acts of faith are capable of weaknesse and also of opposition one man may more confidently trust and expect and another lesse sometimes the same man is more pure and high in the act of trusting and sometimes he hath much ado with his heart to get it to roll it self on Christ but yet he doth do it against many feares and against many corrupt reasonings now he lives by faith but then know it is an ill businesse instantly to reverse the acts of faith faint in it or but to suspect Jesus Christ himself either in his power or goodnesse or truth Fourthly to live by faith on Christ it is an extensive work it is to trust on him not for one thing only but for every thing which concerns the state of the soul The soul is a needy thing naturally it is so and so it is spiritually either it needs grace or more grace or strength or comfort or peace or mercy and pardon something or other it wants now Christ is an adequate supply to the soul he hath grace enough and righteousnesse enough and power enough and peace and plenteous redemption Now then as our wants appear or as they multiply so must faith appear and abound in its acts if we will be said to live by faith I will be righteousnesse to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be sanctification to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be redemption to thee saith Christ and I will trust unto thee for that too saith faith yea I will trust upon thee to be my continual propitiation continual intercession to be my continual sufficiency and strength for more grace for quickning for comfort for salvation for all Doth corruption work againe and I will to Christ againe to subdue it he will do it for me doth Satan renew his temptations and I will renew my addresses to Christ who will againe I trust bruise him under my feet my comforts are gone but I will to Christ I will live upon him he will come again and then my joy shall be full And indeed the life of faith as it is a multiplied work for it makes the soul to live upon Christ for its manifold grace so it is a repeated work it leads on the soul often and often even for the same kinds of supplies Obj. O saith the soul I did go to Christ and did beseech him to rebuke Satan and I trusted on him and followed my suit and found it so but now Satan tempts again now sin works again now my heart is down again dull and dead and feeble again Ans I say to such an one to live by faith is to keep house with Christ it is to be a daily guest it is to relie upon him it is so often to come as we have need it is to draw water often from the same fountain As if Christ did say to a person whatsoever thy soul needs come to me for it and whensoever yet come I will do it for thee and the heart goes confidently to the Lord of its life and hope of its salvation SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move us not onely to get faith in Christ but also to live by it Sol. They are so many that I know not well where to begin First If we consider our own condition this might put us upon the life of faith First the life of faith is congruous to our condition for what is our condition but a depending being such a being as subsists upon and by another Take us as creatures and so we are but beames of light which the sunne lets forth supports contracts drawes in We are like a glasse which God doth frame and hold in his own hand or else we cannot stand or like the flowers they must be set in the ground and then watered and fenced or else they live not our whole being and working and maintenance is from him that made us In him we live and move and have our being And take us as new creatures so shall we find that not only our natural breath but our spiritual being not only life but grace too depends not on him who hath it but on God who gave it Grace is a sweet streame but that flowes and runnes still because still fed by a living spring It is a fruitful branch but that branch doth stand and bear because upheld and supplied by a more fruitful root Hence is it that Christ is called the head and we the members he is called the root aâ—d we the branches he the foundation-stone we the buildâ—â—â— he is called the rock we the house built on that rock h◠〈◊〉 husband we the wife and spouse he the Lord and we thâ— sâ—râ—ants he the Shepheard and we the sheep he the nurse and we the babes All which do evidence this much that our life is in him upon him for we are dependants from him we live therefore upon him we should live Secondly the necessity of our condition our condition here below doth so shift and vary and faile go and come that if we do not live by faith we cannot honestly live at all Helpe failed me on every side said David all men forsook me said Paul We know not what to do said Jehosaphat God is pleased to call off all our comforts to gather up into his own hands of promises all our supports It is with us many times as with a Ship laden but on a sudden broken to pieces now the persons of necessity must swim towards the shore and to the rocks So God doth dash in pieces our lower confidences he cracks a full estate he separates very friends he gives not a heart to people to shew us compassions and sorrowes on all sides poure in themselves a man hath nothing in all the world left him but Gods bond is word of promise So for the estate of the soul it is frequently so clouded so darkned so checked so distressed so assaulted that all the meanes under heaven do not relieve it if the Lord doth not help if Christ be not the rock it cannot be delivered or supported Now in such cases where the condition is wholly reduced to the promises or unto Christ there can be no living but by faith The heart of a man is either broken with despaire and griefe or will break into the wayes of wickednesse if it lives not by faith in the cases of all sensibe sequestrations For 1. It is only faith which can espy something for the soul now Who is he that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. 10. Faith can see the stars in the thickest night of darknesse there is nothing but faith which can tell the soul of rich mercy in the times of greatest sense of exceeding guilt and there is nothing but faith which can finde out fulnesse of grace in Christ
God to salvation not only in respect of revelation because it doth manifest and declare the sole means of reconciliation 'twixt God and man but also in respect of operation and efficacy because it doth communicate and produce that faith in Iesus Christ by which we are saved 2. Another is that it comprehends the righteousnesse of God which faith only doth take By the righteousnesse of God he understands that righteousnesse whereby a man is justified in the sight of God and it is called the righteousnesse of God because God is the Authour and giver of it it is wrought and given by God in Jesus Christ and also because it is approved and of force with God at his Tribunal and judgement-seat See another place Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation He in the precedent verses doth enumerate many singular and heavenly blessings amongst which Christ was one and he doth in this verse expresse the order and manner how they come to be interessed in him viz. by trusting or believing and they come to that trusting and beleeving by the Gospel which he stiles a word of truth and a message of salvation Tell me seriously is not salvation the great scope and aime of your most choise and sober thoughts and can any attaine that but by Christ and can you have Christ without faith How preciously deare then unto you should the Ministry of the Gospel be which is the instrument of God to produce that faith which layes hold on that Christ by whom only we are saved Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so the Apostle Rom. 10 17. and John 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me He is an enemy to his own salvation who slights the preaching of the Gospel and he is an enemy to the salvation of others who labours to oppresse and extinguish it for if salvation be by faith in Christ and that faith depends on the Gospel Then For our parts let us blesse God for his Gospel Let us for ever honour and respect the message of the Gospel yea let us heartily embrace the Doctrine and power of the Gospel Let the feet of them which bring the glad tydings of salvation be acceptable unto us for as much as salvation and Christ and faith are all of them annexed unto the Gospel 2. Then hence it will follow that a meer hearing of Christ and his doctrine will not save if beleeving be the only way There are divers sorts of hearing One with incogitancy when perhaps the Ear is open but the Three sorts of hearing minde is asleep and heeds not that precious object revealed Another with Reluctancy when the eare is open and the mind attentive but the heart striving against the truth and goodnesse of the word Another with Conformity when the ear heares and the understanding yields and the heart embraceth Now it is this latter kinde of hearing which brings to salvation That hearing which consists only in the delivery of the message which brings something from God to us this will not save but such an hearing as brings back something from us to God which is accompanied with beleeving which turnes home the soul to the acceptance and embracing of Iesus Christ this is the only hearing to save our soules A motion made and tendred doth not conclude a match but a motion consented unto and embraced 3. If beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way of life then Iesus Christ should be the main scope and mark of all our preaching and studying 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified It was the maine theame and subject upon which that blessed Apostle did spend himself Look as it is with a Physician that though he doth sometimes lance and sometimes make very sick and sometimes restraine to strictnesse of diet and sometime binde and trouble the patient and sometimes relieve him with precious cordials though these actions are different among themselves yet they do concenter in one end which is health and life So whether Ministers preach the knowledge of sinne or whether they strive to make men sensible of sinne or whether they let flie the arrows of Gods threatnings upon the conscience of sinners or whether they touch on the mercy Seat all the end and scope is or should be to bring men to Christ to make Christ more glorious in the eyes of sinners and to incline their hearts to accept and embrace him Christ may be preached two ways Either Explicitly when he in his person or offices or benefits Christ preached two wayes is the only matter which is handled and published Or Virtually when he is the end of that matter which is delivered One of these wayes Christ still to be preached Do I meet with a broken and afflicted spirit groaning under the load of sinful Nature and life panting after the Prince of life and peace willing to yield up it self to all the conditions of God in Christ Here now I am to lift up Christ on his Crosse to spread his armes to shew unto that broken Spirit the very heart blood of Jesus Christ poured out for the remission of sinnes to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for his soule Do I meet with an obstinate and proud spirit which dares to defie justice and presumtuously to areign mercy Here I open the indignation of God against sinne of purpose to awaken the conscience to cast down the high and lofty imaginations and for no other end but this That such a person being now come to the sense of his misery may fitly be directed and seasonably encouraged to the sight and fruition of his remedy in Christ CHAP. IX Iustification only in Iesus Christ FOurthly If that beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then this Informes us where to finde our justification viz only in Iesus Christ For there only is the righteousnesse which can satisfie justice and in his blood only is remission of sinnes Now because this is a fundamental point 'twixt us and the Papists and it is the great bottome of comfort to a beleeving soule give me therefore leave to improve the remainder of the time in a brief and distinct explication of it Where First of the word and title Justification Secondly of the nature and definition of it together with some Arguments to evince that it is only by and for Christ and some Answers to the choisest Objections SECT I. FOr the word justification it hath a double acception amongst Writers 1. One Intrinsical and so it signifies to make a man just by an act of infusion that is by the implantation of sanctified or holy qualities 2. Another Forinsecal and so it signifies to repute or pronounce a man just by an act of jurisdiction that is a judiciary sentence to pronounce him righteous and free
is none upon earth that I desire besides thee said Asaph Psalme 73. 25. I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Paul again Phil. 3. 8. Lord let thy servant now depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luke 2. 29 30. As when we come to heaven we shall be so heavenly that heaven alone will be enough to us and this shews perfection so whiles we live on earth if Christ alone be heaven and earth to us if he can fill our hearts and satisfie them O Lord Jesus thou art righteousnesse enough satisfaction enough wisdome enough peace and comfort and pleasure enough to my soul O this comes from great strength 8. The more that the body of sinne decayes in strength the lesser prevalency of it this shewes that faith is strong When sinne becomes more dead in its actions or more ineffectual in its temptations When a man can walk and not stumble and reele and fall he is now out-grown his former weaknesse It shews weaknesse when every stone makes thee apt to fall It is a signe the army is strong when the enemy many of them are slaine and the rest are easily discomfited Sinne is our enemy and Christ is our general and faith is our champion and the more that sinnes fall it is an argument that faith is become stronger The victorious faith is much more then the combating faith Sinnes go down by believing the more that any grace is in victory the more it is in strength Indeed it argues truth of faith to resist but to conquer sinnes this shewes strength to wrestle is something but to overthrow is more to oppose sin is not so much as to vanquish it 10. The more fruitful a Christian is in his graces and exercises of them the stronger is his faith You know that the extension of the branches ariseth from the intension of the sap if the branches grow big and yeild more fruit it is because the root is more full and filled Faith is well stiled the radical grace though the habits of other graces grow not out of it yet the measures and exercises do exceedingly depend upon it And according to the latitude of faith is the latitude of other graces as the dayes receive shortnesse or length from the Sunne A weak faith is attended but with a weak love and a weak patience and a weak hope and a weak joy But if the faith becomes strong now it is spring with our graces they revive and shoot out themselves there will be much love and much labour of love and strong hope and the better heart and life 11. The more able a person is to live upon Christ or Gods promises in the times of desertions and contrarieties the faith is certainly the greater The more use any can make of God or Christ at all his faith is greater for the more that any soule beleeves the more is his faith enabled thereby But then this is yet more strength even against hope to believe in hope to look up for that God that hides himself to venture on an angry God one who seemes to shut out our prayers one that speaks bitter things unto us like Levi not to observe our own children but to keep the Word and Covenant of God Deut. 33 9. 12. The more able the soul is to wait on God to pray and wait the stronger is the Faith A waiting faith meets with more difficulties and contrarieties and is upheld by the strength of a meer promise That man not only hath faith but lives by faith if he can wait Gods time c. 13. When you can glorifie many promises at once by beleeving yea when every promise can be trusted on upon gracious termes the more fully you can glorifie them by trusting for pardon of great sinnes subduing of strong corruptions deliverance out of great distresses the stronger is your faith The lesse difficulty you conceive in God to perform his Word when you can come for great matters with great confidence lesse doubts exceptions feare the lesse power discouragements have If you can beleeve against sense reason Though he kill me yet will I trust in him These are discoveries of faith in strength SECT IV. THe second part of the second general point at the instances of weak faith in truth Here are two things which I will touch One is some demonstrations that faith is weak Another is some directions of truth with that weaknesse Concerning the first observe these things Signes of a weak faith 1. The more that doubtings stagger the heart its is a sign that the faith is weak As the more smoak goes up with the fire it is an argument that the fire is little or as the more a person halts and reels in his motion it discovers the impotency of his strength and joynts You reade in Rom. 4. 20. That staggering at the promise by unbelief is opposed to a strong faith observe that word staggering It is such a temper of the soul wherein it doth suddenly and easily change its thoughts and acts As a man who is staggering his foot checks as it were it self and alters its pace and place so when a mans heart is giving on and then falling off may I take may I not I will lay hold I will not God will be good to me he will not I shall have mercy yet I shall not this is staggering The soul le ts go its hold doubtings prevaile against actual beleeving the beleeving soul sees strong arguments to draw it to fasten on Christ and on mercy and then it is putting forth the hand but then unbelief thrusts forth contrary arguments of suspition and feares so that the soul is in doubts may I indeed lay hold but will the Lord be merciful to me Why diddest thou doubt O thou of little faith said Christ to Peter and this stands with reason for the stronger that quality is which is contrary to faith the weaker is that faith which is contrary to that quality as the stronger sickness is the weaker health is c. 2. The more easily a man can suspect Gods favour and Christs love this is a sign that faith is weak See Psalme 77. 7 8 9. and then v. 10. They say of love that the more pure love hath least feare 1 John 4. 18 and multitude of jealousies is an argument of mixture in the affections So it is of faith the more stedfastly it can hold up the immutability of Gods love and kindnesse and his ancient grants of favour the stronger is the faith But the more apt it is to question the loving kindnesse which hath been ever of old now it is the weaker Luke 24. 21. We had trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day There be two things which a weak faith is very apt to challenge One in God for kindnesse Another in
have I stretched forth my hands Nay thy unbelief grieves the very heart of Christ he grieved at their unbelief â—he complaines of that slownesse in thy heart to believe O slow of heart to believe c. nay and he sheds tears because thou dost not believe and receive him When he came near the City he wept over it O Hierusalem thou that c. How often would I c Sixthly consider how unreasonable and unequal and sottish 6. Motive a thing it is not to receive Christ being thus revealed and offered 1. There is none who have right to thy soul but God and Christ our souls are Gods workmanship and Christs purchase Why then should we not give to God that which belongs to God and to Christ that which is his own Ye are not your own saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. for ye are bought with a price God put forth his own power to make thy soul and Christ shed his heart blood to redeem thy soul and yet wilt thou through infidelity with-hold it from him and passe it over into the possession of a stranger an enemy 2. Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul he out-bids sin and he out-bids all the world and he out-bids Satan Can the Sonne of Jesse give you vineyards said Saul can sinne give thee that which Christ can can the world let them now appear and declare their strength and treasury Is there any one of them that presents redemption unto thee Is there any one of them that can procure remission and pardoning mercy for thee Is there any one of them which can satisfie the wrath of God for thee which can make thy peace which can present thee righteous before the judgement seat which can settle eternal life upon thee All this can Christ do none of this can they do 3. Thou canst not possibly be a loser by receiving or believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Suppose it cost thee many tears and many prayers and many searchings and many waitings yet Christ will recompence all these in a moment one word I am thy salvation It is I be not afraid I am thine as thou art mine thy sins are forgiven thee will be a day for all former nights Suppose that the world doth cast thee off as they cast him out of the Synagogue who beleeved and professed Christ yet Christ will come unto thee as unto him And as Elkanah said to Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better then ten sons or as the Prophet answered the King for the hundred talents God will be better unto thee 2 Sam. 20. 9. So will Christ he will supply all thy losses he will be better unto thee then houses and lands then father and mother an hundred fold better in this life and a thousand fold better in the life to come 4. What just extremity of shame and blacknesse of confusion will befal thee if thou be so wickedly unreasonable to keep off thy soul from Christ When thou art cited before God and Christ and the holy Angels and just men And God shall demand of thee why whom hast thou served upon whom hast thou bestowed thy soul who was it that made thy soul Thou Lord who was it that purchased and redeemed thy soul Thou Christ and who beseeched thee to bring back thy soul Thou by thy servants in thy Word And what did they say unto thee which should have prevailed upon thee They did assure me in thy Name that if I would come in and accept of Christ I should have favour and pardon and eternal life and what did keep back thy soul from accepting of this O it was such a lust that I loved and it was the world which I preferr'd And wouldest thou prefer earth before heaven thy profit before thy soul nay wouldest thou prefer a base sinne before a merciful God and a blessed Redeemer Thy own mouth doth testifie against thee was not my mercy better then a sinne was not my Sonne better then a sinne take him all ye children of darknesse sease on him my wrath to the utmost close him up in the lowest pit of hell conscience gnaw on him and sting him for ever fire and brimstone consume and torment him eternally he shall never have part in my mercy he shall never have portion in my Sonne He shall never see my face nor heaven who preferred his sinne his delights his profits before my love my mercy my Christ and his own soul Lastly faith would do great things for thee and Christ would do wonders for thy soul if once thy heart could be perswaded to consent unto him and to accept of him as Lord and Saviour SECT II. Secondly the impediments and hindrances Obj. But now as the Eunuch said There is water what hinders Obj. me that I may not be baptized so you may say why her is Christ set out to the life here are arguments faire enough to draw on my soul what hinders that we do not believe and receive Christ Sol. After all these discoveries yet the heart stands off and why because there are yet many cords with which the soul is held there are yet several impediments which do intangle and seduce the heart which keeps it down from mounting and rising up to the Lord of life against which we must earnestly labour if ever we would beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ I will touch some of the choisest of them 1. One impediment to faith is that natural Atheisme in the sons of men You know that as in the concoction or digestion of meats that which is a prejudice to the first concoction or digestion of meats is a hindrance to the two other and as in points of demonstration that scruple which weakens the apprehension of the truth of the principle it ever disable the strength of â—ssent to the deduced conclusion So is it in divinity whatsoever vile quality in the soul prejudiceth the reverent respects oâ— the most common and first truths it doth hinder it 〈◊〉 in the embracing of the depending truths which receive 〈◊〉 authority and strength from the grants of the 〈…〉 Now Atheisme it is a slighting quarrel with the first truths Atheistical spirit it hath most sordid and loose conceptions of God and of his Word it doth not set up God in the greatnesse of his nature and Majesty of his Attributes and Authority of his Word God looks not like a God unto him nor doth the Word of God work upon him like the Word of God God is not in all his thoughts he doth not really conceive of him as one who indeed is omnipotent and so holy and so just and so merciful as he reveales himself Those sweet truths of favour and kindnesse and mercy and the blood of Christ they are either nothing to him or as empty notions Those sharp threatnings against an unbelieving person with condemnation and wrath and hell they are as terrible fables and scar-crowes to him He doth not believe
So c. Secondly consider his many personal invitations he hath from his own mouth both counselled and envited the poore sinner unto him I counsel thee to buy gold and raiment and eye salve Rev. 3. 18. The Spirit and the bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and be that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Encline your eare and come unto me and your soul shall live And I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isa 55. 1 2. 3. Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the people Ver. 4. Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7. 37. Thirdly consider he hath assured thee of acceptance Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. He will not shut the door against thee when he hath envited thee but thou shalt be a welcome guest nay he will surely do thee good Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Fourthly there was never any one who did come unto him but sped well Thou canst not finde any one Iota of unwillingnesse nor of his disregard but all have found him to be a merciful High Priest and a compassionate Saviour who have accepted of him Fifthly consider that he doth still negotiate with thee Though he be returned to the highest heavens yet he hath dispatched Embassadors in his Name to publish and to call upon thee and to beseech thee 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Ver. 20. Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God V. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Object If there were any hope of reconciliation may a man reply then I should believe Sol. Why saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Object But if God had commanded any in his Name to publish this Sol. He hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation Object But you may do it out of your compassion not from a commission Sol. We are Embassadours for Christ and pray you in Christs stead Object But our sins will prejudice the Reconciliation Sol. He hath made him to be sin for us Sixthly consider his marvellous patience If he were not willing he would never have re-inforced his suit but would have taken the first denial But he hath followed them who have fled from him He hath gone after the sinner who hath many times turned his back Rom. 10. 21. All the day long have I stretched out my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people In this sense we may apply that of the Prophet He doth wait that he may be gracious and yet continues his Embassadors to bring thee home unto him Seventhly consider His sad complaints for thy holding off and not beleeving when he came neer to Hierusalem he wept over it and said How often would I have gathered thee Matth. 23. 37. And O if thou hadst known even thou at the least in this thy day the things which concern thy peace Luke 19. 41 42. And why will you not come unto me John 5. 40. As if you did see a tender father pursuing a rebellious childe and working upon him by counsel and entreaties and by hands of bounty and he will not yet hearken the father steps to a friend and powers out tears O I cannot win him I cannot turn him doth not this shew a willingnesse So c. Lastly consider his Will is exhibited to us in all the kindes of willingnesse I observe that his will may be manifested three wayes First in commands and there is a preceptive will and Christ commands thee to beleeve Secondly in promises and there is a gracious and encouraging will and Christ hath promised himself and all that he hath done and suffered if thou wilt beleeve in him Thirdly in threatnings and there is a just and vindictive will and Christ hath pronounced an abiding wrath and an everlasting death against him that will not beleeve So that this is most clear that Christ is most willing that a poor sinner should come in and embrace him and be saved by him Secondly The order of assurance But then for the order of assurance that Christ is willing Observe that there is a double assurance 1. One which is precedent and grounds the soul to beleeve 2. Another is subsequent and attends the soul after its beleeving That precedent assurance consists in a clear and convincing demonstration that Christ is willing to be taken by the sinner This subsequent assurance consists in a reflexive perswasion that he is my Christ and Saviour being by faith taken and accepted Now if a sinner expects this latter assurance before he will beleeve he doth preposterously and vainly perplex his soule nay it is an impossibility to lead on the soul this way nay it were a falshood and a delusion to the soul if it had a reflexive assurance that Christ and his benefits are mine before the heart did by faith beleeve in him and accept of him I did cousen my soul with a lie for Christ is not that mans who doth not yet beleeve on him the ways of this kinde of assurance is as it were the eccho of the original wayes of faith a consequent of it but never an antecedent For a man to solace himself that the estate is his before the person is his or that the person is his before he hath accepted of the person Why this is but the fruit of a vain and idle fancy But the former assurance that is a sweet inducement unto the soul to beleeve viz. when the soul ban get three things cleared and resolved 1. The certainty of a Saviour 2. The alsufficiency of him 3. His willingnesse to embrace and accept of a beleeving sinner Now this assurance is to be drawn from the very nature and offices and dispositions of Christ and from the command and invitations and promises of the Gospel which when the soul hath throughly perused and scanned it shall clearly see and freely acknowledge if it wil not blasphemously suspect Gods own truths for lies that Christ is both an able and also a willing Saviour not only willing to lay down his life but most willing that sinners should come to him and believe in him and so
smelling savour Ephes 3. 19. To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Yea Paul himself doth suggest unto us this love of Christ unto him as the singular ground why he did by faith live upon him Gal. 2. 20. The life which â—now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me Though I dare not trust an enemy yet I dare to trust my friend though I will not depend on him for help yet on my friend I will Why a friend loves at all times and love is the principle of bounty and of kindnesse He that loves much will do much beneficence and readinesse to help they grow in love as the branches in the root and therefore Christ is ready to help because exceeding in love to his members Observe the Apostle to this very thing in another place Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need There is need in us of mercy for we sinne dayly and need in us of grace for we are still weak but in heaven there is a throne of grace there is mercy enough and grace enough to help Obj. I confesse there is so saith the beleeving person but I am afraid to approach thereunto Sol. No be not afraid but come boldly unto the throne of grace saith the Apostle There is a twofold boldnesse There is a boldnesse of ignorance of this the Apostle speaks not There is a boldnesse of holy affiance of this he speaks Thus he comes boldly who presents all his needs and requests in the Name of Jesus Christ and confidently relies upon him for supply and acceptance Obj. But may the soul reply what encouragement have I to raise this confident affiance Sol. See the Apostle ver 15. For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities As if he should say I beseech you but to remember what your Christ is and then you may boldly come you are sensible why he is much more sensible of your infirmities he knows your wants yea he feels them feels them how there is a feeling by way of passion and change so indeed he does not feel them and there is a feeling by way of compassion so he feels them that is he is tenderly sensible of them he is very compassionately ready to help them As a mother she feels the want of bread of heat of cloaths of liberty in her child she is infinitely ready to relieve him such a kinde of feeling is there in Christ to his members in their need Ergo come boldly to him crave of him trust and rely on him for help Why else is he called a merciful High Priest What is mercifulnesse If you look upon it in man it is the sounding of his bowels it is a compassionate sympathy joyned with a singular readinesse to releeve And if you look upon it in God or Christ it is a most tender sense of mans infirmities and necessities accompanied with an exceeding propension or readinesse to forgive the repenting soule and to help and succor and comfort the Beleever Obj. Thou art truly grieved and humbled for thy sinnes and yet darest not to live by faith upon Christ that he will get thee the pardon Sol. Why O man Christ is a merciful high Priest Here am I saith Christ I am very ready to offer up the vertue of my blood for thee So thou art much distressed about the want of grace and the insolency of sin and Satan why saith Christ loe here I am I am very willing very ready to do thee good to give thee more grace to conquer thy sins for thee and Satan for thee I am a merciful high Priest my bowels are troubled for thee I love thee earnestly I remember thee still 5. His conjunction and relation I pray you consider of this How stands it 'twixt Christ and a beleever what union is there what relation hath Christ no reference unto him or hath he none unto Christ that he afraid to live upon him To trust to depend on him for his supplies Two things I will briefly touch 1. The neernesse of their relations Two things I will briefly touch 2. The ground from them to live by faith First there is a neer relation 'twixt Christ and a beleever see Cantiles 6. 3. I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Why this is a neer relation indeed a relation of mutual propriety that Christ doth say of a Beleever Thou art mine and the beleever can reciprocally affirm of Christ thou art mine As Adam said of his wife Gen. 2. 23. Thou art bone of my bone and flesh of flesh that same doth the Apostle apply back from the Church to Christ Eph. 5. 30. we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Of all rational relations none so neare so dear so tender as that of a man and his wife yet in such a relation doth Christ and a beleever stand Again he is the head of his body the Church Ephes 1. 22. the whole Church is his body every Beleever a member Christ the Head I spare the citation of more as of the tree and the branches the foundation and the building Secondly Now this relation is the ground of affiance a direct reason why we should live upon Christ by faith For First doth not special relation give special title If a man becomes an husband hath not the wife hereupon a title to the benefits and comforts of his estate his riches are for her good and his houses are for her good and his land for her good It holds just so here faith espouseth a man to Christ now Christ is mine and I am his and then the Apostle infers the title presently 1 Cor. 3. 21. All things are yours Ver. 22. Whither Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours Ver. 23. For ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Secondly hath not special relation a special obligation Why though a man be not bound but in a bond of charity to relieve and help a woman before he is married yet when once he is married then by vertue of that relation there lies upon him the bond of plaine and particular duty he is bond to love his wife as himself Eph. 5. 28. and to nourish and cherish her v. 29. Maâ—k now how the Apostle states our matter even here too Even as the Lord the Church as if Christ were the very pattern of this love of this cherishing and of this nourishing of thâ—s supplying and helping Thirdly hath not special relation a special affection I will do much for my servant I will do more for my childe but I will do most of all for my wife Why because she is neerer then all she is my very
pardon and to crown him with eteâ—nal glory Beleeve it assurance will make thy life more fruitful and thy heart more suffering Faith will make holy duties to be no harden and assurance will make it a delight Faith will make a man to bear the Câ—osse â—nd assurance will make a man to triumph under it We are more then conquerours said perswaded Paul Seventhly Assurance of faith it is a bathing spring to all our graces Shall I instance in some 1. The mourning heart doth much depend upon the assured minde No man ever did or ever shall take God by the hand as reconciled to him or look on Christ as redeeming him or read his pardon with assurance but his heart shall be full of joy and his eyes full of teares They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourne as a man mournes for his only childe Zach. 12. 10. There is nothing softens the heart so well as faith and which melts it so much as assurance The powers of the greatest kindnesse and most gracious love do open the fountain of godly sorrow within the soul 2. Love kindles in the heart upon assurance To whom much is forgiven the same will love much said Christ Luke 7. 47. We love him because he loved us first said John The love of God to us is the cause of our love to him againe and againe and the more that love is cleared to us the more is our love rekindled to him goodnesse is a cause of love here it is bountifulnesse is a cause of love here it is knowledge of both a special provocation of love in assurance here it is What a thing is this that God should give his Covenant to me his Sonne to me his Mercies to me his loving kindnesse to me his glory in heaven unto me I love a man who defends my Name I love a man who gives me a book I love a man who gives me my ransom I loue a man who gives me a meales meat Ah! poore things in comparison how do I then infinitely exceed in love to my God who I know hath pardoned hath justified hath accepted will save me for ever More might be said of all particular graces whatsoever 8. Assurance by faith doth but ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it 1. It easeth us of the world How can he walk with cares who is indeed perswaded that God is his Father he that gave him Christ will give him all other things freely God will not stand for a little earth who hath bountifully given a whole heaven and he will surely finde me food and rayment for my body who found mercy and the blood of his own Sonne for my soul 2. Nay it mounts us above the world they do observe that these lower things grow little and lesse by how much the higher a man is seated If a man could be elevated to one of the celstial orbes the whole world would seeme but a narrow spot of ground unto him In one point this is most true the neerer God draws unto the soule the more nothing doth this world appeare O the blessed favour of God! the evidences of our union with Christ This is like the light of the Sunne which puts out the light of ten thousand candles Thou wouldest never complaine of too little in the world if thou haddest so much as made up a true assurance of heaven 9. Lastly Assurance will breed comfort in life and confidence in death Object Why are Gods people afraid many times to die they cannot say with Christ I will go to my Father They have the bond but see not the seale They are not assured of Reconciliation of pardon of salvation But if they could with Simeon Take Christ into their armes if once they could be assured Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He who by assurance looks Christ in the face may with cheerful confidence look death in the face I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 23. How so verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gaine But how knows he that 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day So 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens SECT V. Quest 1. NOw I come to the last inquiry by what means the soule mâ—y get up to this assurance Sol. I shall only 〈◊〉 be such rules as reach a beleeving person Thereâ—oâ—e 〈◊〉 1. If thou be a bâ—â—eever and wouldest be assured then preserve the sense of thy own natural wretchednesse and of the darknese of thy souls state without assurance Christ came to Mary when shee was weeping and the Great God looks down upon thâ— broken Spirit The highest mountaine hath the first sight of the Sunne but the lowest Christian hath the first sight of God When the people of God were mourning then saith God Comfort ye comfort ye my people and say unto them your sins are pardoned You shall finde this That the truely sensible heart hath Note three properties in it which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with assurance viz. One that is very humble Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and mercy And a third that it is exceeding thirsty after a good look from God after some taste of Christ and God will satisfie all these 2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances you shall finde this that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the seeds of it The word you know is the soule of faith it was that which did incline the heart to yeild which did make it to accept of Christ and it is that also which can make us to know our possessions 1 John 15. 13. These things have I written vnto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life So 1 John 1. 4 These things we write unto you that your joâ— may be full More plainly In whom after you heard the Word of truth ye beleeved in whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1. 13. For look as the Word hath promises which draw the soul to Christ so it hath promises to clear the soul in its interest in Christ to answer all doubts and feares and to answer the feare about acceptance so it removes doubts which strive against evidence and propriety The Sacrament you know it is the Seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. Look as a Seale doth distinguish and confirme and settle the minde so is the Sacrament ordained to satisfie and perswade the heart of a beleever God appointed this