you God had been glorious in this but now there is infinitely more mercy shewed when God shall say You miserable creatures have sinned against me and such is your condition that except the Son of my bosome be made a curse for you there can be no mercy for you well I am content that he shall not be spared but shall be given to be a curse to prepare mercy for you here is glory indeed Therefore when Christ was borne the Angels sung glory to God in the highest Luke 2. 14. As if they had said this is the highest pitch of the glory of God in providing such a way of reconciliation with the children of men and God was so set upon this work of shewing mercy to mankinde that though it cost the death of his Son he would have it and that shews it to be infinite mercy and love indeed when it breakes through such mighty difficulties there is the glory of his mercy And then secondly there is the glory of his Justice God sets out the glory of his Justice here more then if all mankind had been eternally damned Gods Justice would not have been honoured so much in that as in this way of Gods reconciling man unto himself and that in these two regards First because in Christ Gods Justice is glorified actively whereas if all men had eternally perished it should have been glorified but passively and t is more to have it glorified actively then passively and as God delights more in active obedience then in passive so he delights more in the active glory of his Justice then in the passive though there is a kinde of activenesse in suffering and so in Christs suffering therefore that distinction of active and passive is needlesse for his active obedience was passive and his passive obedience had activenesse in it But Secondly Gods Justice is now glorified perfectly the debt is fully paid whereas if all mankinde had been damned the debt should have been but a paying and not have been paid to all eternity As suppose a poor man oweth a thousand pounds and he payeth two pence a week he may be paying of it but cannot pay it in all his life but now if a rich man shall come and at once lay down the money for him the debt then is paid and this is a great deal more then if it should have been alwayes paying So I say if all mankinde had been damned eternally God should have had his debt but paying but the debt would never have been paid but now Christ comes and layes down the payment at once upon the borde and asketh Justice whether it hath enough or no so that Justice is more glorified this way And Thirdly the infinite glory of his wisdome appeares in reconciling Justice and Mercy together that God should be infinitely merciful and just both in one thing this is that that no Angell in Heaven could ever have imagined suppose God should have said thus to all the Angels in Heaven Mankinde is in a lost and undone condition yet I am willing to save him but so as that I will have infinite mercy and Justice reconciled if all of them should have gone and consulted together they could not possibly have told how this should be Now the infinite wisdom of God and nothing but infinite wisdom could finde out such a way as that God should be infinitely mercifull and infinitely just too And Fourthly the infinitenesse of Gods holinesse is hereby manifested if God in a generall way should have thrown his mercy as it were up and down in the world without any more adoe Gods holinesse and hatred of sinne would not have appeared as now it doth when nothing can expiate sinne but the death of his Son if God should carry any of you to the brinke of hell and there let you see all the miseries of the damned and heare all their yellings under the fruits of divine wrath O you would say how doth God hate sinne but be it known to you in the sufferings of Christ there is a greater manifestation of Gods hatred of sinne then in all the torments of hell You that would know how infinitely hatefull sinne is to God come and behold Christ God and man sweltering under the wrath of his Father look upon him in the garden sweating drops of blood come and follow him to the Crosse and heare him cry out in the bitternesse of his soule that dolefull cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me behold Jesus Christ God man who was God blessed for ever made a curse for sinne and for thy sinne look upon sinne in this glasse and here see Gods hatred of sinne There are two glasses wherein we see the evill of sinne the bright christall glasse of the law and the red glasse of the sufferings of Christ and this latter doth more fully more sensibly I am sure set out the nature of sinne and Gods hatred of it and by this you may see the meaning of 2 Cor. 3. 18. where the Apostle speaking of the mystery of the Gospell sayes But we all with open face marke beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. We behold but Gods back parts in his works as God sayes to Moses we behold but the footsteps of God in his workes but when we behold him in Christ we behold him with open face Now look what difference there is in knowing a man when we only see the print of his foot upon sand and when we look him in the face so much difference there is between the knowing of God and his glory as it shines in the workes of creation and as it shines in the face of Christ that God therefore might manifest his glory he would not pardon sinne so freely as to say you have sinned but yet I will pity you and pardon you and there is an end no though he would pardon sinne yet he would doe it this way A Third reason why God would bring things about this way is this because God saw there could be no such way to draw poor sinners to himself as this When God shall reveal to a sinner that he is not only a mercifull God but that he hath provided such a strange way to convey his mercy this hath a mighty efficacy to draw the soul to God for the poor soule apprehending its own guiltinesse and Gods hatred of sin and understanding withall that the heart of God is set upon such a way of mercy is by this as by a mighty argument prevailed with to draw neer to God in a way of dependance upon him for thus will the soul argue Well I heare that God to the end he might let out mercy to poor sinners hath of his own infinite wisdome provided such a strange way of conveyance as this is and when God hath made it appeare by revealing to me the mystery of the Gospell how his heart is set upon this way of shewing mercy to sinners
they run shallow they may run clearely but when once the waters rise and overflow they run muddy and usually there is a great deale of filth comes in with great streames so though in common and ordinary workes we doe not manifest our uncleannesse yet 't is seldome when we ayme to doe great things but we manifest a great deale of filthinesse but it is otherwise with God God is great in power and in that keeps the glory of his holinesse And God manifested here the greatnesse of his wrath upon his enemies and yet the glory of his holinesse too It is a very hard thing for men to doe so let men have their anger stirr'd a little O how much filth doe they presently discover how many have we that all the while they are pleased are exceeding meeke and loving but let any thing stirre their passion and O what a great deale of filth appeares like a pond that is full of mud at the bottome and cleare at top but stirre it a little and then it s nothing but filth A father or a mother cannot tell how to be displeased with a childe or correct it but abundance of corruption comes with that anger and so a governour a servant Who can execute Justice upon others but there will be much of self self-ends and self-interest but now here is the glory of God that when he manifesteth his wrath though it be sore wrath yet he is glorious in holinesse in great wrath he is infinitely powerfull in his wrath and in the execution of his Judgements and yet infinite in holinesse too therefore the vials of Gods wrath are said to be of gold which is the purest mettall so is God in the executing of his Judgements O let us labour to imitate God in this thou that hast a passionate spirit and art soon provoked and discoverest abundance of filthinesse see how unlike thou art unto God though thou shouldest be displeased with that which is sinfull and mayst correct thy children and servants yet be sure to keep that which is the beauty of all in thy correcting of others and that is holinesse Againe this Title is given to God here because in this great worke of his he did manifest his faithfulnesse in fulfilling of his promises to his people many promises God had made to his Church for their preservation and deliverance and God in this worke of his did fulfill these promises now Gods faithfulnesse is a branch of his holinesse therefore because he manifested his faithfulnesse in this worke Moses and the people extoll his name by this Title glorious in holinesse It is observable and it is of great use to us that Gods faithfulnesse is a branch of his holinesse if you compare two Scriptures you will finde it so Isaiah 55. 3. sayes God I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David and this Scripture is quoted Acts 13. 34. I will give you the sure mercies of David so we read it but in the originall it is the holy and faithfull things of David so that when God comes to shew mercy according to his word he doth manifest the glory of his holinesse and it is of admirable use to Gods people to strengthen their faith You have heard that the glory of God is his holinesse now one part of this holinesse is his faithfulnesse in fulfilling his promises to his people therefore it concernes God as he loves his own glory to be faithfull in fulfilling of his promises and God lookes at it as his glory to doe it thy comforts are deere to thee and thy preservation is deere to thee but Gods glory is dearer to him yea Gods glory is dearer to him then thy soul or thy eternall estate can be to thee and the top of Gods glory is his holinesse and his holinesse consists in this in one thing his faithfulnesse in his promises Now for the application of this first hence you may observe whether ever you understood God aright or no let me put this question to you what is that excellency of God that your soul closeth with we speak much of Gods excellency and we all say we love God and delight in God and blesse God but now what is it in God that drawes thy heart so to him and causeth thy soul to love thy God and to blesse thy God and to delight in thy God as thou sayest since the time that ever thou knewest him what is it that God will shew mercy to thee and pardon thy sinne and save thy soul and bring thee to heaven these are things indeed that we are to love and blesse God for but there must be more it is the very person of God himselfe that our hearts must be taken with and it must be the person of God in his excellency and what is that his holinesse therefore hath ever the luster of the infinite holinesse of God shined upon thy heart and drawne thy heart to God and caused thee to stand and adore him and admire him and hath thy heart leaped upon the sight of the brightnesse of his holinesse and doest thou therefore love him if so thou knowest God aright and thy heart hath been aright drawn to him sayes David Psalm 119. 140. thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it Canst thou say so O Lord thou art pure thou art holy therefore doth thy servant love thee and thy word is holy and thy worship is holy and thy servants are holy and thy Ordinances are holy and therefore doth thy servant love all these for if the beauty of Gods holinesse be that which drawes thy heart forth in love unto God then proportionably it will be the beauty of holinesse in all holy things that will draw thy heart to love and delight in them then thou wilt looke upon his Saints as glorious in holinesse and upon his worship and word and Ordinances as glorious in holinesse and so thy heart will be drawn unto them Psalm 33. 21. you shall see there how the Saints of God did rejoyce in the Lord and had their hearts drawn to him because of his holinesse for our hearts shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name the trusting in Gods holy name is that which makes our hearts rejoyce in him But Secondly hence the people of God should exceedingly comfort themselves in God in that they have to deal with him as a holy God that though they meet with much unholinesse in the spirits of men with whom they doe converse yet there is in God nothing but holinesse yea the very beauty and glory of holinesse Brethren it is a delightfull thing yea a rare and a blessed thing to meet with a friend that hath a cleane and a pure heart that hath no mixture in him that is holy in his ends and aymes and that hath a spirit free from guile O what rejoycing is there when one friend that hath a heart pure and cleane
evil whatever good he is possessed of it is by the blood of the covenant a believer can look upon every bit of meat he hath and upon all the good he enjoyes and see it all come streaming to him in the blood of Christ and so it comes abundantly the sweeter As t is with the Sun when it shines through the aire it is not so warm as when it shines through a burning-glasse Take a burning-glasse and hold it between you and the Sun and the glasse will contract the beames of the Sunne so that it shall have an efficacy of heat even to burn again So the goodnesse of God that comes to people through the generall bounty and patience of God hath not such an efficacy to warm and heat their hearts and to draw them to God but now Christ is as it were the burning-glasse that is held between God and the soule and the mercy coming through this burning-glasse O how doth it warm and heat outward comforts therefore there is no people in the world can enjoy outward comforts with so much fulnesse of contentment as the people of God doe because they all come to them through Christ Christ is all in all in the enjoyment of all And so I might shew you how he will be all in all in Heaven to eternity But to give you one particular more as he is all in all in the good we have from God so he is all in all in whatever we tender up to God as in descent from God to us so in ascent from us to God Christ must come in there he must be all in all in our services let our services be never so good yea though spirituall yet they must finde aceptance with the Father through Christ That Text is very remarkable for this 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ marke To offer up spirituall sacrifices I but though the sacrifice be spirituall that is not enough to make it acceptable but Christ he must come in therefore he addes acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Many people offer up sacrifice and they think that is enough but the people of God they rest not only in the duty no nor in the spirituality of the duty though that be counted a great matter but they goe one step higher and so must you in all the duties you tender up to God and that is not only to be carefull that your duties be spirituall but you must tender them to God in the hands of Jesus Christ and expect acceptance through him When thou hast to deal with God in all thy approaches to him be sure thou doest not omit the work of Faith in laying hold upon Christ and carrying him along with thee or else thy service will not be accepted We know the sacrifices in the law though they were never so good yet they were not accepted unlesse a man brought them to the Priest and the Priest he must offer up the sacrifice and then it was accepted Now what was that to signifie to us but Christs Priestly office this is the very work of the Priestly office of Christ to take all our sacrifices that we tender up to the Father and to offer them up for us for we must not presume to offer them our selves and though they offered a sacrifice that was never so good yet if they did not offer it upon the right Altar it was not accepted so Christ he is the right Altar upon which we must offer up all our sacrifices to the Father we must look towards the Temple towards Christ in all that goes from us unto God Christ being all in all for acceptation of our duties And thus we have done with the fourth particular shewing wherein Christ is all in all But now it may be demanded how it comes to passe that God will have this way of communicating himself to mankinde and will not goe in that other way that we by the light of nature and reason would think he should goe true indeed we are sinners I but God is mercifull and we will seek and cry to him for pardon and mercy and deliverance from our sins and what needs there more why will not God save us this way I will not stand now to dispute about the possibility of this but we know this is not the way We are therefore now to enquire why God should rather take this strange way then goe any other way and indeed it is a wonderfull way if we rightly consider it there is nothing in the world that works so much upon a mans heart to adore and admire God in the mystery of the Gospell as the understanding of this that God should have a peculiar way of communicating himself to man different from Angels and from all other creatures that it must be through the second person in the Trinity and he must take mans nature upon him and suffer and dye and all the mercy we have must be through him this is a wonderfull mystery of godlinesse and should take up our serious thoughts in the consideration of it Now if you would know the reason of it the first is this That hereby God might manifest to all the children of men what a dreadfull breach their sins had made between God and them we cannot imagine any way how the breach between God and man could have been so clearly set out as by this meanes when we understand that such was our condition by nature and such our apostacy from God that there was no way of communication of any good from God to us but by this strange and wonderfull way of a mediator between God and man that he should obey and suffer and dye for us we must needs apprehend now that certainly there was some mighty difference between God and us and that mans estate was very low and his condition very desperate that must have such a remedy as this is And this is that which God would have men to know even what that breach is between him and their souls and t is such a breach that few think a right of it If I should open the law to you with all its curses and set the torments of hell before you all this could not set out the dreadfulnesse of the breach between God and you so as this point doth when I tell you that it was such as requires so strange and wonderfull a way of Gods being reconciled and pacified towards you Secondly God takes this way because he sees it the most advantageous way for the manifestation of his glory first the glory of his mercy there is no way that could have been devised by men or Angels to set out the glory of Gods mercy in mans salvation so as by this way if God should have said to mankinde You poor creatures have sinned against me but I am mercifull and will pardon
it should be the content of your souls to baffle out your time in vanity and things that will not profit Well if you would have an evidence to your souls that Christ is all in all to you and shall be to all eternity take it in this if ever God hath opened thine eyes to see his glory in the mystery of the Gospell and that thy heart is taken with it and overcome by it it is an argument that thou art indeed the soul which God hath received to mercy in his Christ but sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost There are a great many to whom the Gospell is preached and yet t is hidden to them and it is hidden to you if you speak of Christ only in a formall way and think it enough to say I hope to be saved by God in Jesus Christ but doest thou see that in the Gospell which raises thy heart with admiration and that darkens all the glory of the world doest thou see more of the glory of God shining in that one sentence God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life then thou seest in the whole frame of the creation of Heaven and Earth thou hopest thou sayest to get to Heaven but what wouldest thou doe there the work of Saints and Angels in Heaven joyned together is to magnifie God for this great work of his doe thou then begin this work here and give God his glory for the great things he hath done for the children of men The Second use should have been this If Christ be thus all in all then let us blesse God that ever we knew Christ and that the mystery of the Gospell hath been revealed to us for otherwise we had been without God in the world and what would have become of us had not this grace of God in the Gospell been revealed to us could you ever have thought of it your selves could it ever have entered into your hearts certainly no nor into the heart of any creature in Heaven or Earth therefore blessed are your eares that heare the things which you heare and blessed are your eyes that see the things which you see and know that when you come to live under the Ministry of the Gospell you enjoy the greatest mercy that ever you enjoyed since you were borne the coming under a powerfull Ministry that reveals Christ and brings the day of salvation to the soul it is no other then the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ for that soul compare Isaiah 49. 8. with 2 Cor. 6. 1. 2. and you shall see this Isaiah 49. 8. Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee c. Now it is apparent by the context that this is to be understood of Christ that God the Father speakes there to his Son well what is this acceptable time and day of Salvation in which Christ is heard look 2 Cor. 6. 1. 2. in the chapter before he had told them That they were ambassadors for Christ We then as workers together with God beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vaine Now what is this grace of God t is the Ministry of the Gospell For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and mark how he applyes it Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation As if he should say the acceptable time and day of salvation in which God the Father hath heard Christ is now now that we the ambassadors of Christ come and open the mystery of the Gospell to you now is the time wherein God the Father hears the Son for you what a mercy is this and what an engagement upon you that when you heare any thing of the mystery of the Gospell opened to you you are to look upon it as the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ and so when Gods sends a faithfull Minister to any congregation t is the fruit of the prayer of Christ Christ prayes O Father that there might be an acceptable time for such a people for such a man and woman it may be they have gone on a long time in ignorance and prophanesse I but Christ hath been praying to the Father for them and when this acceptable time comes then God disposes of them that this man shall goe out of such a wicked family and shall live in a godly family or shall come to such a Sermon and there shall heare the wonderfull things of the Gospell opened to him and shall come to understand this great mystery of Gods letting himself out through Christ unto his people and there the Lord will renew him by a work of grace and bring his heart over unto himselfe this is the acceptable time when God reveales the mystery of the Gospell to any soul therefore blesse God for this Thirdly this shewes how dear Jesus Christ should be unto us O how should we delight and take contentment in him that brings the Treasuries of grace from the bosome of the Father and opens them unto us and not only opens the minde of God the father to us but comes and lets out the treasure of Gods goodnesse to us It was stopt before I but Christ he opened as it were the flood gates and lets the current of grace and mercy in upon us O how deare therefore should Christ be unto us it was the speech of that Martyr Master Lambert None but Christ none but Christ Yea when he suffered Martyrdome for Christ then none but Christ was deare to him because he saw that Christ was the way of conveyance of all good unto him as if God now make a man a meanes of conveyance of a great deal of good to a nation every man will be ready to have his eye upon that man I but there was never such a way of conveyance of good to us as Christ is therefore how should our hearts love him and prize him and rejoyce at the very thoughts of him If you have a friend and God makes that friend an instrument of mercy to you O how doth it indeare you to that friend if the husband be an instrument of good to the wife or the wife to the husband if a Minister to his people or people to their Minister and so in all relations when we can look upon others as a meanes of conveyance of Gods mercy to us it is a mighty argument to knit our hearts unto them and indeed this is the way to obtain love It may be the wife complaines she hath not love from her husband or the husband complaines he hath not love from his wife Why now be as instrumentall as you can to convey the goodnesse of God to them and this will mightily indeare and knit them to you and if it doth
so between man and man how should it doe so much more between us and Christ who is indeed the husband of his Church and through whom the fulnesse of God is let out unto his people O how deare and precious therefore ought he to be unto us Fourthly is Christ all in all then if we have an interest in him it should satisfie and content us though we have nothing or be nothing in our selves Why because if we have Christ we have all though thou wantest parts friends estate outward comforts yet know Christ is to be thy all and is not he enough as he said am not I better to thee then ten sons so sayes Christ to the soul what doest thou want thou wantest this comfort and the other comfort but am not I all in all to thee and better then all yea be willing to be made nothing for all is made up in Christ Again it should have put us upon this to be willing to give up all we have to Christ alas our all is but a poor all yet give it to Christ our parts estates interest names let Christ have all because he is our all And let him be the rule of our prizing all things so farre as we see any thing of Christ prize it sutably as t is reported of Master Bucer if he could see any thing of Christ in any man or woman though they were never so poor and meane his heart would close with them And t is said of Austin that before his conversion he took great delight in reading of Cicero's workes but afterward sayes he I finde not the name Christ in all Cicero and that took off his heart from him so in all thou doest enjoy look how much thou seest of Christ in it so farre let thy delight and esteem be carried out towards it and no farther Again with what mighty intention of spirit should the heart be put forth toward Jesus Christ above all things what though God give thee an estate and honour in the world if thou hast not Christ thou hast nothing thou hast not that that makes way for thee to eternity Therefore be not satisfied with any thing without Christ As Abraham sayes What wilt thou give me Lord seeing I goe childlesse So say thou Lord thou hast given me a portion in the world thou hast given me credit and repute amongst men but Lord what is all this to me if I goe Christlesse and have not him that is the conveyance of grace unto my soul that is all in all O Lord thou hast this day taught me that such is the distance and breach betweene thee and me that unlesse it be made up through a mediator I must eternally perish therefore give me Christ whatever thou denyest me O satisfie not your selves with any thing without Christ Many hypocrites they satisfie themselves with gifts if they have gifts then they are contented Consider that parable in the Gospell Matth. 13. 45 46. The merchant-man sought after goodly pearles but when he had found the pearle of price then be went and sold all that be had and bought it Now gifts and parts and other atchievements are these goodly pearles I but Christ he is the pearle of price therefore whatever thou hast be willing to part with it for him if God have discovered to thee the pearle of price let no goodly pearles satisfie thee Many souls perish eternally because they are satisfied with goodly pearles and doe not endeavour to obtaine this pearle of price Againe the application should further have been to have endeavoured to work this upon you that in your seeking after God you would be sure to take Christ along with you I will give you onely this note if it were your last time to pray to God and your everlasting estate did depend upon Gods mercy should you now seek God never so earnestly yet if it were onely in a naturall way as your creator your condition would be very dreadfull and you would perish eternally If God should lay any of you upon your sick beds or death beds and you should cry to God mercy mercy Lord be sure you take Christ along with you and look upon God through Christ or else all your cryes will be to no purpose It is a speech of Luther that God lookt upon out of Christ is most dreadfull and terrible and it argues a great deal of ignorance in us when we think we can goe to God and shall finde mercy with him without considering him as a God that will be reconciled to us only through his Son To conclude all as Christ sayes If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me so this is the work of our Ministry we have spent time amongst you that we might labour to lift up Christ to you and O that God would be pleased to draw all your souls to him This Sermon was preacht March 28. 1641. HEBR. II. V. I. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen April 25. 1641. IN the latter end of the former chapter the Apostle exhorts to perseverance and shewes the great evill and danger of drawing back Now to the end this evill might be Prevented he shewes what it is that will deliver us from it Whatever others doe or whatever temptations or afflictions we meet withall to draw us back yet still the just shall live by faith Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen In this Chapter therefore he falls upon this argument to wit the opening of the doctrine and practice of faith And the words read are an excellent description of faith not an exact definition of it It is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen The substance the word in the originall is very full the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath many significations the fundamentall the foundation of things hoped for the subsistence the substantiality of things hoped for those things that in themselves have no reall present subsistence to us but are things to come and hoped for yet faith gives them a present reall substantiall being to us The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen The word translated evidence is a Logicall terme and signifieth such a kinde of conviction as is by way of dispute and cleare demonstration so as it must needs compell one to yield unto it that is the propriety of the word that although the objects of faith are things not seen either by the eye of sense or by the eye of reason yet faith brings such a light with it and makes them so demonstratively cleare that it even forceth the soul to a beliefe of them so that it hath the fullest conviction of them that possibly can be Two things then you finde are here said of faith First that it gives a substantiall reall present being to things hoped for And secondly that it is the
misery that they shall indure to eternity to fill up every moments misery that all the misery they shall indure to eternity they shall possesse it presently and together and therefore the torment of a brute creature is infinitely short of a reasonable suppose a brute beast were in hell yet its misery would come infinitely short of a mans because a brute creature apprehends no more misery then that instant but now if a reasonable creature be in torment and knowes it shall be in it eternally by thought and discourse it can fetch into that very instant all the paine that it must endure for ever And so for happinesse those that are saved shall be infinitely happy every moment because they shall fetch in all the happinesse they shall have to eternity to make them every moment happy this is the work of reason Now if reason can make future things to be as present how much more can faith that is not only reason elevated but is a principle higher then reason as it is in dispaire a man that dispaires brings hell to himself before he is in hell and makes hell that is absent as if it were present Hence some in their dispairing have cryed out they were in hell as Francis Spira he said he was in hell and hell fire was upon him because by dispaire that which is future hath a reall kinde of subsistance in the heart of a man as if it were now present Now as dispaire brings in the reallity of Gods wrath that is future and makes it as present so faith brings in the reallity of Gods love and mercy that is to come and makes it as present and it is as genuine a work of faith to make future things present as any work of faith Now I should have shewn you in what respects faith makes things present that are to come and what is the work of faith in them But briefly it makes all things present that are to come First because it sees all things as certain as if they were already if a man have a bond of one for a hundred pounds that he is sure off he sayes here is a hundred pounds because of the certainty of it Secondly because faith lookes upon the possession of things that not only they shall be but that now there is a possession of them and that two wayes First Christ our head is gone before to prepare mansions for us and in our name to take possession of heaven therefore we have taken possession in our head and then Secondly we have the first fruits of the spirit the first fruits of the glorious things of heaven and in that regard we our selves have taken possession and therefore they are as present to faith Thirdly there is such an infinitenesse in eternity that the time that is to be before we have ful possession is not considerable therefore faith lookes upon them as present And then Fourthly faith eyes the things of heaven continually and they are therefore present because they are alwayes in the eye of faith And Fifthly the presentnesse of them is seen in this because the Saints enjoy all in God for this is the happinesse of heaven to see all glory and blessednesse in God Now faith doth something of this here faith inables us to see great things in God Now the enjoying communion with God for the present and beholding of heaven in God and seeing all things in him this must needs make a present reall subsistance of them to the soul Thus I have spoken briefly of faiths being the substance of things hoped for For the use If faith be the substance of things hoped for and gives being to things so high and glorious as the things of God are First then certainly faith it self must needs be a very substantiall thing faith is not a conceit and notion for it gives reality and substantial being to those things the world counts conceits faith is the most substantialest glorious thing in the world It is that in the working of which the power of God appeares more then in any thing in the world therefore in Ephes 1. 19 20. there are some six or seven gradations of the wonderfull power of God that appeares in the working of faith Now that must needs be an exceeding substantial thing that hath such a mighty power of God in working of it God doth not use to put forth extraordinary power for the doing of ordinary things Now when he speaks of faith he sets out his power in a glorious manner and in an extraordinary way and thereby tells us that faith hath some great matter in it And indeed faith hath much in it though it be a grace that empties us of our selves yet it is that whereby the believer is enabled to doe one of the most glorious workes that ever creature was enabled to doe as now for a poor soul to see its self in its own filth under sinne and guilt and to see the wrath of an infinite deity incensed against it to see the infinite justice of God requiring satisfaction and the infinite holinesse of God hating of sinne to have the accusations of conscience of Satan of the world and being sensible of all this yet to lay hold upon a mediator between God and man and to trust in a righteousnesse beyond it self and to tender it up to God the Father for a full attonement and satisfaction and to venture its self and eternall estate upon it and being unholy and filthy in it self yet to unite it self to God in as neer a union for the kinde of it as possibly a creature can have with the Creator next the hypostaticall union of the humane nature of Christ with the divine I say for faith to be able to doe this it is a high and most glorious work and there is an abundance of the power of God appeares in it By this how may we discover the vanity of the faith of the greatest number of people in the world who have nothing but meer emptinesse in them their very faith is only a notion and no marvell then if all things they believe be but notions they can doe nothing with their faith You say you hope and believe and trust in Gods mercy but what can you doe with your faith what reall substantiall work of faith is upon your hearts when faith comes there comes the mighty power of God and his wonderfull glory into the soul that creats as it were and gives substantiall being to the most high and glorious objects in the world therefore know that faith is not a dead slight empty thing in the soul but it hath a mighty operation upon the hearts of men and women and certainly that faith that must save a soul must have high and glorious operations in the soul Againe if faith gives a substantial being to things hoped for then we must learne to strengthen and exercise our faith in the things we hope for which of us doe not
to wish the time of thy life at an end thou mayest meet with another manner of discontent then ever thou metst withall here for after death comes judgement Amos 5. 18. Wee unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light So I say woe to them that in a froward mood desire the day of the Lord which is not a day of light but like to be a day of darknesse unto them for ought they can tell Instead of giving God the praise of thy life upon every sullen mood doest thou wish thy self dead this is a great dishonour to the grace and mercy of God extended towards thee Again this concernes those that upon every drunken occasion for a word or two will venture their lives t is true fooles will venture their lives for trifles because they know not the worth of them but those who know the worth of their lives will not doe so I remember a story of a Philosopher being at Sea and in danger of his life he was mightily afraid and the Marriners were not at all afraid what say they are you a Philosopher afraid when we rude Marriners doe not feare I says he there is reason for it for if I dye a Philosopher is gone but for you your lives are not worth much so they that are ready to venture their lives in a drunken quarrel and will venture nothing for God and a good cause know not what their lives are worth and that is the reason they are so willing to throw them away Again it concernes those that in trouble and anguish of conscience are ready to lay violent hands upon themselves to take away their lives one would think this point thus opened and applyed might for ever keep back such a temptation for time to come What an infinite desperate folly is this that I that am made sensible of Gods wrath and am afraid of it shall yet doe that which may put me irrecoverably into it and state me eternally in it as they doe who lay violent hands upon themselves If any people in the world should desire the continuance of their lives and prize them at a high rate those that are troubled in conscience should doe it they should pray Davids prayer Psalm 39. 13. O spare me that I may recover strength before I goe hence and be no more And use Gods own argument Psalm 103. 13 14. where it is said God is merciful to his people because he remembers they are but dust So doe thou plead with God and say O Lord spare me I am but dust and as a winde that passeth away and shall never returne againe now is the time wherein thou hast said thou wilt be intreated O let my life be continued for if this time be out I am gone for ever Lastly this concernes those that have been as they thought upon their death beds that have apprehended themselves as dying and have had this truth somewhat setled upon them that have seen eternity before them and have been in danger as they conceived of everlasting ruine and in their own hearts have received judgement but God hath magnified his mercy towards them and restored them againe perhaps in this condition when thou sawest and hadst the judgement in thine own heart that thy time was gone thou then madest promises and saydest O if God would spare my life what a new man would I be I would be sure to make use of my time in another manner then ever heretofore Well God hath raised thee up againe and what then why now thou wilt venture upon Gods patience and his wrath too O woe to thee when thy dayes are ended and this judgement comes it will fall dreadfully upon thee Wherefore my brethren let me speak to you all for I am not come this day onely to spend an houre with you but to doe your souls some good be it known to you this is your day the day of grace and salvation And yet once againe in the name of God I declare unto you this truth supposing you have heard it many times before that there is not the worst the vilest in the congregation that is come through the providence of God before God this day but for ought we know it is possible for thy sinnes to be pardoned it is possible yet for thy soul to be saved for God to be reconciled to thee and this day it is once more declared to thee that thou art not yet stated in eternal misery which might have been thy condition before now O that when you are gone home you would get into your closets and fall down before God and blesse him for this message once more preached to you Beloved if I or any of the servants of the Lord should be sent by God to the gates of hell with this message O you damned spirits know from the Lord that there is a possibility for you to be saved certainly they would with joyfulnesse hearken to such tidings Now this cannot be preached to them but this may be this is preached to the vilest and wickedest wretch and enemy to God and goodnesse that is in the congregation and God declares this now to you but how long it will be before judgement comes to state thee in another condition thou canst not tell therefore know in this thy day the things of thy eternal peace and who knows what may depend upon one day yet prayers and teares may doe thee good but stay a while and though streames of bloud should flow from thee and thou shouldest cry and howle to God to all eternity it would never doe it therefore know your time it is a happy thing for a man to doe a businesse in such a time wherein he may have the benefit of it amongst men though a thing be done yet if not in the season of it it loses of its worth and efficacy so now prayers and teares and mourning and crying to God for mercy the efficacy of these things are gone except they be done in time and for ought thou knowest unlesse they be done this day or to morrow or very shortly they may doe thee no good at all therefore now take your time God proclaimes and sayes to every one of you this day Poor creatures as ever you expect to receive mercy in the day of Christ look to it now for now the golden scepter is stretched forth now is the acceptable time and the day of grace and salvation come in and accept of the offers and tenders of grace and mercy now or else you are gone for ever Wherefore then let this take off all slightnesse of heart and those roving dispositions of your spirits that run so after vanities If a man that were wilde in his thoughts and that had his eyes roving up and down should have one say to him Sir consider what you doe for it concernes your life if you miscarry
I conclude now that the Lord is willing to be reconciled to me and why then should I be unbelieving any more why should I have hard thoughts of God any more why should I remaine in my doubting condition any longer thou canst not be more desirous of the salvation of thy soul then God is of magnifying his grace and mercy and God hath done more for thee then thou canst possibly do for the salvation of thy soul Besides t is a mighty drawing argument for by this meanes the infinite distance that conicience apprehended to be between God and the soul is taken away for when the soul sees it hath to deal with an infinite deity that is so farre above it it stands shaking and trembling and dares not draw nigh to God What have I to doe saith the soul with such a God as this is who is so infinitely above me but now when thou knowest that Christ is between God and thee then this distance needs not scare thee yea now all thy guiltinesse and all the filthinesse and pollution of thy soul and all that the law hath to say against thee need be no discouragement to thee when thou seest thou hast to deal with God through Jesus Christ Therefore no soul can stand off and say how doe I know it belongs to me doe but take this one rule for that there is nothing can interest the soul in Christ but Christ himself there is no preparation to Christ but Christ must be all in all in it therefore stand not off and say how shall my heart be wrought to these and these preparations and work thus and thus before I have part in Christ no puzzle not thy self about thy preparations but set before thy soul the mystery of the Gospell in this glorious way of Gods communication of himself to thee and of reconciling man unto himself and the very efficacy of these truths will have a power upon thy heart to draw thee unto God in this way of reconciliation and that is the way of true comfort The Gospell it self though there be no preparation before yet hath an efficacy to draw the heart to Christ for Christ is all in all in that And doe not say I am a poor meane creature I can doe nothing I cannot remember a Sermon I cannot pray or performe any good duty as I ought why remember soul Christ is all in all true if any thing were required of thee in the businesse of salvation it were somewhat but know that God hath laid help upon one who is mighty therefore t is not thy weaknesse nor the distance between God and thee that can hinder if thou rightly apprehendest God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Another reason might have been this God doth it to indeare his mercy to his Saints for ever for indeed nothing indeares Gods mercy to them so much as this that they see it come to them in such a way of conveyance and that which will indear mercy to the Saints in heaven to all eternity and for which they shall be full of the praises of God shall not be so much for the good things they enjoy as for that strange and wonderfull way by which they come to enjoy them This I say is that which shall take up the hearts and be a great part of the work of the glorified Saints in Heaven to all eternity even their admiring adoring and praising God in Jesus Christ And then God delights to honour his Son and that he might set him up he makes him to be the meanes of conveyance of all good to those he intends it to as if a King were to honour his Son what way can he take to doe it more effectually then this that all the favour he meanes to shew to any shall be only through his Son so when God the Father would honour his Son he appoints from all eternity that all the grace and mercy that any shall have from him shall be only through his Son Therefore as Christ saith All judgement is committed to the Son that all men might honour the Son as they honour the Father So I may say of the work and dispensation of Gods grace that all is conveyed to Christ and by him communicated to those that have interest in him that the Son might be honoured to all eternity I shall conclude in a few words of application to work upon you this that hath been said First if it be thus let us stand a while and admire at the depths of the councel of God and the infinite glory of the riches of his grace to mankinde that God should ever have such thoughts towards such poor wormes as we are that he should not rather have let such despicable creatures eternally perish then goe in such a strange way to shew mercy to them Truly brethren God hath done more in bringing a poor soul to himself then in creating Heaven and Earth the work of creating Heaven and Earth is but a low piece of work in comparison of this wonderfull way of Gods conveying his grace and mercy to the children of men through his Son this is the master-piece of the workes of God which he hath already done or will ever doe to all eternity and God therefore is to be admired and adored in this We are to glorifie God in every creature but how is God to be glorified then in his Son wherein so much of his glory doth appeare If it be a sinne for us not to sanctifie the name of God when we behold his glory in his meanest workes O what a sinne is it not to sanctifie the name of God in beholding the mystery of the Gospell and his glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ God expects brethren that those who live under the Gospel should spend their dayes and thoughts and talk about that glory which he hath manifested in his Son O you that have such chaffy drossy spirits that can spend your precious thoughts upon such poor things as you doe know that here is an object to take up your thoughts and your sinne is abundantly the greater in this that you spend your thoughts about such vanities when God sets before you so glorious an object to raise up your hearts unto himself and you that spend a great deal of your lives in vanity know that this day you have heard of a truth that above all things in the world should take up your time and thoughts in the contemplation of it And you that have more time and greater estates then others and are not put upon it to get your bread as others are and so have greater opportunities for the worship and service of God and for searching into his truth yet how doe you spend your time in vanity and light things as if there were no greater matters to take up your hearts It is a signe of a vaine and frothy spirit that when God propounds such glorious things to you that yet