we faile in this CHRIST who is the great Shepheard of the Flocke he sees it if we goe astray he fetches vs in if we be broken and haue lost our wooll and be not in right order he bindes vs vp he feedes vs and tenders vs thus Christ deales with you And therefore be not discouraged though thou be not so strong as the strongest yet if thou be a Sheepe if thou be in the fold if thou hast the least degree of faith it is able to make thee partaker of this righteousnesse although thou haue not the highest degree though thou haue not that excellencie that others haue The second vse is to exhort you to growe in faith and so I end content not your selues with a little a small measure of faith though notwithstanding a little will serue to put you in the state of saluation yet it should be your wisdome to get a great degree as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.13 Trust perfectly in the grace brought in by the reuelation of CHRIST Marke it for it is an excellent place for this purpose study it and thinke well of it trust perfectly in the grace reuealed that is to say doe it not by halues let noâ— there be some odde reckonings betweene GOD and thee stand not in distance from him but trust vpon him perfectly beleeue fully and assuredly that your sinnes are forgiuen you beleeue fully the grace that is giuen you through CHRIST doe it perfectly throughly trust perfectly in the grace brought in by CHRIST that is our fault that we doe it not in such a manner hence it is that our Joy is weake our grace is weake trust perfectly that your Joy may be full that you may haue full communion and fellowship with CHRIST the benefit is exceeding great when we trust perfectly and why will you not why should you limit the holy one of Israel It was their sinne and transgression to limit him in his power and alsufficiencie as if he were not able to doe such and such things and is it not as great a sinne to limit him in his mercie and goodnesse Why cannot hee forgiue sinnes and transgressions that in all circumstances are the greatest sinnes in
breake a mans sleepe when he lay in that danger that if Achitophel's councell had taken effect hee had beene destroyed and yet now saith he I laid me downe and slept as if he should say This is an argument of my faith my heart is at rest and quiet so that I can sleepe quietly without stirring And â—o Paul see how hee accompts it how he behaued himselfe when God told him that he should appeare at Rome before Caeâ—â—r he knew that he should be deliuered from Ship-wracke and though forty men had bound themselues with a curse that they would destroy him and hee was told of it yet he made no great matter of it but said Goe and carry this young man to the Captaine So consider whether thy heart be quiet and rest vpon God or no for so much faith so much peace as in particular so in generall for matter of assurance know that there is a double peace or assurance One peace that ariseth from the confidence in the creature when a man thinkes he is strong in his wealth when he thinkes he is at rest The other is from assurance in GOD I know that he will be as good as his word I know whom I haue trusted Let security be built on this ground and the more security the more faith Therfore examine thy faith by peace I should adde somewhat more in this and some other signes which I must reserue vntill the next time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fourth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE third Character of Faith which I named in the morning but did not fully finish is this If we haue justifying faith then we haue peace In this we should take heede As it is a great mercy to haue a true and sound peace so to haue a peace not well bottomed is the greatest judgement in the world when GOD giues vp a man that he shall be secure and at rest that he shall not haue his minde occupied about sinne or about matters of saluation I say it is a signe that such a one God hates if it continue so with him it is a signe God will destroy him But yet peace of conscience vpon a good ground is a signe of faith as I shewed in Moses Hannah Dauid and the rest So farre wee went in the morning Now you must know that all those instances that we brought you that where there is faith there is peace and quiet they were not onely for resemblance to shew you that as it is in those other things wherein wee beleeue so it is in the maine as you doe not beleeue any particular promise except you haue some quiet in your minde after it but likewise to shew you whether that peace bee good or no whether that faith be sure or no. For if you beleeue the maine certainely you will beleeue the lesse Therefore consider with your selues wee will inlarge this signe so farre If thou wouldest know whether thy faith be good or no whether thou haue peace indeede concerning the maine Consider with thy selfe whether thou art able to beleeue those promises which concerne those particular things which thou hast daily vse of For there are many promises which thou hast vse of continually in thy course thou hast euery day some occasion or other of trusting GOD See in these how thou doest beleeue whether thou hast peace and know that if thou haue not peace in these it is a signe thou hast not peace in the maine I will name but one place for it Looke in Phil. 4.6 In nothing be carefull but in all things let your requests be made vnto God And then saith he The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus Marke the opposition saith he In nothing be carefull when matters of trouble come when crosses come when great businesses come wherein thou knowest not which way to turne thee saith hee in such a case be not thou carefull doe the thing thou must haue so much care as to set thy head aworke as to deuise what to doe and to set thy hand aworke to act it but let there be no sollicitude to disturbe and disquiet thy affections within Let thy request be made knowne to GOD then the peace of GOD which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe thy heart and minde in Christ Iesus As if hee should say if thou be not able to doe this it is an interruption of that peace it is a contradiction to that peace which passeth all vnderstanding that keepes thy heart in communion with CHRIST if thou be not able to cast thy care on him for other things that peace belongs not to thee Where there is a secret intimation not but that men may haue this peace and be inordinately carefull but ordinarily it is not so He speakes not of such infirmities as the Saints are subject vnto by distemper but of an ordinary course Consider now what thou dost for the things of this life Saith CHRIST Math. 6. Oh you of little saith Why so What was the signe of a little faith Saith CHRIST Doest thou thinke that hee will cloathe the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Ouen Doest thou thinke that he will prouide for the yong Rauens that call vpon him and wilt thou not beleeue that he will doe so for thee If thou doe not beleeue this thy faith is nothing If thou beleeue little thy faith is little Consider that consider how you carry your selues for the things of this life doe you thinke that GOD will doe the maine and will not doe the lesse Doe you thinke that he will giue you Christ and will he not giue you other things The same faith that takes hold of the maine promise is it not ready to take hold of the lesse and to depend vpon it GOD is able to doe the greatest and is hee not able to doe the lesse Therefore I say in such a case as CHRIST saith Ioh. 3.12 to Nichodemus 〈◊〉 saith hee I come and tell you of earthly things and you beleeue me not how would you beleeue if I should tell you of heauenly things So I say if you will not beleeue GOD concerning earthly things when hee promiseth these how will you beleeue him for the greatest matters of saluation How will you beleeue in him for the giuing of CHRIST How will you beleeue in him for the raising of you vp at the last day Therefore consider whether you be able to doe this or no and know that if there be faith if you haue faith for the maine you will haue faith in particular cases As for exmple to giue you some instance Gen. 24.7 when Abraham had a particular occasion to send his seruant to get a Wife for Isaac saith the seruant Suppose the woman will not come with me See now what Abrahams answer was That God which tooke
it to clense it And therefore we should learne to make vse of our Faith to set it on worke It is a generall Rule in all things and as true in this If a man haue an estate what is he the better to haue it if he doe not vse it To haue a friend what is a man the better if he doe not vse him Shall a man be a Fauourite of a Prince and get nothing by it Faith makes a man a Fauourite of GOD a friend to GOD and will you make no vse of GOD It is that which he expects at your hands will you haue GOD in vaine Shall hee be your GOD and will you make no vse of his power of his wisdome of his ability to hold you vp to helpe you vpon all occasions You should make vse of him all that is his is yours if you make vse of it by faith Againe shall men haue such priuiledges as we haue by faith and shall not wee comfort our selues by them What is it for a man to haue great estates great Titles of Honor and Houses and Lands if a man doe not thinke vpon them that these considerations may cheere him We should doe so with faith this is the vse of faith Againe if faith be vsed it is able to doe much for vs if it lye still it will doe nothing You know what they did Heb. 11. They hauing faith it made them doe that it was but the vse of their faith So it is with vs Looke how much thou vsest thy faith so much thou shalt be able to doe Therefore Christ saith Be it according to thy faith that is not according to the habit of thy faith that lyes dead as a Talent wrapped vp there but be it vnto thee according to the vse of thy faith If thou set faith on worke it will be able to doe great things it will be able to doe wonders it will be able to ouercome the world it is able to worke righteousnesse it is able to preuaile with GOD and men it is able to goe thorow the greatest matters But you will say How shall I vse it That is the thing indeed which I purposed now to haue shewed how faith must be vsed how we must liue by faith I should haue shewed how you should vse it First in comforting of our selues for that is one vse of Faith thou shouldst set it aworke to fill thy heart with ioy out of the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinne and of the priuiledges which thou hast by CHRIST When a man hath faith and finds his heart no more affected then other mens he findes no reioycing there more then ordinary Now set faith on work learn to beleeue and that throughly First set faith on worke to beleeue to trust perfectly as the Apostle speakes Gal. 3. In the grace reuealed by Iesus Christ trust perfectly that is thou shouldst beleeue the full forgiuenesse of thy sinnes thou must not beleeue it by halues so that there should be a distance as it were betweene GOD and thee some odde scores vnacquitted vncrost but thou shouldest beleeue so that thy joy may be full thou shouldest beleeue throughly that thy sinnes are forgiuen that all are acquitted thou must not limit God in his mercie at all as thou shouldest not limit him in his power Thus a man should set faith on worke that he may be able to say My Beloued is mine and I am his I know there is a Match made betweene vs. For vnlesse you lay this ground a man shall not reioyce This is all therfore now vse thy faith If Satan now come and tell thee of some sinnes and of some circumstances of those sinnes and of some wants in thy repentance and humiliation what serues faith for now What serues all this for that you haue learned heere concerning the Doctrine of Faith but to teach you that these should be no scruples you should beleeue and that perfectly When this is done that you see there is a Match a Couenant made betweene GOD and you now you must know that all that Christ hath is yours whatsoeuer hee hath by Nature you haue it by Grace If hee be a Sonne ye are sonnes If he be an Heire yee are heires and when ye haue done this then consider all the particulars of the wealth of a Christian that all is yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or the world c. These things wee haue often spoken of you should runne through and consider of them If a man will consider that he is a King that the world is his that whatsoeuer is in CHRIST belongs to him and oweth him a good turne and will doe it at one time or other when he considers all the precious promises A man reckons his wealth not onely by his money which he hath lying in his Coffers that he hath present but by Bils and Bonds and Leases c. So how many promises thou hast there is not a promise in the Booke of GOD but it is thine set thy faith on worke to consider this and to reioyce in it set faith on worke so to see them that thou maiest reioyce in them and weyne thee from the things of this world not to regard them for they are small things of no hold Shall a King regard Cottages and trifles No if thou thinke in good earnest that thou art such a man why doest thou regard trifles Thou shouldst doe this when other men reckon their Lands and their Houses and their friends a Christian reckons he hath GOD hee hath many good workes in store hee hath so many precious promises laid vp in the Land of the Liuing Set thy faith on worke thus not onely to reioyce but to bring in a holy magnanimitie answerable to such a condition and let not Faith giue ouer till it haue brought thee to this Certainely a man that beleeues he is a King he will haue another spirit for there is no other reason wherefore it is said Saul had another spirit but that when he came to be a King he had a spirit answerable When thou beleeuest these priuiledges when thou settest thy Faith on worke to beleeue indeed to beleeue them to be reall things and not fancies and notions there will be bred a disposition answerable a carriage and spirit suteable thou wilt not admit of things that are vnfit for such a person thou canst not doe it but as one that is a Prince that hath those hopes actually he cannot admit of thoughts that other men haue no more can a Christian when he is borne from aboue by the immortall seede there is such a disposition wrought in him that if he will set his faith on worke to beleeue these things he shall not be able to admit of those base things which hee did before and which others doe Againe if a man set his Faith aworke to beleeue these things he would be able to vse the World
thus prepared now let the Gospell come and welcome Now a mans heart is fit to be wrought on Why what doeth the Gospell The Gospell comes and tells you that the Lord Iesus is willing to be your Redeemer is willing to be your Lord he is content to be yours If you will take him you shall have him and all his Now when a mans heart is broken you cannot bring him better newes Indeede till then you may goe and preach the Gospell long enough you may propound Christ to men they will not take him But when we propound him thus to a heart prepared thus to him that is poore in spirit to him that hath his heart wounded in the sense of his sinnes and of Gods wrath now I I say hee is willing to come in hee is willing to take Christ as a Lord as a husband when that is done that Christ hath discovered his will to take them and they resolve to take him then there ariseth a holy a constant conjugall loue wherein they are rooted and grounded This is the love we are now to speake of So that to prepare us to love Christ wee must come to looke on him as upon that which is sutable and agreeable to us And againe as one that is willing to receiue us And that you must marke diligently Therefore wee will give you this definition of loue out of that which hath been said It is an holy disposition of the heart rising from faith whereby wee cleave to the Lord with a purpose of heart to serve him and to please him in all things When these two things are joyned that a man is humbled and lookes on Christ as one that is now fit for him And secondly hee is perswaded that Christ is willing to take him when this is done a man receiues Christ by faith And from this faith this loue issues Whence this is specially to be marked and it is a matter of much moment That to loue the Lord it is not onely required that you be perswaded that he is well affected to you that he is willing to receive you for that men may haue which say that Christ is mercifull and ready to forgiue and so they think but yet they loue him not Therefore I say it is not onely required that you looke on Christ as upon one that is well affected and propitious to you but also that you looke on him as one that is sutable and agreeable to you for both these must concurre to incline your hearts to loue him you must I say both looke on him as one that is fit for you as a good that is agreeable to you And also you must be perswaded that he is willing to receiue you Now the first indeed is the maine This second that Christ is willing to forgiue you and to receiue you though it be weake it may be such as is a true faith and may beget loue when a man lookes on any other men that he loues if he see so much excellency in them as that he longs after them and desires them though he thinks there be a backwardnes in them to love him yet if there be some probability that they are likely to loue him he may come so farre as to embrace them in his affections and haue a desire to them though it be true as that perswasion is stronger so their loue is more neere for faith and love grow together Indeede if there were an utter aversnesse if there were enmity as it were impossible to remoue it then we could not loue but hate even as Cain and Iudas did But I say that is a thing you must especially marke that faith doth not consist in being perswaded that Christ or God through Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes or to receiue you to mercy but in this your judgement must be rectified that is to know that you are to looke on Christ as one that is sutable and agreeable to you as one to whom you haue an inward inclination as one that is fit for you This is the maine thing the other easily followes to be perswaded that he is willing to forgiue us and that he is willing to loue us therefore whereas it may be you haue thought that to beleeue that God is willing to forgiue you your sinnes is faith I dare be bold to say it is not full faith you may haue it and yet not savingly beleeue you may haue it and yet not be true beleevers This I make cleare by this argument That which begets no loue is not faith But you may be perswaded that Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes and yet not love him as a prisoner may be perswaded that the Iudge is willing to pardon him and yet for all this hee may not love the Iudge for loue as I tolde you comes from some sutablenesse some agreablenesse betweene the party that loues and the party that is loved Againe you shall finde this by experience A man may be perswaded that he is in a good estate that he shall be saved and that his sinnes are forgiven him and yet for all this he may be an unregenerate man he may be a man that hath no life of grace in him I say we see oft in experience many men applaud themselves in their good persuasion and they die peaceably and quietly and all is well they thinke God hath forgiven them and yet we finde there is no loue in them nor no fruite of loue Againe on the other side a man that hath his heart broken with the sense of his sinnes may hunger after righteousnesse and after Christ he may long after the Lord himselfe that he desires him more than any thing in the world and yet there is but a weake perswasion that the Lord will receiue him and forgiue him his sins I say this man may be a true beleever though he be not yet so fully perswaded that Christ will forgiue him when the other is no true beleever as I said to you before As when one loues another man or woman if hee looke on him as one that is sutable to him if hee thinke it be but by good probability and likelihood I shall obtaine their loue though I haue not yet a full assurance of it I say there may be an affection of loue And thence I confirme that which I said to you that faith that hath beene joyned with it is true and that faith that is disjoyned from loue is not true So I say such a disposition of heart as lookes on Christ as one whom he longs after he lookes on him as on a husband as one whom he is willing to match with that he can say truely This is the best husband for me in all the world though yet I have not wooed him though yet I have not a full assurance of his affection to mee as I would have I say this will certifie your judgement and withall it will comfort you
2. 2 Cor. 5.21 2. Quest. How we shall come by it Ans. Esay 9.6 Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 5.17 Reasons why it is by gift Rom. 4.5 3. Quest. To whom it is giuen Ans. Mark 16.15 Reu. 22.17 Obiect Ans. 1. Answ. 2. Ans. 3. Ans. 4. Obiect Ans. 4. Quest. Vpon what qualifications it is giuen Ans. 1 Cor. 6.9 1. Obiect Ans. 1. Ans. 2. Simile 5. Quest. Ans. Simile Simile Esay 55.1 What this taking is Ans. Faith what Obiect Answ. 1 Tim. 1.15 Simile Three things must concurre in receiuing Christ. Ioh. 5.44 Ioh. 1.11.12 Three things required in the will in taking Christ. 6. Quest. What is required of vs when we haue it Ans. Mat. 3.2 Tit. 2.14 Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Ioh. 1.12 13. Vse 1. Mar. 16.16 Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 3. Vse 2. Mat. 11.28 29. Three considerations to moue men to take Christ. Doct. 2. Two Couenants 1. Absolute Ier. 31. Ezek. 36. 2. Conditionall Mar. 16. Rom. 4.5 Quest. Ans. Though holinesse be required it is Gods worke Simile Eph. 2.10 Habits Why God will saue men by faith 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 1 Cor. 1.30 Eph 4. Freedome from euill to the Saints whence it is Faith what in generall Assent of three sorts Iustifying faith How it differs from generall faith 1 In the obiect 2 In the act of the will Heb. 11 1â— Definition of iustifying faith How faith taketh Christ. We must not only beleeue but receiue Christ. Ioh. 3. Foure things touching faith 1 The obiect of it 2 Cor. 1. Ioh. 3. True loue lookes first to Christs person Mar. 16. Baptizing what meant by it in Mat. 16. 2 The subiect of faith What required in the vnderstanding 2 Cor. 4. What required of the will Rom. 5.17 Ioh. 1.12 This act of the will wrought by God 3 How faith iustifieth Faith altereth not the nature of sinne Note 4 The acts of faith 1 To reconcile vs. 2 To pacifie the heart Direct and reflect act of faith Difference betweene them 3 To purifie thâ— heart Vse 1. Not to be discouraged to come to God A double quality in faith Quest. Ans. Faith emptieth a man of two things 1 Cor. 1.30 Double complaint in sense of want Vse 2. To reioyce in God Eph. 1.6 Eph. 2. 2 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 6.4 Phil 3. Reu. 7.11 Vse 3. To labour for faith aboue all Gal. 5.5.6 Without faith God regards not morall vertues Difference betweene faith and morall vertues Difference betweene faith and shewes of holinesse Vse 4. To apply the promises with boldnesse Gods free promise should incourage vs to come with boldnesse 1 Ioh 1.9 Luk. 11.6.8 Obiect Answ. Christ requireth but a willingnesse to mortifie our lusts Obiect Answ. 2 Cor. 8.9 Two things in laying hold on the promises 4. Things in the vnderstanding Quest. Ioh. 16. Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 2.3 The will drawne by 3. meanes 1. Meanes 1 Cor. 10. 2. Meanes 3. Meanes Arguments to perswade vs of Christs willingnesse to recâ—iue sinners 1 By expressions in Scripture 2 By Christs practice when he was on Earth 3 Else Christs blood were shed in vaine 4 By the example of others pardoned 5 Else no flesh should be saued 6 By the infinitenesse of Gods mercy Obiect Ans. 2. Obiect Ans. By denying our selues we enioy our selues better Obiect Ans. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Faith admits degrees Two parts in the Doctrine Faith admits of degrees in 4. respects 1 In perswasion Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Wherein faith and opinion differ 2 In respect of difficulties Numb 11. 3 In regard of extent The reflect act of faith admits degrees Vse 1. To comfort Vse 2. For exhortation 2 Pet. 1. 13. Motiues to grow in faith Doct. The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Men are apt to deceiue themselues That many men haue a false faith proued by instances both in the Old and New Testament Ioh. 2.23.24 Ioh. 5.35 Mat. 22.8 9 10 11. opened Mat. 13. Ier. 3.10 opened Deut. 5.25 Verse 29. Simile Three things opened 1 The Causes why the faith of many is vneffectuall which are fiue Cause 1. Taking Christ vpon mis-information Instances 1 The yong man that came to Christ. Luk. 18. 2 The Scribe Mat. 8.20 opened Note Cause 2. Taking Christ out of feare Isa. 58. opened Note Simile Cause 3. Taking Christ for loue of the good things by him and not for loue to his person Note Simile Ioh. 6.26 opened Some men seeke mercy and not grace Cant. 5.12 opened We may looke to our own aduantages by Christ. Cause 4. Want of humiliation Deut. 30.6 opened The Spirit of Elias what Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest euill nor Christ the greatest good Cause 5. Because faith is not grounded aright Eph. 4.10 opened Col. 1.23 opened Hope that is not wel grounded holds not out Deut. 13.1 2 3. opened 2 Pet. 3.17 2 Wherein the efficacy of faith consisteth Three things opened 1 In what sence faith is called effectuall Things are said to be effectuall in 4. respects 1 When they doe their proper office The proper function of faith what Faith may bee effectuall though it bee mingled with doubting Iam. 1.7 8. opened A double-minded man who Papists tenent of doubting What doubting it is that faith excludeth How to try truth of doubting Simile Some men cleaue to Christ for wans of temptations True faith not without doubtings and feares sometimes Simile Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 A thing is effectuall in opposition to that which is vaine and empty Simile Simile Iam. 2.17.20 26. 3 A thing is said to be effectuall when it is operatiue Simile 4 When it goes thorow with the worke in hand 2 wherein the efectualnesse of faith consists in 4. things I When the preparation is good Luk. 9.62 opened Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. Instances 1 In the Israelites 2 In the Prodigall Men hold not without sound humiliation Reu. 2.25 opened Mat. 10. â— opened II When the vnderstanding is cleare When a man is said to be well built 1 When he beleeues the Scriptures in generall 2 The promises in particular Application of the offer of Christ. Eph. 2.19 20. opened Note Ioh. 4.44 Particular knowledge 1 Ioh. 1.19 opened Ioh. 6.68 opened The third thing wherein the efficacie of faith consists to take Christ. Heb. 10.22 opened Vers. 38. Eph. 3.17 Reu. 3 2â— What taking of Christ is effectuall Eph. 5.23 opened Gen. 2.24 We must draw neere out of loue to Christ. 1 Tim. 1.5 4 Thing wherin the efficacy of faith consists The turning of the whole soule Gal. 5. Working in doing and suffering Why the promises are made promiscuously God tryeth mens graces Ioh. 12.42 3 How effectuall faith is wrought It is not in mans power to beleeue Quest. Answ. How the Holy Ghost worketh faith by three things 1 Putting an efficacy in the Law A man cannot see his sins to purpose without the spirit of bondage Act. 16. 2 By shewing the
neeedes be a greater sinne than the neglecting of that Now you see how strictly God layeth a charge upon them that no man should omit the Passeover unlesse sicknesse or a journey hindred him Now consider this you that have beene negligent in comming to this holy Sacrament for it is a great sinne and provokes God to anger when he shall see that this ordinance which himselfe hath instituted and which he hath laid such a charge upon you to doe is neglected Besides doe you thinke it is a sinne to neglect comming to the word and is it not as much to neglect this ordinance Besides doe we not neede all helpes of grace and is not this among the maine helpes Againe as you ought not to omit it so to come negligently to it to come without examination to come without a more solemne and extraordinary renewing of your repentance is to receive the Sacrament unworthily to eate and drinke judgement and damnation to your selves Now there are two sorts that receive the Sacrament unworthily First those that are not yet in Christ. Secondly those that are within the covenant but yet come remissely and negligently and take not that care they should in examining their hearts for though you ought to renew your repentance every day yet in a more especiall manner you ought to doe it upon such an occasion As women doe in scowring their vessells they make them cleane every day but yet there are some certaine times wherein they scowre them more so we should scoure our hearts in a more speciall manner upon this occasion Now because this is the businesse that wee haue to doe this day we will therefore handle that more fully that we touched lightly before which is this examination whether we love the Lord Iesus or no for if you love not the Lord Iesus you are not in him for whatsoever you doe availeth not if you haue not faith and love Therefore if you finde that you have not this love to Christ that you are not rooted and grounded in love you haue nothing to doe with Christ and if you have nothing to doe with him you have nothing to doe with the Sacrament And therefore we will shew you what properties of love we finde in the holy Scriptures This is one property of love set downe in 1 Cor. 13. Love is bountifull and seeketh not its owne things that is it is the nature of love to bestow readily and freely any thing a man hath to the party whom he loveth We see Ioseph that loved Benjamin as his love was more to him than to all the rest of his brethren so he gave him a greater portion than the rest It is the nature of love to be bountifull what a man loveth hee cares not what he parts with to obtaine it Herod cared not to have parted with halfe his kingdome to please that inordinate affection of his The Converts in the Apostles time how bountifull were they laying all their goods at the Apostles feete Zaccheus when hee was converted and his heart was inflamed with love to Christ he would give halfe his goods to the poore But in generall it is a thing that you all know that love is of a bountifull disposition If you would know then whether you have this love to the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you be ready to bestow any thing upon him whether you be ready to part with any thing for his sake David when hee abounded with love to the Lord you see how he expressed it in his provision for the Temple you see how he exceeded in it An hundred thousand shekels of golde and a thousand thousand talents of silver this saith he I have done according to my poverty As if he had said if I had beene able to doe more I would have done more but this was as much as I could reach unto herein hee shewed the greatnesse of his love to God in the greatnes of his bounty Take it in the love which we have one to another where a man loveth he denieth nothing Sampson when he loved the harlot he denied her nothing that she asked of him If you love the Lord Iesus examine your selves by this are you ready to bestow any thing for his advantage are you ready to take all opportunities to doe somewhat for his glory consider how many opportunities you have had and might have had wherein you might have expressed and manifested this love to the Lord Iesus Might you not have done much to the setting of a powerfull Minister here and there have you not had ability to doe it would it not much advantage the glory of Iesus Christ to make bridges as it were for men to goe to heaven by and to make the high way that leadeth thither A greater worke of mercy than these externall workes that appeare so glorious in the eyes of men to have blessed opportunities and not to use them because wee have straight hands and narrow hearts is a signe we want love to Christ. In the passages of your life there is many a case that if you were of a bountifull disposition you might doe much good in You know what Paul saith which was a great testimony of his love Acts 20.24 My life saith he is not deare unto me so I may doe any thing for Iesus Christ so I may fulfill the course of my Ministery So examine your selves whether you can say thus upon any occasion so that I may doe any good so that I may help forward any good cause that may tend to the glory of God my life is not deare unto mee my liberty is not deare my estate is not deare my friends are not deare to me You that have to doe in government many cases there are wherein if you will doe any speciall good you must part with something of your owne God lookes to you and sees what you doe and how your hearts stand affected in all these passages aske your selves now whether these things be not deare to you if there were love in you it will cause you to doe more than you doe It was Davids great wisedome when water was brought to him that was purchased at so deare a rate when so high a price was set upon it hee would not drinke it himselfe but powred it forth to the Lord and therein hee shewed the greatnesse of his love that he was willing to part with that which he so exceedingly longed for which was bought at such a rate The like he did when he bought the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite hee might have had it given him for nothing No saith he I will not offer to the Lord of that which cost me nothing As if hee had said I shall shew no love to the Lord then and if I shew no love to him what is my sacrifice worth For David knew well enough that God observed what hee did hee observed what it cost him The Lord observeth