It is indeed very difficult to gain a true solid divine Faith but oh how easie is it to take up with a seeming faith which yet shal look as much like saving faith as may be Oh! how securely doth Infidelitie lurke in many poor souls under the vizard of Faith Doth not commun faith oft look so demurely as that you can very hardly discerne its difference from saving Are not the most of Professors too soon satisfied in their own faith Do not multitudes of awakened sinners lay their consciences asleep or amuse themselves with the apparences of faith Is not every Unbeliever yea Believer also a mysterie to himself How much then are we al concerned to make a narrow scrutinie into our hearts and to examine whether our Faith be of the right kind Oh! What a foolish and dangerous thing is it for any to deceive themselves with false Images and Apparences of Faith Is not the least error here fundamental Alas What a poor felicitie is it to steal silently to hel in a fond persuasion of being Believers when as our faith hath no foundation but in our own sick dreaming Phantasies Of what use wil a Forme of Faith without the Power of it be unlesse to sinke us deeper into Hel To have a Notion of Faith and yet to live under the practice of Unbelief what wil this serve for but to concele and fortifie hypocrisie and al manner of spiritual lusts in the heart Doth not this then further oblige us to examine strictly what we are as to Faith and Infidelitie Again if after al this men wil not examine and use the means to discover their state are not such willingly deceived And if men are willingly deceived in this particular do not they willingly perish And oh What a sting wil this be to torment wilful Unbelievers in Hel that they were so willing and took so much pains to deceive themselves with a mere semblance and shadow of faith but were no way willing and took no pains to examine their hearts thereby to undeceive themselves and lay a foundation for saving Faith Wil not this make the Evangelic Unbelievers Hel seven times hotter than al other Hels that he took so much pains to deceive and ruine his soul but was not willing to take a little pains to undeceive and save his soul Oh! What cruel self-murder is this Doth it not then nearly and greatly concerne us al to make a very curious examen and strict research into our hearts touching our faith whether it be saving or only commun O that Professors would put such Questions as these unto their Consciences and never desist til they have brought the whole to some good issue It s true I have a Notion and Forme of faith but have I indeed the real Power and Virtue of Faith Am I not rather under the Dominion and Prevalence of Infidelitie I assent to some words of God that are agreable but do I not dissent from some other which disagree with and crosse my lusts I do receive the word of faith but have I Faith mixed with the word I receive Mine awakened Conscience attendes to the joyful sound of the Gospel but doth not my lustful heart attend as much to allurements of lust The Peace of the Gospel is pleasing to my wounded Conscience but are not the duties of the Gospel displeasing to my rebellious heart My mind hath some estime for the good things of my peace but has it not as great estime for the good things of this world Have I a right valuation of those things I hope for Mine assent to Evangelic truths and Mysteries seems firme and strong ay but doth it leave suitable impressions on mine heart Is it vigorous affective and active Doth it kil my lust and give life unto my soul Moreover O my soul thou seemest to have a good liking to Jesus the Savior ay but hast thou as good a mind to Christ i. e as anointed by the Father to be King over thy lusts person and goods Art thou brought over to a voluntarie free cordial complete and fixed closure with him as offered in the Gospel Canst thou take a whole Christ with thy whole heart and that for ever Doest thou give Christ that place in the Intention and Bent of thy Wil which belongs to him Hath his Lave and Grace the Soverain dominion over thy Wil And is thy wil bended to a correspondence with his Divine Wil Canst thou be content to be nothing that Christ may be althings to thee Is his Glorie thy last and utmost end And is it thy joy to see althings to suit with his end though they may crosse thine own private ends Wil nothing but Christ content thee Art thou restlesse ' til thou attainest to the enjoyment of him Is this the grand motive of thy seeking after Christ that thy good is laid up in Him and not in thy self And art thou wholly for Christ as he is wholly for thee Doest thou adhere to Him with a plenitude of Wil as the Iron to the Loadstone Canst thou do much for and yet trust in nothing but Christ Art thou obsequious and obedient to the Spirits dictates as to thy supreme Conductor and Director And when thou comest short of honoring Christ by Obedience doest thou honor Him by humble acknowlegement and Dependence Canst thou wait on and adhere to Christ in his Ordinances albeit thou feelest no sensible impartments of comfort peace and quickening These or such like questions which take in the spirit and life of Faith thou shouldest frequently put to thy soul and never desist from urging of them ' til thou hast brought the question to this Conclusion Whether thou art a true Believer or not If thou desirest more expresse rules to examine thy state by then take those mentioned in the foregoing Chapter Corollarie 2. touching the Differences between saving Faith and commun Whereby thou mayest with the concurrence of Divine illumination arrive to a wel-grounded persuasion Whether thy faith be only commun or saving 4. This also affordes mater of exhortation unto al to abjure and abandon Infidelitie as the worst enemie in the world yea worse than Satan or Hel itself Can there be a worse enemie than that which deprives us of our chiefest good And is not this the grand design of Infidelitie Yea doth it not put a bar to al Mercie but open the dore to al Sin and Miserie How sottish and foolish doth it make Sinners What a dul lazy remisse loitering spirit doth it breed in Men Yea how negligent slow-hearted and backward to whatever is good are Believers themselves so far as Unbelief prevails on them Luk. 24. 23 O! how doth it slug mens spirits in whatever good they are about What a clog is it to the soul in al its spiritual Exercices How doth it crampe and dispirit the Affections those feet of the Soul What stubbornesse rebellion and obstinace doth it infuse into the Wil How much
of gracious Maters Motives and Offers the Covenant of Grace is But yet the more fully to anatomise the Bowels of Unbelief as to Maters of Grace offered in the Covenant we shal a little though but cursorily touch on those offers of Grace which the Covenant makes with their Proprieties 1. The offers of Grace made in the Gospel or Covenant of Grace are very Real and Cordial There is never a line no nor a word of the Gospel but it carries Christs heart wrapt up in it Every promisse is a love-letter sent by Christ to assure the sinner how affectionate his heart is set towards him There is not an expression that drops from the mouth of Christ but is ful of bleeding Affection Every promisse gives the sinner a good Law-right to Grace provided that he accept of it when offered If Christ be real in any thing he is so in the offers of Grace to sinners But now Unbelief looks on al these offers of Grace as mere Romances Fables or fine-spun stories This was the case of the unbelieving Jews as Paul assures us Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Oh! what good News is here who would not chearfully assent to such glad tidings of peace Is there any so sotish as to refuse such good things Yes addes Paul v. 16. But they have not al obeyed the Gospel For Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our report As if he had said True we preach the great truths of Gospel-peace unto sinners but alas how few have obeyed or assented to the truth of the Gospel Do not the most of men look on these things as too good news to be true Where is the man that really assents to the Realitie of these Glad-tidings May we not then justly crie out with Esaias Who hath believed our Report Thus Unbelief cals in question the Realitie of Evangelic offers of Grace 2. The offers of Grace in the Gospel are very Gratuitous and Free and this draws on Faith freely to close therewith For faith being a federal Instrument influenced and acted by the Covenant the more it apprehends the freedome of the Covenant the more freely it wil embrace the same Now the Covenant instructs Faith fully in this point It teacheth us that the Grace of the Covenant expects no foundation in us no Condignitie no Congruitie no moral Capacitie or Condition in us but what itself intends to confer The Covenant informes us that Free-grace is moved by nothing without it self that it gives because it wil give or because it hath given That the poorer we are the more willing he is to inrich us the nakeder we are the more ready Christ is to clothe us Yea the Covenant assures us that Christ intends much good for them who intend no good to him nor yet to themselves yea to such as intend evil to him and to their own souls even for such rebellious souls he intends gifts and Grace as Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwel among them Now this freedome of the Covenant and the Grace of God offered therein gives a mighty foundation and encouragement to build upon For the great obstacle and bar to Faith is this that we are not fit for Christ This is one of Unbeliefs greatest pleas against closing with the good things of the Covenant What may poor I presume to believe I who am so unworthy I who have so long spurned at Christ and al the things that belong to my peace I who have so oft broken with Christ plaid fast and loose with him What may I presume that Christ wil have any regard to me poor sinful backsliding rebellious me Oh! how can this be What a presumtion would it be in me to cast an eye towards Christ and the good things that belong unto my peace Thus Unbelief opposeth or at least demurs at the freedome of the Covenant and its Grace 3. Another proprietie of the Covenant is the Vniversalitie of its gracious offers Though the Covenant of Grace be as to its interne Spirit Mind and Dispensation particular definite and absolute yet as to its externe offers and Dispensation it runs in conditional indefinite and universal termes inviting al that wil to come in It sets no bars or rails about the throne of Grace but gives free Admission to al that wil come for mercie Rev. 22. 17. The Covenant excludes none but such as exclude themselves by Unbelief and why should sinners exclude themselves before God excludes them But alas this is the il-humor of Unbelief because it cannot see the sinners Name in particular written on the Covenant therefore it questions al the grounds of Faith Oh! saith the unbelieving sinner here are rich offers indeed but alas I what am I the better for al this May such a wretch as I come to Christ to be embraced in his sacred armes What I who am in such a nastie pickle so polluted with sin Oh! I may not I cannot believe that such an hainous sinner as I shal find Christs armes open to receive me Thus Unbelief questions the Vniversalitie of Christs offer and puts a bar to its own mercies whereas the Gospel puts none but saies John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink and Rev. 22. 17. Whoever wil c. There lies no Restriction or bar on the Covenants part al the Restriction and bar is in mens wils Wilful Unbelief is the only bar 4. Unbelief sets limits to the Plenitude and Richesse of Grace held forth in the Covenant We find the Richesse of Grace in the Covenant expressed under the Symbol of a sumtuous feast Mat. 22. 4. Tel them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and althings are ready come unto the mariage Here we see what a bountiful Lord sinners have to deal with how much his infinite Grace excedes al our sins Now what reception is given to such a magnificent rich Treat That follows v. 5. But they made light of it and went their way one to his farme and another to his merchandise c. Oh! what monstrous unbelief and ingratitude is here O! what infinite Treasures of Grace are there wrapt up in the Covenant How much do those Treasures of mercie and goodnesse loged in the heart of Christ excede al the treasures of sin loged in the hearts of poor sinful we Is Christ such a liberal Savior for sinners And shal they be ashamed or afraid to beg at the dore of such a liberal Savior Was not this the very end why God gave the Law That Sin might appear exceding sinful to the intent that Grace might appear exceding gracious Ro. 7. 13 So Ro. 5. 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound As if he had said This is the very
but also the passive power of receiving good when offered Is not this the language of Infidelitie Lord I need not I desire not thy Grace keep it to thy self I have wherewith of mine own to supplie my needs I can make a shift with mine own righteousnesse to clothe my nakednesse with the balsame of mine own good workes to heal my wounds c. And as Infidelitie thus puts a bar to al Grace and Mercie So also doth it not open the dore to al the jugements of God Are not the most severe Plagues of God entailed on Infidelitie Doth not this sin provoke God to curse mens blessings Doth it not also cut us off from many promissed Mercies Yea how severely hath God punished this sin in his own people Was not Moses an holy man deprived of entring into Canaan for one act of unbelief Oh! how deep doth Gods wrath sinke into the unbelievers soul How many flourishing Churches have been deprived of the Gospel and means of Grace for their Infidelitie Or suppose that God continues some means of Grace yet doth not Unbelief turne them into means of hardening When men wil not believe the Gospel how oft doth Christ leave such to a spirit of error to believe lies Yea doth not Infidelitie continued in oft cause Christ to give up such to their own lusts which break forth sometimes into scandalous sins Yea how oft doth Christ deliver up impenitent obstinate Unbelievers to a spirit of slumber judicial hardnesse and al manner of Divine vengeance Are these the effects of Infidelitie Is there so much sin and self-murder wrapt up in its bowels and are there so many Curses and Plagues both temporal spiritual and eternal entailed on it May we not then without any injustice conclude that Unbelief is the worst enemie we have in the world Doth not our Infidelitie give us more pain and trouble than al other enemies Oh! then how should we with fire and sword persecute Unbelief as our most mortal enemie Can we be too severe against such a deadly enemie Is not al pitie and compassion that we shew towards Unbelief the greatest crueltie that may be to our own souls Why should we then cease our Indignation and Revenge against Unbelief ' til we have let out its heart-bloud Remember the more you pitie spare it the more cruel you are to your selves 5. This also layes an essential and strong obligation on al both Believers and Vnbelievers to put an high value on Faith and to pursue after it as their supreme Interest and Concerne Surely if Infidelitie be so prodigious and pernicious a Sin then by a paritie of reason Faith most be the most useful and excellent Grace Contraries much illustrate and set off each other And oh how doth the black deformed nature and venimous qualities of Infidelitie set off the Beauties and excellent qualities of Faith What a strange and miraculous power and efficace has Faith How doth it make things absent present the invisible glories of the coming world visible as the visible glories of this world invisible and disapparent Yea doth not faith appropriate to itself the whole of Gods Alsufficience and Omnipotence and so may in a sober humble sense be said to be in some sort alsufficient and omnipotent For al that is in God Faith by a strange magnetic virtue can applie to it self and thence it can do althings so far as it has a Promisse to bottome on Doth not the great God make himself a debtor to such as trust in Him How doth Faith rend a man from himself without violence or pain What more effectual to break al our Idols and Images of jelousie than saving Faith How doth it make al the beautie of the Creature to fade away as a Sun-burned Flower Doth it not also dismount the Believer and make him walke on foot in al manner of self-abasement How soon doth the bottome of al sensible good fal out when Faith comes into the Soul and takes the Chair What doth more elevate and refine reason than saving Faith Have not those that believe most the deepest and soundest reasons Who is the wiser man The Believer that adheres to the First truth and chiefest good or the Unbeliever who rejects the same and adheres to Idols of time How doth Faith corroborate and fortifie the Wil in what is good by uniting of it to Christ and the Divine wil What a sweet harmonie and order doth it inspire into the Affections How doth it make the Believer to fear God under smiles love him under frowns hope in him under difficulties wait for his returne under desertions Yea when our affections are under the greatest disorder and confusion doth not Faith oft draw peace and order out of it Is not Faith both food and physic Doth it not as wel feed Grace as purge out sin Whence springeth the Christians union with Christ but from Faith Could Christ and Sinners ever come together unlesse Faith did unite them Can things contrarie be united but by some efficacious bond of Union Was it ever known that there was a mariage between the living and the dead How then comes it to passe that the dead Sinner is espoused to a living Christ Is not this happy match the alone miraculous effect of Faith wrought by the Spirit of God And hence doth not Faith make God thine as surely as thou art thine own And Faith having united the person to Christ doth it not thence by Grace derived from him purifie the nature also Acts 15. 9 And doth not Faith hence worke a miraculous change in the whole disposition of the soul and conversation And as the member is naturally subject to the head so doth not Faith subject the whole soul to Christ Whence also doth not the Believer entirely give up himself to Christ as Christ gives up himself to the Believer Oh! how doth the believing Soul follow after and adhere to Christ by ineffable groans and acts of Faith though Christ may sometimes seem to depart from him How inquisitive is Faith to understand al the virtues of Christ and to receive from him Grace for Grace What a violence is it to Faith to live act breath speak and walke out of Christ What is it that keeps the heart as a chast Virgin for Christ but Faith Hence also Faith gives the soul solid peace in and with God and oh How satisfying is this peace which Faith gives What child-like confidence and boldnesse ensues hereon And thence how much is the soul satiated in communion with Christ so far as Faith prevails What solaces and delicious suavities doth the believing Soul at times receive from Christ What an active application is there on Christs part towards the Believer and passive application on the Believers part towards Christ How much is Faith delighted in trading with Heaven and Christ Is not this the main businesse of Faith to enjoy Christ to live and die in
that the first principle of such feigned profession is but some commun Illumination or languid Affection He knows who they are that crie him up in profession and yet despise or crie him down in heart and prevalent Affection He considers that such mens forced subjection to him procedes only from legal principles and therefore wil ere long degenerate into secret if not open Rebellion against him He sees such mens light is a burden to them their faith lies level with the Interest of self their starcht holinesse is but an artificial Pharisaic sanctitie or at best but some light touches or superficial Impresses of the Spirit of Grace In brief Christ has as Isai 11. 3. a quick sent to distinguish betwixt commun illuminations and the saving light of life between legal Humiliation and evangelic Repentance betwixt painted watered holinesse and sincere Grace and therefore many Almost-Christians who passe for Sheep in their own and the worlds eyes are but altogether Swine in Christs eye Hence we may learne That awakened sinners may procede very far in the owning of Christ and yet bedisowned by him They may as these poor souls here embrace him with much seeming joy submit to him as their King with much pretended chearfulnes crie Hosanna i. e. save now with much seeming Faith and Dependence on him as their Savior and yet al this while Christ not own them as his loyal Subjects This also teacheth us That there is a vast difference between mans jugement and Christs Alas how many are justified by us as also in their own consciences and yet condemned by Christ As on the contrarie how many are condemned by the World and peradventure by their own Consciences as Hypocrites who yet are justified by Christ This further instructs us That a christians main worke is to approve himself to Christ It maters not who condemnes if Christ justifies who curseth if he blesseth who kils if he makes alive who troubles if he speak peace As Christ doth curse the Blessings so also he doth blesse the Curses of the wicked when unjustly pronounced against the Godly Wherefore Christians should mind more how they may approve themselves to Christ than what may commend them to the world This also admonisheth us mostly to intend and look wel to Heart-work For 't is the sinceritie of the heart only that commends us unto Christ Externe formes and Apparences of pietie commend us to the Church but unlesse there be an inward Power and Realitie of Grace in the Heart al our visible formes do but render us more slie cunning Hypocrites and so more loathsome abominable in the eye of Christ Lastly this discovers to us the desperate curse and plague that abides on self-deluding sinners Such as extol Christ in profession but yet continue enemies to him in Affection such as go forth with their Palme-branches of seeming joy to welcome Christ and yet secretly in their hearts crucifie him such as sing Hosanna's to him as their crowned King and yet reserve the Bent of their hearts as a throne for some base lust Certainly such Almost-Christians are no better than Almost-Devils the whitenesse of their fair but false pretences of honor to Christ doth but aggravate the blacknes of of their sin in rejecting of him the masque of their profession serves but to concele a rotten heart Their seeming Godlines serves but more effectually to oppose that which is such in truth CHAP. III. Previous and general Observations from the Text. WE now procede to the bodie of our Text and therein the first thing that occurs is the circumstance of place wherein our blessed Lord made this his doleful Lamentation over Jerusalem contained in that expression And when he was come near Whence observe That the approche of any afflictive or miserable object draws forth grief pitie from a christian gracious spirit What is grief but the emotion or rolling of the bowels at the presence of some grievous object and the nearer the object is to us either by Natural Civil or Religious bonds the greater wil our grief be at the approche thereof Jerusalem was allied to Christ by the most intimate and essential bonds both of Nature and Religion he was borne of a Jewish Womb educated in the Jewish Land the crowned King of Jerusalem which was a federate Citie allied to him by al manner of Civil and Religious obligations and therefore approching near it his bowels melt and turne within him to think that this Citie so near and dear unto him should not understand or embrace the things that appertain to her peace but on the contrarie be at this very very time meditating and contriving his death and her own ruine But this wil come under further consideration in what follows We passe on to the Act of Christ which ushered in and opened the dore to this his sad Lamentation He beheld Hence observe 1. That the Lord of Glorie did so far condescend to sinners as to clothe himself with human Nature and Organs thereby the more feelingly to commiserate and pitie them And oh What an infinite Ocean of condescendent grace is here What unparalled Dimensions of eternal Love and Mercie are there in the bowels of this tenderhearted Redemer What Was he indeed content to assume a mans heart to bleed over sinners a mans tongue to plead with and persuade sinners to be happie a mans eyes to water his exhortations with tears yea a mans soul and bodie to die for sinners O! what wonders of superlative love and condescendent pitie are here Who would ever question the affectionate regard of such a compassionate Redemer How comes it to passe that the blessed Lord should borrow human eyes to behold and pitie sinners and yet they want an eye of faith to behold their Savior O! what monstrous ingratitude is this that the King of Sion should stand gazing on sinners ' til his heart dissolve into tears and yet they stand amusing themselves with Idols of clay and never mind the gracious Regards of their Lord Fie fie on such blind Idol-lovers 2. From this Act He beheld we may further observe That Christs eye affects his heart his sight moves his compassions There are no sterile jejune or barren speculations in Christs eye but al his contemplations are warme and heart-melting they break forth into Affection and end in Operation Christs eye is not dul or sleepy but vigilant and watchful He watcheth over sinners when they sleep over him He beholds them with an eye of pitie and compassion when they behold him with an eye of bloud and revenge He casts a wist eye of sympathie and lamentation towards Jerusalem whiles she is looking and considering how she may pul out his eyes and heart O! what a compassionate eye is this Hence follows the object of Christs contemplation and that is THE Citie i. e. The Citie which was so nearly related and yet so vastly opposite to him The Citie which
to sinners the nearer he comes to them and the more importunate he is in the offers of his Grace the greater is their sin in rejecting such gracious and sweet offers What doth Christ come unto his own his own children spouse subjects brethren and friends and wil not his own receive him Doth he so freely open his gracious heart to sinners and wil they shut their hearts against him Is he so forward to give and shal we be so backward to receive Doth Christ offer such great things to sinners and shal they prefer such poor toys before them Yea is Christ in himself so incomparably excellent and wil sinners yet so much disdain him and so proudly shift themselves of him Can there be a more hainous sin than this to meet Christs bowels and pitie with kicks and contemt Oh! studie the weight of this sin 5. This Lamentation of Christ over impenitent Jerusalem teacheth us also That mans Ruine is from himself If after al Christs gracious Invitations al his unwearied forbearances al his bitter and salt tears Jerusalem wil stil persist in her rebellious contemt of his gracious offers how inexcusable is her sin and inevitable her ruine What wil prevail upon her if Christs Tears and Intreaties wil not prevail What can save her if her Redemers Grace and Mercie save her not What is it that keeps Evangelic sinners from being saved is it any defect in the Object or its Revelation is it mere simple Ignorance or Impotence in the subject No but it is wilful blindnesse and impotence they shut their eyes and wil not see they bolt their hearts and wil not open to Christ who knocks at the dore of the soul by many gracious Invitations of his Gospel and Spirit And do not such deservedly perish who electively embrace their own ruine and wilfully reject the things that belong to their peace Mat. 23. 37 Surely this wilful Impotence or rather impotent wilfulnesse evidently demonstrates That impenitent sinners frame their own Hel. 6. Hence also infer That the greater privileges and marques of favor Christ doth confer on any People or Church the more sorely doth he resent any unkindnesse from such The resentment of a smal unkindnesse from such as have been obliged by special favors is more afflictive than greater unkindnesses from others For Jerusalem who lay under so many and essential obligations to reject Christ and al his gracious tenders of mercie Oh! how much doth this break his heart What swords and spears to pierce thorow his soul is this For Jesurun when she is made fat with Divine mercies to kick against those bowels whence her mercies flowed how much doth this wound and grieve the heart of Christ 7. Lasty Hence also we may collect That Christ's tears are the best Exemplar or Patterne of ours He that wil mourne in a Christian manner needs no better Idea or exemple than this Christs Lamentation Al Christs Affections Actions and Passions so far as they are imitable by us deserve a great Remarque But nothing cals for a more exact imitation from us than this Christs Lamentation Every branch thereof deserves great Consideration Admiration and Imitation 1. We procede now to some more practic Application of our Proposition and that first by way of Admonition and Advice That we al studie wel and consider deeply Jerusalems Church-wasting sins how far they may be found amongst us Was Jerusalem guiltie of rejecting Christ and the things that did belong unto her peace And have not we been in an high mesure guiltie of the same Doth not this sin lie involved in Londons Ashes and Ruines as wel as in Jerusalems Did Jerusalem fondly flatter herself and ungroundedly presume of peace when Christ threatned nothing but Wars and Desolations And has not this also been Englands Sin Do not men crie Peace Peace when God speaks nothing but Wrath Was Jerusalem puffed up with Spiritual pride and Carnal confidence in her Church-privileges and the tokens of Gods presence And have not English Professors been notoriously guiltie of the same sins Did Jerusalem sleep securely under al Christs Divine Comminations Menaces or Threats of approching Judgements And has not England also slept securely under al Divine premonitions of coming judgements Had earthly-mindednesse a great place in Jerusalems black Catalogue of Church-desolating sins And have not English Professors been dreadfully guiltie of this sin also Have not Back and Belly Trade Pompe and Pleasures been the great Diana's which have captivated the hearts of too many Professors Was Jerusalem infructuous and barren under al gracious Appointments Vouchsafements and Influences And has not this also been Englands great sin Did Jerusalem persecute Gods Prophets and Apostles And may we exemt England from the guilt of this sin Was the want of Reformation Jerusalems Church-depopulating Sin And is England free from this Sin Lastly was Jerusalem guiltie of Impenitence want of Humiliation and open Apostasie And let al judge whether England has not been fouly guilty of the same sins O that English Professors would spend some time studie and pains in completing this parallel between Jerusalem and England in point of Church-wasting sins thereby to break their hearts and make them bleed forth bitter Lamentations over Englands sins and approching miseries if she repent not Hence also we are furnisht with mater of Exhortation to English Professors That they would by al means possible endeavor both in themselves and others an exact imitation of this our Lords Lamentation over Jerusalem Did our gracious Lord who was himself void of the least spot weep so bitterly over Jerusalems sins Oh then how much should We poor sinful We weep over Englands sin whereunto we have contributed so great a share Doth our blessed Lord who was free from al sin so much lament the sins of others wherein he had no share O! What an high degree of impenitence is it then for us not to lament over our own sins or National sins wherein we have had our share If we mourn not over National or Church-sins do we not hereby make our selves partakers in them and so by consequence in those judgements that follow Oh! What a sad contemplation is it to think how many great Professors make themselves guilty of National or other-mens sins by not lamenting over them How much Blasphemie Atheisme Profanesse Idolatrie Sensualitie Securitie Contemt of the Gospel and other National sins are by the Righteous God charged on the account of many great yea some good Professors because they never mourned over these National sins And may not these Professors expect to be involved in National jugements who thus by their defect of humiliation involve themselves in National sins Yea may not the great want of Mourning and Humiliation for other mens sins give too many great Professors cause to suspect that they never truely mourned or were humbled for their own sins For he that mournes for his own sins as he ought mourns chiefly for the
that with vehement Indignation As if he had said What! Jerusalem serve me so Even thou who hast been so dignified by me Oh! what an hainous odious sin is this who can bear it Hence observe 2. That by how much the more any People or Church is dignified with Divine privileges or gracious vouchsafements by so much the more hainous is their sin if they improve not those means and privileges The more excellent gifts we are invested with the greater punishment do we deserve if we abuse the same So Isai 5. 1 2 3 4 5. At least in this thy day These words as before explicated afford to us several practic Observations 1. That Evangelic sinners have a day of Grace afforded to them Where-ever the Sun of Righteousnes comes he brings healing under his wings i. e. beams or a day of Grace 2. That it is the supreme wisdome and interest of Professors to fil up their day of Grace with the Duties of their day Oh! What deep engagements did Jerusalem lie under to improve her day of Grace How happie might she have been had she but performed the same 3. Hence also observe That the day of Grace wil have its period Though Christ wait long yet he wil not wait always the longest day of Grace hath its night and usually the clearer brighter and warmer the day of Grace is the shorter it is where Christ vouchsafeth the greatest means of Grace if they are not improved but contemned there usually the day of Grace is shortest Think of this 4. Hence also observe That the nearer Christ comes in the offers of his Grace and the longer he waits for our acceptation of those offers the more inexcusable shal we be if we reject or neglect the same This observation lies wrapt up in that first expression at least Our blessed Lord oft came very near and close to Jerusalem in the tenders of his Grace Oh! how oft did he knock at her gates how long did he wait for her Reception of him What sacred and sweet Importunitie did he use to persuade and prevail upon her in that her day to accept of the things that did belong unto her peace But alas she would not she rejects al his gracious offers ' til at last her day was expired And oh how much doth this aggravate her sin Who is worse than he who hath a clear day of Grace vouchsafed him and yet electively embraceth darknesse before light The things which belong unto thy peace i. e. my self who am thy Peace-maker the King and Mediator of thy peace with whom is thy covenant of peace c. Hence note 1. That Christ alone is the great Mediator of our peace Out of him there is no peace take away Christ and you take away the chief corner-stone the main foundation of our peace The Sin-revenging God is nothing but wrath and everlasting burnings out of Christ But he that hath Christ hath peace with God and with al the creation besides Nothing can hurt him who is under the wing of Christ the Prince of peace Al peace of conscience which is collected either from holy conversation or from evangelic Promisses or from the sense of Gods love or any other way is al resolved into Christ as the proper source and spring thereof Therefore he that knows not Christ knows not the things that belong unto his peace 2. Hence also observe That Vnbelievers are the greatest enemies to their own peace and welfare Al the enemies of Jerusalem did not so much obstruct her peace as her own Unbelief Satan and al his powers of darknesse are not so prejudicial and destructive to the peace of souls as their own unbelieving hearts How feeble is Hel How insignificant and unable are its iron Gates to prevail over the weakest believer that adheres to Christ But as for sinners that are under the Dominion of Unbelief oh what a world of enemies are they exposed unto How doth every Tentation prey upon them What wars what commotions what confusions doth every lust raise in their hearts Yea how much are such obnoxious to the wrath and rage of the Righteous God 3. Hence also we may observe That it addes much weight to the Aggravation of Vnbelief that it is a rejection of the things that belong unto our peace The excellence of the objects which are offered to sinners in the Gospel of peace greatly aggravates their sin who refuse them Was it ever known that a conquered enemie refused termes of peace Is there any record to be found of a captive Rebel that rejected a gracious pardon from his Prince And yet Lo this is the Unbelievers case Christ comes with gracious offers of peace and life but alas how are they rejected Oh! what an hainous sin is this Yea Unbelief is not a mere simple refusal of the things which belong unto our peace but it carries in its bowels much Enmitie Opposition Antipathie Blasphemie and Contumelie against God and Christ and al the great things of our peace as hereafter But now they are hid from thine eyes Hence observe 1. That when God puts a period to the day of Grace al means of Grace are insignificant and ineffectual Although God may sometimes continue the means of Grace yet doth he not withdraw his Influences of Grace from those means And then how inefficacious are they What is Christ but a veiled face What is the Gospel but a sealed Book What are Ordinances but broken Cisternes What are Promisses but dead letters What are duties but barren Wombs when the day of Grace is gone Yea are not al these so far from becoming means of Grace as that they are indeed by reason of mans wilful impenitence means of hardening Yea is not Christ himself a stone of offense and stumbling to such as are deprived of the day of Grace Thus are the things of their peace hid from their eyes 2. Hence also observe That when God puts a period to the sinners day of Grace then begins his day of jugement Jerusalem's day of jugement began from this very moment that Christ pronounced this dreadful sentence against her For henceforward al Christs Dispensations towards her were in jugement There was a curse upon her Blessings wrath and revenge mixed with her sweetest Privileges and mercies What Christ speaks in general of Satan and his kingdome Joh. 12. 31. Now is the jugement of this world c. the same may be in particular applied to Jerusalem and al other impenitent sinners who are passed their day of Grace Thus when the day of Grace ends the day of Jugement begins For when al the things that pertain to thy peace are hid from thine eyes what remains but chains of darknes and beginings of Jugement 3. Hence also we may observe That there is an exact proportion between the unbelievers sin and jugement The wilful unbeliever shuts his eyes against al the things that belong unto his peace and
how is he humbled for and by his very sins and negligences But the commun faith of an Unbeliever makes his best duties and performances serve to promote spiritual sins How do al his Covenants and Resolutions against some grosser visible sins serve only to hide strengthen and foment secret invisible lusts as spiritual pride carnal confidence Hos 7. 16 Or at best doth he not make use of al his covenants against sin only as a balsame to heal the wounds of his conscience not as poison to kil the lusts of his heart Such is the curse and plague of commun faith 6. Saving faith transformes the heart into the Image of Christ and thence makes the Believer conforme to his Life and Laws but commun faith workes neither Saving Faith brings the heart near to Christ and so stampes the Image of Christ upon the heart It cannot make men Christ but yet it makes them like unto him and that not only in one particular excellence but in al It changeth the last end and disposition of the wil and thence the whole soul and life It infuseth a divine plenitude or fulnesse of Grace into the soul answerable to that fulnesse of sin that was there before And as Christ is one with his Father by personal union so Believers are one with Christ by faith Hence much of the life of Christ appears in their lives The love and spirit of Christ prevails with them to live the life of Christ and conforme to his Laws And oh what a sweet harmonie and conformitie so far as Faith and Grace prevails is there between the Spirit and Life of Christ and their spirits and life How much do their hearts and lives answer to the primitive Patterne of puritie in the heart and life of Christ But can the Unbelievers commun faith worke such rare effects It s true sometimes his Actions are changed but are not his vital Principles and Dispositions unchanged He may sometimes conforme to the Laws of Christ in appearance but doth he not stil hate them at heart Whereas the Believer whiles he breakes the law of Christ in Action he conformes to it in Affection and desire as Roman 7. 22. The Unbelievers commun faith may lead him to please Christ in shew but is it not al to please himself in truth Doth he not wholly live on self as his spring and to self as his last end Oh! how impossible is it for him to live by faith on Christ and to Christ which is the Believers life 7. Saving faith makes Believers diligent in the use of means and yet keeps them from trusting in them commun faith makes Vnbelievers negligent in the use of means and yet to trust in them Oh! how industrious is Faith in the use of means as if there were no Christ to trust unto And yet doth not faith trust wholly in Christ as if there were no means to be used Yea doth it not trust Christ as much in the fulnesse of means as in the want of them But oh how much doth unbelief trust in means though it be very negligent in the use of them 8. Saving Faith is alwaies bottomed on a Promisse and by it workes up the heart to God But commun faith is alwaies bottomed either on false persuasions or self-sufficiences and by them turnes the heart from God 9. Saving Faith walkes in Gods ways by a strait rule to a strait end But commun faith is always stepping out of Gods way its rule and end both are crooked True Faith looks both to its end and rule it wil not do good that evil or evil that good may follow But commun faith wil do both 10. Lastly Saving Faith values an half-promisse yea a mere peradventure from God more than the best promisse the creature can make but commun faith depends more on the rotten and false promisses of its own heart or of the creature than on al the promisses of God 3. Hence we may further infer That there is no medium or middle between true Faith and Infidelitie Commun faith is but real Unbelief He that is not a sound Believer is a real Infidel He that receives not Christ on his own termes rejects him Not to trust in Christ with al the heart is not to trust him at al in truth A forced election of Christ is a real reprobation of him A mere human or notional or general or confused or instable or inefficacious Assent to Christ is real Dissent Not to rest in Christ alone as our Mediator is not at al to confide in him He that cannot part with al for Christ wil soon part with Christ for any thing If faith purifies not the heart from sin and fortifies it against tentation it deserves not the name of faith Acts 15. 9. If Faith gives not a substantial being to things not in being it doth nothing Heb. 11. 1. If you can believe nothing but what you have reason and evidence for from the things themselves you believe nothing as you ought for though reason may assist faith as an instrument yet it destroyes faith as a principal ground or argument because faith is of things inevident Heb. 11. 1. Faith takes nothing for its formal reason or principal ground but increated Autoritie and therefore it is not the mere evidence of reason but the testimonie of God that makes men believers And if so then oh what a world of that which passeth for faith among men wil one day appear to be real Unbelief What may we judge of those who hang up Christ in their phantasies as pictures in an house but yet never really adhere to or recumb on him Is not this mere fancie rather than faith What shal we conclude of the presumtuous believer who presumes God wil shape his mercie according to his humor Is not his faith mere Unbelief Yea can there be a more cursed piece of Unbelief than a fond groundlesse presumtion that we do believe Again what shal we say of the dead-borne sleepy faith of secure Sinners who lay their head in Satans bosome and sleep securely on the pillow of his rotten peace Is not this a piece of Unbelief which Devils and damned Spirits are not guiltie of For they believe and tremble at the apprehensions of their approching jugement And oh how soon wil these their sweet sleeps end in dreadful hellish awakenings Again may we not judge the same of legal faith which sets up the Law in the room of Christ or at least yokes the Law and Christ together Do not such by joining the Law with Christ disjoin their hearts from Christ Rom. 7. 1-4 Is it not as bad a piece of Unbelief to set up the Law instead of Christ as to set up lust instead of the law Yea is there not much of Idolatrie in such a legal faith for do not such as depend on their own legal performances for life make themselves their God and Christ Oh! how oft doth such a legal
doth it distract deaden and harden the heart in al duties How lean poor and barren in Grace and gracious fruits are many Believers by reason of their prevalent Unbelief Doth it not also take off the Beautie Lustre and Sweetnesse of Mercies received or expected Oh! how bitter are many sweet Mercies when mixed with Infidelitie Yea doth it not turne al Mercies into Curses to those who are under the complete dominion of it as Rom. 11. 9 And how many choise Mercies are Believers deprived of by reason of their Unbelief Whence spring their groundlesse troubles of Consciences their misjugements and mistakes about their state their heart-faintings sinking discouragements and despondences under Desertion their hard and scandalous thoughts of Christ his Heart and Dispensations towards them but from their Infidelitie Oh! What a sting doth it put into al afflictions How burdensome and irkesome is the Crosse of Christ to the unbelieving heart How sweet and easy is the bitter heavy Crosse so far as Faith prevails But oh What a troublesome vexatious neighbor is Infidelitie How doth it torment the heart and cause it to pine away and consume to nothing even under groundlesse expectations and needlesse fears of trouble May it not become a true Proverb Much Infidelitie and much Sorrow How do afflictions pinch and gal unbelieving spirits How unable are such to see any good in afflictions What need have afflicted persons of Faith Again how soon doth Infidelitie betray us into the hands of every Tentation Faith hath Omnipotence engaged for its assistance but oh what a poor impotent thing is Unbelief How unable is it to to conflict with smal Tentations Satan is oft the father but is not Unbelief the mother of al Tentations What made Adam and Eve yield to Satan's tentation but their Infidelitie Was not this also that which made Judas betray Peter denie and the Jews crucifie the Lord of Glorie It s true when the Tentation is asleep the unrighteous man is righteous the unclean person is chaste the passionate man is meek the invidious man is kind the avaricious man is liberal the unfaithful man is faithful but oh when the tentation is awakened how soon doth Unbelief betray the heart into the hands of these or the like corruptions Thinke not thy self secure from the prevalence of any Tentation so long as thou art under the prevalence of Infidelitie Alas how soon is Tentation fired by Unbelief but oh How is the believing soul that by faith adheres to Christ strongly fortified and armed against the most violent Tentations Moreover how are the main breaches of our lives maintained and improved by Infidelitie What departures from God what turnings aside from or remisnesses in Duties are Unbelievers exposed unto Doth not Unbelief cut the Sinews and Nerves of al evangelic Obedience Doth it not let out the vital spirits heart-bloud of al good Inclination and affections Is not the very root and seminal virtue of good Intentions withered and blasted hereby How much beneath the least evangelic dutie is the unbelieving soul How doth Unbelief poison many good Inclinations Oh! what a venimous maligne thing is Unbelief How doth it infuse a malignitie and poison into al the parts of the Soul Is not the spirit of the mind the most noble part of the soul envelopped or wrapt up in contagious black darknesse by it Are not al the faculties of the soul spoiled of their vigor beautie harmonie order and exercices by Unbelief Oh! What a bloudy hard-hearted soul-murdering sin is it How doth it compel the Sinner to embrew his hands in his own bloud to sheath a sword in his own bowels by a wilful rejection of Evangelic offers How welcontented is it to see the Unbelievers sentence of condemnation subscribed and sealed with the Mediators dreadful curse John 3. 18 What flames of vengeance what treasures of wrath doth Infidelitie treasure up against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 How patient is it whiles Satan claps on the chains and fetters of spiritual slumber and hardnesse of heart on the Sinners legs How willing is it to see the poor Unbeliever famished and starved amidst the rich and sumtuous feasts of evangelic Grace and Mercie Has not Christ made a plentiful and costly feast for Sinners And is he not extreme free and cordial in his Invitations How then comes it to passe that Sinners come not to it when invited Why is it not Unbelief that keeps them back and that as it were by hairs namely some poor and foolish excuses Mat. 22. 1-6 Oh! how studious and ready is Infidelitie to shift it self of Christ and al the good things of its peace offered to it What silly excuses and pretences doth it make to put off Christ and his evangelic offers What little reason or cause have Unbelievers to object against Christs gracious offers Are not Christs armes open to receive them when they come Yea Doth he not day by day cal upon and importune them to come unto him Prov. 1. 20-25 Did he ever refuse or look strangely on any that came unto him Yea is he not more willing to receive Sinners than they are to come unto him or are the flames of Hel more elegible than the joys of Heaven Is the Vassalage of Satan more desirable than the Libertie of the Sons of God Is there so much Beautie in Sin as to make men desire it before the Beauties of Holinesse Are the Remorses and Stings of the worme of Conscience more agreable and pleasing than peace of Conscience and the smiles of Divine Love If not how comes it to passe that Sinners choose the evil and refuse the good offered to them Oh! is not Infidelitie the cause of al this miserie Is not Christ's hand and heart open towards Sinners but are not their hearts shut against him by Unbelief Is there any thing in Christ or his evangelic offers that keeps men from believing O then What an irrational sottish perverse cruel sin is Unbelief What a world of miserie doth it bring on Sinners How justly doth Christ pronounce a sentence of death against them who wilfully reject his offers and means of life Alas how is it possible that Salvation itself should save such so long as they wilfully spurne at the offers of Salvation Is there any sin that doth more directly oppose Salvation by Christ than Unbelief Christ comes by his Evangelic offers of Grace to draw the Unbelievers heart unto him but oh how doth he draw back Yea how doth his unbelief oppose Christ as He comes clothed with Grace Love and Pitie And can Unbelievers expect that Christ should passe by such affronts and indignities without severe punishments Doth any thing more provoke Christ than to have his bowels and compassions towards Sinners spurned at Cannot he put up any injuries better than this Is not Unbelief the most cruel and bloudie enemie in the world in that it takes away not only the active power of doing good