not onely betake themselves to the means of faith before-named but do dwell upon them feed upon them meditate upon them untill their faith be well setled and strengthened and then the Marks will of their own accord follow for as seed doth not grow unlesse it be first harrowed and lye a while in the earth and as meat will not strengthen unlesse it be chewed and have time to digest even so unlesse we insist and dwell upon the Means of Faith the Promises Covenant c. by frequent and earnest meditation feeding upon them and hiding them in the midst of our hearts they cannot produce any setled faith in us and faith not being produced and setled it cannot produce these effects and marks as are requisite thereunto I have insisted the longer on this because I find it is one of the greatest depths of Satan thus to tosse in a wind as it were the children of God whereby many are held back from beleeving and we our selves are in every thing backward but especially in the point of beleeving O ye of little faith slow to beleeve The point of faith is a main point and going out of the way in it is no lesse then the hazarding of the soul especially we should take heed that the nature of Faith be not mistaken it is a fundamentall errour to erre in the point of Faith In a word then what shal one do when he is in such a case that he can find no Marks or evidences of faith pray for them that is true but for the point of means using there is no other course or help to strengthen his faith but this to strengthen his faith by the means that so faith may bring on these evidences As in the building so in the repairing of Faith Q. I would gladly hear of some of those speciall particular means to beget and strengthen Faith A. First of all a notable Mean is duely and diligently to consider of the mercifull nature of the Lord our God who is our partie with whom we have to deal as it is most sweetly and richly set down to us in Scripture and all to draw our unbeleeving hearts to rest upon the same This is a mean and prop of Faith that Gods children have had great recourse unto So we see Psal 25. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies for they have been of old Remember not the sins of my youth but according to thy mercy remember me c. So Psal 5. Have mercy upon me O Lord according to the multitude of thy tender mercies Sweetly saith Daniel of this Mercy and forgivenesse belongeth to thee although we have sinned against thee So sweetly Psal 65. Iniquitie hath prevailed against us but thou wilt be mercifull to our transgressions So Psal 130. If thou mark iniquitie narrowly who shall stand but there is mercy with thee or forgivenesse with thee And again With the Lord is mercie and plenteous redemption Thus hath Gods children against the greatnesse of their sins have comforted and upholden their faith by the consideration of Gods mercie The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run unto it and are saved Now the name of his mercy is above all his names as is clear from Exod. 34. where the Lord proclaiming his Name to Moses takes so many stiles of mercy to him But to the point the Lord in his word hath been pleased having a regard to our slownesse to beleive to set down his mercy very richly largely pithily and pregnantly to us he is said to be plenteous in mercy Psal 103. to pardon aboundantly or to multiply pardons Isa 55. To delight in mercy Micah the last To delight in these that trust in his mercy Psal 148. To be rich in mercy Ephes 1. That his mercy endureth for ever Is he not infinite in his mercy The Lords mercies be most pithily and pregnantly set down in these places Exâ—d 34. Micah the last Isa 1.44.55 Deut. 4. Psa 103.116 So that doth the greatnesse of thy sins trouble thee he is infinite in mercy though thy sins were as scarlet c. He forgives iniquitie transgression and sin for his Name sake he pardons iniquities so that now the greater thy sins be the greater shall be the name of his mercy So David Psal 51. For thy name sake pardon my iniquity for it is great the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin though never so great and no wonder because it is the blood of Christ of God not with corruptible things but with the precious blood and that his own blood Acts 20. Doth the number of thy sins trouble thee he hath multitudes of tender mercies for the number of thy sins he doth multiply pardons if thou hast multiplied thy sins he is rich in mercy he hath a treasure of mercy if thou hast treasured up wrath notable is that Isa 43. Ye have wearied me with your transgressions yet come and I will pardon you I even I am he who for my own names sake c. He who bids even us to pardon seventie times seven times how oft then will he himself pardon Obj. O but I have spent all my daies in sinning so that justly I may fear that the day of grace is expired that the doore of mercy is shut up A. O but the Lords mercy enduereth for ever he is long suffering if thou hast been long in sinning and that the day of grace is not expiered is evident because the meanes is yet continued and the offer of mercy in them for the Lord he is yet beseeching thee by his Ambassadors to be reconciled so that it is yet the acceptable time the day of salvation 2 Cor. 5. towards the end and Cap. 6. at the beginning And he is yet standing at the doore and knocking ready if thou wilt open to him to come in and to sup with thee and thou with him So then While it is to day harden not your hearts neither dispaire the Lord and thou art yet upon parley under speaking termes and so the bargain is not quite broke off consider the similitude of a besieged City as long as there is any parley there is possibility of peace consider also how it is said At what time soever a sinner repents I will do away his iniquities Obj. O but I cannot finde this repentance A. The Lord will pardon and shew mercy upon a very small measure of repentance he will accept of the smoake instead of the fire of repentance It is not our repentance but Christs merits that the Lord looks at he will not quench the smoaking flax yea he will shew mercy upon the very first motions and beginnings of repentance I have sinned saies David and The Lord hath taken away thy sin saies Nathan The prodigall child was met a far off yea upon a purpose of repentance I said I will confesse my sins and thou forgavest c. yea such is his mercy that when Adam did extenuate and shift
asleep by them in such a sort that the trumpet of the Law and thundrings cannot awaken you 1. The first is that people do not consider duly of the patience and long suffering of the Lord and therefore they come to mistake and misdoubt his justice and the truth of his threatnings they see no such thing they have been living in their sins so long and never found that things went otherwise then well with them no dint of any such threatnings yea they see others so also none living more pleasantly nor more prosperously then those who take very great liberty to themselves to break the Law of God and this certainly hardens the heart of many a sinner as the Scripture bears witnesse Because sentence is not executed against the wicked speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evill because men are not presently punished and taken out of hand as we say but get leave to go away and escape with their sins for a time therefore both themselves and others take the greater liberty to sin and surely we have need to take heed to this for we have all a tang of it were sin but instantly punished we would stand more in aw to offend then we do But this the Apostle meets with exceeding well and peremptorily Rom. 2. at the beginning first he layes down a peremptorie conclusion against such persons Thinkest thou this O man that thou shalt escape the judgement of God No think thou what thou wilt saies he we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them who commit such things O but saies the other I feel I fear no such thing I have lived long but have not found it so and others have lived out their life and dyed peaceably and have had no bands in their death To this he replyes two things the one is the reason that thou art not dealt with according to Gods justice and judgment and threatnings is not from thy deserving but from the riches and the goodnesse long suffering and patience of the Lord waiting upon thy repentance which if thou despise when the date of it is run out thou shalt find the truth of his threatnings and the debt of his justice so much the greater The other thing he replyes is this although thou shouldst escape the Lords justice and judgement all thy life time here what of that is there no other place for justice for judgement for the accomplishment of Gods threatnings then in this life is not the chief in the life to come Alas thou considerest not fare it with thee here as it will that yet thou art treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the just judgement of God O that you would consider this now that ye are not a haires breadth further off or at least the freer from the curses of the Law that they are not instantly powred out upon thee what of that yet surely as the Lord is true they do abide thee and when the Lord hath given a sufficient proofe of his patience towards thee they shall come upon thee when thou least expectest as pains on a woman in travell if not in this life yet in the life to come and therfore be not the securer for this that they are not yet come upon thee but if thou wilt prevent this humble thy self under the mighty hand of God The other main impediment hindering the Law with the threatnings of it to have the due operations of it upon the hearts of people as any may see is their presumption both in misapplying the Lords mercy and Christs merits to themselves when as indeed they have no interest in them and yet this is it that makes them secure against all the threatnings and also mistaking the manner of obtaining mercy First then I say they presume and misapply Gods mercy and Christs merits to themselves this is the thing that makes many a soule to perish and therefore I beseech you take heed unto it they acknowledge that they are sinners and that the curses of the Law does belong to them O but they believe in the mercy of God and in the merits of Christ in him who hath freed them from the curse of the Law and so they leap over the threatnings of the Law O but deceive not thy self this is the way that many perish in see that thy relying upon Christ and the mercy of God be upon good grounds sure warrants do all beleive that say or think they beleive come to any almost will they not say they beleeve as well as others but the Scripture saies that Many are called and but few are chosen it saies that many are deceived and why mayest not thou be deceived among the rest Indeed if thou hast ever been humbled for thy by-past sins and so hast fled unto Christ and striven to rest upon him If thou hast broken off the course of thy iniquity and turned thy back upon thy sins and art endeavouring to repent of what is past and to abstain for time to come if the Spirit of God hath made any work in thy soul then thou mayest be bold O but if none of these be no work of the Spirit in thee whereof I was speaking hast thou not broken off the course of thy iniquities but still walkest according to the imagination of thy own heart and yet doest blesse thy self notwithstanding the curses of the Law Be thou sure it shall be true which the Lord saies Deut. 29. all these curses shall come upon thee Walkest thou in darknesse that is to say after the dictates of thy own corrupt heart and the courses of the wicked world doest thou as thou seest others do and as thy own heart gives thee leave and takest no heed to order thy wayes according to the lantern of Gods Word for this is to walk in darknesse then beguil not thy self this shift will not serve the turn it will not free thee from the curse of the Law Christ it 's true is able to do it but thou hast nothing to do with him as yet What saies the Apostle He that saith he hath fellowship with him and walks in darknesse he is a lyar and the truth is not in him For these again who deceive themselves by mistaking the manner of obtaining mercie they think that when they have sinned all their life time that a God have mercie upon them shall serve their turn and then think that they may beleeve repent and get mercy when they will and for a word O but let me tell such these things are not so easily gotten and none so far from getting mercy as they that presume upon it yea did not many of Gods children find it hard enough all their whole life to get faith repentance and mercy and wilt thou come so easily by them and thinkst to get mercie for a word of thy mouth And finally to end this point
and hide his sin his great sin yet the Lord gave him pardon intimating mercy to him The seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the serpent Lastly whatsoever thou dost want in this point the Lord hath promised it even to take away the stonie heart and to give the spirit of mourning Zach. 12.10 Obj. O but I continually slide back to the same sins daily A. It may be so through the power of sin leading thee captive and sinne that hangs fast on yet this is not thou but sin that dwelleth in thee 2. He hath said that he will heale our back-slidings Psal 65. Iniquity prevailes against us but thou wilt be mercifull to our transgressions Doest thou sin daily he gives thee liberty yea he commands thee daily to crave the remission of thy sins yea as oft as thou cravest daily bread but you will say how can this be what man would deale thus O but my waies are not like your waies noâ— my thoughts like your thoughts Isa 55. But to apply the point and to draw to an end A due dwelling upon the meditations of Gods mercy thus laid down in Scripture is a notable prop and mean of faith for a Christian soul may reason thus doth the Lord set down his rich mercy so richly and amply in his word and will he not be as good as his word will he faile when it comes to the point and proofe as men sometimes use to do who will speak fair and fail when it comes to the deed and performance will he not be as good as his word he gives himself out for Yes certainly hath he not set out his mercy in this kinde that our mistrusting doubting and withdrawing hearts may be made to rest upon the same according to that in Psal 26. O how excellent is thy mercie O Lord therefore under the shadow of thy wings shall the children of men put their trust A second notable Mean of Faith is to consider duly the mercifulnes and faithfulnesse of our high Priest our Mediator especially his readines to receive sinners as we have a mercifull and gracious partie so also a mercifull Advocate Hebr. 2. A mercifull high Priest and faithfull in things pertaining to God to make reconcilement for the sins of the people This the Scripture makes also a notable prop and mean of Faith and confidence as is clear from Hebr. 4. Seeing we have such an high Priest let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy Now for his readinesse to receive poore sinners certainly it is exceeding great It is well observed by one that he never refused any who came to him here on earth for the cure of their bodies although this was not his main errand yea he prevented some as the man at the Pool he encouraged others to come forward when others would have discouraged them as the blind man much lesse will he refuse any who come to him for the salvation and curing of their souls this being his main errand and principall office even to save his people from their sins 2 Behold how sweetly he invites Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden I counsell you to come unto me He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Ho every one that thirsts How often would I have gathered you Behold I stand at the doore and knock Rev 3. He beseeches us to be reconciled by his Embassadours 2 Cor. 5. Now may not a sensible soul reason He that invites us so kindly to come will he not welcome us as kindly when we come He that beseeches us to be reconciled unto him will he not when we intreat him be reconciled to us Stands he at the doore and knocks and will he not open unto such as not onely are willing to let him in but stand at his doore and knock He that so often would have gathered these who came not will he refuse to any chased soul a shelter under his wings flying for refuge and to the horns of salvation Q. O but I am not worthy to come there is gnoâ—race in me A. There is worth enough in him for you and him both 2. He invites thee to come and that freely and he will accept of thy small measure he quenches not the smoaking flax Obj. If I could come unto him but I cannot do that A. O he will help thee I will draw all men unto me Joh. 11. He is the author and finisher of our faith A third notable Mean of Faith is to meditate upon and confider of the manifold motives perswasions and inducements the Lord God uses to draw us to beleeve O it is not an easie matter to beleeve for the first Command is to beleeve 1 Joh. 5. this is his Commandment and he threatens us if we beleeve not and that most fearfully Joh. 1. and 3. Chapters to drive and scar us from infidelity Whosoever beleeves not he is condemned alreadie he hath made God a lyar 3. He doth request us to beleeve We as the Ambassadors of God beseech you to be reconciled bids us trust and trust perfectly to the grace that shall be revealed unto us 1 Pet. 1.4 He sometimes cheers us to beleeve and encourages us Come and câ—mâ— boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercye Hebr. 4.5 Sometimes the Scripture chids us to beleeve so that as he saith of the people of Israel so may I say of this point O Judah what shall I do unto thee O Ephraim how shall I intreat thee Now may not a Christian soul gather great grounds to beleeve from these inducements reasoning thus with himself Doth the Lord command me to beleeve and shal I doubt whether I ought to do it or not Carry I my self or would I do so in regard of his other Commandments question I whether I shall do this or no and shall I draw back from this his most acceptable Commandment 1 Joh. 5. Doth the Lord threaten me so to beleeve so to chase me and scare my heart from infidelitie and shall I think that it will displease him to beleeve No I can see nothing can be either more dangerous to me or more displeasing to him then not to beleeve as is to be seen Joh. 7. and 3. Chapters 3. Doth he beseech me to be reconciled yea many never do regard his entreatie and will he refuse them who beseech him have besought him and by his grace will beseech him to be reconciled Is he not found of those who seek him not and will he not be found of me who seek him though weakly 4. Doth he bid me come boldly to the throne of his grace and will he then count it over great boldnesse in me to do so 5. Bids he me trust and that perfectly and complains he of the slownesse of the smalnesse of my faith and shall I be of little faith slow to beleeve Further as these Motives and inducements be notable to work us to beleeve and to
to me A. For this I give no other Answer but what I gave to that doubt concerning the Promises for what is the Covenant but a bundle of Promises As ye heard of the Promises they are to you and to your seed Even so the Covenant I am your God and the God of your seed Consider the other Answer Q. O but I am so unworthy guiltie sinfull gracelesse I cannot think that it belongs to me A. For this consider the second property the freenesse of this Covenant it is altogether free from the Lords free favour without any respect to any thing in thee it looks at nothing in thee no worth in thee can procure it no unworthinesse in thee can hinder it so that whatsoever thy condition be thou needst not fear to lay hold on it Now this freenesse of this new Covenant is clear and may be specified by these particulars 1. It is free because it doth not require any prevenient grace or worthinesse in us Isa 55. where this Covenant is set down Ho every one that thirsteth come and buy without money c. So Rev. last Drink of the water of life freely Rev. 3 the poore the miserable naked spiritually are invited and counselled to come Hâ—s 14. I will love them freely Rom. 3. All have sinned and come short c. being justified freely by his grace Nothing the Lord stands more upon then the freedom of his grace that all the glory and the thanks may be to him 2. It is free not onely because it doth not prerequire or presuppose any worthinesse in us but it doth also take off former guilt we should remember that it is made for the behoof of sinners I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance We are saved by beleeving in him who justifies the ungodly But I say this Covenant takes off even exceeding great by-past guiltinesse as is clear from Isa 55. where the Covenant is mentioned I will abundantly pardon Isa 1. although they were never so great though as red as scarlet Isa 43. although they were never so many Ye have wearied me with your transgressions c. Yet I am he c. This is a worthy saying and by all means to be received by thee that Jesus Christ came to save sinners yea and the chief of sinners and not onely Paul but him to be a pattern to others who afterwards should beleeve in him Now all these tends to the further manifestation of the riches of his grace and mercy Hence it is said Isa 43. For his Names sake be pardons iniquitie now the greater and the more thy sins have been the greater shall be the name of his mercy and the freenesse of his grace 3. This Covenant stands not onely with by-past guiltinesse but which shews the freenesse thereof with much present sinfulnesse and wretchednesse if felt and mourned for This is clear from Ezek. 16.4 5 6 7 8 9. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood c. Yet even then I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Then I washed thee with water yea I throughly washed away the blood from thee c. So we see how that sinfulnesse of disposition doth not let the Lord to enter into this Covenant with us and should not discourage us to lay hold on the Covenant See Ezek. 36. where there is mention of the Covenant more then once Not for your sakes O house of Israel be it known unto you Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes but for my Names sake And he tels them that they were a stiffe-necked and a rebellious people rather worse then better then other people And surely there are not more rough pieces of work and greater sinners then many on whom the Lord bestows grace that so the glory of his mercie and power of his grace even divine power may be better known So then neither thy works nor thy by-past guiltinesse nor thy present sinfulnesse of disposition ought to hinder thee from laying hold on this Covenant seeing it is in all these respects a free Covenant but as ye shall hear it is the onely way to get all these redressed Obj. O but this Covenant promises that I shall have a new heart be cleansed from my filthinesse c. these things I find not hence is it that justly I doubt that the Promises of remission of sins belongs not to me seeing the other Promises of sanctification be not accomplished A. Thou wilt not beleeve that they may be accomplished think you that all the conditions of the Covenant shall be performed to you or can become yours untill by faith you lay hold on the Covenant untill by faith you subscribe the Covenant and set to thy seale that God is true thou hast not entred into the Covenant nor cannot be said to have done it untill thou subscribe it by beleeving and so no wonder thou hast not reaped the benefits of the Covenant go to then and enter thy self in the Covenant subscribe it seale it by beleeving and then shalt thou find the vertue and benefit of these promises of Sanctification and go not to suspend thy beleeving because thou findest not the accomplishment of the promises for ye heard it is faith that brings forth holinesse and Sanctification But the next and last property of this Covenant is able to give you satisfaction and it is the absolutenesse and compleatnesse of this Covenant I call it a compleat Covenant because the Lord hath undertaken in it to fullfill both his own part and our part what could be wished for more so that whatsoever it requireth of thee it promises to give the same unto thee as faith repentance the grace of prayer the fear of God victory over corruptions and finally strength to walke outwardly in the waies of the Lords obedience Hence I call it an absolute Covenant because it not onely hath conditionall on all promises promising eternall life remission of sins such and such things to those who beleeve repent love fear God c. But it hath in it absolute promises which properly be the new Covenant promising even these very conditions to wit faith repentance c. What can be more sweet and comfortable certainly there is not any point in Christian Religion more comfortable or more considerable by us then is this of the absolute promises and of the compleatnesse of the new Covenant and how that the Lord hath undertaken both for his own part and our part herein for want of considering of this many poore Christian soules are holden back mightily and are discouraged for they thinke with themselves many things and amongst the rest remission of sins to be promised to those that fear and love God that beleive and repent that seek by prayer c. But alas I want these conditions and so have no interest in the promises